UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Newspaper of Lamar University
Vol. 92, No. 19 September 8, 2016
‘Campus Carry’ begins Texas bill allowing concealed weapons implemented Aug.1 Tim Collins UP Managing Editor Despite widespread protests such as the “Cocks Not Glocks” demonstration on the University of Texas campus, in which students brought dildos to campus
en masse to protest the “Campus Carry” bill, Lamar students accepted the law with relative calmness. The bill allows those with a concealed carry license to carry a concealed handgun on the campuses of public institutions in
Texas, including Lamar University. “It’s one of those laws that in many respects, no one likes,” Kevin Smith, senior associate provost, said. “Those who are procampus carry and those who are opposed to cam-
UP photo by Tim Collins
A sign designating the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Center as a gun-free zone sits outside the main entrance of the building. The “Campus Carry” bill was implemented Aug. 1.
pus carry find fault in the law. There is a common ground in that everyone wants a safe campus. No one will make a compelling argument that guns have any place or role in higher education, but we have every reason to believe our policies are sound and in compliance with the law.” The policy can be found on Lamar’s website, along with a letter from President Kenneth Evans. “Ideally, guns, concealed or otherwise, should have no place in higher education,” the letter says. “Guns do exist on college campuses throughout the state and nation, and not just for the purposes of law enforcement or protection. Unfortunately, we are all aware of this sobering reality. I, along with you, am also aware of very powerful and polarizing emotions and views surrounding the issue of campus carry; however, Lamar will follow the law.”
The concealed handgun policy does not allow for the open carry of firearms. Display, either intentional or accidental — or even discussion of a concealed firearm — is against the policy. If a person is seen carrying a handgun on campus, the Lamar University Police Department are to be notified immediately at 880-8311, the emergency line. “Concealment is important,” Smith said. “You cannot flash it. You cannot show it. You cannot talk about it. I can’t ask you about it, and so forth.” LUPD Cpl. Jarrod Samford said with concealed carry, people should never know the gun is even there. “If you see it, even if it’s imprinted in their shirt, we need to speak to that individual, because having a concealed handgun, that’s actually a lifestyle change,” Samford said. “You need to wear the appropriate clothing so that it won’t show. If
somebody with negligence reaches up to grab something off the top of the shelf and the shirt comes back down over the firearm, there’s no criminal intent there, but we still need to talk to them. We want to educate them a little bit about how it’s supposed to be done.” Concealed handguns, when not concealed on the person, must be kept in the individual’s dorm in a gun safe or in their vehicle, Samford said. Guns safes are required to be pry resistant, have a combination lock and be heavy gauge. Fire resistant safes are preferred. Should a student see a firearm in a parked car, Samford said they should notify LUPD immediately, as a handgun in a car is at risk of theft. There are enough handguns on the streets, he said, without more coming from Lamar. See CARRY page 4
BIG RED TAKE OFF
The fall semester began with the traditional Week of Welcome festivities, Aug. 19-Saturday. Students were encouraged to partake in various activities and games during LU’s first two weeks, such as the “Minute to Win It” challenge, left, “Create a Cardinal,” glow Frisbee and a color run. The events ended with the Cardinals’ opening football game of the season in Provost Umphrey Stadium. Students tailgated before the game, and the LU marching band, dancers and cheerleaders performed before a red-clad crowd of cheering Cardinal fans. For more pictures, see pages 3 and 6.
