TAMUT Shows Greek Pride

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Leslie Arietta

It was a long week full of activities from trivia to bubble soccer. Texas A&M University-Texarkana had another successful Greek Week filled with fun and a little bit of competition. The activities went from Monday, April 4th to Saturday, April 9th. The participants of this years Greek Week consisted of Phi Lambda Chi fraternity and two Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority and Omega Delta Chi sorority.

Greek week began with Family Feud on Monday night. This game of family feud was very competitive. Alpha Sigma Alpha was in the lead with majority of the answers, but unfortunately for those that know how Family Feud works, it is easy to steal points just with one answer. Phi Lambda Chi got together and strategically stole the points away for the night with the win in Family Feud.

Tuesday was filled with fun community service events. Each Greek organizations collected as many cans as possible that were donated, but the challenge was to create a miniature golf course with the cans they collected. Time was crunching down and everyone was getting creative. The results of the miniature golf courses were; 1st place Phi Lambda Chi, 2nd place Alpha Sigma Alpha, and 3rd place Omega Delta Chi. The easy part was making the golf course, but the challenging part was getting through the golf course the results ended in Phi Lambda Chi 1st place, Omega Delta Chi 2nd place, and Alpha Sigma Alpha 3rd place. Putting aside all the competition at the end of the day the organizations came together and built picnic tables for the university.

Water Wednesday came around and the games were on. Water Wednesday consisted of water balloon dodgeball and slip n slide kickball. Unfortunately canoe racing got cancelled due to the windy weather, but the water activities still continued. Water balloon dodgeball was all fun and games with Phi Lambda Chi taking the win in both dodgeball and kickball.

Taking it back Thursday was filled with yard games. The activities started off with an egg toss that was a close game with Alpha Sigma Alpha taking the win. Next was life size Tic-tac-toe each organizations using their brains not to get cats game. Following tic-tac-toe was minute to win it relay which consisted of eating Oreos, stacking cups, emptying Kleenex boxes and shaking your tail feather. The last event of the day was bubble soccer which was an activity to remember and fun to play.

Friday was the beauty pageant for each organization. Each organization chose one person to participate and others to be back-up dancers. The boys had to dress like a girl and the girls had to dress like a boy. It was all fun filled with singing and different talents. Alpha Sigma Alpha took the win for the pageant show.

The last event was on Saturday to show support of the baseball team. Each organization put together a tail-gating party and showed up with the most spirit. They also had creative signs to support the baseball players during the game. Greek Week was filled with fun activities and competition.

 

Outstanding Young Men Celebrated

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Christopher Hart

Not coming from Texarkana I had my mind on other things and moving here wasn’t the first thing on my agenda. Moving here my sophomore year of high school made me extremely angry, with a terrible perspective of living in a smaller city filled with anger, love and racism. Yes, racism. I have received it more here than any other city I have lived in. Now I am possibly one of the nicest people anymore could meet, but some things just do not change in life, until I received a letter in the mail to invite me to an organizational ball to recognize my fellow outstanding young men of Texarkana.

I received the letter, and I really didn’t know what it meant.  Honestly, my first mind wanted to throw it away, because I just did not want to be here. I was wrong. Meeting my peers who were invited were friends of mine from school and the basketball team. The Texarkana Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority celebrates this every year around the end of January.  The chapter recognized 28 exceptional high school seniors for their academic achievements, leadership abilities, involvement in the community and commitment to excellence, giving back to the kids, showing us elegance, stability, and brotherhood amongst each other.

Having us donate and have a fundraiser to earn scholarship money for college was a great investment. When I was in it in was 2013, three years ago, but t the event is so private and beautiful it makes you feel really special about yourself. Wearing a black suit and white gloves, giving a speech in front of our parents and fellow peers and their parents showed me that we all can get along and have a good time. We all can turn a bad situation into a good one just by following our hearts. The women and men over the organization did a fantastic job with us, feeding us, taking care of us and helping get our names out in the world at such a young age. Being a part of the event and the outstanding young men around this town should carry a lot of weight for whoever gets the chance to experience this type of celebration.

