The Informer - Lamar State College-Orange

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
News for the Employees of Lamar State College-Orange
V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 3
J U N E 2 0 0 9
Summer’s in Session....... 1
The Haps………................... 1
∗ Spring Day
∗ Distinguished Lecture
Series
∗ Employee BBQ
∗ Spring Commencement
Spotlight…………………...
∗ Distance Education
Awards
∗ Phi Theta Kappa
∗ Diane Dotson Wins
Scholarship
∗ SGA Volunteers
Team Surge......................... 5
Looking Forward……..… 7
3
“Summer of ‘69...”
“I got my first real six-string
Bought it at the five-and-dime.
Played it till my fingers bled.
It was the summer of 69...
Those were the best days of my
life, oh yeah. Back in the summer
of ‘69, uh-huh.
It was the summer of ‘69, oh
yeah, me ‘n my baby in ‘69.
It was the summer, the summer,
summer of ‘69.”
It’s okay...you can keep singing
if you know the words. Take
The Haps
O
ur
year!
33rd annual Spring
Day was a huge hit this
Departments
donned their program t-shirts
and team names. A c t i v i t i e s
five minutes to get a group
together, reminisce about
when you first heard this song,
lip sync to the file you just
downloaded, maybe even play
a little air guitar. I’m sure your
neighbors wouldn’t mind joining
you. This song, recommended
by Brianne Moreau,
was chosen as a “feel good”
tune to start your summer,
even if you have to be at work.
The campus is a bit quieter, but
maybe that’s a good thing? Enjoy
the summer while its here!
“Ain’t no use in complainin’
When you got a job to do...”
Updates on 40th anniversary planning
coming soon!
TOT and many others shared
goodies and information on
their organizations. There
was also a balloon artist and
body painting station. At the
began at 6:30 a.m. with a fishing
tourney and lasted until 5 p.m.
Other activities included a fun
walk/run, softball, volleyball,
racquetball and pool tourneys,
egg toss, jalapeño eating, hulahoop,
sack race, golf chipping,
slip-n-slide, weight lifting, and
ping pong. AITP served snow
cones; Upward Mobility nurses
raised $412 with their link sale.
The Informer ~ Page 1 ~ June 2009
end of the day, the winning
participants met in the Student
Center for a pizza party and to
claim their prizes.
(continued on pg. 2)

The Haps (cont.)
Ed Begley Jr. served as the
speaker for the spring ‘09 Distinguished
Lecture Series. Begley,
mainly known for his acting career, is
now a prominent environmentalist who
has a show on HGTV called “Living
with Ed.” He presented his speech,
“Living Green with Ed,” to over 640
guests in the Lutcher theater to kick off
Earth Week. Before taking the stage,
he mingled with Dr. Shahan, faculty and
staff, and SGA students backstage, offering
“green” tips and signing his book.
“I am hopeful about the future, like
the current occupant of the White
House, have the audacity of hope,”
Begley said.
Begley said it was time for people
to become more efficient. Though
there are challenges with air and water
pollution, he said there is something
everyone can do on the cheap to help
reverse the present course of environmental
recklessness. “Houston, Bakersfield
and Los Angeles are in a race
every year for the dirtiest air in the
nation, but if you want to see real pollution
you have to leave the U.S. — go
to Beijing, Hong Kong or Mexico City,”
he said. If everyone would try compact
fluorescent bulbs, or the more expensive
LED bulbs, weather strip homes,
and change to more energy efficient
thermostats, it would make a huge impact
in the nation. The key, he urged,
is to conserve energy a bit at a time.
LSC-O held its annual Employee
Barbecue on May 20. Employees
flocked into the Student Center and
lined up for some tasty fixings from
Pinehurst BBQ. Once everyone finished
eating, Dr. Shahan took the stage to
commence the awards. However, before
he began, he took time to pay
homage to a dear friend and colleague,
Meinrad Fillop, with kind words and a
moment of silence. He then provided a
brief introduction on the event, and
began presenting awards.
• Eric Owens – Teaching Excellence Award
• Andrew Preslar – President’s Faculty
Merit Award
• Carolyn Mello – Professional Excellence
Award
• Butch Campbell – President’s Staff Award
for Campus and Community Service
• Karolyn Doiron – President’s Staff Award
for Customer Service
• Service Awards
5 years:
Charlotte Chiasson, Mike Knox, Randy
Strong, Sherrie Willoughby
10 years:
Sandy Ludwig, Terrie Smith, Barbara Robnett,
Phyllis Ford
15 years:
Dr. Sheila Joyner, Bishar Sethna
20 years: Frances Ahearn
25 years: Linda Burnett
SGA awarded Dr. Gwen Whitehead
with Favorite Faculty Member and
Tony Barrientos with Favorite Staff
Member, which were voted on by students.
Dean Dando awarded Jim Ellis
with Excellence in Distance Education
Dr. Joyner, Marcia Brown, and Joan
Stinehart received lovely gifts and applause
for their time at LSC-O.
Over 150 students graduated during
the Spring ‘09 commencement
ceremony. The breakfast and rehearsal
seemed to have many more attendees
than the last couple years. This class
received commemorative t-shirts and a
couple other special gifts. We are very
proud of our students for sticking out
the school year with us. Here are a
few shots from the activities, including
the Nursing Pinning Ceremony and
commencement day.
The Informer ~ Page 2 ~ June 2009

