The Lion's Roar 02/07/2017

February 7, 2017 -Volume 88, Issue 18

’ 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

Former Lion makes it to Super Bowl LI

Charlie Riedel/ AP Photo

New England Patriots’ Tom Brady (12) dives toward Atlanta Falcons’ Robert Alford as Alford runs the ball to the end zone for a touchdown after intercepting a pass during the first half of Super Bowl 51.

By Jonathan Rhodes Staff Reporter

Former Lion cornerback and Hammond, LA native Robert Alford got the opportunity of a lifetime, playing in Super Bowl LI for the Atlanta Falcons.

In the second quarter of the game, Alford intercepted a pass thrown by New England Patriots see SUPER BOWL pg. 6

Campus Life Page 2

Opinions Page 3

Arts & Entertainment Page 4

Sports Page 6

News Page 8

LionsRoarNews.com

Miley’s jersey retired at Alumni game

By Nikisun Shrestha Staff Reporter

Former baseball players joined hands with the current players to organize the Alumni Game at the Alumni Field.

On Saturday, Feb. 4, the Alumni Game provided the fans with the spectacle of witnessing the preparation of the baseball roster going into the season as they went shoulder to shoulder with the former players.

“I tell you it’s an impressive bunch,” said baseball Head Coach Matt Riser.

“To see so many guys within the seven, eight years show up. This has probably been our biggest crew. We had 40 to 45 alumni that showed up. Honestly, some of them hung up, didn’t want to play. It’s been a little bit of time since they last played. The alumni crew, you look over there and you see Jameson Fisher, Pat Cashman, Brock Hebert. So many of the professionals there, they know how to do it. I think it was good for our guys to see it. I think it was really neat for our guys to see how much this means to them as well.”

Before the game, the Lions retired the jersey of former Lion and current Baltimore Orioles pitcher Wade Miley.

“That’s an honor I didn’t expect at all,” said Miley. “For this school to do that, it means something special. It’s hard to put words on it.”

Riser was also happy with this decision and was commending the efforts Miley still does to the Lions baseball team.

“Very pleased with it,” said Riser.

“Very well deserving, by far the most distinguished alumni we had with his professional career and what he’s

Nikisun Shrestha/ The Lion’s Roar

Former Lion and current Baltimore Orioles pitcher Wade Miley had his jersey retired at the Alumni Game in front of his family and friends. Miley has also been inducted into Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame and the Southland Conference Hall of Honor. accomplished. He’s still been always involved with the program. Comes out every spring training before he gets cranked up, comes out, works with the guys, talks and communicates with the guys from a mentality standpoint. Always been willing and looking forward to giving back to these guys.”

Miley cherished his time at the

university and has fond memories of it.

“It was just an outstanding time,” said Miley. “You come out of high school, you’re a kid and you get an opportunity to play Division I baseball. I came here, Coach Artigues had taken over his first year. The welcoming I got and the friends you make, you know. Some of my best friends are on that dugout in the alumni.”

Miley also gave out some advice for the current crop of players.

“Just have fun,” said Miley. “It’s a dream. You’re blessed to play Division I baseball and make the most of it. Don’t forget it’s a game, keep having fun and see where it takes you in life.” see ALUMNI GAME pg. 8

From Paris to Manhattan CAB hosts ice skating on campus to the Columbia: A cabaret

By Nathaniel Callaway Staff Reporter

By Regina Pergola Staff Reporter

“Breakfast in Paris, Martinis in Manhattan: a Cabaret” was a fundraiser for the Friends of Sims Library and the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts.

The cabaret, which took place on Feb. 4, invited patrons to enjoy Raynel Shepard singing with Harry Mayronne as an accompanist. Each patron was given two complimentary drinks at the beginning of the evening. The Sims Library and the Columbia Theatre began a partnership, which resulted in this fundraiser.

“It goes to the issue of culture and we both believe in culture,” said Executive Director of the Columbia Theatre Roy Blackwood. “We thought we could collaborate and bring it together. We really started this about three years ago and Eric said, ‘Let’s do this.’ I said ‘Okay, let’s get some talent that’s good, that we can afford and that we can sell tickets for.’ He was able to do that. The rest of it is easy, and it’s what we do all the time. You get some snacks, some tea candles, some PA and we’re ready to go.”

Director of the Sims Library Eric Johnson

Regina Pergola/ The Lion’s Roar

Raynel Shepard sang at the Columbia Theatre for a fundraiser that benefited the Columbia and Sims Memorial Library. She was accompanied by Harry Mayronne.

The Campus Activities Board is on its third week of activities.

They held the Back to School Bash on Jan. 24, and their Art Party was on Jan. 25. Their third event was ice skating, which was held outside of the War Memorial Student Union.

On Jan. 31 from 1 to 5 p.m., CAB used the term ice skating lightly, no actual ice was used.

Instead, a floor was assembled just in front of the Katrina Memorial Fountain, which was covered in a light oil and students were given ice skates.

This was the first time CAB had ever did something like this, and they chose it as a way to change their usual types of activities.

“We wanted something different from everything else because this is an unusual event especially in South Louisiana,” said McKenzie Tolson, a junior marketing major and the CAB member that was head of the event. “So, we were looking at other options and ice skating just felt like something a lot of other people could do. We wanted to do something really cool, and we said ice skating. I just then headed it up.”

The event was also held as a way for students to take a break throughout their day, and CAB felt that it would be a more convenient placement than other activities.

“We could put it somewhere like this where people could come do it on their way to class or wherever they were going,” said Tolson. “It wouldn’t have to be you come here and sit forever and wait.”

While they had a fair amount show up throughout the day, one of the major aspects that drew people in were to be spectators. see CABARET pg. 5 Students laughed and smiled

was in attendance, co-hosting with Blackwood to petition the audience members for their support of the Sims Library.

“I am delighted at the success at tonight’s evening,” said Johnson. “We didn’t know when we started whether we would have an audience of 20 or an audience of 80, and we had an audience of over 80. Everyone loved it. It’s one of the few times they’ve done a cabaret in Hammond, and I’m just so happy it was a big success for both the Columbia Theatre and Sims library.”

The idea sparked from personal experience from Blackwood. He enjoyed the performance and the memories it brought back.

“I loved it,” said Blackwood. “My wife and I love Paris, we love New York, so what could be better? That really was sort of the catalyst and we think that was the hook that brought people in.”

The patrons were supporting the Sims Library and the Columbia Theatre with their purchase of tickets for the evening along with the purchase of additional drinks.

“To be honest, this audience in here is kind of our core audience in the big theatre,” said Blackwood. “It’s the kind of people we can count on all the time. We wanted to give them a top-notch performance at a reasonable price.

The way the world goes, 40 bucks for a ticket to a show like this and a couple of free drinks, that’s really a good deal. That’s what we wanted to do and we pulled it off.”

Blackwood looks to expand the audiences for additional performances, appealing to various age ranges.

“I’ve got a couple ideas for future shows that we can do here,” said Blackwood. “People like this kind of intimate format. We’ve tried this a couple of times with the college age. We haven’t sparked their imagination so much yet. They’re comfortable with more of a $10 ticket price, and we might be able to do that down the road. It’ll take a while, but we’ll be able to bring in some entertainment they might like.”

He was pleased with the evening, deeming it a success for both the performers and the patrons.

“This has just been a lot of fun, and you saw

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Weather Tuesday H 77 L 64

as they watched friends and strangers skate around on the “ice” usually resulting in them falling down.

CAB’s events are geared towards more than just the students who attend. Faculty and professors are being drawn in to enjoy the spectacle.

“This was such a cute idea,” said Nonita Valverde, Academic Advisor for Freshmen success on campus. “My kids asked ‘Can we use this as a campus connect?’ That’s one of the assignments, and I said

‘Absolutely. You know what, I’ll even let you out a little early.’”

According to Tolson, the overall event was considered a success, and everyone was having fun.

“I think this has gone really well,” said Tolson. “People have been having a lot of fun, and a lot of people have been showing up just to watch. When we were putting the signs up, we were constantly getting messages asking us more about it because it is such an unusual event.”

Nathaniel Callaway / The Lion’s Roar

The Campus Activities Board put on ice skating for students passing by the Student Union. Participants were able to skate with friends, by themselves or just get involved as spectators.

