Spring UPbeat Magazine 2022

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VIRTUAL VS. REAL The trials of navigating a complex digital world

inside: People, FOMO Influencer, De-stressing, and more

S PRING 2022 •

A U NIVERSITY P RESS M AGAZINE

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U.S. EPA has awarded the ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery the 2021 ENERGY STAR Certification for superior energy performance!

Emission Reductions Equal to

140,000 Cars Off the Road

The ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery was the only refinery in Texas, and one of only three in the Gulf Coast, to receive the 2021 ENERGY STAR Certification – an honor only awarded to eight refineries in the nation!

ExxonMobil Beaumont @exxonmobilbmt

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CONTENTS © University Press 2022

S PRING 2022 A U NIVERSITY P RESS M AGAZINE

STAFF Keagan Smith Maddie Sims CONTRIBUTORS Clarissa Hernandez Vanessa Guerrero Brian Quijada Ginger Kovar Riena Morgan Brett Strahan Ambour Leal Madalyn Blackshear

PEOPLE

PAGE 4

Faces around campus

SOCIAL MEDIA

PAGE 7

Escaping the apps

SOCIAL MEDIA

PAGE 8

FOMO leads to time issues

SHOPPING

PAGE 10

The stores are always open online

TAKE IT EASY

PAGE 12

Different ways de-stress

MADDIE

PAGE 16

about ExxonMobil in Beaumont STUDENT PUBLICATION ADVISORS Andy Coughlan Stephan Malick

A publication of the

UNIVERSITY PRESS The student newspaper of Lamar University

200 Carl Parker Building Lamar University Beaumont, Texas 77710

5 THINGS

PAGE 18

about ExxonMobil in Beaumont

INFLUENCER

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it’s not all glamour

lamaruniversitypress.com editor@lamaruniversitypress.com

@uplamar

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PEOPLE

‘Lego’ of stress Starting college away from the familiar and safe environment of home for the first time can be stressful.

Humble junior Shyra White found a way to handle her stress one block at a time with Legos. Suffering from stress and panic attacks, Shyra’s cousin suggested Legos as a way to cope. “Honestly, my cousin was doing it, and he was like, ‘You should try it, it’s cool. It helps with like anxiety and stuff. Like gets your mind off of it,’” says Shyra, who is colorblind. “So, I tried it, and ever since I started, I haven’t stopped.” The public relations major’s Lego structures have been a great pressure relief, “I feel happy.

There’s not a care in the world for me when I’m building.” Her family has also been the beneficiaries of Shyra’s hobby. Her first project was a football stadium for her dad. Her brother received a football she built, and her sister was the recipient of a 3,000-piece R2D2. Her latest project is a 11,000-piece world map which is about 25 percent complete. “The map I’ll probably keep for myself because it just looks really cool,” laughs Shyra.

Story and photo by Ginger Kovar PAGE 4 • SPRING 2022

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The Woodworker What began with a job has become both a pastime and an evolving journey for Alexander “Alex” Hebert. “After high school I had this job building cabinets, wholesale cabinets, and it was an 8-to-5 type job,” the Kirbyville senior says. “It was a lot of fun because it was my first time experimenting with wood, and I just kind of took a liking to it.” Alex says he likes the flexibility of wood. “If you have an idea, an image in your head, you can shape it out of wood,” he says. Some of his recent projects include birdhouses and lighted cedar shelves, but he has a bigger project in mind — a cypress table. “I need to harvest it myself,” he says. “So, I have to dry the wood, because the moisture content has to be within a certain threshold before you start working with it. And then I have to plane and make sure all the surfaces are flat and straight. It’s a lot of stuff that I don’t really have the time or tools necessary for. So, it’s like an ongoing project that just gets pushed back.” Aside from the craftsmanship that goes into woodworking, Alex also has to use hand-tools rather than electric because of his small apartment. Woodworking has taught him patience, and to be more deliberate and focused in his everyday life. Alex’s past projects have shaped him as well. “Most of my projects are failed projects,” he says.

“My most memorable one was a desk that I was building for someone. It was going well, up until a certain point where I wanted to experiment with epoxy. I had no experience with pouring epoxy or anything like that. I just decided to go for it.” After carefully cutting a design into the tabletop, his attempt to fill it with the epoxy turned out to be what he described as “a huge mess” which had to be scrapped. “Because I’m self-taught, I don’t have a mentor telling me what to do, what not to do,” he says. “My mentor is my mistakes.”

Story and photo by Madalyn Blackshear

PEOPLE In service Hailing from Houston, junior Jalynn Banks currently is pursuing a business management major and hopes to be of service to others. “I like to help people, I love doing community service, and I do like being around other people in general, even though I am an introvert,” Jalynn says. A recent class taught her a more empathetic view of local businesses, especially restaurants. “As far as business, I look at stuff differently, and I think having a different perspective has really helped me be more passionate of what I really want to do,” she says. In the business field, using her passion for business consulting, she aims to help people pursue their dream. “Mainly, I want to help people run a business, things (they) should be aware of when running a business, and even in the case of sudden disasters, that people could still live out their dream and not give it up,” she says. “I really want to help people navigate through stuff like that.”

Story and photo by Ambour Leal

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K-pop Kollector The widespread popularity of Korean pop music is one of the biggest phenomenons on the planet.

