February 6, 2014

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The Newspaper of Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology Thursday, February 13, 2014

Vol. 90, No. 16

LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD “If an American, because his skin is dark, cannot enjoy the full and free life which all of us want, then who among us would be content to have the color of his skin changed and stand in his place?”

— Lyndon B. Johnson

CAMPUS PLANS BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP STAFF WRITER

Photo courtesy of Gray Library

This photo was taken at Lamar Tech, now Lamar University, in 1964 during the civil rights movement. Many of the students at that time did not want to integrate the campus and picketed as the first African American students attended classes.

CIVIL RIGHTS ACT TURNS 50 YEARS OLD IN 2014 KYRA ELLIS UP CONTRIBUTOR As we celebrate Black Histor y Month, thoughts turn to the many African American inventors and their wide range of accomplishments and triumphs, but 2014 also marks the 50th anniversar y of a landmark piece of legislation — the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964, he also allowed other congressional supporters of the bill to sign, such as civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Roy Wilkins.

The law prohibited discrimination of all kinds based on race, color, religion or national origin. It also provided the federal government with the powers to enforce desegregation in

places such as hotels, restaurants, theatres, public schools and many more.

According to the constitutional rights foundation’s website, “The civil rights movement deeply affected American society. Among its most important achievements were two major civil rights laws passed by Congress. These laws See RIGHTS, page 2

February is Black History Month and two faculty-led departments at Lamar will organize three on-campus events to celebrate.

Black History Month kicked off with a launch party, Feb. 6 organized by Student Activities and Civic Engagement. The movie “The Butler” was shown in the Setzer Student Center, Tuesday.

The department of student development and leadership will host a mixer, Feb. 24, called “Conversations: Remembering Our Past”’ as part of their multicultural affairs program.

During the mixer, seven people will talk to students, faculty and staff about their journey to becoming who they are today.

The people speaking at the event are Vernice Monroe, former director of the social work program at Lamar, Vernon Durden, former contract manager at ExxonMobile, Art Simpson, director of recreational sports at Lamar, Richard Price, former mathematics professor at Lamar, Daniella Medley, director of the McNair Scholars program, and associate professor Lula Henry.

“We want to put people of color in front of the students,” Teresa Simpson, interim director of student development and leadership, said. “We want to take a Freddie Titus, Valerie Black, Art Simpson — take individuals like that, whose faces the students recognize.”

Simpson said that despite recognizing these people, students don’t fully comprehend what they stand for.

“All (the students) see is, for example, Mr. Simpson, he’s so strict, and there’s a dress code, and this and that,” she said. “They don’t understand his journey. We’re trying to show students that if you’re a minority, whether you’re of color, female, or have a different sexual orientation, there are social and leadership barriers that individuals go through that you can relate to, whether you’re white, black or purple.”

Simpson said that it is important for students to understand where these people are coming from, in order for the students to understand that what they are doing for them is for the best.

“We also want students to realize that when you start planning your careers, it’s going to take some turns and twists,” she said. “And that you have to go through it with the passion that these people have.”

During the mixer, the panelists will comment on their childhoods and background information, on who inspired them academically and professionally, on the barriers they faced to get to where they are now, and on their future goals. The students will also get to know some fun facts about them, Simpson said.

The Black History Month mixer will launch a series of conversations to recognize other celebrations, such as Women’s History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.

For more information, call 880-8085.

Gietz to present ASL visual at ACEDHH conference OLIVIA IVINS UP CONTRIBUTOR Learning is a challenge many students face, and new ways of teaching are always being developed.

Merrilee Gietz, Lamar University assistant professor of deaf education, will present her research at the Association of College Educators for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing conference in Washington, D.C., Feb. 20-22.

Gietz will present a poster titled, “ASL Handshape Stories, Word Recognition and Signing Deaf Readers: An Exploratory Study.”

The main goal is to teach deaf and

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hard of hearing students American Sign Language, Gietz said in a telephone interview through a translator.

“The key points of my poster are related to deaf children learning short stories related to writing and spelling based on phonetics, which is studying the sound of human speech,” she said.

“My dissertation focuses only on phonological awareness.”

The idea is related to the importance and history related to sound phonology, Gietz said.

“Teachers often use this strategy to teach deaf children,” she said. “Now it’s starting as a new thing to teach specifically visual phonology, which is based

on 46 unique hand cues and symbols as sign language, so that the students get the whole picture.”

Teachers often teach hearing students based on sound phonology and awareness, know as PA. “Hearing children depend on sound, and to teach deaf children. The question is, ‘Where is the visual PA?’” Gietz said. “There is not a lot of research done on it, and not a lot of information in this field. Now researchers are starting to redirect on visual dependency.

“My work related to this poster took me three years, and I finally did the advertisement for that and it all

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worked out. I was willing to go and see how the teachers taught students ASL with short stories, rhymes, English with rhymes, and then with no rhymes. This is specifically for deaf students to test their ability to relate vocabulary to word recognition, and the memory process with recognizing words with rhyming.

“Studies show that all three ASL learning techniques have been really successful. We still need more research related to visual teaching strategies.”

Her proposal was peer reviewed and she was selected from more than 80 submissions.

“It was really competitive and I was really excited I was selected,” she said.

