September 17, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Newspaper of Lamar University

Vol. 92, No. 2 September 17, 2015

‘New way of thinking’ LU breaks ground on CICE building; to open in 2017 Lauren Van Gerven UP editor As Lamar grows in term of enrollment, so does our campus. In the last year, ground has been broken on the Reaud Honors College and Administration Building, a new softball complex has opened, and plans for a new science building have been approved.

Tuesday morning, ground was broken on the Center of Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship, the 21,000-square-feet building that will be located on the corner of Rolfe Christopher Drive and Jim Gilligan

Way. Opening in 2017, it will serve as a gateway between the university and the local business community, and will promote interdisciplinary work.

“This facility is only a first step in pursuing the purpose of the center.”

Paul Latiolais, CICE director, said. “It will be a catalyst for innovation, working closely with industry, (to bring) economic development and to bring practical education opportunities to students and faculty at the university” The CICE is a partnership between the colleges of Business and Engineering, and the Southeast Texas business community.

“This facility will serve as a conduit for industry and university interaction, including various innovation and incubation projects, ongoing research, student experiential learning, special

See CICE page 2

UP Josh Aych

Dignitaries, including director Paul Latiolais, second right, break ground on the new Center of Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship building, Monday. The center will open in 2017.

Ready to ‘serve’ SGA president Ehrlich courts change, progress “I went to several state tournaments and was really into it,” he said. “After an unsuccessful debate season, I decided I was going to enter into the most objective field I could find. Fortunately, a chemical engineering degree isn’t a bad degree to have with a law degree.”

The Orange native said his goal is to become a patent attorney.

“I think that our generation has some issues with the understanding of intellectual property,” he said. “Unlike our parents and grandparents, who would buy a physical disc to get music, we can just download it. This new mode has broken down our whole concept of property.

“While a lot of people like to think of property as something that big, bad businessmen use to steal money from the poor, there’s another side of that.

Property rights

Kara Timberlake UP staff writer For Lamar University Student Government President Robert Ehrlich, rules are fun. Whether on the tennis court or in the classroom, Ehrlich said he likes the order and challenge that rules provide.

“To the dismay of my siblings, I have always been a rule lover,” Ehrlich said. “I think the rules are important to maintain order, even in backyard basketball.

I’ve always been a fan of the rules, which naturally made me gravitate toward enforcing the rules.”

The chemical engineering major said law is his calling, a realization discovered after years of high school debate.

‘The source is the students, the conduit is the senate and I am just the mouthpiece.’

Founder’s Day event celebrates Lamar history Josh Aych UP contributor

— SGA president Robert Ehrlich are required to encourage people to do great things. People need to be able to see a profit from the work that they do.

It’s something I feel really strongly about. I can defend people like that.”

Ehrlich said being president takes most of his time, but whenever he can, he tries to fit in a game of tennis.

“Tennis is the perfect sport for me,” he said. “I love team sports. With my other interests like debate, I wasn’t able to commit a lot of time to playing team sports in high school. I love the challenge of tennis. It’s the game of a lifetime.”

Studying chemical engineering will benefit his future law career, Ehrlich said.

“There’s a lot of intellectual property involved in engineering and industry,” he said. “That is where a lot of the patentable processes and inventions actually appear. The people who understand the base-level work that goes on in industrial processes are better suited to understanding the intellectual property rights that belong in those areas. I think understanding the elementary aspects of any kind of field are necessary to be able to practice law in those fields.”

Ehrlich said his experience with SGA’s structure of legislation is preparing him for what he will deal with as a lawyer.

One of the most important parts of SGA is these documents that constitute

Events around campus today will celebrate “Founder’s Day,” which recognizes the Sept. 17 birth of South Park Junior College, the school that became Lamar University.

Events begin at 11 a.m. in the Quad and continue through 1 p.m.

“Founders Day is the Day Lamar University was officially founded here in the Beaumont area,” Kiet Le, associate director of student activities and civic engagement, said. “(It) was initially founded just a few blocks from here.”

The event will feature spirit teams, as well as the Lamar Marching Band, and the cheerleaders.

“The SGA Vice President will be there and a newly formed group called the Spirits and Traditions Council will be there,” Le said. “They’re this new group of students that helped me organSee Founders, page 2

See SGA, page 4

UP Kara Timberlake

Spina new dean of education Brooke Stinebrickner UP contributor “I think Lamar is doing some innovative things and I want to be a part of it,” Robert Spina says. “I was very excited about the job opportunity here.”

When he was young, the new College of Education and Human Development dean says he wanted to be a faculty member, teaching and researching exercise physiology.

“When I started my master’s degree is when I realized I wanted to become a dean,” he says.

The New York City native has served both as department chair and associate dean before coming to Lamar.

“Prior to coming to Lamar I was the associate dean for undergraduates’ education in the College of Education at Old Dominion University,” he says. “Before that I was the department chair at Old Dominion University and at San Fran-

cisco State University. I was chair of kinesiology for both of those places. So my experience in administration has led me to this position as dean.”

Spina says he hopes to create and grow programs.

“I want to grow some new things where we need to produce more math and science teachers,” he says. “I’m also interested in growing some other programs that are not in the teachers’ preparation area, they are in the human development part of the college.”

Spina says he also wants to work with the local school districts.

“I also would like to work in partnership with the school districts for programming,” he says. “That is a goal for this year so we can do future things.”

Before moving to Lamar, Spina had more than 25 years experience of combined teaching, research and services.

“One has to be successful in scholarships and teaching and service, because

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

that is what we do as a university,” he says. “So the dean has to lead the college in those specific areas, because that is what we do in the academy — we teach, we have to be good teachers. We have to be engaged in scholarships and we have to provide service. If I had not been successful doing those things I would have not been a good candidate to be a dean.”

