Darlene Denstorff AROUND
Senior sock hop Friday
May’s Garney Gautreau Sock
Hop will have a Cinco De Mayo
theme Friday at the LamarDixon Expo Center’s Ascension gym.
The event, which features food and dancing, is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Justin Garner at Crescent Park
Visit Crescent Park on June 7 for a free performance by musician Justin Garner
The Live@ Crescent Park concert series sponsored by the Donaldsonville Downtown Development District also includes vendors and food trucks. For vendor information, call (225) 473-4814.
Ascension Pride Festival Plans are underway for Ascension Parish Pride Fest set for June 21 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. Organizers are seeking volunteers and vendors are for the inaugural event. For sponsorships, email ascensionparishpride@gmail.com or visit the event page. Proceeds from the event will be used to host the festival, which will provide “entertainment and programming that reflect and celebrate our diverse community,” organizers said. Cocktail Trail open
The Louisiana Sweet Spot Cocktail Trail is open through July 31 at participating bars and restaurants
Order a Sweet Spot Cocktail, receive a stamp on your trail passport, collect eight stamps and turn your passport in for a chance to win prizes.
Passports are available at the Ascension Tourism office in Sorrento, at participating businesses or visit visitlasweetspot. com/cocktailtrail.
Summer STEM camp
Community Sisterhood’s Summer 2025 STEM Camp registration is underway
The camp, for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 9-13 at First Pilgrim Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Geismar
The cost is $85. To register, visit www.paypal.com/ncp/ payment/5DEEYZASL7XDG. For information, visit www communitysisterhood.org.
Dutchtown cheer mini camp
Pajama Party is the theme of Dutchtown High’s Cheer Mini Camp set for May 27-30 at the school gym. Children ages 4 and older are invited to register by May 23 for the camp, which costs $80, at tinyurl.com/dthscheerminicamp2025.
A portion of all proceeds from the camp will be donated
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Pick your paddle
Amid a new location, family of cooks takes top prizes at Jambalaya Festival
BY DARLENE DENSTORFF Community news editor
It started Friday with 95 cooks vying for the World Champion jambalaya-cooking title at the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival.
After three days of 140 pots of jambalaya cooking on the sand under the barns at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, Jared White lifted the golden paddle in victory Sunday night as the best jambalaya cook around.
White, whose helper was his wife, Brittany, has been cooking in the festival for 12 years. He won the Boucherie Festival’s
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Jayden White, 14, right, stirs his pot of jambalaya along with assistant Jason Beck on Saturday during the Junior Jambalaya Cooking Contest at the Jambalaya Festival.White won the contest.
Junior competition welcomes new jambalaya chefs up to the pot
BY WENDY LOUP Contributing writer
Seven young jambalaya cooks simmered pots with meat cooked to perfection, fluffy rice and a large dose of patience Saturday during Gonzales Jambalaya Festival’s inaugural Junior Jambalaya Cooking Contest. The event was one of multiple
A long legacy: ‘He served us all’ Family, others celebrate life of La.’s oldest WWII veteran
Gail
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
On Friday afternoon in Baton Rouge, an honor guard performed a three-volley salute by firing three rounds of blanks and a military bugle call was played to signal the death of the oldest living World War II veteran in Louisiana
Gail Woodrow Richardson died May 19 at 105 years old. The Gonzales resident was born in St. Amant. He
served with the Army in the medical corps working in a hospital unit overseas before moving to the infantry Nearly 100 people, including family members, local law enforcement and other veterans, gathered at Greenoaks Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Baton Rouge to celebrate the Richardson.
Richardson was not only known for his military
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STAFF PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
A uniformed service member presents a folded American flag to Steven Richardson, son of Gail Woodrow Richardson, the oldest-surviving World War II veteran in Louisiana who died at age 105, Friday at Greenoaks Memorial Park and Funeral Home. On either side of Steven Richardson is his wife, Robin, and brother Jimmie Gail Richardson.
Richardson, a World War II veteran, served in the Army medical corps and the infantry
2G
PHOTO BY WENDY LOUP
PROVIDED PHOTO BY RHETT BOURGEOIS
Brittany White, left, lifts the double-headed ax plaque given to the winner’s helper at the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival, her husband
Jared White, right, Sunday at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center
VETERAN
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service, but for his large family He and his deceased wife, Marjorie “Patsy” Richardson, are on a global list of marriages longer than 80 years. He is survived by his two sons, 13 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren.
