April 9, 2015

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The Newspaper of Lamar University Vol. 91, No. 20

Thursday,April 9, 2015

SGA election results announced CHARITY OGBEIDE UP CONTRIBUTOR Lamar’s Student Government Association elections are over and the results are in.

During the elections, which took place from March 31 to April 2, Robert Ehlrich was elected president, Timothy Gonzales was elected vice president and William Hill was elected secretar y/treasurer. Jessieca Brock and Ryan Sheer were elected senators.

“I was waiting to find out if I had won all day,” Ehrlich said. “I was in the organic chemistr y lab waiting and I had figured I would miss the call while I was in there. I was walking to my car and I had got a phone call from Dr. Vicki McNeil and she told me that I had won. I

was kind of surprised and kind of relived. I had a lot of different emotions going on.

“During the election I was a little ner vous. I tried to moderate my emotions knowing that what was going to happen was going to happen. I did my best to reasonably campaign like you are supposed to do. In the end, I wasn’t super uncomfor table or concerned about the election because I knew both candidates for presidency were going to be good choices, and even if I didn’t win, the university would be in a good spot.”

Ehrlich said he was relieved when he found out he had come out on top.

“I lost a lot of stress and concerns,” he said. “I’m getting more and more excited about the upcoming school year.”

Ehlrich said that next school year, students should look for ward to seeing an open door policy.

“I think one of the most important things is that students who feel the need to come talk to SGA are welcomed to, know how to, and when to do that,” he said. “I feel like that should be relatively easily for students to do. I am going to tr y to be ver y available.

“Another thing that I am going to tr y to do to that effect is some kind of initiative to really gauge what students want and need. It actually takes more effort than people may realize to take a big sur vey to analyze what students want and what the major population of campus needs out of SGA.” See SGA, page 2

UP Kristen Stuck

Vice president elect Timothy Gonzales, left, president elect Robert Ehlrich, and secretary/treasurer elect, William Hill.

Unleashing the Dance LU DANCE PRESENTS SPRING CONCERT

LU names Holtzhausen CoFAC dean

“DANCE UNLEASHED” LAINIE HARRIS UP CONTRIBUTOR Dance is not about restraint, it is meant to be set free.

The Lamar University dancers will do just that as they present the spring concert, “Dance Unleashed,” April 10, at 7:30 p.m., and April 11, at 2 p.m., in the University Theatre.

“It’s got a little something for everybody,” Golden Wright, associate professor of dance, said.

“I think everyone will find something they like, and something they don’t like on it — I mean, that’s what is great about art, and if it gets you to evoke an emotion, whether it’s good or bad, it did its job.”

The concert will feature a variety of styles.

“If you went to an art gallery and you were looking at paintings from different artists, doing different styles of painting, it’s the same way here — each piece of choreography has its own entity for the most part,” Wright said.

Wright has choreographed six of the dances to be performed.

“I have one that’s a contemporary ballet piece on pointe,” he said. “I have one that’s a contemporary pas de deux, that’s not on pointe. I have an ensemble that’s jazzy fun — it’s not really jazz, but it’s jazzy fun, and then the rest of mine are modern.”

The six choreographers presenting work include instructor Lou Arrington, students Ann Terrasso and Charles Collins, and guests artists, Brittany Thetford Devau and Brixey Blankenship Cozad, as well as Wright.

“More often than not, it’s the vision of whomever the choreographer is that decides what the piece is going to have and how it’s going to go,” Wright said.

See DANCE, page 2

UP Lainie Harris

Bekah Gonzales, Beaumont freshman, and Latroy Gable, Porth Arthur sophomore, rehearse "A Moment to Remember," a piece featured in "Dance Unleashed," Lamar's spring dance concert, on March 30, 2015 in the University Theatre.

Pride events to promote campus diversity ELIZABETH GRIMM UP STAFF WRITER Diversity comes in many different forms, whether through culture, race or even sexuality — especially on a university campus.

Lamar University’s Pride Month encourages the diversity of sexualities and features events designed to encourage people to feel comfortable and safe.

“There’s only one recognized student organization on campus that is an advocate for the gay community, the LGBTQIA community, and that’s Lamar Allies,” Cynthia Parra, assistant director of diversity and inclusion multicultural programming, said.

The group has taken the lead in planning events for Pride Month.

“One of the things that they have tried to do is create events that are going to be open to the public and that everybody would feel comfortable with. The one that I think will be

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

really interesting will be the panel discussion on the coming out process — now that’s going to be really eye opening and informative. Not only is it going to create a support group for the LGBTQIA community, but if someone just wants to come and learn, and see a different perspective, I think it’s going to be a really frank conversation.”

A Health Resource Fair will be held in the Setzer Student Center Arbor, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., today.

“You hear about equality as far as same sex marriage, and healthcare and all this,” Parra said. “One of the things that I always reiterate is that, whatever you think your segment of population is, those are cross sectional. You’re going to have health-

care issues in the black community, international community — women have different health issues. Whatever civil right that you think you’re fighting for, that’s cross sectional — it’s just a civil rights issue. It has nothing to do with color, gender, politics or religion.

“We’re one community regardless of all that. That’s why they’re doing the health resource fair. It’s for the benefit of everybody’s health.

Free chair massages — everybody’s going to benefit from that. Information on drug abuse, whatever it is, everyone is going to benefit.

The panel discussion will be held in the Science Auditorium, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., today, to discuss the coming out process. Parra said the panel is

very diverse.

“We wanted to bring a cross-section of people together,” she said.

“We’re going to have a couple of students that have come out. We’re going to have two people in the work world — professionals. We’re going to have a parent that’s an officer of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Gays and Lesbians) and the moderator is from Open Doors. She is a licensed therapist that helps people with the coming out process. The experience of a sister of someone coming out to me is different from a parent hearing a child come out. Those are all different and we all go through a different process.”

Shelby Murphy, student director of multicultural programming, said that students on campus are curious about the LGBTQIA community.

“For example, I took sociology of gender,” she said. “A lot of people in

www.lamaruniversitypress.com

See PRIDE, page 2

After a thorough national search, President Kenneth Evans has named Derina Holtzhausen as dean of Lamar University’s College of Fine Ar ts and Communication.

Holtzhausen, who has more than 27 years of teaching, research and ser vice, will succeed Russ Schultz, who ser ved as dean, 2000-2015. She will assume the dean position for the College of Fine Arts and Communication on July 1.

Holtzhausen holds a Ph.D. in communication science from the University of Johannesburg, an M.A. in Afrikaans literature from University of South Africa and B.A. degrees in Afrikaans-Dutch literature and psychology, German, and Afrikaans-Dutch literature, both from the University of Pretoria. She is currently director of the School of Media and Strategic Communication at Oklahoma State University. She joined the faculty of OSU in 2008, and has ser ved there as professor and director for the SMSC. With a quarter centur y of experience as a journalist and strategic communications executive in the complex South African environment, Holtzhausen is a strong proponent of the role communication, media and the arts play in society to promote social justice and discussions on diversity and equality.

