FALL 2013

The opportunities afforded

to us can sometimes be viewed as

a hand of cards. Our intelligence,

giftedness, and talents (among

other attributes) are unique,

providing vast possibilities and

sustainable outcomes. An envi-

ronment conducive of cultivating

these assets is indeed worth the

yield it produces. The words of

Dr. Alvarez speak to our need to

“play the hand well” or in other

words, be advantageous of the

opportunities that can provide

the best lessons. Rather it is

advice from a parent or mentor,

recognition of mistakes and a vow

not to repeat it, wisdom gained

from our failures, or being cogni-

zant of our environment and the

growth benefits found within the

community. Overall, the key

word from Dr. Alvarez’s quote is “learn.” We are

lifelong learners. Those who seek knowledge will

always continue to grow and develop many skill sets

that can be used throughout life. It is my hope that

TALH students are well on their way to developing

additional skills from rigorous course work, advanc-

ing their intellect by conversing with new and excit-

ing professors and mentors, engaging in intellectual

conversations and activities with their peers, and

adapting to the university classroom with zeal and

a new found interest in learning.

Always play your hand well and

never cease reaching for the stars.

The fall semester has been busy

with activity. TALH students have

participated in a multitude of events

including our Humanities Seminar,

weekly community meetings, col-

lege presentations, Hitchcock movie

nights, and a host of field trips that

included plays, symphonies, muse-

ums, opera, and festivals. These ex-

tracurricular activities are designed

to enhance the learning experience

and provide students with opportu-

nities to explore the humanities

from different perspectives. The

academy would like to extend a

special thank you to Mr. Scott

Stevenson, Assistant Director

and Admissions Coordinator,

for the planning and facilitation of

our student field trips during the

fall semester. Students have had the pleasure of

attending a presentation by our 2013 Distinguished

Faculty Lecturer, Dr. Catalina Castillon. In her

presentation she explored “Hispanic Literary

Heritage: An American Experience.” Not only is Dr.

Castillon the 2013 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer,

but she is also an endearing professor to many of

our present and past students. She was also a guest

speaker at our Futurism Symposium in Spring of

2013. What wonderful opportunities lie within our

A M ESSAGE FROM THE D IRECTOR

DR. T ED H. S TUBERFIELD “With a good heredity, nature deals you a fine hand at cards; and with a good environment,

you learn to play the hand well.”– Walter C. Alvarez, M.D.

Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013

TALH Corner T e x a s A c a d e m y o f L e a d e r s h i p i n t h e H u m a n i t i e s

S e e D i r e c t o r ’ s m e s s a g e c o n t i n u e d o n p a g e 2

“Developing the Heart and Mind”

Best Costume - James Acord

TALH Halloween Party 2013

Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013 Page 2

D IRECTOR’S MESSAGE CO NTINUED F RO M PAGE 1

learning community. We are indeed grateful for

these experiences.

I would also like to recognize our Counselor,

Ms. Karen Corwin, for facilitating the Mentor

Mixer earlier this semester. We applaud Lamar

faculty members who take time out of their busy

schedules to engage our students. Many students

have the opportunity to meet with faculty outside

of the classroom and discuss matters of academia,

research opportunities, or simply engage in conver-

sation that further develops the mentor/mentee

relationship and builds a rapport between students

and faculty. To have an opportunity to develop such

academic relationships is indeed special and more

than likely would not take place on a larger campus.

Having such a supportive environment is critical

to nurturing positive educational outcomes for

students. Mentoring has proven effective at all

levels of education and is a tool that is increasingly

being utilized at colleges and universities the like.

Welcome to Mr. Bruce Hodge, our new

Student Service Coordinator. Mr. Hodge is a

graduate of Lamar University with a Bachelor of

Arts in History and a Master of Arts in History.

He has worked in a university setting for nearly

10 years and understands the academic needs of

students as they transition from the high school to

the university classroom. He has worked as an

academic advisor and is very familiar with schedul-

ing. Mr. Hodge has had the opportunity to travel

abroad to France and Spain and has keen insight

into French culture. As the semester ends and the

spring semester starts, he will be in contact more

frequently. We welcome Mr. Hodge to TALH.

