UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Newspaper of Lamar University
Vol. 93, No. 13 January 26, 2017
Trump sworn in as 45th president Tim Collins UP managing editor
UP photo by Trevier Gonzalez
The woman’s march down Calder Street in Beaumont, Saturday, followed the inauguration of Donald J. Trump, Friday.
Donald J. Trump became the 45th President of the United States, Friday, in a schedule of events that included a church service, a tea ceremony with outgoing President and First Lady Obama, a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue and three inaugural balls. The inauguration was sparsely attended, estimated as anywhere between 150,000 to 250,000 people, contrasted sharply with the Women’s March on Satur-
The ‘dream’ lives on at LU MLK panel Karisa Norfleet UP contributor
Lamar University hosted a “Unity and Peace Panel Discussion: Is the Dream Still Alive?” Jan. 19, in Landes Auditorium. The event was part a series of events to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Moderator Gwinyai Muzorewa, assistant professor of history and a specialist in African-American history, began the event by offering the audience a choice of prayer or moment of silence before introducing the panelists. The panelists included Natalie Tindall, chair of the department of communication; Terry Mena, Associate Vice President/Dean of Students Division of Student Engineering; and Aaron Lavergne, Student Government Association president. Tindall posed the question, “What legacy are we talking about when we talk about Dr. King?” She gave a brief synopsis of King’s achievements, dreams and the man he was. Mena discussed King’s current legacy, and how Cesar Chavez and Rosa Parks’ actions contributed to the present conditions for African-Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, and other minorities in America. Mena addressed how these were people with flaws that took a stand
day, with an estimated attendance in D.C. of 500,000, and anywhere from 3.5 to 4.5 million worldwide. During his inauguration speech, Trump vowed to bring an end to the “American carnage” of “rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape,” “an education system flush with cash” that leaves students deprived of knowledge, and crime. Trump also pledged to remember the “forgotten men and women” of the country, echoing FDR’s pledge to look out for poor citizens forgotten by the state.
Attending the inauguration was former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Former presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Bob Dole also attended, as did outgoing Vice President Joe Biden. Former President George H. W. Bush and his wife, Barbara Bush, did not attend for health reasons. Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the oath of office on two bibles, the Trump family bible and the Lincoln bible.
See TRUMP page 2
Week of Welcome
and achieved great things. “He was still human and had his own flaws,” Mena said. “The work isn’t done.” Lavergne spoke about the future of King’s legacy and said we should strive to continue his legacy by educating ourselves and using our platforms to raise awareness. The floor opened for discussion, and audience members exchanged ideas on how to gather the younger generation to unite and further continue the legacy. “We should do our own research,” Lavergne said. “(King’s) message was definitely to spread love.” The audience was divided on the issue of hope for the future. Some of the audience members admitted to not having much hope, and others encouraged those to continue to have hope and never give up. The consensus in the room was that educating one another, starting with our small community, can have a ripple effect. “People close to one another should be the ones to educate and address issues,” Lavergne said. The King activities started with a “Unity and Peace” candlelight vigil in the Landes Auditorium, Jan 17, and concluded with “A Day of Service in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s Legacy,” Saturday.
UP photo by Matt Beadle
Ketan Siddhapura takes a fall after cratestacking at the Sheila-Umphrey Recreational Center Jan. 19.
LU kicks off the spring semester Tim Collins UP Managing Editor
UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
Natalie Tindall, Comm. department chair, and Terry Mena, dean of students, sitting on the "Is The Dream Still Alive?" panel in Landes Auditorium on Jan. 19.
Week of Welcome kicked off the beginning of the Spring 2017 semester last week, Jan. 17, with “Breakfast On-TheGo,” featuring free coffee, juice and bagels, a dry erase “Vision Board” and Drop-In Dodgeball at the Rec Center. Wednesday featured a hot cocoa bar on the Student Org
Annex Lawn, inflateable sports at the Rec Center, and a glow pool party, while Thursday students participated in “Minute To Win It” at the Library Breezeway and crate stacking at the Rec Center. Friday saw “S’Mores and More,” “Running Man Challenge” and “Roller Rave” at the Rec Center, in which students dined on s’mores, competed in a name tag elimination challenge and
roller-danced with glow sticks. Saturday saw the “Amazing Race” at Cardinal Village, rounding out LU’s Week of Welcome. Events commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. day also took place throughout the week, including a candlelight service in the Dining Hall, a panel discussion on Thursday titled “Is The Dream Still Alive?” and an MLK Day of Service on Saturday.
