Lamar Orientation 2018 Issue by University Press

2018 ORIENTATION ISSUE UNIVERSITY PRESS The Newspaper of Lamar University

Summer 2018

WELCOME TO LAMAR Cardinal family encourages freshmen to join community Lamar University will welcome incoming students with Welcome Week, beginning Aug. 27, a celebration of new beginnings and student involvement starting with convocation and running through the first tailgate party and football game of the season. “Welcome Week is a week of events and opportunities for students to meet new people, learn about the campus, and ways to get involved. All events are free for new and returning students,” Julie Eddards, director of new student and leadership programs, said. “Welcome Week will be fun for everyone. Expect free fun, free food, and free giveaways every day.” Welcome Week is being dubbed this year as a series of planned events, covering everything from academics to organizations and social events, designed specifically for new students and showcasing the possibilities of what their college experience could look like, Ed-

dards said. “Welcome Week will be one week — one weekend, beginning when students move in,” Eddards said. “Basically, it’s going to be a lot of fun for one week — two weeks of free fun, free food and free giveaways.”

While, there are many activities and events geared toward first year students, she said, all of the events are free and open to all students. “It’s basically to encourage students to get to know other students and encourage them to get

to know the university, have fun and to welcome them to campus when they arrive,” Eddards said. Other activities include, Casino Night, Big Red Take Off (Welcome Week Kick-Off), Convocation, The Setzer Take Over, exotic animal petting zoo and

Residence Life enriches college life

Living on campus is a beneficial experience that can broaden your perspective and help you discover who you are during your college years, Mary Atkinson, director of housing and residence life, said. “There are many benefits to living on campus,” she said. “It takes away that big commute, so the time that you would spend getting to class is significantly less just by living on campus. There are also a lot of programs and services that are offered.” Atkinson encourages students to reside on campus to strengthen their independence and to forge a stronger sense of identity. “This is such an exciting and critical time for students because they are getting to learn what it means to be a part of a community,” she said. “You have the freedom to choose your social circle and your career path. When you live on campus, you live with a diverse group of your peers. It helps to put your situation into a broader perspective.” Life in the residence halls is not without rules. The Residence Life Handbook, located on the Housing and Residence Life website (www.lamar.edu/residencelife), serves as a guide to on-campus living for student residents, including detailed community standards that each resident is expected to follow. “We expect that all on-campus residents become familiar with the policies and community standards detailed in the Residence Life Handbook and that they consider the needs of other residents and balance those needs with their own,” Atkinson said. “Oncampus residents should hold themselves to the highest standards of academic, personal,

and social integrity.” Making your neighbors feel comfortable, respected, and welcomed within the residence hall is essential in a community atmosphere within which you will be getting to know your neighbors, Atkinson said. “Having the opportunity to meet and interact with students from all walks of life of different races, sexual orientations, ages, and backgrounds gives resident students a broader perspective on domestic and global issues that students who do not live on campus are less likely to receive,” she said. Atkinson said there are various support services that are provided to students, and residential students are in the best position to benefit from these services.

more. “We have a very full schedule of events,” Eddards said. “There will be multiple opportunities for student involvement — lots of games, from Rec Sports games to organized games. We’ll have dances. We’ll have workshops. The students have a lot of fun. “There are so many things that happen in that first couple of weeks to really showcase Lamar University, but also, the main thing is for students to get to know other students, staff and faculty, and get involved. It’s really to highlight one week of transitioning to Lamar, so we give (students) multiple ways that they can do that with a lot of fun.” Building relationships within the Lamar community, both in and out of the classroom is important for new students to enhance their overall college experience, Eddards said. “A lot of these activities will give students an opportunity to See WELCOME page 4

Financial aid fulfills students’ needs

“There are many support services available to students to help them to be successful,” she said. “Tutoring, writing center services, career exploration services, student health services, mental health counseling services, and student employment opportunities are only a few ways LU works for the students. However, living within just a short walk of these resources, on-campus residents are in the best position to utilize these services, many of which are included in tuition and fees.” Atkinson said she urges students to take advantage of the life lessons that on-campus living can teach.

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 at 200 Wimberly on 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

See RESIDENCE page 4

See AID page 2

Opportunity knocks University’s Advising Center helps freshmen, sophomores engage

“Advising is one of the most significant components of a student’s college experience,” Melinda Finkle, interim director of the Undergraduate Advising Center, said. “For new students, their academic advisor is one of their primary connections to Lamar.” The Undergraduate Advising Center provides academic advising and support for all freshmen and sophomores. Finkle said she encourages students to see their advisor year-round. “Advising is more than schedule building and registering for classes,” she said. “Advisors help students navigate the university environment and connect them to campus resources that will help them succeed academically.

“We want students to really get to know their advisor and share their concerns and goals.” Finkle said she views advising as a partnership. “Advisors work with the students to match their interests and goals with opportunities at Lamar,” she said. “Advisors share information and discuss options, so that students can make a decision. Every student has a designated advisor based on their major.” The advisor’s connection with the academic department is important, Finkle said. “The advisor helps students get connected with their major, build relationships with the faculty, and understand their degree plan and departmental expectations,” she said. “Advisors will follow-up with

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students throughout the semester to make sure they are taking advantage of the opportunities.” The goal of the advising cen-

ter is to help students create a plan of action to make the most of their years at Lamar. The Undergraduate Advising Center is open from 8 a.m.

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to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call 409-880-8822 or visit lamar. edu/advising.

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Summer 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS ORIENTATION ISSUE

Be Aware, Be Alert, Be Safe COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT HELPS KEEP CAMPUS SAFE

The Lamar Univiversity Police Department engages the community in various ways to keep our campus safe. “Our emphasis is ensuring that LUPD is a part of the community,” Hector Flores, LUPD chief, said. Flores cited the Peelian Principles, developed by Robert Peel in 1829, as a guide to policing, specifically principle No. 7 which states: “Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.” Flores said he is also a big proponent of intelligence-led policing. “It’s a combination of community-orientated policing, problem solving, and data analysis,” he said. The LU police department holds a citizen’s police academy every Fall semester as a way of involving the university community in campus safety.

“We have various officers from the agency who teach classes over topics of law enforcement — from basic patrols to penal code, traffic law to investigations — each topic is covered in a different week. “It’s not a police academy that certifies you. It is a community engagement tool we utilize to share information so that our community better understands what we are doing and how we operate.” Students can register for the class, which will be offered in the fall. It’s also available for faculty, staff and alumni. Lamar’s police department also hosts two extensive safety classes. The first is the Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE). The second is Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) which teaches students what to do to defend themselves against an attack. Other basic safety classes are available upon request. LUPD maintains three levels of safety, security, and enforcement. The mid-level of security is the Campus Safety Officers, or CSOs. These are non-commissioned officers employed by LUPD, who respond to noncriminal incidents, such as motor-vehicle assists, unlocking doors, safety escorts, and non-emergency calls. “We have a professionalized campus safety officer program. It’s an auxiliary to our police patrols,” Flores said. “We rely

heavily on uniformed presence to deter criminal activity in and around campus. Our CSOs are always on foot patrols and bike patrols. They are non-commissioned, so they don’t carry a gun, but they are trained in OC (pepper) spray, handcuffing, CPR, and tactical trauma care.” Lamar officers are commissioned through the State of Texas, they patrol on and off campus, but have a focus at Lamar. Guards are posted in every residence-hall building. CSOs run shuttles from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., and are also available for courtesy calls or vehicle assistance at all times.

For non-emergency officer assistance, call 409-880-7777. “We have three levels that we’ve implemented,” Flores said. “You can think of it as concentric circles of safety. Our police officers, the campus safety officers, and the residence-hall security guard program.” “The plan is to have people in buildings, people on foot patrol, bike patrol, and the officers working the perimeters. All of these things help us prevent crime.” Flores said, LUPD uses social media to help students with issues and alerts. “We use Facebook and Twit-

ter to put out safety notices, so when something that can impact our community happens, or something we feel the campus needs to know about, we will put it on our Facebook besides emailing it out — it’s a great resource,” he said. To view safety tips and more information about LUPD, like their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter @LamarPD, or visit their website lamar. edu/police. The police station is currently located on the corner of Rolfe Christopher Drive and Florida Avenue. For more, call 409-8808307.

they fill out the FAFSA,” Rowley said. “After the documents are printed they can be uploaded to a student’s Self-Service Banner account.” There are different kinds of aid that have different eligibility requirements. Aid depends on many different factors like the 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 for scholarships — churches and other community 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/typesof-aid.html.

There are numerous emergency poles around Lamar University that help with maintaining good campus security.

AID from page 1 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.” “(Students) normally use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when

ORGANIZATIONS

UNIVERSITY PRESS ORIENTATION ISSUE

Summer 2018

SGA gives students a voice The Lamar University Student Government Association offers a voice to students. “The Student Government Association serves as the official voice of the student body, and as an association we have a responsibility to make every voice heard,” Madison Marino, 201819 SGA president, said. “SGA serves as the official platform where students of all demographics can collectively come together to voice opinions of change and restoration for our campus.” Marino said one of the biggest things she hopes to convey in her tenure as president is student empowerment. “Over the years, we as SGA have worked to build relationships of trust and understanding with our faculty and

administration at Lamar,” she said. “Through these relationships we are then able to provide feedback and expertise on various areas of the University in which the students have entrusted us to relay. As students there are various avenues in which you can be involved with SGA. “Whether you are a part of the three branches of government within SGA working with administration on finding solutions to student problems, representing the needs/wants of your student organizations, or just staying up-to-date on the most pressing issues at Lamar, SGA has something to offer every student.” Student government uses open sessions and town hall meetings with student legisla-

It is only by student input and involvement that we can help move Lamar into the next chapter

— Madison Marino SGA president 2018-19

tors to communicate with their constituencies. Positions include Organization Representative, Class Senator, College Senator, Supreme Court Justice, Executive Cabinet Member, and Executive Officer. “During my time as Presi-

dent, I am pushing for transparency, inclusivity, diversity, and growth for our association and our University,” Marino said. “I hope that all students become more involved with SGA through our new avenues of marketing and outreach, at our joint sessions, and by communicating with their respective representatives. “It is only by student input and involvement, that we can help move Lamar into the next chapter.” SGA represents all students on a wide array of issues. Students are urged to serve on the Academic Affairs, Campus Sustainability, Legislative Affairs, Student Engagement, Public Relations, and/or Dining Services student advisory committees, regardless of experience or major.

