University Press April 11, 2019

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Newspaper of Lamar University

Vol. 95, No. 22 April 11, 2019

Volunteer Opportunity ‘The Big Event’ set for Saturday Sydney Halvorson UP contributor

UP photo by Noah Dawlearn

Corey Smith, lead kennel tech from Lumberton, plays with Marble the dog at the Humane Society of Southeast Texas, April 9, as a volunteer.

Lamar University will host the “Big Event,” Saturday, beginning at the Montage Center at 9 a.m. Student director Shannon Mills said that hundreds of students are expected to volunteer. “‘The Big Event’ is basically Lamar’s way of saying thank you,” she said. “It started about 30 years ago at Texas A&M — they were the founders — now we have it internationally. We just send a bunch of students out into the community to non-profit organizations and we volunteer to help them.

“Hundreds of students volunteer, just to say thank you.”

This year, alumni are also volunteering for “The Big Event,” Mills said.

“We have alumni that volunteer, that come back from wherever they are, to participate in ‘The Big Event’ with our students,” she said.

“We also have alumni that work here in Beaumont with non-prof-

its, so we try to reach out to them and try to get them involved.”

Kattya Fernandez, student director of recruitment, said they want to recruit more students to get involved with helping the community.

“What we do is a bunch of tabling to recruit, or sending out emails to all the individual organizations on campus, and we just try to emphasize that it’s a great way to get service hours and give back to our community,” she said. “We just make sure to share the opportunities that are provided so people can give back. If you’re looking for community service hours, you can do it with a group.”

Fernandez said students shouldn’t see volunteering or doing community service as something that they have to do, but something they want to do.

“Community service sounds like boring, but it’s not,” she said.

“Somebody might need your help, and one day that might be you needing that help and you would

want students to help you out. If you care for Beaumont, then you should want to volunteer.”

“The Big Event” is completely student run, Mills said.

“We provide breakfast, we have a DJ there, we are going to have Big Red, the president — Dr. Evans — the mayor is going to come out, we have backpacks, snacks, Tshirts, and waters for free,” she said. “If you don’t have a ride, we have campus options for you as well.

“The work that we do is not in vain. It’s not to say we want to feel good about ourselves. The nonprofits need our help.

“They can’t afford to pay for someone every week to do all this stuff. It’s really just heart fulfilling.”

Students were put into groups and given a volunteer location.

“We are working on the maps and directions — we are giving students a folder with the points of contact

See BIG EVENT page 2

THROUGH THE PANE Panel to give voice to LGBT community Juliette Colvin UP contributor

The division of global diversity, inclusion & intercultural affairs will host an LGBT+ Voices panel, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday, in 124 Setzer Student Center.

The event is designed for people to experience the world through the eyes and voices of LGBT+ individuals,

A construction worker lifts a pane of glass from Cunningham Street to the side of the new Science and Technology Building, Tuesday.

Imelda Wicks, executive director of diversity, inclusive excellence and training, said.

The event will explore intersectionality of gender, sexual orientation and culture.

Panelists include Donny Avery, Jacqueline Hays and Rose Reindel. The event is free and open to all.

“It’s a partnership between the LGBT+ commuSee LGBT+ page 2

Cultural Festival set for Saturday Tayler Lee UP contributor

The office of international student programs and services and the International Student Council will host the seventh annual International Cultural Festival, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, in the Setzer Student Center Ballroom. The event is free and will include dancing, singing, a fashion show and cuisine to

UP photo

by Noah Dawlearn

represent multiple countries and their traditions.

Mustapha Jourdini, director of the office of international student programs and services, said the main purpose of the universitywide program is to celebrate global diversity and inclusion in international education.

“The overarching goal of the event is to bring people See CULTURAL page 4

Investigation Digestion Mueller report finds no collusion, redacted report expected soon Claire Robertson UP contributor

The Mueller investigation, launched in 2017, looked into possible Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, and whether or not President Donald Trump or his team colluded with Russia, and if the President obstructed justice during the course of this investigation. “‘Colluded’ doesn’t just mean they benefitted in

some way,” James Nelson, LU assistant professor of political science, said.

“That’s not the standard.

Collusion would mean they were actively working with Russia.”

During the investigation, Mueller employed 19 lawyers and was assisted by about 40 FBI agents, intelligence analysts and forensic accountants, among others. The counsel issued more than 2,300 subpoenas, 500 search warrants and interviewed

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about 500 witnesses. The Special Counsel indicted 34 people from three different countries, and charges were filed against five Trump campaign members.

Mueller, appointed Special Counsel prosecutor in 2017, concluded his investigation, and submitted the final report, exceeding 300 pages, to Attorney General William Barr on March 22.

As attorney general, Barr is See MUELLER page 4

AP photo by Cliff Owen

Special Counsel, Robert Mueller and his wife Ann leave St. John's Episcopal Church, across from the White House, after attending morning services in Washington, D.C., March 24.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

INSIDE

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

Thursday, April 11, 2019 University Press

Page 2

—George Bernard Shaw

REDtalk to bring fun to academia Amber Morris UP contributor

Sarah Ridley, tutoring service coordinator at Star Services, will present “Finding the Fun: Turn Your Interests and Hobbies Into Academic Projects,” at 4 p.m., April 18, on the sixth floor of Gray Library. The lecture is the latest in Lamar’s REDtalk series.

The free event will teach students an alternative way of learning.

LGBT+

“It is about turning your hobbies and interests into long-term and short-term projects,” Tanya Nagra, graduate assistant for workshops and events at Star Services, said.

“It is about discovering new ways in cultivating your interests and engaging academic projects and using them for your career development.”

“Finding the Fun” will offer helpful tips for where to start with academic projects and how to uncover what

students are interested in, Ridely said.

