February 5, 2015

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The Newspaper of Lamar University Vol. 91, No. 14

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Rebuilding continues without postseason NCAA APR RULING MEANS MEN’S HOOPS TOURNAMENT PLAY MUST WAIT UNTIL AT LEAST NEXT YEAR GRANT CRAWFORD UP SPORTS EDITOR @GrantLamarUP Lamar’s men’s basketball team has already surpassed their accomplishments from last year. The team is 11-11 (5-5 in Southland Conference play), compared to last season’s total of 4-26 (3-15 SLC). The team might be competitive this year, but won’t have a chance to prove it once the conference tournament rolls around.

The NCAA has banned the team from all postseason play for the 201415 season. The ban is related to Lamar’s Academic Progress Report score. It measures the eligibility and

retention of students that are on scholarships from semester to semester.

“The rule is, what the rule is,” LU director of athletics Jason Henderson said. “We didn’t make the score the NCAA requires, I get that.

Some of it, I think, is due to extenuating circumstances. The NCAA doesn’t see it the same way I do, but we’re going to get through this and come out of this better.”

The APR is set up by a four-year average of a two-point system. A player can earn two points for his team each semester. One point is allowed at the end of a semester for remaining eligible to compete in the

next academic term. Additionally, a second point may be earned if the player returns as a full-time student for the next academic term, or graduates.

“If someone isn’t eligible, then you lose a point,” Henderson said. “If somebody leaves, then those points are taken out.”

In the 2013-14 academic year, the NCAA decided to raise the minimum score from 925 to 930.

“It goes back to the NCAA’s board of directors wanting it to align with what a 50 percent graduation rate is,” Henderson said. “We knew this was coming and that this could be a possibility.”

Lamar men’s hoops lost four players after last season, not including Amos Wilson who graduated last May. “If we have a kid that doesn’t like playing for the new coach or wants to transfer, then it’s counted against you,” Henderson said. “There’s a lot of different factors that play into it.

“With basketball, it’s such a small sample size. You have 13 kids on scholarship, and four possible points per kid. One or two points can really put you at a low score. It’s a very tough thing to manage, knowing that one or two kids can really adSee POSTSEASON, page 7

‘LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER’ SHOW SEEKS LOCAL TALENT FOR

MAY 9 EVENT LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP EDITOR @thegerven Whether a mom or not, everybody knows at least one mother who has made an impact on his or her life.

For the second year in a row, “Listen to Your Mother,” a national story-telling event that takes place around Mother’s Day, is coming to Beaumont.

Director Jennifer Williams is currently looking for local talent to send in their stories and audition for a part in the May 9 show that will take place in the University Theater.

“The event started six years ago,” Williams said.

“The woman who started it, Ann Imig, she noticed that there were no events in her area that celebrated Mother’s Day, so she decided to do this. It became so popular because she decided to make it a part show, part social media event. Everything is recorded and put on YouTube, so when all of her friends saw it, they said, ‘We want to do it, too.’”

Williams said that by the following year the event grew to 10 different cities. By now it has reached 39 cities all over the U.S. “I first heard about it because I knew someone who was going to be in the Austin show,” she said. “It took me about two years to pick up the courage to actually send something in myself, but it didn’t get picked. I didn’t even get to read, and neither did my co-director.”

So Williams decided to host her own show.

“The next year we applied and we got it,” she said.

Williams said that she could have hosted the event anywhere from Lafayette to Houston, but decided to keep it Southeast Texas.

“We really wanted to keep it in Beaumont, because I know that we have a lot of really great talent here,” she said. “I thought it would be a good way to showcase what we have to offer. The national team agreed, and they let us have the show.”

All the local events work under the national name and all videos are posted on the national YouTube channel.

“The local events are all locally focused — they have local directors and producers, local talents, local sponsors, and we pick a local non-profit organization to support with the show,” Williams said.

The Beaumont show will benefit the Julie Rogers Gift of Life program — it will also work with local sponsors Divergent Theater and the Whole Mothering Center.

Williams said that every regional show has some freedom in the way they do auditions and organize their event.

“The way we do it in Southeast Texas is, we ask that you send us your written piece, and then everyone who sends us a written piece about motherhood automatically gets an audition slide,” she said. “On that day, we’ll have everybody come in, each individually — it’s very private — and they share their stories. Then after, from the people that auditioned, we will make a selection based upon not just the writing, but how the stories fit together.

“Each story is personal to the individual, but we want to make sure that the show is a whole cohesive unit that tells the story of motherhood.”

Feb. 21 is the official deadline for written pieces to be submitted. However, Williams said that late entries would be accepted up until audition day, Feb. 28.

“If you get your story in, and we have a time slot available, we’re going to give it to you,” she said. “If all audition slots fill up before time, we’ll see if we See MOTHER, page 2

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Drum Cafe South perform as part of Black History month events Drum Cafe South, a group of drummers composed out of Alsny Sylla, a Guinea, West Africa native, Dale Monnin, San Antonio and Aj Flores, Dallas, performed as part of Lamar University's Multicultral Program’s Black History month events, in the Setzer Student Center Ballroom, Monday.

UP photos by JacQuor Williams

Oxfam Banquet to shed light on hunger issues SIERRA KONDOS UP STAFF WRITER The low-income tier makes up 50 percent of the world’s population, according to Oxfam, an international confederation of 17 organizations working in approximately 94 countries worldwide to find solutions to poverty.

In an effort to raise awareness of poverty and hunger issues, the Lamar University office of civic engagement will host an Oxfam Hunger Banquet today at 5 p.m. in the Setzer Student Center Ballroom. Admission is free and open to everyone.

“This will be an active educational method that will help open everyone’s eyes to the fact that people from all over the world suffer from hunger,” Kiet Le, associate director of student

activities and civic engagement, said.

The banquet will feature a meal, but participants will not know what they will get to eat until they arrive at the event.

“When (participants) walk into the ballroom, they will randomly draw tickets that will assign them to a high-, middle-, or low-income class, that is based on the latest statistics about the number of people living in poverty,” Megan Marzullo, Chartwells marketing manager, said.

The meal will reflect the expectation of the income class assigned.