I would be remiss if I did not say thanks to Mrs.

Cindy Colichia, our Administrative Coordinator.

She has done a fantastic job with additional duties

this summer and the fall semester. We appreciate

her dedication to our students, parents, and stake-

holders alike. We are grateful for her service to

TALH.

I am so very proud of our student body Co-

Presidents, Ryan Huff and Amber Randolph,

Vice-President Ashleigh Ray, and Secretary Emily

Sherman for their guidance. Over the past few

months, they have provided superb leadership. In

addition, Ryan, Amber, and Ashleigh serve as

family captains with Cole Collins, Savannah

Layfield, Katherine Werner, and Emily Wilkins.

Our captains have demonstrated great leadership

as well in matters of mentoring, advising, tutoring,

scheduling, campus life, and of course, symposium

research for Futurism. In addition, Katherine and

Savannah headed the Halloween Party Committee

and made the event a successful venture. The stu-

dent leadership of TALH is extremely important.

These students express the needs of our student

body and help with the success of many events and

activities throughout the year. They are truly com-

passionate leaders who are committed to excellence

and the tenets of TALH. I commend them and the

fine example they provide to the Class of 2015.

SERVICE

This month we have met with our wonderful

service organization representatives at the annual

TALH Humanities and Ethics in Leadership Pro-

gram (H.E.L.P.) Barbeque. Representatives from

the organizations where our student perform com-

munity service are invited to share a meal and

engage in conversation. This is an opportunity for

students to share with the representatives how

grateful they are to experience community service

through their organization. Individual students have

been asked to share their experience in addition to

the TALH community as a whole. We value service

as one of the tenets of TALH and feel that the

service opportunities are needed to teach civic

engagement and responsibility within the learning

community and greater community in which we

live. What better way for future leaders to express

their appreciation towards those who assist others

on a daily basis. We applaud our service providers

SEE D IRECTOR’S MESSAGE CO NTINUED O N PAGE 3

D IRECTOR’S MESSAGE CO NTINUED F RO M PAGE 1

Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013 Page 3

and wish them continued success in their quest to

assist others. Currently TALH students have con-

tributed a total of 650 hours of service and are on

target for serving more than 800 hours this semes-

ter. We truly learn through our service.

SCHOLARSHIP

The intellectual prowess of our students is of

great merit and we welcome the opportunity to

wish them continued success in their academic

pursuits. As mentioned in our previous TALH

Corner, we have two students recognized as

National Merit Semifinalists: Michael Dane Hall

and Amber Randolph; three students honored as

National Achievement Semifinalists: Simone

Oliver, Amber Randolph, and Ashleigh Ray; and

five students, Alex Breland, Simone Oliver, Emily

Sherman, Jake Starkey, and Nick Wilcox, who

received commended status for their achievement

on the PSAT. We are thrilled to announce the

names of students who met the requirement for the

President’s List for the Spring 2013 semester. These

students were Alex Breland, Cole Collins, Ryan

Huff, Clayton Jannise, Ashleigh Ray, Emily

Sherman, and John Tohme. The students on the

Dean’s List for the Spring 2013 semester were Abby

Gonsoulin, Hana Hamilton, Amber Heldreth,

Lauren Huff, Savannah Layfield, Simone Oliver,

Amber Randolph, Jemima Varughese, and Nick

Wilcox. We are pleased with their accomplishment

and wish them and all of our students continued

success in their educational endeavors.

FUTURISM SYMPOSIUM

Our Futurism Symposium Captains have

been working diligently with their teams. This

year, students will focus on the topic, The Future

of Texas: Amending our State Constitution.