“How do you take that and bring it into the academic sphere, and turn it into something that you could develop for class, or for an alternative project?” she said. “How do you take these nitty gritty steps to turn that project into something like a thesis or a paper, or presentation?”

Four student will join Ridley — Sakurah Fisher, Caroline Nwandu and Katheryn

from page 1

nity in Beaumont and at Lamar University, and we are going to have members of the LGBT+ community that are going to come and speak to us about how to see the world through the eyes and voices of the LGBT+ community,” Wicks said.

Hays is president of PFLAGBeaumont, a local chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

“Pride festivals and national gatherings honoring LGBT+ culture and inclusion are normally held in the spring. College campuses across the nation plan and support LGBT+ events and Lamar is no different, Wicks said.

The division of global diversity will also conduct a survey at the event.

BIG EVENT

“The first thing we want to do is climate surveys,” Wicks said. “A climate survey is an opportunity for us to find out what kind of support does the LGBT+ community have here at Lamar, what level we find ourselves, and how much more do we need to invest — is it low, medium, high — and then we will be able to determine programming for this particular community.”

Wicks said the event offers an opportunity for the division to speak to anybody who would like to come and share some of the challenges that the LGBT+ community faces.

“We also want to know where we stand in representation on campus,” she said.

For more information, visit www.lamar.edu/diversity-inclusion.

from page 1

with whom they are meeting, and we will be driving to all the locations to make sure the students are safe, doing what they are supposed to be doing, and that everyone is cooperating correctly in a positive environment,” Mills said.

“When we first meet at the Montagne Center, we are going to have a big party in the morning to get everyone excited and then we are going to disperse from there.”

For more information, visit lamar.edu/bigevent.

Buchner from the McNair Program, and Cheyenne Graham.

The event will include giveaways such as gift cards, pizza, Tshirts, REDtalk cups, and a snow cone machine. It will also consist of reflective interactive activities where the speakers will ask the students to write on paper and consider questions, ask questions of the audience, and complete a question and answer portion of the presentation.

“The title is ‘Finding the Fun,’ so, you will surely be able to find the fun in the presentation,” Nagra said.

Faculty, students, and staff are able to submit proposals to host a REDtalk. The due date for REDtalk proposals is April 26.

To submit a proposal, visit lamar.edu/REDtalk.

More information can be found on the Lamar University Star Services Facebook page, or in 109C Communications Building.

Dolce elected new SGA VP

Jackson Dolce was announced as the vice president of the Student Government Association, Thursday, after a runoff race between him and Luis Espinoza.

Dolce received 333 out of 629 votes — 52.9 percent overall.

The runoff election was held because neither candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote during the general election.

Dolce will be joining Edward Doan, president, Haya Alani, secretary-treasurer, Timesha Miller, senior senator, and Tyler Martin, junior senator as the new executive board of the SGA in fall of 2019.

Natalie Sfeir, current SGA vice president, said that she was impressed with voter turnout this year, and that she is hopeful for the new board members.

“As the election commissioner, we campaigned students to vote,” she said. “We made students who may not have known about or traditionally voted in the election aware that they had an opportunity for their voice to he heard.”

For more information about SGA, visit www.lamar.edu/students/student-engagement/student-government-association.

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CALENDAR

April 11

History Department Open House Sixth floor, Gray Library 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

April 11

International Film Festival: ‘All About My Mother’ Dishman Art Museum Auditorium 5:30 p.m.

April 11

Trombone Studio Recital Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

April 12

Chem-Connect Colloquium in SETX Eighth floor, Gray Library 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

April 12

LU Baseball vs.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Vincent Beck Stadium 6 p.m.

April 16

Film Screening of ‘In the Land of the Head Hunters’ 106 Maes Building 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

April 16

‘The Most Hated Painting in 1840’ Art History Lecture Series Dishman Art Museum 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

April 18

International Film Festival: ‘Tomboy’ Dishman Art Museum Auditorium 5:30 p.m.

OPINION

3 UNIVERSITY PRESS Thursday, April 11, 2019

King loses subject YouTube hero falls from grace after scandal

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a lot of things outside the newsroom, one of them being Pokémon, or anything to do with it, as it is one of my hobbies.

When most people ask me why I still love Pokémon, I usually tell them it was something that I always loved as a child. It was always a way to cope with my depression as the characters did not judge me or tell me I wasn’t good enough.

Most of the time you can catch me playing “Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu!” on my Nintendo Switch, or the various other games on the other Nintendo consoles. When I am not doing

Commentary

Cade Smith UP staff writer

that, I usually hop on YouTube or Twitch and watch Pokémon videos and streams by my favorite PokéTuber, TheKingNappy. Well, at least I used to.

Sunday, March 31, allegations against several people within the Pokémon and gaming community had come to fruition as several victims took to Twitter and YouTube to expose them for being predators and grooming their fans.

Nappy was one of the accused on Twitter and it divided the Pokémon fanbase quite a bit as most of the community were his close friends. Tuesday night, it was revealed that his friends knew about his activities, but chose not to say anything so that the victims could come forward.

Among the chaos, two of Nappy’s former friends, Luke (GameboyLuke) and Callum (HoodlumCallum), exposed him with screenshots of conversations claiming that he had forced both into romantic relationships years ago. Later, on April 3, a fan of Nappy’s, TheStormyKingdra, came forward saying he also was forced into a relationship with him as recently as 2018.

The problem with that is not only the fact that he forced them into the relationships, but both Callum and Gabe were underage when Nappy groomed them.

Callum was 16 at the time when Nappy started grooming him, claiming that if he did not pursue Nappy he would have to remove Callum from his life via social media and further video collaborations. Callum agreed to the relationship despite him being straight and not wanting to lose Nappy as a friend as Callum

UPeditorial One last chance for peace before finals April 19 is Good Friday — the last opportunity for students to relax before the end of the semester kicks into high gear.