Stephens elected first black female sheriff in Texas Tim Collins UP managing editors
Zena Stephens was sworn in as Jefferson County sheriff, Jan. 2, becoming the first black female sheriff in the state of Texas and one of only two in the country. Stephens was elected in November, defeating Republican Ray Beck. Stephens won with 51.4 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating her opponent with 44.566 votes in a county that voted heavily for President Trump. “That won’t end today,” Stephens said, after being sworn in. “That won’t end tomorrow. But if you know me, you know that I want to be sheriff because I’m tired of fighting with each other in our community.” The swearing-in ceremony included an introduction by news anchor Jackie Simien and a prayer by Reverend Lloyd Scott of Eastern Star Missionary Baptist Church. “We thank you even now for the obstacles that have been placed because
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they have made us stronger,” he said. years at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s said. “Winning the election was the easy “We thank you for the opportunity that Office and three years at Prairie View part.” Stephens’ husband, Darrell, and her is before us now that will give purpose for A&M Police Department. “The work starts today,” Stephens daughter, Lindsey, were in attendance. the days to come. It has been a long time coming, but we are witness today that change has come. Walls are being torn down. Barriers are being overcome.” Arlette Bernard, a Stephens supporter and friend, summed up the swearing-in ceremony. “Isn’t it a great day to witness just a little bit of history?” Bernard said. During the primary, Stephens’ campaign headquarters was the target of a man who fired on her campaign headquarters and shouted racial slurs. Stephens was the first African American person to be elected sheriff in Jefferson County. “It’s humbling, but you are a part of this,” she said. “Everybody keeps talking about how I’m making history; our community made history.” Stephens has 27 years of experience in UP photo by Trevier Gonzalez law enforcement, including seven years at the Beaumont Police Department, 17 Sheriff Zena Stephen celebrates with supporters after her swearing-in ceremony, Jan 2.
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INSIDE
Thursday, January 26, 2017 University Press
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Page 2
“You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don’t alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit their views.” —Doctor Who
Open letter to LU community from President Evans Students, Faculty and Staff:
Welcome back to campus! I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday break and a great first day of classes yesterday. I wish you a successful spring semester and also wanted to provide you with some information about the Setzer Student Center and Quad construction area along with the changes on the first floor of the Mary and John Gray Library. For the Setzer/Quad area, once a construction site is “turned over” to a general contractor, they are now responsible for everything that occurs on the site. A construction barrier or fence is necessary to protect the safety of the general public and the workers involved in the project, as well as to provide security and keep unauthorized personnel from interfering with the progress of the work. One of the many updates we are doing involves most of the underground utilities in the Quad, which are at least 50 years old and in some
cases are the original lines installed when the area was residential. All have reached the end of their useful life and will be replaced as part of the project. There is always a chance that unforeseen conditions could set us back, but based on the current scope, we expect to have the Quad utility replacement complete by early June. At that time, we can open up a new temporary route through this area to allow more direct access between north and south. Towards the end of the project closer to the end of 2017, the contractor will need to reclaim the entire Quad to complete the new sidewalks and landscaping. The location of the Setzer Center in the middle of campus has presented several logistical challenges for the renovation, not the least of which is the question of how to safely navigate the numerous material and equipment deliveries that will be needed through the course of construction. Our primary goal was the safety of the campus
community around an active construction site, as well as the safety of the workers involved in the project. Every possible route to the site was considered, and it was ultimately determined that the most direct approach through lot C-1 was the safest alternative and the least disruptive to the campus. Prior to the installation of the parking lot fence, new temporary handicapped spaces were designated in lots C-1 and C-3 to replace those that are no longer accessible. Signage will be added to the fence to help direct pedestrian traffic. Additionally, prior to the start of the semester, several new sidewalk curb ramps are being created along the entire fence perimeter to ensure that the route is accessible. Please remember during all of this that the bookstore is still open from the outside entrance at the Setzer Center. For hours of operation, go to lamar.BNcollege. com. At the Mary and John Gray Library, we are looking forward to the Starbucks Café
that will be located on the first floor. In order for this to happen, entrances will be moved, construction will be happening. Your patience during this process is greatly appreciated. In order for us to continue growing and upgrading campus facilities, attention in these areas was well overdue. The project will include removal of the copper roof and installation of a translucent roof system in the main lobby area to bring in more natural light as well as build out the Starbucks in the northeast area of the lobby. Reconfiguration of the entrance and exit doors along with a new entrance canopy also will be added. The transaction/check out area, reference help desk and print areas will be moved internally to better serve students. That said, know that my door is always open to you and I wish you well as we kick off Lamar University’s 2017 spring semester! Sincerely, Ken Evans
The University Press can be read online at www.lamaruniversitypress.com. Advertising rates can be found on the site, along with practically all information that a person might be looking for.
