October 15, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Newspaper of Lamar University

Vol. 92, No. 6 October 15, 2015

MONSTROUS TALK Zani’s Distinguished Faculty Lecture to explore literary zombies, vampires Brooke Stinebrickner UP contributor For ages, monsters have been creeping around. They’ve been in closets, under beds, in nightmares, on our TV screens and even in literature.

But Steven Zani argues that monsters offer insight into the human condition — what are we really afraid of?

The professor of English and Modern Languages will expand on that theory in the Distinguished Faculty Lecture, “Monsters in Literature in Philosophy — Vampires, Zombies and Bears, Oh My!,” Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the University Theatre.

Zani said he will discuss the history and the differences between werewolves and vampires.

“Not just the obvious characteristics but what they might mean,” he said. “I will talk about how I see werewolves and vampires, as a difference between need versus desire. I will also talk a lot about monsters and how they represent different aspects of race and/or gender. A lot of monster stories are about different kinds of ideas, what we think about races, and what we think about foreigners and other people. Often, monster stories are replaying lessons that we teach ourselves. It can be about behaviors, how to be civilized and the appropriate actions we are supposed to take. A lot of monster narratives are about establishing those things.

“On the other hand, you could say monster narratives are about what to do when things fail, when the laws break down and when we don’t know what to do. How we confront death, trauma and problems of evil. Monsters are the lim-

Steven Zani, professor of English and modern languages, will present the 2015 Distinguished Faculty Lecture, Monday, in the University Theatre.

His talk, “Monsters in Literature in Philosophy — Vampires, Zombies and Bears, Oh My!” will explore the literary and cultural impact of monsters.

its of human thinking and how to understand that.”

The North Carolina native will trace the history of monsters in literary settings.

“I will focus on a few particular kinds of monsters — vampires, zombies and werewolves, just to address the genre as a whole — what monsters are, what they represent to us.”

Zani’s original field of research was romantic literature, but over time he found his way into researching other materials.

“I started out as a scholar of the early 19th century,” he said. “That is the earliest history of gothic narratives.

I have done quite a bit of research in gothic horror, and that turned into 19th- to 20th-century studies of horror in literature. That is what got me, at least in terms of literary, interested.”

Zani said monsters have a place in all recorded cultures.

“What is interesting about monsters is these aren’t unimportant or just contemporary stories,” he said. “Some of the earliest known human See ZANI page 2

UP photos by Lauren Van Gerven

‘Campus Carry’ meetings set Grant Crawford UP sports editor Lamar will hold “town hall-type meetings,” regarding the recent bill that was passed during the 84th Texas Legislature, Senate Bill 11, dealing with the right to carry a concealed handgun on campus. The meetings will be held at 3:30 p.m., Monday and Wednesday, in the Science Auditorium, Monday’s meeting will be for faculty and staff, and students may attend Wednesday.

“The campus carry law goes into effect Aug. 1, of 2016,” Kevin Smith, senior associate provost, said. “The law permits those who hold a valid license to carry a concealed handgun on campus beginning next August.

“The law goes on and stipulates that the president can declare certain premises owned or leased by the See MEETING page 2

Not just for kids TALH’s Falgout explores artistry with papier-mâché Trevier Gonzalez UP contributor It’s an art form typically found in an elementary classroom. Similar to finger-paintings and the infamous crayon-drawings that end up tacked on the refrigerators of homes everywhere, papier-mâché art is meant for children. However, 18-year-old Avril Falgout doesn’t believe in that concept.

“I just obsessively look at cultural and historical costuming, and rock ’n’ roll costuming, and think, ‘This is awesome — I want to make it — but my sewing skills are awful,” she said. “But, I can make it out of paper, so I’ll just do that and make an entire person just to make that dress.”

Papier-mâché is French for “chewed paper.” It’s a substance

made of pulped paper that is mixed with glue and other materials that are then molded to create 3-dimensional forms when moist. Papier-mâché hardens and becomes a stronger material when it dries.

“Drawing and painting have never been my forte, I’ve just never been able to get 2-dimensional — the perspective and shading and all that stuff,” she said. “But, with 3D I can very much do it, like be able to conceive all the angles in my head. I just could not portray that flat.”

A student at Lamar University’s Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities, Falgout has expressed interest in this type of art since grade school.

“I’ve always done it and would get super excited in school when

we (would) have little art projects during class,” she said. “But, learning papier-mâché — I probably learned that in a kids’ art camp in fifth grade, and I just started self-teaching myself from there in my room.”

Falgout’s interest in papiermâché continued to grow.

“It probably wasn’t like, ‘I wanted to do it’ at that point in time, I just kind of kept doing it mostly out of boredom,” she said. “(That was) until eighth grade when I wanted to make a life-size person. That’s when I started just doing papier-mâché obsessively.”

It was during eighth grade that inspiration struck.

“I was randomly in English class and just like had one of those See FALGOUT page 6

LUPD introduces body cameras Morgan Collier UP contributor The Lamar University Police Department has recently introduced body cameras for its officers in order to enhance on-campus safety.

Cpl. Jarrod Samford said the cameras will help both the police and the public because they will show all of an encounter, not just the end.

“It works both ways – like two sides of a coin,” he said. “Being recorded keeps fingers from being pointed. And that this is good for everyone.”

The 10 VieVu LE3 body-worn cameras are already in use across campus, recording both the actions of the wearer and those in its field of view.

Samford said he believes all LUPD officers are professional and fair, and the cameras will help protect the officers’ reputations.

UP Trevier Gonzalez

See CAMERAS page 4

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

Avril Falgout, a student in the Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities, is building a reputation fo her papier-maché sculptures.

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www.twitter.com/UPLamar

INSIDE

Thursday, October15, 2015 University Press

ZANI

QUOTE OF THE DAY

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“What would your good do if evil didn’t exist, and what would the eath look like if all the shadows disappeared?”

— Mikhail Bulgakov

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NOTICE

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

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

CALENDER October 15

Volleyball vs. Central Arkansas

McDonald Gym 7 p.m.

