Hammond, LA
November 10, 2020
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
Biden defeats Trump for White House, says ‘time to heal’ WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump to become the 46th president of the United States on Saturday and offered himself to the nation as a leader who “seeks not to divide, but to unify” a country gripped by a historic pandemic and a confluence of economic and social turmoil. “I sought this office to restore the soul of America,” Biden said in a prime-time victory speech not far from his Delaware home, “and to make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.” Biden crossed the winning threshold of 270 Electoral College votes with a win in Pennsylvania. His victory came after more than three days of uncertainty as election officials sorted through a surge of mail-in votes that delayed processing. Trump refused to concede, threatening further legal action on ballot counting. But Biden used his acceptance speech as an olive branch to those who did
temperature, to see each other again, to listen to each other again, to make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy,” he said. “We are not enemies. We are Americans.” Biden, 77, staked his candidacy less on any distinctive political ideology than on galvanizing a broad coalition of voters around the notion that Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy. The strategy, as well as an appeal to Americans fatigued by Trump’s disruptions and wanting a return to a more traditional presidency, proved effective and resulted in pivotal victories in Michigan and Wisconsin as well as Pennsylvania, onetime Democratic bastions that had flipped to Trump in 2016. Biden’s victory was a repudiation of Trump’s divisive From left, Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Harris, President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill leadership and the presidentelect now inherits a deeply Biden on stage together, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Wilmington, Del.(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool). polarized nation grappling with foundational questions of racial not vote for him, telling Trump disappointment but adding, “It’s time to put away the justice and economic fairness voters that he understood their “Let’s give each other a chance.” harsh rhetoric, to lower the while in the grips of a virus that
has killed more than 236,000 Americans and reshaped the norms of everyday life. Kamala Harris made history as the first Black woman to become vice president, an achievement that comes as the U.S. faces a reckoning on racial justice. The California senator, who is also the first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency, will become the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government, four years after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. Harris introduced Biden at their evening victory celebration as “a president for all Americans” who would look to bridge a nation riven with partisanship and she nodded to the historic nature of her ascension to the vice presidency. “Dream with ambition, lead with conviction and see yourselves in a way that others may not simply because they’ve never seen it before,” Harris told
see ELECTION RESULTS, pg. 2
D Vickers Hall to be remodeled through 18-month renovation process BRYNN LUNDY Staff Reporter
Facility Planning is currently developing plans for the renovation of D Vickers Hall, which will begin sometime over the next few semesters. Kenneth Howe, director of Facility Planning, explained what the planning process looks like thus far. “The past few months, we have been working through the Programming and Schematic Design phases of the project,” shared Howe. “These phases establish the foundation of what is to come. We are currently in the Design Development phase, which we hope to complete by the first of the year.” Howe detailed the renovations that the building will undergo. “The entire facility will be renovated, as well as building an addition, which will house a new
Broadcast Media Center,” noted Howe. He described how long the renovation planning process has been in the works. “The university began requesting Capital Outlay funds in 2013,” explained Howe. “The planning phase was funded during the 2019 Legislative session and the design work began earlier this year.” According to Howe, once construction funds are approved and the renovation process begins, construction should take about 18 months. Howe mentioned an obstacle the department will face during construction. “The biggest challenge will be organizing around one of our most used buildings being offline for the construction,” said Howe. Howe also mentioned that D Vickers Hall, an academic classroom and office building, houses some departments within the College of Arts, Humanities there will be an elevator designed and Social Sciences. Built in the early 1970s, the building is currently under the planning process for renovations to be into the new building. done within the next few semesters. Brynn Lundy/The Lion’s Roar
Karen Fontenot, the dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, mentioned the parts of the building that will be impacted by the renovation process. “As I understand it, every single part of D Vickers will be affected by this,” shared Fontenot. “In other words, it’s not going to be done piecemeal. Every part of D Vickers will be renovated.” Fontenot, along with several department heads, have attended planning sessions regarding the construction process. According to Fontenot, architects have begun to draw up plans for the renovations, but nothing is final yet. Facilities such as the Writing Center and the Vonnie Borden Theatre will also be enhanced in addition to the rest of the building.
see D VICKERS, pg. 6
Private campus tours are now available for prospective students DYLAN MECHE Staff Reporter
In lieu of traditional campus tours, the Office of Admissions is now offering individual inperson tours for prospective students and their families. In March, the Office of Admissions canceled all inperson tours after the university switched to remote delivery for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. Since the spring, virtual tours and webinars have been offered. When the Fall 2020 semester began, private campus tours were offered after prospective students requested to come to campus. Erin Lauderdale, campus tour manager in the Office of Admissions, explained the reasoning behind the resuming of in-person tours. “We know that people, although they do not want to go to large-scale events, they really want that personal interaction,” explained Lauderdale. “They still want to be able to come to campus. We did get some requests from people who were
wanting to visit. We knew we needed to get things back to normal because one of the biggest factors in a student’s decision-making process for college is that campus tour.” Lauderdale believes that inperson campus visits are one of the most important factors in the college decision-making process. “It is one of the most important factors in their decision, and visitors want that in-person interaction,” shared Lauderdale. “Students need to be able to picture themselves on campus. They need to see where they would be eating; see where they would be living; see what it looks like on a typical school day.” The one-on-one opportunities provided by the new tours better align with the values of the university, according to Lauderdale. “We really pride ourselves on being a place where students matter and are the center of our focus,” explained Lauderdale. “Students are unique individuals who deserve individual attention. Prospective students are now getting to experience that from
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the moment they step foot on campus for their tour.” Lauderdale emphasized that keeping visitors safe and healthy are top priorities during the private tours. She detailed what adjustments were made in light of COVID-19. “All Southeastern representatives and guests are required to wear masks inside buildings, and they are encouraged to do so throughout campus,” noted Lauderdale. “The Enrollment Express Office, where visitors check in for tours, has been set up for social distancing. Plexiglass has been installed around the welcome desks, and hand sanitizer is available for all visitors. Tour guides now have protective Southeastern face shields, which allow for better communication with families so they can hear their tour guide during the tour.” In addition to these adjustments, changes have also been made to the format of each campus tour. “The beginning welcome presentation on admissions, financial aid and scholarships has
Orientation leader Claire Krousel gives private tour on campus to prospective student during the Destination Southeastern event. Due to social limitations from the pandemic, the university restructured Lion Pride Preview and currently includes events such as Destination Southeastern and private tours. Brynn Lundy/The Lion’s Roar been replaced with something a little more personal,” explained
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Campus Life.................................2 Opinions.....................................3 A&E............................................4
Sports & Fitness...........................5 News..........................................6
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see PRIVATE TOURS, pg. 6 Volume 92, Issue 12 A Student Publication www.lionsroarnews.com lionsroar@southeastern.edu