Spina is an active researcher who has published widely.

“The general theme of my research was the physiological adaptation to exercise in the elderly that could be applied to maintenance of health and capacity,” he says.

Not only has he been an active researcher but he is a fellow of The National Academy of Kinesiology.

“To be inducted into this organization, it is a full election of existing fellows,” he says. “So I was elected to be a

www.lamaruniversitypress.com

See Dean, page 6

UP Brooke Stinebrickner

Lamar's new dean of College of Education, Robert Spina, signs paper work in his office in the Education building.

www.twitter.com/UPLamar

QUOTE OF THE DAY

INSIDE

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”

— Aristotle

Thursday, September 17, 2015 University Press Page 2

CICE

NOTICE

The University Press can be read online at www.lamaruniversitypress.com.

Advertising rates can be found on the site, along with practically all information that a person might be looking for.

from page 1

events and workforce training,” LU President Kenneth Evans said. “The ultimate outcome of each synergy is intended to resolve in an enhanced and more balanced economic activity in Southeast Texas.

“A large part of that was the reason for this project, with a heavy emphasis on student development and training. We intend to design experiences for students with innovation and startup initiatives, giving them firsthand knowledge of the real world.”

Henry Venta, College of Business dean, said that the CICE will house offices, labs, meeting spaces and training areas, and will provide infrastructure and researchers to

DEAN

bring new ideas to market and expose students to realworld business developments.

“The building will provide structure for innovationbased companies, for mentoring and university expertise,” he said. “The CICE will assist companies evaluating opportunities in the region, help provide soft landing spaces for new companies that are considering our area and help diversify the economy. The CICE will help enhance the university’s industrial relations, and provide a face for student engagement and workplace development.”

Srinivas Palanki, dean of the College of Engineering, said that despite Lamar engi-

‘Now, with the CICE, our motto has become, ‘Imagine it, design it, build it, improve it, commercialize it.’

— Srinivas Palanki neering’s great reputation, it is missing the concept of commercialization.

“A lot of researchers do a lot of amazing things,” he said. “But then they just stay in the lab. They publish their

FOUNDERS

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fellow in 2008. I was the 489th person elected to the academy since 1930. It is based on scholarship and services to the discipline of kinesiology. I am also a fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine. It is based on my research and my service to the discipline.”

Spina says that he is a very busy person, but he does like to take the time to exercise.

“Because my background is in exercise science, I do exercise,” he said. “I work out about five to six days a week. I exercise for relaxation but it is also a stress reducer. This is one of those things that I did research about, the health benefits of exercise. If I didn’t do it, I wouldn’t have much credibility. So it is from that perspective as well.”

Spina says when he is not busy at work or exercising he enjoys to travel.

“I have been to Asia, South America, in terms of outside the country,” he said. “I have been to Canada, Japan and Hong Kong. I’ve been south of the border. I’ve been in Venezuela and Colombia. Initially, I went to Japan for a conference. I’ve made presentations in four or five different cities there. Hong Kong was simply for pleasure.

I’ve been to Venezuela and Colombia for professional presentations, but also been on trips to Colombia for personal reasons.”

Spina says his wife is from Columbia and they travel there time to time. He met his wife at a professional conference.

This is not the first time Spina has lived in Texas.

“This is my second time in Texas,” he said. “I used to be on the faculty at UT Austin. So I lived in Austin for a while.

“It is good to be back.”

little paper, have 20 people read it, and they are done.

That’s the problem. People like to be in their little silos and then don’t want to talk to other people. So that’s already changing.

“The new CICE building will help channel the creative energy of faculty to not only conduct research but to take these new products all the way to commercialization.

This is a new way of thinking. That’s the value of having the CICE on campus.

“Our motto has always been ‘Imagine it, design it, build it, improve it.’ Now, with the addition of the CICE, our motto has become ‘Imagine it, design it, build it, improve it, commercialize it.’”

September 17

2015 Miss Fearless Women's Film Series

Dishman Art Gallery 5:30-8 p.m.

Constitution Day Celebration

LIT Multipurpose Center Auditorium 3-4 p.m.

Founders Day Celebration

Setzer Student Center Ballroom 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Panel Discussion of Undergraduater Research Grant Proposal

Gray Library, 6th floor 3:30-4:30 p.m.

September 18

Art Faculty Exhibition Closing Reception

Dishman Art Gallery 6-8 p.m.

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ize the event.”

Lamar Alive! and departments within the office of student engagements also helped plan the event.

It’s been 17 years since Lamar last celebrated Founder’s Day, with the

CALENDER

last time being 1998 for the 75th anniversary.

“We just want to bring tradition back by creating an annual event to celebrate Founder’s Day,” Le said. “Lamar Alive! students activities board has helped plan it.”

September 21

Final Fall 2015 non-payment purge after 5 p.m.

September 22

The Road From Hurricane Rita

Lawn in front of the Brooks-Shivers Dining Hall 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

September 23 Salsa Night

Setzer Student Center Ballroom 7-9 p.m.

September 24

Thank a Donor Day

Setzer Student Center Ballroom 11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

OUR Faculty Talk UP Grant Crawford

Students mingle in the Setzer Student Center Arbor during a cake cutting, Tuesday, in honor or Hispanic Heritage Month.

Galloway Building, Landes Auditorium 3:30 - 5 p.m.

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OPINION

UNIVERSITY PRESS September 17 2015

Finding friends in fandom Letting geek flag fly brings rewards, community, fun If the words “canon” and “ship” don’t instantly bring to mind images of pirates and buccaneers, you might be part of a fandom.

Superwholockians, Fannibals, Little Monsters and Bronies are just some of the superfans that have formed diverse communities centered on a shared love of a TV show, movie, book, comic, artist or game.