This was the first event of its kind that CAB has ever hosted, and the CAB members in charge thought that the turnout out proved it to be a success and a good idea.

Reminders Wednesday H 82 L 56

Remember to “Pack the House” Feb. 8 at the Lady Lions basketball game. There will also be a promotional giveaway.

CAMPUS LIFE

PAGE 2 FEBRUARY 7, 2017

THE LION’S ROAR

Exercise study is looking for research participants

BY ANNIE GOODMAN Staff Reporter

An exercise science master’s student, Drew Gourley, is looking for research participants for his master’s thesis.

“We’re interested in looking on the effects of kettlebell training, kind of a high intensity interval protocol,” said Gourley. “So, participants are only gonna actually exercise for 12 minutes total and then we’ll have a warmup and a cooldown. We’re interested in seeing how that can affect a person who is previously sedentary in an unfit category, how it can affect their blood pressure. We expect it to be beneficial, but to what degree?”

Gourley is still actively looking for participants and intends to start the study after Mardi Gras.

“One thing we’ve found is that recruitment’s tough,” said Gourley.

“That’s something I didn’t anticipate going into the study. Essentially, the ideal person to study is someone who is currently sedentary, and what sedentary means is someone who has not participated in 30 minutes of exercise three time a day for the last three months. So, if you don’t fit that category, if you exercise really well for one week and then you forget for two weeks, then you go back and do really good, you’re still technically sedentary. A lot of people don’t like to hear that about themselves. Then we’re also looking for people that are in a pre-hypertensive range. Anything that is 120 to 129 over 80 to 89 is what’s considered prehypertensive. These people are not in a disease category, just an at-risk group.

If you’re in that range, you should begin lifestyle modifications which can either be through increased physical activity, which we’re focused on, or you can do

dietary modifications.”

The majority of research linking blood pressure to exercise involves aerobic exercises not resistance training.

“The current research on exercise and blood pressure been for probably 10-20 years looking at aerobic training, so running, cycling, walking, jogging, and swimming,” said Gourley. “Any type of aerobic exercise is known to have significant improvements.

These types of research have what the American College of Sports Medicine considers evidence A, which is the highest degree of evidence that this is effective and beneficial, so that’s known. Whereas resistance training, lifting weights in a variety of different ways is actually in what’s considered an evidence B category. They know that it can improve and there’s been a lot of studies that show resistance training

can reduce blood pressure. It’s just not as consistent and the reductions aren’t as high, so it’s not as clear that that’s gonna be beneficial to all people.”

Kettlebell training has not been looked at much so far.

“We’re interested in kettlebell because it’s kind of a new area, there’s only a handful of studies, but when someone’s doing kettlebell training in an interval style program, it elicits an aerobic response,” said Gourley.

“But, because it’s a kettlebell and it’s weighted, you also get some of the resistance trainings. There’s the possibility for muscular-skeletal development. We’re interested in looking at kettlebell because it meets both of those things. A big area of more recent research is what’s called concurrent training. That’s training that involves resistance and aerobics, but separately.”

The training participants will be doing is designed to target multiple muscle groups.

“The motions that we’re doing in this study specifically, because the kettlebell itself is versatile, we’re gonna be doing both upper body and lower body exercises,” said Gourley. “When you do upper body exercise, you get higher heart rate responses. So, the way we’re doing it is full body exercise. So, you’ll have upper body exercise where the heart rate can get a little higher, and then we’ll also be doing some lower body exercises where we’re hoping we’ll see an average heart rate between the peak in the upper body exercises and in those exercises that hit the larger muscle groups.”

If interested in joining the study, or for more information, contact Gourley at drew.gourley@selu.edu.

In the Lion Light: A spotlight on campus organizations

Toastmasters aids in the development of communication skills for members

BY LONDON TAYLOR Staff Reporter

Riana Braselman / The Lion’s Roar

The exhibit in honor of Charles Emery Cate had a ribbon cutting to mark the official opening. The exhibit features photos of Cate and his wife, along with numerous documents regarding their life.

Library honors Charles Emery Cate FROM

Staff Reports

On January 30 descendants of Charles Emery Cate and Southeastern officials cut a ribbon on to mark the official opening of the Charles Emery Cate Exhibit located on the first floor of the Sims Memorial Library.

Cate was one of the early developers of the City of Hammond and “one of the most important citizens in

Riana Braselman / The Lion’s Roar

A bust of Charles Emery Cate is now on display in the library. Cate moved from New Orleans to Hammond in 1859 when the city of Hammond began to grow rapidly.

the development of the city,” according to Southeastern President John L. Crain.

The exhibit includes photos, writings, and artifacts donated by the Cate family.

Professor Emeritus of History Howard Nichols said Cate moved to the north shore in 1853, purchased large tracts of land, and established several businesses, including a lumber mill, grist mill and a shoe manufacturing plant, all of which were destroyed by Union forces during the Civil War. Following the war, he reinvested in another sawmill and opened a brickyard, while encouraging businessmen to migrate to the area and establish operations.

The history of the exhibit is based on Charles Emery Cate, one of the early developers of Hammond.

Cate’s great-great-greatgreat-grandchild Emery Cate Reymond had the privilege of cutting the rope.

Library Director Eric Johnson discussed how he felt about the new historic Cate Exhibit

“I’m delighted that we have the beautiful Cate Exhibit in the Library,” said Johnson.

“Charles Emery Cate was a driving force in the creation of what is now the city of Hammond, and it’s fitting that the Cate Family memorabilia reside in a library that houses the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies. I hope that students will visit the exhibit and learn more about the history of our city.”

In 1859, Cate moved his family from New Orleans to Hammond, which was named after his friend Peter Hammond, because of the city’s abundant and different resources and the city rapidly began to grow. Among his many ventures, Cate owned a shoe factory during the Civil War that made and shipped shoes to the Confederate Army. His factory sent nearly 45,000 shoes to the soldiers before it was destroyed by Union forces.

The exhibit is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon on Friday.

The Toastmasters International specialize in building leadership and communication skills. On Mar. 24, 1905, the now international organization held its first unofficial meeting. The university’s chapter of Toastmasters started its first meeting of the spring semester on Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. in Garrett Hall.

President of Southeastern Louisiana University Toastmasters International Ian Squires, a senior accounting major stated that he planned on doing this club for a while.

“I felt like it was very good for business majors specifically, and I want to branch it out to all majors eventually,” said Squires.

“We’ve been trying to get things off. A little rocky start last semester, and we’re doing a lot better this semester. We have a lot clearer goals, and I think we’re going to be very successful.”

Allie Dyer, a senior marketing major, is vice president of memberships. She shared that she joined this club because she had gone to a lot of the different meetings for clubs but had not gotten anything out of it.

“They don’t give anything back,” said Dyer.

“As college students when we work hard, we like to get something out of it. With this club, you can earn a certificate.”

The club’s mission is to provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater selfconfidence and personal growth.

Dyer shared that she has learned something else from the club. She learned to actively listen.

“When you listen to someone speaking, you’re preparing yourself to speak,” said Dyer.

The number of active members in the organization is approximately eight to 10. The number of participants in the organization is 20 including the members.

“The other 10 or so will come when they can,” said Squires. “I think we’re definitely going to

grow. It’s going to take about 20 people for us to charter and that’s our goal for this semester.”

The meetings are every other Wednesday at 5 p.m. with the exception of holidays. Dyer feels that it works perfectly with her schedule.

“Even if you don’t make it to this meeting, there are other meetings in Hammond you can attend,” said Dyer.

In the usual meetings of Toastmasters, participants learn the skills of listening, communicating and public speaking by getting hands-on experience.

Not only do they teach the do’s and don’ts of public speaking but they also allow people to participate choosing a person at random to speak in front of the group. The topic of the first meeting of this semester was about stress management.

Squires was a member of the Hammond organization originally.

“They have clubs all over the world, and I joined Beta Alpha Psi which is an accounting honor society,” said Squires. “The meetings were at the same time.

I really loved Toastmasters, and I didn’t wanna lose it. So, I decided to start my own club.”

Toastmasters invites guest speakers from different charters of the organization to discuss topics and be evaluated by different participants using constructive criticism for the speech.

“Last semester, we had one of the top 20 speakers in the world, Mr. Joel Dawson,” said Squires.

There are contests for members of Toastmasters to compete in to be evaluated by how well they speak.

