January 31, 2017 Volume 88, Issue 17
’ THE LION S ROAR 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
A Student Publication
Campus Life Page 2
Opinions Page 3
Arts & Entertainment Page 4
Sports Page 6
Martie Fellom bids adieu to dance program By Larshell Green A&E Editor
One of Dr. Martie Fellom’s shining moments occurred prior to a duty that she has become accustomed to: gathering with students before concerts, as Head of the Dance Program at the university. During the gathering, two students’ perspectives of her guidance shaped her principle of education. “So, we’re going around the circle, and one of the students said to me, ‘Thank you Dr. Fellom for not asking me to change anything, I am so grateful,’” said Fellom. “The person right next to her, this choreographer, said, ‘I thank you Dr. Fellom for asking me to make those changes because you opened the door for me to think about it in a different way.’” Fellom, now former Head of the Dance Program at the university, officially retired on Dec. 16, 2016. “I’ve been here since 1985 and I’ve seen lots of changes,” said Fellom. “I came in 1985. I had finished my coursework at New York University, and I was going to graduate in December and I flew back to New York to defend my dissertation.” Fellom was one of the first dance majors to graduate at Southeastern. She recalls doing entertainment pieces during the beginning of her career, prompting her to examine her dance aesthetic and career choices. “I did want to be a chorus girl in Broadway, but I could not even hum on tune,” said Fellom. “You had to be able to sing, so forget about that. I couldn’t do
News Page 8
LionsRoarNews.com
Spring season opens with victory
Jonathan Rhodes / The Lion’s Roar
Junior Natalie Duran successfully won her singles match and her doubles match with junior Lucia Bustamante on No. 2 court where they won 7-6.
By Jonathan Rhodes Staff Reporter
Courtesy of Martie Fellom
Martie Fellom recently retired from the university as the Head of the Dance program. She performed the piece “White Illumination” in 1989 with the Moving South Dance Company, which is based in Lafayette, under Kathy Burke’s choreography. that and I wasn’t tall enough for a Rockette, but that’s okay, because at one point, I decided that I didn’t want to smile anymore in performance.” According to Fellom,
during the beginning of her performances in the Vonnie Borden Theatre, she realized that she had begun to influence the dance program on campus by opening the door for dance to be
viewed as a movement through the point of view for social, political or global commentary. “At the end of my first concert see
FELLOM pg. 2
Art Party fuses creativity and crayons By Nathaniel Callaway Staff Reporter
The Campus Activities Board held two back to back events this past week, the Back to School Bash which was on Tuesday and the CAB Art Party which was on Wednesday. CAB’s Art Party was held on the second floor of the Student Union Breezeway above the bookstore on Jan. 25. Students who attended had the opportunity to choose from multiple crafts and artwork to make. These opportunities mainly involved canvases intended to be used for drawing, painting and melted crayon art. The members of CAB decided to put this event on for students to get the chance to come out, take a little break and just have fun. “For this one, I actually saw a poster that said ‘art party,’ and I said ‘I want to do an art party,’” said Alyssa Arceneaux, a graduating senior with a degree in marketing and graphic design. “The result was this. It would be easy. Anyone can do it, you don’t have to know how to paint to do it and it gives students the ability to come out and have fun for a night.” Blow dryers were used in the creation of the melted crayon art, where one sets up crayons on a canvas, and then uses a blow dryer to melt the wax. This caused fuses to be blown out across the meeting room, but this only resulted in creative problem solving and made it a little more exciting. “Yeah, we got through it,” said Arceneaux. “It was not a big deal. We just moved locations. It spread things out and as more people came in, other people were going out to use the blow dryers so they could finish their projects. It was a little more exciting and it worked out.” Even with some of these setbacks, it didn’t prevent those in attendance from enjoying themselves and getting the most out of the night. “I love being artistic, and I loved this opportunity,” said Alexis Guerra, a sophomore health systems management major. “It made me more involved, and I really enjoyed it. Now I’m interested in
joining A&E.” These kinds of events help students get through some tough times they might be going through. “I think it was a really great event for everyone to come,” said Gabrielle Levet, a sophomore early education major and CAB member. “They get to touch into their creative side and to have fun spending time with friends and getting through some difficult times because I know it helped me out, and we got to get through those difficulties together.” Overall, the event was considered a success, and the CAB members present were pleased with how it went. “I think it went perfectly considering we had never done this before,” said Arceneaux. “So, we didn’t know how many people were going to be able to expect. So, I think it went really well, and we should do it again.”
The Lady Lions tennis team started their spring 2017 season with a 5-2 victory over the Louisiana State University of Alexandria Generals. The team seemed nervous for their first match of the season, explained how the teams’ attitude affected the game. “We looked scared to start and that cost us,” said Head Coach Jason Hayes. “For us to play our best tennis, we really need to be relaxed and confident. But sadly, we went out and we played very scared.” Only two of the three doubles matches went the Lady Lions way. Juniors Dalina Dahlmans, Fleur Holtkamp and Natalie Duran won their doubles and singles matches. “LSU of Alexandria is a good team and they got some really good players and they got a really good coach,” said Hayes. “If we are not playing at our best level, then it is a very, very competitive match. I think this team will play more relaxed in the future. But, we played tight and we played nervous, which means they care. It’s good that we are nervous and that we care, but we got to get away from that and focus on just playing the tennis and leaving our nerves in the locker room.”
Despite the cooler weather, Hayes does not think it had any effect on the Lady Lions performance last Saturday. “It’s the same for both teams,” said Hayes. “We have taken a lot of precautions. The girls have warm weather clothing and we really had a good approach to what we were doing. We knew it was going to be cold, we came to the court to hit a couple of days ago in very similar temperatures and we were able to make the adjustments.” The Lady Lions will go on the road for the first time this season on Friday at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Feb. 30 at 3:30 p.m. Correcting the mistakes made in the previous game will be the goal for the Lady Lions this Friday. “We have got a long way to go,” said Hayes. “We basically make the same mistakes day in and day out and we have got to change that. If we have to practice harder or be more aggressive, then we will. We are going to find a way to break through that. The good thing is these kids work hard. They are good kids. I know they are not happy with how they played. So, I know they are going to be ready to go come next practice.”
Nikisun Shrestha/ The Lion’s Roar
Junior Fleur Holtkamp came back from being a set down to win her singles CAB team member finishes her project in the hallway because of the blown fuses in the meeting room. match 1-6, 6-1, 6-1. She was also victorious in the doubles category with her Other students continued to work at their art projects despite the difficulty. partner junior Dalina Dahlmans.
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Nathaniel Callaway / The Lion’s Roar
Weather Tuesday H 75 L 52
Reminders Wednesday H 74 L 52
The last day to withdraw from Term I classes is Feb. 14 at 5 p.m.
Campus Life
Page 2 January 31, 2017
The Lion’s Roar
“Point of View” gets new host CAB hosts Back By Morgan Ledet Editor in Chief
As a communication student, there are many parts of the field that are available. For one senior, Miranda Fleig, she found her calling when she was just a teenager. “I was 13 or 14,” said Fleig. “My best friend and I would ride to and from school on the bus. Everyday, we would have these amazing conversations talking about politics, the economy, celebrities and just anything you can think of. People on the bus would just listen to us because we would just banter back and forth and it was just wonderful. And we would always say ‘We should get a radio show.’” Fleig is originally from Baltimore. Although, she and her friend are no longer having those conversations on the bus, they are both in the same field. When Fleig decided this is what she wanted to do, she contacted Dr. Joseph Burns, a Department of Languages and Communications professor and Todd Delaney, Manager of KSLU. “Well obviously, I moved down here
and he moved up to New York, and he is in communication as well,” said Fleig. “I told Dr. Joe Burns, I went to his office two or three years ago and said ‘You know I really wanna do public relations, but I also wanna do radio.’ Well he said ‘Do both. Take classes in public relations and work at the radio station.’ So I called up Todd, got an interview and the rest is history.” Since she has been interested in radio since that young age, she has taken a lot from it and has learned that it is not just being on the radio. “I’ve always had an interest in radio since I was 13 or 14,” said Fleig. “So, it’s been almost 10 years and I absolutely love it. You learn a lot from it. There’s different aspects of the job, like I just took the underwriting position as well, which is like the sales position, but I wish a lot of other people would be interested in radio because there is a lot of stuff you could learn. It’s not just being on radio. It’s like the behind the scenes and trying to figure out what you wanna talk about. How you want your show to come across to the audience.”