Under her leadership, enrollment in the school grew 25 percent to around 790 students on its Stillwater and Tulsa campuses. Student diversity in the school increased under her watch from 15.4 percent in 2008 to 25.6 percent in fall 2014, and faculty diversity in gender and ethnicity grew by 50 percent.

Prior to joining OSU, Holtzhausen was an associate professor, head of public relations sequence, and graduate director of the School of Mass Communications at University of South Florida, 1997-2008.

Prior to her academic career, she ser ved as head of corporate communica-

See DEAN, page 2

Derina Holthauzen www.twitter.com/UPLamar

INSIDE Thursday, April 9, 2015 University Press

DANCE ••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 Each choreographer has his or her own style. Wright likes to build his pieces through working his ideas with his dancers.

“A lot of people don’t like the word organic, but a lot of modern choreographers — I’m one of them — a lot of times I move into the space and see what the dancers in the studio can do before I come up with a concept,” he said. “Some concepts I’m very sure of what I want to do. Other ones. I go in and see what students are able to do and how they relate to each other, and who’s a go-getter. I push what they’re able to do, some of it’s very physical — a lot of it is real physical partnering.”

The concert does not have a central theme, with each piece representing its own idea.

“Sometimes it tells a story,” Wright said. “I relate it to art a lot, because you can go look at a piece of art and sometimes it tells a story in itself, like where a soldier is holding his arm up against the memorial, it tells a whole story based off of that one

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Page 2 piece. Other times you go look at something and it’s just colors, just something to strike an emotion, maybe. A lot of dances are movement for movement’s sake, so it’s just enervative movement or movement that makes you feel something along with the song.”

Dancer Latroy Gable, Port Arthur sophomore, has performed in six previous LU concerts and is involved in seven of the dances this year.

“I want to make the teachers happy, and I am hoping all the children and their parents really enjoy it,” he said.

In “A Moment to Remember,” Gable will be partnered with Bekah Gonzales, Beaumont freshman.

“I love performing, I’m really excited about it,” she said. “Every year there is something new to look forward to. This is one of my favorite pieces this year, and I’m really excited about the performance.”

Gonzales said she has been dancing since she was eight years old, and devotes three to five hours a day to rehearsing.

“I’m just a performer at heart — my favorite part of the preparation is knowing that I get to perform it, so

NOTICE

CALENDAR April 10 Spring Dance Concert University Theatre 7:30-9 p.m.

April 11 Spring Dance Concert Vincent Beck Stadium 2 p.m.

April 12 Phi Mu Alpha’s Men of Music Concert First United Methodist Church of Beaumont 5-6 p.m.

UP Lainie Harris

Bekah Gonzales, and Latroy Gable, rehearse "A Moment to Remember," a piece featured in "Dance Unleashed," Lamar's spring dance concert.

I’m getting really excited,” she said.

Wright said the concert offers a chance for the community to see what the students have been working on, something they do not get the opportunity to do with other disciplines.

“A lot of times you don’t see what’s going on in the classroom — in

a math, engineering, or an English class — but with this, it is a platform for people to see what our students at Lamar are doing.”

Ticket prices are $7 for Lamar students, $10 senior citizens and Lamar faculty, and $15 general admission.

For information, call 880-2250.

April 13 Lamar Civic Orchestra Concert Lamar State College - Port Arthur Performing Arts Center 7:30-9:30 p.m.

April 15 Cardinal Jazz Orchestra Concert Jefferson Theatre 7:30-9 p.m.

April 16 Open registration begins for May Mini/Summer 2015/Fall 2015

April 17

SGA•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 Vice president elect Gonzales said he hopes to bring structure and clarity back to the SGA, and also to bring a better sense of community to Lamar.

“Robert and I have talked about implementing a concer t series to have something for people to want to come to Lamar,” Gonzales said. “Part of SGA’s purpose is to get money to organizations that need it to throw their own events. I think allowing organizations to have easier access to money would lead to people tr ying to join groups.

Secretar y/treasurer elect Hill said he wants to work with the other officers to advance SGA and the school.

“I didn’t want people to get elected if they weren’t going to be able to work

together,” he said. “I’m ver y glad that the people who got elected are both people who were on the same campaign ticket. It was a big relief to work with a unified president and vice president.”

Hill said he is also looking for ward to his time in office.

“I cannot even describe how excited I am about next year and what things we will be able to put in to place to get the campus more involved,” he said. “I am looking towards tr ying to encourage all organizations to have their representatives coming to SGA meetings. I am here for all the organizations on campus, not just student organizations, but the athletic teams as well.”

All three executive officers and the newly elected senators will be sworn into of fice at the Toast to Leadership Banquet, April 22.

PRIDE ••••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 my class didn’t know the difference between gender and sex — they didn’t know that there was a difference and that gender was fluid and sex was something more of what you’re born with. It’s just a matter of education and their will to learn.”

On April 17, Lamar Allies and Cardinal Village will sponsor National Day of Silence. The idea is to get everyone included, Gabrianna “Gabbie” Escamilla, Lamar Allies president said, and recognize those who are questioning, intersex or asexual.

“A lot of people don’t even know there’s QIA at the end of LGBT,” she

said. “It’s just an idea to get them exposed to the community. I’ve noticed that if people (on campus) don’t know what you’re talking about, they try to wrap their head around it. They’ll ask questions. They’re trying to understand what it is, and they’re not just going to blow it off like other people in the community.”

DEAN •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 tion for the South Africa Tourism Board, 1992-1995, and an executive consultant for ABSA Bank, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1995-1997.

An active researcher, her published research includes two books, 23 peer reviewed articles, seven book chapters, and 46 panel and paper presentations. She has been the recipient of numerous grants, awards and scholarships. She has ser ved as founding editor for the International Journal of Strategic Communication, 2007-2012, and consulting editor, International Journal of Strategic Communication, since 2012.

She was tapped one of Oklahoma’s Top 20 Women Professors for 2013 by Online Oklahoma Schools, was named a Fellow of the Scripps Howard Journalism Entrepreneurship Institute in 2012, and received a 2012 PRIDE Book Award from the National Communication Association for outstanding contribution to public relations theor y for her book Public Relations as Activism: Postmodern Approaches to Theor y and Practice.

There will be a Pre-Pride Walk Mixer in 209 Setzer Student Center, 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. April 23, followed by the Pride Walk which will start at Mirabeau’s Head in the Quad at 5:30 p.m.

