UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Newspaper of Lamar University
Vol. 92, No. 17 April 14, 2016
LU Green Squad hosts video contest Elizabeth Grimm UP staff writer
A student scribbles their answers across an exam, taking sips out of a plastic bottle until the water dwindles down. Whether the student realizes it or not, both the exam and the bottle can be recycled at Lamar. The LU Green Squad will host its first video contest that aims bring awareness to sustainability. Alicen Flosi, director of sustainability, said that when she thought of ways to get students involved, she realized that videos are popular. “I thought maybe if we had a contest, they would have to research a little bit about sustain-
Undergraduate Expo set for Wednesday
ability if they pick recycling or energy savings or whatever,” she said. “They’d get a little research and we could use them to get some awareness of the whole program — we have them post it on Facebook so other people can share it.” Flosi said the idea for the video contest came to her when she watched a video online. “They were employees of a public water system,” she said. “They did a real funny, cool video with music and it showed how important (the system) was to everyone. It’s a good way to get information out.” The video should be uploaded on the LU Green Squad’s Facebook page by April 21. Winners
will be announced in the Brooks Shivers Dining Hall at 1 p.m., April 22. The prizes include $750 for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third. The video may be the work of an individual or a group, Flosi said. “It has to be at least one LU student,” she said. “You could even have your family help you with it, but you need to have an LU student because the prize money goes to the student account. “We were thinking after our first year, when we see how many people are interested and participate, then we’ll know more and See SUSTAINABILITY page 2
Canine Companion
John Jones UP contributor
The Office of Undergraduate Research will host its annual Research Expo, April 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will take place in the Setzer Student Center and will showcase students’ projects. “It could be a creative activity like an art or film demonstration, it could be a historical study, or it could be an educational experiment,” Kumer Das, director for undergraduate research, said. “Everything that you can think of, in terms of research and creative activities, will be included in this expo.” This year, some high school students have been invited to attend. The expo will also provide more accommodations for creative displays such as artwork or musical projects. “It could be one of our student’s projects that will attract the high school students from this local area,” Das said. Presenters will be given feedback from judges to improve the students’ work. Presenters will also be given a certificate of recognition. “This is an extraordinary opportunity for you to present something that will give you leadership skills and communication skills,” Das said. Das said the organizers are seeking volunteers. “This is a big program, so this is a great way to step in,” he said. “All they have to do is talk to me if they want to volunteer.” This will be the third expo since its debut in spring 2014, which featured 30 presenters. Das said that he expects more than 80 participants this year. For more information, email antoinette. henry@lamar.edu,or kumer.das@lamar.edu.
Allie Valentine and her service dog Annie.
UP photo by Grant Crawford
Service dogs exempt from CV pet rule Monica Strohschein UP contributor
A student presents her poster during the 2014 Undergraduate Research Expo.
Students visiting or living in Cardinal Village may have noticed service dogs around the dorms.
The animals help students with disabilities to have a less limited lifestyle. Allie Valentine, Fort Worth junior, has tracheobronchomalacia, a breathing condition which affects the mainstem bronchi, the tubes that carry air
to the lungs. Her service dog is a yellow Labrador named Annie. “Annie will warn me when I am at risk of breathing problems,” Valentine said. “When I’m
See SERVICE DOG page 2
April 30 deadline for Pulse submissions Daniel Pemberton UP contributor
“Pulse,” Lamar University’s literary magazine, is soliciting submissions for the 2015-2016 issue. Categories include poetry, short fiction and scholarly essays from undergraduate and graduate students. The deadline to submit is April 30. “‘Pulse’ is a Lamar tradition that goes very far back and one that I am incredibly proud to be
a part of,” co-editor Theresa Ener said. “This is my first year as an editor and I am very excited to show what we have in store for this year.” Students may submit their work through a form on the magazine’s website at www.lamarpulse.weebly.com. Ener said work will be evaluated for technique, as well as originality. “Of course, we look at basic things like grammar and mak-
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ing sure the piece is well written, but we are also looking for students with a strong voice and work that is interesting and engaging,” she said. The theme for this year’s publication is “reformation.” “We picked this theme because so many people today, especially in politics, are talking about change, so it seemed relevant to a lot of discussions currently being had,” Ener said. “That doesn’t mean we are look-
ing for strictly political work. Our themes are always very broad and we feel that this is something that can be observed in many different aspects of life. The theme is very open — we do not want to exclude anyone.” Ener said once the submissions are in, the editors will work through the summer to select the work. “ Editing is really the art of finding what is going to fit and what won’t, making sure all the
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pieces work well together so the magazine can be as effective as possible,” she said. “We are hoping to see a lot more submissions this year as people learn more about us and want to be involved. “To have a publication like this on campus is a wonderful opportunity for any young aspiring writer.” For more information, visit the magazine’s website at www.lamarpulse.weebly.com.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