October 16

Reception for Broken Land | Still Lives Art Exhibition

Dishman Art Musuem 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Soccer vs. Abilene Christian

Lamar Soccer Complex 7 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

Thompson Family Tennis Center All day

October 17

Academic Preview Day

Montagne Center 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

October 18

Soccer vs. Incarnate Word UP Lauren Van Gerven

Steve Zani prepares for the Distinguished Faculty Lecture, set for Monday. The lectures will explore the literary and cultural impact of monster stories. writings are about monsters. The first type of people decided to write things down — they were writing about monsters. One can trace it back well over 3,000 years. Why is this important? Because humans have found nothing as important. This is at the core of what we decided is valuable.

It is the core of what makes us human.”

Zani said he will talk briefly about the ‘Epic of Gilgamesh,’ found on Sumerian stone tablets.

“This is one of the earliest epics, which has a brief encounter of zombies in it,” he said. “So from there it is moving us to talk about some of our early werewolf narratives, which is partly about the transitions of animals to humanity, in terms of, ‘What is the difference between an animal

MEETING

and a man?’

“I then will be discussing vampires in terms of questions of race and immigration, and maintaining country borders. That is a good deal of what Dracula is about. Finally, I want to talk about some contemporary, weird fiction — what the goal of rationality and science is, and how sanity fits into the picture of what a monster is supposed to be or what humans are supposed to be.”

Zani said that he not only looked into history, but also pulled information from his own works.

“There is a rich body of literary criticism that addresses and talks about these issues,” he said. “There is a collection of people who talk and think about these issues. Some of my published work is on these topics. I

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campus as gun-free, provided the president does not prohibit the rights of concealed handgun owners from carrying.

Before that happens, the president must consult, by law, with students, staff and faculty.”

Smith said LUPD’s police chief will be at the meetings, as well as a campus lawyer, to answer any law enforcement, or legal questions.

Smith said they will first take the time to review the law, then open the floor.

“We’ll open it to questions, comments and recommendations, and hear what these groups have to say about the law,” he said. “There will be a three-minute speaking limit, but everyone will be encouraged to head to one of the two portals to provide additional information, if they want. We have to limit it, because we’ll have too many people there for everyone to speak.”

Smith said it was important that students attend and share their opinions on the campus carry law.

“The president is the one who establishes policies,” he said. “We have an advisory group — a task force, that he appointed consisting of students, faculty and staff to collect this information. We

will sort through it, and we will present the president with the recommendations that have come from campus, and we strongly believe that he will listen to our recommendations.”

There are stipulations in the bill, as to which areas can be declared gun-free, Smith said. People are encouraged to share their opinions, but in a productive manner.

“It’s not enough to say ‘I hate guns, the dorms should be gun-free,’” Smith said.

“You have to build an argument that is persuasive, and it not only persuades the review committee, but certainly persuades the president — the board of regions, and ultimately the legislature.”

Those who are unable to attend the meetings may fill out an online survey, which is linked to Lamar’s home page at https://forms.lamar.edu/www/campuscarry.html.

Smith said there isn’t much time for the entire process to be finished.

“The reason we have a short timeline, is the law says that the president’s recommendations must be approved by our board of regents,” he said. “There are a certain number of days, and we want to hear what people have to say.”

Lamar University invites students to attend an open meeting on Thursday, October 22nd, 2015, at 3 p.m. in the Landes Auditorium (101 Galloway Building) on the Lamar University campus to consider the following topic for discussion: LAMAR UNIVERSITY DESIGNATED TUITION FEE

have an article that is just about to come out about gothic bears. I have done work on zombies and work that specifically discusses some of the origins of the English vampire stories.

Not all, but some of my criticism is very specific — at least monster orientated.”

Knowing about monsters is important, because it is often not about the monsters themselves, but how we should treat others, Zani said.

“I hope that the audience will see that monsters are not just unimportant or pop-culture, or just things that are entertaining stories for children,” he said. “Monsters get at the core of human identity. They have a rich literary tradition.”

The lecture is open to the public and admission is free.

Lamar Soccer Complex 1 p.m.

October 19

AP Fall II 8-wk begins

October 22

6th Annual Candlelight Vigil Against Domestic Violence

Setzer Student Center Quad 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Soutwestern Louisiana

McDonald Gym 7 p.m.

October 24

Volleyball vs. SFA

McDonald Gym 1 p.m.

3

OPINION

UNIVERSITY PRESS October 15 2015

An introvert’s guide to college Standing in a hallway filled with relieved, excited students, I stood apart. The sign on the classroom door read, “Class cancelled.” Although happy to give my mind a break, I was looking forward to sitting and simply listening to a lecture without having to talk or fraternize.

My mind raced about how to spend the next hour. I didn’t live on campus, so there was no dorm to go to. My friends were either in class or at work. I could go to the library or the Set or Mirabeaus.

However, I was not keen at the thought of being surrounded by a large mass of people. I preferred to be alone for a while.

Not because I was anti-social or didn’t like people, but simply because I wanted time to think and be by myself....

This is introversion, a state marked by reserved and solitary behavior.

Introverts feel drained by social interactions and energized by unaccompanied creative pursuits.

In high school, I grew curious as to why I was the way I was. Why did I prefer hanging out in small groups with people I knew well? Why did I feel en-

Commentary

Kara Timberlake

ergized by being alone and exhausted by being around other people? Why was I naturally less outspoken than my classmates?

I read numerous human personality theories about introversion and extroversion. It wasn’t difficult to pick up on which side of the spectrum I fell.

There was a moment of clarity, an “Aha!” moment where it all made sense. As I ticked off all the characteristics that applied to me, I realized I was not alone. There were others in the world like me — a consoling thought.

Over the years, people have misinterpreted my introversion as being shy, inhibited or maybe even arrogant. None of these really describe who I am, and I was uncomfortable with this persona. Before learning about introversion, I thought I must have been lacking. I wanted to be social like those around me.

However, I’ve learned that introversion isn’t a weakness. It is not something that defines me or my life choices. It is, nonetheless, a part of who I am.

Instead of trying to overcome my introversion or conceal it with false bubbliness, I’ve decided to embrace it.

Here’s what I’ve learned during college about being an introvert: I find small talk incredibly cumbersome. It’s awkward and I’m bad at it — really bad. However, I can idly chitchat if I have to. I have even bonded over the dreaded small talk, finding it a way to identify and befriend fellow introverts.

I find crowded, loud places to be unpleasant. I want to share meaningful conversations with others, and being in such settings inhibits that opportunity. Also, when in a chaotic en-

UPeditorial Campus recycling benefits everyone

Students are trashy — as in, students produce a lot of trash.

