The Lion's Roar 02/16/2016

FEBRUARY 16, 2016 VOLUME 87, 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

Campus Life Page 2

Opinions Page 3

Arts & Entertainment Page 4

Sports Page 6

News Page 8

LionsRoarNews.com

Future of TOPS endangered in budget crisis

BY WILLIAM SCHMIDT Opinions Editor

Louisiana is in the midst of a budget crisis and on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 14, the House and Senate began a Special Legislative Session called

by Governor John Bel Edwards. Edwards gave his Executive Budget for the 2016 to 2017 fiscal year to the Joint Legislative Committee on Feb. 13.

On Thursday, Feb. 11, due to the immediate fiscal year short fall, the state suspended the process by which colleges and universities are reimbursed for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS). However, current students for this semester will be receiving their awards.

“Current TOPS scholarships remain intact,” said Vice President of Administration and Finance Sam Domiano. “Southeastern has been notified by LOFSA that the state will not be paying for 20 percent of TOPS payments that are due to the university.

Alternative funding mechanisms for the 20 percent are being explored. Until more is known regarding potential budget cuts to higher education and the TOPS program itself in the 2016 to 2017 budget, it would be irresponsible to speculate on the future.”

TOPS is only one topic of discussion that will be brought up for the Special Legislative Session in which the Legislature and Governor will discuss the budget deficit that must be resolved before the

regular legislative session begins due to the state’s constitution.

“We now have a more than 940 million dollar budget deficit for this current fiscal year, ending June 30,” said Edwards, in a statewide governmental address on the evening of Feb. 11. “In the year that starts July 1, we are facing a two billion dollar budget deficit. And because the Louisiana Constitution does not allow us to fix either of these budget deficits in the regular legislative session this year, we have just three weeks, starting this Sunday, to make the changes we need.”

In his governmental address, Edwards proposed some ways in which he hopes to help solve the budget

situation. This included a hiring freeze across the state government, a reduction in state contracts, a cut of over $160 million dollars in government spending, the use of $128 million dollars in non-coastal BP payments, an increase in alcohol and cigarette taxes and a set of revenue-raising measures that include further reducing tax credits, suspending corporate tax deductions and adding a penny of the sales to the state’s four cent sales tax. Edwards also encourages us to “focus on solutions and not allow party labels and bickering to pull us apart.”

Though these are the proposals that Edwards

see BUDGET pg. 6

Alexis LaPlante steps up as KA chapter changes name of Miss Southeastern 2016 ‘Old South’

BY WILLIAM SCHMIDT Opinions Editor

Recently, former Miss Southeastern 2016 Brianna Young stepped down and the second runner up from the 2016 Miss Southeastern Beauty Pageant Alexis LaPlante stepped up to take her role as queen.

The crowning ceremony took place on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 12:30 p.m. in the Student Union Theatre.

Normally, the first runner up from the Miss Southeastern Beauty Pageant would take the place of Miss Southeastern if she ever had to step down.

However, first runner up junior communication major Nancy Peck holds the title for Miss Slidell 2016. This led to second runner up senior kinesiology major LaPlante to reign as the new Miss Southeastern 2016, a vision she has had since she first came to the university.

“When I was told I was the new Miss Southeastern, I was shocked,” said LaPlante. “It has been my dream since the day I set foot on this campus to be Miss Southeastern and give back to a university which has given much to me.

I am blessed and honored to be given this opportunity.”

LaPlante originally began her path for the title of Miss Southeastern in hopes of gaining awards but has come to know holding the title has more importance.

“What originally led me to compete was the amazing scholarship opportunities which come with the title,” said LaPlante. “However, the more I became involved in pageants, I realized holding a title is so much more than that.

It’s having the opportunity to make a difference in the

BY HEATHER JEWELL Sports Editor

Courtesy of Catherine Masters

Senior kinesiology major Alexis LaPlante took up the title of Miss Southeastern 2016 after original title holder Brianna Young recently stepped down. She will represent the university at the 2016 Miss Louisiana Beauty Pageant. university and community.”

LaPlante will use the time until the 2016 Miss Louisiana Beauty Pageant to represent Southeastern, focus on her platform for abolishing all forms of modern-day slavery and begin preparation for each level of competition for the Miss Louisiana competition.

“I intend to make the most

of this opportunity because I want to represent the university the best way I can,” said LaPlante. “I understand this title isn’t about me, it’s about all the people I can reach with it. This campus can be assured they will see me being actively involved as much as possible during my reign. These next few months

I will be working as hard as possible to make sure Miss Southeastern continues her legacy of success at the Miss Louisiana pageant. I know being Miss Southeastern will open so many doors and allow me to further my platform

see LAPLANTE pg. 5

The KA order has announced the name Old South may no longer be used for the annual social put on to commemorate the order’s founding fathers despite all Confederate items being banned for many years now.

The National Administrative Office sent out a regulations update to all Advisory Councils, active chapters, alumni chapters, commissions, chief alumnus and former knight commanders on Jan. 8.

The notice states: “Chapters shall not sponsor functions with the name Old South or functions with any similar name. All functions and activities must be conducted with restraint and dignity and without trappings and symbols that might be misinterpreted and objectionable to the general public.”

Like other fraternities, KA has been around for over a century and accumulated numerous traditions in this time. The social Old South was celebrated nationally and those attending would dress up in clothes from the colonial era. Ladies would wear the dresses with large hoop skirts and men would wear old-fashioned suits.

Each university celebrated the social differently, with chapters even holding it at plantation homes. While each university hosted it differently, there are still those who consider it to be a celebration of a time when slavery was rampant and was insensitive to the AfricanAmerican community.

Junior marketing major Christina Ferrando questions why the event’s name had to be changed when the national board formally restricted the use of anything Confederacy related to the social years before.

“I think it is our culture right now,” said Ferrando. “People are just wanting to change everything. Instead of just completely disbanding uniforms at every chapter, they have to cancel the whole idea of having a formal event set in a time period where slavery also happened.”

Assistant professor of Sociology Dr. Marc Settembrino compares plantation homes to the Nazi concentration camps. In Europe, they are still there and open as historical monuments, but as a reminder to people of the horrors that happened within them. When someone goes to Auschwitz they are reminded of the systematic extermination of a group of people. However, when someone goes to a plantation home, they are not equating what happened there as similar to the genocide in Europe. Just as in Europe, in America slaves were systematically executed, had their rights taken from them and beaten.

“What happened on those plantations,” said Settembrino. “Are you acknowledging what happened there or are you just white washing it?”

In the United States children are taught about slavery in their American History classes, but in the Netherlands they do not learn about the Dutch involvement in slavery at all, despite the Dutch being the ones who started the African slave trade and facilitating it.

“You cannot just try and erase that,” said Ferrando. “It happened.

Accept it and be glad that it is not happening anymore.”

No Kappa Alpha was allowed to comment on the topic due to an order by the National Administrative office banning them from doing so.

Yearly social work conference sharpens foster care skills

BY IAN FISCHER Professionals and community members fighting to improve Louisiana’s child welfare system meet every year in Lafayette in hopes of achieving a better system.

“Together We Can,” is an event for collaboration of an amount of children’s advocacy groups, academia, government and the Louisiana community. These people, including the university’s own faculty and students, attend this meeting in order to hone in on the professional standards in the field of child welfare. Presenter Sue Badeau, a nationally recognized child advocate, explained her hopes for the results of their efforts on the 2015 brochure.

“During this presentation, you will be challenged, inspired and equipped to make a healing difference in the lives of children and their families,” said Badeau.

The last conference took place from October 13 to 15, 2015 at the Lafayette Cajundome. Two of the university’s Department of Health and Human Services faculty members presented at the conference

Title IV-E Child Welfare Program Director/Assistant Professor Dr. Corie Herbert and instructor Tonyalea Elam.

