October 1, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Newspaper of Lamar University

Vol. 92, No. 4 October 1, 2015

LU celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Kara Timberlake UP staff writer In observation of Hispanic Heritage Month, Lamar University is hosting a variety of Hispanic culture events across campus through Nov. 4.

“Hispanic Heritage Month events are an effort to foster an inclusive environment that recognizes and celebrates the richness of Hispanic culture, and the contributions of Hispanics to American culture,” Cynthia Parra, office of diversity and inclusion assistant director, said.

“Another goal is to prepare students to thrive in a culturally di-

verse and global society.”

Parra said Hispanic Heritage Month will educate the Lamar campus about Hispanic culture, history and social issues.

Hispanic Heritage Month activities began Sept. 15 with a kickoff featuring a Tres Leches (three milks) cake-eating contest, Hispanic music and a trivia game that tested student knowledge of Hispanic culture and famous people.

“This event offered an opportunity for the Lamar University community to taste and hear Hispanic culture, as well as learn more about the contributions that Hispanics made,”

Parra said.

Sept. 15 marks the independence anniversary for five Latin American countries — Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared its independence on Sept. 16, and Chile on Sept. 18.

“National Hispanic Heritage Month had its origins in 1968 when Congress passed Pub. L. 90-498, which authorized and requested the president to issue an annual proclamation designating the week, including Sept.

15 and 16, as National Hispanic Heritage Week,” she said.

“President Lyndon Johnson is-

UP Grant Crawford

Students participate in Salsa Night, Sept. 23, in the Setzer Student Center Ballroom. The event was part of the Hispanic Heritage Month activities.

sued the first such proclamation, Presidential Proclamation 3869. In 2011, Lamar’s leader-

Casting for research

ship and development depart-

See HERITAGE page 4

Comm dept. grant equips students for ‘real world’ Trevier Gonzalez UP contributor

tion is not just found in the classroom, but something that continues one’s whole life.

“It is called lifelong learning,” he said.

“You are a student all your life, and I think we are successful in our education if we can teach students to be lifelong learners. Learning doesn’t stop when you step off campus.”

With the changing demands of the industry, Palanki said he is confident in the evolution of the engineering program.

“I think there is definitely going to be a more focused attention on research, because when Lamar started out, we were basically a teaching institution that served the local industry,” he said. “We have outgrown that role. We outgrew

Following a successful grant proposal with the city of Beaumont, Lamar University broadcasting and film students will be able to take advantage of a $263,219 grant that provides a professional, hands-on approach within the communication department. LUTV’s studio will also be receiving upgrades.

“We were part of writing a grant proposal to the city of Beaumont to request money for the studio,” Shenid Bhayroo, assistant professor in broadcasting, said.

“The city made us aware that they had money that they could possibly allocate to Lamar’s television facility in broadcast journalism, so we put together a strong proposal to request the money from the city, and the proposal was successful.”

O’Brien Stanley, chair in the communication department, said the new equipment will encourage advancement for students.

“With the grant, we’re getting more news-related software, a total of 30 cameras, and tripods, bags, lenses — everything to support more growth in all these areas,” he said. “And the city is fine with that, that’s what they want us to do.”

Bhayroo said that the grant will enable students access to better equipment.

“We are able to replace our aging equipment — particularly the cameras that we use to gather news in the field and the cameras that we use to teach with,” he said.

Clinton Rawls, broadcast programming manager for Channel 7, details the department’s acquisitions.

See PALANKI page 2

See LUTV page 6

UP Kyle Swearingen

Srinivas Palanki, dean of the College of Engineering, holds a full-size glass reproduction of his face that he cast during a material science class.

Dean Palanki promotes life-long learning Kyle Swearingen UP contributor Srinivas Palanki is not two faced, but the new College of Engineering dean sees his reflection every day.

A life-size glass reproduction of his face sits on the file cabinet in his office.

“I was teaching this class on material science,” he said. “One of the processes we do is casting. I had taken a glassblowing class, just for fun, and I had access to the glass shop. So, instead of doing a rectangular part we (did) a cast of my face. How often do you see that?

Everyone remembers the casting part.”

Palanki joined Lamar University in July, part of a wave of new administrators at the school.

“The president is relatively new, and

three of the five deans are new, and the provost is new,” he said. “So, I think this is an exciting time for Lamar University.

There is fresh thinking — new ideas — and there is a chance the new ideas will be implemented. This is a very unique opportunity.”

Palanki said he believes college should be about preparing students for the realities of the job market after graduation.

“Let’s say you work for Exxon Mobil — five years into the job, nobody will ask you if you are a chemical engineer or an electrical engineer,” he said. “The question they ask is, ‘What can you do? Can you run the refinery?’ If there is a skill you didn’t quite have in college, and you acquire that skill, then you are a successful engineer.”

Palanki said he believes that educa-

Abelman’s perspectives ‘Evolve into many’ Alumnus’ art show to open Saturday Brooke Stinebrickner UP contributor

“To Be or Not to Be American” by Maurice Abelman

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

In today’s world, there are many ways to express one’s self. Through graphic design and art, Maurice Abelman is able to creatively demonstrate his views on society.

“I usually do drawings about what surrounds me,” he said. “This is where I am trying to take my work — to create different types of meaning from the way we see things. I just think the reason why I am doing this, is trying to understand how we as American people can get to a certain point, a certain train of thought.

“All of these ideas that combine together, these perspectives, they combine together to form a greater whole. I don’t know if it is physically possible to

www.lamaruniversitypress.com

draw or paint a perfect reflection of society, but my ultimate goal is to try and achieve that somehow.”

The Lamar graduate will present “Evolve into Many,” a show of recent works, at The Art Studio Inc., Saturday through Oct. 23, with an opening reception at 7 p.m., Saturday.

This will be the San Diego native’s first solo show at The Studio. His works consist of graphic design, printmaking and woodblock carvings.