Students may have noticed the small green trash bins dotting the hallways, scattered around campus. Those bins aren’t just there to add a pop of color — they are there to make it as easy as possible for students to “go green” and recycle their paper, plastic and aluminum waste.

Those recycling bins are just one of the many efforts the Lamar Office of Sustainability is making to help the university reduce its carbon footprint.

Why should students take the extra effort to separate their recyclables from their non-recyclables? Because they can.

The four extra seconds needed to sort a fistful of trash actually makes a difference, and it’s a difference that benefits everyone. We’ve heard it before — we only have one planet. Respect it.

If that doesn’t inspire, think of recycling and sustainable living as respecting ourselves. We are doing our part to ensure that the planet on which we live stays, well, livable.

Other initiatives are making it easier for students to make environmentally-friendly choices.

From “green” notebooks in the bookstore, to ecofriendly packaged snacks and drinks, to printers using both sides of paper to reduce waste, students are probably already doing kind things for our planet without even realizing it.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to strive to lower our carbon footprint even more. Each of us should be doing more. Carpool to class or even use a bike. Recycle scrap paper, and invest in a cool, re-usable water bottle to help cut down the number of plastic bottles used.

And please, take a second or two to throw recyclables into the appropriate containers.

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

vironment, I quickly become overwhelmed and distracted.

My friends often joke that I never hear a word they say when we go out to noisy venues.

And it’s true. I’m too busy paying attention to all the details and conversations being had around me so I cannot focus on what is going on right in front of me.

This doesn’t mean that I avoid going to places that I know will be hectic. I am not a hermit. I repeat — I am not a hermit.

I know my extroverted friends like to socialize; therefore, I pry myself out my comfort zone and go where they choose. Although it may not be something I would pick for myself, this doesn’t mean that I cannot participate or even have fun doing so.

I find downtime to be the best part of my day. Even if it’s

just ten minutes with a cup of coffee and a magazine, I relish the moments I get to retreat from the world. I love my friends and family, but I need alone time to think, reflect and recharge. Once my break is over, I feel renewed and ready to take on new challenges.

Do I still dread making small talk? Yes. Do I find meeting new people exhausting? Yes. Would I prefer to stay in and read a book rather than mingle with people I don’t know well? Absolutely.

It’s not that my preferences have changed over time, but my ability to go beyond them has.

The college experience has taught me how to force myself out of my comfort zone, feel temporary unease and then grow through these moments.

I’ve discovered that I cannot ignore how I am wired. I can push myself to do things I

UP cartoon by Lauren Van Gerven

wouldn’t feel naturally inclined to do, but I will need to follow up with time for myself — a few moments to get away from others to process the events of the day, to de-stress and, most importantly, to recharge.

So to you extroverts out there, give your introvert friends a break. They may occasionally cancel plans so they can be alone, but it isn’t personal.

They need time to retreat so that they can join you in later adventures.

And to the introverts out there, keep on trucking. You are capable of much, but you also need to remember how you are built and take care of yourself accordingly. Remember, saying no to others can really be a way of saying yes to yourself.

Kara Timberlake is a UP staff writer

Profits over decency?

Businessman Shkreli’s capitalism is misguided Daraprim is a drug used to treat life-threatening parasitic infections, mainly in AIDs and cancer patients whose immune systems are too weak to fight infection.

However, in recent months this drug has been raised in price from $13.50 a pill to roughly $750 a pill, creating a price jump of 5,000 percent and making it widely unavailable.

The man responsible is Martin Shkreli CEO of Turing pharmaceutical company. Over this past summer the company bought the rights to drug and is now legally the sole producer.

Shkreli has been made “Internet famous” by his antics on social media and his uncanny

Commentary

Kyle Swearingen

Letters Policy

ability to troll the Internet community with outlandish responses. You would expect this from a cartoon bad guy, not a 32-year-old CEO of a pharmaceutical company.

Now the question remains, is this right?

No, it is not.

The pharmaceutical field is a lucrative one, with health as the product, demand is high and revenue is easy to come by.

However, there is also a social responsibility in this field that those in charge need to recognize. There is a line between healthy capitalism and taking advantage of the market.

Price gouging like this should not be tolerated. Though one can point the finger at specialty pharmaceutical guidelines allowing Shkreli to legally do this, the blame lies directly with Shkreli and his company.

The greed expressed by Turing Pharmaceuticals may fly in other fields, however, when dealing with peoples lives — especially with a problem so easily dealt with — it is simply criminal to turn peoples need for medicine into an inexcusable profit.

After the public outcry for Turing to lower its prices, Shkreli took to social media to

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.

calm the public out cry with promises of greater distribution and profits to benefit research of the drug.

With continued attention from high profile officials like Hillary Clinton, Shkreli has publicly announced that the company is lowering the price of Daraprim, but no time or price was given.

The announcement happened almost three weeks ago, and there is still no price reduction in sight. I can only assume that Shkreli’s so-far empty promise was only said to calm the public and, hopefully, allow the issue to fall into obscurity.

Turing did push a Daraprim aid program, allowing those who need it and cannot afford it to contact them and receive aid.

However, even then there are people who slip through the cracks due to availability or eligibility.

The best way to ensure access is the most widely available is to lower its price to a reasonable, affordable amount while still staying financially responsible.

Here’s hoping that Turing will see reason.

Kyle Swearingen is a UP contributor

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

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Thursday, October 15, 2015 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

UP Grant Crawford

Dishman Art Museum director Dennis Kiel stands in from of Eliot Dudik’s large photograph “Galveston, Texas,” part of the exhibition “Broken Land | Still Lives” on display through Nov. 7.

Dudik’s large photos explore Civil War Haley Bruyn UP staff writer Some people have died 177 times— some less, some more.

Then again, dying in a Civil War reenactment isn’t as permanent as other deaths.

As part of Eliot Dudik’s photography exhibition, “Broken Land | Still Lives,” haunting portraits of fallen Civil War re-enactors and stirring images of Civil War battlefields hang on the stark white walls of the Dishman Art Museum.

Dudik will be at a reception in the museum, Friday, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Dudik, a respected photography instructor who is currently developing a the first photography program at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, didn’t start out with the intention to take portraits. He began with his “Broken Land” series.