Morgan Ledet / The Lion’s Roar
KSLU 90.9 FM broadcasts a variety of shows. “Point of View” is broadcast on Thursdays and Fridays from 1111:30 a.m. Miranda Fleig is the new host taking over for Rosa Dunn. FELLOM continued from pg. 1 in Vonnie Borden Theatre Spring of 1986, an audience member came to me backstage and said, ‘Thank you for bringing dance as an art form to Southeastern,’” said Fellom.“In that first concert, I choreographed two abstract works, ‘Four in Black,’ a solo I performed to a four-part drum composition performed live by a drummer, and also a political work entitled ‘Last Gasp.’ I suppose the nature of the works aligned with original movement vocabulary and spoken voice in my solo inspired the audience member to say those words to me.” Despite her retirement, Fellom’s legacy continues to remain at the program that she has spent several decades being
a part of and leading. Fellom continued to inspire and guide her students after they leave her classroom as was the case with current Head of the Dance Program and dance instructor Keith “Skip” Costa. “I feel like the roots that she has planted here at Southeastern for over 30 years will continue to grow and my commitment to creativity will just strengthen these roots just like the great oaks in Friendship Circle,” said Costa. “She is an incredible woman and a humanitarian that has such a kind heart. She will be missed by myself and our students. I really hope Southeastern awards her the honor of Professor Emeritus for all of her contributions to dance education and continuing the support of dance as an academic field of study in which the first
Courtesy of Martie Fellom
Former Head of the Dance Program Martie Fellom performed “Four in Black” in 1986 with percussionist Keith Mallory. The performance included four abstracts.
Fleig is taking over for Rosa Dunn, who has recently retired. Her show is called “Point of View” and looks for something interesting to discuss and talk about. “‘Point of View’ is the community talk show,” said Fleig. “I want people to come on that, have events going on or something. Things that are concerning to the public. I like stuff that’s a little softer. I also want to talk about stuff that is more hard-hitting like job development in Tangipahoa Parish or jobs for women. It’s going to have a lot of the same feel as Ms. Rosa Dunn had, but I do want to talk about things that are really concerning for the community that need to be talked about.” Although, there are numerous things going on in the world, Fleig hopes to keep it close to home. “I want to keep it more based on our community like Tangipahoa Parish or just the state of Louisiana but there are other parishes I’d like to talk to,” said Fleig. “I want to keep things more towards the community itself. But there are topics that are national that need to be discussed because it might be affecting the entire country, but we also want to talk about how it’s affecting us. Mainly keep things community-based, but look at things going on in the world that could also be affecting us either now or in the future.” Fleig hopes to attract an audience for her show, but she may only get certain listeners for certain shows. “I think it depends on the show, like there are going to be some shows oriented towards a certain audience,” said Fleig. “I think it is very topic oriented, but I feel like the way the show is, at least right now, anybody can tune in and listen to it and be entertained or at least learn something from it. If anything, I just want people to, at the end of the program, learn something that they didn’t know before.” Fleig had her first show about three weeks ago and has already met with a diverse group of people. “I met with the Chamber of Commerce already,” said Fleig. “I’ve met with
college degree was awarded over 100 years ago.” Fellom praised Costa for his twenty-year successful career in dance performance and dance education. She is pleased by his new leadership role and remains in awe of his creativity. “He has been an original creator of art since I first saw him and he’s continued in that direction of making original statements,” said Fellom. “The fact that he came back into this area is just a blessing because he’s the person that I always would just do a wonderful job here at Southeastern because he’s got that artistry, he’s got credible, confident energy. He excites the students, and I just think that the fact that he was here and he had been part time for years, working so hard. I said, ‘I need to say adieu, I need to say au revoir, but in a good way.’ I know that the dance program is going to be on solid ground. Solid ground with his leadership and creativity, so that’s why it was time for me to go, it was time for me to retire.” Fellom views her decision to retire as bittersweet. She admitted that she has loved educating her students, witnessing them embrace dance in a new light and enjoys the lessons that she has learned from them. “As a teacher, you share your knowledge about a subject matter,” said Fellom. “You listen and learn from the students, and you try to do your best to help them on their journey in life. All in all, to be a good human being, so they can learn by how a teacher treats another person in the class, no yelling, no being condescending to another human being. You have to treat everybody with respect and embrace them fully. That’s what I want them to do as a human being too.” Fellom has admitted that she has many favorite moments from her time in the dance department at the university. These include her negotiation with the American College Dance Association to have the SouthCentral Region Conference held at the University in 1992 and 2000. “Over 500 students and faculty from 25 universities across the region attended,”
see KSLU pg. 4 said Fellom. “The four day conference involved adjudicated concerts and master classes. For the 1992 conference, I lost 10 pounds, lots of work for me, as the Regional Coordinator.” Fellom will continue to work with her dance school Fellom Ballet, as well as remain involved with the dance program on campus. Fellom Ballet was founded in 1965 by Fellom and her two sisters Artie and Cynthia Fellom. One of her plans has been to create a performance with non-dancers. She was inspired by what she refers to as the “hippy movement” that includes performance art in a collective body of work. “I still want to do that because I want a work that’s going to be created from the people that attend and for it to be about things that are important to them in their lives,” said Fellom. “That’s what I want to do and call attention to things that we didn’t think about, and so all the movement in it and the talking or music that emerges would emerge or visual design would emerge from the people that came to that audition that want to be part of an art piece.” Costa hopes to see a wider appreciation for dance as an academic field of study from students outside of the dance program. He has a new course in the works that he hopes to be classified in the same category as other art appreciation elective courses. “I will finally be able to teach a course fall 2017 which I developed over two years ago called Dance 100 – introduction to dance,” said Costa. “It is a
to School Bash
By Nathaniel Callaway Staff Reporter
The Campus Activities Board held its first event of the year last week the Back to School Bash. On Tuesday, Jan. 24 CAB borrowed two meeting rooms in the Pennington Student Activity Center for their bash, turned down the lights, brought out the glow sticks and turned the music up. CAB also provided a DJ, free popcorn, pizza and drinks. Each of these kinds of activities are orchestrated by CAB. Each of the members get a chance to plan and be in charge of an event. Members help each other out throughout the process and during the event itself. Some of the students in CAB have different reasons for joining, but they all have to do with their want to be involved in and participate around the university. “We don’t have to be working the event, but there’s only so many of us, and as a family, we all want to work and help out,” said Gabrielle Levet, a sophomore English education major. “I joined because I really wanted to get more involved in both the school and the community and get more involved on campus.” Other members joined the board first, but then decided to switch over to participate more. “I was in CAB last semester, well the CAB board, and this is my first semester working for CAB,” said Katlyn Daigle, a sophomore special education major. “I wanted to get involved. That’s why I joined the board, and well, here I am.” Brennan Sarah, a freshman business administration major, was the planner and organizer for the event. He shared some of his thoughts for wanting to get it off the ground and finished. “I love my job,” said Sarah. “Basically, for the experience I provide for the students, a lot of kids come to us for these events. In college they all do the work study stuff and all that and with my job, I get to provide them with a different environment throughout their college career.” The event brought in a crowd of people who enjoyed the atmosphere and the ability to forget about school for a little bit. “It’s a nice party, and because school is so hectic, even in the first couple of weeks, it’s a great way to come hangout and have a little fun,” said Payton Sawyer, a freshman communication major. “Personally, I like events like this, getting to spend time with friends and inviting more people to come along. I like attending stuff like this when I can.” CAB puts a lot of effort into their events, and they hope to be able to help students create lasting memories. “What my boss told me, which really got me, was that we could plan an event, throw it, and then someone could come to my event and meet the love of their life,” said Sarah. “That’s my drive, to see people’s reactions and faces when they experience our events.” lecture course designed to give non-dance program students a better understanding of dance and where it originated and what is happening currently in the dance world. It also has a business component that will allow students from our disciplines to realize that organizational skills and budgets are a part of every area of study on this campus but we just solve issues with creative solutions.” During gatherings before concerts with her students, lesson plans inside of classrooms and life lessons in the field of dance, Fellom has learned from students like Costa to lead
students by allowing them to create their own paths. “I learned from Skip that you can’t really make somebody change things,” said Fellom. “All you can do is offer thoughts to investigate. Some people need a certain type of guidance that can lead them closer to what they want to be. As a teacher, that can be real important to a student, so you have to see when you want to speak about it because not every time have I needed to do that for a student and I saw that they have done their investigation, and I don’t need to say anything, and that’s what I celebrate.”