Alicia Young, author of “The Savvy Girl’s Guide to Grace: Small Gestures with Big Impact — Home, Work & in Love,” will be guest speaker. The book is described as covering, “simple ways to tap moments of grace and

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kindness in a rushed world,” according to Young’s website at www.savvylife.net. “It’s a light and bright read for Savvy Girls everywhere, exploring ways to celebrate your life, find beauty in small moments and relish the magic around us.”

Following the banquet, guests can participate and share their thoughts on poverty in their community.

For more information, call 880-7284.

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INSIDE Thursday, February 5, 2015 University Press

QUOTE OF THE DAY “Tell us your phobias and we will tell you what you are afraid of.”

— Robert Benchley

Continued from page 1 need to do another audition date.”

The stories have to be true and read by the writer, and need to be between three and five minutes long when read aloud. They can be essay format or poetry.

“You have to be brave enough to get up there and read it yourself,” Williams said. “It’s a little scary, but it’s also really empowering after you do it.

We had people last year who were scared — because some of the stories are so personal — but after it was over, they felt so much better about it.”

Auditions are open to everybody, Williams said.

She is hoping to get a diverse cast.

“We really want to encourage people from all walks of life in the community to come out and audition,” she said. “We want all of the stories, we don’t want everyone to have the same story we do, and we want to cover everything. So, it’s important to us that we get a diverse cast that tells different types of stories.”

Williams said that one doesn’t have to be a mom or a woman to participate — men can also audition.

“We had one man last year,” she said. “Howard Cox, he’s actually a professor at a college, and he read a hilarious story about how his mother made him a cheapskate — it was so funny, we were so proud to have him in our show.

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.

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MOTHER •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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“(The show) is open for everybody, because motherhood covers everything. There are people in other shows who have talked about how they didn’t want to be a mom, or couldn’t be. We really want the full breadth of it all.”

After auditions, between 10 and 13 people will be selected to participate in the show.

“Last year we had 12 participants,” Williams said. “We try to do no less than 10, no more than 13, because the show is only 90 minutes long, and the time limit is about five minutes.”

Williams said that there has already been a lot of interest in this year’s show.

“We’ve only just opened the auditioning process,” she said. “But, so far we’ve seen a lot more interest than last year. Everybody that came (last

year) was just blown away. It’s kind of hard to explain until you’re in it, but I like to put it like this — motherhood is very lonely, so you think that you’re the only one who’s going through what you’ve been through. But when you go listen to these people’s stories, you realize that you’re not alone.

“We’re all in it together, and I think that’s what makes it so magical.”

Submissions must be emailed to ltymsoutheasttx@gmail.com to register for an audition time.

Auditions will be held Feb. 28 at the Ben J. Rogers Regional Visitors Center in Beaumont.

For more information regarding the submission process, visit listentoyourmothershow.com/southeasttexas.

February 5 Wind Ensemble Concert Julie Rogers Theatre for the Performing Arts 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

How you business can dominate the web SDBC seminar Galloway Business Building 116 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Lamar Alive! Hunger Banquet Setzer Student Center Ballroom 5 p.m.

February 12 History Day Setzer Student Center 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Study Abroad Program receives grant to encourage research

Lamar University students will soon have the opportunity to study abroad and conduct obesity research while earning college credit thanks to a $25K grant received from 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund. Seven universities across the nation have been selected to participate in this initiative, a partnership between the U.S. Department of State, Partners of the Americas and NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

“High impact educational practices and opportunities are what we strive to offer our students at Lamar,” Jeff Palis, director of the LU Study Abroad Program, said. “These opportunities include research, study abroad and communitybased learning. The students who participate in this program will be exposed to all three of those components.”

CALENDAR

Participants of the 2014 Listen To Your Mother show take a bow.

The grant will facilitate a partnership between Lamar University and the University of Veracruz in Xalapa, Mexico. The partnership will allow Lamar students to study and conduct research in Mexico for two weeks during the summer, and enable students from the University of Veracruz to visit the LU campus for reciprocal research. Spanish speaking students are encouraged to apply, but being fluent in Spanish is not a requirement for the research opportunity.

“While in Mexico, our students will be conducting health research, performing community service, attending cultural events and receiving language study, all while living with local families in Xalapa,” Palis said.

Students will conduct joint research in the U.S. and Mexico to identify health

beliefs and practices that increase the risk for being overweight or obese at various ages, income levels and ethnic backgrounds. LU students will attend classes in Beaumont prior to traveling to Mexico during which they will work online with their counterparts in Xalapa to develop culturally attuned screening tools for the research project. Ten students will be selected to participate in the study abroad program scheduled for late June and early July. They will be accompanied by a Lamar University faculty member.

“We want students to take advantage of all the educational opportunities available to them at Lamar University,” Palis said. “The goals of 100,000 Strong in the Americas are to increase the number of students studying abroad in the Western Hemisphere

Courtesy Photo

and create opportunities for young researchers to work together to find solutions to issues that affect our various societies. This research on diet, nutrition, and exercise is very important because obesity has become an epidemic in our country and in Mexico. It’s definitely a timely topic for this type of research.”

Students who are interested in applying for the study abroad opportunity in Mexico must contact Jeff Palis in the LU Study Abroad Program at 880-7516, jpalis@lamar.edu, or the principal investigators for the grant, Rick Carter, professor of health and kinesiology at rick.carter@lamar.edu or Israel Mengzi, assistant professor of health and kinesiology, at 880-8724.

Students are encouraged to apply by the first week of February.

Como Empezar su Negocio Galloway Business Building 114 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

A Dinner & Conversation University Reception Center 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

February 17 How to utilize social media in your business SBDC seminar Galloway Business Building 114 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

February 18 Making sense of the numbers SBDC seminar Galloway Business Building 116 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

To submit a listing, click on the calendar link at lamaruniversitypress.com

Show only tickets available for $25

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EDITORIAL Editor Lauren Van Gerven 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.

UP EDITORIAL

FOCUS ON CLASSES EARLY FOR AN EASY END OF SEMESTER In colleges around the country, there is the occasional, or not so occasional, student who is letting their work pile up on them at this early stage of the semester. This will undoubtedly end in having to cram all of their studies in at the end of the term.

This makes getting good grades difficult, if not impossible.

There are some simple measures to prevent this from happening.