UP photo by Trevier Gonzalez
President Evans speaks at convocation on Aug. 17
Evans points to continued growth at convocation Trevier Gonzalez UP Multimedia Editor Lamar University President Kenneth Evans told faculty, staff and students that the school shows no sign of stopping its growth, during his fourth convocation address, Aug. 17, in the Montagne Center. “As we look into this coming year, I want to thank all of you for what was clearly a very great year,” he said. “2016-17 promises to be even greater.” Evans said recent accomplishments and improvements are something of which to be proud. “Who we educate is critical — no question,” he said. “But the success of our experiences here at Lamar and how we educate is equally, if not more, important.” The increased number of faculty is one of the university’s areas of growth, Evans said. “At this event, we used to introduce, oneby-one, all the new faculty and staff,” he said. “Well, we’re welcoming 202 new fulltime and part-time (staff), and 97 faculty.” Evans said he expects student enrollment to surpass the record high, set in fall 2015. “Particularly since so many of our students are online, we may end up with a significantly larger count in terms of total growth than I’m able to report to you now,” he said. “But, I can, with some certainty, share with you that it will probably be up about roughly 200 students.” The assembled faculty and staff apSee CONVOCATION page 2
www.facebook.com/UPLamar
UP photo by Josh Aych
UP photo by Matt Beadle
Graphics students rebrand nonprofit Mary Hooker UP contributor Many Lamar University students get to enjoy their summer, avoiding study sessions and 8 a.m. lectures, while others give up day after sunny day to catch up or even get ahead with summer sessions. Gwendolyn Mumford and Marisol Lua-Figueroa, two students in the LU graphic design department, spent their free time after summer classes putting a new face on the Beaumont Rainbow Room, a non-profit organization that acts as an emergency supply center for local children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. “A representative from the Beaumont Rainbow Room heard our initial idea and was on board with everything
we suggested,” Lua-Figueroa said. Mumford and Lua-Figueroa designed a new logo, website and brochure to update the Rainbow Room’s image. “Marisol did the logo and reorganized the brochure, and, basically, I took all the important information from it and we tried to organize it in a way that would be user-friendly for the website, the most effective in letting people know what the Rainbow Room is and potentially have (people) donate,” Mumford said. “So it’s a lot of empha-
www.lamaruniversitypress.com
The new Rainbow Room logo designed by LU students Gwendolyn Mumford and Marisol LuaFiguero replaced the old logo, left.
sis on their events and their mission.” The Rainbow Room moved from a downtown building to a newer facility closer to the case workers they interact with. “It’s been a journey,” Brandi See RAINBOW page 2
www.twitter.com/UPLamar
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
INSIDE
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
Thursday, September 8, 2016 University Press
RAINBOW
— Marcus Aurelius
Page 2
CONVOCATION
of my top students, Gwen and Marisol. The two of them kind of collaborated this summer and developed a website, a brochure design, and a new kind of logo and branding — all volunteer work on their own time. It wasn’t part of a specific class project.” Lua-Figueroa said she believes a strong brand identity plays an important role in making an organization wellknown. “Working with the Beaumont Rainbow Room was great,” Lua-Figueroa said. “All the design components came together successfully to form a clear and concise brand identity. Knowing that we were able to help the community through design is a really gratifying experience.” Soares said an effective online presence is what the nonprofit needs to remain alive and flourishing. Freyermuth said she is happy to lend help from the department, even incorporating a new PayPal op-
Star Wars in the City
Beaumont Event Centre Great Lawn 6-10 p.m.
September 15
Diversity and Inclusion at Lamar University Forum
Landes Auditorium 3-5 p.m.
UP photo by Mary Hooker
Supplies line the shelves of the Rainbow Room, ready to be distributed to needy children
tion for donations. “We get lots of inquiries for design work, and so we really try to work with people that have the real need for it rather than just local businesses,” she said. “We don’t want to take work away from local designers, and we also really feel like we want to provide a learning opportunity for students (and fulfill) a need that’s in the community.”
One upcoming community event the Rainbow Room will be advertising is their annual fundraiser, Oct. 11, at McAllister’s on Dowlen Road. “We get 10 percent of whatever food is purchased, so you can dine in or you can get it to go,” Soares said. For more information, visit www.beaumontrainbow room.org, or on Facebook at Beaumont Rainbow Room.
abroad,” he said. “We were told that was impossible at Lamar — I love it when people tell us that kind of stuff.” LU has the largest operating budget increase of any institution within the Texas State University system, he said. Construction and renovations on campus continue to be a strong point for the college. New building and renovations totaling approximately 300,000 square feet are scheduled over the next three to four years. Among the new buildings are the Wayne A. Reaud Building and Reaud Honors College, which will be populated over the next few weeks, and the Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship that will be completed in the coming months. The Setzer Student Center and Quad remodeling is scheduled to begin in Oc-
September 16
Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum 1-6 p.m.
September 20
Diversity and Inclusion at Lamar University Forum
Landes Auditorium 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
September 21
Office of Undergraduate
Research Panel Discussion
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plauded as Evans announced a salary increase. “We’re committing a three-percent faculty merit-based salary increase for this next year,” he said. “We’re going to do something different at the staff level. We’re committing to an inflation equity increase of $1,000 plus two percent on base, or three percent on base — whichever is greater. “You all benefit from the staff in this room. The reality is, the compensation at the staff level has needed attention for some time. “I’m not going to suggest to you that it rectifies the problem, but I am going to suggest to you that it’s a positive move in that direction.” Evans said Lamar’s study abroad program has exceeded expectations. “This year, we put over 180 students
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.