I happily admit that I am a fangirl, and I have been part of around 17 different fandoms, from video games to obscure sci-fi novels to award-winning television series—and I love it.

Being in a fandom can be as benign or outrageous as the fan chooses. I personally enjoy searching through character-related jokes, reading about peoples’ reactions to especially emotional moments, and admiring the professional artists who create costumes and art based on their favorite characters.

There are also things like Fanfiction — alternate story-

Commentary

Haley Bruyn UPstaff writer

UP Haley Bruyn

Fans of the TV show “Supernatural” gathered in Plano over the weekend to share their fandom. lines created by fans, that are usually great and can have alternate universes, or “AU,” and imagined relationships between characters, called “ships.”

Like anything else, there is a strange side to fandoms. Fanfiction can sometimes take a downright creepy or perverse turn (think “slash fiction” — look it up). Still, this shouldn’t deter you from finding a fandom of your own to join.

Fandoms are just large group conversations. You probably already talk to your friends about your favorite movie, so why not see if anyone else shares your opinion? Maybe you think two auxiliary characters would make a good couple — chances are, someone has already explored that possibility and there are 15 chapters of fanfiction online focused only on the development of that relationship. Wonder what that character would look like as the opposite gender? An impressively detailed drawing of them probably exists somewhere on the web.

I became involved in online

UPeditorial Library offers needed help It may feel like classes have only just begun, but before you know it, midterms will be right around the corner.

Thankfully, Lamar’s Gray Library offers great services to help students succeed all year long.

Have a big project you need to research?

The librarians are here to help find whatever books, periodicals, essays or other resources one might need.

Don’t have a spare moment to go to the library in person? Log into the library’s website to access academic databases that span a range of subjects.

Students can even chat online with a librarian if help is needed.

Can’t find the book or journal article that you really need for that paper? Request an interlibrary loan and the material will show up in the blink of an eye.

How many students know that there is a computer lab on the first floor of the library?

Tuition covers the cost of printing up to 1,000 pages, so it makes sense to utilize the resource.

The library also has rooms available for large study groups, and quiet floors with single desks for when one really need to concentrate.

The Writing Center, located in the computer lab, has appointments available to help format, edit and brainstorm papers — there is also a Writing Center office in Morris Hall.

The library offers much more than just shelves of books — oh, yea, they have those, too.

Editor .........................Lauren Van Gerven

Sports Editor..................Grant Crawford

Web Editor.......................Melissa Conley Staff........Desmond Pickens, Lainie Harris,

.....................Haley Bruyn, Coty Davis,

....Lane Fortenberry, Trevier Gonzalez, ..................Josh Aych, Tyler Hargraves

Advertising..........................Melissa Conley Office Manager..............Jac’Quor Williams

fandoms while waiting for the next book in the “Midnighters” to be released. I wanted to see if there were any theories as to what would happen in the next book. To my surprise, I not only found fan-created storylines of what might happen, but I also found different artists’ interpretations of what they thought the characters looked like. That was all it took to get me hooked.

Even though I was the only person I knew who liked these books, there was a global community of people who shared my love of these characters, and I was introduced to a new way of experiencing my favorite media.

This weekend, I traveled to Dallas to attend a convention dedicated entirely to the TV show, “Supernatural.” I have been a fan of the show for about five years now, and at one time I was extremely active in the online fandom, so I was more than happy to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the show.

I will say, I saw more grown women crying than I was comfortable with, but it was won-

derful to be part of group of people who were all there for the same reason. The crowd was diverse, to say the least. It was mostly women, but there were more than a few men there, too, and fans from age six to age 60.

Because it was specifically a “Supernatural” convention, it was smaller than other comparable events, which made it more intimate.

As in most conventions, there were “cosplayers, people dressed as characters. It was hilarious fun to see tween girls dressed as super macho, 30year-old men, but even more fun to see a toddler dressed as the King of Hell.

I had the opportunity to talk to tons of people, most of whom were extremely opinionated when it came to their “ships” and which AU’s they preferred.

Still, there was one thing they all seemed to agree on: Regardless of their age, gender, favorite character, favorite season or favorite episode, every person I talked to said they felt like they were part of a community — like

they belonged there.

And that’s the point.

The real value of fandoms comes from the bond it creates between fans. It’s often hard to find communities where a person can feel instantly welcomed, but fandoms don’t discriminate.

If I find out someone is into the same things as I am, I feel connected to them.

It just makes sense to join a global community where I can meet new and interesting people, and geek out over my favorite things.

Maybe you’re shy. Maybe you want to meet new people.

Maybe you have bottled up rage about the latest death in the “Game of Thrones” season finale and you need to get it out of your system. I say go for it. Join a fan page, draw some fan art, jump into a forum, or declare your passionate, unyielding support for a non-canon ship.

You won’t be the only one, and chances are, you’ll have fun.

Haley Bruyn is a UP staff writer

New size, new style, same quality It’s a new semester and readers of the University Press might have noticed some changes.

For a start, the paper is a lot narrower. This reflects the change in the industry standard for newspapers, and puts the UP back in line with professional publications, such as the Beaumont Enterprise and the Houston Chronicle.

Once we knew that the change was being foisted upon us, we took the opportunity to re-vamp your student newspaper.

The first thing to change was the nameplate — the part of page one that has the paper’s name. We did not want to change the typeface as it reflects the brand and is used on everything from advertising materials to T-shirts. So, what could we do to make the nameplate stand out? As you can see, we decided to tie the colors to the school we are proud to represent. And anyway, red is such a dynamic color.

Next up was something that most people barely notice. The typefaces

Commentary

Lauren Van Gerven UPeditor

Letters Policy

have changed. Although the body copy may be a small font, it is incredibly important. It has to be a typeface that is both attractive and also pleasant to read. The body copy, after all, forms the majority of the paper. We chose the font Georgia after exhaustive research into popular newspaper fonts, from the US and Europe. It is a more open and readable typeface.

