April 16, 2015

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The Newspaper of Lamar University Vol. 91, No. 21

Thursday,April 16, 2015

CARdinals race to Detroit ENGINEERING STUDENTS BUILD FUEL-EFFICIENT URBAN CAR BROOKE STINEBRICKNER UP CONTRIBUTOR The best education is not always to be found in the classroom. Sometimes, one just has to use the skills one learns and see what happens.

For the Eco CARdinals, comprising 11 Lamar University engineering majors, their senior project not only taught them how to build a fuel-efficient car, but also allowed them to participate in the urban concept division of the Shell Ecomarathon Americas competition in Detroit, Mich.

“That means we had to have brake lights, turn lights, head lights, a horn, windshield wipers, side-view mirrors, a functioning door — almost anything a regular car would offer,” Daniel Durr, Beaumont senior, said.

Durr said last year’s event drew teams from all across North and South America.

This year’s competition began April 9 and ran for three days, during which the car had to travel 6.3 miles, making complete stops every circuit, simulating urban driving conditions.

“We completed the course twice and managed to get 108 miles per gallon,” Durr said. “We could have attempted to run again but we had a small fuel leak so we decided to take the 108 mpg and stick with that.”

Durr said he is pleased with the outcome of the competition.

“There were several other schools that did better than us in our category,” he said. “Seeing that this is the first year Lamar has competed in the Urban Concept division, I am happy to have completed the course and I am pleased to get over 100 mpg.”

Durr said once they arrived they had to get their car inspected to

UP Brooke Stinebrickner

Daniel Durr, Beaumont senior, adds the back panel to the Lamar CARdinals’ eco car featured in the Shell Eco-marathon American competition, April 9-12, in Detroit, Mich.

‘Tahiti’ opera to open Friday CHARITY OGBEIDE UP CONTRIBUTOR Lamar Opera Theatre will host “Trouble in Tahiti,” a one-act opera, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in the Rothwell Recital Hall. Tickets are $10. “‘Trouble in Tahiti’ is an opera in seven scenes in one act by Leonard Bernstein, and it was composed in 1951.

“This is an important date, because Bernstein was actually on his honeymoon when he began composing this opera,” director Serdar Ilban said. “Also, chronologically, it falls in between his most popular stage works such as ‘On The Town’ in 1944, followed by ‘Candide’ and ‘West Side Story’ in 1956 and 1957, respectively. Basically, this opera tells us the story about a young married couple who are stuck in an unhappy marriage in a beautiful idealistic suburban setting. It also kind of pokes fun at post

World War II American consumerism and heavy materialistic ideas. (It has) a kind of keeping up with the Joneses neighborhood feel. (Berstein) criticizes that.

“For the couple, you will find a tremendous longing for love and intimacy at the same time. But they kind of got lost in their own worlds with what they are doing. Even though they are longing for happiness and for each other, they lose track of where their marriage is going because of the pressure of the society and the ideal suburban life.”

Ilban said that over the course of his tenure at Lamar, he has directed various different operas, but “Trouble in Tahiti” is different because it borrows musical elements from American culture, jazz being the most important.

“When you first hear it, it doesn’t necessarily sound like the typical traditional

TIM COLLINS UP CONTRIBUTOR

See TAHITI, page 5

NSF grant to promote students underrepresented in engineering

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

through August 2020.

The program will help to recruit and retain industrial or mechanical engineering students, and will reduce the graduation time of these students.

Mechanical and industrial engineering students will be selected for participation based on financial need and academic ability. The project will provide scholarship funding for students pursuing bachelor degrees in industrial or mechanical engineering. The scholarships will be See GRANT, page 2

See CAR, page 2

Mayer named University Professor, Das named University Scholar

Brad Mayer

Lamar University researchers in industrial and mechanical engineering have been awarded a $625,300 grant from the National Science Foundation for a special program to increase the numbers of students underrepresented in engineering.

The program, titled Industrial and Mechanical Engineering Scholars with Scholarships, Career Mentoring, Outreach and Advisement, Professional Societies and Engineering Learning Community (SCOPE), will ser ve three cohorts, totaling 36 scholars in the five-year project.

The award starts Sept. 1 and will continue

make sure that it technically lined up to contest rules.

“Once you pass technical inspections, vehicles requirements and whatnot, then they let you run on the track for some test runs,” Durr said. “The whole point of the competition is fuel efficiency. They give you a certain amount of fuel and you run, and then they measure the difference. They see how much you have burned.”

All of the LU team are graduating seniors and mechanical engineering majors.

“Everybody on our team is on this project to fulfill his or her senior design course requirements,” Durr said. “Some teams compete and they’re just extracurricular activities groups, they just get together and compete. But Lamar does not have that. If someone was interested in this, it would be open to them.”

Durr said Shell sponsors the event to encourage students to think outside of the box and come up with ways to increase fuel efficiency.

“We have spent a rough estimate of 1,800 man hours on it,” he said. “We started the second week in January and, on average, there have been five guys putting in 40 hours a week working on this. We started with nothing, we did the frame, everything ourselves. The only thing we started with was the motor (which) we were supplied with from last year. Everything else we found and fabricated ourselves.”

Durr said energy and independence is a big issue today, and he believes that everyone needs to be looking and thinking of ways to increase efficiency and maximize natural resources.

“This car only does a top speed

Kumer Das

www.lamaruniversitypress.com

Brad Mayer was named Lamar University’s 2015 University Professor, and Kumer Das was named 2015 University Scholar at the Faculty Awards Ceremony, April 8 in the Patillo Higgins Spindletop Room on the eighth floor of Gray Library.

“Academic excellence is a fundamental part and the primary goal of a distinguished university,” Stephen Doblin, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said. “On every such campus, there are those faculty who stand apart, who distinguish themselves and are recognized by their peers and students as extraordinary teachers, scholars and mentors. Indeed, we believe firmly that it is vitally important to pause collectively during the academic year and recognize those colleagues whose contributions exemplify the attainment of the goal of excellence.”

Mayer, professor of management and marketing, was also named as the fourth Ann Die Hasselmo Scholar. Mayer earned an M.B.A. from Minnesota State University and a doctorate from the University of North Texas. He has been at Lamar for more than 20 years.

Kumer Das, associate professor mathematics and director of the office of undergraduate research, was named the 2015 University Scholar. He has published 17 peer refereed articles, a book chapter, and nine proceedings papers in the past five years. Das has secured approximately $2.5M in research and other forms of external support, received several prestigious professional awards and has guided dozens of students to successful starts as researchers and scholars.