According to Hebert who presented a three-hour workshop on social work ethics, five students attended the conference. According to a university press release on the event, alumni with careers in social work attended as well.

The conference provides a platform for the latest possible information to be shared. Speakers from two national organizations, Penny Putnam-Collins from the Child Welfare Information Gateway and Rebecca Robuck from Child Focus Inc., came to speak at this last conference about the latest information on sex trafficking and new laws requiring states to inform the general public on the topic.

Despite the efforts and improvements made by the people at the event there is still “much work to do to improve the system,” said Herbert.

One of the challenges the Louisiana child welfare system has is getting people committed to pursuing a career in foster care. The federal government program funds Herbert’s efforts to recruit bachelors-level

students into a career in foster care. There are seven public universities involved in the country, but it is still difficult to find people who would agree to the conditions social workers in child welfare face.

“It takes a special person to do the job,” said Hebert. “Sometimes we lose children.”

The child welfare system’s difficulties can be reflected in the experiences of people who have been through it. Freshman social work major Brianna Lang shared her experience growing up in the foster care system, expressing the system’s dire need for a change for the better.

“I can send you a whole list of things I hated about the foster care system,” said Lang.

Lang changed families over 10 times and said not having permanent support after turning 18 left her feeling like her care was worthless.

“Honestly, if it wasn’t for college, I don’t know what I would have done,” said Lang.

People looking for more information on the “Together We Can Conference” can visit their website, latwc.com.

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CAMPUS LIFE

PAGE 2 FEBRUARY 16, 2016

THE LION’S ROAR

NAACP entertains during black history month

BY KELLI MEYNARD Staff Reporter

Every February we celebrate the love and romance of Valentine’s Day, but another thing we celebrate all month long is Black History Month.

This time of year, we celebrate blacks who have made a difference and who have achieved great accomplishments in American history. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a student run organization on campus and members are excited for all the events they have planned for Black History Month.

“I am very excited for Black History Month,” said NAACP Senior President Lauren Davis.

“This is a month where we can celebrate particularly the black pioneers that paved the way for so many of us. I’m also excited for all of the events that the student organizations have planned for this month.”

The NAACP is not only on campus, but it is also a nationwide organization fighting against discrimination. According to

Davis, it was started to provide awareness of racial problems affecting people’s lives and to help improve the economic, education, social and political status of blacks and other ethnic minorities.

“I initially joined NAACP because my sister was a part of the organization and she encouraged me to join,” said Davis. “However, over the past four years that I have been involved with NAACP, I have been able to find a family of people that support me, and I feel that this organization has allowed me to grow as a person and as a leader. I would have never imagined that I would go from the quiet freshman following her older sister to a leader on the current executive board.”

The first week of February kicked off NAACP week where a variety of events to educate students about Black History Month were held on Feb. 1 where members welcomed singers, dancers, poets and a guest speaker. On Feb. 2 they held a game night. On Feb. 3 they held a bake sale as well

Photo Courtesy of India Williams

Guest speaker and Assistant Director of the University Counseling Center Angela Jones (above left) gives a presentation at the NAACP meeting. Panelist (above right) discuss the differences between attending a predominantly white college versus a historically black institute. The panelist includes Southeastern alumni Thomas Moore and Patricia Barney, current Southeastern student Amarielle Cordova and current University of Louisiana Lafayette student Kendal Davis. as a student panel talking about the difference between black students who attend a predominantly white institution versus the black students who attend a historically black college or university. On Feb. 4 they hosted a block party and on Feb. 5 they had a Mardi Gras theme community service project at the Heritage Nursing

Home.

The members of NAACP want students to get more involved, but members want to educate students and provide awareness.

“The Southeastern chapter of NAACP is dedicated to get students involved by hosting fun activities, but we also hope for them to learn something while at

it,” said Davis.

The organization is holding a book drive all month long for Hammond Head Start. They not only host events during Black History Month, but they also have events in fall and spring on campus.

“We hold a lock in every fall and spring that is fun and we play different games, but we

also teach the students about real life issues,” said Davis. “We also give back to the community from everything to visiting nursing homes to setting up a game for girl scouts to play for the ‘Believe in Girls’ event.’”

If interested in joining NAACP contact membership director Jessica Winfrey at Jessica.winfrey@selu.edu.

Norris reigns as Queen Le Krewe Mystique De La Capitale XL

BY LARSHELL GREEN Staff Reporter

A member of the Lion nation was crowned as Mardi Gras royalty.

Sophomore nursing major Donalyn Norris and

Baton Rouge native won the title of Queen Le Krewe Mystique De La Capitale XL. According to Norris, members of Krewe Mystique submit applications for approval by the board of directors in order to apply for the chance to compete for the title.

Photo Courtesy of Donalyn Norris

Sophomore nursing major Donalyn Norris proudly stands in a custom made ball gown complete with white lace and Swarovski crystals. Norris also attended Krewe Mystique’s “Grease” themed 40th annual ball this year and has already begun community service projects.

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

AYW Join Alpha Psi Omega and the Southeastern Theatre Department on Saturday, Feb. 20 for a special fundraising showcase. The evening will consist of performances by students who will be traveling to San Angelo, TX as part of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Come join us for a great evening of theatre at 7:00 p.m. in the Vonnie Borden Theatre. Admission is pay what you can with a suggested donation of $5.

NAMI

NAMI stands for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Our first animalassisted Lions Helping Lions: Depression Support Group will take place Thursday, Feb. 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Wesley Foundation. This meeting will include a golden retriever, a shih tzu, a hairless cat and a hedgehog to help put everyone at ease. If you are interested in joining NAMI on campus or

would like more information on our support group, please email us at namisoutheastern@gmail.com.

Mental health fact: Depression is a serious illness and is not a normal part of growing up or a result of personal weakness. With consistent treatment, most people with depression can live happy, productive lives.

SCA

The Southeastern Christian Association is sending out an invitation to all university students to join us on Tuesday, Feb.16 for our organization’s screening of the Christian feature film “Courageous.” Admission is free. This event will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Fayard Hall Room 107. We would also like to invite all university students to join us on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. in Fayard Hall Room 107 for the SCA’s weekly Bible study. You can also connect with the SCA on Facebook at https://www.facebook. com/groups/SoutheasternChristianAssociation/.

Norris became involved in Le Krewe Mystique by being a member of a competitive dance team.

Owner of Cangelosi Dance Project Kris Cangelosi is the Honors Chairwoman of Krewe Mystique and is a previous queen.

Norris attended the Krewe Mystique’s 40th annual Mardi Gras Ball which took place on Jan. 23. Norris’ mother Tonilyn Guidry served as ball captain this year and one of the captain’s responsibilities is to choose a theme. The theme “Grease” was chosen because it is Norris’ and her mother’s favorite movie.

“It was a regal experience,” said Norris. “After the 10 Debutantes were presented, the king and queen were announced after being kept secret

from the public. There were four different call-out dances after the formal dinner and then the party began.”

Norris’ attire included a custom gown fit for royalty courtesy of the Dynasty Collection.

“I had to wear the queen’s collar with a matching cape which is custom made for the Krewe Mystique royalty,” said Norris. “My dress was a white ball gown with gold lace and Swarovski crystals. The collar and cape were white with gold and silver sequin appliques. Also, I have a crown and scepter.”

Although Norris stated that she has had no

see NORRIS pg. 6

OPINIONS

THE LION’S ROAR

FEBRUARY 16, 2016 PAGE 3

Moving on and recovering from a breakup William Schmidt Opinions Editor Another Valentine’s Day/Black Heart Day has come and gone. Single or taken on the day, one thing that I am sure many people have dealt with is a break up. And, for reasons beyond my understanding, after Christmas and Valentine’s Day seem to be the “hot” dates to break up with your significant other.

