University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 64, No. 6, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 30, 1987 Page: 1 of 6
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BEAUMONT
SESQUICENTENN1AL
1
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Serving Lamar and the community for 64 years
it’s Wednesday
September 30, 1987
Vol. 64, No. 6
Photo by LYRA KATENA
;Up among the clouds so high
£ ... Carl Neukirch Sr. of Beaumont, parachutes through the show. Naukirch is a member of the Clear Sky Parachutists
clouds at the Beaumont Municipal Airport during an air who jump every weekend a" the airport, weather permitting.
College suicide studies
Sensitive subject matter yields little data
From Intercollegiate Press
t- Bulletins
The lack of extensive suicide
* studies of college student popula-
, tions is partly due to the sensitive
nature of the subject, according to
K Sam Cochran, director of clinical
services for the University of Iowa
counseling service.
*■ “Suicide is a subject that is not
easily looked at,” he explained. “It
* is not easily discussed and analyzed
t in the somewhat subjective manner
that we’re doing. It’s a very emo-
v tional, very difficult subject to think
y about.”
Complicating the issue further, he
’ said, are differing philosophies
A among coroners about exactly what
circumstances warrant calling a
* death a suicide.
A recent cooperative study, aided
* by funds from the Committee on In-
* stitutional Cooperation, investigated
suicides occurring between 1980-81
* and 1980-85 at eight Big Ten univer-
„ sities, the University of Chicago and
Southern Illinois University.
f The research project covers one of
k the largest and most diverse student
populations to be studied for the pro-
* blem of suicide.
t Estimates of suicide rates in the
10-school study are likely a little low
> because of these factors and the ad-
mission that some student suicides
'occurring off-campus go undetected
*by school officials, Cochran said.
While the study showed suicide is
* a serious concern for many universi-
»ty students, he said one encouraging
finding was that the actual suicide
f
rate at the 10 schools — 6.1 per
100,000 — was half the average rate
of 12.2 per 100,000 for the general
U.S. population aged 15 to 24.
Other findings showed:
-That males accounted for twice
as many (67 percent) of the 77
suicides as females (33 percent).
-That 32 percent of the suicides
were committed by graduate
students.
-That foreign students committed
9 percent of the suicides.
-That at least 47 percent of those
killing themselves were known to
have made a previous suicide
threat, attempt or gesture.
-That drug overdose as the prefer-
red method of choice, accounting for
27 percent of the deaths. It was
followed in order by gunshot, 21 per-
cent; hanging, 17percent; asphyxia-
tion, 16 percent; jumping, 14 per-
cent, and other methods, 5 percent.
Cochran emphasized that few, if
any, generalizations about suicide
can be made from the research.
Suicide remains a very individual
act and circumstances surrounding
each case vary considerably, he
said.
A case in point is a suicide com-
mitted last November by a Universi-
ty of Wisconsin-Madison female stu-
dent who hung herself in her
residence hall room.
Of the suicides studied, only 8 per-
cent of the total had occurred in
November and no women previously
had selected hanging as a method.
Of 77 suicides the study
documented over a five-year period,
nearly one-in-five (18 percent) oc-
curred during March.
The next highest risk months were
September, accounting for 13 per-
cent, and October, with 11 percent.
Nevertheless, Cochran said the
limited study results to date have
already provided counseling of-
ficials at the participating schools
with more insight into the suicide
issue.
He said the schools will continue
compiling information on suicides
on an annual basis and counselors
are optimistic that the research will
prove helpful in development of
more effective suicide prevention
programs.
Initial findings of the study were
presented at the annual Big Ten
Counseling Centers Conference at
the University of Wisconsin-
Madison.
UW-M Dean of students Paul
Ginsberg said his office hears of 50
to 60 suicide attempts or gestures by
students each year “and some peo-
ple say there are 200 to 300 we never
hear about.”
A recent study at Purdue Univer-
sity turned up similar numbers. The
study documented 44 attempts from
July 1985 through January 1987.
About 75 percent (33) of the at-
tempts were committed by
freshmen and sophomores, accor-
ding to Jim Westman of the Purdue
counseling service.
Complicating the matter of identi-
fying suicide attempters are a host
of legal and emotional concerns,
Ginsberg said.
