UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Newspaper of Lamar University
Vol. 95, No. 21 April 4, 2019
STEM BUILDING UNVEILED Lamar opens doors to new Science, Tech facility Cassandra Jenkins UP editor
The new Science and Technology Building, located near Monroe and Campbell halls, officially opened its doors, Wednesday afternoon. The new structure is the first fully academic building on the campus in more than four decades. The modern building is set to accommodate the various needs of the STEM fields, with its modern labs, cold rooms, state-of-the-art “Makers’ Space,” 3D printer and more. “This Science and Technology building encompasses approximately 83,000 square feet,” LU President Kenneth Evans said. “It holds seven instructional labs, 14 research labs, a large project and instruction room, as well as a ‘Maker’s Space,’ that is full of President Evans along with other faculty and sponsors cut the ribbon on the new Science and Tech Building, Wednesday.
Vocology lecture set for Tuesday Tiana Johnson UP contributor
College students use their voices every day. They give speeches and presentations, music majors sing, and theater majors project their voices for hundreds to hear while performing. This everyday skill should not be taken for granted. Phi Kappa Phi national honor society will host “Vocology: Origins and Implications,” Tuesday, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., in the Wayne A. Reaud Executive Event Center. The faculty lecture will discuss the importance of vocology — the study and practice of voice
UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
See STEM page 3
BRINGING ART TO LIFE ‘Dance Unleashed’ to be held April 12-14
habilitation. “Vocology is an emerging discipline that connects speech science, speech anatomy and physiology,” Rebekah Maxwell, Reaud Honors College coordinator, said. “It is relevant to all professional voice users.” The event will be an educational opportunity for the entire campus, Maxwell said. “Whether or not an individual is professionally or personally interested in vocology, it will be an interesting learning opportunity,” she said. The topic was suggested
Sydney Halvorson UP contributor
Singing, projections and emotion will supplement “Dance Unleashed,” the LU department of theatre and dance spring dance concert, April 12-14. Travis Prokop, LU dance professor, said the showcase features a new crop of students who are starting to emerge. This year’s showcase will push the comfort zones of both the faculty and student performers, he said. “We’re producing art that people can relate to, be entertained to and see a little bit of themselves,” he said. Prokop said the students spend mornings and nights training, not only to choreograph, but to perform and dance. “This is a fully integrated performance of pre-professional dancers,” he said. Senior Austin Jones will perform with DeShonna Harris. Their costuming gives the impression they are nude. “Travis told us we should take personal experiences,” Jones said. Harris said there is an intimacy
See VOCOLOGY page 2
SGA announces new executives Olivia Malick UP managing editor
Election results for the 2019 Student Government Association were announced Friday with a runoff election for vice president taking place yesterday. The new president for fall 2019 is Edward Doan, outgoing Secretary-Trea-
surer, who got 57.5 percent of 673 votes. Results of the vice presidential runoff election between Jackson Dolce and Luis Espinoza were not available at press time. Haya Alani was elected as the new Secretary-Treasurer with 56.5 percent of 651 votes. Timesha Miller See SGA page 2
UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
Kaasaundra Davis and Austin Jones practice their performance ‘Canvas in Motion’ in the University Theatre, March 28. Their choreography is part of the upcoming spring concert “Dance Unleashed,” which will take place April 12-14 in the University Theatre.
LU participates in hunger drive
UP photo by Abigail Pennington
Krystal Bradley, Beaumont native, runs the stand where Matthew Whiteing and Jonathan Pamugo Jr., Stanford write encouraging notes to put inside “MATTERboxes,” in front of Brooks-Shivers Dining Hall, March 28.
www.facebook.com/UPLamar
See UNLEASHED page 2
Eleanor Skelton UP contributor
Volunteers with bright orange boxes and pamphlets that said, in bold letters, “YOU MATTER,” lined up in front of Brooks-Shivers Dining Hall, March 27-28. MATTERboxes is part of the One Million Acts of Good initiative, organized through Lamar’s dining service, Chartwells, in partnership with General Mills, the “Ellen” show
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and the Minnesota non-profit MATTER, Jack Spurlock, event organizer and Chartwells marketing manager, said. Chartwells picked the 100 most successful school accounts in their system to participate in the drive, Spurlock said. Chartwells is a contract food service management for 290 colleges and universities across the nation. The program gives away See MATTERBOX page 2
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INSIDE
Thursday, April 4, 2019 University Press
MATTERBOX healthy snacks and educational material about nutrition to help fight food insecurities nationwide. MATTER’s mission is to give disadvantaged people a chance at a healthier life, Chartwells stated in a news release. The company expects to donate 20,000 MATTERboxes this year. “This volunteer program connects us all through compassion and kindness for a better community with our peers, campuses and communities,” Chartwells Higher Education CEO Lisa McEuen said in the re-
—Jason Collins
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lease. LU participants packed boxes with whole grain Cheerios and Nature Valley bars, as well as nutrition information. Each box contained a note that with the words “YOU MATTER” printed on it. Volunteers hand-wrote notes on the back to accompany the donation. “The hardest part was writing the note,” Ruth Stanley, Lamar communication instructor, who donated two boxes, said. “I tried to write a different note for each one, just in case the same person gets both boxes.” Volunteers were en-
UNLEASHED about their dance. “In this duet, I’m learning that I’m not the only one vulnerable, that we have to get comfortable together,” she said. Another featured piece by Prokop is about a young person’s guide to the orchestra called “Fugue.” “The whole piece runs through the entire orchestra, what the instruments are and what their job is,” he said. The showcase will feature student and faculty choreographed pieces that were performed at American College Dance Association in front of 25 colleges. “We like to include that in our faculty concerts, to show the students we are proud of
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it’s a good place to start.”