“The poster sessions will be held during the second part of the day. And people will be able to see how the posters progressed through the stages of research, and I will be there to explain people’s questions.”

During the ACEDHH conference, people will have the opportunity to walk around and look at the posters, and there will be multiple people showing their own presentations. The conference will feature professors and students there.

Lamar faculty members Zanthia Smith and Millicent Musyoka will also present at the conference.

For information, call 880-8170.

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INSIDE Thursday, February 13, 2014 University Press

Page 2

QUOTE OF THE DAY

NOTICE

“Never descend to the ways of those above you.”

— George Mallaby

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.

Check out the student handbook at: http://students.lamar.edu/student-handbook.html To download a pdf of the campus safety brochure, visit http://students.lamar.edu/campus-safety/index.html

Illustration courtesy of Splitwise

Splitwise app aims to help students find affordable apartments KRISTEN STUCK UP STAFF WRITER College students who live off campus may not always know the best rent available in the area. And finding the best way to split costs with a roommate is not easy.

One startup is using data to help students manage their living expenses.

“Splitwise is a website and mobile app that helps roommates and friends keep track of shared expenses and IOUs,” Zoe Chaves, a Splitwise employee, said in an email interview.

Jon Bittner, Ryan Laughlin and Marshall Weir developed Splitwise in 2011. It began as a calculator to help roommates divide the rent fairly, and

RIGHTS ••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 ensured constitutional rights for African Americans and other minorities. Although these rights were first guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution immediately after the Civil War, they had never been fully enforced. It was only after years of highly publicized civil rights demonstrations, marches, and violence that American political leaders acted to enforce these rights.”

Bianca Easterly, Lamar University assistant professor of political science, said the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was phenomenal and ground breaking in terms of trying to push forward towards equality for all races and gender.

“Because of this, schools were desegregated,” she said.

According to congresslink.org, “The 1964 Civil Rights Act was a landmark in legislative attempts to improve the quality of life for African Americans and other minority groups. Although civil rights had a long history as a political and legislative issue, the 1960s marked a period of intense activity by the federal government to protect minority rights.

“It opened the door to further progress by lessening racial restrictions on the use of public facilities,

then blossomed into an app.

Splitwise uses data from RentMetrics to create a visual model of rent prices and number of bedrooms in a specific zip code.

“The average rent tool lives on Spiltwise, so to speak,” Chaves said.

“It’s not a stand-alone app. We made it because we got a really great set of data from our friends at RentMetrics, with over two million apartment prices from across the country matched to the number of bedrooms and zip codes.

“RentMetrics is a startup in San Francisco that collects data about residential real estate and sells those insights to realtors. Their CEO went to college with Jon and they gave us the data as a favor. This average rent

analysis Splitwise is doing now is secondary to our work of making an app for splitting expenses, but it fits nicely into our wheelhouse and we enjoy helping people.”

Chaves, who graduated from Brown University in May, said she thinks it would be useful to Lamar students who are moving off-campus and are trying to stick to a budget, or seniors who are looking to relocate to new cities and are trying to get set up.

“I’ve been working at Splitwise since July 2013,” she said. “I got connected to the company through a program called Venture for America, which pairs recent grads with startups.”

The way the app works is one plugs in a zip code and it displays the

providing more job opportunities, strengthening voting laws, and limiting federal funding of discriminatory aid programs. The Act paved the way for future anti-discrimination legislation, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965.”

Although the passing of this law opened many doors for African Americans, many challenges came along with it. Not ever yone was willing to take part in desegregation. Some business owners were still apprehensive about allowing African Americans into their facilities.

The owner of an Atlanta motel decided to challenge the new law. The motel consisted of 216 rooms which ser ved an interstate clientele, yet African Americans were not allowed to rent any of the rooms.

The owner believed that Congress did not have the authority to ban segregation in public places under the U.S. Constitution. When the court case, Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States reached the Supreme Court, the court rejected the owner’s argument. It ruled that the commerce clause of the Constitution authorized Congress to enact this type of legislation.

After this case, many people were happy to see that the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was just as important as any other law and it was not going to be taken lightly.

In the act’s 50th year, many

African Americans, as well as other minorities, have a lot to be thankful for. We are now allowed to experience an integrated campus in which we can learn about various cultures and traditions.

“We now have more legislation to improve equality, because of this we have the Voting Rights Act,” Easterly said. “The Civil Rights Act started a push for equality. It benefited in private lives, (and provided) opportunities in the workplace and in education.”

While life since The Civil Right Act has changed, our nation is nowhere near perfect. CNN.com states, “Racism plagued America throughout the ’60s, into the ’70s, through the ’80s; it continued in the ’90s and in the first decade of the new millennium; and it persists today.”

Easterly said that even with governmental interaction, racism is still alive.

“In terms of segregation, people choose to segregate their children, rather than integrate,” she said. “The notion is still there, but not as much about race.”

Easterly recalls being a victim of segregation.

“I was the only black person in my grade and I was called ‘blackie’ and ‘nigger’ at seven years old. I did not know the meaning (of those names) because I was not raised around whites.”

average rent per bedroom in that area by apartment size — studio, one bedroom, etc. It calculates how much money one can expect to save by taking on a roommate or two versus living alone. It also shows how many of each type of apartment are available in the zip code.