Only 28 people are selected. That means someone is always watching, and someone can introduce us to new heights if we let them.  The event is always held at the Pleasant Grove High School Performing Arts Center, giving us a great venue to showcase our people skills amongst each other. The most recent event was January 31st 2016 and it was nice seeing new faces chosen now to be the outstanding young men of Texarkana. As an alumni, it made me  proud to see what I was a part of in high school, and I greatly appreciate them for taking me in and making us all brothers. Hopefully these events keep going through the town so it gives more black American men an opportunity in this world unlike the others. With me saying the others that’s for who ever is not with the OYM organization. The OYM organization should meet greater heights over the next few years and I hope Texarkana will open its eyes and see the great mark its making on these kids lives.

And Then There Were Four

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Kevin Luthringer

Yet another weekend of the NCAA tournament down and it is clear to me that this thing simply is impossible to predict. As we head into the Final Four, and the last weekend of this great tournament, the title March Madness seems to fit once again.

The first night of the Sweet 16 lacked any real close games. The Aggies disappointed, and Buddy “Buckets” from Oklahoma impressed once again as OU rolled easily.

Kansas continued to look the part of the number 1 overall seed as they beat Maryland by 16.

To end the night, ’Villanova did what they do and beat Miami handily.

A little surprisingly, Duke failed to give the number 1 seed Oregon much of a game.  Coach K, however, did not fail to give us something to talk about. In the press conference, Dillon Brooks, an Oregon Forward and a very good player, told a reporter that Coach Krzyzewski came up to him after the game and told him that he was “too good of a player to be showing off in the end.”  Coach K, in his press conference, denied that he said it, and that people can believe what they want to. What Coach K failed to realize is that nothing is private in today’s world.  Audio of the after game conversation came out the next day and it was clear that what Brooks said was indeed true. The Duke coach later came out publicly and said that he reacted wrongly to a reporter after the game when asked about the incident. He also said he had since called the Oregon Coach and apologized for talking to his player.  Ok, enough “Real Housewives of Durham”, back to the basketball….

In some of these less exciting games we had North Carolina continue to look like the best team in the tournament as they beat Indiana by 15 and Virginia beating Iowa State by 13 despite the Cyclones senior Georges Niang scoring a game high 30 points.

Then to round out the Sweet 16 we had two close games.  Syracuse continued their improbable run and beat Gonzaga in a comeback win despite trailing the majority of the game. Michael Gbinje hit the go-ahead bucket with just 22 second left and Syracuse was able to survive and advance. The other game was Notre Dame and Wisconsin and this was tight throughout.  Wisconsin’s offense staggered late and turned the ball over multiple times in the last couple of minutes. The Irish scored the final 8 points of the game in a span of 18 seconds and held on to beat the Badgers.

In the Elite 8 we finally got to some better games. Kansas and Villanova came down to the wire, with Villanova winning by 5. The Wildcats really showed how versatile they were on defense holding Kansas’ senior star Perry Ellis to just 5 points on 1-5 shooting from the floor. That same day you had the aforementioned Buddy Hield, who basically put the Sooners on his back, going for 37 with 8 three pointers. Oklahoma was able to beat Oregon by 12 in a game they seemed to be in control of the entire time.

On Sunday we saw the last two tickets punched into the Final Four, with North Carolina again showing that their overall talent and length is just too much for opponents (at least so far). Notre Dame played them tough, but in the end the Tar Heels were just too good.

The best game of the weekend, and maybe even a bigger collapse then Northern Iowa just a week before, saw 1 seed Virginia with a comfortable lead most of the game.  Suddenly Syracuse exploded.  Starting the second half down 16, and lead by freshman Malachi Richardson (who scored 21 of his 23 in the second half), Syracuse eventually would go on a 29-8 run that would make them the first 10 seed to ever make the Final Four.

At the end of the day you had a Final Four made up of Villanova, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Syracuse. With just one more weekend left to play and most of the brackets completely busted (especially yours truly), we are set for a great finale to the college basketball season.

Too Much Zach Randolph Dooms Bulls

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Anthony Hamilton

It was a festive atmosphere inside the Fed Ex Forum, as the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies prepared to square off. The Grizzlies came in having lost 6 straight games. The Bulls were 2 games out of the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls were severely short-handed, missing starting  power forward Taj Gibson, and key reserve E’twaun Moore. It wouldn’t take the Grizzlies long to exploit the absence of Taj Gibson, as Zach Randolph would have his way with Bulls rookie Bobby Portis. Derrick Rose returned from his elbow injury, but his shot wasn’t falling, and all-star shooting guard Jimmy Butler was held to 5 points, all in the 4th quarter after the game was out of reach.