Lamar University senior Jaquelyn Espinoza is one of millions of superfans around the globe. The Earth science major says she first gave K-pop a listen during the lockdown of 2020. “It’s been two years of being a fan now,” she says. “Really, I was just bored. It was a YouTube suggestion so I thought, ’Why not?’ and kind of got sucked in. It’s very addictive.” Of course, K-pop fans are widely known for their social media presence supporting their favorite stars. “I have a whole K-pop account on Instagram,” Jaquelyn says. “I use it to trade and sell photo cards. There’s a whole community for that.” The photo cards are often included when fans buy K-pop albums. The cards feature pictures of the genre’s biggest stars and have become quite the collector’s item. “I have probably 250 cards, and I only started collecting in December,” Jaquelyn says. ”It’ll increase. I’m nowhere near done.” She is more avid collector than most fans, with her collection spanning 31 performers, she says. “Most fans only collect, like, four. I’m working on my collection — it’s getting there.”

Story and photo by Keagan Smith PAGE 6 • SPRING 2022

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APP ESCAPE The Problem with Social Media Story by Brett Strahan THERE IS SOMETHING INTOXICATING about social media. Apps like Twitter, Tik-Tok and Facebook just seem to find a way to constantly make us want to come back for more. This is nothing more than a harmless distraction for many, but there is a growing number of people who have had enough of social media, and they want out.

Social media has become a staple of modern society that many of us cannot imagine living without, and, of course, has its many perks — staying updated on news, being connected to friends, and even promoting and sustaining businesses.

However, like most good things social media has proven to be a double-edged sword. According to Global News Canada, a 2021 statistics report from Statscan showed that among social media users between the ages of 15 to 64, 19 percent reported that they had lost sleep after using social media for an extended period of time, 22 percent said that they were less active, and 18 percent said that they now have trouble concentrating on tasks or activities.

With more people becoming more selfaware and informed on social media, this could be what is leading to an influx of people deleting their socials for good.

One of those people is Beaumont junior Talon Tilly.

Problems — page 11 PAGE 7 • SPRING 2022

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Story and photo illustrations by Madalyn Blackshear

FOMO, self-esteem & time management UPbeat

SOCIAL MEDIA, AS IT exists today, is a powerful and pervasive part of nearly everyone’s lives. Beginning with roots in the telegraph in 1792, media used for social interaction has drastically evolved to become a near necessity for success and relevance in the modern world.

While there are many positive opportunities that social media creates, it can also have negative effects on self-esteem, cause FOMO (fear of missing out) and lead to poor time management.

“I do think that social media can affect self-esteem,” senior Landon Richard said in an email interview. “If the person using the social media can’t see that most people are primarily posting their highlight reels, then I would suggest for them to have time limits set on their social media accounts.”

Seniors Sophie Hurley and Jackie Espinoza also said they recognize and can relate to the effect that social media has on a person’s confidence.

“People treat social media as a place to pretend to be perfect, and there are times when I doubt myself and think that I do not live up to that standard,” Hurley said.

Having a constantly available stream of what appears to be the most glamorous, perfect or exciting moments of others’ lives can also create a sense of anxiety known as FOMO — a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which SPRING 2022 • PAGE 8

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one is absent — which is characterized by the desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing.

“I feel like I need to know what’s happening at the moment in everyone’s lives,” Espinoza said. “Even though I may not speak to these people in real life, I still constantly look at their new posts/stories to see what they’re up to. I like to keep up with special events, celebrations or just random things. I feel like that’s part of my entertainment and I need it.”

Contrastingly, Hurley said that although she does not feel driven

by FOMO, she is still affected by it through friends who are.

“I’ve seen people be out doing something with friends, and they cannot even enjoy themselves because they are way more concerned with documenting it and putting it on social media for others to witness,” she said. “I have friends of my own that do this. They want to take pictures of everything, edit every picture, and handcraft the perfect caption. Meanwhile, others probably just want to have a good time without the stress of putting it all on display.”

Richard said he also does not feel affected by FOMO, reasoning that, “People can always go back and look at the content that they missed at a later date and time.”

In addition to self-esteem and FOMO, social media usage can also lead to poor time management.

Hurley, Richard and Espinoza said they average a considerable amount of time on social media daily, with Hurley at three hours, Richard estimating two to six hours, and Espinoza at 10 hours.

“I have managed my time poorly because of social media,” Hurley said. “If I am doing homework, it happens pretty often that I will get on my phone and waste 30 minutes on different social media apps rather than doing what I am supposed to do.”

Richard and Espinoza both admitted they have been similarly affected, spending hours on their phones, subjected to the mindless scrolling of their thumbs.

While these negative effects are undeniably real, it is still up for debate whether or not they outweigh the positives.

PAGE 9 • SPRING 2022

“In my case, I see (social media) as a positive thing,” Richard said.

“During COVID, I felt extremely bored, and I was unable to surround myself with my friends. I was able to connect with them in a different manner because of social media.

“Social media also gives me the opportunity to spend time watching content from like-minded individuals. I also think that social media is a great way to educate yourself on topics that the school does not teach you.”

Hurley and Espinoza expressed more indefinite views, saying the balance between pros and cons is a complicated thing to assess.

“There are very rude and mean people online who are basically out for you,” Espinoza said. “I say it’s also positive because it’s a good distraction whenever I’m not feeling well mentally, as long as I seek out the things that I know I enjoy.”

With LinkedIn and MySpace launching in 2003, YouTube in 2005, and Facebook in 2006, today’s social media environment has only been around for 19 years — younger than many of its users.