The headlines changed as well, to Egyptienne. Previously, we had both serif and sans serif fonts for our headlines. We made the choice to go with a Roman font that has slightly squared serifs. This gives the paper a more modern look.

From a visual perspective, readers will find that we are including more graphic and pulled quotes. While the newspaper is different from digital media, we are aware of the need to attract readers’ attention in the same way that web pages do. As time goes on, readers will see more small graphics that offer both summaries and additional information to accompany stories.

The newspaper as a whole is more in sync with the style of the www.lamaruniversitypress.com website.

However, don’t be confused. The print edition is not the same as the website. Whereas digital media offers more immediate access to news — and we will be focused on increasing our web and social media presence this year — the UP staff believes there is still a value in print media.

Where else can one look for a synthesis and analysis of the fast-paced, ever-changing information flow.

Individuals who wish to speak out on issues should send a letter fewer than 400 words in length to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 10055, Beaumont, TX 77710, or drop letters off at our office in 200 Setzer Student Center. The writer’s name, address, telephone number and ID number must accompany each letter. Letters received without this information cannot be printed. Letters may be edited for length, grammar, style and possible libel.

Opinions expressed in letters are not necessarily those of the UP student management. Letters by the same writer on the same subject will not be published. Poetry and religious debates will not be published.

We at the University Press enjoy our digital media as much as anyone else. But we are also journalists who believe there will always be a place for a well-written story, with reasoned analysis, that entertains and informs.

For years, the cry has gone up that “Print is dead.” We at the UP say to paraphrase Mark Twain, that, “Reports of its death are greatly exaggerated.”

Lauren Van Gerven is UP editor

The opinions that appear in editorials are the official views of the University Press student management as determined by the UP Student Editorial Board. Opinions expressed elsewhere on this page are the views of the writers only and are not necessarily those of the University Press student management. Student opinions are not necessarily those of the university administration. ©University Press 2015

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Thursday, September 17, 2015 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Shared interests create college bond Trevier Gonzalez UP contributor “Anime” means different things to different people. To some, it is just a “weird” Japanese cartoon. However, to the members of Lamar’s Japanese Entertainment and Culture Club, it is an art form that slashes through stereotypes and provides a sense of community.

“We don’t turn anyone away, even if the only thing you’ve ever seen was ‘Dragon Ball Z’ from your childhood,” Christian Swate, JECC sergeant-atarms, said.

“We’ll find something to talk about with you, and we’ll help you expand your vocabulary.”

Steven Zani, LU director of faculty development, has advised for the JECC since it was first established in 2006. “‘Anime’ is the term people often use when referring to a style of graphic arts popular in Japan, both actual animated films and shows, and comic books associated with them,” he said. “The style is sometimes characterized by exaggerated facial features and actions or emotions. In Japan, graphic arts such as anime are held in much higher respect — as art

SGA

and literature — which is not true in America, where, because of our history, we tend to think of comic books, including anime, as meant ‘for children.’”

The group members refer to JECC as simply ‘Anime Club’ so people know what the club is about, Amy Turner, JECC vice president, said.

The club offers a place for members to come together and share their interests.

“Just knowing people that enjoy the same hobby as you, it can make you want to go deeper into that hobby a lot more than if you were doing it by yourself,” Jamie Hotz, La Porte senior, said. “It sparks that passion of conversation, where you might not get that if you’re just watching it and talking about it online.”

JECC president Jonathan Taylor, said the social interaction of watching in a group is important.

“Well, a lot of us watch it alone and we’re not — we don’t get a lot of socialization normally, and we don’t relate to people very easily because we like things like anime and stuff,” he said. “It’s a lot easier for us to come together, all meet each other. We have some fun watching it and usually, af-

UP Trevier Gonzalez

Members of the Japanese Entertainment and Culture Club goof around during the group's weekly meeting, Sept. 3, in 107 Maes Building. terward, we get to hang out and life-long friends.” elements, some are interested kind of create friend-groups — Hotz said the group mem- in Japanese culture, some like it helps introduce people into bers are diverse. fantasy and doing costuming college life, especially fresh“You can find all types of cosplay. It’s the most diverse men.” people that are interested in it,” student group I’ve ever adAnyone interested in joining he said. “As far as membership vised.” the group just needs to show up demographics, last semester we Taylor said he would love to to one of the Thursday meet- actually had more females than see new members. ings, Swate said. we had males. That whole “There’s no cap on mem“That’s definitely a room in that stereotype of a room full of bers,” he said. “If the room time of day where you can just neckbeards isn’t really that ac- doesn’t fit, we’ll ask for a bigger be yourself and don’t have to curate at all.” room.” hide anything,” he said. “I go “What is nice about the JECC meets Thursdays at around everyday, and I’m kind JECC is that they are held to- 6:30 p.m. 107 Maes Building. of quiet and to myself. But, gether by a love of Anime,” Zani For more information, visit come Thursday, I’m just myself. said. “And yet, that means a lot the Japanese Entertainment “There’s at least five or six peo- of different things to them. and Culture Club: Lamar -ple in there who are definitely Some love the graphic design page.

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the laws of the students,” he said. “The SGA is the holder of the laws — laws in the sense that you have a body that makes binding recommendations and representations of the students’ will. Thinking about the process of how these documents go through scrutiny and seeing what they really mean is a big piece of my future career.”

However, Ehrlich said his primary motivation to run for president stemmed from his desire to improve Lamar.

“In past SGA officer positions, I saw what I thought SGA could be, and I felt confident that I could make it that,” he said. “I felt the experiences I’ve had prepared me to do what was necessary to fix this organization, to make it work for the students as it’s supposed to. It’s a great time to start making change, to start building a student experience that makes people proud of their school.