INSIDE
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
Thursday, April 14, 2016 University Press
SUSTAINABILITY hopefully have an annual contest. People will have more time to think about what they want to do.” The guidelines include a time limit of five minutes, no blood or violence, clean language, and the video must be about sustainability. “We didn’t put a lot of guidelines since this was the first year and we wanted to be creative,” Flosi said. “Some people are serious and some people are funny. I think the main guideline is we want to attract visibility to the program, so anything that does that — maybe in a funny way or a clean way. If they have any facts in there we want them to be true, so just check your sources before you state a fact.” When the sustainability program started a year ago, Flosi said her goal was to involve students who care about the environment. “A lot of them have heard about recycling and other issues since they were in kindergarten,” she said. “It’s
— Socrates
Page 2
from page 1
really not a different mindset — it’s just creating that habit.” If issues don’t start being addressed, such as too much trash or not recycling, people will regret it later, Flosi said. “That’s what sustainability is all about — saving our resources,” she said. “Other parts of the country are so far ahead of our area. All the time people will say, ‘I forgot what it was like when I just moved here and we didn’t recycle,’ but, where they had come from, they had always recycled. Hopefully, this will get Beaumont to start recycling, saving energy and doing all those things.” Flosi said she hopes awareness will spread across campus. “I hope people realize that they can get things started,” she said. “They have great ideas — they can implement them. Maybe their part would just be marketing the program like the video contest, getting the word out — sharing on Facebook. When
you start looking online, there’s so many cool things that people are doing that we don’t hear or see in our part of the state. “Northerners and California, with their water conservation and other issues, I think they realize the need for it more than we do in such a big state with a lot of land and energy is cheaper here so we don’t see the need to use renewable sources.” Individuals think that recycling takes work, but the way Lamar does it is actually simple, Flosi said. “We just have one container — you don’t have to sort it,” she said. “Throw paper, cans, bottles, everything in one container and then it’s sent away and they sort it. It’s not hard. We’ve got recycle bins next to almost every trashcan so you don’t have to carry it around looking for a recycle bin.” People don’t realize the benefits of recycling, Flosi said. “Our outside recycling
The Dishman Art Museum will present Lightbox, Tuesday, 5:30-10 p.m. The free event consists of a film screening of “What We Do In the Shadows,” original music by Warren Rabbit and a pop up art show featuring artist Adam Cook’s works. The film will begin at 7 p.m. and Cook’s artwork will be on display through April 22.
Lamar University’s Earth Week events begin Monday with a guest presentation by Maxine Johnston about the Big Thicket National Preserve at 11 a.m. on the sixth floor of Gray Library. Light refreshments will be served. On Wednesday, Lamar will host an Earth Fair in the Quad, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Student organizations will exhibit or sell products made from recycled items. On April 22, Chef Stephen Gary from Chartwells and others will prepare food and share recipes at the LU Tasting, 11 a.m. in Brooks-Shivers Dining Hall. Students are ecouraged to join in the digging at the LU Community Garden on Arbor Day, April 29, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information about Earth Week, visit lamar.edu/sustainability.
“Sister Earth” by Adam Cook will be on display at the Dishman Art Museum as part of the
in distress she will bark for help if I’m not able to dial 911.” The biology major’s condition affects her breathing. “For example, Annie was acting very anxious hours before there was the announcement of the chemical fire at the plant this past month,” Valentine said. Four-year-old Annie lives in Monroe Hall with Valentine. “Annie has a vest that she wears everywhere — it holds my medicine and can hold an oxygen tank if needed,” Valentine said. Service dogs have accessibility to any area on campus, Kristin Romero, administrate associate
bins are made from recycled milk jugs, so we’re reusing some of that,” she said. “The best thing would be to stop using items all together. Maybe you don’t need a straw and a lid every time you get a drink, then you’re cutting back. If you can’t do that, then at least reuse it, and if you can’t do that, then at least recycle it. The landfills will get filled up, and even though Texas has plenty of land, we don’t want to live with trash all over the place.” Flosi said that even if some of the worst-case predictions about environmental damage don’t come true there’s nothing wrong with taking precautions. “In the end you come out with a cleaner world and you’ve cut down less trees, what could be bad about that? Even if you don’t buy into all the scenarios,” she said. For more information, call 880-8612 or visit the LU Green Squad’s Facebook page.
EARTH WEEK EVENTS
Dishman to host Lightbox show
SERVICE DOG
NOTICE
The University Press can be read online at www.lamaruniversitypress.com. Advertising rates can be found on the site, along with practically all information that a person might be looking for.
CALENDER
April 14
Faculty Awards Ceremony
University Reception Center 1-3 p.m.
Alpha Kappa Delta presents Stuart A. Wright
Auditorium, Dishman Art Museum 1-2 p.m.
Honor Society Induction & Poetry Reading
Elvis Mason Room, Rudy C. Williams Building 5-7 p.m.
Retaking our Story: Reframing
the Sexual Assault Conversation
Montagne Center
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
April 15
Cleft-Related Speech and Resonance
Room 170, SPHS Building 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Guest Artist Piano Recital
Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30 - 9 p.m.