“Eliot started to hear people talk about the Civil War, and because of where he was, in Columbia, S.C., he decided to check a few battlefields in North Carolina, South Carolina, Vir-

ginia, Georgia and so on,” Dishman director Dennis Kiel said.

“So he basically got a camera, an 8x20 camera — a custom camera — so he decided he was going to use that to create the kind of panoramic images we see in the exhibit.”

Kiel said Dudik used a unique process to create the striking images.

“What’s interesting is that this is kind of a combination of the old and the new,” Kiel said. “The pictures are really two large sheets of 8x10 film. He created a negative, and then he scanned the negative into a computer and was able to print digitally.”

The photographs in the “Broken Land” series are extremely large. The images are 40 inches by 100 inches, meaning that Kiel had to consider how best to accommodate the large prints.

“We were thinking how many we could get in here, which was seven, and I knew ‘Still Lives’ were coming framed.”

The “Still Lives” portraits were an extension of Dudik’s exploration of the Civil War battlefields.

“He had no intention of photographing the reenactments,” Kiel said.

“He was just interested in the land-

scapes — but he would run into these people. He would go to these places and people were in the midst of a battle.

“He started talking to the re-enactors and got a better idea of why these people do it. They are honoring their family. It’s their heritage. The ancestors go way back, and in many cases were actually in the Civil War.” As Dudik spent more time with the re-enactors, he learned something interesting.

“He discovered that they can decide if they are going to live or die in that battle,” Kiel said.

Dudik knew he wanted to take portraits of the re-enactors, but he didn’t want to take the same photos that had already been done.

“At any moment, at one of these reenactments, there are a ton of people with cameras,” Kiel said. “If you ask if you can take their picture, they kind of just roll their eyes. Some of them have been in movies, music videos.

“In the middle of the night, Eliot sort of woke up and thought ‘OK, I am going to photograph these people, but this is how I’m going to do it.’

Dudik set up a camera on a platform that is off the ground. The re-enactors are laying on their backs.

“If you look really closely, the background is out of focus,” Kiel said. “So it’s sort like they are floating. Eliot felt that this thing was so serious, so heavy.

It’s a haunting experience.

“The whole idea is that he wants people to think about life and death.

He realized that the re-enactors kept track of how many times they died, so he decided to put that on the label of each piece.”

Duduk’s work is in demand, Kiel said, “Erick said, the day I called him, (that) I was the third person that had called that day wanting an exhibition,” Kiel said. “So he really did me a favor because this is a lot of work for him — to get these prints ready and to send them to me” Dudik’s works have shown in various cities across the United States and the “Broken Land | Still Lives” collection won the Reviewers Prize at PhotoNOLA. The exhibition will be on display until Nov. 8.

CAMERAS from page 1

UP Morgan Collier

Officer Joseph Doucette models one of LUPD’s new body cameras.

at $899 each, and all officers are equipped with the cameras.

“I think this is a great tool for the PD and the community,” he said. “It is first-person video which helps to eliminate the ‘he said/she said.’”

A digital signature process is used to verify that the video has not been altered, and security software prevents unauthorized access to the camera’s contents should it be lost or stolen.

“We have good officers who do good things, but sometimes we have to get into a physical confrontation where there is a use of force to get to the objective,” Samford said. “The objective is to stop the threat.”

Turning on the cameras is as simple as sliding the front cover down, and each officer must remember to turn the device on at the beginning of a call or situation, Samford said.

“This is a new technology that we have to get accustomed to,” he said. “Eventually, it will be as automatic as turning on the emergency lights on a traffic stop.”

The new cameras capture a 68-degree field of view, very nearly matching the officer’s focus, without distorting distances as a “fisheye” view does.

Samford said the cameras have a five-hour internal battery and

One of the 10 VieVu LE3 bodyworn cameras purchased by Lamar University Police Department. The cameras capture a 68-degree field of view.

have the capacity to store up to 12 hours of HD video.

“The cameras are numbered and logged out to officers at the beginning of each shift,” he said.

“Supervisors of the shift collect the cameras and plug them back into the chargers at the end of the shift. The data on the cameras are uploaded through an encrypted process each day.”

With the cameras in place, Samford said that students should not expect a decrease in warnings, resulting in more tick-

ets given.

“We have had cameras in our patrol vehicles for years now,” he said. “I don’t believe the body cameras will have any effect on the volume of citations.”

Though the LUPD works closely with the Beaumont Police Department, Samford does not know if and when they will adopt this technology.

“Body cameras will eventually be standard in every department,” he said. “LUPD is just setting the standard early.”

ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE Confirmed 2015-2016 Student Government Association Junior and Senior Class Senator. Upon a review of the election results, the Election Commission has certified by a two-thirds majority vote the following candidates: David Bassa for Senior Class Senator Danelle Sanders for Junior Class Senator Tallies: Bassa 50 votes (54.30 percent) Akintod 42 votes (45.70 percent) Sanders Hicks

36 votes (54.50 percent) 30 votes (45.50 percent)

Confirmed by IT, Chief Student Engagement Officer, Dr. Vicki McNeil, and by the Election Commission. Results of the election have not changed.

5

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY PRESS October 15 2015

Lamar’s longest serving faculty celebrates 50 years in Beaumont Lainie Harris UP staff writer September 1965. Lamar University is under the leadership of President F.L. McDonald and chemistry professor Kenneth Dorris is beginning his career at the school.

Fifty years later, the Baytown native is currently LU’s longest serving faculty member.

“I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly,” he says. “I’ve been here for so long, I’ve seen so many different things at Lamar — it’s just really amazing.”

When Dorris first came to Lamar it was almost entirely a teaching school.

“They didn’t even encourage research,” he says. “I had come from the University of Texas, of course, as a brand new faculty member, and so I was used to doing research — and research has now become very important at Lamar — but at the time it was considered to be, I hate to say a waste of time, but it was really, really important to teach classes.

If you wanted to research, well it was OK, but it really wasn’t encouraged. Now it’s changed almost completely, and it’s expected to do research.”

Dorris said that in 1965, few people wanted to get into academics. But things have changed dramatically since then.