Captain Cole Collins’ topic is The Future of Immi-

gration in Texas; Ryan Huff will examine The

Future of Education in Texas; Savannah Layfield

will investigate The Future of Technology in Tex-

as; Ashleigh Ray will concentrate on The Future of

the Environment in Texas; Amber Randolph is

exploring The Future of Gun Control in Texas;

Katherine Werner will focus on The Future of

Capital Punishment in Texas; and Emily Wilkins

will posit The Future of Poverty in Texas. We

look forward to the leadership of each captain and

research contribution of each family to the symposi-

um. The symposium will be held February 25 and 26,

2014 on the 8th floor of the Mary and John Gray

Library.

Lamar University will be closed for the

Thanksgiving holiday.

All TALH students must depart by

4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 27

and may return after

2:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 1.

Students are not allowed back in the dorms

during the closed holiday period.

With my warmest regards,

D IRECTOR’S MESSAGE CO NTINUED F RO M PAGE 2 D IRECTOR’S MESSAGE CO NTINUED F RO M PAGE 2

Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013 Page 4

D IRECTOR’S MESSAGE CO NTINUED F RO M PAGE 2 FALL 2013 F INAL EXAM SCHEDULE

Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013 Page 5

Graduation

2014 is scheduled

for Friday, May 9,

2014 at 7:00 p.m.

in the University

Theater at Lamar University. We

do not limit your number of

guests because we all want to

celebrate your student’s success.

Graduate Sales, our gradua-

tion supplier, will meet with the

seniors on Tuesday, November 19,

to distribute the graduation bro-

chures and order forms. Gradu-

ate Sales will return to take your

student’s order on Tuesday,

December 3. This will enable you

to peruse the material over the

Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Your student’s order, including

invitations and caps and gowns,

will be delivered to the TALH

Office in the spring. We will noti-

fy the students when the items

arrive. TALH keeps the caps and

gowns in the office for safekeep-

ing. We appreciate that some

parents would like to have formal

graduation photos taken. We use

black caps and gowns and most

photographers stock these items.

If you have any questions, please

call Mrs. Colichia at (409) 880-

2377.

Thank you parents for

submitting your weekend travel

passes! We appreciate your help

in keeping your children safe.

Please remember that passes are

due by Wednesday at 4:00 PM.

We count on you to submit travel

requests by the deadline so that

we have enough time to keep our

security staff informed. If your

plans change during the weekend,

please remember that the new

TALH Security Office number is

409-880-8482. Our next closed

holiday and weekend will be No-

vember 27 (after classes) through

December 1. Because our security

staff is off on closed holidays and

weekends, students are not per-

mitted to stay at the dorms on

these dates.

Fall Preview Day was a huge

success! Over 70 students and

parents from around the state

attended the event held at the

University Reception Center on

the 8th Floor of the Mary and

John Gray Library at Lamar Uni-

able to all attendees as it was a

pleasure for all students and staff

to welcome them and share their

experience of the unique oppor-

tunities available to them at

TALH and Lamar University.

versity on Saturday, October 12.

TALH students greeted attendees,

served on panels, showed their

rooms during dorm tours, and

acted as general ambassadors

throughout the day. We hope the

day was as informative and enjoy-

Recruitment for the TALH

Class of 2016 continues! We have

begun receiving applications and

strongly encourage students to

submit all of their admissions

documents by December 15 to

meet the early notification dead-

line. TALH students and parents

know the program from their own

unique perspectives, and we urge

you to contact us with the names

of any students you feel would be

strong candidates, or if through

school or PTA contacts you are

able to give us access to make a

presentation on the TALH experi-

ence.

RECRUITMENT UPDATE

FALL PREVIEW DAY

WEEKEND TRAVEL

GRADUATION 2014

Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013 Page 6

It’s time for the students to

begin thinking about course

selections for the Spring 2014

semester. Course offerings are

available on the Lamar University

website.

Students met with Dr.

Stuberfield and Ms. Corwin for

advising to discuss their sched-

ules for the spring semester. You

are asked to review your child’s

schedule. Please call us if you

have any questions or concerns.

We always welcome parental in-

put. Please remember that each

student’s graduation plan is an

individual plan that is deter-

mined by the individual student’s

previous courses, grades, test

scores, and teacher recommenda-

tions. Our first priority is to de-

termine the courses that remain

for each student to complete our

program. Electives are selected

from courses required for the

university core. These core cours-

es are generally easily transfera-

ble to other universities.