2018-19 SGA president Madison Marino

For more information on joining SGA, visit www.lamar. edu/sga or e-mail Madison Marino, 2018-19 SGA President, at mmarino@ lamar.edu. Be sure to also join the SGA portal on OrgSync at lamar.orgsync. com/ org/sga to stay up-to-date on all events/activities.

CAB offers fun for everyone

The Cardinals Activities Board hosts free events for students to enjoy fun experiences outside of the typical learning environment. “CAB is the student programming board for LU,” Brandie Van Zanden, associate director of student involvement, said. “It is composed of an executive board that research, plan, and run all the events. We also have a chance for all students to join CAB on our volunteer board. These students help run the events and gain volunteer hours by working our office and event.” The main mission is to provide a fun and engaging atmosphere that encourages campus spirit and life, Van Zanden said. “We strive to bring programs and events that students want and will attend,” she said. “A variety of events throughout the year include, movie nights, variety acts such as hypnotists, comedians, talent shows, do-it-yourself craft events, games and tournaments. We also host the annual events such as Homecoming and Big Red Mania, and help out with events like Big Red Take Off and De-stress Week.” CAB strives to build spirit and life and is always open to new ideas and programs, Van Zanden said. If you have anything you would like to see on campus, contact one of the executive members to share See CAB page 4

More than 200 organizations promote student involvement Now that you’re part of the Cardinal Nation, make the most of your college experience by getting involved and joining a student organization. Lamar University has a variety of ways to get involved outside of class, with more than 200 registered student organizations, including departmental and professional groups, honor societies, mutual interest groups, religious organizations, service-oriented groups, fraternities, sororities, spirit organizations and sports clubs. 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. Participation in student organizations helps students to develop friendships, gain new skills that can be transferred to careers and network with faculty, staff and employees, as well as serving as a campus resource to faculty, staff and other students. The Office of Student Organization 260 Setzer Student Center and students are encouraged to become part of OrgSync, LU’s online community, for student organizations and university departments. “We encourage everyone to explore OrgSync,” Elizabeth Jeanes, marketing coordinator, said. “Students can create an account by visiting LU Connect and clicking the OrgSync button. Students will use their LEA username and password to

set up their profile.” Once students have an account, they can check portals for registered student organizations, learn about volunteer opportunities and track extra-curricular activities. The office will be launching a campaign for the fall semester to encourage students to join student organizations titled “Get Involved, Be Involved, Stay Involved.” “Join at least two student organizations: one for your major and one for your hobby,” Brandie Van Zanden, student organization services coordinator, said. “Build your new on-campus family through participation in student organizations.” For more information about LU’s student organizations, visit lamar.edu/studentorgs, or call 409880-8722.

Greek life enriches college experience “Greek Life offers something more than any other type of group on campus — and that is the family bond of brotherhood or sisterhood,” Terry Mena, acting associate director of Greek life, said. Greek Life is not solely about being a part of a meaningful community. It is also steeped in tradition, Mena said. “Each chapter has its own history at Lamar, and also has its founding history and traditions, that for some, date back to the early 1800s,” he said. “It is a community you will have for the rest of your life, no matter where you go.” Greek life is more than just a social outlet, Mena said. It focuses on service, leadership and professional development, as well as recognizing academic achievements. “All of these components are what make Greek Life different than any other type of organization on campus,” he said. “Greek Life is an exciting opportunity for new students to get involved in their community and make friends.” For more information, call 409-880-1734, or visit https://students.lamar.edu/student-engagement/greeklife/index.html.

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B&N campus bookstore has what you need

The Barnes & Noble campus bookstore is the one-stop shop for all of your Cardinal school spirit gear. The bookstore is the official carrier of all custom regalia for the school, and of course, your one-stop shop for textbooks. Stop by for the latest items from Under Armour and Nike, along with shopping for school supplies, snacks and many other items. During the regular fall and spring semesters B&N is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fridays. Check out their website for store hours during, summer, holidays, and graduation. Summer hours are 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The bookstore features two websites, one specifically for clothing geared for alumni and parents and not textbooks, and another for students. The Barnes & Noble bookstore mobile app is another way to shop and includes a special offer with a new download giving a 25 percent-off coupon available in store or online. To download the app, search My College Bookstore at the app store or on Google Play and fill out the information for Lamar University. The clothing only

site is at lamar.shoptruespirit. com and the student site is at lamar. bncollege.com. Orders can be shipped for delivery or picked up at the store. Barnes & Noble partners with Lamar University to get textbook orders in several months before each semester starts in order to ensure that students

have all pricing and ISBN information on their website for purchase. “Barnes & Noble at Lamar University is a proud partner of Lamar University,” store manager Laura Forgey said, “Our job is to provide superior service to our campus community. We do this with textbooks, school sup-

plies and school spirit items.” Each purchase, whether instore or online supports Lamar financially according to a Barnes & Noble press release. “We price match amazon. com, bn.com and the offsite bookstore on textbooks,” Forgey said. “We price match rental or purchase books.”

RESIDENCE from page 1

WELCOME from page 1

“Everyone, at some point in their lives, wants to be independent,” she said. “And while living on campus, you get the experience of being independent while still in a structured environment that allows you to learn

get to know one another and build friendships and community on campus. So even if you’re a commuter, you’ll be able to have a community on campus when you come. If you’re a resident student, it just enhances your experience overall.” Eddards emphasized the importance of welcoming activities in student involvement and retention. By introducing students to all of the possibilities up front, students can more readily choose and create the experience they want to have and find the opportunities best suited to them, Eddards said. “One of the biggest messages that we tell students at orientation is ‘Get involved,’” she said. Transitioning into college can be really stressful, Eddards said, but meeting people

those life lessons, but there is someone here to address issues that you might have and give you some guidance along the way.” For more, call 409-880-8550, or visit lamar.edu/residence life.

CAB from page 3 your idea or join the membership board today. “We are always looking for student input to the type of programs and entertainment they want to see occur at Lamar University,” Van Zanden said. “If you have great ideas, then we have open ears. We encourage you to stop

by and sign up to be a volunteer and help us make Lamar University a great place.” For more information, call 409880-8723 or visit lamar.edu/cab and follow them on social media at LamarUCab. The CAB is located in 270 SSC.

Forgey said to look forward to some fun events for students such as a VIP night, a Halloween costume contest, a de-stress event, and other events throughout the Fall and Spring semesters. For more information or just to look around visit the Barnes & Noble store in the Setzer Student Center.

through fun events can help combat the stress of the experience and make students want to be involved on campus.

HEALTH

UNIVERSITY PRESS ORIENTATION ISSUE

Summer 2018

Student Health Center covered by professionals Lamar University offers enrolled students medical care, psychological care and health education services through the Student Health Center. “We function like a primary care physician’s office,” Shawn Gray, Student Health Center director, said. “We see coughs, colds, flu, sniffles, belly aches, tummy aches, urinary tract infections, the usual stuff — that type of stuff that you would go to your family physician for. We also do both men and women’s health, including pap smears, STD screenings and HIV testing. In cases of emergency we stabilize the patient and call 911 for transport to a local emergency room.” The Health Center also has counselors available for mental health issues. “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 students that come from all over the world, and at 17, 18, 19-yearsold 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 here for.” The Health Center operates by appointment and charges a $10 co-pay for each visit, which goes to the student’s account and is due by registration for the following semester. Physicians or nurse practitioners can write prescriptions for students, and many of 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 controlled substances. We are able to offer those medications to the students at a reduced cost.” Marie Murray, certified health education specialist, provides campus-wide health education programs, which are often held at various locations around campus. Her department also hires students as Peer Health Educators or “Healthy Cards” to help plan and deliver programs. The Health Center has its own website, dept.lamar.edu/ healthcenter, and has links on Lamar’s website 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.” The Health Center staff are ready to provide quality health care or answer questions at any time, Gray said. “No matter how insignificant you think the illness is that you have, let my professionals help 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.” For more information, visit lamar.edu/ healthcenter.

Heather Reading, clinical assistant professor/audiologist, works on a hearing aid in the audiology lab.