Heading the list of problems is the
issue of patient confidentiality faced
by emergency room personnel, he
said.
The question hospital personnel
must answer is at what point people
lose the right to privacy; in other
words, at what point are they to be
judged to be such a risk to society or
their own well-being that confiden-
tiality must be breached, Ginsberg
said.
“I do know at some point in the
process of suicide that confidentiali-
ty is no longer an issue. In the case of
suicide, I will continue to favor err-
ing on the side of intervention and in-
volvement and the sharing of infor-
mation.”
On a different level, he said, it is
extremely difficult to impress upon
students the importance of notifying
university officials about fellow
students who are having emotional
problems, especially if a student has
attempted suicide, or has talked
about suicide or dying.
“There is still a great sense of
shame in saying you have attempted
suicide,” Ginsberg said.
He said many students also
hesitate to refer a friend for counsel-
ing because they fear the suicide at-
tempt will go into the student’s per-
manent academic record even
though they are assured it will not.
Ginsberg said he is unsure how to
solve the problems. “The trick,” he
concluded, “is to do it without
violating people’s rights.”
Clements names
Steinhart to take
regent’s position
By EVELYN HAWN
UP news editor
The regent position vacated by Joe
Deshotel was filled Monday, James
Huffines, Gov. Bill Clements’ ap-
pointments secretary, said.
Ronald Steinhart, vice chairman
of First RepublicBank in Dallas,
said he would begin at the next
board of regents meeting.
“I’m excited about it,” Steinhart
said. “Lamar has a greater impact
than just the surrounding area.”
Steinhart said he hoped his being
from a different area would have a
positive effect on his position.
Bom in Beaumont, Steinhart
graduated from Beaumont High
School in 1958 and went to the
University of Texas for his
bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He
has been involved in bank executive
positions since 1965.
Steinhart describes himself as an
independent and though he sup-
ported Clements in the governor’s
re-election campaign, he does not
feel Clements appointed him for that
reason.
“I think the governor tries to get
people who will do the job well,”
Steinhart said.
“I’m glad we got a full board,”
H.D. Pate, chairman of the board of
regents, said.
Pate said he expected the position
to be filled by a Republican.
“A Republican governor appoints
a Republican to the board position,”
Ronald Steinhart
Pate said. “That’s the name of the
game.”
On October 1, the terms of regents
Donna Davis of Bryan and George
Dishman of Beaumont will expire.
Huffines said he expected the posi-
tions to be filled' in two to three
weeks.
Only Dishman and Otho Plummer
remain from the six regents
Clements appointed during his first
gubernatorial term.
Huffines said he and Dishman had
not discussed Dishman’s possible
reappointment, nor had Davis ex-
pressed an interest in returning.
Twelve candidates will be inter-
viewed for the position, Huffines
said.
Student Government
announces winners
of fall elections
By BRYAN MURLEY
UP managing editor
The Student Government Associa-
tion announced the winners of fall
general elections Friday.
A total of 669 valid votes were
counted, Mike Brezina, SGA vice
president, said Monday.
New student government senators
are: Vivian Gathright, Beaumont
junior, arts and sciences; Christa
Atkinson, Crosby, Tx. freshman,
health and behavioral sciences;
Tammy Roy, Silsbee junior, educa-
tion; Charles Liggins, Beaumont
junior, technical arts; Mary Bood,
Beaumont, junior class; and Scottie
Flanigan, Groves, and Maggie Weir,
Beaumont, freshman class.
Senators-at-large are Kevin
Brown, Port Neches sophomore;
Cheryl Fipps, Friendswood
freshman; Debbie Guillory, Beau-
mont sophomore; Jay Kelley, Beau-
mont junior and Jeff Kilgore,
Lumberton freshman.
Elected to class offices were:
Steven Floyd, Beaumont, junior
class president; Chris Padgett,
Orange, freshman president; Terri
Gore, New Chaney, freshman
secretary and Kim Arrington, Beau-
mont, freshman treasurer.
Jeffery Guidry, Beaumont, was
appointed senior class secretary.
There will be a run-off election for
the office of freshman class vice
president today and Thursday bet-
ween Kimberly Beasley, Port
Neches, and Lisa Meloncon, Ham-
shire.