Merit Award recipients included Komal Karani, assistant professor of marketing; John McCollough, assistant professor of economics; and Millicent Musyoka, assistant professor of deaf studies.

Honored retirees included Pamela Saur and her husband, Stephen Saur. Other retirees include, Doblin, Jean Andrews, James Esser, Vicky Farrow, Cecil Johnson, Hollis Lowery Moore, Howell Lynch, Pamela Monk, Donald Owen, Dianna Rivers, Lane Roth, Russ Schultz, Sheila Smith, George Strickland and Faith Wallace.

www.twitter.com/UPLamar

INSIDE Thursday, April 16, 2015 University Press

CAR ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 of 30 miles per hour,” he said. “It could never be used on the road or be licensed. However, when we were evaluating what project we wanted to go with, we wanted to do something that would give us experience in design and manufacturing. We chose this to get experience for ourselves, also to do something Lamar has never done — to try and set a benchmark for Lamar University and advance them in their repertoire on projects. We also just wanted to challenge ourselves, as graduating engineers, to prove to ourselves we could do it.”

The team had to pass through several levels to get to the national level.

“We had to submit drawings of our initial designs and get that approved,” Durr said. “Then we had to submit some more technical drawings, things like the fuel system and our basic design and get that approved. Once we went through those ‘gates’ or phases and passed those, then Shell

GRANT ••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 complemented by academic support including mentoring, tutoring and undergraduate research opportunities.

The program will allow the university to of fer scholarships to directly address an area of national concern: maintaining US industrial competitiveness. Scholarships for academically strong engineering students, who may not other wise be able to af ford college, have an impact on the number of engineering graduates prepared to help national, regional and local companies.

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Page 2 said ‘OK, you are free to build it and compete.’ If they would have seen an issue then they would have probably worked with us, but we did not have any issues.”

Durr said he attended the Shell competition to watch one of his friends compete last year, when it was held in Houston.

“I just went to check it out and to see what the inspection process was and get a feel for it,” he said. “The team at that point discussed doing it this year. I just wanted to get a visual on how the process worked.”

Durr said when they decided what type of car his team wanted to build, they made a mock frame in order to get a physical

NOTICE

idea on how it was going to look.

“We used some cheap rebar, what they use in foundations that they pour concrete over,” he said. “We actually ended up making some changes after we did the mock frame, we cut down on the height some and the width. We saw some things we liked and some things we didn’t like.”

The project was not all plain sailing, Durr said.

“We have had electrical issues, in the very beginning, we have had wrong materials ordered,” he said.

“That probably has been our main problem, material mix-ups,

and we have had some problems with the brakes. It is difficult because it is all custom. You cannot go to a store and be like, ‘I need a part for a 2007 Toyota Corolla.’ We go to Auto Zone and say, ‘Hey, do you have this?’ and they go, ‘What’s it for?‘ So we say, ‘It’s kind of like a go cart.‘” Durr said the team members often had to walk behind the counter and look for parts themselves. Ultimately, he said it has been a learning experience and he is happy with the outcome.

“I have learned how to handle a project from start to finish,” he said.

“This is my first time building something on this scale, so it really has taught me to foresee some challenges. It also taught me that it is very important to have good communication skills with your team.

“I have had a really excellent team, I could not have done this by myself — I don’t think any of us on the team could have.”

CALENDAR April 16 Open registration begins for May Mini/Summer 2015/Fall 2015 Educators’ Career Fair Setzer Student Center Ballroom 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

April 17 “Trouble in Tahiti” Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30-9 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

Baseball vs. Houston Baptist Vincent Beck Stadium 2 p.m.

The diversity present at Lamar provides an opportunity to broaden the par ticipation of groups currently underrepresented in engineering fields. Recognized for its economic and racial diversity, more than 40 percent of Lamar’s student population is from groups currently underrepresented in engineering.

In the past decade, the number of African-American students has more than doubled and the number of Hispanic students has tripled at the university.

“This program will target students from sophomore to senior years and provide the support needed to help ensure degree completion,” Weihang Zhu, associate professor of industrial engineering,

said. “Support activities will include enhanced academic advising, career advising, academic support through supplemental tutoring, peer monitoring and undergraduate research opportunities.”

Resources from engineering professional societies will be engaged to help scholars to pass professional exams, and an engineering learning community will be formed to help students in the program as well.

“The project will address not only the intrinsic difficulties of degree completion when faced with financial instability, but also the dif ficulties that engineering students experience as they decide upon a career in an engineering dis-

UPbeat A University Press Magazine

in depth insightful inspiring

Coming UPApril 23

cipline,” Zhu said. The strategy results will be assessed to determine the effectiveness of continuous inter vention in retaining low-income engineering students and will contribute to the development of the best practices for retaining low income and talented students in engineering, Zhu said.

Zhu is ser ving as the principal investigator for the grant, with participation by co-principal investigators Hsing Wei Chu, chair and professor of mechanical engineering; Brian Craig, chair and professor of industrial engineering; James Curr y, associate professor of industrial engineering; and Jenny Zhou, associate professor of mechanical engineering.

Softball vs. Central Arkansas Lamar Softball Complex 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Women’s tennis vs. Northwestern State Thompson Family Tennis Center 11 a.m.

April 19 Baseball vs. Houston Baptist Vincent Beck Stadium 1 p.m.

Women’s tennis vs. Stephen F. Austin Thompson Family Tennis Center 12 p.m.

Men’s tennis vs. New Orleans Thompson Family Tennis Center 2 p.m.

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

University Press Thursday, April 16, 2015

Page 3

‘AN INFINITE GUESSING GAME’ COLLEGIATE ANGLERS OF LAMAR HEAD TO NATIONALS LAINIE HARRIS UP CONTRIBUTOR “It’s a constant guessing game, so really it’s mentally strenuous, because you’re always thinking — you’re trying to complete a 1,000 piece puzzle, but you’re only working with 100 pieces,” Brandon Simoneaux said.

Simoneaux is president of The Collegiate Anglers of Lamar University, who will send three teams to the Fishing League Worldwide college national championship, April 16-18, in Colombia, S.C. Each LU team consists of two students who had to qualify for the tournament.

Simoneaux, Bridge City, junior, has been fishing for Lamar since he was a freshman.