September 10
from page 1
Walker, a chapter board member, said. Buyer Karen Soares said the previous website did not satisfy the needs of the organization. Without a functioning website and using an outdated logo, volunteers for the Rainbow Room relied heavily on word of mouth and the occasional grant or fundraiser to obtain supplies — diapers, formula, infant car seats, clothes and other items case workers need when removing children from homes and placing them in foster care. They decided to shut the website down and construct a new look. Walker reached out to Sherry Freyermuth, LU assistant professor of graphic design, who contracted Mumford and Lua-Figueroa to rebrand the organization. “I was contacted by Brandi, just inquiring if there were any students or any ways we could get involved in helping them redesign their website,” Freyermuth said. “I looped in some
NOTICE
tober. The Science and Technology building is scheduled for construction within the next year. Other projects include remodeling Gray Library, as well as renovating the University Theatre, Plummer Hall and the Hayes Biology Building. Resident halls will be seeing renovations in Summer 2017, and a new resident hall is set for either full or partial completion by Fall 2019. Evans said that many of today’s real-world issues require positive action. “Those of you that work in the social sciences know this for a fact, though sometimes those in the hard sciences are increasingly becoming aware of it, but the reality is problems today are messy,” he said. “Messy problems are not solved by silence.”
6th Floor
Mary and John Gray Library
3-4 p.m.
ExxonMobil Executive in
Residence: Helen Sharkey
Landes Auditorium 12:30-1:30 p.m.
September 22
Undergraduate Research Guest Faculty Talk
Landes Auditorium 3-4 p.m.
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FEATURES
UNIVERSITY PRESS September 8, 2016
UP PICTURE PAGE BY TREVIER GONZALEZ
DUST OF COLOR
A mist of color filled the air this past Saturday, a day of cloudless skies and bright-running hues. The second annual Cardinal Color Run was a free event hosted by Lamar Alive! and was open to the students of Lamar University. Beginning at 9 a.m. at the Setzer Student Center’s parking lot, an estimated crowd of more than 50 participants attended the event. Students ran or walked around campus, passing through color stations where members of the student body eagerly slung colored powder at the passers by, plastering hair, clothes and faces with color, the vibrant dust within their hands turning the campus and the students into a colorful, living work of art.
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Thursday, September 8, 2016 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
CARRY
from page 1
“That’s just one more handgun that would hit where we don’t want it to be,” he said. “We would want to get into contact with that person and educate them, and let them know that they’re creating a problem for themselves and for their community.” Senate Bill 11 allows for the designation of gun-free zones on campus. Such places at Lamar include the Texas Academy for Leadership in the Humanities offices and meeting facilities, client-based health and mental health counseling facilities, disciplinary/personnel hearing offices and LUPD offices. These include the TALH dorms in Morris Hall and Social Behavioral Sciences 200H. Gun-free signage is posted at the entrances and exits of gunfree zones in accordance with the law. Concealed handguns are also prohibited at buildings associated with high school, collegiate, professional and interscholastic events. Temporary signs will be posted at the entrances and exits of such events. Temporary events in which safety is a concern can also be designated gun-free zones at the discretion of President Evans, such as meetings of the Board of Regents or any governmental meetings on campus. Samford said there is room for more gun-free zones at Lamar. “If you go over to work out at the Sheila Umphery Recreational Center, and you have a firearm on you, there’s going to be a point where that concealed weapon is not going to be concealed,” he said. “Are you going to take it out and place it in a locker? Are you going to lock it? That’s problematic. If you take it off of you, it needs to be secured either in your dorm
or in your vehicle. People put their items in the lockers all the time without putting a lock on it, and stuff gets stolen all the time. Do we want stolen firearms coming from Lamar University?” The law has been controversial ever since it was signed last year. Smith, then the chair of the Texas State University System Task Force on Campus Carry, held town hall-style meetings debating the issue in fall 2015. “To generalize to the extreme, those who are opposed to campus carry argue that the presence of more guns on campus leads to a less safe campus,” he said. “There is the argument that the possibility of a concealed weapon in a classroom has a chilling effect on the discussion of controversial issues — that I won’t talk about something that is likely to provoke my class knowing that someone in my class may be carrying a gun. “Those who are in favor of campus carry argue that it makes it a safer campus because of the deterrent effect to a would-be criminal. Knowing that there are people on campus who are carrying a concealed weapon is a deterrent. (Supporters) will quickly point to walking across campus at night and being assaulted. If that should happen, you don’t have enough time (to contact the police).” Senate Bill 11 allows for private institutions to opt out of the law. Smith said that could have an adverse affect on Lamar. “Just to grab a hypothetical, if you have someone who has very strong views against even lawfully carried handguns on campus, and that person is trying to choose between a public university such as Lamar or a private institu-