That’s something that’s been really important to me.”

As president, Ehrlich said he aspires to instill a culture of cooperation.

“My goal is to work my way up the ladder of recognizing who is really in charge,” he

‘At the baseline, the students are in charge They are the reason for this body.’

— SGA president Robert Ehrlich said. “At the base line, the students are in charge. They are the constituents; they are the reason for this body. I think from there you realize that the SGA’s purpose is to represent the student body cohesively, especially to the administration, and to provide a forum for students to have conversations about what they want and what they don’t like about the university. The source is the students, the conduit is the senate and I am just the mouthpiece.”

Ehrlich said part of his plan is to ensure that SGA comprehensively revise inconsistencies found in its bylaws.

“I’m spending a lot of time and energy on the bylaws and making sure that the power be

where it belongs — with the representative body of the students,” he said. “The bylaws were written and changed several times, resulting in a reasonably rushed job that wasn’t working anymore.

“It was time for the students to take up the mantle and fix any issues, such as conflicting language, that made it impossible for SGA to make any controversial decisions.

Hopefully, what you see going forward is a representation of the whole that effectively takes into account the desires of the students, and turns them into actions and into resolutions that let the administration really know what the students are thinking.”

Ehrlich said he hopes the students see a lot of him.

“I want SGA to have a bigger presence on campus, and have more people involved and actively interested,” he said.

“It’s important that students are aware that SGA exists and that we represent them.”

Ehrlich’s office is located in 211 Setzer Student Center.

SGA president office hours are noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, 2-4 p.m. Wednesday and 1-3 p.m.

Friday.

SGA candidate submissions accepted through Sept. 22 Kara Timberlake UP staff writer The Lamar University Student Government Association is accepting applications through 5 p.m., Sept. 22, for 2015-2016 junior and senior senators. Elections are scheduled for Oct. 1-2.

“Students can vote online through the Self-Service Banner,” Robert Ehrlich, SGA president, said. “Campaigning will begin at the end of the last rules meeting. There will be one student from a junior class and one student from a senior class elected. Requirements are included in the application on OrgSync.”

Candidates must attend a mandatory rules meeting, either 4:30 p.m., Sept. 24, or 12:30 p.m., Sept. 25, to learn the voting regulations.

“These positions are important because senators are the legislators of the students,” Ehrlich said. “They

need to effectively and properly represent the student body, which means we need a wise base of student involvement in the election to ensure that the people elected are representative of the junior and senior classes.”

Ehrlich said there are other SGA positions available for interested students.

“Students who can’t run or don’t want to run for a senator position can come and talk to me about a position in student government,” he said.

“We have student committees that they can serve on. Information will be discussed in joint session meetings. We have a joint session meeting on the second Tuesday of every month, and our next SGA joint meeting will be 2:30 p.m., Oct. 13 in Setzer 210.”

For more information, call Julie Eddards, SGA advisor, at 880-8085, or email julie.eddards@lamar.edu.

Third annual STEM Texas State University System joins ‘Freshman Year for Free’ program conference set for Oct. 3 The Texas State University System announced a partnership with the not-for-profit Modern States Education Alliance that could help students earn up to one full year of college credit tuition-free, reducing the cost of a degree by up to 25 percent. TSUS is the first public university system in Texas to partner with Modern States’ ‘Freshman Year for Free’ program.

The program, available to students in fall 2016, will offer more than 30 top quality online college courses at no cost, along with free online texts and materials. These courses are under development through edX, the joint venture of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology that is the nation’s leading developer of Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

Students wishing to participate in the TSUS-Modern States program will be able to select freshman-level courses from the Modern States catalog that apply toward degrees at TSUS’s eight component institutions. After completing these courses, students will be prepared to take Advanced Placement (AP) or College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests offered independently by the College Board,

and may receive course credit from TSUS institutions when they enter with an AP test score of three or better, or a passing score on a CLEP test.

The ability to earn college course credit through AP and CLEP exams is already well-established in Texas for high school students. For the first time, however, the ‘Freshman Year for Free’ program will make this option available to non-traditional students who did not have access to college-credit courses in high school or who are entering college as working adults.

“As our student population becomes older and more diverse, the pathway to a college degree varies greatly from student to student,” said TSUS Chancellor Brian McCall. “Our goal in partnering with Modern States’ ‘Freshman Year For Free’ program is to provide students with another option to earn their degree on a timeline and budget that works for them.”

“We are proud to be partners with the Texas State University System and its 83,000 students, in order to make college more available and affordable for everyone,” said Steven Klinsky, founder and chairman of the Modern States Education Al-

liance. “No one should be shut out of education after high school because of tuition cost or lack of access.”

Modern States is creating a web portal that will offer the course catalog, and will also link students to resources such as low-cost or no-cost tutors, volunteer mentors, and information about partner colleges and universities.

The Modern States Education Alliance was launched in 2014.

Its goal is to create at least one readily available path to a tuition-free, high quality and universally accessible college education for any motivated student who seeks one. The ‘Freshman Year for Free’ program is Modern States’ initial effort toward this goal.

Along with TSUS, other major colleges and university systems involved in the ‘Freshman Year for Free’ program include: the State University of New York; the Ohio Department of Higher Education; the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education; the Tennessee Board of Regents; Arizona State University; Colorado State University-Global; and Rice University.

Together, these university systems serve more than 500,000 students.

The Lamar University Office of Undergraduate Research will host the Texas STEM Conference, “Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM”, Oct. 3 in the Setzer Student Center. This is the third year the Office of Undergraduate Research has hosted the conference. The conference designed for undergraduate students begins at 8 a.m. and continues to 5 p.m.