As a result, social media may be a scapegoat for larger societal issues.

“We, as a society, have to be careful that we do not blame social media for problems that we may be a part of,” Hurley said. “Social media is so new that we have not had much of a chance to do research on the long-term effects that it can have on society or an individual. So, it is likely that problems that we blame on social media were already existing and are a deeper societal issue.”

People have always sought affirmation from their peers. Nowadays, these “friends” are often strangers and it is harder to know what is real and how to react to what we see.

“I believe the first group of young people that had social media were not prepared for what it was and neither were the parents,” Hurley said. “I think, over time, people will get more used to it and be able to teach their children how to use it and how it does not define their value in any way.

“People were just thrown into it and we are still learning how to navigate this new world.”

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ONLINE SHOPPING Story by Ambour Leal

Where the stores are always open THERE IS A LOT to be said for shopping online. It is convenient and the choice is more than one can find in any brick-andmortar store. But there are pros and cons.

Lumberton sophomore Joel Jimenez said he doesn’t like to shop online but will every now and then.

“I’m always looking at stuff online, but online shopping is not something I con-

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stantly do since I’m already not much of a shopper either,” he said.

Before COVID hit the U.S., the civil engineering major said he did a bit less shopping. However, since COVID, he has started to do it more often. He prefers to order items related to shoes, sports and shirts.

“I think it’s more risky online,” he said. “It could go 50/50 online — I’d

rather be in person and shopping at a store than online. I always want to try on clothing first before buying and when I buy something, I want to get it then and there at the store rather than wait.

“I don’t want to deal with sending something back and getting my money back. (Purchases online) might not look like it’s picture, it might not fit, there are sketchy websites, and returning some-

thing in the mail can just be a hassle.”

Orange freshman Cameron Guyote said he used to shop much more online than he does now and is currently more of an online window shopper than buyer.

The cybersecurity major said he tends to purchase electronics online.

Shopping — page 11

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Problems — from page 7 “At the end of the day they just kind of feel like a waste of my time,” he said.

“I would rather try to fulfill my time with better things to do.”

However, the business major does not think that social media is an inherently bad thing — far from it, actually.

“Don’t get me wrong it’s not all bad; it’s great for spreading information around and staying connected to your friends, it even helps you from a business aspect and can just be really handy in general,” Tilly said. “I think people have just kind of ruined it.”

He went on to say how draining of an experience being enveloped in social media can be.

“You know, it’s like you’re in a popularity contest with everyone on it,” he said. “Everyone is constantly looking for someone else’s approval. I just got so tired of that aspect of it and decided to start living for myself.”

This led Tilly to make a personal decision to take a step away from social media in order to take some time to

Shopping — from page 10 “I look at stuff online and check out the prices on different things that I might be looking for,” he said. “When I was building my computer, it was, like, on a daily basis. I was checking sites, checking prices, seeing if any of them would drop, and seeing if there’s any discounts that came out or anything like that.”

Guyote said he doesn’t have a preference for shopping online or in person. Instead, he feels it is more of a case-by-case basis, preferring to go to the place that has what he is looking for.

“If you need something online, you just have to buy it,” he said. “There is a wider variety of things, it’s more accessible, and there are more options to pick from.”

His most memorable shopping experience online was when he finally bought the last piece he needed to start building his computer — a graphics card that cost about $500. The combined total of all the computer parts PAGE 11 • SPRING 2022

focus on himself and his mental wellbeing, only keeping Snapchat strictly for communication purposes. He described the feeling of being free from social media as a satisfying one. Not feeling the need to constantly check his phone and just being more in the moment was refreshing. It quickly became a lifestyle for him.

Tilly’s case was not an isolated event on the Lamar campus. Surveying students while walking around campus, 20 students were asked if they felt social media was affecting their mental health for the worse. 17 of those students responded with a “yes.” However, all of those students still had some social media accounts and only three said they have seriously considered deleting them.

Beaumont sophomore Ladarius Harris described his time on social media as “mostly pretty negative.” An avid Houston Texans fan, the finance major explained how most of his negative, and sometimes volatile, interactions came from arguments on the topic of sports across multiple platforms. These exchanges could be simple disagree-

ments but often they can escalate into much more.

“It’s crazy some of the stuff that people say,” Harris said, “I feel like they just take it to a level that it shouldn’t have to go. I don’t know man, some people are just evil.”

Interactions like these have caused Harris to delete the apps from his phone on several different occasions.

However, he can’t bring himself to kick it for good.

“I mean social media is super addicting,” he said. “It’s like you gotta come back to see what people are saying.”

The addictive factor of social media is something almost every person asked commented about on the subject. It may very well be the most insidious feature of these apps — the fact that many people will acknowledge the negative effects that social media has on them but are simply too addicted to the product to stop, regardless of their feelings on the matter.

The question is what keeps dragging us back into social media’s clutches?

Addictioncenter.com explains that

social media sites produce the same neural circuitry that is caused by gambling and recreational drugs to keep consumers using their product as much as possible. Recent studies have even shown the constant stream of retweets, likes and shares trigger the same chemical reaction in the brain as cocaine.

This is what causes that constant need to come back to the app you just closed.

This leads us to the big question; Is social media inherently bad for you? Of course not. It is an extremely useful tool in today’s content-driven age and it allows us to stay connected to friends and loved ones all over the world.

Like all good things, though, it can have its downsides, so people should practice some self-restraint while using it. It doesn’t have to be anything as big as logging off completely, but that’s up to you.