“I started fishing as soon as I got here, that was one of the reasons I came here, because I heard we had a fishing team,” he said. “I didn’t really have any reason to leave home. I wanted to go to college for engineering, and Lamar is a good engineering school — then an extra perk is that Lamar has a fishing team.”

Simoneaux has more than a decade of fishing experience.

“I’ve been fishing my entire life,” he said. “My grandparents used to take me to the lake when I was little,

UP Lainie Harris

Member of the Collegiate Anglers of Lamar University, Cameron LaFleur, Orangefield senior, in midcast, on Cow Bayou in Orange, Nov. 17

and I used to go fishing with my dad growing up.”

The team competes in tournaments throughout the year, fishing mainly in the FLW and Bassmaster’s college series.

Fishing is unpredictable, Simoneaux said, and the best place to learn is in a tournament.

“The more tournaments you are fishing, the more you are going to grow as an angler,” he said, “You’ll learn most (when) it’s for prize money. You are trying to win, and when you make that wrong decision, you remember that wrong decision.”

Simoneaux said that, no matter how skillful one is, fishing is still just one big guessing game.

“Over a period of time, you get where you are better at predicting what they are going to do, but you are never, ever just going to know,” he said.

One may catch a lot of fish one day, then the next they don’t bite.

“Then you think, ‘How did I catch them? What’s changed between then and now?” he said.

The 10-member team is split into pairs and they practice together throughout the season.

“There is no qualified time that you have to devote, but if you are not willing to devote a whole lot of time into it, then you won’t be able to compete with these guys,” Simoneaux said.

The team competes against other college fishing teams throughout the nation.

“I know it’s a college sport, and you would think that the competition is going to be a little bit lighter, but if anybody comes into this stuff thinking that they are not going to be facing some of the best anglers in the nation, they are wrong,” Simoneaux said. “A lot of these guys we fish against in every tournament are just waiting until they graduate to go hop onto the big circuits where the real money is.”

Most of the fishing team members are striving to become pro bass fishermen after college, Simoneaux said.

“Which essentially is what all of us are really shooting for, really that’s our end goal, that’s what we want to do,” he said.

Team members compete in three qualifying tournaments throughout the season, with the top 15 making the regional tournament. From there, the top 10 teams from each of the five regions go on to compete in the national championship.

“You’ve got one shot,” Simoneaux said. “It’s the best 50 teams, so that’s where you really get to see who’s the best in the nation — who shines.”

Lamar’s three pairs are Simoneaux and Josh Bowie, Cameron LaFleur and Justin Royal, and Colby Ogden and Quinton Evans.

LaFleur, Orangefield senior, said he started fishing at the age of five, but then stopped at the age of 13 to

UP Lainie Harris

The Collegiate Anglers of Lamar University stand upon the bridge overlooking the water at the John Gray Center, April 1.

race dirt bikes. However, four years ago, inspired by his father, LaFleur began fishing once again and joined the LU team last fall.

The best part of the tournament is setting the hook on a fish, LaFleur said. He and Royal qualified by finishing eighth in the regional tournament on Sam Rayburn. This will be his first time fishing on Lake Murray in Columbia.

“I don’t know what it is going to be like — different lakes use different baits, some have grass, some don’t, and we won’t find out until we get there,” he said.

The teams will have two official days of practice, and if they win, they go on to compete in the Forrest Wood Cup. “You then have to compete against your partner, and the person who wins out of the two, gets to fish the pro side of the FLW Forrest Wood Cup, which is like the world series of that particular circuit,” Simoneaux said.

Lamar is one of the only, if not the only, club in the nation that has seven FLW wins, Simoneaux said.

“As far as tournament angling though, if you are not a competitor — I mean a true, like everything you do, you just want to be the best at it — then tournament bass fishing is not for you,” he said.

Over Spring Break, Simoneaux, Bowie, Ogden and Evans went to South Carolina to fish the waters in preparation for the national tournament. Each location has its own set of variables to overcome, Simoneaux said.

“I like to say there are a thousand different scenarios for every minute of every day,” he said. “It could be anything as simple as your cloud coverage, which has to do with your barometric pressure, and even if your cloud coverage isn’t changing, a slight change in barometric pressure can make a difference. Wind speeds, wind direction, water temperature, water depth, time of year, what structures are in the water, what is their main food source in the lake, line size, how fast is your lure falling, are you reeling too fast, are you reeling too slow —everything that you have control of could be an issue, and everything that you don’t have control of, also could be an issue.”

Simoneaux said that conditions

change all the time, even in different times of the day.

“One half of the day you’re doing this, and the other half of the day you have to go and do something completely different,” he said. “You’re trying to catch those five big fish, which is a lot harder than it looks.

“You’re never going to complete the puzzle, but you’re going to do the best you can to get almost there.”

For updates during the tournament, visit www.flwfishing.com/tournaments/college-fishing.

For information on joining The Collegiate Anglers of Lamar University, call Simoneaux at 718-1596, like the Lamar Fishing Facebook page, or follow them on Instagram at LU_FISHING.

UP Lainie Harris

Member of the Collegiate Anglers of Lamar University, Cameron LaFleur, Orangefield senior, prepares for a cast, Nov. 17

Move to America creates opportunities for Gambian OKOLO IFEANYICHUKWU UP CONTRIBUTOR

John Tandy

“I always wanted better things for myself.”

Gambian John Tandy, a former Lamar student, grew up as the son of a farmer who was also the reverend at his church.

“My father always encouraged me to pursue my dreams,” Tandy said. “He was a hardworking and humble man. I have three siblings and I am the second child of my parents. In my family, we all knew how to farm, my father used to say that a man must know how to grow his own food.”

Tandy said he dreamed of life beyond the farm, and he found the life he was searching for in America. However, it took a lot of work to get here.

“Growing up, I always dreamed of leaving my country,” he said. “There was very little opportunity for me in Gambia because my family didn’t have much.”

Tandy said his family could barely afford to send him to high school and a college education was out of the question.

“I knew that I would have a better opportunity to succeed in a developed countr y, because I was used to seeing people from

America and European countries being well off and financially stable,” he said.

When Tandy was in high school, he would visit the library to search for colleges in different countries.

“I applied to schools in Austria, Canada, Netherlands, France, America, Sweden and Hungar y,” he said, and he took the West African Exam, the SAT, the ACT, the TOEFL, and the Cambridge Exam to apply to Universities in different countries.