Become a master of time. It’s much easier to keep track of tasks when students have a daily schedule. Plan out segments of time in the day to do homework, or study. Tough subjects won’t seem as difficult if more time is allocated for them.

Cramming at the end of the semester is a terrible decision. The smart play is cramming intelligently.

Studying in between classes is a better use of time than staring at a phone. It will also help one follow along in class.

Setting goals for oneself will help one manage time wisely. Writing down a checklist for the day makes it easy to see what still needs to be done.

Whether it’s a desk, or a backpack, it is important to avoid clutter build up around one’s work station.

When there is a clean space at which to work, it makes it easier to see what one’s priorities are, and allows one to be more productive.

Don’t wait to start working on the big projects two days before they’re due. Get started on them early in the semester. It allows ample time to get things done, and will help one understand just how much work it really is. Procrastination is a project killer.

If one’s having trouble getting started on homework, a study-buddy can help to get the gears spinning. It also makes studying more enjoyable.

To avoid being lackadaisical, get plenty of sleep at night in order to have the energy to get things done. Sleep deprivation makes is more difficult to focus.

Finally, taking time for one’s self is important.

Take a breather during the day. It’s good to stay focused on school material, but when one sets apart time to just relax, it allows one to restart work with a clear head.

No one enjoys being behind in class. It makes it that much harder to get started on anything, but if one can manage one’s time correctly, those piles of homework at the end of the semester can be avoided.

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

The Newspaper of Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology ©University Press 2014

Editor ................................Lauren Van Gerven Managing Editor .......................Kristen Stuck Sports Editor ..........................Grant Crawford Web Editor ..............................Melissa Conley Staff .............Desmond Pickens, Lainie Harris, .....................Mason Malmay, Molly Porter, ....................Coty Davis, Elizabeth Grimm, .................................... Lane Fortenberry, .......................................Michelle Burdett Advertising .............................Melissa Conley Office Manager ..................Jac’Quor Williams

www.lamaruniversitypress.com 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 200 Setzer Student Center.

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.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

GRADE ‘ENHANCEMENT’ Illicit ADHD drug use rises on campuses around U.S. Few people would jump at the opportunity to take performance-enhancing drugs in sports. They might give one short-term result, but in the end, nothing comes without consequences, and it is obvious that in the long run, doping is not good for the body. On top of that, of course, it’s cheating.

So why do so many students opt for performance-enhancing drugs in the classroom?

We’re talking about getting a better grade on a test here, not winning the Tour de France.

According to multiple studies, the use of prescription ADHD drugs such as Adderall, Ritalin and Dexedrine by non-prescription high school and college students, as well as young-professionals, has become increasingly popular over the past decade.

Students illicitly use the drugs because they believe it makes them study better, keep them focused and alert, and feel energized.

The reason for the rise in usage lies in a variety of places. First of all, there is a huge problem of over-diagnosis of ADD and ADHD in America. The number of people diagnosed with the disease has gone up 42 percent over the past decade and more than 50 percent over the past 25 years.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder — ADHD — is defined by the Mayo Clinic

Emergency Room visits 2005 to 2010 due to unnecessar y use of ADHD meds

UP illustration Desmond Pickens

COMMENTARY

by

Lauren Van Gerven

as a chronic condition that includes a combination of problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

This is a pretty vague description of an illness. A child might be hyperactive to a certain level, that doesn’t automatically mean he or she has ADHD. That being said, of course there are people who actually have ADHD and need to be treated for it.

But, no diagnosis should be done lightly, and putting someone on prescription medication should always come after serious consideration.

There is no precise way to test if an individual actually has ADHD or not, and since the condition can continue into adulthood, one can be diagnosed at any age by simply “correctly” filling out a self-reported checklist test.

A 2008 experiment in an undergraduate psychology class showed that 93 percent of students were able to beat the system to get a positive diagnosis. Another experiment at the University of Kentucky showed that students could successfully get a false positive on the test after just five minutes of re-

searching ADHD symptoms.

Secondly, many people don’t realize how dangerous ADHD drugs actually are when given to someone who doesn’t need them.

A study of 1,800 college students showed that 81 percent of students interviewed thought that illicit use of ADHD medication was not dangerous at all or only slightly dangerous.

But, ADHD medication can be dangerous. Emergency room visits related to the medication used non-medically tripled from 5,212 to 15,585 between 2005 and 2010.

ADHD pills contain amphetamines, and abuse of the drugs can lead to anxiety, depression and even psychosis. The sporadic use of Adderall in combination with alcohol can also lead to serious adverse cardiovascular effects.

On top of that, it is a federal crime to possess the pills without a prescription.

Because of the availability of the prescriptions and the lack of knowledge about the dangers of the drugs, it has become ridiculously easy to obtain the pills on campuses around the U.S., so easy that an estimated 30 percent of students use stimulants nonmedically.

It is time that students see the negative side of illicit ADHD drug use. Getting good grades if fun, but using drugs to get them is cheating, and a lot more dangerous than some sleep-shortage from staying up all night studying.

Lauren Van Gerven is UP Editor

#LIKEAGIRL Super Bowl commercial shows true meaning of falsely used phrase Every year, viewers wait for the Super Bowl commercials to come out. It’s easy to see that they are just as popular — if not more so — than the game itself.

Everyone looks for the funniest or the most controversial ad, but this year, there seemed to be a new trend — ads that are inspiring and touching the heart.

There were some — like the Nationwide commercial where a young boy talked about all the things he would never be able to do because he died in an accident — that rubbed people the wrong way.

But, there was one that stood out.

Proctor & Gamble’s “#LikeAGirl” ad actually made me think about my own childhood.

In case you missed it, the commercial was focused on female empowerment. It is meant to inspire an effort to change the meaning of the phrase “like a girl” from being an insult into more of a compliment.

In the commercial, several boys and girls, ranging in ages, were asked to, “Show me what it looks like to run like a girl,” “Show me what it looks like to fight like a girl,” and “Show me what it looks like to throw like a girl.” Each one acted out overly feminine, stereotypical ways to do these things “like a girl.”

The commercial takes a turn when 10 year-old Dakota comes onto the screen.

These same questions were asked to Dakota, and several other pre-pubescent girls, but the results were completely different.

For these young girls, being “like a girl” wasn’t an insult yet. They saw girls as being powerful. They didn’t add the overly feminine touches to the actions they played out.

