Two Lamar University students have developed an AI tool designed to warn people about phone scams while the call is still happening.

Computer science major Bilal Maqsood and English major Bronwyn Jones created Canary AI, a prototype that listens for suspicious language and pressure tactics — like requests for gift cards or verification codes — and alerts the person being targeted in real time.

The Beaumont duo built the project for RowdyHacks XII, a 24-hour statewide competition held October 3–4 in San Antonio, where Canary AI earned first place in the SWIVEL Challenge among 22 competing projects.

What sets the team apart is their unlikely pairing — one brought coding skills, the other brought expertise in language analysis — proving that the best solutions sometimes come from combining different disciplines.

The tool currently works through calls routed to a dedicated number and remains a prototype, but the students plan to keep developing it — right here in Cardinal Country.

More than 3,100 people packed the fourth annual Beaumont Family STEM Night, co-hosted by ExxonMobil and Beaumont ISD, for an expo-style evening filled with robots, VR headsets, and hands-on experiments.

Students of all ages explored over 60 booths, took home STEM kits, and entered drawings for prizes including a tablet and laptop.

ExxonMobil also presented two checks totaling $250,000 to BISD, supporting STEM education, literacy, and workforce readiness programs across the district.

ExxonMobil complex manager Phil Matherne says the event was born from a clear problem — local students often have no idea what engineering and technology careers look like, and few people in their lives are pushing them toward those paths.

Hands-on moments, like steering a robot or trying a VR headset, are exactly the kind of first glimpse that can change a student's direction.

Educators and volunteers interested in getting involved can find information on the BISD STEM Night page at bmtisd.com.

Lamar women's basketball is gearing up for an exciting start to the season with two upcoming home games at the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center.

The Cardinals first host North American University in an exhibition matchup on tonight, Wednesday, October 28, at 6:30 PM.

The action continues with the regular-season home opener against Louisiana Christian on Monday, November 2, at 5:30 PM.

Both matchups offer Beaumont-area fans a chance to rally behind their hometown Cardinals early in the season.

Come out to the Montagne Center, make some noise, and show the Lady Cardinals what Southeast Texas is all about — Go Cardinals!

View the Lamar women's basketball schedule

Lamar University Theatre's production of "The Wonder in Alice," directed by Kate Brennan, reimagines the classic story by splitting its heroine into five versions of herself. Lamar describes the play as a young adult view of a world that is both familiar and daunting to navigate. Stage manager Victoria Smith, as reported by [SOURCE NAME], says Wonderland is less a fantasy Alice discovers and more a picture of who she is.

The show is built on spectacle: puppetry, physical theater, a Cheshire Cat and a caterpillar at oversized scale, and a rabbit-hole sequence the cast developed together in brainstorming sessions. Audiences sit on three sides of a platform painted to look like spiraling book pages, so there is something to see in every direction.

For actor Mallory Craigen, who plays Loquacious, the bookish and talkative Alice, the story is about what happens when parts of yourself cannot understand each other. Her character has to learn to communicate with the other four, and all five learn that their differences are what let them fit together.

What audiences may not notice is the planning. Smith says moving large props, puppets, and performers through one shared space leaves almost no room for error. Craigen says the production pushed her physically and creatively past what she thought she could do.

Joy on the surface, precision underneath. It is a fair description of how most good things get made. The message Smith hopes people take home is simple: there is "joy and perfection in every part of who you are," flaws and mistakes included.

Where you fit: The production is open to the public and suitable for younger audiences. Come curious.

Tickets and details: lamar.edu/lutdtix.

Original editorial artwork created for The Beaumont Current. Not official Lamar University Theatre promotional material.

Cast and crew comments originally reported by Lamar University's LU News, lamar.edu/news-and-events/lu-news.html.