If you ever get tired of doomscrolling through Twitter, feeling like you’re not keeping up with the Joneses on Instagram, or arguing on Facebook, don’t be afraid to put down your phone and take a couple of hours for yourself and your mental health.

cost him about $2,000 he said.

“It was just a really big deal because that computer means a whole lot to me and having it finally finished and ready to go — that was a really big moment for me,” he said.

Nederland junior Micheala Howard said she is not much of an online shopper.

“I’ll do it if I have to and I feel like it’s a little bit exhausting,” she said.

“I’ll shop online like two or three times a month.”

Since COVID, she has started to shop online a bit more, especially for items such as clothes, textbooks, shoes, and skin care.

“Sometimes I go on apps but I don’t usually buy anything,” the English major said. “I just like to browse, kind of like browsing a digital magazine.”

When it comes to shopping for items like clothes or food, Howard said she tends to prefer going to an in-person department store and use online shopping mostly for items she needs that her local stores don’t have.

“I don’t really believe in buying groceries online because you never know

when the due dates are,” she said.

“When I go to the store in person, I can physically check.”

Lumberton freshman Alex Paulino said he is all for online shopping.

The mechanical engineering major sometimes uses various platforms to shop or browse, such as the Facebook Marketplace or buying directly from people from ads on apps like Instagram.

When Paulino bought a truck from the Facebook Marketplace, he arranged the meeting to be in person and paid in cash, he said.

The Facebook Marketplace is similar to Ebay. Users can start conversations with each other in order to arrange payment or a meeting.

Paulino said he did not shop as much before the pandemic, mainly because he was younger and didn’t have as much money. Now, he tends to shop online about once a month to buy clothes, hats or accessories.

Overall, the students said that they all tend to window shop online rather than just making a purchase and that the pandemic did not really affect how

much they shopped online.

“Shopping online is easier, it saves gas money, there’s a broader range of things you can buy, and I like to just look at my options,” Paulino said. “The anticipation of it coming in the mail — Like waiting for something bought online to come in is probably the best thing compared to going in and buying it at the store.”

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PHOTO ESSAY

UPbeat photo by Vanessa Guerrero

Distracting to de-stress THE MODERN WORLD IS repleat with demands and distractions, from classwork to homework to working to pay the bills. Add in the stresses inherent that come with social media and students are frazzled, tired and often simply burned out.

There are many ways to find relief. Some like to engage in exercise, some turn to music, some find comfort in hanging with friends, and some find nothing more soothing than veggng out while binge watching shows on the ever-increasing streaming channels.

Whatever it is, one thing is clear. Whatever one chooses, it is important to find a way to get away and just relax. The world will still be there when you get back.

PAGE 12 • SPRING 2022

Lamar University alumna, Valarie Flores, above left, considers which pawn to move while playing “13 Dead End Drive.” “Board games are my favorite way to bond with people because you learn a lot about people and why they make certain decisions,” she said. “It also helps me release stress by laughing and having fun during any game.” Delicia Rocha, senior film major at Lamar University, laughs tauntingly as she eliminates a player off the board. “I like playing board games because I am always able to create chaos,” she said. “I’m never in it to win, I just want to spice things up.”

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UPbeat photo by Brian Quijada

When Declan Neary, above, has a personal issue going on, he likes to run and zone out. “When you go out on a run and you've got a nice sunny day, or even if it's raining, you know you're on your own,” the York, England junior says. “It's just you and your legs moving.”

UPbeat photo by Clarissa Hernandez

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Vicky Longoria, left, exercises away her stress at Exygon in Nederland.

The Port Arthur junior has had a gym membership for years but she started going consistently last year. She says she tries to go at least five times out the week but it depends on how much school work the biochemistry major has. “I mainly come to the gym to work on myself,” Vicky says. “When I’m stressed I feel it in my shoulders, so I would focus more on arm day and shoulder day.”

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UPbeat photo by Ginger Kovar

When Alec Defeo wants to relax, he hits the pool table in Newman Catholic Student Center with his friends. The 2020 chemical engineering graduate from Beaumont is now a computing lab specialist in Gray Library. “There’s so many things you can do here — hang out, share about your faith, free lunch on Tuesdays, definitely,” he said. “This place is open to everybody.”

When life gets stressful, music education major Kace Smith, left, steps outside to play saxophone. “It’s kind of like a meditative thing,” he says. “I sit down and just try to learn something new. Maybe it doesn’t go so great, but the journey is fun.”

UPbeat photo, left, by Keagan Smith

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UPbeat photo by Reina Morgan

When Alycea Sanders, above, wants to escape the stress of day-to-day life, she participates in Yoga Flow at the Sheila Umphrey Recreational SportsCenter.

“Yoga helps me relieve stress because it’s a very soothing activity,” the Houston freshman says.

“It helps me wind down and relieve the weight of the world off my shoulders after a long day.”

When Arielle Kickerson, right, isn’t busy with band activities, honors classes and her job, she spends time watching TV shows on Disney+ and Netflix. with a bowl of popcorn and a Dr. Pepper. “It’s more of an occasional pastime when I’m not working on other things,” she said. “It’s one of my favorite pastimes with or friend or by myself.”