CALENDAR January 26
Undergraduate Research Faculty Talk:
Dr. Amy Shows
Landes Auditorium
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
January 27
Guest Artist Chello Recital: Christopher Adkins
Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
January 30
Center for the History and
Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast Launch
Gray Library, 8th floor 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
TRUMP from page 1 The inauguration was contrasted the next day by the Women’s March, which took place in over 300 cities across America. Beaumont held its own march with reportedly over 300 participants marching from Betty Smith’s Creative Works down Calder. Sean Spicer, Trump’s press secretary, gave a controversial press briefing Saturday in which he said, “This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period,” apparently responding to a set of pictures that had been making the rounds on Twitter comparing Trump’s 2017 inaugural attendance to Obama’s in 2009. In the pictures, Obama’s
NOTICE
inauguration covers the entire mall. Trump’s features large empty patches and a drizzly sky. Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway defended Spicer’s briefing, stating he was simply presenting his own “alternative facts.” The inauguration comes on the heels of a controversial presidential transition in which the GOP has reportedly sped up the confirmation process for Trump’s cabinet appointments, Trump has refused to divest from his business—causing ethics experts to question conflicts of interest between his presidency and his business holdings—and various leaks have come from the intelligence
community suggesting Trump and his advisors are being investigated for possible ties to Russia, according to various publications such as the New Yorker, the New York Times and Vanity Fair. FBI Director James Comey is also reportedly being investigated for his involvement in the 2016 election. On his first days in office Trump issued an executive order removing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a controversial trade deal that would have strengthened economic ties with New Zealand, Vietnam, Mexico, Canada, Chile, Brunei, Malaysia, Peru, Singapore and Japan. Trump said the end of
the TPP would be “good for American workers.” Trump issued an executive order Tuesday regarding continuing construction of the Keystone and Dakota pipelines. Trump’s job approval rating as of Monday is 45 percent, while his disapproval rating is the same. President Obama left the presidency with an approval rating of 60 percent. Trump announced during his campaign that he would protect American jobs while defeating ISIL, replacing Obamacare, renegotiating NAFTA, strengthening ties with Russia and protecting New Deal initiatives for the elderly such as Social Security and Medicare.
January 31
Faculty Recital: Erin Murphy
Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30 p.m.
February 1
Last day for full refund on dropped (not withdrawn) courses
EDITORIAL
3 UNIVERSITY PRESS January 26, 2017
An American phenomenon Musical offers reminder of America’s foundation
If you haven’t heard about “Hamilton: An American Musical,” chances are you also have no idea that Donald J. Trump is the 45th president of the United States of America (Which means you haven’t had to see the bickering all over Facebook, Twitter and the national news — lucky you.) For those who don’t know, “Hamilton” is a phenomenon. If you think that’s an overstatement, just glance at the awards section of the Wikipedia page. The album was in the top 10 of both the Billboard and Rolling Stone ranking for 2015. It won a freaking Pulitzer Prize and a Grammy. (I won’t go into the avalanche of Tony’s and other theatrical awards, but trust me, it’s more than ridiculous.) Even more impressive, it was written and composed by, and starred, Lin-Manuel Miranda. I won’t go into how amazing Miranda is, or how his genius makes me feel both inspired and utterly useless at the same time. The man is 37 and has accomplished more than most people do by 80 — but the play isn’t about him. It’s about Alexander Hamilton. I had the opportunity to see “Hamilton” on Broadway over winter break, and even though I’d listened to the album multiple times and knew every word before seeing the play, I found
Commentary
Haley Bruyn UP Editor
myself completely engrossed in the action on stage. I cried more than once, and they were uglycries — my mascara did not survive the evening. I could easily recount the entire musical, song by song, and break down what it is that makes each one so valuable and clever, etc., but people should just go listen to the album. Instead, I want to talk about why the musical matters right now in this particular moment in history. If someone has forgotten why they love America, “Hamilton” will remind them. We are a country of rebels and free thinkers, a country where even orphan immigrants can leave an indelible mark on our history. America was born from social unrest and is able to grow and change as needed.
