Alumni News Summer 2010

Alumni News S o u t h ea s t e rn L o uisi a na Uni ve rsit y • Hammond

Summer 2010

INSIDE • Planting the seeds of learning • Student lands book deal • Alum awarded Congressional Medal

Alumni News

A message from President John L. Crain

Southeastern Louisiana University Dr. John L. Crain ’82, ’84 President Dr. Tammy Bourg Provost/Vice President, Academic Affairs Stephen Smith ’76, ’82 Vice President, Administration & Finance Dr. Marvin L. Yates Vice President, Student Affairs Wendy Johns Lauderdale '93 Vice President, University Advancement Alumni Association Kathy Locascio Pittman ’71 Director B.J. Lorio ’68 President Rita Bertolino ’78, ’96 President-elect Tony Schillage ’88 Treasurer Steve Parrill ’96, ’98 Secretary Board Members Gwen Barsley ’73, ’76 Dick Covington ’71 Marcia King Galatas ’79 Richard Himber ’00, ’02 George Ibert ’70 Pat Macaluso ’70 Emily McKneely ’02 Bill Murray ’76, ’78, ’01 Gayle Neal ’74 Stacey Duvic Neal ’91 Reggie Sanders, ’93

One of the true pleasures of being a university president is presiding over commencement, a time to publicly recognize those students who have successfully completed their academic studies and achieved an important goal in life. Like our students’ parents, family and friends, we share their joy and are thrilled to have played a significant role in helping them achieve success.

This spring’s commencement was no exception when 1,138 of our students joined the ranks of more than 56,000 alumni across the world. With graduates ranging in age from 20 to 77, this class included students from 16 different countries and 23 states. While a number will move on to graduate studies or return to their home states and nations, most will remain in Louisiana, helping to build our economic and cultural strengths. These graduates represent our future educators, nurses and other health care providers, elected officials, business leaders, and many other professionals who contribute to the economy, health and well being of our state and nation. We believe Southeastern has prepared them well for their future challenges and achievements.

Challenges do indeed lie ahead. The state and nation continue to struggle with the effects of a difficult recession that impacts all of us. Southeastern and other higher education institutions are no different. As the state realizes further budget challenges, and additional cuts to state agencies are made – in particular to higher education and health care – we will be forced to make some difficult choices in programs and staffing. We will be as judicious and careful as possible to try to lessen the impact on our current and future students.

As always, we pledge to maintain excellence in all we do, even if it is at a reduced level due to declining resources. That has been the legacy of Southeastern and one that will continue. The support and understanding of our alumni has never been more critical.

A message from your Alumni president Summer is near and it marks the end of my term as your alumni president. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you.

It has been a privilege and pleasure to hold this office.

The Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni News, published four times annually by the Association, was entered as third-class matter, May 9, 1949, at the Post Office in Hammond, LA, under the amended act of June 11, 1934. The office of publication is Hammond, LA 70402. Annual dues of $30 include subscription to Southeastern Alumni News.

Produced and edited by the Southeastern Louisiana University Office of Public Information.

cover Education major Jailee Hollars of Loranger counts the plants with students at Woodland Park Early Learning Center in Hammond in the service-learning program "Cooking Up a Storm." Counting with her are Lucas Slade and Malavia Jackson.

B.J. Lorio '68

This has been a tumultuous year for our university because of budget cuts, and as your president, I have been able to represent you at many functions and witnessed firsthand President Crain’s love for our university and concern for our students. Southeastern is very lucky to have such a leader.

When I graduated 42 years ago, Southeastern was classified as a college. Now it has grown to become the large technologically-advanced university of today. I never imagined I would be elected president of this association and have the opportunity to represent this wonderful group.

As your president I urge each of our 56,000+ alumni to become actively involved with the Southeastern Alumni Association. Working together, Southeastern can remain the predominate school for our future leaders. Thank you again for your help during this past year, and please continue to support our great university.

Service-Learning Students tackle real-world problems Education major Jailee Hollars of Loranger works with students in the greenhouse at Woodland Park Early Learning Center in Hammond.

From left are Malavia Jackson, Ethan Major and Courtney Duncan.

Service-learning, an educational process that allows students to find real-world connections for course content, has taken root at Southeastern as more faculty and students embrace the concept.

Southeastern students have traditionally engaged in community service activities, but there is a difference between “service” and “service-learning,” explained Tena Golding, director of the Center for Faculty Excellence, which coordinates service-learning activities on campus.

“Service-learning enhances student learning by providing a meaningful connection between course content and a community need,” said Golding. “The service experience becomes an environment where students must transfer and apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to a real-life situation. Student reflections connect the service back to the learning of the academic content.”

She said last year approximately 55 courses contained service-learning components that involved more than 1,600 students putting in over 18,000 hours of service in the community.

With the growing interest in servicelearning, the university has secured an AmeriCorps/VISTA volunteer, Alexandria Raphael, to support and

document service-learning efforts. She is currently conducting a survey to collect data on the 2009-2010 academic year.

Service-learning activities cover a broad range, from tutoring youngsters in math skills to working in nearby marshes to limit erosion.

Cooking up a storm At Woodland Park Early Learning Center in Hammond, the seeds of learning are being planted in pre-K and kindergarten students – in a very literal sense.

In an on-campus greenhouse and a forthcoming garden, the four and five-year-olds are learning the basic concepts of math, science, nutrition, responsibility and that all important characteristic of “working well with others.”

The project is the brainchild of Southeastern education professors Colleen Klein-Ezell and Camille Yates in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Called “Cooking Up a Storm” because the initial concept was to teach children a nutritious approach to eating while hunkering down for a hurricane or other emergency, the

service-learning project was funded by a University of Louisiana System’s “ULS Serves” grant through the Corporation for the National and Community Service’s Learn and Serve America program.

The original concept of “Cooking Up a Storm” expanded at Woodland Park, as the university faculty, the school’s principal and teachers, and university students involved in the project recognized the potential to teach the kids other basic learning skills. Prior to the planting of seeds, the students read stories in the classroom to learn how they will germinate into plants. Through the grant, resources and books about gardening and how to integrate it into education were purchased for the students and teachers.

“Let’s count the plants,” Jailee Hollars of Loranger says to her young students in the greenhouse as she incorporates simple arithmetic into their session.

“One, two, three…” the Southeastern senior education major counts the budding plants with the children.

“It’s a wonderful source of ideas for ways to engage children in projects they will enjoy while learning such a variety of concepts,” Hollars said. “It’s good for us as students as well; we spend a lot of time in classrooms, and it’s great to get 1

Members of the Department of Biological Sciences’ environmental awareness class spent several days placing recycled Christmas trees into the Jones Island Marsh to help shore up the coast line.

outside and remember just how inquisitive and interested these kids are.”

Klein-Ezell said the project is a fun way to get children involved in basic education, while providing service-learning opportunities for teacher candidates to gain experience working with young children. Each child – and there are approximately 500 at Woodland – has his or her own plant to water and maintain.