couraged to donate to One Million Acts of Good directly through PayPal after they filled their boxes. Spurlock said he is not sure how many people donated because it goes directly to the non-profit and not through Chartwells, but 400 people on campus helped to fill the boxes. Keely Breaux, a senior dental hygiene student, said she took part to inspire others. “I think it’s cool to inspire kids no matter what their situation is,” she said. “Anything is possible, they can make it. It’s important to spread positivity.”
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them,” Prokop said. “My job as a mentor is not to tell them how to do it, but to guide them in a path that is interesting for them. It becomes less about reciting information and more about nurturing the artist.” “Dance Unleashed” will feature the performers pushing boundaries and bringing new ideas to the table for people to enjoy and relate to, Prokop said. Genres include aeriel silks, modern, contemporary, tap, jazz, ballroom and ballet. “We try to pull from as many genres as we can, because that is what we teach our students to be, to master as much as they can, so that when they graduate, they are more hireable,” he
said. Prokop said that the concert reflects where the faculty and students are today. “In terms of what we are bringing to the table, it’s a version of ourselves,” he said. “This is 2019 — the 2019 of us. This is what art teaches us, to be interested in other people, and to be compassionate and care about the lives of other people, so our society can grow as a whole.” Show times for “Dance Unleased” are 7:30 p.m., April 12, 13, and 2 p.m. April 14 in the University Theatre. Tickets are $7 for LU/LIT students, $10 for faculty, staff, senior citizens and students, and $10 for general admission. For more, visit lamar.edu/theatre.
Lauryn Brough, freshman pre-nursing student, said the program was personal for her. “I’ve been in that position where you actually need something,” she said, tearfully. “I think it would be a better place if people took the time to help someone else.” Spurlock is an alumni of Lamar and graduated with a degree in corporate communications in 2015 before he was hired at Chartwells. “I think it was a success,” he said. “We were able to complete 200 of the MATTERboxes and they were actually
dropped off at Some Other Place.” Spurlock said the handwritten notes added a personal connection to the donation, and it is one more act of kindness that might brighten someone’s day. “It feels great bringing this type of volunteer event to the campus itself,” he said. “The fact that it is a local donation — it’s better to bring it closer to home rather than have it somewhere else. “It’s better to get back to those that need help in our community.”
VOCOLOGY
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by Phi Kappa Phi treasurer, Debra Greschner. “The presentation will discuss the physiology, function and care of the voice,” she said. “As well as discussing the study of vocology, and its benefits to the general population.” Greschner said the speakers are the faculty for vocology certificate at Lamar University, which welcomed its first cohort in January 2019. Although the event is labeled as a faculty lec-
ture, Maxwell said everyone is welcome to attend. “I hope individuals across campus attend,” she said. “We welcome student, faculty and staff from Lamar, so they can see one way Phi Kappa Phi is active on campus and supports Lamar University students, faculty, and staff. It is also a way for Phi Kappa Phi members to network with each other.” For more information, call 880-2219.
SGA
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was elected senior senator after running unopposed. Tyler Martin was elected as junior senator after running unopposed. Outgoing vice president Natalie Sfeir said that dedication is the
key to success in SGA. “I can tell that this is something that these students care about and if they dedicate their time in office to SGA, then they will be able to see the change they seek,” she said.
NOTICE
The University Press can be read online at www.lamar.edu/university-press Advertising rates can be found on the site, along with practically all information that a person might be looking for.
CALENDAR
April 4
CAPM Critical Issues in Crisis Management — SETX Port and Maritime Industry Workshop 113 CICE Building 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
April 4
Fifth Annual Access Transition Fair McDonald Gym and Setzer Student Center 9 a.m to 1:15 p.m.
April 4
Educators’ Career Fair Ballroom, Setzer Student Center 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
April 5
Theatre & Dance present — “Canvas in Motion” University Theatre 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
April 7
LU Men’s Tennis vs. Incarnate Word Thompson Family Tennis Center 12 p.m.