UPeditorial Overcome discrimination
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, as the saying goes, but if communities mimic the past behavior our newest president — the leader of the free world — the people of the United States would be copying a demeanor that is undermining to the social progress the country has made in the past decade. This isn’t to say life in Southeast Texas is perfect from a social perspective. During a recent panel discussion on race relations in Beaumont, it was clear that segregation and bigotry continue to exist. But it doesn’t have to. To paraphrase Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stevens, we have to embarrass those who are racist and show everyone that discrimination won’t be tolerated in the community. Bringing this back to a national level, removing personal opinions as to whether Trump and his cabinet are qualified for their jobs, perhaps if we practice non-discrimination in our daily lives, it will be reflected in our elected officials. In his inaugural address, Trump said, “When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.” Scripted or not, if we continue to present America as a country accepting of all people — in all aspects — maybe greatness is already here. Editor....................................................Haley Bruyn Managing Editor..................................Tim Collins Multimedia Editor......................Trevier Gonzalez Staff ......................Noah Dawlearn, Caitlin McAlister .........................Stephanie DeMeyer, Cade Smith .....................................Cassie Jenkins, Matt Beadle ..................................Erika Leggett, Karisa Norfleet ............................Hannah LeTulle, Andre Woodard ..................................................................................... Advertising Assistant ....................Taylor Phillips Advisors Andy Coughlan and Stephan Malick Member of Texas Intercollegiate Press Association
Americans have rioted and protested since the beginning. It’s not “whining” or a “tantrum,” as so many have called it on Facebook. It follows a beautiful tradition of questioning authority that was, for many years, a uniquely American right. I’m not condoning violence or vandalism (remember the original tea party), but instead looking at the beautiful strength it takes to publicly resist what society tells you is normal. Trump is the president for at least four years. I’ve accepted that. What I do not accept is the backwards movement his administration has already facilitated. The social progress I’ve seen in my lifetime — the progressive acceptance fought for by the disenfranchised with courage and grace, and the
UP photo illustration by Erika Leggett
right for any woman to control her own body — have already been attacked and damaged. If we, as a country, want to continue to be leaders of the world, we must lead by example. By denying basic human rights, we remove ourselves from a place of leadership — a place earned by protest, debate and refusal to accept government we believe to be unjust. The debates filling the internet and TV (which are usually just thinly-veiled insults about each other’s intelligence) shouldn’t discourage people on either side of the argument. Fighting and arguing about the future of our nation is something the founding fathers worked into our democracy. Hamilton — the play and the man — shows the passion I
want to see in today’s government. I want legislators to yell and scream and look past tomorrow for the answers to today’s issues. I want congress to think about what benefits every citizen of America and not just the ones in that room. When Alexander Hamilton wanted something, he wrote. He wrote feverishly and without reservation in support of what he thought was right. He, an immigrant, loved this country and dedicated his life to it, helping to shape it into what it is today. If one man can write our country into power, imagine what millions of Americans can do if they focus their energy on moving our country forward. As the song goes, “I’m young, scrappy and hungry, and I’m not throwing away my shot.”
Grappling With Politics In 564 B.C., Arrhichion of Phigalia grappled with an unknown wrestler during the 54th Olympiad to defend his championship. The unknown combatant refused to give up, suffering hours of painful struggle in which he dislocated a toe, until he could stand the pain no more and gave up. When he tapped Arrhichion to let him know he had won, however, Arrhichion was dead. A similar struggle occurred last November between the Democrats and the Republicans, with a prolonged, bitter struggle
Commentary
Tim Collins UP Managing Editor
Letters Policy
to the death, concluding with Trump in the final days about how the system would be “rigged” should he lose, and a victory for the GOP in that their candidate won the White House. The Democratic party is still reeling from the election, with their nominee Secretary Hillary Clinton having shrunk from the national spotlight following the loss and the Democratic party leadership jockeying for power, practically ignoring major protests in more than 300 cities across America dedicated to their opposition. Meanwhile, the GOP is moving to cut Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and Obamacare, despite President Donald J. Trump’s campaign promises to not touch these programs, and are moving to speedily confirm his cabinet nominees, ignoring ethics and vetting procedures that could eliminate potential conflicts of interest. The problem? Partisanship. Americans like to argue. After all, it’s good to be on a team when
Individuals who wish to speak out on issues should send a letter fewer than 400 words in length to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 10055, Beaumont, TX 77710, or drop letters off at our office in 202 Carl Parker Building. The writer’s name, address, telephone number and ID number must accompany each letter. Letters received without this information cannot be printed. Letters may be edited for length, grammar, style and possible libel. Opinions expressed in letters are not necessarily those of the UP student management. Letters by the same writer on the same subject will not be published. Poetry and religious debates will not be published.
it wins. Hell, it’s an amazing testament to our national restraint that we haven’t started a 50-state revolt over our favorite candy bars, with Americans bayoneting other Americans in the name of Mr. Goodbar and Toblerone. Fast food chains would be a good war, too, with the state of Texas doing battle with Ohio over the question of which is better, Whataburger or White Castle? Thankfully, we don’t engage in open revolt over food, but we do draw battle lines when it comes to politics, and that’s unfortunate. Politics should be easy. You develop a set of political ideals, such as free trade or states’ rights, and you support the candidate that most fits your views. Instead, Americans tend to pick a party and change their views accordingly. Being a responsible constituent means supporting issues, not candidates. Otherwise we end up only caring if our side wins, and if there’s anything to learn from Arrhichion, it’s that winning isn’t everything. The opinions that appear in editorials are the official views of the University Press student management as determined by the UP Student Editorial Board. Opinions expressed elsewhere on this page are the views of the writers only and are not necessarily those of the University Press student management. Student opinions are not necessarily those of the university administration. ©University Press 2017
Page 4
Thursday, January 26, 2017 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
Gushing over history
UP photos by Trevier Gonzalez
Actors recreate a gunfight at the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum, Jan. 7, part of the celebration of the 116th anniversary of the Lucas Gusher.