UPbeat photo by Maddie Sims

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ONLINE SHIFT

The educators’ perspectives Story and graphics by Maddie Sims

COVID-19 lockdown challenged professors to adopt new online methods PAGE 16 • SPRING 2022

IN 2020, COLLEGES AROUND the world were suddenly forced from in-person lectures to online meetings. Students had to stay home and learn digitally, communicating with their professors only online. However, it wasn’t just the students whose routine was disrupted. Professors were forced, without warning, to transition their whole way of teaching.

Biology instructor, Ashwini Kucknoor was forced to transition some of her upper-level classes to online.

“It was a challenge, but we navigated it pretty well,” she said. “It was pretty hectic because we had to completely shift the way we taught and the way we prepared everything. It took double the preparation time and double

the effort. We did the best we could, learning (new teaching methods) that we probably wouldn’t have learned otherwise.

“It was challenging to give the same concept but not see students live. They struggled a little the last two years. With transitioning back to face-to-face, a lot of students forgot how to be in class and get the full experience. I think it will take time and they will get back into it.”

Kucknoor said that she has slowly adapted using online methods while teaching in person, but still finds face-to-face teaching more effective.

“I feel that I can touch their lives more rather than just being an instructor, leading the way for them to do what they want to do and

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guiding them rather than just having them as a student in my class,” she said. “That personal interaction I have with the students can really make an impact.”

After COVID, Kucknoor said students who typically had trouble in class were struggling with balancing school with full-time jobs and other responsibilities.

“I think that’s challenging,” she said. “You have to navigate through it and accommodate them, and sometimes it becomes a little bit too much. But, I love doing it and I think that’s one reason I’m at Lamar. Whenever I see an email or hear back from a student saying, ‘I’m here because you said this, or because you’ve showed me this,’ I really take pride in that. That’s my accomplishment.”

Chris Troutman, LU drawing professor, said there was a struggle over how much content could be covered each week during the pandemic.

“I feel like working online with students’ slows things down,” he said. “There’s a lot of interaction that can happen more easily, I think, in person. We had to structure the semester a little bit differently.”

Troutman said that when giving feedback to students on their artwork, he used a digital drawing software where students could take pictures of what they were drawing and he would send it back to them with critiques.

“I think they were really engaged,” he said. “They’d be working really hard and pushing their limits with how they were drawing. The drawing software was the main change we had to get used to and I think it was a little difficult at first. Over time, it became more second nature, and I’ve even done some workshops and things like that digitally.”

Troutman said during the pandemic, he noticed some students would have low levels of motivation and disappear during the semester. However, once classes began to shift back into being in-person again, he saw the opposite happen.

“I don’t know if people were tired of being on their own during the pandemic, but motivation levels are much higher,” he said. “I think the spring artwork is really strong.

Students have been able to respond well to any new challenges I’ve given them in class, so it’s a little bit different this spring. It’s an opportunity for me to try out some new material, but I think any change in teaching was during the pandemic. It’s been a learning experience.”

Nursing department professor Rose Harding said her transition to online teaching involved countless sleepless nights to figure out how to make it work.

“We developed some outstanding virtual simulation that has provided students some great knowledge and great experiences, that I’d say 10-years ago wasn’t possible,” she said. “We created some great activities so that the students could still graduate on time, gain an understanding of the concepts that they needed and be able to become registered nurses — and I cannot take credit for that.”

Harding said that she was excited to return to in-person classes again as she enjoys teaching in the classroom.

“That first day that I went into that classroom, I felt like a kid in a candy store,” she said. “It’s a blessing to be teaching with a phenomenal group of people. I enjoy coming to work.

The students (are) what I’m here for, they are my patients.”

Professors had to overcome obstacles to still give quality education for the students. Using methods that were often new and unfamiliar, they not only faced their difficulties, but conquered them.

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Through the the use use of of advanced advanced research Through research and technological innovation, and technological innovation, our our didiverse workforce safely and reliably verse workforce safely and reliably operates our our facilities facilities so operates so we we can can supsupport societal needs. port societal needs.

Built along along the Built the banks banks of of the the Neches Neches River in in 1903, 1903, ExxonMobil’s ExxonMobil’s Beaumont River Beaumont refining facilities facilities have have grown grown into refining into an an integrated petrochemical complex integrated petrochemical complex dedesigned to process hydrocarbons into signed to process hydrocarbons into products people rely on every day. products people rely on every day.

We’ve maintained ongoing dialogue We’ve maintained ongoing dialogue PAGE 18 • SPRING 2022

with our neighbors neighbors for for decades, decades, including updates onon how including updates howwe wemaintain maintain the highest standards standards for for safety, safety,health health and environmental environmental care. and care.

In In our our over over 100 100years yearsof oflocal local operaoperations, achieved and tions, we’ve we’ve achieved muchmuch and have have plans to do more in the future. plans to do more in the future. None of None achievements of these achievements would be these would be possible possible without our people, and we’re without our people, and we’re proud to proudthese to share these developments share developments with neighwith neighbors like you.

Checkinterestout bors like you. Check out these these interesting facts you might not ing facts you might not know know regarding how ExxonMobil regarding how ExxonMobil Beaumont Beaumont safely and reliably operates safely and reliably operates in our in our community. community.

Fact #1: #1: Fact Our Beaumont Beaumont Refinery Refineryis isENERGY ENERGYSTAR STARcertified! certified!

When you think of ENERGY STAR, your mind might go to electronics like refrigerators or televisions – but—did that ENERGY STARSTAR certificatlike refrigerators or televisions butyou didknow you know that ENERGY ion also applies manufacturing facilities like our ExxonMobil Beaumont certification alsotoapplies to manufacturing facilities like our ExxonMobil Refinery?