Speech and Hearing clinics provide conscientious care

Lamar University’s department of speech and hearing sciences hosts an Audiology Clinic and a Speech-Language Pathology Clinic where student clinicians are committed to providing quality care to their patients. “Providing accessible services to the campus and surrounding community is important to us,” Karen Whisenhunt Saar, director of the Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Services, said. “The scope of practice expertise among our faculty is broad and could stand up against many of the best programs. As a result, our students are gaining excellent practical and theoretical skills and assist us in providing thoughtful and evidence-based practice to all of our clients.” A newly renovated clinic and upto-date equipment provides students, faculty and the surrounding community access to best practice in speech-language pathology and

Audiology Clinic services include:

• Hearing screenings for newborns through adults • Industrial hearing evaluations • Diagnostic hearing testing for newborns • Comprehensive pediatric and adult hearing evaluations • Hearing aid evaluations, • Cochlear implant mapping • Sells assistive listening devices and hearing protective devices.

audiology. Speech-language pathology services include assessment and intervention for pediatric through geriatric clients. Provided services include speech and language therapy for children and adults, college success programs for students with autism disorders, social cognition intervention, an aphasia conversation lab that includes communication groups, a technology group, a book club and diagnostic services during the long semesters and summer sessions. The clinic also provides stuttering therapy, an achievement through collaboration program, dysphagia, voice and vocology lab and an accent modification program. Services are free to students, staff and the community. “We are dedicated to providing the highest standard of care in both speech-language pathology and audiology,” Whisenhunt Saar said. The Audiology Clinic also offers a wide variety of services in diagnostic testing and treatment for pediatric through geriatric patients. Services include hearing screenings for newborns through adults, industrial hearing evaluations, diagnostic hearing testing for newborns, comprehensive pediatric and adult hearing and hearing aid evaluations, cochlear implant mapping and the sale of assistive listening and hearing protective devices. Audiology services provided to students and faculty are covered under general fees and university

Speech Pathology Clinic services include:

• Aphasia Conversation Lab • Stuttering Therapy (and a summer camp) • Achievement through Collaboration • Summer Articulation Bootcamp • Dysphagia (swallowing disorders) Clinic & Lab • Voice and Vocology Clinic/Lab • Accent Modification Services The SLP clinic also offers various camps such as language enrichment and literacy camp throughout the year at different times.

contracts. Paid services are open to the community upon request. Both the speech-language pathology and audiology clinics work together with the local library system twice a year to provide feedback to parents during a local information and play days. The department also provides several study abroad programs and student led groups such as the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA). The clinics are located at the corner of Rolfe Christopher Drive and Iowa Street. The speech-language pathology clinic is open MondayFriday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., while the audiology clinic is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information or an appointment, contact Tammy Frederick at 880-8171.

Medical insurance student plan available

Lamar University students can purchase medical insurance through Academic HealthPlans. Insurance coverage is annual with several pay options available. They offer plans for students, 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 carry medical insurance through Academic HealthPlans. Information about Academic HealthPlans is available in the Student Health Center, on the Student Health Center website at lamar.edu/healthcenter or at www.academichealthplans.com/la mar.

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 folks come in for that. 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-sup-

ported tips and tricks that might be helpful that people don’t know about until they come in.” Aronson said that the clinic has created a new collaboration with a Veteran’s Affairs staff member to provide cognitive reprocessing ther-

apy to veterans and first responders with PTSD. To make an appointment, or for information, visit the Psychology Clinic at 200 Social and Behavioral Sciences, or call the clinic at 409-8807783.

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Meningitis vaccinations required

The Lamar University shuttle has mobility access to cater to all students.

Lamar shuttle provides equal access for students The Lamar University Police Department and the Disability Resource Center have partnered to introduce a mobility-accessible shuttle on campus. “We have a new shuttle that has an accessible chair lift,” Kyle Mutz, DRC director, said. “There are three spots for someone who is using a chair or scooter, and they can ride it with their friends — it’s not just for students with disabilities, it’s for everybody.” Mutz said that the shuttle is part of an initiative to make Lamar a more accessible campus. “The shuttle is there for students who need wheelchair accessibility so that they don’t have to wheel themselves out in the heat or in the rain, especially when it floods.” Jamarcus Corks, Orange senior, said.

“The idea hit me about a year and a half ago that we had a shuttle for everyone else, but not one for people in wheelchairs. Say I’m out late at night, and I don’t feel safe. What am I supposed to do? The shuttle can’t get me if I am in my chair, and can barely get me if I am in my walker. What do I do?” Corks raised his concerns with Mutz, who then began to work with Hector Flores, LUPD chief, to design the shuttle’s weekly route and to run the service. “The other main difference between this shuttle and the preexisting shuttles that run into Beaumont for shopping, is that Monday through Friday from 8 to 5, (the shuttle) runs all over campus,” Mutz said. “Students can ride it from building to building, dorms

to other places on campus, and it also picks up students from some of the other housing areas on campus. It’s exciting, because this is the first time we have had something like thisdoperate within the campus.” Mutz said that the shuttle also works to bus students to events such as graduation or sporting events. “Students can call the number under parking and transportation to have the shuttle pick them up,” he said. “They can also download the Lamar University app and see the schedules for the shuttle. Students can also call in off-peak hours and the shuttle will come pick them up.” For shuttle service, call 409880-7551.

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 everyone to get vaccinated early, Gray 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,” she 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 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 https://corequest.dshs.texas.gov. LU students may submit proof of vaccination or exemption by e-mail 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 beacardinal.lamar.edu/accepted-students/bacterialmeningitis-vaccination.

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New and improved SSC renovations offer state-of-the-art facilities

One of the showpieces in the center of campus is the newly renovated Setzer Student Center. The building features new media rooms, a new ballroom, various student organization offices and workspaces, as well as a food court and lounging areas. The overall structure of the building is the same — some wings were taken out and others were added, but the previous foundation remains, Terry Mena, associate vice president of student engagement and dean of students, said. In addition to the inside of the building, the landscaping outside has been redone, including the Quad which stretches from the front of the SSC. There is additional outdoor seating for students to have more quiet space to come out and read a book or drink a nice cup of coffee from Starbucks, Mena said. Inside, to the right of the Quad entrance, is a new graband-go outlet, similar to the Outtakes Market Place next to Brooks Shivers Dining Hall. “This will be a quick option for students to pick up a sandwich, a salad, or coffee,” Mena said. Next to the grab-and-go is the Barnes & Noble Bookstore, which has been reduced in perimeter, but with an increase in floor space. “The new window front for the bookstore looks as if you were at the mall,” Mena said. “The storefront will provide the bookstore new marketing opportunities to make it look more professional.” Previously, there was a staircase in the center of the Setzer Student Center, which has been removed in order to create a better walkway for students. “There is a straight shot from the south end to the north end of the SSC — there was a staircase that was in a dangerous location for all of our programs and students,” Mena said. “On either side of the new walkway will be tons of seating areas. We also have a north atrium and a south atrium above, which will provide tons of natural lighting. “There will be TV monitors set up (along the walkways) that will have specific marketing schemes, like those in the Galloway Business Building. We bought a digital signage package to enhance the technology

The newly renovated Richard W. Setzer Student Center.

in all of our new buildings. These messaging centers will help, because they provide the same announcements campus wide, like those alerting students of campus closures and such. “The walls have been redone with wood paneling in order to bring the natural colors in from the Quad.” More stalls have been added to both the men’s and women’s bathrooms. There is also a separate bathroom for transgender students with a singular stall. “All of the plumbing has been redone in the building,” Mena said. “Before, the men’s restroom only had two stalls — now it has 12, including urinals

and accessible disability stalls. The women’s restroom went from six stalls to 12 as well, so it’ll be much more functional.” The building also features a room where parents can feed their children — women may use the room to breastfeed, or men may use it to feed their children privately. The new SSC will feature triple the amount of media rooms, which students and organizations can request at no charge for meetings and events. “On the first level, there’s about eight media rooms now, whereas before there were only six,” Mena said. “On the second level, there’s another six or seven more, bringing the total

The Setzer Student Center food court features Jason’s Deli, Panda Express and Chick-fil-A.

number to around 16 to 18 rooms. “Student organizations can schedule these rooms through OrgSync. They are free because the students are already paying for it through the special charge on their accounts. If there is a special event that requires a set up different than the preset, or additional audio/ visual technology, then there will be a charge. “We are really trying to maximize the usage of technology in this building. We added outside sound equipment for student organizations, and the Wi-Fi connection is much better.” One of the main developments of the SSC is the new

food court, located in the northwest portion of the building, which will feature Jason’s Deli, Panda Express and Chick-fil-A. “This area used to be the ballroom,” Mena said. “It was not functional most of the time because it was too small. Now, we have the food court with a lot of seating, plus there will be a seating area right outside in the courtyard. “In the back of the food court, (underneath the secondfloor balcony) there will be more seating with places for students to plug in their phones.” There is a gaming room off of the food court. Groups can request access for tournaments and such. “It’ll be a free gaming area where students can bring their own PlayStation or Xbox, and hook them up to the preset monitors,” Mena said. The new ballroom is more than 3,000 sq. ft., and can be divided into two sections, Mena said. “The flooring in is multifunctional, because one night you can have a large banquet that can sit up to 386 people, and the very next day it can be flipped to a skating rink,” he said. The Student Government Association, Cardinal Activities Board, Greek Life, SSC Administration, the vice president of student engagement and the office for the dean of students will be on the second level of the facility. “In addition to the offices, there will also be a student organization workspace that will have at least five rows of work stations with computer terminals and phone lines for student organizations to utilize,” Mena said. “There will also be lockers lining the walls which students can rent for their organizations, and a storage room for organizations to store materials.” While Hurricane Harvey and unusual winter weather hindered progress on the renovation, Mena said that the opening happened right on schedule and under budget. “We anticipated an opening for Spring 2018, so that went according to plan,” he said. “I know the students are anxious — I think this will be a great development to the campus and I know people will enjoy it.”

SSC Market offers options for those looking for a quick snack.

