April 10, 2014 by University Press

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The Newspaper of Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology Thursday, April 10, 2014

Vol. 90, No. 22

SGA election debate set for Friday, voting to begin April 21 LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP STAFF WRITER Student Government Association elections are set for the third week of April. Students will be able to vote from midnight, April 21, until noon, April 23.

Executive branch positions include president, vice-president and secretary/treasurer. Other positions include class senators for the sophomore, junior and senior class. Sabrina C. Lewis and Jasmine Michelle Morehead are candidates for president.

Ryan Dollinger is unopposed for vice-president. LaRissa Denise Wilson and Monim Ul Islam are running for secretary/treasurer. Running for class senators are Mikala Barlow DeVillier for sophomore class, Jussaniqua Lashae Simmons for junior class, and Antoine

Marvelle Crowder for senior class. All three are running unopposed. Voting will be open to all undergraduate and graduate students. “Voting is possible through the Lamar Banner,” Teresa Simpson, SGA staff advisor, said. “Voting will be open to the entire student body. However,

to vote for class senator, the student needs to belong to that specific class.” Campaigns began April 7, and will run through noon, April 23. There will be a debate, 2 p.m.-2.30 p.m. Friday, in 210 Setzer Student Center. See SGA, page 2

NEW MANDATES TO REQUIRE PROCTORU SOFTWARE FOR ONLINE COURSES LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP STAFF WRITER Starting in the summer, some online courses offered at Lamar University will require ProctorU, an online proctoring service. Proctoring and authentication requirement services are based on federal law and accreditation mandates. “It is requiring universities to make a good-faith effort to authenticate students, to make sure that they really are who they say they are.” Paula Nichols, division of distant learning executive director, said. Authentication is not a completely new concept to online classes at Lamar. “We’ve been doing that with the LU ID password in the past,” Nichols said. “But, the rule also says that as new technologies become available, colleges should increase their activity on authentication.” Nichols said although she believes that there is not more academic dishonesty online than there is on campus, the university needs to make sure, because online classes are still fairly new. Lamar has previously used online proctoring for exams that qualify students for state certification. “We’ve done that, and we’ve done that with success,” she said. “And after that, everybody agreed that it was time that we made more effort.” Currently, seven companies are involved in proctoring online courses. Some companies use fingerprint identification, retina scanning, or authenticate on a basis of public information. To work with ProctorU, no additional software or expensive material is required, Nichols said. “Students need to have a webcam and a microphone,” she said. “They will also need to hold up a picture ID. See PROCTOR, page 2

The old Brooks-Shivers Hall is being demolished to make room for the construction of the new Honors College and administration building.

UP Josh Aych

HONORS PROGRAM TO BECOME HONORS COLLEGE MOLLY PORTER UP CONTRIBUTOR Bricks tumble as tracked excavators rip into the walls of the old Brooks-Shivers Hall. The sounds of smashing and rumbling echo constantly throughout the campus. For many, the demolition is the first visible sign of the establishment of the new Honors College. However, many changes have been made behind the scenes to prepare for the transition from the 50-year-old Honors Program into the Honors College. Inaugurated in fall of 1963, the Honors Program has served Lamar’s students and, more recently, Mirabeau Scholars. On April 23, 2012, the Texas State University System Board of Regents voted to re-designate the program the Honors College to meet the growing needs of its students. “This Fall, we admitted that great big group (of Mirabeau Scholars),” Brenda Nichols, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said. “We’re going to kind of go back to more like what we’ve been doing, but what we have done is created levels of those scholarships. All of those levels require participation in the Honors Program. There’ll probably be almost 100, even though the

actual number of Mirabeaus will be smaller.” Nichols said that with a hundred new members, the regular groups and the people who apply for the Honors College, the program basically outgrew itself. “We’ve had growing pains,” she said. “Now we’re at a point in time, in terms of the university enrollment, in terms of the student profile, to really think about moving to the next step. We think enough of it. We think enough of our students, and we have so many. It needs to be a college.” President Kenneth Evans said the Honors College will provide an intellectually stimulating environment to Lamar’s students. “There will always be students in any campus who are simply scholarly, intellectually precocious, and want to be in an environment where they can talk about issues, they can explore material in greater depth and they can take opportunities to do projects in classes that extend beyond what would normally be the expectations in a standard curriculum,” he said. “This provides a venue where those students have a community of others that they can share and work with, and have faculty who are willing to participate in those kinds of products with them and explore with them material in much greater depth than might normally be the case in a classroom con-

text.” Evans said there was not an honors program at UC-Davis when he was an undergraduate student, but they permitted undergraduates to take graduate classes. “I was able to take Ph.D. classes in political science, a couple of them, and it gave me opportunities to be in context where I really got to stretch myself, to explore material and adapt, that I otherwise would have never had the chance to do in a normal undergraduate course,” he said. “Frankly, it’s probably what pulled me into an academic life. If I hadn’t had that, I don’t know if I would have done it. It was so enticing. The stimulation I had was more than I can possibly explain. So that’s what I’m hoping an honors college provides our students.” The new designation will change the stature of the program, and its relevance and importance to the university, Evans said. “The dean now has a seat with the other deans at the university and is now formally designated as such,” he said. “Some of it has to do with the scheduling of classes — trying to make sure that you get enough faculty delivering classes in different programs — and that the

LU to adopt guaranteed price plan in fall 2014 LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP STAFF WRITER Starting in the fall, incoming freshman will have the opportunity to prescribe to a guaranteed price plan where students will pay the same amount of tuition and mandatory fees for 12 consecutive semesters. “The idea originated in the legislature,” Cruse Melvin, vice president of finance and operations, said. “It was one of those things that came down, saying that the institution should provide a guaranteed price plan, so that someone signed up for this plan would be guaranteed tuition and mandatory fees at a fixed rate.” Variable fees, such as parking pass fees, or specific program fees, are not included in the guaranteed price plan.