The game appeared as if it would be competitive as the Bulls trailed 23-21 at the end of the first quarter. Then the wheels fell off. Over the course of the next 2 quarters, turnovers and missed shots led to the Bulls being out scored 60-44. Down 16 points at the start of the 4th quarter, the Bull trimmed the Grizzlies lead to 11, but that was as close as they would get, as the Grizzlies, led by Zach Randolph with 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Vince Carter with 17 points, would go on to defeat the Bulls 108-92. The Bulls were led by Nikola Mirotic with 20 points, and Pau Gasol with 17 points and 10 rebounds. For Grizzlies fans, this night was festive indeed.

Derrick Rose looks for a cutter

Derrick Rose looks for a cutter

Derrick Rose brings the ball up as Jimmy Butler and Bobby Portis look on.

Derrick Rose brings the ball up as Jimmy Butler and Bobby Portis look on.

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March Madness’ Mad Math

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Kevin Luthringer

Wow… After the smoke clears following another exciting first weekend of the greatest sports event of the entire year, all I can say is WOW.  Trying to recap a weekend packed with great college basketball in one post isn’t easy but I am going to give it a go.

Well, I feel like natural place to start is good ole Sparty.  Mr. Final Four, Tom Izzo, and his Michigan State Spartans got bounced in the first round to the 15 seed Middle Tennessee State. This one surprised the heck out of me and most likely took me out of the running since I had MSU as a lock to get into the Final Four and the championship.

Now to some of the other awesome games, UALR, or University of Arkansas Little Rock, played in one of the most exciting games I watched this weekend. They had a little guard, number 3, who seemed to be shooting into the ocean. The kid could not miss.

Then the boys from Yale, who have never been to the Big Dance in school history, pulled off the big upset against Baylor (the Baylor kids’ post-game interview after the game was priceless if you haven’t seen it: Taurean Prince Press Conference). Keep in mind however these were both 12 / 5 games, and if you do this often then you know this happens almost every year.

Then you have one of my favorite teams to watch, Steven F. Austin. This team was my biggest concern with the seedings. Somehow SFA with Senior guard Thomas Walkup, who has not lost a conference game in 2 years and made a run in the tournament just a year or two ago was a 14 seed!  Now let me remind you, as I am writing this I still didn’t pick them (banging my head in to a wall) because I really liked Press Virginia and Bob Huggins to wear them out. I was wrong and big time!  SFA looked like the better team all game long. They were unable to hang on in the next game against Notre Dame, however.  And, why?  Because they did what has killed many a team; they played not to lose at the end.  Looking in control most of the game, they got out of their game plan and started running clock.  As time expired and on the THIRD offensive rebound, a Notre Dame player tips it in at the buzzer to send the Lumber Jacks from SFA home.

Among the other upsets a few that don’t seem quite as noteworthy because we have seen these teams make noise in the tournament in the past: VCU, Wichita State, Gonzaga, Syracuse.

But then you have the last two big ones. Hawaii beating Cal, which wasn’t a huge surprise if you caught the news of their leading scorer being injured during a practice right before the tourney and being unable to play.

The big one however, which leads us into the second round, is University of Northern Iowa. (Flashback: I instantly thought of one of their players the year they made the run to the Sweet Sixteen, who had my favorite name I think I have ever seen, Ali Farokhmanesh – and, yes, I did look up the spelling on that). Northern Iowa was able to take out the Longhorns thanks to an amazing one-handed half-court shot by their leader Paul Jesperson at the buzzer.

As UNI was going for the elimination of not one but two Texas teams they gave up the largest lead anyone has EVER given up in the last minute in ANY college basketball game EVER!!!  Sorry for being repetitive and redundant.  Texas A&M went on a 14-2 run with under 44 seconds to play and forced overtime where they would eventually pull the game out in the 2OT. Just to give you an idea of how crazy this was, ESPN has a “Win Percentage Calculator”, and with 44 seconds to go, up by 12, Texas A&M had 0.0% chance to win… Obviously, the reliability of said WPC is in question as A&M was able to pull off the win.  What a crushing loss for the Northern Iowa kids and fans.