If you have been in any relationship, no matter how short or long it was, you know breaking up sucks. Doesn’t matter if you were dumped or were the person doing the dumping. Even if it was a short relationship, you came into the life of another person which has changed you as you did to them.

It may have been for the better, hopefully it wasn’t for the worse, and if it was, find that something in your life that will make you a better person and happy with being alive.

With an extremely limited amount of space for words, I will try to give some advice or thoughts on moving on in life after a breakup even though the future may seem bleak. And, the first advice I will give is that if you are a college student and reading this, I know from personal experience it will be nearly impossible to get out of

that bed in the morning, especially if it is a recent break up. But don’t stay in that bed.

Get up, move around, force yourself to do your assignments and afterwards be proud of your accomplishment of getting out of bed. Don’t let a break up force you to fall behind in school and cause detrimental repercussions in your future.

Also, try to find someone to hang out with. Maybe watch a movie with a friend that you didn’t talk to as much as you should have when you were in a relationship.

Make sure you do something active, force yourself if need be. Being active will help get your mind onto other thoughts outside of “what if I did this,” “maybe if I had done that,” “been a better person or what would have happened had I…” Let your activity get you above the what ifs, should haves, et cetera.

My next advice is to tell you that it is not the end of the world. No matter how hard it seems, no matter how much you may retreat into that tub of ice cream, batch of homemade cookies, bottle of wine if you are of age, Netflix binge the entire series of “Doctor Who” the day it is put up or a combination of the aforementioned as I did after my last break up, life will go on.

I have barely touched the surface on what you could do, but I’ll leave you with a paraphrasing final thought a wise friend once told me that has helped me move on in the same week. I dealt with my last break

up, had my car break down with needing alternator repairs and witnessing a horrible hit and run. When you go in your room at night and turn the lights off, the ghost of every person that has dealt with a horrible break up and has experienced the same thing you are going through will be there to comfort you if you need it. Remember they made it through and their ghost from which they recovered from are there to help you move on as well. Just as my friend’s ghost was there to help me move on, one day you will move on and leave a ghost of a broken relationship behind. And now, my ghost of moving on from a breakup along with many others are there to help in spirit. And in the words of Cristina Yang from “Grey’s Anatomy,” “It’ll hurt. Every time you think of her. But over time, it will hurt less and less. And eventually you’ll remember her and it will only hurt a little.”

For every person dealing with a break up, the pain and hurt will go away and you will have the chance to try and love again.

And if you have a beautiful soul and are pure of heart, then the universe will send the right person in your life in perfect timing for the both of you. When two souls are meant to be together, they will find a way to end up together. Time and distance don’t have anything on fate, just be patient as I have learned that I have to do. And in that time you are single, enjoy it and live life to the fullest.

Every day should be a day of love and celebration when with your significant other Larshell Green Staff Reporter Pull out your Sunday best, mark your calendars, make reservations at the best restaurant in town and scour the Internet for life-size stuffed animals. It’s that time of the year again, Valentine’s Day. This is the holiday to express your love for family, friends or significant others.

And honestly, it’s the kind of holiday that you either hate or ‘love’, no pun intended. In

fact, some people don’t even consider Valentine’s Day a holiday. Some go overboard and put all their energy into celebrating an act that should be done every day if you really love someone, and that’s saying ‘I love you.’

I have no idea when the equivalent of love became stuffed animals, candy and trinkets. But let’s be honest ladies and gentlemen, there is something gratifying about celebrating love for one day, and receiving gifts for it.

Nevertheless, Valentine’s Day is a real, national holiday, my calendar says so.

Some ignore the holiday

altogether, but I refuse to participate in hating a holiday that celebrates love. This is without a doubt my favorite holiday of the year.

It’s not too expensive like Christmas, although food can be a highlight, people don’t usually partake in the art of feasting and it doesn’t specifically promote a religion or culture.

I love going to see the best funny or horror films of the year, receiving giant teddy bears and flowers from my boyfriend, candy from my parents and bundles of birthday presents. Yes, I am a Valentine’s Day baby.

Obviously, I have never had the option of ignoring the holiday, nor my birthday like any other normal person.

But, it wasn’t until I got further in elementary school that I realized how blessed I was to have a birthday on such a special day. After all, I get double the gifts. And I love gifts, especially of the food variety. There’s all this great candy on sale that would be much more expensive any other time of the year, and usually I treat myself to a great birthday cake, or cheesecake.

But, enough about me, this day is usually about couples.

Obviously in my case, my

boyfriend doesn’t really have a choice but to celebrate Valentine’s Day because he would also be ignoring the day that I came into existence. But, I do know some couples who make it a point to either whole heartedly celebrate Valentine’s Day or to purposely ignore the holiday. My best guess would be that these couples don’t want to make each other feel special for one day, because they do it every day. It’s up to the discretion of the couple. No one should be able to tell you how to love someone, or how often to do it. But, of course, as humans, we will judge each other.

This isn’t just a holiday for couples, it can also be for families, or for yourself.

Any day can be the day that you choose to love someone, accept love from them or acknowledge the ability to love yourself. Don’t let gifts make you blindly appreciate someone even if the love isn’t there. Even if you are single, staying in to binge on chocolate truffles and watching Netflix is still considered celebrating. If you are taken, there’s nothing wrong with joining society in buying pounds of fatty foods and participating in cute gift exchanges to gratify a normal need for humans, true love.

Let the good times roll during Mardi Gras with family, friends, fun and gumbo Heather Jewell Sports Editor With Mardi Gras just around the corner, it really should be no surprise that the weather is changing on us into something wild again. The last four years, the weather around this favored Cajun holiday has been rainy and cold, making rain boots a mandatory accessory to be worn the day of, much like a tie for the Catholic school boy’s uniform.

Many of us Louisiana born students could also agree we were introduced to, ahem, alcohol a bit earlier than 21, so this holiday was always an easy way to get our greedy little hands on it. The beads, music, dancing and floats are all legendary to our ears and to imagine a gloomy Mardi Gras parade is next to impossible.

Despite all these things, my favorite aspects of Mardi Gras has always been between the times of the parades. I grew up in a small town right out of a cliché book where everyone knows everyone, and walking to your

destination instead of driving is doable. Every Mardi Gras my family wakes up early and eats a large breakfast together with eggs, pain perdu (pronounced “pan-pan-doo” for you non coon asses), bacon and a warm mug of coffee milk. My younger brother is usually biting at the bit to hit the road, so eventually we leave and head into town before the roads are closed for the first parade. My father’s parents live in town, so we always park in their yard for the day. My grandparents will have more breakfast at hand in case anyone is still hungry and will already

be setting up the kitchen for making lunch.

I always tell my friends that the best way to know if you’re eating a real gumbo or not is by finding out how long it took to cook. From scratch it can take from 3 hours to an entire afternoon, allowing the flavors to come together whereas the instant Roux will cut cooking time down to an hour or two. My grandparents will use seasonings from their own garden and the aroma fills the entire house making my mouth water.

Eventually friends will show up as well. We will all go to the

first parade and hang out with other people, but then laden with our treasures we’ll head back to my grandparents’ and eat lunch.

By the time we have gotten back, not only will gumbo be served, but also muffulettas, egg rolls, sweets and potato salad. A fire will be roaring in the living room, and after slipping off our wet clothes into something warm, everyone gathers around to say a prayer.

During this part of the day, a little weight always settles when I look around and see who is not with us. Mardi Gras is a day of fun and mischief, but more

than anything, a day to be with family. During our prayer, we thank God for those who are still with us and pray for the man we hope to see again.