LU HISTORY

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L.R. Pietzch

C.W. Bingman

Lamar builds from humble beginnings Lamar is a state-supported university with more than 14,000 students, a 230-acre campus, and about 120 substantial buildings. OK, so that isn’t hot news. Everybody knows that, you say? What everybody doesn’t know is that Lamar first sprang — er, toddled — to life as a tiny junior college holding classes on the third floor of a local high school. The Board of Trustees of the South Park Independent School District, one of three school districts in the city, simply voted in 1923 to open a junior college, and then proceeded to do so. It was a bold move. There was only one other publicly supported junior college in the state, in Wichita Falls, and it was only a few months old. Nobody knew if the far-from-wealthy South Park School District could support a junior college, but the school board, under the leadership of Superintendent L.R. Pietzsch, who became the first president, was confident that the experiment would work. C. W. Bingman was made vice president. A new South Park High School had just been built, and the junior college would hold classes on the third floor. If the experimental new college failed, the third floor could be used by the high school. The college didn’t fail. By the second year, more than 200 students were applying for admission. Summer sessions were started and have continued until the present. In its second year, the college was accredited by the Texas State Department of Education. Young colleges didn’t usually gain accreditation so soon, and it was considered quite a tribute to the administration and faculty. According to John Gray, a student in the first session and later president of Lamar, two members of that faculty went on to become presidents of major universities. “Dr. Grayson L. Kirk, my government and political science teacher, later became president of Columbia University in New York City,’” Gray said, “and Dr. C. A. Whybum, my mathematics teacher, became president of Texas Tech University in Lubbock.” Since the college was supported by the South Park taxpayers, residents of the district were charged no tuition, only a matriculation fee of $5. Nonresidents were only charged $10 a month for tuition and could pay by the month if they chose. This made

for resentment among the students from the other school systems. Some of them even started moving into the South Park area when they graduated from high school, or claiming the street address of relatives within the system, to avoid paying the college tuition. There had always been a lot of rivalry among the school systems, especially between the Beaumont and South Park districts, and in 1930 the Beaumont School District started talking about opening a junior college of its own. The talk came to nothing, however, and the districts finally decided that one college in Beaumont was enough. Whether all the talk was a contributing factor isn’t clear, but things really began to change out at the junior college, starting with the name of the place. A contest was held in 1932 to choose a new name, with a year’s scholarship going to the winner. Otho Plummer, who had already graduated from the college, won the contest with the suggestion of Lamar College, in honor of Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic and generally considered the father of public education in Texas. (Plummer later became a member of the Lamar Regents.) The junior college had fielded a football team from 1923 to 1926, playing two or three games a year against area high schools and the freshmen teams of four-year colleges. But after a couple of seasons of low attendance, football was dropped after the ’26 season. In 1932, football was reinstated at Lamar, and young John Gray was hired as head coach and athletic director. Gray changed the team’s name from the original “Brahmas” to the “Cardinals,” and the team colors from maroon and gray to red and blue. (Later, during the ’60s, the colors were changed to red and white.) In 1933, a new administration/ classroom building was built next to the South Park High School, and was soon followed by another new building. Lamar finally had a campus of its own, separate from the high school, although the two still shared a football stadium and other athletic facilities. Operating a college was pretty expensive even then. The expense was a drain on the South Park system, and besides, the trustees wanted to widen the scope of the college and expand it. The only way they could do that

The S’Park Plug

John Gray

was to make Lamar an areasupported college, completely separate from the South Park school system. With that idea in mind, they bought a 58-acre tank farm on the present university site from the Texas Oil Co. in 1938. In 1940, the French, Beaumont, and South Park school districts voted in a city-wide election to jointly form the Lamar Union Junior College District. New college buildings were constructed on the tank farm site. All the oil storage tanks were drained and leveled, except for one huge earthen tank just south of the present Ty Terrell Track. This tank collected rainwater, debris, and snakes for several years, until the surrounding mire of oil and water became solid enough for demolition to begin. The land was well worth the inconvenience, though, considering what Lamar wound up paying for it. “After we bought the land,” Gray said, “another oil company asked to lease the mineral rights. Since Texaco had sold us the land, we offered them the lease first. They said they had already checked out the land, but to go ahead and take the other company’s money. “The other company drilled where the outdoor swimming pool is now, but of course no oil was found. They had paid us $40,000 for the lease; and since the land only cost us about $25,000 after clearing it, we made a profit of $15,000.” During the World War II years, vocational classes were taught 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with about 15,000 people graduating from welding, shipbuilding, and other technological short courses. After the war, a movement was started to make Lamar a state-supported college. The movement turned into, a real Texas-style political dogfight. No senior college had been established in Texas in 25 years, and

O.B. Archer opponents claimed that if Lamar were permitted to expand, every junior college in Texas would want to do the same. This, they said, would bankrupt the state educational system. The proponents won out — eventually. A bill was passed in 1947 to create Lamar State College of Technology, but the bill died because the state comptroller said there was not enough money to put it into effect. The bill was passed again in 1949, and Lamar was given $1 million for building expenses. By September 1951, Lamar started its first four-year classes, becoming the first junior college in Texas to expand to a senior college. The graduate school was established in 1962, with master’s degrees being offered in several fields. In 1971, Lamar offered its first doctoral degree, in engineering, and on Aug. 23, 1971, Lamar officially became Lamar University. On Sept. 1, 1995, Lamar University merged with the Texas State University System. In its development into a major Texas university, it has gained a reputation for high teaching standards which co-exist with a relaxed and open relationship between students and teachers. In recent years, the school has seen a series of construction, including the Reaud Administration Building, the Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship, and major renovations to the Setzer Student Center. With faculty and administrators coming up with new initiatives all the time, the university is far from finished growing. — This story has been updated from a series of University Press archive stories

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Reaud Building gateway to campus The Wayne A. Reaud building is a new landmark building on campus, Craig Ness, Vice President for Finance and Operations, said. The building is home to the Reaud Honors College, as well as a number of administrative offices, classrooms and an event center. “Any university that has an

honors college should be proud,” Ness said. “Honors colleges present opportunities to students that they wouldn’t get without an honors college. Honors colleges are places where people exchange ideas. If you’re sitting around the Honors College, you’re talking about thought and to students outside your major.”

The Reaud building is part of a plan to move the main entrance to Lamar University to the south side of campus, and will act as a gateway for future visitors to the university. The plan also includes the construction of a welcome center. “(The Reaud building) is probably the first new structure

in a couple of decades,” Ness said. “It shows that Lamar is moving into the 21st century, and shows that the community values Lamar.” Ness said that the building signals a new era for Lamar University. “This whole section of campus is part of a new plan to revive campus,” he said.

Ness said that campus improvements like the Reaud building benefit the students. “When you have a building like this and CICE across the street, it makes the campus attractive,” he said. “It attracts attention from the community and donors, and increases the value of (a Lamar) degree,” he said.

The Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (CICE) is one of the newer facilities on the Lamar University campus. The new building, which is almost a reflection of the Reaud Honors College, houses 18 offices and conference rooms, four laboratories, three training rooms, an event center, a modeling and simulation center, and many more features. “This building when it began really changed the way we think on campus,” President Ken Evans said during the building’s opening ceremony in April. “So much that we have done on campus with research and development and the funding of research is now focused on cross-disciplinary initiatives. “We are breaking free of the silo mentality that has so been a part of what the campus environment has been about. Why

do we do that? Because the problems we face today are messy. They are going to require all the talent in this room and more to fix. Pursing it from one orientation simply is not going to be enough. “The contributions we’ll make to Southeast Texas will be great because we’re able to deal with messy problems with the amazing people that we will assemble in this building,.” Paul Latiolais, director of the CICE, said the new building will serve the region and the university through economic expansion industry advancement and workforce development. “The main areas of the center reflect the mission of Lamar University — economic development, industry collaboration, faculty and student innovation and community relations,” he said. “The CICE is also a showcase to industry were innova-

tions and technologies can be shared between industry and Lamar University in an agile environment that encourages

peer-to-peer and industry collaboration. “Industry experts from around the region can interact

with business innovators and faculty to develop projects programs and products that address real needs.”

CICE promotes entrepreneurship

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Theatre & Dance offers cultural enrichment The Lamar University Department of Theatre & Dance provides a broad education across its disciplines. Students can build strong relationships and be a part of more than just a learning experience. “Being a part of the performing arts builds a particular skill set that can be applied to almost any discipline,” chair Golden Wright said. “As artists, we create, collaborate and work with other artists on a regular basis.” “Students learn how to take constructive criticism or critiques and apply them on a regular basis, and they find that being an artist is about the journey and not about the destination. We provide a sound foundation for students to build a future.” The department offers students the opportunity to experience all aspects of theatre and dance. LU students will be a part of the only program in the United States that combines theatre and dance into this kind of pre-professional program. The students, regardless of their emphasis, take classes in acting, design and dance. “For someone interested in pursuing acting, design, and dance, we provide a strong program that gives you a solid background in both theatre

and dance,” Wright said. “When you come in as a major, you choose one of those three tracks. Each major will refine their skills through a variety of course in that particular track taught by processionals that are currently practicing their craft.” Wright said that students from any major would benefit from an acting class. “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,” he said. “Confidence is typically the most important thing behind qualifications. The confident person who can come into the

room and sell you on him or herself, or the product, is the person who is going to get the job.” “We have open auditions for all of the shows in our season,” he said. “We routinely have people who are not LU students cast and perform in our productions. This builds community, enriches the productions and experiences on our stages. This is good for our students and the local community. We encourage our students to perform with local community theaters and dance companies as their schedule permits.” For more information, like the department’s Facebook page, or call 409-880-8037.