His sons, Jimmie Gail Richardson and Stephen Richardson, remember their father as someone who could be stern but also jovial. They also described him as someone who loved to make jokes. They said he disliked talking about his time in the Army “One of the kindest men I’ve ever been around,” Stephen Richardson said. “He liked to joke until it was turned around on him.”
Jimmie Richardson added that if someone didn’t know his father personally they would think he was dead serious when he was joking around But both said he was ready to go at 105 years old. Jimmie Richardson said Gail Richardson is where he would want to be: “lying beside my mother.”
“The world just lost a beautiful and very exceptional man,” the brothers said.
The Patriot Guard Riders of Louisiana presented his family with an angel coin during a presentation at the funeral.
“He served us all to keep America free,” said Roland Sanchez, captain of the Patriot Guard Riders of Louisiana.
Robin Richardson, Gail Richardson’s daughter-in-law, said the grandchildren had asked about Gail Richardson’s favorite color She told them she thought it was red, white and blue, the colors worn by most of the funeral attendees on Friday “He hung his flag every day at his house. That was part of his routine,” she said. “He was always very disappointed when it was a rainy day.”
She said his favorite quote was: “I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow.” Comparatively, she said, his worst curse word was “dangnabit.”
AROUND
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to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. For information, email michelle.bogan@apsb.org.
Farmers market Saturday
Pick up fresh produce, crafts and other goods at the Highway
Gail Richardson’s age and time in the military even caught the eye of those who didn’t know him.
Nancy Watson, of Baton Rouge, did not know Richardson, but heard about his funeral in the news and attended the service.
Her father and brother both served in the military.
“I didn’t know a soul here,” Watson said. “A nice thing to do since it’s Memorial Day weekend.”
Gail Richardson loved to travel and go camping His favorite spot to camp was Clear Springs in Mississippi, according to his family.
After the Army, Richardson spent time working in his carpentry shop and was involved in the church.
He was a deacon at Brooktown Baptist Church in Baton Rouge and then attended First Baptist Church of Gonzales.
The Rev Jarrod Lamberth, of First Baptist Church of Gonzales, led a prayer at the funeral service and spoke about how Richardson was one of the senior men in the church who made a huge impact on him over the past few decades.
From the beginning when Lamberth joined the church as a young student, Richardson made him feel welcome and at home in the church, he said.
“I was 16, he was 16 at heart,” Lamberth said.
Email Claire Grunewald at claire.grunewald@theadvocate com.
621 Outdoor Market from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at 39275 La. 621 in Gonzales. For information, visit facebook. com/Hwy621OutdoorMarket.
Contact Darlene Denstorff by phone, (225) 388-0215 or (225) 603-1998; or email, ascension@ theadvocate.com or ddenstorff@ theadvocate.com. Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday
Expert in fighting terrorism speaks to Ascension GOP group
Community news report
Ascension Republican Women welcomed Christopher Holton, of the Center for Security Policy, as keynote speaker during an April meeting.
Holton has trained law enforcement agencies across the country on the threats posed by Islamic terrorism and is also well-versed in Chinese influence operations and tactics within the U.S. borders
FESTIVAL
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jambalaya-cooking title last year and a few smaller cooking titles in the area. But, he said, the Gonzales title was the one he wanted.
It was a good weekend for the White family Jared’s son, Jayden, 14, won the inaugural Junior Jambalaya Cooking Contest on Saturday
The senior White thanked his parents and children for their support, adding that he couldn’t “have done this without my wife.”
This year’s festival featured lots of firsts — admission was charged, a junior cooking competition, new location and two air-conditioned stages.
What didn’t change was the cooking. Ninety-five cooks competed in seven heats Friday and Saturday, with 32 moving on to cook in the semifinals on Sunday
The first round included 10 former world champs and 13 rookies, said longtime festival announcer
JUNIOR
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cooking competitions during the four-day celebration of jambalaya at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center
The junior competition featured cooks ages 12-17 who had three hours to prepare 5 pounds of rice, 3 pounds of sausage and 7 pounds of pork.