Eventually the flowers, vegetables and herbs planted will be transplanted to a nearby garden. The complex at the school includes a storage shed, potting benches and a raised planter.

Klein-Ezell praised the Hammond Kiwanis Club, whose members spent the better part of a Saturday piecing together the greenhouse.

“I enjoy any activity where children are actively involved in learning,” said Hollars. “Above all, I love seeing the kids just get dirty. So many children have no clue what it is to dig in the dirt and learn through exploration.”

The culminating activity of the project will be to create a cookbook – entitled “Cooking Up a Storm” – that will include nutritional recipes submitted by teachers and students.

Emphasis will be on recipes that do not require power for periods when storms or hurricanes threaten the area.

“We’re really excited about this project,” said Klein-Ezell.

“Most importantly, the kids are excited about it. It definitely facilitates their learning.”

Into the marsh Approximately 20 miles south of Hammond, Southeastern students braved the cold January weather to help place recycled Christmas trees into the marsh of West Jones Island. A 700-acre area bordering Lake Maurepas, Jones Island has seen scores of students place more than 28,000 trees into the marsh over the last decade to thwart erosion.

“The theory is to put the Christmas trees into the marsh to 2

build up the levee,” said Rob Moreau, director of Southeastern’s nearby Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station. “Then we plant marsh grasses that stabilize the mudflat and the bank.

Gradually we start to build up the land over and behind the Christmas trees, allowing us to plant cypress trees.”

“The water here is so full of sediment or suspended solids that when the water rises up on the marsh, it collects in the Christmas trees,” said biologist Fred “Mars” Stouder, marsh restoration coordinator at Turtle Cove. “We’re actually building the marsh up to fight subsidence and fighting erosion at the same time.”

For the students, it is an up-close, personal lesson in the concepts they are learning in their environmental awareness course.

“In the course, we focus on the impacts of our coastal wetland loss here in southeast Louisiana and the various solutions to the problem, two of which are vegetative replantings and sediment trapping, such as the Christmas tree project,” said Moreau. “By helping our Turtle Cove staff deploy the trees on the surrounding marsh islands in the Lake Pontchartrain wetlands, the students are able to complement their classroom knowledge with hands-on field experience in wetland restoration.”

“Knowing the problems we have – and that I’m helping – actually feels pretty rewarding,” said senior Brittany Quinn of Port Allen. Adds sophomore Kaci Wilson of Destrehan: “We have a hand in helping the future out here, and that’s really important.”

Math tutoring services Another University of Louisiana System grant is funding a free after-school mathematics tutoring program for elementary school children in need of the extra help.

ASAP (After School Achievement Program) is a partnership with the Tangipahoa Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council, which matches Southeastern education students with children who

Education major Heidi Tregle of Albany assists a Hammond fifth-grader with his homework at Miller Memorial Library in Hammond as part of the service-learning program ASAP.

need the academic help. Participants are tutored twice weekly at Miller Memorial Library Family Resource Center in Hammond.

In addition to the grant, the project receives support from the Hammond JC Penney which collects donations periodically through its “Round-Up” program.

ASAP is coordinated by Tena Golding, who also serves on the math faculty.

TADAC’s role is to provide parents and children with educational information about substance abuse. With poor grades a major risk factor for substance abuse, one of ASAP’s goals is to help students academically prevent future problems.

Golding said ASAP is proving to be successful, with some students showing improvement of a full letter grade.

As for the student tutors, Golding said participation in the program is one way education students can fulfill field experience requirements. The teacher candidates learn how to teach math with children and some of the basics of teaching in general.

“I really like it,” said tutor Marie Childs of Bush. “I think this is much more beneficial than observations and it is a lot more hands-on. Senior Monique Hidalgo of Denham Springs agreed: “It helps me to think of different ways to teach. The kids enjoy it as well. They want to understand the material as much as you want them to.”

Sydral saw 16 groups of students work with 11 different area non-profit organizations that included food banks, animal shelters, and Special Olympics among several others. Each group was required to develop public relations materials, such as press kits, web sites, brochures and other promotional materials, press releases and public service announcements.

“This was the first time I’ve incorporated a service-learning project into the curriculum, and I definitely plan to do it again,” Sydral said. “The students were much more engaged in the classroom because they knew they were actually going to use what they learned in a realworld situation for a real organization.”

The non-profit partners presented the students with serious challenges and the opportunity to make real differences in their communities, she said.

Communication senior Jo Swan of Covington worked with a team of five other students to develop materials for the St. Francis Animal Sanctuary in Abita Springs. It is the largest area no-

kill sanctuary that serves more than 400 animals annually. It is funded by donations and an affiliated thrift store.

“Each person in the group contributed something special to the project,” said Swan. “I think we would all agree that this project encouraged us to grow in many ways.”

With the help of KSLU radio General Manager Todd Delaney and local videographer Todd Dunnington, the group developed three public service announcements which have been placed on WWL-TV in New Orleans and with other stations in the area. In addition, the group created a slide presentation to help staff inform the general public about the sanctuary.

While working on the project, Swan and her co-workers had a firsthand look at crisis communcations in action when the affiliated thrift store experienced a fire.

“Executive Director Londi Moore truly amazed me,” Swan related. “She demonstrated how to turn a bad experience into positive public relations. Her demonstration of excellent crisis management impacted our whole class.”

“I think service-learning is beneficial for students in a number of ways,” Syrdal said. “Most importantly, they gain a bit of real-world experience, which provides them with something they can highlight on their resumes.

Time and again, I’ve heard employers say experience is one of the top things they look for when recruiting recent graduates. I think service-learning is the next best thing to doing an internship.”

Below: Students in Southeastern business instructor Holly Syrdal’s marketing and PR course assisted the St. Francis Animal Sanctuary in Abita Springs in the development of public relations materials. Shown are, from left, students Kiley Bishop, Lacey Keegan, Jo Swan, Syrdal, St. Francis Executive Director Londi Moore, students Michelle Stiegler and Nicholas Thomas.

Help for non-profits In her marketing and public relations classes, management instructor Holly 3

Southeastern student garners book deal, numerous awards There aren’t many undergraduate students who have a documentary to their credit, much less a confirmed book deal in the offing.

But those are among some of the latest developments in the college career of Southeastern honors student Samantha Perez, who graduated this May with an enviable list of accomplishments, including a perfect 4.0 grade point average. In addition, she was a recipient of the President’s Medal for Academic Excellence, which recognizes the top graduate in each academic college.

A double major in history and honors English, and minors in creative writing and gender studies, Perez was recently awarded a $5,000 Walter and Adelheid Hohenstein Fellowship from the national honor society Phi Kappa Phi. One of 60 students in the nation to receive a Phi Kappa Phi fellowship, she was among the top five in the South Central Region.

The Violet (St. Bernard Parish) native earned other academic awards this spring as the Outstanding Graduating Senior in English, while also receiving the Martina Buck Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior in History.