Art, Dishman reflect international trends “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”

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, and strives to appeal to all art majors, as well as other majors on campus. Dennis Kiel, Dishman Art Museum director, said the facility tries to appeal to all majors, with exhibits that relate to engineering or nursing, speech and hearing. “So we attract people who normally wouldn’t come here, and maybe have never been here,“ he said. “We focus on all mediums, so we do exhibitions of painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography and fibers.” The Dishman showcases student work as well, with the senior thesis exhibitions at the end of the spring and fall semesters. 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, the annual fundraiser that benefits the College of Fine Arts and Communication. “I’m coming with my own interests, and trying to figure out what’s going on here,” Kiel said. “There could be some things that are different, and hopefully some surprises — things that will be exciting.” LU’s Artist Common is a student organization that organizes local exhibitions and hosts special events on campus and in the community. Students do not have to be an art major to join the organization. “The Artists’ Common manages the student organization lounge gallery in the art building,” Donna M. Meeks, art department chair, said. “These are areas of changing exhibitions throughout the year. All are welcome to hang out. It’s quiet and nice. Sometimes we have openings and movie nights.” The department also has other groups that specialize in specific areas. “We have the Lamar University Design Studio that really

caters to the needs of the graphic design students, they plan activities and conference attendance, and fundraisers,” she said. “They bring in speakers on graphic design, and they actually pick up and do pre-professional jobs for different community entities as a fundraiser. “We have the NAEA Student Chapter, which is the National Art Education Association, and that’s where our student teachers who are learning to be art educators are getting opportunities to attend conferences and have preprofessional activities that they plan. The Texas Atomic Iron Commission, which is a statewide organization, (allows) our students to participate in iron pours in different places.” Meeks said the art department’s main focus is making sure students have pre-professional opportunities. The art department offers courses in painting, sculpture, printmaking, graphic design, photography, ceramics, art education, drawing, art history and other studio arts. Students have access to the department’s dark room facilities, a digital printing lab, a graphic design lab, a foundry for welding and poured metal castings, and ceramics, woodworking and printmaking studios. Meeks said the department also offers classes specifically for non-majors, including an art history minor. “Many of our entry level courses are available to non-majors, so if you are looking for an elective experience, you can take Photo 1, Drawing 1 and Design 1, without needing a pre-requisite,” she said. All students are encouraged to

“Dance Unleashed” spring concert in the University Theatre

Student sculptures stand in front of the Art Building’s SOL gallery.

visit the Student Organization Lounge Gallery located in the atrium of the art department building. “The SOL Gallery is completely reserved for student exhibitions,” Meeks said. “It’s student run and student focused. Students are welcome to come during business hours to see what’s hanging in the gallery.” Meeks said that the visual arts are an important part of one’s education.

“I do believe art enriches our lives,” she said. “Whatever you are going to be in life, if you take the time to participate in the arts you are going to have a richer human experience.” For more information, visit fineartscomm.lamar.edu/dishman-art-museum. For more information about the art department, like their Facebook page, or follow them on Twitter @artlamaruni or visit, dept.lamar.edu/cofac/deptart.

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Music carries school beat

Lamar University’s Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music offers a variety of performance and scholarship opportunities to all students. Students are not re-

quired to be music majors to perform in the bands and choirs, but the different ensembles do have different placement assessments. “We offer a lot of ways to be in-

volved in making music,” Eric Shannon, director of athletic bands, said. “All of our different areas, whether it be piano, percussion, opera, choir or one of our bands, are very active and give students opportunities they wouldn’t get otherwise. The main thing we want students to know is that you do not have to major in music to join our bands, choirs, or other music offerings.” During the Fall, the largest and most visible ensemble is The Showcase of Southeast Texas marching band, which is comprised of students from more than 45 majors and 84 high schools. The marching season lasts from mid-August until mid-November generally, and rehearses six to eight hours a week, depending on the week. All new members in the marching band receive a $500 scholarship, which will increase every season they perform in the group. The band performs at all home games and select away games. For Fall 2018, the band is slated to give exhibition performances at 6A Area F and the Bands of America Super Regional in San Antonio. To join the marching band, go to www.lamar.edu/ marchingband and fill out the online commitment form. The marching band is directed by Eric Shannon.

When it comes to joining an “indoor band,” Shannon said that students go through a single ensemble placement audition for the concert bands and the Jazz Band. This audition determines which ensemble a student will perform in and what chair they will be. This audition takes place during the first days of the fall semester. The Wind Ensemble is the top concert band on campus, followed by the Symphonic Band. They are conducted by Andrew McMahan, director of bands, and Shannon, director of athletic bands, respectively. The Jazz Band is directed by Rick Condit, director of jazz studies. Information for the audition can be found at www. lamar.edu/bands. Lamar University boasts two stellar choirs: the smaller A Cappella Choir and the larger Grand Chorus. The A Cappella Choir holds one major performance each semester and makes several appearances each year throughout the community. There are 24 students in the A Cappella Choir, and membership is by audition only. The Grand Chorus is open to all students and provides students with the opportunity to perform a major choral work each semester. No audition is required to join chorus. For information,

contact James Han, director of choral activities. The department also offers lessons for non-music majors if there are any remaining seats in a course. “We have other courses that non-majors take, like flute lessons, voice lessons, piano lessons, whatever their specialty is,” Shannon said. “We love it when non-music majors participate with us — we’d like to see more non-majors use music as a way to supplement their education here at Lamar University. That’s what we’re here for. After spending hours studying, don’t you want to take a break and make music with your friends?” Shannon said the music department is still working to grow the size of the marching band. “It doesn’t matter what your skill level is in marching band,” he said. “You just need prior band experience. We want students to get involved and do something they will love — and they’ll love it, even if they don’t know it yet.” Performance opportunities are plentiful in the music department and Shannon said he encourages students to participate, show spirit and “Be the music” at Lamar University. For more information, visit www.lamar.edu/music.

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FUN & GAMES

UNIVERSITY PRESS ORIENTATION ISSUE

Summer 2018

enjoy the LU experience

From the Homecoming bonfire to organization fairs, there are many activities for Cardinals to participate in during the school year. Movie nights and events, many complete with games, are frequent, and student groups are constantly offering events that promote diversity and camaraderie. Visit OrgSync, the Lamar University website, or the University Press for information â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and become involved.

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College experience provides growth, independence, future quality of life Now is the time of year when millions of students are doing the same thing you are: preparing for fall classes. College Orientation, for many students, is the culmination of several months, or even years, of planning with so many hopes and high expectations pinned to the college experience. The college experience has always been more than just going to classes and earning a grade. It has always been about being exposed to new things and new people. In short, the experience is about — experiences. It’s a time for checking out new groups and new interests, trying things that have always piqued your interests. College is the first time many of us will go outside the bubbles of our little world. That being said, most of us are here because a college degree is highly desired and highly valued in the workplace and for our careers. College graduates, on average, earned 56 percent more than high school grads in 2017, according to data compiled by the Economic Policy Institute. That was up from 51 percent in 1999 and is the largest such gap in EPI’s figures dating to 1973. Additionally, EPI found college graduates were unemployed at half the rate of non-degree workers from 19992017.. College grads have long enjoyed economic advantages over Americans with less education. But as the disparity widens, it is doing so in ways that go beyond income, from homeownership to marriage to retirement. Education has become a di-

College graduates, on average, earned 56 percent more than high school graduates in 2017.

— from the Economic Policy Institute

viding line that affects how Americans vote, the likelihood that they will own a home and their geographic mobility, according to the Pew Research Center’s annual report on social and demographic trends. The decision to attend college is one of the biggest decisions a family can make — one that will have life-changing implications. When trying to decide about this important, and expensive, decision, the question ultimately comes down to this: what is the purpose of a college education? If you believe, as many do, that the sole purpose of higher education is to prepare you for a career in your chosen field, then your choice is clear: find the Lamar University program that will best prepare you for that career. But wait, you say, shouldn’t I try to get into Stanford or Harvard? Won’t I get a better education and, therefore, have a

better career? Maybe. Maybe not. You will discover that most prospective employers aren’t impressed with a fancy name on the diploma. They only care that you have a degree — and at first, your work performance. It will be that and character on the job that matters to them. Lamar offers a number of programs for academic course counseling, career guidance, networking opportunities and academic support services to assist students in meeting their educational goals. A university education is also about so much more than preparing you for your chosen career. College is a time of personal and spiritual growth, too — it is where lifelong friends are found and values are embedded. It is vital that students and their parents think about these ideas at least as much as they do the academic part of the equation. Take control of your education and future, and begin your professional network if you haven’t alread. Start by finding out what your instructors are like. Faculty members, especially those in your chosen field, can have a huge influence on your studies and experience. You can find out what they’ve published, what courses they teach, and which books they require for those courses. You can find much of this information on the faculty member’s page in the university’ directory or on the departmental web pages. Second, find out what campus life is like. What sorts of clubs and organizations are there? What is dorm life like?

What fraternities and sororities are all about? The Cardinal Activities Board sponsors and hosts- numerous events each semester and it’s easy to get involved. Follow official Lamar University social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and, as always, check the University Press website for news at www. lamaruniversitypress.com. Students wishing to join an on-campus organization can eliminate the paper trail and any possible confusion by visiting OrgSync.com, Lamar University’s campus information management system, through the student portal. OrgSync is designed to centralize campus involvement. It allows 24/7 access to informa-

tion 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. 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. A college education takes place as much outside the walls of the classroom as inside. But it is up to you to be the best Cardinal you can be.

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UNIVERSITY PRESS ORIENTATION ISSUE • Summer 2018

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STAR Services support student success

Starting college is an exciting new journey and as with any endeavor, guidance is key to reaching goals and aspirations. Lamar University understands the importance of providing support for students to attain their college degrees and offers a variety of programs to help students succeed. “The STAR Services programs help students become more active and effective learners and help them fully connect with Lamar University’s academic community,” Daniel Bartlett, interim executive director of student success, said. “STAR Services collaborates with faculty and staff to help students achieve their goals.” Student Tutoring And Retention (STAR) Services provides sustained support, guidance, resources, and information to help students achieve their educational and lifelong ambitions. “Over 1,000 students used one of our many resources last year, including tutoring, academic coaching, group learning sessions, and workshops,”

Rachel Hoover, director of STAR Services, said. “We support a diverse group of learners, and overwhelmingly, students report that they would utilize our services again or would refer a friend.” STAR Services provides support for undergraduate Lamar University students through a variety of tutoring programs, course-based group learning sessions, The Academic Success Conference, and the workshop series, REDtalks, and the LU Success academic coaching program. “Working as an LU Success Partner allows me to work with and essentially coach students on campus to help them excel academically and find their niche at Lamar,” Omar Hamza, sophomore Chemistry/Pre-Med major, said. “The satisfaction of watching my students progress into leaders is absolutely priceless, and I hope to continue learning from and helping students throughout my time at Lamar.” STAR Services also offers individual, group and walk-in tu-

toring for most undergraduate subjects on the first floor of Gray Library. “I tutor because I like being able to help people with things they have been struggling with,” Rachel Millwater, a mechanical engineering and math tutor, said. “I like seeing people have an epiphany when something clicks for them.” Students can get connected with STAR Services through