See HONORS, page 2 See PRICE, page 8

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HONORS ••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 deans are on board with the commitment of both faculty and (course) sections to honors students and honors class delivery.” The designation places a strong emphasis on the goals of the Honors College moving forward, Nichols said. “You know, we call a lot of things programs and we have a number of departments, but most institutions don’t have a lot of colleges,” she said. “I think that’s what makes it a bit more prestigious, makes us more visible. But it also says we think this is so important to support these students and their endeavors that we think it’s worth that name.” One of the first steps in creating the Honors College has been selecting an inaugural dean. Nichols, who chairs the search committee, says they are currently in the process of narrowing down candidates. “We had 26 applications for the job,” she said. “We are to the process of doing Skype interviews with candidates and hope that we can get a recommendation to the president by the first of May.” Evans said he hopes the new dean will prepare students to be re-

SGA •••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 The SGA recently adopted a new constitution to make SGA more, Simpson said. “We want to develop quality leaders, and we want our student government to run as an official governing body for the student voice,” she said. The new electoral officials will take office June 1. However, they will be sworn in April 30, at the Toast of Leadership,

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Page 2 sponsible citizens of a global community. “From a leadership standpoint, a community service standpoint and a volunteer standpoint, obviously, having an appreciation for the role of technology in all of that makes you global while you’re sitting here,” he said. “I think it’s important to recognize that within the broader context. So that’s what I’m hopeful that they bring to the table. “I think the things that (the search committee) have been looking for is someone who is visionary, creative and has worked in environments that have an academic portfolio that’s kind of like what we have at Lamar. “I want someone who’s bringing creative ideas to the table, who has some really interesting things that they think they can bring to the program, to really take it to the next level. I want a dean — we want a dean — who has the ability to put together the kind of faculty excitement and interest in participating in the honors college, infusing in the students that kind of experience when they’re in the program. If we get that, we’ve won.” As well as housing the Honors College, the new building will be Lamar University’s administration building. Currently, the administration offices are in the Plummer Building. The building is scheduled for

Simpson said. “They are sworn in at their position elect until June 1,” she said. “When June 1 comes, the office of student engagement, myself in particular, and Sara Gubala, who is our faculty advisor, will work with the new incoming officials to get them ready and going strong for the launch of the first class day. We’ll have leadership retreats for them, and training on Robert’s rules of order, which is very important.” Apart from the electoral positions, SGA will include de-

NOTICE

PROCTOR ••••••••••••••••

completion in Fall 2015. The demolition of the old Brooks-Shivers Hall will take 60-90 days, Evans said. The name BrooksShivers has already been reassigned to the Dining Hall. “We’re trying not to call it Brooks-Shivers because students actually got upset,” he said. “They thought we were tearing the dining hall down. “We had originally talked about renovating the building, but structurally, the building is not in great shape. They put piers underneath buildings to shore up the foundation — we would have been doing a great deal of that — and probably not have gotten the lifespan out of the building we would have wanted to.” The new administration building and Honors College facility will appeal more to both students and faculty than the current facility, Evans said. “From a facility standpoint, it’s infinitely superior to the present structure,” he said. Students will have much more of a community feel about the program than they’re able to have now because the building doesn’t accommodate it, Evans said. “I think it’s great that it is convenient, and it’s actually in a better place, a better spot on campus,” he said.

partment senators and a judicial supreme court. “The department senators are new,” Simpson said. “One person of each college, selected from the advisory committee, will be appointed by their dean. The judicial supreme court, which includes a chief justice and four judges, are nominated from the house, via a 2/3 vote from the senators.” For more information on SGA elections and the new constitution, visit lamar.orgsync. com/org/sga/.

Continued from page 1 That’s how the proctor sees who you are. The professor has given ProctorU the password for students to get in, via blackboard, just as you normally take your test, and then the proctor sits there and watches you take your test.” Before every test that requires proctoring, students will have to make an appointment via the ProctorU website and pay the necessary fee. “The students have to announce in advance when they will be taking the test,” Nichols said. “If you want to make a last-minute appointment you will pay extra. Base rate is three days ahead, so that the company can schedule the number of proctors that they’ll need. If you schedule within 24 hours, there’s another pay rate, and ‘now’ is pretty expensive.” For a test with a time limit between 31 minutes and one hour, students will pay $8.75 at the ‘Flex Scheduling’ rate, $13.75 at the ‘Take it Soon’ rate, and $17.50 for ‘Take it Now’. “We’ve put a limit of $50 per course, based on Flex Scheduling,” Nichols said. “The instructor can give four 30-minute exams, or two one-hour exams. It’s not meant to proctor every exam. It’s up to the professors to decide what they require. A professor

can, for example, decide to only use ProctorU for the final exam.” Nichols said that it is the professor, not the proctor, who decided if there is any academic dishonesty after a case has been put to his attention. “The instructor can determine what flag it is,” she said. “If he says that the students may use a textbook, that’s fine, if they can’t use a textbook and the proctor sees a book, he will flag it and report it to the instructor.” Students will also have the opportunity to be proctored on campus. “Right now, the testing center asks $63 for a test, which is expensive,” Nichols said. “If we get the library to do it for free, I think they’ll be overwhelmed, so we are trying to get it to the same price as what ProctorU charges. For people who are uncomfortable with (an online proctor), you can have a real person watching you.” Students will also be able to decide if they wish to have a male or a female proctor. Professors will have to announce in advance that their course will require the usage of ProctorU. “For fairness sake, and also, it’s the law, students have to be informed when ProctorU will be part of the class,” Nichols said. “So, we are going to list it so that students will know if the class requires it.” For more information, students can visit www.proctoru.com.

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EDITORIAL Editor Chelsea Henderson 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.

3 Thursday, April 10, 2014

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Cultural Exchanges

UP EDITORIAL

FOREIGN PROGRAMS ALLOW STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCE LIFE, CULTURE UNFILTERED We live in a world of countless cultures and ethnicities, and although some may argue that you simply need to turn on the TV and flip to National Geographic or the Travel Channel to find out all you need to know about them, nothing could be less true. Although books and documentaries are good sources of general information, they will never be able to accurately portray the influence a foreign experience can have on someone. One can watch a TV reporter eat a spicy curry in the mountains of Thailand, but it will never compare to actually being there, sitting on a bamboo mat in a small hut in the middle of a forest, feeling like your mouth is on fire while sweat drips down your forehead. One has to walk through a Moroccan souks to smell the fresh spices, to feel the high level of energy, to experience that constant worry of having your wallet stolen. And even when watching the biggest widescreen TV, views are always better without a filter. This is why students need to go out into the world and experience different cultures. We live in a fast globalizing world and to really be part of it, students should know about more places and cultures than just the one they grew up in. This summer, Lamar is offering 10 study abroad programs. These programs give students the opportunity to travel to countries such as Spain, China, Ecuador and Italy. Students who have participated in one of these programs in the past all return saying the same thing — that it was a life changing experience. The programs give students a chance to really become aware of a foreign culture; it allows students to work closely with people with different values and habits, while earning at least three credit hours. We really encourage students to take part in these programs. Study abroad isn’t required by any of the departments at Lamar, and many students back away from the idea of taking one of the study abroad classes because of the related costs. However, grants are available for all of the programs and the experiences and memories made on these trips are priceless and last a lifetime.