“This show is called ‘Evolve into Many,’ because it is a reflection of a lot of different aspects of the work where I am taking single prints and evolving into many different prints, many different concepts,” he said. “I started understanding that one perception of the See ABELMAN page 4

www.twitter.com/UPLamar

INSIDE

Thursday, October 1, 2015 University Press

PALANKI

QUOTE OF THE DAY Page 2

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”

— BB King

from page 1

that many years ago.”

Palanki is a native of India, although he said he has lived in the U.S. longer than he lived in his home country. He earned his doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan.

Palanki taught at the Florida State University before becoming chair of the department of chemical and biomechanical engineering at the University of South Alabama.

In his career, Palanki has submitted almost 50 proposals, which have garnered more than $3.9 million in funding. He has published more than 60 journal articles and book chapters.

Although he is committed to his new job, Palanki likes to relax, especially watching football, saying that football is an integral part of college life in the U.S. “It’s very interesting — you go in as an academic, but football is such a big part of the culture,” he said. “There is a certain pageantry that goes with the sport. The game is important and people will go to see the game.”

When he is not watching football, Palanki, his wife and two children enjoy traveling.

“My kids have been to 18 or 19 countries and I have been to 35,” he said. “We try to travel at least once a year.”

Even when Palanki is traveling, the en-

‘I think we are successful in our education if we can teach students to be lifelong learners.’

— College of Engineering Dean Srinivas Palanki gineer inside him is still very much present.

“We were in Iceland a couple of years ago,” he said. “Iceland has a lot of geothermic energy. From an engineering point of view it is very interesting.”

Palanki said he will emphasize research and quality within the college.

“I’ve been in academia 25 years, and what I have seen is that the best teachers are also the best researchers,” he said.

“You cannot diverge the two. You can’t say that, ‘I teach well so I don’t need to do research.’”

Though education and quality are the most important factors, Palanki said engineers also have a social responsibility.

“There is a component of service that

is not necessarily obvious,” he said. “At the end of the day, we do things that make society better. We produce things that make people’s lives more comfortable. A lot of the times, the community doesn’t see it that way, and sometimes the students don’t see it that way.”

Palanki said engineers are pivotal to society as a whole.

“Anything that you can think of that you do in daily life, an engineer has touched it somewhere,” he said. “The food you eat, the clothes you wear, the automobile you use to get to work — an engineer has touched it somewhere down the pipeline.”

Palanki said that study of the humanities is important in society and in engineering.

“Art is an important part of education,” he said. “Think of Apple, there is a certain aesthetic. You can make a computer that just looks like a box, but it is unattractive. I think there is a merger of the science and the arts that people don’t think about.”

Palanki said he introduces the arts as a way to better his students’ education.

Lamar’s budding engineers will find their new dean expanding their horizons from the classroom to the humanities.

And all the while, the glass face watches over his progress.

Russ A. Schultz Innovation Fund established

A new fund honoring Russ Schultz’s leadership as dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication has been established through the Lamar University Foundation.

Alumna Sandra Clark established the Dr. Russ A. Schultz Innovation Fund in Fine Arts, which will support the areas of music, theatre, dance and visual arts. It will allow funding for scholarships, professional development activities and new programs, or enhancement of existing programs.

“This fund, with its flexi-

bility, will allow the college to plan for future professional development activities and programs with confidence,” said Derina Holtzhausen, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication. “It will help us to expand learning opportunities for students and add to faculty members’ academic credentials.”

Schultz retired as dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication in May after serving at LU for 16 years.

An active member of LU’s Friends of the Arts, Clark is

an accomplished and wellknown lawyer in the Beaumont area with Mehaffy Weber PC. “Russ Schultz loves Lamar University and the College of Fine Arts and Communication which he led,” said Clark.

“He deserves to be recognized for his creativity and spirit. An ‘Innovation Fund for the Fine Arts’ is an enthusiastic name that looks forward with optimism for a college which should be the soul of a university.”

During his 24-year career as a music administrator,

Schultz was active in the accreditation process of the National Association of Schools of Music. While in Beaumont, he served on the boards of the Symphony of Southeast Texas, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Young Audiences of Southeast Texas, Leadership Southeast Texas and the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce.

For more information about establishing an endowment to benefit Lamar, contact the Lamar University Foundation at 880-2117.

NOTICE

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

CALENDER October 1

Volleyball vs. McNeese State

McDonald gym 7 p.m.

October 2

Soccer vs. SFA

Soccer complex 7 p.m.

October 3

Texas STEM Conference

Setzer Student Center 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities Open House

University Reception Center, 8th Floor, Gray Library 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

October 4

Soccer vs. Sam Houston State

Soccer complex 1 p.m.

October 5

Last day for grad students to apply/pay for December graduation

October 8

John Alexander painting studio dedication

Art building 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Cardinal Jazz Orchestra Concert

Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30 - 9 p.m.

October 9-10

LU Parent and Family Weekend

October 14

Academic Lecture Series: Jay Keasling

University Theatre 7 - 9 p.m

3

OPINION

UNIVERSITY PRESS October 1 2015

From rejected to rejoicing Beck Fellow’s summer to remember

They say life is what happens when you are busy making plans. They are right.

When I was awarded the 2015 Beck Fellowship last fall, I found myself fixed in a reverie of shock and excitement. Hours of preparing my application and stressing over interview preparations had paid off. I was headed to London where I would be an editorial intern at a book publishing company for the summer. My dreams were coming true.

I thought I was on my way to success. However, I was really on my way to disappointment.

No emails came. My phone didn’t ring. The book publishing company hadn’t contacted me; therefore, the summer I pictured would be a lot less British.

My hopes of having an English adventure had died before even truly beginning.

I felt like a complete failure.

All of my efforts to secure my intended Beck project were smashed to smithereens, and I was left desperately clinging onto the life jacket that was my second option: Washington D.C. I channeled my panic and

Commentary

Kara Timberlake UPstaff writer

frenzy into the application process for my back-up plan. As time went on, I put my disillusionment on the back burner and prayed that good news would find me and find me soon.

Weeks later, seeing the word “Congratulations” spring forth from my computer screen, hope fluttered back into my spirit. I had a plan, albeit not the plan I originally wished for. I was headed to D.C., a place quite different from London.