Week of Welcome events, including the Academic Success Conference that will be offered Aug. 25 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Through workshops and activities, students will connect with fellow students, faculty, and staff and learn strategies for college success. Students are also invited to visit The LU Tutoring Center to meet the staff and set up appointments. Students can also re-

Positive peer pressure promotes ‘Healthy Cards’

Lamar University’s peer education program, ‘Healthy Cards,’ was founded on the idea that students can be highly effective in educating their peers, by influencing their attitudes and beliefs, especially concerning health related issues. “It’s actually something that’s done in lots of universities across the country,” Marie Murray, health education specialist, said. “I am only one health educator, so the idea is to have students teaching students because they can cover more ground and reach more of the student population and have greater impact, even if it’s just through word of mouth.” Lamar’s “Healthy Cards” develop and present educational programs to the campus community on a variety of topics such as alcohol awareness, substance abuse, sexual responsi-

bility, STDs, nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, and a variety of other topics relevant to Lamar students. Members of “Healthy Cards” serve their fellow students by developing relationships with their peers while exemplifying leadership in program development and implementation and effective dissemination of information in formal and informal interaction. “The power is in the packaging of the message,” Murray said. “Having peers present pertinent health information has more credibility with students, as they are more likely to listen to their friends and feel freer to ask questions.” Students are required to go through an application and interview process, and once hired must complete a certification course and attend weekly train-

ing, as well as attend leadership conferences to qualify as peer education counselors. The application process is open to anyone on Lamar and LIT campuses because the Student Health Center serves both campuses and Murray said they want to serve the entire Lamar community. “What we’re looking for is not necessarily a background in health,” she said. “We are looking for people skills and presentation skills because peer educators need to be able to discuss sensitive issues in a non-judgmental way.” Students who are interested in becoming peer educators should go to the Health Center’s website at lamar.edu/ healthcenter for applications and information or call the Lamar Student Health Center at 409-880-8466.

VA office aims to serve

The office of Veterans Affairs is a unit of Lamar University’s Division of Global Diversity, Inclusion, and Intercultural Affairs. The Veterans Affairs office assists all students attending Lamar University using education benefits under the Department of Veterans Affairs Educational Assistance Programs and Texas Hazlewood Exemption Act in the pursuit of bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees. Its goal is to provide the pertinent information re-

quired to all VA students attending Lamar University. Veterans are afforded the same rights and must meet all academic requirements, and maintain the same academic standards as any student attending Lamar University. The office is located in 101 Wimberly Building. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information, call 409-880-7198, or email va@lamar.edu.

Copy................................................Cade Smith

...............................................Cassie Jenkins

The 2018 Orientation Special Issue is a production of the University Press student staff. All copy and graphics are produced by the student staff or are complied from the UP archives.

Member of Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

Advertising Assistant...............Eloisa Lopez

Photography......................................UP Staff Advisors .........Andy Coughlan and Stephan Malick

quest a tutoring or academic coaching session or register for the Academic Success Conference through the STAR Services website at lamar.edu/stars. “Students who participate in STAR Services programs earn higher GPAs than students who don’t participate,” Bartlett said. STAR Services programs are free to all Lamar students. For more information, call 409-8807201 or visit lamar.edu/stars.

‘Cardinal Communities’ leads students on path to success Cardinal Communities is a learning program that was launched in 2017 and has served more than 1,000 students since its inception. Student feedback from the program shows that 85 percent of its students would recommend the program to their friends (44 percent response rate). Celine Hodge, assistant director of quality enhancement program, said the main goal of the program is to get new students acquainted with each other and the university. “We have Cardinal Communities that are major based and others that are theme or interest based,” she said. “The structure of the community is about 20 students or less. We have a faculty or staff mentor for each community and we also have a peer mentor.” The community requirements are that students meet once a week with their mentors for an hour and to take one or two classes together. “We reserve courses for them to take,” Hodge said. “If it is major based, we offer a block schedule that students can take. For the theme-based communities, we connect the community with one class. There’s not necessarily a shared curriculum between the class and the community, but it has been established that one of the best social practices is for students to take classes together. They will get acquainted in class, but also outside of class.” Hodge said the program mainly reaches out to freshman and transfer students, but can make an impact that lasts through senior year. “I know a lot of students will be afraid to join,” she said. “Don’t be afraid. You will measure the payoff of being in a Cardinal Community extremely quickly. You will be able to network with like-minded students, faculty and other students that have been in your shoes.” For more information visit lamar.edu/cardinalcommunities. More information can also be found on their Instagram page at lucardinalcommunity.

Disability Resource Center advocates, accommodates Lamar University and the Disability Resource Center is committed to supporting students with disabilities through the appropriate use of advocacy, accommodations, and supportive services to ensure access to campus courses, services and activities. The DRC is the university-designated office that determines and facilitates reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The center is located in 105 Communication Building. For more information, call 409-880-8347, or email DRC@lamar.edu.

This University Press special addition is available online at www.lamaruniversitypress.com. For information visit the website URL above or call 409-880-8102. The UP is located in 202 Carl Parker Building on the Lamar University campus.

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Gray Library fits all study needs Lamar University’s Mary and John Gray Library is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. until 11:45 p.m. It opens Friday at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 5:45 p.m. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m., and Sunday hours are 2 p.m. to 11:45 p.m.

STACKS The library has almost a million volumes available in print. “The library stacks are where we have a majority of collections arranged by the Library of Congress by classification number,” Karen Nichols, coordinator of reference services, said. Nichols 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,” Nichols said. The stacks also have bound journals and magazines.

REFERENCES There is a reference area in room 105 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 A Librarian.”

can request a particular item from the reserve desk on the second floor. The library will then locate another library that has the requested item. “Typically, turnaround for Interlibrary Loan is 24 to 48 hours for articles and three to five days for books,” Nichols said. BASIC LIBRARY INFO The circulation desk is cur-

rently located in the lobby of the library but due to the addition of a full-service Starbucks, which is projected to open during the fall semester, the circulation desk will be moved into the area behind the computers on the first floor. The first floor printers will be moved to the left. 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 25 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 reference desk at 409-8807264.

INTERLIBRARY LOANS Interlibrary loans is a service offered when the library does not have an item that is needed for research. Available online through the library’s home page, students

A full Starbucks coffee bar is located in Gray Library’s lobby where students can relax and enjoy a beverage and a snack while studying.

Writing Center locations help students develop skills

Lamar University’s Writing Centers guide students through the writing process. Their services include brainstorming, organizing, content revising, grammar usage and editing. “Anybody can come to the Writing Center, regardlesss of major or classification, “Marianne LaChance, Writing Center tutor, said. “The Writing Center helps students of all writing levels.” LaChance said that the Writing Center can help students on assignments from a variety of courses, not just English classes. “A common misconception about the Writing Center is that you have to have a completed paper,” she said. “Although we can look at your completed paper, but we can also help with brainstorming.” Students should not be discouraged from coming to the Writing Center by the mindset

that they are bad writers, DJ Alexander, Writing Center tutor said. “A lot of people come to the Writing Center and tell us that they are bad writers,’” DJ Alexander, Writing Center tutor said. “Our goal is to encourage writers of all levels to keep a positive mindset and continue to further their writing skills through the use of the Writing Center.” Students can receive up to three hours of tutoring each week, either by walk-in or making an appointment online. Appointments can be made for 30 minutes or an hour, with an hour being the maximum the Writing Center can do in one day. Online tutoring is offered through Blackboard for students unable to meet in person. The Writing Center has two locations, one location on the first floor of Gray Library and

one on the main floor of Morris Hall. The Writing Center in Gray Library is open 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 409-8807344, or contact Jennifer Ravey, Writing Center director, at jennifer.ravey@lamar .edu.

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Career Center assists professional development The Center for Career and Professional Development provides students with many different types of career and professional development opportunities. “Oftentimes, students do not think about utilizing our services until their last few semesters or shortly before graduation,” Jocelyn Robbins, director, said. “We really want to see students earlier in their college experience.” The center has dedicated career consultants available to meet with students to discuss career options and industry trends to guide students on a path to success. Students arriving to campus unsure of their major or those that have maybe started coursework in a major and are now thinking of switching majors benefit from our career assessment tools. Students’ respective career consultants will assist them in exploring potential career opportunities and discuss academic matches to these opportunities. Other services that the center provides are résumé and cover letter critiques and mock interviews. “The majority of students that I meet with need interview assistance,” Haley Tyson, senior assistant director, said. “It’s an area where many people are deficient.

Mock interviews are a great way to practice and get feedback. Interviewing is a skill like anything else, ‘Practice makes perfect,’ we’re here to help.” The center works throughout the year to organize and plan events for students to have the opportunity to network with employers. Most notably are the career fairs held in the fall and spring semesters, but there are other events students should consider attending. Coffee and Connect is an event held each semester which provides students the opportunity to practice their networking skills and receive feedback from attending employers. While the intent is skill development, job offers have been received in the past. Students interested in searching for employment, including part-time, full-time, internship and co-op opportunities should check out HireACardinal.org. This free database allows employers to post positions to Lamar students and alumni. Students can log in and utilize search features to identify companies with positions matching their major. According to Angie Thomas, associate director, “since HireACardinal’s partnership with the platform Handshake last summer, there has been over an 800 percent increase in job opportu-

nities for students. They are now connected to opportunities across the globe from over 200,000 employers, including all Fortune 500 companies.” “Sometimes students just need a little bit of guidance,” Tyson said. “Getting started with us early is critical. Your future is not

something that is forged overnight. We should be a part of the process from the beginning; from career exploration to internships and job search, we can assist students with building confidence to ensure they are prepared and successful when seeking their future professions.”