“We just wanted to do something cool with the data that would help people,” Chaves said. “We’re all about roommates and sharing housing, so we decided to build this tool that helps people find affordable neighborhoods, and figure out how many roommates to get to live cheaply.”

The company started making the specific analyses for different colleges because they found that while the general tool is useful, people best connect

with visualize data, Chaves said.

“So we thought about who might need this type of info the most — young people living on a budget — and we started reaching out to colleges to do these custom visuals,” she said.

Splitwise is currently working on obtaining fresh data sets to keep the visualizations current.

“We just hope it helps people make informed decisions about their housing,” Chaves said. “Being a student is expensive and I think we’re all looking for good ways to save.”

The app is available for download for iPhone, Android and Windows phone users.

For more information, visit www.splitwise.com.

Photo courtesy of Gray Library

This photo was taken at Lamar Tech, now Lamar University, in 1964 during the civil rights movement. Many of the students at that time picketed as the first African American students attended classes, because they did not want to integrate the campus.

Although the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a moving experience for many, it is important to remember that it did not solve all problems. There is still more work to be done.

Jack Schlossberg, grandson of John F. Kennedy said, “The civil rights movement didn’t end on Aug. 6, 1965. The work of creating a truly

equal country never ends.”

Today’s students take going to school with many different races, and going to any public facility, for granted. But 50 years ago, this was not the case.

Easterly said the act was an important part of American history.

“It makes us think about how far we’ve come and how far we need to go.”

EDITORIAL Editor Chelsea Henderson 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.

UP EDITORIAL

RESPECT SELF, OTHERS’ EYES ON DAY OF LOVE Valentine’s Day is almost upon us. This whole week has been cold and dreary, which could prove to either dampen or to spark activities in the bedroom department Friday night.

On this Valentine’s eve, some of us may be feeling the spirit of love more than others. But it’s important to keep those bedroom activities contained in the privacy of one’s own home. When we come to campus on Friday, it is important to remember that other people can see us and all of those affectionate tokens we present to our loved ones.

Sure, no one really minds the stuffed bears, roses or chocolates that are sure to make appearances in a few classrooms Friday morning. But public groping, stroking, petting, and yes, saliva-swapping, should be made a little more private — at least while we’re on campus.

While you may not mind displaying your affections publicly, it’s safe to say not too many of us actually enjoy these displays as third-party observers.

We’ve all walked into class a little more irritated than usual because a couple blocked the entryway to a building with their slobbery goodbyes. We’ve all been in situations where we have about 30 seconds to make it into class before the teacher locks the door, only to be cut off by the slowest-walking couple — possibly on the planet — that we are now stuck behind. And now we’re late to class, the door is locking, and we’re...absent.

On the off chance we’re bothered enough by PDA (Public Displays of Affection) to actually comment out loud to the offenders, one of two things will happen.

One: The couple will ignore us and continue about their day, hopefully, with a sense of embarrassment and slightly red cheeks.

Two: The ballsy couple will promptly instruct us to, “Mind your own business.”

We would love to mind our own business! Nothing would make us happier than to not have to scold our classmates like we’re back in high school. However, by making your private moments public displays, for all eyes to see, you have clearly made it our business.

All we’re asking for is a quick walk to class, unimpeded by the blob couple that has morphed into one person with four legs. We’d also like to make it into our classroom buildings without having to walk around the overly-affectionate couple who have no regard for other people.

It’s like walking on a perfectly-wide sidewalk only to be confronted by the three friends who refuse to walk in a line, forcing you to now walk in the mud. We just want to keep our feet dry.

Show a little courtesy, a little respect, and a little selfrestraint. What happens at home, in the dark — or with the lights on, your call — is none of our business. We don’t want to know.

Respect our wishes. If you do feel the urge to share private encounters, keep it between friends — not the entire campus.

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Editor...............................Chelsea Henderson Graphics Editor ........................William Jones Sports Editor...............................Chris Moore Web Editor ..............................Melissa Conley Staff ..............Joshua La Salle, Sierra Kondos, ......................Kristen Stuck, Jessica Lane, .............Mallory Matt, Lauren Van Gerven, ......................Olivia Ivins, Grant Crawford, ...................Coty Davis, Desmond Pickens Advertising .............................Melissa Conley Office Manager ..................Jac’Quor Williams

www.lamaruniversitypress.com 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.

3 Thursday, February 13, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Unlucky in love UP illustration

Broken hearted honor painful Valentine’s Day roots For many, Valentine’s Day is a time for love, flowers and way too much chocolate. For those who happen to be unlucky in love, Feb. 14 is likely to bring with it a host of unpleasant feelings that are easily ignored on the other 364 days of the year.

“We all need some type of connection,” Chiung-Fang Chang, associate professor of sociology, said. “Human beings are social animals, and it’s nearly impossible for humans to exist completely on their own. Society is a group environment, and in order to reach a certain level of social function, we seek to establish meaningful connections. Valentine’s Day, just like any other holiday that revolves around unity and making connections, might make that need more prevalent.”

That prevalent need, or the blatant reminder that it isn’t being satisfied, can be life threatening.

