Summer 2014 Orientation Issue

2014 ORIENTATION ISSUE

UNIVERSITY PRESS A THIRTEEN-TIME ASSOCIATED PRESS MANAGING EDITORS AWARD WINNER

The Newspaper of Lamar University Special Edition

Summer 2014

WELCOME TO LAMAR

CARDINAL FAMILY ENCOURAGES INCOMING FRESHMEN TO JOIN COMMUNITY Lamar University welcomes incoming students to the Cardinal family.

“We have longstanding traditions on our campus, and one of the first things we are excited to have for our freshmen is an engaged campus,” Teresa Simpson, director of student development and leadership, said. “We are the office of student engagement, and that is more than just

words on a wall. We have taken a lot of great pride, especially this last year, in really bringing the campus alive with various components.”

There is a plethora of opportunities for freshman coming into Lamar University, Simpson said.

“We have a freshmen leadership program that we want all of our freshmen to apply to,” she

said. “It will really create a foundation for those that were high school leaders on their campus to be accepted in this program.

President Kenneth Evans takes great pride in the freshmen leadership program.

“What we have found, is that the students that have taken part in this program have already started their own organizations, and they have surfaced quickly

into leadership roles on our campus. We know that it sets a good foundation for our students to be successful on our campus and successful in community relations as well.”

There are nearly 200 student organizations on campus, Simpson said.

“We have 20 Greek chapters that are broken down into four councils, so there’s a little some-

thing for everybody,” she said.

“We do an enormous amount of community service through civic engagement, so the students can work with local non-profits in the Southeast Texas community. It’s a great way for students to part-

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS Advising Center helps freshmen, sophomores engage with university life “The Undergraduate Advising Center provides proactive advising for all freshmen and sophomores,” director Daniel Bartlett said. “What we mean by that is that every student has a designated adviser based on their major.

“These advisers are connected to departments. They understand what degree plans are, what the departmental expectations are — they understand who the faculty are and what the events and organizations are.

“Advisers are here to not just get students registered, but also to follow up with them — to make sure they are taking advantage of everything that’s here.”

Advisers help students get involved in activities and events, Bartlett said.

“We just make sure that incoming students, all the way through that sophomore year, are really taking advantage of everything here so that by the time they are juniors and getting to be seniors, they have a really strong foundation,” he said.

Bartlett said he encourages students to visit the advising center yearround.

“It’s not just something they should do when it is time to register for classes,” he said. “We want students to really get to know who the advisers are, because the advisers are going to help students get connected with their major and the faculty. Students tend to take a lot of core classes, classes that don’t necessarily have to do with their depart-

Financial aid fulfills all students’ needs The experiences associated with higher education may be more than a family can afford. If so, students and their families should know that they may qualify for financial aid.

The financial aid office is located in 200 Wimberly on the Lamar University campus. The staff is prepared to help students with their financial aid questions.

They provide an informational brochure in all incoming students’ orientation packets that has lists of websites needed to complete the financial aid application process.

Most first-time students’ first question is, “What do I do?” Jill Rowley, director of student financial aid, said.

“We tell them to fill out the free application for student financial aid — FAFSA — at fafsa.gov.”

Students still need to be accepted for admissions, she said.

After the FAFSA has been processed, the potential student is loaded into the Lamar system.

“Then we send out emails that say, ‘OK, now you need these documents,’” Rowley said. “And then they can go to the website and print out all the documents they need.”

Located on the FAFSA is a tax transfer data tool that students must use. All colleges in the United States now use this instead of asking students for tax returns, Rowley said. “(Students) use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when they fill out the FAFSA. It will load their in-

come information for them.”

If the student is selected for verification and they did not use the Data Retrieval Tool, they will have to submit a tax transcript, she said.

“It is imperative that students use that data retrieval tool,” Rowley said.

There are different kinds of aid that have different requirements.

“There is no set pattern,” Rowley said.

It depends on many different factors like household income, how many people are in college in the household, and if the student is Pell Grant eligible.

The standard options are Pell Grants, and subsidized and unsubsidized loans. If enough funds are not available or eligibility requirements are not met, there are also Parent Plus loans available to parents and students based on credit scores.

Lamar University also has scholarship opportunities that students may apply for, but like other aid, the requirements vary.

Besides standard loans and scholarships, Rowley encourages students to look to their community — churches and other organizations often have small monetary scholarships or can help out with books or fees.

“Every little bit helps,” she said.

For more information, visit financialaid.lamar.edu/types-ofaid.html.

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ment. Those students don’t usually get to know their department very well. So we are trying to help them do that.”

Bartlett said the center alerts students to campus opportunities.

“There are a lot of great things all over campus that sometimes are only seen by a few people just because they’re not aware of it,” he said.

The advising center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“We have extended hours, too,” Bartlett said. “We will have designated Saturdays when we have appointments available.”

For more information, call 409880-8822 or visit www.lamar.edu/ advising.

CARDINAL VILLAGE

ner with like peers and establish a sense of camaraderie.”

It’s never too soon for students to get involved in campus life, Simpson said.

“It’s exciting to be a Lamar University Cardinal,” she said.

Lamar 1101 designed to help students Students will benefit from a course specifically designed to help them successfully transition to college, both academically and personally.

Lamar 1101: University Success Seminar will help students develop a variety of skills and resources they will need throughout their college careers and after graduation, including writing, critical reading and thinking, discussion, note-taking and study skills, and time-management strategies. Each one-credit course will meet twice a week and will be taught by a fulltime faculty or staff member assisted by an upperclassman serving as peer leader.

Many top universities offer similar introductory courses for new students to help them learn to successfully navigate life and study on campus.

Through Lamar 1101, which officially will be listed as LMAR 1101 for registration purposes, new students will gain knowledge indispensable not only to their first year of college, but also to each year thereafter as they work to walk across the stage and accept their hard-earned diplomas.

“Student success has always been at the forefront of our efforts at Lamar University,” Senior Associate Provost Kevin Smith said. “Our mission of preparing students for leadership and lifelong learning includes our commitment to provide each Lamar University student every opportunity to succeed in all academic endeavors.”

With the addition of Lamar 1101, Lamar University’s core curriculum will grow even stronger. Previously, a Washington Post column advised students to “Forget Harvard and think Lamar,” recogSee 1101, page 4

MENINGITIS VACCINATIONS REQUIRED

living on campus. There are also a lot of services that are offered in the evenings, and a student who doesn’t live on campus might have to leave.”

Crayton said he encourages students to reside in the dorms to strengthen their independence.

Incoming Lamar University students need a vaccination against bacterial meningitis to attend on-campus classes.

Universities across Texas must comply with the vaccination regulations for admission set forth in Texas Senate Bill 1107, Shawn Gray, Student Health Center director, said.

“Any new student to an institution of higher learning, public or private, will be required to show evidence that they have received a meningitis vaccine within the previous five years if they are under the age of 22,” she said.

The law also applies to students returning after a break in enrollment for at least one fall or spring semester, Gray said.

“There is an option (for students to decline a vaccination) for reasons of conscience or religious reasons, or if it is a detriment to their health,” she said. “If they choose to opt out, there are certain papers that they have to fill out on the Texas Department of State Health Services website.”

The university encourages every-

See DORMS, page 2

See VACCINE, page 2

Students play volleyball in the recreation area of Cardinal Village’s Combs Hall.

Dorm life enriches college experience Living on campus is a beneficial experience that can broaden your perspective and expand your social skills during college, Baraka Crayton, director of resident life, said.

“There are many benefits to living on campus,” he said. “It takes away that big commute. The time that you would spend getting to class is shorter just by

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INSIDE Summer 2014 University Press Orientation Issue

Page 2

NOTICE

QUOTE OF THE DAY “Cultivated mind is the guardian genius of Democracy.”

The University Press can be read online at www.lamaruniversitypress.com. Advertising rates can be found on the site, along with practically all information that a person might be looking for.

— Mirabeau B. Lamar

Check out the student handbook at: http://students.lamar.edu/student-handbook.html To download a pdf of the campus safety brochure, visit http://students.lamar.edu/campus-safety/index.html

BE AWARE, BE ALERT, BE SAFE CONSCIENTIOUS CARDS CAN KEEP CAMPUS SECURE Safety is an important aspect of campus life. Learning what part one can play in keeping the campus safe is part of the responsibility of being a student.

