University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 66, No. 21, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 8, 1989 Page: 1 of 6
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4
K
St
Final payments for installment
plan are due today in the cashier’s
office, 121 Plummer. The office will
open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A $15 fee will be charged to those
who pay after today.
~~ V- ■" 1'
Wednesday, November 8,1989 Serving Lamar and the community for 66 years Vol. 66, No. 21
Despite greater access,
problems remain in LU’s
areas for handicapped
6y Steven Collins
UP contributing writer
Currently there are 264 handicapped students attending Lamar’s Beaumont campus.
* “The numbers are up from last year,” said Dixie Collier, coordinator for student handicapped ser-
vices.
A list provided by Collier’s office shows that the disabilities among handicapped students range from
the blind, deaf and mobility and orthopedically impaired, to those suffering from chronic degenerative
diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, asthma, kidney disease, diabetes, muscular dystrophy and
multiple sclerosis. Also included in the listing are those with emotional disorders, such as drug and
»lcohol abusers.
f “People usually associate handicapped
students with being confined to wheelchairs,”
Collier said, “but that is not always the case.
. “There are many categories of disabilities,”
she added, “too many of them to name. People
don’t always realize this.”
<According to the list Collier provided, 188 of the
264 handicapped students are sponsored by the
Texas Rehabilitation Commission.
Students sponsored by the Rehabilitation Com-
rfiission who are on on a two-year technical pro-
gram usually receive funds that cover their tui-
tion, fees and books.
K
Commission-sponsored students who are on a
ffcur-year academic program usually receive
fluids that pay for their tuition.
When asked whether she thought adequate
progress for handicapped students had been
ipade here at Lamar, Collier said, “Yes,
substantial progress has been made, but there
dre still many things that need to be done.”
i One of Collier’s main concerns, because of the
growing number of things taking place in the
Montagne Center, is the access her students
have from the main campus to the Montagne.
“From registration, to sporting events, and
more recently with the increasing number of
courses, crossing over from the main campus to
'tfie Montagne has clearly become important.”
*Some students, however, also responded to the
question concerning progress here at Lamar.
*“Lamar is heaven in comparison to some of
tjje other places I have been,” said Mariam
Kestler.
*Kestler is pursuing her master’s in English;
she is diagnosed as having ostei genisis im-
perfecta, which is a hereditary disease.
f»“Some of the rampways are not covered,” said
Claudia Ogden, a social work senior.
* “I inquired as to why the rampways weren’t
covered,” Ogden added, “and I was told that the
covers were made to protect the cable wires, not
Handicapped students”.
f “I am satisfied with the progress that has been
made to a certain point,” said David Peavler, a
commercial arts sophomore, “but there are a
tew minor disadvantages.”
“I would like to become more involved in RHA
activities, but they take place on the second
floor.
* “The new math tutoring,” Peavler added, “is
also a second-floor activity.”
One of the main things that bothered Peavler,
though, was the crossing accessibility to
$tadium Hall, where his math course is located.
Peavler also expressed dissatisfaction with
' *4
Renovations help
in access gains
By Steven Collins
UP contributing writer
Since 1986, more than $600,000 in work has
been completed toward accessing Lamar for
the handicapped, according to a list from the
office of William Nylin, vice president of
finance.
In 1986 a total of $155,375.37 was spent. In 1987
the amount rose to $165,371.40, and it increased
to $202,778.61 in 1988. This year’s total spending
on handicapped accessibility has reached
$92,893.00.
Another list provided by Nylin’s office shows
that $205,300 for handicapped accessibility pro-
jects still remains to be spent.
The mon,_ used so far have been used to in-
stall elevators, drinking fountains and door
openers. Monies have also been spent to
renovate restrooms and construct curb cuts
and ramps campus-wide.
Among other things, some dormitory room
modifications have also been made.
A 1983 article in the Cardinal, a campus
magazine, took an in-depth look at the future of
Lamar’s construction and renovation. One of
the items on former university president
Robert Kemble’s agenda was to make the cam-
pus more accessible to the handicapped.
According to the article, bids went out for
elevators in the Wimberly Student Services
Building and the Lucas Engineering Building.
Plans were also made to place chairlifts in the
Education and Maes Buildings.
The chairlifts were installed in 1982, but they
were an unsuccessful attemfit toward ac-
cessibility.
See NYLIN, page 2
leasing wane way covers.
Though dissatisfied in some areas, Peavler
said that he was satisfied with his dormitory
room and that his professors treated him the way
he wanted to be treated.
See HANDICAPPED, page 2
Sending it up flagpole
Sends demand soaring
WASHINGTON (UPI) - In a show of
patriotism, Patricia Calkins recently bought a
gag that had flown for just a moment over the
Capitol, joining thousands who are buying the
Congressional flags in record numbers.