Larshell Green/ The Lion’s Roar
Former Head of the dance program Martie Fellom retired from the university on Dec. 16, 2016. Fellom recently worked with Options as a volunteer dance instructor, and has continued leading Fellom Ballet School with her sisters.
Opinions
The Lion’s Roar
January 31, 2017 Page 3
Technology should not replace face to face social skills Breshon Foster Staff Reporter
Looking around campus you tend to see many people doing various things, but lately I’ve noticed that 80 percent of the people surrounding me have their faces in a screen. The world we live in today is basically technology dependent, and you could even say that it’s taking away our skills of being social when we come face to face with others. Just take a moment and think about how much technology has taken over. Most relationships now are started over social media. You don’t even have to go places and be sociable to find your
mate anymore. You can just sit in the comfort of your home at your leisure and log into a dating site and start chatting. What I find really crazy is that people don’t even know how to express their feelings by mouth anymore. They would rather text you about their thoughts and feelings than tell you in person. Technology is advancing very rapidly and it is very helpful, but it’s also toxic to the relationships we have with the people who matters the most to us. A prime example was one day my mom, my grandmother and I were having breakfast after church. The table was set really nicely and the food was so scrumptious. In the middle of me taking a bite I noticed instead of us having family time and talking to one see TECHNOLOGY pg. 7
Don’t meme dump on undeserving Trumps Regina Pergola Staff Reporter
How do you feel about how much time you spend on your cellphone? It’s pretty bad. I’m always on my phone.
While social media has been relentless in turning their dislike of President Donald Trump into a meme before, during and after the presidential election and inauguration, the degrading comments and jokes have turned on his family as well. Personally, I will not defend Donald Trump, and if someone wants to use their freedom of speech to fuel their meme page
Tamira Bickham Health Systems Management, Freshman
Lately, I’ve been trying to cut back time with being on my phone, and it’s been working. Kershaun Melson Kinesiology, Sophomore
I feel pretty bad to be honest. I was thinking about that today. Everyone seems to be on their phones, and no one is looking up and enjoying the view. Marquez Way Biology, Freshman
I feel like I lost all motivation with my schoolwork. Every time I am on my cellphone, I feel a little bit sad. Lojuanda Weary Chemistry, Freshman
I know it’s a lot and I should probably be doing something with my work instead of on my phone. Timisiha Walker Accounting, Freshman
I don’t spend too much time on my phone, so I feel kinda good about it. Sarah Coudrain Biology, Freshman
Nathaniel Callaway Staff Reporter
Nowadays, people look for reasons to get offended. Whether it’s the new Starbucks cup or the latest Donald Trump tweet, you can bet that they’re going to find something. I’m not saying that when people get offended it’s always unreasonable, I’m just saying people get offended a lot. One of the most popular happenings of last year was the Oscar nominations. Not a single black actor or actress was nominated for an Oscar, or for any Oscars that people cared about. The biggest complaint was that Will Smith didn’t receive a nomination for his part in “Concussion,” and that none of the actors from “Straight Outta Compton” received a nomination, even though the screenwriters, who were white, did. This really got people in a tizzy, even having the phrase “Oscars so white” trending and actors like Will Smith boycotting the awards entirely. This uproar led the academy to invite a few thousand more people to vote on the awards, hoping to switch it up and make it more “modern” which in turn gave us a new set of nominations for 2017 with a much more diverse set. However, before going on to this year’s, let’s take a deeper look at last years. As I mentioned before, there were two films that people got upset about, and those were “Concussion” and “Straight Outta Compton.” I did my research, and not many other films that starred African Americans or
other such nationalities were eligible or even existed. Let’s talk about “Concussion” first. I saw “Concussion,” and honestly, I thought it was really good. Smith was fantastic in it. However, the script and some of the directing choices in it weren’t that great. Currently, it holds a 7.1 audience score on IMDB, along with a Metacritic score of only 55. What does this mean? It means that the general consensus for the film was that it wasn’t all that great. Now, regardless of the actor, how can he do something Oscar worthy with material that’s obviously subpar? “Straight Outta Compton,” on the other hand, has a Metacritic score of 72, but an audience score of 7.9, which is better but not Oscar material. Now, what am I saying here? I’m saying it’s not necessarily the Academy’s fault that we’re getting movies with diverse casts that aren’t that great. It’s ours because we
see TRUMP pg. 6
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keep going to see these films and we keep supporting them. One last point, I think something people forget is that actors and companies must campaign for Oscars. Like a politician running for a position, if an actor doesn’t campaign, he won’t get nominated whether he gave the performance of the year or not. So, sometimes we get mad about a certain actor not being nominated, when they didn’t even campaign in the first place. So, let’s jump to the 2017 nominations. Actors like Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Mahershala Ali, Dev Patel and Naomi Harris, all people of color, were nominated for an Oscar. Along with films like “Moana,” “Fences,” “Hidden Figures” and “Moonlight” all being nominated for more. I didn’t see all of these films, but I did see a few, and let me tell you, they were phenomenal. Well deserving of the nominations they got, much
more than the picks with diverse casts that were overlooked last year. I’ll end on this note, the first African American actress or actor to win an Oscar was not 20, not 50 and not even 70 years ago. But all the way back in 1939 when actress Hattie McDaniel won for her role in “Gone with the Wind.” This shows, that even all the way back when racism was commonplace, the people giving these awards were still willing to look past the color and see the talent. Just because the last two years we haven’t gotten the diverse nominations some wanted, doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily because of racism. We need to support the films like “Moonlight,” “Hidden Figures” and “Fences” so that we can have the diverse casts that reflect life in great movies, as they should, instead of being satisfied with mediocre films that will get us nowhere.
The Lion ’s Roar - Staff
Policies and Procedures The Lion’s Roar is the official newspaper of the students of Southeastern Louisiana University. It has been in continuous publication since 1937. Submissions and letters to the editor are welcomed, but the editor of The Lion’s Roar reserves the right to edit all submissions for grammar, libel and available space or refuse publication without notification. Submissions must include the author’s full name and either phone number, e-mail or other contact information (not to be published). Faculty and staff members should include their title and department. Students should include their classification and major. By submitting an article for publication, the author understands that the submission will be edited.