tion that still has handgun bans in effect, will it cost us that student who would have otherwise come to Lamar?” he said. According to the Texas Tribune, all private institutions in Texas, except for Amberton University in Garland, opted out of campus carry, though there are two that allow staff and faculty to carry concealed handguns: East Texas Baptist and Southwestern Assemblies of God. “All these practical issues have been raised in the debates that surround this law and, truth be told, we won’t know until further down the road whether these are genuine concerns and threats or they’re just hypotheticals,” Smith said. He also raised the argument that, should an active shooter situation occur, it would be difficult for LUPD to distinguish between the active shooter and concealed carriers responding to the shooter. Despite these concerns, Samford said LUPD is optimistic about how campus carry will affect Lamar. “It’s our department’s belief that this is simply going to make the campus safer, because the bad guy’s not going to know who’s the good guy with the gun,” he said. “I think this is going to make us less of a soft target. I get up and I do speak with a lot of people in the community, and I do understand both sides. I think we’re really on a good track as far as how things are going so far.” Smith said that while the bill has been controversial, he is confident concealed carry licensees will responsibly follow the law. “It’s my personal hope that all of this amounts to a tempest in a teapot,” he said. “I have every reason to believe these people are
Gun Free Zones Designated by Lamar University’s Concealed Handgun Policy
Temporary Gun Free Zones: F. Health & Human Performances Complex G. Sheila Umphrey Recreational Center H. Ty Terrell Track I. Wimberly Building Disciplinary Meetings Room J. Montagne Center K. Provost Umphrey Stadium L. Golf Driving Range M. Vincent-Beck Stadium N. Soccer Complex
Permanent Gun Free Zones: A. SBS 200H B. LUPD C. Health Center D. TALH Offices E. TALH Dorms
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L well-trained and knowledgeable in the law. We hope and expect those who have licenses and legally carry on campus are responsible gun owners, and we have every reason to believe they are, and we won’t have those kinds of issues.” Smith said his office will
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be open to any questions students, faculty, staff, or the parents and families of students may have. “If you have questions, let’s talk,” he said. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there about gun laws, and we have plenty of resources on campus that
can give you accurate information. If I don’t have the answer, I will find someone who does. The bottom line is we want a safe campus, and everyone agrees.” For more information, call 880-8400 or LUPD at 880-8307.
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ARTS
UNIVERSITY PRESS September 8, 2016
A visitor to the annual Lamar University Faculty Exhibition peruses Keith Carter’s prints during a reception, Aug. 26, in the Dishman Art Museum.
UP photo by Stephanie DeMeyer
Diversity at Dishman Annual Faculty Show highlights art department work Stephanie DeMeyer UP contributor The Dishman Art Museum is hosting the annual Lamar University Department of Art Faculty Exhibition. A closing reception is set for Sept. 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The annual showcase features work created by art faculty during the 2015-16 academic year. “The faculty show is always a
wonderful opportunity for students from the department of art, as well as the university at large, to see what we’ve been researching in the last year,” Kurt Dyrhaug, professor of studio art and sculpture, said. “It’s also an opportunity for the faculty to see what their colleagues have been focusing on. We’re all very busy and often times you don’t get to see each other’s work.” The exhibition features a variety of media, including pho-
tography, prints, drawings, ceramics and 3D-printed sculpture. “Our faculty is very diverse, which is very good, as well as very active,” Dyrhaug said. “I’m real proud to be a faculty member of the department of art, because everyone is doing a lot of different things and it’s always exciting.” Linnis Blanton, professor of ceramics, started teaching at Lamar in 2002 and has been
featured in previous Lamar faculty exhibitions. “What I like about this experience is that I get to work a lot,” he said. “I’m actually in the classroom, working all day or most of the day, and then I have class at night. I just have an opportunity to grow as an artist, as well as a teacher. If I put pressure on (students) to be creative, I’ve got to do the same thing. “I think it’s an outstanding
show. It’s an incredible variety of artwork. It just shows you the variety of teachers we have here and the caliber of teachers here. The talent is just tremendous.” The Dishman Art Museum, located on the corner of East Lavaca and MLK Parkway on the university campus, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For information, call 8808959, or visit lamar.edu/ dishman.