As soon as our hands drop though, we attack the food in front of us like glutinous pigs.

After eating and divvying up who gets what when going back home or to campus, some of us will go back out for the next parade while others decide to settle down and take a much deserved nap. Either way though, when you wake up or return, there’s a huge bowl of gumbo waiting to warm your belly.

SPEAK OUT

Who do you want to be the next president and why?

Bernie Sanders, he has a message that needs to be said and he is not a loud blow hard.

Whoever the Republican winner is, Cruz, Rubio, Trump, Carson, whoever.

Donald Trump. He is a businessman who knows how to run a country. He’s not scared to get rid of terrorists.

Nicholas Bejeaux, Graduate Student In Languages and Communication

Landon Thompson, Sophomore, Occupational Safety, Health and Environment

I would go with Hillary Clinton. I feel that Hillary Clinton is qualified. She’ll bring something new to the table.

Bernie Sanders, just from hearing him talk. Everything he says makes so much sense.

I guess Ted Cruz because I feel like he has decent views on immigration but he’s not as extreme as Trump.

Alayah Taylor Sophomore, Business Administration

Dylan Landry Sophomore, Engineering Technology

Anna Crawford Sophomore, Psychology

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 4 FEBRUARY 16, 2016

THE LION’S ROAR

Shattered Sherlock Holmes to bring mystery to Columbia Illusions

BY HEATHER JEWELL Sports Editor

BY MORGAN LEDET Staff Reporter

Review “Laissez le bon temps rouler” or as most people say, “Let the good times roll.” When I hear this term, I think of Mardi Gras, then I think King Cake.

King Cake is a popular dessert for most New Orleanians around Carnival season. For me, it’s my favorite dessert. There are so many places in my hometown of New Orleans that serve some amazing King Cakes, so I figured why not try a few. I decided to switch it up a little bit. I chose to try a couple places that people normally would not think to buy King Cake.

I tried a total of three King Cakes. It would have been five, but my two favorite places to buy King Cake had lines wrapped around their buildings.

So, unfortunately I could not taste the king cakes from Manny Randazzos’ King Cakes and Haydel’s Bakery’s this year.

The King Cakes I was able to taste were Antoine’s Famous Cakes & Pies, Terrytown Café & Doughnuts and Coffee &.

Terrytown Café was the first one I tried. With this café participating in King Cake Festival the week before Mardi Gras, I expected it to taste so much better than it did. This King Cake tasted like a donut without the glaze. Even though the taste wasn’t the best, they had a very cute presentation.

It came with a doubloon and a king cake baby along with rainbow sprinkles and purple, green and gold sugar.

After hearing people talk so much about how good Antoine’s is, I was thrilled to be able to try it. Let’s just say icing isn’t always the best part. There was so much icing on top of the cake that you could not enjoy the cake itself.

The icing was entirely too sweet and overpowered the cake. After picking off some of the icing, I tried the actual cake. I wouldn’t say it was the greatest, but it was okay. I did not like how the cake didn’t seem fully baked. It was very mushy at the bottom, but I guess most people like that because they also had a line out the door of their store.

The final King Cake I was able to try was at Coffee &. It is a little restaurant right off of the Westbank Expressway in Marrero. Everything about their King Cake was excellent. It did not have abundance of icing and it was baked to perfection. It was not mushy and it was fresh.

Taking a bite of their King Cake was like taking a bite of Mardi Gras. They present their King Cake the traditional way with purple, green and gold sprinkles and a baby on the inside for someone to find. Hopefully it isn’t you because you would have to buy the next one.

After tasting these King Cakes, Coffee & won by a landslide.

So, next time you go looking for a King Cake, don’t feel the need to wait in long lines; just head to Coffee & and get a traditional King Cake or one of their many filled options too.

When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle released the story of Sherlock Holmes in 1888, it would be the first of many approaches on his creation in years to come.

The beloved tales of London’s cunning detective will come to life again at Southeastern’s Columbia Theatre on Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. when Aquila Theatre travels to Hammond to perform “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.”

Columbia Theatre Executive Director Roy Blackwood stated the reason for choosing this specific play was because the audience members have been wanting a theatrical presentation that would be something they could think about.

“This seemed like a very good solution to that,” said Blackwood. “The crowd is going to love it. I know they are going to love it. I am pretty sure we are going to sell this one out; I think it will be a real crowd pleaser.”

Aquila’s version was chosen because of their high quality work. They work and perform for the most part in New York City but also go on tour around the country.

“They are excellent,” said Blackwood. “That is the reason they were chosen to tour.”

One thing that makes this version unique is the leading role. Sherlock Holmes, traditionally played by a man, will be performed by actress Jackie Schram.

However, this will not be like the CBS television drama series “Elementary” where Doctor Watson’s character is female and played by Lucy Liu. “The thing is, it is not Sherlock Holmes as a woman, it is just that the role is being played by an actor who is female,” said Blackwood.

Blackwood found the casting to be an interesting twist on the classical plot and looks forward to see how it works out.

“I really thought that was innovative and I liked it very much,” said Blackwood.

Other than the casting, “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” would not be complete without its own set of plot twists and surprise endings. According to Blackwood, there is a twist that is going to happen, but to find out what it is, people will need to go to the performance.

“I am not going to let the cat out of the bag on that one,” said Blackwood.

Fans can rest easy that the legendary figure Holmes will give them a show as he tries to solve the trickiest cases in London with the help of his friend Dr. Watson and the woman Irene Adler.

“I would just encourage everyone to come and see this interpretation of ‘Sherlock Holmes’ because I really believe it is going to be fascinating,” said Blackwood. “I think they will enjoy it.”

For ticket information visit Columbiatheatre.org or call 985-543-4371.

Courtesy of Aquila Theatre

Jackie Schram, trained at the New School of Drama for New York, will play Sherlock Holmes in the Aquila Theatre production.

Art exhibition addresses coastal erosion issue

BY LARSHELL GREEN Staff Reporter

Local artists, authors, students and community leaders gathered at the Hammond Regional Art Center (HRAC) to view thoughtful pieces of art about an issue plaguing the local area: coastal erosion.

“The Last Islands” is an exhibition that focuses on capturing the vanishing coastline of south Louisiana.

The exhibition opened on Feb. 5 and will continue through Feb. 26. HRAC held the public reception on Feb. 12 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Four artists were featured: Gary LaFleur, Daniel Kariko, Ernest Milsted and Dennis Sipiorski.

Art included photography, paintings, printmaking, ceramics and an installation.

LaFleur is a marine biology professor at Nicholls State University. Kariko is a former Nicholls graduate who has taught at Florida State University. Milsted is an associate professor of art and printmaking at Southeastern and Sipiorski is head of the ceramics department at Southeastern.

According to HRAC Executive Director Katherine Marquette, she wanted to help these artists in their mission to raise awareness on the critical issue of coastal erosion.

“For some artists, capturing a beautiful moment or creating a beautiful object to be enjoyed by a viewer is the ultimate goal,” said Marquette. “While beauty is certainly present in ‘The Last Islands,’ there is more on the minds of the artists in this exhibition.”

Media coordinator for HRAC Tara Bennett sees the importance of this issue in the local area and notices the unique way art depicts this issue.

“It’s more than just the islands themselves, but also the community and culture that can be found there,” said Bennett.

“There is a very unique history represented within these pieces and one day they may be the only lasting physical evidence of the coastlines.”

Director of the Columbia Theatre Roy Blackwood was in attendance to support the local

artists and the HRAC. “It’s important to chat with the artists and get a deeper flavor for what they’re creating as an artist,” said Blackwood.

“The art that represents the Gulf Coast depicts critical elements that are disappearing.

