University Press September 14, 2017 by University Press

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Newspaper of Lamar University

Vol. 93, No. 21 September 14, 2017

Sheltered

UP photo by Noah Dawlearn

A helicopter pilot talks to a family in the Montagne Center parking lot, Aug. 30. The Montagne was used as a shelter for Hurricane Harvey victims.

Montagne Center served as refuge for Harvey evacuees Cade Smith UP Staff Writer

Approximately 470 people from Port Arthur, Beaumont and surrounding areas were evacuated from their homes during Hurricane Harvey and brought by the United States Airforce to seek shelter in Lamar University’s Montagne Center, Aug. 30. “As far as the operation as a whole, it’s what we call ‘The Emergency Operation Center’ when the storm was hitting Houston we got everyone in place and set up a plan,” Lamar Police Captain Terence Simon said. “Once the storm got closer we activated our Instant Command System. We then set up our locations to evacuate people.” Calvin Carrier, Houston Police Department Deputy Chief, was the shelter’s co-

ordinator. “My job is basically to oversee the operations of the shelter making sure everything runs smoothly and I will be a liaison between different agencies making sure everyone is helped,” he said. Prior to coming to Beaumont, Carrier was stranded in Katy. “My job is to help people, but for the last few days I was helpless to help myself,” he said. “Now I am here as a representative to help people receive shelter.” Many people were relocated because their homes were flooded. Some of the refugees shared their experiences about what had transpired. “It was scary,” Port Arthur native Cynthia Harmon said. “Actually, I was standing up to cook at the

For more Harveyrelated photos, see pages 4 and 5 stove then I saw some water started rushing up from out of nowhere.” Harmon said she and her children had to grab everything they could, including food and water, before taking shelter upstairs in their attic. Port Arthur native Regina Garcia said her family was stranded by the Port Arthur flooding. “The water rose up really high in our home and we got stuck out there for two days until the rescue team came by to get us — it was just really devastating out there for us,” she said.

UP photo by Noah Dawlearn

A small boy eats a snack in Montagne Center, Aug. 30. He was part of an evacuated family. Beaumont native Patrick Alcendor had a positive attitude towards the damage hurricane Harvey in-

flicted on his apartment. “I’ve been through a hurricane before so there wasn’t that much to pre-

pare for, I had food, water, and all of my necessities with me,” he said.

LU extends classes through Dec. 12 Shelby Strickland UP managing editor

Lamar University’s finals schedule has been affected due

to Hurricane Harvey. Classes will now run through Dec. 12 and finals will be held in class. “To begin with, our goal is to complete the fall semester on

Local heroes

time,” Kevin Smith, senior associate provost, said. “What we have decided to do is to take finals week and turn it into instructional time which kind of

UP photo by Hannah LeTulle

Volunteers rescue residents of the Cypress Glen and Lake Arthur Place nursing homes in Port Arthur, Aug. 30. For a complete story, see page 3.

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gives us an extra week due to the tropical storm. “We will then have our instructors give final exams on the last regular class meeting date, whatever that might be. If the final exam takes longer than the time allotted, they may take the last two class meetings to do so. But we’re not going to carve out a week for final examinations as we traditionally do.” The commencement date, Dec. 15 and 16, and the Thanksgiving break will remain the same. Smith said he expects most students will have begun classes at the scheduled beginning date. “Most students, most people, want to return to some sort of normalcy, which for students is going on with their education,” he said. “I expect most students to be here, most classes started last week, but I expect that most of our students and most of our employees will be here.” Smith said he understands there will be students who will not make it and said accommodations have been made for those students. “First thing we have done, is we have extended late registra-

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tion through close of business Friday, and we have done so without a late registration fee,” he said. “The second thing we have done, is we have added two sessions called ‘Harvey Sessions’ online. These are for students who are in such a disrupted state that they (couldn’t) begin their face-to-face classes Monday or their online classes (Sept. 5).” The two five-week online course will be offered beginning Sept. 20 and Nov. 1. “Perhaps a student can come out today but has to meet an adjustor tomorrow, or has to tear out sheetrock the next day, or has to assist a relative — I think most of our faculty are in the same situation and they will be far more accommodating this fall than they might otherwise be without the storm,” he said. Despite the effects of Harvey, Smith said he does not think student enrollment will suffer as much as some may think. “We lost a bunch of students with Hurricane Rita, but Hurricane Rita was a different kind of storm because we had the See CLASSES page 2

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INSIDE

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.”