April 16
LU choirs perform with the
Symphony of Southeast Texas
Julie Rogers Theatre 7:30 - 9 p.m.
April 18
Earth Day Speaker Maxine Johnston
6th Floor, Gray Library 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
from page 1 for the Student Disability Center, said. “Considering what service dogs do for their owners, the students cannot go anywhere without their service dog with them — this is why they are allowed everywhere,” Romero said. “There is not a lot of paperwork that goes along with the service dogs being administered into the dorms. You can’t deny a service dog access to anywhere, not that we would want to.” While service dogs are friendly and attractive, it is important to remember that the dogs are working when they are with their owner and there are certain rules
that students should follow when approaching the animal. “Always ask to pet a service dog,” Valentine said, adding that while most people are just trying to be friendly, some have a fear of the dog and can be aggressive. “Service dogs are not going to attack you,” she said. “I’ve had people almost kick Annie, and someone dropped their food in the dining hall and ran away from us.” Annie attends all of Valentine’s classes. “Annie is almost never a distraction to other students,” she said. “She will nap and occasionally lick her paws here and there when she gets bored, but
Allie Valentine and her service dog Annie.
UP photo by Grant Crawford
that is about it.” Valentine said that while Annie is all business when she’s on the job, when she is off work, she is just a normal dog.
The pair play fetch in the courtyard of the dorms. “She’s a completely different dog when she is working versus when she is playing,” Valentine
said. For more information on service dogs at Lamar, visit www.lamar.edu/ disability-resource-cen ter.
BEAUMONT
20TY16
3 2 L I APR U N I V E R S I LAMAR
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OPINION
3 UNIVERSITY PRESS April 14, 2016
Lifting mental weights Columnist offers personal tips for coping with anxiety
Jittery legs, increased heart rate with sweating, and a mind that seems to be searching everywhere but in the right direction — these are only some of the feelings associated with anxiety. Every person experiences anxiety at some point in their life whether it’s in a large crowd, the moments leading up to giving a speech or even staring at the blank document on one’s computer unable to write anything. I was diagnosed with anxiety five years ago and even took a semester off because of the overwhelming dread I felt when trying to complete assignments and achieve some form of perfection. I felt like a failure and overwhelmed before I even started my assignment, and as a result, I would stare at my computer for hours. I remember sitting on the floor questioning how I would get through the semester, get through the assignment or if I’d ever graduate. In spring 2015, I felt as though I was completely controlled by anxiety and could no longer retain information and work to my fullest potential. Fortunately, I realized I needed to take some time off to get to grips with my condition. The problem with anxiety, and mental illness in general, is
Commentary
Elizabeth Grimm UP staff writer
that people try to push it aside for later — hoping that they’ll forget about it or that somehow, it’ll take care of itself. The reality is that if you ignore your feelings of anxiety it just feeds that little monster even more and builds up inside you. Through my semester off, I created a list of coping mechanisms that worked best with controlling my anxiety. 1. Identify what triggers the anxiety and acknowledge when feeling anxious. People may find triggers from school, work, alcohol consumption or even caffeine. I found that caffeine increased my anxiety. It sends me into crazy bouts of jitters, paranoia and, at times, causes anxiety attacks. I didn’t completely give up caffeine, but I definitely decreased my intake. 2. Anxiety can make one feel alone and lost. Finding others who were going through the same trials helped me gain perspective on how to manage my anxiety. It took a little while, but I realized that, just like there are forums for those with stuttering or even gaming addiction, there are also ones for anxiety. I discovered an app on my phone called ‘Pacifica’ that allows me to keep track of my mood, thoughts, medication, offer deep breathing exercises that calms me and even has a community with group chat. The app offers anonymity and also group chats for depression, eating disorders and borderline personality disorder. 3. I know, everyone hates to hear this one — exercise. Sometimes it’s really a pain to get motivated, especially when feeling low and cluttered by work. Finding an exercise one actually enjoys is the key. I run two miles about three times a week and keep myself interested
UP illustration by Josh Aych
by listening to music. Exercise can feel like another chore on top of everything else, but once I fell into a routine, I noticed a huge change in my mood and health. 4. Take breaks and plan ahead. I have a hard time sitting for long periods of time working on an assignment or stressing about an upcoming situation. I’ve been a procrastinator in the past — always thinking that failure was inevitable. I hated the thought of starting an assignment early because that meant I
Pursuit of perfectionism perfectly pointless
the best situation, think negatively about their future. Assuming that the outcome of a situation will be negative results in people not taking strides to improve, or to build off of their situation. If people assume their efforts are unrelated to outcomes, they develop an outlook of pessimism and passivity. Defeating pessimism is possible when one reacts appropriately to setbacks in their lives. It’s all about not getting down on one’s self. We rely on narrative to create meaning in our lives, and therefore think of ourselves as characters in a story. When we focus on our faults, it leads us to think of ourselves as unworthy characters. There is nothing wrong with striving to be the best you can be. However, it’s important to cut yourself some slack when you fall short of expectations. It’s essential that we recognize and accept our humanity, faults, and limitations. Perfection does not exist. So, when life doesn’t live up to expectations, or goals go unfulfilled, don’t be a “Negative Nancy” — focus on the positive. After all, we’re all human.