Museum hosts oil discovery reenactment Trevier Gonzalez UP multimedia editor
When businessman and selftaught geologist Patillo Higgins argued that the salt dome field in Beaumont had potential for the oil industry in late 1800s, he was met with skepticism. According to the Texas State Historical Association, both industry experts and Beaumont residents believed that Spindletop was worthless and that Higgins was a fool. On Jan. 10, 1901, all of the skeptics were proven wrong, and the city and oil industry was changed forever. “This was a feat,” Troy B. Gray, director of Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown, said. “It was something that Pattillo Higgins pushed for, maybe before that, some people pushed for it, but Pattillo Higgins had the energy and the enthusiasm to keep looking for the oil, and they formed their company in 1892, so, almost nine years, did their company go down and look for oil and came up empty.” Anthony Lucas, an expert on saltdome formations, would later negotiate alongside Higgins on a lease
with Gladys City to drill on Spindletop — and the two men would create history. Gladys City/Boomtown Museum hosted a reenactment of the Lucas Gusher striking oil, Jan. 7. Gray said the enormous gusher put Beaumont on the map. “It's the thing that everyone wanted to know,” he said. “People didn't even know about Beaumont until they founded Spindletop. It really is something for the city to celebrate, but it's also something for everyone to celebrate.” Gray said they found more oil in Beaumont than all than the rest of the country up until that time. “This really brought the United States into that atmosphere of oilproducing,” he said. “Of course, they found oil before the United States, but it wasn't anything like they found at Beaumont.” As a way to commemorate and educate visitors, the museum hosts reenactment of the gusher once a year. “What we have here is 3,000 gallons of water being put up in two minutes," Gray said. "Back then, when the gusher blew, it blew for nine days straight — about a 100,000
barrels a day, so they lost 800,000 barrels just in that nine days. “Townspeople thought it was a great evil — they saw the oil getting all over, you couldn't go outside, at least without covering yourself.” Gray said the gusher also attracted violence along with the wealth. “All of these big, burly oilmen come in here and you have saloons popping up all over to serve these men, so they're going out to oilfields.” he said. “Some of them are making money, some of them aren't — and they're all going to the saloon. “When you drink alcohol, you get fearsome. There were a lot of fights. There were probably, at one time, there was a murder a day, and so, shootouts, in many ways, now we probably put some entertaining issues to it, but they were real.” While it brought in an incredible amount of money to the city, it brought in fear too. Still, Gray said it’s important to educate people about Beaumont’s history. “I mean, we could have been as big as Houston,” he said. “You set out to do something and you finally do it — this (was) the American Dream.”
Reenactors, above, celebrate the eruption of the Lucas Gusher at the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum, Jan. 7. Actors wore period costumes to represent life in 1901.
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Thursday, January 26, 2017 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
Marching for Equality
UP photo by Hannah LeTulle
Millions of people participated in Women’s Marches, encompassing more than 300 cities across America and various other places worldwide, Saturday, demanding equality for women, minorities, immigrants and members of the LGBTQIA community. Beaumont held its own march down Calder Avenue. Participants shouted slogans and carried handmade signs. The event reportedly drew 300
marchers. The idea for the marches was first proposed by Teresa Shook of Hawaii, who organized a “March on Washington” via Facebook shortly after the 2016 election. The event quickly grew and demonstrations spread to New York City, Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta, Cheyenne, Denver, London, Paris and all seven continents, including Antarctica.
UP photo by Andre Woodard
UP photo by Andre Woodard
UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
UP photo by Andre Woodard
UP photo by Hannah LeTulle
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Thursday, January 26, 2017 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
LU offers new recreational sports Cade Smith UP contributor
Students looking to stay active this spring can find a variety of sports and games offered by Recreational Sports. There are three new activities being incorporated this semester — Battleship, Kickball and Innertube Water Polo. “I’m definitely looking forward to our new sports later in the spring,” Jason Harrington, intramurals and sport clubs coordinator, said. “I’m excited to see how it turns out, it should be a lot of fun this semester.” Harrington said Battleship is basically just like the board game, except people with canoes participate in a pool and they use buckets of water to try to sink the enemy ships in order to win. Deadline to sign up for Bat-
tleship is Feb. 24. Innertube Water Polo and Kickball will be available after spring break. Deadlines are April 7 for Inner Tube Water Polo, and March 31 for Kickball. “The great thing about Intramural sports are that you don’t need athletic experience to join, and they are a great way to make lifelong friends who share mutual interest in the same sports and develop leadership skills while participating,” Harrington said. Harrington said several favorites from the fall are returning, but with a twist. Instead of 7-on-7 flag football the intramural sports league will host 4on-4 flag football, and instead of 6-on-6 volleyball they will host a 4-on-4 volleyball league. “We will also have our usual challenge ladder league tournaments with our racquet sports,
Portia Spiller plays inflatable bowling at the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center, Jan. 18. UP photo by Trevier Gonzalez
8-ball pool — and we will also incorporate air hockey in that this time.” Harrington said. The ladder league has flexible hours for people who do not have much time to compete in regular intramurals. “With the ladder league, the teams challenge each other on
the IM Leagues list,” Harrington said. “They schedule within them to play the matches and later report the results of the game online.” All students from Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology can participate for free, and faculty and staff
can participate if they have paid the Rec Sports membership fee. For more information, visit the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center or visit lamar.edu/rec sports. Registration for all events is available at imleagues.com. See page 7 for a list of events.