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UP illustration by Chelsea Henderson

Every student should experience living, studying abroad In August, 2013 I arrived in Houston for a long-term experiment: Studying in the United States as a German student. I stayed until the end of December, all together more than four months. These are some of my experiences:

COMMENTARY I’ve been abroad before. I worked as an English teacher for poor children in a governmental school in Istanbul, Turkey. I can still recall how nervous I was when leaving. I was standing at my gate on the airport with my family, knowing that I wouldn’t be home for six months. This time, it was different. Since I’ve been in Turkey for a longer time, I do enjoy staying abroad and traveling. I like coming home with the head filled up with new memories, and the SD-card in my camera full with pictures telling stories from an adventurous time. Still, leaving for a foreign country is never easy and it is different every time you go. Moving to a new city means that you need to get used to the streets and the people there, but moving to another country means much more than that. You need to get used a whole new culture, to another language and to customs you may haven’t even heard of before. I landed in Houston not knowing that Texas was going to surprise me. First of all, I had this picture in my mind that Beaumont would look similar to what the landscape in Arizona is like. I expected a red-stone desert with many cacti. Instead I found a lot of green and trees and palms. Also, I was afraid of the weather in Texas. I have a light skin which is not capable of becoming tanned. Instead, I become red immediately. My mother, who is a nurse on a dermatology station in the hospital, becomes hysterical whenever she finds me staying in the sun. She would run after me to put sun cream on my face. I still wonder

Xenia Herrmann

why she was OK with me going to such a sunny place as Texas. There was no reason to be afraid. As the place in Northern Germany where I’m from is a cold and rainy place, I fell in love with the weather in Beaumont, immediately. Heading to Texas, I left my well-known environment, my friends and family behind. At some point, this gave me a hard time. When I arrived at the Lamar University, I received a magazine from the International Office to help me getting through the first time. Unfortunately, it was more frightening than helpful. In fact, it told me how scary my culture shock was going to be. Also, there was a long list telling how American friendships differ from back home –– just because an American student was nice to me, this wouldn’t mean that he would like to be my friend, simply because it is the American way to be nice all the time. Reading the magazine convinced me I would never find any friends in Texas. After a few weeks at Lamar University everything became easier. I actually found some American friends and I became used to Texas. I never really had a culture shock and I guess that is because Americans and Germans are not that different after all. However, there are some differences I had to get used to. For instance, religion is more important to Texans than it is to Germans. Also, the big majority of Germans believe in the evolution theory while a lot of

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www.lamaruniversitypress.com Individuals who wish to speak out on issues should send a letter fewer than 400 words in length to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 10055, Beaumont, TX 77710, or drop letters off at our office in 200 Setzer Student Center. The writer’s name, address, telephone number and ID number must accompany each letter. Letters received without this information cannot be printed. Letters may be edited for length, grammar, style and possible libel. Opinions expressed in letters are not necessarily those of the UP student management. Letters by the same writer on the same subject will not be published. Poetry and religious debates will not be published.

Xenia Herrmann is a former German exchange student at Lamar and former UP contributor

Practice safe sex for ‘smart’ bedroom liaisons “Safe sex is great sex, better wear a latex, ‘cause you don’t want that late text, that ‘I think I’m late’ text.” — Lil Wayne

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Editor...............................Chelsea Henderson

Texans prefer to believe in the creationism. Additionally, I had some trouble understanding why it is so important to Texans to stick to their right to carry guns in public. Several people tried to explain to me why they needed them to defend themselves. I’d rather stay with my European perspective that it is safer when nobody wears a gun. Another difference is that Americans really are nicer than Germans. I never experienced so many people opening a door for me or smiling at me on the street. My classes at the Lamar University were different from my classes at a German university, too. At a German university you don’t necessarily need to go to your classes if you don’t want to –– as long as you pass the exams in the end of a semester. American universities are more like a high school to me, because you have to be in class and you have to do your homework. At German universities students are seen as grown-ups, and as such it is their responsibility to care for their success in class. After a semester in Beaumont, I can say that I would always choose to go again. I learned so much about the United States, about Texas and the American culture. I found new friends and I had a lot of fun. Going abroad is the best thing to do to get a new perspective on your life. You will learn many things in a short time and I can promise you that you won’t be the same person afterwards. Last, but not least, there is an exchange program from my university in Germany, the Zeppelin University, with the Lamar University. I would be more than happy if an American student would like to start a long-term experiment in Germany. Just look me up.

In 2011, more than 48 percent of pregnancies were unintended, according to the Center for Disease Control. Also according to the CDC unintended pregnancies increased from 79% to 83% among women aged 18 and 19 years and from 59% to 64% among women aged 20–24 years. Smarter Sex, is an organization which promotes safe sex practices, published the results of a survey which states that 85 percent of students, aged 18-24, say they never use a condom during sexual intercourse. That number is surprising, because in the same survey, 65 percent of students said they had learned about contraceptives. Condoms, or some form of contraception, should be used every time one engages in sexual intercourse in order to prevent unplanned pregnancies or transmission of disease. Although condoms aren’t 100 percent effective, they are better and easier to use than most other contraceptives. Nothing is scarier than finding out one might have to take care of a new life. I remember when my ex-girlfriend told me she was “late.” My first thought wasn’t, “Is it mine?” My first thought was how a baby would change everything. As it turned out, she wasn’t pregnant, but it was a close call — too close for comfort. I come from a large extended family, and there always seems to be little kids around. I love kids, but I love it more when I