Students will turn in the

final advising form (with classes

and time selections) to Ms.

Corwin. She will double check

the forms and then forward to

Mrs. Colichia. Mrs. Colichia will

check to ensure that all classes

selected are in compliance with

the student graduation plan. All

registration holds (unpaid ac-

count balances, parking tickets,

etc.) must be removed before

students may register.

ever, contact our counselor, Ms.

Corwin, at any time to inquire

about your child’s progress. She

may be reached by phone at

(409) 839-2992 or by email at:

karen.westgate@lamar.edu.

We encourage you to visit

with your child regularly regard-

ing his/her classes. Your child is

the best source of information.

Each student receives a syllabus

in every class. The syllabus con-

tains contact information for the

professor and course require-

ments. Please ask to see your

child’s syllabus. One purpose of

the monthly closed weekends is

to give you an opportunity to vis-

it with your child about classes

and discuss any issues that he/

she may be dealing with.

Progress reports are mailed

to the Lamar faculty at the begin-

ning of each month. Please re-

member that although we

strongly encourage the Lamar

faculty to return the notices, this

is a university and some profes-

sors do not respond to our in-

quiries. Mrs. Colichia will contact

parents immediately if we receive

a progress notice with a grade or

absence concern. You may, how-

Co l l e g e Acc e p ta n c e s a n d S c h o l a r s h i p s

Please send information regarding college acceptances,

awards, honors, and scholarship offers to Ms. Corwin. She

will forward the information to Mrs. Colichia for inclusion

in our monthly newsletters and graduation program. We

want to highlight your child’s achievements.

SPRING 2014 ACADEMIC A DVISING

COLLEGE A CCEPTANCES AND SCHOLARSHIPS

STUDENT PROGRESS REPORTS

Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013 Page 7

TALH

Fall

Field

Trips

Festivals

Museums

Symphony

Opera Theater

Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013 Page 8

Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013 Page 9

Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013 Page 10

COLLEGE PREVIEW DAYS

Abilene Christian University

Wildcat Premier Weekends

February 14

March 17

http://www.acu.edu/admissions/visit/

wildcat-preview-day.html

Baylor University

Spring Premier

April 5

http://www.baylor.edu/visit/index.php?