“We do have a speech contest,” said Squires.

“Contest season is starting. I participated in the humorous speech contest last semester. I won at the club level, we got second place at the area level, then it goes up to district and then division and after that you get to international.”

Squires described how he feels about being a part of this organization.

“Honestly, it’s the best club I’ve ever joined,” said Squires. “I love it because it’s given me so much value. I’ve learned how to communicate with people so much better, and it’s the number one essential skill for getting a job.”

UPD encourages bicycle registration During the Fall semester, several bicycles were reported stolen from areas around campus. The best way to prevent this is by properly securing your bicycle to a bicycle rack.

Heavy-duty U-bolt style bike locks, when used properly, are the most secure and hardest to overcome.

Bicycles should be registered with the University and should be locked to bicycle racks when not in use. Registration can be completed quickly and for free at any time in the University Police Department – just bring

your bicycle and your student ID. Bicycles locked to anything other than a bicycle rack (such as handrails, trees, or sign posts) may be immobilized or confiscated and stored until claimed and citations may be issued to the owner.

Don’t let your ride disappear.

Register it and lock it up.

As a cyclist on campus, you are responsible for maintaining a safe environment for all campus users, including pedestrians.

Avoid high speeds on campus, approach intersections

slowly and with caution and always yield to pedestrians.

Announce yourself as you approach someone from behind so they know you are coming.

Avoid using your cell phone or headphones when riding on campus – keep focused on cycling for your safety and the safety of others.

For more information about safety on campus, please visit the University Police Department website at www. southeastern.edu/police.

--Courtesy of University Police Department

Spring 2017 Graduation Deadline HAMMOND – February 15 is the final day that Southeastern Louisiana University students can apply to graduate in spring 2017.

Candidates for associate, bachelor, master and doctoral degrees can apply for graduation by logging into their LeoNet account and choosing the “Self Service, Degree Progress/Graduation, Apply for Graduation”

option.

Instructions are available on the “Current Students” link at www. southeastern.edu.

Then under Helpful Links, click on “Graduating Seniors” or call Southeastern’s Office of Records and Registration at 985-549-2066.

The $25 late application fee should be paid directly to the Controller’s Office, located on North Campus in the Financial Aid Building.

Earn Extra Income No Sign-up Fees No Start-up Cost Start immediately Be Your Own Boss Flexible Hours Great Company Great Team Great Rewards

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Organizational News is due on the Friday before publication by 10 a.m., with a limit of 150 words.

Reconnect Farmer’s Market

We are excited to announce that the first Reconnect Farmer’s Market of the semester will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. under the Student Union Breezeway. Vendors will be selling produce, jewelry, local honey and much more. Come out and support your local economy and learn more about how you can live a more sustainable and contributory life. The mission of the Reconnect Farmer’s Market is to improve

the quality of the food in our community and to teach sustainability through the sourcing of local farmers.

Circle K International

Circle K International serves the youth and community in the greater Hammond area through ongoing service activities.

Weekly club meetings are Wednesdays 4 – 5 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room of the Pennington Student Activity Center.

For more information, contact the club via email Southeasterncki@gmail.com..

Alpha Psi Omega

There is still time to join Alpha Psi Omega as an initiate member of the organization. Come check us out on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. in Fayard Room 239 for our next meeting. Find out more about our upcoming events, including the Big Event and our annual awards ceremony, The Vonnies. Alpha Psi Omega is another opportunity for our theatre students to be recognized and rewarded on a national level for their exemplary work in theatre production presented at Southeastern. Join our family today.

Opinions

The Lion’s Roar

February 7, 2017 Page 3

The Women’s March resulted in opposing views, but equal rights Larshell Green A&E Editor

The most recent Women’s March on Washington D.C. occurred on Jan. 21, 2017, one day after the Inauguration of Donald Trump.

After, I heard negative comments about both events.

This disappointed me. People who attended both events were scrutinized. Attending either event showed support of the issues that they care about and unity with the group that they identify with. We are all unified as citizens of the United States of America.

While watching a television viewing of “The Breakfast Club,” a radio show, R&B soul singer Chrisette Michele defended her decision to perform as a part of the Inauguration festivities. People attacked her because they felt that her performance supported Trump despite racist comments he made during his run for presidency. She did not state that she supported Trump.

One of the things that struck me during Michele’s interview was

the fact that when asked why she didn’t attend the Women’s March the next day, she stumbled upon an answer and said “I wasn’t invited.”

On the official page dedicated to information about the Women’s March on Washington, it clearly states that those regardless of their gender or gender identity, that believes that women’s rights are human rights are welcome. I don’t see how someone who claims to advocate rights for all genders could say that “they weren’t allowed” to go to the Women’s March. If the Women’s March didn’t welcome some because of their political affiliation or beliefs, that was a personal decision of the organization. It still does not restrict a person from going. The event was not ticketed, so no formal admission existed.

The Women’s March was created as a type of homage to the Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights March of 1963 after obtaining the blessing of Bernice King, his daughter. The main mission of the march is to unite people by way of nonviolent protest. Those involved hope to protect their rights, safety, health and families.

Here’s where the problem comes in. Most people believe

that women already don’t have rights. Clearly women have rights.

Everyone has rights. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t be able to disrespect the president of the United States with jokes, or oppose some of his stances with large-scale protests.

The marches solidify the rights that women already have and protect them.

No march despite the cause will completely fix issues. Action is required to implement changes.

What I appreciated after the Women’s March was the new campaign 100 Actions for the First 100 Days. This is intended to implement actions during the president’s first 100 days. The first action is to send postcards to your Senator voicing the issues that matter the most to you.

Although we may not all agree in the manner in which certain protests occur or the issues being advocated, we should allow protests and conversations to remain peaceful and open. This issue goes beyond women; it’s a human race issue. If I, as a prochoice Democrat, can have a peaceful, intelligent disagreement with a pro-life Republican, then so can you. It’s not about marches, people. It’s about treating humans like other humans.

Morgan Ledet Editor In Chief

With everything going on in our world, women marching for women’s rights just baffles my mind. Where do women get this strange idea that we do not have rights? I have rights everyday.

I have the right to give my opinion. I have the right to vote.

I have the right to go to school.

I have the right to do anything I want to do.

Some women think that men have more rights than women.

Please tell me since when could I not do the same thing as a man.

If I want to go deadlift 150 lbs., I can. It may be slightly difficult because I do not lift, but I have the right to learn.

It is commonly known that men are carpenters, firemen or lawyers. Well, news flash, if a woman wants to be a carpenter, she can do it. If a woman wants to be a fireman and save people from burning buildings, she can.

If a woman wants to defend someone in a trial, she has the right to do that.

Something that wasn’t broadcasted on the news like the Women’s March was the March for Life. The March for Life is a march to protest abortions. How can you say that you are pro-women and be okay with a woman killing her baby? As a woman who is prolife, I believe that the moment a baby is conceived it is a human.

A woman killing her unborn baby is that woman taking away her child’s right. That baby has a beating heart. That baby is its own person. I believe that a baby should have the same rights as any other person in the country. I just don’t understand why a woman wants to preach about not having rights then take away a child’s life and rights by having an abortion. That makes absolutely no sense to me.

I know that Trump being elected as our president is something no one expected, but it happened. He doesn’t speak very highly about women and says unfavorable things but that has not changed your rights.

You can still do anything you have done before. We need to stop thinking about the negative and look for the positive. These women were marching for many

reasons, but most were marching because they were pro-women.

So, who are you to tell me that I am not pro-women because I didn’t march?

The next thing that makes no sense to me is since when did we start letting others’ beliefs dictate who we are? Our differences make us who we are. Just because my best friend believes something different than I do, that doesn’t mean I will look at her differently. I will not judge her for what she believes in. I think we need to continue our beliefs but not put anyone down for theirs.

I think our biggest problem is our negativity. People are complaining about what Trump is doing, but why are people stooping down to his level? People are taking their anger out by breaking the law and protesting. Why are we protesting for women’s rights?

Last time I checked as a woman, I can do anything I wanna do.

Everyone has a right to do what he or she wants. Women can do what they want with their bodies, but I believe having an abortion and taking away that baby’s right just goes against why a woman was marching.