“Now, we have a flood of people that apply when we have a position opened, and in order to get a job in the chemistry department, not only do you have to have a Ph. D., but you also almost always have to have had some experience in terms of post docs, maybe even have taught at other places for a short period of time,” he says. “So experience and research now, is really important.

“Now, you can’t get promoted without doing research. At the time that I came it was sort of a who-liked-you-the-most sort of

thing, but now it’s really changed to the point where you have to really exhibit why you’re worthwhile. So you’re expected to have graduate students. I have had a number of graduate students.”

Dorris, an avid scuba diver, was the faculty advisor for the Lamar University Scuba Club during the 1980s. He planned trips to Cozumel for students, and dived all over the world.

“I guess the most interesting place that I’ve been was in the South Pacific, where the Japanese ships were sunk in Truk Lagoon — it was really interesting to see that.”

Scuba diving wasn’t the only way for Dorris to stretch his legs in the water. He said he is also a sailor.

“I’ve been boating for many years, but I started sailing in 1986, before that I was a motor boater,” he said. “I did water skiing, and I had a motorboat while I was in Austin — at the lakes up there, I did a lot of skiing and a little bit of fishing, but mostly just fun on the motorboat.”

Dorris was chosen to be a member of the Texas International Education Consortium, Inc., a program allowed him to be a chemistry professor in Malaysia for a couple of years.

“There were faculty members from Lamar — there were some people from math, there were people from English, I was from chemistry, and then there were people from A&M, UT, University of Houston — all the state universities,” he says. “We went to Malaysia and setup a consortium of university professors.

We had a lot of students that took classes there, and then after that a number of the students came over here to finish their degrees, so it was like a junior college — it was like a two-year program, and then a lot of the students from Malaysia came to Lamar and got degrees. That was 1986-1987.”

UP Lainie Harris

Courtesy photo

Kenneth Dorris works the Lamar chemistry lab in 1965, above, and today, below. Dorris’ teaching has brought him experiences from around the world through travel, collaborating with colleagues and peer reviewing research.

Dorris has traveled all over the world for research.

“When I was in China I was involved in the worldwide scientists getting together — it’s amazing,” he says. “It was on artificial intelligence, and that was back in 1987, that was before artificial intelligence was even on the radar. There were a number of people from all over the place that went to this conference, and it was sort of interesting to me because everything was in English, all the talks, everything was in English, so I did not have to learn Chinese.

“We are lucky that everything around the world in science is in English. Years and years ago when I was studying, a lot of it was in German, but almost all the research, everything is almost all published in English. It really makes us lazy, because we don’t have to learn other languages, whereas somebody from Switzerland, or wherever, has to learn how to speak English, write in English.”

Dorris says he gets papers to evaluate from other countries, and wonders how much time does it take for them to learn how to write scientific papers in English?

“I almost just feel sorry for them — because you know English is my natural language, so you kind of wonder how they can do as well as they do,” he said. “I always have to make corrections to their papers, but I have to realize that these people are not from Beaumont, Texas.

So it’s really interesting — a really interesting world.”

Even after more than 50 years spent researching and teaching, traveling the world, scuba diving and sailing, Dorris said he still gets surprised.

“I was really honored not too long ago to get a thesis from India. They wanted me to evaluate it as an independent outside source,” he said. “I was really amazed, I didn’t have any idea that anybody even had a clue as to who I am — I mean I’m just a little guy in Beaumont, Texas, how do they know who I am?

But I’ve done a lot of publishing, and I’ve done a lot of reviewing for different journals, and evi-

’ I’ve been very, very fortunate to have done a lot of different things.

I’m a full professor, I can’t get any higher — it’s time to let the newer, younger faculty get started.’

‘

—Kenneth Dorris dently someone got a hold of my name somehow, and they sent me a thesis from a university in India for me to evaluate.”

Dorris says his research methods have changed since he first started his career at Lamar.

“I’ve been involved in environmental research for the last number of years,” he says. “We try to work with very inexpensive ways to clean up the environment, mostly water in rural areas. We are not interested in trying to create mass water systems, we’re trying to figure out for people who live out in the bush can get clean water. So we’re talking about water that’s a bucket full at a time, not a massive city system.

Dorris says the research he does now is meaningful, not just research for its own sake.

“If somebody asked me, ‘Well, why are you doing it (research)?’ — I didn’t have an answer (except) ‘Well because it was science,’” he says. “But now I actually have a reason for doing what I do. I like to think that maybe I can help a little bit in cleaning the environment — just a little bit. So that’s the research I’ve been involved in the last 10 or 15 years, not really basic research so much, but more fundamental type. I was involved in some very, very basic research for a while, but I can’t tell you why I was doing it. It wasn’t really any application — it was just pure science.”

Dorris said this may be his last year of full-time teaching.

“Fortunately, I’m still young in mind, but not in body,” he said. “I’ve lived long enough to have taught here for many years and I just enjoy my students. I’m really amazed that people even care that I’m alive, so I find it to be sort of interesting.

“I can see the end of the road, I can see the end of the tunnel — but I’m not going to retire because I’m tired of teaching, because I really like it. I really enjoy talking to students, but I’m going to retire because I’m just getting tired — that’s all. I don’t know for sure, but I’m thinking about it. I have reached a milestone and there’s no reason to keep on trying to reach it.

“There’s not really a whole lot left for me to accomplish. I’ve been very, very fortunate to have done a lot of different things. I’m a full professor, I can’t get any higher — it’s time to let the newer, younger faculty get started.”

Dorris says that he will leave the department in much better shape than when he came.

“I’m just really pleased that we have been able to attract such good faculty,” he says. “I’m sort of the go-to-guy when they have questions about things because I’ve been here so long, I know where all of the bodies are buried.”

There are no set plans for his life after Lamar, but Dorris says he wouldn’t mind traveling.

“I really wish I could travel more,” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate to do a lot of traveling — I’ve been to China, I’ve been to Russia, I’ve been to Nepal, I’ve been to India, I’ve been all over Europe — unfortunately, I didn’t get to go to Australia or New Zealand because I was having trouble with my eyes — I had to have laser surgery years ago. So, I’ve done a lot of traveling, but it’s become much more difficult because I’m not young and spry anymore. So I don’t really have any particular goal, I’m not sure what goal there is for me to try to accomplish.”

“At some point you just have to admit that you aren’t 39 anymore,” he said.