Enjoy the mini-vacation. Go see a movie, hang out with friends or just sit in bed all day and do whatever. Spend time outside, weather permitting. Read a book, write in a journal, hell, play video games all day.

The end of the semester can be stressful studying for finals and finishing last-minute projects and assignments, so it’s good to have one more chance for a mental health day.

Also, with Sunday being Easter, Friday gives people a chance to prepare for spending the day with their families.

One day may not seem like much time to decompress, but it’s better than nothing.

If relaxing is not in the forecast, then Friday will prove to be an extra work day — one more day to study and finish homework without having the disruption of class.

For those who have to work through the Easter weekend, take it easy — no one wants to go into the final stretch of the semester stressed.

Take advantage of this golden opportunity. It doesn’t matter how the day is spent. It matters that it’s a day for peace and reflection.

For some, it’s the beginning of the end of their college journey, a new life is on the horizon.

So just take deep breaths. Take at least an hour or so to do something that brings ease and happiness. It might be a while before we get another chance.

Then get up Monday and get ready to go to work.

There’s still time left in the semester but not a lot, so it’s best to make these last few weeks count.

Editor..........................................Cassandra Jenkins Managing Editor...............................Olivia Malick Photo Editor......................................Noah Dawlearn Staff ..................................... Cade Smith, Vy Nguyen, ......................Claire Robertson, Sydney Halvorson, ........................................Tayler Lee, Juliette Colvin, ...................................Tiana Johnson, April Marble, ..Khalaya Coleman, Damara Jones, Amber Morris Advisors Andy Coughlan and Stephan Malick Member of Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

was new to the community.

As a fan of both at the time, I can say that it was very weird when Callum suddenly disappeared from Nappy’s life. Nappy never mentioned what happened other than they were no longer friends.

In GameboyLuke’s case, Nappy forced him to be in a relationship with him as well, but the difference was that Luke was of age. Nappy constantly asked Luke how he felt about him after Luke would visit him in Tucson or meet up at conventions. Luke also disappeared suddenly from Nappy’s life.

After he had been accused, Nappy took to Twitch to explain what he had been bombarded with as far as his friends who were accused of sexual crimes.

The problem I had with the stream was that Nappy did not fully address the accusations against him and later deleted all

forms of social media except for his YouTube which is still active as of Monday.

As far as fans knew, Nappy rarely discussed his personal life with his viewers — none of us knew that he was bisexual or the allegations of predatory behavior. Nappy was secretive, and it finally shed some light on why things seemed weird when people would suddenly disappear without a word or mention.

When I had found this out, I could not believe that this was happening to the community as Nappy was someone who I looked up to and had helped me in my darkest times with his videos. Nappy’s YouTube was my escape from reality and made me forget the hurt I felt every day.

Honestly, it sucks that this happened in the community and it deeply impacted me in a negative way. The whole week I was devastated and was really de-

UP graphic by Olivia Malick

pressed as all of Nappy’s friends started to expose him. I did not know what to believe anymore, the whole situation left me questioning other people I look up to.

In the era of the #MeToo Movement and “canceled culture,” I feel like it was the right time for Luke, Callum, and Gabe to come out with the allegations against Nappy and bring peace among the PokéTuber community and shed light on things.

As for Nappy, I don’t think I will support him after a week of reviewing the evidence and seeing that he deleted his social media. I can easily say in my opinion he is guilty of the accusations against him.

For now, I am lost and left wondering who I should give my views to as there are many PokéTubers who deserve my views and attention. Perhaps I will find another person to fill that void left by Nappy.

Overcoming fear of public speaking crucial to career

Being a communications major, people expect me to like talking to people. It should be easy to get up in front of a room full of strangers and do a presentation because, hey, that’s your chosen field.

But for many people like myself, it isn’t so easy. Choosing a degree in communications was voluntary. Having anxiety about public speaking was not. According to Psychology Today, surveys have shown that people tend to fear public speaking more than death. For some people, those things are one and the same.

It’s called communication apprehension — the level of anxiety triggered by the real or anticipated communication act, as defined by James McCroskey, former professor in the department of communications at the University of AlabamaBirmingham.

The anticipation of a speech has

Commentary

Olivia Malick UP managing editor

Letters Policy

been the cause for many sleepless nights and hours of thinking about everything that could go wrong. I figured it was something I just had to get over — that’s what everyone told me to do. “You’ll never be successful if you can’t talk in front of people,” was always at the back of my mind.

For many years I just pushed through — I was able to force myself to do interviews, but they were usually one-on-one experiences, so it didn’t seem as daunting as standing up in front of my classmates.

When I had to give presentations in class, my hands and voice would shake, my face would get flushed, and all I could think about was how stupid I must look and sound. The anxiety was debilitating at times. I would dread getting up in the morning and the anxiety only increased as the time for my presentation came closer.

Even if I’d prepared incessantly and was giving a presentation on something I cared and knew a lot about, I would psych myself out and convince myself that I wasn’t capable of giving the presentation.

But then there was a breakthrough. Not a cure — anxiety about public speaking doesn’t just go away.

Lamar offers a course for people who have anxiety about public speaking, taught by Ruth Stanley.

I had no expectations going into this class. I wasn’t sure what would make it so different that I would be able to tackle my fear of public speaking.

So far, it’s been the most helpful class I’ve taken.

There are many root causes behind communication apprehension, and it shows itself in different forms.

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 202 Carl Parker Building. 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.

In order to tackle this condition, we have to identify where our anxiety stems from and accept the fact that the process isn’t going to be easy. The source of these anxieties can be summed up by the acronym BASICS — Behavior, Affect, Sensation, Imagery, Cognition and Stress.