Thursday, September 14, 2017 University Press Page 2

— Martin Luther King, jr

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CALENDAR September 15 Women’s Soccer vs. Nicholls State LU Soccer Complex 7 p.m.

September 18

Auditions for “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike” Studio Theatre 7 p.m.

September 19

Volleyball vs. Prairie View A&M McDonald Gym 7 p.m.

September 21

UP photos by Olivia Malick

Wesley cleans up after flooding Olivia Malick UP Staff Writer

Hurricane Harvey caused recordbreaking amounts of flooding in Southeast Texas, including some flooding on campus. The Wesley Foundation had four inches of water in their building, leaving members to clean out moldy insulation within the walls. Several congregations from Texas came to aid the foundation with helping hands. “We came to help wherever we can,” Pastor John Whitehurst of Grace Crossing Methodist Church in Longview said. “It’s been wonderful knowing that we can help rebuild the homes of families that lost everything and being able to just be there for them.” Reverend Amy Walker, Wesley Foundation congregation leader, said she is grateful for the assistance. “The United Methodist Church is extremely connected,” she said. “The churches in our district asked where help was needed and we’re thankful that they came during this time.” This is not the first time the building has flooded. It has taken on water five other times, each requiring restoration, but Walker says that’s not going to hinder service. “After we tear out the insulation in the walls and clean all of the mold out, then we can hold our worship services,” she said. “You don’t need walls to worship.” Volunteers from Grace Crossing Methodist Church in Longview help clean up after ﬂooding in the Wesley Methodist center on the Lamar campus.

CLASSES

from page 1

winds with it,” he said. “With the flooding situation, most people did not lose power, some did, but a lot of people did not. A few structures were leveled by hurricane winds as a result of this, but I don’t think it will be nearly as extreme as what we saw after Rita.” Smith said the school will know exactly how enrollment has been affected

on class census day. “Looking at our preliminary numbers from our last class day, Sept. 5, the day after Labor Day, which was really our first class day online as far as the University’s records are concerned, we were essentially where we were a year ago,” he said. “We didn’t see a major decline in enrollment. Right now we’re at 15,000

students, which is where we were a year ago — good momentum and I expect it to continue.” Lamar will report the number of credit hours enrolled and the number of students enrolled to the state of Texas on Oct. 2. Smith says the numbers will be available Oct. 3 and will be compared to those of fall 2016.

Volleyball vs. Northwestern State McDonald Gym 7 p.m.

September 22

Faculty Art Show Closing Reception Dishman Art Museum, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

September 23

Volleyball vs. Central Arkansas McDonald Gym 1 p.m.

Art Studio, Inc. Tenants Show The Art Studio, 720 Franklin St., 7 p.m.-10 p.m.

September 25

Student Lecture: “Working in the Oil Patch: From Spindletop to the Present” with speaker Bobby Weaver Landes Auditorium 2 p.m.-3 p.m.

September 28

Undergraduate Research Faculty Talk “Be a Cardinal: Successfully Graduate in Four Years with Enriched Undergraduate Research Experience” with Dr. Jane Liu Landes Auditorium 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

September 29

Opening Reception “Sense of Home: The Art of Richard Stout” Art Museum of Southeast Texas 6:30 p.m. Undergraduate Research Grant Proposal Deadline 115B Chemistry Building 5 p.m.

Page 3

Thursday, September 14, 2017 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

‘…not prepared for what we walked into’

Local volunteers took to boats to evacuate residents of the Cypress Glen and Lake Arthur Place nursing homes in Port Arthur, Aug. 30, after ﬂooding from Hurricane Harvey.