Any seasoning was allowed, although the cooks could use only propane burners.
Junior contestants have learned the key to a good pot of jambalaya from their families. However each incorporated their own ways of achieving the right pot.
Winner Jayden White, 14, an incoming freshman at St. Amant High, has been making jambalaya for six years.
“The most important part of a good pot is making sure you don’t burn the meat,” White said.
White’s helper Jason Beck, said White’s original style is a focal point of his success.
“He’s had to learn that he has his own way of cooking,” Beck said.
“Everybody has an opinion on how to cook jambalaya. He listens to people’s opinions, but he’s figured out how he wants to do it, and he cooks doing it his own way.”
VFW Post 3693 coordinated the junior competition. Post Quartermaster Brent Gautreau said the goal is to grow the event, which had seven entrants this year
“We were very excited for this contest,” Gautreau said. “We’ve got cooks from five different high schools, even as far as Maurepas.
“The junior cooks have started cooking very early on in their lives. Their parents and grandpar-
PHOTO BY MOLLY BAHLINGER
Sisters Kaylee, Tyler and Dionne Vines share a plate at the 58th Annual Gonzales Jambalaya Festival on Sunday at the LamarDixon Expo Center
Todd Long. The semifinal heats included four former champs and four rookies. Jay Alexis and his daughter Blair had the highest score going into the semifinals but didn’t make it to the final round of 12.
ents taught them, and they’ve continued the tradition. Hopefully, this contest will teach them about competition but will also help them hone their skills for the big pot competitions in their future.”
Gautreau said the judges for the junior contest use the same criteria as the big pot competitions.
“We are looking for the rice texture, appearance and the overall taste,” Gautreau said.
The VFW hopes the junior competition will create fun jambalaya cooking high school rivalries.
Kamile Thacker, 16, of Maurepas, has been cooking jambalaya for 11 years. Her family has cooked in Jambalaya Festival competitions for
Jambalaya Festival Association
President Mike Gonzales said Sunday that things went well at the new location.
“The cooks really like the setup under the big covered areas,” Gonzales said. And Friday’s afternoon thunderstorm didn’t stop the cooking but meant a smaller-thanexpected crowd for that night’s musical acts.
Cooks adjusted to the sand surface, which wasn’t as compacted as dirt, he said.
“It was a usual Saturday night,” Gonzales said. “People seemed to have a good time. We had more space to offer more food and vendors and folks really like the airconditioned stages.”
This was the festival’s 58th edition, moving from its longtime spot along Irma Boulevard to the Expo Center just outside the city limits.
Before announcing the winner on Sunday Long called the new location “the future of the festival.”
Email Darlene Denstorff at ddenstorff@theadvocate.com.
decades beginning with her greatgrandfather, who competed in the first festival in 1968
Kamile won this year’s mini-pot junior contest while her mother, Tanil, was the second-place winner of the women’s mini-pot contest.
Kamile’s father, Koby, has been cooking in the festival for 16 years. He won this year’s Champ of Champs Mini Pot award.
“The rice is the most important part of a pot,” Kamile Thacker said. “You have to keep it clean and not let it stick. You want big, soft rice, but you have to make sure nothing sticks to it.”
Tanil Thacker said it’s important for generations to continue to learn how to make jambalaya.
“They are carrying on the tradition for younger kids and that next generation will hopefully continue on,” Thacker said.
Micah Courville, 17, of St Amant, as well as his helper Brayden Givens, 18, of Live Oak, agree rice is the key ingredient to a good pot of jambalaya
“You want to make sure the rice is good by cooking it all the way through,” Courville said “But you have to be careful to not burn it.” Gabe Melancon, 15, a sophomore at Prairieville High School, learned how to cook jambalaya from his parents.
Melancon has won a few awards by focusing on the temperature of the propane flame
“I’ve been cooking jambalaya for 10 years,” Melancon said. “I’ve figured out the most important part is keeping the temperature right, so nothing burns but also cooks everything right.” For information about the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival, visit www.jambalayafestival.net.
PHOTOS BY WENDY LOUP
Kamile Thacker, left, 16, of Maurepas, won the 2025 Mini Pot Junior Division Champ of Champs at the Jambalaya Festival.