«Individuals, schools, scout troups, veterans
groups and others have placed orders this year
fbr more than 111,450 flags, which are certified to
have flown over the Capitol for a mere 30
seconds.
♦ The craze for the flags — which are ordered
Uirough a member of Congress and cost about
three times less than retail prices — increased
sharoly during the Reaean administration and
shows no sign of waning during the Bush ad-
ministration.
* It was President George Bush who made pride
in the American flag a campaign issue, and the
recent Supreme Court decision allowing flag bur-
t
ning — and the subsequent law banning flag
desecration — has not hurt salesi Some members
of Congress say they have seen about a 5 percent
increase in flag requests since the flag-burning
debate began earlier this year.
Congress’ flag program began in 1937, when 12
citizens received worn and tattered flags that
had flown on the Capitol roof for several months.
The program of flying new flags over the Capitol
for the sole purpose of selling them to the public
began in the mid-1950s.
In 1955, 2,766 flags were flown for constituents
over the Capitol. The requests increased steadily
over the years, with about 35,000 flags requested
annually during the mid-1970s. In 1988, at the end
of Reagan’s administration, that figure had
jumped to 114;151. So far in 1989, there have been
111,450 orders.
See FLAGS, page 4
Photo by Drew Loker
Kappa cutouts
Jason Creech, Nederland junior; Scott Searle, of Kappa Kappa Psi, prepare the letters of
Vidor junior; Tico Boudreaux, Liberty their fraternity for placement in the football
freshman; Glenn Wheel^f. Houston -nJtftdium. Kappa Kappa Psi is a national
sophomore; Marvin Balagot, NMerranir”^3notJJBft/\fj^d fraternity. All campus
junior; and Craig Cavole, Kountze freshman, organizations are given the opportunity to
left to right, members of Gamma Zeta Chapter place their letters in the end zone of the field.
Earthquakes: j S£RMUK0RD |
Area relatively safe of disturbance
By Melinda Barnett
UP staff writer
It is virtually impossible for an earth-
quake to occur here in our area, says
William H. Matthews HI, regents pro-
fessor emeritus of geology.
“We’re notan earthquake country. In
other words, they’re not likely to have a
hurricane in Iowa and we’re not likely to
have an earthquaxe here,” he said.
“California is earthquake country
because that’s an active part where we
have two plates of the earth’s crust that
are grinding against each other,” he con-
tinued.
Most of the world’s earthquakes occur
in the areas where two of the earth’s
crustal plates are moving against each
other, Matthews said.
Not all earthquakes, however, are the
result of plates rubbing against one
another.
“Some earthquakes occur in the cen-
tral part of the United States along faults
where there is active movement along
them,” Matthews said.
The two basic ways earthquakes are
generated are either along an active
fault, which may or may not be
associated with a plate boundary, or
through volcanic activity.
In the winter of 1811-1812, one of the
largest earthquakes that has ever occur-
red in the United States was centered in
New Madrid, Mo.
“For a short period of time the
Mississippi River ran backwards. That
was a tremendous earthquake felt as far
as Washington, D.C.
“One advantage is that, at the time,
the area was sparsely populated. If an
earthquake of that magnitude should hit
now in that area, it would affect Mem-
phis, Tenn., and some of the other cities
up there very, very strongly.
“And there’s the potential that it could
happen again,” he said.
“That’s not an area where plates are
“ ... if is highly unlikely that
we would have any earth-
quakes here. We have a lot of
faults ..., but they are in the
subsurface. There is no move-
ment taking place along
them.”
—William H. Matthews III
located; that’s an area where there’s a
big fault, a fracture in the earth’s crust.
“There is movement along that fault,
but it is located on the center of one of
our plates, which is the North American
plate,” Matthews said.
We do not have a situation such as that
here on the Gulf Coast, and it is highly
unlikely that we would have any earth-
quakes here, Matthews said.
“We have a lot of faults here, though,
but they are in the subsurface. There is
no movement taking place along them,”
he said.
In order for there to be an earthquake
along a fault, you have to have the fault
moving and you have to have some
displacement along that fault.
“We just don’t have that type of fault
in this area,” he said.
“There have been earthquakes in the
Big Bend area in the ’30s, and in other
parts of Texas, but on the Gulf Coast this
just basically is not earthquake country.
“That doesn’t mean we couldn’t have
one. We would just be extremely surpris-
ed if we did. Every geologist would be ex-
tremely shocked to find out we had an
earthquake here,” he said.
There is very little record of any earth-
quake activity in the Beaumont area.
Recently, some people have argued
that Beaumont experienced earthquake
activity about 20 years ago, but Mat-
thews refutes that.
“I remember what they (the people)
were talking about, and they weren’t
earthquakes. They were sonic booms,”
he said.
“I was in my den, and the chandelier
didn’t sway. You’ve got to have motion of
the earth in order to have an earthquake.