According to the Mayo Clinic, it is possible to die from a broken heart. Broken Hearts Syndrome, or Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, is a temporary condition that can cause chest pains that are similar in intensity to those caused by a heart attack. The acute pain is most often caused by prolonged, or a sudden high increase in stress. For many, breakups are extremely stressful.

Contrary to what many may think, Chang believes that men are actually more susceptible to heartbreak than women.

“Studies show that women are actually more likely to cope better with things like break-ups and divorce, because women are more likely to have many connections at once,” she said. “Meaning that a woman will rely on friends and family for emotional support, while a man is less likely to have strong, intimate connections with others.

“It’s the way our society has programmed

COMMENTARY

by

Jessica Lane

men to be. They feel like they’re less masculine if they admit to feeling lonely. Most men don’t want to need anyone. Men actually need more intimacy than women do, which is why the remarriage rate for men is so much higher than it is for women. Men are just more afraid of being alone.

“However, Valentine’s Day is more important for women, because women expect more, and thus are more likely to be disappointed.”

Chang believes that society is partially to blame for the possible Valentine’s Day blues some singles may feel.

“To combat the loneliness that Valentine’s Day can bring with it, people will sometimes go to bars or crowded places alone just to share a moment in time with other people,” she said.

However, single folk shouldn’t sweat the holiday too much.

“It’s no big deal,” Chang said. “The holiday is so commercialized these days that I don’t think anyone should base much value on it. Make every day Valentine’s Day by showing the people around you how much you care about them.

“It’s easy to get wrapped up in the idea that if you don’t have someone to celebrate with, that you’re pitiable, or that you should

feel bad about yourself, but the majority of us have someone special in our lives. Maybe it’s your mother or your best friend. So focus on those relationships rather than the absence of a romantic relationship.”

Likewise, Sharron Davis of Contact Lubbock, a suicide prevention center, cautioned singles not to work themselves up over nothing.

“If a person is depressed over a relationship, then yes, Valentine’s Day is sure to be a very hard day,” she said. “A possible way to combat the loneliness would be to make an effort to be with people you trust and care about, and people you know care about you. Do something nice for someone, or volunteer at a nursing home or school. When we step outside our depression and start thinking of others our lives change. The saying, ‘Giving is Getting,’ is truly the best medicine.”

Chang encourages people to make more face-to-face connections.

“Social interaction is a mutual process,” she said. “You have to socialize to form connections. Some people have to work harder at this than others. Only children, for example, sometimes have less experience with forming connections, and so, they find it more difficult.

“Technological advancements have also reduced human interaction. Try FaceTime as opposed to texting or email.”

Besides, Valentine’s Day originated with an ancient ritual called Lupercalia in which men would strip naked and whip young women in the hopes of increasing their fertility.

So it seems the holiday has been causing pain since the days of ancient Rome.

Jessica Lane is a UP Contributor

ADDICTION AFFECTS MORE THAN ‘TRASHY,’ RICH ad·dic·tion [uh-dik-shuhn] noun: the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma. (Dictionary.com) People see addiction in many different ways. Most people seem to think it’s just a selfish act that one can easily stop. Sadly, that’s just not the case.

Most people see addiction as only hitting two groups of people — the “trashy” and the rich.

With the recent death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, I read many things about how brilliant he was and how everyone was so shocked that even he was an addict.

Addiction doesn’t care how brilliant you are. It doesn’t care about how many people love you. It doesn’t care what you make or how you spend your day.

Addiction is a lonely disease. It draws the addict away from everyone. It makes the addict feel guilty, because even though they know they are hurting the ones they love, they have to fulfill that need.

Look at some of the well-known celebrities of recent times that have died of an overdose: Philip Seymour Hoffman — died alone at his apartment at 46. Whitney Houston — died alone in a bathtub at 48. Heath Ledger — died alone at the foot of his bed in a hotel at 28. Cory Monteith — died alone in a hotel at 31. Amy Winehouse — died alone in her apartment at 27.

All of these people had many years ahead of them. They were well loved. They were talented. But all of them died alone.

Millions of people all around the world loved them, yet addiction took over.

What should this say to us? This keeps happening, but the only people we really ever hear about dying are the rich and famous, and people generally just chalk their deaths up to them having too much money and partying too hard. If these people died from “partying” they wouldn’t have died alone.

COMMENTARY

by

Kristen Stuck

What we need to realize is that it’s not just celebrities who die from addiction. It’s not just low-life people who are into drugs.

It’s normal people. It’s someone’s mom, someone’s dad, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa.

We need to realize that addiction isn’t just selfishness, it’s a real problem.

I work at a pharmacy and I see addiction every single day, from pills to cigarettes, alcohol to methamphetamines.

We see so much attention to street drugs — the narcotics that the “war on drugs” focuses on. What most people don’t even think of are the drugs that are becoming an increasing problem in America.

According to the Center for Disease Control, prescription painkillers now kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined.

I’ve seen a pleasant mother and wife go from having no problems at all to becoming addicted to pills after a minor stint in the hospital. I saw her family struggle to deal with her addiction, hiding it from everyone else, even each other. I watched as a family shattered when she died of an accidental overdose.