‘High-tech hot glue gun’ 3D printers creative wave of future Jackie Benavides UP contributor Two-dimensional creations will soon be a thing of the past. There is now a generational shift with three-dimensional capabilities taking over the forefront of technology — and creativity. Lamar University’s art department has recently purchased four 3D printers. Students, especially incoming freshmen, are keen on the technology, Kurt Dyrhaug, Lamar University professor of studio art and sculpture, said. “They know that it exists, and they are excited, which is great because that is going to propel it faster,” he said. “It does really open the door for not just sculpture, but all areas, and we need to figure that out and do it quick because time is wasting. Brian Buckalew, far right, watches as one of the art department’s new 3D printers goes to work. Kurt Dyrhaug, professor of studio art and sculpture, right, peers through one of his pieces in the faculty show made with the printer.
UP photos by Kyle Swearingen
“I tell my students, it’s like a hot glue gun that you program to go in the X and the Y dimension, and then the table that it’s all sitting on goes in the Z, so you’re kind of building this form with a high-tech hot glue gun. It is a tool, it doesn’t do everything for you, and like all tools, you have to figure out what we’re going to do with them.” Donna Meeks, art department chair, said the idea is to expand employment opportunities for studio artists. “We see (opportunities) on the horizon, so that a student coming to Lamar University getting a BFA in studio art, whatever their discipline, would also have the same kind of job opportunities out there as, say, someone in graphic design,” she said. “There’s actually positions coming available for 3D printer artists, and so that means a student could pursue fine arts study and still be employed with all of the skills that we are adding to the department.” Meeks said the printers expand the possibilities available to artists.
“If you want to just be purely aesthetic about it, there is the expanding opportunities of materials to create fine art — hybrid forms and those types of things using the technology,” she said. “Hybrid art is what is being looked at critically right now, so we’re constantly looking at intermedia, mixed media and interdisciplinary forms.” Dyrhaug touches on the idea of hybrid art, describing how 3D printed objects can be combined with other materials. “You can print the object — now you have a 3D plastic form and if it doesn’t print right, well then what do you do?” he said. “In terms of where I’m going to take my sculpture students, they can add wax to that, they can change the texture, they can add another part and glue it on, and then we’ll take it and make a ceramic shell mold, and then that plastic gets transformed into metal. “It changes it. It becomes a different object altogether. The plastic is light and fluffy and the metal starts to change things,
makes it more permanent.” Eddie Röhrs, a graphic design senior, said that, initially, there is a learning curve. “But once you kind of find your niche and work with the software more, I feel like there is really an unlimited potential,” he said. Having the 3D printers is an asset because one learns not only how to make 3D images but also then reproduce them through the 3D printer, Röhrs said. One can make plans, print prototypes and see things on a small scale to see exactly how it would work, which translates to 3D printers being useful in all levels of design. Senior Brian Buckalew said the printer creates new methods and directions he can take his work. “I find it to be an extremely useful tool,” the sculpture major said. “It creates another way for me to make patterns for casting metal pieces, especially when going through ceramic shell molds, and then also there’s 3D modeling for a sculpture.”
Kimberly Crawford, a graphic design senior, first encountered the 3D printers over the summer. “I couldn’t even wrap my head around it honestly,” she said. “The program and everything was so difficult. We started with the animation, too, so getting comfortable in modeler and layout doing animations, and then eventually bringing that to print — it took me for a loop. “It was awesome, though, getting able to make something in the modeler and then print it out, and actually have it in front of you is just a really cool thing. I am really proud of my little model. I don’t care if no one can tell what it is — I love it and I made this.” The 3D printers are not only a tool for the art department, Dyrhaug said. “To get everybody on board, I’m going to do a faculty presentation just to get them acquainted,” he said. “It’s not just available for a few students, it will be available for all,” he said.
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Thursday, September 8, 2016 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
FALL FUN ‘TAKES OFF’
From twirling to glow Frisbee, from tasty s’mores to marching bands, and even stacking crates — albeit unsuccessfully at times — the new semester started with a bang during “Big Red Takeoff-Week of Welcome,” Aug. 19 through Saturday. For more photos, visit www.lamaruniversitypress.com.
UP photos by Trevier Gonzalez, top and left, Hannah LeTulle, above and far left, and Matt Beadle, above left.