However, I made myself promise that I wouldn’t be ungrateful for whatever spilled forth that summer. I would make the best of it. I would make it the best summer yet.

And it was.

If I had not gone to D.C., I would not have taken a class taught by Richard Benedetto, a retired White House correspondent and columnist for “USA Today.” His insight challenged the way I viewed relations between politics and the press, and his advice inspired who I want to be as a potential reporter. I would not have taken Economics for the Citizen, a class that made me realize how very little I knew about the world I lived in, and challenged me to be an engaging consumer of knowledge.

If I had not gone to D.C., I would not have served as an editorial intern for The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a place where passion and character rule. I researched, wrote blog content, sat in meetings, observed office culture and, most importantly — listened. I explored new perspectives, learned storytelling techniques and gained real-life experience.

So far this season, Lamar football has given us something to cheer about. After an overwhelming win at home against Bacone College, the team headed to Waco and gave fans something to get excited about as they put up 31 points against Baylor, at the time ranked fourth in the nation.

The team followed that performance up with its first away win over Sam Houston State since 1959.

After an off week, LU football returns to action tonight at Southeastern Louisiana. With all these away games, it will be a little over a month since the team played at home when it returns to Provost Umphrey Stadium, Oct. 10, against Abilene Christian.

Although it will be nice to have football return home, fans have plenty to cheer for this weekend.

It is easy to overlook some of LU’s other athletic programs. However, these teams deserve just as much support.

Volleyball, soccer, cross-country, tennis and golf are also competing.

The Lady Cards volleyball and soccer teams have plenty of home games, and they need your support.

The Lady Cards volleyball team is 6-0 at home this season, so there should be plenty to cheer about. They play in McDonald Gym tonight at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m. — go show your support.

LU soccer is 4-1 at home for the season. They too are at home this weekend, as they face Stephen F. Austin, Saturday, at 7 p.m.

Don’t just cheer on the big teams. Take the time to show your support for the teams that get less publicity.

You might be surprised how much they give you to be proud of.

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, ............................Brooke Stinebrickner Advertising..........................Melissa Conley Office Manager..............Jac’Quor Williams

I picked the brains of successful professionals, asking them how they got to their current positions as well as what inspired them to pick their vocations.

The advice I received was thought provoking and personal, nuggets of wisdom stored away for a lifetime.

If I had not gone to D.C., I would not have encountered once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as visiting the British Embassy, watching a live taping of “Meet the Press” or casually eating pizza with former “CBS Evening News” anchor Thalia Assuras.

If I had not gone to D.C., I would not have jogged past the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the White House on my evening runs.

If I had not gone to D.C., I

would have missed out on the best part of the journey — the relationships I made.

Without these friends, this experience would have just been a long list of activities to place on a résumé. The people I met challenged any stereotypes or preconceived notions I had established. We talked religion, politics, culture, art and food.

We endured downpours, usually without aid of an umbrella.

We sang karaoke in our dorm and laughed until we were shushed from someone on our floor.

Between us, we were distant dots on a map, ranging from Connecticut to Costa Rica to the Congo, from Shanghai to Singapore, and from Texas (as well as our neighbor Louisiana) to Taiwan. At any moment in time, someone listening in to our

group would hear at least three languages being spoken.

As I got to know these strangers, I got to know myself.

We navigated D.C., literally and figuratively, together. We consumed a sickening amount of shakes and hamburgers, a D.C. specialty combo. In eight short weeks we became family.

When I think about my experiences in our nation’s capital, certain faces pop into my head.

These are the characters who will always be a part of my best adventure yet.

Looking back, London was the only option I thought mattered. As it turns out, my disappointed dreams gave birth to a joyful journey. I’m glad life had another plan in mind.

Kara Timberlake is a UP Staff Writer

Dare to decide

UPeditorial Support all LU athletic teams

From the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol to “Meet the Press,” Kara Timberlake made the most of her Beck Fellowship in Washington D.C.

Post-college choices don’t need to be final It feels like yesterday that I started my college career as a 17-year-old freshman. In reality, that was more than six years ago, and I’m about to graduate with my master’s degree.

Wow! People aren’t lying when they say times flies.

When I was about to finish my undergraduate degree in the spring of 2013, I felt completely lost. I had no idea what to do next. Should I stay in school? Should I look for a job?

And if it was time to throw myself into the so-called ‘real world’ where would I go? Should I stay in America, go back to my country of birth — Belgium — or go yet somewhere else?

I was ready for a change, but wasn’t 100 percent sure I was ready to be done with school.

I talked to professors, family

Commentary

Lauren Van Gerven UPeditor

Letters Policy

members and friends. People gave me advice, but it was clear that it was me who had to make the final decision.

One of my old professors told me, “Make a decision. It doesn’t matter if it’s the right one or not, as long as you make a choice and stand behind it.”

I’m not sure I fully understood what he meant by that at the time, but looking back, it makes perfect sense.

I eventually decided to leave the States after graduation. I moved to Indonesia, where I worked for six months before deciding that I wanted to go back to school.

One could argue that I made the wrong decision leaving in the first place, and that I lost half a year of my life. But, I made a decision, stood by it and experienced things I would have never experienced if I had stayed in Texas.

I learned to live in a different culture, and now truly appreciate the value of highways.

So now, two years later, I find myself in the same situation.

Where will I be living in three months? Should I stay in America, or try to make my way somewhere else?

What job do I see myself doing?

There are still many questions that I am uncertain about, and who knows if I will make the right choice straight away. But that’s okay, nobody gets everything right on the first try, and there is no such thing as losing time

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.

when it comes to making major decisions, whatever path one decides to take.

There will always be experiences, lessons to be learned, and people to be met that would not have happened if one had decided to take a different path.

Although I haven’t figured everything out just yet, I know one thing for sure — this time I do feel 100 percent ready to be done with school.

Unless in a few years time, I suddenly feel like pursuing a doctorate.

Who knows?