Beaumont Refinery? refineries on energy efficiency efficiency measures, the Outperforming similar U.S. refineries ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery Refinery recently earned 2021 ENERGY STAR certification, signifying a status withinwithin the topthe 25% petroleum refineries nationcertification, signifying a status topof25% of petroleum refineries wide for energy efficiency and adherence to stricttoenergy performance nationwide for energy efficiency and adherence strict energy performance indicators set by the EPA. Refinery was the only refinery refinery in Texas and one The ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery one of only in Gulf the Gulf Coast to receive the 2021 ENERGY STAR Certifiof only threethree in the Coast to receive the 2021 ENERGY STAR Certification cation - an honor only awarded to eight refineries the United States!

— an honor only awarded to eight refineries in thein United States!

Refinery reduced the energy intensity of operations in 2021, The Beaumont Refinery resulting in best ever intensity, equivalent to a 13% reduction in greenhouse

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Fact #2: #2: Fact

We Manufacture We Manufacture Products ProductsThat ThatPeople People Use Every Day – Whether You Know Use Every Day – Whether You KnowItIt or Not. or Not.

gas emissions emissions (normalized gas (normalized for forrefinery refinerythroughput, throughput, acaccording to Solomon Industry Survey)oror140,000 140,000cars carsoff cording to Solomon Industry Survey) off the road versus 2019. the road versus 2019.

The refinery The refinery earned earnedthe theENERGY ENERGYSTAR STARcertification certificationbyby improving the efficiency impact of cogeneration, improving the efficiency impact of cogeneration,steam, steam, and power power generating and generating facilities facilitiesthrough throughcommitment commitmenttoto long term term reliability long reliability and andpreventative preventativemaintenance. maintenance.

On average, compared On average, comparedto totheir theirpeers, peers,ENERGY ENERGYSTAR STAR certified plants use 35% less energy and cause certified plants use 35% less energy and cause35% 35%fewer fewer greenhouse gas greenhouse gas emissions. emissions.

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From Beaumont to beyond, the products we make locally From Beaumont to beyond, the products we make loare utilized by consumers all over the world in a variety of cally are utilized by consumers all over the world in a vaways. You might be most familiar with the advanced fuels riety of ways. You might be most familiar with the or lubricants we produce for vehicles, but those are just a advanced fuels or lubricants we produce for vehicles, but few of our wide array of products. those are just a few of our wide array of products.

The ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery, in combination The ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery, in combination with the company’s other local Chemical, Polyethylene, and with the company’s other local Chemical, Polyethylene, Blending and Packaging plants, form ExxonMobil’s inteand Blending and Packaging plants, form ExxonMobil’s grated petrochemical complex in Southeast Texas. The integrated petrochemical complex in Southeast Texas.

Refinery processes 366,000 barrels of crude per day and The Refinery processes 366,000 barrels of crude per day produces 2.8 billion gallons of gasoline annually. Refinery and produces 2.8 billion gallons of gasoline annually. Redistillation and conversion units process the crude into finery distillation and conversion units process the crude finished products, such as gasoline, diesel or jet fuel, or into finished products, such as gasoline, diesel or jet fuel, transfer it for further processing at the Beaumont Chemical or transfer it for further processing at the Beaumont Plant to produce basestocks for future destinations, Chemical Plant to produce basestocks for future destinaincluding ExxonMobil’s Beaumont Polyethylene Plant and tions, including ExxonMobil’s Beaumont Polyethylene Blending and Packaging Plant.

Plant and Blending and Packaging Plant.

The Beaumont Blending and Packaging (Lubricants) The Beaumont Blending and Packaging (Lubricants) Plant is the home of Mobil 1, the world’s leading synthetic Plant is the home of Mobil 1, the world’s leading synthetic motor oil. Consumers all over the world utilize our motor oil. Consumers all over the world utilize our lolocally-produced motor oil in their vehicle maintenance. cally-produced motor oil in their vehicle maintenance.

The Beaumont Lubricants Plant is also the world’s only The Beaumont Lubricants Plant is also the world’s only manufacturer of Mobil aviation greases, helping keep manufacturer of Mobil aviation greases, helping keep planes in motion, and specialized lubricants exclusive to the planes in motion, and specialized lubricants exclusive to wind turbine industry. the wind turbine industry.

The Beaumont Chemical Plant produces building-block The Beaumont Chemical Plant produces building-block chemicals such as ethylene and propylene, synthetic fluids chemicals such as ethylene and propylene, synthetic and lubricant base-stocks, and more than 25 different types fluids and lubricant base-stocks, and more than 25 differ-

of These aren’t products you’d buy on the entzeolite typescatalyst. of zeolite catalyst.

These aren’t products you’d store shelf, but they are essential to the production of buy on the store shelf, but they are essential to the procountless including products made with duction ofconsumer countlessitems, consumer items, including products rubber, nylon or Styrofoam. made with rubber, nylon or Styrofoam.

The produces TheBeaumont BeaumontPolyethylene PolyethylenePlant Plantannually annually produces more than 3 billion pounds of polyethylene used inin the more than 3 billion pounds of polyethylene used the manufacture of plastic products.

A variety of everyday manufacture of plastic products. A variety of everyday consumer made consumerproducts productsand andproduct productcomponents componentsare are made with polyethylene, including car dashboards, plastic film, with polyethylene, including car dashboards, plastic film, greenhouse coverings, flexible food packaging, and even greenhouse coverings, flexible food packaging, and even baby baby diapers. diapers.