“In this day and age, campuses are merely a microcosm of society, so anything that is possible to happen in a city is capable of happening here,” Jason Goodrich, LU police chief, said. “The likelihood is less because it is a smaller geographic area and we have a decent law enforcement presence, but that does not negate the chance that something could happen. We always have to be vigilant and on our guard for things.

“You have to be alert and take responsibility. We are here to help. If you see things that are suspicious, don’t just write it off. You should call.”

DORMS ••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 “You’re responsible for everything,” he said. “It is just a really nice structure to guide students toward that ultimate goal of being responsible for themselves.”

Life in the dorms is not without rules, though. Some items are forbidden for the safety and well-being of others, Crayton said.

“Prior to moving in, students receive a list of appliances that they are not able to bring on campus, and that mainly has to do with the fire code,” he said. “This information is available to students on the housing website.”

The rules are in place to keep students safe and reduce the chances of an accident, Crayton said.

Goodrich said that sometimes a campus can be a victim of its own success. When there is not a whole lot happening, attitudes can get lax and that’s when safety issues return.

The key is to just be alert.

“It’s kind of like Christmas shopping, when you go to the mall and you decide to be careful and not carry a bunch of packages,” he said. “You have a heightened awareness, but you should do that all the time. You should always be mindful of your surroundings.”

LU is fortunate to have an engaging LU police department, Teresa Simpson, director of student development and leadership, said.

“The staff is there to help, in any capacity that they need to, to ensure the safety of our campus,” she said. “It is the students’ responsibility to make responsible choices. A university environment provides a lot of opportunity for independence, and through that comes great responsibility, personally — and for our student leaders, profes-

There are safety precautions in place to lessen the chances of a fire, Crayton said.

“Students are allowed to bring straighteners and curling irons,” he said. “But the electrical outlets have devices built in that offset overheating. It basically just shuts the power off on the appliance so that a fire will not start.”

Keeping yourself and your neighbors safe is important in a community where you will be getting to know your neighbors, Crayton said.

“Having the chance to meet friends from all over is a rewarding experience,” he said. “LU has students from other countries, and a lot of those students live in the dorms. So your neighbor could be from any part of the world. It gives you a different perspective and a different experience that someone who doesn’t live on campus won’t have.”

There are numerous emergency polls around Lamar University that help with maintaining good campus security. sionally. Our student leaders have to make safety decisions not just for themselves, but also for collective groups.”

There are also emergency buttons scattered about campus that have a direct line to the LUPD dispatch.

“As far as Tasers and pepper spray goes, you should never carry anything that you are not prepared to use,”

Crayton said there are various social and educational services that are provided to residents.

“We provide tutoring on campus,” he said. “You can go down to the community center and take advantage of those services. We try to enhance students’ experiences while they are living here on campus.”

Crayton said he urges students to take advantage of the life lessons that dorm life can teach.

“Everyone, at some point in their lives, wants to be independent,” he said.

“And while living in the dorms, you get the experience of being independent while still in that structured environment that allows you to learn those life lessons, but there is someone here to address issues that you might have and give you some guidance.”

For information, call 409-880-8550, or visit beacardinal.lamar.edu/housing.

Goodrich said. “You could get it taken away and used against you. But if you are prepared for it and are comfortable with it, then there is nothing wrong with taking that precaution.”

Officers patrol the dorms during the day, and there is at least one officer inside the residence halls from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. There is also a 24-hour secu-

VACCINE •••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 one to get vaccinated early, Baraka Crayton, director of residence life, said.

“There is a 10-day waiting period before you can attend classes from the time you receive the vaccination, because it takes 10 days for the vaccination to take effect,” he said. “And before on-campus students can move in and get their key, they have to be admitted to Lamar — and they cannot be admitted without this vaccination.”

Students can provide proof of vaccination with a Lamar immunization record/medical exemption form, an official immunization record, an official school record or a

rity desk.

“That does not negate the rest of patrol, which does foot patrol and things like that, so you will probably see more than that,” he said.

Goodrich encourages students to lock their cars and to keep an eye on their belongings.

“A lot of times, students set down their iPods or laptops, and the items are gone 10 minutes later when they get back,” he said. “Don’t leave it sitting there. Take those things with you. Lock your door when you run down the hall.

There are just a lot of basic things that you can do to reduce the risk of a crime of opportunity.”

In general, we have a tendency to ignore what we see, Goodrich said.

“We have this deferred responsibility,” he said. “But even if you are the third person to call, that helps us. In society, there is this feeling of, ‘This is the police’s responsibility,’ when in reality, it’s everyone’s responsibility.”

For more information, call 409-8808305.

document signed by a physician, designee or public health official.

Proof of an exemption may be provided with an immunization record/medical exemption form, an affidavit provided by a physician or a conscientious exemption form from the Texas Department of State Health Services at webds.dshs. state.tx.us/immco/affidavit.shtm.

LU students may submit proof of vaccination or exemption by email to immunization@lamar.edu, in person to the Records Office in 102 Wimberly or by mail to Lamar University Office of Admissions, P.O. Box 10009, Beaumont, TX 77710.

For more information on the vaccination requirement and to access the immunization record/medical exemption form, visit bea cardinal.lamar.edu/bacterial-meningitis.

ORGANIZATIONS

3 Summer 2014 Orientation Issue

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Student Government gives campus a voice

2014-2015 Student Government Association President Sabrina Lewis, center, is flanked by vice president Ryan Dollinger and secretary treasurer LaRissa Wilson.

“Student Government Association is about making sure that the students have a platform where their voices can be heard,” Sabrina Lewis, 2014-15 SGA president, said. “We listen to any concerns they may have, or things that they actually like and enjoy and want to see more of.

Sometimes, people think that student government is about issues all the time, but it’s about giving an equal platform to students whether they are off-campus or on-campus, and finding that equal medium.”

SGA is about students coming together to make the university a better campus, Lewis said.

“It’s about filling potholes, it’s about community service — it’s a service for the students and it’s about providing for the students,” she said. “Student government is really great because we are about unification. It’s a beautiful

thing to see the student body really come together. We want to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be heard.”

Meetings take place Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. in the Setzer Student Center Ballroom.

“During the meetings, there is an opportunity for students to hear the executive board’s announcements as far as what they have asked us to look into, what they want us to look into and what we are going to look into,” Lewis said.

“It’s also an opportunity for student organizations to come out and give announcements. It’s an opportunity for the individual student to come out and voice their concerns — they have that opportunity for an open forum.

“We’re here for the students.”

For more information, call 409-880-8891, or visit lamar.orgsync.com/org/sga.

Lamar Alive! offers fun for students Lamar Alive! hosts free events for students in order to boost school spirit and increase campus involvement.

“Lamar Alive! is our student activities board,” Michael Wilkinson, associate director of student activities and civic engagement, said. “It is composed of an executive board that is tasked to provide events throughout the school year that are educational, entertaining and engaging. It’s always our goal to provide events that meet those three qualities, so throughout the year we provide a variety of different events.”

The activities are intended to promote student involvement, Wilkinson said.

“The events range in nature from things like concerts, comedy shows, lecture series, student spotlights, Cardinal’s Café and Fusion Fest,” he said. “We do a whole lot of events, and our ultimate goal is to provide opportunities for our students to get engaged and get involved with campus life. It’s our goal to assist in the growth of a vibrant campus life.”

Lamar Alive! encourages students to get involved with activities and organizations on campus, Wilkinson said.

“We have members at large, who are essentially volunteers, who want to get involved with campus life,” he said. “Those people provide knowledge, insight and resources to us to help us know what kind of events our student body wants. We are always looking for members at large to help out with our activities board.”

For more information, call 409-880-2395, or visit lamar.orgsync.com/LamarAlive.

Greek life enriches college experience “It’s very important for students to consider being a member within a chapter of Greek life in addition to serving in a role through general student organizations,” Teresa Simpson, director of student leadership and development, said. “The consideration of being a part of Greek life, leads into a sense of social bonding that allows for freshmen to take a step further.

