January 28, 2016

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Newspaper of Lamar University

Vol. 92, No. 12 January 28, 2016

Refinery flare ignites crisis review Kara Timberlake UP managing editor Lamar University officials evacuated campus, Jan. 21, after a power outage at the ExxonMobil refinery led to activated flames to exceed well above normal flare stacks. Cardinal Village residents were instructed to shelter in place.

“The events kind of unfurled all of a sudden,” Cruse Melvin, vice president for finance and operations, said. “We got a number of calls from various concerned campus constituents about the flares

going off over at the refinery. I talked with several individuals and made the decision that the best thing to do would be to evacuate the campus just for a precaution, even though we were told there was no danger.”

Melvin said that Lamar was using the event as an opportunity to review their emergency response strategies.

“We can always do better, and we are always trying to do better,” he said. “We will do what you call a postmortem on the event to see what we could have done better.

We’ve had a number of suggestions about things we could improve on.

“In particular, there were some exits where the traffic backed up quite a bit, and we will try to do a better job in the future about giving directions on how to exit, and also in trying to station individuals at critical intersections so the traffic can move more rapidly.”

Melvin said that future executive meetings will discuss ways to rapidly disseminate information

See FLARES page 2

UP Kara Timberlake

ExxonMobil released safety flares following a power outage, Jan. 21. LU officials ordered a precautionary evacuation of the school.

Wonder of Waste

TWDB raises issue of water shortage Grant Crawford UP editor

Hollis Hammonds’ site-specific installation, “Up in Smoke,” a tornado built from found objects, is the centerpiece of her show, “wasteland/wonderland” at the Dishman Art Museum through March 4.

UP Brandianne Hinton

Hammonds explores memory, possessions, loss at Dishman Brandianne Hinton UP contributor A tornado blew into the Dishman Art Museum during the semester break in the form of an installation exhibit by Austin artist Hollis Hammonds. The exhibit, “wasteland/wonderland,” consists of a giant junk tornado, and includes

many of the artist’s two-dimensional drawings, as well as a surprising video display and haunting mural, all of which took a week to set up.

Hammonds said the title refers to a place between real destruction and fantasy or embellished reality. Her centerpiece, “Up in Smoke,” the giant junk tornado, is a physical illustration of ob-

jects being lifted out of the open roof of a house, derived from her own drawings of a tornado-like cloud form.

Inspired by real events, including a small tornado that took off the porch of her family home and a house fire when she was 15, Hammonds said her work

While the citizens of Flint, Mich., have good reason to be concerned with their water supply after the discovery of high levels of lead in their municipal water, the people of Southeast Texas need not worry — for now.

The Texas Water Development Board and the state water plan has projected that by 2060, statewide water demand will increase by 22 percent and Texas’ population will grow by 82 percent.

“As the TWDB, we’re trying to go across the state and talk with communities about getting water projects started and going — so that business can be successful and we can make Texas drought proof,” Kathleen Jackson, TWDB director and board member, said. “Then we can accommodate all the people that are moving here, which could be, depending on who you’re talking to, as many as a thousand people a day. (They) are coming to Texas and no one is bringing any water with them.”

The TWDB has several roles in developing the resources to provide affordable water and wastewater services. For instance, it’s the data repository for all water data for Texas.

“If you’re an individual and you’re looking to drill a water well, or you’re interested in what the levels in the reservoirs across the state are — we assimilate and have all that information,” Jackson said. “Many of your businesses that are looking for future water supply — their engineers and their consultants will come to the board to get that information.”

The TWDB also provides financial assistance through loan and grant programs that provide for the planning, acquisition design and construction of water related infrastructure. One loan program is the State Water Implementation Fund of Texas (SWIFT).

To meet the state’s future water demands, a large amount of funding is needed to start water projects, Jackson said. In 2011, the Texas Water Development Bonds Amendment, Proposition 2,

See WATER page 8

See HAMMONDS page 4

KUUV TO HOLD FUNDRAISER AT LOGON, JAN. 30 Tim Collins UP staff writer When the FCC opened the door for new community-driven radio stations in Southeast Texas, three women, Karen Corwin, Karen Saar, and Beth Gallaspy, decided they wanted to hit the airwaves.

They formed KUUV-LP 95.5 FM, a low-power station, meaning it will broadcast within a five-mile radius in Beaumont, which will feature music, interviews, talk radio and radio the-

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

ater. The station is currently fundraising in anticipation of going on the air.

“We look forward to providing a place to approach small and big concerns with individual voices and collective voices,” Karen Saar, co-founder of KUUV and a speech pathologist at Lamar University, said. “The reality is that this station will be what the community makes it. As long as it is respectful and aligns with our mission statement we are thrilled with what is to come.”

KUUV, “The Progressive

www.lamaruniversitypress.com

Voice of Southeast Texas,” will host a fundraiser at the LogOn Cafe, Saturday, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Entertainment will include a puppet show by Ad Hoc Beaumont and performances by Heather and the Hell Cats, the Ron Jeremies, Delicious Fuzz and Ariel Bush. There will also be a silent auction. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward the purchase of studio and tower equipment for the station.

Attendance is free, but a dona-

See KUUV page 6

‘The reality is that this station will be what the community makes it.’

— Karen Saar

www.twitter.com/UPLamar

INSIDE

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Thursday, January 28, 2016 University Press

FLARES

Page 2

“If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite” — William Blake

from page 1

across campus.

“Police officers walked through the buildings to notify classes,” he said.

“While that was in process, the alarm sounded to alert people. We also had campus announcements sent out. There was a miscommunication in one of the emails that said evening classes are cancelled and night classes will resume. It should have been afternoon classes were cancelled.”

Melvin said he encourages students to share their experiences and provide feedback.

“Students can share input with faculty department chairs through student government and student organizations,” he said. “I think the best thing is for students to make us aware of situations that occurred that we might be aware of so we can address them.”

Corporal Jarrod Samford of the Lamar police department said Lamar aims to look out for the community.