Focus on news, not reality TV London Taylor Staff Reporter

The media has its way of shining the spotlight on popular celebrities instead of covering more significant things. I believe the media worries more about the Kardashians and Jenners than important news. I mean think about it. The Kardashians and Jenners have had the spotlight on them since day one, and the media loves them. I just can’t help but feel that the media thinks Kim Kardashian getting a bigger butt would be a better story than a dog saving a cat from a tree. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with them. But come on, do they have to have ‘news’ about them almost every day? For goodness sake, they have their own reality T.V. show.

I feel as though stories that are worthy of being covered

aren’t covered because the media chooses stories that aren’t essential to what people want to hear. As far as the entertainment section goes, I feel that the majority of the attention is on celebrities. I’m not saying that I don’t want to hear about them so much. I’m saying that it would be nice if they included more nonfamous people. Even if the media didn’t focus on a lot of non-famous people, they still could focus on the celebrities that are doing something productive for others.

So much time is wasted covering nonsense when the media could be covering the good stuff. For example, I have a media app on my phone, and I look through the stories at least three times a week.

When I look through this app, nine times out of 10, I see something about Kim, Kylie, Kourtney, Khloe or Kendall.

Some people despise the fact that the Kardashians and Jenners are being spotlighted so much. Just last week, I saw

an article about Kim’s figure during her vacation to Costa Rica. It’s okay to cover things such as a celebrity’s figure if they have either lost or gained weight but to cover something people were already aware of is hardly news.

I understand that the Kardashians and Jenners may have a lot of drama in their lives, but we don’t need to know every single detail about them. They are so beloved by the media that if they even sneeze, it’ll be all over the web before you know it. I really do feel that the media pays too much attention to famous people like the Kardashians and whoever they associate with. There are real people with real issues that needs their stories to be told but don’t because the focus is on other irrelevant news. Maybe one day, the media will finally wake up and say “Hey, let’s not cover Kim Kardashian this week and cover more important news.”

SPEAK OUT

What celebrity do you think the media talks about too much and why?

Justin Bieber because it’s all about his last relationships. It has nothing to do with his career.

Lebron James because the Cavs been on a losing streak and he won championships last year.

I think they talk about Beyoncé too much. It’s not like she is doing anything for us.

Donald Trump because of everything that’s going on with the presidency.

The Kardashians. People act like they are the center of the world. It’s like everything revolves around them.

Donald Trump because he has radical ideas. They scrutinize everything he does, and they tend to fall short of public things that are important.

Brittany Gratia Family and Consumer Sciences, Sophomore

Adrionna Baudrey Nursing, Freshman

Clayton Cansler Psychology, Junior

Shandreka Martin Business Management, Freshman

Kim Kardashian because she starts doing stuff for attention.

Jakia Berry Nursing, Freshman

Donald Trump. Well, he is president and people are discriminating against him.

Christian Fortner Accounting, Freshman

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Elizabeth Allison Art, Senior

Kim Kardashian because she is always doing something extra. She gives people a reason to talk about her.

Sabrina Jackson Nursing, Freshman

The Lion ’s Roar - Staff

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Page 4 February 7, 2017

Arts & Entertainment

The Lion’s Roar

Around the world in an artist’s mind

By Regina Pergola Staff Reporter

Rebecca Meyers had her first Hammond Regional Arts Center gallery opening to display works of panoramic photography .

The gallery opening took place on Feb. 3. The collection will hang until Feb. 24. The artwork display was called “Escape through the Mind’s Eye: An Artist’s Journey” and depicted Meyers’ personal experiences.

“This show represents my life,” said Meyers. “Every piece I picked for this show is representative of a time period, it’s representative of a place that I was, that meant something to me. It’s representative of time, travels, things that I’ve done over time. Just like these represent the passage of a movement through a city, it also represents the passage of time through me.”

David Lockwood, Meyers’ fiancé, witnessed firsthand the artist’s dedication to her craft.

“She throws herself into it,” said Lockwood. “I don’t profess to understand the techniques she uses. She has

her own darkroom, and all the different films she uses, the processes. I have been with her on a lot of her photoshoots and some of the angles she gets, I don’t know how she does it.

She loves what she does. She’s always experimenting. She’ll sit for hours, experimenting with techniques.”

The pictures used for the gallery opening were enlarged for the display. Photos are symbolic to the artist and capture what she sees in her mind’s eye.

“Thinking back to the beginning, where I was, and what I was doing, I look at those pieces and I think of that time and they just bring me back,” said Meyers. “I travel back in time to all those places. So for me, they’re not just an image that I’m looking at. They represent a particular time period in my life.

It’s hard to explain more than that. A journey as a photographer is more cut up than that.”

For over 20 years, Meyers has been a professional photographer. For the past 14 years, she has been developing black and white film panoramas for her own personal journey through art or from being

commissioned. Meyers’ journey began at a young age.

“I loved taking pictures as a kid, but I didn’t really know that I loved taking pictures as much as I did until I got to be on a real research project,” said Meyers. “They used film, so I got to go into a darkroom. And see, when you’re in a darkroom, you can hear your breath, it’s quiet, there’s no distractions.

You’re just immersed. Just like those pictures are immersed in that developer, you’re immersed in that darkness and there’s only that one little red light.”

HRAC board members, friends of Meyers and other interested patrons were able to enjoy the artwork that was hung up on stands and projected onto the wall with the option of buying pieces that they wanted and talking to the artist herself.

“This is fairly unique, in terms of a skill to make this happen like she did,” said Jerry Grieves, a HRAC patron.

“While some of the things are of great interest, especially the New Orleans things, I like the Hollywood thing there, it’s pretty interesting. All in all, it’s Regina Pergola / The Lion’s Roar a great show.”

Patrons, along with Rebecca Meyers’ fiance, above far right, were able to view various artworks that depict different cities that Meyers has taken photos of and been to. Her artwork is inspired by her life and the journeys she has taken.

Black History

Month Calendar Spring 2017

February 7 - February 8

Back 2 the Culture Basket Raffle 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Student Union Lobby.

Sponsored by NAACP, the Basket Raffle will contain all types of items pertaining to the African American culture

February 9

Concrete Jungle 8 p.m. in the Student Union Theater.

Sponsored by NAACP, Concrete Jungle is a multicultural talent showcase for rappers, singers and poets to express themselves through their artistic talents on campus. Entry fee is $5.

February 14

The Wall of Love 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Student Union Lobby Sponsored by the Student Outreach Advocacy Representatives, The Wall of Love is to promote peace, unity and love.

February 20

Culture Night 7 p.m. in the Student Union Theater Sponsored by Black Student Union, this annual event will be a talent showcase featuring students and their various talents such as poetry, dance and singing. Entry fee is $1.

February 22

The Chain of Empowerment: Black to Life 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. in the Student Union Lobby Sponsored by Black Student Union, students will fill out a slip of paper with significant events, words or phrases that represent Black History.

NPHC Showcase 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. in the Student Union Theater Sponsored by NPHC and Greek Life, The National Pan-Hellenic Council Showcase is an evening designed to introduce the community to the traditions and history of the eight NPHC organizations on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University and how these organizations have been an integral part of black history in America.

Regina Pergola / The Lion’s Roar

Rebecca Meyers, far left, points out details about her panoramic photography artwork which features various places such as Hollywood, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Meyers expressed her love of the places she took photos of and how they reminded her of specific times in her life where she grew as a photographer.

Alumnus honored through jazz festival

By Regina Pergola Staff Reporter

In honor of Bill Evans, jazz pianist and alumni, the music department holds a jazz festival every year. This year’s festival will take place from Feb. 1518, with various concerts and ensembles.

“The Bill Evans Jazz Fest is an annual festival,” said Dale Newkirk, professor of Fine and Performing Arts Department and Director of the Southeastern Contemporary Art Gallery.

“However, this year we moved it up a little bit. I felt that it’s date, at least last year, was so late in the semester that it didn’t really get the kind of focus that I wanted it to have. People were kind of worn out from all the stuff going on during the school year. So we moved it up.”

Evans was a 1950 graduate of the university before he became a well known and popular musician. Evans died in 1980 but is remembered through his music.

“Part of this is to continue his legacy but also to make students aware of his importance in jazz and in the music world in general,” said Newkirk. “A lot

of students don’t know who he is, but if you just Google his name, you’re going to find that he’s probably the most important jazz pianist in, at least, contemporary times. It was around the ‘60s and the ‘70s, but he was an alumni here, so he’s from Southeastern.”