“In general student organizations, you have a sense of commonality. With Greek life, you really build true family bonds. Within our 20 chapters, we have close relationships with each of those

chapters. These people become your sisters and brothers of deep-rooted tradition that goes far beyond Lamar University.

Some of these chapters were founded in the late 1800s, so they keep that tradition intact.”

Every chapter that we have at Lamar University has a professional component to it, Simpson said.

“People always think Greek life is just social, fun and partying,” she said. “And partying happens, but the foundation of Greek is professionalism. The exposure that students get through Greek life will

surpass the level of development as a fasttrack approach, rather than the student organization. So student organizations give us those leadership components.

“What Greek life gives is a structured platform for that. Greek life is rooted deep in tradition — We have deep roots at Lamar University.”

Individuals interested in Greek life can find recruitment dates on the boards in the Setzer Student Center.

For more information, call 409-8808085, or visit www.lamar.edu/studentlife/clubs-and-organizations.html.

ORGANIZATIONS CATER TO ALL TASTES Lamar University offers plenty of opportunities to get involved outside of class with 205 registered student organizations encompassing nine areas — umbrella, departmental/professional, honor, mutual interest, religious, service, social, spirit and sports.

The Setzer Student Center provides a “Ways to Get Involved” handout with contact information for all registered student organizations in 212 SSC, as well as on OrgSync, Valarie Black, director of student organizations services, said.

“Studies have shown that students who are more active in cocurricular activities tend to persist in college longer and gain more satisfaction from their college experience,” she said. “Employers are also eager to hire those who have exhibited dedication to activities outside the classroom. Student-to-student interaction, including participation in student organizations, produces positive outcomes.”

The underlying purpose of student organizations is to contribute to the classroom by providing support groups for students

with common needs and interests, improving leadership and communication skills, allowing students to apply learned concepts in a real setting, teaching self-discipline, initiative and responsibility, helping students to develop friendships, gaining new skills that can be transferred to careers, networking with faculty, staff and employees, and serving as a campus resource to faculty, staff and other students, Black said.

To join an existing student organization, visit www.lamar.edu.

“For information regarding student organizations, students can visit our website at lamar. orgsync.com/ClubsOrgsLand ing,” Black said. “Browse clubs and orgs or click login to OrgSync to join student organizations.”

Students can also create a new temporary student organization at LU by visiting 212 SSC or calling 409-880-8722.

“The SSC staff will be happy to assist with all questions pertaining to starting a new student organization, OrgSync, and the variety of other services available in the Setzer Student Center,” Black said.

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Summer 2014 University Press Orientation Issue

LUPD provides shuttle service for students Lamar University, at the request of the Student Government Association, has instituted a shuttle service for the convenience of all students.

“There had been a shuttle service here at Lamar for several years, but it really wasn’t being used in a lot of the ways that the SGA felt like it could be used to benefit the entire student body population,” Randy Martin, director of public safety, said. “So, the department of public safety was tasked with the shuttle service.”

The shuttle route is not limited to the Lamar campus, Martin said.

“We run a shuttle service to Mid-County — to Central Mall, and to the mid-county Walmart on Saturdays,” he said.

On Saturdays, the shuttle runs from noon to 5 p.m. The shuttle runs around the campus seven days a week, from 5 p.m. to midnight. It starts at the library and leaves the library on the hour, every hour. Then it goes throughout the neighborhoods on the east and west sides of campus.

“We do the nearby neighborhoods so that students living in the apartment buildings can catch a ride on the shuttle,” Martin said. “If they are up here studying at the library, they can catch a ride to their apartment building without having to walk.”

The shuttle is free of charge to students, and has several pickup points around campus.

“When we first started (in fall 2013), the first couple weeks we probably averaged 50 students total that utilized the shuttle,” Martin said. “This (spring 2014) semester, on a two-week basis, we are averaging around 550 to 600 students that utilize it.

We are averaging over 150 that utilize the Mid-County shuttle.

You can see that in less than a year it has grown to about 10 times what it was when it started. We anticipate that it will continue to grow.”

Martin said that while students view the shuttle as a convenience, the police department thinks of the shuttle as a safety factor.

“The less time students are standing out on the side of the road waiting for a ride, the less time that they are exposed to outside criminal elements — the less their chance of becoming a victim,” he said. “So we think of it from that point of view. It’s a benefit for the students in more ways than one.”

The shuttle features a GPS tracking device that allows students to track its location at any given time.

“It allows students to go on their smart phones or their laptops and install an app to track the shuttle and see exactly

where it is,” he said. “Sometimes circumstances cause the shuttle to run a few minutes late. For us, and for the students, it makes it even more convenient, because they don’t have to go outside and wait on the shuttle. They can look at their phone and see that

it is five minutes away so they know when to go outside.”

The administration is always looking for ways to improve the shuttle, Martin said.

“They are doing anything they can to make it a better experience for the students,” he

said. “You don’t realize how many students that live on campus or nearby campus don’t have a vehicle. You don’t realize it until you get out there and start doing things like the shuttle and seeing all the people that are utilizing it. It enables stu-

dents to be able to make things like grocery shopping or close shopping more convenient for them.”

For more information, call 409-880-8695, or visit students. lamar.edu/student-ser vices/ index.html.

1101 •••••••••••••••••••

is one of several initiatives demonstrating Lamar University’s commitment to providing students with the tools they need to be successful, from the time they enter Lamar University until they earn their diploma and graduate.

More information on Lamar 1101: University Success Seminar, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions, is available online at www.lamar. edu/lamar1101.

Continued from page 1 nizing the strength of LU’s core curriculum in providing students with a valuable, broad base of essential knowledge.

With courses offered both on campus and online, Lamar 1101: University Success Seminar will be a recommended elective for incoming students during their first year of study with certain students required to take the course to help ensure their success. The course

5 Summer 2014

HEALTH

Orientation Issue

UNIVERSITY PRESS

STUDENT NEEDS COVERED BY PROFESSIONALS Lamar University offers enrolled students medical care and health education services through the Student Health Center.

“We function like a primary medical facility, your primary care office,” Shawn Gray, Student Health Center director, said. “We see coughs, colds, flu, sniffles, belly aches, tummy aches, urinary tract infections — that type of stuff that you would go to your family physician for. We also do quite a bit of women’s health, which is your pap smears (and STD screenings). We do men’s health also, with STD screenings. We do HIV testing, skin diseases, rashes, the usual stuff.

“We do take care of some emergency visits.

What we do, though, is basically stabilize you, call 911 and have them come pick you up and transport you.”

The Health Center has two counselors available primarily for acute crisis intervention.

“We want to make sure the kids are safe, first and foremost,” Gray said. “We want to make sure that they’re healthy psychologically. We understand that we’ve got kids that come from all over the world, and at 17-, 18-, 19-years-old they’re going straight from mom’s house to living in a foreign country. They don’t know anybody and barely speak the language. You need to talk to somebody, and that’s what we’re there for.”

The Health Center operates by appointment and charges a $5 co-pay for each visit, which goes to the student’s account and is due by registration for the following semester. The clinic accepts students with and without insurance.

“We have begun to accept third-party insurance as a form of payment,” Gray said. “If your mom and dad have Blue Cross Blue Shield, and you’re under the age of 26, then you’re still covered under mom’s insurance. If you bring us your insurance card, we will file the procedures that you have done here, and lots of times they are covered because it’s a primary care physician’s office.”

The nurse practitioners can write prescriptions for students, and those medications can be picked up at the Health Center’s in-house pharmacy.

“We provide some birth control pills, creams, antibiotics, eye drops, anti-fungals and female-type medicines,” Gray said. “We do not carry any form of pain medications or controlled substances. We sell those medicines at a very reduced cost. Our average cost is $10 for a week’s supply.”

Diane Foreman, Student Health Center assistant director and health educator, provides campus-wide health education programs, which are often held in the Quadrangle at Mirabeau’s head and in the Setzer Student Center.