Editor ......................................Grant Crawford
Managing Editor.................Kara Timberlake Photo Editor...................................Josh Aych Web Editor..............................Melissa Conley
Staff..............................................Haley Bruyn,
.....................Coty Davis, Trevier Gonzalez,
...................Tim Collins, Elizabeth Grimm,
.............Carolyn Kondos, Kyle Swearingen,
.....................................Brandianne Hinton
sional can offer a different perspective about one’s anxiety and coping mechanisms. Students at Lamar University pay for a health center fee and there is counseling available for those seeking help. Anxiety isn’t cured overnight and these coping strategies will not work for everyone. Research what works, talk to a doctor or download an app — it’s all trial and error. Fortunately, I will graduate in May — so I know there is help that works.
Algorithm shift will spoil Instagram
UPeditorial Children everywhere are taught to strive for their goals and expend all of their effort achieving them. It’s created a population of perfectionists. Having high personal performance standards can be a healthy perspective, but it can also generate bad habits. There are two types of perfectionists — adaptive perfectionists and maladaptive perfectionists. Those who are adaptive have a healthy attitude, and accept flaws and mistakes while still viewing their work as successful. Maladaptive perfectionists have high standards, are highly self-critical, and consistently perceive themselves as not meeting their standards. Negative consequences of perfectionism include pessimism, depression, and a lack of motivation. When perfectionists are convinced that it will be extremely difficult to achieve a goal, they become disheartened, discouraged, and pessimistic about future efforts. An excessive degree of pessimism can reduce our ability to access the personal power needed to act effectively and get things done, impacting our psychological and physical well-being. Many pessimists, even in
would have to face it rather than ignore it. Now I divide my work up into sections and give myself days in advance to complete the assignment. If I ever feel too jumbled inside, I lie on my bed, use the app and calm myself by either using a deep-breathing exercise or meditation for relief and control. 5. Don’t be afraid to seek help from a professional. Everyone handles anxiety differently, and the idea is to find what helps you cope with it. A profes-
As of March 15 Instagram announced that they would soon adopt an algorithm to replace their current reverse-chronological order news feed. Just like Facebook before it, Instagram feels the need to providea way for them to cut the fat out of your newsfeed so you see fewer of the posts you don’t care about and more of the posts you do care about. I believe this betrays the reason many of us enjoy Instagram, because it’s different. Instagram has always been the different, simple alternative to other sites. Facebook and Twitter are always crowded with words, links and groups to join, Instagram was pictures and captions. That is why people loved it, it was what it was, simple. There were no tricks or hidden things, everything
Commentary
Kyle Swearingen UP staff writer
Letters Policy
posted that you followed, you got to see. Because of this simple attitude to social media it made me care more about who I followed and who I didn’t. It made me not want to over follow and clutter my news feed, it made me very conscious of what I was doing. However, now they are slowly changing Instagram to fit into what other social media are doing, to be more “user friendly and helpful” as so often cited in posts and press releases from users. By enacting an algorithm to determine what one likes and doesn’t like to better show what the app believes you care about, it ultimately takes choice out of your hands. I believe we have a right to decide what we see and what we don’t see. By giving into this culture of oversaturated media, we have created a problem that Instagram thinks it needs fixing by working around the problem instead of reducing the problem. There is a problem. However, how to fix it is not just a throw-it-under-the-rugtype solution. The reason Instagram was so helpful is
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.
because it was against the overstuffed media mindset. It promoted selective media presentation and image-oriented life sharing. Instead of a thousand words it only wanted one picture. Now, however there is going to be a controlled program on your phone just like every other social media app. It will be promoting the same thing as the next and your amalgam of social media that is really just the same thing on four different applications. In light of this recent change in Instagram, I have rethought my current social media consumption from Snapchat to Twitter – and I hope it does the same for you. Let us not take in more, but let us take in quality. Let’s control our media and control our life.
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 2016
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Thursday, April 14, 2016 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
LU senior builds character through boxing Trevier Gonzalez UP staff writer Christopher Scurlock enjoys a good fight. The senior from Slidell, La. doesn’t hate people or have any built-up aggression — he simply enjoys fighting, and strives to share that enjoyment with others. During the 2015 fall semester, the me-
UP Trevier Gonzalez
Senior Christopher Scurlock throws a punch during boxing practice.