Behavior entails observable acts and habits. Affect deals with emotions, moods and feelings. Sensation can cause pain, discomfort, tension, nausea and so on. Imagery projects negative scenes or pictures in one’s mind. Cognition feeds negative thoughts and condemning self-talk.

Stress impacts how one deals with anxiety.

Through deep breathing exercises and cognitive restructuring, I was able to give speeches without becoming debilitated by my anxieties.

The “treatments” targeted at overcoming communication apprehension all seem simple, which is good, because anyone can practice them anywhere and achieve results.

Fear of public speaking is not something I ever thought I would get past. I thought I would suffer from it for the rest of my life. But through this course, I have learned the tools necessary to live without fear taking over my life.

I still get nervous when I’m about to give a speech. But I have been able to coach myself on how to handle the negative thoughts and emotions, and stop being overwhelmed by my own mind.

For more information about the public speaking for people with communication apprehension course, email Ruth Stanley at rhstanley@lamar.edu.

The opinions that appear in editorials are the official views of the University Press student management as determined by the UP Student Editorial Board. Opinions expressed elsewhere on this page are the views of the writers only and are not necessarily those of the University Press student management. Student opinions are not necessarily those of the university administration. ©University Press 2018

Page 4

Thursday, April 11, 2019 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

MUELLER from page 1 the highest ranking official in the Department of Justice. Two days later, Barr summarized the report’s findings in a four-page letter to Congress, now available online.

“The summary says there is not sufficient evidence of collusion,” Nelson said. “(Mueller) put the evidence together so that people who read the report can make their own minds up.”

On the subject of obstruction of justice, Mueller declined to make a decision. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — who appointed Mueller — and Barr determined there is not sufficient evidence to support prosecution.

In his summary, Barr quotes Mueller’s statement that although the report did not recommend prosecution, it does not exonerate the president of all charges.

Exoneration is a legal concept, Nelson said, but it’s one that applies to people whose previous convictions have been overturned, such as the case of old DNA evidence found to be faulty.

“I think people are reading too much into the process,” he said.

“The U.S. legal system doesn’t prove people innocent. That’s just not how it works — the jury votes guilty or not guilty.

“Some people are going to dislike this. They wanted something to happen because they don’t like the president, and others don’t like the fact that there’s an investigation to begin with, because they don’t like people thinking the president might have done something.”

In response to the summary, six Democratic committee chairs in the House of Representatives requested Barr submit the full Mueller report to Congress. The reality is that before the report can be shared, parts must be redacted, Barr said.

“I am mindful of the public interest in this matter,” Barr said in his summary. “For that reason, my goal and intent is to release as much of the Special Counsel’s report as I can consistent with applicable law, regulations, and departmental policies.”

Nelson said if something is part of a grand jury proceeding, it will be redacted.

“A grand jury votes on whether there’s enough evidence to prosecute,” he said. “In these types of cases, if people below the president, like a campaign aide, were to be indicted, it would be through the grand jury process.”

Information related to other ongoing investigations would be redacted as well.

Nelson said he thinks it’s likely that Congress will see a redacted version of the Mueller report.

“Barr has committed to wanting to release more of this, but the timetable is unclear because this just doesn’t happen that often,” Nelson said. “The last time we had something similar happen was about 20 years ago.”

Nelson said he also thinks it’s likely the public will be able to see a redacted version of the report.

“I’m taking Bill Barr by his word here,” he said. “It sounds like he wants to release more of this, but how much more is debatable.”

Photo by the Associated Press

A redacted version of the Mueller report is slated to be released by mid-April, according to Attorney General William Barr.

What comes after the release of more information is unknown. Nelson said there is a five-year statute of limitations for obstruction of justice, so if a prosecutor did feel there was sufficient evidence, there is limited time to bring a case to the Senate. This scenario is less likely to happen as there is a history in the U.S. of not indicting a sitting president.

In an interview with NPR, lawyer Philip Lacovara, who served as a counsel to special prosecutors during the Watergate investigation, said the Justice Department has twice said that the president is not subject to indictment while in office, and that no criminal charges can proceed unless he is removed by impeachment or has served out his term.

Constitutionally, there is

nothing barring indicting a sitting president, but this was a decision made by the Justice Department while investigating presidents Clinton and Nixon.

This policy comes from two theories. The “unitary executive theory” that says the president is the head of all law enforcement and as such, cannot prosecute themselves. Another theory, used by Clinton, that says that prosecution would distract the president too much from important duties.

“It would have to be incredibly compelling evidence to get twothirds of the Senate to agree the president is guilty of a crime,” Nelson said. “It’s an incredibly high bar to clear and it’s actually never been done.”

President Trump has announced his intention to run for re-election in 2020. If elected, he

could avoid responsibility for crimes possibly committed during his first campaign or through the Mueller investigation.

“I want to add, this is transpiring in a society where trust in formal institutions is declining generally,” Nelson said.

“Not only trust in government, but also things like organized religion, business leaders and labor unions — what used to be institutions where you placed a lot of trust.

“Pair that with polarization, (and) I think that regardless of what comes out of this, it’s going to be hard to say there is a consensus that the right thing happened. I think that adds a layer of complexity to this.”

The next chapter of the story will be determined by if and when Democrats see some version of the full report.

performances, including the U.S. National Anthem, Indian songs and dances, Pakistani dances, Bangladeshi songs and dances, Chinese dances, Korean dances, French songs and salsa dancing. Each performance will last three to five minutes.

At the conclusion of the performances, at around 4:15 p.m., the event will move to a large tent, which accommodates 300 people,

on the dining hall lawn for the food portion of the festival.

“That’s where all the sumptuous, delicious, exotic spices will be bursting — there will be a lot of good food,” Jourdini said.