“People think (sexuality) is a choice, and I even went through that, early on when my sister was coming out,” Parra said. “You know my first reaction was probably the most heterosexual reaction in the world. And then I had my son, and very early on he knew he liked girls, four or five years old — ‘I want to hold her hand.’ And I really thought about it and thought, ‘He’s never had sex, he’s four or five years old and he knows he likes girls.’ And then as we learn and we progress, we start putting it together. He had no choice of

what he was attracted to. Just like she doesn’t.”

Parra said it is important to know our history and it opens opportunities for discussions.

“I think a lot of young people do not know their history — they don’t know the story of the Stonewall Riots,” she said. “They don’t know who their heroes are in that movement and it just brings to light that we can talk about that — we can discuss it. For instance, my mother was involved in the Women’s Lib Movement. Houston had the first women’s NOW convention, it was in Houston, Texas. Not in New York. Not in California. It was in Houston, Texas. And you know being in the South and a Southern woman that was just a big, big stride. She was out there

“Trouble in Tahiti” Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30-9 p.m.

Baseball vs. Houston Baptist Vincent Beck Stadium 6 p.m.

Softball vs. Central Arkansas Lamar Softball Complex 5 p.m.

April 18 “Trouble in Tahiti” Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30-9 p.m.

Diversity Inclusion Conference Setzer Student Center 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Beaumont Pride 2015 Coming Out Ball The Dishman Art Museum 7:30 p.m.

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

marching and burning bras and doing all that. And so when my sister came out, her reaction in the beginning was, ‘Women have worked so hard to make these strides, and yet you’re going to put another hurdle in front of you by saying you’re a lesbian.’”

Parra said that with time, people will grow used to the diversity.

“People that are transsexual or transgender, its just a different look — people are not used to it,” she said. “And as people transition over, I think we’ll get used to it. I think it’s just so new, especially in Southeast Texas, that people are just kind of taken aback. It takes time.”

For more information on Pride Month activities, contact Parra at 8808216.

UPbeat A University Press Magazine

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Coming UPApril 23

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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

DON’T PUT OFF PAPERS UNTIL LAST-MINUTE, START NOW Finally, the school year is coming to an end. We only have five more weeks of classes before final exams start. Crunch time is upon us. This is the part of the semester when term papers suddenly are due.

Everyone starts the semester out whole-heartedly planning on doing all of the research and getting their term papers done early on.

But, let’s be real — that never happens.

We get busy with work and all of the other assignments that come along during the semester. It’s easy to forget about something that is due four months down the line.

It’s not too late though. There is still a chance.

Baylor University actually has a function on their website where you can put in the date that your research paper is due, and it will give you a timeline of what to do and when to do it by to finish your paper on time.

Although it will change depending on when the paper is due, here is a brief run-down of what students need to do to have a complete paper.

First, understand the assignment and select and focus on a topic. Establish a research question and design your research strategy. Find books and book reviews, articles and websites. Write the thesis statement.

Outline and describe the overall structure of the paper.

Write the first draft. Conduct any additional research if necessary, and revise and rewrite. Finally, put the paper in its final form.

Baylor’s “Research Paper Planner: Timeline” can easily be a useful tool in the chaos that comes with the end of the semester. Along with giving each step and a completion date for each step, it also gives students links to resources at colleges and universities that will help students as they complete each of the steps. Students can even sign up for email reminders to make sure that they remember their due dates.

While Baylor’s tool is useful to keep students on track, it is always better to have someone look over the paper to make sure everything is just right. Don’t forget about our Writing Centers on the first floor of Gray Library and in Morris Hall. They are here to help students with any questions or concerns that students have about their assignments.

Students can make an appointment with the Writing Center online, or call 880-8571.

Those of waiting until the last minute, this is it.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Thursday, April 9, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Where’s the passion?

Defining career path more than just being good at something Passion: a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something, or about doing something.

“Follow your passion.”

“Do what you love, and the money will follow.”

Passion seems to have become the center of career-advice these days. If one doesn’t know what to study, or in what field to look for a job after graduation, advisors are quick to ask, “Well, what are you passionate about?”

It’s a great thing that employers want their employees to enjoy and care about their job, but what if one isn’t really sure what he or she is passionate about?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had several conversations about passion in different settings, and with different people. I had a conversation with a friend — a guy in his early thirties, who has recently finished his Ph.D. He assured me that it could take a lifetime to figure out one’s passion, but that the key was to actively keep seeking. Easy for him to say I thought, he seemed to have it figured out pretty well.

I thought about this for a while, and let it sink in. Although I agreed that it can take a lifetime to figure out, I couldn’t help but feel bad about the fact that I simply didn’t know what I was passionate about, or what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

A couple of weeks later, still not hav-

COMMENTARY

by

Lauren Van Gerven

ing figured out where my passions lie, I found myself in a job interview when the dreaded topic surfaced again. “So, what are you passionate about?” I was asked.

After talking around the question for a bit, I honestly answered that I hadn’t really figured it out yet, and that I thought that I could only be certain about what I’m passionate about after exploring more opportunities. I’m only 23 after all — there are so many things I haven’t tried my hand at yet.

With the passion subject coming up multiple times in a few weeks, I felt like I needed to do some research. I started by simply looking up the dictionary definition of the word. It is really pretty straightforward. Sure, there were things that I have a strong feeling of enthusiasm and excitement for, but those are things like golf and food. Nothing makes me happier than cooking, but that doesn’t mean I want to make a career out of it, so why would I even bring it up in an interview?

A second friend I talked to about my struggle said something which I thought made sense. If you do a job that you enjoy, and that you’re good at, you will eventually grow passionate for it — it doesn’t matter whether it’s shoes, finances, waste management or anything else.

I liked this. So, I did some more research. I came across the idea that passion comes from success, and that one must first find success in order to fuel passion.

In the Har vard Business Review article, “Solving gen Y’s passion problem,” Cal Newport writes, “When I studied people who love what they do for a living, I found that in most cases their passion developed slowly, often over unexpected and complicated paths. It’s rare to find someone who loves their career before they’ve become very good at it.”

So, maybe it isn’t so much about following one’s passion, as it is about discovering what one is really good at. Granted, the one thing one truly excels at is often a combination of various skills, so it’s not that easy to figure out either, but answering the question “What are you good at?” sounds a lot easier than “What are you passionate about?”

I know what I am good at, which according to Newport, means I should eventually be passionate about it. How I make money at it, now that’s a whole other column.

Lauren Van Gerven is UP Editor

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One of the many Rubens galleries at the Kunsthistorisches in Vienna, Austria.

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Touring Europe through the continent’s museums During my fifteen-month master’s program abroad, I not only learned about and took advantage of attractions in my host countries, England and France, but also could easily hop on a train to travel the rest of continental Europe. As soon as the holidays began, I would travel from one capital to the next in pursuit of viewing art, from classical antiquity through modernism.