April 8
Author Night: Poet Dede Fox and Writer Andrew Geyer 106 Maes Building 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
April 9-10
Bringing in the Bystander Training Cypress 1 & 2, Setzer Student Center Mon. — 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tues. — 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
UNIVERSITY PRESS • Thursday, April 4, 2019
STEM
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really incredible, cool tools, that student teams can use in working together in ideation prototyping a really fascinating project in a cross interdisciplinary fashion.” Evans said the facility is critically important to the campus as LU continues to advance their footprint in the STEM curriculum and research fields. “(The building) will additionally support four interdisciplinary research teams, provide research and instructional labs for all science disciplines impacting students — freshmen all the way through the doctoral level,” he said. “Research teams will involve faculty and students from four values and five academic colleges, cover topics such as natural remediation solutions, rural health care, automated device development, and technologically advanced educational techniques.” Marcus Rodgers, junior mechanical engineer student, said the new Science and Technology Building is a step in the right direction for LU.
“Not only are the numerous works of art in this facility amazing, but the state-of-the-art labs and projects will increase collaboration and prepare students, like myself, better for our future careers. “With this exciting new building, students will be able to use innovative technology and spaces to get hands on with concepts learned in class. More importantly, we will be able to develop teamwork and collaboration skills across disciplines and reach new heights.” Rodgers summed up the discription of the building and its impact on the community as a whole. “This building makes large strides towards modernizing our university STEM programs,” he said. “The interior and infrastructure are centered around fresh, out-of-the-box ideas to change the way we approach problems. I think the Science and Technology Building is a great opportunity for collaboration and innovation at Lamar University.”
Visitors view the mosaic mural, right, featured in the new Science and Technology Building, Wednesday. Students, faculty and staff, above, tour of the new facility and its state-of-theart amenities following the grand opening. The STEM building is the first completely academic building to be added at Lamar in more than 40 years. UP photos by Noah Dawlearn
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Thursday, April 4, 2019 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
Intramurals shines light on cricket April Marble UP contributor
Lamar’s intramural cricket league held a clinic, Saturday, to shed light on the rules and gameplay of one of the world’s most popular sports. Cricket is a ball-and-bat sport that draws a lot of comparison to its American counterpart — baseball. Although cricket’s popularity in the United States is low, there are 105 countries that play cricket, and many recognize it as their national sport either officially or unofficially, including India, Australia and South Africa. “Cricket has been around much longer than baseball, having been around since the 1500s, and without cricket, there would be no baseball,” Josh Harrington, coordinator of intramurals and sports clubs, said. Due to the popularity of the sport in other countries, intramural cricket draws many international students to the league. “In America, it’s football. In India, it’s cricket,” Pawankumar Sarma, industrial engineering graduate student, said. “When you’re young, your parents put a bat
in your hand and tell you to play cricket. We’re raised watching and playing, and it’s the only sport we grow up knowing.” Sarma joined the league during his first semester at Lamar in fall of 2018. “As soon as I found out there was a league, I signed up,” he said. “I don’t know anything about American sports. Everyone where I’m from plays cricket and we love it.” While there are similarities between baseball and cricket, there are key differences in the way the games are played. In cricket, each team takes turns batting and playing the field, as in baseball. In cricket, the batter is a batsman and the pitcher is a bowler. The bowler tries to knock down the bails of the wicket — one of two small sticks placed on the wicket, which consists of three stumps driven into the round — and a batsman tries to prevent the bowler from hitting the wicket by hitting the ball. “In pro matches, you’ll see scores of 200 to 300 with games that last for 12 hours, but we scale it down in order
to be able to play a full game,” Harrington said. “Instead of 40 overs — which is like an inning in baseball — we play eight, and each game takes a couple of hours.” Despite their differences, the similarities between baseball and cricket can help bridge the gap for new players to learn the game. “If you know about baseball, it’s easier to learn because of the similarities,” Lokesh Kolhe, industrial engineering graduate student, said. Kolhe joined intramural cricket in fall 2017 as both player and umpire. “Although there are a lot of rules in cricket, I think it’s easy for new players once you let them bat a few times and then let them move on to other parts of the game,” he said. Kolhe said this is the best time to learn the sport. “This is the best game right now,” he said. “I believe there will be a lot of people involved in this game because it’s continuing to grow in popularity across the globe.” For more information, call 880-8331, or email intramurals@lamar.edu.
UP photo by Cassandra Jenkins
LU campus participates in ‘Walk a Mile’
UP photos by Abigail Pennington
Students and faculty march across campus for LU’s annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” Tuesday. The march is part of the international men’s march that brings awareness to sexual assault, rape and gender violence.
“Walk a Mile in Her Shoes: The International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence” is an opportunity for men to raise awareness about the causes, effects and remediations to violence against women in the Lamar community by walking in red high heels. The reasoning behind the red heels stems from the adage, “You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” The difficulty of walking in the high heels is a symbol for how hard it can be to talk about gender relations and men’s sexualized violence against women. In 2001, Frank Baird created the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” with a small group of men walking around a park in red high heels. The movement has since spread worldwide and has raised millions of dollars for local rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters and other sexualized violence education, prevention and remediation programs, according to walkamileinhershoes.org. Lamar holds the event annually in order to continue fostering discussions about sexual violence against both women and men. Many events coincide with the walk in order to bring further awareness including the Silent Witness National Initiative, the Clothesline Project and the placing of names and shoes of victims and survivors along walking routes. Participation in the walk each year is encouraged not only for discussion, but to also decrease the amount of victims of sexual violence who suffer in silence. For more information, visit walkamileinhershoes.org.