The Texas STEM Conference provides a platform to bring together a diverse audience of intellectuals in STEM fields for discussion and debate in a wide range of topics. Student abstracts must be submitted by Sept. 21 and the registration deadline for the conference is Sept. 25. It is open to students and faculty from all colleges and universities working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

“This conference gives students an opportunity to share their research from the past summer,” said Kumer Das, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. “It also opens doors of collaboration and interdisciplinary research.

The experience of presentation influences excellence in scholarship and development.”

“We are looking forward to expanding on last year’s suc-

cessful conference,” Das said.

More than 120 students from Texas and Louisiana attended last year’s conference. “We encourage attendance from administrators and faculty from the STEM disciplines in addition to participation by the selected presenters, peers and colleagues.”

During the day, exhibitors and speakers will present STEM initiatives, and share innovative research and ideas, Das said. The conference will cover a broad range of topics and provide a venue for highlighting innovative strategies and practices for not only Lamar University STEM researchers, but also researchers, at all levels, across Texas, he said.

“STEM research is vital to our future — the future of our country, and the future of our students,” Das said. “We need to prepare our students for their careers and for their lives, and we can only ensure it by involving them in cutting-edge STEM research.”

For more information on the Texas STEM Conference, email antoinette.henry@lamar.edu, call 880 8430, or visit www.lamar .edu/undergraduate-research/stemconference.html.

UNIVERSITY PRESS • Thursday, September 17, 2015

Page 5

Sisters on the run

Members of three sororities made a mad dash to pledge, Monday, in the Quad in front of the Setzer Student Center for Sorority Bid Day. Zeta Tau Alpha, Alpha Chi Omega and Alpha Delta Pi — members of the Panhellenic Council — cheered and chanted vociferously to attract the new recruits, who ran through the SSC into the arms of their new sisters.

The sororities recruited 78 new members.

Panhellenic Council advisor Shannon Copeland said the chapter sizes are the largest they have been in the past 59 years at Lamar, and the chapter total increased from last year’s 69.

Sorority Bid Day began in 2010.

For more information on the Panhellenic Council, visit, lamar.edu/cpc, or email, cpc@lamar.edu.

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UNIVERSITY PRESS • Thursday, September 17, 2015

Page 6

7

SPORTS

UNIVERSITY PRESS September 17, 2015

13 goals, still improving Lady Cards head into Southland Conference play with rout of Alcorn State Laine Harris UP staff writer The Lamar University women’s soccer team defeated Alcorn State 13-0 Sunday, earning their fourth win this season to hit .500 for the season.

However, head coach Orlando Cervantes said the game is about more than just the score.

“To score a few goals and think you had an amazing game isn’t always the case,” he said. “You

could not score any goals and play the game of your life. It’s about the way you move, how you set other people up, and things like that. So, especially with forwards, a lot of times they think that’s just the ‘be all, end all,’ but it’s not.”

Alcorn State was short two players causing the game to be nine on nine. LU altered their style of play to match their opposing team, having players play positions that they normally wouldn’t play.

“We know Alcorn has a new team and they kind of struggled,” Cervantes said. “They only have 11 players so, we knew pretty much how they’ve been traveling — that it would probably be a win.

“However, our focus as coaches was, ‘Can you sharpen your play going in to conference?’

So, we kept the starters in a little longer than I wanted to, to just kind of work some things, and also give the reserves that weren’t playing as much an opportunity

UP Grant Crawford

An Alcorn State player looks on as Junior Patricia Lauritzen celebrates with her teammates after scoring her third goal of Lamar’s 13-0 win against Alcorn State, Sunday.

to shine in front of us, and try to work their way to the starting line up.”

Junior Patricia Lauritzen scored three of the five goals scored during the second half.

However, echoing her coach’s words, she felt her performance was lacking.

“I could not control the ball at all today for some reason, plus I don’t play this position either, I usually play wing,” she said. “I was playing the style that coach didn’t want me to play, but I just didn’t know it.”

Cervantes said it was a good learning point for Lauritzen.

The team has several freshmen starting this season, compared to a lone freshman last year.

“Five seniors left last year, and the returning players are very good,” Cervantes said. “Our freshman class is extremely good as well, so, it’s a bright future here.

“Really this is kind of our first real, true, 100 percent class that we’ve brought in since I got here.

Because women’s soccer recruits so far in advance, if you’re not here by a certain time you kind of miss out a couple of years. You just kind of have to work in it.”

Cervantes said he is excited about this year’s team.

“They are going to make a lot of younger mistakes, because they are a young team, but they are also talented,” he said. “But, we have to constantly be teaching them the right way, or how

it’s going to be — you know, in conference play and everything else.”

Along with the new class, comes a new strategy, Cervantes said. The team is going with a different approach this season, not only strengthening their abilities, but their minds as well.

“Definitely, from last year, they’ll get mentally tougher, so you know if things aren’t going well, they kind of have to fight through those things — we teach them also that’s how life is, not just soccer,” he said. “Things aren’t always going to go your way. Are you going to kind of fight about it or push through it?”

Lauritzen believes the style of play the team is developing this season can bring them a postseason berth.

“We have to play fast to feet,” she said. “We really didn’t do that last season. Pretty much we have to compare it to how we played last season, and we just need to give it our all.”

The team will play their first Southland Conference game of the season against Nicholls State on Friday.

“We are all very excited about it, and last season we won our first conference game, too, so hopefully we do that again Friday and keep winning,” Lauritzen said. “I have a good feeling about this season compared to last season.”

Friday’s game kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Lamar Soccer Complex.

Life for Lamar Volleyball is no ‘Rocky movie’ Coty Davis UP contributor The Lady Cardinals open their Southland Conference volleyball schedule Sept. 25 against the Sam Houston State Bearkats.