For more information, call 409-880-8878, or visit lamar. edu/career-and-testing-services. The Center for Career and Professional Development is located in 102 Galloway Building, and can be found on LinkedIn and followed on social media, @LamarUnivCPD.

Academic Success Plan offers variety of resources Lamar University has an admissions opportunity for students who do not fully meet the criteria for unconditional university admission. “We recognize that standardized test scores aren’t always the best indicators of students’ abilities,” Daniel Bartlett, interim executive director of student success, said. “If students submit an SAT score of 880 or higher, or an ACT score of 17 or higher, then LU wants to give them a chance to succeed.” Bartlett said that the univer-

sity will present students an Academic Success Plan. Students will work with their academic advisors to identify goals and strategies for success. “We encourage students to meet regularly with advisors and faculty,” he said. “We’ll help you identify resources that can help. “This is a great opportunity. We want students to truly embrace that and understand what it means. Students themselves have to take responsibility for their academic work.” Students who enroll on the

conditional admission Success Plan must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA within their first academic year in order to continue enrollment at LU. “We want students to be successful,” Bartlett said. “This offers a chance to students who really want to come to Lamar and make the most of their university experience. We have resources and people who care and genuinely want to help. “We want students to take that opportunity and make the most of it.”

UNIVERSITY PRESS ORIENTATION ISSUE • Summer 2018

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Reporting History ‘S’Park’ of campus journalism kept ‘UP’ for 95 years From The S’Park Plug to the University Press, Lamar’s student newspaper is still hitting on all cylinders after 93 years of publication. Some of those years, it has hit on four, some on eight, and, in recent years, perhaps even 12. But some years, especially during the Great Depression, it was lucky to be hitting on two. When South Park College, now Lamar University, began in 1923, a Student Publications Board was appointed to study the “wishes and abilities” of the students and the need for a student newspaper. The committee decided that, indeed, the school needed a newspaper. The committee and the student body thought its title should be a namesake for the college, and, consequently, they came up with the contraction for South Park and the word “Plug” to indicate action — hence, The S’Park Plug. Elery Holland was named the first editor. The staff managed to publish four issues for 1923-24, quite an accomplishment for a fledgling little school. E.C. Brodie, an English professor, served as the first faculty adviser. The Board also decided the school needed a yearbook and named it The Navigator. During the Flapper era and before the collapse of the Stock Market on Oct. 28 and 29, 1929, student publications flourished. But during the 1930s, money was hard to come by. The newspaper, which was renamed the Lamar Cardinal in 1933, did manage to keep going, but staffs were not able to bring out issues on a regular basis. The newspaper was renamed The Redbird in 1940, but during World War II, newsprint and staffing were not available, so the newspaper suspended publication for what Americans called “The Duration.” In 1946, however, the Depression and World War II were over, and Student Publications got back to normal. The newspaper started publishing an edition every other week, and The Navigator started appearing every year. These changes were made to try to establish a separate identity for the college from the South Park school district, which had been its parent. By the mid-1950s, The Redbird was publishing weekly. When Lamar gained university status in 1971, the student body voted to change the name of the newspaper to the University Press to give the newspaper an identity correlating with the school’s new status. The name was chosen by then editor Julian Galiano. The Julian M. Galiano Memorial scholarship was created in 2016 to award students pursuing journalism careers. In 1976-77, the UP, as it is popularly called, began publishing twice weekly — every Wednesday and Friday. From 1976 until 1985, the University Press published a slick magazine, also named Cardinal. The publication won every award given to magazines by the Southwestern Journalism Congress and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, including sweepstakes (highest points scored by any magazine) for six of its nine years in existence. Again, in 1985, a financial crunch hit the Golden Triangle owing to falling oil prices and Student Publications cut costs by canceling the expensive slick. Later, a newspaper magazine called UPBeat was started as a supplement, more in keeping with today’s trends. In the meantime, the University Press has grown into one of Lamar’s showpieces. It is the largest student-run business on campus, and it has become one of the most respected student newspapers in the country. Since 1977, the University Press and its magazines have garnered more than 1,200 awards, including first place for Best NonDaily Student Newspaper in 1994 and 2005 from The Associated Press Managing Editors of Texas and first places in many other

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competitions. The UP has averaged almost 30 awards a year in those 40 years. The newspaper staff competes yearly in multiple student and professional organization competitions including the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, the Press Club of Southeast Texas, the Houston-area chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and others, regularly earning awards against seasoned professional journalists. The staff consistently attracts some of the best students on campus and is open to students from all majors. These staffers have gone on to become leaders in the media industry, including the staffs of all three dailies in the Golden Triangle, teachers of journalism in most of the Golden Triangle high schools, CNN, Turner Broadcasting, The Associated Press, the Houston Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News, editors of in-house publications, heads of advertising agencies, and the list goes on. The UP also consistently attracts one of the most diversified staffs, both ethnically and culturally, of any organization on campus. In addition, international students have been represented on staff over the years from countries that include, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Sweden, England, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Australia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, India, France, Cuba, Pakistan, Iran, Zimbabwe and Thailand. Howard Perkins was director of student publications from September 1976 to May 2011. He served as president, vice president, scholarship chairman, and adviser-of-theyear chairman for the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. He was elected Adviserof-the-Year by that organization in 1979 — a lifetime award. In 2011, the Howard A. Perkins Scholarship was created and is awarded to the editor each year. Director Andy Coughlan has been with the UP for 25 years, first as assistant director and as director since 2013. Stephan Malick, a former UP editor with 18 years of journalism education under his belt, returned to the UP in 2015 as assistant director. The editor for 2018-19 is Cassandra Jenkins, Tarkington senior. “I started at the University Press my freshman year and it has truly changed my life. I’ve

gained knowledge and experience in diverse settings from sports to politics,” she said. “It’s an amazing experience I believe all students should try.” Although the name “S’Park Plug” died many years ago, it remains apropos in describing the tradition that students since Sarah Woods, that first editor, have continued in making the UP something of which the University is quite proud.

Anyone, from any major, is welcome to contribute to the UP. If you want to be heard, if you want to make a difference — and have some fun — this is definitely the place to be.

— Cassandra Jenkins 2018-19 editor

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Summer 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS ORIENTATION ISSUE

Global Classroom Study Abroad program fosters cultural awareness, growth

Incoming students have many opportunities to enhance their education and receive scholarships through experience and travel with the Lamar University Study Abroad program, available to all interested students. “We want all students who come to Lamar University to have access to life-changing international opportunities starting with freshmen all the way to graduate and international students,” Brittney Crossley, acting assistant director of study abroad, said. Students seeking information can visit the study abroad office in the John Gray Center, 108 Herman Iles Building A, or on the web by searching Global Lamar, which will link students to the study abroad social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. There are Lamar University study abroad scholarships/ grants available to students. Crossley said all students have access to funding resources, such as the Study Abroad Fee Grant, so they should be taking advantage of the opportunities. “All full-time students in good academic standing who will be going on an LU program

for academic credit can receive the Study Abroad Fee Grant. “Additional scholarships are available for study abroad, including the Benjamin A. Gilman International scholarship, which many Lamar University students have received in the past and there are around 20 scholarships listed on the Office of Study Abroad’s website.” Lamar University President Kenneth Evans’ support has led to increased student and faculty participation in the study abroad program, Crossley said. For details on more than 20 other scholarships offered through Study Abroad, visit the scholarship page on their website at lamar.edu/study abroad. “In the 2016-2017 academic year, LU sent 224 students on study abroad programs,” Crossley said. “Our faculty-led programs are offered during winter break, spring break and the summer. The durations range from one week to four weeks, with opportunities for full semester study abroad also available.” Students who want a longer experience studying abroad have several partner institutions from which to choose. With these exchange partners,

Japan

Lamar students pay tuition and fees to Lamar University, but take their classes overseas in English for a semester or an academic year. Chungnam National University and Seoul National University of Science and Technology in Korea are for students in

STEM fields. ESC Rennes School of Business is an international business school in Rennes, France. Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, Germany, is for communications and political science majors. “University of Quebec at Chicoutimi in Canada is our newest exchange partner and it allows students to immerse themselves in French language and culture,” Crossley said. “This year we offered programs in countries like India, New Zealand, Taiwan, and South Africa for the first time. “We provided engineering majors a new study abroad experience in Ahmedabad, India — where students were able to engage with local industry while enjoying the Indian culture.” The most popular programs this year have been a spring break program in Costa Rica and Panama for business majors and a summer program to

study psychology and refugees in southern Italy. “Other programs (include) our winter break in New Zealand for geology and geography students and our program to study drawing in Japan during the summer,” Crossley said. “Study abroad is something for everyone, no matter if you want to study a foreign language, or in English, and no matter your major or academic year. There are no language prerequisites for any of our programs.” There are plans to expand the study abroad program in 2018-2019, with faculty developing proposals for new programs and academic content. For more information, like the study abroad Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube channels at Global Lamar, call 409-880-7013, email Crossley at bcrossley@lamar. edu or visit, lamar.edu/ studyabroad.

Taiwan Thailand

France Iceland

SPORTS

UNIVERSITY PRESS ORIENTATION ISSUE

Summer 2018

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 is on her fifth season with the team. Lady Cards finished their 2018 season 22-8 (17-1 in Southland Conference). LU won a Southland Conference regular-season title for the first time, making it to the tournament for the third year in a row before losing to Nicholls in the semifinals. The Lady Cardinals posted a perfect home record 13-0 and finished with the best conference RPI record of 98.

MEN’S BASKETBALL The men’s basketball team finished their 2018 campaign 19-14 and 11-7 in conference. Head coach Tic Price will be entering his fifth season with the Cards. The Cardinals also received a spot in the Southland tournament before falling to Central Arkansas in the first round. Colton Weisbrod led the team in scoring garnering him an invitation to the NBA Pre-Draft Camp.