Museum visits in Amsterdam exposed me to masterpieces by 17th-centur y Dutch painters, Rembrandt and Vermeer, in the Rijksmuseum. Vincent van Gogh’s extensive oeuvre came to life in a five-story museum dedicated solely to his works. I imagine for some spectators who par ticipate in famous Amsterdam recreational activities, the bright and lively colors in works such as his “Sunflowers” and “Cherr y Blossom” are animated by van Gogh’s thick impasto and liberated brushstrokes.

Next door at the Stedelijks, the modern and contemporar y art and design museum, Russian Suprematist Kazimer Malevich’s works are exhibited in the basement with his painting, “Black Square,” a focal point in the corner.

From Amsterdam, the train brought me to Vienna. The Old World splendor

COMMENTARY

by

Caitlin Duerler

and Christmas decorations that illuminated the city were a sight in itself, but the Kunsthistorisches Museum visit presented elaborate tableaus from painting masters all over Europe. Strolling through the museum, I was awed by large-format canvases and contemplated masterpieces by ar tists such as Peter Paul Rubens.

Two-dimensional works by individual ar tists praised in the ar t histor y canon were not the only must-sees on my list. In Berlin at the Pergamon Museum, expansive rooms displayed architectural marvels from thousands of years ago. At the entrance, visitors encounter a reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate from the ancient city of Babylon — originally built in

575 B.C. In the proceeding room, ruins from a Greek temple are displayed and hundreds of visitors sit on the steps of the structure.

Visits to other cities such as Copenhagen, Oslo, Budapest and Prague expanded my knowledge of other cultures and their visual arts scene. The countries’ close proximity to each other permitted me to absorb thousands of years of ar t and architecture in the span of weeks.

Having the oppor tunity to walk through the European capitals, taking in sights and witnessing the quotidian granted me a submersive experience that I could never had acquired just from viewing catalogs and reading articles online.

So after weeks of deciphering train time-tables, dragging over-packed bags and navigating foreign cities, I returned to Beaumont with an expanded ar t histor y knowledge as well as practical experience in travel.

No longer was I just a tacky tourist with a purple L.L. Bean backpack and yellow Doc Mar tens, but a sophisticated woman of the world, hauling various ephemera and books, the treasures and memories of my travels.

Caitlin Duerler is a UP Contributor

Page 4 Thursday, April 9, 2015

University Press

Beaumont Pride ‘Comes Out’ for Debutante Ball TIM COLLINS UP CONTRIBUTOR Coming out can be difficult, whether someone is bisexual, homosexual, transsexual, intersexual, asexual, or any other orientation on the LBGTQIA spectrum. Sometimes parents don’t understand, friends distance themselves and acquaintances can turn hostile.

Beaumont’s Pride Committee aims to provide a beacon for those who are seeking a supportive community, with a “Coming Out Ball,” April 18, in the Dishman Art Gallery.

“It’s basically a life-affirming moment,” volunteer chair Jacqueline Hays said. “Really, at the core of what we’re doing, is trying to educate people and trying to lend support, and how you do that is by being visible. Just being here and having events like this makes the core community visible.”

The ball will begins at 7:30 p.m. and last until midnight. Tickets are $50 and only 200 tickets will be sold. The price include food and an open bar.

“What we’re trying to do is to present people to society,” Hays said. “Some people have recently come out. Some people came out 20 years ago, but the majority of them that have come out who are participating this year are people who just did not have a good experience, or it was rough, or they’re still going through the experience. And we’re saying these people are real, they’re proud of themselves, and we should all welcome them to society.”

Debutante balls date back to 17th-century England when they were used as an opportunity to present young women of noble birth to society, and introduce these “debs” to bachelors of the court for potential marriage. The debutantes of the Coming Out Ball, however, have a much larger responsibility in front of them, one of being a role model and of being a resource to those in need, Hays said.

“These debutantes have made a pledge,” she said. “They had to sign a contract with us that they would be an upstanding citi-

zen and that people, after they see their face and get to know them, might reach out to them and say, ‘Hey, I’m struggling’ or ‘Hey, I want to talk to you about these issues.’ They have to make themselves available and we’re trying to get them to educate themselves about a little bit more than just their own experience.

“At one of the meetings I said, ‘Put the Open Door Support number in your phone. Put the Suicide Hotline in your phone.

Put all these things in your phone so if people need resources, we have them.”

People have already started reaching out to the Pride Committee in response to the Coming Out Ball, Hays said.

“What’s so great about an event like this, is we posted we’re having a Coming Out Ball and somebody contacted us and said, ‘Hey, I’m struggling with coming out. I don’t know if I’m gay or not.

Can you help me? — that’s one of the first emails we got,” she said.

It’s not only a chance for the LBGTQIA community to come together, but also for the commu-

nity at large to support the LBGTQIA community.

“It’s a fundraiser for Pride, and an opportunity for us to show that we are all one community, and to acknowledge what an ordeal it is, the coming out process,” Chance Henson, Pride marketing and public relations chair, said. “We all know lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, transsexual, asexual, or pansexual people.

We’ve all watched someone come

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out and being removed from their community, and they’ve had to build a new support system, a new family. We’ve all had a friend who’s been there, and this is an opportunity for people to come out and support their LBGT community.”

The debutantes have had to brush up on their dance moves.

There will be a waltz following the presentation of the debutantes, and Karen Miller has been instructing the debs on how not to step on too many toes.

“When they came in, they were a little nervous at first, but they picked it up real fast, and it’s a good skill to have, to be able to do the waltz,” committee member Olivia Busceme said, Entertainment will be provided by jazz quartet, the Blue Tones and DJ collective Son of Hot Damn, as well as an acoustic set by Jenny Carson of Jenny and the Reincarnation. The ball will also feature the unveiling of the 2015 Beaumont Pride poster, designed by local artist Lance LaRue, as well as the theme of the next pride month celebration

in June.

Hays, who is an adjunct instructor of English at Lamar, said the Pride is hosting the ball to coincide with LU’s Pride Month.

“It is the evening after Lamar’s first Diversity Conference, and their theme is inclusion,” she said. “I mean, everybody wants a better world.

Everybody, I think, wants everything to be better, not worse, and how we do that is we include one another and we appreciate one another for how they are.

“It’s gonna be great. We’re all gonna get dressed up, we’re gonna have some entertainment, we’re gonna have these beautiful debs, we’re gonna get to know all these new people, we’re gonna be visible in this community and we’re gonna educate people.

That’s really at the core of what we’re doing.”

For more information, contact the Beaumont Pride Committee at beaumontpride@ gmail.com or like their Facebook page at BeaumontPride.

For tickets, visit www.beaumont-pride.org.