“After a lot of studying, I was able to make good scores in all of these exams,” he said. “I turned in a scholarship application to most of the schools I applied to, and I hoped to get a scholarship, because that would be the only way I could go to college.”

Tandy didn’t have exposure to computers, so he wasn’t good at using them. As a result, he printed out applications and mailed them to the different schools.

Tandy was admitted to most of the schools he applied to.

Next, he applied for a student visa from the Canadian Embassy, the American Embassy, the French Embassy and the Netherlands Embassy.

“After I had done my applications and interviews at the dif-

ferent embassies, I was given visas to two countries — America and the Netherlands,” he said.

Tandy received a scholarship from Lamar to study computer science, so he headed for Texas.

“My dad was able to raise some money for me to leave for America, and after I had paid my plane ticket, I arrived in America with $100,” he said.

Arriving in America was the beginning of a new life with a lot of opportunities and Tandy said he was willing to work hard to achieve his dreams but his happiness was short lived.

“Unfortunately, I lost my father three days after I came to the United States,” Tandy said.

“He died of a heart attack. I was told over the phone when I called to let him know I had arrived safely. My elder brother delivered the news. I cannot exactly describe how I felt about the death of my father — I would say that I was in a shock. Knowing that my father is the main provider, I ended up telling myself that I would work hard and be responsible for my family.”

Tandy’s loss did not stall him from achieving his goal. He got jobs in Gray Librar y and in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational

Center within the first month of the semester.

“It was a difficult experience, struggling to achieve my dreams while trying to survive,” he said.

“I had to balance two jobs and my classes ever y semester. At some point I got a third job. I learnt to study in class while listening to lectures, and I got used to recording my professors. I also had to share an apartment with four people so we could split the bills.”

Eventually Tandy decided to change his major.

“I want to care for people, and to be able to help them recover from any health condition,” he said. “I applied to the nursing program after two years of doing the prerequisites and I got accepted.

After my first semester in the nursing program, I knew that nursing was the career for me. Being responsible for my family was what kept me focused throughout the program.”

Tandy graduated with bachelors in nursing in 2013 and now works for Baptist hospital.

“I’m now able to send a reasonable amount of money to my family, while doing the job I love,” he said. “I can honestly say, it really is worth the struggle.”

Page 4 Thursday, April 16, 2015

University Press

Alumni tailgate set for April 24 at baseball’s Vincent-Beck Stadium HEATHER FOLK UP CONTRIBUTOR

A student discusses her work during the last Undergraduate Research Expo.

Undergraduate Expo set for Monday The office of undergraduate research will host the Undergraduate Research Expo, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, in the Setzer Student Center.

The event will showcase scholarly activities in research and the creative production of Lamar University undergradu-

ate students, Kumer Das, OUR director, said More than 60 students will present their research work.

The expo is open to everyone, Das said.

“I want to reach as many students as possible, both be-

fore and after the Expo,” he said. “I want all other students to see what their peers are presenting. It should have a long lasting impact.”

For information, email Das at kumer.das@lamar.edu, or Jasmine Fields at jasmine.fields@lamar.edu.

Lamar University’s office of alumni affairs will host a tailgate party before the Lamar vs. Incarnate Word baseball game at Vincent-Beck Stadium, April 24. Tailgating will begin at 5 p.m., with first pitch at 6 p.m.

The event, for alumni and their guests, will feature a grill, activities for children and giveaways.

“The office of alumni affairs seeks to engage alumni in the life of Lamar University, and one of the ways we do that is by holding events and encouraging alumni to come back to campus,” Shannon Copeland, director of alumni affairs and advancement services, said. “This event is a great way to support our student athletes, show alumni pride, and have a great time with fellow alumni and their families.”

Alumni and guests must sign up in advance at advancement.lamar.edu/baseball2015, by 5 p.m. Friday. The cost is $7 with free admission for ages three and under.

Game admission is included.

Evie Clifton, alumni affairs coordinator, said the tailgate party is a family event.

“We grill hot dogs and links to serve to the families,” she said. “We have face painting for the children. We give game tickets to the attendees so they can continue their fun at the game. Last year we had 151 people attend this event, and are expecting about the same headcount for this year.

“I have worked the last seven years of these annual tailgate events, and consider it to be one of my favorite events of the year.”

Corey Troxell works for the Lamar University baseball players association and has attended the event for the past two years.

“The tailgate is a nice event that allows alumni to come back and see how the school changes from fall to spring,” he said.

“This event allows for networking and building school pride — the fact that it happens at a baseball game is great as it showcases a sport in which Lamar has produced over 40 professional athletes.”

Stephanie Molina, alumni board president, will throw out the first pitch.

For more information, call Copeland at 880-8921 or email Shannon.Copeland @lamar.edu.

Lamar to host ‘Discover Engineering’ event, Saturday, at Boomtown Lamar University will host “Discover Engineering,” a free community event for young students to take a peak into the world of engineering.

The event will be held at the Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum, noon to 4 p.m., Saturday.

The educational fair for girls and boys interested in science, math and engineering will feature the participation of local companies and student organizations, as well as dozens of self-paced, hands-on activities. Local companies participating in the event with displays and activities include ExxonMobil, Flint Hills Resources, BASF and Valero.

The event is brought about through the work of the Lamar University chapter of the Society of Women Engineers and the Student Engineering Council in LU’s College of Engineering. Door prizes, T-shirts

and snacks will be provided.

The student organizations developed the ideas for hands-on activities that are fun to do but also give the students opportunity to think about the way things happen, said SWE chapter president Joanna Martin.

“We give them a project and a goal, then ask them to talk about why they did what they did,” Martin said.

“We will ask them how they might make it better the next time. Our aim is to help the students to begin thinking differently, to explore a new type of thinking. We want them to think like engineers at a level they can grasp and to grow from that idea. “ Martin, who holds a bachelor’s degree in biology-chemistr y from UT-Austin, is a senior chemical engineering major at Lamar. She will graduate with her second bachelor’s degree in May after completing co-op

experiences at Westlake Chemical in Sulphur, and Flint Hills Resources in Port Arthur. She will begin her chemical engineering career at Chevron Phillips in Baytown after graduation.

The event will provide learning activities for elementar y, middle school and high school students, Martin said.

“We will also learn about things we see and use in daily life, how they are made and how they do the things they do,” she said.

Students and parents will have opportunity to talk with professional engineers and engineering students about the career field and the programs available at Lamar.

“It is exciting to see parents really engaged with helping their child learn,” Martin said.