The variety of the festival depends on the different musicians that will participate and perform for interested patrons.

“We’ll be having an alumni jazz ensemble, directed by Ron Nethercutt, who’s a former faculty member here,” said Newkirk. “We’re gonna have John Madere. He’s gonna be directing the SLU jazz combo, Michael Brothers is a percussionist on drums and he’s gonna be playing and involved.

He, as well as Derek Stoughton, has been the organizers of this, so we’ve been putting more attention to it.”

The festival will showcase Evans’ works and other materials from his music career from the archives that are stored in the Sims Library.

“In addition to this, we’re going to have a show in the gallery from the archives of Bill

February 23

Trap Karaoke 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. in the Student Union Theater Sponsored by Black Student Union, Entertaining and having fun while singing the lyrics to your favorite Rap/R&B song.

File Photo/The Lion’s Roar

As a part of the 16th annual Bill Evans Jazz Festival, musicians, such as the one featured above, play in honor of the deceased jazz musician from Feb. 15-18.

Evans to kind of include album covers and his Grammy Award program when he was given the Grammy the same year Frank Sinatra was,” said Newkirk.

“His senior recital was here.

We’re going to have the piano restored for this festival that he played his senior recital on, and it’ll have a plaque on it. So, we still have two of the pianos that he played on. One he did his senior recital on, and one he did a concert here after he graduated.”

Newkirk extended the invitation to beyond just the university students and faculty for the various parts of the festival.

“They’ll be visiting master classes and workshops,” said Newkirk. “High school students interested in jazz will be here for this event as well as other people that are interested in attending the various concerts. It’s all kind of centered around his music, so the exhibition will be the whole of that.”

Arts & Entertainment

The Lion’s Roar

February 7, 2017 Page 5

HRAC to host cocktail party with performers

By Annie Goodman Staff Reporter

The Hammond Regional Arts Center is hosting a fundraising event where attendees will vote which Hammond restaurant has the best cocktail.

Art of the Cocktail is an inaugural fundraising event to benefit the Hammond Regional Arts Center and our mission is to support, promote and coordinate visual, performing and literary arts in Tangipahoa Parish and the surrounding parishes,” said Executive Director of HRAC Katherine Marquette.

“It’s basically a cocktail competition.

We’re calling it a mixologist face-off, where our different participants, all wonderful, wonderful downtown bars and restaurants, are competing for who makes the best cocktail in Hammond and bragging rights for a year.”

The event will be held Friday, Feb. 10 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at

HRAC. This event was chosen because it is unlike any other fundraising events in Hammond.

“It’s really hard, in terms of nonprofit fundraisers, to do something different and break out of the mold and also not step on toes of other nonprofits that might have a similar fundraiser,” said Marquette. “So, we really wanted to offer something that hasn’t been done in Hammond before and would be really unique and really different. It’s the only event of its kind in Hammond.”

Participating businesses are Blackened Brew, Cate Street Pub, Cate Street Seafood Station, Crescent Bar, La Carreta Hammond, The Mariner’s Inn, The Red White and Brew, Tommy’s on Thomas, Tope La, Your Mom’s Restaurant & Bar and Benny’s Place.

“We have 11 different bars and restaurants that are local here in downtown Hammond that’ll be shaking up their own signature

cocktails,” said Marquette. “Each has their own unique signature cocktail that they’ll be mixing up for patrons who will have a sample size of each drink and then be able to vote. Upon entry, attendees will be given three doubloons. They can cast up to three different votes for different cocktails or they can put all their doubloons in one box if it’s their absolute favorite.”

The entertainment for the night is highly anticipated.

“We do have some really, really awesome entertainment for the evening,” said Marquette.

“We have an aerialist. Jamie Ray is going to be doing her aerial acrobatics. Then, we also have a fantastic, fabulous emcee for the night. That will be Miss Kookie Baker, who is a drag queen.”

HRAC plans to make Art of the Cocktail an annual event.

“This is the first time we’ve done this event, but we’re hoping it becomes an annual event,” said Marquette. “It really just depends on the level of support that we see

Play set to premiere on Feb. 14

By London Taylor Staff Reporter

Writer and director Ethan Warren’s original piece “Why Are You Nowhere?” will soon premiere at the Vonnie Borden Theatre. “Why Are You Nowhere?” is about a mother visiting her parents’ cabin, nestled in the woods of Maine. She drags along her mute daughter and springs a surprise that she has taken on a new teenage ward.

The upcoming play will run from Wednesday, Feb. 14 to Friday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Director Chad Winters further summarized the details of the play.

“Quickly we learn that the mother’s relationship with her daughter is damaged deeply,” said Winters. “Her father does his best to keep the peace in an already tense reunion. The mysteriously two eerie strangers arrive supposedly seeking shelter from a brewing storm. Trapped inside the cabin with no place to go, anxieties begin to bubble to the surface. Tensions erupt into chaos until a choice must be

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Your ideas are finally reaching those who can appreciate them. But don’t expect any immediate reactions.

That will come later. Meanwhile, a personal matter needs your attention.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your energy levels are rising, and you’re feeling restless and eager to get into some activity, whether it’s for profit or just for fun. In either case, the aspects are highly favorable, so go for it.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A relationship seems to be winding down from passionate to passive. It’s up to you to decide what the next step will be. But don’t wait too long to take the initiative. Delay could create more problems.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A decision looms. But be very sure that this is what you really want before you sign or say anything.

Once you act, there’ll be little or no wiggle room for any adjustments.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Money matters improve, but you still need to be cautious with your spending. Also, set aside that Leonine pride for a bit and apologize for contributing to that misunderstanding.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A tempting financial situation could make the usually unflappable Virgo rush in before checking things out. Be alert to possible hidden problems. Get the facts before you act.

LIBRA (September 23 to

made.”

Winters described why the play was chosen to premiere.

“The play is the winner of our third annual Inkslinger Playwriting Competition,” said Winters. “It’s an original play that will have it’s world premiere at Southeastern’s Theatre.”

Stage Manager Shelly Sneed calls the cues for the show and makes sure things run smoothly behind the scenes. She feels that working with Winters is educational.

“He’s so willing to teach and help you along the way,” said Sneed. “I loved watching his vision come to life on stage.”

The play is an ensemble cast of nine. Winters believes the play is a bit absurd with a lot of fun characters. Sneed shared her belief of improvements in the rehearsals.

“There’s always improvement from rehearsal to rehearsal,” said Sneed. “I think everyone’s really comfortable with the things they are doing on stage. All of the actors fit so well into their roles.

I don’t think it could have been a cast anymore perfectly then it is.”

October 22) It’s nice to know that you’re finally getting due credit for your efforts. You also should know that new opportunities will follow.

A family member brings important news.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Any uncertainty that begins to cloud an impending decision could signal a need to reexamine your reasons for wanting to take on this commitment.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) You benefit from taking time out of your currently hectic schedule to do more contemplation or meditation. This will help re-energize you, both in body and soul.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Nursing hurt feelings can zap the energies of even the usually self-confident Sea Goat. Best advice: Move forward. Success is the best balm for a painful ego.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A display of temperament surprises you, as well as those around you. It could be all that pressure you’re under. Consider letting someone help you see it through.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Some things don’t seem to be working out as you’d hoped. Don’t fret. Instead, take some time out to reassess your plans and see where changes could be made.

BORN THIS WEEK: You enjoy traveling and meeting people. You are especially good with children and would make an excellent teacher. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.

Sponsored By

Mon and Wed Nights 6pm-Close

COLLEGE NIGHT

$9.00 PITCHERS! $1.50 GAMES! 1612 West Thomas St. Hammond, LA 70401

Winters described how he felt about the play being the first one of the spring semester.

“The winner of the competition was chosen last May,” said Winters. “The faculty decided to make it our first spring production. We had a few early rehearsals right before the holiday break, and started up again right as classes started.

Everyone’s been working hard on telling this strange little tale.”

Sneed admitted that the play is more for a mature audience due to the heavy language and “drug” use in the show. Winters shared what the audience may expect from this performance.

“The play has a lot of mystery in it,” said Winters. “A lot of questions are raised and never fully answered. In the end, the audience will make up their own answers. Even though the story has a lot of strange twists and turns, I think the audience will be pulled into the universal story about a broken family struggling to communicate.”