The book deal developed when a publisher of local history books discovered Perez on the Internet. A Southeastern web page cover story highlighted a documentary she and her fiancé Josh Robin developed as part of an independent studies project in history and communication. The 50-minute video, entitled Louisiana’s Lost Treasure: The Islenos, focuses on the cultural identity of the Islenos people, who migrated from Spain to the Canary Islands and later to southeast Louisiana in the late 1700s.

“It’s the heritage we both share,” said Perez. “We’re very

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proud of it. It’s our way of helping to preserve that culture while there are still people around who know the history and traditions of the Islenos people.”

The video premiered at Southeastern’s 2009 Fanfare, an annual fall festival of the arts, humanities and social sciences.

It has also been shown at other venues, including a history seminar for area social studies teachers and a special presentation to the people of St. Bernard Parish.

“I was petrified before showing this to people who really know and understand their culture,” Perez said. “That was the real test, but everyone seemed to love it.”

The book, which she will try to complete this summer, will focus on the Islenos people of St. Bernard Parish and preserve the research in a printed form. The research is done, she said, so it’s a matter of organiztion, consolidation and writing.

“I guess I was in the right place at the right time,” she said.

“I’ve always wanted to be published; I grew up with books, and as a kid would tell my mother ‘I want to write books too.’”

In the fall, Perez will start graduate studies in history at Tulane University, attending the institution on a fully paid scholarship. She will be working on a doctoral degree in late medieval and early modern Europe. It’s a period, she said, that fascinates her because it represents a major transition point in western history.

Samantha is the most impressive undergraduate I have encountered in my 27 years at Southeastern. Her future potential as a graduate student and a professional historian is limitless.

– William Robison, professor and head of the Department of History and Political Science

“Considering her enormous natural abilities, incredible work ethic, intense dedication to scholarship and her boundless love for her community, Samantha is the most impressive undergraduate I have encountered in my 27 years at Southeastern,” said William Robison, professor and head of the Department of History and Political Science. “Her future potential as a graduate student and a professional historian is limitless. I am extraordinarily proud of her and feel extremely privileged to have had her as a student.”

Samantha’s long-term goal? She says it’s to return one day to Southeastern as a member of the faculty.

“I love this school,” says Perez, who attended Southeastern on a full scholarship. “I looked at other universities initially, but I had taken courses here as a high school student and really liked the environment. I love the professors here who know me personally. Eventually I would love to return as an instructor. I want to give back everything that was given to me.”

Edward Morin, Southeastern assistant professor of visual arts, gives sophomore animation major Justan Hood of Baton Rouge some tips for designing a 3D animation model. The New Media and Animation Lab in the Department of Visual Arts features a 3D rapid prototyping printer and a ShopBot material-cutting machine.

Art Lab uses innovative technology to create plastic 3D modules Visual arts students at Southeastern are transforming design into real-life modules using the New Media and Animation Lab’s 3D printer.

Purchased with a portion of a $73,094 Louisiana Board of Regents grant awarded to the Department of Visual Arts, the Dimension SST 1200es printer has been incorporated into the new media and animation concentration curriculum.

The New Media and Animation Lab also features a ShopBot material-cutting machine and over 20 Apple computers loaded with top-notch graphic design and animation software. The concentration is one of 10 offered through the department.

Through the curriculum, new media and animation professor Edward Morin said students who specialize in the concentration have an opportunity to complete a year and a half of studies in 3D technologies, including 3D modeling, animation, interactive multimedia and working with the 3D printer.

Morin said although the majority of academic digital arts and animation programs seem to focus on a single industry pipeline, Southeastern’s program is incorporating as many different media formats as possible into the

course offerings. The 3D rapid prototyping printer is one way Southeastern’s visual arts department is introducing students to new concepts and technologies.

Once a student has created a digital module through a sophisticated computer design program, the data is transferred to the 3D printer where the prototyping process begins. The machine works from the bottom up, printing small, hundredth’s-of-an-inch segments that, depending on size, can take up to 14 hours to print a single module.

Two objects are then formed - the module shaped from a spool of white plastic resembling a weedeater line and a brown support material that is removed after printing. The final product is a realistic plastic prototype that many art, manufacturing, forensics and pathology industries use as a visualization tool.

“The new media and animation concentration enables students to cover a broad range of experiences, but they are also able to concentrate within a specific platform or genre,” Morin said.

“That’s really important in their senior year but also when they go out to be interviewed and they are trying to get employed.”

Once a model has been created in a software program, the design data is uploaded to the 3D printer to begin the modeling process. Two objects are printed: a white plastic material (seen here) and a brown, removeable support material that holds the model together during prototyping. Pictured is a 3D model by visual arts student Aaron Williams.

Though interactive media is most often associated with video games, Morin said the gaming industry is just a small component of the field that has also found popularity in employee orientation and training, museums and cultural centers, web sites and movies.

Before coming to Southeastern in 2008, Morin was a senior multimedia developer for Omega Training Group, Inc. in Columbus, Ga., where he worked on training and simulation applications for the U.S. military.

“There are a lot of dollars in gaming, but if you were to look at the entire industry, there are probably more opportunities outside of gaming that are betterpaying opportunities,” Morin said.

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Campus Headlines Military experts present Eisenhower Series at Southeastern Representatives of the U.S. Army War College presented a series of discussions in April on current military issues as part of the Eisenhower Series College Program. The visit was sponsored by the Department of History and Political Science and Judge James E. Kuhn of the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal. Gathered during a reception are, from left, Army Col. Irving Smith III, Navy Capt.

William G. Davis, Army Col. Aaron A. Webster, Hancock Bank Senior Vice President Cindy Shelton, Air Force Lt. Col. Alan F. Rebholz, and Army Col. Eric T. Judkins. Hancock Bank sponsored the reception.

Southeastern video wins at WorldFest A Southeastern-produced video has been awarded a Remi Special Jury Award at the 43rd annual WorldFest International Film Festival.

American Crisis, American Shame: The National Consequence of Coastal Erosion, a co-production of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies and the Southeastern Channel, was selected as the best video overall in the Ecology/ Environment/Conservation division and named a finalist in the Grand Remi category (Best Film Overall).

The documentary is the product of three years of research by Samuel Hyde, Leon Ford Professor of History and director of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies, and Keith Finley, assistant director. Using photographs from the center’s col-

lection, the film includes an exhibit and lecture series, all funded by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant written by Hyde and Finley with the assistance of Biology Professor Nick Norton.

The Southeastern Channel co-produced the video, which received additional recognitions, including a Gold Medal at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival.

“This is an exciting win for us,” said Hyde, “because it illustrates that the rapid loss of Louisiana’s wetlands is a national emergency that ultimately will produce catastrophic results for the entire nation if not addressed immediately. The BP oil spill drives home the point of how fragile our wetlands truly are.”