chanical engineering major said he and a friend decided to create a boxing club, believing that people would benefit from learning how to fight properly. “I think a lot of aggression is held within,” Scurlock said. “These people had an avenue to release it through martial arts and actually learn how to find peace. When you’re doing physical training, you release endorphins that just basically give you a sense of bliss.” Scurlock said that boxing builds character. “We’re not going to go out and draw pistols, walk ten paces and shoot each other,” he said. “We’re going to settle it right here, mano y mano, and at the end of the day, I’m going to earn your respect. Even if you beat me, you’re going to know that I’ve got heart, and that I’m not someone to walk over — that’s how I look at it.” Scurlock said he has been fighting since he joined a gang at the age of six. “I only joined because we were fighting — the only thing that mattered to me,” he said. “I didn’t even know it was a gang, to be honest. I just saw a bunch of guys in a circle fighting. It sounds kind of horrible, kind of barbaric, but really, there was a science behind it that I liked. Here’s an opponent that I can fight one day and maybe lose that fight, and come back after doing some training or thinking about the fight, and try again.” Scurlock said Beaumont had an im-
pressive boxing presence in the 1980s and ’90s. As a way to bring boxing back to the city, he formed Lamar University’s Brains, Muscles, and Talent Boxing Club last fall. “This is about bringing to Beaumont what it used to have, not just for the students here, but for the community to see that this could come back and be a real thing,” he said. Scurlock said resurrecting the sport could bring pride back to the fallen down neighborhoods, and the entire city of Beaumont as a whole. “Not just bringing the presence of boxing back, but opportunities for the community by way of a scholarship.” he said. Though he admits he’s not a professional at raising funds, Scurlock said he feels establishing a scholarship for future students is a very achievable goal. “I feel because there’s scholarships for football, baseball, basketball — there’s scholarships for all types of sports — why not a scholarship for boxing?” he said. Scurlock said fighting was his outlet throughout childhood, and he knows how effective the results would be if the group worked to train youngsters. “If we can get kids off the street and into boxing rings, we can start a junior league division with Lamar University, get kids kind of started in that, (but) also focus on (their) education as well,” he said.
Compared to the times when he would fight as a child, Scurlock said society has become more dangerous. “Nowadays, kids, young adults — they don’t do that,” he said. “They want to pull out a gun, they want to end the result right now, show how big and bad they are. To me, that’s a coward’s way. You don’t learn anything. You’re taking a life, and that, in itself, is selfish.” Now back in school after a stint in the military, Scurlock said he is older and a little bit wiser. “I realize all that pent up energy, it lasts for a while, it gets misdirected and has no purpose,” he said. “With a scholarship, we can catch them young and say there’s an opportunity in college for something you already naturally do, now put some technique under it. “We’re not only going to put some technique on you, we’re going to back you up with some education, because, say something goes wrong with you where you can’t box ever again, now you can at least have some education.” Though the ultimate goal for Brains, Muscles, and Talent is to build a boxing scholarship for students in the Beaumont area, Scurlock said there are some other effects that he hopes will occur. “I think it’s a very possible thing to cut down on crimes,” he said. For more information, visit the Brains-Muscle-Talent Boxing Club’s Facebook and OrgSync. Page.
‘We Are One’ student organization promotes civil discourse Kyle Swearingen UP staff writer We Are One, a new student organization, believes in education through diversity. Founded this spring semester by Humberto Jimenez and Savannah Landry, the group is paving a way for students to voice their opinions and thoughts to their peers in a safe and respectful environment. “Our main focus, is to educate the student body by giving them an opportunity to voice their opinions,” Jimenez, a Beaumont senior and the group’s president, said. The group meets Thursday at
6 p.m. in the Setzer Student Center. The room varies, so anyone interested should consult the group’s OrgSync page. Jimenez said he and Landry are interested in politics and decided to form a group where issues could be discussed in a civil manner. “We were talking one day about, of course, Donald Trump, and all the Trump issues that have occurred,” he said. “We noticed that there are a lot of people who support Trump, people who like his policies and understand him as a candidate — people who use their emotions to influence their choices.”
Jimenez said he noticed the same thing among the Democrats. “We realized that this was the same for the Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton supporters,” he said. “Even though some people understand the policies and understand what they stand for, there are some who follow blindly just because one candidate is of a certain gender or more popular on social media. “So the reason we created this organization was because we felt that when people voiced their opinion on the matter they were too closed minded or they
See DIVERSITY page 6
Courtesy photo by Morgan Jeffero
Humberto Jiminez, left, with 2016 Diversity and Inclusion Conference speakers Julia Garcia, center, and Monti Washington.