Much as in that game, most of the “Cinderellas” lost their slippers for good in the round of 32 except for Syracuse (who could hardly be called a Cinderella, especially considering they were playing lower seeded Middle Tennessee State), Gonzaga who has made a name for themselves in this Tournament in the past, and Wisconsin.  The Badgers win over Xavier was just about as crushing as the Northern Iowa loss. Up by 3 with 11 seconds left Xavier gave up two threes to Wisconsin sharpshooter Brandon Koenig.  One to tie and then the winner with 2 seconds left (here’s the video if you didn’t see it Watch Bill Murray’s face). This led Koenig to say that he “went into his inner Steph Curry” after the game.

Man, I love March Madness.

The Woes of the Veterans’ Administration

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Anthony Hamilton

It is very difficult in recent years to have paid any attention to any news outlet, and not realize that there are major problems as well as challenges facing the veteran’s administration here in the United States. Speaking for myself, as a disabled veteran, I feel the way that we are treated in many cases in downright disgraceful.

We are sent away for months at a time to “protect our freedoms” while in many cases our very family relationships suffer, due to missing births, graduations and every other family function that anyone can think of. There are also the injuries and casualties of war that ultimately can make life exceedingly difficult.

If we were to take a look at the average person (lawmakers) that have a say so about going to war, etc. they generally have no ties to the military, and not only would they not consider going in harm’s way to protect the country, but you hardly see any of their family members on the battlefield either, so why are these same people allowed to block funding to those who come home changed mentally or physically?

In most instances it’s like you go to war, give the best you have to give, then you come back home battle-scarred only to realize that the government has cast you aside, and no longer view you as their problem. It’s almost criminal, the fighting you have to go through with the government in order to get disability when you don’t come back home whole. If it doesn’t flat out take forever, you end up having to file twice and get what you have coming the second time around.

With all the missteps that the VA has recently encountered, some might wonder what type of people they’re hiring, or just how diligent these people might be. While these are fair questions, one thing we all must keep in mind is the budget cuts that the VA has been sustaining. Anytime you have the same amount of work to do with fewer employees, there will definitely be some hiccups along the way.

According to www.blogs.va.gov , there were 1.4 billion dollars in budget cuts in 2015. These cuts will have an adverse effect in Medical care, where they will lose $690 million dollars, meaning 70,000 less vets will have access to VA health care, there will be reduced staffing, and there will be delays in research. There will also be $592 million lost in new facilities, meaning the St. Louis rehab facility, outpatient clinic in Alameda, California and the French Camp CBOC in Livemore, California will either be delayed or not built at all. There will also be 18,000 less military families having the ability to seek a military funeral for loved ones who served.

There have also been recent incidents of veterans being infected at military hospitals because protocol wasn’t properly followed: www.cnn.com broke the story about 1,800 veterans of a VA Hospital in Missouri being infected with HIV due to technicians handwashing instruments before using the cleaning machines, when correct protocol is to only use the cleaning machine. Also the 3,400 vets infected at the Palomar Hospital in San Diego, California during colonoscopies performed with dirty endoscopes.

Another recent misstep was reported by www.foxnews.com regarding the 26.5 million veterans whose social security numbers and birthdates stolen when a VA laptop was stolen from an employee who took this information to his home without authorization.

Despite these discrepancies, there are many VA employees who are very diligent, and who also happen to love their jobs, and as a disabled vet, I have plenty of dealings with these workers. Ambulatory Care Dietician Karrie Cole, at the Texarkana CBOC has worked with me since 2010 trying to help me to take control of my diabetic ills. She has worked for the VA since 2009 and says she loves the job. “It’s very rewarding to know that you’ve helped people become healthier through diet” Cole said. She sees 8-10 patients a day, and she follows up with each patient and documents their progress.

Doctor of Physical Therapy Blair Culbreath at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport says she also loves her job. “It’s very rewarding to work with someone who may have been injured, and be a major part of helping them regain their strength,” Culbreath said. She sees 5-8 patients in a day depending on whether the patient is new or returning. “I like to spend more time with a new patient to find out about their medical background.” Culbreath also pointed out that the wound care physical therapist sees more patients because they don’t have to spend as much time with each patient.