SPOTLIGHT
On April 28, the United
States Distance Learning Association
(USDLA) presented its 2009
International Distance Learning
Awards to faculty members Bonnie
Dorman and Jim Ellis during
the 2009 National Conference in St.
Louis, Missouri. Since 1987, USDLA
has been the world's premier distance
learning association. LSC-O
hosted a reception on campus to
honor these professors on Tuesday,
May 5.
Under the “Best Practices
Awards for Excellence in Distance
Learning Teaching” category, Jim
received the gold award and Bonnie
received the silver award for online
technology in higher education. Jim
commented, “Receiving this award
indicates that LSC-O is offering effective,
state-of-the-art distance education
courses.”
Kristi Gunn, Orange
Kristina Peoples, Vidor
Valeri Roberts, Orange
Jessica Sanders, Kirbyville
Robert Spruell, Orange
Haylee Taylor, Orange
Kristi Trahan, Orange
Malana Walter, Vinton
Ashley White, Deweyville
Karen White, Orange
Also, new officers were elected for
2009-2010 school year:
President: Rachel Snell
Vice President: Haylee Taylor
Secretary: Darrelle Colinot
SGA Rep: Kristina Peoples
In honor of Earth Day, Don Thomas
and a group of PTK members planted
a flowering dogwood in Ochiltree-
Inman Park by the river.
teacher access at affordable costs.
The Cisco Networking Academy has
been educating the architects of the
networked economy since 1997. Networking
Academy uses education and
the Internet to teach IT skills to students
from virtually every socioeconomic
background and region of the
world. These skills help narrow the
technology skills gap while enabling
communities and countries to compete
in the 21st century economy.)
The Student Government
Association participated in the Orange
County Relay for Life event on
May 1. Wendy Elliott says:
Our students represented the
college well and had a great time
supporting such a worthy
cause. Special thanks to the Upward
Mobility Nursing Program
for donating funds raised through
their link sale on Spring Day and
thanks to all of you who dropped
change in the Relay buckets
around campus. This helped tremendously
with the team registration
fee.
Dr. Bhagya Srinivasan, instructional
designer, is very proud of the
faculty for receiving these
awards. “It is such a great achievement
for our small college to be the
recipients of such high honors by a
national organization,” says Dr.
Srinivasan.
On April 25, the following new
members were inducted into Phi
Theta Kappa:
Sheah Bodle, Lumberton
Derek Borel, Orange
Darrelle Colinot, Orange
Janice Crow, Orange
Ryan Dinger, Bridge City
Tamara Ebarb, Lake Charles
Emily Ford, Orange
Anna Friend, Kirbyville
From left to right - Don Thomas, PTK
advisor; Amber Geer, president,
(donated the tree); Jessica Bradley,
vice president; Rachel Snell, secretary;
and Darrelle Colinot. “Being Green is
one of the hallmarks of Phi Theta
Kappa and we accomplish this by participating
in anything with the goal of
improving the environment or raising
awareness of it. This was their
idea. I'm just the advisor,” says Don.
Diane Dotson, IT Program
director, received a scholarship to
attend the Cisco Learning Institute and
Education Service Center (CLI-ESC)
Region 11 NetAcad Conference this
summer. (According to the Web site,
Cisco Learning Institute integrates
new technologies into professional
learning experiences that enable
LSC-O also supported the American
Cancer Society by providing our Student
Center for the annual Relay for
Life Appreciation Night on June 2.
Congrats to Wendy Elliott
(BAAS) and Blaine Caillier
(General Studies) for receiving
their Bachelors’ degrees from
Lamar University in May!
The Informer ~ Page 3 ~ June 2009