The Health Center has its own website, dept.lamar.edu/healthcenter, and has links on Lamar’s Web site to assist students when they are unable to schedule an appointment. Students can access a “Self-Care Guide,” geared toward medical concerns, and a “Stress Management” link, which focuses on counseling and psychological issues, by going to Lamar’s website under “Current Students” and then “Health and Fitness.”

“This is great stuff,” Gray said. “You can type in what you want, and it’ll give you symptoms, causes, treatment, questions to ask, what to do, when to come see us, and self-care. It goes through lots and lots of common illnesses — very helpful.”

Don’t assume that the Health Center is not able to provide quality health care or answer questions, Gray said.

“No matter how insignificant you think the illness is that you have, let my professionals tell you,” she said. “If it’s not a big deal, that’s great.

That makes us happy, too. What you think may be a cold may be the beginnings of something horrible, and we can help you stop that. Come to us like you’d come to mom.”

For more information, visit dept.lamar. edu/healthcenter.

Shawn Gray, ENP and Director of the Health Center, right, and LVN Phyllis Thomas prepare test tubes for use in the Student Health Center. The center offers enrolled students medical care and health education services.

Lamar University graduate students assist a four-year-old patient in the Voice Lab and Audiology Clinic, located in the Speech and Hearing Building.

Audiology Clinic provides professional, conscientious care Lamar University students working in the Voice Lab and Audiology Clinic are committed to providing quality care to their patients.

Members of The National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association strive to promote awareness regarding the fields of speech language pathology and audiology, and support the local community by offering their time and services to those in need, the website states.

“We do several local community projects, such as early childhood screening for speech and language, and one of our main goals is to promote awareness of our field,” Watson said. “We are all very proud of the valuable services provided by our students.”

NSSLHA is a pre-professional membership association for students interested in the study of communication sciences and disorders.

“The campus chapter has provided speech and hearing screenings at several elementary school campuses in low socio-economic districts, started a stuttering support group and held fundraisers to support the Stuttering Foundation of America,” Watson said.

NSSLHA is one of two student organizations that work in conjunction with the Voice Lab and Audiology Clinic. The Student Academy of

Audiology was established in 2009 and is the national student organization of the American Academy of Audiology, that serves as a collective voice for students and advances the rights, interests and welfare of students pursuing careers in audiology.

The SAA introduces students to lifelong involvement in activities that promote and advance the profession of audiology, and provides services, information, education, representation and advocacy for the profession and the public.

“We’ve given the community the opportunity to experience cutting edge therapy procedures,” Vickie Dionne, audiology program director, said. “Since we’re training students, we have access to the latest and greatest, and are fortunate enough to aquire the newest equipment. As a result, our students are some of the best trained, so our patients receive the best possible treatment.”

The clinic offers several services, including hearing screenings for newborns through adults, industrial hearing evaluations, diagnostic hearing testing for newborns, comprehensive pediatric and adult hearing evaluations and hearing aid evaluations. The clinic also sells assistive listening devices and hearing protective devices.

“We take walk-ins, and receive

Medical insurance student plan available Lamar University students can receive medical insurance through Academic HealthPlans, which offers coverage for a year or per semester, including fall, spring and summer sessions. They offer plans for an individual, student and spouse, or student, spouse and child.

“We encourage students to look at the Academic HealthPlans if they don’t have insurance,” Shawn Gray, Student Health Center director, said. “Everything that a student would come to the Health Center for is covered 100 percent, except for over the counter and prescription medications.”

Gray said students must pay the full amount before their medical coverage takes effect.

International students are required to get medical insurance through Academic HealthPlans.

Academic HealthPlans application packets are available in the Student Health Center or online at www.academichealthplans.com/ lamar.

referrals from doctors,” Dr. Erin Burns, clinic audiologist, said. “In fact, students make up the smallest percentage of our patients. Services for students, faculty and staff are free.”

The clinic participates in various charities including Alison’s Hope for Hearing, an organization named for audiologist Alison Berry, and Hear Now, an organization committed to assisting U.S. residents with hearing loss who have no resources to acquire hearing aids.

“I feel the clinic has been extremely beneficial to the community,” Burns said. “We serve low income populations through programs like Hear Now. We also contract with the VA to provide services to veterans so they won’t have to travel to Houston, or further, for services.”

The voice lab is a fairly new addition to the clinic, Dionne said, and is supervised by Nandhu Radhakrishnan, assistant professor of speech and hearing.

“Vocal health is just as crucial as any other aspect of a healthy human body,” Radhakrishnan said. “The voice lab is a specialty clinic where we see patients with a variety of voice problems. We look at things like resonance and articulation to decide what therapy would be best.”

The speech-language pathology

division is committed to preparing competent and compassionate clinicians, motivated scholars, and ethical professionals for entry into the field of speech-language pathology, the division’s website states.

“We offer services for any patient who has speech problems, but we focus more on voice production,” Radhakrishnan said. “We treat things like nodules and vocal cord paralysis.

We’ve concentrated more on people who use their voices for a living, like teachers, musicians and public speakers, but we look forward to expanding.”

Burns said students can protect their hearing by simply turning down the volume on mp3 players.

“A good rule of thumb is, if the person next to you can hear what you’re listening to, your music is too loud,” she said.

Burns also suggested wearing earplugs to crowded venues like sporting events.

“We’ve been seeing more and more young people come in recently complaining of hearing problems,” she said.

The Voice Lab and Audiology Clinic is located at the corner of Rolfe Christopher and Iowa Street.

For information, contact Tammy Soniat, clinic secretary, at 409-8808171.

Counseling services available Graduate students in the Psychology Clinic offer counseling services free of charge.

The clinic holds no restrictions on how many sessions clients can attend.

Beth Aronson, associate professor of Psychology, said the clinic takes both students and people in the community as clients.

“We treat a range of disorders,” she said. “We treat anxiety, depression, relationship issues — we do couples therapy.

We do a lot of work with people who have test anxiety or have anxiety about doing a presentation in class. Lots of folk come in for that. Any of those kinds of things we work with. Or we work with people who just want to figure out what their goals are, things that they just want to have somebody to think something through with.”

Talking things through helps you see things in a new way, Aronson said.

“It opens up possibilities for change that you might not have been able to see by yourself,” she said. “It’s a fresh perspective, and sometimes we also have some research-supported tips and tricks that might be helpful that people don’t know about until they come in.”

To make an appointment, or for information, visit the Psychology Clinic at 200 Social and Behavioral Sciences, or call the clinic at 409-880-7783.

A psychology graduate student works with a student in the counseling center, which offers assistance to students in need of help.

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Summer 2014 University Press Orientation Issue

Network connects students to campus organizations Students wishing to join an oncampus organization can eliminate the paper trail and any possible confusion by visiting OrgSync.com, Lamar University’s campus information management system.

OrgSync is designed to centralize campus involvement. It allows 24/7 access to information about student organizations, as well as a calendar reminding students of upcoming campus and community events.

Forms for award applications and leadership events are also available on the website.

Teresa Simpson, director of student development and leadership, said that OrgSync is a great way for students to get involved.

“OrgSync is a convenience platform,” she said. “It is a way for us to reach and communicate with our students. With the click of a button, you are able to see what is actually happening on campus. That allows for ample opportunity for our students to be a part of something that they can most relate to.

“What is important for our freshmen, is that they see a sense of familiarity in order to fulfill a sense of belonging on our campus. OrgSync allows that to happen, and that’s going to help with retention, because at some point our freshmen are going to get homesick. We want them to know that there are people that are like them, and we want them to get involved.”

OrgSync provides a link to every student organization on campus. If students are unable to attend a meeting, they can access any information that they may have missed, as each organization can post their minutes from

each meeting. There is also a function that enables the organization’s leader to send a mass text to all the members.

“OrgSync helps students identify things of like interest,” Simpson said.

“This is a way for them to get involved.

It is just such a huge valid resource.”

Students can create an account by going to OrgSync.com, clicking on “Community” and selecting “Lamar University.”

‘I Will’ program aims to foster student success Lamar University has created a form of admission for incoming undergraduates. Students accepted through “I will” admission will enter a contract agreement with the university to do well if they are given the chance to attend college.