Cuisine from Vietnam, China, the Middle East, India, Pakistan and the U.S. will be available.

Jourdini said he is expecting a great turnout and already has around 200 RSVPs.

“This year, because of limited seating, we have asked people to RSVP to ensure that they will have their seats reserved in the live show,” he said.

If the number of attendees exceeds 300, there is a separate room reserved where the performances will be streamed on screens.

To RSVP, email international@lamar.edu.

CULTURAL from page 1 together and enjoy different artistic shows,” he said.

Lamar has a diverse campus and the event will give the university community, as well as the surrounding community, an opportunity to explore just how diverse it really is, Jourdini said, adding that this year’s festival features many domestic students.

“Unlike in the previous years, it was mostly international, but this

year is truly diverse and truly inclusive,” he said.

The festival will also include an exhibit where six countries will display elements of their culture.

“Doors open at 1:30 p.m., so guests get to look at the different countries (and) interact with students who are representing them and enjoy the showcase,” Jourdini said.

Sixteen countries will present

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Page 5

STANDING TOGETHER STEM Students of Color Alliance to host forum, Friday Tiana Johnson UP contributor

The STEM Students of Color Alliance is hosting an informational forum, tomorrow, at 2 p.m. in 119 Lucas Engineering to discuss the study and employment needs of students of color within STEM fields.

The organization was started

by Jacqueline Jensen-Vallin, associate professor of mathematics. Jensen-Vallin noticed that students of color did not persist, as well as other groups, in mathematics or engineering.

“Students of color tend to graduate at lower levels in those fields than other student groups,” Jensen-Vallin said. “I will see many students of color in my pre-calculus class and very few of them in an upperlevel math course. We are losing them somewhere, so how can we better support them, show them there is community, and help them find each other on campus?”

There are many theories as to why students of color are not persisting in the STEM fields, she said, but the challenges vary among students and institutions.

“I think one of the reasons is that they do not feel supported,” Jensen-Vallin said. “They do not have any role models on campus. There are very few faculty of color on campus at all, and in the STEM disciplines, they are even more rare.”

The goals of the program are to help students of color succeed at Lamar by giving them a place where they can feel included.

“The goals are to provide students with role models that they do not necessarily have on campus, to provide them with an opportunity to create community amongst themselves, and to provide them with an opportunity to know that we care,” Jenson-Vallin said. “We want to remind them that there is a group of people that care about their success and who want

them to do well.”

The organization seeks to change the expectation for students and faculty.

“If you look at the invited speakers five years ago, the slate of invited mathematicians were all white mathematicians and one female,” Jensen-Vallin said. “I think people are becoming more aware that they can easily, without sacrificing quality, diversify their speakers.”

STEM Students of Color Alliance provides faculty members of color a chance to speak at events so that their achievements can be recognized.

“For faculty members who do not get invited to speak at various lectures, their tenure, resumé and ability to apply for a promotion is affected,” JensenVallin said. “But, if they are systematically excluded, this is not fair to them. This is a way to recognize these fantastic people and help build their resumés.”

The STEM Students of Color Alliance provides students with a mentor to help students work toward their goals. JensenVallin said that she personally knows how daunting it can be to ask for help when problems arise.

“When I started college, I did not want to ask anybody for anything,” she said. “I did not want to go to office hours, ask questions or raise my hand in class. I was one of two women in the room in a lot of my math classes, and to ask a question was admitting that I was not as good as the white guy sitting next to me. That was terrifying.

I am not the only person that has had this kind of experience.”

Nathaniel Tindall III, senior data scientist at Collins Aerospace, will be a speaker at the event. As a man of color who has achieved professional accolades in the STEM fields, he will talk about the struggles he has faced.

“I think one of the things I love to talk about, concerning color in STEM, is this idea of

failure,” Tindall said. “The difficulties of being black or being brown, and the pressure that there is on trying to be perfect and thinking that everyone else has it together.”

He said it is important to talk about not only his successes, but also his failures.

“It is a gift to have someone say these are the pitfalls and my failures, but this is what ended up happening from all these,” he said. “I do not plan to come there and speak in a certain tone of voice and say, ‘Go make it happen.’ There is a lot of realness I want to bring to the table.

It is a reality check for those who are trying.”

Tindall said he wants to keep the talk vulnerable, honest and real.

“It is not a warm-hearted, feel-good kind of talk,” he said.

“It is about being real about the struggles that I have had, the beauty that happened when I overcame them, and what my experience was.”

Alicia Prieto Langarica, associate professor of math at Youngstown State University and previous forum guest speaker, said she had her credentials questioned simply because of her ethnic background and the color of her skin.

“I had a student ask me if my Ph.D was real, or if I got it in Mexico,” she said. “Instead of saying anything I said, ‘Here is the school I went to as an undergrad, go find the list of classes they are taking and come back.’ He did not come back, but he had a lot more respect for me afterward.”

Langarica said mindsets like those are why an organization like the STEM Students of Color Alliance is so important.

“It is not that we need more support, it is that the system was meant to support other people,” she said. “People of color need the same amount of support — it is just that other people do not give it to them.”

Langarica said that the school system was initially set

Don’t think of it ass “summer school,” whicch (in the way, way back) was for students who were beh hind. That model is so 20th centur y. Instead, think of it as lighter coursework, more flexible scheduling and d graduating sooner with signifi ficantly less debt. Yup…tha … t ’s some smar t thinking rig ght there!

With more than 60 00 transferable and comp pletelyy ONLINE p course offerings in n Maymester and Summe er I and II terms, TCC Connect Camp pus makes it easier for am mbitious students to complete their pr p erequisites and core cu urriculum quickly (8-week classes) an nd affordably ( just $64 pe er credit hour for County residents). By completing 15 hourss in just two months, you’ll be an a entire semester closer to your degree, saving time and money m that can be used for other dreams.