Though the play starts on Feb.14, the main theme is not relevant to the love theme associated with Valentine’s Day. “It’s only a coincidence that the play opens on Valentine’s Day,” said Winters. “It is about family, and their love is at stake if they can find there way back to each other.”

Sneed feels that the audience will leave having more questions.

“They will have a better appreciation of life and the people in their lives,” said Sneed.

from the community. The spirited entertainment alone is worth the ticket price, not to mention the 11 cocktails you get to sample.

We have ensured that it will be a fantastic event. Hopefully, one that everyone is talking about the next day. It’s the party you don’t want to miss in Hammond this year.”

Tickets must be ordered by Feb. 8.

“They can go online anytime to buy their tickets until February 8, or if they want to buy their tickets with check or cash, they can stop by the arts center anytime during our regular business hours, which are Wednesday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m.,” said Marquette.

HRAC also wishes to support other local businesses through this File Photo/The Lion’s Roar event.

The Hammond Regional Arts Center is hosting their first annual cocktail “It’s very, very important to tasting party as a fundraiser on Feb. 10 called Art of the Cocktail. At opening us that we be good neighbors, receptions like the one above, board members served alcohol to patrons. in terms of merchants and bars that supported us in helping we want everybody who came to favorite cocktail of the night,” said us have this event, so at 9:30 the event to go to your favorite Marquette. “Go and patron that whenever we close the doors, bar or restaurant that had your business.”

CABARET continued from pg. 1 various supporters from the audience were involved with the university, including former president Randy Moffett who had 32 years of university service.

“We think this is a great event,” said Moffett. “It’s a fundraiser for the library and the library is the heart of the university. Of course, the entertainment is really wonderful and got a good crowd here. Some familiar faces that we know and some new faces.”

Shepard discussed how she got involved performing for the fundraiser and her love of the city she sang about.

“I’ve known Pat Brady and Eric Johnson for a couple years,” said Shepard. “I must have said something to Eric or Pat. They’ve heard me sing before, so, they suggested that.

Of course, I’ve always wanted to do this sort of cabaret, and Pat introduced me to Harry.

I’ve been in Paris, but only a couple of times. I keep saying to my husband ‘When are we going back to Paris?’ so maybe this will prompt him to let us go back. It’s a beautiful city.”

Regina Pergola/ The Lion’s Roar

Singer Raynel Shepard sang a duet with Harry Mayronne and his marionette at a fundraiser for the Sims Library and the Columbia Theatre.

Patrons received two free drinks at the event with their ticket. The event was called “Breakfast in Paris, Martinis in Manhatten: a Cabaret.”

SPONSORING

Regina Pergola/ The Lion’s Roar

SPONSORING

Sports

Page 6 February 7, 2017

The Lion’s Roar

Alford shines despite Falcons collapse

SUPER BOWL continued from pg. 1

quarterback Tom Brady and took it to the end zone for an 82-yard return, the second longest in Super Bowl history.

“When Robert picks off Tom Brady on national T.V. during the Super Bowl, that is great for the university as a whole,” said Jay Artigues, Director of Athletics.

“Just the publicity that we are going to get is invaluable.”

Despite the Falcons losing a 25-point lead to the Patriots, the largest comeback in Super Bowl history, Alford is still an inspiration to the Lions athletic department and to the Hammond community.

“It’s big for our entire community,” said Artigues.

“Obviously, big for the athletic department and the football program, but to have a guy like Robert Alford play in the Super Bowl, that doesn’t happen very often. It’s like winning the lottery.”

Alford started at Hammond High Magnet School and not only played football but also ran track

finishing second place in the 400 meter dash of the LHSAA Track and Field Championship and won Rookie of the Year as a sophomore for the football team. As a Lion, he was named to second team All-Southland Conference in his sophomore year and was then named to first team All-Southland Conference in his senior year having the eighth highest single season interception total in school history with five.

“Robert is a tremendous young man and such a great athlete,” said Artigues. “He busted his tail and did a great job of taking advantage of the opportunity he had at Southeastern and made the most of it. Now, he is playing in the Super Bowl and making a great living for his family.”

Alford is one of only two Lions in the National Football League and he is the first to play in the Super Bowl.

“Not just inspire studentathletes but students as a whole,” said Artigues. “When people see Southeastern on a national stage, there is no bigger national stage than the Super Bowl.”

One of the plays of the game

Matt Slocum/ AP photo

that involved Alford was the catch that was made by Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman that was tipped toward the ground by Alford. Unfortunately the pass was still caught by Edelman.

“I couldn’t believe that he caught it,” said Alford in an interview with the Atlanta JournalConstitution. “It was a nice bat by me. I hit the ground I was trying everything in my will to get back up and at least make a play on it. I thought that Ricardo Allen or one of my other brothers would get it. They was all battling for it but Edelman came down with it.”

Some Lions fans may have been torn in watching the game and rooting for the Falcons, who are the division rivals of the New Orleans Saints.

“I’m as big a Who Dat as you are going to find,” said Artigues.

“I remember when Robert was drafted, there was a game going on and the PA announcer announced that Robert Alford was drafted and everyone was cheering, until Elise Amendola/ AP photo he said by the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Falcons’ Robert Alford, left, runs past New England Patriots’ Tom Brady for a touchdown during the first half of everyone started booing, but you Super Bowl 51. Alford had eleven tackles and recovered a fumble in his first Super Bowl appearance. Alford was favored gotta cheer for Robert. He is a to win the MVP trophy if the Falcons would have won the game.

Lion for Life.”

Mark Humphrey/ AP photo

David J. Phillips/ AP photo

Elise Amendola/ AP photo

Back to back losses against Nicholls and Central Arkansas

By Jonathan Rhodes Staff Reporter

After having a six-point lead at halftime, the Lady Lions basketball team was outscored 4523 by the Nicholls State University Colonels in the second half to defeat the Lady Lions 76-60.

Despite the offensive input difference in the two halves, Head Coach Errol Gauff believed the team had trouble throughout the entire game.

“I really don’t think it was a second half thing as much as it was really both halves,” said Gauff. “We just shot the ball really well in the first half. They shot better in the second half and our girl’s effort seemed to decrease as we fell behind and the margin got up to eight and more points.”

The Lady Lions are now Jonathan Rhodes / The Lion’s Roar 4-18 overall and 2-9 against the Junior guard Taylin Underwood and freshman guard Tyler Morrison struggle to Southland Conference. They gave get the ball up the court past Nicholls. The defensive pressure put on the Lady up 31 turnovers for the game.

Lions by Nicholls caused 31 total turnovers and 18 steals.

The Colonels recorded 18 steals pressuring the Lady Lions at half court for the entire game.

“We had 19 turnovers in the first half and 12 in the second,” said Gauff. “Turnovers were definitely our doom, if you will. We did not shoot it very well in the second half, and they were shooting better because the turnovers were in the open court and in transition.”

Charliee Dugas, freshman guard was the only Lady Lion to score in double digits with 16 points, while all five starting players for Nicholls scored in double digits. Nicholls also gave up 22 turnovers for the game, in part thanks to Taylin Underwood, junior guard and Jaclyn Scholvin, sophomore guard led the Lady Lions with two steals apiece.

“I feel like we just kind of fell apart,” said Dugas. “We were not playing the same way we practice and we were not executing very well.”

Senior forward Chey Stewart led the team with eight rebounds while Underwood contributed eight assists. Gauff will be looking to get the team back to working on their fundamentals and to help the Lady Lions concentrate for their next game.

“I know they don’t like doing them but we really have to get back to doing just dribble, pass, catch drills,” said Gauff.

“Tonight, we had a nice crowd here and if they are honest with themselves like hopefully our players will go home and be honest with themselves they will realize we work on fundamental drills everyday and we got to take them more seriously. We just committed 31 turnovers. One of the radio guys afterwards said to me ‘Coach, do you realize out of 31 turnovers 14 were just pass and catch?’ That goes to show we got a lot of fundamental work we got to go do.”

The next game for the Lady Lions was on the road where they have only won once this season.

They played the University of Central Arkansas on Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. in the Farris Center.

“We do have to get ready for Central Arkansas, But I guess we have to pay going forward attention to us” said Gauff.