PROVIDED PHOTO BY JOYCE LACOUR
On April 17, Ascension Republican Women welcomed Christopher Holton with the Center for Security Policy as keynote speaker Gathering, from left, are Samantha Cartwright, Deborah Hebert, Holton, Bonnita Matsuda, Ann Bruner and Rebecca Faulkner
STAFF PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
Patriot Guard Riders Ronald Sanchez, left, and Sidney Gale, right, salute Gail Woodrow Richardson during his funeral as pallbearers carry his casket at Greenoaks Memorial Park and Funeral Home on Friday.
An honor guard fires blanks during a three-volley salute during the funeral of World War II veteran Gail Woodrow Richardson, who died at age 105.
Ascension Parish high schools set a high bar
The 2024-25 sports season has ended in Ascension Parish and what a year it was for local schools.
All schools had outstanding seasons including several district championships and a state champion
Most don’t realize the amount of work that our athletes put in to compete at a high level for their respective schools. That work has to be done while maintaining their grades as well.
The coaches should be commended for their dedication and long hours. These coaches spend more time with their athletes than their family during the school year
The parents should be commended as well for their countless hours of chauffeuring kids to practices and games. Most parents understand how difficult it is to coach the teams, and they appreciate this, we all should.
Let’s look at this past year with appreciation and know that the preparation for 2025-26 has already begun.
Fall sports
Football, cross-country, swimming and volleyball got the school year started and there are plenty of accomplishments to be recognized.
Football in the parish saw the emergence of a new school competing at the varsity level for the first time, the Prairieville Hurricanes. The Hurricanes joined fellow Ascension parish teams Dutchtown, East Ascension and St. Amant in District 5-5A. They finished with a 2-8 record but gained experience as they head into their second season of varsity football.
St. Amant and Dutchtown made the playoffs and had good seasons. Donaldsonville won a playoff game before falling in the regionals to district rival, St. James. Ascension Catholic made the deepest run in the parish, falling to Ouachita Christian in the semifinals of D4 select.
New coaches will be taking over at Ascension Christian and Ascension Catholic. Taylor James takes over for Lowell Narcisse at Ascension Catholic and looks to continue the winning tradition for the Bulldogs. Conrad Gayle takes over at
girls side with several underclassmen returning.
Winter sports
Troy LeBoeuf ASCENSION SPORTS
Ascension Christian for Rohan Davey, with the intention of building his own program.
Several outstanding seniors have graduated including Ascension Catholic’s Chad Elzy, who set several records and will be continuing his football career at Kentucky State.
Watch out for new stars to emerge in the parish, it should be another exciting season for football in 2025.
The volleyball season was highlighted by another outstanding run by Dutchtown to the D1 quarterfinals. The Lady Griffins graduate some top talent but will be a force again in 2025.
East Ascension advanced to the second round and St. Amant made the playoffs. Watch out for Prairieville in its second season under Chandra Ewen.
Ascension Catholic made the deepest run in the parish losing to Westminster Christian in the D5 semifinals. The Bulldogs return some key pieces and should be strong again. Ascension Christian won a playoff game and returns some key pieces.
Cross country is a difficult sport to compete in, but the Dutchtown Griffins showed the parish why they are among the best. The Griffins made strong showings at the state meet in the boys’ and girls’ division.
St. Amant finished 11th overall in the D1 girls division and Dutchtown finished 16th. Junior Ella Willoughby finished fourth overall for the Gators.
The Dutchtown boys finished fifth overall in a loaded D1 division.
Senior Mason Heffernan was 24th overall for the Griffins Ascension Catholic boys lose their top two runners in Ansel Cantin and Aiden Crochet, and will be in a rebuilding mode.
St. Amant and Dutchtown had solid swim seasons on the boys and
Kicking off the winter sports are basketball, powerlifting, indoor track and field, soccer and wrestling. Several parish schools made nice runs in the playoffs and several key players will return to lead in 2025-26.
Boys and girls’ basketball in the parish had strong runs with the East Ascension boys making a run to the D1 nonselect quarterfinals
The Spartans were district champs and return key pieces for coach Troy Green. St. Amant made the playoffs after the Gators had to endure several injuries during the season.
Prairieville and Dutchtown just missed the playoffs on the boys side and return some key players.