You Don’t Say?
Darrell Evans, son of Floy Evans,
obtained his MBA from Colorado
State University on May 15. Proud
Mom, Dad Earl, and Son Tyler, traveled
with Darrell to Ft. Collins, Colorado
to attend his Commencement.
Since Darrell completed all
coursework for the degree through
the distance education program, he
was excited to visit the campus and
have the opportunity to meet many of
the professors and students he had
only met online and spoke to on the
Tyler Derouen, grandson of
Mary Beth and recent co-enrolled
LCM/LSC-O student, has graduated
and will be heading to College Station
in the fall.
phone. Darrell began his college career
as a student at LSC-O. He then
went on to earn an Associate Degree
of Computer Drafting, a Bachelors of
Applied Arts and Sciences, and a
Bachelors of Science in Mechanical
Engineering from Lamar University.
In addition to the support of his
family and friends, Darrell was fortunate
to have the support of his employer,
BASF FINA Petrochemicals,
LP. Darrell is currently Maintenance
Engineer/Planning and Scheduling Supervisor
at the BASF facility located in
Port Arthur.
Groups of Industrial Technology
students visited the Lanxess and
Chevron plants in Orange on April 29
and May 6. Led by Cheryl Pollard,
these students got a feel where a degree
in this field could take
them. Faculty and staff thought it
would be a great opportunity to experience
the “plant-life” first-hand and
speak directly with those employees.
Nearly 50 students from
Orangefield High School visited
the campus on May 15. The Business
and Technology Division organized
various activities that utilized different
computer programs and applications.
Eddie Burns demonstrated equipment
and talked to students about process
technology. Jim Ellis guided them
through a computer game that simulated
a business plan. Diane Dotson
and Christy Bryant played an Internet
scavenger hunt game. The students’
day ended with a pizza party, prizes,
and campus tour led by Brianne.
The Education Division hosted a
retirement reception for Julie
Camara on May 28. Julie has spent
her last year coordinating our ACE
mentoring program, TEAM Program
and customized training. We appreciate
that she dedicated her last year in
education to the Education Division.
She has been a great asset.
The Allied Health Department
hosted a baby shower for Crystal
Compton on May 20. She wanted
UT décor for her new son, Brody,
who will make his appearance in September.
From Mary McCoy:
• We have a temporary employee, Julie
Jorgensen, filling in for Mary Holman;
she will be with us through mid July.
• The LSC-O Photo History wiki is up
and running and is very busy. Thanks
to everyone for posting your information.
One day we will have a
searchable database of all our historical
photographs and videos.
• New materials are arriving everyday
so be sure and check the new book
rack on the first floor. If you have
item you would like the library to
purchase, send in the “Suggest New
Library Items” form found the library
homepage.
• Reminders will go out soon for all
overdue items checked out to staff
and faculty.
From Jackie Spears:
The Business and Technology Division
will be offering a two-year Process
Technology Degree and an Instrumentation
Certificate starting Fall 2009.
We are offering Welding and Construction
classes at night. Student will
be able to earn a certificate upon completion
of the course work. They will
be able to work in construction and
welding once they have developed
skills in the course.
The Informer ~ Page 4 ~ June 2009