Fact #3: Fact #3:

We Prioritize Your Safert Inside and OutWe Prioritize Your Safety Inside and Outside of the Fence Line. side of the Fence Line At ExxonMobil Beaumont, our dedication to supportExxonMobil Beaumont, dedication ingAtsafety, health and securityour extends inside to and outside supporting safety, health and security extends inside and of the fence line (our perimeter) to employees, contracoutside of the fence line (our perimeter) to employees, tors and our neighbors as we value the principle that “Nocontractors and our value our the knowledge principle body Gets Hurt.”

Weneighbors work hardastowe expand that “Nobody Gets Hurt.”

We work hard to expand ouran of the effects of our operations on the environment in knowledge of the effects of our operations on the effort to continuously enhance our performance. environment inpromotes an effort to enhancetoour ExxonMobil ancontinuously integrated approach safety performance. that combines the ongoing identification and analyzation promotes an integrated approach to and of ExxonMobil safe work practices alongside emerging technology safety that combines the ongoing identification and employee-driven management programs to manage risk, analyzation of safe practices alongside emerging promote safety, andwork achieve excellence in performance. technology and employee-driven management programs In Beaumont, ExxonMobil implements the Loss Preto manage risk, promote safety, and achieve excellence vention System (LPS) program into all employee and conin performance. tractor work processes. LPS is a system created to prevent In Beaumont, ExxonMobil implements the Lossand or reduce losses by utilizing behavior-based tools Prevention System (LPS) program into all employee proven management techniques. Our employees and and concontractor processes.

LPSto is help a system created to tractors arework thoroughly trained recognize and prevent orunsafe reducebehaviors losses by that utilizing eliminate may behavior-based lead to injuries, envitools and proven management techniques. ronmental incidents, and proprietary loss. Our employees and contractors are thoroughly trained to nuThe Beaumont facilities have been recognized with help recognize and eliminate unsafe behaviors that may merous performance awards, including the American lead to injuries, environmental incidents, and Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers Elite Gold, Safety proprietary loss.

Achievement Awards, National Petrochemical and ReThe Beaumont facilities have been recognized with finers Association’s Gold Award, Award for Meritorious numerous performance awards, including the American Safety Performance, the American Chemistry Council Fuel andEfficiency Petrochemical Elite Gold, Safety Energy Award,Manufacturers the National Safety Council OcAchievement Awards, National Petrochemical and cupational Excellence Achievement Award, and the ExRefiners Gold Award, AwardOperations for xonMobilAssociation’s Fuel and Lubricants Company Meritorious Safety Performance, the American Excellence Award recognizing our performanceChemistry in multiCouncil Energy Efficiency Award, the National ple areas, including personnel andand process safety. Safety Council Occupational Excellence Achievement Award.

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ing, Excellence, Success and Triumph), a Excellence, Success and Triumph), a statestate-of-the-art learning labalso that also proof-the-art learning lab that provides vides STEM-related plans and softSTEM-related lessonlesson plans and software, ware, and additional resources to promote and additional resources to promote college college readiness andexploration career exploration readiness and career in STEM.in STEM. Following delays related to the COVID-19 Following to theopened COVIDpandemic, thedelays NESTrelated successfully in 19 pandemic, thewith NEST successfully December 2021 a huge celebration opened December 2021 with a huge and pepinrally. celebration and pepyear, rally.the Lamar InstiDuring the same During the same(LIT) year, dedicated the Lamarits Institute of Technology tute of Technology (LIT) dedicated its exexisting Petrochemical and Advanced isting Petrochemical and Advanced Technology Center (PATC) to ExxonMobil Technology (PATC) to ExxonMobil to recognizeCenter the long-standing partnership to recognize long-standing partnership between the the organization and company between the nearly organization andand company dating back 30-years, dating back nearly 30-years,of and ExxonExxonMobil’s contributions over $1 Mobil’s of over $1 million in million contributions in financial, equipment, financial, equipment, scholarships and scholarships and sponsorship donations sponsorship since 2009. donations since 2009.

Fact #4: #4: Fact

Being Your Neighbor Matters Being Your Neighbor Matters to Us. to Us.

Outside of the fence line, ExxonMobil is Outside of the fence line, ExxonMobil is devoted to ensuring that the way we spend devoted to ensuring that the way we spend our energy produces direct and indirect our energy produces direct and indirect benefits to communities wherever we benefits to communities wherever we conconduct business. Being cognizant and reduct business. Being cognizant and recepceptive of the interests of the communities tive of the interests of the communities where we operate is an essential component where we operate is an essential component of being a good neighbor and maintaining a of being a good neighbor and maintaining a successful and sustainable business. successful and sustainable business.

Community outreach efforts are a vital Community outreach efforts are a vital part of how we operate, and our employees part of how we operate, and our employ-

PAGE 20 • SPRING 2022

play an integral role by volunteering over ees playhours an integral by volunteering 25,000 acrossrole the Greater Beaumont over 25,000 hours across the Greater area.

Beaumont area.

Each year, ExxonMobil pays more than Each year, pays than $50 million inExxonMobil local taxes, and is more the largest $50 million in local taxes, and is the contributor to the Beaumont Independent largest District. contributor to theto Beaumont IndeSchool We strive support the pendent School District.

