University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 34, Ed. 1 Friday, February 20, 2004 Page: 1 of 6
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riage in America
Managing editor Holly Westbrook gives her
opinion on an American issue. Page 3
Can we still win?
Ben Du Bose tells what it will take for the
Cards to make the SLC tournament. Page 5
mvershy Press
Friday, Febniaiy 20,2004
The Newspaper of Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology
Vol. 80, No. 34
LIT unveils new mascot
Bald Eagle to serve as
representative when
school competes
By DREW LYNCH
Staff Writer
Gerardo Gomez, president of the
Lamar Institute of Technology Student
Government Association, with the help of
LIT president Robert Krienke, unveiled the
school’s new mascot, the bald eagle, at a
ceremony Wednesday afternoon in the
Beeson Building.
The unveiling culminated several
months of efforts by the LIT SGA, faculty
and staff to select a mascot for the campus,
said Harry Wood LIT public information
director.
“With our push to make LIT a center
of excellence in Homeland Security in
Texas and the nation, our close relation-
ships with the institutions of fire, police,
emergency medical services, and correc-
tions and our pursuit of excellence in all our
programs at LIT,” Krienke said, “the eagle
was a natural choice.
“Although the Bald Eagle is the
national symbol of our country, it is a sym-
bol of our freedom, spirit, and pursuit of
excellence. We hope our students will think
of what their mascot symbolizes as they
pursue their certificates and degrees.”
Gomez said, “The selection represents
a stepping stone for today because we don’t
know where we will be in 10 years. Just look
what has happened over the past three or
four years. Some students ask if the school
will ever have a sports team. We don’t
know; but if we don’t begin with this stone,
we will not progress.”
Gomez said the eagle is symbolic of the
strength of the school and its student body.
He pointed out the school’s strong per-
formances at Texas and national skills
USA-VICA and other state and national
competitions.
An SGA survey last year determined
See MASCOT, page 2
UP Melissa Chaisson
Gerardo Gomez, left, LIT SGA president, and Guadalupe Gutierrez, LIT
SGA vice president, unveil the institute's new mascot. Shown center, is the
school's Bald Eagle.
Doctoral
offerings
increase
to three
Education and Human
Development to offer
terminal degree
By KATHRYN EAKENS
Staff Writer
The College of Education and
Human Development will add a doctor-
al degree in educational leadership with
the goal of creating the first class begin-
ning fhis fall. Since there are only 15
seats available and more than a hundred
inquiries, school officials are already call-
ing the program very competitive.
This degree will bring Lamar’s doc-
toral offering to three — engineering,
deaf education and education.
Brian Sattler, director of public rela-
tions, said that preparation for the new
program began more than two years ago,
and the proposal is on the table with the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board after receiving a green light from
the university’s Graduate Council and
the regents of The Texas State University
System.
In anticipation of “a favorable out-
come and final approval” by the coordi-
See DEGREE, page 2
♦ BLACK HISTORY
Dotson speaks
on voting rights
of students
By STEVEN RUFFIN
Staff Writer
After the controversial presidential
election of 2000, we all know that every
vote counts. And that was the focal point
of the NAACP’s Black History meeting
on Thursday as key speaker Demetric
Dotson, Texas collegiate vice president of
the Prairie View A&M University chap-
ter, stressed the importance of college
students getting more involved in voting.
Dotson, a sophomore from Beau-
mont, discussed Prairie View’s stand
against having its students’ voting rights
taken away from them, a recent threat
that arose when some residents of the
town complained that the students
See SPEECH, page 6
■Hj
Homecoming 2004
Activities begin Monday
UP Melissa Chaisson
Voters for Homecoming court on Wednesday student affairs. Voting in the Setzer Student Center
received a free T-shirt, sponsored by the office of takes place until 2 p.m. today.
Multiple events will
continue through
Feb. 28
By STEVEN RUFFIN
Staff Writer
Beginning Monday, a week of activities has
been planned to commemorate this year’s
Lamar University homecoming.
This year’s court will be composed of about
35 candidates for king and queen and 35
ambassadors who will represent their campus
organizations.
Activities begin Monday with a Cardinal
Picnic in the Quad from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a
Crazy Cardinal Car Bash at 12:30 p.m., which
will be held on the green between the Setzer
Student Center and McDonald Gym.
Cherrye Moore; coordinator for new stu-
dent programs, said that it is important for can-
didates to come out and participate in
Monday’s events because that is when the can-
didates will first be introduced.
“Cardinal Picnic is kind of our big kick-off
event,” she said. “It’s also when we introduce
our king and queen candidates for homecom-
ing court.”
A car decorating contest will be held on
Tbesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Montagne
Center. Later, there will be a Glow Cardinals
Contest at Cardinal Village, starting at 7 p.m..
Wednesday will be a Spirit Contest, which
will be held at the SSC from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
At 7 p.m., the Lamar Cardinals battle it out
on the court against the SFA Lumberjacks in
the Montagne.
“I think Lamar has so much momental
pride right now because of our basketball team
that it will carry on to homecoming,” Moore
said.
On Thursday, there will be another spirit
contest in the SSC from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There
will also be a Taste of LU Food Fest in the SSC
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants will begin
setup at 9.30 a.m.
At 7 p.m., the Lady Cardinals will play the
SFA Lumberjacks at the Montagne, where
Lamar students participate in a pep rally.
See ACTIVITIES, page 2
Schools around U.S. celebrate black history
By HEATHER VOLRIE
Staff Writer
The Lamar chapters of the
Black Student Association and Nat-
ional Association for the Advance-
ment of Colored People, along with
other organizations, have carried out
activities to promote the traditions
and accomplishments in black histo-
ry. More are probably planned.
By bringing guest speakers to
campus, holding seminars on black
history, posting known and little-
known facts on organization boards,
giving concerts, hosting panels and
keeping the press informed, student
organizations have brought many
important issues and information to
the minds of Lamar students.
Likewise, campuses around the
United States are celebrating the
month with traditional and various
approaches.
At a historically black college or
university, black history is celebrated
year-round with an---u on the
month of February.
For example, Southern Univer-
sity in Baton Rouge, Prairie View
A&M University in Prairie View, and
Morehouse College in Atlanta are all
HBCUs located in the south that are
proud of their heritage and events
during Black History Month.
Jared C. Boswell, Beaumont na-
tive attending Southern, said, “In an
effort to celebrate Black History
Month the Southern University his-
tory department has organized sev-
eral events relating to the accom-
plishments of numerous African
Americans.”
Boswell says there are parades,
poetry readings, guest speakers and
seminars about black history.
Southern has hosted a special Black
History Concert consisting of songs,
plays, poetry and musical selections
played on the piano.
“We are compelled to educate
ourselves on the history and great
achievements of our great black lead-
ers,” he said.
See HISTORY, page 2
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Gurski, Patrick. University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 34, Ed. 1 Friday, February 20, 2004, newspaper, February 20, 2004; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth500647/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.