“When we found out ExxonMobil was releasing a lot of their employees, we couldn’t get definitive about what was actually going on,” he said. “But if they

aren’t going to allow their own staff in, we thought maybe we should start taking steps. We would rather take steps to make the campus safe and it be nothing, than do nothing and it become a bigger problem.”

Samford said they cancelled classes to deter students from coming to campus.

“We wanted people who lived in the dorms to shelter in place, instead of getting out as we tried to figure out what was going on,” he said. “Once we figured out it wasn’t going to affect the campus, we opened up the night classes.”

Samford said that while there is always room for improvement, he thinks the steps taken were correct.

“We didn’t know the size of what we were dealing with,” he said. “I encourage students to take these emergency situations seriously. Don’t leave it open to perception. Do what you’re told because there is a reason why we are doing it this way.”

Samford said he encourages students to be aware of the campus’ emergency response resources.

“Students can download the MyPD

app that is available for Androids or iPhones, and make Lamar University their home,” he said. “This is how we send out information to the rest of the community, and it goes through Banner if there is an immediate problem. Through this application, you’ll get those push notifications that will let you know that we are having an emergency.”

An emergency text direct line allows students another method to contact the police, Samford said.

“If there’s an emergency and you want to be discreet, you can text 409-241-8002 so the police know where you are and where to send the cops,” he said. “You send limited information, but enough information that the officers can get to where you are. This goes directly to our dispatchers.”

Melvin said he felt better knowing that everybody had an opportunity to be safe.

“We just want our students to know that they are our number one concern,” he said. “We want them to have a warm, friendly environment that is conducive to learning and school spirit — a home away from home.”

NOTICE

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.

CALENDER

January 28

Undergraduate Research Faculty Talk

Landes Auditorium 3:30-5 p.m.

February 3

Last day for full refund on dropped (not withdrawn) courses

February 5

The Dishman Art Museum Exhibition Reception for Hollis Hammonds: wasteland/wonderland

Dishman Art Museum 6:30-8:30 p.m.

February 6

Student Leadership Conferencce

Setzer Student Center 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

February 11

History Day

Setzer Student Center 1-6 p.m.

Construction Career Forum

Gray Library, 8th Floor 6-8 p.m.

February 15

Fall Spring 2016 non-payment purge after 5 p.m.

February 17

Guest artist jazz concert: Joe LoCascio and Woody Witt

Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30-9 p.m.

February 20

TALH Spring Review 2016

Gray Library, 8th Floor 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Traffic was backed up on the MLK Parkway access road as Lamar University was evacuated, Jan. 21, due to abnormally large flares following a power outage at the ExxonMobil refinery.

UP Josh Aych

3

OPINION

UNIVERSITY PRESS January 28, 2016

#grievingdeadcelebs Don’t judge fans’ social media reaction to loss of idols David Bowie. Alan Rickman. Lemmy Kilmister. Scott Weiland. Glenn Frey.

A lot of beloved celebrities have died recently, resulting in a flood of grief hitting social media, including Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and even Snapchat.

Eulogies, vague impressions, art, comics, music and video tributes have assaulted the Internet at every outlet.

And with every public outpouring of grief comes a backlash.

This sort of outpouring of grief wouldn’t have been alien to Bowie. After all, he was used to hero worship, having had his music turned into musicals and symphonies, his fashion influence designers from South America to St. Petersburg, Russia, and his on-stage personas of Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke influence acts ranging from Madonna to Kanye West.

Nor would Bowie mind such hero worship appearing on social media, as he was no stranger to technology. He launched his own Internet service provider way back in

Commentary

Tim Collins UP staff writer

1998, BowieNet, and participated in online-only releases of songs back when the only major stars doing so were him and Prince.

But the moment someone posts about the passing of an actor or a musician, some people scoff. “Yeah, yeah, he died, but so what? You’re just making it about you.” Or, “People are only posting about this because everybody else is.” Or, “You weren’t that much of a fan. You’re just posting because he died.” Or, “200 refugees died in Syria yesterday. Why don’t you post about that instead?”

These may be valid points.

After all, it’s impossible to know the intention behind every single post on the Internet, but what may be unhealthy is the compulsion to tell other people whom to grieve and how much.

Alan Rickman, known by most for playing Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies, was also a massive focal point of social media grief. But were people grieving the man, or the characters he played? Granted, few people would grieve the Sheriff of Nottingham from “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” or Hans Gruber from “Die Hard,” but Severus Snape was insanely popular even before Rickman’s death was announced. Tell people the actor who played such a character died, and their reaction is bound to be strong.

But there can be a human element behind such posts.

Anecdotes from movie sets and from actors who worked with

UPeditorial Young people should stick with Facebook

Have you ever quit participating in something, because your parent was embarrassing you? Maybe, your Mother was enjoying herself too much while she chaperoned your first middle school dance. Or, perhaps you’ve made sure to walk 10 feet behind your Dad because the look of his suspenders and plaid trousers weren’t near as bad as the smell of them.

Now, young people seem to be getting rid of one thing that was practically created for them — Facebook. As new technologies continue to be developed, the older generations are beginning to catch up with the times.

A noticeable trend as of late is the deactivation of people’s Facebooks due to the amount of baby boomers that stalk the social media website now.

Facebook was invented for college students, by college students, and as soon as the older crowd began harvesting their digital crops from their digital farms, their Facebook predecessors flew the coop.

Now you’ll hear young people say, ‘Facebook’s for old people.’

What some people don’t understand, is that Facebook is now much more than just an outlet to keep up with friends.

It’s a marketing tool that allows users to sustain an online presence amongst not just their small community, but also a global community. People who run or own companies in all areas of business use Facebook.

No one can promote the brand of “you” better than yourself. So, while older folks are taking advantage of the online marketing frenzy, young people are missing out on a potentially worthwhile professional existence on the web.

So, young people might say that, ‘Facebook’s for old people,’ but those old people are the ones that will be offering you jobs in the future.

Also, the older generations would like to socialize with the world, too. So don’t let your uncle’s profile picture scare you away and socialize on the web like Mark Zuckerburg always intended.