UPsports briefs
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Lamar University announced the hiring of new assistant athletic trainer Katie Barker over the summer. She will serve as new women’s basketball athletic trainer. Barker comes from the University of Southern Mississippi, and for the past five seasons served as the assistant athletic trainer for several women’s sports teams at Southern Mississippi. “We’re very excited to have Katie as a member of our sports medicine team,” head athletics trainer Joshua Yonker said. “She brings several years of experience in athletics, including women’s basketball. She will also be heavily involved with our student internship program. We look forward to her leadership.” _______ MEN’S BASEBALL Former outfielder Jacoby Middleton, who had finished his final season with the Cards in 2016, officially signed to the
Jacoby Middleton Normal Cornbelters (III.), Aug. 31. The team play in the Frontier League, an independent professional league which spans West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Missouri. Middleton ranked third on the Cardinals in runs batted in and second in home runs, and also finished his career with a .267 batting average and 11 home runs at LU. He was a part of the impressive 15-game win streak for Lamar last spring. In 2016 he had notched 48 hits, and scored 34 runs.
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WOMEN’S SOCCER Lamar University sophomore forward Jordan Mulnix was named to the Southland Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason All-Conference team, the league announced Aug. 9. Mulnix set a school record with 28 points, tied the school single-season mark with 12 goals, and was the only Cardinal chosen to the preseason all-conference squad. Last season, Mulnix became the first Cardinal named first-team all-conference. LU recorded its first win of the season, Monday, with a 3-0 win over Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. The team will play Southern Miss at 4 p.m. Friday, in Hattiesburg, Miss., before opening Southland Conference play at Nicholls State in Thibodaux, La., at 4 p.m. Sept. 16. _______ VOLLEYBALL Lady Cardinal junior Chelsea
Grant was voted first team preseason All-Southland Conference. In Grant’s career, she has participated in more than 300 sets that span more than 80 matches. She has totaled 2.24 kills per set with a .273 hitting percentage. Her block average sits at 1.29 per set with 65 solo blocks and 330 block assists. Grant is just 155 blocks short of being LU’s all-time leader. Her career total of 395 is eighth in the all-time record books. The Lady Cards will play at the Nike Invitational this weekend in Norman, Okla. _______
FOOTBALL Lamar University senior running back Kade Harrington has been named to the College Football Performance Awards National Performer of the Year Watch List. The list comprises 40 players nationally and Harrington is one of four players from the Southland Conference represented. Harrington fin-
ished the 2015 season with 2,092 yards in only 10 games. He became the first Cardinal to be named SLC Player of the Year. Harrington led the nation in rushing with 190.2 yards per game, all-purpose yards with 213.36 yards per game, and 21 rushing touchdowns last season. _______ WOMEN’S GOLF Lamar University’s Taylor Stockton, Felicia Sauceda and Olivia Le Roux were named Women's Collegiate Golf AllAmerican Scholars by the Women's Golf Coaches Association in July. The trio were members of the LU team that won an unprecedented fourth-straight Southland Conference championship. Stockton was also the conference's Student-Athlete of the Year as well as a first-team all-conference and first-team conference all-academic team selection.
Compiled by Cade Smith
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SPORTS
UNIVERSITY PRESS September 8, 2016
LU falters after bright start
UP photo by Matt Beadle
Wide receiver DeWan Thompson, No. 6, signals for a touchdown as running back Kade Harrington rushes 59 yards to open the scoring for Lamar in Saturday’s 38-14 loss to Coastal Carolina in Provost Umphrey Stadium.