They were simply themselves.

The video states that during puberty, a girl’s confidence plummets — but it doesn’t

COMMENTARY

by

Kristen Stuck

have to.

The change in the way that girls viewed themselves with just a few years difference was shocking.

Why does doing something “like a girl” have to be a bad thing?

It’s something, as a female, that I know is wrong, but never really thought about. I always thought that doing something “like a girl” was negative, but I never took it being that I was weaker — I took it as a challenge.

I always was the girl that wanted to prove that I could do anything that a boy could do — and not only would I do it, but I would try my hardest to do it even better.

In an extended version of the commercial on the Always YouTube channel, the teen girls from the beginning of the commercial are revisited after their initial “like a girl” actions. The girls then take on a different stance once they realize the focus of the commercial.

One girl, when asked how it affect girls between the ages of 10 and 12 when somebody uses “like a girl” as an insult, replied, “I think it definitely drops their self-confidence and really puts them down, because during that time, they’re already trying to figure themselves out, and when somebody says ‘You hit like a girl’ it’s like, ‘Well, what does that mean?’ because they think they’re

a strong person. It’s kind of like telling them that they’re weak and they’re not as good as them.”

If we take these three simple words and just turn them around, what could we make of the girls that are about to come of age?

How powerful and wonderful could these girls be if we encouraged them and uplifted them for being girls instead of tearing them down?

One of the younger girls in the extended cut had no idea if being “like a girl” was a good thing or not, but even she was wise enough to realize that it sounds like you’re trying to humiliate someone when using that phrase.

If such a young girl can understand this, why can’t we?

Another teenage girl in the extended cut offered this advice to young girls that were told that they did something “like a girl”: “Keep doing it because it’s working,” she says. “If somebody else says that running like a girl, or kicking like a girl, or shooting like a girl is something that you shouldn’t be doing, that’s their problem. Because if you’re still scoring, and you’re still getting to the ball in time, and you’re still being first — you’re doing it right. It doesn’t matter what they say. Yes! I kick like a girl, and I swim like a girl, and I walk like a girl, and I wake up in the morning like a girl — because I am a girl. And that is not something that I should be ashamed of, so I’m going to do it anyway.”

So, to all of the girls out there — let’s make everything we do “like a girl” and show the world just how powerful we can be.

Kristen Stuck is UP Managing Editor

Page 4 Thursday, February 5, 2015

University Press

‘True West’offers intense, funny spectacle of brotherly love REVIEW TIM COLLINS UP CONTRIBUTOR ‘True West’ offers intense, darkly funny spectacle of brotherly love.

Two brothers — one a milquetoast, would-be screenwriter, Austin, and the other a dim-witted, sluggish greaser with a history of petty theft, Lee, housesit while their mother is away. The two have been estranged for some time, and do little more than exchange awkward, tense small talk about how long they may be staying or what the weather’s been like.

When Austin offers to lend Lee money, Lee, incensed at the offer, grabs Austin by the shirt and practically lifts him off the ground, yelling, “Don’t say that to me! Don’t you ever say that to me!”

This scene exemplifies Sam Shepard’s play “True West” currently at Beaumont Community Players through Feb. 14.

The two brothers couldn’t be more different. Austin (Blake Kyler) is developing a screenplay for Saul Kimmer (Jody Reho) a Hollywood producer, and is disturbed when Lee (Michael Mason) interrupts their meeting. Over a game of golf, Lee convinces Saul to drop Austin’s screenplay altogether, and offers his own idea as a representation of the “True West,” which Saul readily accepts. This drives a wedge between the brothers, and it’s not long before Austin and Lee are at each other’s throats.

Director Gina Henson does an effective job of conveying Shepard’s stark, humorous story. Kyler’s Austin is appropriately meek and nerdy, and Mason’s Lee is just as rough and bombastic as required. What really comes forth is the chemistry between the

LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP EDITOR @thegerven

Courtesy photos

Jody Reho, Michael Mason and Blake Kyler (left to right) rehearse a scene from True West. The Beaumont Community Players runs through Feb. 14. two, building over the course of the play. The lends authenticity to the production with a actors are obviously having fun, as evidenced soulful rendition of the traditional American

by Mason’s gleeful destruction of a typewriter folk song, “Wayfaring Stranger.”

The production, from its down-homey with a golf club or Kyler’s careful balancing musical accompaniment to its pre-recorded act with a tower of toast on a plate.

After their mother, played by Gladys coyote calls and cricket noises, to its bomThomas, returns home, the play comes to a bastic acting and vintage set dressing, caphead in the final act when both brothers fi- tures the essence of Shepard’s play, and truly nally let loose and litter the set with paper, reflects its depiction of familial strife. broken typewriter pieces and empty beer Performances for “True West” are Feb. cans, giving a visual spectacle to the eruption 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. of emotion occurring between the brothers.

Tickets are $16 for students, $18 general Musical accompaniment between admission. Student rush tickets are available scenes is provided by Silas Feemster, a for $8 30 minutes prior to each performance Southeast Texas folk and blues musician. as space permits.

The Betty Greenberg Center for the PerFeemster, whom one lady referred to as looking like “a young Lyle Lovett” with his forming Arts is located at 4155 Laurel in slicked-back hair and crooning expression, Beaumont.

Chartwells’ cupcake Mural to raise funds for food bank SIERRA KONDOS UP STAFF WRITER Chartwells will host a cupcake mural event to raise money for the Southeast Texas Food Bank, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Feb. 11, in the Setzer Student Center.

“Chartwells is tr ying to help LU students get involved with the community,” marketing manager Megan Marzullo said.

History department to host competition, Feb. 12, in SSC

The students will receive a raffle for each cupcake they buy for a chance to win prizes.

“The cupcakes are $2 a piece, and the students are welcome to donate,” she said.

Marzullo said Chartwells is looking to offer help to organizations on campus with their community ser vice projects.

For information, call 3516529.

The Lamar histor y department will host a National Histor y Day competition in the Setzer Student Center, 11:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m, Feb. 12.

“Several of the area schools, junior and senior high compete,” Beverly Williams, adjunct history professor, said. “The categories are documentaries, papers, websites, performances, and one more. The students compete either as an individual or as a group.”

Williams said that over 100 students will participate in the event.