According to www.thehill.com, the Democrats blocked a VA funding bill from the Republicans in hopes of brokering what they feel would be a better deal for veterans and their families. In my opinion, as long as those in congress continue to play with VA funding like little kids fighting over toys, the VA is going to continue to have their missteps, and unfortunately, the veteran will continue to ultimately pay the price.

Power Hours

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“I call this meeting of the Texas A&M University at Texarkana’s Student Government Association to order at 8:40 pm on March 2, 2016.”

SGA “serves as the official voice of the student body; act as a liaison between the student body and faculty, staff, administration, and community members; protect and preserve students’ rights and responsibilities; and promote student leadership (tamut.edu).” Every year the student body elects representatives they feel best represents their class. The elected body then makes decisions they feel will benefit our university. For example, SGA is responsible for the sidewalk on the Bringle Lake Village side of the University Center, as well as the picnic tables that are soon to be put out.

On the first Tuesday night of March, the Student Government Association of Texas A&M University at Texarkana gathered in Eagle Hall for a three-hour meeting. They discussed ways to better the organization in and of itself, and the campus. Fuzzy’s was provided accompanied by an icebreaker, the group participated in a S.W.O.T. Analysis, and committee meetings were held.

After the group enjoyed tacos and queso, they got down to business. Keith Beason started off the meeting with a S.W.O.T analysis; Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats. Students were asked to list different things that pertained to these categories. They discussed how to use strengths to better weaknesses, used presented opportunities to generate new ideas, and tried to figure out how to fix possible threats. One of the major points brought was that the student government body was going to try to be more active and make the organization known on campus. SGA Communications Specialist Erin Beach said “After an in-depth SWOT activity, Student Government has grown together to be a better voice for the student body of TAMUT.”

After the S.W.O.T. Analysis, SGA split up into their separate committees: Environmental, Public Relations, Policy, Budget, CSAC, Campus Life, Events and Fundraising, Administration, and Apparel. They set up regular meeting times to enhance progress. Just a reminder, even if you aren’t an SGA Representative, any student is welcome to be on a committee. If you are interested, contact President Heath Coston.

Travis Garvin said “I had stayed up past my bedtime…” However, everyone agreed that staying up past their bed time was well worth the progress that was made.

The Stars of Dallas

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Jamie Williamson

When it comes to Texas sports teams the Dallas Stars are usually the last team to come to mind. The Dallas Stars often get overlooked since they share a city with another Dallas team, the Cowboys. Many often assume the Cowboys are the only Dallas team worth watching or following the games, but that is not the case. The Dallas Stars are currently ranked number two in their division and third overall in the National Hockey League. The Dallas Stars have had a great season so far this year. The Dallas Stars have finally reclaimed the success they had in the early nineties.

The change in the Dallas Stars started in 2013 when they hired Jim Nill as the new general manager. As soon as Jim Nill came on board he made a six man trade deal with the Boston Bruins. The Dallas Stars acquired Tyler Sequin and soon he became a staple in scoring points on the first line. Another part of the change was in stating a new captain, Jamie Benn, and getting new uniforms to make them stand out. With the new captain, new uniforms, and new point scorer the Dallas Stars were well on their way to becoming a sports team Texas could be proud of.

The Dallas Stars made the playoffs tin 2013 thank in part to all the new changes the general manager put into effect. Even though the Dallas Stars did not make it past the first round in the 2013 playoffs, they have worked hard the past two years to get where they are now. The Dallas Stars made crucial trades in the off-season to become on of the best teams in the 2015-2016 season. One of the trades was with Chicago where the stars gained Patrick Sharp to play on the first line, and Johnny Oduya as a defenseman. These two players fit seamlessly into Dallas like they had been playing there for years. They brought a sense of renewed energy to the team, and helped propel the Dallas Stars to the top. Another pivotal trade for the Dallas Stars was Antti Niemi as a goalie. He has made some pretty impressive saves this season to keep the Stars ahead of the competition.

The starting of the 2015-2016 season seemed to unfold perfectly for the Dallas Stars. Jamie Benn has had a tremendous season so far he has led the league in goals followed closely by Tyler Seguin. The Benn-Seguin line has become one of the most successful lines in the league since they started playing together in 2013. The two players have such a good chemistry on the ice it sometimes seems they can read each others mind. If they continue to play with the success they have shown this season there will be no limit to what they can do in the future for the Dallas Stars franchise. The Dallas Stars may not be the go to team for many Texans, but they are fast proving to people they can be a big name in Texas sports.