While the event is free and open

Courtesy Photo

Members of the Society of Women Engineers and the Student Engineering Council will host “Discover Engineering” at the Spindletop/Gladys City Boomtown Museum, Saturday. to the students and their parents, registration is encouraged. To register, visit www.lamar.edu/discov erengineering.

For more information, contact the College of Engineering office of outreach and student services at 8807871.

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University Press Thursday, April 16, 2015

Page 5

Battle with illness leads to to nursing career BROOKE STINEBRICKNER UP CONTRIBUTOR Different situations in life shape the person one becomes. When Alyssa Montney was diagnosed with Langerhan Cell Histiocytosis at the age of 12, she decided she wanted to be a nurse.

“It made me realize what I want to do when I grow up — to be able to

take care of kids, let them know everything will be okay,” she said.

Alyssa said she had a pretty normal middle-school life filled with soccer practices and lots of homework.

However, her life was put on hold when her mom discovered something unusual.

“We were just out and about one night and my mom noticed my eye

Courtesey Image

Alyssa Montney in the hospital after back surgery.

was swollen,” Alyssa said. “She was like, ‘Does it hurt?’ and I said, ‘Yeah.’ If she would touch it the slightest bit it would hurt really bad. Then I got up for school one morning and it was so swollen that I couldn’t really look out of my eye. It looked like I got stomped on by a horse — it looked that bad.”

The family was living in Michigan at the time so they went to the Catalog Eye Center, where she was told it was a swollen tear duct and was prescribed medicine. When it was no better the next day, the center sent her to the emergency room.

“We sat there for 16 hours doing multiple tests,” Alyssa said. “I will never forget an ultrasound on my eye.

It was to the point where you could barely touch my eye it hurt so bad.

They were rubbing this thing on my eye and it hurt so bad that I said, ‘Mom!’ She finally told them, ‘Stop, you are hurting her. You are making it worse.’

“They had to do PET scans and MRIs, all these different tests, and they finally discovered what it was. It was LCH. It was basically too many white blood cells attacking (my body), it was attacking things that weren’t even there.”

When she was diagnosed with LCH, the whole family was worried.

“The first thing my mom asked is if I was going to die,” Alyssa said.

“They said, ‘No, we caught it in time,’ and they wanted to do more tests. The only question I really had was if I was going to lose my hair. They weren’t really sure because they didn’t know how strong the chemotherapy had to be. They ended up doing a biopsy on my birthday that coming year.”

The family decided to move to Beaumont to be closer to Houston, where the top doctor in that field was located.

“We moved to Texas in ‘08, it was a few months after we found out,” she said. “We moved to Beaumont because we found out the top doctor was

in Houston. That is where the doctor wanted to do chemotherapy right away.

“I had chemotherapy for that year.

After that year, they had me come back every so often — like three months, then six months, and now it is up to an annual visit. They said when I got down here that, ‘You’re lucky they caught it when they did,’ because it could have spread to my vital organs and I could have died.”

Alyssa’s first day of chemotherapy was June 12, 2009, and her last was a year later on June 9, 2010.

“I had surgery to get a port-a-cath put in,” she said. “When they put my first port-a-cath in, they put it right by my heart so they could give me my medicine, because they didn’t want to blow a vein. When they did that, they poked a hole in my lung. I had to go back and have them get the stuff out of my lung. Then the first week of eighth grade, my neck kept hurting all week long. I got to the point I couldn’t move it at all. We went to the Texas Children’s ER and they ended up telling us in front of the entire emergency room that my port-a-cath flipped in my jugular vein and that is why I couldn’t move my neck. They did an emergency surgery that night and they took it out.”

Since finishing her treatment, Alyssa has had a couple of scares.

“We thought it was back multiple times about a year or two after I finished my chemotherapy,” she said.

“We thought I had two L5 fractures in my back. I had to wear a back brace on my back for three months. I got tired of wearing that back brace so I didn’t wear it anymore. I ended up having the surgery to have an internal brace put in. Now I have an internal brace in my lower back and they think it had to do with the cancer.

“After the first week of chemotherapy and prednisone shots, I gained 30 to 40 pounds — I almost weighed 200 pounds. I went from a

size 7 to size 13, my whole physical appearance changed.”

Even though, life changed traumatically for 12 year-old Alyssa, the Westbrook graduate now sees it as an opportunity to help other children who have major illnesses.

“I am a part of an organization called Heartbeat for Hope,” Alyssa said. “Twice a year, Easter and Christmas, we will go to Texas Children Hospital, to the different floors, depending on how long they have been there. We will bring them lunch or a basket filled with presents. We will pass out stuff to people in the emergency room or bring them toys and stuff. They have to live there. They are there for so long and they do not know when they will be able to leave.”

Alyssa started volunteering with the organization a year after she stopped chemotherapy. Volunteering and helping sick children has helped her realize the career path she wants to follow.

“It feels good to help people because I know they helped me when I was sick,” Alyssa said. “I just want to be able to help out and give back what I can. That is basically what inspired me to grow up and be a pediatric oncology nurse or a doctor. I know that I can easily relate to the kids and how they feel. It would help me and make me feel good knowing that I can tell them everything is going to be okay.

Regardless, I know how they are feeling because I’ve been there.

“Some kids get really sick and some kids don’t make it. People tell me, to this day that, ‘You are so sweet,’ ‘You are the sweetest person‘ and ‘I can see you doing that job because you have such a heart, but aren’t you scared you are going to lose a kid and be sad?’

“That is the risk you are going to take going into that field. You could lose a child at any moment but knowing that you did all you could do to help them and save their life is probably the best thing.”

Aldean to visit Beaumont Mother, sickle cell anemia, drives alumnus to medicine PRESTON MATTINGLY UP CONTRIBUTOR

Jason Aldean will bring his “Burn It Down Tour” to Ford Park, May 15. Cole Swindell and Tyler Farr will also be on the bill. Tickets range from $59.75 for covered seating to $29.75 for lawn seats.

“There are a ver y limited number of covered and lawn seats still available,” Rob Cotlind, Ford Park director of ticket sales, said. “If you want to attend this great event, you should buy your tickets in advance to guarantee your seat. You don’t want to wait until the day of the event, this could be one of the best concerts in Southeast Texas in a long time.”

The concert will start at 7:30 p.m., and Cotlind said fans should plan to arrive early to avoid traffic.