The Beaumont Pride Committee will host a volunteer party, Friday, at Fame Beaumont on Crockett Street, for people who want to help out, but can’t make the Coming Out Ball. They will also host “Tea With Sandra,” April 26, a screening of “Pride,” by Matthew Warchus at the Victoria House, May 1, and a Pride Brunch, May 23, featuring local blues artist Silas Feemster.

For times and details, visit the Pride Facebook page.

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University Press Thursday, April 9, 2015

Page 5

Easter rabbits not toys; require responsibility ELIZABETH GRIMM UP STAFF WRITER Floppy ears, wiggling noses, soft fur and a cute bunny hop. These are the images people envision during Easter time, along with an assortment of chocolates and hunting for eggs.

More and more people are buying rabbits as Easter gifts. However, in reality, they are not as cute nor as easy to care for as one would think.

Lisa Rotter, Houston SPCA community outreach manager, said that rabbits are more expensive to care for than people imagine.

“The estimated cost for the first year of ownership for a rabbit, on the low end, is about $1,000,” she said.

“That’s including feed, because you can’t just throw them a carrot. They have to have specialized feed, they need pellets, they need timothy hay, they need occasional leafy greens and things like that to supplement the diet. The bedding alone can cost up to $400 a year. Sometimes people just throw down newspaper or cedar chips. Cedar chips can make them sick.

“Research is required before you get one of these animals — it’s not a spur of the moment, ‘Oh, that looks cute, let me take it into my home.’ They require a lot of money and a lot of time.

You have to clean out the cage once or twice a week, completely - change out the bedding, clean out their poop. It’s just as much responsibility as any other kind of pet.”

Often, once people realize how much work and money is involved in keeping a rabbit, they turn them in to shelters. There are different estimates of how many rabbits come into shelters.

“The estimates range all over the place,” Rotter said. “The number that we generally give out are thousands in the country, but we’re never sure if they’re coming in as unwanted gifts — it’s a hard number to track. But the correct answer is too many.”

The average lifespan of a rabbit is

longer than most people realize, Rotter said.

“Rabbits can live as long as small dogs — they can live up to 10 years of age,” she said. “And I think that’s something people don’t realize. They get a baby bunny for their kid, and their kid grows up and the bunny is still there.

There’s a life-long responsibility that people have toward these animals.

They’re fragile (and) they’re delicate.

Even past that baby stage, once they get to be adults, rabbits are incredibly delicate animals.

“But rabbits can jump really high, run really fast and they’ll do it if they need to. They will kick, they will defend themselves and they will bite.”

Rabbits are able to be great pets, but it takes responsibility to achieve that, Rotter said.

“They should be in the house and raised with love and care — like you would a dog or a cat,” she said. “When they’re raised properly, they can be amazing pets — you can litter train them, house train them, they’ll play tag, they’ll chase their owners around and play games.

“And some of them do like to interact and cuddle, but if you think about how a child handles a small animal verses how an adult does, they can be rough with them (and) they can squeeze them too hard — all things that can be terrifying for a prey animal.

“The nice thing about rabbits is they’re very clean animals. They may create a mess, but they don’t like to be in a mess. Usually in their cage, they will find one corner to go in. If you figure out which corner they like and you put a litter box in that spot, a bunny litter box can be newspaper pellets or just shredded newspaper with some hay, they will go in there all by themselves.

They basically train themselves, because if they pick the spot and you put the litter box where they go, they’ll just hop in there.”

Rotter said she won’t tell a family not to adopt a rabbit, but that they

UP photo by Elizabeth Grimm

Lisa Rotter pets one of the rabbits available at the SPCA in Houston, March 27. should prepare themselves for one.

“They need to know what they’re going to get — all the supplies first,” she said. “Prepare the children for how they’re going to participate in this responsibility and teach them how to be around small animals. Showing them how to pet nicely and ‘This is how you approach them.’ Picking up a rabbit seems like it would be an easy thing to do — but there’s a special way to hold them so they don’t kick and break their back.”

Rotter said that for Easter, she recommends going in a different direction.

“We recommend getting them a chocolate bunny — get them a stuffed bunny,” she said. “If they’re still saying, ‘I want a real bunny! I want a real bunny!’ Sit down, budget it out. Make sure it’s something they can afford and instead of going to Wal-mart and buy-

ing a baby bunny there, come to a shelter and adopt an animal.”

For a starter pet, Rotter said there are other options available.

“When someone asks me what a good starter pet is, I give them two answers — a guinea pig or a rat — and everyone looks at me crazy. But they’re the best and highly social creatures.

Whereas a rabbit might take a really long time to become accustomed to people, rats tend to be really easy to get to know and bring into the family. And guinea pigs are just wonderful pets.

They’re very hard to upset in a way that they’ll bite.

“They can’t climb and they can’t jump, so it’s very hard to lose a guinea pig — unless he squirms behind something.

Families can learn what they need by visiting a shelter, Rotter said, and

they can pick up brochures. Shelters are happy to help with choices.

“We put this message out not to discourage people from having rabbits as pets — we are trying to discourage people from giving them as gifts to children,” she said. “We will say that about any species, because kids are not going to be the ones taking care of that animal — it’s going to be the parents. It might be cute for five minutes and (the kid) gets distracted and moves onto something else.

“But if it’s something the family decides, ‘Hey, we’re going to go to the shelter as a family and adopt a bunny,’ — we are all for it, and we will be happy to assist and promote that adoption. We just want it to be a decision that’s been thought about — that’s been planned and the whole family is on board with.”

For more information, contact the SPCA at (713) 869-7722.

EASTER MOST IMPORTANT CELEBRATION OF THE YEAR FOR ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS OKOLO IFEANYICHUKWU UP CONTRIBUTOR

UP photo by Lane Fortenberry

Anselyn Joya, Cliff Teasley, Rachel Cain, Gretchen Randall and Michael Mason during a rehearsal of "Circle Mirror Transformation," April 6.

BCP to present ‘Circle Mirror Transformation’ LANE FORTENBERRY UP CONTRIBUTOR Lying down on the floor shouting numbers or running around playing tag then pretending like you’re dying, students of a drama class try to reach out of their box. In “Circle Mirror Transformation,” Students pretend to be their classmates to try and break the invisible barrier between each other. Through uncomfortable conversation, one can relate to how difficult it is meeting someone new.

The Beaumont Community Players will present the award-winning comedy, “Circle Mirror Transformation,” April 1011, 17-18 and 23-25. Show times are at 7:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on April 18.

“Circle Mirror Transformation is about a group of five individuals from all walks of life, who sign up for an adult creative drama class in a small town in Vermont,” director Michael Saar said. “In the process of taking this class, they not only perform a bunch of ridiculous games but they also establish real connections with one another. The results are often both heartbreaking and bitingly funny.”

Saar, Lamar assistant professor and reference librarian, said that as a director, he normally finds plays about theater to be too self-serving, but this one is different.