Cards fall to Chanticleers, 38-14, in season opener field carrying the ball 64 yards for the score. “I liked our mindset at half time, and the way we started the The Lamar football team opened up its 2016 regular seathird quarter,” LU head coach Ray Woodard said. “We had the son with a 38-14 loss to Coastal Carolina, Saturday, at Provost ball and we were driving in the Umphrey Stadium. The 16ththird quarter, and I thought if we could punch it in here we can reranked Coastal Carolina Chanticleers scored 35 unanswered ally start to disrupt what they wanted to do offensively. All of a points in the second half, to end a streak of three-straight seasonsudden an interception, the ball goes the other way and we couldn’t overcome it. I wasn’t particularly happy with any of our three phases of the game after that.” The Cardinals lost their momentum after the break, coming up with only 151 yards in the second half after going for 240 before half time. The Chanticleers quickly took control in the second half as safety Richie Sampson intercepted Earp at Carolina’s 29 yard line, successfully returning the ball 71 yards for a score. CCU converted on the two-point conversion to trail 14-11 with 10:50 remaining in the third. Carolina took the lead after a 31-yard punt return by Chris Jones put them on the Lamar 26yard line. CCU carried the ball 26 yards in two plays to give the Chanticleers an 18-14 advantage. With less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter, CCU forced another three-andout getting the ball on the LU 40yard line. The Chanticleers carried the ball 18, 13, and nine yards to stomp across the goal UP photo by Matt Beadle line, giving CCU a 28-14 advanThe Coastal Carolina defense smothers running back Kade Harrington during the second half of Saturday’s 38-14 loss to Coastal Car- tage with only seconds left in the quarter. olina in Provost Umphrey Stadium. Elisabeth Tatum UP contributor
opening wins for the Cardinals. Lamar took an early lead as senior running back Kade Harrington started right where he left off in 2015, scoring on runs of 59 and 64 yards to give the Cardinals a 14-3 advantage at the half. Harrington finished with 207 yards on 28 carries. The first half looked promising as the Cards pulled out an 11point advantage. The defense
held their own, forcing the Chanticleers to punt the ball away four times. CCU also missed two field goals in the first 30 minutes. The Cardinals took the lead on their first possession as Harrington broke a 59-yard run on the second play of the series. Cardinals’ quarterback Carson Earp handed off once again to Harrington with 2:38 left in the half Harrington scrambled down the
“We’ve got to have a more consistent offense throwing the football and catching the football,” Woodard said. “It’s a work in progress, we knew that going in. I didn’t see any improvement in the game that I was hoping to see.” Senior Earp completed 13 of 27 passes for 154 yards and two interceptions. He also carried the ball eight times for 25 yards. Earp had connections with six different receivers during the night. “Carson is going to have to do a better job of taking off and running with the ball when the read is there,” Woodard said. Lamar will face tough competition this week as they travel to play the sixth-ranked University of Houston Cougars, who are fresh off a 33-23 upset of the previously third-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. However, Woodard said the team and coaches are optimistic that the challenges will only help them grow as a team for Southland Conference play. “No matter what happens this week, we have a very big game next week — opening up conference play — so we have to get on the bus home from Houston ready to play and that’s what these two games are for,” he said. “If playing two great teams will get you ready for conference play then we are going to be ready, ’cause obviously, this may be an understatement, but Houston’s a very good team.” Saturday’s game at TDECU Stadium kicks off at 11 a.m. The game will be televised on ESPN3.
Guest column: Cougars will not understimate Cardinals Jonathan Valadez Assistant sports editor The Daily Cougar University of Houston
Editor’s note: The Lamar Cardinals play the UH Cougars at TDECU Stadium, Saturday, and traditionally, The Daily Cougar invites an exchange of columns between their opponent’s school newspaper. The UP is happy to publish the following and The Cougar will publish a column by UP staffer Danielle Sonnier. Although they played their last game at nearby NRG Stadium, the Cougars will play their first official home game
when they take on the Lamar University Cardinals this Saturday. After one of the biggest wins in the University of Houston’s history, the Cougars had little time to celebrate their victory over the no. 3 team in the country before they headed back to practice on Sunday and started preparing for their next opponent. UH head football coach Tom Herman compared this week’s upcoming game to last week and said that the Cougars will be the Cardinals’ University of Oklahoma, meaning that if the team wants to win, they will have to keep playing at an elite level to avoid an upset.
As it has always been during the Herman era, though, the Cougars will go into the game with the mindset that they are 0-0 and looking for their first win, knowing that a victory is never guaranteed. Despite entering the game as favorites, Houston will take the week to correct the mistakes that they made on all sides of the ball during the previous game. “We’ve got to be able to run the ball,” Herman said. “You know, when you have a 16point lead you have to be able to get a couple of first downs.” He also said that the secondary had some broken coverages during the game that they will
need to clean up. Additionally, the Cougars will need to work on returning kickoffs, as they failed to reach the 15-yard line in their first two attempts. Following the game against Lamar, UH will have a short week before they head to Ohio to play the University of Cincinnati on Sept. 15. However, the Cougars are adamant about not getting ahead of themselves and focusing on what is only in front of them. “We knew this short week was coming, and our coaches have launched and had a preliminary report on Cincinnati,” Herman said. “We will spend zero-practice time or game time other than on Lamar.”
UH has to play every game at their best because they know that any hiccup will ruin the chances of the potential payoff that will come. Herman said he has the utmost respect for Lamar’s head coach, Ray Woodard, and their program. He also praised senior running back Kade Harrington and sophomore Davon Jernigan. During Monday’s press conference, redshirt sophomore Duke Catalon reiterated his coach’s sentiments. “I respect all men, so I don’t underestimate anybody,” Catalon said. “I’m going to come into the game preparing like we prepared for Oklahoma.”