& FUN RUN
W WALK/RUN /// BEAUMONT APRIL 27, 2019 ATT 8 AM S START A TEAM TODAY @ LUPUSTEXAS.ORG FOR DETAILS - 713-529-0126 13-529-0126
REGISTER TODAY!
UNIVERSITY PRESS • Thursday, April 4, 2019
SECOND STAR TO THE RIGHT
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Lutcher Theater to present ‘Finding Neverland,’ April 12 Vy Nguyen UP staff writer
Soar through the sky with playwright J.M. Barrie towards the second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning to discover one of Disney’s most beloved characters — Peter Pan. Barrie struggles finding inspirations, in this classic tale, until he meets a family of four young brothers and their widowed mother. Captivated with the boys’ make-believe adventures, Barrie sets out to write a play that took a little bit of pixie dust and a lot of faith to fly him to Neverland — a place where the impossibilities are possible, and childhood lasts forever. Lutcher Theatre will present Broadway’s Audience Choice Award for Best Musical, “Finding Neverland,” April 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Lutcher Theater. “I’ve seen some ‘wow-y’ things on Broadway, but this is one of the most spectacular visual effects that I’ve seen,” Lynae Sanford, managing director, said. “It’s magical.” Sanford said she has seen “Finding Neverland” on Broadway before and she loves the story of Peter Pan. “It’s kind of the story behind the story, and how he was inspired to write this story that we all know as ‘Peter Pan,’” she said. “It has elements of ‘Peter Pan’ in it because you see where he (Barrie) gets the characters, the pirate ship, the pirates, the mermaids, the lost
UP photo by Vy Nguyen
Lutcher Theatre managing director, Lynae Sanford, arranges a “Finding Neverland” promotional poster before the upcoming show, March 28. boys and all of that.” Sanford said one thing she loves about the show is its extravagant set and visual effects which made the performance
much more memorable. “It’s really big, and it’s magical with the effects that they do,” she said. “There is a moment of spectacle where the
widowed mother of the young boys, that Barrie met, is caught up in a whirlwind of sparkling glitter, made up of Mylar flakes, and it takes her away. “There is also one point where they pull up the rigging, of what looks like a pirate ship, and they pull it up from the stage floor to connect it to a ceiling pipe, so the stage turns into a pirate ship.” Lutcher Theatre is a prominent presenter of national Broadway tours and shows in the Southeast Texas region, Sanford said. “We present the same shows that go to bigger markets like Houston, Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles, so it’s pretty cool for Southeast Texas to have that,” she said. “I think to be able to bring that home to people, as they might not be able to see it when it first comes out in Broadway, but they get to see it at least in a couple of years is kind of a gift to our region.” Sanford said show days are hectic around the theater, especially for a single show. “What happens on a show day for us when we present is, they come in early in the morning and load the show in, which takes all day,” she said. Once the cast and crew are on their tour, they’re pretty much rehearsed by the time they hit the road leaving New York, Sanford said. “The cast gets here about four in the afternoon, and they do sound check, eat dinner, get
ready and perform at 7:30,” she said. “When the show goes down at 10 to 10:30 at night, then they would leave and go to the next town, and the crew starts the whole thing over again.” The goal is to keep the ticket prices low for local patrons, so they can enjoy a Broadway show without having to travel to Houston, Sandford said. “A typical ticket for Broadway shows on the main floor, for us, is about $70,” she said. “In New York, that’s going to be $90 to $150 or way more.” Sanford said the theater can seat about 1,450 guests. “Based on figures and averages in the past and because it’s a Broadway show with a good title, we’re going to sell between 1200 to 1400 seats,” she said. Sanford said the goal for this production is to have the audience take a moment out of their life to leave their worries behind and be enthralled within the show. “This particular show is about love, family, embrace being in the moment and just enjoying life and the people that you love,” she said. Tickets are $55 for upper balcony, $60 for mid balcony, $65 for lower balcony and $70 for orchestra seating. Lutcher Theatre is located at 707 Main Ave. in Orange. For more information, visit www.lutcher.org, or call 8865535.