As annoyed as I get from these daily interactions with people who seemingly can’t control themselves, at the end of the day, I have to remind myself that what I’m seeing is only a shell of their former selves. Most of these people know they are addicts, whether they admit it to anyone else or not. They feel that guilt each time they take that pill, stick that needle in their arm, or click that lighter to heat their pipe. They know they are letting down everyone, but they can’t help them-

selves.

Instead of judging these people and treating them like scum, we need to realize that they are people. They are someone’s mother, someone’s father, someone’s son, someone’s daughter.

Some of these people made a bad decision once in their lives that changed them forever. Some of them didn’t even realize what they were getting when their doctors gave them a prescription for Vicodin.

I know this. One of those pleasant women was my mom.

She wasn’t someone who got their drugs from some shady guy in the streets.

She didn’t hop from doctor to doctor to get prescriptions. She went to one doctor. She was sick one time and trusted her doctor to take care of her.

I knew what was happening. I thought I was doing what I could, but I now realize I was trying to hide it more than anything. I didn’t help her, I only pushed her away.

I could have done so much more. I could have helped her. Of course, it would have been her choice to get help, but had I not hid it and actually helped, she might be here today.

Every single day I regret my decisions.

Every single day I see other families going through the same motions.

People hide the addicts in their families as much as they can. We look at addiction as such a low-life thing, but it could easily happen to anyone.

As a society, instead of pushing these people away from us, we need to rally around them. Those who know someone with an addiction have to pull them close — not to enable the addiction more, but to make the addict understand that they are loved. We have to look at these people and understand that there is probably something else going on inside them. This addiction is most likely a cover for something else.

Life is already hard enough. Being an addict makes it harder.

No one should die alone.

Kristen Stuck is a UP Staff Writer

Page 4 Thursday, February 13, 2014

ZTA TO HOST ‘PINK OUT’ GAME, TODAY

University Press

Professor transfers home brewery passion to LU course

SIERRA KONDOS UP STAFF WRITER Zeta Tau Alpha will host their annual “Pink Out” men and woman’s basketball games against Stephen F. Austin State University, today, at the Montagne Center.

The event will raise money for breast cancer education and awareness.

“The money is going to the ZTA foundation where it will be used to support our philanthropy,” MariAnne Ortega, ZTA president, said.

Ortega said the creed of ZTA asks members to, “Think of all mankind and our service in the world.”

The “Pink Out” women’s game starts at 5:30 p.m., and the men’s game starts at 7:30 p.m.

Admission is free to students with ID, and they can purchase an extra ticket for $5.

“Our organization encourages all LU students to wear pink to show their support, Ortega said.

“We will be giving out free pink ribbons.”

ZTA members will have tables set up on both sides of the Montagne Center to sell merchandise.

“We are selling different shirts that range from $10 to $15, and a coozie special of one for $3 and two for $5,” Ortega said.

Donations will also be accepted at the vendor tables.

Ortega said the organization raised $10,000 last semester from the “Pink Out” games and fundraisers.

“The money raised goes towards things like getting mammograms for women who cannot afford it,” she said. “A lot of the money gets donated to different breast cancer organization sites about getting the awareness out.”

For more information, visit www.zetataualpha.org and click on the foundation link.

KARA TIMBERLAKE UP CONTRIBUTOR For Christopher Martin, an associate professor of chemistry at Lamar University for 10 years, an enthusiasm for beer brewing stemmed from a Father’s Day gift a year and a half ago.

“I asked for a Mr. Beer, a small home brewing system, because it was something that I had been interested in,” Martin said. “As a chemist, I think about chemistry in everything I do.

Even when I got my first simplified kit, I was trying to read in between the lines and trying to figure out what was happening.”

Soon after, Martin began to home brew without the assistance of the kit, thinking not only as a chemist but as a teacher.

“Whether I was intending to or not, I was building a course,” Martin said. “I was organizing my thoughts, organizing the steps, trying to solve the questions about how I would explain this to somebody else. Not only do I want to figure out everything, I am always unintentionally thinking about how to present that to somebody else so they can understand.”

Since then, Martin’s passion has inspired the creation of the class, the Chemistry of Brewing, which became available in the spring of 2014.

“I wanted to start the course, but I was not sure if there would be interest,” Martin said. “The courses that I teach, Organic Chemistry I and II, are traditionally some of the most difficult courses at the university, which a lot of times labels me as the difficult professor. I didn’t know how much of that was going to roll over into this class.”

Martin said it was a natural transition from the brewery to the classroom, the only difference being that he needed to have students and formalize the material.

“When I had some curiosities, I would take notes in a laboratory notebook,” Martin said. “I used the notebook to keep track of my mistakes

and triumphs, but it ended up becoming the foundation for my course curriculum. A lot of the things I’m trying to teach students in the lab are skills that have been easily transferrable because now my kitchen is the lab.”

Before establishing the course, Martin was unsure of how people would perceive the topic of alcohol on a college campus.

“I am very sensitive to the concept of underage drinking and alcoholism, and I wanted to assert that the class would not be endorsing either.

Instead, we would be concentrating on the chemistry that is involved in brewing,” Martin said. “Beer is a measuring stick of culture. In class, I try to make sure that people understand the history, the cultural significance, and the overall process of what it takes to brew a batch of beer. It becomes a task or a chore if you jump into the chemistry right away, and you risk losing the passion.”

