The Lion's Roar 02/02/2021

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Hammond, LA

February 2, 2021

S O U T H E A S T E R N L O U I S IA NA U N I V E R S I T Y

Miss Southeastern 2021: Her journey from Baton Rouge to Peru to Hammond

Miss Southeastern 2021 Lily Gayle, senior communication major, will be competing in the Miss Louisiana pageant in June as Miss Green and Gold. Janine Hatcher will be competing in the state pageant as Miss Southeastern 2020 since the pageant was postponed last year. Brynn Lundy and Symiah Dorsey/The Lion’s Roar BRYNN LUNDY Staff Reporter

On Jan. 22, Lily Gayle began her reign as the institution’s 60th Miss Southeastern Louisiana University. How did Miss SLU 2021 end up in the city of Hammond? Gayle was originally planning to go to Louisiana State University, but her path changed after attending a preview day on Southeastern’s campus. “I came here and I met Marjorie Parker at one of the Lion Pride Previews,” she said. “She’s the one who really changed my mind on coming here, and I absolutely fell in love with Hammond and downtown and coming here on campus. Everyone is such a family here, and I loved that.” However, prior to college decision-making and before high school, Gayle experienced a unique childhood that had a significant impact on her teenage years and ultimately led her to Hammond. As the oldest of four children, Gayle has two sisters and a brother. Her father runs a church in Denham Springs, and her mother homeschooled all of her siblings. She was born in Baton Rouge, but her family moved to Peru, South America for mission work when she was three years old and moved back to Louisiana

when she was 13. When she was a junior high and high school student, Gayle suffered from anxiety, situational depression and anorexia. She felt like an outsider to American life whenever her family moved back to the states. “I didn’t know what it was like to be an American teen in the 2010s era. Coming back and realizing this culture is completely different — there’s a lot more social media and technology here — I didn’t know how to catch up. I went through that without a lot of support at all,” said Gayle. Gayle’s experiences influenced her decision for her platform, the Lifter’s Project: Everyone’s Worth Their Heartbeat, which advocates for depression, anxiety and anorexia recovery. Since her earlier years at the university, weightlifting has been a source of positivity for Gayle. She commented,“I’ve been weightlifting for about four years now, and it really made my body image become more positive. It made me feel more confident in that, to be beautiful, you don’t have to be skinny. You can be lifting 115 for five reps and still look good in a hot pink dress.” Gayle and her boyfriend Jordan Tate, a senior industrial technology major, have known each other since high school. Tate recalls the time when she was introverted and nervous to talk to

people on campus, but he mentioned how much she has grown over the years. He said, “Miss Southeastern is the perfect position for her. This school helped her discover who she really is, so now she wants to give back to the school that she loves so dearly. She will fight for what is right, and she will do her best to make a difference in people’s lives.” Gayle said she felt that her homeschooling set her apart, and she was more timid during her first semester, the fall of 2017. Once she began to grow more comfortable in her place at the university, Gayle jumped into campus involvement and became an orientation leader in 2018. She is currently a leader for the on-campus chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the campus director of outreach for the Student Government Association, and she is a full-time sports reporter for the Southeastern Channel. Gayle chose communication as her major because of her love for sports. “From the fall of 2017 to the fall of 2019, I never missed a football practice, even in the spring,” she said. “I went to some of the fall camp practices in the fall of 2019, and I really focused on the plays, the routes I focused on the terminology they used on the field and that really made me the reporter I am today. That made me stronger see MISS SLU, pg. 4

University alumna pens children’s book to honor her late sister

Tyra McGary and her brother Peronous “Pete” Clark are photographed with Tyra’s children’s book “A’Tiffa’s Mystery Adventure.” McGary held a book signing and balloon release in memory of her sister on Dec. 9, 2020. Courtesy of Tyra McGary BRYNN LUNDY

book titled “A’Tiffa’s Mystery Adventure,” in memory of her sister, A’Tiffa Ronique Wilson, who passed away from breast cancer in November 2017 In November 2020, two-time university alumna at the age of 34. Tyra McGary released her first book, a children’s The book, published under her pseudonym Tyra Staff Reporter

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T. Wilson, revolves around a young schoolgirl who lives and attends school near a beach, enjoys time with her friends and loves to solve mysteries. One day, she is tasked with the case of missing items at school, bringing readers along for an adventure. McGary wants her book to show young readers who A’Tiffa was; in addition to promoting problemsolving and sharing with them the validity of grief. “It not only shares critical thinking, but nowadays, kids at all ages potentially experienced the loss of a loved one, so I did include that ‘In Loving Memory’ to just share with young readers that this sometimes happens, and hold on to what you love. Hold on to those good memories,” said McGary. From Southeastern, McGary received a Bachelor of Arts in social work in 2001 and a General Studies degree in 2010. She is currently enrolled in Loyola University’s Master of Business Administration program. She said her social work degree played a role in her healing process. “My degree in social work was very, very helpful in the sense that I knew what I needed to do for me regarding grieving and healing and articulating that in a way that I could share the story that I was trying to convey with others but also keep it a good piece of memorabilia for me,” noted McGary. McGary will be donating “A’Tiffa’s Mystery Adventure” to the Tangipahoa Parish Library and

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Campus Life.................................2 Opinions.....................................3 A&E............................................4

Sports.........................................5 News..........................................6

also hopes to donate the book to schools throughout the parish. “It’s very important to me,” said McGary. “A’Tiffa and I did go to college here in Louisiana, and I want her friends and our family to enjoy this story as well as everyone else.” McGary started working on this project before her sister lost her battle to cancer. It took her about five years to put all the pieces together and she said the release date was intentionally planned around the anniversary of A’Tiffa’s passing. “For me, as a part of my grieving process and wanting to keep those beautiful memories of her, it was very instrumental for me to connect those dates with this book,” shared McGary. One person who is inspired by McGary daily is her husband, Carl McGary. He said, “Every day, her drive and ambition motivate me to want to do more and be better. You couldn’t ask for a better person who knows and understands the ups and downs in life and is still willing to push you. She inspires me when she says the simplest thing like ‘I have an idea’ and will continue to give me the rundown. I can go on, but it will require 20 years or more.” “A’Tiffa’s Mystery Adventure” is currently available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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Volume 92, Issue 15 A Student Publication www.lionsroarnews.com lionsroar@southeastern.edu


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