“It’s our sixth year to organize the event,” she said.

“And the ones who win in our regional competition get to go to state in May to compete, winners at state go to Washington in June or July. Texas has had several winner at the national competition.”

The event will take place in several different locations in the Setzer Student Center.

“Some of it will be in the ballroom,” Williams said.

“Other events are in other smaller rooms, exhibits are al-

ways in the ballroom, other parts like documentaries, and performances are held elsewhere.”

Williams said that judges aren’t limited to Lamar history professors.

“We have judges from throughout the community,” she said. “We have schoolteachers, and some of our library faculty help judge, too.

They are all qualified judges, not just from our histor y department, but most of them are.”

After judging, the public can come look at the exhibits, but not before judging ends.

“The exhibits stay up for about three hours,” Williams said. “Judging will start at 11:30 a.m. and then they have a period of time that judges and students can go look at them. This year we also have a student choice award, where the students themselves will vote on what they believe is overall the best exhibit.”

Williams said that the department uses the event as a tool to promote Lamar, as well as history.

For more information about the event, contact Williams at bfwilliams @lamar.edu.

Hirasaki establishes chemical engineering scholarship The Lamar University Foundation has announced that an endowed scholarship has been established for the College of Engineering. The Dr. George J. Hirasaki Scholarship in Chemical Engineering will provide funding for outstanding students to further their studies at Lamar.

“It’s a great honor that Dr. Hirasaki made this generous donation to Lamar,” said Victor Zaloom, interim dean of the College of Engineering.

“This scholarship allows worthy students to concentrate on their studies

and to realize their dream of a career in chemical engineering.”

Hirasaki graduated cum laude from Lamar in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering.

While at Lamar, Hirasaki belonged to the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Blue Key Honor Society and Alpha Phi Omega. He then earned a doctorate of philosophy in chemical engineering from Rice University.

After a 26-year career with Shell Development and Shell Oil Company, Hirasaki joined the Rice University fac-

ulty where he currently holds the title of A.J. Hartsook Professor Emeritus of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Throughout his career, Hirasaki has received numerous awards including the Lester C. Uren Award from the Society of Petroleum Engineers, as well as being elected to the membership of the National Academy of Engineering in 1991.

For more information about establishing an endowed scholarship, contact the Lamar University Foundation at 880-2117.

5

ARTS

Thursday, February 5, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

meditationsondeath,life ‘Memento Mundi’ exhibit on display Feb. 7-28 BRITTANY TAWATER UP CONTRIBUTOR “People get a feeling for my work that it’s dark, macabre or ‘Gothic,’” Kailee Viator says. “I don’t think it’s that way, though. I think there’s very much light in my work.

“It’s a lot about just revering the dead and acceptance of death. And living life to the fullest — because you know you’re gonna die one day.”

Viator’s bubbly personality might initially perplex audiences when they see the artwork for her show, “Memento Mundi,” which includes shadow boxes filled with snake skins, cicadas skins, wax and ceramic skulls.

The exhibition will be on display, Feb. 7-28, at The Art Studio, Inc. The show will open with a free reception, 7-10 p.m., Feb. 7.

In her late teens, the 24-yearold says she spent a fair amount of time listening to Nine Inch Nails and making paintings of road kill — her favorite being one of a coyote. She has always liked dead things. She points at a snake skin.

“I had a friend bring it to me — they knew I would like it because it was dead,” she says.

Viator’s grandfather died in 2009. This, coupled with a study abroad trip to Italy, caused a shift in her philosophy.

“After my grandpa passed away, I switched gears a little bit,” she says. “It wasn’t to shock people anymore, it was about reflecting on death and what comes after — and this is after I went to Italy. If I didn’t go to Italy it wouldn’t have happened like this.

“It’s definitely about life.

Death. Afterlife. I don’t know.

And I think people think too

much about what happens after all of this.”

Her grandfather, Craig Hoyal, taught Viator how to draw.

“He was a very important influence,” she says. “We’ve all lost people that we care about, and a lot of people never deal with those feelings.

“For me, art is definitely the way you can let loose of things like that, and come to realizations about things and learn from things through it. I like to think that’s in my work. But I guess people can be the judge of that when they see it.”

While making art can be a solitary endeavor, Viator says she prefers to work in the presence of other artists.

“You feed off each others’ energy,” she says. “Unless things get a little too personal, then you have to be by yourself. It’s been very therapeutic working late at night. Turn my music up loud, that’s been a good release.”

Like all artists, Viator is in two minds when it comes to people liking her work.

“Yes, because I am human — I want people to like me and I want people to like my work,” she says. “No, because I make art for myself. That’s the initial reason.

“Because once you put something on the wall or on a pedestal, it’s not about you anymore.”

Viator’s work includes several perishable items, which means her work will not last for hundreds of years, but she is fine with that.

“Everything is going to decay eventually,” she says. “If all my work caught on fire — not gonna lie, I would be an absolute wreck for a while, but it’s not like that stops me from making new

Courtesy Photo

Artist and Lamar University alumnus Kailee Viator’s show “Memento Mundi” will be on display Feb. 7-28 at The Art Studio.

stuff. And there’s always going to be something else. You know you make something that you’re really, really, really proud of — that you spent a lot of time on. And you want to just keep it to yourself. Then I think about it and I step back from that part of myself like, ‘Stop being so attached to material things.’”

Viator graduated from Lamar University with a BFA in painting in 2013. It was there that she learned the most important skills for an artist — how to see, how to use different materials and how to be disciplined.

Since completing her studies, Viator has begun training to be an X-ray technician.

Absorbing creative energy from the people, places and objects surrounding her, Viator regurgitates her memories in her own charming, yet twisted way.

She recently began a series of drawings inspired by X-rays of intestines filled with barium.

Another source of inspiration was her recent travel to Sedona, Ariz.

Viator says her work strives to portray something universal.

“I show things because I want to relay a message,” she says. “I think there’s nostalgia in it, too.

“People are so afraid of the future. And we spend all this time worrying about the future or worrying about the past (so) that the present never happens. I spent so much time worrying about the past and I’m just starting to let that go in the last couple of years. I’m a much happier person.”

If she had unlimited resources and time, Viator says she would clean her house more, cook delicious food every night and lounge around.