“It’s ‘I will,’ and what’s missing there is, ‘I will give it my best shot, I will succeed — I will, if you give me a chance,’” Kevin Smith, senior associate provost, said. “We are well aware that class rank and test scores are not perfect predictors of university

achievement success.”

Smith said the university will enter a “quasi-contract” with any “I will” student, provided the student submits an SAT score of 800 or higher, or an ACT score of 17 or higher.

“We will enroll you and give you a

The staff in the admissions office on the second floor of the Wimberly Building has answers to all students’ questions.

chance,” he said. “You will be required to go to mandatory advisement and registration. You have to go a minimum of twice a semester, and these advisers, of course, are trained to help you and to refer you to (support) services. All of your course selections must be approved by the adviser.

“You are limited to 14 credit hours this first semester. If they are subject to the Texas Success Initiative, they must be enrolled in a TSI course.

We’re requiring students to participate in the student success programs that we have.

“In return, students must earn at least nine college credit hours during this first semester. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in an English or math course. They must take one of our study skills courses and make a C or better, so that we can do the best we can to teach students how to best adjust to university educational experience. They must take the USS course.

“They must finish the first semester with a GPA of 2.0 or higher. They also must not have an outstanding financial obligation to the university.

They can’t come out here, run up tremendous debt, and walk away and not pay us. They must not commit a student disciplinary offense, including academic dishonesty.”

If a student meets all of the requirements of the first “I will” semester, Lamar will remove the holds and that student will have the freedom of an unconditionally-admitted student. If a student does not meet the requirements of the “I will” semester, that student will no longer be enrolled at Lamar University, Smith said.

Smith said that the new admission requirements will make Lamar accessible to first-time-in-college students and will increase student success.

“We will muster all of our resources and put them at your disposal,” he said. “We will teach you everything we know about how to study and how to succeed in a university.

“We will rely on our experience and voluminous data sets to make sure that you don’t end up in something that you don’t belong in or that you’re in too many hours.

“But in return, you’ve got to do your end. There’s a contract deal that the students will sign. They will initial each of the requirements. If they have any questions, we will be happy to answer them.

“If you’re not ready for the university, maybe you should consider some other option. But if you are, Lamar will work with you.”

Student Development and Leadership offers skill-building opportunities, ‘real life events’ Student development is the core of why student affairs even exists, Teresa Simpson, director of student development and leadership, said.

Student development provides experiential learning opportunities, she said.

“Experiential learning opportunities are real life events,” she said. “For example, when you are a part of a student organization, you understand how to communicate more effectively, you understand how to work within a team. You may work within a team within a group project, but then you transfer what you’ve learned during that course into real social and professional realms within a student organization. And you will develop those skills in order to achieve goals that your organization has set. When I say organizations, I’m defining them from councils that our students take part in, to registered student organizations that are more formal.”

There are various councils that fall under student development and leadership, Simpson said.

“We have a multi-cultural student council, we now have the Spirit in Traditions student council, and we have the Lamar activities student board —

which is like a student council,” she said. “So those are represented student voices that speak to the needs of the students, kind of like Student Government Association, but on a smaller format.”

The development and training that students go through is to enhance the academic experience, Simpson said.

“We complete what is called the holistic development theory of a student’s journey as a collegiate turned scholar and professional,” she said. “It’s the opportunities that we are able to present to our students, on a variety of platforms, that will enable them to be successful Cardinal. We have workshops, conferences, retreats, week-long programming, activity programming, etc., that allow for students to engage in dialogue to enhance key leadership skills such as team building, negotiation, conflict management and communication — those type of things that will lead to them being able to progress as students and represent our institution on campus and off.”

For more information, call 409-880-8085, or visit lamar.orgsync.com/org/sdl.

CENTER ASSISTS WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The Career and Testing Center provides students with many different types of career and professional development opportunities.

“We can assist students with helping to choose a major if they are undecided,” Haley Tyson, assistant director of the Career and Testing Center, said. “We have career assessments that can help them, and they can sit down with a career consultant and talk about the assessment results.

We also can assist them with goal planning. We can help students find a job on campus by finding a part-time position through our Hire a Cardinal database.”

Hire a Cardinal is a career database that helps students find employment.

“If an employer calls and says, ‘Hey, I have a part time position at my law firm,’ I’m going to say, ‘Alright, let’s go ahead and get it posted through Hire a Cardinal,’” Tyson said. “The site has full-time and part-time positions as well as volunteerism, internships, co-op opportunities and on-campus positions. So it’s got a

lot of everything on.”

The database currently has 400 active jobs listed.

“It’s not just local positions — it’s also global,” Tyson said.

“There are positions on there that are from across the world.

It’s definitely a great resource for students.”

Students can log in to Hire a Cardinal, choose advanced search, put their major in and see which types of companies are searching for their particular major.

“It’s free to all students — they just need to log in with their username as their L number, and then their password is their birthday,” Tyson said. “From there, they just need to upload a résumé to see those positions.”

The student employment center manages the site.

“They go through and review the résumés that are posted to make sure that they are reflecting the students the way that they want to be portrayed, because employers can read their resumes as well,” Tyson said.

“We have had multiple employ-

ers that have actually found students through Hire a Cardinal, so it is definitely beneficial on the employer’s side, also.”

The student employment center also assists with résumé critiques, cover letter critiques and interview preparations.

The center is open Monday through Friday.

“Sometimes students just need a little bit of guidance,” Tyson said. “For résumé development, job searches, internships or if students are unsure about their major, they can talk to us for career planning and development as well as professional development. We do mock interviewing with students, and we can assist them (through) interview preparation with a specific company. The majority of students that I’ve met need interview assistance. It’s an area that a lot of people are deficient in. So it’s just a good way to practice, to get feedback — ‘Practice makes perfect.’ We’re here to help.”

For more information, call 409-880-8877, or visit dept.lamar. edu/careerandtestingcenter/.

Summer 2014 University Press Orientation Issue

Lamar, to thee we’re singing. Voices raised on high.

We will forever love thee, Laud thee to the skies.

We will ever need thee, As our guiding star.

To us, you’ll always be Our glorious Lamar.

Writer of Alma Mater was ‘Smartt’ choice There are few things that epitomize school spirit more than hearing students sing the school’s Alma Mater.

When Lamar became a four-year college in 1951, John Gray, the school president at the time, decided that the school needed an Alma Mater, so he turned to mathematics professor Gilbert Rhodes Smartt.

Smartt, who had no formal musical training, agreed to write the song. His wife, Kathryn, assisted him in the composition.

“He didn’t have a music education,” she said, “but he was very musical. He just had a talent for that.”

Smartt, shortly after composing the song, was killed by a drunken driver while on his way to Dallas. He was 38 years old.

He and Kathryn had two sons, who were 5 and 9 at the time of his death.

In 1955, Kathryn married Cleo Creamer of Beaumont.

Smartt and Kathryn, both of whom grew up in Tennessee, worked as a musical team in constructing the piece. He wrote and sang lyrics while she composed and played the piano accompaniment.

“We both came from very musical families,” she said.

Kathryn had a strong musical background, majoring in music and working as a piano teacher. She was a longtime pianist at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Beaumont.

She said it did not take them long to write the song.

When Smartt, who sang with the Esquires, a Beaumont singing group, and in the first United Methodist Church choir, presented the work to the board, board members agreed to use the song as Lamar’s Alma Mater.

Kathryn said Smartt had several other songs published, although he never envisioned music as a profession.

“He just enjoyed writing music,” she said. “He wasn’t that interested in a music career.”

During World War II, Smartt worked at a shipyard in Orange, building ships to replace those destroyed by Japanese forces.

After the war, he came to Lamar to teach. Kathryn said Smartt, who started teaching when he was 17 and still in school, was as gifted in teaching as he was in music.

“He was a perfect teacher,” she said. “He never looked down on kids who had trouble in math.”

She said Smartt’s patience with frustrated students was especially important after the war when many young men were just returning from overseas and attending classes on the GI Bill.

Smartt’s patience also kept him busy with projects that many people might avoid. One of his favorite activities while a student at the University of Texas was working on a math problem that had never been solved.

“He loved the challenge of it,” she said. “I still don’t think anyone has solved that math problem.”