“While this play does take place in a creative drama class, and the characters do use theatrical games throughout the play, the play is really about the games we play with each other in our daily lives, our desperate need to find someone we can connect with, and our inability to communicate how we really feel to those we are closest to,” he said. “While offering a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes is a big element of this play, as it progresses, you see the ideas it deals with

are much larger and touch on the fundamentals of human nature and how we relate to one another.”

The play takes place in one setting.

“During a six-week drama class we get a sort of sideways view of these characters,” Saar said. “We only know them in this setting, and gradually and expertly the playwright, Annie Baker, reveals fragments of these people. So we start to put these pieces together as the outside world interjects itself into the classroom, and we see how their relationships with each other and themselves are impacted by all of this.

“On one level, it is one of the most naturalistic pieces of theater I have ever encountered. It is at once both sharply funny and deeply sad. The characters and their stories are so real and well written. This play doesn’t hit the audience over the head with a single bombastic big moment, but instead with a thousand tiny explosions.”

The language is very “hyper-naturalistic,” which makes the play a little different, Saar said.

“It’s filled with long silences and false starts just as in everyday speaking,” he said. “As common as this is in our everyday speech, it is not often found in theater and film. However, this play uses it to amazing effect. Silence is often a frightening thing to performers, yet this cast has done such an amazing job with it. The most interesting moments have become those moments of quiet in the play, where what is not said by the actors is often more fascinating than what they are actually saying.”

Saar said some of the things in the play may seem a strange to people who are not familiar with drama classes.

“This play certainly exhibits the silliness that can sometimes occur — people speaking in gibberish, moving their bodies into ridiculous positions, etc.,” he said.

“What is interesting is when these exercises stir something real in the characters, as if the pretense of pretending allows the characters to let down their guard and really be honest with themselves — and each other.

“I don’t want to prescribe how audiences should respond to the show, but for me, it says something about how guarded we are in our daily lives and how that may not always be useful or healthy.”

Drama classes gives people the freedom to express themselves in different ways, Saar said.

“I feel these relationships depicted in the play develop in any setting where strangers get together for an extended period of time,” he said. “We see these tiny comedies and tragedies playing out constantly on campus, in the classroom, or in the office.”

There are plenty of incentives for Lamar students and faculty to see the play.

“Student rush tickets are available the day of the show for $8 apiece,” Saar says. “For this production we are also offering a discount of $2 off regular admission for any Lamar faculty and staff and their guest. There will also be a special LU night at the theatre on Saturday. After the show we will have free hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, and you can mingle with the cast and crew.”

Saar said “Circle Mirror Transformation” is a hilarious, but also quietly powerful, piece of theatre.

“The characters are beautifully written, flawed characters that you just want to root for,” he said. “The script is by one of the most talked about playwrights in New York City today, and after seeing this show you will know why.”

Beaumont Community Players is located at 4155 Laurel Ave. in Beaumont.

For tickets, visit beaumontcommuni typlayers.com or call 833-4664.

For most Americans, Easter is over. But for Orthodox Christians, the celebration is just beginning.

“Orthodox Easter is known as the big feast of the year,” Mireille Pavez of St Michael’s Orthodox Church in Beaumont, said.

“The Orthodox Church is the original Christian church because it is a religion that dates back 2,000 years ago, to the time of Jesus and his disciples” she said. “Modernization has changed a lot of things, but we try to preserve the traditions and practices of the church of Jesus and his disciples.”

The Orthodox Church can be traced in unbroken continuity all the way back to Christ and the apostles, according to antiochian.org.

“Orthodox Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’’ Pavez, who is the wife of Rev. Michael Pavez, priest of St. Michael’s, said. “It is done after the Passover of the Jews because it is believed that the Jewish Passover had occurred before Jesus resurrected from the dead.

“It is known as the big feast of the year, because there are lots of foods for everyone. We decorate the church with white flowers as a sign that we have passed from death to life” Orthodox Easter is not celebrated at the same time as the traditional Catholic Easter. Many Orthodox churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar, which often differs from the Gregorian calendar that is used by many western countries. Therefore the Orthodox Easter period often occurs later, although the two celebrations occurred on the same date, April 20 in 2013.

“Orthodox Easter is different from the regular Easter because of its timing and importance,” Mireille Pavez said. “The timing of the Orthodox Easter is calculated with the rotation of the moon, which was how time was calculated 2,000 years ago. It has to be the full moon after the equinox (the equinox is when the sun can be observed to be directly above

the equator). The orthodox Easter is the most important celebration to the Orthodox Church, even more important than Christmas, because it signifies the defeat of death and Satan.”

The celebration follows the same format as its Western counterpart, with Palm Sunday one week before Easter, commemorating the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, followed by Holy Week, which ends on Easter Sunday.

“A lot is done in preparation for the Orthodox Easter, and more is done to end the Orthodox Easter,” Pavez said. “Lent begins 50 days before the Orthodox Easter. After the Orthodox Easter, (we) keep greeting each other with ‘Christ is risen’ for 40 days.

The prayer of Pentecost (when the disciples of Jesus prayed and received the Holy Spirit) is done 10 days after the 40 days to end the Orthodox Easter.”

Orthodox Easter is celebrated with different food delicacies and traditions that are local to Greece and Lebanon. Turkey or chicken is stuffed with nuts and roasted, and is served with rice on a plate and other delicacies, such as chick peas covered with sugar and sweet almonds. Roast lamb is the most traditional Orthodox Easter food.

Orthodox Christians have a tradition of cracking red-dyed eggs against each other, and the person with the last un-cracked egg is believed to have good luck. According to the Orthodox tradition, the Virgin Mary dyed eggs red to celebrate the resurrection of Christ and to celebrate life. Orthodox Easter Sunday is a time of festivity and people eat, chat or dance throughout the night.

“You should come to our Easter celebration on Sunday,” Katie, a 12 year old church member who is helping to decorate the church, said. “It’s really nice, the church is beautifully decorated and there’s lots of food for everyone.”

An Orthodox Easter service and celebration will be held at St Michael’s Orthodox Church, 690 N. 15th Street in Beaumont, at 9 a.m., Sunday.

Page 6 Thursday, April 9, 2015

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SPORTS

7 Thursday, April 9, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

CARDINALS ROLL THROUGH COWBOYS

Enrique Oquendo delivers a pitch in the ninth inning of Lamar’s 11-4 victory over Grambling State, Tuesday, at Vincent Beck Stadium

Lamar scores nine runs with first nine batters to beat Grambling State GRANT CRAWFORD UP SPORTS EDITOR @GRANTLAMARUP The Lamar baseball team defeated Grambling State 11-4, Tuesday, at Vincent Beck Stadium.

After going down two runs in the top half of the first inning, Lamar scored nine in the bottom half.