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

Page 4

Thursday, October 1, 2015 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Council aims to grow LU spirit, tradition Joshua Aych UP contributor Students may have noticed lately one of the most historical statues on campus donned with Lamar gear prior to the Cardinal football season opener. This hasn’t been an elaborate prank, but a tradition that is being reborn on campus.

The Jack Brooks statue had on a red “Go Big Red” T-shirt, wielding a foam finger over his right hand that usually holds his signature cigar, and a party hat with the phrase, “Beat the Oink out of Bacone.” It was decked out by the Spirits and Traditions Council.

“For the Jack Brooks statue we talked to the marketing department.” William Hill, council president, said. “’Hey y’all are doing the Red Rush, we found out that they used to dress up Jack Brooks as tradition.’”

Council members approached Vicki McNeil, and Congressman Brooks’ family about their plans “They were like, ‘Yeah, we

love that, we have fond memories of that,’ Hill said. “They love dressing up Jack Brooks.

So we were able to get that going. So basically we found the theme with the ‘Beat the Oink out of Bacone,’ then we were able to transfer that into the tailgate for New Student Leadership and Lamar Alive! and Residence Life.”

The Spirits and Traditions Council’s purpose is to keep past and present campus traditions alive.

The council comprises two separate committees.

“The Traditions Committee is in charge of researching old traditions Lamar has had and new traditions that we want to implement,” vice president Brian Stafford said. “They just do all the research, vote on it, see if it’s what would increase Lamar as a university and as a community, and bring it to the Spirits committee. They are the ones who implement it.”

The council was started two years ago, but hasn’t been active until this year.

“A lot of other schools have

‘If we start working together, there’s no telling how awesome this school will be.’

— William Hill Spirits and Traditions Council president

a something spirit or something tradition,” Hill said. “We didn’t have that. And there was no official organization that was preserving all our traditions that were going on.”

Hill said the council works directly with the administration — the president’s office — with student activities, with Lamar Alive!, with the Student Government Association, and with the department of New Student

and Leadership Programs.

The organization is open to any student who would like to join, Hill said. The council is made up of representatives from larger organizations. Only the representatives can vote or be on the committee.

Hill has a vision for what he would like to see happen.

“The amount of spirit and traditions at my old school were unbelievable,” Hill said.

“They date back so many years it made everyone tighter knit,” We felt like we’re a good community but having those traditions and little spirit things, tie us together as one.”

Hill said that traditions give students camaraderie. Much like Texas A&M’s “Gig’em” and Alabama’s “Roll Tide,” are unique to those universities, Hill hopes Lamar will soon have its own chants.

“If we start working together there’s no telling how awesome this school will be,” He said. “I want to leave a lasting legacy of excellence.”

Hill said he remembers when he first got to Lamar that

he was told not to expect a lot of spirit. He wants to change that mentality.

“When I first got here, people we’re like, ‘Oh, it’s Lamar.

Don’t expect that much of it,’ he said. “But then I want them to come from that attitude to, ‘No, this is Lamar. We do things right. We do things this way.

We do things the best way.’

“I want to see that shift in mentality, which I’ve already seen with the freshman.”

Students interested in joining the Spirits and Traditions Council can email Hill at williamhilllu@gmail.com, or see him after SGA meetings, held the second Tuesday of every month in 210 Setzer Student Center at 2:30 p.m.

“We can play a direct part in making a huge impact at Lamar right now,” Hill said. “We’re in that turning point. I want everyone to be proud that they went to Lamar — deep down proud — like someone’s proud that they are part of their family.

“I want that kind of pride coming from Lamar students.”

ABELMAN from page 1

UP Brooke Stinebrickner

Maurice Abelman works on an image for his show, “Evolve into Many,” which opens Saturday at The Art Studio, Inc. “This piece is actually meant to be shown by itself, but combined with all of these worshipers it adds a new level to it,” he said. “This piece was originally called ‘Buddha Realized’ and it was based on the western introduction of all these different Americanized fast food restaurants in the eastern culture and how that influence is affecting these cultures and our own American lifestyle.”

HERITAGE

world is only one point of view. If you have multiple points of view, you start seeing the world in a lot of different ways. That is where the concept of ‘Evolve into Many’ (came from), where one idea or one person can evolve into a whole society.”

Abelman prints multiple versions of smaller images, which he collages to create large pieces. In this way, he combines older images from his files with new ones. This gives each image new meaning, according to its placement and combination with other images.

“With printmaking, one has the ability, where if you want more than one of that piece, you can print more,” he said. “What I will do is introduce new concepts and combine those with older concepts to create new pieces.”

Each of the images have strong meanings of their own, Abelman said, adding that he is interested in seeing what happens when he combines multiple in-depth meanings together.

“It creates more complex pieces in a different way than you would normally approach it, rather than creating a piece from the ground up,” he said. “Since I am recycling old images — imagery and old concepts — they become new again. Combined with my view of what is happening in the world (it) is exactly a reflection of society. That is what happens, old ideas become new again. That is how my work progresses.”

Abelman, who earned his MFA in printmaking from Lamar in May 2014, said that when he was younger, he had a different point of view about the world and his work showed that.

“I am older now,” the 35-year-old said. “A lot of my work has changed. Instead of pointing out all of these flaws, I am trying to understand how I can use this work to actually bring people together. That is the kind of direction I want to go in.”

Each piece takes a different approach, Abelman said.

“Sometimes in my work I play an adversary and sometimes I play the devil advocate,” he said. “It is just seeing things from multiple points of view that I feel is very important. Also, being open enough to say, ‘OK, I can respect this point of view without all of the hate you see in the world.’”

With his art and designs, Abelman said he is trying to show the importance of those

views and hopes it will inspire others. “(I want to) make people think outside of themselves,” he said. “To make people think it is OK to be an individual, but at the same time, you live within the community — with a group of people.”

As recently as few months ago, Abelman said he was not sure how to move forward with his work.

“I kind of was at a wall — I didn’t know where to take my work, what to do with it,” he said.

Then he was invited to conduct some workshops at a printmaking festival in Estonia. He had the students work on individual blocks, which were then combined to make large murals.