COMMENTARY

Josh Aych

give them back. Once they get to the point of crying or smelling funny I happily return them to their parents. If I had a child of my own, I wouldn’t be able to return to sender. I would have to take care of it. One day, I babysat my cousins two kids — one was four, the other was six. It started off easy. She dropped them off, I fed them, turned on the TV and they were good as gold. Unfortunately, I’d had a late night and dozed off around midday. When I awoke the house was quiet — too quiet. Here’s the rule — when kids get too quiet it is time to worry. I checked the house from top-tobottom, front-to-back. Nothing. After a while, I noticed the front door was slightly open. My heart dropped. I didn’t know how long I had been asleep, or when the children had left, so I just ran out the door, full speed ahead. Fortunately, they were just playing with the neighborhood kids. I got them some ice cream and decided it would be our little secret. I have the upmost respect for my friends and colleagues who have children. It takes commitment to raise them. I realized that I should not be a parent anytime soon. Not

that I wouldn’t be ready someday, just not anytime in the near future. So when my girlfriend and I had our scare, it really got me thinking. I had practiced safe sex in the past — occasionally, maybe, sometimes. That cavalier attitude almost cost me. Condoms are inexpensive. They are available everywhere — Lamar’s Health Center give them away for free. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies, more than three million pregnancies are unplanned every year. Condoms also decrease the chances of contracting a Sexual Transmitted Infection. According to the Smarter Sex survey two out of three students (67 percent) feel that it’s the man’s responsibility to bring and use a condom, while 52 percent believe that it’s a woman’s responsibility to make sure she is using a contraceptive. It should be everyone’s responsibility. Both partners should be ready. Of course, there are those who make excuses about why condoms shouldn’t be used — “It breaks the mood,” or “It doesn’t feel as good” — none are good. Surely, better sex comes from the peace of mind from knowing one has made responsible choices. College is a time to have fun, to find our way, to open up a world of possibilities. Making the wrong choice for the sake of quick gratification can quickly close the door to those possibilities. Be smart, both in the classroom and the bedroom. Josh Aych is a UP Contributor

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University Press

NEW SETX COMMUNITY COALITION TO SERVE LGBTQIA INDIVIDUALS KRISTEN STUCK UP STAFF WRITER A new community has formed in Southeast Texas to incubate ideas and create a better environment for our LGBTQIA community. The Southeast Texas Community Coalition, formed in February, is behind some big things happening around the area, including Beaumont’s first Pride festival. “There were a lot of small groups that were developing in the community,” co-organizer Chance Henson said. “When I was at the Creating Change conference, I found that coalitions were very effective in rural communities in developing the LGBTQI community. It creates this opportunity to communicate across certain social and cultural barriers.” The coalition formed out of the work Henson does at Legacy Community Health Services, working on community development to reach people at the risk for the AIDs virus. “Community development is a way to reach those people and to increase prevention,” Sara Anderson, visiting assistant professor of English and Modern Languages, said. “What we realized, after we met each other and started talking, is that there are so many more reasons to have a community, not just about AIDs outreach. People who are still in Beaumont, or who moved to Beaumont are looking for community, whatever that might mean — being with likeminded people, interacting with queer culture that is local to Beaumont that you don’t have to drive to Houston for, that you don’t feel like you have to move away from your family for.” Anderson, who moved to Southeast Texas last year, was working on a project about reli-

gion and sexuality when she first met Henson and other members of the coalition at a round-table discussion. “It was in the context of that meeting that we started talking about how, while the larger queer community might need secular and have an antireligious commitment, that’s not possible in Beaumont,” she said. “We have different needs here. Kids who come out in Beaumont are part of very religious families, and see themselves as still part of religious communities, and we talked about ways in which we could create a community that is both queer, but also addresses the local needs of Beaumont.” Anderson said that the coalition is a manifestation of their first meeting. “It’s the instrument that people will use to address the particular needs of the local community,” she said. “We called it the Southeast Texas Community Coalition, but really what we mean is Southeast Texas outside of Houston. That part of Texas that is not urbanized, that lacks the resources of the rest of the national queer community — the part that has a particular Southeast Texas culture.” The purpose of the coalition is to be an umbrella organization that brings together individuals and member societies at one time to combine talent, resources and knowledge, and to create success for all of the various outreach opportunities in the area. “In the first week that the coalition met, they created these sub-committees — for the Resource Center, for Pride,” Anderson said. “That’s amazing. It’s about people identifying needs and then people saying, ‘Let’s do it,’ solving it. What I have discovered is there are a lot of really passionate, excited and talented queer people

here.” Another element of the coalition that shouldn’t be overlooked is the friendship angle. “I’ve had friends who have moved here and had a really hard time because they weren’t religious, and so they didn’t have a way to make other friends, and to network and find communities,” Anderson said. “I’ve talked about the coalition in these big, professional community organizing kind of ways, but the friendship angle shouldn’t be underestimated. “After one meeting, one person came up to me and told me how anxious she was and how hard it was to get there, but that they were so glad that they had come. It was awesome — that connection. We don’t know if we’ll be best friends, but I feel like that was somebody that didn’t know a lot of people here, and I don’t know a lot of people here, and now we are friends on Facebook at least, and we’ll see each other at future events.” Anderson said that the only negative comments she has encountered have been on Facebook. “Maybe it’s not necessary for that person, but there are people who need community, who need to know that they are not alone, and that there are people who are willing to listen to their questions about identity and their place in the world, and people who need their talents,” she said. “The facilitator at one meeting kept repeating that we are a family, and I think for a lot of people that is true. They oftentimes don’t have those networks, or family, or community that more stable people have, and part of what the coalition can do is sort of provide these networks that can enable the health and flourishing of these people.” For information, visit the coalition’s Facebook page at facebook.com/setxlgbtqia.

Margot Robbie and Leonardo DiCaprio in a scene from Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Courtesy photo

‘Wolf of Wall Street’ vigorously entertaining REVIEW LANE FORTENBERRY UP CONTRIBUTOR Martin Scorsese’s latest film, one of the best he’s made in years, is over the top and packed with drugs, money, sex and cussing — which can’t be emphasized enough. It’s an amped up “Goodfellas,” if you will. It’s a story about the son of accountants, who dreams of making his fortune on Wall Street. When he does, he has a good time — a very, very good time. Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, sets out to become a rich man. Belfort narrates his story and tells us of his humble origins — although, as this comes just after we see him tossing a “midget” at a big velcro target (and yes, this film is politically incorrect from start to finish). Belfort starts at a small firm where he meets his overly-relaxed boss Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey). He is given business’ No. 1 tool — cocaine, with the simple explanation — “How the f—- else would you do this job?” When his firm closes after Black Monday, he is forced to work for a small stockbroker selling worthless penny stocks. It’s quite a come down, but Belfort finds he has a knack for pushing the penny stocks on unsuspecting clients. He hires some good friends who have sold merchandise in the past — “mostly weed” — and starts his own stock company, Stratton Oakmont. From here on, Belfort, supported by his crew, especially his neighbor Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill), indulge in the kind of excess that typified the 1980s, as FBI agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) investigates Oakmont for fradulent sales of stocks.