Steve Murphy’s sculptures on exhibit at AMSET Stephanie DeMeyer UP contributor
Simplified geometric shapes constructed using wood, metal and various other materials to represent an object in motion is what sculpture and Groves-native Steve Murphy art career has culminated in. “I was a painter when I started at Lamar in Fall 1969,” Murphy said. “My wife prodded me to change over to sculpture because she said I was good at making things.” Murphy said his pieces consist mostly of welded steel shapes that are rusted for a surface finish or wood forms wrapped in lead or coated in graphite, along with gilded wood pieces and stainless steel works. “The way this body of work started, I knew I was going to move more towards more formal simplified geometric
shapes,” he said. “I’ve been reducing everything down, trying to make it as minimal as possible but still have some sort of interest in geometry and presentation without making it so
simplified that it loses its interest.” Murphy said he also tries to add movement to his pieces, instead of presenting them in the standard static geometric form.
Steve Murphy and Sarah Beth Wilson, AMSET curator, overlook Murphy’s exhibit, “It’s All Come Down To This,” which opened Dec. 16.
“The works might sit at an unusual angle, where they might have a rocker bottom, where they weren’t perfectly vertical and still and static,” he said. “I wanted something that had a little more activity.” With ambiguous titles like “Willful Suspension of Disbelief” and “All in Good Time,” Murphy leaves his pieces open to interpretation. “These are statements that stand on their own, but when you attach them to a piece of artwork, people try and make an interpretation of what it means and what it represents,” he said. “Because of some of the forms, I often get statements from viewers that they think it represents something to them, and it’s really diverse the reactions that I get about what they think it represents or what it is.” Murphy not only has a background in art, but also in engi-
neering design. “I built plastic scale models for engineering projects,” he said. “You know, with all those years of making things, I learned how things went together. I have had engineering as an occupation for 40-something years, and that has had a big influence on my design, especially the geometry.” Murphy said he hopes that the audience views each piece as unique. “I think that this is a very successful group of works,” he said. “If everyone can come to these pieces and walk away with a different view of them, then they’re successful.” Murphy’s exhibit entitled “It’s All Come Down to This” is on display at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) until February 26th. For more information about this exhibit, visit www.amset. org or call 832-3432.
7
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY PRESS January 26, 2017
Lady Cardinals roll into new year
Cassandra Jenkins UP contributor
Lamar University’s women’s basketball team had the secondlongest winning streak in LU history when they won 10 games in a row to finish 2016. The streak started Nov. 11 when the team beat Northern Arizona, 75-60, in pre-conference. The streak continued through Jan., when the Lady Cardinals lost at Abilene Christian University, 59-77 in Southland Conference. “I think that we played very well as a team and once you get on a roll it makes it easier,” head coach Robin Harmony said. Harmony attributed part of the team’s success to luck, which ran out when they played Abilene. “We had all the things we didn’t do right come back to haunt us in one game,” she said. “We weren’t hitting our shots on offense against ACU. If you look at the other games, we scored a lot of points so we could make mistakes on defense and still recover. Against Abilene, we made the same mistakes on defense and then we couldn’t get the ball in the basket. We suffered, we missed layups, we missed free throws and we kind of lost our composure. We saw our youth then.” Aside from Abilene, some of the toughest opponents the Lady Cards faced came from the preseason schedule, Harmony said. “I think with our non-conference (our toughest opponents) were Oregon, Oregon State and Kansas State — that was what set us up to come into conference play,” she said. “Canisius on the road was a tough game, too, and Northern Arizona here, just because last year we played them and they beat us.” Altogether, the team has shown improvement, Harmony said. “The team you see on the court now is our team that we re-
UP photo by Karisa Norfleet
The Lady Cardinals practice in the Montagne Center, Tuesday. The team put together a 10-game winning streak over the break. cruited,” she said. “There are no leftovers. There are no kids that I didn’t recruit. The chemistry is better, and it helps when you win, too, because then everything is going right.” A big difference from last year has been that the team leaders that stepped up to help out the freshman, Harmony said. “Last year’s team, we had four freshman starting and a sophomore most of the time,” she said. “When the wheels came off for the freshman there was nobody to calm them down. Now they have Chastadie (Barrs) who’s use to playing as the point guard, and we have Kiandra Bowers, who is an older player that was out last year, so they have people to look to to calm the forces.” Some of the key players so far
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this season have been sophomore point guard Barrs, redshirt sophomore Moe Kinard, and senior post Bowers, Harmony said. “I don’t think that you can go without talking about Chastadie, because she’s leading the nation in steals,” Harmony said. “She’s 10th in assists in the nation, obviously leading our conference. Kiandra Bowers, in offensive rebounds, is leading the nation, she’s double-doubles every night for us and her shooting percentage is great. If you look at Kiandra, it’s off the chart, — eight for nine, six for seven — she’s only missing, like, one shot, and Moe is leading us in scoring.” The team still has weak spots they need to work on, Harmony said. “I think some of the weak-