VOLLEYBALL LU volleyball team is coached by interim head coach Michelle Kuester, her first year as a head coach. LU finished the season 4-22 overall and 2-14 in conference. The Lady Cards spent the majority of their season on the road after Hurricane Harvey forced the team to cancel six home games. The LU squad lost their first six games before defeating Southland Conference defender Praire View A&M in their first home game of the season. FOOTBALL LU head coach Mike Schultz finished his first season 2-9 overall and 1-8 in conference with their only SLC win coming from a 23-16 victory over Houston Baptist. The football team started out the new season with a handful of rookies and freshman returning only a few starting seniors such as quarterback Darrel Colbert Jr., defensive back Brandon Dabney, linebacker Chaston Brooks and defensive backs Rodney Randle Jr. and Lane Taylor.

TRACK/X-COUNTRY The men’s and women’s track and cross-country teams are led by coach Trey Clark. In 2018 eight Cardinals received medals in the Southland Conference Tournament with the team finishing in eighth overall. Four students succeeded to the NCAA Prelims with senior long jumper Deja Phillips taking 25th place in the event while senior Brian O’Bonna came within half an inch of qualifying spot for the NCAA championship.

BASEBALL In 2018, Lamar finished 19-36 and 1317 SLC. The Cardinals got off to a rocky start after losing 2-1 in their opening tournament against 22 ranked Missouri State, but finished on a high note defeating SLC opponent rival McNeese State in a threegame sweep. Athletes Cole Coker took home the second-team all-conference utility player award, while Ryan Erickson and Logan LeJuene both received honorable mention. Will Davis is in his second season as head coach, under his supervision former LU pitcher Tanner Driskill was drafted by the MLB in the ninth round to join the Washington Nationals. SOFTBALL The Lady Cardinals finished their 2018 season 28-28 overall, 11-16 in conference. LU started off their pre-season with a 109 win over Virginia Tech before falling short to Ole Miss and Alabama in the opening tournament. The Lady Cards lost their first two SLC games before going on a 4-game win streak. The 2018 squad did not make it to the Southland Conference Tournament this year losing to Nicholls in a deciding three-game tournament, 19, 4-6 and 8-10. WOMEN’S GOLF The Lady Cardinals golf team had an exceptional season making to another appearance at the Southland Conference Tournament with Elodie Chapelet tying for 5th at the SLC championship. Sophomore Elodie Chapelet and Eva Martinez were both named All-Conference Women’s Golf

Team. Chapelet was also placed on the Southland Conference All-Academic team along with senior Olivia Le Roux. MEN’S GOLF The men’s golf team is led by head coach Jessie Mudd, who joined the school in 2015. The team advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament for the third time finishing sixth at the SLC Championship.

SOCCER Head coach Steve Holeman had an impeccable season leading his team to 18-4-1 overall and 10-1-0 in conference. The Lady Cards entered their season with six preseason wins before defeating Nicholls 3-1 in their season opener. The 2018 team made it to the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time defeating Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Central Arkansas and SFA to win their first title. The Lady Cards advanced to the NCAA tournament where they were ultimately defeated by No. 6 ranked A&M Aggies, 1-0 by an own goal. Senior M.J. Eckart was named the Southland Conference Women’s Soccer Studentathlete of the Year while also placing four other student-athletes on the all-academic team.

TENNIS The men’s tennis team finished 10-14 overall and 2-3 in SLC dropping their season opener 2-5 against Bryant University. The team lost four games and had one cancellation before posting their first victory against Jacksonville State, 4-2. LU made it to the Southland Conference Tournament defeating No. 1 and No. 2 Incarnate Word and Texas A&M Corpus Christi before falling to No. 5 ranked Texas A&M in the NCAA tourney. The women’s team finished 5-15 overall and 3-8 in conference with a rocky start. The Lady Cardinals dropped the first two games of the season and saw two cancellations before their first victory over Alcorn State. The LU squad did not make it to the Southland Conference Tournament after being defeated by New Orleans, 2-5 in the last game of the season.

Lamar Softball Complex Vincent-Beck Stadium The home of Lamar University baseball since 1969, Vincent-Beck Stadium was originally named Cardinal Field. The facility was renamed in 1981 to honor Al Vincent and Bryan Beck. Seating capacity is 3,500. Vincent was a former professional player and manager in the Texas League. He served 16 years as a special assistant coach at Lamar, ending his tenure in 1989. He was inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Honor in 1980. Beck is a former member of the Lamar University System Board of Regents. The park is symmetrical with the distances to the outfield fence being 325 feet to the corners, 380 feet to centerfield, and 370 in the power alleys. Vincent-Beck has played host to the Beaumont Golden Gators and Bullfrogs (professional baseball) and the Junior Olympic Baseball Super Series for 1992 and 1993. The Stadium played host to the 2001 and 2002 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament. The Cardinals used the home field advantage in 2002 by winning the tournament championship and advancing to the NCAA Regional in Austin.

The Lamar Softball Complex, built in 2014-15 is located next to the Lamar Soccer Complex. The stadium features permanent seating for 467 fans, including 150 chair back seats. The stadium also features a grass berm located behind the outfield fence. which extends from the left field line to mid right center field. The stadium also features covered seating, field lighting, bullpens, dugouts, a press box, a covered hitting area, and an electronic scoreboard.

Thompson Family Tennis Center The "Thompson Family Tennis Center," named for Jennifer (Hebert) and Greg Thompson, includes a pro shop and a stateof-the art electronic scoreboard capable of keeping scores remotely for up to six matches at once. In addition to serving as home to the Men’s and Women’s Tennis programs, the facility is open to the entire Lamar University community and has 16 courts in all, with five stadium courts.

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 chair-back seating, new restroom and concession facilities, a new concourse area, and increased handicapaccessible seating areas. In addition, the installation of new lighting and a Matrix field turf playing surface provides a stateof-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.

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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Summer 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS ORIENTATION ISSUE

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

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, “Art Simpson, director of recreational sports,

said. “We have multiple racquetball courts, and basketball courts, badminton, an indoor soccer arena, free weights, a new updated cardio equipment, weight machines, a new interactive piece of equipment called the

L amar Univer sit y Intr amur al Spor t s

SUMMER 2018 A SPOR ALL SP RTS ARE RE FREE EE

SUMMER I spikeball

air hockey

2 on 2 basketball

Registration Deadline

June 12 @ 8 am

June 15 @ 8 am

June 22 @ 8 am

Start Date

June 12

June 18

June 25

SUMMER II carrom

table tennis

indoor cricket

Registration Deadline

July 17 @ 8 am

July 20 @ 8 am

6 on 6 July 27 @ 8 am

badminton Registration Deadline

August 3 @ 8 am

Rules Meeting

Start Date

July 17

July 24

All rules meetings will be in the McDonald Gym Rm 117 ALL INTRAMURAL SPORTS ARE FREE! All currently enrolled SUMMER 2018 LU & LIT students/fa aculty/staffff are eligible to compete in all leagues. For more information sig gn up online for each sport with imleagues.com OR e-mail us at ntramurals@lamar.edu or visit us at Lamar.edu/intramuralls LAMAR.INTRAMURALS

LUINTRAMURALS

LUINTRAMURALS S

July 27 @ 2 pm

Start Date

July 29

Start Date

August 6

PURSUANT SUANT TO SECTION 30.06, PENAL CODE (TRESP PASS BY LICENSED D HOLDER WITH A CONCEALED HANDGUN), A PERSON LICENSED UNDER SUBCHAPTER H, CHAPTER 411, GOVERNMENT CO ODE (HANDGUN LICENSING LA AW), W), MA AY Y NOT ENTER THIS PROPERTY WITH A CONCEALED HANDGUN. CONFORME A LA A SECCIÓN 30.06 DEL CODIGO GO PENAL (TRASP PASAR PORTANDO ARMAS DE FUEGO) PERSONAS CON LICENCIA A BAJO DEL SUB-CAPITULO 411, CODIGO GO DE GOBIERNO (LEY DE PORTAR ARMAS), NO DEBEN ENTRA AR A EST TA PROPIEDAD PORTANDO UN ARMA A DE FUEGO

Octagon and a group fitness room. “In the fall, we plan to have 20 to 25 group fitness classes offered for any of the students. We have Zumba, kickboxing, power yoga, belly dancing, and cycling classes.” In a typical week, the facility is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The rec center houses a food court where students can buy sandwiches, chicken wraps 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 flag-football, volleyball and indoor soccer,” Jason Harrington, intramurals and sport clubs coordinator, said. “We’re bringing back cricket, and we’ll do Archery tag. “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.”

UNIVERSITY PRESS ORIENTATION ISSUE • Summer 2018

Lamar University’s Alma Mater

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.

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‘Lamar, to thee we’re singing’ Math professor’s ‘Smartt’ contribution lives on in alma mater

Whenever Lamar University holds an event, students, faculty and staff take a moment to sing the school’s alma mater. But few know the story of the man behind the song. Gilbert Rhodes Smartt was a math professor, who wrote and composed Lamar’s school song. The school was opened in September of 1923 as South Park Junior College. In 1940, the French, Beaumont and South Park school districts voted in a city-wide election to jointly form the Lamar Union Junior College District. After World War II, a movement was started to make Lamar a four-year, state-supported college. In 1949, a bill was passed to create Lamar State College of Technology. Lamar became a fouryear college in 1951. John Gray, Lamar’s president at the time, decided that the school needed an alma mater, so he went to 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

Gilbert Rhodes Smartt families,” she said. She 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. Mrs. Creamer 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.” Mrs. Creamer said Smartt’s advice helped her support herself and her two boys after his death. “I am so thankful to him for making me finish my education,” Mrs. Creamer 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. Smart’s contribution to Lamar lives on in every voice that sings the alma mater. — This story is from the University Press archive.

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