Donaldsonville boys made the deepest playoff run in the parish, falling in the D3 nonselect quarterfinals. The Tigers return plenty talent and should be poised to make a run in 2025-26.
Ascension Catholic won a district title, edging out Ascension Christian. The Bulldogs and Lions lost in the second round of the D4 select playoffs. Ascension Christian coach Angelo Montalbano is moving on to a new job and the Lions will be looking for a new leader On the girls side, East Ascension won a playoff game and St. Amant made the playoffs. The Prairieville Hurricanes made history by making the playoffs — they will be better in 2025-26, watch out. Ascension Christian made the playoffs with a young squad. Ascension Catholic made the deepest run in the parish, falling in the D4 select quarterfinals. The Bulldogs return a good nucleus with the Brown twins, they will be juniors
Powerlifting continues to grow and the Ascension Catholic boys continued their dominance in D5 with their third state championship in four years. Coach Delmond Landry graduates champions in Mace Melancon and Aiden Paine, but returns several guys that scored key points led by sophomore state champion Raif Melancon. Dutchtown, St. Amant, EA and
Group seeks STEM kit sponsors
Community news report
STEMpact Ascension, a locally led initiative developed by the Leadership Ascension Program Class of 2025 through the Ascension Chamber of Commerce, has announced its goal to enhance early education through hands-on STEM learning in Ascension Parish.
The team’s focus is to establish in-class STEM labs for second grade students at Gonzales Primary and Donaldsonville Primary schools, a news release said. Each classroom will be equipped with 24 reusable STEM kits that introduce students to key science, technology engineering and math concepts through engaging, project-based activities.
The initiative is designed to build curiosity, confidence and critical thinking skills at a foundational age.
“By delivering meaningful, hands-on learning experi-
PROVIDED PHOTO
Working on their Leadership Ascension class project, from left, are team members Randy Crawford, Justin Garner, Roshni Jaikishen, Robert Karam, Torri McClendon, Michelle Murphy, Brenton Percell and Ashley Tadda.
ences, STEMpact Ascension aims to spark lasting interest in STEM and support longterm student success,” the release said.
STEMpact Ascension is seeking sponsorships from businesses and organizations to help bring the vision to life. Interested sponsors can
contact the team at stempactascension@gmail. com. The project team includes Randy Crawford, Justin Garner, Roshni Jaikishen, Robert Karam, Torri McClendon, Michelle Murphy, Brenton Percell and Ashley Tadda.
Prairieville all have solid programs on the boys’ and girls’ side. The Dutchtown boys, led by coach Wade Hooper, finished third overall in state led by state champ Josh Thompson. The Dutchtown girls finished fourth in state led by state champ Emma Corona. The St. Amant girls and boys power lifting programs are established and continue to push for a state championship.
Soccer is strong in Ascension Parish with the Dutchtown boys leading the way The Griffins fell to eventual state champion St. Paul in the D1 quarters. St. Amant and EA faced each other in the first round with the Gators winning. On the girls’ side, Dutchtown, St. Amant and EA made the playoffs with the Gators and Griffins winning a playoff game.
Wrestling continues to grow in the parish with Dutchtown, East Ascension and St. Amant finishing in the top 10 in D1 on the boys side. The East Ascension girls had the strongest finish, placing sixth overall East Ascension girls had the best showing in indoor track with a sixth-place finish. On the boys’ side, newcomer Prairieville led the parish with a 19th-place finish.