“But I would produce art for sure,” she says. “My studio would be more organized. I could find things.

“I’m a foodie. In the past couple of years I think that’s kinda revolutionized the way I think about life. You get out what you put in with everything.”

The works in Viator’s show will feature a variety of techniques, from collages to ceramics.

“I do clay up at Lamar with Linnis Blanton, he’s my Zen guru — he’s amazing,” she says. “You have to meet that man. He’s the sweetest ever. He and Forest Goodhue, who is 81 years old and is my favorite person on the planet. He reminds me of my grandpa a lot. Even the straw hat — he does clay up there, too.

They’re just very supportive.

They’re amazing.

“I go up there to play with clay because it makes me feel better, because clay is very ther-

‘HEARTIST BY ARTISTS’ AUCTION BENEFIT SET FOR FEB. 12 Darrell Troppy’s annual heart show, “Heartist by Artists,” a charity fundraiser for The American Heart Association for the Golden Triangle, will be held 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Feb. 12, in his studio located at 1393 Broadway in Beaumont.

Contributing artists include Inez Alvidrez, Adam Cook, Annie Green, Abigail McLaurin, Barbara Allamon, Summer Lydick, Nathan McCrary, Evelyn Sibley, Andy Coughlan and Troppy.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day every year, I invite local artists to join me in depicting their own unique variations of — you guessed it — the heart,” Troppy said.

“The works are showcased and auctioned in the annual heart show, with part of the proceeds benefiting a local non-profit organization chosen by me as the recipient of our donation. Each year, I put the names of all local charities into a hat and draw a name.

“For this year’s recipient, I drew The American Heart Association for the Golden Triangle.”

Nearly 100 works of art submitted by nine local artists will be displayed for a

silent auction, with opening bids starting at $100. Raffle tickets will also be sold for $20.

One lucky winner will walk away with a 2x6 heartwork by Darrell Troppy.

Admission is free but donations are encouraged. Attire is business casual.

“Dress to kill, and feel free to wear your heart on your sleeve,” Troppy said.

For more information, visit the “Heartist by Artist” Facebook page.

apeutic.”

Viator is constantly changing gears, reacting to changes in her life — which is why she says she likes working with clay.

“If I sketch something, I never do it because if I’ve sketched it, I’ve already made it in my mind. Why would I make it again?” she says. “(But clay) is reactionary. Reacting to the surface, reacting to the clay.

Reacting to whatever objects I’ve

Courtesy Photo

worms eat me, let me become a tree or earthworms, grass, because it’s cyclical. We are interrupting a cycle — we’re like an infestation or something.”

And that’s not a bad thing.

Maybe Viator will end up part of another artist’s work, like the cicadas and snakes and butterflies that make up her own.

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

High Street Gallery to host ‘Fever Dreams’ The High Street Gallery will host an exhibition of mixed media artwork by three up-and-coming artists, Chris Presley, Steffen Sangster, and Everett Beaujon, 7-10 p.m., Feb. 13. The gallery is located in Victoria House, 2110 Victoria St. in Beaumont.

“Chris Presley is a founding member of High Street Gallery, and a former resident of Victoria House, where the gallery is located,” Olivia Busceme, gallery director, said. “He has brought along two other young artists and we’re very pleased to show their sundry works on Friday the thirteenth.”

Art work by Steffen Sangster, left, Everett Beaujon, middle, and Chris Presley will be on display 7-10 p.m., Feb. 13, at the Victoria House.

Artwork by Darrell Troppy

collected to put into something.”

For someone whose work, on the surface at least, seems to deal with the dark forces of nature, Viator is bright and positive, and is looking forward to returning to Italy one day.

But she is also well aware of her place in the universal plan.

“When I die, I don’t want to be put in a casket — I just want to be dropped in a hole in the ground,” she says. “Let the

Entry is free and the work will be for sale. Refreshments will be available at the event. The exhibit is titled, “Fever Dreams.”

Southeast Texans all, Presley works mostly in ink and sometimes oils, while Beaujon works with photography and collage. Sangster just uses whatever materials he has available.

“I am obsessed with processes.

Imperfections and messes also interest me,” Sangster said. “I have no intended perceptions.”

Presley’s main influences are Salvador Dali, Ed Templeton, Blu and

Junji Ito. Sangster says he is influenced by Andy Warhol, Martin Kippenberger and John Baldessari.

Presley describes his work as dark and surreal, but measured.

“I want to convey the sense that these things could be real, but in all reality you know it’s more likely the essence of the subconscious,” he said.

For more information, email vicFacebook page, or www.naked dads.com

Page 6 Thursday, February 5, 2015

University Press

a L

a s B k e r t a b a m

ll

2014-2015 G ood Luck Cards $ Lady Cards on your Upcoming games

SPORTS UP SPORTS BRIEFS Men’s Basketball The Cardinals lost a road game to Sam Houston State, 79-50, Monday in Huntsville. The loss brings the team to 11-11 on the season (5-5 Southland Conference).

“Sam Houston came out tonight and played like they didn't want someone beating them on their home floor, and we didn't match their intensity,” Lamar head coach Tic Price said. “I’m very disappointed with our effort. They played like a team that was hungry, and determined to win a conference title and we didn't respond. We can't afford to be reactive going into someone’s house. We have to be proactive.”

Senior Anthony Holliday led the team in scoring with 14.

Sam Houston had five players in double figures.

Lamar will return to the court Saturday, when they travel to San Antonio to play Incarnate Word.

Game starts at 7:30 p.m.

Track and Field The LU men’s and women’s track teams made the final push before the Southland Conference championships Saturday, at the Howie Ryan Invitational in Houston and the UW Invitational in Seattle, Wash.

“As a whole, we had some really good things happen over the weekend,” head coach Trey Clark said.

“Now we just have some injuries to heal, and need to give the kids a break before we go to the Southland Conference Championships.”

In Houston, Dominique Taylor broke Lamar’s school record in the 60-meter hurdles, posting a time of 8.67. She finished sixth on the day.

She owns four of the top five times on Lamar’s all-time 60-meter hurdle list.

In Seattle, Sam Stabler finished second in the 3000-meter run with a time of 7:53.98, moving him into first place in the Southland Conference and second nationally. This set a new career personal record for Stabler.