“Saturday Night Live” writer and actress, calls Barron Trump “this country’s first homeschool shooter.” Rich was suspended indefinitely after the responses to her tweet were less than agreeable. This woman made a nasty comment and was penalized for it, but what about the hundreds of anonymous or public social media accounts that say worse things than this and are accredited with being funny, or receiving positive responses? People such as this are posting memes about the new presidential family. One such instance that occurred before the election was when Ivanka Trump
Let’s stop blaming racism for everything
Maegan Breaux Nursing, Freshman
Way too much time. I should be doing other things like reviewing for tests and getting ready for the next day.
with jokes about him, I will not protest extensively. But when the comments begin to extend to degrading his wife or family members without reason, I feel the need to protest. I think that people have been using their social media to take their anger at, or hatred of, President Trump out in the form of insulting, debasing comments of Melania, Ivanka, Barron and the other members of the Trump family. This is unacceptable. I can understand disagreeing with, disliking or even hating President Trump, but what has his 10 year old son done to deserve social media outcasting and public shaming? I am referencing a recent tweet concerning the boy. In it, Katie Rich, a
in the Old Student Union 1303 (Student Union West 1303). Annual mail subscriptions are $35 within the continental U.S. The Lion’s Roar, in its print form, associated Web sites and CD/DVD versions are designated public forums. Student editors have the authority to make content decisions without censorship or prior approval. The Lion’s Roar also defends the rights of student journalists relative to freedom of speech and press as stated in Amendment I of the Constitution of the United States of America. The Lion’s Roar is published through the Office of Student Publications, part of the Division for Student Affairs. It is published weekly during regular semesters and monthly during the summer semester.
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Arts & Entertainment
Page 4 January 31, 2017
The Lion’s Roar
FoSL and Columbia Theatre partner for cabaret By London Taylor Staff Reporter
The Friends of Sims Library and the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts will be working together to host “Breakfast in Paris, Martinis in Manhattan: a Cabaret.” The cabaret will be held on Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Columbia Theatre Conference Center. Executive Director of the Columbia Theatre Roy Blackwood gave a brief description on what the cabaret will consist of. “Raynel Shepard, a highly successful vocalist from Boston, New York and New Orleans, will cast a spell over anyone who hears her,” said Blackwood. “Harry Mayronne is to be the accompanist and is also a master puppeteer. There will be a few marionettes on display. Ticket holders will receive two signature cocktails, designed by Jacmel Inn, and the performance consisting of two 40 minute sets and an intermission. The music will consist of tunes popular in Paris and New York. There will be an additional cash bar. Seating will be club style with tables for two and tables for six. Tickets are $40 in advance and not available at the door. People can go to our website, columbiatheatre.org. That will link
them to the Sims Library website and purchase tickets online.” Blackwood shared that there may be a possibility of the two partnering in the future. “There may possibly be a series but that is only in discussion,” said Blackwood. “It depends upon the communities’ response.” Library Director Eric Johnson described what will happen with the proceeds of the fundraiser. “Both the Friends of the Library and the Columbia Theatre will share the proceeds from the cabaret,” said Johnson. “The Friends group raises funds to support the collections and programs of Sims Library, and the Columbia Theatre uses such funding to provide quality entertainment for the community.” The event will be the first cabaret that Blackwood and Johnson planned together. Blackwood described working with Johnson. “I’ve worked with the erudite and enthusiastic Eric Johnson on many projects including the ‘Let’s Talk Art Series’,” said Blackwood. “I’ve attended other events organized by Friends of Sims Library that he has chaired such as the very successful FoSL wine tasting event and others. Eric is thorough and thoughtful in his organizing skills. So, we work well together,
and we joke a lot.” The cabaret will be the first event of the spring semester for the FoSL. “Next up for Friends of Sims Library is the annual Member’s Tea on March 4, which features a full afternoon tea with an author presentation,” said Johnson. “This year’s tea features Poppy Tooker, popular food writer and host of WWNO’s ‘Louisiana Eats!’ We’re excited to start off our spring events with a cabaret since it kicks off the year with something fresh and new for us and Hammond.” Shepard approached Johnson with interest in setting up a musical performance. “I brought the idea to the Friends of the Library board, and they agreed that it would be a great opportunity for the city,” said Johnson. “Although something similar has been done here before, this is the first time in a number of years that an actual cabaret is being presented. The Columbia Theatre seemed to be the perfect venue for the event since it’s a more intimate setting to celebrate these cherished songs.” Blackwood described what guests should expect from the cabaret event. “For a very modest sum patrons will receive the gift a reminder of the eternal and evenhanded power of beauty, an experience that
inspires us deeply,” said Blackwood. “Music, as all good art, initiates a conversation between our cognitive self and our hearts encouraging a discourse that both comforts and brings joy. Why would one not want to exchange a few dollars for that feeling?” Johnson first came to Blackwood with the concept of this event two to three years ago. “From the first time I saw the Conference Center at Columbia Theatre, I have wanted to present an intimate musical experience in the form of a cabaret,” said Blackwood. “It has taken this long to put the details together. We had to build a business plan identifying the components and assign tasks to a group of volunteers. The venue is flexible so a plan to design the space for this purpose had to be pulled together and, of course, a budget laid out.” For the cabaret, Blackwood shared what attire is recommended. “Typically, one would dress for a fancy night out,” said Blackwood. “Club wear or business casual are fine, but the world is more casual than ever before so patrons should dress for comfort. If one comes in a tuxedo or gown, he or she may be the only one. Surprise us.”
KSLU continued from pg. 2 Options. I met with Columbia Theatre and there are things that they talked to me about that I had no idea. I have lived here for about three years, but I don’t know everything about Hammond or Tangipahoa Parish. Because, if the audience doesn’t know, they’re asking the same questions I am. So, I have to think what would the audience want to know, and I have to just think that way.” For future shows, Fleig is already looking for people to talk to and she has a few in mind. “I wanna get LIGO on, it is The Laser Interferometer G r a v i t a t i o n a l - Wa v e Observatory because they just found gravitational waves like a year or two ago,” said Fleig. “So, I am hoping to get them on. I would love to get President Crain to come on to talk about things going on in the school. I would love to get President Robby Miller, he is parish president, I would love to get him on. I would love to get a bunch of legislative people in here to talk about issues going on at the state
level.” Even though Fleig wants to talk to legislative, she also wants to talk a wide range of businesses and organizations. “If anybody out there wants to come on to the show, they’re part of an organization or business and they have something they really wanna talk about, please come on,” said Fleig. “Please email me or something because I would absolutely love that. You can have the same people on over and over again. I just don’t want that. I just want a wide range of businesses or organizations to come on and just talk about something new, something interesting, or something I have never heard of before.” Fleig has taken over the hosting duties of “Point of View” due to the retirement of Rosa Dunn, who Fleig was able to work under. “I have worked with her for two years,” said Fleig. “I would actually help produce her show, so I would engineer it. She’s always so sweet, like she is my station ‘guardian
angel’ or ‘fairy godmother,’ as she liked to say. You know, I talked to her when I was taking over the show cause I was really nervous and I was like ‘What can I do?’ She said, ‘Honey, as long as your interested in what they’re talking about the show, it is going to go fine. Just play off of what they’re saying, come up with questions and everything is going to be okay.’” Fleig has just started with the hosting duties, but has already been able to retain information. “You learn a lot,” said Fleig. “I’m new at this. I mean I’ve been a comm major my entire college career, but there’s still things I don’t know and this is definitely a step up for me. Bottom line is I just enjoy talking to people and learning more about them and their organizations or businesses. I hope I do really well at this.” If you would like to be a part of “Point of View,” you can email Fleig at miranda.fleig@ southeastern.edu or contact KSLU at 985-549-2330.
Morgan Ledet/ The Lion’s Roar
Miranda Fleig is taking over the hosting position for “Point of View.” She has work for KSLU for about three years.