However, Martin said thus far he has been pleased with the positive feedback received, and he is interested in teaching the class as long as there is sufficient student interest and departmental resources.

“It is encouraging that the 25 students in my class, a fair mixture of chemistry and chemical engineering majors, chose to take the lecturebased course despite it not being a required class,” Martin said.

Currently, the course is offered to any student who needs an upper-level chemistry elective. For undergraduates, Organic Chemistry I is a prerequisite. Graduate students in a chemical science also can take the course.

This semester is the first time the Chemistry of Brewing has been taught at Lamar. A Fermentation Chemistry class previously was offered in 2007 by chemistry professor Richard Lumpkin, covering the process of brewing chocolate, coffee and beer.

“The students are going to have a

Christopher Martin, associate professor of chemistry, has used his home brewery as inspiration to create the “Chemistry of Brewing,” a new LU course that began this semester.

Courtesy photo

fair amount of hands on, non-alcoholic opportunities in class,” said Martin.

“Soon, I’m going to bring in the individual components, such as the grain, that go into the beer. Personally, I don’t think you can appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty of deliberately putting all the flavors together to arrive at this final product without looking at the individual parts behind it.”

Because there is no lab, Martin said that the class has the option to participate in several volunteer-based fields trips throughout the semester.

“This is an elective course so I have the ability to keep them engaged instead of worrying about establishing prerequisites for a specific level of achievement and retention,” Martin said.

In the future, Martin hopes to expand the course.

“My idea is to have this lecture only class first, and then justify turning this into a lecture plus lab, where students could truly integrate chemistry with brewing, using the brewing as a vehicle to apply the chemistry,” said Martin. “If enough interest is generated, I would consider offering other related courses such as an ‘Introduction to Brewing Science’ with much lower prerequisites, possibly none, and an ‘Advanced Chemistry of

Brewing’ with the current course as the prerequisite.

Martin hopes to delve into further research that marries his two passions: brewing and teaching.

“One of the things that would be fascinating is to develop a research program where students can take their chemistry knowledge and use practical application to discover limits and new approaches,” said Martin.

“The research itself would not be centered on the alcohol, but the chemistry in it.

“Because you cannot patent a recipe, the breweries protect their knowledge very tightly, which has led to incredibly sparse peer-reviewed chemistry literature on brewing. A possibility for research is to branch into some of the scientific aspects of why certain chemical phenomenon happen that people don’t quite understand. There is a lot more to look at and investigate than I initially thought.”

At the end of the course, Martin hopes that students see the connection between the real world and the classroom.

“Rather than being driven by chemistry in an academic sense, I’m trying to find an application in the real world. It makes the relevance and interest a lot fresher,” Martin said.

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Thursday, February 13, 2014

Page 5

ACS GRANT BOOSTS FACULTY RESEARCH ON DESULFURIZATION A grant from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund will support the research of two Lamar University faculty members into new techniques to remove sulfur compounds from hydrocarbon fuels.

The $100,000 New Directions Award for Fundamental Research will enhance the research of John Zhanhu Guo, associate professor of chemical engineering, and Suying Wei, assistant professor of analytical chemistry, into pervaporation of sulfur compounds using elastomeric polymer nanocomposite membranes.

Grant reviewers described the research as important to the petroleum industry with the potential to advance the nanocomposite field by creating innovative polymer nanocomposites. One reviewer also commented on Guo’s and Wei’s “novel ways to train both undergraduate and graduate researchers” through the project.

Guo said the collaboration between faculty members and students from the College of Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences is mutually beneficial.

“I will focus on the process, and she will focus on the chemical analysis and surface treatments,” Guo said. “I ask my students to learn the scientific facts from Dr. Wei, and her students come here to learn the engineering applications. Knowledge is advanced to achieve the goals, the objectives of our research. The students will have broader knowledge and broader horizons. That’s a benefit for our education here.”

Finding new methods to remove sulfur

Students and faculty involved in LU’s desulfurization research include Honglin Qu, graduate student, left; Cuixia Xu, graduate student; Suying Wei, analytical chemistry assistant professor; Jaishri Sharma, recent master's graduate; and Javon Prophet, undergraduate student.

High school and college transfer students considering Lamar University will have the opportunity to visit campus during Lamar’s Spring Open House, Saturday.

The event will start with registration at 8:30 a.m. in the Montagne Center.

“The festivities will start at 9 a.m. with a quick welcome,” Magdalena Cano, director of recruitment, said. “After that, we will escort the students to the main campus where all the

The Lutcher Theater will present “Million Dollar Quartet,” Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Courtesy photo

compounds from hydrocarbon fuels such as diesel and gasoline is important because the pollutant sulfur oxide released after combustion is damaging to engines, the environment and human health.

Current desulfurization techniques, Guo said, all have disadvantages, from high expense and energy usage to lower fuel quality and combustion value.

“What we are doing is using novel nanocomponents to serve as a membrane.

This newly designed membrane will have a high selectivity to the sulfur compounds, so the sulfur compounds can be removed very easily,” Guo said.

The researchers plan to modify commercially available membranes that are used

in water treatment. By modifying the surface with nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes, they hope to be able to selectively remove sulfur compounds, leading to greater yields of cleaner fuels. The advantages over existing techniques include high selectivity, high separation efficiency and energy savings.