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Thursday, September 8, 2016 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
Want to play a game? Rec sports offers community fun — even Pokémon Haley Bruyn UP Editor
Not everyone can play for the official Lamar University sports teams, but anyone can play intramural sports — and this year, there is no cost to participants. “This is the first year that we are offering free intramurals,” Jabari Lewis, graduate assistant of Intramurals and Sports Clubs, said. “Now there isn’t a fee, and with that we hope to get even more numbers — more participants — in our sports. “We have unlimited team sign ups, and we have divisions and various times from a Monday/Wednesday league to a Tuesday/Thursday league.” Lewis said intramural sports help build a sense of community on campus. “Those who used to play in high school, or those who haven’t played any sports — we give them the opportunity to participate,” he said. “Meeting new people, meeting new friends — that student development, having that campus pride — you get that with intramural sports.” For students with interests in unusual sports, Lewis said there are teams and tournaments for every interest and skill level. “We offer nontraditional sports in our leagues,” he said. “For example, table tennis, air hockey, badminton — we also have a tournament for our fitness gurus. We try to encompass everything from our traditional team sports to nontraditional sports.” To encourage more students to participate, Lewis said Rec Sports added competitive Pokémon Go to their lineup. “It’s something new — we’re trying to go with the trends and get as many students as we can to participate,” he said. “Pokémon Go starts at the end of September and students will be able to com-
bine Pokémon and fitness. “They’ll be able to walk miles through the day to win points for their team — Mystic, Valor and Instinct. We encourage our Pokémon Go players to play in other team sports. You get more points if your team joins, for instance, flag football.” Lewis said he hopes the wildly popular game will entice new students to join other intramural sports. “We’re really hopeful that we can bring some more students into our programs — that we can utilize Pokémon Go so they move over to our team sports and our other nontraditional sports. It’s a good entryway for students to see what else we have.” Intramural Sports offers students the opportunity to learn new games or play their favorite sport. “Cricket is one of our bigger sports for international students,” Lewis said. “We lead our region in NIRSA, which is our national governing body for intramurals. We lead in region four, which is Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. A lot of schools ask us for advice on how to run cricket training or how to start a cricket program.” Lewis said that students who have never played cricket are encouraged to learn and participate. “It’s similar to baseball,” he said. “But you’re running endto-end instead of around bases, and we try to involve every student.” Lamar’s intramural basketball team travels for tournaments. “Just last semester, we competed at the University of Houston for the regional tournament, and from there we were able to go to Ohio State for a national basketball tournament, so there are opportunities for students to
UP photo by Arun Kumar
Students climb the rock wall in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center. Rec Sports offers a variety of leagues and activities for students throughout the semester.
travel,” Lewis said. Basketball and soccer are two of the program’s most popular sports. “A lot of teams sign up for indoor and outdoor soccer,” he said. “Being in Southeast Texas, it rains. So we try to use the indoor soccer arena and get those players to play indoors. You don’t have to worry about an uneven surface outside or anything, and the students enjoy playing in our indoor court.” For students who don’t want to play team sports, there are ladder tournaments in games like badminton, 8-ball pool, table tennis and tennis singles and doubles. They also host racquetball and air hockey. “These leagues run by themselves,” Lewis said. “We have students play against each other on their own time. We figured out that method works better for students compared to our regular team sports. Not everyone
plays those sports, so we have the option to play when they want and who they want to play.” This semester, there is also an aquatics division in the intramural line up. “We’re having a swim meet,” Lewis said. “We’re going to have various medleys and individual races. For a nontraditional team sport participant, we’re going to have water volleyball and water basketball. Water volleyball is a team sport — co-rec — meaning that both men and women students can play, and there will be teams for both water volleyball and water basketball.” Another nontraditional option for those looking to participate is the Pick’ems, which is a fantasy league, Lewis said. “We will look at all of the teams that are playing for the week for both NCAA and NFL, and you will pick your winners,” he said. “Then at the end of each week, we tally up how many
wins you had and that person will win that week.” Lewis said he hopes the variety of options open to the students will encourage participation. If a student is interested in a sport they have never played, Lewis said there are resources available. “We do have all of our rules on IMLeagues.com,” he said. “If you create an account, you’ll be able to see all our sport rules and our intramural handbook. Students with questions can contact myself, Cy Fondal or Jason Harrington.” Students interested in participating in intramural sports should visit Lamar University’s IMLeagues page and create an account. The deadlines for signup vary for each sport, but those interested in cricket or flag football must sign up by Friday. For more information visit lamar.edu/intramurals or call 880-7862. UP