Through the mind’s eye of artist Rebecca Meyers By Regina Pergola Staff Reporter
The Hammond Regional Arts Center will be hosting panorama photography from Rebecca Meyers for the first time ever. There will be a reception celebrating this exhibit on Friday, Feb. 3 from 5-8 p.m. The artwork will hang until Feb. 24. Meyers’ vision for her photography is inspired by living life and the journeys she has taken. “When we travel to or through a place, we do not remember single images one at a time,” said Meyers. “When we think of our trip, it is as if one single giant remembrance flashes in our mind’s eye layered with what we saw, and what we did, and how we felt,
and gives us an overall feeling of our trip and the place or places we visited.” This idea of portraying an entire traveling in one photo is what Meyers aims to show in her artwork. “It is not just an image we see, but an entire experience,” said Meyers. “That is what I am trying to capture in my photographs.” Meyers uses traditional photography to show what she sees in her mind’s eye. “It starts with simple black and white film,” said Meyers. “My most favorite medium is film. When you use film, you have to carefully choose each moment captured. It’s not like taking digital photographs where you can click and click as many times as you want.” In revealing why she loves
black and white film, Meyers explained that using film is different from modern day photography options. “You have to breathe the moment and live within it,” said Meyers. “You have to anticipate. The camera becomes an extension of your eye, your heart and your mind.” She received the initial notion for this type of photography 14 years ago. “The idea for my panoramas, which I call ‘Crossings,’ began to develop in 2003 when I had to travel by train each day,” said Meyers. “I was living in San Bernardino and working in Los Angeles. I traveled 80 miles each way on the train to and from work. As I passed through these small towns, train yards, industrial areas and so many odd landscapes dotted
with people, a giant image would form in my mind.” Meyers took this experience and expanded it in the form of art. “It wasn’t a series of single images, but one enormous picture of overlapping recollections on my inner mental canvas,” said Meyers. “It was not only a combination of what I had seen, but my reactions and emotions. I began to wonder how to recreate these images that I saw in my mind in real time. Robert, my mentor and I began to experiment. It was from there that the technique developed.” Meyers’ photos are inspired by the world around her and her desire to share them with others. “I have always seen the
Courtesy of Rebecca Meyers
Courtesy of Rebecca Meyers
Rebecca Meyers takes panorama photographs in simple black and white film, then overlays them to create her artwork to depict journeys in a single frame.
Rebecca Meyers will speak at the “Let’s Talk Art” lecture series hosted by the Hammond Regional Arts Center on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 5 p.m.
world as a series of stills broken only by my breathing,” said Meyers. “Moments leap out of the stream of my daily experiences, suspended in time and space, frozen, like a tableau within the image, experiencing the place for themselves. I want them to come away with their own memory of the place like they’ve been there.” She expressed advice for other photographers.
“The most important aspect of photography is experimentation and having experiences,” said Meyers. “You have to be willing to take risks. You have to travel outside of your comfort zone. To be a great photographer, I think your eyes have to be open to the world, and the only way to open them is traveling. It opens your mind to other lives and other viewpoints.”
Arts & Entertainment
The Lion’s Roar
January 31, 2017 Page 5
Local band gets new member and tracks By Annie Goodman Staff Reporter
University student Tyler Laiche has joined local band, Voice of the Enemy, comprised of vocalist and lead guitarist Hayden Kimball, bassist Luke Peebles, drummer Sebastian Martin and Laiche as the new rhythm guitarist. “Tyler is a great guy and a fantastic guitarist,” said Peebles. “It only took him a week to learn all of our songs and two weeks to perfect them well enough to play a show run. He fits in so well with us that I sometimes forget he’s a new member. It feels like he’s been in the band for years. I think he was a wonderful rendition to the band.” The band is now preparing for an upcoming performance in Baton Rouge on Feb. 10 at The Woodshed where they will play their new songs “Burn” and “Heretics.” “We’re looking to different influences with ‘Burn,’ particularly bands like Five Finger Death Punch and Skillet,” said Kimball. “It’s a heavy ballad about coming to terms with the fact that we are not perfect, and deals with themes like accepting your own mortality, coming to terms with who you are, and getting yourself in order before your number is up. The song follows a man on his
deathbed who’s recalling all the vile things he has done in his life. Just when he’s about to give up hope, he suddenly realizes that he’s lived an okay life despite his transgressions. He finally realizes that he can start again in the next life and dies a happy, dignified death.” The band started in 2011 and has had a few member changes throughout the years. “Hayden and our old drummer Brendan were pretty good friends, and they crafted the idea of starting a band,” said Peebles. “Then, Hayden came to school one day to ask me if I would be interested in playing rhythm guitar. I told him absolutely and that I couldn’t wait. After one practice, we saw that I was not a very good guitarist, so I was to step down. We originally had a female bassist, but due to the fact that she never had time to practice, she wasn’t cutting it. So, they called me back up to see if I wanted to play bass. Hayden then called up one of his old friends to see if he wanted to play rhythm guitar.” Laiche joined the band last year when their old rhythm guitarist left. “I met Tyler Laiche at school here at SELU,” said Kimball. “He came into the band late last year. Our last guitarist left the band due to creative differences in August.
Courtesy of Voice of the Enemy
Local band Voice of the Enemy has inducted a new member from the university, Tyler Laiche. They also have an upcoming performance in Baton Rouge in February. They will be performing their new songs “Burn” and “Heretic” at this performance. They have been a band since 2011, but have frequently switched out members. They have a mixed rock style influenced by many popular bands. Tyler auditioned and instantly got the gig. He’s a fantastic guitar player, a great friend and loyal bandmate. When he and I jammed the first time, there was an instant connection, almost like he and I were the
same player. You can’t top that when it comes to guitarists.” The band likes to keep their fan base updated. To listen to their music, visit soundcloud. com/voice-of-the-enemy. For updates of what is coming
up for the band, visit their Facebook page at Voice of the Enemy. “We have a Facebook page at Voice of the Enemy that we post all our updates on, a Soundcloud page where you
can hear a preview of our newest album, ‘Gunslinger,’ and a Reverbnation page that automatically updates our Facebook page when we have a show coming up,” said Kimball.
Open minds, open hearts, open mic By Nathaniel Callaway Staff Reporter
The “Manchac Review” is a literary journal that’s been a part of the university since 1960. In it, students have been able to submit their works of fiction, poetry and drama. In 2010, it even spread to encompass the “Manchac Review Online” where works of art, music and video shorts were included as well. The root of the review isn’t specified. However, some expect that it’s as a result of what a literary journal does for the university. File Photo / The Lion’s Roar Kimberely Calhoun is an editor for The Manchac Review is a literary journal for the campus, where students and the “Manchac Review,” and the editor in faculty can submit their works of art to be published for the university. charge of their open mic event. Calhoun is also a spoken word poet. She shares poetry LIBRA (September 23 to at different churches, community events October 22) A problem delays and various places. She also has two selfthe recognition that you hoped to published books. Calhoun is currently a grad receive for your hard work. But all student at the university where she hopes to will soon be resolved. Remember to obtain her Ph.D. and hopefully become an ARIES (March 21 to April make patience your watchword this English professor. 19) You don’t like rejection. But week. “I’ve only been the editor of the SCORPIO (October 23 to ‘Manchac Review’ for a year, but I suspect instead of trying to “ram” your ideas through to an unreceptive audience, November 21) Those wonderful what inspired its creation is that many stand back and wait for a more ideas could expand your workplace universities across the country, if not world, favorable environment later this prospects and ultimately lead you have a literary publication for works of month. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Job commitments call for the tidy Taurean to charge into those problem-plagued projects and get them into shape. Then go ahead and enjoy the fun and friendships of your expanding social life. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) The pressures of the workplace are beginning to ease. While you still need to stay connected to your ongoing commitments, you’ll be able to take more time to relax with family and friends. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You might feel that you need to prove how much you can do. But be careful not to take on more than you can handle, or you risk being bogged down. An Aries has a message for you. LEO (July 23 to August 22) Financially it could be a little tight for a while. So resist the urge to splurge on things you don’t really need. There will be time enough to indulge yourself when the money squeeze eases later this month. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You demand trust from others. But someone is creating a situation that could put your own trustworthiness in question. Be sure to keep all lines of communication open.