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up for white males, who were going to do nothing but work.

The organization is to help others succeed in a system that was not created for them, she said.

“Think about the university a long time ago, nobody had a job and went to school because it was cheaper back then,” she said. “That is how the system was created. The participants in the system are no longer like that, the majority of them either have jobs, are non-white males, people that have other obligations or adult learners. The system is not created for them.”

The organization provides students with people who look like them and have already gone through what they are going through, to provide encouragement during challenging times.

“When students are going through STEM programs and they have a failure, especially when they are in the minority, they do not think the program is hard. Their first thought is,

‘Something must be wrong with me,’” Langarica said. “Just having a group of people that look like them, that already went through this experience and can tell them, ‘I felt like that, too,’ can make them feel better.”

Langarica said that there is a misconception of how many people can succeed. That there can only be the one black mathematician or the one Hispanic mathematician. The sense of community this program provides also aims to let students know that there is strength in numbers, she said.

“Those games of one make people very competitive because they think there is only one that can succeed,” she said.

“Groups like these foster cooperation among students of color because there does not need to be one, there could be 20, there be 100. There is power in numbers, but we need groups like See STEM page 6

Page 6

Relive Boomtown’s past

Thursday, April 11, 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Second annual Gladys City Live event set for April 13 Vy Nguyen UP staff writer

Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum will host the second annual Gladys City Live, Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors will experience what life was like during the boomtown era of the early 1900s.

The event is free, but visitors can make donations in exchange for currency from 1901 to spend at the event.

“I want people to see and experience what life was like back then, and to think about when the oil blew — this city grew very quickly,” director Troy Gray said. “That’s kind of where this event is coming from. It’s showing you a hustling and bustling city.”

Gray said the idea came from his vision of seeing the buildings within the replica city come to life.

“When people come around, they really enjoy the buildings, but there’s nothing really going on in them,” he said. “We’re trying to put people in the buildings to make it appear like an active city.”

Actors and actresses in period costumes will interact with visitors.

“Many of the actors and actresses are from my regular reenactment group,”

STEM

Gray said. “I also know a member in the community that’s kind of connected to actors and actresses in the city, so we have a couple others that are coming outside of the reenactment group.”

People can imagine the different types of people who populated the boomtown, Gray said. “(You will be) sitting in a saloon that was filled with lots of talk by mostly men,” he said. “Of course, it won’t be a smoke-filled saloon like it was back then, but the men will talk about where to drill the next day or about something that happened during the day and stuff like that.”

Gray said people always wondered what the money looked like, and this is the perfect opportunity for them to satisfy their curiosity.

“It’s really taking people back to 1901 prices, and not only using 1901 prices, but also seeing the money that they actually used back then,” he said. “In a city like this, when you have a lot of outsiders that didn’t do a lot of bartering, they probably had a lot of cash.”

Visitors can spend their 1901 money on items being sold in various shops, Gray said.

“In the saloon, they’ll get root beer, in the doctor’s office they’ll get ice cream,

and, in the store, they can buy things like coffee, candy, hairpins and bandanas,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

The museum will introduce the Lion Coffee, first made in Toledo, Ohio, in the general store, Gray said.

“The company was bought by the Hawaii Coffee Company, so I took an initiative to approach them and asked if they could send some samples for our event,” he said. “I’m thinking that they’d send some samples, but they sent over 15 regular sized bags. The company is very excited about us using their coffee.”

Gray said the museum had more than 200 people in attendance last year.

“We’ve gotten a lot of comments online, and a lot of people are planning to come,” he said. “I think we’re going to equal or surpass last year’s attendance.”

Participants include families, children and senior citizens, Gray said.

“That was a lot of fun seeing them out, eating ice cream and stuff like that,” he said. “Senior citizens are a lot of fun as well, because they remembered some of the stuff, or they at least have some memories of what life was like back then.”

The replica Spindletop gusher will be set off at

they have support to continue the program for next year and hope to do more, but she would like feedback and input from

students.

“We are aiming for more events,” she said. “I would really like at the end of the semester, to

UP photo by Vy Nguyen

Spindletop director Troy Gray shows the Lion Coffee poster in the general store at Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum, Friday. noon and again at 2 p.m.

“Spindletop is very important, not only to Beaumont and Texas history, but to American history, as well,” Gray said. “Without Spindletop, you wouldn’t

have the great amount of oil that would’ve run the cars that were being invented at the time.

“This event is important, because Beaumont was put on the map because of what

happened here.”

Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown museum is located on 5550 Jimmy Simmons Blvd.

For more information, call 880-1750.

have a celebration of all of the things the students have done, but I need students to tell me what they have done this year so

that we can celebrate them.”

Everyone, regardless of ethnicity or race, is welcome to join the organiza-

tion.

For more information, contact Jensen-Vallin at 880-7859, or Jacqueline.jensen@lamar.edu.

from page 5

this to realize that there is room for all of us, and if we work together, we can all rise up.”

Jensen-Vallin said that

Page 7

Thursday, April 11, 2019 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Move aside March Madness, it’s time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs — said to be the most thrilling playoff run in all of sport.

Before dismissing hockey as “that Canadian thing,” know that while it may be the national sport to our friends in the north, a Canadian franchise hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993 — so hockey belongs to the United States now.

More than that, playoff hockey is intense and outrageously unpredictable — consider that the last 20 Stanley Cups have come from 11 different teams, and only one team has won back-to-back.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are like jumping out of an airplane and directly into a minefield.

The playoffs are an elimination-style tournament consisting of four rounds, each a best-ofseven series. Eight teams from each conference qualifies.

The final round sees the two conference champions play and all signs point to a matchup between the Calgary Flames and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

There is no denying that the Lightning are the most dominant team in the NHL and one of the top-ten hockey teams of all time.