Editor ......................................Grant Crawford Managing Editor.................Kara Timberlake Photo Editor ...................................Josh Aych Web Editor..............................Melissa Conley Staff ..............Desmond Pickens, Haley Bruyn, .....................Coty Davis, Trevier Gonzalez, ...................Tim Collins, Elizabeth Grimm, .............Carolyn Kondos, Kyle Swearingen, .....................................Brandianne Hinton Advertising .............................Melissa Conley Office Manager.................Jac’Quor Williams

UP photo illustration

Rickman reveal him to have been a kind-hearted, thoughtful man, and it’s obvious from his performances that he was a talented actor. Celebrities can inspire people in a multitude of ways.

It’s a strange thing to look at someone grieving and think, “Pffft. She’s faking.” Perhaps that person posting “Lemmy

RIP :(” on Instagram was really touched by “Ace of Spades” at one point in their life, or perhaps they simply liked Lemmy’s kickass biker look and uncompromising approach to life. Perhaps the person posting doesn’t know anything about Lemmy at all and only just heard about him.

What does it matter?

The answer is to not take social media so seriously, and to not make judgments as to why someone is grieving a celebrity so publicly.

Sure, the person may not know the celebrity at all, but they may also be David Bowie’s long lost son and inheritor to a multimillion dollar estate, so be nice to them.

Listen & Learn Podcasts better than mindless music

I’m the kind of person who consumes media constantly. I need my brain to be engaged, otherwise, I get really bored.

Listening to music is great, but after a while, it stops holding my interest and I’m bored again. Enter: podcasts.

My older brother introduced me to podcasts on a road trip in Colorado, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I had been under the assumption that they were downloadable lectures and interviews with boring people about boring things. Some are, but there are so many more out there. There are shows with episodes, categories and genres (just like Netflix) that make finding interesting content surprisingly easy.

My favorite podcasts are ei-

Commentary

Haley Bruyn UP staff writer

Letters Policy

ther educational or funny, but usually both, such as “Skeptics Guide to the Universe” and “Stuff you Missed in History Class.” One of my favorites, a show called “Sawbones,” is about medical history and is hosted by a goof and his doctor wife — and it’s hilarious. I found it this summer and listened to every episode in less than a month. I know that sounds insane, but I listen to podcasts any time most people would normally listen to music — in the car, cleaning, getting ready — I’m listening to a podcast.

When I ran out of past “Sawbones” episodes, I was devastated. Luckily, they put out a new episode every week. Even luckier, the non-doctor co-host of the show, Justin McElroy, does a comedy/advice podcast with his brothers, Griffin and Travis, and have for years. That show is my go-to when I get in the car. I listen to at least one episode a day (there are 287 hour-long episodes and I’m at 212), and I laugh out loud at every single one.

Now, I’m not saying their show, “My Brother, My Brother And Me,” is for everyone, because god knows it’s NSFW, but I bet you could find something the McElroys produce that you

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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.

like. They just launched three new podcasts and I’m excited to check them out.

These shows are just my personal favorites. Do you like TED talks? They have a podcast for that. Maybe you love Tyler Oakley or Neil deGrasse Tyson?

They both have their own Podcasts. If you can think of a topic, there is probably a show about it. It’s also worth mentioning that podcasts are free, and most smartphones come already installed with a “podcatcher” (an app for downloading and listening to podcasts, if you couldn’t put that together).

I love feeling like I’m learning something, even when I’m not doing anything productive.

My 30-minute car ride home (which should be only 15 — thanks, Beaumont traffic) is never a waste of time because I’m always learning. Instead of listening to the same songs I’ve heard a million times, this afternoon I’ll be learning about Myers-Briggs personality types from “Oh No Ross and Carrie.”

I’m not saying I don’t listen to music anymore, because I most definitely do, but when I put my headphones on and turn up the volume, I’m probably tuning in to an episode — not an EP.

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 2016

Page 4

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

HAMMONDS

from page 1

weaves threads of her own childhood memories growing up in rural Kentucky, and blurs the line between the memories of catastrophic material losses she endured and fictionalized disasters.

“I’m interested in memory as an intangible and ever-changing form of reality. Memories are a little bit fact and fiction, as they are obviously only snippets of our past, and when recollected, are combined with our current context and knowledge,” Hammonds said, in an e-mail interview. “I’m interested in what happens when we lose everything, worldly possessions, through tragedies like a tornado or a house fire.”

Hammonds said she’s been working with storm imagery since

2011, looking at both natural and man-made disasters, such as demolished neighborhoods and wartime imagery. She explores ways to connect her own personal narrative with broader concerns, such as how people deal with losing things they deeply value.

“I’ve also become concerned with the negative effects of consumerism in society, she said. “I think that too often, we gain status through our superficial possessions. On top of all of this, I have become more and more concerned about our consumption of goods and our production of trash, greenhouse gases, pollution, and so on.”

Hammonds said her depression-era parents saved things like

plastic bags and cartons, which filled a basement room, and rusty nails, tools, bolts, and other hardware, which filled a shed. She recalls her mother’s extensive collections of dolls, figurines, and Lilliput houses that filled their home, and remembers their backyard being more like a junkyard.

“Growing up in a house filled with stuff has significantly influenced my work,” she said.

Hammonds picked up furniture, household objects and street rubble on large trash days for the work. She looked for items she refers to as ‘memory objects,’ that sparked a personal memory.

Dennis Kiel, director of the Dishman Art Museum, said that Hammonds’ work is personal, but she also adapts something from the area where the work is being shown. He said that the ‘found objects’ are often the surprise that distinguishes one installation from another. This show is based on an exhibition she had in Austin.

“Of course, she adapted it to our space, and that was the challenge,” Kiel said. “We’re going to be very different than what she had in Austin.”

The Dishman installation includes Kiel’s old North Carolina license plate as well as an antique wheelchair from the Lamar theater department. Kiel said Hammonds brought a fully loaded trailer of artifacts for the show.

“Every time I create an installation it is different,” Hammonds said. “The dimensions and feeling of a space determines how large, tall, condensed or dispersed a piece may become.”

Hammonds and Kiel are colleagues who met almost 20 years ago when Kiel was working at the Cincinnati Art Museum and Hammonds was in graduate school at the University of Cincinnati, and then later, they both taught at Northern Kentucky University.