After defeating the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters 3-2 this weekend, the Lady Cards are standing at a healthy 74 to start their season.

“I am extremely proud of the way these girls have played,” head coach Alan Edwards said. “To start out 0-12 and win a total of five matches last season, they are showing the results of what they’ve been working on. I am proud of those kids, and proud for those kids.”

Although it was a rebuilding year for LU, Edwards said that last season’s record was not a surprise, but still a disappointment.

“The last two head coaching jobs I took have been rebuilding their programs,” he said. “So, I was not surprised of our record last season, that’s just how the rebuilding process goes — trying to get athletes to contribute to what you are doing, when they are not used to the system.

tinues to improve, then quality of the results will also improve,” he said. “We believe if our focus is on what we’re doing in practice, than game days will take care of themselves.”

Even with the early-season success, Edwards said he realizes there are still some improvements LU must make to take the next step. One area is the kills per set category. During pre-conference play, the Lady Cardinals are averaging 11.3 kills per set. Last season’s conference leader in this category were the SFA Ladyjacks with 14 kills per set.

UP Grant Crawford However, closing out games is still Head coach Alan Edwards talks to his team during the Lady Cards’ volleyball practice, Tuesday. the team’s biggest flaw, Edwards said, adding that the inconsistency comes “However, in the eyes of the public, Edwards credits the Lady Cards’ from a lack of experience. and as a competitor, it was disappoint- hard work as they strive to improve.

The Lady Cards were picked eighth ing. We went out about 25 times and “All I have done is build a good train- in the pre-season Southland Conference failed. That was the most disappointing ing environment,” he said. “They are the Volleyball rankings, but Edwards said thing about last season.” ones that put in the work and have ac- that he is not using that as a motivation.

Edwards said that to improve, the cepted the reasonability of becoming a He does not want his girls to be driven team cannot dwell on their mistakes better team. We never had a day this emotionally, just passionate about what from the previous year. offseason where these kids did not work they do.

“Life is not a ‘Rocky’ movie where hard. I had more fun with these kids The Lady Cardinals will return to the you suck for a long time, some cool this offseason than ever before.” court, Friday and Saturday, when they music plays and then you are a world Edwards said to keep the team’s mo- close out pre-conference play in The champ,” he said. “This is a slow process mentum going throughout the season, Cardinal Classic Tournament in Mcthat is going to take time as we learn to their main focus is on practice.

Donald Gym. become a better team.”

“If the quality of the preparation con-

UPsports briefs

FOOTBALL

League officials announced that Lamar junior running back Kade Harrington was named Southland Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week, Monday, after the team traveled to Waco for a game against Baylor, Saturday. Harrington finished the game with 16 carries for 56 yards and two touchdowns.

Harrington’s honor comes 24 hours after receiver Reggie Begelton was named the College Sports Madness Southland Player of Week. Begelton hauled in 10 catches for 96 yards.

MEN’S TENNIS

Lamar University junior tennis players Nikita Lis and Michael Feucht, garnered national attention, Tuesday, after the release of the ITA national preseason rankings for singles players and doubles teams.

The LU duo enters the new season ranked 22nd in the nation.

“We are excited about the ranking, but both Nikita and Michael know this is based

off their results from last year,” LU men’s head coach Scott Shankles said. “I think last year really opened their eyes to what could happen for them on a grander stage. This opens them up to some opportunities to play in tournaments that haven’t been available to them in the past, but they realize it will have to be earned on the court.”

The team will compete in their first tournament of the season, Friday through Sunday, at the Rice Fall Invitational in Houston.

CROSS COUNTRY

Iliass Aouani and Evelyn Chavez were both named Southland Conference’s Cross Country Athletes of the Week, Tuesday, after competing in the Rice invitational, Friday, in Houston.

In his first collegiate race, Aouani ran a time of 18:40.73 in a 5,500-meter race, which was good enough for second place, only behind Houston’s Brian Barraza at 18:33.72. Out of 116 racers, the Italian led the Cardinals to first place out of 13 teams.

Chavez marked in at 16:26.87 in the 3,800-meter, and her third place finish gave her the second top-five final of the season.

The women’s team finished in fifth place.

The Cardinals have the week off before they run again at the Texas A&M Invita-

tional, Sept. 26, in College Station.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

The Lamar University women’s tennis team closed out the Iberostar Collegiate Tennis Tournament by claiming a 3-2 victory over Wyoming, Tuesday, in Cancun, Mex. The match came down to No. 4 singles, when LU’s Teodora Stefanovic sealed the victory for the Cardinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Mirand Talbert.

“Teodora stepped up today and got the deciding match point,” LU coach David Wong said. “That was a big win for her.”

LU returns to action Friday, when it competes at the Midland Invitation, in Midland.

MEN’S GOLF

Eason Wang fired Lamar University’s best round at The Invitational at The Ocean Course Saturday, posting a 2-over-par to help the Cardinals finish 11th.

“Our goal this week was to stay positive, speak in positives and most of all, compete,” head coach Jessie Mudd said. “From what I saw, we accomplished those goals. I'm proud of my guys.”

The men will next compete in the Windon Memorial, Sept. 27-28, in Glencoe, Ill. Compiled by Grant Crawford

UNIVERSITY PRESS • Thursday, September 17, 2015

Page 8

Rockette to present master class at LU Friday Lainie Harris UP staff writer The Lamar University Department of Theatre and Dance invites the public to attend Rockette Alissa LaVergne’s Broadway/Precision Technique master class, Friday, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the HHPB Dance Annex.

Admission is at the door, and tickets cost $10. The class is open to ages 14 and up. Dance attire is recommended, jazz shoes, character shoes or both.