5
3-DIMENSIONAL
FEATURES
UNIVERSITY PRESS April 14, 2016
WONDERS
Nasher collection home to sculptural treasures
DALLAS — Just out of reach of the shadow cast by the Dallas Museum of Art sits a much smaller but no less impressive building. The Nasher Sculpture Center is, in itself, a work of art. World famous architect Renzo Piano designed the building in collaboration with Peter Walker, a renowned landscape architect. Together, the space they created is home to more than 300 works by modern artists that would seem more at home on display in the Musee d’Orsey or the Metropolitan Museum of Art than in this quiet but stunning cow town gallery. The Museum was opened in 2003, though the
Nasher collection had been on display and growing in popularity for more than 50 years. Now the pieces rotate through the museum gallery and travel around the globe for special exhibitions. Walking through the front doors of the building, the open-concept lobby is filled with defused natural light from the specially designed ceiling. Oh, and light also floods in from the floor-toceiling glass windows that let visitors see the sumptuous outdoor sculpture garden. The garden is filled with mammoth installations that vary between giant abstract curved lines and humanoid figures melting above the earth. There is one Picasso outside that mirrors a smaller sculpture on the opposite side of the glass. The pieces are thoughtfully placed in the museum. One piece, “Quantum Cloud XX (tornado),” by Antony Gormley, stands directly in front of one of the giant windows. From inside the building, the figure of a man is easily discernable in the maze of sharp metal angles. From the opposite side of the sculpture, without the sunlight illuminating the statue from the back, the sculpture looks like, well, like a tornado. When walking the gardens, it’s hard to ignore the giant roomsized box that’s
steaming from the corners and pulsing with ever-changing colors. Approach the door and enter what appears to be a room filled with clouds and color. Inside, the rest of the world slips away. Actually, anything further than a foot from your eyes is all but invisible. Inside of Ann Veronica Janssens’ “Blue, Red, and Yellow,” it’s hard to find the exit — even when the door is open. The colored light seems to be pouring in from every angle, so there is no way to orient yourself. With sight rendered useless by the clouds of color, viewers are left to rely on sound and touch to orient themselves. Wandering around the inside of the gallery, it’s easy to get caught up in the majesty of some pieces, like the Picassos,
Layout and story by Haley Bruyn Photos by Kara Timberlake, Trevier Gonzales and Tim Collins.
Works in the Nasher Sculpture Center collection include, clockwise from top, “Les guérillères VIII” by Mai-Thu Perret; “Clamdigger” Willem de Kooning; “The Age of Bronze” by August Rodin; “Blue, Red, Yellow,” a smoke room installation by Ann Veronica Jenssens; “Sick Child” by Medardo Rosso; and “Bust of Diego” by Alberto Giacometti.
the Rodins, or the Matisses. Still, even the smallest of the Giacomettis holds visitor’s interest. There are huge pieces that visitors are encouraged to walk through, such as Richard Serra’s “My Curves Are Not Mad,” and small, intricate pieces that look like they may collapse at any moment if caught by the breeze. Every piece in the museum has been carefully selected and placed to walk visitors through the strange and beautiful world of modern and contemporary art. Whether you like the organic, realistic feel of a Degas or the melty surrealism of de Kooning, or the strikingly visceral message in Mai-Thu Perret’s instillation — the Nasher Sculpture Center has something for everyone
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Thursday, April 14, 2016 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
Orange nurse, artist fabricates forests Trevier Gonzalez UP staff writer “When I came home, I just had all these trees in my head — and I felt like I needed to get them out.” After Paulette Thomas had a second brain tumor removed in 2013, countless images of trees began to rustle in her thoughts. The visualizations of these outreaching structures began to branch together. Paulette had a booth at Art in the Park in Orange, Saturday, where she sold her paintings as well as demonstrated her craft.
The Orange nurse says she remembers experiencing double vision while shopping at a grocery store and knew something was wrong. “I went the next day and told the doctor,” Paulette says. “We both knew it was either an aneurysm, blood clot, or it was going to be a tumor.” It turned out she had two tumors on her brain. “The first was removed,” she says. “The second one, they just did radiation, they had to leave it there — they couldn’t take it out.” Paulette says following the
removal of the first tumor, her doctor didn’t expect the second one to be a problem anytime soon. “They said it would be about 20 years before it came back,” she says. “Mine came back in five.” Paulette says her doctor was surprised. “The only question I had was, ‘Can you take it out?’” The decision was made to try to remove the growing tumor. Following the operation, Paulette went home and was unable to understand why she couldn’t stop visualizing trees.
UP Trevier Gonzalez
Paulette Thomas’s hugs her granddaughter at her Art in the Park booth in Orange, Saturday. Thomas paints the trees that have filled her mind since she had a brain tumor removed in 2013.
DIVERSITY
She says she assumes it is because the outdoors had had a large impact on her past. “When I was a little girl, I used to climb trees all the time,” she says. As time passed, Paulette decided to do something with the images. “For 30 days, I painted 30 paintings of trees,” she says. There was no need to use the outdoors as a reference, Paulette says. “Mine’s just in my head,” she says. “I don’t look at a tree and paint it. I can just paint it sitting in my den watching TV.” Although she does watercolor occasionally, Paulette mainly works with acrylic paints. “I just like it because there are so many colors and I can get it in glitter and metallic,” she says. Paulette continues to create new pieces, which can take anywhere from two days to three weeks to finish. Some canvases feature hundreds of trees. After the initial burst of 30
paintings, Paulette eased up a little, but she still paints regularly. “I kind of slowed down,” she says. “I’ve just loved painting trees. It’s peaceful.” Paulette says painting landscapes is different from anything else in her life. “(I feel) like it has a depth to it, almost like you’re looking at a window, it’s just peaceful — it’s therapeutic,” she says. In addition to trees, Paulette has a growing collection of abstracts, which she believes has also been affected by her medical treatments. “There’s no two alike,” she says. “Even in my head, when I’m painting them, I always think of another one when I get finished with that one.” Paulette says painting is a process that is “never-ending,” and she doesn’t plan on cutting herself off from trees anytime soon. “All I care to make is enough money to pay for more canvas, and more paint so I can keep going,” she says.