id=81925

Howard Payne University

Yellow Jacket Mondays

November 25, January 20, February 17,

March 17, April 28

http://www.hputx.edu/campus-offices/

admissions/yellow-jacket-mondays/

Houston Baptist University

Experience HBU

January 29, March 5

Preview Saturday

April 26

http://www.hbu.edu/Choosing-HBU/

Admissions/Visit-Campus.aspx

Sam Houston State University

Saturdays at SAM

November 16, March 29

www.shsu.edu/~visitor/saturday.html

Southern Methodist University

Mustang Spring Fest

www.smu.edu/Admission/Visit/

SpringFest

Stephen F. Austin State

University

Showcase Saturday

February 22, March 29

http://www.sfasu.edu/admissions/

visitsfa/showcase.asp

Southwestern University

Pirate Preview Days for Seniors

February 17

Southwestern Showcase for Juniors

March 29

http://www.southwestern.edu/admission/

campusvisits/events.php

Texas A&M University

College Station

Freshman Information Day for Seniors

November 25

www.tamu.edu

Texas A&M University

Galveston

Come SEA us

February 14

http://www.tamug.edu/admrc/index.html

Texas A&M University

Kingsville

Javelina Preview Days

January 25, February 15, March 22

www.tamuk.edu

Texas Christian University

Mondays at TCU

December 2, February 17, March 3,

April 14

http://www.admissions.tcu.edu/visit/

Texas Lutheran University

Junior Visit Day — April 5

Dog Days — April 26

http://www.tlu.edu/admissions/visit

Texas State University

Bobcat Day

February 15, April 5

http://www.admissions.txstate.edu/visit/

bobcat-days/bcdsign-up.html

Texas Tech University

Individual Appointments

http://www.ttu.edu

Trinity University

Trinity in Focus

November 23, January 25, February 33

http://new.trinity.edu/admissions-aid/

campus-visits-programs/trinity-focus

University of Houston

Cougar Preview

March 1

http://www.uh.edu/admissions/connect/

schedule-visit/cougar-preview/index.php

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

Crusader Preview

November 22-23

http://future.umhb.edu/preview

University of North Texas

UNT Preview Weekend

November 22-23

http://untpreview.unt.edu/

schedule

University of St. Thomas

Open House

March 29

http://www.stthom.edu/Admissions/

Visit_Campus/Events/

UST_Open_House.aqf#.UoZddFfAaM0

University of Texas at Arlington

Preview Day

February 1, April 5

https://www.uta.edu/admissions/events/

preview-day/

University of Texas at Austin

Longhorn Monday, November 25

Explore UT, March 1

http://www.utexas.edu/events/

exploreut/

University of Texas at Dallas

Scholar’s Day—Check site for Spring

date

http://www.utdallas.edu/enroll/visit/

scholarsday.php

Contact Ms. Corwin at (409) 839-2992 for further information.

Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013 Page 11

ABE AND ANNIE SEIBEL FOUNDATION: (www.everychanceeverytexan.org/funding/aid/scholarship/

scaasf.php) PO Box 8210 Galveston, TX 77553-8210 Phone (409) 770-5665; The Abe and Annie Seibel Foundation

is a zero-interest educational loan program available through Frost National Bank in Galveston, Texas. Qualified

applicants may contact the Foundation by telephone or mail after November 1 each year to request an application

packet for the upcoming fall/spring long-term school year. Applicant must be a USA citizen and Texas resident,

graduate of a Texas high school, enrolled full-time at a Texas college or university, and working toward a first

undergraduate degree. Application deadline is February 28.

CHARLES, LELA AND MARY SLOUGH FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP (www.midland.edu/slough): Scholar-

ship awards up to $5,000 per year ($2,500 per Fall and Spring semesters) for a total of 5 years or the completion

of a Bachelor’s Degree or total accumulation of 136 semester hours or 36 credits, whichever comes first. Smaller amounts may be

awarded on a one-time basis with no guarantee of future awards. Applications begin January 1 and deadline to submit an applica-

tion is April 1. Applicants must submit application online.

GATES MILLENNIUM SCHOLARS (www.gmsp.org): The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS), also known as the Bill Gates Scholar-

ship, aims to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for thousands of outstanding students with significant

financial need to reach their fullest potential. Eligible students must be African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian

Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American. Paper applications must be postmarked by January 11, 2012. Online applications

must be submitted by January 15.

THE HARALDSON FOUNDATION (www.haraldsonfoundation.org): Haraldson Foundation need-based scholarships are awarded

the University of Texas-bound high school seniors who have high SAT or ACT scores, are graduating in the top 10% of their

graduation class, and who demonstrate leadership in extra curricular activities, community service, and moral characters. Award

amount is $20,000 over 4 years. Deadline for application is December 1.

TOYOTA COMMUNITY SCHOLARS (www.toyota.com/about/philanthropy/education/scholarships/) The Toyota Community

Scholars program awards 100 scholarships valued at $10,000 and $20,000 over four years to outstanding high school seniors

nationwide. Participating high schools may nominate one student who exemplifies outstanding academic excellence, leadership and

most importantly—commitment to community service. Past Toyota Community Scholars have done everything from spearheading

charity drives and organizing cultural and educational summits, to establishing their own community service organizations. The

program includes an all-expenses paid recognition trip. The program is administered by Educational Testing Service. Applications

due early December. Applicants must be nominated by the school.

WAL-MART FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS (foundation.walmart.com/our-focus/associate-scholarships): Wal-Mart continually

supports education initiatives to help students of all ages and background achieve their dreams of going to college. The Wal-Mart

Foundation offers student scholarships for associates, customers and communities.