“I started understanding, through them, that my point of view is only limited through one perception,” he said. “(When) a lot of people come together, that is even a more accurate representation on the diversity of society and how we come together to make our community.”

Each of the artistic styles in which he works complements the others, Abelman said.

“The wood techniques, I get to work with my hands,” he said. “I physically get to carve into this primal material of wood. There is this connection, there is this more of a hands-on connection within the work.

“When designing on the computer, you are looking into this giant light bulb, so there is this disconnect — but then there is not the physical wear and tear. Physically, there is a difference, but mentally or conceptually I take the same approach on a lot of things I do. I still have physical balance, formal quality, negative space, contrast and all of those different things.”

Abelman hopes visitors to the show will see something they have not seen before or see work they have seen before but from a different point of view.

“I hope they gain some level of understanding and entertainment of the work that I do,” he said. “I am hoping that I can challenge people about their way of thinking.

“If I can shake them up a little bit, just a little, their train of thinking — then I will say it is a good show.”

The Art Studio is located at 720 Franklin in downtown Beaumont.

For more information, visit www.artstu dio.org.

from page 1

ment began monthly diversity celebrations, including Hispanic Heritage Month.”

The Hispanic Heritage Month 2015 planning committee, a collaboration of nine of Lamar’s different educational, professional and cultural societies, has organized the month’s activities.

“Student organizations from diversity or multicultural groups are invited to celebration month planning meetings,” Parra said.

Parra said the next event scheduled is “Día de los Muertos Alteras” (Day of the Dead Altars), spanning Oct. 25Nov. 4. “‘Día de Muertos’ will educate students about a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the central and south regions, as well as acknowledged around the world in other cultures,” she said. “The holiday focuses on family and friends gathering to pray for, remember and support the spiritual journey of loved ones who have died.”

Hispanic Student Association president Arturo Moreno said “Día de los Muertos Alteras” is Halloween for the Hispanic community.

“The Day of the Dead Altars give people an opportunity to respect and pay tribute to those who have passed away,” he said. “You place the person’s favorite dish on the altar and leave memorabilia. It’s more about celebrating the life of the person who has died.”

Moreno said he thinks it is important that Lamar celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

“Lamar is a diverse campus that represents many cultures,” he said.

“Hispanic Heritage Month allows me to keep my culture alive and give others a taste. It’s been great to see people enjoying and learning about the different aspects of the Spanish culture.”

There has been a great response to the Hispanic Heritage Month events, Parra said.

“Students are already asking when we will be having salsa night again,” she said. “There were over 100 students in attendance from various cultures at our salsa night on Sept. 23, a collaborative effort between Phi Iota Alpha and Lamar Alive! Many students were exposed for the first time to this dance form and salsa music.”

Parra said she hopes students and faculty will take away a sense of community from the experience.

“The mission of the office of diversity and inclusion, in collaboration with students, faculty, staff and administration, is to plan and implement programs and projects that build a community that values and respects the differences and commonalities that each and every individual brings to Lamar,” she said.

For a full schedule, visit http:// lamar.orgsync.com/org/multicultural/hispanicheritage or call LU’s office of diversity and inclusion at 880-8216.

UP Natalie Avery

Students dance during the Salsa Night, Sept. 23, that was part of the Hispanic Heritage month events.

UNIVERSITY PRESS • Thursday, October 1, 2015

Page 5

91.3 KVLU radio launches ‘Listen at the Dishman’ The Dishman Art Museum and 91.3 KVLU Public Radio announce the launch of a new initiative titled “Listen at the Dishman.”

The music of 91.3 will be featured in the museum galleries each and every weekday.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with the Dishman in this way,” says KVLU development director Shannon Harris. “Our hope is to bring attention to the station as well as the museum with a multi-sensory experience for the public. “‘Listen at the Dishman’ is an extension of a broader awareness campaign for 91.3 KVLU featuring the message ‘Listen…Learn…Like.’”

“Listen at the Dishman” will launch Friday with two free listening parties at the Dishman Art Museum: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for “Classical Mornings” and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for “Eclectic Afternoons.”

Light refreshments will be provided at both times.

The Dishman Art Museum is located on the campus of Lamar University at 1030 E Lavaca St in Beaumont.

KVLU offers a wide selection of locally produced music programs featuring classical, jazz, alternative, and

ambient genres, and much more.

Classical morning program offerings include ‘Musicale’ hosted by Joe Elwell, which airs Monday through Thursday at 9 a.m. and “Dugan on Classics” hosted by Al Dugan which airs Friday mornings at 9 a.m.

Eclectic afternoon programs begin at 2 p.m. with the alternative mixtape ‘Needledrop’ hosted by Jason Miller and Troy Harper, followed at 3 p.m. by the soothing sounds of ‘The Quiet Hour’ hosted by Elizabeth French and Jason Miller.

91.3 KVLU is the sole public radio station for the Southeast Texas area, offering a diverse mix of news, talk and music programming. KVLU is a National Public Radio and American Public Media affiliate in its 41st year of broadcasting and is licensed to Lamar University with studios on the main campus.

For more information, including event details, program offerings and ways to connect with 91.3 please visit kvlu.org.

For more information about the Dishman Art Museum, including featured exhibitions, visit: fineartscomm.lamar.edu/dishman-artmuseum, or call Shannon Harris at 880-8165

Passion for justice For Judge Crenshaw, law, teaching is life’s calling Sarah Sanders UP contributor For some people, a job is just that, a job. For Cory Crenshaw, his career is a calling.

An incident that he witnessed happen to his grandmother when he was a teenager instilled in him a sense of justice and the need to have things done right.

“I remember telling my mentor, ‘How could this happen?,’ and ‘What can I do?’ He told me, ‘Son, go to law school, become a lawyer and stand up for people that cannot stand up for themselves.’ Well, here I am. As a prosecutor, I spent nearly a decade standing up for victims of crime to ensure that justice was served in a fair manner,” Crenshaw said.

Although the situation with his grandmother was about a car deal, Crenshaw said that it’s important to him to see people treated fairly.

Crenshaw said that his belief in fairness has crossed over into his new role as judge.