The researchers also plan to evaluate factors such as ideal operating conditions, temperatures, flow rates, and sulfur levels, and to determine the potential lifetime and capacity of the membranes.

Graduate and undergraduate students from both the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical Engineering will participate in the research.

Lamar to host Spring Open House, Saturday LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP STAFF WRITER

Courtesy photo

day’s events will take place.”

There will be a guided tour of campus, and students will have the opportunity to visit the residence halls.

Students will also be able to attend presentations about the different colleges.

As they visit different places on campus, students will get holes punched in a card they receive at the start of the day. At the end of the day, those who turn in their card have a chance of winning an iPad. President Kenneth Evans and his wife, Nancy, will be present throughout the day.

“President and Mrs. Evans will host an extravaganza from noon to 2 p.m. in the Quad,” Cano said. “It’s the first event of the year where he gets to mingle with students who are interested in coming.”

During the event, clubs, fraternities and sororities will have tables set up in the Quad.

“We will have a bunch of tables set up with the Greeks who will have all of their letters out,” Cano said. “It’s a time for them to start recruiting for next year.”

The Open House will end with a closing ceremony at 2 p.m. in the Quad.

Lutcher to present ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ PAIGE SHELTON UP CONTRIBUTOR The Lutcher Theater will present the Tony award-winning musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Ticket prices range from $35 to $65 and can be purchased online at www.lutcher.org, or by calling 886-5535.

The musical is based on a true story. “‘Million Dollar Quartet’ is set on Dec. 4, 1956, when an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together,” a release states. “Sam Phillips, the ‘Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ who was responsible for launching the careers of each icon, gathered the four legendary musicians at the Sun Records storefront studio in Memphis for the first and only time. The resulting evening became known as one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll jam sessions in history.”

Lynae Sanford, Lutcher Theater marketing manager, said the show is a true story about four popular music legends and one amazing night that made jam session history.

“The music is timeless and the story is intriguing,” she said. “And, this is the National Broadway Tour of this show, so the production values and the quality of the talent will be unmatched.”

Everyone attending Friday’s performance is invited to attend a pre-show reception in observance of Valentine’s Day, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The Lutcher is located at 707 Main Avenue in Orange.

For more information, visit www.lutcher.org or www.milliondollarquartetlive.com.

Page 6 Thursday, February 13, 2014

University Press

SPORTS SPORTS ROUNDUP

7

Sam to become first openly gay NFL player Former Missouri linebacker Michael Sam announced that he is gay, Tuesday, making him the first openly gay NFL prospect. Sam, who is projected to go in the third or fourth round in the NFL draft, would become the first openly gay player in the NFL.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

REC SPORTS OFFERS 11

Softball

INTRAMURAL ACTIVITES FOR SPRING SEMESTER

Ashley McDowell’s first two home runs of the season weren’t enough for the Lamar Lady Cardinals as they dropped a 10-9 heartbreaker to host UTSA in a non-conference softball game Sunday, in San Antonio.

McDowell, who belted a schoolrecord 12 home runs last season, hit a solo homer in the fourth inning and a three-run homer in the fifth as Lamar (0-3) battled back from deficits of 6-0 and 9-2 to tie the game at 9 in the sixth inning, only to fall short at the end.

“We keep falling behind and trying to battle back,” Lamar coach Holly Bruder said.“We didn’t take advantage of some chances early.We can’t keep waiting until the late innings.”

Lamar is idle until Feb. 21, when it plays the first of five games at the Citrus Series Classic in Orlando, Fla.The Lady Cardinals face Mercer and Fairfield on Feb. 21, Lehigh and IPFW on Feb. 22, and Albany on Feb. 23.

GRANT CRAWFORD UP STAFF WRITER

The Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center will offer a variety of intramural and club activities this spring.

They are offering 11 sports for intramurals, and there is still time to register.

“All of our programs are a great way to meet people,” Jason Harrington, intramurals and sport clubs coordinator, said.

“We’re about to start tennis, ragball, handball and table tennis. We will also be offering a couple of video game tournaments — FIFA 14 and NBA 2K14 on XBOX 360.

“We are going to offer a March Madness Pick’em week, using ESPN’s website. We’ve been doing it the last three or four years and it’s a lot of fun. We also have a basketball qualifier that’s a regional tournament. What that is, teams play in this mini tournament and whoever wins, we will pay for their entry fee to the regional tournament at TCU. We’ll pay for the $350 entrance fee, and all they’ll have to do is pay for food and a hotel.”

Deadline to register for the basket-

Women’s Hoops A chance to solidify a first-round bye in next month’s Southland Conference Tournament is on the line for the Lamar Lady Cardinals in a three-game home stand that opens at 5:30 p.m., today, against Sam Houston State.

Lamar (13-9 overall, 8-3 Southland) is in second place, one game behind league-leading Central Arkansas, but one game ahead of Stephen F.Austin and Nicholls, with seven games remaining.The top two teams receive byes into the tournament semifinals, while the third-and fourth-place teams earn first-round byes. The home stand includes a meeting with Northwestern State at 4 p.m., Saturday, and a clash with Sam Houston State at 4 p.m., Feb. 22.