 

You Are What You Think

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Aaron Caraway

Altrusa International of Texarkana, TX held a dinner symposium at Wesley Hall in Williams Memorial Tuesday evening March 8th, at the beginning of this week’s large rainfall occurring throughout the ArkLaTex. Amidst this hostile weather, conditions proved favorable enough for the attendees to safely reach the event.

The symposium was the subject of a Living WELL Aware conference, featuring Dr. Patricia J. Sulak. Dr. Sulak founded Living WELL Aware to promote healthy lifestyles, with conferences held nationwide to offer “not only the latest published information in […] leading medical journals, but the skills […] to get attendees to a greater physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.” (“About Us”)

Dr. Sulak’s 90-minute lecture covered her Eleven Essential Elements to Health and Happiness, including a focus on attaining normal health numbers and seeking support from friends and family, which helped her achieve optimal health. She has spoken nationwide to businesses, organizations, and communities about them.

Altrusa International of Texarkana, TX – part of an international effort by business professionals to offer their abilities their communities – held this event with coöperation from Williams Memorial, donating the proceeds to:

  • CASA for Children, which “promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy so every abused or neglected child in the United States [is] safe, [has] a permanent home and the opportunity to thrive.” (“Organizational”), and
  • Domestic Violence Prevention, Inc. – providing 24/7 services to sexual assault and domestic violence victims through a cooperative effort between its staff and communities.

Longhorn Steakhouse provided the food for the event, served by volunteers from our Texas A&M – Texarkana campus. Altrusa derives its namesake from the word altruism, meaning “unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others” (“Altruism”). Considering the harsh weather rolling through the ArkLaTex this week, the Texarkana, Texas chapter made every effort to live up to it.

For more information on Altrusa International, Living WELL Aware or the events beneficiaries, consult the links below:

Altrusa International / Living WELL Aware / CASA For Children / Domestic Violence Prevention

Works Cited:

  • “About Us.” Living Well Aware. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.
  • “Atruism Definition.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.
  • “Altrusa International, Inc. – Leading To a Better Community.” Altrusa International, Inc. – Leading To a Better Community. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.
  •  “Organizational Profile.” – National CASA. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Your Own Photography Business

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Hope Hawley

As a college student I know it can be hard to work and go to school full-time. Let me tell you about an option that you can do on your own time that works around your school schedule 100%. This option will also help you by building your skill level and introduce you to something that for most becomes more than just a hobby. Now how do I know all of this you may ask? Well, I’ve been doing it for a long time — about 6 years now.

Now you may be wondering what this working option is, the answer to that is photography. I recently lost my job and I started doing my own photography again and it has been amazing. I have been able to focus on school and still bring home the bacon. Photography is always in high demand because there will always be holidays, birthdays, and events — and people who want their pictures taken. Now if you’ve never done photography, don’t jump the gun — let me give you a few pointers to help you get started.

The first thing you need and really the only thing that will cost a little money is a camera. There are numerous brands of cameras, but I prefer Canon. The T3i and T5i are two of the best cameras in my opinion. Yes, these are expensive, but there are ways around paying full price, plus you can make the money you spend right back once you start taking pictures. My best advice is to go to your local pawn shops and look, because chances are they have some for sale cheap or negotiable. Before you jump straight into taking pictures I advise you to take a few tutorials about your camera and get to know it, and really become familiar with all of the buttons and features.

The next most important thing is backgrounds or locations. Some people do the whole paper backdrop thing but I think it’s a 1,000 % better if you take pictures outside with natural backgrounds. So what I suggest is picking a day that’s nice outside and just driving around your town and finding places that you think serve as good scenery and backgrounds. You could even take your camera and take pictures of them to see your lighting with the different times of day and locations.

Finally, you really just need to get your work out there. I would offer a few free sessions and then advertise, advertise, advertise. A good way to do this is social media. When you post some of your work on Facebook you get your name out there and more people will start booking you. Now you do have to come up with a price scale. There are many ways to set your price points so I’ll leave that to you.

Photography is something that will always be around whether it be used digitally or through print. This is something that you can do and you are your own boss, you set your schedule, and you determine your pay. It takes some time to get good at it if you want it to be your life long career but it’s worth it.