“I always thought as a prosecutor that I had both the knowledge of criminal law, street smarts, and personal life experiences to separate the bad guys from the folks that simply have a bad night,” he said. “I am a firm believer in second chances because we all need them at many times in our life.

“Both as a prosecutor, and now as a criminal court judge, I hope that the decisions I make in punishing those who need to be locked up to protect society are appropriately deterred and those that I give a break and put on probation are rehabilitated and go on to live positive and productive lives.”

While Crenshaw never had the role of being a judge specifically in mind, he said he gladly accepted the responsibility to continue to serve his community.

“The opportunity came along and I decided it was best for me and the citizens I serve,” he said.

Crenshaw says that his decision to go into teaching was rooted in his own experiences as an undergraduate and as a law

student.

“From Dr. Jeff Hamilton at Baylor who taught me history as he guided me and my friends through a semester in Europe to my good friends Susan Fortney and Brian Shannon at Texas Tech School of Law, who both inspired me to be the lawyer that I am today. Looking back over my life, I want to provide those same positive experiences and relationships to others and being an instructor and teaching provides one great opportunity to do that,” he said.

Crenshaw said that the high regard with which he holds education and educators has even influenced his legal career.

“My admiration and respect for teachers is one of the many reasons I felt compelled as District Attorney to intervene when I saw hundreds of hardworking teachers’ livelihoods on the chopping block due to the gross mismanagement of the former Beaumont Independent School District Board,” he said.

During nearly a decade of experience in criminal law, Crenshaw said he successfully tried over 60 felony jury trials and practiced in state and federal courts in College Station, McAllen, Houston, Galveston and Beaumont. He said he feels that the insight that he gained from this experience benefits his course.

“In addition to significant courtroom experience, I have management experience over the past 18 months in running the District Attorney’s Office and managing a busy criminal court docket,” Crenshaw said. “From prosecuting college kids for selling dope in a college town to handling significant drug trafficking cases against the Mexican cartels as a federal prosecutor, I have some very unique and interesting experiences. I try to bring all of those experiences into the classroom when I teach ‘Drugs and Society.’”

Crenshaw said he is not only experienced with the real-world situations discussed in class, but enthusiastic about the importance of the study of criminal jus-

Judge Cory Crenshaw tice.

“We live in a fascinating time as we see several states start their own unique plans to reform drug laws and create programs that focus more on rehabilitation and less on incarceration,” he said.

“We as a society have shifted from ‘The War on Drugs’ approach we saw in the 1980s to a more ‘Smart on Crime’ era that is ripe for study and debate.”

When he’s not in the classroom or the courtroom, family, friends, and fun occupy Crenshaw’s life. He enjoys traveling, fly-fishing, bird hunting, going to the beach, college football, and Major League Baseball.

All of these, he said, are great ways to spend time with those he loves.

“My time away from work is completely dedicated to my family and friends . The Lord has blessed me with very loving and supportive relationships that I cherish and truly work to maintain and grow,” Crenshaw said.

“My cousins, Gina and Colby, recently allowed me the honor of being a godparent to their beautiful daughter Mary Virginia, and she has brought nothing but pure joy to my life.”

Although he is a man who

wears many hats, Crenshaw said that he aims for the same goal in each area of his life.

“My aspiration in life is to leave this world better than I found it,” he said. “I strive through my career and my personal relationships to be the friend that I want others to be to me and make my mark in the legal community by being a positive force. I pray I have done that in the past and promise I will continue to do so in the future.”

Crenshaw attributes part of his success to his passion for justice.

“A wise person once said, ‘Do what you love,” he said. “Well, I love being a lawyer and especially loved my nearly decade long service as a prosecutor. I’ve been both a state and federal prosecutor my entire professional career until I was appointed judge this summer.

“Last year was a truly amazing and rewarding experience in leading the community that I care deeply about as its District Attorney.”

He recently joined the new Criminal Justice Advisory Board at the Lamar College of Arts and Sciences, Criminal Justice Division. The new Criminal Justice Advisory Board will help faculty

UP Sarah Sanders

network with criminal justice agencies in the area.

Eric Bronson, head of the Lamar Criminal Justice Division, said that Crenshaw is a wonderful asset to both the university and the new board.

“His experiences as an attorney and judge lend a unique opportunity for Lamar University and our students,” he said.

“Looking around at other criminal justice programs throughout the country, students rarely get the opportunity to be exposed to judges, and even less likely to have one as their instructor. The faculty are excited that Judge Crenshaw will assist in the leadership of the board and our future.”

Crenshaw has advice for students considering their own careers.

“While there is no substitute for hard work, let me assure you that when you have passion in your profession, it shines through and makes your job not really seem like ‘a job,’” he said. “I encourage everyone to look deep within themselves and determine what it is in life that they are passionate about and turn that into a profession that they can grow and be successful.”

Page 6

Thursday, October 1, 2015 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Mahmoud Salimi, assistant professor of film and production, assists student Johnny Lively during a film production class, Tuesday. LUTV and the film and broadcast department received a $263,219 grant to purchase new equipment.

UP Trevier Gonzalez

UP photo by Trevier Gonzalez

LUTV

from page 1

“The studio alone is getting $120,000 of equipment,” he said. “It is getting a new broadcast switcher, a new graphics package which will do 2D and 3D graphics, a new encoder, microphones, lights — we’re really trying to get the whole package.”

Bhayroo said that this new equipment brings the department to the point of which they can produce more quality content.

“It permits us to start producing better, quality stories and, hopefully, in the near future, with a little bit of resources, we can actually do more regular content productions,” he said.

Bhayroo said the equipment brings LUTV up to what one would find in a professional newsroom in a small television market.

“It brings us closer to industry standard, and that’s really going to help our students make transitions from the university out into the real world,” he said.

Gordon Williams, LUTV studio operations manager, said the grant will help prepare students for the job market.

“The company that we’re getting the equipment from, they provide equipment for a lot of major networks and larger market TV stations,” he said. “When (students) leave here, they can walk into their room and then say, ‘I’m familiar with this.’”

For more information, call the communication department at 880-8153, or LUTV at 880-8038.