on a new career path. Your personal life also opens up new vistas. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) So much seems to be swirling around you these days that you might find it hard to focus on priorities. Best advice: Take things one at a time, and you’ll get through them all. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Work out situations with what you have, and avoid the temptation to create complications where they don’t exist. This applies both at home and in the workplace. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Keep your keen senses open to possible changes in personal and/or professional situations. Knowing what might lie ahead gives you an edge on how to handle it. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Personal pressures at work could create a problem with your performance. Best advice: Focus on the job ahead of you. If necessary, you can deal with the other issue later. BORN THIS WEEK: Like your fellow Aquarian Abraham Lincoln, you have a way of handling the most difficult situations with grace and conviction. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
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fiction and poetry,” said Calhoun. “If it’s a notable school, more than likely they have a literary journal. Ours is growing, but our English Department aims at being part of that literary community by joining in the conversation and representing Southeastern well.” Calhoun also spoke about her hopes for the review. “We showcase works by students, both grad and undergrad,” said Calhoun. “And it allows students an opportunity to have their works published and read by a great audience. I hope we can eventually accept submissions from anyone across the country like some other publications.” As part of the “Manchac Review,” an open mic event was started. This event allows students to add more to the presentation of their particular art that might otherwise be lost in just a printed edition. “The open mic is a by-product of the journal, if you will,” said Calhoun. “It is a live presentation of what we represent: writing, poetry, art, music, creativity and networking for our artistic community. Also, what’s read on the page or presented in a photograph is much different when it’s spoken, performed or explained.”
Manchac open mic opens up a new kind of experience for the students who attend and participate because it lets them see the department in a new kind of light. “This is a place where students and faculty can share their work so we can experience it exactly, hopefully, as they intended,” said Calhoun. “Or just experience it in a different way. Also, the publication is a work by the English Department, so we wanted to create an energy for the Writing Center, which is where we host a lot of events.” The upcoming open mic session will be held Feb. 13 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. in D. Vickers Room 210. This particular open mic will have a theme, “Dear Love,” where participants will be able to create a letter, or any other form of art, that is dedicated to someone or something they love and share it with others. This is the first time an open mic has had a theme, and it was chosen because the editors and staff thought it would be a relevant topic. “Since my time here, this is actually our first themed open mic,” said Calhoun. “And love is always a great theme, especially in our current political climate. We work in see MANCHAC REVIEW pg. 6
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Sports
Page 6 January 31, 2017
The Lion’s Roar
Hyped crowd helps end four game skid By Jonathan Rhodes Staff Reporter
The Lady Lions basketball team ended their four game losing streak with a 69-58 win against Northwestern State University. The game was part of the Jam the Jungle event on Jan. 25, which the other athletic teams attended in support of the Lady Lions. “To have all of our student section and to have support from them as things were going on defensively away from your basket late in the game, great atmosphere for a college game.” said women’s basketball Head Coach Errol Gauff. “I’m proud of our student body and our fans in general, and obviously very proud of our young ladies.” The Lions football team helped to create a home court advantage with loud chants throughout the entire game. “The football team definitely helped tonight,” said Ashailee Brailey, a sophomore guard. “You just feed off the crowd’s energy and that builds off of you and your energy that you put on the court.” The Lady Lions record is now 4-15 overall and 2-6 in the Southland Conference. The team battled in the second half to regain the lead by shooting 43.5 percent from three point range. “Our young ladies have shown tremendous resilience all season in all kind of aspects,” said Gauff. “They really put it on us, but them really putting it on us like that got our girls refocused. Our young ladies realized we are better than our record. Ashailee, Charliee and Bre shooting in that third quarter got us going. Then, in the fourth quarter Taylin making free throws and Chey clearing up things under the rim is huge.” Taylin Underwood and Brailey, junior guards led the team with 21 points, marking the first time this season that two players scored 20-plus points. For Brailey, it was a career-best performance shooting 5-5 from three point range. TRUMP continued from pg. 3 released her fashion line and a picture of her went relatively viral, comparing her to Sid from Ice Age due to her eye makeup and facial expressions in this one photo. Coming from the same social media platforms that try to tell every woman, girl and person that they are beautiful and loved, this screams hypocrisy. How can you tell someone that they are worthy of love no matter what they look like and that it is what’s on the inside that counts just to then turn around and bash someone because of an unflattering picture? This is not even counting the endless derogatory and frankly disgusting memes that resulted from her father’s comments. There is no excuse for the wretched depictions of her and her father’s relationship. While someone may be aiming to degrade President Trump, they need to realize that he is not the only one that could be hurt and his reputation is not the only one that is being dragged through the mud. Imagine if someone held you accountable for every word or action your parents, siblings or guardians made. Would that be just? I think not. Ivanka Trump is blatantly sexualized and then bashed for no other reason than being President
“I’ve kinda been in a shooting slump, but Coach Gauff, Bre and myself got in the gym and put up a lot of shots,” said Brailey. “So, it felt good seeing the ball go in. It was just a team effort too with people spotting me, and I’m getting open shots and that is all there is to it.” The Lady Lions got a few minutes off the bench from freshman Chambria Harrison, who led the team with eight rebounds. “Chambria Harrison probably only averages about four minutes, but tonight played way more minutes and rebound the ball for us and gave us a presence down low,” said Gauff. “She played with tremendous effort and energy.” Chey Stewart, a senior forward, had to persevere through an injury during the
Trump’s daughter. This is similar to Melania Trump’s situation. There are countless depictions of Melania being referred to as President Trump’s sugarbaby, and how she regrets her marriage to him, or even that she hates the current American president. Whether any rumors or comments could be true or not, it is indecent for these kinds of demeaning portrayals of any human being to be flaunted with the wide response they are garnering. As decent human beings with any semblance of morality or ability to empathize with someone else who is being ostracized simply because of their associations, we need to revolt against this kind of negative thinking as it has and will poison thoughts against someone that we do not even know. Like it or not, President Trump is currently our president. Agree with his politics and personal views or not, his family does not deserve the extensive hate they are receiving as a result of the presidential campaigns, elections or inauguration. Instead of amusing yourself with the crude humor that is presented at the expense of a member of the presidential family, realize that these are living, thinking human beings capable of human emotions the same as you and that they
MANCHAC REVIEW continued from pg. 5 tandem with the Writing Center, and our director wanted us to do something for Valentine’s.” It was also felt that it would be a personal one for the attendants. “Our fiction editor, Samantha Reine, came up with the idea of writing a letter, based on an experience she had at a Jane Austen festival,” said Calhoun. “So, here we are. Everyone talks about love in so many ways, and it will be interesting to see how students and faculty compose their work around it. Plus, it’s Valentine’s Day, and we just figured we’d do something fun for couples, singles, for love. Perhaps people will even bring a date to it, who knows.” The review and the open mic alike were made to encourage diversity and a place for people to come and share what they have created. “This open mic allows our campus
game. She scored eight points and had five rebounds in the 15 minutes that she played. “Chey’s knee was hurt and then she stubbed her ankle on a play on the baseline,” said Gauff. “She asked back in, and I was hesitant to do it. She comes in, hits two free throws and next thing I know, she is making ‘and one.’ So, she’s smarter than I am and usually players are.” The Lady Lions will be looking to pick up a winning streak in the next few games to improve their record against the Southland Conference and their overall record. “We just got to keep working everyday to improve,” said Gauff. “We have to keep coming together as a team
would probably be just as hurt as you would be if you were dragged through the social media mud the same way that Melania, Ivanka or Barron are with the exception of the simple depressing fact that the first family is probably used to this type of treatment. You and I make up the “society” that is blamed at every turn for inaccurate portrayals of people and so we must make the change we want to see. Let’s start with defending the innocent, the ones that cannot respond to the hateful comments made against them without more media backlash. With social media platforms, such as Instagram or Snapchat, we may not be personally posting this kind of hate, but we certainly have access to promoting it or demoting it. Make your choice as to whether you are going to spread rumors that are mostly unfounded and ‘like’ memes that only serve the purpose to humiliate, or if you will refuse to contribute to the “society’s” ignorant backlash to someone who is undeserving, such as a ten year old boy that is being home-schooled, or a woman is capable of making and standing by her choices, whether you agree with their family and personal beliefs or not. Make the changes you want to see in our social media.
community to come together in an atmosphere of artistry,” said Calhoun. “We create conversations with our writing and art about the things that matter to us. It also allows students the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones and do something with their talent. I think God wants us to share our gifts with the world and it is our duty to figure out how to use it the right way.” Calhoun urges those who might have second thoughts about participating to come out, and see what its about, and promises something will be gotten from it. “Every open mic that a writer or creative person fails to participate in is one less opportunity to be greater and impact the world,” said Calhoun. “That’s how you start to get noticed if you actually want people to read your works. People often say writing is not a lucrative career. I wholeheartedly disagree. I believe it will pay off well if you work hard and have the right attitude about it. With God, all things are possible. I live that truth every day.”