Page 6

Thursday, October 15, 2015 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

— Nobel Prizes — Literature, economics, peace awards announced On Oct. 8, the Nobel Prize for literature was awarded to Svetlana Alexievich. According to the press release issued by the Swedish Academy, her polyphonic writings are a monument to suffering and courage in our time.

“How wonderful and revealing that this highest honor for culturally significant word work goes not to a fiction writer, but to Alexievich, whose pieces dignify the lives of folks caught up in sad and brutal circumstances,” T.J. Geiger II, assistant professor of English, said. “Alexievich’s work pokes at the jagged edges of genre distinctions — oral history methods,

Svetlana Alexievich

FALGOUT

The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, Ben Moussa, Houcine Abassi, Ouided Bouchamaoui and Ouided Bouchamaoui, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Friday. journalistic immediacy, literary qualities. A handful of times has this prize been awarded for nonfiction writing.

On Friday, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011.

According to a press release issued by the committee, the quartet established an alternative, peaceful political process at a time when the country was on the brink of civil war.

“The Quartet was formed in the summer of 2013 when the democratization process was in danger of

collapsing as a result of political assassinations and widespread social unrest,” the release stated.

“It was thus instrumental in enabling Tunisia, in the space of a few years, to establish a constitutional system of government guaranteeing fundamental rights for the entire population, irrespective of gender, political conviction or religious belief.”

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences to Angus Deaton on Monday..

The press release credited his work analyzing consumption, poverty, and welfare, “By linking detailed individual choices and aggregate outcomes, his research has helped transform

the fields of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and development economics”

Angus Deaton

from page 1

epiphany moments of, ‘Oh, my God, I want to make a life-sized person,’” she said. “So I cleared my head, to ignore the rest of the English lesson, to sculpture-plan all over my notes — which is a common occurrence — and then I went home and started making it.”

After making her first life-sized figure, Falgout found her forte. However, she wasn’t aware how far this interest would take her.

“The second life-sized one I made, for ninth grade, there was a project in my English class over Romeo and Juliet. We had to like pick a project off of the list. One of them you could choose was taking butcher paper and making a life-sized paper doll for 1500s fashion,” she said. “I was kind of chuckling to myself maniacally being like, ‘You want a paper doll? I’ll give you a paper doll.’ So I made a life-size sculpture of a 1500s court lady.”

Falgout admits that her early work involved some trial and error.

“My structure, at that point in time — I was still kind of playing around with it,” she said. “And she just kind of collapsed in on herself.

“She quickly went to the roadside.”

Falgout is comfortable discarding pieces.

“That one was, unintentionally, trashed,” she

myself a number of them just out of like, ‘Ehh, that sucks, I bet that’s still got good parts in it.’ So I like scrap them, take the parts out and use them for another one.”

Few individuals get to see her works in-progess.

“At home, no one goes into my room — ever,” she said. “The door’s always closed. As far as everyone knows, it’s just like the entrance to the gates of hell in there — especially when I was doing the band.”

Her third life-sized sculpture featured a papier-mâché replica of the rock band Black Veil Brides. Working in her room on such a large project was interesting, she said.

“I’d strategically locate little ‘holes’ in the mess that I could jump from one end of the room to the other,” she said. “I eventually got them to have metal bases that have definitely strengthened the structure for everything. Before I was doing that — with the band especially — that’s when most of the problems I’ve had.

“Say one of them was falling too far forward, I’d tie a string of yarn from their arm and tie them to the windowsills, so there was there just this giant ‘spider web’ of yarn everywhere. I mean, I knew when to duck, but other people would not be able to go through my room without being clotheslined multiple times.”

Falgout eventually ’At home, began submitting her no one goes in work to art shows.

“The Art Studio has my room the Alternative Show — ever. every year that’s open The door is entry, first-come, firstalways closed. served, and my mom had known about it,” she said.

As far as “That’s how I first got introduced into the world of everyone art shows.” knows, it’s Falgout said that the studio took her in and rejust like the her as a ‘child entrance to the garded artist.’ gates of hell in “There were two people that were both really there.’ awesome artists,” she said. “One was a painter, — Avril Falgout but the other one, Andy L d h ’ i

Avril Falgout’s “Louise and Betty” won first place at The Art Studio’s 2014 membership show.

‘

s

L.A.,” she said. “He took me under his wing, in terms of papier-mâché.

We’re still good friends.

“We’re both telling each other our ideas or new techniques we came up with, and working off each other. We’ve played around with the idea of making a papier-mâché crown. Whenever one of us one-ups the other, we just pass the crown to the current ‘King of papiermâché.’”

Falgout said TALH, an honors program for prec llege students, is develo

sis show at the Dishman in December of my junior year of high school,” she said. “The curator at the time told me about (TALH), and then me and my mom went to a preview day for it, and after the preview day, I was completely sold on wanting to go.”

Falgout said that another key mentor is LU printmaking professor Xenia Fedorchenko. “(There’s) one who’s just your favorite teacher ever, and you just want to t k them over and over a

teacher, Xenia,” she said.

“She’s the only art teacher I’ve been in contact with the past year, and now this year consistently,” she said.

Falgout’s said he work has no special, underlying meaning.

“I know that’s a common thing with (artists), all the art movements now, it’s like, ‘This represents my lack of will to go on, and that’s why it’s blue,’” she said. “I’m very much surface-arty. Like the Renaissance port its, they’re really just p

most of them.”

Falgout plans majoring in art and art history, but she doesn’t plan on leaving her papier-mâché work anytime soon.

“If I could figure out how to paint better, I’d do that.,” she said. I don’t know about sculptures. I don’t know why, but power tools and heavy machinery just makes me horrifically uncomfortable. I don’t want to use them and will avidly avoid using them in any possible way.

“Papier-mâché doesn’t m

7

SPORTS

UNIVERSITY PRESS October 15, 2015

Cards look for payback FOOTBALL LOOKS FOR FIRST WIN AGAINST NORTHWESTERN STATE SINCE 1979 Coty Davis UP contributor After a dominating 44-28 win over the Abilene Christian Wildcats at Provost Umphrey Stadium at the weekend, the Lamar football team will head back on the road, Saturday, to play the Northwestern State Demons, in Natchitoches, La. Although Northwestern has gotten off to a rough start with a 0-5 (0-3 SLC) record, the Cardinals’ head coach Ray Woodard knows that the Demons are not a team to take lightly.