Spring sports
In spring, what is usually the busiest season of all, our teams had strong showings in baseball, softball, bowling, golf, outdoor track and field, gymnastics and tennis. Baseball is always strong in the parish, and Dutchtown and Ascension Christian had the best showings on the boys side. The Griffins fell to powerhouse Barbe in the quarters. The Lions fell to Ouachita Christian in the quarterfinals, as well. Both teams graduate key players, but return some talented players as well. Brandon Bravata led his team to the playoffs and will be stepping down as the Gators head coach. Caleb Ricca takes over a talented Gator team in 2025-26. Ascension Catholic made the playoffs and lost to Riverside in the D4 select regionals. Softball is strong as usual in Ascension Parish led by Dutchtown, St. Amant, East Ascension and Ascension Catholic. The Griffins,
led by coach Nancy Ensminger, lost 3-2 to Sam Houston in the D1 nonselect finals. The Griffins had a magical season, and I expect them to compete in 2025-26 for another title. The Gators rinse and repeat with their playoff runs. They lost to state champion Sam Houston in the semifinals. Fear not, they will be back with several starters returning for coach Amy Pitre. East Ascension, led by coach Toni Ricca, had a great season, losing to rival St. Amant in the quarters. The Spartans are right there with their district rivals and look to knock the door down in 202526. Ascension Catholic was an out away from advancing to Sulphur The Bulldogs and coach Stacie Grant have a nucleus returning in 2025-26. Ascension Christian made the playoffs and won a game; they lost to district rival Ascension Catholic in the second round. Prairieville was very competitive in its first season, watch out for the Hurricanes. Outdoor track in the parish had success led by Tennessee commit Kiristen McGirt of East Ascension. She went out with a bang winning the shot put and the discus at the state meet. All of our teams competed at a high level in very competitive divisions.
Bowling was successful in 202425, with the Dutchtown girls making it to the finals, falling to Archbishop Chapelle. St. Amant was a semifinalist. East Ascension, St. Amant and Dutchtown made it to the second round on the boys’ side. Girls gymnastics continues to grow with Dutchtown and St. Amant leading the way into 202526.
Golf on the boys’ side was led by Ascension Catholic placing eighth in state led by senior John Clay Cancienne. Congratulations to all of the athletes that participated in the 2024-25 school year, you should be proud of your work. We can’t wait to see what the 2025-26 season has in store for our teams.
Troy LeBoeuf covers sports for the Ascension Advocate. He can be reached at troyleboeuf@hotmail. com or ascension@theadvocate. com.
at a
Knights of Columbus honors Teachers of the Year
Community news report
Area Knights of Columbus chapters recently honored Teacher of the Year recipients for Ascension Parish public and parochial schools. The councils of St. Theresa of Avila, 2657; Holy Mary, 6389; St Mark, 8147; and St John the Evangelist,
8342, hosted the 49th annual Teacher Appreciation Banquet on April 2 at St. John Hall the Evangelist Activity Center
The event honored teachers from 40 parochial and public schools throughout Ascension Parish. State Sen. Eddie Lambert was the guest speaker
Each of the 40 schools selected their honoree, who were presented certificates of merit from the Knights council. Overall Teacher of the Year plaques went to the high school, middle school and primary schoolteachers in their parochial and public schools respectively
PROVIDED PHOTO BY TOMMY RUEMKER
Gathering
Knights of Columbus Teachers of the Year awards ceremony, from left, are state Sen. Eddie Lambert; Tante Poche’, Gonzales Middle School; Kelsie Puccio, St. Amant Primary School; Grace Reames, St. John Primary School; Renee Miller, Ascension Catholic Diocesan Regional School (middle school); Caleigh Carpenter, Prairieville High School; Henry Jacobs, Ascension Catholic Diocesan Regional School (high school); and Edith Walker, Ascension Parish schools superintendent.
Prairieville Middle students get lessons on life in La.
Community news report
Prairieville Middle School
hosted its annual Living in the South event for seventh grade students on May 9 at which students learned about different areas of culture from across the state
The event also provided opportunities for students to participate in career awareness activities by hearing from a variety of speakers on careers specific to Louisiana
Returning speakers to the event included former Prairieville Middle student Jack Simmons, a sports turf specialist for LSU who spoke about everything that goes into the maintenance and painting of the sports fields on LSU’s campus; Steve Geraci, who demonstrated the art of building pirogues for students; and representatives from BREC Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center who brought a sampling of local wildlife for students to interact with.
This year, students met a box turtle named Ford and a corn snake named Cleo. Seventh grader Claire Taranto said she really enjoyed the Bluebonnet Swamp presentation because of “the cool animals he showed us, and he answered questions with good and valid answers.”
Several presenters spoke about careers specific to Louisiana. Civil engineer Dave Soulier, of Cajun Engineering Solutions, educated students on building houses with hurricanes in mind.
As part of his presentation, Soulier had students build houses out of toothpicks and marshmallows and then rebuild them after a “hurricane” knocked them down.