Narrowing the margins Professor seeks justice, inclusion for deaf students Eleanor Skelton UP contributor
Silence is an attribute the hearing world places on the deaf world. However, students are often challenged with a different form of silence that may not be recognized. Gloshanda Lawyer, assistant professor in the department of deaf studies and deaf education, is researching social justice for deaf students. “I focus on multiply-marginalized deaf people — deaf people of color who are also LGBTQI, who also come from families that don’t speak English, who immigrated to this country — that’s more of my focus area,” she said. One of Lawyer’s goals is promoting what she calls “language justice,” the concept of education that includes sign language in both the student’s home language and ASL, as well as written English. “Access justice” is another aspect of her research, because deaf students face additional challenges beyond simply enrolling in
classes. “Do they have access to interpreters, what kind of barriers are they facing when they are trying to pursue higher education?” she said. “Then I also do work on ‘translanguaging,’ which is basically honoring students’ languages and (the) backgrounds they bring, even if it’s not standard English.” Lawyer started writing about the issues as an undergraduate, and turned to academic research during her doctoral program about four years ago. “Before that, I was a classroom teacher in a deaf school,” she said. “Most of our students were students of color, either from Somalia or from different Spanish-speaking countries. I started out making sure IEP — individualized education plans — were translated into the home language, so the parents could actually read them when they are signing them.” The school offered ASL classes for parents, but Lawyer was part of an effort to create a separate class just for Spanish-speaking
UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
Gloshanda Lawyer, assistant professor in the department of deaf studies and deaf education, is researching social justice for deaf students. parents. “We had a deaf teacher who was teaching Spanish-speaking families, and instead of English to ASL, we provided Spanish to ASL,” she said. “It started out with little things like that and then it moved to formal research.”
Lawyer’s dissertation research focused on interviewing 25 multiply-marginalized deaf adults about their school experiences in the U.S. “Some came from K-12 schools, some of them immigrated here only to go to college, and some came in high school,”
she said. “It was about the experiences of school here. What I found was that school is a place where most of, if not all of them, felt oppressed. “They felt that school was the place where they are conditioned See LAWYER page 6
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LAWYER
Thursday, April 4, 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
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UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
Gloshanda Lawyer, university professor, explains that sometimes she uses up to four different screens to during her work day in her office in the communications building, March 27. to be less. They are conditioned to accept, ‘Oh, you are deaf, so you can’t.’” The students told Lawyer they felt the teachers and interpreters, especially, were not there for the students, that they were there for their own selfserving reasons. “Or they are there to make us as hearing as possible — to not be deaf,” she said. “A lot of them said, because of all of those experiences, ‘I didn’t discover my identity until college. And college was where I had to wrestle with the fact that I’m deaf, I’m a
person of color, and I use this language that for most of my life, I was denied access to.’” Lawyer’s dissertation is being translated into ASL. “I’m trying to produce it in American Sign Language first,” she said. “That was one of the biggest requests from all of the people who contributed to my study. They said, ‘Most of us have participated in research, but every time we do, it’s always for the hearing people, it’s always produced in English. Where is it in ASL for us?’ “That was one of the commit-
ments I made to them, if this will be available in American Sign Language. Which is a work in of itself, because I am translating 300 documents into ASL.” Lawyer said she is recruiting diverse deaf people to represent the stories in her dissertation. She finished her research in August, and her goal is to complete the video translation within the next year. Lawyer is currently researching trilingual interpreters and their experiences. “We have statistics that say 50 percent of deaf individuals are people of color and 25 percent of that total are from Spanish-speaking backgrounds,” she said. “So if we don’t have interpreters who know Spanish, English and American Sign Language, how are we fully serving those communities?” Lawyer has interviewed 12 interpreters so far. “(There’s) not a huge pool of trilingual interpreters in the United States,” she said. “Basically, there’s not enough training programs for trilingual interpreters, because the interpreter programs are designed for people who grew up knowing one language. They come into college learning a second language and then (they) become interpreters for that language as well. “It’s not for people who grew up with two languages and they’re trying (to learn) to interpret.” Lawyer recently gave a presentation at a conference in Chicago about bilingual pedagogy and social justice. “We have future teachers and future interpreters examine their own privileges as people who can hear, people who can see, people who don’t always match the identities of the deaf individuals,” she said. “What kind of privileges do you have going into the classroom, and how does it impact your teaching and interpreting?”