Next, the team will travel to Birmingham, Ala. for the SLC championship, Feb. 16.

Softball The Lady Cardinals will head to Gulf Shores, Ala., tomorrow, where they will compete in the Sand Dollar Classic tournament this weekend. Tomorrow they will face Florida International and Jackson State.

Saturday, they will play Liberty University and Southern Miss. They’ll wrap up their series against Eastern Kentucky University, Sunday.

“I know the team is ready to face some game situations, rather than just competing against themselves in practice,” head coach Holly Bruder said. “They want to go out and show that all of this hard work is paying off.”

After the Sand Dollar, the team will prepare for the Mississippi State Invitational, Feb. 13-15.

7 Thursday, February 5, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

LADY CARDS MOVE INTO TOP SPOT O’DELL SCORES 20 IN 76-72 SOUTHLAND WIN OVER STEPHEN F. AUSTIN COTY DAVIS UP STAFF WRITER LU freshman Baileigh O’Dell stepped up for LU’s women’s basketball team in the Montagne Center, Saturday, with a team high 20 points and five assists, to give the Lady Cardinals (11-10 overall, 8-2 Southland) a 7672 win over Abilene Christian University in Southland Conference play.

With 33.1 seconds remaining in regulation, O’Dell made both free throws after being fouled by Wildcats’ forward Suzzy Dimba to snap a 72-72 tie for LU. “It gives me a lot of confidence that my team believes in me,” O’Dell said. “To have my team trust in my ability to make both free throws under pressure puts a lot of confidence in me.”

After O’Dell’s free throws, ACU missed back-to-back 3-pointers as they tried to regain the lead in the final seconds.

A missed three by Wildcats’ guard Ellyn Avery, led to LU forward Dominique Edwards grabbing the rebound and knocking down both free throws to seal the win.

Edwards earned her ninth double-double of the season, scoring 16 points with 14 rebounds. This marked her 20th-career double-double.

Forward Dominique Edwards goes up for a layup during the Lady Cardinals’ 76-72 victory against Stephen F. Austin in the Montagne Center, Saturday.

POSTSEASON ••••••• Continued from page 1 versely affect you, so it’s something that you have to be very, very careful with.”

In addition to their postseason ban, the Cards’ practice time has been limited to 16 hours a week from the normal 20 hours.

“The NCAA requires you to have one day off,” Henderson said. “(Lamar’s) now required to have two days off. That time is spent doing academics. On the two days we take off, we do two extra hours of study hall during that time.”

“I knew we needed a big-time board and I was determined not to let anyone take it from me,” Edwards said. “While walking up to the line, I was saying a little prayer to keep myself calm. I had a lot confidence in myself, because I make free throws every day in practice.”

Lady Cardinals head coach Robin Harmony said that the win showed the team’s will to never give up.

During the first half, the Lady Cardinals had their share of trouble, looking far from the best team in conference.

“We were upset in the first half, and I got on them a few times during timeouts,” Harmony said. “For us to be a great basketball team, it is about hard work and pride. We had to push ourselves and say we are not going to lose this game.”

The Wildcats outrebounded the Lady Cardinals 16-12, and forced 11 turnovers in the first half. The Wildcats had a 41-38 lead going into the half.

Five minutes into the second half, Lamar called a timeout, trailing 56-47.

Coming out of the timeout, LU went on a 10-0 run to take a 57-56 lead. The run was led by the team’s season-leader in scoring, JaMeisha Edwards, who had 16 of her 18 points in the second half.

“We got some huge stops in the second half, but we also got lucky because Abilene Christian missed some wide open threepointers,” Harmony said. “We cannot take any team lightly. Everybody we play tries to knock us off our nest. We have to be ready every night.”

The win moved Lamar into first place in the Southland Conference, one game ahead of Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State.

The Lady Cardinals have no time to rest as they return to action tonight, traveling to Abilene for a rematch against the Wildcats.

Harmony says that she thinks the backto-back games against ACU will help the Lady Cardinals as they move forward in conference play.

If a player transfers schools, with a minimum GPA of 2.6, then the school is not charged a point.

Henderson said the situation has more to do with last year’s team, rather than this year’s.

“It’s hard for this group to be penalized because of what some other people did, but it’s where we are,” he said. “I feel for our seniors who can’t play in postseason. They put a lot of time and effort in. They’ve really helped us start turning some of those corners that we want to see.”

All four seniors on the squad are expected to graduate this May, and Henderson said he’s proud of that fact.

He went on to say that the players are

Photo by LU media relations

Guard Baileigh O’Dell attempts a 3-point shot during the second half of Saturday’s game against SFA. She had a team high 20 points.

monitored closely, and that every measure is being taken to provide the players with the proper services they need to succeed in the classroom.

“They’ve taken care of their business,” he said. “They’re setting that new standard of what we expect in the classroom.”

This year’s seniors include Anthony Holliday, Tyran de Lattibeaudiere, Donovan Ross, and Sebastian Norman.

“They’ve done a great job with sticking to the program,” Henderson said. “They’ve really become leaders.

I’m proud of the example they’ve set.

They decided they wanted to finish what they started here. They want to get their

Men’s Tennis The Lamar men’s tennis team defeated Siminole State University 7-0, Saturday, at Lamar’s Thompson Family Tennis Center.

Jeandre Hoogenboezem and Mikko Rajamaki won the first doubles match 6-1. Benny Schweizer and Juuso Laitinen won their match 7-5.

“I felt doubles was better today,” head coach Scott Shankles said.

“We were challenged at lines one and two, and took care of business at line three. It was a nice lift going into singles after winning the doubles point.”

Lamar went undefeated in the singles.

Freshman Benny Schweizer earned his first ever collegiate win.

LU will return to action tomorrow against Prarie View A&M, and Rice.

Photo by LU media relations

Forward Donavon Ross attempts a layup during a 78-75 victory over LSU-Alexandria in the Montagne Center, Nov. 16.

UP Jared McClelland

degree from Lamar University.”

The official news on whether or not Lamar will be eligible for postseason play next season has not been announced yet, but Henderson said he feels good about where the team will be next year. He also said that Lamar is taking measures to prevent this situation from occurring in the future.

“The APR is here to stay, and we’re going to master it,” he said. “I look at it at least once a month now, run projections of where we are and what might happen. We talk about those things all the time now, and those weren’t really things we talked about five or six years ago.”