“Now our girls have shown great resiliency throughout this season. Now their resiliency is being tested. We had a seven or six-point lead at halftime. We got beat by basically about 18 in here tonight. So, they whipped us and it is primarily I thought it was two things: turnovers and there at the end our effort definitely did not look like the team we are supposed to be.” Central Arkansas extended their winning streak to eight by defeating the Lady Lions 77-55. Underwood contributed scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

King, Colebrook and Ruffin continue to set new records

By Jonathan Rhodes Staff Reporter

The Lions Track & Field team had a successful meet at LSU Bayou Bengal finishing in first place in four categories and finished in 12th place in the Jaguar Invitational where they only competed in five categories.

Graduate student middle distance and hurdler Andre Colebrook broke his previous record that he set in the Southland Conference Championships by running the 800-meter in 1 minute and 51.50 seconds which is the second fastest in the Southland Conference this season. Sophomore jumper Rodney Ruffin cleared 7 feet, 1.5 inches to set a new indoor record and give him his fifth straight event win.

“We had a good meet, but not a great meet,” said Head Coach Sean Brady. “Having said that, we had three individuals that had outstanding meets. Andre Colebrook set a new school record. Devin King in the pole vault moved to number seven in the country and probably secured a spot for him in the Nationals Competitions. Rodney Ruffin broke the record he set last

week and also moved up on the national performance list. Again, it was not our best meet, but we have been on the road a lot and dealing with injuries. ” The team has struggled with injuries and a flu that was passing around the team keeping some players out of action.

“13 of our athletes in the past 10 days have either had the flu or flu like symptoms related to allergies,” said Brady. “When you are riding in vans for hours on end, those things happen.

We have held people out over the past few weeks. We have tried to quarantine some folks, but it seems we always end up a day late. However, the silver lining in all of this is that it is happening now and not when we are in the championship competitions. We should be good and in three weeks when we go to our conference meets, our young men and women should be feeling much better and being ready to perform.”

King won the pole vaulting competition for the second year in a row at the Bayou Bengal.

“I think he jumped liked 17.5 last year and the next year he jumped 17.10,” said Brady.

“Physically, he really has come

into his own. He is a much better athlete than he was before. He lost his old pole vaulting coach to another job. So, I’m coaching him now. We have only had a few competitions together. It takes a little for while for people to get on the same page, but he doesn’t seem to have that problem.

He has matured in some ways emotionally. The pressure that he was under as a freshman and a sophomore.”

The Lions took a small group to the Jaguar Invitational where Ruffin picked up his seventh win.

“Hopefully, we are healthy the rest of the year and are able to compete for the conference championship,” said Brady. “I expect nothing other than that for them their performance and to give them a chance to see the building that we will be competing in for the conference championship.”

File photo

Junior pole vaulter Devin King is now tied for seventh best mark in the country.

Sports

The Lion’s Roar

February 7, 2017 Page 7

Strong at home, struggles on the away

By Nikisun Shrestha Staff Reporter

The Lions basketball team extended their impressive home record to 10-1 with a 72-44 victory against Nicholls State University while their difficulty on the road continued despite coming close, as they lost 68-66 to University of Central Arkansas.

On Wednesday, Feb.1, the Lions outplayed Nicholls both offensively and defensively. The game saw Lions restricting the Colonels to 29.8 percent in field goals, and the 24-0 record in second-chance points showed the urgency of the team offensively.

“I thought there two key statistics and it was something we emphasized,” said Head Coach Jay Ladner. “We went back over the last few weeks and we saw a trend defensively where early in the year we were winning a lot of games holding teams under 33 percent and recently it’s been 47, 48, 50 percent and that’s not winning basketball. It’s been a big emphasis for us. Even though we went to a smaller lineup tonight, I thought our guys did a great job on the boards. To have a 49-21 advantage against a team that has a 7-footer was significant when our tallest player was 6-5. We out-scored them in the second half, 47-18, beat them 49-21 on the boards and held them to 29.8 percent. I’m pleased with those things.”

Ladner was also pleased with how the team adjusted to his strategies and also to the changes in the line up.

“We changed our line up a little bit, anticipating they play a non-traditional zonal

defense,” said Ladner. “It is designed to take away what teams traditionally do. It is a little bit unorthodox. We were able to do some homework and anticipation with some teams that ran it. In the first half, when we executed and when we showed just a little bit of patience, you all saw us getting some nice looks down inside.”

Junior forward Davon Hayes scored 20 points in the game making this his fifth straight game in double figures. He was pleased with the team’s effort.

“The way we got hot in the second half, the defense turned around,” said Hayes. “As a team, we turned it around. It was just a good team effort tonight.”

Sophomore forward Moses Greenwood also made an impact in the game with his third double-double of the season with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.

“I feel like in the last two games, I wasn’t rebounding enough, helping the team out,” said Greenwood. “That was my main focus tonight.

It was to play defense and get rebounds.”

During the halftime of the game, the River Bell Classic trophy was handed to Head Football Coach Ron Roberts. The trophy was brought home by the Lions football team after registering a victory over Nicholls last season.

At the same time, River Bell scholarship offered by Sigma Tau Gamma was also handed to the most loyal supporter of Lion Athletics.

It was given to Aundrea Burke, a sophomore psychology major.

“It was honestly a blessing,” said Burke.

“I really enjoyed it. I can’t believe they chose

Nikisun Shrestha / The Lion’s Roar

The Lions basketball team produced a solid offensive as well as defensive performance at home against Nicholls. However, they faced a heartbreaking loss on the road against Central Arkansas conceding a game winning three pointer in the final seconds. me, but I’m really happy. Ever since I got here really, with all my friends and the advance on the Lion Up app, I always came to those, got my points to enjoy the game.”

The team travelled to the University of

Central Arkansas searching for a road win on Saturday, Feb. 4. However, the team’s pursuit ended when a three-pointer with 2.2 seconds see BASKETBALL pg. 8

Lions football signs 12 new players for upcoming season

By Nathaniel Callaway Staff Reporter

The Lions football team began gearing up for the upcoming season as they signed a total of 18 new players to play next semester. On Wednesday, Feb. 1, 12 student athletes decided to continue their college football career on National Signing Day, with an additional six being added midyear. The additions included five offensive lineman, three defensive lineman, three defensive backs, two quarterbacks, two wide receivers, one running back, one tight end and one linebacker. Head Coach Ron Roberts talked about his satisfaction with the picks, and how he thinks it’ll help the team grow and advance.

“We were able to address our areas of need with this class,” said Roberts. “We were able to sign five quality offensive lineman, which was

huge. We’ll be replacing two senior tackles this year and next year we’re losing several more senior starters. We did a nice job in that area bringing in a couple of student-athletes that can have an immediate impact and several that will be building blocks for the future.”

Roberts also mentioned how he was looking forward to what the new quarterbacks will do for the team.

“We’ve brought in two quarterbacks who we think can both compete for playing time right away,” Roberts said. “We expect that to be a wide open competition during both spring practice and fall camp.”

The new players added were offensive lineman Elijah Hayes, Drew Jones, Lorenz Jones, Rendon Miles-Character and Kyle Strickland, defensive backs Marquis Johnson, Ferlando Jordan and Jah’mar Sexton, defensive linemen Jon Miller, Imani Mitchell and Noah Vance, wide receivers

Nih-jer Jackson and CJ Turner, quarterbacks Chandler Eiland and Byron Walker, running back Delmonte Hall, linebacker Kyle Nevels, and tight end Dalton Brabham.

The new players come from all over the country, with Brabham, Hall, Hayes, Jones, Miles-Character, Nevels, Turner and Walker all hailing from Louisiana, Jackson, Imani and Sexton coming in from California, Lorenz Jones, Strickland and Vance from Mississippi, Johnson and Jordan coming to Louisiana from Georgia, Miller coming down from New York, and Eiland from Texas.

Roberts and his coaches chose these players specifically for each of their positions.

“We signed someone at every offensive and defensive position,” said Roberts. “We feel real comfortable with all the areas we covered. We were able to add players who are not just great athletes, but

high-character and dependable young men who we can count on to do the right things for our program.”

Roberts was also pleased with that he got to help out some of the students in keeping them close to home in Louisiana.

“We were very pleased with the quality of student-athletes we were able to bring in from within the state,” said Roberts.