UP photo by Hannah LeTulle

Volunteers evacuate nursing homes after Harvey floods Elisabeth Tatum UP staff writer

Hundreds of boats lined up down Jimmy Johnson Boulevard in Port Arthur, filled with men from all over the Southern United States ready to save the hundreds of elderly patients trapped inside the Cypress Glen and Lake Arthur Place nursing homes, Aug. 30. Among the rescue missions in Southeast Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, this one gained local and national attention. “I was definitely not prepared for what we walked into, I don’t think anyone was,” Tyler Gizzi, a Groves resident who was out in his boat assisting Port Arthur residents, said. “It was extremely sad. Some of the people were just sitting in their wheelchairs, not knowing what was happening. The socks on their feet soaked in the brown water that was filling the nursing homes.” The two homes are on the same street and operated by the same parent company, Senior Care Centers. Gizzi said that upon entering the facilities, rescuers were met by some of the building’s employees who told the would-be rescuers to turn around, and that they were violating the residents’ privacy and HIPAA laws. The employees also told the volunteers that they were working with the government to help evacuate residents. However, as flood waters continued to rise, family members of the patients angrily took to social media which eventually led to the rescue of all the residents by local

volunteers with boats. “It was dark in the buildings when you walked in, and the smell hit everyone like a truck” Gizzi said. “Some of the poor men were in just their diapers, or naked, laying in their own feces and urine. “But we lifted every one of them into boats, some in their wheelchairs and some even on mattresses so that they would have a place to lay later.” When Harvey’s rains subsided, Gizzi and many of his friends and family, as well as others from all over the area, took their aluminum boats and began rescuing people, when they heard from family members that there was an urgent need for help getting patients out of the nursing homes. There were an estimated 70 residents at Cypress Glen alone. After the patients were evacuated from the building, they were taken by boat about a half a mile to the Port Arthur Little Theatre, where hundreds of medical trained volunteers were waiting. Groups of volunteers brought medical equipment, blankets, food and plastic bags to cover the patients’ feet to avoid them from getting soaked again. Eventually, the Texas National Guard arrived on scene. Some patients had not been fed or taken their medications in 24 hours, others were not rescued with their paper work and there was difficulty finding out who they were and what their illnesses were. Sitting in the cold water caused feet and legs to swell, and some were close to hypothermia. Many were emotionally distressed and confused.

For the majority of the day, volunteers ran all the rescues and aid to the patients. Some, who had lost their own homes and belongings, still wanted to lend a hand or a boat. Louis Husser, a pastor from Robert, La., who joined the nursing home rescue with his 14-foot aluminum boat, said it wasn’t hard to decide to come. “I lived through Hurricane Katrina, and in some ways this is worse,” he said. “It’s going to take Texas a long time to come back from this. When we were in trouble 12 years ago, Texans came down to help, and so we are just loving our neighbor back.” While rescuers were overwhelmed with relief seeing the hundreds of elderly men and women taken to safety by military helicopter, the images they saw will forever be etched into their minds. Many volunteers broke into tears after the patients were all evacuated. “I stayed with one man for the majority of the time after we were done getting them onto boats,” Harrison Tatum, who was with Gizzi, said. “He was a great older man, and was very patient. He didn’t complain once. We talked the entire time and I didn’t leave his side. He was the very last person to be loaded onto the helicopter that day, and when I got him all loaded up he said, ‘I want you to come with me’ — that really made me choke up. I wish I could call him to see how he is doing.” Patients were transferred by military helicopter and ambulances all across the state to multiple hospitals and nursing

UP photo by Hannah LeTulle

Nursing home residents were taken to the Port Arthur Little Theatre staging area before being airlifted by National Guard helicopters. homes. However, many evacuees were without documents or papers. Some patients are still being located by the nursing home staff because of the confusion. Gizzi said the residents in the nursing homes were happy to

UP photo by Elisabeth Tatum

evacuate with the volunteers. “I was thanked numerous times by patients, some were just lying there in their beds alone until we arrived,” he said. “Something needed to be done, and it had to be done soon.”