“That first inning was incredible,” head coach Jim Gilligan said. “After nine hitters, we had nine runs. I was down in the bullpen the whole time watching. We had a few seeing-eye hits and a hit by pitch, but that at least has to tie a record for runs after nine hitters. To do that you have to have the nine-hole hitter have a home run.”

Stijn van der Meer led off the first inning with a single on a play at shortstop. The next five Cardinals would each reach base on singles. Two plays later, C.J. Moore hit a towering homerun over the left centerfield wall.

“I hope we can keep those big innings coming,” Gilligan said. “That takes a lot of pressure off us, and allows us to experiment with the pitching like we did today.”

Lamar had nine pitchers step on the mound

UP SPORTS BRIEFS Track and Field The Lamar track and field teams pulled out several top 10 finishes on their way to taking 10th place at the 33rd Annual Victor Lopez Classic, hosted by Rice, Saturday, at the Wendel D. Ley Track.

The men’s side featured 21 teams and the women’s side 17. Both the Cardinals and Lady Cardinals finished 10th in the event. Brian O’Bonna, Jared Benford and Erin Brown each claimed two top 10 finishes Saturday.

Men’s Tennis The Lamar men’s tennis team gave the nation’s 53rd-ranked team all it could handle, but Texas A&MCorpus Christi rallied for the 5-2 decision, Tuesday, in Corpus Christi. The loss drops Lamar to .500 on the season (10-10), and 1-1 in Southland Conference play, while the Islanders move to 3-0 in league play.

Women’s Basketball Lamar University guard JaMeisha Edwards was named to the Southland Conference Women’s Basketball All-Academic Team, Wednesday.

Edwards, who just completed her junior season with the Lady Cardinals, carries a 3.41 GPA in exercise science. This past season, Edwards was named a first-team all-conference player as she averaged a team-leading 16.1 points per game for the Lady Cardinals.

in the victory. Eric Foshee started the game, giving up two runs in two innings of work. He would record the victory.

Foshee was relieved by Will Hibbs in the third inning, who allowed one run in one inning of work.

“Getting Will Hibbs back in there tonight was good,” Gilligan said. “He’s made a step in the right direction.”

The Cardinals would go to the bullpen for seven more pitchers in the game. Enrique Oquendo closed the game out in the ninth inning, striking out two batters to give Lamar the win.

“I was really impressed with Oquendo,” Gilligan said. “He was blowing it by them. That’s good for us to know we have another guy that can come in in the ninth.”

Moore set a career high for hits in a game, going 4-for-5 against the Tigers. Van der Meer finished 3-of-6.

“We’ve been swinging the bat well as of late,” Gilligan said.

The team plans to bring the momentum of this victory with them when they travel to McNeese State, Friday.

“That’s exactly what we’re going to do baby,” Gilligan said.

Despite the rivalry, Gilligan said there isn’t any bad blood between the Cardinals and the Cowboys.

“It’s actually pretty friendly,” he said. “We all get along, but they should be our rivals, as close as they are.”

Lamar is now 16-16 overall and will look to win some crucial conference games this weekend.

“The thing is the importance of the ball games,” Gilligan said. “We got ourselves back into it. We just have to keep on coming every weekend.

We’ve got reason to think we’re going to be better. You always want to get better, whether it’s the same guys or the addition of others.”

The game Friday will start 6 p.m. in Lake Charles, La. Lamar will continue the series Saturday and Sunday, before heading to Baton Rouge to play LSU, Wednesday.

Joe Farley, top, delivers a pitch from the stretch position. Sitjn Van der Meer, above, loads up for an incoming pitch in Lamar’s 11-4 victory over Grambling State, Tuesday.

Photos by Grant Crawford

Jake Nash

Stabler’s Stanford run earns national attention After a tremendous run in the 5000-meter event, Friday, at the Stanford Invitational, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named senior distance runner Sam Stabler as the Division I men’s National Athlete of the Week.

The Queniborough, England, native smashed his personal record by almost 25 seconds, and claimed the school record in the 5K on a mark of 13:30.50. He took the top spot from Samuel Kosgei, who has held it since 2010 on a time of 13:35.75.

“Sam had a great day at the Stanford meet. He is a very intelligent runner and

ran a race that put him in position to win at the end,” head track and field coach Trey Clark said. “He is a young man that works very, very hard both in the classroom and on the track.”

By the time the weekend was over, Stabler’s time sat atop the nation’s leader board in the 5000-meter, and the next eight behind him were all at the same event. His time is more than 47 seconds faster than the next highest time in the Southland Conference.

“That meet is a place where people go who are expected to run, and run fast,” Clark said. “For him to be where he is right now is a tes-

tament to all of his work and what he’s gone through.”

The Stanford Invitational annually draws the likes of Olympians, national champions and professionals who attend to workout.

From USTFCCCA: “Stabler ran away from a loaded field of more-credentialed pros and collegians, Friday, at Stanford. The British senior lopped twenty-five seconds off of his old personal best, running 13:30.50 to win the 5000 meters there. It’s the fastest time in the NCAA this year and positions Stabler well for the postseason after missing the cut for indoor nationals by 0.37 seconds this winter.”

Stabler entered the outdoor season as the Indoor Male Athlete of the Year, Outstanding Runner, and threeevent first-team All-Southland Conference. The high point scorer from the Indoor Championships was also the SLC Cross Country champion, Athlete of the Year and Student-Athlete of the Year.

“Sam is just another individual in a long list of people from Lamar who have produced at the national level,” Clark said. “He is the latest Cardinal to do so.”

The next meet for Lamar track and field teams will be at nearby Lake Charles, La., when they run at the McNeese Invitational, Saturday.

Sam Stabler

Wenny Chang leads Lady Card golfers to third at Wyoming Classic The Lamar Lady Cardinals golf team came up just short in their bid to win their second tournament title of the 2014-15 season, but their third-place finish at the Cowgirl Classic doesn’t take away from an impressive performance.

As the Lady Cards were approaching the ninth tee in their opening round, they found themselves bogged down in a three-way tie for 16th place. Before Lamar closed out the opening day of competition, Big Red had battled back to finish Monday’s action fourth overall.

LU continued the climb Tuesday, firing a 296 — it’s lowest round of the week —

to tie for third on the team leaderboard (302-301-296 - 899). Lamar’s rally fell just short of second-place Washington State, who edged out LU by four strokes. Nevada took home the team title after carding a three-round 294-300-294 — 888.

Not to be lost in Lamar’s comeback as a team was the individual performance of sophomore Wenny Chang. After posting a subpar score in Monday’s second round, she was right back at it again Tuesday. Chang fired a one-under par 71 to finish with a three-round 76-71-71 — 218 on the par-72 Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club course. Chang’s score

was good enough to earn individual runner-up honors. She missed the individual title by two strokes falling to Boise State’s Genevieve Ling, 216-218.