The movie is an orgy of sex, drugs and epic spending sprees. Belfort becomes crazy in love with the idea that one cannot have enough money. DiCaprio is absolutely brillant. This is one of his best works, hands down. He depicts a yelling, money-hungry psycho perfectly. The Oscar nomination he received proves that. Everyone sees Hill as just a fat, funny man who plays the same role every movie. This isn’t true. Hill is a fantastic accomplice to commit crimes with. He and DiCaprio have a chemistry and they work together smoothly. Hill received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his work. Scorsese knows how to take it over the top, and he proves it with “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Some critics have argued that the movie simply glorifies the excess of Belfort’s lifestyle without being sympathetic to the people whose money he stole. However, the partying is over done and gets disgusting. But this correctly depicts the times that Belfort experienced. The beginning provides a time to love Belfort, while the ending provides a time to hate him. There is only one extra feature on the DVD. Scorsese, along with writer Terence Winter and the actors, tell how, from the beginning, they planned to go all out and cross boundaries that movies haven’t crossed before. Scorsese discusses how five hours of material was eventually cut. It’s just as well, as the movie comes in at a whopping two hours and 40 minutes as it is. “The Wolf of Wall Street” is a modern classic. It has the length and visual appeal of the old Hollywood Roman epics. And like Caligula or Nero, Belfort’s story is a cautionary tale of a rise and fall.

AUTISM

Thursday, April 10, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

UP graphic by William Jones

Sources: http://www.autismmalaysia.com, huffingtonpost.com, myaspergers.net.

With the increase in autism awareness, historians are looking back at some of history’s greats to see if they exhibit symptoms of the syndrome. Here are some who may have been autistic. Dan Aykroyd, left, was diagnosed with autism in the early ’80s and credits some of his best film ideas to his autistic obsessions. “One of my symptoms included my obsession with ghosts and law enforcement — I carry around a police badge with me, for example. I became obsessed by Hans Holzer,

the greatest ghost hunter ever. That’s when the idea of my film ‘Ghostbusters’ was born.” Sir Isaac Newton was never able to form close associations with people because it was said he did not know how, nor was he interested in people. Yet became one of most famous and renowned physicists in

history, especially formulating the theory of gravity. It is speculated by many that awardwinning director, producer, and writer Tim Burton is autistic. As a child, he was described as introspective and reclusive, spending most of his time painting, drawing

or watching films. Some of his most famous works include the movies “Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands,” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Albert Einstein’s almost un-natural focus on his work early in life led him to outdistance everyone in his study of physics

and the development of his mathematical breakthroughs and the theory of relativity. Hans Christian Andersen as a child was said to be awkward and had many social difficulties, yet he went on to write famous fairy tales, including the “Ugly Duckling” and “The Little Mermaid.”

Autistic students not defined by ‘limitations’ MICHELLE BURDETT UP CONTRIBUTOR April is National Autism Awareness Month. Autism spectrum disorder is associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues, according to the Autism Speaks website. An estimated 750,000 young adults with autism are expected to enter adulthood in the next decade, the vast majority of whom will end up unemployed or underemployed, according to the advocacy organization Autism Works. However, Kyle Mutz, director of Lamar University’s services for students with disabilities, said there are growing opportunities for young adults with autism to find employment. “Texas, and a lot of other states, have a staterun federal organization that works with people with disabilities including autism,” he said. “Their main job is to help them find employment, specifically tailored to their disability.” The Vocational Rehabilitation Program in Beaumont helps people who have physical or mental disabilities prepare for, find or keep employment, Mutz said. “They have rehabilitation councilors that will sit down with students after they graduate, and they will interview them and get to know them, find out what they want to do for a career, like help with career exploration, and then they will help them find a job,” he said. “It’s definitely a good thing, because they have a lot of contacts in the community and the employment area, so they are really a good avenue for someone to get a job.” Mutz said entering the job field for anybody is an intimating thing, especially if they are dealing with some things disability related. “For students with disabilities, well anyone for that matter, trying to find a job is difficult,” he said. “Going through the university and getting their education is definitely going to make them more employable.” Services For Students With Disabilities provides a variety of services for qualified students with disabilities based on the individual student’s functional limitations,” Mutz said. Services are provided free of charge for qualified students. Mutz said he has worked with autistic stu-

Nine-year-old Allison rides a horse at Spirit Horse Liberty Therapeutic Riding Center. dents before. “Every student is unique,” he said. “I know that socially, it can be difficult for them to interpret general things that you and I would be able to distinguish really easily. Being more specific with that person really helps.” “It is a matter of determining what they are interested in and what do they want to do for a job. A lot of times people get stuck in jobs they don’t like but this is a good resource for that.” Angela Wells’ daughter Allison was diagnosed with autism when she was nine. “I can foresee a lot of difficulties that she may encounter in the workplace as an adult, depending on what career she chooses,” Angela said, “People with autism often have trouble with social situations and do not know how to react with proper responses. Small talk in the workplace is often found to be pointless so, in the future, she may tend to shy away from awkward social situations or say the wrong thing at the wrong time.” Angela said that if Allison chooses a career that is overstimulating or has strict deadlines, she may find herself suffering from meltdowns or

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temper problems from those demands.” Like every kid, Allison frequently changes her mind about what she wants to be when she grows up. Currently, she wants to be an animal trainer and work with horses or large cats. “I want her to be happy, and doing what she loves and is great at,” Angela said. “She is smart enough to do whatever she puts her mind to.” Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. However, the most obvious signs and symptoms of autism tend to emerge between the age of two and three, according to Autismspeaks.com. Autism spectrum disorder and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors, according to Autismspeaks.com. One in 88 children is diagnosed with autism in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control. One California company is actively working

to prepare autistic young adults for the workforce. Exceptional Minds, a non-profit organization founded in 2011 by parents of children and young adults with autism, is a three-year program. Over the past decade, the U.S. lost 687,000 high-tech manufacturing jobs, which include the production of computers and communicate equipment, according to the National Science Board. “Exceptional Minds brought in the necessary training that employers have been looking for, therefore we have been able to keep these types of jobs here in the U.S.,” Dee McVickor, web public relations representative, said. “In the past, a lot of post-production work was sent to other countries,” she said. “Governments were giving incentives for this type of work. It was hard for the U.S. to compete with the incentives that were being given.” Students at Exceptional Minds learn skills that include rotoscoping, the technique of manually creating a matte for an element on a live-action plate so that it may be composited over another background. “These students are able to take out and change a car’s color, for example, frame by frame,” McVickor said. “Rotoscoping is very tedious, very in depth and hard to do. These students do an exceptional job at it. Exceptional Minds has a studio on its California campus where students get hands-on experience. Students have worked on several films, including “American Hustle” and “Lawless.” “The students range in how they are affected by autism,” McVickor said. “We started out with only about 10 students and now have 50.” The parents who founded Exceptional Minds have Hollywood experience working in digital and visual effects, McVickor said. “In turn, this helps the graduates to get jobs in the industry after graduation due to the relationships that they have built with people in the industry throughout the program,” she said. As awareness and diagnosis of autism increases, more and more opportunities will become available for those with the condition to find a place in the job market. For more information, visit exceptionalmindsstudio.org.