Henderson said he has no doubt that the program will bounce back, and that this situation won’t hinder the program’s ability to grow.

“We knew this year was going to be a rebuilding year,” he said. “I don’t think it set us back. I would love for us to be able to play in postseason play this year, but I also know that we’re building towards the future.”

Henderson said that the team’s penalties haven’t affected recruitment.

“We didn’t lose any scholarships,” he said. “It helps when we tell our story.

When we bring recruits in, we can show them what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and what we’re doing now. It’s a very good selling point for us, that we’re doing everything the right way.”

Despite Lamar’s inability to play in the postseason, attendance in Montagne Center has significantly increased compared with last season, Henderson said.

“A lot of the fan base knows that we couldn’t go to postseason, but I think they want to see us be successful longterm,” he said. “I think the base has seen the turn around on the court, and I think they’ll see it when the new academic numbers come out.”

Lamar is not the only school in the SLC that has been affected by the APR ruling. Houston Baptist and Central Arkansas are also suffering from the same penalties.

“We’re not alone in this,” Henderson said. “We’re where we want to be at, though, which is long-term successful.”

Henderson said the ban did not happen because of one person or player, but because of a conglomeration of events that have occurred within the last three to four years.

“Some of it is in our control, some of it’s not,” he said. “The NCAA has a set of rules, then you got to play by it.

We’ll adapt, and we’ll make changes.”

Page 8 Thursday, February 5, 2015

University Press

Silicon Valley entrepreneur to lecture, today Mark Bowles, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, is the founder and co-inventor of the technology behind ecoATM, a company acquired in 2013 by Outerwall for $350 million.

He is the holder of nine patents with 30 patents pending.

“An Entrepreneur’s Journey from Innovation to Commercialization” will be the topic of discussion for the Entrepreneurial Lecture Series. The lecture by Bowles is scheduled for Thursday at 11:10 a.m. in Landes Auditorium in the Galloway Building on the Lamar campus. The lecture series, sponsored in part

by ExxonMobil and hosted by the Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, features successful entrepreneurs who share their experiences with students in the College of Business and the community.

"We are very excited to host a great Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur like Mark

Bowles,” said Paul Latiolais, director of the Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship and the IES. “Mark has seen his company grow from startup to a world leader. His insight and passion for education will make for a great presentation for Lamar students."

Bowles was born and raised in Beaumont, attended Lamar University for three years before graduating from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in industrial distribution. With more than 25 years of experience in wireless, semiconductor and retail industries, Bowles founded ecoATM, the first and only company to use automated self-service kiosks to evaluate and purchase consumers’ used electronic devices for resale or recycling.

The lecture is open to the public without charge.

Black History month events rang in with cake cutting, Monday.

Everette Warric-Love, San Antonio senior, cuts a cake to kick off a series of Black History month events, Monday in the Setzer Student Center. Cynthia Parra, Assistant Director of Multicultral Programing was on hand to represent the office of multicultural enhancement, which is helping to organize the events.

UP photo by Jac’Quor Williams

— WORLD VIEW — What is the most common misconception about your home country?

It is funny, because when you enter my city it says, “Strasbourg: Capital of Europe,” and then you go to Brussels and it says, “Brussels, Capital of Europe.” We are kind of fighting over that because we have the European Parliament in Strasbourg. People have told me French people are rude or they are always drinking wine.

Stereotypes always have a little something to them. Wine is just a part of our tradition. Here, it is a little bit different because you have to wait until you are 21 to buy or drink alcohol. My grandparents have vineyards, and when I was a kid, all my family would go every summer to help them out.

When we go to my grandparents’ house, there is going to be a bottle of wine at the table for lunch and dinner.

If not, it is like the fork is missing — it has to be there. We are not going to drink 10 glasses. We drink one. It just goes with the meal.

What would you like people to know about your home country?

France is actually smaller than Texas, and it is divided into 22 regions.

stroyed, but the cathedral stood. It is so strong. That is very cool.

Helene Czudek, Strasbourg, France, Graduate Student Each region has its own traditions.

The name of my region is Alsace, and they speak Alsatian, as well as French.

Here, (in Texas), it is very industrial and very flat. Where I live, we have mountains and it’s green and we have a lot of vineyards. You drive an hour from there and you are in the center of the city. It is very modern, but they

keep the traditional houses in the center of the city. A big symbol for my city is the Strasbourg Cathedral. It was built back in the 12th century, during the Middle Ages. It is 140-meters tall and it looks so amazing. My region touches the border of Germany. It’s crazy, because with all the wars, most houses and parts of the city were de-

What is a big cultural difference between the U.S. and your home country?

I came here in August 2010, so the first shock for me was the weather. We don’t have the humidity you guys have here. You guys drive way more. We do not have trucks. The highways are so big.

Everything is so huge. You can’t walk to a store here, but back home I can. We walk a lot more and use public transportation, like the bus or train. You can take a train anytime, to any destination, all around Europe. The food, of course, is very different. A lot of people here eat out because everything is so fast. Back home we organize our day to take time to enjoy our meals. I think more people eat at home in France.

We eat a lot of steamed or grilled vegetables, we don’t eat a lot of fried food. We eat a little bit healthier, I guess. The stores here are open all the time. If I am hungry and I want ice cream, I can go get it and that’s awesome. Back home I can’t because the stores close around 8 p.m.

World View is an ongoing series that aims to spotlight the international diversity that adds to Lamar University’s rich culture.

Compiled by Mason Malmay

What would you like people in your home countr y to know about the U.S.?

People are really friendly, maybe because it is Southeast Texas — people say that. When I walk in a store they say, “Hey, how are you doing?”

Here, you will talk to a stranger and start a conversation. In France, you will never see that. People would be like, “Do I know you?” It’s just not part of our culture. The day I came here everybody was so welcoming and nice to me. And I was struggling at first because of the language and the accent here was different from what I learned in school. It was tough for me to understand everything. It took a while for people to understand me, too, but, they were really nice.

When I go back home it is the best thing ever, but when I’m in Texas, I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be. Coming here was the greatest decision that I could have made in my life. Getting to know another culture, language and people has given me reason to think about what I want for my professional and personal life. My experiences have made me realize that America is where I want to spend my future.