If we don’t take some action to protect it, it may no longer exist.”

According to Sipiorski, HRAC contacted him about possibly having an art show with other artists involving the 16 year study they conducted about coastal erosion.

Sipiorski, who taught at Nicholls State University for 23 years, participated in a group that visited the coast and wanted to discuss erosion.

In 2002, a class was started to discuss the issue and possible ways to prevent it.

According to Sipiorski, he is anxious to see if the coast can be saved.

“Man destroyed it,” said Sipiorski. “Now man is going to try to save it. I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”

LaFleur’s photography belongs to a photo course at Nicholls State University.

Because his coastal landscape photography course takes place on the edge of Louisiana, LaFleur thought it was appropriate to bring the show to Hammond.

“I want them to say to themselves, ‘We should go explore the coast because it is our homeland and there is a rare beauty to be found here,’” said LaFleur. “It’s easy to perceive a problem when something big happens like Katrina or the BP Oil Spill, but this is the large problem of costal land loss. That’s the real ecological disaster happening on the coast.”

According to LaFleur, he used a method called rayographs named after artist Man Ray in his photographs, in which you don’t use a negative or a camera, but you still make art in a darkroom.

“In my rayographs, I feature some of the living creatures of the coast,” said LaFleur.

“They are the art. I’m not really creating the beauty of the art.

Mother Nature created the shapes and I’m just trying to

see LAST ISLAND pg. 5

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The Lion’s Roar / Larshell Green

Locals Renae Perret and Barbara Veatch attended ‘The Last Islands’ Reception. The two were among many attendees who came out for the event to view the work of four seperate artists.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE LION’S ROAR

FEBRUARY 16, 2016 PAGE 5

The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown

Guest artists Lindsey Goodman on flute, Joseph Dangerfield on piano and Hannah Pressley on cello came to Pottle Music Building to perform as the Leviathan Trio.

‘The Voice of the Whale’ comes to life

BY ELIZABETH BROWN Staff Reporter

The modern sounds of a flute, a piano, a cello and even, at times, a xylophone captured the attention and fascination of many by telling the story of how the Earth came to be. This story was told by the first-ever visiting Leviathan Trio.

The performance was performed by guest artists of the on-tour Leviathan Trio flute player Lindsey Goodman, cellist Hannah Pressley and pianist and composer Joseph Dangerfield on Monday, Feb. 1 in the Pottle Music Building Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

To start the performance, the trio opened with Alice Ping Yee Ho’s “Seiren.” According to Dangerfield,

a Seiren is a part woman, part bird creature of the sea that enchants those who hear her call. Dangerfield described the piece as lyrical and mysterious.

“The exploration of many different colors and effects, together with the provocative high melodic lines, bring a constant lyrical, yet intensely mysterious character to the work,” said Dangerfield.

To follow the opener, “The Knot,” Dangerfield’s original composition, and George Crumb’s “Vox Balaenae,” “Voice of the Whale”, were played back to back for the remainder of the performance.

“The Knot,” which had five movements, played as a prequel to “Vox Balaenae” which had eight movements. The movements of “The

LAST ISLAND continued from pg. 4 record them.”

LaFleur and Sipiorski invited Kariko to work with them in 1999. The artists have all been attending trips to the coast where they gain inspiration and create art on site.

Photographer Kariko built a pinhole camera for the art shown at the exhibition. The unique

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Whatever decisions you’re faced with this week, rely on your strong Aries instincts, and base them on your honest feelings, not necessarily on what others might expect you to do.

TAURUS (April 30 to May 20) Your sensitive Taurean spirit is pained by what you feel is an unwarranted attack by a miffed colleague. But your sensible self should see it as proof that you must be doing something right.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) More fine-tuning might be in order before you can be absolutely certain that you’re on the right track.

Someone close to you might offer to help. The weekend favors family get-togethers.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) The week continues to be a balancing act ‘twixt dreaming and doing. But by week’s end, you should have a much better idea of what you actually plan to do and how you plan to do it.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Changing your plans can be risky, but it can also be a necessary move.

Recheck your facts before you act.

Tense encounters should ease by midweek, and all should be well by the weekend.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You might still be trying to adjust to recent changes. But things should improve considerably as you get to see some positive results. An uneasy personal matter calls for more patience.

LIBRA (September 23 to October

device makes black and white images and causes the exposure to be five to 10 seconds long. Kariko encourages people to see the importance of human interaction and local culture surrounding coastal erosion through his work.

“I want them to understand in human interaction with the landscape,” said Kariko. “We depend on each other and exist in a close connection with nature. “It influences the way our culture and life changes based on these environmental issues. If

22) Congratulations. Your good intentions are finally recognized, and long-overdue appreciation should follow. Keep working toward improvements wherever you think they’re necessary.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 2) Try to look at your options without prejudging any of them. Learn the facts, and then make your assessments. Spend the weekend enjoying films, plays and musical events.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Someone might want to take advantage of the Sagittarian’s sense of fair play. But before you ride off to right what you’ve been told is a wrong, be sure of your facts.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You might be surprised to learn that not everyone agrees with your ideas. But this can prove to be a good thing. Go over them and see where improvements can be made.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) After taking advice on a number of matters in recent months, expect to be called on to return the gesture. And, by the way, you might be surprised at who makes the request.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Reassure everyone concerned that a change of mind isn’t necessarily a change of heart. You might still want to pursue a specific goal, but feel a need to change the way you’ll get there.

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Knot” included: “The Moon (Stag),” “Cat,” “Fox,” “Swan” and “Butterfly.”

According to Dangerfield, he personally related each of the animals to his family.

The movements each related to specific eras of time including Planck Epoch for “The Moon (Stag),” Nucleosynthesis for “Cat,” Matter Domination for “Fox,” Recombination for “Swan” and “Butterfly” for Dark Age. “In ‘The Knot,’ I tried to capture the atmosphere, pun intended, of each epoch, delineated by the major events that occurred during those eras, and represented them through the imposed personalities of Celtic spirit animals,” said Dangerfield.

The eight movements of “Vox Balaenae,” which are told from the point of view of a whale from the

beginning to the end of time, included: “Vocalise (…for the beginning of time),” “Variations on Seat-Time,” “Archeozoic,” “Proterozoic,” “Paleozoic,” “Mesozoic,” “Cenozoic” and “Sea-Nocturne (…for the end of time).”

To close the performance, the trio had a long, interactive discussion with mostly students on how the trio came to be, music and working together, and they even showed how some of the techniques used throughout the performance were done, relating to each instrument.

According to Pressley, the trio came to be mainly due to Goodman.

“Basically, Lindsey, our flute player, was the one that sort of put us together,” said Pressley. “I knew Lindsey from

we treat nature with this regard, we end up hurting ourselves.”

Milsted who also does photography takes a camera and notebook on the trips to the coast and collects artifacts through a practice called “beach combing.”

“Down there I get inspired by the place and the landscape and when I get back to the studio, I can talk about my experience in the art world,” said Milsted.

According to Milsted, an artist he looks up to

LAPLANTE continued from pg. 1 of abolishing slavery in the twenty first century at a larger level.”

LaPlante believes in the message Miss Southeastern and Miss Louisiana represent through The Miss America Organization.

“The Miss America Organization

SPONSORING

playing in the West Virginia Symphony with her, and Lindsey knew Joe from working at a summer camp, and this was all sort of her idea so she’s sort of the mastermind behind all of this, but actually Joe is the one who organized our southern tour here because we all met in West Virginia and we played together in West Virginia, but since he’s teaching at the University of Florida now, Lindsey had the idea that maybe we could do something in the South and maybe in the winter because it’s all cold up there [in the North].”