“Any time an event of this magnitude comes to Beaumont and Ford Park, traffic could become an issue,” he said. “I’m not saying this is going to be the case, but make sure to plan accordingly because you don’t want to miss any of the show.”

Aldean has released six albums and 22 singles. His 2010 album, “My Kinda Party,” is certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industr y Association of America. Thirteen have reached number one on the Hot Coun-

TAHITI ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 American feel. It has been a challenge for our students to be exposed to different vocal styles, and for me to work with a piece that is rather contemporary. This takes place in the 1950s, so it is considered contemporary. The thing is, when you bring a piece like this on board, you are not only challenging students and yourself, but you are also challenging the community to be open minded to hear different things. There is opera in America and there have been a lot composers who have contributed wonderful works.”

Ilban said the music is very revealing.

“When the composer wants to convey a certain emotion or paint a certain landscape, it is visible or audible through the music, which is very gratifying to hear,” he said.

“Style is very clearly dictated through what the composer wants the singer or pianist to do. Being able to bring something like this on board and seeing your students rise to the occasion by finding their voices in a piece like this is the most gratifying.”

Ilban said students should come see the opera because it is entertaining, it tells a wonderful story, musically it is gratifying to listen to, and they won’t be bored. The opera is in English so students will be able to understand

tr y Songs or Countr y Airplay charts.

Swindell is known for his hit “Chillin it,” which held the No. 1 spot on the countr y charts in 2013. Farr’s single, “Redneck Crazy,” peaked at No. 2 on the charts.

“These countr y stars are known for putting on a great show,” Elizabeth Edding, director of tourism for the Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau, said. “We’re thrilled they picked Beaumont as one of their stops on this tour.”

This marks the second time Aldean has performed in Beaumont.

“When I heard Jason Aldean was coming back to Beaumont I was ecstatic,” Andrew Beyke, LU adjunct professor in health and kinesiology, said. “Growing up in Kentucky, I’ve been a countr y music fan my whole life. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Jason Aldean in concert multiple times. He puts on a great show, and I recommend all countr y music fans attend this event. I bought my tickets the day they were released to the public.”

Tickets are available at LiveNation.com, the Ford Park Box Office, located at 5115 Interstate 10 South, Ticketmaster outlets including HEB on Dowlen Road, the Lake Charles Civic Center and Houston-area Walmarts, ticketmaster.com, or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

the lyrics.

Ilban said that opera has the ability to excite both performers and audience.

“If your stars are lined up with everyone around you and you are doing the right work, then you are ending up with magic,” he said.

“That is what it feels like. As an audience member, you are not going to experience the same feeling each time you go. There are some operas filled with beautiful music that immediately draws the audience in. There are some powerful operas, where the music might be a bit obscured, but because of the dramatic context audiences are drawn in. It depends on their quality of work that the audience is looking for and how familiar they are with the music. Specifically talking about ‘Trouble in Tahati,’ you won’t go, ‘That was such a bore, it was impossible to bear,’ because it is short and you know the end will be near — but I can assure you won’t be bored because this is a very entertaining show.

“Audience members should expect to see fighting. That is a unified theme between ‘Trouble in Tahiti’ and the scenes. There is going to be a lot of fighting on stage. People are going to be yelling and screaming at each other. But at the same time, they will get romance which is the underlining theme.

There are going to get a full-blown, good opera experience in a short duration.”

For more information, call Ilban at 8807181, or email at serdar.ilban@lamar.edu.

OLAMIDE OLADUNNI UP CONTRIBUTOR “As a child, I remember going to work with my mother,” Rotimi Sonaike says. “She would get dressed in all white and put on a little funnyshaped hat. We would then walk about half a mile to her work place where she had a nice spacious office. She would scurry off leaving me to play with the many toys she had around, until my father came to take me home.

“When I had grown a little in age, I realized what it was that she did, so one day I asked her how she became a nurse. She told me that she had gone to school for many years, but that wasn’t what I meant. I proceeded to rephrase the question differently asking how she knew she wanted to become a nurse. She replied simply by saying, ‘I just knew.’”

From that moment on, the 27-year-old Lamar University alumni says he knew he wanted to be a doctor. He has a strong memory of that moment.

“At the time I wasn’t really interested in medicine,” he says. “Now, it serves as a capsule of irony, a moment that might have been forgotten in a sea of memories kept alive by chance and choices now just being understood.”

Rotimi was born with sickle cell anemia, and doctors told his parents he would not live more than 25 years. Dealing with the disease also built his interest in medicine.

“I have had many sick days,” Rotimi says. “It was easy to dismiss this condition not necessarily as a disadvantage, but rather as a minor inconvenience during times of childhood pain and crisis.”

Rotimi says he is able to relate and place himself in the shoes of a sick patient because of his own condition, and he feels that makes him a better doctor since empathizing for his patients comes naturally and genuinely. While many might see an impediment, Rotimi says he sees his condition as a positive.

“The gift of this curse provides me the unique perspective attained on the humanity of those in need, an infinite affinity and disposition towards those in distress and those in pain, because in many times past, I’ve been them,” he says.

When he was eight, Rotimi moved from Nigeria to America with his mother and his younger brother for a chance at having a better education.

At the time, Nigeria had plenty of blackouts and they would go a day or two without electricity. His father chose to stay in Nigeria with his two older brothers so they could finish secondary school before moving to Houston with the rest of the family.

“Our financial situation made it necessary for me to remain employed, sometimes holding two jobs throughout my high school career,” Rotimi says.

Rotimi Sonaike While at Lamar, Rotimi volunteered over spring breaks and summer vacations at the MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Texas Institute of Research and Rehabilitation, where he still volunteers.

“I have also helped out when needed at my neighborhood public library,” Rotimi says. “I continue to find time for those in need, tutoring elementary school students for two semesters.”

After getting his bachelor in Business, Rotimi worked at Best Buy and says he bounced around for a year or so unsure of what to do next. One day he says he woke up and decided to take the MCAT, earning a spot at UTMB in Dallas.

“Being raised, and still dealing with, Sickle Cell disease is my underlying reason, the fuel that keeps me going when I feel like giving up,” he says.

Now in the final year of his residency in Cleveland, Ohio, Rotimi plans on specializing in respiratory medicine.

“To be a medical doctor is not a dream of mine, because a dream is something one wants but still hasn’t pursued — it is something that lacks reality existing only in the abstract,” he says.

“On the contrary, it is a goal of mine to be a doctor. A goal that has taken many sleepless nights and hard work to realize, a goal that serves as a building block to other goals I have,” he says.