different cultures, that it’s kind of expected that you would grow, that you would adapt things. No one’s telling you you have to accept everything, but at least be knowledgeable and acknowledge what’s out there.” Jimenez said that We Are One members guarantees attendees will deal with each other in a re-
spectful manner. “There are going to be people out there who do not agree with you and that’s fine, but you are going to have to understand them and be able to voice your opinion in a respectful manner, so that you both have a opportunity to learn from one another and understand one another,” he said.
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would shut the other person off, and wouldn’t try to grow or teach each other something new,” he said. “We wanted to start a discussion.” We Are One not only believes in discussing things in a respectful manner, but also in discussing topics which are controversial or taboo, Jimenez said.
“We want to talk about the topics that no one else wanted to talk about or wanted to address, topics that are considered taboo — sex, religion and politics — because any time someone talks about those things people start to become uncomfortable and start becoming narrow minded,” he said.
Jimenez said the group’s mission is the same as the university’s. “We are here not to just get a degree, get out and get money,” he said. “We are here so we can grow, so we can learn from one another. We are exposed to so many different beliefs, so many different view points and so many
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SPORTS
UNIVERSITY PRESS April 14, 2016
Reeling in economy
Redfish Elite series attracts fishermen, fans to Orange Danielle Sonnier UP contributor Boatloads of fisherman and thousands of onlookers squirmed their way to the Simmons boat ramp in Orange this weekend for three days of catching, measuring and releasing, almost 30 professional fishermen were in town for the Redfish Elite series, part of a professional fishing tour. Butch Campbell of the Orange Chamber of Commerce, said that the tournament is a boon to the town’s economy. “The fishermen are all folks who stay in hotels, gas up at the gas stations, eat in the restaurants, and do all those things that we want the tourists to do,” he said. “We do an excellent job of telling them what we have here with Shangri La, the theaters, the museums and so on. The spouses and the children that come with these guys when they are travelling love Orange. They are having a ball, they are getting to see something they have never seen before.” The Redfish Elite Series contacted Orange officials after the success of Bassmaster Elite tournaments held in the city over the past few years, Campbell said. “We have been meeting for about nine months, up to once a week, discussing the sponsorship and the things that are available and the logistics, so this is not an accident,” he said. “As a result, we have picked up another couple tournaments that will be released soon. One will bring in about 400-425 boats at one time, which will be unbelievable for this little area.” The fishing tournaments have probably put about $4.5 million to $5 million into the local economy, Campbell said.
“We use the hotel/motel tax as seed money to get the anglers here,” he said. “In response to that, we put all these heads in the beds, which puts money back in the local economy that they loan us to get this thing off the ground.” Though some fishermen travelled from the as far away as North Dakota and South Carolina, many were familiar with the waters of Southeast Texas. Sulphur, Louisiana resident Kevin Broussard is one who knows the area well. “I grew up fishing,” he said. “My dad was always a fisherman, and I was one of the fortunate people growing up whose dad always brought him fishing. We need more of that in this day and age because too many kids are not getting to go and experience what I grew up doing.” Broussard has been fishing tournaments professionally for the past two decades. “I get to go bass fishing for fun,” Broussard said. “This is work right here. I like both salt water and fresh water fishing, but I make my living salt water fishing.” Each day of the tournament, the three leading fishermen have a cameramen in the boat with them, not only documenting their adventure and tactics, but also making sure they abide by the rules. Those outside the top three are accompanied by a local volunteer observer. With specialized boats, the anglers are able to navigate the shallow depths where redfish lurk in hopes of hooking a monster. “Winning is the best part about fishing in tournaments,” Broussard said. “It is fun coming to the events and pre-fishing with this group of guys. You
want to go out and do your best every tournament, so you want to catch the fish — I guess that’s the most important thing.” After hours of fishing, the anglers report back to the ramp to have the fish measured, weighed and scored. The three-day tournament attracted viewers of all ages and demographics, and vendors set up to accommodate the crowds. “We are trying to make Orange an eco-tourist spot,” Campbell said. “We want folks to understand they can literally come here and fish the same waters as Kevin VanDam, Mike Iconelli, and all that bunch have fished — and for no cost. Our facilities are unlike anybody else’s.” Broussard said the fishermen don’t mind the crowds; they enjoy the presence of fans, especially the ones they know. “It is always nice having your family backing you up and supporting you,” he said. “I have a wife who understands and sup-
UP photos by Danielle Sonnier
Fishermen, top, wait for dawn before they begin competing in the Redfish Elite series tournament in Orange, Friday. Louisiana resident Kevin Broussard, middle, weighs his fish after a day on the water. Fishermen, bottom, lineup for group weigh ins. ports me, and my dad is here. Things like that make a big difference.” Campbell said the response has been positive. “I have heard the people involved with this tournament talking and they are thrilled with what we do here, how we
do it, and why we do it,” he said. “I would be terribly surprised if they did not come back. “The fishing is great. This is as good fishing as anywhere in the country.” For more information, visit orangetexaschamber.org or theredfishseries.com.