As a Rockette, LaVergne has performed at Radio City Music Hall in the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular” and the “New York Spring Spectacular,” as well as on television shows including “Celebrity Apprentice” and “The Wendy Williams Show.”

When she isn’t traveling to and from New York, she resides in Houston where she performs in musicals at The Hobby Center.

“I think it’s a really good opportunity to bring something to the area that we generally don’t have

that opportunity to, and offer that to our students, as well as the community,” interim chair Golden Wright said.

Wright said he noticed, while scrolling through Facebook, that a Lamar alumna had taken one of LaVergne’s classes, and he reached out to LaVergne.

“She and I had talked previously, but that kind of spurred the conversation on,” he said. “We’ve been talking about it for a little while then it finally worked out, schedule wise, while she was down here.”

LaVergne and Wright know each other from college at Sam Houston State University.

“She was there while I was a grad student in dance,” Wright said. “She was an undergraduate in musical theater.”

It has been a long time since the two have seen each other, he said, and they haven’t taken a class together since spring of 2006.

Wright said he is ready to see how she has progressed over the past nine years.

“I can’t wait to see her, I haven’t seen her in a long time,” Wright said. “She’s going to have a little conversation with our students, and I’m interested to hear what kind of questions, and what kind of insight she can give our students.

At the same time, it will be good to catch up and see where she’s at and what’s going on.”

The class is scheduled for early evening to make it easier for community members to attend.

“The reason we are doing the public class later is so that high school and studio dancers have the opportunity to attend,” Wright said.

Wright said he hopes this will not be the last time LaVergne makes an appearance at Lamar.

“I think it depends on the response, to be honest,” he said. “If the response is really good then we’ll try to bring her back in, maybe set a piece of work or do something.”

For more information, visit the Lamar University Department of Theatre & Dance Facebook page.

Rockette Alissa LaVergne will conduct a Broadway/Precision Technique master class on campus, Friday.

Bringing pride to Cardinal nation The Lamar football team had something to be proud of Saturday evening, and it wasn’t a victory — it was a loss.

For some competitors, it is a perplexing concept, to be proud of a loss. The Cardinal’s opinion of their performance, in the 31-66 loss to the fourth-ranked Baylor Bear, though, should be unwavering. They should be proud — damn proud.

Unable to make the trip to Waco, three generations of Cardinals huddled around the living room television set — my grandfather, an economics professor for 35 years, my mother, an LU graduate, and I, an aspiring journalism major. We weren’t planning to see a win, but we weren’t expecting the performance our team gave, either.

Of course, you want to have confidence in your school’s team, but look at Lamar’s track record.

In the previous two seasons, LU

Commentary

Grant Crawford UP sports editor

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$ ' D U 3 L

has played top-25 teams twice — Texas A&M last year and Oklahoma State in 2013 — and were outscored 132-6. There was no reason for hope, but hope is what they gave us.

In a game where Lamar were a massive underdog, the boys in red and white didn’t seem to notice.

On the road against a strong Bears team, the Cards looked like they were playing in Provost Umphrey Stadium, rather than the 45,000 seat McLane Stadium.

The Cards went three and out on the opening drive and the Bears immediately rumbled down for a touchdown. A noticeable uneasy feeling filled the room at my family’s house. Then, on Lamar’s second drive, they took the ball 87 yards to tie the game at seven. Our eyes began to open with excitement. Still though, we remained wary about getting too excited.

Baylor would score again in the first quarter, but would fail to convert the point after, making it 13-7.

After a fumble recovery, Lamar scored in the second quarter, turning the game in LU’s favor, 14-13. There was a surreal atmosphere as my family watched — we were winning, and I was sure the neighbors could hear our screams.

The game continued, and what at first appeared to be a defensive stop by Lamar, turned into a touchdown drive after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called — Baylor converted a two-point play to lead 21-14.

The Lamar Cardinals gather around head coach Ray Woodard following the Sept. 12 game against Baylor in Waco.

Eyes in the household bulged with rage. We were genuinely upset with the officials, because surely the referees were siding with the favored team. Still, our Cards trudged on as we looked on in fear, and at that point we were just happy to have two touchdowns.

A few drives later, Lamar had us on the edge of our seats, again.

An Xavier Bethany interception had us in disbelief, and for a moment we thought there would be a replay of the eventful 1981 game, when Lamar beat Baylor by a field goal. The Cards scored off the turnover, tying the game 21-21 with 3:51 remaining in the half, and a silence loomed over the stadium. I wasn’t the only one who was shocked — the entire McLane Stadium appeared to be. How could Lamar, a lowly FCS school, who was being paid more than

$350,000 to be sacrificial lambs, go into Waco and put up this kind of fight?

Alas, an LU victory was not meant to be. The Bears went on a scoring rampage, with Baylor’s Corey Coleman breaking the school record for receiving touchdowns in a game.

So, it wasn’t the miracle game that we all so desperately wanted, but it was a true display of team’s willingness to never give up. Baylor allowed more points to Lamar, than they had to SMU the previous week.

Before the game, Lamar head coach Ray Woodard said that Baylor had a lot more to lose than LU, and he was right. They’ve already moved one spot down in the polls, now sitting fifth in the nation.

I prefer to think of that as a testament to our team, rather

UP Wesley Williams

than Baylor’s.

But, back to the point. Our players shouldn’t be down about their performance. Competitors expect to perform well, it’s just in their nature, but for my family, the 1981 team and the rest of LU’s fans, expectations were, shall we say, realistic.

But the Cardinals blocked out the noise, played their kind of game and represented their school to the best of their abilities.

The team gave an effort that should make them as proud of themselves as we are of them.

Everyone loves winning, but that’s not what this game was about. It was about being proud that our school could be represent in the national spotlight.

No, it wasn’t a victory, but it was something.

Grant Crawford is UP sports editor