Kathryn said Smartt’s advice helped her support herself and her two boys after his death.

GILBERT RHODES SMARTT “I am so thankful to him for making me finish my education,” Kathryn said. “He made sure I finished school. That was very important after he died because I had to make a living.”

She taught third grade in the Beaumont Independent School District for 16 years before accepting a teaching position at a school for the deaf in Beaumont, where she taught for eight years.

She said both of her sons, Dan, the older of two, and Bill inherited Smartt’s natural musical talent as well as his love for music.

“Dan has a great library of music,” she said, “and Bill has always had a perfect pitch. I remember him sitting at the piano in the living room and picking out ‘Claire de Lune,’ which isn’t easy because it’s written in five flats.”

She said her son’s tinkering caught her ear immediately.

“I heard him start out in five flats, and I asked him why he was playing in that key,” she said. “He said, ‘Well, that’s the key I hear it in.’”

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Study abroad courses offer global experience The Lamar University study abroad program aims to excite students about expanding their horizons, Joe Nordgren, associate dean, said.

“We are trying to connect more effectively with students,” he said. “We have done a great deal recently. For instance, we had an opportunity to partner with Food Fest so that students had an opportunity to walk through the Setzer Student Center, grab food, and learn about study abroad.

We’ve got fliers and information in the undergraduate advising center, so that all freshmen and sophomores who are being advised have access to the study abroad information on a regular basis.”

Students pay a $2 fee each semester that goes toward the study abroad program so that students who participate in the program can receive financial support, Nordgren said.

“Each student who participates in a faculty-led study abroad program, if he or she takes part in a three credit hour course, will receive a minimum of $750 in support,” he said. “If he or she participates in six semester hours during a particular trip, then he or she is eligible for a minimum of $1,100 of support. The amount goes a great way toward helping with tuition.”

President Kenneth Evans’ support has led to increased student and faculty participation in the study abroad program, Nordgren said. “(In fall 2013), President Evans met with all faculty who attended the very first faculty forum, and that forum was designed specifically to try to excite faculty about creating opportunities for students to study abroad,” Nordgren said. “He’s keenly interested in encouraging faculty and students to expand their opportunities in study abroad. It is something that he feels passionately about, that he speaks passionately about, and I personally

think he considers it to be one of those defining experiences in a student’s life. It’s unforgettable. As a consequence of his support and his ongoing efforts, you’ll see that we have 10 faculty-proposed courses that were approved this year — we usually have three.”

There are several new courses being offered to students, Nordgren said.

“We have a group going to Salamanca, Spain for about 23 days,” he said. “It’s the longest trip this summer. That’s a long time for a group of students to be abroad together in a group. We also have a trip to London for eight days, embedded in a criminal justice course. It is comparative criminal justice abroad. So it’s not what you’d traditionally think of, such as just language courses, but a whole array of things.

“Dr. Israel Msengi proposed a 16-day trip to Quito, Ecuador where students would have an opportunity to see the health disparities between developing countries and what we are accustomed to seeing. Dr. Cheng-Hsien Lin and Dr. Chiung Chang are combining to take students to Hong Kong, Macau for approximately 11 days, and they are going to be talking about international studies, family relationships and Chinese society. Thus we have more courses than we have offered before.”

President Evans plans to continue to expand the study abroad program, Nordgren said.

“The very first thing that is on the agenda and ready to go, is that Dr. Evans and Provost Steve Doblin have given their full support for us to hire a full-time director of study abroad for Lamar University for the first time ever,” he said. “We hope to have someone in the position soon after the fall semester begins.”

For more information, call 409-880-7852 or visit artssciences. lamar.edu/studyabroad/index.ht ml.

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Colleges and Departments LU’s academic programs are offered through five academic colleges: Arts and Science, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, and Fine Arts and Communication — plus the College of Graduate Studies. Students who have not decided on a major are advised through the Center for General Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

College of Arts and Sciences General information (409) 880-8508 203 Carl Parker

Applied Arts and Sciences Biology Chemistry and Biochemistry Computer Science Earth and Space Sciences English and Modern Languages General Studies History Mathematics JoAnne Gay DishmanDepartment of Nursing Physics Political Science Psychology Sociology, Social Work and Criminal Justice Study Abroad

College of Business General information 409-880-8603 college.business@lamar.edu 232 Galloway Business Building

Accounting and Business Law Economics and Finance

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Majors and Programs

General Business Information Systems and Analysis Management and Marketing MBA

Phillip M. Drayer Department of Electrical En- Center for College Readiness gineering LU Online Industrial Engineering Honors Program Mechanical Engineering

College of Education and Human Development

College of Fine Arts and Communication

General information (409) 880-8661 education@lamar.edu 205 Education

General information (409) 880-8137 201 Theatre Arts

Academic Support for Students

Counseling and Special Populations Educational Leadership Family and Consumer Sciences Health and Kinesiology Professional Pedagogy

Art Communication Deaf Studies and Deaf Education Speech and Hearing Sciences Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music Theatre and Dance

College of Engineering

College of Graduate Studies

General information (409) 880-7797 katrina.brent@lamar.edu 2300 Cherry Engineering

General information (409) 880-8229 graduateoffice@lamar.edu 219 Wimberly

Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Reese Construction Management Program

Other Academic Units Active and Collaborative Engagement for Students (ACES)

Student Advising and Retention Services (STARS) Student Support Services Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities Academic Support for Faculty Provost and Vice President (Academic Affairs) Center for Teaching and Learning Enhancement (CTLE) Assessment and Planning Related Pages Academic Calendar and Catalog View Syllabi & Vitae Lamar Language Institute Resources Course Schedules Spring 2012 Final Exam Schedule Self-Service Banner Blackboard Catalogs and Degree Plans Bookstore Academic Advisors

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Summer 2014 University Press Orientation Issue

ALL THE ‘CAMPUS’ IS A STAGE The Lamar University department of theatre and dance provides a broad education in its disciplines. The department offers students the opportunity to experience all aspects of theatre, and to take dance classes, without having to audition before being accepted into the program.

“Students who come here will be a part of the only program in the United States that combines theatre and dance into their pre-professional program,” department chair Deena Conley said.

“Our students, regardless of their emphasis area, take classes in acting, design and dance.

“For someone interested in pursing musical theatre, we do have a strong program that gives you a pretty solid background in both theatre and dance. The emphasis areas, as of now, are acting, technical theatre and dance.

So when you come in as a major, you choose one of those three tracks. However, we are in the later stages of developing a musical theatre emphasis.”

Conley said that students from any major would benefit from an acting class.

“Unless you are going to be a scientist stuck away in a lab all the time,

and I say that as a mother of a son for whom that is his lifelong goal, I can’t think of any major in which you are not going to have to get up and present your ideas, talk to a group of people or sell clients on a product,” she said. “I would say confidence is typically the No. 1 important thing besides qualifications. The confident person who can come into the room, take the room and sell you on himself or the product is the person who is going to get the job or the gig.

“Most people would say that, next to death, public speaking is the No. 1 fear. People detest public speaking.

And besides taking a public speaking course, which is always great, you could take acting and learn how to look at the aspects of yourself — not just a speech — but the aspects of yourself and how you can morph those to be whoever or whatever you need to be in a given situation.

Conley said she has all her students perform monologues.

“It is the most challenging thing, because an actor is onstage talking directly to the audience portraying a character with no other person up there — it’s just you,” she said. “It’s

Sweet Charity very vulnerable, but I think it gives people who want to be teachers, professors, nurses, doctors, lawyers, business people — anyone — a really good, solid foundation in what it takes to convince people that you are the person for the job.”

The theatre and dance department strives to be a part of the Beaumont community as a whole, Conley said.

“Our productions are open for anyone to audition,” she said. “We routinely have people who are not Lamar students in our productions, and we

like that because we have a different and vast number of people and experiences on our stages. We think that’s good for our students and the community as well.”

For more information, call 409-8808037.

Art department, Dishman reflect international trends Lamar University aims to introduce its students and the surrounding community to the worlds of contemporary art and professional art making through the Dishman Art Museum and the LU art department.