Extra! Extra! Read all about !
“Surge (noun): a swelling, rolling, or sweeping forward like that of a wave or series of waves.”
The name and the team represent LSC‐O’s perseverance, despite obstacles and natural disasters, to maintain its place as a
great educational and community institution.
Team Surge made its debut as a cycling team during the Spindletop Spin bike ride on June 6 in Beaumont. The idea for the
team was initially to create a team that would represent the College during the bike ride/fundraiser. However, after more
thought and discussion, Team Surge will not only exist as a cycling team, but will represent the college during future community
and philanthropic functions. Besides generating visibility and interest for LSC‐O, Team Surge is also initiating
fundraising efforts for the Foundation, and we’d like to generate at least $40,000 this year in honor of the College’s 40th
anniversary and for scholarship funds.
We had a total of 20 riders, consisting of LSC‐O faculty and staff, family members and friends, along the four different distance
routes. We had a few Team Surge members who were unable to participate, but all who did ride finished strong!
10
Joanie Gaspard
Debbie Guilbeaux
Brian Guilbeaux
Steve
Lisa Sparks
Sherrie Willoughby
33
De’Awn Barkers
Dr. Ralph Bunch Jr.
Beighlie Ozmun
Michelle Ozmun
Carol Schulte
Chris Votava
Tanya Votava
Dyllon Sanford
Jerry Sanford 43
Tom Schulte
70
Aguillard
Mychal Ford
Cliff Ozmun
Jacob Ozmun
Bishar Sethna
Special thanks to our Surge Crew members, Chris Chambless and Erica Dumes, who came out to support us during the ride
and cheered as we crossed the finish line. Although many people did not know much about Lamar State College‐Orange,
they definitely knew Team Surge by the end of the ride. Many asked questions about how to join and what were we doing
next! Looks like the Surge has a following. In the future, we hope to participate in more rides and maybe even host a ride
in Orange County. Stay tuned for more details on Team Surge’s next endeavor! Check out our photos.
Most of Team Surge at the starting area at 6:45 a.m. on Crockett Street...getting ready to ride!!!
The Informer ~ Page 5 ~ June 2009

Cliff and Jacob Beighlie and Michelle Dyllon and Jerry
Bishar, Cliff and Jacob Jacob and Cliff riding out Sherrie and Joanie
Sherrie, Joanie, and Lisa Sherrie and Joanie at the start line Michelle and Beighlie on the road
Beighlie’s back - GO SURGE! Ralph and De’Awn at the 2nd stop Chris and Tanya at the last rest stop
Tom finishing the ride Dyllon and Jerry after the ride Chris and Erica - the original Surge Crew
The Informer ~ Page 6 ~ June 2009

JUNE EVENTS
JULY EVENTS
8 Summer Session I begins
3 Energy Conservation Day (work holiday)
8-12 Little Learners, Creativity and Basketball Camps (CFK) 4 Independence Day
15-18,
22-25 College for Kids (CFK) 13 Summer Session II begins
In Loving Memory of...
Mr. Jack Campbell
Mr. Meinrad Fillop
Ms. Betty Jo Spence
Farewell and Best Wishes to...
Farewell and Best Wishes to...
Marcia Brown
Blaine Caillier
Joan Stinehart
The Informer ~ Page 7 ~ June 2009