The Dishman has 20-feet ceilings with several large hooks screwed into support beams. Kiel said the exciting part was wondering what Hammonds could do with such a great space.

“I had seen the space, and really wanted to take advantage of

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“My Exploding House, #2” left, by Hollis Hammonds, is on display in “wasteland/wonderland” at the Dishman Art Museum through March 4. The centerpiece of the exhibition is “Up in Smoke,” below left, a sitespecific installation made from found objects. its large, open floor plan, including the high ceilings,” Hammonds said. “I knew immediately that I would do a hanging installation.”

Kiel and a four-person crew used lifts and ladders to hang the support grid on cables from the large hooks for the installation piece. Hammonds laid out all of the pieces, arranged them and hung them herself. Kiel said the installation was a huge undertaking and it took a week to complete.

The giant tornado draws people into the exhibit, but there is more to the show. Hammonds’ drawings surrounding the installation add variety to the picture.

“She does these studies and then she does these really finished drawings,” Kiel said. “She’s a really good draftsman.”

One of Hammonds’ larger drawings is of a burning house with flames projected on to the piece. The flames can only be seen at night, but the natural daylight does provide subtle movement.

Kiel said Hammonds’ process is ongoing. The fire was a starting point for her then she expanded on that.

“Really, that’s a strong part of it,” he said. “You look at it, and you don’t really know the story.

We give you a text panel, so you know where Hollis is coming from, but, beyond that, this may remind you of something that you experienced. So, you bring in your own story.”

Also on display is a 34-feet long ink and charcoal drawing on canvas. “The Dark Forest” depicts old cars, junk and text in a detailed, ink-drawn foreground with an ominous charcoal background of the woods Hammonds remembers playing in while

growing up.

“Part of the process included masking off large foreground areas of the drawing so that the expressive charcoal background could be rendered, then the detailed ink drawing was added,” she said.

Hammonds said she doesn’t have answers, only questions. She believes these questions manifest themselves in her drawings and installations, which often give her work apocalyptic undertones.

“People look at it as kind of a reverse negative, but you can interpret it any way you want,” Kiel said. “Creatively, you’ve got a story here. But then, the way it’s presented is a whole different thing. It’s very time-consuming, but also, just coming up with that is pretty clever.”

While Hammonds doesn’t play favorites with her individual works of art, she tends to like her most recent works a bit more than her previous ones, she said.

“I hope each person takes away their own interpretation,” she said. “I think this exhibit is filled with work that spans many topics and, hopefully, each viewer will find at least one thing they can relate to and find enjoyment in.”

“Wasteland/wonderland” runs through March 4. Hammonds will attend a free reception, Feb. 5, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the museum.

The Dishman Art Museum is located on the corner of East Lavaca and MLK Parkway on the Lamar University campus.

For more on Hammonds, visit www.hollishammonds.com, Facebook at Hollis Hammonds, or on Instagram at mynameishollis.

5

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY PRESS January 28, 2016

Big Bopper is-a what he likes!

Rock and roll legend J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson

Englishman aims to get Beaumont-native into rock Hall of Fame Carolyn Kondos UP contributor “Chantilly lace and a pretty face and a pony tail hanging down.

That wiggle in the walk and giggle in the talk makes the world go round….”

The Big Bopper’s lyrics boom from the car’s speakers enticing 14-year-old John Cumberland to sing along to the catchy rockabilly tune.

This fond memory, owned by a boy from Chilton, England, foreshadows events that 39 years later will take him down the road from his home in England to America, to set in motion his desire to see The Big Bopper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Jiles Perry “J.P.” Richardson, Jr. was an American musician, songwriter and disk jockey, whose rockabilly look, style, voice and energetic personality made him an early rock-and-roll star.

Five years ago, when Cumberland was looking for a song to use in a commercial for his scrap metal business, he remembered “Chantilly Lace” from his youth.

“I changed the wording to fit the music, and a few months later I did another recording, ‘Running Bear,’ and that’s when I discovered that J.P. Richardson — The Big Bopper — actually wrote that song also, which I wasn’t aware of before then.

“That really got me interested and I started looking at all his music and everything that he achieved. I found out about him, that he jump-started Elvis Presley’s early career. That’s why now he needs recognition, especially here in Beaumont.

That’s how I ended up where I am now.”

Richardson was born in Sabine Pass in 1930, and moved to Beaumont as a child.

When he graduated from high school in 1947, he started working as a radio DJ while he attended Lamar State College of Technology (what is now Lamar University).

While working at the station, he set the record for the longest time on air, broadcasting for 122 hours and eight minutes at the Jefferson Theatre.

Outside of work, he wrote songs such as the hit “Chantilly Lace,” “Running Bear,” recorded by Johnny Preston, and “White Lightning,” recorded by George Jones, along with many others.

He died at the age of 28 in a plane crash while on tour with eventual Hall of Famers Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens on Feb. 2, 1959. The day was memorialized as “The day the music died” in the

Don McLean song, “American Pie.” Cumberland said he developed more than just a passing interest.

“I got to where I was looking into his early life, and I was astonished that he wasn’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” he said. “So I thought, ‘Well I got to do something about this.’ I got in touch with his son, Jay, and we discussed the matter and he said that no one has ever made a film about his father, and he thinks this was one of the reasons he wasn’t inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Bopper) has always been left in the background.”

Cumberland’s passion — he prefers that term to obsession — led to his current project, which involves traveling around the U.S. with a film crew documenting his campaign to raise awareness of Richardson’s legacy.

Cumberland said when one looks into the Big Bopper’s history, one can see how influential he was in the early years of rock and roll.

“He was only 28 years old when he died, at that time he was a world record holder,” Cumberland said. “He was a genius really. He made the first rock-n-roll video, ever. This guy was an innovator, he really made recognition throughout the world.”

Thirteen years after his death, his song “struck a chord” in the young John Cumberland, which remained a fond memory until it’s resurrection for the commercial.

In the Bopper’s hometown of Beaumont, Cumberland said he was surprised by the musician’s low profile. However, he quickly became a fan of the area.