Counseling Center earns re-accreditation Southeastern’s University Counseling Center has been re-accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services, Inc. (IACS).

An Alexandria, Va., based organization of U.S., Canadian and Australian counseling agencies, the IACS was established in 1972 to encourage and aid counseling agencies to meet high professional standards through peer evaluation.

“The University Counseling Center was evaluated by IACS against high standards of counseling practice and was found to offer competent and reliable professional services to its clientele,” said UCC Director Barbara B. Hebert.

“Approval by IACS is dependent upon evidence of excellence of counseling performance.”

Southeastern's top graduates Southeastern presented the President’s Medals for Academic Excellence to the students with the highest academic average in each of the university’s five colleges and Division of General Studies during spring commencement exercises in May at the University Center. From left, front, are Taylor Thompson of Baton Rouge, 4.0 gpa, College of Education and Human Development; Samantha Perez of Violet, 4.0 gpa, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Riley Chandler of Kentwood, 4.0 gpa, College of Education and Human Development; Lucius Morris of Kentwood, 4.0 gpa, College of Business; Kristy Wells of Denham Springs, 3.984 gpa, College of Nursing and Health Sciences; back row, from left are Maura Donahue, keynote speaker, President John L. Crain, Alexandra Mayer of Destrehan, 4.0 gpa, College of Business; Dana Mayer of Toronto, 4.0 gpa, College of Science and Technology; Amy Pellittieri of Ponchatoula, 4.0 gpa, College of Education and Human Development; Angela Pizzitolo of Covington, 3.837 gpa, Division of General Studies; Katy Morse of Loranger, 4.0 gpa, College of Education and Human Development; University of Louisiana System Board members Elsie Burkhalter and Andre Coudrain.

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Student Highlights Student journalists win SPJ regional awards

Volunteers plant grant-provided trees at Southeastern SOUTHEASTERN STUDENTS HELP BEAUTIFY CAMPUS – Junior biology and French major Yazmyn Smith (left) and freshman nursing major Demontez Stimage (right), both of Hammond, help Southeastern horticulturist John Blackwell plant a parsley hawthorne on the university’s main campus. Southeastern was awarded 250 trees by the Apache Foundation to replenish foliage damaged during hurricanes Katrina and Gustav.

Nursing students focus on prescription drug abuse A group of senior nursing students this spring developed an educational program on prescription drug abuse that is now being used by the area’s Prescription Drug Task Force.

The program was created as part of the students’ senior capstone project, designed to give the students a firsthand experience in community nursing, said nursing instructor Terry Compton.

The task force was looking for a program that could be used long term by multiple presenters with a variety of audiences and at very little cost, Compton said. Students were provided specific goals, then developed the presentation based on their own research and resources.

The students created the presentation, as well as scripted guides for facilitators intended to work in conjunction with a short video that illustrates the pressures, causes and effects of illegal prescription drug use and abuse. The presentations include several variations so they can be used with either student or parent groups.

The program was piloted and tested

at an area high school, then shown to members of the task force.

Senior nursing students at Southeastern are required to take the community nursing course, which includes the development of a capstone project, Compton said. Other capstone programs have tackled issues such as drinking and driving, texting and driving, suicide among teenagers and various mental health issues.

“A capstone project is designed to help students look at a target population and determine how they can impact change in that group,” she said. “From our perspective, it is a win-win situation. The students help strengthen the relationship between the university and a community organization. In addition, they become empowered by seeing how, through a group effort, they can influence behaviors and impact change.”

The participating students included Jillian Nelson and Carol Chauvin of Slidell, Nicole Waguespack and Dawn O’Mara of Covington, Brittany Jenkins and Angela Gay of Franklinton and Jamie Guttierrez of Mandeville.

Six Southeastern student journalists won awards in the Society of Professional Journalists’ (SPJ) Region 12 Mark of Excellence Awards competition at the SPJ spring conference held in Knoxville, Tenn.

Four students won first place in their categories. Recognized with the top award for editorial cartooning in the student newspaper The Lion’s Roar was Tim Mitchell of Abita Springs. Nick Elliott of Mandeville was honored for television feature photography in his story on Slidell wind energy and for news photography for coverage of hazmat training in Hammond, both produced for the Southeastern Channel. Also, Blake Roussel of LaPlace garnered top honors in television news reporting for his story on the New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers game, which was produced for the Channel’s sports show “The Big Game.”

First place winners will advance to the national round of judging.

Also recognized were John Reis of Mandeville with a second place award in the category of best all-around television newscast for “Northshore News” on the Southeastern Channel; Daron Short of Slidell with a third place award for television sports photography for his coverage of the Southeastern vs. Sam Houston State football game for the Southeastern Channel; and Don Aime of Hammond, former sports editor and current editor of The Lion’s Roar, with a third place award in sports writing for his story on an NCAA appeal filed by a Southeastern student.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry, works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists, and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

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Faculty and Staff News Music professor co-authors work on major American composer

Southeastern pianist Kenneth Boulton has co-authored a “bio-bibliography” on composer Elie Siegmeister, considered a central figure in American music growth.

Boulton, associate professor of piano, collaborated on the book – described as a compendium of every salient aspect of composer’s life and work – with the conductor and composer Leonard Lehrman, a former Siegmeister student.

“Elie Siegmeister was prodigiously prolific, composing many highly regarded compositions in a wide range of

musical categories,” said Boulton, who worked on the project with Lehrman over a period of three years.

“He was a central figure in the growth of a new, strongly American compositional style and one of its most fervent advocates,” he added.

Boulton’s doctoral dissertation focused on Siegmeister’s music and contained both recorded and written components. Over a two-year period, he recorded Siegmeister’s 10 major works for solo piano and produced a 125-page written analysis of the music.

He said Siegmeister was especially skilled at developing musical settings for American poets, which Boulton described as “absolutely remarkable in their visceral expression. He had a genius for projecting and deeply enhancing the meaning of the text.”

Siegmeister’s work encompassed hundreds of pieces that included nine operas, eight symphonies and compositions of jazz, blues and folk melodies.

He also composed for Hollywood and Broadway, most notably the score for the 1959 film They Came to Cordura starring Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth and the musical production Sing Out, Sweet Land.

Smith recognized by state library group Lori Smith, head of government documents at Southeastern’s Sims Memorial Library, has been recognized with the Outstanding Academic Librarian Award by the Louisiana Library Association.

The award, which recognizes individuals who have made a difference in the advancement of librarianship in the state, was presented at the association’s 8

conference in Baton Rouge in March.

Smith has served as the head of government documents since joining the Southeastern library in 1991. A member of the American Library Association Government Documents Roundtable and the Academic Section of the Louisiana Library Association, she currently chairs the Louisiana Advisory Council for the State Documents Depository Program.

She holds an undergraduate degree from Ball State University and a master of library science degree from Indiana University.