nesses is, we let people penetrate on us on the court,” she said. “We need to make sure that we take a big step and beat them to the spot. We’ve been working on boxing off. Earlier that was a weakness, that we would give them a couple of different attempts, but now we are team boxing. Right now, it’s getting shot faked and dribbled on that is our weakness.” While the team continues to practice and work on their drawbacks, Harmony said her main focus isn’t starting a new streak, but making it to the conference tournament in Katy. “We want to take it one game at a time, keep winning, keep playing well, and getting better each game and getting better in practice,” she said. “All of this is
for the conference tournament. Obviously, we want to win regular season, but you just don’t know what is going to happen. We have to take care of our part and not worry about what the other people do — whatever happens, happens — and then prepare ourselves for the conference tournament and do well there so we can have postseason play.” The Lady Cards beat Sam Houston State, 70-44, Jan. 18 and lost to Nicholls State 67-78, Jan. 21, to make their overall standings 12-5 and 5-2 in conference. They played Texas A&M Corpus Christi in the Montagne Center, Wednesday. Results were unavailable at press time. The Lady Cards host Northwestern State University, Saturday, at 2 p.m.
Men’s hoops builds on balance Cassandra Jenkins UP contributor
The men’s basketball team started off the new year winning four games in a row when they beat Liberty, Arlington Baptist, Huston-Tillotson and Central Arkansas University. Unfortunately, the streak ended when they fell short to New Orleans, 62-66, in the second game of the Southland Conference. The Cardinals current record stands at 12-8 overall and 4-3 in conference. “We’ve had our peaks and valleys,” head coach Tic Price said. “We knew the non-conference would be very challenging for us. I think that it really helped us, though, when we got in conference play. “The two losses we had (against Abilene Christian and New Orleans) we lost in overtime and one was a shot at the buzzer. We could have easily won both games, but we didn’t sustain our effort, energy and concentration for a full 40 minutes for those two losses — but I’ve seen some bright spots. We just have to make sure we stay poised and composed when teams make a run against us, but we’ve had good play.” The team is closer and more balanced this year, which has contributed to a successful season, Price said. “We are a very close-knit team, which makes it easy for me to coach them,” he said. “We have great guys with great character and they work hard for me. They have a special bond and it’s one of the first teams I’ve had that has been as close as they are. They pull for each other. When a guy makes a great play on the floor the bench goes nuts. The camaraderie with this team makes it very special and puts us in a position to get to the winner’s circle.” While there hasn’t been a clear superstar for the team, there have been several key leaders who have contributed to the success, Price said. “Joey Frenchwood, who starts at the point-guard position, has given us quality floor play,” Price said. “Colton Weisbrod, who’s player of the year —
UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
The Cardinals practice in the Montagne Center, Monday.
both have gotten player of the year and player of the week in the Southland Conference — has been one of the better big man in our conference. Joey has been one of the best point guards in the conference. We have also had good minutes from Nick Garth, and Zjori Bosha has done a good job quietly from the defensive end.” The team’s goal is to make it to the Southland Conference tournament in Katy, but first, they have a few things to work on defensively, Price said. “I want us to get a mentality to play stop defense,” he said. “With an emphasis on stop, not just play defense. Once we get that mentality, and they are not scoring or we make it very difficult every possession, we feel like we can cause a team to quit or perhaps submit to the pressure we are bringing on the defensive side.” Even though they still have some work to do defensively, the team’s ability to play together on offense has been an asset, Price said. “I think our strengths are that we share the basketball very unselfishly, and these guys have been very coachable,” he said. “Those are two strengths I think have been good. Our weakness has probably been sustain-
ability. Being able to have a sustained effort for a full 40 minutes.” Another weakness has been the teams inability to win games on the road, Price said. “The challenges, to me, have been ourselves, not necessarily the opponent,” he said. “Especially when we go on the road, we don’t have that edge. We don’t have that toughness that we need right now. When we go on the road, we play in a hostile environment and it’s us against the world. We got to take that on as a challenge, and we have to challenge them because that’s what good teams do. Being able to overcome adversity has yet to be seen with this team.” Aside from that, Price said he is looking forward to a winning season. “The whole mind set for every team in the conference is to get to Katy, and that’s a tough task because everybody is trying to accomplish the same thing,” he said. “We have to take each game at a time and each possession at a time, and if we let ourselves focus on that, then I think we can put ourselves in a position to have a successful season.” Price said he tries to make practices game specific. “Whoever the next opponent is, we look at them and find out what we can exploit and then we try to make sure that we counter whatever they like to do,” he said. “The whole philosophy, with me anyway, is to not allow a team to play the way they practice every day. We try to take away some of the things they are practicing and what we see they do in games, and take maybe two or three of the main things they like to do away and make them very uncomfortable.” While the Cardinals have defeated teams like Oregon State, Central Arkansas and Nicholls, Price said their best basketball is still ahead of them. They played Texas A&M Corpus Christi in the Montagne Center, Wednesday. Results were unavailable at press time. Following the women, they will play a double header against Northwestern State, Jan 28 at 4:30 p.m.