ELKS NATIONAL FOUNDATION 2014 MOST VALUABLE STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP (www.elks.org/enf/scholars):The Elks

National Foundation provides more than $3.64 million in college scholarships each year through its three scholarship programs.

The application process and deadlines vary for each program. All applications must go through a local Elks Lodge before reaching

the Elks National Foundation office. Awards are 500 4-year scholarships ranging from $4,000 to $60,000.

Hmmm…. I’ve been accepted to one of the colleges I applied to.

Hmmm…. I’ve just received a scholarship.

What do I do now?

Tell us all about it. Please let us know when you receive acceptance notifications

(even if you don’t plan to attend). We also want to know about all scholarship offers

you receive (even if you do not accept). Please give Ms. Corwin a copy of the notifica-

tion letter. We keep a record in our office. We are proud of you and want to share

your accomplishments!

SCHOLARSHIPS AND LOAN PROGRAMS

Page 12 Volume 14 Issue 2 November 2013

TALH STAFF

Dr. Ted Stuberfield

Director

(409) 839-2995

ted.stuberfield@lamar.edu

Mrs. Cindy Colichia

Administrative Coordinator

Newsletter Editor

(409) 880-2377

cindy.colichia@lamar.edu

Ms. Karen Corwin

Counselor

(409) 839-2992

karen.westgate@lamar.edu

Mr. Bruce Hodge

Student Services Coordinator

(409) 839-2993

bruce.hodge@lamar.edu

Mr. Scott Stevenson

Assistant Director

(409) 839-2990

scott.stevenson@lamar.edu

Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities

Lamar University

P. O. Box 10062

Beaumont, TX 77710

Phone: (409) 839-2995

Fax: (409) 839-2991

Email: texas.academy@lamar.edu

W E ’RE ON THE WEB !

WWW.TEXASACADEMY.ORG

MON THLY REMINDERS

We welcome your calls. If you ever have a

concern about your student or just want to keep in

touch with us, please call.

Weekend travel forms are due to Mrs. Colichia

by 4:00 p.m. each Wednesday. Mrs. Colichia will

confirm that students have permission to travel by 5:00 p.m. on

Thursday. Weekend travel information is distributed to TALH

administrators, TALH community assistants and TALH security

every Friday morning, so we ask that travel plans be finalized by

Wednesday afternoon. Your help is appreciated!

CLOSED WEEKENDS: Reminder: All students are required to

vacate the dorm for closed weekends and required holidays by 4:00

p.m., Friday. Students may return after 2:00 p.m. on Sundays (or

Mondays if Monday is a holiday).

TEA VERIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT: The Texas Education

Agency (TEA) states, “School enrollment and attendance as a

condition of licensing a student to operate a motor vehicle applies

to persons under 18 years of age unless a high school diploma or its

equivalent has been obtained.” In order to obtain or renew student

driver’s licenses, students must obtain a Verification of Enrollment

form from Mrs. Colichia.

SAT and ACT fee waivers are available. Students must meet qualifi-

cations. Please contact Ms. Corwin for more information.

Students and parents are reminded that when applying to other

colleges, both TALH and LAMAR UNIVERSITY transcripts are re-

quired. TALH transcripts may be requested by sending an email to

Mrs. Colichia at: texas.academy@lamar.edu. Lamar University

transcripts may be requested from the Lamar Records Office locat-

ed in the Wimberly Building Room 112.

Students are reminded that a two-week turnaround is required for

letters of recommendation from TALH administrators. Students

needing letters of recommendation must fill out a request form

(available next to Mrs. Colichia’s office) and turn it in to the admin-

istrator from whom you are requesting a recommendation, along

with all pertinent information and/or attachments. Updated re-

sumes must accompany each request. Please be courteous and ask

the administrator in person PRIOR to filling out the request form.

Lamar University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action educational institution and employer. Students, faculty and staff members are selected without regard to their race, color, creed, sex, age,

handicap or national origin, consistent with the Assurance of Compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Executive Order 11246 as issued and amended; Title IX of the Education Amend-