Speech pathology students ‘Light It Up Blue’ for autism awareness SIERRA KONDOS UP STAFF WRITER

Courtesy photo

Lamar speech pathology students sold blue food, drinks and merchandise, April 2, to help spread autism awareness and to raise money for research.

Lamar University speech pathology graduate and undergraduate students sold blue food, drinks and merchandise, April 2, to help spread awareness of autism and to raise money for research. The “Light It Up Blue” event was held in the Setzer Student Center. “I feel like all of the students had shown their support for autism, because we sold out all of our merchandise and raised $2,000,” graduate student Heidi Odom said. The speech pathology students handed out fliers and brochures, and held up signs. “This was our first year to ‘Light It Up Blue,’ and we are making this an annual event at Lamar,” Odom said. April is Autism Awareness Month and the group has distributed 50 “Change for Autism” coin boxes across campus. The

money raised will be donated to www.autismspeaks.org. “We are not doing this just because it is in our field to do so,” Odom said. “The National Student Speech Language Association ‘Lighting It Up Blue,’ on our campus so the world can know and understand the unique differences people living with autism have.” Odom said funding research that may prevent autism, and also enrich the lives of people living with the syndrome. “We also believe that autism awareness is important so people with autism can get the education and resources they need to function, and to enjoy their daily lives in the fullest capacity,” she said. “We want to share autism awareness so parents can know how to detect the signs of autism early, and give their children the support they need.” To donate or for information, visit www.autismspeaks. org.

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University Press

SPORTS

Cards’ sweep Abilene over weekend

Jake Sutton, right, hit 4-for-6 from the plate with three scores, two steals and a pair of runs batted in during Lamar’s 16-7 victory over Abilene Christian at Crutcher Scott Field, Sunday in Abilene. The win completed the sweep for the Cards, bringing them to 18-14 (5-7 in Southland play). Results for Wednesday’s game were not available as of press time.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

CROSSOVER Lamar guard Preston Mattingly makes switch from diamond to hardwood COTY DAVIS UP CONTRIBUTOR

Adrian Wilson

Wilson to officiate National Tournament LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP STAFF WRITER

Usually, when watching basketball, little attention is paid to the referee — unless he makes a wrong call. In that case, he becomes the center of attention, usually not in a flattering way. However, for intramural referee Adrian Wilson, officiating is a passion and a neverending learning experience. It is also something he excels in. He was recently selected to be one of 51 officials at the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association’s national tournament at North Caroline State University in Raleigh, April 10-13. “This is the first time in Lamar intramural history that one of our referees has been given the opportunity to represent our campus as a referee in the national tournament,” Jason Harrington, intramural and club sport coordinator, said. In order to get selected to be a referee at the national tournament, students must officiate at a regional tournament, where their skills get evaluated. “After the championship game, all the officials come together and choose three officials who get a certified bid to the national tournament,” Wilson said. “I wasn’t able to get that. I just made the top six officials, so they sent me an application to send to the national people. I sent that to them and gave them my official résumé, and they selected me to become a national referee.” Although he doesn’t have to do anything in particular to prepare for the national tournament, Wilson said he is going with a specific mindset. “I need to go there ready to learn, ready to advance my officiating skills,” he said. “I’m glad that I get to represent Lamar at the national level, and I’m really hoping that this will take my officiating to a higher level.” Wilson hoops that his officiating career advances beyond the intramural level. “I definitely want to get into college basketball,” he said. “I’m going to a college camp this summer, hoping that I can be a college official by next year.” The summer camp consists of three camps at three different locations in Texas. “Once you get in, you get evaluated by more high-level officials, and as you go on towards the last camp, they will call you in and you sign a one-year contract to a division, such as Division I, Division II, Juco,” he said. Wilson doesn’t know exactly how many games he will get to officiate while in North Carolina. “You don’t know in advance how many games you’ll be reffing,” he said. “You just know that you will be officiating pool-play and likely you will ref bracket play. But, as the teams lose and go down, the refs also go down. So, it depends on how good I do, how I get evaluated, and how far that they want me to go. At TCU, during the regional tournament, I officiated eight games. That put me in the championship game, so hopefully I’ll have eight games again.” When not on the court, Wilson said officials participate and are evaluated in a variety of activities. “While you’re not officiating, they might have you looking at film, have an evaluator talk to you about what they see that you could improve on and what they like about you,” he said. “I’ll also watch other games, watch other officials, learn from them.” Wilson said his main goal will be to gain experience. “With officiating, you never stop learning,” he said. “There will always be new rules, there are ways to better your technique, your stance, to make yourself look better on the court, and to be more in control of the game.”

“You put all your stock, and you worked so hard for one thing, when you don’t achieve that goal it’s always tough.” It’s rare for athletes to leave professional careers to play ball at the college level. However, for former Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Preston Mattingly, that’s exactly what he did. After six seasons playing in baseball’s minor leagues, Preston now spends his days playing shooting guard for Lamar basketball. Some might say that being the oldest guy on a college team after a professional baseball career may be a tough challenge, but for Preston, it’s just another great opportunity. “It is a little different being 26 years old playing college basketball after having a professional baseball career,” he says. “But other than that, I’m just a normal guy.” Maybe not so normal. Growing up as the son of New York Yankee

legend Don Mattingly, Preston’s life was different than most. However, Preston says he feels that his childhood was just as normal as the other kids who grew up in his home town of Englewood, N.J., where it was all about sports. “Life was a little different with my dad playing with the Yankees and always gone,” Preston says. “But I was just like the other kids playing every little league sport from pee-wee football to little league basketball. Growing up, everything was about sports.” Preston says he was too young to remember his dad’s playing days in MLB, but he does remember the fun he had. “I remember how much fun I had with my dad and other kids hanging out in the club house,” Preston says. “We used to go out on the field before and after the games, hitting whiffle balls, running the bases, or whatever we would do — it was a lot of fun.” It’s a lot different for him these days. His dad is now manager of the

UP William Jones

Lamar’s Preston Mattingly brings the ball up court during the Cards’ 66-62 win over McMurry, Nov. 1, in the Montagne Center.