Davis named vice president of regional group Connie Davis, director of Auxiliary Services at Southeastern, was elected vice president of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services-South (NACS-South) at the group’s annual conference held recently in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Established in 1969, the organization was created to provide professional development programs and networking opportunities for college and university professionals working in the areas of auxiliary services and student support. The Southern region encompasses 14 states.

Davis was appointed to her position last year after having previously served as Southeastern’s associate director of Auxiliary Services since 2002. A resident of Hammond and a member of the staff at Southeastern since 1994, she holds an undergraduate degree in management and a master of business administration degree, both from Southeastern.

JOB HUNTING? Southeastern current and nontraditional alumni can use the free services of the university's Office of Career Services.

985-549-2121 • selu.edu/career

Faculty and Staff News Southeastern writer’s book in Baseball Hall of Fame library Southeastern English Professor Norman German’s novel about minor league baseball in the ‘50s has been added to the Baseball Hall of Fame’s library in Cooperstown, N.Y. Two copies of Switch-Pitchers, German’s book published in January by Bluewater Press, were added to the library’s collection at the request of Hall of Fame Research Director Tim Wiles after Wiles read a review of the book on the Sport Literature Association’s Web site.

“It’s an honor for my work to be added to the impressive collection of baseball literature and materials in Cooperstown,” said German. The library houses more than 2.6 million documents, 500,000 photographs and other materials on baseball and its history.

In his book, described as a “realistic portrayal of racial tension and healing during the Jackie Robinson era in baseball,” German tells a fictional story involving Ernest Hemingway’s effort to smuggle twin pitchers from Cuba to the United States for a shot at major league fame. In the middle of this sibling rivalry, one of the characters reveals his ability to throw equally well, right or left-handed.

“My dad had a nine-year career as a southpaw and pitched all over the country for the Boston Braves’ minor league affiliates from 1947 to 1955,” German said. “I mined his baseball memorabilia to capture authentic details of baseball during that period.”

His father ended his career with the Lake Charles Lakers, a team that is revived in Switch-Pitchers as the “Lunkers.”

As a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities at Southeastern, German also conducted research for the novel in Key West, Hemingway’s Florida home in the 1930s. In a back cover endorsement of Switch-Pitchers, Chicago Cubs second baseman Mike Fontenot – a star on LSU’s 2000 College World Series championship team – calls the novel’s ending “a major league tearjerker.”

Jones elected president of B.R. purchasing group Michael Jones, professor of marketing and supply chain management at Southeastern, has been elected president of the National Association of Purchasing Managers Baton Rouge Chapter.

Jones helped establish Southeastern’s College of Business Supply Chain Management (SCM) degree program, the first of its kind in Louisiana.

The NAPM chapter is affiliated with the Institute of Supply Management and is focused on providing procurement personnel with education, research and commu-

nication about issues impacting the profession. Headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., the ISM is the oldest and largest professional association for purchasing managers in the world. With 40,000 members, the institute publishes several professional journals and issues the CPSM (Certified Professional Supply Management), the most rigorous professional credential available in the field.

Active local chapters of ISM exist in both New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge affiliate provides a scholarship for Southeastern’s SCM majors and also sponsored the establishment of a new collegiate chapter of the organization.

Southeastern recognizes grant recipients Southeastern grant recipients for 2009-2010 were recognized at an on-campus reception recently. Honored at the event by A. Jerald Ainsworth, left, dean of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, and Tammy Bourg, right, provost and vice president for academic affaris, were William “Bill” Joubert of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center and Penny Shockett of the Department of Biological Sciences. Joubert was recognized for having received the largest number of awards amounting to more than $614,000 from federal, state and private sources. Shockett received the largest single research award made to the university, a three-year NIH grant for $195,195.

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Association News North Shore Focus

Baseball players reunite More than 75 Southeastern baseball players gathered near Alumni Field for their annual reunion before the Lions played Texas State on April 17. The 1962 and 1963 teams were honored on the baseball field during pregame ceremonies.

Alumni hosts ring ceremony

The Southeastern Alumni Association joined with area chambers of commerce to sponsor North Shore Focus, an opportunity to call attention to issues important to the northshore parishes. Legislators met with Southeastern President John L. Crain and other officials from the area during the event at the State Capitol. From left are Crain, Hammond Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Charlotte Lenoir, State Rep. Steve Pugh of Ponchatoula, Chamber Board Chair Michelle Gallo and William Wainwright, Louisiana Technical College Regional Director.

Louisiana Saturday Night Austin area alumni from Louisiana universities met at County Line on the Hill in March for a special Louisiana celebration in Austin, Tex. Alumni attending represented Southeastern, UL Lafayette, Northwestern, McNeese, UL Monroe, Loyola, Louisiana Tech, and UNO. Everyone enjoyed the view from the hill and the Louisiana spirit.

Rock 'n Roar Fest fun, informative for all

Southeastern’s graduating seniors received class rings in a special ceremony held at the Student Union Theatre in April. Family members joined them in this great Southeastern tradition and enjoyed the reception that followed. SGA President David Cavell, left, of Thibodaux accepted his official Southeastern ring from President John L. Crain at the ceremony.

Houston Alumni get together

Southeastern hosted the area’s brightest high school students for Rock ‘n Roar in March. The students participated in the District Literary Rally on campus. When testing was over, they visited departmental booths to learn about Southeastern’s excellent academic programs. Campus organizations provided food, Southeastern athletes helped greet the students, and the Alumni Association’s Red Stick and African American Chapters hosted the popular hamburger and drink booths.

Yellow Jackets/Kappa Rho host luncheon The Yellow Jackets/Kappa Rho Sorority hosted its annual reunion luncheon at the Alumni Center on April 15. Yellow Jacket member Helen Ricketts Rownd was honored at the event for her service as a WASP during World War II, for which she received the Congressional Gold Medal. The Alumni Association presented her with a Friendship Oak to commemorate her distinguished service. (See feature story on page 16.)

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Houston area alumni came together in March to welcome Southeastern President John L. Crain at the home of John and Cynthia Hutchinson Nesser. The group enjoyed reconnecting with other Southeastern “Lone Star” alumni and hearing an update from Dr. Crain on the state of the university. Following the reception, alumni from the group joined others to watch the Lions basketball team defeat Texas State in an exciting overtime win at the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy, Tex.