Other careers relevant to Louisiana were discussed by Mark Mabile, who talked about drilling for oil in the Gulf; Kade Barnes, a crane operator on the Mississippi River; and Lance Templet, a tugboat captain.
Louisiana law is different from other places as well, which was highlighted by speakers Matt Percy and Jamie Schutte, of Percy
Seventh graders Kennedy Heffernan and Evan Davis show off their biodegradable Mardi Gras beads. Their group won for the best bead design idea.
Law Firm. The Audubon Aquarium Rescue Program representatives spoke to students about their rehabilitation center for injured and stranded marine animals including turtles, dolphins and sometimes manatees.
LSU student Alexis Strain and Lauren Rogers talked about what they’re working on at school — biodegradable Mardi Gras beads.
Living in the South also included cultural and historical speakers through Robert Gray Freeland, a volunteer speaker with Los Granaderos y Damas De Galvez — La Luisiana Chapter, founded in 1975 for the Bicentennial of the United States and dedicated to informing and educating the public on the role Spain played in the success of our War of Independence and the soldiers who fought alongside Bernardo
de Gálvez, fourth governor of Louisiana.
Erin Segura spoke with students about the history of the Acadian Exile and the regional areas of Louisiana, where the language is commonly spoken. Today, fewer than 100,000 people speak French in their homes in Louisiana, and the language is mostly preserved through music and conversation.
“That’s one awesome thing about this event,” said Brooke Todd, a seventh grade social studies teacher at PVM, “to let students see the connections between what they learn in class and what is actually going on around the state! How do we fit into the present while looking at what happened here long before us.”
Award-winning local author Sarah Guillory spoke with students about her writing process and how her
Southeastern honors nursing, health sciences students
Community news report
Five students received the Southeastern Louisiana University College of Nursing and Health Sciences’ highest honor, the Dean’s Award, at the college’s recent annual honors convocation.
The Dean’s Award in the Department of Health and Human Sciences was presented to Mychal Bennett, of Shreveport; Sophia Foto, of Covington; and Hannah Harris, of Holden.
The Dean’s Award in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies went to Karalyn Moragne, of Mandeville, while the School of Nursing Dean’s Award went to Jordan Roberts, of Ethel.
The Significant Partnership Award was presented by each department in recognition of contributions to the educational programs in the college. Vice President and Nursing Administration/ Associate Chief Nursing Officer Wendy Singleton at Woman’s Hospital accepted the award from the School of Nursing.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Reed Davis, left, of Prairieville, and Kirsten Saint, of St. Amant, are honored at the Southeastern Louisiana University College of Nursing and Health Sciences’ annual honors convocation. Davis was recognized as a CNHS ambassador; Saint was recognized with the Counseling Outstanding Graduate Award.
Dr Mark Crosby, of Live Oak Church Counseling Center, was honored by the Department of Health and Human Sciences, while the Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies honored Brandon Miller of Miller’s Mart.
Area students honored at the ceremony include: Ascension Parish: Reed Davis, of Prairieville, CNHS ambassador; Caterina Byars, of Prairieville, Pyburn Award for Outstanding Senior in Human Sciences.
writing has improved over time. “If you just show up every day, you get better at
it,” she said. She connected this idea to all things in life, not just writing.
In addition to learning a lot about Louisiana, students dined on boiled crawfish, jambalaya and sno-balls for lunch The Prairieville High School Booster Club provided the jambalaya and Kyle Kinberger entertained them with the history of the dish while cooking.
“Students and teachers look forward to this event year after year,” said Patricia Peno, a seventh grade science teacher at PVM. “Speakers and the event offer students learning opportunities beyond the
classroom. They learn about future careers, our culture, and simply why we do things we do in Louisiana.”
After 20 years of organizing Living in the South and 30 of teaching, Peno is retiring and will be replaced by Amy Jarreau. Seventh grade teachers at Prairieville Middle School organize the Living in the South event annually as a way to enrich student learning and passion for our state and local area. The event is funded
Steve Geraci gives students a lesson in building pirogues using fiberglass.
PROVIDED PHOTOS
Prairieville High Booster Club supplied and cooked jambalaya for seventh graders at Prairieville Middle for the annual Living in the South event.
Seventh grader Sara Booty pets Cleo the corn snake visiting Prairieville Middle from BREC Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center