UP photo by Hannah LeTulle

Page 4

Thursday, September 14, 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ UNIVERSITY PRESS

Hurricane Harvey Hurricane Harvey made landfall Aug. 25 in Rockport. Surrounding areas including Woodville, Liberty County, Lumberton, Port Arthur and Lamar University were all affected by severe flooding. The Beaumont-Port Arthur area experienced 47.35 inches of rainfall, Aug. 25-30. Jack Brooks Regional Airport got 26.03 inches on Aug. 29 alone. According to the Weather Channel, this is 25 inches greater than the previous four-day rainfall record set in September of 1980. This is double the previous calendar day rainfall record in Beaumont and Port Arthur that was set 94 years ago, the year Lamar was founded. The total area that got 20 inches of rain or more was larger than the state of West Virginia.

Port Arthur residents fill sandbags in advance of Hurricane Harvey.

UP photo by Hannah LeTulle

Trash pulled from flooded homes in Port Arthur awaits insurance adjusters.

UP photo by Shane Proctor

QP Energy serves food to Liberty County flood victims and volunteers.

UP photo by Caitlin McAlister

The Walmart in Woodville was cleared out of water, Aug. 25.

A student walks through the parking spaces in front of Morris Combs Hall, Aug. 29.

UP photo courtesy Jolee Spencer

Evacuees leave the Montagne Center shelter in a Chinook CH-47 helicopter, Aug. 30

UP photo by Noah Dawlearn

Page 5

Thursday, September 14, 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ UNIVERSITY PRESS

hits Southeast Texas

Vonte Hulin looks at his phone in the Montagne Center, Aug. 30. The shoes and small bag are all the possessions he owns after his Port Arthur home was flooded.

UP photo by Hannah LeTulle

The roads of Port Arthur are lined with trash pulled from flooded homes.

UP photo by Noah Dawlearn

UP photo by Shane Proctor

Members of QP Energy serve food to Liberty County flood victims and volunteers, Sept. 7, at the Liberty High School football stadium.

UP photo by Taylor Phillips

Water rose to the Woodcrest United Methodist Church in Lumberton parking lot.

A pair of Lamar students built a makeshift boat during Hurricane Harveyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rain outside Morris Hall, Aug. 29.

UP photo by Taylor Phillips

Taft Avenue in Lumberton was completly flooded stranding residents in their homes.

UP photo by Noah Dawlearn

Flood victims sort through donated clothes in Liberty County, Sept. 6.

UP photo by Shane Proctor

Page 6

Thursday, September 14, 2017 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Humane Society shelters furry friends Resources to help reunite with your displaced pet Eric Mittal UP contributor

UP Noah Dawlearn

Two dogs, above, await transfer to the Animal Rescue Corporation in Tennessee after local kennels and facilities were ﬂooded and unable to care for pets. Volunteers unload supplies from donors.

Hurricane Harvey caused many people to lose track of their pets. There are several Facebook groups set up to reunite people with their animals. The groups include, Harvey Animal Rescue Needs and Offers to Help, Hurricane Harvey displaced pets, Harvey Animals/ Livestock rescue resources and coordinating, Hurricane Harvey Animal Relief and Lost and Found Pets of SE Texas. “A lot of pets that ended up at Ford Park were transferred to HSPCA in Houston, so you could

check their website and also check our website” Monica Lee, Humane Society of Southeast Texas development director and shelter manager, said. “All the animals that have come to us will be on our website labeled as ‘HH and the name that we have given them.’ There is also an album on our Facebook page with all the pets as well.” Lee said that in an effort to help people find their pets faster in the future, they are all being microchipped at no cost. If one finds a pet, contact any of the listed Facebook pages or The Humane Society to help get the pet and owner back together.

Student volunteers to care for animals left behind Eric Mittal UP contributor

Before Hurricane Harvey poured down, The Humane Society of Southeast Texas made plans to keep the animals safe through the rains. “At the Human Society we wanted to be prepared for Hurricane Harvey and whatever his wrath would be, so prior to the storm happening we created safe spots for all of our pets to keep them dry, safe and calm during the storm,” Monica Lee, development director and shelter manager, said. “The animals were taken to Tennessee to the Animal Rescue Corp.” Lee said the dogs were transferred Sept. 1, and the cats went Sept. 3. She said the space in Tennessee was a bit smaller, so they kept them here until they absolutely needed to m o v e them.