The only weakness in Lamar’s lineup during the tournament was the team’s inability to bunch its five players together. Senior Nghi Ngo recorded the team’s second-lowest round to finish among the leaderboard’s top 20, but was six strokes back of Chang. Ngo finished tied for 19th with a three-round 74-76-74 — 224.

Sophomore Kelly Erasmus rallied from a tough opening round. After

recording a six-over 78 in Monday’s morning round, Erasmus closed out the tournament with a 76-75 to record a 229.

Erasmus recorded a 40th-place finish.

Junior Taylor Stockton finished three strokes back of Erasmus with a 74-79-79 — 232 to tie for 56th overall.

Sophomore Bertille DuPont closed out the Lamar scorecard by showing improvement in every round. After opening with an 82, Dupont rallied to record a 7876 finishing, and tied for 71st with a 236.

The next stop for Lamar will be McKinney, Texas to open Southland Conference play, Monday.

Page 8 Thursday, April 9, 2015

University Press

PBD to host poetry event Tuesday

— WORLD VIEW — Dr. Jerry Lin, Taiwan, Professor of Civil Engineering What is the most common misconception about your home country?

I think the most common misconception is about the people in my home country. A lot of times the international market confuses the (Taiwanese) people as a part of the Chinese people. That is a political debate from the past. Most of the people in Taiwan do not consider themselves a part of China — they consider themselves as their own group in Taiwan. I hope people have time to research the history of Taiwan and this particular issue. Another misconception is that some people believe Taiwan is pronounced like Thailand — lots of people think I am Thai and a not person from Taiwan. I encourage people to learn more about Taiwan because it is a beautiful place.

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

There are three main items: First, the food. There is no better place for food — there is so much variety and it has amazing combinations. The cuisine in Taiwan is influenced by the traditional Chinese cooking and there are also a lot of local cuisines that have appeared over time. Because of this, Taiwan is known as an International Trade Island and it also has a lot of western trade influences. All this together makes the cuisine in Taiwan very, very special — one of a kind, in my opinion. The second item is the technological development, I think a lot of people do not know that computer chips that we utilize in cell phones and in

laptops were in fact manufactured in Taiwan. When it comes to technological development, I think that Taiwan has a lot of presence. Number three is the natural beauty. Taiwan is surrounded by the ocean, it has some of the very best beaches in the world. There are a lot pristine areas in the mountains, on the eastern side there are quite a few mountains that meet the Pacific Ocean — this creates a beautiful landscape that is very, very impressive.

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

I think that it depends on where you live in Taiwan, such as, if you go to Taipei in Taiwan, it is very westernized. Since I went to college in Taipei, I consider myself pretty westernized. If you go to the south or the rural areas of Taiwan I think the biggest difference is the people and the interaction. In the United States we are a friendly country, but the relationships between people are not as close as the people in Taiwan. (In the U.S.) when you have a large family you will see love, but in Taiwan the families are very close, are very intimate. The United States families are close but they are still somewhat separate compared to the relationships in Taiwan.

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

I think what they need to do, is not only understand the United States, but I always encourage the

people in Taiwan to know more about the world. The people in the larger cities can be closer to knowing what is happening in the world, but the people in southern and rural parts of the island may not have that opportunity. Also, I think the higher education quality in this country is second to none, we have the highest higher education rate in the world. We are also the country where people will work hard and realize their own American dreams. Another thing, the people in this country have a mutual respect for people’s choices.

These are three items that Taiwanese people could learn about and that would benefit them very well.

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

“A World of Poetry,” a reading event celebrating April’s National Poetry Month, will be held, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday in the open conference area on the sixth floor of Gray Library.

The event is sponsored by Phi Beta Delta Honor Society of International Scholars, The Writing Center and Pulse Literary Journal.

“Hear the rhythms of more than a dozen cultures from across the globe as faculty and students declaim their favorite poems in their original languages — from Afrikaans to Ukrainian,” Jesse Doiron, PBD spokesman, said.

Students can also participate by bringing their favorite foreign-language poem to be displayed throughout the month of April in the Lamar University Writing Center.

Jennifer Ravey, Director of the Writing Center, will moderate the event.

Compiled by Kendrea Angell

Cards spend ‘Alternative Spring Break’ volunteering for Habitat KENDREA ANGELL UP CONTRIBUTOR Over spring break, nine Lamar University students traveled to Hot Springs, Ark., for an “Alternative Spring Break,” where they did volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity.

Danelle Sanders, Bridge City sophomore, worked with the office of student engagement to organize the trip.

“It was definitely a unique experience, it’s not really what you think it will be,” she said. “You’re like their assistant — you go behind them and hammer what they tell you to.”

The students helped construct a frame for a house that would benefit a family in need. William Hill, Edna junior, has experience in construction,

but this was the first time he had framed a house.

“It was very interesting because they did everything by the book,” he said. “Everything they used had to be brand new, so it was really cool seeing the right way to do it.”

The students also worked in restore shops, which are similar to thrift stores except people bring in leftover building materials and the shops resell them for 100 percent profit to fund construction projects.

“It was different and unique,” Chassidy Mayo, Houston senior, said.

“They had couches and just everything you may need for your home if you were remodeling it. It was very cool inside and it was fun to paint the walls and help out.”

The students volunteered in many ways, including gardening and cleaning up the neighborhood.

“It was very humbling and made me feel good to volunteer,” Hill said.

“The first day we trimmed hedges, made gardens, mowed lawns and power washed the sidewalks, because they were preparing to build a house at the end of the street. At the end of the day, you could see that we made a difference.”

The nine Lamarites said the trip changed them a little bit, that it opened their eyes to see problems that people suffer.

“This trip made me less selfish and want to give more rather than receive,” Mayo said.

Kiet Le, associate director of stu-

dent activities and civic engagement, traveled with the students.

“It was very rewarding to get to know the students on a more personal level, because we were together 24/7 for almost a week, and also to see them all grow more as individuals and to go from strangers to friends,” he said.

The students said that the hardest thing was to come together as a group, but in the end they became close.

“Opening up was hard,” Hill said.

“At the beginning of the trip we did not have much conversation. The hardest thing was going from a group of strangers to a tight-knit group.”

The group all agreed that their favorite part serving food at the Jackson

House Crisis Center.

“We helped prepare the meals — cooked, fixed them and passed them out,” Mayo said. “I told my Dad I would like to have us start something like that around here.”

The group said it was not all work.

“The students and I had fun at a St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” Le said.

“Hot Springs is known for the world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, so we were able to help them build a float and watch the parade.”

Le said he hopes the program will continue for years to come and looks forward to the new adventures, and the students all agreed they would do the Alternate Spring Break again.