“Other than the fact that they didn’t recognize (him), they are really warmhearted, brilliant people,” Cumberland said.

The documentary crew visited the Big Bopper’s stomping grounds, such as the Lamar campus, the Jefferson Theatre, the Pig Stand and Hotel Beaumont.

Cumberland traveled with myriad pieces of memorabilia to educate anyone who would listen to reclaim a piece of their history, and to lend their voices to support the Big Bopper’s induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“I love (Beaumont),” Cumberland said.

“If I lived here I would do something for the cause and try to do something for this guy, even if it means naming a (food) order after him.

“The Pig Stand — if I lived here, I would buy it, renovate it, and make it into something of a memory. You know, have a J.P. shake, a Bopper burger, and play

’50s music. It’s one of those places that just needs someone with a little bit of love and passion to make a success of it.”

On Sunday afternoon, Cumberland sat down with the Big Bopper’s cousins at a gathering at Luke’s Icehouse on Calder, who were thrilled about his quest to see Richardson inducted in the Hall.

“They remember him. They were at the window when a thousand people stood outside the Jefferson Theatre watching him break the world record,” Cumberland said. “One of the sisters told me it was her mother that broke the news to J.P.’s wife that he had been killed.”

Anne Stalsby Babb, the Big Bopper’s cousin, was only a child when he died.

She said that she was thrilled that Cumberland was fighting to recognize her family member.

“I feel badly because we didn’t do anything,” she said.

Cumberland is a man on a mission, but said he is only one man trying to do the work of many.

“It’s not an easy thing. We can’t just go with a petition with all these signatures,” he said. “We have got to make a big enough fuss. People have got to listen to his music, read about the guy and say, ‘Yeah! He deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.’ I’m just doing my little bit. I’m trying to set this up and have people jump on board, especially the people of Beaumont.

“I don’t expect to do anything. I do expect Beaumont to do something.”

Cumberland said that when the documentary is finished, he hopes to return to Southeast Texas to show the film.

“We would like to premier it at the Jefferson, and invite everyone in Beaumont to come and see what we have done,” he said.

Next on his travels is a stay in Dallas before heading to Tennessee.

“We are headed to Memphis to talk with Elvis Presley fans who are not aware of J.P. and his involvement in Elvis’ early career. (Then it’s on) to Nashville, where we will visit the George Jones museum.

Then we are headed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The crew will finish up in Iowa at the Winter Dance Party, the scene of the Big Bopper’s last concert with Holly and Valens, where the anniversary of the plane crash is commemorated with an annual concert.

“This has been amazing, such an amazing trip,” Cumberland said. “This has been one of the highlights of my life.”

If he has his way, in a few years, Cumberland will fly back to the States, this time to Cleveland, Ohio, to see his hero enshrined in the Hall.

To join the campaign, visit the Bopper and Me Facebook page.

UP photo by Amy Marroguin

John Cumberland, above, visited Southeast Texas last week with a documentary film crew.

Cumberland is attempting to get Beaumont’s J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cumberland brought a variety of memorabilia, including albums, press clippings and a commemorative guitar statue.

Page 6

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Artist Granitz ‘constructs’ solo show Haley Bruyn UP staff writer Black lines cut against white shapes and white lines through black on oddly shaped and oversized canvases in artist David Granitz’s workspace at The Art Studio in downtown Beaumont.

Granitz is finishing work for “Eulipion Constructs,” his solo art show opening Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. and running through Feb. 26.

“Art wasn’t anything I really looked at as a career,” Granitz said. “I graduated from Kelly (High School), and I was premed at UT. I went for about a year and then dropped out, because it wasn’t what I wanted to do, deep down.”

“I started working hard and getting good job opportunities — restaurant stuff — but I knew, ‘No, this isn’t it. I’ve got to move home,’ and that’s when I started taking art classes for the first time. Then I was like, ‘Oh, wait. I can actually go to school for art.’”

Granitz earned a degree in studio art from Lamar University. After that, the Beaumont native spent time in California and Arizona, before returning to his home town and getting a construction job.

“I was building homes, nice homes, down at the beach – a good job. But, it wasn’t my art,” he said. “Deep down, I knew the only way I’m going to be happy is if I’m doing this. I’ve just been working towards my art.”

Recently, aspects of his life broke open, and Granitz found himself without a job.

“Six weeks ago, all the little things that were keeping me from being a full-time working artist basically resolved,” he said. “I’ve been able to commit to my art full time, and it was

KUUV

just in time to get this show and start preparing without being hasty about it.”

Granitz recently entered a large painting into the Hunting Art Prize competition, and that painting shares the inspiration for some of the pieces for his upcoming exhibit.

“It was basically inspired by places that I’ve been,” he said.

“In California, I spent time in Big Sur, which is really beautiful, pristine country and it is rugged coastline, mountains, rivers, streams, oceans — it’s just a really ideal place.”

A black canvas, crossed with white lines, sits against Granitz’s studio wall.

“The black, for example, was started because I wanted to somehow capture moonlight,” he said. “Say you’re standing out on a trail at night, and you think about looking off towards the coast. There are ridges coming down, and there are trees, and there’s a river over here down in the valley you can kind of see. So all of these things — moonlight coming down from the moon, starlight — all these little aspects of the scene are based on these lines — trying to capture the gesture, movement of that scene around me.”

Granitz meticulously paints his striking geometric landscapes before he uses transfer ink markings — “trace monoprints” —directly onto the prepared canvas.

“I want to use strong geometric abstraction, because what this is all working towards is basically being a landscape for my drawings, which is what I feel is my real passion,” he said. “The drawings that I do, they’re really loose, really wild, raw, lively.”

Granitz rolls this ink out so it’s really wet, and lets it cure.

He then places the canvas face

David Granitz III works on a painting at The Art Studio, Inc. in advance of his solo exhibition, “Eulipion Constructs,” which opens with a free reception, Feb. 6. down on top of the ink.

“To draw, I take different utensils, all different shapes and sizes of thickness and I draw,” he said.

Granitz swipes his chosen utensil across the back of his paper, and the ink is transferred.