Seven candidates ran unopposed,
Brezina said. He added that this
may have affected the voter turnout.
“Its horrible,” Brezina said. “It’s
very disappointing to see that only
700 people took the time to make
their vote count, to exercise their
right to vote.”
SGA has already made some plans
for publicity for the upcoming spring
elections, Brezina said, and they will
“hopefully make something go.”
Plans are also being drawn up to
make students more aware of the
role of the Student Government
Association on campus.
“People will know we are having
elections next spring,” Brezina said.
A total of 210 freshmen voted for
their officers and senators, a figure
that is “about average, nothing
great,” Brezina said.
“There were several factors that
contributed (to the low voter tur-
nout),” Brezina said.
Bad publicity about homecoming
could have helped the election but
most likely hindered it, Brezina
said.
In addition, the candidates runn-
ing unopposed “had a lot to do with
it,” Brezina said. “People will say,
‘my vote doesn’t count’ on
something like that. Hopefully next
year these people will maybe oppose
people.”
Students’ opinions vary regarding queen selection
Question: How do you think the Lamar University
Homecoming queen should be
selected?
“I think it’s a fair selection pro-
cess now. The girls represent the
school well.”
John Jenkins
Winnie junior
“I believe the selection process
was very fair because all five
nominees are well-qualified and
they would each be an excellent
representative of our school. I
don’t believe it to be racist at all.”
Christine Guerrero
Beaumont junior
“I like it this way because it
gives all the candidates a better
chance of no racial
desegregation.”
Sherry Garrett
Beaumont freshman
“I feel the six king candidates
should’ve been able to run. It’s not
democratic because the organiza-
tions that nominate their can-
didates didn’t get a chance
because they were eliminated by
the committee.”
Richard Nickerson
Houston senior
“We should vote starting with all
the candidates. After all the
students vote for those, vote again
for the best one out of those.”
Rhonda Williams
Beaumont freshman
“I don’t think it’s a fair process
now because the selection commit-
tee could be made up of friends of
the nominees.”
Sam Vincent
New Orleans, La. freshman
“I believe the process now is un-
fair because I believe people
deserve to be confronted with the
candidates before the committee
eliminates them.”
Klmber Beasley
Houston freshman
“I think they should be elected
by the students only. The teachers
have nothing to do with it. The
school is made up of students and
they know what tfiey want. The
teachers are old-fashioned and the
students are more up to date with
what’s going on.”
Dee Anna Turner
Groves freshman
“The process wasn’t fair this
year. liie homecoming queen
represents our school, therefore, I
think the students should nominate
and vote for her.”
Jodie Zatopek
Vidor senior
“They should be elected by the
students because she’s a
represenative of the students. We
should choose from the entire list
of candidates.”
Brenda Broussard
Orange freshman
“A random vote by just the
students. It’s their homecoming
queen that represents their school.
We should have selected from all
the ladies that ran.”
Jada Taylor
Beaumont freshman
“I think it was fairly done, but I
think it would be a more feasible
way to inform the student body of
the original nominations.”
Kim Arrington
Beaumont freshman
“We don’t know anything about
the candidate except a picture we
see on a bulletin board. They
should hold a voluntary meeting to
give the student body more infor-
mation about the candidates
besides a face and who sponsored
her.”
Dee Dee Hyde
Beaumont freshman
“Everybody involved and
nominated should be in the whole
election.”
Felicia Wlnfree
Beaumont freshman
“The way the system used to be,
the students had more to say. I’m
not sure the five selected is what
the students want.- Also, who’s to
say one of the six king candidates
is not qualified. I think they
should’ve been interviewed.”
Herb Porter
Groves senior
“I believe the process this year
was a good one because the girls
chosen were the cream of the crop.
I didn’t think that it was fair that a
king wasn’t chosen because of the
lack of applicants though.”
Jerry Adler
Beaumont junior
“I like the process we use now
better because, all the girls repre-
sent Lamar well.”
Christ! Darst
Port Neches senior
“I think how they did it was fair
enough. I don’t really understand
the disagreement they had with
it.”
Kathy Vaughn
Beaumont junior
7S
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Ford, Steven. University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 64, No. 6, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 30, 1987, newspaper, September 30, 1987; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth500057/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.