Jonathan Rhodes / The Lion’s Roar
Sophomore guard Ashailee Brailey, below, shot 5-5 from three point range and scored 21 points her career high. Freshman guard Charliee Dugas, above, left, scored 10 points in the win against Northwestern State on Jan. 25 and led the team on defense with four steals. This win ended what was a four game losing streak for the Lady Lions as they now sit in 12th place in the Southland Conference. and understand that a team is a family. You never know who is going to have it going that night, but when they do just support them. And when somebody gets beat, you got to help each other. Tonight, we saw a lot of help, so we are growing as a team. We just got to keep working and continue to grow.”
Jonathan Rhodes / The Lion’s Roar
Junior guard Taylin Underwood scored 21 points and made three shots from beyond the arch giving her 141 for her career, placing her third on the school’s all time list. Sam Houston State snapped their 17 game losing streak and won their first game of the season by defeating the Lions this past Saturday.
File Photo / The Lion’s Roar
Kimberely Calhoun speaks at an English Department event. Calhoun is an accomplished poet, novel writer and script writer. She currently serves as the Head Editor in charge of the open mic events.
Sports
The Lion’s Roar
January 31, 2017 Page 7
The Demons break Lions heart and streak
By Nikisun Shrestha Staff Reporter
The 16 game unbeaten streak at home got cut short as the Lions played Northwestern State University on the occasion of Jam the Jungle. The 85-71 loss on Wednesday, Jan. 25 result in an overall record of 12-9 and a conference record of 5-3 for the Lions. “We didn’t play with energy and effort and just got worn out on the boards, 39-23,” said Head Coach Jay Ladner. “We’ve been a strong rebounding team and knew they were a strong rebounding team. Any time a team that has been playing well like we had and played like we did tonight, that’s on me.” Ladner also credited the opponent for their efforts. He also pointed out some of the reasons behind the Lions coming short of winning. “I want to give Northwestern credit,” said Ladner. “I’m not surprised, and I certainly expected it. We tried to make sure our players understood what type of game it was going to be. We just never got into any type of rhythm offensively, and we didn’t guard like we normally guard, and all that added up. From poor preparation on my part, to unexpected turn out events with our point guard, to just not playing with enough effort and intensity leads to what it led to, which is our first loss.” The players were disappointed with the loss and expressed what the team is striving towards. “It’s just frustrating,” said Davon Hayes, a junior guard. “I feel like we’re the best team in this conference. I’m saying that proudly, and it’s disappointing losing like that. We’re trying to build something, and it hurts when you give a game away like that.”
The fans came out in numbers in support of their Lions. Jam the Jungle provided the students and fans the opportunity to cheer their team while getting some perks and gifts at the same time. “We had a great crowd, probably the biggest crowd we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Ladner. “It’s disappointing that we didn’t do our part. With that being said, we got to get back to work. We’re a better team than we showed out there tonight. We just got to do a better job.” Along with the fans, players from other sports also came in to support the Lions. John Badgett junior pitcher for Lions baseball shared his view on the game. “It was a good game,” said Badgett. “We came out for the men’s game, try to cheer them on and they gave a good effort today. They just basically didn’t come out on top today. They gave a good effort though.” Badgett also shared how the baseball team came to support the Lions basketball team. “We came to a couple of games last semester as a team, and Coach Ladner reached out to our Coach Riser and really thought that they could use our support coming to the game,” said Badgett. “We had a meeting today about it. It was an important thing where we can support other Lion athletic organizations.” After this loss, Ladner described how the team will approach the games from here on. “We’re gonna approach it just like we approach all of them,” said Ladner. “Our players are very smart and they know we need to play at a high level every time. Saturday is a great opportunity to get back to where we like to be playing, not let this be a hangover for us and start preparing tomorrow for the game against Houston.”
Nikisun Shrestha / The Lion’s Roar
A second half surge of 50 points from Northwestern State resulted in a painful defeat for the Lions. However, the fans still had a good time during the tense affair on the day of Jam the Jungle.
Baseball and softball show appreciation for season ticket holders By Regina Pergola Staff Reporter
For the second year, the baseball and softball season ticket holders had an event in their honor. On Thursday, Jan. 26, season ticket holders were able to attend an event in the Victory Club portion of Strawberry Stadium. They were able to have the baseball team and the senior softball players sign their respective posters at the event. Kasey Nielson, a pitcher of the softball team shared her appreciation for the patrons. “I think this event is pretty awesome,” said Nielson. “Last year was the first year they did it, I believe, but there’s a lot more people than I really expected. It’s really awesome
to see all these people here showing their support for not only softball but for baseball as well. I know even though we’re a Division I school, we’re not the bigger school, it shows that we have a good support system behind us from the community and we’re really excited about it.” Softball third baseman Mychal Truxillo was also pleased at the turnout. “I think it’s a good opportunity that we can give back to our fans,” said Truxillo. “For them coming to see us play, it’s just to reward them basically and get an opportunity to meet all the players.” Nielson also shared her views on the 13 new players the softball team will have this
Regina Pergola / The Lion’s Roar
upcoming season. “We had a lot of new people come in this year, a lot of transfers, a lot of freshman, and it gets us really excited because it’s so many new people,” said Nielson. “But we’re all really meshing very quickly together. We have a lot of talent. We’re very deep when it comes to positions. We’re really excited to get it going.” Director of Athletics Jay Artigues was pleased at the amount of patrons that came. “We were just talking about how we might outgrow this venue,” said Artigues. “We’ve been having this for a couple years now and it looks like we might outgrow the venue, which is a great problem to have. So, next year, we might
have to change to somewhere else.” Artigues expressed his joy with the new Head Softball Coach Rick Fremin and how the coach has helped the team. “Rick has come in and done a tremendous job with our program, changing the mentality, changing the attitude,” said Artigues. “Any time you have a new coach come in, it’s tough and it’s a challenge. And he’s done such a great job, putting such a tremendous staff together, recruiting quality ladies here.” Fremin described the new players on the team, and how that would affect the season. “The roster turned over a great deal,” said Fremin. “We had six seniors on last year’s team and then also seven are
Regina Pergola/ The Lion’s Roar
The baseball and softball teams’ season ticket holders were able to have the Softball seniors Mychal Truxillo and Kasey Nielson signed team posters on which players sign the teams posters at the season ticket holders’ appreciation event. they were featured at the season ticket holders’ appreciation event for fans. TECHNOLOGY continued from pg. 3 another, we were all on social media sites posting our food and looking at our people’s status. Instead of us enjoying one another’s company and making conversation amongst each other, we had our faces in a phone screen. Sometimes we can get
no longer with us. So 13 left the team, and 13 were brought in, seven JC transfers and six freshmen. Of those seven JC transfers, within the last year or two, they’ve either played for or won a national title at their previous school. So that group is really battle tested and has really helped us out this fall. It was a really smooth fall. This is a low maintenance group. I believe we’ve upgraded in just about every area.” The new coach shared his experiences with the team and how he drew them together. “The main two issues we’ve wanted to really focus on was mental toughness and physical toughness,” said Fremin. “This group has really showed that throughout the fall, had a good fall season, finished 7-1 and didn’t give up too many runs against some good offensive teams.” On the day of the event, a list of the best 50 hitters in the college level softball teams. Previously, the softball team had faced only a couple other teams that had hitters on the previous top 50 list. This season will provide more challenges due to more ranking hitters being on softball teams that the Lady Lions will face. He expressed his gratitude for the hardworking team and felt their hard work would soon pay off. “I’m really encouraged with our team at this point,” said Fremin. “We’re ahead of schedule with our training. We have to be, because the top 50 hitters nationally came out today. Last year we probably faced one or two. This year we
will face eight. So, our schedule is definitely upgraded.” The baseball team was accredited with living up to their new mission statement. “They did the work they needed to in the classroom, and the competition is still TBA,” said Head Baseball Coach Matt Riser. “We’re preaching all the time, talking about competition. We talk about community. We talk about classroom.” Riser shared how he motivated his team to live up to the team’s mission statement of excelling in the competition, classroom and community. “I told our guys, if we get our team GPA, and we set a record for it, we can have springtime beards,” said Riser. “They worked extremely hard in the fall to get that 3.3 team GPA which is a new record for us in my 10 years of being here. We had 1475 hours of community service in the fall, which doubled our community service hours from last year. So, not only do they get it done in the classroom, but they got it done in the community and if there was a world series to win in the fall, we would definitely been dog-piling it in the fall.” There will be new challenges in the upcoming season. “We’ve got 23 games against ranked opponents,” said Riser. “Last year we had four.” Along with these challenges, there is a new turf for the baseball team to play on. “The new turf is in, it’s installed,” said Riser. “We’ve been on it since December.”