Channel 7 looks to expand content Trevier Gonzalez UP contributor Clinton Rawls is hard at work on revising Channel 7, Lamar’s television network, to provide more content and more variety within the programming.

Rawls, broadcast programming manager for Channel 7, said the network is seeking student films and documentaries, as well as news packages that will tell a variety of stories.

“I want the channel to be something different all the time,” he said “We’ll have better, more diversified programming that comes from the students.

“The more equipment we have, the more students have the opportunity to tell their stories — to tell the stories they want to say and get their voices heard. That is, to me, the ultimate in diversity.”

The communication department is receiving 30 cameras from a grant from the

City of Beaumont.

“Intro to Broadcasting students (will) actually have shoulder-mounted, news photographer-style cameras to help them make their stories and train on,” Rawls said. “It will just help them tell better, more visual stories.”

Rawls said these tools will help develop students’ skills.

“The better equipped the students are, and the better work they’re making, the better the programming is on Channel 7,” he said. “And that, to me, is making better students who are more knowledgeable.”

Rawls said the equipment will assist students become professionals.

“It’s not just that having better equipment helps us tell better stories,” he said. “It does — but it’s also going to allow us to allow more students to develop themselves as artists, journalists, filmmakers and broadcasters.”

For more information about Channel 7, call 880-7624, or email jamesclinton rawls@gmail.com.

7

SPORTS

UNIVERSITY PRESS October 1, 2015

Cards aiming for Top 25

UP photo by Grant Crawford

The Lamar University Cardinals practice ahead of tonight’s Southland Conference matchup with 19th-ranked Southeastern Louisiana.

Lamar football travels to play No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana tonight Grant Crawford UP sports editor @GrantLamarUP The Lamar football team will face off against Southeastern Louisiana tonight, in Hammond, La., with a chance to break into the top 25 in the nation.

The Cards (2-1) are currently sitting just outside of the top 25 teams in the FCS polls.

Head coach Ray Woodard said he enjoys the recognition, but understands there is a long season still to go.

“That’s where you want to get your program — in the top 25, but in order to do that, we’ve got to keep winning,” he said. “If we don’t, then we’ll fall out of it.

We understand that we still have a lot of work to do to gain the respect of the nation and the conference.”

Southeastern currently sits at 22 in the FCS polls. A Lamar victory would likely put the team within the top rankings, which would be the first time since the

school restarted the program.

“I think the talk is just because we did well against Baylor, and then we beat the No. 3 team (Sam Houston) in the nation — but this is conference play, anything can happen,” junior running back Kade Harrington said. “Anything goes. We’ve got to go out and prepare like they’re the No. 1 team, no matter what they are.”

After their 49-46 victory against SHSU, Woodard said that the team will have a huge challenge this week.

“This was going to be a big game anyway,” he said. “Obviously with the win over Sam Houston, I think it’s made it bigger. We knew it was going to be challenging — starting conference play on the road against the two favorites, but what a great opportunity we have to go up 2-0 (in SLC).”

Lamar has had plenty of time to prepare, coming off of their bye week, and were able to get the team healthy before

their match against the Lions.

“It’s easier on our legs during the week,” Harrington said. “We had a couple guys nicked up, that we’ll be able to get back for Southeastern.”

Woodard said one player the Cards are

Harrington honored Junior running back Kade Harrington has garnered more weekly awards on the back of his 230 rushing yards for two touchdowns, and 83 yards receiving with another touchdown against Sam Houston State, Sept. 19.

He was named the American Sports Network’s FCS National Player of the Week, Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the second-straight week, and STATS FCS National CoOffensive Player of the Week.

ready to have back, is junior defensive lineman Omar Tebo.

“With the time off, we thought the best thing to do was to get him ready for conference play,” Woodard said. “He’s going to play his rear end off Thursday night.

It’ll be good to have him back.”

In order to win, Woodard said the team will have to be ready to stop SLU’s line, starting with their standout defensive lineman, senior Ashton Henderson.

“They’re really good up front,” Woodard said. “They lost a couple guys up front, and still Ohio only had 10 yards rushing at half time (last week). That’s one problem we had last year. We played with them for a while, but they just kept rolling guys in.”

The game will be televised by American Sports Network. Beaumont’s KBTV’s Bounce TV will have the game on channel 4.2.

Those with Time Warner, DirectTV and Dish can catch the game on channels 1248, 681 and 413, respectively.

Kickoff is at 6 p.m.

Lady Cards volleyball falls in SLC opener Coty Davis UP contributor The Lady Cardinal volleyball team lost their Southland Conference season opener to Sam Houston State, 3-1, Friday, at Johnson Coliseum Center in Huntsville.

“It’s always tough to play on the road,” head coach Allen Edwards said. “I do not feel that we showed up ready to play aggressive and attack our opponent. If you fail to show up and play aggressively, then you will lose matches.”

The Lady Cardinals (10-5, 0-1

Southland Conference) were able to gain an early 11-7 lead in the first set.

After a timeout, the Bearkats took a 13-12 lead and won the first set 25-19. Even though Lamar tied the match with a 5-19 win in the second set, Edwards did not think they played well.

“I thought offensively we were okay, but we do not force the issue,” he said. “Until we learn how to do to that, we are (only) going to be as good as we are now.”

If the first two sets were bad enough for the Lady Cardinals,

then the third set was a nightmare.

With a chance to go up 2-1 in the match, LU was up 21-19 on the verge of another set. However, the Bearkats had went on a 6-1 run with five kills, to win the set 22-25.

Edwards said the players did a poor job of responding to adversity, and the effects of the third set carried into the fourth set.

The Lady Cardinals had no answer for the Bearkats, losing the fourth set 25-10.

“It’s tough to start the conference season 0-1,” Edwards said.

“Heading into this match, I felt

that we were more gifted and athletic than they were, but Sam just put it on us and we did not respond. Friday was a huge step back.”

The Lady Cardinals struggled on the defensive end. During the third set, LU allowed Sam Houston a hitting percentage of .412 percent. During the fourth set, the Lady Cardinals allowed the Bearkats to average a .321 hitting percentage and 13 kills.