Tickets for today’s doubleheader, which also features the men’s game between Lamar and Stephen F.Austin at 7:30 p.m., are available at the Montagne Center ticket office, online at LamarCardinals.com, or by calling 880-1715.

Women’s Golf The Lamar Lady Cardinals didn’t get a chance to improve on their fourth-place standing at the LeTriomphe Collegiate in Broussard, La., Tuesday. Rain in the area canceled the final round of competition, and the results are final after the first two rounds.

The Lady Cardinals finished fourth overall in the 18-team field carding a two-round 304-317—621. Freshman Wenny Chang led the way for the Lady Cardinals, recording a top-five finish.

She carded a 73-77—150 on the par 72 LeTriomphe Golf and Country Club course, to finish just nine strokes back of the leader.

The Lady Cardinals will have two weeks to prepare for their next tournament. Lamar will be back in action Feb. 24 when they travel to Corpus Christi for the Islander Classic. Hosted

by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the Islander Classic is a two-day event.

Track Both Leigh Lattimore and Sam Stabler continued to move up the alltime performance lists for the Lamar track team as each posted the second-best time in school history in the 3,000 meter run at the Meyo Invitational. The meet was held at the Loftus Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. Stabler shaved another second off his time, finishing in 8:00.64 and clocking in just .06 seconds behind Michigan State’s Caleb Rhynard for the event crown. Nationally, Stabler’s time ranked 18th upon the conclusion of the race.

Lattimore cut nearly 12 seconds off of her best time, finishing seventh, and fourth among NCAA athletes, with a time of 9:35.64. The Pinner, England graduate student, now leads the Southland by 22 seconds and is the fastest non-LU runner in the league by more than a half minute.

The LU men’s and women’s track and field teams will return to action Friday at the Cupid Classic in Birmingham, Ala.

ball qualifier is today.

In March, the Rec Center will host a cricket tournament. Registration will be due in early March, and the tournament will be March 22.

“We’re expecting about 10 teams,” Harrington said. “If we can get enough, then we’re going start a league in the fall.

We’re having a larger turn out for international students, so it looks like we’re going to start doing that again.

Harrington said several of the club sports are active in the spring.

“We have 12 clubs, and seven of them are active right now, mainly spring sports like women’s basketball, men and women’s rugby, tennis, powerlifting and ultimate Frisbee,” he said. “Women’s soccer will look to start some tournaments at the end of this month. Men’s volleyball club is active as well.

“If you just want to stay in shape, or relieve some stress, that’s what these clubs and intramurals are here for.”

Sign up dates for intramural and club sports vary. Details and sign-up forms are available at the information booth in the Rec Center.

A SigEp player, above in green, shoots the ball during an intramural game against the 409 Hoopers in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Center, Monday.

An Alpha Phi Alpha player, right in blue, goes for a layup against Franchise, during an intramural game on court two in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Center, Monday.

UP William Jones

Lamar football inks 17 recruits for next season GRANT CRAWFORD UP STAFF WRITER

Ray Woodard, head football coach, 17 new players at a National Signing Day Press Conference, Feb. 5.

“Another great day for Lamar Football,” he said. “I think we hit the areas we need to cover. We got three defensive lineman, and we stacked up more on defense, because we’re losing more defensive players. Last year at this time, our team was almost as opposite as our team this year. Last year we had our defense filled with players, and some questions on the offensive side. This year we have eight starters coming back offensively, and we have some questions defensively.”

Lamar received seven transfer athletes this year, including two defensive linemen. Beaumont native Kyle Holms from Blinn JC, and sophomore Tylond Robertson, from Texas State. They acquired three defensive backs, sophomore Michael Sheridan from Antelope Valley College, junior Seth Ellis from Pima CC, and junior Daquan Stewart from Contra Costa College. They also acquired juniors Carl Harris, a running back from Memphis, and Brent Nicholson, a deep snapper from Navarro JC. “We needed defensive interior linemen,” Woodard said. “We can’t ever get too many of those. I think they’ll help us out a lot, and they should get a lot of opportunity and reps. You’ll soon see what they can really do.”

Coach Woodard said he was excited about this year’s freshman class, and feels that it was easier to recruit after improving their record last season.

Lamar signed one local player, linebacker Melbrodrick Matthews from Port Arthur Memorial.

“Port Arthur has been tough for us to crack,” Woodard said. “They’ve been so good they get recruited by everybody, and we’ve always gone hard after

them. We’ve been close to getting a player or two in the past, and if we’re going to get one now, I think this is one of the best players we can get. I think he is going to be a great player for us, a very good student, and I’m excited to see him in a Lamar football uniform in 2014.”

Along with Matthews, Lamar signed nine other freshmen this year.

“I just like the depth of this class,” Woodard said. “It’s a very athletic one.

We’re bigger, taller and more athletic looking in this class compared to classes in the past. We also got some guys that can run. I think a freshman or two will end up starting, because we’ll certainly take the best player for that position.”

The Cardinals will start workouts in March and will hold three scrimmages in their spring camp. The first will be on Saturday, at 9 a.m.

Lamar head football coach Ray Woodard announced, Feb. 5, that the program signed 17 recruits for 2014 season.

UP William Jones

Page 8 Thursday, February 13, 2014

University Press