“I see myself starting a practice in Houston, and eventually starting one in Nigeria to give back to my community.”

Page 6 Thursday, April 16, 2015

University Press

SPORTS Schweizer named as week’s best in Southland Benny Schweizer was a combined 3-0 between singles and doubles action on the week, which led him to the Southland Conference men’s tennis Player of the Week nod, announced by the league on Tuesday.

The freshman defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Guillame Rauseo in three sets on April 7. He won the first set 6-4, but Rauseo battled back to tie the match with a 6-4 set two.

Schweizer outlasted Rauseo 10-8 in the third set.

The Manheim, Germany, native followed that with an 8-4 doubles win with Michael Feucht over Rauseo and Kevin Bettendroffer.

The Cardinals defeated Abilene Christian 6-1 on Sunday behind Schweizer’s 6-1, 6-3 victory over Henry Adams.

LU’s Nikita Lis won the honor in the first week of the season and Juuso Laitinen took it on Feb. 10.

Lamar plays its last road game of the season on Friday at 2 p.m., before wrapping up the season at the Thompson Family Tennis Center against New Orleans, Sunday.

Benny Schweizer

7 Thursday, April 16, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

MEN’S TENNIS DEFEAT WILDCATS, 6-1 LANE FORTENBERRY UP CONTRIBUTOR After having a dominate day, Sunday, against Abilene Christian, the Lamar Cardinal tennis team now have a 11-10 overall record with two games left until the Southland Conference Tournament.

The Cards took two of three doubles matches, including one unfinished match, and took five of six singles matches.

“The key was to get a good start in all matches and not let go of the lead,” head coach Scott Shankles said. “We did that in eight of the nine matches played.

“Our biggest goal for the match was to have a complete match from beginning to end — they definitely accomplished it. We felt like, at Corpus, we played great doubles, but didn’t play to our potential in singles. (The team) turned it around against Abilene Christian, a team who beat us in Beaumont last year 5-2. It’s nice to get the revenge win.”

After Nikita Lis and Jeandre Hoogenboezem’s doubles victory, the pair improved their doubles record to 80.

“Their games are different but complement each other,” Shankles said.

“Nikita sets Jeandre up a lot with his serves and returns, then Jeandre is so quick and uses his great hands to put volleys and overheads away. Jeandre has a more creative, change-of-pace game that sets Nikita up when he is at the net. They have good chemistry.”

Michael Feucht and Benny Schweizer both won their singles matches and improved their records to 13-7.

“Both Michael and Benny started off well,” Shankles said. “Once they get into their matches the confidence level rises very high. When it’s high, like Sunday, it is very hard to beat them.”

The Cardinals have two games left against Nicholls State and New Orleans before the Southland Conference Tournament begins.

“Nicholls and New Orleans both beat us last season during the regular season, but in the conference tourna-

Nikita Lis, above, backhands the ball during Lamar’s match against Abilene Christian University, Sunday, at Thompson Family Tennis Center. Benny schweizer, right, follows through his serve during practice. ment we were able to get back at Nicholls — so remembering the feeling of losing will help my guys,” Shankles said. “That is one thing my guys do well — remember the losses, then work extra hard to prepare themselves for the next opportunity.

“Our practices the previous three and a half weeks have been at the highest level in my five years here in Beaumont. We will continue that hard work on the practice courts to best prepare us for two tough Louisiana schools.”

Shankles said three guys have made noticeable improvements over the course of the season.

“Lis, Feucht, and Hoogenboezem have done a great job of getting stronger and more fit, and because of it, they are hitting the balls harder and deeper, which gives them a great opportunity to win points,” Shankles said.

“They have matured more since last season. They are sophomores this year so the future looks bright for them.”

After what they have experienced this season, the Cardinals feel good heading into the conference tournament, Shankles said.

“There have been a lot of lessons learned from our non-conference season that we can put into play for conference season,” he said. “We have been better, as of late, in winning the doubles point and we feel it will get better.

“Because there are only six conference teams, you have to stay more focused and not let up any. Every match is important to finish as regular season champs. One slip up could very well cost you a title. I’m looking forward to seeing our continued progress toward our goals.”

Tracksters claim four firsts, 18 top-fives at McNeese

Men’s Golf

COTY DAVIS UP CONTRIBUTOR The Lamar track and field teams finished with 18 top-five finishes, and four first-place winners during the third-annual McNeese Springtime Classic at the Cameron Communications Track and Field Complex in Lake Charles, La., Saturday.

“Overall, I thought we did really well,” assistant coach Darren Gauson said. “It was a good regional meet for us, and with a lot of the Southland Conference teams there, it was good preparation as we get prepared for the Southland Conference tournament.”

For the Lady Cardinals, senior Erin Brown finished in first place in the triple jump with a 37 feet 9.5 inch jump. Brown defeated rivals Kierranika Duncan and Ashley Wheeler. Brown’s marking was three inches farther than Duncan.

In the long jump competition, the Lady Cardinals had three jumpers place in the top 10. Senior Carissa Hill took second place at 18 feet 1.5 inches, and Briana Foley placed seventh with a personal best 17 feet 5.25 inches. Finishing in 10th, jumper Erin Brown had a 17 feet mark.

Several LU tracksters set personal bests.

Sprinter Sarah Shim set a personal best during the women’s 200-meter dash with a 25.15 mark, and claimed seventh place.

Nia Davis set a personal best in the women’s 400-meters, with a 57.80 mark to finish in fifth place.

LU Lady Cardinals 4x4 relay team, Sarah Shim, Bianca Allen, Olivia Smith and JaLana Owens, finished in second place.

“I think the team has been doing really good this season, and we have a lot of good things going on,” Gauson said.

“Every meet is preparation for us, and we are heading in the right direction.”

For the men, four LU sprinters finished in the top ten during the 100-meter dash.

Brendan Langley was the top finisher with a time of 10.75 seconds. Sophomore Jimmy Struble finished seventh with an 11.16 mark. Thomas Lightfoot finished ninth in 11.28, and Jair Williamson, at 11.50, took 10th place.

UP SPORTS BRIEFS

In the 200-meters, Brendan Langley took eighth place when he marked in at 22 seconds flat, finishing ahead of teammate Trey Davis, who took ninth with a time of 22.22.

In the 800-meter run, LU Cardinals’ TaMar Hicks, Andres Espinosa, and Tye Norman finished in the top three, with Hicks taking first place overall with a time of 1:58.11.