“They are a good football team, and their stats are misleading,” he said. “Obviously, they have not gotten off to the start they wanted to, but who wants to start their season 0-5? They were picked

as a top-five team in our conference, and I know they are still a good football team.”

If the Cardinals (3-2, 2-1 SLC) can pull out a win this weekend, it will be Lamar’s first victory against the Demons since 1979. The last time these two teams met, Northwestern defeated Lamar 37-28 in 2013.

“The main challenge we will face this weekend is that they are still a good football team,” Woodard said. “Although their record doesn’t show it, they have had two weeks to prepare for us, and we have never beaten this team. Plus, they had chosen to play us for their homecoming game, so they are confident they can beat us.”

The Cardinals should not have any problems ruining the Demons’ home-

UP Josh Aych

Cheerleaders lead the football team onto the field before the start of LU’s 44-28 win over ACU, Saturday.

coming if they can carry their momentum into Saturday’s game.

In the game against ACU, The Cardinals dominated the stats sheet. Lamar established a total of 521 yards on offense, which included 391 rushing yards.

Lamar running back Kade Harrington recorded 347 rushing yards, which set a new single-game record in school, and Southland Conference history.The feat earned him Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Harrington’s second touchdown of the game made him the all-time scorer in Lamar football history, a record that has been held since 1954 by LU legend Sammy Carpenter.

“That game the other night was a special one,” Woodard said. “Anytime we needed him to make a play, he accomplished it. As a coach, I’ve never experienced a performance like that from one of my players.”

Although Harrington has been the Cardinals’ best player so far this season, Woodard said he has to give credit to the offensive line.

“I think our O-line is more talented than people give them credit for,” he said.

“They work well together as a unit, and I think Coach Langston has done a great job coaching them. If it’s not broke don’t fix it.”

With all the hype that has surrounded Harrington, Woodard knows as the season progresses more teams will start to keep a sharp eye on him. Woodard said he believes Northwestern State will be the first team to adjust their game plan to try to slow Harrington down.

The Cardinals not only need to bring

UP Josh Aych

LU’s Kade Harrington fights his way through ACU’s defense during the Cardinals’ 44-28 win, Saturday. their offensive game to Natchitoches, but their defensive intensity as well.

Lamar shutout Abilene Christian in the first half, and held the Wildcats to a season low 37 rushing yards.

The win gave the Cardinals their 200th win since the return of the football program.

Coach Woodard said this weekend’s game willl prove how good his team has become.

“We have a chance to beat a great football team if we work hard, focus and play even harder,” he said.

Cross Country to compete in Adidas Invitational Ryan Hobbs UP contributor Lamar University’s Cross Country team will travel to Madison, Wis., for the Adidas Invitational, Friday.

This comes after the Texas A&M Invitational, Sept.26, where the women’s team came in seventh place and the men’s team placed second.

“For what we were trying to do at this stage of the season, yeah, the competition went really well,” head coach Tony Houchin said. “What I try to do is try to bring a team dynamic to the process — I thought we did a good job with that.”

Houchin said he wants to implement some new strategies for the team to get ready for the Adidas Invitational.

“Being new to this meet, I want to implement a new team strategy to the way we approach this meet,” he said.

Houchin said that outside of the national championships, this meet is the most competitive cross country meet in the country.

“What I want to do, even just to keep our heads afloat, we have to get out a lit-

tle more aggressively,” he said. “While I want them to get out more aggressively, I also want them to operate and run as a team.”

Sophomore Evelyn Chavez said this meet will be a new experience for the women’s cross country team.

“It’s all going to be new for us girls,” she said. “So far we have been running at meets that aren’t too terribly big, but I think with the training and now having a complete team — we will do pretty well.

“I know it’s an invitational, so I know you have to be a pretty good team to be invited. There’s going to be some really big schools and some really good teams at this invitational.”

Chavez said she wants to do things differently this weekend.

“The past couple of meets, we’ve been going in with the competition mindset,” she said. “ In this meet, we are going to focus on the competition aspect but also be more strategic.”

Chavez said practice is helping the team progress and get ready for future races.

“I think it has been going really well,

LU media relations

Sophomore Evelyn Chavez (left), Senior Verity Ockenden and Senior Jannika John run during the Texas A&M Invitational, Sept. 24. and we have been getting most of our girls back,” she said. “We are progressing through training. So far, I think training has been really solid and consistent. Our training is helping us get ready for Friday and future races.”

Houchin said he is looking forward to the Southland Conference championships, Oct. 30.

“We are the defending champions, so there’s a target on our backs to some degree, but that does not change our job whatsoever,” he said. “Our responsibility when the gun goes off is to have the best race as possible.

“It’s my job to put pieces in place to make sure we are the in the best shape we can be for these races.”

Big Red Sports Network keeping fans connected Hannah LeTulle UP contributor Big Red Sports Network is the group of young men and women who work behind the cameras of every sporting event at Lamar University.

“Camera people and reporters are often overlooked because it is our job to stay behind the scenes,” Delanie Turano, Port Neches sophomore, said. “But without us, fans would be unconnected to the sports we make accessible to them. Our BRSN team is like the glue that connects our fans to the sports they love.”

The group produce packages for the “lamar1VIDEO” YouTube channel. The packages are also streamed onto the scoreboards at the games.

“We are live broadcasting every game, so anyone with an Internet connection can still watch and not have to be there, Lanee Tesch, Groves freshman, said. “It’s pretty cool because you don’t have to wait for a video recap to come out to see what the game is like, you can watch it from your house.”

Jordan Washington, Houston senior, said the group works hard to keep up with events.

“A lot of people don’t understand that we have a schedule very similar to the athletes that we cover,” he said. “I show up a few hours before every game to set up cameras, devise plans, and study notes and stats. Once the actual game starts,

UP Kyle Swearingen

Lanee Tesch demonstrates a camera that the Big Red Sports Network uses to stream Lamar athletics. everyone in the program has a specific role. Lastly, I create and edit highlights to be put out over various social media platforms.”

The students also produce non-game content.

“Not only do we film sporting events, but we also set up interviews with coaches and student athletes, and turn those clips into videos we call ‘Up2Speed,’” Turano said. “This gives us a chance to try different roles of sports broadcasting, and also

gives fans updates on their favorite coaches and players.”