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‘It was a great experience being able to help out the animals that were affected by Hurricane Harvey,” he said. “From cleaning kennels to walking dogs, a lot of the brothers really connected with the animals. We already have plans of going back to see how.’ “We left them where they were originally until the flooding started, and then we moved them,” she said. “Our kennels flooded and our clinic flooded as well.” Volunteer Justin Segura, a Lamar sophomore, helped take care of the animals, along with other members of Sigma Nu fraternity. “It was a great experience being able to help out the animals that were affected by Hurricane Harvey,” he said. “From cleaning kennels to walking dogs, a lot of the brothers really connected with the animals. We already have plans of going back to see how we can help more this week.”

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Intramural 7 on 7 flag Football

Tournament

— Justin Segura, sophomore

For more information on how to volunteer, information about donations, or the adoption process, visit www.humanesocietyofsoutheasttexas.org.

Intramural Football Pickems

Entries Due September 22

Start Date

Entries Due

September 25

September 22

Location

Start Date

Driving Range

All rules meetings will be in the McDonald Gym Rm 117 ALL INTRAMURAL SPORTS ARE FREE! All currently enrolled Fall 2017 LU & LIT students/faculty/staffff are eligible to compete in all leagues. For more information sign up online for each sport with imleagues.com OR e-mail us at intramurals@lamar.edu or visit us at Lamar.edu/intramurals LAMAR.INTRAMURALS

LUINTRAMURALS

September 27

PURSUANT TO SECTION 30.06, PENAL CODE (TRESP PASS BY LICENSED HOLDER WITH A CONCEALED HANDGUN), A PERSON LICENSED UNDER SUBCHAPTER H, CHAPTER 411, GOVERNMENT CODE (HANDGUN LICENSING LA AW), W), MA AY Y NOT ENTER THIS PROPERTY WITH A CONCEALED HANDGUN. CONFORME A LA A SECCIÓN 30.06 DEL CODIGO PENAL (TRASP PASAR PORTANDO ARMAS DE FUEGO) PERSONAS CON LICENCIA A BAJO DEL SUB-CAPITULO 411, CODIGO DE GOBIERNO (LEY DE PORTAR ARMAS), NO DEBEN ENTRAR A EST TA PROPIEDAD PORTANDO UN ARMA A DE FUEGO

LUINTRAMURALS

PURSUANT TO SECTION 30.06, PENAL CODE (TRESP PASS BY LICENSED HOLDER WITH A CONCEALED HANDGUN), A PERSON LICENSED UNDER SUBCHAPTER H, CHAPTER 411, GOVERNMENT CODE (HANDGUN LICENSING LA AW), W), MAY NOT ENTER THIS PROPERTY WITH A CONCEALED HANDGUN. CONFORME A LA A SECCIÓN 30.06 DEL L CODIGO PENAL (TRASP PASAR PORTANDO ARMAS DE FUEGO) PERSONAS CON LICENCIA A BAJO DEL SUB-CAPITULO 411, CODIGO DE GOBIERNO (LEY DE PORTAR ARMAS), NO DEBEN ENTRAR A EST TA PROPIEDAD PORTANDO UN ARMA A DE FUEGO

SPORTS

UNIVERSITY PRESS September 14, 2017

Cards demolish Falcons LU football beats UT-PB, 72-6, in home opener Cassandra Jenkins UP sports editor