“This is something I’ve been working on for a really long time,” he said. “I used to do it on a really small scale, and I figured out how I can do these large pieces. It’s just opened up a lot of opportunity for me. Creatively, I’m just overwhelmed right now. There is just so much stuff I want to do with this.”

Granitz has painstakingly taken many hours preparing the large geometric pieces, just so he can draw on them.

“I want it to be free,” he said.

“I want that freedom to complement the hard work and the

from page 1

tion of $15 is encouraged.

Getting a license for a lowpower, not-for-profit station was not an option until 2011.

“For over a decade, community groups and media justice advocates had been fighting for the FCC to open up an opportunity to nonprofits and community groups to have the opportunity to apply for these licenses,” Saar said.

In 2011, Congress passed the Local Community Radio Act,” which provided an opportunity for low-power FM stations to obtain licenses.

“It was a really competitive process,” she said. “We were thrilled that we got one, that was the first huge hurdle, but then once we had it we were given a deadline that we have to be on the air by such-and-such date — 18 months. We have until February 2017 to get on the air.

“Seven groups were awarded LPFM stations in Seattle and only one of them is still in the running to actually get on air.

The other six have not made it.

That’s how difficult it is, to actually get there — we’re gonna get there.”

KUUV has received a lot of support from the local community for the fundraiser, Saar said.

“We’ve been really fortunate to have local artists and musicians’ support the event,” Saar said.

Along with a puppet show and live music, KUUV will also perform a live radio show, and there will be time between per-

formances for questions and to spread word about the project.

“As much as it is a fundraiser to get the equipment that we need, it’s also a community awareness event,” Saar said. “As much as we’ve told everybody we know and posted on Facebook and sent emails, we still run into people every day who haven’t heard of it, so hopefully this will help change that.”

KUUV began when Karen Corwin, a counselor at the Texas Academy for Leadership in the Humanities, was contacted by someone from the Prometheus Radio Project, a nonprofit advocacy and community group working to create a network of low-power stations across the United States.

“I got contacted by a lady in Houston who was connected with Prometheus Radio, and she said, ‘Do you know anyone who would be interested?’” Corwin said. “I said I don’t know anything about radio, but it’s exciting and I’m willing to learn it.”

KUUV is also receiving help from the Spindletop Unitarian Church, who are donating temporary space to the station.

“The church is going to allow us to use their building as our station space, which will save us hundreds a month,” Saar said.

Saar said KUUV is prepping a permanent location.

“It’s a great location over on Franklin where the literacy depot used to be, that old train station. It’s a fun place,” she said.

KUUV plans to affiliate with

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Pacifica Radio to present national programming focusing on LGBT and feminist issues, and national news programs such as “Democracy Now.” Learning how to get a station up and running has had its share of difficulties, but it’s also been a learning process, Corwin said.

“We had spent a couple hours on a conference call with an engineer in Austin who’s offered us great advice on how to get started and what kinds of equipment to look at,” she said.

“We were so worried to spend thousands of dollars only to find out that the antenna we got is the wrong antenna,” Saar said.

“Like, ‘It worked for someone in Northern Carolina, but it’s not gonna work for us.’ But we’ve definitely learned a lot. It’s exciting. Listening to our Tuesday night conversations two years ago compared to now, we would be impressed with ourselves.”

Despite the difficulties, Saar said she hopes that KUUV can provide an opportunity for the Beaumont community to come together.

“We are encouraging and hopeful that more members of the community will want to get on board and be part of this with us,” Saar said. “It’s not our project. We’re trying to get this station going and started so that many people can be part of it and many voices can be heard.”

For more information, email KUUV at kuuvbeaumont @gmail.com or follow KUUV Beaumont on Facebook.

abstraction and the solidness.

Opposites attract, and if you can find that harmony between opposites, it’s just an amplification of life — or that’s how I see it.”

Granitz’s personal philosophy permeates his artistic style.

“I want it to be like I’m challenging myself to make a better piece of art every time,” he said.

“Every time I make a drawing, every time I draw a line, I want it to be the best line I could possibly make.

“When I’m drawing like that, it’s a test in confidence. It’s ink, for one, so whatever you press on there is going to be there and there is no taking it back. If you don’t have a confident line, or just confidence in yourself, you’re going to see it in the artwork.

“Knowing the way I draw the line, hopefully you can see that I love drawing – that art isn’t

just causal for me. Maybe the marks are more beautiful for some reason. I just want to create beautiful things for people to look at and enjoy, and create some positivity in life.”

Granitz’s exhibit will include other examples of his work as well, including nudes.

“I’ll be doing some nudes and some more of the cattle drawings,” Granitz said. “What I’m planning on doing is having some of these highly worked up geometric pieces kind of centered in the walls, and then have the more black-and-white, more minimal drawings flanking those. Then have some smaller drawings as well, so like a full range of work.”

The Art Studio, Inc. is located at 720 Franklin in downtown Beaumont.

For more information, visit www.artstudio.org, or visit the Facebook event page.

KUUV radio seeks volunteers, program ideas Tim Collins UP staff writer KUUV is accepting proposals for program ideas for communitydriven content. Members of the public are welcome to submit proposals via KUUV’s website, KUUV.org. Karen Saar, co-founder of KUUV, is in the process of creating a committee to review the proposals.

“We’ve had a few local DJs interested in music shows,” she said.

“Another idea we mentioned is a conversational show about art and the process. A few lawyers have pitched interesting ideas on legal advice and multiple format shows on various current issues. A local comedian and performer is interested in a combination radio theater/radio essay format show that sounds like a lot of fun.

“Another local woman is interested in developing a show that urges listeners to know their neighbors and community members, and learn more about the everyday people we pass by. She’d like to have a show that compiles informal interviews that start by defining a person by their label or job and then explore the actual person behind that to try to break down stereotypes and form a bond between the listener and the person in the community.”

LU French instructor Caitlin Duerler said she is proposing a show focusing on art, feminist issues, and in-depth interviews with local artists and community leaders.