While most divisions were tight, Tampa Bay reigned with 128 points while no other team in the NHL reached 110.

They also tied the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for the most wins in the regular season at 62.

They are without a doubt the

Commentary

April Marble UP contributor

favorite to win the Eastern Conference with 11/10 odds.

The key to their success cannot be pinpointed to one thing, but their standout player is winger Nikita Kucherov.

Kucherov became the fastest player in NHL history to reach the 100-point plateau, racking up 41 goals and 86 assists in the regular season, which also made him the first player in Lightning history to have back-to-back 100 point seasons. He set the NHL record for most points by a Russian-born player at 128, and smashed nearly every other franchise record.

However, this isn’t a team carried by one player, this is a team that can strike from anywhere.

With the addition of Steven Stamkos (45 goals, 53 assists) and Brayden Point (41 goals, 51 assists), they not only have three 40-point players, but also depth in scoring, which increases their chances.

Tampa Bay scores an average of 3.89 goals a game while ranking first in the NHL for powerplay goals, so any team facing them needs strong defensive power.

Another weapon Tampa Bay possesses is the man between the pipes — goaltender Andrei Vasilveskiy.

Vasilveskiy has a shot-saved percentage of .925 and only 2.40 goals against average. He’s also managed to rack up a franchise record of his own by making 54 saves in a regulation game against the Washington Capitals — the most saves in the team’s history — and was one of six shutouts he earned this season.

Beyond this, the best thing about this team is simply how confident they are on the ice. They are a team that can win the game in the first 10 minutes by mentally and physically wearing down their opponent.

They don’t play to win, they play as if they will win.

The only thing of concern is superstition.

The best way to explain this is by describing the President’s Trophy — awarded to the NHL team who receives the most points during the regular season — as the

UP graphic by April Marble

videotape from the “Ring” films.

Once a team gets it, the team with it only has seven days — or in this case, games — to live.

Three of the last four teams to obtain the silverware got eliminated from the playoffs, and those three teams also never made it past round two. The exception being the 2014-15 New York Rangers, who were eliminated in the conference finals.

To those that believe in superstition, this is a big deal. But can the greatest hockey team in the world right now be stopped by superstition? Unlikely.

In the western conference, the Calgary Flames went from missing the playoffs a year ago to clinching their division, and they might be the most picture perfect competitor for the Lightning.

Calgary currently has 7/2 odds to win the Western Conference.

The best parts of Calgary is how they play as a team — their chemistry is palpable and the numbers reflect that.

They’re currently the only team in the NHL to have five players with 70 points or more, and average 3.52 points a game, which shows that they have depth in scoring.

The key member of the Flames’ offensive unit is forward Johnny Gaudreau — the only member of the Flames squad to play all 82 games. He leads the squad with

36 goals, 63 assists, 99 points — including eight game-winning goals.

While he’s the catalyst for this team, Calgary has equal amounts of depth that Tampa Bay. One of the offensive advantages that the Flames might have is that their players can be moved around more creatively due to that chemistry.

Therefore, they might be able to keep Tampa Bay guessing by switching their lines.

However, despite their offensive work, the key for the Flames is in their defensive power. Calgary leads the NHL in fewest shots a game (28.1), and on average allow 2.72 goals a game — just 0.02 more than Tampa Bay. Flames captain Mark Giordano is the best defensemen in the league, and alongside the rest of the Calgary defense, there’s a chance to put pressure on the Lightning and keep them from making easy goals.

However, it remains to be seen if the Flames can succeed because their goaltending is not on par with the Lightning.

Mike Smith and David Rittich have generally shared the net all season and neither have been anything to write home about.

Rittich played 45 games in the regular season and only had a .911 SV percent and averaged 2.61 GAA.

Intramural Sports All scores and standings as updated on April 10.

7-on-7 Flag Football Playoffs started but were interrupted to the bad weather on Sunday. Current bracket below: SpeedKillz is waiting to see who they play in the championship out of the the winner of Grits vs 409. The game last Sunday stopped at halftime with Grits leading 7-6.

The games will finish next Sunday, April 14.

Time /Location to be announced. Keep checking IMLeagues for updated information.

Indoor Soccer Standings All games are played in the Rec Center’s Indoor Aren. Tue-Thurs 5:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Co-Rec Division TEAM Juventus@lamar Swag Dragons VSA for Champ HSA

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Residence Halls Monroe Hall crowned champion TEAM W L Monroe Monster 2 0 Morris Hall 1 1 Campbell Hall 1 1 Combs Hall 0 2 Men’s Division Standings Mon-Wed 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

TEAM W L Wanheda 2 0 Lamar FC 2 0 Alpha Tau Omega 0 2 Pike/Soccer 0 2

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W 2 3 1 0 0

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SpoRt ClubS Sport clubs are student ran registered student organizations that have an interest in sport competitions. Sport Clubs hosts and travel for matches and tournaments. If you are interested in a particular club, please email sportclubs@lamar.edu and let us know how we can help you get involved.

WoMen’S SoCCeR Lamar’s club will compete at the University of Texas’s invitational Longhorn 7v7 tournament, Saturday April 27. After coming off a great tournament at Stephen F. Austin, coming in 2nd place, the club looks for more success at tournament. ultIMate The club qualified for sectionals and will travel to Austin, April 13-14 to compete against the best universities in Texas. baSeball The club has two home series coming up. April 13-14 they will play at the Memorial High School field, with a 12:30 start time for both days. They will have a doubleheader on Saturday. On April 19 and 20, they’ll play on campus at Vincent Beck Stadium, Friday’s game starts at 4:30 p.m. and April 20 is a 11:30 a.m. start. aRCHeRy The Archery club will compete at the UT Outdoor Regionals April 26-27. Competing in this competition could qualify more archers for Nationals, which takes place in Ohio, mid May. upCoMIng laMaR SpoRtS gaMeS

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InDooR CRICket All matches are played in the Rec Center’s Main Gym. TEAM Lamar Sharks The Kraken BJP Telugu Titans BHARAT

Smith doesn’t perform spectacularly either ,with a .898 SV percent and 2.73 GAA. This is where Tampa will likely challenge the most as they can score from anywhere.