“Sonic booms resemble earthquakes,
but the earth doesn’t tremble.”
jU.S.-Mexican relations warming
through corruption crackdown
ti'rom wire reports
v Mexican authorities are returning
some of the thousands of vehicles
Stolen in South Texas in an effort to
fenprove international relations and
crack down on border corruption, of-
ficials said.
4 Since Oct. 19, Mexican authorities
at the Laredo International Bridge
have turned over to the Texas
Department of Public Safely thir-
teen vehicles that ended up in Mex-
ico, sometimes in the possession of
Mexican state officials.
Franklin Ramon Barrera,
famalioas State Judicial Police
Commandant, ordered his 30-man
department to return all stolen
♦ehicles to U.S. officials immediate-
ly or face severe penalties, adding
that the move was in compliance
With a federal mandate.
« “The returns will continue until
every vehicle has been given back to
Jts rightful owner,” Barrera said.
“It’s as simple as that.”
“We want to improve relations
between our countries, and I won’t
stand for further problems.”
Improving relations with Mexico
is also an important social and
economic goal for Texas governor
Bill Clements.
“Tightening ties between Texas
and Mexico is important to the
economy on both sides of the
border,” Clements said at the El
Camino Real Economic Conference
recently.
“We are more than neighbors,”
Clements said. “We are not only
friends, we are family.... Our prox-
imity also makes the economic
health of our regions interdepen-
dent.”
“Full recovery of the Texas
border economy, for instance, to a
large degree depends on economic
advances within Mexico,” he said.
“And certainly the strength of our
economy statewide is related to the
economic conditions along the'-Rio
Grande.”
(
“More of our businesses in Texas
can and should take greater advan-
tage of international markets like
Mexico, where the value of the
dollar is making our/quality goods
highly competitive,” Clements said
in prepared remarks.
Clements also touted a series of
new international bridges which he
said “provide visible proof of all that
we share and of our unwavering
commitment to build a land of op-
portunity, of growth and of long-
term stability.”
The El Camino Real Economic
Conference is an effort to integrate
the markets, products and tourism
resources of corridor cities.
The El Camino Real Corridor in-
cludes Austin, San Antonio, Round
Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos,
New Braunfels, Seguin, Lockhart,
Laredo and McAllen in Texas; and
in Mexico, Nuevo Laredo, Saltillo,
Monterrey and Revnosa.
Irving Street to be cleaned
By Jay Casey
UP managing editor
The Southend Community Uplift
Program is conducting a
“Neighborhood Cleanup of Irving
Street” on Saturday from 8:30
a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
“The original idea for the pro-
ject was formed by Beaumont
Councilman David Moore of Ward
4,” said Chuck Martinez, Lamar’s
Student Government Association
City Council Liaison. Moore’s
ward also includes the Lamar
University area.
“Our cleanup efforts have turn-
ed neighborhoods around,” Moore
sai(|.
“Civic groups have come for-
ward and participated, and it’s
really helped the people who live in
those neighborhoods,” he said.
The Southend Community Uplift
Program has built up everyone’s
self-esteem, he said.
Martinez said the SGA wants to
encourage participation by cam-
pus organizations in what has
become an annual project.
“We began in early October,
soliciting SGA senators for sup-
port; from there, word of mouth
and the mailing of invitations to
campus organizations were used
to gather support,” he said.
Martinez said that, in an attempt
to address everyone that might be
interested in the cleanup, 165 fliers
have been placed in organization
boxes on campus. “We’re hoping
for a good turnout,” he said.
Over 300 people volunteered to
work in the program last year,
Moore said.
Martinez believes the cleanup
provides a good opportunity for
building cohesion between campus
organizations and the community
at large.
“The basic purpose of the
cleanup is to rebuild the communi-
ty, but it also has the added incen-
tive of deterring drug abuse in
neighborhoods,” said Martinez.
Clean neighborhoods send a
message to drug dealers that the
people there care, he said.
The program intends to
demolish existing crack houses,
Moore said.
The cleanup will begin Saturday
at the corner of Jackson and Irving
streets and will move to the east
side of Gladys later that afternoon,
an area Moore said “used to be the
roughest neighborhood in the
city.”
When the houses are demolish-
ed, the Fire Department will be on
patrol to ensure safety, and first
aid will be on hand, Moore said.
Martinez said the cleanup is
supported by the entire Beaumont
City Council and Mayor Maury
Meyers, adding that their motto is,
after all, “Working Together To
Serve.”
Organizations or individuals in-
terested in participating in the
cleanup of Irving Street should br-
ing lawn mowers, weed eaters,
shovels and rakes. Gloves, bags
and refreshments will be provided.
For more information, groups
interested in participating in the
cleanup should call 880-3702.
I
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Murley, Bryan. University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 66, No. 21, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 8, 1989, newspaper, November 8, 1989; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth499820/m1/1/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.