The Leviathan Trio will travel to Amy William’s Cineshapes Workshop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For a full calendar of events, visit www. lindseygoodman.com for more information.

advised him to make art about the area that is he is from, Houma.

“It’s always going to be sincere, and I’ll never run out of things to talk about,” said Milsted. “I don’t want to make pompous, arrogant art, but to speak sincerely about the place I call home.”

The featured artists will participate in a “Let’s Talk Art lecture” on Thursday, Feb.18 at 5 p.m. at the HRAC. For more information on HRAC, visit their website www.hammondarts.org.

is special because it empowers young women and helps them further their education while also providing a forum to share their talents, opinions and service to their community,” said LaPlante. “I believe in everything this organization stands for and I am very honored to be a part of it.”

The new Miss Southeastern 2016 encourages all students to follow their

goals and to believe no matter what may happen, they can be accomplished.

“When God puts dreams on our hearts, He is always faithful to complete them in our lives,” said LaPlante. “I would like the students of SLU to remember my story of being second runner up to becoming Miss Southeastern. Dreams really do come true if we have faith and the boldness to pursue them.”

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SPORTS

PAGE 6 FEBRUARY 16, 2016

THE LION’S ROAR

From second assistant to the SLC Coach of the Year: An interview with Head Baseball Coach Matt Riser

BY ELIZABETH BROWN Staff Reporter

The Lion’s Roar: To start, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Matt Riser: This is going into my ninth season at Southeastern, my third year as the Head Baseball Coach, and to be honest with you, when I took over as the Head Baseball Coach when Jay [Artigues] took over as the Athletic Director, I couldn’t have been more blessed to have been in a better position to do it. We had a club we had built together with some great, young men and he told me “take this thing to another level” and so far, in the first two years, we have. We won the Tournament Championship and we won the Southland Championship last year, and that’s kind of been the goal for us every year. Outside of baseball, you know, it’s funny. My degree is in biomedical engineering so I was going to do the whole med school deal, and somewhere along the line, I figured out, honestly I

have a great passion for the game of baseball, but I figured out that this is my calling. The fact that I get paid for this, I feel like I’m ripping off the state of Louisiana.

I get to do what I love and enjoy being around the young men that I have as players but also the crew I have coaching for me as well. There’s only really two seasons. There’s baseball season and there’s hunting season. I’m a big deer hunter and I’m a big outdoorsman. I was very fortunate to get the opportunity to make a living off of being outdoors with being able to coach baseball.

TLR: What about your family?

MR: I was born and raised in Picayune and I came over this way. My wife is from the same area, Carriere. I [have] two younger brothers. One now lives back in Picayune. He just moved back. He’s a loan officer for a company called Southern AG Credit and just turned 28.

Then I have a younger brother who just graduated in May from LSU [Louisiana State University] The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown

Head Baseball Coach Matt Riser (bottom) talks to the members of the baseball team following a practice before the beginning of the new season. Former Major Leaguer and equipment coordinator Rhyne Hughes (below) holds Riser’s four and a half month old son Jacob Alexander during a team preseason practice.

in petroleum engineering and is now actually working out in Middleton, Texas. My mom is retired, [my] dad is still working as a family practice physician back in Picayune, and they make as many games as possible. All three of the boys, including myself, played high school sports and college sports, so it’s kind of been a dinner table talk for a long time. My wife found out real fast if it’s not about baseball or deer hunting, it might not get discussed.

TLR: Off of the field, what is your life like?

MR: There isn’t a lot of off the field time, to be honest, with the amount of time we put in from a practice standpoint. You know it’s funny when I got into the profession, all the coaches I talked to said ‘Hey look, realize we do more than just come out and practice and games.’ People don’t realize in the off-season how much we put in recruiting. We’re constantly out on the road, out and about trying to find next year’s players or the following year’s players to keep doing this thing and not just be a one hit wonder, but do this thing year in and year out consistently. So we spend a lot of time trying to mold our men.

There’s a lot of things we try to do to build our team chemistry outside of the ball park whether it’s team dinners, us going play team paint ball or getting the whole team together to go watch a basketball game or football, tailgating. We do a lot that involves the guys as well.

When we don’t have something that is baseball related that is finally family related, the wife and I and the staffs’ men spend a lot of time together. We do our Sunday fun day, as we call it, on Sunday nights. We like to go to over to the bowling alley over here to Tangi Lanes, and we’ll go bowl a few rounds and even little X-man [Riser’s four-month old son was present during the interview and being held by Riser] here enjoys it and the music.

TLR: Is this your first child?

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MR: Yep, four and a half months old, and he’s so good, we just want to have another one, and then at the same time, it scares us that not every baby is like this.

[His name is] Jacob Alexander.

He’s named after his two uncles, my two younger brothers. We like to call him “Xander.” My daddy likes to call him “X” to keep it short.

TLR: How does your family inspire you?

MR: You know, it’s funny, before having our first child, there’s a lot of inspiration. It starts with my grandfather and instilled

“After one year, I was a second assistant, then after two more years, I was a top assistant and after six years, up to Head Baseball Coach” a lot of the qualities we use in teaching our young men about baseball but also about the game of life. He was a big, big mentor to me before he passed away. I get a lot of my independence from my momma. I’m a little bit hard headed which is good and bad; it’s a part of my strength. I have a lot of trust in faith and confidence in what I do, but at the same time, it can be my weakness as well.

I do need to be a little bit more receiving of some information.

We [brothers] all kind of have our own special talents. He [middle brother] has helped mold me and reminds me that, as Head Coach, I have to get out more and talk to more folks. There’s a lot of social events to go to so he’s helped me from that standpoint. The youngest one, he was not fortunate enough to have the same abilities athletically as my [middle] brother and I, but probably loved it and wanted it more than any of us.

I actually use him in a lot of my speeches when I talk to the guys about how privileged they really are to have the ability to actually be able to physically come out here, how many people want to be in their shoes to be able to do this, to be allowed to do this that are not allowed to or don’t have the physical ability like my little brother. He had six knee surgeries [and] four arm surgeries, so you know, don’t take advantage of it, don’t waste a day that you get because you never know what day will be your last day. Post child, I think it’s safe to say that little man [montioning to his son] motivates everything. You want to give your child the world and whatever they want to do, you want to be able to give them the opportunity to achieve that. I feel like if you have a child, you might leave work an hour early and so you do. My wife knows how to get me home. She sends me a picture of little man and I drop whatever I’m doing and say “Hey, it’s time to go home, and we can deal with this tomorrow.”

You make time to make sure that you’re still successful and your ambitions grow because you want to do whatever you can for little man.

TLR: How did you come to be at Southeastern?

MR: I was very fortunate. You

know, when I was looking around to try to get into coaching, I made that decision late. I was studying for the MCAT in the summer and I was coaching a little high school team and started to meet with some coaches: coach Jones at Tulane, who I played for, Artigues was here at Southeastern. I talked to some other coaches that were in the business, but fortunately when I talked to Artigues, I was actually trying to apply for another job and asked him if he’d call on my behalf and be a reference for me, and he told me to wait a week.

He said he might have something happening here opening up and a week later, it did. His volunteer spot came open, and I took the position thinking it would be a one-year job or two-year job and I would move on to the next to better my career, and slowly but surely, we’ve kept moving up every year. After one year, I was a second assistant, then after two more years, I was a top assistant and after six years, up to Head Baseball Coach.

TLR: I heard the team was selected as the pick to win the championship this year. If that’s true, how do you feel about it?