Blake Johnson, top, finished third in the 110-meter hurdles at the McNeese Springtime Classic in Lake Charles, La. Erin Brown, above, finished in first place in the long jump.

Blake Johnson was third in the 110meter hurdles on a mark of 15.23.

Trey Burton took second, and Johnson third in the 400-meter hurdles. Burton timed at 58.64 and Johnson at one minute flat.

LU’s Brian O’Bonna had a great day in jumps. He marked at 23 feet 5.25 inches in the long jump, for second place, and 46 feet 5.5 inches for fourth in the triple jump.

LU Jared Benford set a personal best in the long jump on a fourth place finish of 22’ 9.25”.

The Cards and Lady Cards will compete in two meets next weekend. The Mt. Sac Relays will start Thursday and run through Saturday, while the SLU Invitational, hosted by Southeastern Louisiana is set for Friday.

“For us, our goal this week is the same as all the rest,” Gauson said. “It’s to get our athletes to finish in the top eight in the conference meets. “For the athletes that are already in the top eight, we just have to tune up some things so they can finish well during for the NCAA regional and nations tournament.”

The Lamar Cardinals’ attempt at defending its title from last year’s Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational came up short, Tuesday, in Spartanburg, S.C. The Cardinals fired a final round, eight-under 280, the third-lowest round of the day, to finish eighth overall with a three-round 297-287-280— 864, while Army held on for the victory with a 277-279-278—834.

The Cardinals posted 25 birdies and two eagles on the final day, including 15 on the front nine, to close out the tournament.

Senior Gustaf Burenstam led the Cardinals with a three-round 74-7069 - 213 to finish tied for 15th overall. Burenstam finished just a stroke better than Louis Bemberg who recorded a three-round 214 after Tuesday's four-under 68 to tie for 23rd.

Gregory Wiggins shot 77-70-69— 216 to finish tied for 26th. Mans Berglund tied for 50th with 73-7574—222, and Tore Lindtveit rounded out the LU scorecard with 76-81-75— 232 for 71st.

The Cardinals return to action Monday at the Southland Conference Championships at Stonebridge Country Club in McKinney.

Women’s Tennis Katya Lapayeva continued her hot streak through Southland Conference action, but Abilene Christian was able to prevail with a doubles point and four singles wins in a 5-2 victory over the Lamar women's tennis team at the Eager Tennis Pavilion on Sunday.

The Lady Cardinals fell to 9-10 on the season and 3-5 in Southland Conference action, heading into the match LU held the eight spot in the league standings. ACU moved to 116 overall and 6-4 in conference play.

The Lady Cardinals return to the Thompson Family Tennis Center to face Northwestern State on Saturday at 11 o’clock, and wrap up the season with Stephen F. Austin on Sunday at noon.

Page 8 Thursday, April 16, 2015

University Press

— WORLD VIEW — Carlo Vanz, freshman, Cuneo, Italy What is the most common misconception about your home country?

Probably the biggest misconception about Italy is the food. A lot of people like Italian food, but the Italian food American people eat here is quite different than the food eaten in my home country. The real Italian food is really appreciated — many people do not like it. Another thing is that a lot of people do not know where Italy is, and that it is a country in Europe. Many people probably think Europe as a United States, but it is different. The states are actually countries — they are dependent to each other. A lot of people could probably not point out Italy on a map, some might because it has the famous shape of a boot — people learn it that way in school. There is also the stereotype of an Italian guy who eats pasta all day and plays soccer, but that is not true.

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

That is hard to say, I think I would want people to travel to learn something, maybe not in just Italy but in Europe.

There is a general mentality that is shared in most of Europe.

It is very different from America so I feel you have to go out there and see for yourself. Something I would like people to know about Italy is we are not all going to fall under the common stereotypes.

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

Surely, the way citizens relate to the government. In Italy we have a central government, which has a lot of power over the citizens rather than here where everybody has individual liberties. Here individual liberties are really precious and people tend to be really careful when the state or the federal government try to implant their lives. People tend to be cautious and want to have their lives for themselves. Also, the patriotism is large here — people are willingly to go out and fight for the U.S.. Fighting for your country here is one of the best things you can do, Italy is not a fighting country. We have in our constitution that Italy will not attack another country unless we are attacked first or if one of our allies attacks us. We will never attack first; we’ll just counter attack.

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

People in the United States do not all fall under the America stereotypes, which aren’t very good everywhere. Especially when you think of Texas. When I got here I would joke with my friends asking where is the far west, where are the cowboys? Putting all jokes aside I still like Texas people, but we imagine them as driving big trucks everywhere and thinking that they are the best. Some people are like that but not everybody, but the little things here make your ideas change.

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

Former LU exchange student Riah Lee to exhibit at TASI in May Riah Lee, 2014 winner of The Art Studio, Inc. Member Jurored Art Exhibition (TASIMJAE), will show her recent work, May 2-23, at The Art Studio, 720 Franklin in downtown Beaumont.

The show opens with a free reception, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., May 2.

The show will feature a series of works painted over the past year.

“Recently, I’ve been interested in how the way we interpret images of female nudity has changed throughout the history,” Lee said. “With this series I focused on depicting not only the figures, but also the air and the room, and the situation that’s unfolding, like a photograph does.

“I hope that viewers see the

figures and the atmosphere first, so I remove the most identifiable feature of the human body — the face — by cutting them out, blurring them, or hiding them on purpose.”

The South Korea native recently graduated with a BFA in Painting from Seoul National University of Science and Technology. Lee entered last year’s membership show while she was studying at Lamar University for a semester.

“The time I had in Beaumont certainly was different from what I thought about Southeast Texas,” she said. “People are living with different values from where I come and it is something nicer and generous. It is very easy to judge things before experience,

and I found it is not the right attitude to have after the time in Beaumont.”

Her experience in Southeast Texas has helped shaped her artistic philosophy.

“With my works, I’m always attempting to reveal the difference between perspective and the real,” she said. “I believe images are one of the more direct ways to reveal that difference, because we all see mainly what we want to see, based on our own experiences.”

The Art Studio is located at 720 Franklin in downtown Beaumont. Hours are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

For more information, call 409-838-5393, or visit www.artstudio.org.

A show of recent paintings

by Riah Lee, who studied at Lamar as an exchange student in spring 2014, will be on display at The Art Studio, Inc., May 2-23.