After a long, hard two-weeks dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the Lamar football team returned home to Provost Umphrey Stadium, Saturday, to play the University of Texas-Permian Basin. Lamar was hungry for a win and thrashed the Falcons 72-6, scoring the team’s most points since their 73-0 victory against Texas College in 2014. “I’m so happy for the kids,” head coach Mike Schultz said. “The last two weeks have been very challenging for the staff, for the university, for the area, for Southeast Texas and for our players. What they’ve gone through and what they’ve overcome, and the challenges they’ve met.” The win was Schultz’s first as head coach after the Cards dropped the season opener 59-14 at North Texas. LU got off to a slow start as UT-PB led 6-3, scoring a touchdown after LU’s early field goal (they missed the extra point). The Cardinals did not score a touchdown until mid-way through the first quarter but then took over the game, to take a 37-6 half time lead. The Cardinals took control of the game with their first touchdown, which came from an 18yard pass from junior QB Darrel Colbert Jr. to tight end Jarod Wood. Freshman kicker Elvin Martinez completed the PAT to bring the game 10-6. Lamar never trailed again. The next touchdown came 12 seconds into the second quarter. Colbert launched a 27-yard pass to Beaumont native Kendrick King. Martinez completed another kick to advance the Cards’ lead to 17-6. Sophomore Case Robinson added a touchdown with a 3-yard pass from Colbert to bring the score to 24-6. On the Cardinals next possession, Colbert ran the ball himself for 27-yards. Martinez missed the PAT, bringing LU 30-6. With a minute and eight

seconds left, senior Marcus Daggs grabbed the last touchdown of the half, catching a 15-yard pass. Martinez put away another kick to end the half at 37-6. A resilient LU defense kept UT-PB at bay. Sophomore defensive end Daniel Crosley walked off the field for half time with three total tackles and 2.5 sacks. His brother, freshman linebacker David Crosley had three tackles, and defensive end Dedrick Garner also had three. The Cardinals did not relent in the second half of the game. The third quarter alone produced two more touchdowns including a seven-yard run by Colbert before he was replaced by senior QB Andrew Allen. Forty seconds before the clock ran out in the third quarter, Dorian Gaston received a nine-yard pass from Allen to finish the quarter 51-6. Three more touchdowns in the

UPsports briefs SOCCER Lamar women’s soccer team began their season early August, defeating three pre-Southland opponents, before losing against LSU and the University of Mississippi. The Lady Cards recovered in a game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and later the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley in the UTRGV tournament. LU is on a four-game streak defeating recent opponents, Texas Southern and tying 0-0 in a game against the University of Houston. Lauren Lovejoy became the first goalkeeper in Lamar University history to record four straight shutouts. The Lady Cardinals will return to their home field, Friday, at 7 p.m., to start the Southland Conference against Nicholls. VOLLEYBALL Volleyball began their debut of the 2017-18 season in the Big Orange Bash tournament in Clemson, South Carolina. The Lady Cardinals suffered two losses and one win in the tournament, defeating only Bethune-Cookman, 3-1. After a cancellation of the Cardinal Classic, the Lady Cards

Lauren Lovejoy

got back on the road to play Texas Tech, the UTRGV and UC Riverside in the Texas Tech Red Raider Classic in Lubbock. LU was downed in all three matches, 0-3. Lamar will move on to Arlington for the UTA Invitational. The Lady Cardinals are set to play UC Davis, Friday, at 10 a.m.

CROSS COUNTRY The Lamar University men’s and women’s cross-country teams get their seasons started Sept. 23 at the Texas A&M Invitational in College Station. The LU women’s team is led by returning Southland Conference champion Evelyn Chavez, who was named the Southland Conference Female Athlete of the Year for cross country last season. The men’s team is powered by the return of senior Freddie Gasbarri who finished second at the Southland Conference Championship last season before earning all-region honors by placing 26th at the NCAA Regionals. WOMEN’S TENNIS The Lamar University women’s tennis team announced its 2017-18 schedule, which will consist of eight home matches, a five-tournament fall schedule and will conclude with the Lady Cardinals hosting the Southland Conference Championships in late April. The Cardinals open the fall portion of their schedule with a five-day tournament in Cancun. LU travelled south of the border beginning Tuesday, for the

UP photos by Matt Beadle

LU defensive end Daniel Crosley, top, sacks the UT-PB quarterback during Lamar’s 72-6 win, Saturday, at Provost Umphrey Stadium. Kendrick King, above, breaks through the UT-Permian Basin offensive line for a touchdown. fourth quarter brought Lamar to their final score of 72-6. Junior Brandon Dabney had a 60-yard interception return, and freshman Wanza Myles and sophomore Cole Starnes scored their

first career touchdowns. “We’ve got a special group of kids here, they keep pressing and keep playing and give a 100 percent,” Schultz said. “Hopefully, things will keep progressing and

SOFTBALL Lamar made a fourth appearance in the Southland Conference tournament before losing to Nicholls in game three. Post-season play continued for the Lady Cards when they were chosen to host, the National Invitational Softball Championship. LU made it to the championship round before losing to Liberty, 3-1.