The Dishman offers students the opportunity to experience diverse styles that reflect international trends, as well as the chance to showcase their own work.

“We have a permanent collection of 19th-century academic painting and decorative arts, but our primary focus is on cutting-edge contemporary art,” Megan Young, Dishman Art Museum director, said.

“We focus on all mediums, so we do exhibitions of painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography and fibers. We try to be as current as our students and faculty in the department of art.

“We have a faculty exhibition that kicks off the fall semester, and then at the end of the fall and spring semesters we have our senior thesis exhibitions, which highlight our graduating BFA seniors.”

The museum also shows films, hosts classes, lectures, events and competitions for school organizations, as well as local institutions, and hosts a silent auction for Le Grand Bal, an annual fundraiser that benefits the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

“We have lots of different events here that are open to students,” Young said. “Every semester, we do one or two movie nights and those are free. They usually have an art theme to them, and we do some sort of fun activity afterwards.”

LU’s Artist Common is a student organization that puts on local exhibitions and hosts special events on campus and in the community.

“You do not have to be an art major to join,” Young said. “You just have to be an artist and have an interest in it.”

The art department offers courses in painting, sculpture, printmaking, graphic design, photography, fiber, ceramics, art education, drawing, art history and studio art. Students have access to the department’s dark room facilities, a digital printing lab, a graphic design lab, the foundry for welding and poured metal castings, and the ceramics, woodworking and printmaking studios.

“I would definitely encourage students to take a class in the studio arts or art history,” Young said. “I think that it’s a great way — even if you are not an art major — to meet other people across campus and to get a different outlook on things. We have a lot of fun here in the art department.”

For more information, visit www.facebook/DishmanArtMu seum, or www.lamar.edu/dishman.

For more information about the art department, visit dept.lamar.edu/cofac/deptart.

Summer 2014 University Press Orientation Issue

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15 Summer 2014

STUDIES

Orientation Issue

UNIVERSITY PRESS

CENTER HELPS WRITING SKILLS

BOOK SMARTS Gray Library has everything students need to study Lamar University’s Mary and John Gray Library is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. until midnight. It opens Friday at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday hours are 2 p.m. to midnight.

STACKS The library has nearly 500,000 volumes available in print.

“The library stacks is where we have a majority of collections arranged by the Library of Congress by classification number,” Theresa Hefner-Babb, instruction coordinator/government documents librarian, said.

Hefner-Babb said the books

are grouped into broad subject areas. The third floor is the first floor with stacks, and they go all the way up to the fifth floor. There are posts on each floor with the break down of call numbers.

“So if a student is looking for U.S. History, it will be in the E’s on the third floor, and there they will find books around it that discuss Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. It lends itself to browsing the shelf,” Hefner-Babb said.

The stacks also have bound journals and magazines.

REFERENCES There is a reference office in room 108 on the first floor of the library, where a reference librarian

is available to help locate a book or article, and to help students with research for a paper. There are also librarians available through instant messaging. Simply visit the library homepage at library.lamar. edu under “Ask the Librarian.”

INTERLIBRARY LOANS Interlibrary loans is a service offered when the library does not have a book that is needed for research. Available online or in the library, the student can pick up and return a form requesting that particular book from the reserved desk on the second floor. The library will then locate another library that has the requested book.

“Typically, it takes 10 to 14 days

for the student to receive the book from the time the request was received,” Hefner-Babb said.

BASIC LIBRARY INFORMATION To get on any library computer or to log on to the print server, students must know their LEA username and password. Students are allowed to check out a maximum of 50 books, and each checkout period lasts three weeks. Students can check out books at the circulation desk in the lobby of the first floor, and they must have a Lamar ID. Books can be renewed online.

For more information, contact the circulation desk at 409-880-8134 or the reference desk at 409-8807264.

STARS tutoring center increases retention Starting college is a good thing, but graduating from college is an achievement.

President Obama has called for higher graduation rates from high schools and universities, and Lamar University is also looking to help students complete their college education.

Lamar offers student services to help with retention through the STARS Center, which helps students to be successful through early alert advising, advising for students on academic probation, supplemental instruction, tutoring and mentoring opportunities.

“The STARS Mentoring Programs are comprised of three mentoring programs — Wings Mentoring, African American Male Professional Connections Mentoring and Mi Socio Hispanic Mentoring,” Sherry Benoit, associate vice president for strategic enrollment manage-

ment, said. “The goals of these programs are to promote students’ self confidence, to personalize Lamar University, to help students meet the intellectual challenges of college, to take advantage of resources, and to foster maximum academic, personal and professional growth.

“Participating in a mentoring program helps students not only adjust to the university environment successfully, but also prepares them to achieve their dreams after college.”

STARS provides resources that assist students in becoming successful college students, Benoit said.

“This is achieved through a variety of academic support services — mentoring, tutoring, early-alert intervention, supplemental class instruction groups, academic enhancement workshops, learning communities, etc.,” she said.

“STARS partners faculty and staff with students to assist them in achieving their academic, personal and professional goals. These partnerships facilitate ongoing contact and (provide) comprehensive academic support services to guide the student to academic success.

“The STARS programs help students make meaning of their curricular and co-curricular experiences for a full integration to the Lamar University community.”

Students may participate in STARS programs free of charge, Benoit said.

“Statistically, students who participate in STARS programs have a higher grade-point average and graduation rate than students who do not participate in STARS programs,” she said.

For more information, call 409-880-7201 or visit dept.lamar.edu/stars.

Lamar University’s Writing Center, located on the first floor of Gray Library, guides students through the writing process.

Their services include brainstorming, organizing content, revising, grammar usage and editing.

“The Writing Center can help with almost any writing or English assignment that you could possibly imagine,” Ryan Huff, Writing Center tutor, said.

“We help with English homework, such as essays for engineering classes. The Writing Center is for everyone.

“If you come to the Writing Center, it does not automatically make you a bad writer — like people sometimes assume. We are here to help everybody from any level of writing skills. We even help students with their graduate thesis. The majority of the people who come in are not bad writers, so it’s important to dispel that myth. We believe any writing can be improved.”

Students can walk in or make an appointment online.

“We offer our online tutoring through Skype,” Huff said. “It’s definitely a big help for some people who can’t make an appoint in person.”

The Writing Center is open every Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, call 409-880-8571 or contact Jennifer Ravey, Writing Center director, at j.h.ravey@gmail.com.

STAIRSTEP increases student numbers in science, technology Lamar University is increasing the number of students receiving bachelor’s degrees in the areas of computer science, physics and mathematics through its STAIRSTEP program.

The program includes women and minorities who are underrepresented in science and technology, as well as low-income and first-generation college students with expenses paid for by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

“STAIRSTEP, Students Advancing through Involvement in Research Student Talent Expansion Project, has three major goals — to retain and develop talented at-risk students through an enriched research experience that includes mentoring, tutoring, and other support, to help transition these students to graduate study or careers in science, and to attract more students to the fields through targeted recruiting functions,” Peggy Doerschuk, STAIRSTEP director, said.

“STAIRSTEP students perform team research and outreach for an average of 10 hours a week and are paid a competitive stipend. They are encouraged to present their research at professional meetings and conferences, with expenses paid for by the grant.”

The grant also provides support for yearly research seminars and career forums that bring practicing researchers and scientists to campus.

Application forms and information can be found on the STAIRSTEP website, under the “Contact Us” link.

For more information, visit dept.lamar.edu/ stairstep.

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Music carries school beat Lamar University’s music department offers a variety of events for students to attend, as well as open auditions for anyone who wants to participate in any of the ensembles.

“There’s always something going on,” Scott Deppe, director of bands, said. “Everybody performs. We have student recitals, which occur every Friday at 10:20 a.m. We also do junior and senior upper-level recitals. The bands have a fall concert and perform Lamarissimo!, and then we’ll do a spring concert. The choirs are very similar. They’ll have at least one or two concerts each semester. The Cardinal Singers perform community events, and the orchestra plays one or two concerts in the fall. We also have an opera workshop in the music department that performs once a semester.”

Students must audition to be accepted into the music department as a

major. Non-majors also have the opportunity to audition for placement purposes. There are no auditions to become a member of the marching band, Deppe said.