“We have (teachers and interpreters) do reflections on that. Then in our classroom PowerPoints and lectures, we have social justice pauses — so any time we touched on a topic, say you’re teaching math, how are you also empowering students? We know that girls, for example, are not readily supported in STEM areas, so in math class, are you picking on the boys all the time or are you also reinforcing the girls? Then suppose it’s literacy time, are you picking books that represent people with disabilities as much as you’re picking other books?” It’s about getting teachers to be more conscious of students who may be different than them, Lawyer said. “For their lesson plans in their classroom observations, they had to intentionally cite how social justice is being applied in this context,” she said. “If I’m planning for a lesson, what am I specifically, intentionally doing that’s social justice related within my lesson? If I’m observing a teacher, where do I see opportunities where they could have addressed a social justice issue with their students? That’s a practical issue.” Lamar University teaches a bilingual program, and Lawyer’s alma mater at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a fully bilingual education now, as a result of her doctoral research. “That’s one more university that’s teaching bilingual like we are here at Lamar,” she said. Lawyer said she works with future teachers in her Lamar classes. “I developed a framework called a decolonizing-intersectionality framework, which basically talks about teaching and research and how you teach to decolonize students and yourself, how you’re always applying an intersectional lens to your teaching,” she said. “Immigrants, language, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status — all of
those things encompass one individual. How are you addressing that in your classroom?” Lawyer grew up in what the field of linguistics would consider to be a multilingual household. She grew up with Spanish and English as formal languages, but she also spoke Gullah Geechee, which is a Creole-based dialect of English specific to African Americans in South Carolina and Georgia. “And then I learned American Sign Language,” she said. “Now I also use Black American Sign Language, which is a different dialect of ASL, and I’m learning protactile, which is a tactile language for deaf blind people. Then I speak Sierra Leone Creole as well as Portuguese. My partner’s first language is Portuguese, so we also have Portuguese in our home.” Lawyer said her three-yearold daughter is exposed to all of these languages. “If you ever come to our house, it’s just like language is everywhere,” she said. As a black woman, Lawyer said she believes women are always finding new ways to navigate a male-dominated system. “Even if it’s not all run by males, the system is structured to support that,” she said. “The system is not made for us. But we still find ways to function in it, we still find ways to excel in it.” Lawyer said she and several other black women in academics at Lamar have formed a support group. “I think it’s important for us to celebrate the daily victories that we have, especially among each other, even if it’s not recognized anywhere else,” she said. “Just to know, ‘OK, as a woman, I see you, I recognize you. Keep fighting.’ “I think that’s the biggest thing, because I think we sometimes feel really alone.” Lawyer is making sure marginalized communities — both deaf and hearing — are not alone.
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SPORTS
Cards fall to UH, 8-7
Intramural Sports All scores and standings as updated on April 2.
7-on-7 Flag Football All games are played at the Provost-Umphrey Stadium, Sundays, from 12-7 p.m. Playoffs and championships will be held Sunday at the Provost-Umphrey Stadium from 126 p.m Men’s Division Final Standings TEAM SpeedKillz 409 GRITS Back that pass up Pike/Football
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UNIVERSITY PRESS Thursday, April 4, 2019
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Co-Rec Division BSM Squad are the co-rec all-university champions.
5-on-5 baSketball Co Rec Division Money Shot beat ADPi/Pike 55-48 to win the Intramural Co rec basketball all-university championship. Men’s Division Final Standings The independent division champs, BBB Blueface Inc. won the all-university championship by beating the Greek division champions, Pi Kappa Alph, 64-54
RegIonal baSketball touRnaMent Lamar University sent a men’s and women’s team to compete in the NIRSA Championship Series regional basketball tournament at Texas A&M, March 22-24. Women’s Division Final Standings The women’s team went 1-1 in their pool losing to UTSA by two points and beating Texas A&M by five, to qualify for playoffs. They lost the first round playoff match to Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 34-29. Allison Harvey led the team in points with 10 per game and rebounds with 10 per game. She was also third overall in points and rebounds for the tournament. Majesti Lee was another top player for Lamar with top 25 stats for points in the tournament.
Caden Moran UP contributor
The Lamar Cardinal baseball team fell to the University of Houston, 8-7, Tuesday, at Vincent Beck Stadium in a non-conference game. The game came down to the wire, but it was a ninth inning home run by Cougars first baseman Joe Davis that sealed the win. It was a strong start from both teams defensively in the first inning. The scoring began in the bottom of the second inning after Lamar struck first due to a wild throw from the Cougars defense. An attempted double play led to an overthrow from the second baseman, allowing two runs to cross home plate. The Cougars managed to cut the lead in half during the top of the third inning following an RBI double. The Cardinals quickly retaliated in the bottom of the third following a pair of singles from left fielder Cole Coker and right fielder Avery George. Following a bobbled ball and overthrow from the Cougars shortstop, two more runs scored giving the team a 4-1 lead. The tide of the game turned in the top of the fourth inning following a home run from Cougars left fielder Rey Fuentes III. An RBI single
from second basemen Brad Burckel followed by a sacrifice fly from third baseman Jared Triolo led to two more scores. A wild pitch from LU pitcher Austin Smith allowed for one more score in the inning, giving the Cougars a 5-4 lead. The Cardinals managed to retake the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning following an RBI double from first baseman Anthony Quirion and a fielder’s choice which allowed Berlof to score. An RBI single from third baseman Kirkland Banks gave the Cardinals their final run of the game. An RBI single from Cougars center fielder Lael Lockhart Jr. and an RBI double from catcher Baker Way allowed for a tied game in the top of the eighth inning. Following a failed Lamar chance to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth, in the ninth inning, the Cougars took the lead following Davis’ home run, completing the scoring. The Cardinals record now stands at 9-19, 2-10 in conference play. “We’re going to keep showing up to the park with enthusiasm like we do every day,” head coach Will Davis said. “There is no consolation prize for losing games by one run. “When you do keep losing games by one run, it shows
UP photo by Caden Moran
Dylan Johnson, freshman pitcher, throws the ball during Lamar’s 8-7 loss against University of Houston, Tuesday, at Vincent Beck Stadium. that you’re close to being good and getting the ultimate goal of winning. I think our guys see how close we are, and we’ll turn a corner and finally start winning these games.”