Iberostar College Cup. The other five fall tournaments include stops at Lafayette, La., New Orleans, Pensacola, Fla., and wrapping up in Hammond, La., at the SLU Invitational in early November. MEN’S TENNIS The two-time defending Southland Conference champion Lamar University men’s tennis team released its schedule that includes 11 home contests, including a home tournament in November. The Cards’ fall schedule will begin Friday, at the Islander Open in Corpus Christi. The Islander Open will be a three-day tournament, and one of five dates for the Cardinals during the fall. The fall schedule will conclude with the Ron Wesbrooks Invitational Friday, Nov. 3 – 5, at the Thompson Family Tennis Center.

BASEBALL After getting knocked out by Houston Baptist University in the second round of the Southland Conference in April, four Cardinals were selected in the MLB Amateur Draft. Carson Lance, a junior, was picked in the 16th round by the Detroit Tigers . In the 23rd round, senior catcher Bryndan Arrendondo was picked by the Baltimore Orioles. Senior pitcher Jimmy Johnson was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 28th round . Senior outfielder Reid Russell was chosen with the 991st pick in the 33rd round by the Houston Astros. The four Cardinals selected gave LU the most picks in one draft since 2009.

we will move forward with the program.” LU will play their first Southland Conference game against Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La., Sept. 16, at 6 p.m.

Reid Russell

Men’s Basketball The LU men’s basketball team got an early start to their 2017-18 season with an international trip to Costa Rica. Lamar defeated the Costa Rican National Team, 87-57 to record their first national win. The Cardinals continued their victory in South America by taking on McGill University, the men’s team from Montreal, Quebec, 57-50 in the last day of the tournament.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LU’s women’s basketball team made it to the Southland Conference Tournament before losing to SFA in the semifinals. The team later received a spot in the Women’s Basketball Invitation at Rice. The Lady Cards lost by one point to the host team in the opening round of the tournament. The team led the nation in several categories. Guard Chastadie Barrs led the nation with 142 steals. Forward Kiandra Bowers led in offensive rebounds. As a team Lamar led in steals, turnover margin and turnovers forced.

MEN’S GOLF The Lamar University men’s golf team will face several of the nation’s top golf programs in the 2017-18 season in an ambitious 11-tournament schedule. The Cardinals will compete in events in Louisiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida and North Carolina. The Cardinals open the fall season on Sept. 18 at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate, hosted by Louisiana Tech, at the Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant, La. WOMEN’S GOLF The Lamar University women’s golf team will travel across the nation in the fall. The Cardinals will travel to Alabama, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Louisiana and California to compete in tournaments. LU opens the fall season at the South Alabama Intercollegiate, set for Sept. 16-18 in Mobile, Ala. Other fall tournaments include the Bob Hurley Shootout in Tulsa, Okla., the Yale Bulldog Women’s Invitational in New Haven, Conn. and the ULM Fred Marx Invitational in Monroe, La. The Cardinals wrap up at the Santa Clara Colby Invitational, Nov. 6-7 in California. Compiled by Cassandra Jenkins

Page 8

Thursday, September 14, 2017 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Deaf activist DiMarco lectures at Lamar Stephenie DeMeyer UP Staff Writer