UPsports briefs Men’s Tennis
Lamar University junior Nikita Lis was named the Southland Conference Player of the Week, Tuesday. Lis helped the Cardinals (14-5/4-0 SLC) extend their season-long win streak to six after going undefeated over the week. The Kaliningrad, Russia native was key in helping the Cards upset No. 28 Rice in Beaumont, Saturday. Lis won his singles match at No. 2 singles, and doubles as the Cardinals rolled to a 4-1 victory over the Owls. It is the second time this season that LU has knocked off a nationally ranked team. The men competed in a match against Texas A&M-Corpus Christie, Wednesday, to decide who the conference champion will be. Results of Wednesday’s match were unavailable at press time.
Women’s Tennis
Lamar’s women's tennis team closed the 2016 regular season with a 5-2 setback at Stephen F. Austin, Sunday. The loss drops Lamar to 9-11 on the season, and 4-7 in Southland Conference play. LU ends the season ninth in the league standings, but due to the fact that Abilene Christian is not eligible for post season play, the Cardinals will be the eighth seed in the SLC tournament. LU took a 1-0 lead after winning the doubles points. SFA responded with wins from the top two singles positions. The Cardinals will now turn their attention to the Southland Conference Championships. The championship tournament will take place April 22 through April 24, at the Schlief Tennis Complex in Nacogdoches.Wednesday. Results were unavailable at press time.
Baseball
Collegiate Baseball announced that, for the first time since 2009, the Cardinals were nationally ranked (No.25), and the Southland Conference publicized that senior Will Hibbs was selected as its UniversalCoin.com Pitcher of the Week. Lamar was able to push the nation's longest win streak to 15 over the weekend with the help of Hibbs' Friday start at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. He pitched Lamar to its first shutout of the season in a 1-0 win, with a complete game in which he only allowed five hits and six base runners. He struck out 10 batters and did not issue a walk. The Cards traveled to Waco for a game against Baylor University, Wednesday. Results were unavailable at press time.
Softball
The LU softball team moved into sole possession of second place in the Southland Conference standings, Saturday, after sweeping a doubleheader against visiting Southeastern Louisiana. LU (24-14 overall, 11-4 Southland) moved a half-game ahead of Nicholls after downing the Lady Lions by scores of 10-6 and 6-3 at the LU Softball Complex. LU swept the series thanks to a 40 win over the Lady Lions on Friday. LU sits two games behind league-leading McNeese State with 12 conference games remaining. The Lady Cards traveled to San Marcos, Wednesday, to face Texas State University in a non-conference game. Results were unavailable at press time.Week.
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Thursday, April 14, 2016 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
Lamar Allies hold Pride walk in Quad Lamar Allies held a Pride Walk, Tuesday, starting in the Quad and circling around Gray Library, past the Dining Hall, around the tennis courts, and back to the Setzer Student Center. The walk aimed to show Pride and community. The event was part of Lamar University’s Pride Month. There will be an Allies Game Night, tonight, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday will feature Lamar Day of Silence, a student-led national event that brings attention to Anti LGBT name-calling, bullying and harrassment in schools. Pride Month activities will conclude with a Coming Out Panel Discussion, April 28.
UP photos by Josh Aych
UP Trivia
Each week the University Press staff will compile a series of questions related to the week in history. How will you do? Answers are posted below.
1. According to legend, what 11th century noblewoman rode naked through town to protest her own husband’s tax increase on his tenants? 2. What famous band had a hit record with a song about taxation? 3. What day shows an increase of fatal automobile crashes?
4. What tax lad to the famous Boston Tea Party?
5. What civilization considered tax professionals the most noble men in society? 6. Which corporation has the biggest income tax bill, annually? 7. What was the highest tax rate in U.S. history? 8. How long was the first tax form?
1. The legend of the nude ride recounts that Lady Godiva rode through the town of Coventry clothed only in her long hair to gain a remission of her husband’s oppressive taxation on his tenants. 2. George Harrison of the Beatles wrote “Taxman” to attack the high levels of progressive tax taken by the British Labour government of Harold Wilson.
3. A rise in fatal motor vehicle crashes occurs on Tax Day, with researchers speculating that stress leads to distractions and errors on the road. 4. In defiance of the Tea Act, demonstrators destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company, becoming an iconic event of American history. 5. The people of ancient Greece highly revered tax professionals.
6. ExxonMobil pays approximately $30 billion a year in corporate taxes. 7. During World War II, the highest rate on earnings was 91 percent.
8. When the original IRS 1040 form was introduced in 1913, the average yearly income was $800. The first tax form was a whopping four pages — including instructions.