“We think all of our in-state signees will be starters for us in the future. We want to continue to keep more of our Louisiana players at home.”

As for the individual picks, Roberts stated that they chose the right players and that they will all be ready for the season.

“Some of the kids we signed, we expect to come in and make immediate impacts,” said Roberts. “Then we’ve got some guys that we know we’re gonna have to take and be in the program for a while. It’ll take some time before it pays off for them but we’re real

Nathaniel Callaway/ The Lion’s Roar

Head Coach Ron Roberts chatted on the radio station Kajun 107.1 that was broadcasting the event. He talked about how he and the rest of the coaching staff felt about the new recruits and their hopes for the upcoming season. excited about the class and like I said, every one of these guys we picked to come in here to win the championship and get a

degree and that’s our goal every year on the football field.” see SIGNING DAY pg. 8

The baseball program celebrates hard work and the upcoming season

By Jonathan Rhodes Staff Reporter

The Lions baseball team held their annual First Pitch Banquet in the Event Center where they gave out the Lion for Life award to former Lion and current Baltimore Orioles pitcher Wade Miley.

“Being a Lion for Life is not about how hard you hit or fast you can run,” said Director of Athletics Jay Artigues. “It’s about the relationships you build. The Lion for Life Award

winner this year, I could not be more proud of this young man.

To see what he has developed into and I remember when he got called up to the big leagues watching him pitch in Atlanta, and I had tears rolling down my face and my wife asked ‘Are you alright?’ and I said ‘I have coached hundreds and hundreds of kids. This is the first one to ever see his dream come true.’”

Miley received the Lion for Life award in the event on Friday, Feb. 3. He also had his jersey number retired prior to the

annual Alumni Game on Feb. 4.

Miley along with other former players came to the banquet to support the baseball program.

“Thank you,” said Miley.

“It is an honor to receive this.

I am really thankful for the opportunity play baseball as a Lion. Obviously, without my wife Katy, I don’t think I would be playing too much college baseball. She got me through there when the grades weren’t so good.”

Freshmen pitchers Tyler Booth, Cole Martin, Austin

Chastang, DJ Alexander, catcher Ben Bayless, infielder Trey Morgan, Austin Lambertson, Corey Levy, Cody Marshall and outfielder Mavrick Wilhite got their Lion for Life dog tags at the banquet.

“More than anything, it represents the dedication they put in,” said Head Coach Matt Riser. “There is a lot of time and effort to put into it from an academic standpoint, a baseball standpoint and a conditioning standpoint. We demand a lot out of them. This is finally the dog tag that says ‘Hey, we’ve been through the grit and done the hard work. Now it is time to have fun and be part of the club and have a chance to win a championship.’”

Senior Webb Bobo was chosen by Riser to deliver the senior speech during the banquet. Bobo spoke on how difficult playing college baseball can be and what it

takes to succeed.

“College baseball is a lot more work than I thought it was going to be,” said Bobo. “I can speak for myself and I’m sure the other guys or anyone else who has played Division I baseball knows, you sign and then you are expecting to play.

But, all of that hard work is tough especially if you don’t see the results. My dad use to tell me this all of the time: ‘Just keep moving and just keep grinding and it will pay off.’”

Bobo also spoke on the relationships that he has built through playing for the Lions.

“Just being able to meet the group of guys that you do live with on a day to day basis,” said Bobo. “The group of guys who are just in it with you through it all, no matter if you are up or down. That brotherhood that you form over a period of time is definitely the most important part of college that I have

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learned up to this point.”

Every player on the team is responsible to find a business to donate items to be auctioned during the banquet.

“We go out and ask the business to help the team out because they know the Southeastern area,” said junior outfielder Drew Avans. “This is my third year being at the banquet and it gets bigger every year and better.”

The Lions were ranked second in the Southland Conference preseason polls on Jan. 2 . The Lions finished second in the conference last season and made it to their fourth Southland Conference Tournament Championship game in five seasons.

“We’ve got something to prove this year,” said redshirts senior pitcher Cliff Hurst. “The rankings in the polls came out and we weren’t number one, we were number two. That’s got a bad taste in our mouth and we are looking to prove some people wrong.”

The season opens against UL Lafayette on Feb. 17. UL Lafayette won two of the three games against the Lions last season.

“We are two weeks away from opening up against UL,” said Bobo. “Super excited just to start a new year. I think we will have a great year if we play the way that we can play.

If I’m being honest the thing that I am looking forward to the most is running out on the field with Seward and the rest of the boys.”

News

Page 8 February 7, 2017

The Lion’s Roar

Around the Nation Brady leads biggest comeback, Patriots win Super Bowl LI 34-28 in OT

Nikisun Shrestha / The Lion’s Roar

The Alumni Game provided the fans with the opportunity to witness former baseball players compete with the current players. It is also the last event before the baseball season returns on Friday, Feb. 17.

ALUMNI GAME continued from pg. 1 The Alumni Game saw the end of the pre-season preparations for the Lions.

Riser assessed the team’s preparation and has set certain expectations from the upcoming season.

SIGNING DAY continued from pg. 7 Roberts feels that the players brought in will also be prepared for their future at the university.

“I think we’ve got some real quality young men and that’s the thing that works,” said Roberts.

“I think we really got a group of character players that will take care of business on the field and off the field in the classroom. We really think they’re gonna make a difference at the school and in the community, because they’ve all got experience in helping out.”

Tom Dawsey, Assistant AD for Marketing and Development of the university athletic department feels confident in the coaches’ choices and decisions and added his thoughts on the picks.

“We got a lot of work to do,” said Riser. “It has not been pretty so far. I thought this group would be a little more prepared when they came back. We’re still making a lot of the same mistakes.

We’re really looking forward to all these guys doing a little bit of what they did last year. Our expectations are extremely

“This group of coaches always do a great job of bringing in good kids who are quality athletes and good students,” said Dawsey. “We’ve got five or six on campus who are really doing a good job in the classroom and on the field as well. I expect when these other guys come in for the summer they will be just as excited and just as hardworking.”

Dawsey also feels that the team has a strong chance this year for really pulling through and making some big wins.

“Like I said, the coaches really do a good job of vetting out the athletes and making sure they’re just good students, good players and good guys,” said Dawsey.

“We want to win the Southland Conference and I really think we’ve got the opportunity this coming season.”

HOUSTON (AP) — Tom Brady led one of the greatest comebacks in sports history lifting New England from a 25-point hole to the Patriots’ fifth NFL championship in the first Super Bowl overtime.

The Patriots scored 19 points in the final quarter, including a pair of 2-point conversions, then marched relentlessly to James White’s 2-yard touchdown run in overtime to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 Sunday night.

Brady, the first quarterback with five Super Bowl rings, guided the Patriots (17-2) through a tiring Atlanta defense for fourth-quarter touchdowns on a 6-yard pass to

Danny Amendola and a 1-yard run by White, which came with 57 seconds remaining in regulation.

White ran for the first 2-pointer and Amendola did the deed with a reception on the second.

Brady, winning Super Bowl MVP for a record fourth-time, finished 43 for 62, the most attempts in Super Bowl history, for 466 yards, also a record, and two touchdowns.

“You know, we all brought each other back,” Brady said.

“We never felt out of it. It was a tough battle. They have a great team. I give them a lot of credit.

We just made a few more plays than them.”

high. We wanna go win and do more than we’ve ever done. There’s gonna be one team happy at the end of the year, that’s whoever wins the National Championship. That’s becoming more and more of a reality here at Southeastern.

We’re getting closer and closer to that goal.”

BASKETBALL continued from pg. 7 remaining got in.

“It was very disappointing,” said Ladner. “It was a heart breaker. Anytime you lose a basketball game at the last shot of the game, it’s disappointing. But, it’s not one play that costs you the game. It’s many plays. The first possession or the 20th possession, all has to be played right.”

A 14-0 second half run by the Bears proved to be decisive in the game.

“We went through a stretch there and, honestly, I think that was the portion of the game that they beat us,” said Ladner.

“I thought we settled for some bad shot, we had some higher percentage shot that we did not take. Certainly, we just have to do a better job of finishing games.”

The Lions have yet another opportunity to improve their away record when they play Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.

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Tony Gutierrez / AP Photo

Lady Gaga performs during the halftime show of the NFL Super Bowl 51 football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017 in Houston.