We strive to Beaumont area through community support the Beaumont area through investments and involvement opportunities community investments and involvement that encourage further economic and opportunities that encourage further ecoeducational development and improve nomic and educational development and quality of life. improve quality of life. donated $25,000 In 2020, ExxonMobil In 2020, ExxonMobil donated to Lamar University to establish the$25,000 Amelia to Lamar University to establish the AmeElementary Cardinal NEST (Navigating, lia Elementary Cardinal NEST (Navigat-

Fact Fact #5: #5: We Ambition.

We Have Have Net-Zero a Net-Zero Ambition.

In ExxonMobilannounced announcedits In January, January, ExxonMobil aims to achieve net-zero emissions from ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse

its assets by 2050assets and isbytaking gasoperated emissions for operated 2050,a comprehensive approach centered ontodebacked by a comprehensive approach veloping detailedemission-reduction emission-reduction develop detailed roadmaps for major major facilities operatedand assets. assets. net-zero ambition ambitionisiscontained containedininthe The net-zero the company’s Advancing Climate Solu-— company’s Advancing Climate Solutions tions 2022 Progress 2022 -Progress Report,Report, formerlyformerly known as known as the Energy Summary. & Carbon Summary. the Energy & Carbon The netThe aspiration Scope 1 zeronet-zero aspiration applies toapplies Scope 1toand and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions and and builds on ExxonMobil’s ExxonMobil’s2030 2030emissionemission-reduction plans, which reduction plans, whichinclude includenet-zero net-zero emissions for Permian PermianBasin Basin operations and and ongoing ongoinginvestments investmentsinin lower-emission solutionsin inwhich whichitithas has lower-emission solutions extensive experience, experience,including includingcarbon carbon capture and storage, storage,hydrogen hydrogenand andbiofuels. biofuels.

We invite invite our our neighbors neighborsto tolearn learnmore more about about ExxonMobil ExxonMobil in inBeaumont Beaumont on our on ourmedia social media channels social channels “ExxonMobil “ExxonMobil Beaumont” Beaumont” on Facebook on andFacebook LinkedIn and LinkedIn and @exxonmobilbmt @exxonmobilbmt on Twitter and on Twitter and Instagram.

Instagram.

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INFLUENCER

Work like a dog, kicked like one, too Story and graphic by Ginger Kovar BEING AN INFLUENCER ISN’T all glamour and free products. There’s also a lot of stress and anxiety involved in the day-to-day business of being a social media influencer. Some people may not even realize the anxiety and stress until they step away from it for a little while. That was the case when I had a YouTube channel.

I started my channel as a hobby in late 2013 and produced 350 videos by the time I stepped away from it in early 2017.

It was never my goal to become famous or rich. My goal was to have some fun, work on my video-editing skills and if I made a little money to put back into the channel that’s a plus. It’s a lot harder than it looks.

My channel was always small, and when I say small, I mean fewer than 1,000 subscribers. That was fine with me as long as I had steady growth and viewership. However, one ends up comparing one’s self or channel to other influencers, especially the other channels that started around the same time.

I wondered, “What am I doing wrong?”

Alright, I need to upload videos at least twice a week. Done. I need better engagement with commenters. Done.’ I found myself obsessively monitoring analytics all day long even while I was at my fulltime job. STRESS! The engagement with commenters was nerve-racking. Luckily, most of the people who commented on my videos were kind. There was a small percentage of commenters who were never pleased, to say the least. Those people didn’t hesitate to write, in the most colorful of language, how much of an idiot I was, for example, I didn’t care for the latest album from their favorite band. I mean, you would have thought I called their mother a dirty name and kicked their dog.

One guy chastised me because I didn’t offer any new insight into an Elvis Presley CD review. It was old music with new arrangements for an orchestra — and Elvis died in 1977! I just shook my head. What could I say that hasn’t already been said?

I didn’t realize until after I stopped post-

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ing videos that those types of comments caused a tinge of anxiety at the thought of what I was going to read next.

Then there is the dreaded algorithm.

YouTube changed its algorithm in late 2016 and I had had enough. YouTube added AI and machine learning to the algorithm, which changed the type of videos recommended to users. During the nearly four years I created content on my channel, I saw steady growth in viewership and subscribers. However, at the beginning of 2017, I started to see a dip in my views.

Because my channel was small, I didn’t receive free products to review. Everything I featured in my content, which included music and different products, was

! #

f@ %!?@

é

purchased with my own money. My channel never made much money, but as long as it was steadily growing it didn’t matter.

Extremely successful channels saw significant viewership downturns after the algorithm change. Everyone’s channels seemed to go down. According to my analytics, my channel wasn’t being recommended to YouTube users as it had been before the change. That was a source of frustration because it really hit small channels like mine hard.

I thought, why am I working so hard if barely anyone sees my content? A year later, in 2018, YouTube changed their monetization guidelines requiring at least 4,000 watch hours annually and 1,000 subscribers before being eligible to make

money on one’s own content, leaving small channels out in the cold.

In recent years, there has been real discussion in academia about how influencers’ mental health can be harmed by social media.

The best advice I have for anyone caught on the social media hamster wheel is to step back and take a breath. It’s easier said than done, especially for those who make their living on social media.

Taking breaks isn’t a crime, it’s necessary for our well-being.

If it’s your job, take vacations just like you would if you worked in a traditional office setting.

Think of it like this — you’ll have some great content to post when you get back.

©#$

!*†

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