The team will be in action next Friday in Huntsville, when they take on Sam Houston State University in a threegame Southland Conference series.
SHUT OUT
Men’s Division Final Standings The men’s team started off the tournament with a first pool game loss to Lonestar State College-Tomball before winning four straight, beating SFA in their second pool match to qualify for playoffs. After defeating South Texas College, Sul Ross State University, Lonestar State College-Tomball, Lamar then faced University of Texas Rio Grand Valley (UTGRV) in the semi finals. After back and forth battles, and multiple lead changes, Lamar fell to UTGRV in the final seconds, 59-56. SpoRt ClubS Sport clubs are student ran registered student organizations that have an interest in sport competitions. Sport Clubs hosts and travel for matches and tournaments. If you are interested in a particular club, please email sportclubs@lamar.edu and let us know how we can help you get involved. WoMen’S SoCCeR The women’s team traveled to Nacogdoches to compete in the SFA Annual 7v7 tournament on Saturday. They came in 2nd place, losing to LSU in the finals.
ultIMate The ultimate frisbee team placed second in the Ultimate Crusade, Sanctioned Frisbee Tourname, in Irving, March 23-24. They qualified for Sectionals and will travel to Austin April 1314 to compete against the best universities in Texas. baSeball Baseball travelled to Houston for a league series against Rice University, March 23rd and 24th. Lamar Club Baseball swept the series, 82, 12-6 and 6-2. Unfortunately, March 30-31, Lamar was swept by University of Houston Downtown for another away series in Houston. They have a 10-5 record this season. SoFtball Intramural Softball deadlines extended to April 5th at 8 a.m.
UP photo by Cade Smith
Elizabeth Castillo, junior left fielder, runs to first base during Lamar’s 1-0 victory against the University of Central Arkansas, Saturday, at the LU softball complex.
Voluntad leads LU to 1-0 victory over UCA Cade Smith UP staff writer
The Lady Cardinals softball team shut out the Central Arkansas Bears, 1-0, Saturday, at the LU Softball Complex. The win gave LU the series win, 2-1. “It’s really exciting,” head coach Amy Hooks said. “We needed to come out here today and take the series from them. It’s huge to have the seniors turn double plays, and they put the team on their back today to get the win.” Senior pitcher Julia Voluntad limited the Bears offense to just four hits, recorded two strikeouts and picked up her sixth victory of the season. Senior shortstop Savana Guidry singled in the only run of the game in the third inning. “Julia was a bulldog,” Hooks said. “She kept them off balance — she just had her stuff. She commanded everything for us.”
In the top of the first, Voluntad came out and got the Bears to ground into two outs. Bears second baseman Libby Morris hit a line to right field where LU’s Savana Mata laid out to make a diving catch to end the inning. The Cards were looking to threaten the Bears in the bottom of the first. Second baseman Kelly Meeuwsen and centerfielder Shannon Klaus led off with back-to-back walks. A sac bunt from catcher Shaina Amir moved Meeuwsen to third and Klaus to second. However, LU could not get the run across as the score was tied at zero to end the inning. Central Arkansas looked to intimidate the Cards in the top of the third. After Voluntad got a ground out, Bears leftfielder Oakley Sisemore reached on first with an error. Bears shortstop Erin Blackburn followed the Sisemore error with a single to the left side putting two on.