Los Angeles Dodgers. Preston says now that he is older, he has a better understanding of baseball and gets to experience a lot more than before. Although, he grew up around baseball, it did not stop him gaining a passion and love for basketball. He also has an admission about baseball. “Everyone thinks that because of my dad, baseball is supposed to be my favorite sport as well,” he says. “Basketball has always been a lot more entertaining to me. Baseball is kind of boring and everything is so slow, where in basketball, everything goes at a faster pace. That’s why I love basketball a lot more.” However, when the time came to pursue a profession, he chose baseball straight out of high school because, at the time, he really didn’t want to go to college. The family had moved to Evansville, Ind. when he was nine. After graduation, he had the opportunity to play college baseball at Tennessee University. He also had an offer to join the Dodgers farm system. It was a tough decision, but Preston says that he felt that he could always come back and attend college, but at the time could not pass up the chance to go pro. “The Dodgers offered me a deal with an excellent amount of money, so I decided to take it, and at the time, it was the best opportunity for me,” he says. The day he was drafted was one of the best days for his life, Preston says. Not only did he get drafted with the 31st overall pick in the 2006, but his high school also won the state tournament. “It was a great all-around day for me,” he says. “I was hanging around the computer with my mom and brothers waiting for that call. Other teams called me throughout the day, but the Dodgers called and asked, ‘If we draft you, will you sign?’ and I told them, ‘Yeah.’ Five minutes later they announced they had drafted me.” Playing in the minor leagues is not as glamorous as people may think. “It was a great experience, but it was also tough,” he says. “I have been on bus rides for ten hours, playing 140 games a season, so it’s a grind for sure. Nevertheless, there was nothing better than being around my teammates that were like a little family.” It was a different level of competition — not just on the diamond, but with his teammates as well. “Even though everyone was friends, we all were competing against each other to make it to the big leagues,” he says.

Another challenge was being forced to live up to other people’s expectations to be as good as his dad. Preston says said the worst thing people would tell him was, “You will never be as good as your dad.” Preston says he never tried to be like his dad, but to be his own player. “When your dad is a hall-of-famecaliber player, everyone expect you to be just as good as him,” Mattingly says. “It’s like Michael Jordan’s kids. No matter how good you are, people are always going to say you are never as good as your dad.” Ultimately, Preston struggled through six injury-plagued seasons. “It’s tough, always having to rehab your body, getting all of these injections — it creates a wear on your body,” he says. “It is also tough on your mind, too. I wanted to be out there with my teammates competing, but I couldn’t because of my injuries.” The worst injury happened one early season game in California. He tore his hamstring which left him inactive for three months. “We played a game against the Diamondbacks,” he says. “It was cold and raining, and I was the first batter up that day. I hit the ball in the hole to the short stop and I knew it was going to be close, so I was running my hardest. I got right before the base and my hamstring popped on me and then I went down.” Preston never made it to the big leagues, playing for numerous of teams all over the minor leagues, but he always had bad luck. Just before his father was hired as Dodgers manager, Preston was traded to the Cleveland Indians farm team. He decided to retire from minor league baseball after the 2011 season. He was ready to go back to school. The connection between his high school and Lamar helped make his decision easy. “My high school coach coached Pat Knight in school, so it kind of was a cool thing there,” Preston says. “Because of the connection, I came down for a visit, and the guys were cool so I decided to come here.” Despite have a losing season on the court, Preston says he enjoyed his first year playing college ball, and it felt good to get back into the sport after being out for so long. Since the basketball season is over, Preston says he has gone to a few baseball games, but has no desire to be more than just a fan. Preston says that his baseball days are over and his attention is totally on basketball. But he will probably watch a few Dodgers games this summer, just to check in on his dad.

‘Base ball’ in Beaumont The Spindletop/Gladys City Boomtown Museum hosted an exhibition vintage base ball artifacts, Saturday.The exhibit featured equipment and articles about base ball (spelled with two words prior to the 1880s) in Beaumont, and throughout some of the US from the 1850s up to the present.“Being a history museum, we want to show as much history, in as many different ways as possible,” director Mark Osborne said. “Through base ball, and the history of base ball, you can talk about a lot of different time periods.” The exhibition was organized by Don Smart, above. The vintage base ball game scheduled to be held was cancelled due to inclement weather. Evan Klutts tried on some of the baseball gear from the 1900s.

Text and photos by Josh Aych

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University Press

Lamar Opera Theatre to present ‘The Magic Flute’

Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music students perform in last year's opera production of “Der Betrogene Kadi” by C.W. Gluck. Courtesy photo

PRICE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 The premium on designated tuition under the plan is 12 percent. This is based on an assumed 3.95 percent annual increase in tuition and mandatory fees. ‘The rate that we used was the Texas State University System’s agreed-on percentage,” Melvin said. “Actually, we had the TSUS office run some calculations and the institutions such as Lamar, Sam Houston State, and Texas State will all use the same percentage.” After deciding on the rate, the TSUS school representatives came together to discuss how to put the plan in place. After the plan had been approved, Lamar’s finance department took over. Together with the IT department and various other departments, they came up with a plan. “We’ve been trying to see what other schools do,” Donna Quebedeaux, LU associate controller, said. “We look at UT and Texas A&M. If there’s something new, a lot of the time they’ll have a FAQ sheet and maybe things that we haven’t thought of, just because they are so big. But we haven’t been able to find anything that anybody has put out there.” Lamar is still working on some of the details of the plan. “We’ve gotten a couple of schools’ plans, and some are saying you have to take 15 hours, and we’ve never thought about that, so we want it all spelled out.” Quebedeaux said. Once everything has been decided, the details will be available on Lamar’s website. “We want to make sure everything is precise and as informative as possible before we put it on the website,” Twila Baker, interim associate vice president of finance, said. “We will be working in conjunction with strategic development, and we will have an FAQ sheet to publish on the website, as well as have it at orientation.” Because a student won’t know until the end of their 12 semesters if the guaranteed price plan paid off or not, it will be difficult to show the benefits, Melvin said. “It is a bit of a gamble on a student to go for this,” Melvin said. “Because you start off and pay about a 12 percent premium on tuition. What you’re basically gambling on is that the inflation won’t be that much.” Students can always decide to drop out of the program, but it would most likely be a bad idea, Quebedeaux said. “You’ve paid more the first two years for sure,” she said. “You can always drop out, but the possible benefits of the plan only start showing towards the end of your degree plan.” The 12 consecutive semesters are based on four years of fall spring and summer semesters. Students can start the guaranteed price plan at the beginning of any of these three semesters. “If you don’t sign up for summer, you won’t be dropped out of the program,” Melvin said.