Keeping in Touch what are you doing? ’62 Joe Riemer, Fairhope, AL, was recently inducted into the Alabama Music Educators Association Hall of Fame. He currently serves as music director of the Baldwin Pops. ’73 Ken McCammon, Beverly, MA, recently joined Selective Micro Technologies as head of its horticulture sales division. ’74 Samuel Holder, Madison, MS, has joined Waggoner Engineering as an environmental scientist. ’74 Genevieve “Genny” May, Baton Rouge, LA, has been confirmed as U.S. Marshal for Louisiana’s Eastern District. ’76 Ricky Howes, Ponchatoula, LA, recently celebrated 26 years with Metlife Insurance Co. ’76 T.W. Thompson, Alexandria, LA, is the city of Alexandria’s new commissioner of public safety and interim chief of police. ’80 Tom Barnes, Bogalusa, LA, is currently serving as community outreach/engagement manager in the Middle East for International Relief and Development. ’81 Terry Lewis, Hammond, LA, has been promoted to assistant vice president of surgical services at North Oaks Health System. ’83 Byron Lee, Marrero, LA, is serving as Councilman of District 3 in Jefferson Parish. ’90 Tanya Neely Griggs, West Point, MS, has been chosen as the new county administrator for community counseling services in Clay County. ’91 Amy Henderson Bumgarner, Burleson, TX, was recently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel while on her second tour of duty in Afghanistan. ’92 Mona Roussel, LaPlace, LA, recently received the National Catholic Educators Association Distinguished Graduate Award. ’93 Christopher B. Kennedy, Denham Springs, LA, has been named claims manager for LUBA Workers’ Comp and is in charge of overseeing all department operations. ’94 Tyson Ducote, Geismar, LA, is a board investigator for the Louisiana Professional Engineering & Land Surveying Board. ’94 Hollis Milton, Baton Rouge, LA, is the new superintendent of the West Feliciana Parish School System. ’95 Deborah McCollum, Mandeville, LA, was recently named principal of Covington High School. ’97 Naval Commander John Filostrat is the executive field officer for the Navy Reserve Office of Community Outreach.

Check us out on ’06 Tracie Ducote, Geismar, LA, is a first grade teacher at Pecan Grove Primary School. ’09 Tommie Sorrell was honored by the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, which featured her play Voodoo Vows during the celebration.

deceased ’22 Linda Johnson Palmer, February 19, 2010 ’55 Allen G. Clements, February 12, 2010 ’62 Mary Ward Gros, February 14, 2010 ’62 Spencer J. Kuhnell, February 13, 2010 ’63 Connie Mack Smith, October 28, 2010 ’69 Marvin Leon Richardson, February 16, 2010 ’71 Charles B. Mixon, February 14, 2010 ’94 Larry S. Simon II, April 5, 2010 ’76 Orville A. Kenelly, May 24, 2010

weddings ’98 Kimberly Ann Brown and Shael Jacob Stringer, April 10, 2010 ’02 Heather Marie Crotwell and Corey Gerard Templet, April 10, 2010 ’02 Eric Anthony Relle and Brittany Loren Heeren, April 10, 2010 ’04 Beth Allison LeBlanc and Hector Fabian Herrera, April 3, 2010 ’05 Stephanie Renee Navarre and Benjamin B. Cashio, March 2, 2010 ’06 Heather Elaine Lawrence and Nicholas Austin Bayer, April 10, 2010 ’06 Derek Q. Canchola and ’07 Jennifer L. Berendson, March 6, 2010 ’07 Brennan Taylor Rock and Kacie Ann Broussard, April 23. 2010 ’07 Allison Kaye LeBlanc and ’08 Patrick Floyd Vince, April 9, 2010 ’09 Jessica Anne Nee and ’09 Daniel Andermann, March 20, 2010 ’09 Mary Claire Town and William Atwood Stickle, April 16, 2010 ’09 Elizabeth Claire Ross and Aaron Scott McMillan, March 21, 2010 ’09 Brooke Joelle Landry and Aaron Michael Cousino, April 2, 2010 ’09 Rebecca Luree Saik and Edward Joseph Falgoust III, April 24, 2010 ’09 Britt Katherine Boynton and Andrew Douglas Thom, April 10, 2010

It's never too late Order your official Southeastern ring today.

Golden Silence

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The Southeastern family came together in March to honor the memory of all Southeastern alumni, faculty, staff and students who passed away last year.

Each name was read during the memorial, and attendees lit a candle in their memory. From left are Cindy Coburn, Billie Coburn and Kay Fortenberry.

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Development Bob DeViney Scholarship in Athletics initiated The Bob DeViney Endowed Scholarship was recently initiated by his friends, Craig Silva, John Manzella, C.J. Bruno and the Fore! Kids Foundation, who joined together to recognize him for his years of service and outstanding contributions in philanthropy and community endeavors. He is a 1964 graduate of Southeastern and served as the Southeastern Alumni Association president from 1974-1975. DeViney has been involved in political and community activities in Jefferson Parish for many years and is a co-captain of the Krewe of Argus in Metairie. Once endowed, the scholarship will provide financial support to a deserving Southeastern baseball player.

President John Crain greets President's Council guests Golden Silence

Recently President John L. Crain and the Southeastern Development Foundation Board thanked the members of the President’s Council for their gifts to the university at a recognition breakfast held at the Alumni Center.

The President’s Council represents a group of individuals and businesses who have contributed $1,000 or more to Southeastern during the current fiscal year. Gifts to the President’s Council support every facet of the university, including academic programs, student scholarships and programs, faculty research projects, cultural activities, athletics, technology, facilities and more.

Members of the President’s Council understand the importance of providing annual support to the university and realize that their gifts make a significant impact on the quality education Southeastern provides its students.

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The Gayle and Cindy Neal Planned Gift established Gayle and Cindy Neal recently established a planned gift in the form of a bequest to support the athletics program at Southeastern. In the future, this bequest will provide the necessary contributions to fully endow the Gayle and Cindy Neal Endowed Scholarship in Athletics at the $10,000 level. The earnings from the scholarship will be awarded to a male or female basketball player majoring in either education or kinesiology and preferably pursuing a career in coaching or athletic training.

Randy Cheramie Memorial Scholarship

Philip and Goldie Cheramie, parents of former Southeastern student Randy Cheramie, have generously funded a scholarship in their son’s memory.

Randy Cheramie was a pre-engineering major from Norco, La., and a member of the Campus Activities Board, Residence Hall Association, Circle K organization and Freshman Leadership class. He died tragically in an automobile accident in 1983. The Cheramies recently returned to campus to establish this loving tribute to their son and to help another Southeastern student in the pursuit of his or her college education.

Development Senator Ben Nevers Transfer Scholarship

Southeastern Vice President for University Advancement Wendy Johns Lauderdale presents a certificate announcing the Senator Ben Nevers Transfer Scholarship to Senator Nevers. With her are Louisiana Community and Technical College Board Chair Stephen Smith, left, and LCTCS President Joe D. May.

A scholarship program designed to assist qualified students transferring to Southeastern from Louisiana community colleges has been named in honor of Louisiana Senator Ben Nevers.

The naming of the program, announced jointly by officials at Southeastern and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), is intended to recognize the Washington Parish-based senator’s longstanding commitment to improvement of education in the state.

“Southeastern has long been committed to working with students who begin their post-secondary education experience at a community or technical college and then want to continue at the university,” said President John L. Crain. “We have worked closely with our colleagues at LCTCS institutions to better serve Louisiana students, particularly across southeast Louisiana.”