“We do have auditions for both band and choir,” he said. “We have two different ensembles, the wind ensemble and concert band. Wind ensemble is by audition to determine who gets to be in it, first of all, and the concert band (has) an audition just for chair placement. The choirs do the same thing. They have an audition for the a Capella choir, and then anyone can be in the grand chorus.”

There are scholarship opportunities available for incoming freshmen and transfer students auditioning for the department.

“At the audition, they could get an amazing scholarship based on their playing abilities,” Deppe said.

“That scholarship is a contract to play in one of the ensembles, so if they’re a voice major and they audition, they get a scholarship and sing in the choir. They don’t just get money to come here and be a music major.

They have to perform in one of the ensembles.”

The department offers lessons for majors and will also accept nonmajors if there are any remaining seats in a course.

“We have courses that non-majors take, like flute lessons, voice lessons, piano lessons, whatever their specialty is,” Deppe said. “We have many people that are not music majors in the ensembles. They can be in the jazz band, the concert band, choir, the orchestra. The marching band has quite a few as well.”

For more information, visit dept. lamar.edu/cofac/deptmusic.

SPORTS

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UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Montagne Center holds more than 10,000 fans for Cardinal and Lady Cardinal basketball.

LAMAR CARDINAL SPORTS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL The Lady Cardinals are led by head coach Robin Harmony, who joined the team in 2013.

The Lady Cards went on to win a share of the Southland Conference regular-season title in 2013-14, finishing with a 18-13 record (13-5 SLC). They participated in the WNIT, their fourth postseason appearance in the last five years. In the 1990-91 season, the Lady Cards made it all the way to the “Elite 8” in the NCAA tournament. The team will have eight new faces in the 2014-15 season, three college transfers and five high-school signees.

MEN’S BASKETBALL During the 2013-14 season, Tic Price was named the Cardinals’ head coach, replacing Pat Knight who was fired. The team ended the season at 4-26 (3-15 SLC). In 2011, the court inside the Montagne Center was named the “Billy and Pat Tubbs Court,” after former head coach and his wife. Tubbs had a 121-89 record and led Lamar to the Elite 8 in 1979.

Lamar had one of the longest home court win streaks in NCAA history from 1978 to 1984, winning 80 straight games in the Montagne Center.

FOOTBALL The Cardinals went 5- 7 in 2013 (2-5 SLC).

After a 21-year break, the Lamar football team returned to play in 2010, and joined the Southland Conference in 2011. The 2014-15 team will have a 12-game schedule, with one trip to Texas A&M. The Cardinals will have new assistant coaches Mark Criner and Arlington Nunn for the upcoming season. They will also have 17 new recruits.

VOLLEYBALL The Lady Cards had a disappointing year with a record of 9-21. They will have a new coach to start the season fresh, Alan Edwards. Edwards added new assistant, Kacie Ehinger, to his staff in February of 2014.

TRACK/X-COUNTRY The men’s x-country team sent two athletes to the NCAA National Championships in 2013, Matt Johnsen and Ash Harrell.

Johnsen was credited with Athlete of the Year, while Coach Darren Gauson won Coach of the Year honors in 2013. Overall the men placed third at the NCAA South Central Regionals in 2013, their best showing since 2010.

The LU women placed seventh at Regionals, which was their best performance since 2007.

WOMEN’S GOLF The Lady Cardinals are now two-time defending Southland Conference Champs. In 2014 Brian White was named SLC Coach of the Year, and Wenny Chang was named SLC Freshman of the Year. The team also had four golfers earn All-SLC team honors. The Lady Cards once again made it into the NCAA Central Regional Championships in 2014.

SOCCER Since the start of the program, the Lamar soccer team has a 40-62-10 record. The 2013 season was the first time the team hasn’t reached postseason play since 2009. Orlando Cervantes will be preparing for his third season as head coach in the fall semester.

BASEBALL The Lamar Baseball team is led by 37-year head coach Jim Gilligan, who was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame in 2004. Under his command, the Cardinals have gone on to 12 Regional Tournaments. He has been named SLC Coach of the Year five times and has sent over 150 players into professional baseball. The men have 10 regular season titles in program history.

TENNIS The men’s tennis team compiled a 14-13 record in 2013-2014. They also earned their first ever runner-up finish in the Southland Conference Championships. This was the most wins recorded in a season by the men since 1987.

The women’s team finished with 8-14 record this season, under 14-year head coach David Wong. The team was unable to fight off regular season champions Northwestern State in the SLC Conference Tournament.

MEN’S GOLF The men’s golf team had three golfers earned their way to the 2014 All-Southland Conference Team. They finished fifth in the Conference Championships. Since 1951, the program has won seven National Championships, and 33 conference titles. They’ve also sent several players into the PGA.

SOFTBALL Under head coach Holly Bruder, the Lamar softball team ended their season with a 20-30 overall record. The team had one player, senior Tina Schulz, named first team performer in All-SLC. Schulz set a Lamar record this year with 32 RBIs. The team finished seventh in the conference.

Provost Umphrey Stadium When the Lamar University Cardinals returned to the gridiron, it was, in large part, thanks to the generosity of donors like Walter Umphrey and his partners at Provost Umphrey law firm. In recognition of a $3 million gift from the Beaumontbased law firm and an additional $1 million gift from Walter Umphrey and his wife Sheila, the renovated Cardinal Stadium was renamed Provost Umphrey Stadium.

The renovated stadium features all new bench and chairback seating, new restroom and concession facilities, a new concourse area, and increased handicap-accessible seating areas. In addition, the installation of new lighting and a Matrix field turf playing surface provides a state-of-the art venue that will not only hold up to challenging weather conditions, but also allow the stadium to be a multi-use facility.

Furthermore, thanks to a $1 million contribution from Education First Federal Credit Union, Provost Umphrey Stadium features a state-of-the-art, video-integrated scoreboard. The video board offers complete flexibility, with the capability to show one large single video image, multiple video images, and a combination of live or recorded video with real time scores and stats, out-of-town game information, sponsors’ messages, graphics and animation.

The stadium’s capacity is 16,600.

Rec Sports aims to get students involved Lamar University built the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center to offer multiple outlets for students to explore all things athletic.

“The building offers everything,” Bo Earls, associate director of programs, said. “We have multiple racquetball courts, multiple basketball courts, badminton, an indoor soccer arena, tons of cardio equipment, free weights and a group fitness room.

“In the fall, we plan to have 15 to 20 group fitness classes offered for any of the students. We have Zumba, belly dancing, cross-fit, and we hope to reintroduce spinning.”

In a typical week, the facility is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The center houses a food

court where students can buy sushi, sandwiches and smoothies. There’s a lounge area, with games such as billiards, air hockey and darts.

Not only does Rec Sports provide an assortment of workout equipment, but it also provides intramural sports for those looking to be a part of a team.

“We’re going to have flagfootball, volleyball and indoor soccer,” Jason Harrington, intramurals and sport clubs coordinator, said. “We’re bringing back cricket, and we’ll have some basic stuff, like a Madden Tournament or Call of Duty.

“Just get engaged. The Rec Center is a great place to meet people and relieve some stress.

You should definitely stay active, and this is a great place for it.”

Recreational Sports, housed in the state-ofthe-art Sheila Umphrey Recreational Center, offers students an opportunity for fitness and social interaction.

Montagne Center The Montagne Center, which opened in 1984, is a showplace for Lamar University. Designed especially for the basketball program, the 10,080-seat arena serves the university’s needs in various ways.

In addition to housing most of the athletic staff, the facility is used for concerts, commencements, banquets and other large-audience events. All continuing education classes and some physical education classes are also held in the center.

The largest, single-construction item in the 80-plus year history of Lamar, the Montagne Center was built in just 18 months (from June 20, 1983 through November 1984). The facility originally seated 8,000, but capacity was expanded in 1985. It is located on MLK Parkway, just across from the main campus.

In addition to offices, rooms and the main playing court, other features include two perimeter courts, a VIP room, the Cardinal Club Room, a players’ lounge, a study hall and a scoreboard complete with a message center.

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