While some may believe that deafness is a disability, Nyle DiMarco doesn’t view it that way. “I never wished I could hear, I’ve never even thought about it — I was born this way, and I don’t know any different,” DiMarco, Deaf activist and winner of “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Next Top Model,” said. “If I always wished I could hear, my life would be very different. I would have a very pessimistic viewpoint, because I would always have that negative thought about my experiences.” Speaking as a part of the Academic Lecture Series, Sept. 12, DiMarco said he realized early on that his deafness was a gain, not a loss. “I realized that I was able to show a different perspective, and that was my asset,” he said. “I was able to show people what it was like to not hear.” DiMarco, who is fourth-generation Deaf, said that his situation is unique among deaf individuals. Most deaf people don’t have full access to language at birth, as only 10 percent of deaf people are born to deaf parents. “There are 70 million deaf people worldwide, and only 2 percent of them have access to education in sign language,” he said. “There are millions of children out there who don’t have language. They can’t express themselves, and we need to change that.” After his first episode of “America’s Next Top Model” aired, he began receiving thousands of emails from hearing parents of deaf children asking for help. DiMarco said he quickly felt overwhelmed by the requests for resources and advice. “I didn’t know how I was supposed

Fall 201 17

to answer them, I am just one person,” he said. “I was so stressed and burdened by this. I tried my best, but I didn’t know what to do. I talked to several of my friends, and they told me to establish a foundation, and to use my platform to help parents with resources, and at the same time raise awareness.” The Nyle DiMarco Foundation’s goal is to give language access to all deaf children before the age of five, in whatever form that may take. He said that the main goal right now is to pass legislation in each state ensuring early language access. Three states have already adopted this policy. “It’s a very sad statistic, but over 75 percent of parents don’t sign to their deaf children. So, if you think about it, they don’t know how to express themselves, they don’t know how to navigate life on their own,” he said. “My foundation’s goal is to change that.” While DiMarco’s success as a model and actor has given him a platform to create change, he said that his career aspirations are more focused on activism. “I didn’t just want to look pretty, I wanted to be able to give back to my community,” he said. “I am teaching hearing people about sign language and deaf culture. I’m teaching them about language deprivation. That’s what is important.” DiMarco also offered some advice to the Deaf students in the audience on what to do when they felt like giving up. “There are so many deaf children out there who look up to you, and need your help as a role model. Embrace yourself, embrace your differences. This is how you can actually thrive in your life — through your differences.”

UP photos by Hannah LeTulle

Deaf activist Nyle DiMarco lectures in the University Theatre, Tuesday.

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Intramural 6 on 6 Volleyball

Tournament

Intramural 7 on 7 Indoor Cricket

Tournament

Entries Due September 15

Entrie es Due

Start Date

Septem mber 15

September 17 17

Startt Date

Location

Main Gym

S Septem mber 18

Loca atiion

Rec Ce enter Multipurp pose Co ourt urt

LUINTRAMURALS

PURSUANT TO SECTION 30.06, PENAL CODE (TRESP PASS BY LICENSED HOLDER WITH A CONCEALED HANDGUN), A PERSON LICENSED UNDER SUBCHAPTER H, CHAPTER 411, GOVERNMENT CODE (HANDGUN LICENSING LA AW), W), MAY NOT ENTER THIS PROPERTY WITH A CONCEALED HANDGUN. CONFORME A LA A SECCIÓN 30.06 DEL CODIGO PENAL (TRASP PASAR PORTANDO ARMAS DE FUEGO) PERSONAS CON LICENCIA A BAJO DEL SUB-CAPITULO 411, CODIGO DE GOBIERNO (LEY DE PORTAR ARMAS), NO DEBEN ENTRAR A EST TA PROPIEDAD PORTANDO UN ARMA A DE FUEGO

LUINTRAMURALS

PURSUANT TO SECTION 30.06, PENAL CODE (TRESP PASS BY LICENSED HOLDER WITH A CONCEALED HANDGUN), A PERSON LICENSED UNDER SUBCHAPTER H, CHAPTER 411, GOVERNMENT CODE (HANDGUN LICENSING LA AW), W), MAY NOT ENTER THIS PROPERTY WITH A CONCEALED HANDGUN. CONFORME A LA A SECCIÓN 30.06 DEL CODIGO PENAL (TRASP PASAR PORTANDO ARMAS DE FUEGO) PERSONAS CON LICENCIA A BAJO DEL SUB-CAPITULO 411, CODIGO DE GOBIERNO (LEY DE PORTAR ARMAS), NO DEBEN ENTRAR A EST TA PROPIEDAD PORTANDO UN ARMA A DE FUEGO