The next hitter for the Bears was centerfielder Kayla Crutchmer, who was called out for hitting the ball out of the box. After Bears first baseman Kaylyn Shepard was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Voluntad quieted UCA by getting Morris to fly out to end the inning. The Cardinals broke the tie in the bottom of the third, with two outs, when designated hitter Jade Lewis doubled to deep right. Guidry followed with a single up the middle that scored Lewis in, putting LU ahead, 1-0. “We had a kid get on, and then a senior comes up to put the ball in play and score the run,” Hooks said. “It ended up being our only run — that’s another senior stepping up for us big in that situation.” In the top of the fifth, the Bears got a lead-off hit from Siesmore. However, Voluntad settled back in and struck out Blackburn. Bears pinch hitter Erin Acors came in to
for Crutchmer, but grounded into a double play to end the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, with one out, Lamar put two runners on when Lewis singled through the left side for her second hit of the game, and Guidry reached first on an error. However, the next two Cardinals were retired, ending the threat. In the top of the sixth started like the fifth for the Bears, when Shepard singled into right field for the leadoff. Voluntad then got Morris to ground into a double play. Bears third basemen Cylla Hill followed with a single but Voluntad did not let her advance as Bears DH Lauren Brooks flew out to Guidry into foul territory. In the top of the seventh, Voluntad continue to limit the Bears at the plate as she got right fielder Morgan Felts to ground out to start the inning. Catcher Tylar See SOFTBALL page 8
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Thursday, April 4, 2019 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
WOMEN’S GOLF SWINGS INTO SLC CHAMPIONSHIPS Vy Nguyen UP staff writer
The Lady Cardinal golf team is looking to build on its momentum as they prepare for the Southland Conference championship, set for April 16-17, in High Meadow Ranch Golf Club in Magnolia. The team won its first tournament of the season at the Babs Steffens Invitational, hosted by Stetson University, March 25, in Daytona Beach, Fla. “We seemed to be steadily climbing all season and progressing, and I think that we’ve got a lot of positive momentum behind us right now,” head coach Jessica Steward said. “We keep improving every week and every month, as a team and also individuals.” Steward said the team improved a lot since their first US intercollegiate tournament in Alabama in September, where they finished third. “We’ve gotten off to an OK start, but we followed that up right away with a second-place finish at the Sam Houston tournament,” she said. “That tournament was actually at the course that we’re having our conference championship in a couple of weeks. To play well on that course was really good confidence booster, and it kind of propelled us forward.” The Southland Conference Championships is the most important tournament of the year, Steward said. “The players put in a lot of work all year on their swings and the actual mechanics, and, now, we’re transitioning to making sure when we go to this last tournament we’re able to perform,” she said. Elodie Chapelet, Souraide, France junior, said the team has a really good chance to win conference.
SOFTBALL
competition. “Within our conference, there are three teams that are within one stroke of each other, and that’s us, Sam Houston and Houston Baptist,” she said. “Then we have two teams right behind us, Central Arkansas and Corpus
Christi, that are also having a really good year.” The plan is making sure that the players are performing to the best of their abilities, Steward said. “In golf, all of it is mental,” she said. “So, yes, you can work on your physical mechanics as much as you want to, but when you get on the golf course under competition and pressured environment, it’s a whole different thing to be able to perform.” Chapelet said the key is to balance school work and practice. “(I’m) always working ahead on my homework when I have a little bit of free time, and not waiting at the last minute is really important for school and for golf,” she said. “So, when I come to the golf course to practice, I have my mind free of school and just focus on golf.” Steward said Sam Houston and Houston Baptist are the biggest competition the team faces in the conference tournament. “Sam Houston has two senior players that are really good, and, on any given day, they could both shoot under par, and that’s tough to compete against,” she said. “On the other hand, Houston Baptist has a solid group of four players, who, when they all play well at the same time, they can put together a low team score, and that kind of jumps them ahead of everybody else.” Steward said the coaching staff worked hard to keep the players motivated in the spring. “We’ve balanced that by giving them time off to relax and rest, and also working hard at practices,” she said. “Looking back at the last two years, that was something I knew that we needed to address, and I think we’ve done a good job with that so far. “Our year is really long, because we compete starting Sep-
tember to October and February to April. We don’t really have an off season. You look at other sports like soccer, where they compete August, September and October, and then they’re done for the whole year.” Most players are self-motivated, and some are motivated by winning and playing well, Steward said. “We usually set a goal every tournament day, and if we accomplish it, we get ice cream or meals at Texas Roadhouse or the Cheesecake Factory,” she said. “Ice cream is a good motivator, but I want them to be motivated by having pride in their team. Having them help and motivate each other is a powerful thing, as well.” Chapelet said determination to win and moving on to post-season after the conference, as well as playing alongside teammates, motivates her. “Every day, seeing my teammates practicing so much and getting better, and to also see that our work has paid off during tournaments, is nice,” she said. Steward said the plan for the rest of the season is being in a good place mentally and have the players walk away from the golf course every practice being proud of what they did. “It doesn’t mean that they shot the lowest score that they could, it just means that they are proud of their effort and attitude,” she said. “I really believe that if we can accomplish that, then we can accomplish our other goals of winning the conference and moving on to post-season.” The Lady Cardinals were in action this week at the Cardinal Challenge, at the Beaumont Country Club. Results were unavailable at press time. For more information, visit lamarcardinals.com, or contact jsteward3@lamar.edu.
“We told her that this is her game to win and to finish the game. That is what you want in your seniors. How that trickles down
to the younger group is phenomenal.” The Cardinals will return to action, Wednesday, when they
travel to take on the University of Houston Cougars. First pitch is set for 6 p.m., from the Cougar Softball Stadium in Houston.
UP photo by Vy Nguyen
Madilyn Smith, left, Laura Pasalodos-Barcelo and Brooke Duzan practice their golf swing at the Beaumont Country Club, March 29. “I think the team is ready since we’ve been practicing and doing everything we’re supposed to,” she said. “Everybody is focused at playing their game.” Steward said the biggest challenge this season has been the tough Southland Conference
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Vernon reached on an error and went to second on a sacrifice bunt from Sisemore. With two outs and Vernon on second, Voluntad
got Blackburn to ground out and LU came away with the victory. “(Voluntad) gets hit late in the ankle,” Hooks said.