MR: Yep, [we are] preseason number one. It’s a great recognition to have. We talk about it. It’s a great honor to have. It’s the amount of respect that we’ve built year in and year out in this program. There’s obviously holes we [have] got to fill from last year, replacing [previous pitchers] Tate Scioneaux and Jake Johnson on the weekend rotation, [previous senior infielders] Brett Hoffman, Kevin Karr, Jacob Williams and [previous senior pitcher] Kyle Keller, who’s a draft pick. We didn’t lose a lot, but we did lose some big, key pieces to that, but when you do it right, these are expectations we have year in and year out, so it’s an honor to have it, but at the end of the day, this was a selection of respect, so to speak.

Nothing has been accomplished yet. There’s still a lot of work to go do and to prove what a lot of people believe which is that we should repeat as a champion.

TLR: How will the team be different this season? New players?

MR: Last year, we relied heavily on our starting pitching.

Our starting rotation was the first time where the same starters started every weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. It’s going to be a little different this year. Pitching will be different. We’re not going to rely so much on starting pitching as much. Offensively, we’ve led league the last two years in hitting and runs scored, but this is probably the most potent offense we’ve had to date. It’s going to be a mixture of power, speed [and] athleticism that we’ve never had before. You’re going to see a lot of new faces. You’ll see a lot of familiar faces, but there’s going to be a lot of guys and lot of roles to fill and we’re going to play the hot hand. There’s probably 14 or 15 guys that deserve in the lineup, but there’s only nine positions out there to be, so the guys can’t get selfish; I think that’s going to be our biggest thing this year. They [have] got to understand that they [have] got to do whatever to help us win another championship and multiple championships this year.

That’s our overall team aspiration.

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BUDGET continued from pg. 1 will be bringing up, in a recent campus budget update, President John L. Crain said he has already implemented actions in order to accommodate a potential reduction in state support through an expenditure freeze and hiring freeze. The expenditure freeze includes the expenditures for travel, acquisitions and supplies not already expended or encumbered. Course lab fee budgets, restricted budgets including those funded from Academic Enhancement fees or other student fees restricted for a specific purpose and grant budgets funded from external sources or internal restricted funds are exempt.

The university has currently been working under a hiring freeze and vacant positions are filled through the chain of command through the Vice President and President. The university will continue to follow this procedure.

“Budget unit heads should understand that requests to fill vacant positions will now be scrutinized much more closely,” said Crain, in a recent budget update.

The Special Legislative Session began at 4:00 p.m. on Feb. 14 and all work in this session must wrap up by Mar. 9. The regular session will begin Monday, March 14.

To keep up with the meetings taking place for the legislative sessions, as well as to learn more about the Louisiana state Legislation, visit legis.la.gov.

Southeastern Louisiana University is part of the University of Louisiana Systems. To learn more about the UL system, visit ulsystems. edu.

If you would like to email your Governor through the governor’s website or learn how to get in contact with your state representatives or legislators through his website, visit gov.louisiana.gov.

NORRIS continued from pg. 2 difficulties upon receiving the title, she does admit to a change in balancing life as a student and being a newly crowned queen.

“Having time management skills was extremely important and planning was vital,” said Norris.

Norris will hold the title of Queen Le Krewe Mystique De La Capitale XL until the 2017 ball where a new queen will be announced.

“As queen, I am responsible for attending krewe functions, outreach programs, social gatherings and always representing Krewe Mystique in a professional and noble manner,” said Norris.

Norris stated that the most rewarding part of being a queen so far has been a visit to the Lake Sherwood Village, a local retirement home where they were having a Mardi Gras celebration.

“They had their own king, queen, duke and duchess,” said Norris. “After they were announced, we, members of Krewe Mystique and board members of Krewe Mystique, participated in their ceremony and enjoyed a second line dance with the residents. It was such a fun time and I really enjoyed being a part of it.”

Norris’ new title has given her a new appreciation for the Mardi Gras season.

“Being chosen as Queen Mystique XL has given me an opportunity to participate in Louisiana’s rich heritage and traditions,” said Norris.

Now holding the title of Queen Le Krewe Mystique De La Capitale XL, Norris admits that her family and friends were excited for and supported her.

“Krewe Mystique is the oldest parading Mardi Gras Krewe in the Baton Rouge area and it is truly an honor to be chosen to represent them as Queen Mystique XL,” said Norris.

SPORTS

THE LION’S ROAR

Basketball

FEBRUARY 16, 2016 PAGE 7

Ladies’ losing Men make streak ends

another

at home

victory

BY JONATHAN RHODES

BY IAN FISCHER

After a seven-game losing streak the Lady Lions finally picked up a win last Saturday against Nicholls State University 78-68 improving their record to (4-19, 3-9 SLC). The Lady Lions had a season-high shooting percentage of 55.8 and dominated the game rebounding with a 42-24 advantage.

“I am very pleased with our performance,” said Head Lady Lions basketball coach Yolanda Moore. “We had been on a seven or eight game losing streak. It was so many I lost count. But, for them to have the resolve to come out and not let the losses interfere with them coming out and playing today’s game, I was very pleased with them.”

The Lady Lions kept the game close with the Colonels after the first quarter down 2522. In the second quarter, The Lady Lions fell behind early on by six, but sophomore guard Taylin Underwood made a 3-pointer, one of four, for the Lady Lions and senior forward Nanna Pool hit a jumper making the score 27-28 with 7:32 to go in the first half. The Colonels kept the Lady Lions at bay until another jumper was made by Pool with 53 seconds left taking the lead and making the score 35-34 going into halftime. Pool got 11 points and 11 rebounds in the first 20 minutes of the game.

The second half opened with a jumper from Pool and a three from Underwood making the score 40-34 at 8:22. A jumper from Pool made the score 4536 with 6:02 left in the third quarter. A three-point play pushed the lead to 58-47 with 2:30 remaining in the quarter.

The Colonels made three free throws before the end of the third quarter to pull it close at 62-54. But, that is as close as the Colonels could get as junior forward Chey Stewart made a jumper out of her 18 point performance to extend the lead to double digits 66-54 at the 7:41 mark. Two free throws

by Pool made the score 74-61 with one minute left effectively putting the game out of reach for the Colonels.

The Lady Lions shot 56 percent in the second half and had three players’ score in double figures. Underwood scored 20 points and had six rebounds while shooting 4-8 from three-point range. Senior guard KaeLynn Boyd finished with a double-double, 18 points and a career-high 10 assists.

Pool also finished the game with a double-double her ninth of this season, with 23 points and a career-high and school record 22 rebounds. Pool has broken the record previously held by Deneka Knowles that was set against Grambling in the 199293 season.

“It feels fantastic to get this win today,” said Pool. “We played as a team and worked hard to win.”

The Lady Lions next game will be against UNO Thursday at 7:00 p.m. This will be the annual Pack The House night for Lady Lion basketball. The first 300 students to enter the University Center will receive a free spirit item. This will also be their last home game in what has been a four home game stretch.

“We need a repeat performance on the defensive end,” said Moore. “We just need to stay focused, not deviate from what we do and not try to be a team that we are not. We are not an up and down team. We are not the fastest team. But we are efficient and that is what we need to stick to.”

For more information on Pack The House or to see the Lady Lions schedule visit lionsports.net.

The Lions basketball team made a comeback after a rough first half continuing their winning streak with a final score of 69-61 against university rival the Colonels on Alumni Day. The conference victory took place Saturday evening, Feb. 13 at the University Center and ties the Lions with University of New Orleans for the No. 5 seed in the Southland Tournament.

They have seven more games to play before the beginning of the tournament on Mar. 9.

Senior guard Zay Jackson scored the most points with 16 points while freshman guard Demi Cook scored his own 15. Freshman forward Moses Greenwood lead rebounds with a total of nine.

“Why we started so poorly,” said Head Men’s Basketball Coach Jay Ladner in the postgame press conference. “Why were there a few guys who looked like they never played before? I don’t know.”