“But, the concept is, you have 12 consecutive semesters under this, including summers, and that’s it.” Quebedeaux added that if a student decides to take the fall semester off, that is fine; the student will simply have less time to complete his or her degree under the guaranteed price plan. The main goal of the plan is to help students and their families to have some predictability of education costs. However, the plan turned out to be more complicated than originally expected. “Basically, the legislature had in mind something that they thought would be easy to implement, and something that would benefit the students,” Melvin said. “In that perspective, it’s a good idea. But, then you have to look at fixed fees and variable fees, so yes, there will be parts under this control, but others will not be.” For students deciding to go with the guaranteed price plan, it is important that they feel certain that they will complete their education within the 12 consecutive semesters, Baker said. “If you know that you’re going to be here for four years, that you’re going to graduate within those 12 semesters, it can pay off for you,” she said. “It may, or it may not. But, you need to ask, ‘Am I going to be the type of student that is going to be able to graduate in that time frame.’” Tuition for fall 2014 will be $188 per credit hour for students who decide to enroll in the guaranteed price plan, compared to $166 for students not in the plan. “If tuition is $211 (per credit hour) by the time you’re a senior, you’re pretty much going to break even,” Melvin said. “But, if tuition is $230, then you’ve done a good deal paying $188 every semester. It’s a matter of, ‘Do you want to pay me now, or do you want to pay me later?’ “You’re not just gambling on inflation, you’re also gambling on what economic condition you’re going to be in to support yourself. It’s very complicated. It’s not as simple as the legislature intended.” Melvin said that because legislature requires it, the guaranteed price plan will be put into place, but it is not something Lamar recommends, nor is it something that they discourage. It is the students’ call. “We anticipate that there will be very few students who will sign up for this program state wide, not just at Lamar,” he said. “We feel that most students are going to look at this, say, ‘I’m not going to pay a higher price now.’ If you look at two bills, are you going to pay the higher bill, or the lower bill?” If students in the guaranteed price plan end up paying a higher price, they will not be refunded for the difference at the end of their 12 semesters, Melvin said. The plan will be available for all undergraduate resident freshmen. Students will have until the 12th day of classes to decide if they wish to join the plan. Students seeking more information should monitor www.lamar.edu for future announcements.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” (“Die Zauberflöte”) has been enchanting audiences since its premiere more than 200 years ago, and now Lamar Opera Theatre will present a fully-staged version of this fairy-tale masterpiece at 7:30 p.m. April Friday and Saturday. The opera will be performed in German, with English dialogue and supertitles, in the Rothwell Recital Hall of the James M. “Jimmy” Simmons Music Building on the Lamar University campus. Mozart’s final opera, “The Magic Flute” takes place in two acts. In a fantasy world of sorcery, dungeons and wild animals, a young prince sets out to rescue a beautiful princess, the daughter of the Queen of the Night. He carries a magic flute as a shield, guide and weapon to assist his quest for truth and justice as dark forces seek to destroy him. The production is conducted by Kurt Gilman, chair of the Mary Mor-

gan Moore Department of Music, and directed by Serdar Ilban, assistant professor of voice and opera. Ilban also translated and edited the dialogues to English. Lamar music instructor Roger Keele provides piano accompaniment and music direction. “‘Die Zauberflöte’ opened in 1791 with Mozart conducting and librettist Emanuel Schikaneder in the role of Papageno, the Birdcatcher, to great acclaim,” said Ilban. “It was Mozart’s first opera to be written for a popular theatre and not under the patronage of the royalty or nobility. It is fitting, therefore, that the themes in ‘The Magic Flute’ reflect Mozart’s visions for a society in which all persons are created equal, and truth and goodness always triumph over deception and evil.” General admission is $10, and tickets should be reserved in advance. For tickets or more information, call 880-8144.

Courtesy photo

The Phi Beta Delta honor society for international scholars initiated 15 new members — six students and nine faculty members — from Lamar University at the organization’s induction ceremony, March 31 in Gray Library.

Phi Beta Delta inducts 15 into Beta Xi chapter at Lamar The Phi Beta Delta honor society for international scholars initiated 15 new members, six students and nine faculty members, from Lamar University at the organization’s induction ceremony March 31, marking the 23rd anniversary of the founding of the Lamar chapter, Beta Xi. “Beta Xi Chapter of Phi Beta Delta demonstrates the commitment our university has to a globalized view of education, scientific research, and international business opportunities,” Jesse Doiron, instructor of English and Modern Languages and Beta Xi president, said. “By recognizing faculty and students for their international achievements in these fields, the Beta Xi confirms to the world that a degree from Lamar University competes well with other institutions of higher learning around the globe. “Membership in Phi Beta Delta provides numerous publishing, networking, and funding opportunities to faculty and students,” Doiron said. “These scholars recognize that the honor society is more than a local club — it is truly an international network of influential relationships that often bring cooperative educational programs into fruition.” Lamar University President Kenneth Evans gave the keynote address at the ceremony. President Evans, himself a member of the Phi Beta Delta, offered his views on the importance of international education in our time. “Dr. Kenneth Evans delivered this year at the induction ceremony, an excellent overview of the need to keep international ideals and cross-cultural exchanges in focus as he implements further plans for Lamar University,” Doiron said. “Our future efforts will include the support of our study abroad initiatives; develop-

ment of colloquies to highlight international concerns; invitation of notable speakers who will give workshops on the globalization of markets, science, and art.” Students who demonstrate scholarly achievement or excellence in substantial international endeavors must be nominated by existing members, selected by a membership committee and voted for membership by the chapter. In order to be considered for membership, undergraduate students are required to have a grade-point average of 3.2, while graduate students must have a 3.5. Lamar faculty members were selected based on outstanding scholarly production at the international level including publications in international journals or about international issues, presentations in international forums, and international acknowledgment of their research. New student members include Jeremy Allen, Ian Collier LeMasters and Paul Anthony Rizk, all of Beaumont; Paige Annette Hoyt, Sour Lake; Paige Elizabeth Miller, Port Neches; and Devin Ann Potter, Lumberton. New faculty members include Sanaz Alasti, assistant professor, Sociology, Social Work and Criminal Justice; Richard Gachot, associate professor, Family and Consumer Sciences; Diana Rivers, professor, Nursing; Amy C. Smith, associate professor, English and Modern Languages; Maxim Soukhodolets, associate professor, Chemistry; Enrique “Henry” Venta, dean, College of Business; James W. Westgate, professor, Earth and Space Science; Megan Koza Young, assistant professor, Art History and Museum Art; and Victor A. Zaloom, Interim Dean, College of Engineering.

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