The Senator Ben Nevers Transfer Scholarship requires no application and is automatically awarded to qualified students when they apply and are accepted at Southeastern. Requirements include a minimum of 12 hours of credit with a 3.0 or higher transfer grade point average. Housing supplements are available to students with a 3.6 or higher grade point average. The number of semesters covered by the scholarships depends upon the number of hours transferred to Southeastern.

Additional details on the scholarship are available at www.selu.edu/scholarships.

The Archie H. and Vallie Tinsley White Endowed Scholarship James D. and Diana White Karl established the Archie H. and Vallie Tinsley White Endowed Scholarship as a memorial to Diana White Karl’s parents. Mrs. White was the sister of Dr. Gladney Jack Tinsley, a former president of Southeastern. Diana graduated from Southeastern in 1952.

In addition to funding the generous endowment, the Karl family has provided significant financial support through the initiation of the Dr. Gladney Jack Tinsley Endowed Scholarship and by fully endowing the Diana White Karl Scholarship. Southeastern’s deserving students continue to benefit from the legacy this family has provided.

Shell/Motiva sponsors Science Olympiad Over 400 students converged on Southeastern’s campus in April to participate in the State Science Olympiad. This year’s event was supported by sponsorship from Shell/Motiva. The State Science Olympiad has been held at Southeastern since 2003 and brings the top 30 teams from all regions of the state. The winning teams from each division represent the State of Louisiana at the national competition. The main goal of the Science Olympiad is to promote interactive, inquiry based learning for children and to encourage an interest in the pursuit of careers in science and math.

Michael Schwank, left, and Trevor Smith of St. Paul's Episcopal School in New Orleans prepare their catapult for the trajectory competition at the State Science Olympiad held at Southeastern.

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Athletics Lions are Southland Conference golf champs

The Lions golf team won its first Southland Conference Championship since 2000. The victory earned the team a birth in the NCAA Regional in New Haven, Conn., where the team finished 11th. Southeastern hosted the tournament at Carter Plantation. The win was Southeastern's fourth of the year. Pictured from left are Head Coach Tim Baldwin, Rasmus Astrand, Cedric Scotto, Horacio Leon, Philipp Westermann, and Alvaro Arizabaleta.

Lions baseball team sees record season The 2010 season was a year of firsts for the Southeastern baseball team.

One year removed from its best overall record in over a decade and its best finish in the Southland Conference, the Lions won a school-record 40 games under Jay Artigues and nearly claimed their first berth in the NCAA Regionals for the second straight year.

Southeastern opened the season in historic fashion winning its first 11 games, a school-record that included a three-game sweep against SEC heavyweight Mississippi State.

The Lions reached another first as a Division I program with their first appearances in the national rankings.

For an eight-week period, Southeastern would appear in all four major collegiate baseball polls, reaching as high as No. 17 in the country while opening the season with a 23-3 record.

Wins over rivals Louisiana-Lafayette, Tulane and South Alabama soloidified Southeastern's reputation as an up-andcoming program on the national scene.

While the Lions were making a name for themselves as one of the top 14

Division I programs in the country, several individuals earned notice for their play as well. Chris Franklin and Josh Janway were each selected to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Watch List while catcher Josh Cryer (Johnny Bench Watch List) and shortstop Justin Boudreaux (Brooks Wallace Watch List) were also recognized by the national media.

During the season, fans were treated to a single-season school-record performance by Jeff Harkensee, who hit 27 doubles on the season, while the Lions led the Southland Conference in on-base percentage due in part to leading the league in walks and getting hit a school-record 117 pitches from the opposition.

Six Lions received All-Southland Conference notice led by Franklin, who was named to the first-team as a pitcher.

Joining him were second team conference selections Harkensee (outfield) and Boudreaux (shortstop), along with third-team picks Cryer (catcher) and Cass Hargis (outfield).

Student-athletes receive SLC McDonald postgrad scholarships Southeastern senior men’s track and field student-athlete Cory Roberts and women’s soccer studentathlete Dana Mayer are two of the three Southland Conference student-athletes who have been awarded the F.L. McDonald Postgraduate Scholarship, presented by Capital One Bank.

The scholarship is the league’s ultimate academic honor for its top graduates. The award is presented annually to graduating male and female letterwinners with the highest cumulative grade point averages during their enrollment at Southland Conference universities. The $2,500 scholarship must be applied to graduate study at an institution of the recipient’s choice.

Mayer and Roberts are the fourth and fifth Southeastern student-athletes to receive the scholarship. Both are biological sciences majors and had their degrees conferred at commencement in May, with Mayer receiving the President’s Medal for Academic Excellence.

The award was established in memory of Dr. F.L. McDonald, a former president of Lamar University and considered one of the league’s founding fathers.

Athletics

2009 champion women's soccer team honored by Alumni Association The 2009 Southland Conference Tournament champion Southeastern women's soccer team members received their championship rings at a breakfast at the Alumni Center in May. Pictured are, seated, from left: Assistant Athletic Trainer Laura Shelton, Natalie Santana, Kerry McWhirter, Candice Wallace, Dana Mayer, Gloria Burkhart, Brittany Prieto, Dana Songe, Kalyn Tanner, Nicole Brannigan, Jenna Oney; standing, from left: Athletics Director Bart Bellairs, athletics training students Dusty Smith and Loren Alleman, Assistant Coach Tresy Ross, Kailey Mills, Lauren Stillians, Karly Dagys, Maiya Cooper, Samantha McNally, Cassie Northrup, Megan Miller, Kyle MacIntosh, Lacey Bockhaus, Head Coach Blake Hornbuckle, Vice President for Academic Affairs Marvin Yates, and Alumni President B.J. Lorio.

Lions make marks at SLC track championships Southeastern’s Cory Roberts, a senior from Meraux and graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas High in Hammond, captured the men’s decathlon title for a second straight season at the Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at UT Arlington’s Maverick Stadium in May. Other top medal winners included Adonson Shallow, Lacey Sanchez and Judith Schultheis.

The top decathlete in Southeastern history, Roberts earned a first place finish in the 110 meter hurdles. He then earned fourth place in discus, before taking second in pole vault.

Fighting through an injury, he fouled on his first attempt in javelin competition; the second endeavor was clean and earned him second place.

Shallow, a senior from Kingston, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, earned his three event titles in the men’s hammer throw, discus and shot put, setting a new school record in the process. Shallow also finished fifth in javelin.

Other highlights for Southeastern at the meet included a women’s pole vault victory for Sanchez, a sophomore from Baton Rouge. She won the event with a vault of 12 feet, 9.54 inches and went on to break the school record, clearing 13 feet, 1.5 inches.

“All of the work paid off,” Sanchez said. “It gets repetitive, practicing every single day. You don’t set a personal record at every meet, but this was the place to do it.”

Later, Judith Schultheis, a junior from Gretna, pulled off an upset win in the women’s 400 meter hurdles.

“After I won, the emotions just took over,” Schultheis said.

I’m thankful for my coaches, and I’m really grateful to be here at Southeastern.”