“People have achievements, and that’s cool, but it’s also really cool to learn about the person underneath that,” she said. “My proposal would be interviews with people. Like, why are you so passionate about your cause, or what happened in your life that you decided, ‘This is what I wanted to undertake’? Really put a personal take on interviews that you sometimes don’t get.”

Duerler said she feels that the station can highlight voices not as represented in mainstream radio, such as women and minorities.

“Beaumont has just as much to offer as a place like Houston or a place like New Orleans,” she said. “And really, we just need to work on letting people know, ‘Hey, let’s care about the things we have here.’ It’s nice sometimes to listen to something that isn’t ‘Hotline Bling,’ even though I like ‘Hotline Bling.’”

To submit a proposal or to volunteer, visit KUUV.org.

7

SPORTS

UNIVERSITY PRESS January 28, 2016

Soccer gets new leader

UP Elizabeth Grimm

Lamar’s newly hired women’s soccer coach Steve Holeman.

Longtime coach Steve Holeman takes over women’s program Elizabeth Grimm UP staff writer The ball makes contact with a foot and soars across the vibrant, green field. The tension of the game ripples through the crowd

in the hopes that their team will conquer the field. The coach strides down the sideline anticipating the team’s next move. This is the career of Lamar’s new head soccer coach, Steve Holeman.

“The soccer complex, I think,

Steve Holeman UP Elizabeth Grimm

is amazing here and the fact that this team has not been in the conference tournament in the last three years, I want to help them achieve that,” he said. “I know they all want to get there. I want to help try and turn things around.”

Holeman’s expectations are high.

“I hope to win the Southland Conference,” he said. “Every coach that comes here will tell you the same thing, right? You’d like to win the regular season, you’d like to win the conference tournament and you want to get to the NCAAs. I’m no different — it’s just a matter of how quickly we can accomplish that.”

Even in his childhood, Holeman’s passion for soccer was notable.

“I started when I was seven and just fell in love with it right away, and have been playing my whole life,” he said. “Actually, when I first started out my dad wasn’t into soccer. After the first couple years, because I was playing soccer, he became very interested and then he became a coach. He was one of the coaches that never actually played soccer but read books and found out as much as he could. He actually coached me throughout my youth career.”

Holeman previously coached at the University of Mississippi for 16 seasons and the University of Georgia for five seasons.

It’d be difficult to imagine

himself in another career, Holeman said.

“I’ve been doing it for so long, it’s really all I kind of know,” he said. “If there was a different career, other than coaching, I would still want it to be connected with soccer because it’s my passion.”

In his spare time, Holeman finds pleasure in other physical activities.

“I like to exercise — whether it’s jogging or cycling or just being active — I like working out,” he said. “I used to be really, really into cycling. I’d go on 50-mile bike rides. (I’ve) been in a couple races, things like that. I actually haven’t done a whole lot recently because it’s become a lot more dangerous with people texting and driving. If there’s a safe area to cycle, then that’s different.”

Holeman has spent the majority of his life in the South.

“I was born in North Carolina,” he said. “We moved to Atlanta and then New Jersey, Oklahoma and Kansas, and we’ve moved all around. I went to school at Wake Forest, which is in North Carolina. Then I went to graduate school at Auburn and I’ve kind of been in the south with the exception of my high school years.”

Holeman said he is family-oriented and that is part of what attracted him to the job.

“I have family in Houston,” he said. “Actually, my mom just moved to Katy a couple of months ago but my brother, sister, aunt

and uncle all live in Katy. And I have cousins in Pearland, so Lamar was attractive.

“My family is probably the biggest thing — playing with my kids,” he said. “I have a six-yearold son named ‘Bo’ and an 11year-old daughter named Anna Mae. That would be my hobby — playing with them and spending time with them.

“They both play soccer and they’re active. (I like) helping with them and going to their practices and coaching them — helping them become better at whatever it is they do.”

Holeman said that while soccer is his passion, he tries to make his children well-balanced.

“We wanted to have them active in different things — they’ve tried a bunch of different sports,” he said. “My daughter has done some 5k — she’s been in triathlon.

My son has played a little baseball and he wants to play basketball coming up. It’s not just soccer.

I’m not one to force soccer on them just because that’s what I did.”

Through Lamar, Holeman hopes to continue his success.

“I’m hopeful that I can stay here long term with all my family close by,” he said. “My objective right now is to establish a program. I think, as I can hopefully accomplish what I want to do, which is to win some championships here, that’s going to be more reason for me to stay and continue that.”

Women’s basketball sees hard work paying off Coty Davis UP contributor After their first road win of the season against Stephen F. Austin, Jan. 21, the Lamar University Women’s basketball team won their second-straight Southland Conference game in a row, as they defeated Houston Baptist 77-70, Saturday, in the Montagne Center.

The Lady Cardinals’ (8-11 overall, 4-4 SLC) victory over HBU (8-11 overall, 3-4 SLC) placed LU back at a .500 record in conference after a disappointing start to the season.

“This was a great win at home,” head coach Robin Harmony said. “Coming into the game we knew Houston Baptist would be a tough match up, but our kids did an awesome job stepping up on defense, which played a significant factor in the win.”

The Lady Cardinals played one of their best defensive games of the season. They forced 24

turnovers, which converted into 16 fastbreak points, as well as holding the Huskies to 41.1 percent from the field.

Although it was a team effort, the Lady Cardinals were led by their defensive anchor, freshman guard Chastadie Barrs.

“Chastadie is just a defensive devil,” Harmony said. “She just keeps getting better with every game.”

Barrs entered the game third in the nation in steals, averaging 3.38 a game this season. After a career high of seven steals against the Huskies, she now holds the ninth-highest single-season total in Lamar women’s basketball history.

“Honestly, I just go out and play as hard as I can for 40 minutes,” Barrs said. “However, I did not do this alone; we did this as a team.”

After a few bad nights of struggling with her shot this season, senior guard Addesha Collins led the way for LU as she scored 24

points (7-12, 58.3 percent) in the victory.

“It felt really good to shoot well again,” she said. “I’ve been working hard in practice and my teammates never gave up on me. They continued to push me every day, and finally it has paid off in a game.”