so caught up on the new trending topic on Twitter, that we miss out on the most precious moments in life. Believe it or not, scientists have claimed that technology can be considered an addiction. In my English 102 class, we are writing proposal essays on technology addiction. This topic has really made me aware of my addiction to technology. I am a photographer
and an artist, and I’m always advertising my work or looking for something to influence my artwork on social media. Honestly, I feel that technology has really limited my ability to be creative and original. Now that I’ve noticed this problem within myself, I try to cut back from my phone throughout the day unless it’s something really important or work related. This has been a very hard task for me, but I know if I keep practicing and monitoring my phone usage, I can get better with being more sociable without being on social media. Don’t get me wrong, I still believe that technology is great, and it helps us in many ways throughout the day, but we really shouldn’t let it take control of our lives. So, next time you’re at the dinner table, try to go without your phone, and if you find it hard to keep your phone out of your hand just for these couple of minutes, ask yourself if technology is your addiction.
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NEWS
PAGE 8 JANUARY 31, 2017
Delts give free barbecue and evening of fun BY RIANA BRASELMAN Staff Reporter
Delta Tau Delta fraternity members opened the doors of their home by hosting a Back To School BBQ to help students get involved on campus. On Thursday, Jan. 26 from 4 to 7 p.m., the fraternity invited all university students to enjoy an evening that included free dinner, games and an opportunity to get together to take a break from their studies. “The purpose of this event is to help students, but especially incoming freshman, feel involved on campus and feel welcomed to campus,” said Event Coordinator Joshua Asoodeh, a junior computer science major. A free barbecue dinner was grilled outside while attendees could play basketball or ping pong as they waited for the food to be prepared. “It’s just something to get back into the swing of things, school and whatnot,” said President of Delta Tau Delta and junior marketing major Tristyn Wheeler. “Get everybody for just a moment take their mind off of everything, you know. Get together, have fun. Eat some food. Listen to music. Hang out. That sort of thing.” The members of Delta Tau Delta
prepared for a large crowd. The turnout of the barbecue ended up being over 100 attendees. “We’re expecting around 100 to 200 people, but you never know,” said Asoodeh. “Sometimes it’s more. Sometimes it’s less. This event has been really well advertised.” The members of Delta Tau Delta promoted the event in many ways, utilizing on campus tabling and social media. “We do it every year,” said Wheeler. “So, it’s usually about a month out or so we start posting on social media. And we’ll get a booth in the union and we’ll hand out flyers and whatnot. Just word of mouth. Things like that.” The various forms of advertising spread the news of the event to many students and faculty on campus. The flyers, social media posts, tabling and word-of-mouth drew in students who had never visited Delta Tau Delta until the barbecue. “I’ve never been to an event like this, but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Paige Johnson, a sophomore nursing major. “Food and a lot of friends.” “I saw it on Instagram,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Eric Summers, who attended the beginning of the event.
Delta Tau Delta hosted the evening of food, friends and fun as a simple gesture to give back to their community of fellow students on campus. “We really want everyone to see what Delta Tau Delta is really about,” said Asoodeh. “We’re really into giving back to the community, and you know, this was to help people get involved on campus.”
THE LION’S ROAR
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6 KILLED IN CANADA MOSQUE SHOOTING; TRUDEAU CALLS IT TERROR QUEBEC CITY (AP) — A shooting at a Quebec City mosque during evening prayers left six people dead and eight others wounded in an attack that Canada’s prime minister called an act of terrorism. Police arrested two suspects. More than 50 people were at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre at the time of Sunday’s attack. Some of the wounded were gravely injured, Quebec provincial police spokeswoman Christine Coulombe said early Monday. The dead ranged in age from age 35 to 70, she said. Thirty-nine people were unharmed. One suspect was arrested at the scene and another nearby in d’Orleans, Quebec. Police don’t
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believe there are other suspects. They didn’t release the names of the two, and didn’t immediately speculate on a possible motive. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard both characterized the attack as a terrorist act, which came amid heightened tensions worldwide over President Donald Trump’s travel ban on several Muslim countries. “We condemn this terrorist attack on Muslims in a center of worship and refuge,” Trudeau said in a statement. “It is heartwrenching to see such senseless violence. Diversity is our strength, and religious tolerance is a value that we, as Canadians, hold dear.
NATION
TRUMP DENIES IMMIGRATION RESTRICTION IS ‘A MUSLIM BAN’
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Eric Summers, left, talks with a member of Delta Tau Delta as they is vigorously defending his immigration restrictions, as await the arrival of other attendees. protests spread throughout the country, saying “this is about terror and keeping our country safe.” Trump released a statement asserting, “To be clear, this is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting.” The president addressed the issue late Sunday in a statement as some Republicans in Congress — including Ohio’s Sen. Rob Portman — urged caution amid legal challenges to the order banning travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Riana Braselman / The Lion’s Roar
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Top congressional Republicans have largely remained behind Trump on the issue. “America is a proud nation of immigrants and we will continue to show compassion to those fleeing oppression,” Trump said, “but we will do so while protecting our own citizens and border. This is not about religion — this is about terror and keeping our country safe. “ “I have tremendous feeling for the people involved in this horrific humanitarian crisis in Syria,” he said. “My first priority will always be to protect and serve our country, but as President I will find ways to help those who are suffering.”
STATE
SPECIAL SESSION SET TO BEGIN FEBRUARY 13 FOR LOUISIANA LAWMAKERS
BATON ROUGE, La. — Gov. John Bel Edwards laid out his reasoning to lawmakers Friday for a deficit-closing special Riana Braselman/ The Lion’s Roar session, saying he won’t seek Delta Tau Delta members prepare for the Back to School BBQ, preparing for tax increases to close the $304 fraternity members and non-Greek students alike. million gap and will try to protect education programs from cuts.
The Democratic governor spoke to the joint House and Senate budget committee, describing plans for a less than two-week special session to begin Feb. 13, to rebalance the $27 billion state operating budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.