Other medal winners included Michelle Ogashi, a sophomore from New Iberia, who earned a bronze in the women’s triple jump; Michael Rheams, a junior from Walker, a bronze in men’s triple jump; and Adlus Wiltz, a senior from Waggaman, silver in men’s 400 meter hurdles (51.52).

Shallow receives track & field honors Senior Adonson Shallow has been named the Southland Conference Men’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year and Outstanding Field Performer for the 2010 outdoor season based on a vote of coaches. Now he has his sights set on becoming an All-American at the NCAA Division I level.

Although this is his senior season in outdoor track, he will have more chances to compete as a Lion in 2011. He is eligible for one more indoor campaign, and plans to participate next winter.

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Alumni Focus

Alumnus honored with Congressional Medal Folks who know Hammond resident Helen (Ricketts) Hooks Rownd probably remember her as a longtime math teacher at Hammond High School, as one of the few remaining Yellow Jackets, Southeastern’s first social club, or as a successful real estate broker.

They probably don’t know she is among 170 surviving members of the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots who were honored in Washington, D.C. with Congressional Gold Medals for their pioneering work during WWII. Rownd, 89, was unable to attend the lengthy ceremony and five-hour tour of the capitol and sent her son, Paul Hooks, in her place. The medal, which now sits on her table, is large and has heft, beautifully engraved and in an imposing box.

While Rownd said she’s “satisfied” by the honor, bestowed nearly 70 years after the fact, the true satisfaction is in the role she played as a member of an elite group of 1,100 women who served their country flying military aircraft stateside in an experimental program to prove that women could safely do what men did.

Overlooked for years, the WASPs were not granted military rank or veteran’s benefits until 1977. WASPs paid their own way to training and when disbanded, they paid their own way back home. They were unceremoniously deactivated in 1944 without benefits and little thanks.

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Rownd remembers when the letter came for her after two years of service. She went home, thinking that with her training and silver wings she’d get a nice job as a commercial pilot working for an airline. But they didn’t want her. Despite her service to her country, she was still just a woman.

Rownd was a social studies senior in 1941 at Southeastern when she learned of the civilian pilot training program the government was offering through universities across the nation.

With many of the men away serving in the war, pilots were needed to ferry bombers, fighters and every other type of aircraft to aid in the war effort. She was the only woman in her class of 10. The minimum age was 18 with a parent’s signature.

She earned her private license at New Orleans Airport in 1942, accruing the 200 flying hours needed for the WASP program. She went to Fort Worth for her interview in October of 1942 and passed. She was 21. The pay was $150 a month during training and $250 a month in the program. She was sent to Love Field, Dallas, Tex. The job was 24/7. If weather permitted, she flew. Sometimes she ferried military aircraft to different air fields. WASPs were stationed at 120 Army Air bases across the United States.

Rownd remembers towing targets, which meant that pilots flying other planes shot at the target flying from the end of her tail. She said the “fly girls,” as they were called, never wanted to hear the “ping” that meant they were hit. If it sounds dangerous, it was. Thirty-eight WASPs and trainees in the program were killed.

Her time as a WASP was exciting, though lonely too, she said.

The women were segregated in barracks at the base, but there wasn’t a lot of down time for fraternizing. Flying was something you either loved or not, like anything. They were not military and could quit at any time.

After the letter, she returned home and worked as an independent commercial pilot for a few years. She had her own plane and parked it in a cow pasture in Loranger. It wasn’t an easy life or lucrative, always being away from home, and it didn’t lend itself to having a family. She married Claude Hooks and eventually they had two children.

Rownd went back to Southeastern to become certified to teach math. After retiring and marrying her second husband, Scofield Rownd, she went into real estate with him.

Growing up in an era when many women would have married and become homemakers, Rownd took the road less traveled, graduated from college and became a pilot, served her country in wartime, taught generations of children and became an independent business woman.

And she has loved every minute.

Thanks to the Hammond Daily Star and news editor and writer Joan Davis for permission to reprint this article.

Helen Hooks Rownd displays the Congressional Gold Medal for her piloting work during World War II and the Friendship Oak Award presented by the Southeastern Alumni Association.

Southeastern scientists following oil spill

Green & Gold Gift Ideas

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SHOW YOUR LION PRIDE! Southeastern merchandise can make great gifts. Please consider some new items now available from the Southeastern Book Store. A selection of items includes (1) men’s plaid shorts, $24.99; (2) infant’s “Kids n’ Me” romper, $22.99; (3) infant’s “Kids n’ Me” dress, $20.99; and (4) “Rain” T-shirts, assorted colors, $22.99.

For more information about these and other items now available through the Bookstore, call 985-549-5393.

Southeastern is proud to showcase merchandise from our retail partners. If you would like to include merchandise in a future edition of Alumni News, contact Executive Assistant to the President Erin Cowser at (985) 5495861.

A l u m n i Tr i p 2 0 1 1

-Rome and Sicily

1-225-767-4444

At Southeastern’s Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station, the staff and affiliated researchers and educators have historically conducted wetland ecology and cypress restoration research, education, outreach and restoration activities in response to the 25-30 square miles of wetlands that we lose along our coast each year (about a football field of wetlands every 30 minutes).

In the past, the focus on this work has been to address the wetland loss problems associated with saltwater intrusion, subsidence (sinking of land), lack of accretion (or building up of land) because of levees, and the increase in sea level rise (a result of climate change).

However, several weeks ago our focus shifted – perhaps for a longer period than we initially thought – by the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

The main concern of all of us associated with Turtle Cove is, of course, the possibility that oiled waters could eventually enter into the inner wetlands of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, where many of our most bountiful nursery grounds serve as habitat for the vast numbers of wildlife and fisheries in this great estuary.

Our immediate response to the spill was to collaborate in writing several emergency grants aimed at water quality monitoring and community information workshops, as well as to begin planning other activities that both directly and indirectly address the spill and its eventual impact on our wetland ecosystem.

To learn more about what we do at Turtle Cove – and what we’ll be working on in response to the oil leak – please visit our website at www.selu.edu/turtlecove.

Robert Moreau Director Turtle Cove Environmental Research Center

Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Association 500 West University Avenue Hammond, LA 70401 www.selu.edu

Non-Prof. Org. U.S.Postage Presorted Standard Permit No. 54 Hammond, LA

Alumni Association matches athletics donations In support of Southeastern's outstanding student-athletes and in response to the current budget challenges, the Alumni Association has advanced a most generous $50,000 match opportunity.

The Association has matched all athletic donations received by June 30, 2010 with a 1-1 match to be used for athletic scholarships.

Now is a great time to show your Lion Pride! As a supporter of Southestern athletics, you will make a lasting impact on our student athletes by providing the financial resources necessary to build champions on and off the playing fields and courts.

Thanks for your help to meet the $50,000 challenge!

For more information, contact Athletics Director Bart Bellairs at 985-549-2395.