With ten games left in the season, the Lady Cardinals are in sixth place in the SLC. The top eight teams in the 12-team conference qualify for the SLC tournament.

For a team who was picked to finish atop the Southland Conference in the preseason polls, they now find themselves at the middle of the pack.

“As a young team, they are finally starting to step up and get the picture that they are tired of losing, as well as not performing well at home,” Harmony said.

“To have a great road win Thursday night, and come back with a home victory is a step in the right direction.”

As the Lady Cardinals stay in the hunt for a playoff berth, they must continue to battle through tough injuries to key players.

Lady Cardinals forward Kiandra Bowers missed her second game of the season, and senior guard JaMeisha Edwards has missed the last three games.

With two more injuries, in addition to Bowers and Edwards, Harmony is forced to a line up full of freshmen and sophomores.

Collins, Barrs, and two-year guard Baileigh O’Dell each played the entire 40 minutes in the victory over Houston Baptist.

“This is one of the reasons why we work so hard in practice,” Harmony said. “The games seem easier in comparison.”

The Lady Cardinals hosted Sam Houston State, Wednesday.

The result was unavailable at press time.

They travel to Abilene Christian, Saturday, for an SLC matchup.

UP Josh Aych

Sophomore Baileigh O’Dell drives the lane during LU’s 77-70 win over HBU in the Montagne Center, Saturday.

Page 8

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

‘Cool’ events launch new semester ‘Winter Wonderland’ events draw students to campus Lamar University’s office of student engagement hosted a series of Week of Welcome events to usher students into the new semester, Jan. 18-23.

The “Winter Wonderland” themed festivities included dodgeball at the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center and making s’mores at the Baptist Student Center’s Back-to-School Bash, Jan. 19.

An ice skating rink, a giant snow globe, and a 30-foot snow slide transported students to a frosty fantasyland, Jan. 20.

After making (artifical) snowballs, students sipped hot cocoa and watched Disney’s “Frozen” under white lights.

Other events included a study abroad info session, crate stacking, and games at the Rec Center.

On Jan. 22, students participated in a “Glow Dance” in the Setzer Student Center Ballroom.

The week’s festivities culminated with a basketball doubleheader versus Houston Baptist University, Jan. 23.

UP photos by Josh Aych

UP Trivia

Each week the University Press staff will compile a series of questions related to the week in history. How will you do? Answers are posted below.

1. Where is the Doomsday Clock housed?

2. Which former vice-presidential candidate endorsed Donald Trump last week?

3. What disaster happened 30 years ago today in the skies over Florida?

4. Pall Mall was the first street lit by gaslight in which European city?

5. In 1935, which country was the first to legalize abortion?

1. The Doomsday Clock, which is a symbolic clock face representing a countdown to possible global catastrophe, has been maintained since 1947 by the members of the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists at the University of Chicago.

2. Sarah Palin, who was selected as John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 election, endorsed Trump.

3. The Challenger Space Shuttle exploded on takeoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven astronauts, including teacher Christa McAuliffe. Astronaut Ronald McNair gave his name to the McNair scholar program which assists under-represented students in higher education.

4. Pall Mall is a street in London and was first lit on this day in 1807.

5. Iceland was the first country to legalize abortion in 1935.

WATER from page 1 was approved, allowing the TWDB to issue additional bonds as long as no more than $6 billion are outstanding at any one time.

“It was very important for the state because voters across the state voted a constitutional amendment to take $2 billion from the rainy day fund and put into the SWIFT,” Jackson said. “We had been doing water planning for years, but we really never funded the state water plan.”

The $2 billion is invested by the Texas safekeeping trust.

“I think programs like SWIFT — the intent the legislature had was to move impactful projects forward quickly,” Jackson said. “When you do that, then you have the infrastructure in place. Economic growth — that’s one of the key things to basically sustain what you have. In the world of economic development there is no standing still.

“It’s a global economy, so it’s a challenge to continue to draw that investment. We have to continue to attract new business, to diversify — make sure that we’re continuing to grow, and that creates jobs.”

There are 16 regional water planning groups across the state and the people that participate in them are all volunteers.

Jackson said moving forward with infrastructure in Texas is a bottom-up process.

“You can have the money, which you can get from the board,” she said. “You can have the technology, but it’s up to the local communities and the leadership to basically take the bull by the horns.”

The TWDB is currently still taking applications for SWIFT assistance and political subdivisions

have until Feb. 5 to finish the twopage application. The projects that have been applied for are then prioritized by the TWDB, who then determines how many total projects they fund.

“We definitely want people to apply,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to get in the game. So how it works is, we will prioritize a project that comes in, because we only have a certain amount of capacity.”

In the first cycle of the SWIFT loan program, the TWDB funded around $900 million worth of projects, including conservation and reuse, desalinating groundwater and seawater, building new pipelines, developing reservoirs and wells fields, and purchasing water rights, as well as other approaches.

“We recently did about a $250 million financing for the Lower Colorado River Authority for an offchannel reservoir,” Jackson said.

SWIFT provides entities with a variety of loans, but does not offer grants.

In order to have the water Texas needs in the future, Jackson said that, according to the state water plans, it will have to come from three different sources — from new water supply, such as reservoirs, from enhanced efficiencies, like an off-channel reservoir, and from

conservation and reuse.

“There’s a huge need for conservation projects across Texas in order to meet our future needs,” she said.

Gavin Jones, associate director for programs at the Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality at Lamar University said the problem is cities are built off revenues and the river authorities are built off selling water to the cities.

“In a sense, it’s almost a vicious cycle — that we don’t want to conserve, because all of a sudden the water development boards and the municipalities will be strapped for cash. But we should conserve, because it’s better for the ecosystem.

It’s a game,” he said.

Most of a city’s water loss is not based off of the average person’s use, Jones said.

“It’s from our old infrastructure within the city — all the leaks,” he said. “There’s nothing we can do, except encourage and push the city to prioritize updating our infrastructure. Don’t abuse yourself for not conserving enough water, because the water that you expend is insignificant compared to where the actual leaks are, and where the actual loss of water is in the system.”

For more information, visit www.twdb.texas.gov.