Washington said that being a part of BRSN will increase his chances of getting a job once he graduates.

“It can help me foundationally in developing my craft and increases my attractiveness to future employers,” he said.

“The things that we complete mimic professional productions and that is what future employers like to see.”

In addition to gaining filming experi-

ence to their résumés, the students have to learn all facets of production.

“I am constantly having to write out scripts and interviews, communicate with a wide range of people and pay close attention to others’ thoughts and opinions so that I can correctly present information,” Turano said.

The only requirement for BRSN membership is an interest in sports broadcasting, Washington said.

“I wanted to advance my career and put myself in the best possible position once graduating,” he said.

BRSN members can earn a partial scholarship.

“We put in a lot of hours every week, when we all have so many other things on our plate, being a member of Big Red Sports Network is basically a job,” Tesch said. “So receiving the scholarship makes it so we are being paid for all of our hard work.”

Currently there are 13 members of Big Red Sports Network, but the group is always open for new people.

“Everyday, we are working with professionals who do what we do for a living and we get to use them as examples in our own lives,” Tesch said. “I have learned so much from others and from my own experience by joining this group. I highly encourage anyone who is interested in sports broadcasting to join, too.”

For BRSN videos, visit www.youtube. com/user/lamar1VIDEO.

Page 8

Thursday, October 15, 2015 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

STAIRSTEP students present research in LU’s Texas STEM Conference

Scarecrow festival comes to Shangri La

Eight STAIRSTEP undergraduates presented their research at the third Annual Texas STEM Conference recently. The conference was hosted by Lamar University’s office of undergraduate research and funded by ExxonMobil.

The eight are members of Lamar’s STAIRSTEP, or Students Advancing through Involvement in Research Student Talent Expansion Program, aimed at the retention and excellence of underrepresented groups in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Physics senior Keeley TownleySmith of Lumberton and juniors Mark Worth of Vidor, John Pickren of Beaumont, and Carlos Caballero of Nederland made oral presentations on their STAIRSTEP research performed under the direction of faculty mentor Cristian Bahrim.

Caballero presented on “Active Flow Control (AFC) Systems on Aerospace Surfaces for Improving Aircraft Performance.”

Pickren and Townley-Smith teamed on “Identification of Chemical Composition of Medicines through Optical Analysis. TownleySmith joined with Worth on “Resolving the shape of a light source from polarization measurements.”

“Because this is my first conference event, I found that I learned a lot about what it means to present what you've researched for a period of time,” Pickren said. “I found it educational and worthwhile, and now I'm more prepared for when I present my work again. This event has helped me understand what it means to be a part of the scientific community.”

Computer science senior Timothy Holcombe of Lumberton and juniors Timothy Gonzales of Beaumont and Colin Smith of Bridge City presented posters of their research on behalf of their STAIRSTEP teams directed by faculty mentor Peggy Doerschuk.

Holcombe, Greg Yera, Gonzales, Hannah Leleux, Logan Smith,

The Shangri La Botanical Gardens & Nature Center in Orange is hosting the largest scarecrow festival in Texas.

Dozens of hand-crafted scarecrows, created by schools, community organizations, businesses and families, are on display throughout the gardens.

All scarecrows are created using repurposed and recycled materials and range from funny to scary, to weird.

Visitors can vote on their favorite scarecrow when attending the festival. The winner will be announced during the Autumn Fair, Nov. 7.

The festival is open to the public through Nov. 7.

Alexander Strong, and Smith, examined “Work in Progress: Machine Learning in Robotics.”

“Work in Progress: Improving the Performance of the Radial Basis Function Network” was the project of Gonzales, Logan Smith, and Alexander Strong.

Gonzales, Hannah Leleux, Timothy Holcombe, Smith, Alexander Strong, and Greg Yera, presented “Work in Progress: Programming is a Snap!: Increasing knowledge and interest in computing.”

“The Texas STEM Conference not only gave me experience in presenting research, but rejuvenated my interest in it,” Smith said. “Being around dozens of people so passionate about their fields of research and so curious about ours set an atmosphere of comradery, fellowship and positivity. There was not a single attendee who was not genuinely interested in the research being presented nor a presenter who was not both knowledgeable and passionate about their respective projects.”

Jonathan Hodges of Beaumont, a senior majoring in computer science and mathematics, is a member of the STAIRSTEP Math team led by faculty mentor Jennifer Daniel. He is also an ASCENT scholar, led by faculty mentor Stefan Andrei. Hodges presented his ASCENT research, which expands his STAIRSTEP research, “Automaton Theory and PCG in Video Games.” Hodges finds conferences such as the STEM conference invaluable to students because it helps them develop public speaking skills.

“The work needed to take a topic, learn about it, do the research, and present it develops both work ethic and illustrates the passion each student has for their research,” Hodges said.

“We are grateful to the Office of Undergraduate Research Director Kumer Das and ExxonMobil for giving our students this opportunity,” Doerschuk said.

UP Mitchell Junious

ATTENTION LAMAR STUDENTS

Senate Bill 11, the so-called Campus Carry law goes into effect August 1, 2016, Texas concealed handgun license holders (License to Carry, LTC) may carry concealed handguns on their person while on the premises of certain college campuses, including Lamar University. Under specific and reasonable circumstances, the law permits certain facilities and premises owned or leased by the university to be "gun free."Lamar is in the process of studying the intricacies of the law and collecting information to make the best decisions for campus and created an advisory task force of students, faculty, and staff, as well as representatives on the Texas State University System Campus Carry Task Force.

A Town Hall meeting will be held to present an overview of the law and to receive your questions, comments, and recommendations. The meeting will be for Lamar University students only and will be held on Wednesday, October 21st at 3:30 p.m. in the Science Auditorium. Another meeting will be held for employees. To allow opportunity for all students to speak, a three minute limit will be imposed on speakers. If you are unable to attend or wish to share your share your thoughts in another manner, a web survey is available at https://forms.lamar.edu/www/campus-carry.html.

You may also address questions, comments, or recommendations to Kevin Smith, Chair of the LU Task Force, at AcademicAffairs@Lamar.edu .

Editor Lauren Van Gerven pulls the strings for the best coverage of campus and sports news

UNIVERSITY PRESS