Additionally, Calgary’s lack of playoff experience can lead to playoff disappointment. Since this team is new to the playoffs, the Lightning — who made it to the conference finals last season — have an edge.

Regardless of who wins, what is certain is that history will be made either way.

Calgary has the potential to break a 26-year-long drought and bring the Stanley Cup to it’s home.

If Tampa Bay wins, they solidify their place as one of the most successful hockey teams of all time.

One other important fact is that are 16 teams in this playoff run and the playoffs are no stranger to heightened drama — there’s no forgetting that an expansion team went all the way to the Stanley Cup finals in their inaugural season.

That’s why everyone should tune in to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

While the numbers may point in a certain direction, the best part of hockey is that impossible happens, and at the end of it all, a team will be forever etched into the silver chalice that is Lord Stanley’s Cup.

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April 12 LU Baseball vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Vincent Beck Stadium, 6 p.m.

April 13 LU Baseball vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Vincent Beck Stadium, 2 p.m.

April 14 LU Baseball vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Vincent Beck Stadium, 1 p.m.

April 19-20 LU Softball vs. Northwestern State (Doubleheader) LU Softball Complex, 4 p.m. (Friday), 1 p.m.

(Saturday)

Page 8

Thursday, April 11, 2019 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

‘Digital Ticket’ to success Conference to offer online education training, information Khalaya Coleman UP contributor

The Division of Distance Learning will host the ninth annual Digital Ticket Conference, April 24, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Setzer Student Center. Admission is free.

“It’s basically a conference that covers learning technologies, or technologies that you use in the classroom,” Johnny Jarrell, director of distance learning, said.

The conference will feature a mix of presenters covering topics including online tutoring, analytics and video editing, as well as a variety of vendors.

There will also be virtual speakers who will conduct workshops.

“Some of the rooms will be streamed out so people who

can’t make it physically can watch it,” Jarrell said. “There will be a link that they’ll click on, and it’ll be like watching any kind of streaming that you would normally do on the web.

We’ll be using Blackboard.”

The conference will have sessions for faculty and staff as well as students.

“From the staff’s perspective, it would be how they use the technology to design courses or maybe build things,” Jarrell said. “The faculty, they’ll come and say, ‘How do I teach using this technology?’ Both of them will (feature) demonstrations on how to use the different technologies. Some faculty will present their research that they may be doing in that area.”

The conference website lists all the presentations, and par-

ticipants can get an idea of what to expect, Jarrell said.

The main technology that will be talked about is Blackboard.

“There’s one that’s going to be talked about is virtual augmented realities — AR,” he said. “Some of the online tutoring videos will tell you how to create videos and edit, and we will have some analytics.”

The first “Digital Ticket” was held in 2011 and was just for Lamar faculty and staff, Jarrell said. The conference was opened up in 2012 and Jarrell said he expects at least 130 participants from LIT, Port Arthur, Orange and Houston this year.

“It gets a little bit bigger and stressful, but yeah, it’s an exciting time,” he said.

For more information, visit www.lamar.edu/lu-online/digital-ticket call 880-1847.

Courtesy photo

Van Davis, principal of Foghlam Consulting, will be the featured speaker for the 2019 Digital Ticket Conference. Davis has extensive research and analysis experience in state and national distance education policy formation.

Graduate students celebrate research, studies Damara Jones UP contributor

The College of Graduate Studies will host “Celebrate Research,” its first graduate research event, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 24, in the CICE Building.

Graduate students will display their research.

“Students can participate in the digital and poster presentations of LU graduate students about their research within many of our graduate departments,” Robin Latimer, graduate studies director of dissertation standards, said.

Students will present their research on everything from Big Thicket alligators to the development of computer programs for managing energy and biodiversity, Latimer said. One focuses on the experience of deaf and hardof hearing at the dinner table in their homes.

“A number of engineering students will be premiering visions of the future of infrastructure in

their research,” Latimer said.

“Some graduate faculty members will present work on topics as diverse as 3D hot plastic and developing one’s professional profile.”

Part of the students’ research will be posters that will hang throughout the day, and other parts will be digitally presented.

There will be time for questions

and answers after every presentation.

Josh Daspit, 2004 Lamar University SGA president and current professor at Texas State University, will be the keynote speaker. Latimer said that they chose Daspit because he is a strong researcher in business management.

“We felt he would have a great deal to say to students interested in graduate education,” Latimer said. “The College of Graduate Studies wants to highlight the important role of graduate research in all professions, and we felt Daspit was someone who could convey that message.”

Daspit’s speech is titled, “De-

veloping an Entrepreneurial Mindset to Enhance Your Research.” He will discuss what an entrepreneurial mindset is and how it can be applied to elevate research opportunities, by giving us four ways that researchers can develop their own entrepreneurial ways of thinking.

“As researchers, we focus on a very narrow problem or set of problems, which allows us to become an expert in a specific area,” Daspit said. “However, sometimes we may become too focused on a particular issue and overlook related opportunities in our research and career. Thus, based on research I have done in entrepreneurship, I will describe how an ‘entrepreneurial mindset’ can be helpful in areas beyond business.”

Daspit said that he is excited about speaking at Lamar and that he is appreciative of what he gained from his time at Lamar.

For more information, visit www.lamar.edu/graduate-studies/events.