“We have to do our job on the defensive end of the court,” Edwards said. “We were out of position on defense. We did not make

good moves, nor make good plays on the ball. However, it is not just a defense issue — we were not aggressive at all.”

Middle blocker Cortney Moore led the team with 14 kills, along with a hitting percentage of .324.

The Lady Cardinals’ other middle blocker Chelsea Grant had a match high five blocks.

The Lady Cardinals will return to McDonald Gym this weekend where they are undefeated. LU will play back-to-back conference games against McNeese State today, and Nicholls State on Saturday.

Cross country earns top-10 finishes at Texas A&M Ryan Hobbs UP contributor Lamar University’s cross country teams competed at the Texas A&M Invitational, Saturday, in College Station.

Verity Ockenden finished third in the women’s event and Iliass Aouani finished to in fourth in the men’s race to lead the teams to top-10 finishes. The women placed seventh and the men placed sixth in the 16-team fields.

“Saturday went really well,” Ockenden said. “We executed the races exactly as we intended to.”

Coach Tony Houchin said that he was satisfied with the team’s performance.

“For what we were trying to do at this stage of the season, the

competition went really well,” he said.

Houchin said the runners performed well as a team.

“Cross country is seemingly an individual sport, so what I try to do is try to bring a team dynamic to the process,” he said. “I thought we did a good job with that. “(We ran as a pack) early and closed late. You want to set the race up so you can finish aggressively, and I think we did a good job with doing that.”

Houchin said the majority of the team is new this year, including several international students.

“We have got lots of new team members and they are running really well,” Ockenden said.

“Using that bond to work as a team in races is working really

Iliass Aouani (255) leads the Cardinals at the Texas A&M Invitational, Saturday. well for us.

“I think we’ll enjoy the cultural differences that we have. It’s interesting and it provides some humorous moments which helps us bring the team together.”

Houchin said he expects the new team members to contribute.

“Hopefully, people will work their way to a position that will

help us do what it is what we need to do by the end of the season,” he said. “The newcomers were brought in for a reason and I think they are going to help out for sure” On the men’s side, Alex Dunbar was just two seconds shy of a career best, finishing in 12th place. He said the team is looking

to peak by the end of the season.

“The Southland Conference Championship is something that is a big gold star on the calendar from day one,” he said.

Houchin said the upcoming events are all to prepare the team for tough competition at the end of the season.

“We also got the NCAA South Regional Championships, so those are going to be key competitions,” he said. “In three weeks, we are going to go to Wisconsin to compete, and get a good look at national caliber competition and see where we stack up.”

The teams will next compete in the Adidas Invitational, Oct. 16, at the University of Wisconsin.

The race is the final event before the Southland Conference Championships.

Page 8

Thursday, October 1, 2015 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Breast cancer awareness walk set for Oct. 17 Jeanna Gonzales UP contributor The nation’s largest breast cancer awareness walk, American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer,” will be held, Oct 17, starting at 9 a.m., beginning at Provost Umphrey Stadium on the Lamar University campus.

Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Participation is open to individuals or teams.

“You can show up and register that morning or you can

sign up in advance,” event manager Kathy Chessher said.

“We prefer you to sign up in advance because that helps us kind of anticipate how many people to expect.”

Chessher said she encourages all participants to gather donations.

“We don’t charge a registration fee — I’m really proud of that,” she said. “A lot of walks do, we don’t. We make it really easy to participate.”

The event will feature carnival-style games and refresh-

ments will be provided at the end of the walk.

“We will have things more things this year than ever before, things going on before the walk and after the walk,” Chessher said.

There will also be a “Strides” store where T-shirts, mugs, ear buds, socks and hats may be purchased.

Costumes are encouraged, Chessher said. A costume contest will be judged by the audience, and prizes will be given away to the top three participants. First place will receive a pair of running shoes from On the Run shoe store, second place will receive a customizable YETI Rambler cup and third place will receive a gift card.

A Cajun band will play at the beginning of the event. Entertainment will also take place during the walk.

“The breast cancer survivors get special treatment,” Chessher said. “The survivor tent is going to be a really cool area, because Howell Furniture is going to furnish a real comfortable beautiful space where they can sit and relax.

Wilson Chiropractic is going to come out and give shoulder and neck messages to the sur-

vivors.”

Megan Mumbach has participated in the event three times.

“My mom and aunt/godmother are both breast cancer survivors,” she said. “They are both very important to me, so supporting this cause, and causes like it, hits me on a very personal level. There are so many people who are affected by cancer, and to see so many rallied in support of those going through, or that have gone through the fight, is truly inspiring.”

Chessher said she expects a lot of participants in this year’s walk.

“My goal is to net at least $105,000, that’s my net goal, but I have a feeling we are going to exceed that the way that we’re trending,” she said.

“Most of the money raised goes to fund research.

“Research is very expensive and it takes a lot of money to fund that research, and so a lot of the money that we raise goes toward breast cancer specific research — it’s earmarked just for breast cancer,” Chessher said. “The other part of the money is dedicated to our local office here in Beaumont. We serve eight counties. If a pa-

tient is in treatment, and they are in chemo or radiation and their hair is falling out, they come to us for a wig and we give them wigs, turbans and scarves.”

Chessher said “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” helps patients cope with treatments.

“We also have a program, ‘Look Good, Feel Better’, where patients can sit with a licensed cosmetologist for about an hour and they learn all about the importance of taking better care of their health during treatment, like getting enough sleep, getting enough nutrition and just being aware of taking care of your skin, because your skin changes so much during treatments,” she said.

Mumbach said that events like Making Strides show that survivors are supported, cared for and loved.

“They show those affected by cancer, whether it be the patient or their loved ones, that they are not alone,” she said. “I can speak from firsthand experience that it’s a really good feeling to know that.”

To participate, call 9240576, or visit www.making strideswalk.org/southeasttx.

Courtesy Images

Participants walk down MLK Parkway during the 2014 “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk . This year’s walk will take place Oct. 17 and will start at Provost Umphrey Stadium.