Page 8
Striking Back’
Thursday, January 26, 2017 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
‘Star Wars’ documentary by LU alumni to screen Monday Trevier Gonzalez UP multimedia editor
Bradley Weatherholt, 25, said he was introduced to “Star Wars” through the prequels. However, he soon found out that not everyone loved the trilogy as much as he did. “I was probably like 12 or 13 or something,” he said. “That was the first time that I learned that people didn’t like Jar Jar Binks.” Weatherholt has turned his love of the movies into a documentary exploring the influence of the “Star Wars” universe. The Reaud Honors College will host a free screening of “The Prequels Strike Back: A Fan’s Journey,” Jan. 30 at 3:30 p.m., in the Executive Event Room of the Reaud Administration Building. A Q&A featuring the writer and director of the film, Bradley Weatherholt, will follow the screening. “I remember the moment where I found out there was a difference (of opinion),” Weatherholt said. “I used to do AtomFilms Star Wars competitions back in the day, Lucasfilm would sponsor it.” Weatherholt said the winner of the annual contest made fun of Binks, a character he really liked. Weatherholt said he liked all episodes from the ‘Star Wars’ series, but unbeknownst to him, there was a growing dislike for the prequel trilogy that began after the 1999 release of “Episode I: The Phantom Menace.” “(It) was the opinion of those disappointed people — the older generation,” Weatherholt said. “You got to remember, 10year olds are talking to 30-year-old men at that time — there is no internet. You only talked to your friends about the things that you liked, so your circles were smaller.” After graduating from Lamar University with an MBA in 2012, Weatherholt decided to create his own indie studio, Ministry Of Cinema. In 2015, he created an Indiegogo campaign to fund a documentary about the prequels from the perspective of fans, critics and experts. The response raised more than three times the amount he originally expected. “When we made the film, we weren’t thinking about making a ‘Star Wars’ fan film,” he said. “We wanted to make a movie
about cinema, and it just so happened to be about ‘Star Wars.’ I wanted to be able to inject as many different ideas in film theory into the movie, and inspire a desire to learn those kinds of things.” Weatherholt said it’s important to review cinema with a critical eye. “There isn’t one interpretation to this kind of thing,” he said. “It’s up to you to discern whether they’re valid.” Weatherholt said ‘Star Wars’ movies are often passed down like a torch. “The story is about father and son,” he said. “When I traveled, the question I would always ask is, ‘What was your first experience watching Star Wars?’ Nine times out of 10, it was, ‘Oh, my dad took me,’ or, ‘My mom.’ “It didn’t have to be mom or dad — it could have been either. With both, it’s a family thing. Most of the times it was dads because, you know, we like spaceships and stuff like that.” The documentary begins with a young boy watching “Star Wars.” Weatherholt said he is actually passing “Star Wars” onto the next generation — his son. One of the big points he is trying to make, he said, is that the films should be enjoyed by everyone. “‘The Prequels Strike Back’ seems a little misleading in that it seems like it’s argumentative, but I didn’t want the film to be argumentative,” he said. “I ultimately wanted it to be a message of like, ‘Hey, let’s all get along.’” Weatherholt said that the documentary was carefully planned out before shooting began. “There are other people, they just go out and get a whole bunch of stuff and let these story kind of happen as they’re filming, and that’s a really interesting way to shoot a documentary,” he said. “I hope to get to make a couple more and try that out.” Weatherholt said that, at the end of the day, “Star Wars” isn’t a movie to be taken too seriously, but rather, enjoyed. “It’s an incredibly well-done children’s film that is filled with mythology and filled with interpretation,” he said. “To say it’s a children’s film doesn’t mean it’s worse — that’s just means that’s what it is.” For more information on the movie, visit unlearntheprequels.com.
Courtesy photo