The Lions’ score at the end of the first half was 31 points compared to Nicholls’ 39 points. According to Ladner, neither Nicholls’ defensive or offensive strategy changed to produce the winning results of the second half. The Lion’s scored 38 points to Nicholls’ 22 points in the second half.

Ladner took responsibility for not preparing the team before the game, but said it was ultimately the team who worked things out on their own.

“What changed, obviously, was our mentality,” said Ladner.

According to Ladner, there was tension among teammates.

Jackson, who played better in the second half, said he was angered at the complaints from fellow team members.

He said the complaints were the problem and he provided words of encouragement for his teammates in hopes of securing victory.

“Every game is important right now, especially with me,” said Jackson. “This is my last year. That’s what I was trying to tell [the team] and Hawk [senior guard JaMichael Hawkins].”

Saturday night’s game also marked sophomore forward James Currington’s return.

It was his first time on court since the Dec.13 game against Florida State. According to Ladner, his return played a part in the improvement of the second half. Currington ended up playing 19 minutes and scoring seven points despite it being his first time back ingame.

Overall, Ladner said he was proud of the team.

“They’ve come back all year,” said Ladner. “They’ve come back against Florida State. They’ve come back against TCU. They’ve come back against Cincinnati.

They’re going to come back and that says something about them.”

With Saturday being Alumni Day, Lion’s basketball alumni were present and acknowledged at the beginning of the game.

Robert Cousin’s position was guard when he was on the team. He is also a veteran State Trooper and a cancer survivor.

While visiting his alma mater he shared his experience returning to campus.

“It’s amazing actually,” said Cousin. “It’s a lot different than when I was here back in the 80s. I’m just surprised with the student body almost doubling, there aren’t as many fans here.”

To find out more about Lion’s basketball, and when Promotions will have giveaways for students attending, visit www.lionsports.net.

Staff Reporter

Staff Reporter

The Lion’s Roar / File Photo

Courtesy of Josh Goff

Catcher/Infielder Jameson Fisher will return to the Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field this Friday after redshirting for the 2015 year. Fisher was named an AllAmerican his freshman year and a Preseason All-Southland conference selection his sophomore year.

Fisher expresses his faith through the game

BY MEGAN FERRANDO Editor in Chief

After a year of sitting out due to an arm injury, senior catcher/ infielder Jameson Ficsher will be returning to the baseball field for the 2016 season. Although the road to recovery was a long one, Fisher found a role for himself while sitting on the sidelines.

“It was a humbling experience,” said Fisher. “That year was supposed to be a big year for us. It was supposed to be a big year for me. Towards the end of fall, I never had to sit out a game for an injury for an extended period of time and so it was really humbling to have everything taken from me right there. That’s when I went back to, ‘What’s my role now? ‘How can I glorify God now by sitting on the sidelines?’ It was definitely hard to get adjusted. But once I got past the first few games of spring, it was pretty easy to sit in that role.”

Fisher is a top ranked draft-eligible prospect, ranks sixth in the state and is one of 30 All-Louisiana players for the Lions since 1997. Through all of his accomplishments, Fisher’s main goal is to glorify God through playing.

“I play the game for God and I want to glorify Jesus Christ,” said Fisher. “When I say I want to be on the platform, what I mean is when someone is in the stands and they see me, I want to point people to God. When they see me, I want them to see Him.” Fisher, along with pitcher Domenick Carlini, outfielder/ infielder Webb Bobo and more, plays a part in a weekly Bible study. The players formed the Bible study as a way to discuss their faith and see how God works both on and off the field.

“Baseball is just our platform that we use to point others to Christ,” said Fisher. “We got together in fall 2014 when I got hurt. We said, ‘We’re going to get together and we’re going to start this Bible study for spring 2015.’ That’s something we started, and it’s really helping us, the players and men in general.

I hope it keeps going on the team when we leave.”

According to Fisher, the team has a strong bond which has provided an opportunity to form many relationships.

“Just being here, I can say this is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” said Fisher. “Being able to make relationships with people and friends, getting to know people like Webb, forming Bible studies and reaching out to guys, getting close off the field with guys, building bonds with guys is what it’s all about.”

Fisher finds support not only among his teammates but also from his family. Fisher’s family played a role in him playing baseball as a child leading to his position at Southeastern.

“Baseball is something that we have just grown up with,” said Fisher. “My dad is always at the games with a video camera, not missing anything. Baseball is definitely a huge part of our family, and I’m very grateful for my parents because without them taking me everywhere and tournaments when I was little, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Fisher recalled in detail his experience as a child when he began to play his much-loved sport.

“Probably when I was about 5 years old. I remember my dad looking at me. He said, ‘Jameson, you want to play T-ball or you want to play coaches pitch?’ I said, ‘I want to play coaches pitch, dad,’” said Fisher. “I remember that moment to this day. I remember that moment very clearly.”

Since that moment, Fisher has been working towards his dreams and goals.

“I want to go as far as I can whether that’s the big leagues or not,” said Fisher. “If I get on that stage who knows the amount of people I can impact. So that’s really the goal. To get as high as I can because the bigger the platform I’m on, the more people I can impact for God. So that’s the goal, if it doesn’t work out or when I’m done, I plan on coaching or doing ministry work on the side.”

The Lion’s first game of the season will be Feb. 19 at 6:00 p.m. at the Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

NEWS

PAGE 8 FEBRUARY 16, 2016

The hands feeding you An inside look at the servers of the Mane Dish

BY ALEX BRAINARD Staff Reporter

The Student Union provides a place for students to come together and grab a bite. Some may choose fast food, while others choose the freshly cooked meals upon the second floor which is prepared by the cafeteria staff. These Mane Dish employees put time and effort into serving students foods that they love and eat each day.

“I really like the fish, the pizza and the burgers,” said junior social work major Sarah Barker. “It’s easy to eat and you don’t have to spice them or anything. I eat in the cafeteria once a day throughout the week. My favorite thing about the cafeteria is that it’s in a very convenient place.”

The food served at the Mane Dish can take a long time to prepare. The workers never stop preparing meals for students who come by whether it be for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

“I do breakfast here and I do lunch here,” said cafeteria grill worker Benita Brown. “I work five days a week, from six to two.

I’ve been working at SLU for nine years. It’s a great job. Some of my memories are dealing with the students because they know me by name, and I know some of them by name. I treat them good. I treat them like a person because I had a child going to school. I make sure these kids get a good meal.”

The Mane Dish employees on campus have their own stations and foods they prepare. They work at different times, different days and always ensure there is food of all kinds to be served to the students who pay to eat.

“I’m a baker,” said Mane Dish employee Vickie Richardson. “I work in the bakery. I work Monday through Friday, eight hours a day.

THE LION’S ROAR

AROUND

THE

NATION

INTO THE MOSH PIT: REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN TALK GETS NASTIER WASHINGTON (AP) — In 2011, eyebrows shot up when former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin used a salty acronym — WTF — to mock the policies of President Barack Obama. How quaint.

Five years later, Donald Trump has blown right past acronyms.

He’s in a profanity-laced campaign for the Republican nomination that has seen multiple candidates hurl insults and disparaging remarks at one another and their critics.

In recent days, Trump has publicly lip-synced the F-bomb, blurted out the S-word more than once, hurled an offensive term for coward at rival Ted Cruz and fired a steady string of put-downs at other candidates whom he labels pathetic, liars, losers, nasty, evil and more.

While Trump started it, other GOP candidates have jumped right into the rhetorical mosh pit, readily trading versions of “liar, liar” in Saturday night’s venomous debate.

Cruz has said Trump is “losing it,” called out his “Trumpertantrums” and dismissed the billionaire’s insults as “hysterical.”

Before exiting the race, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie predicted that he could beat Hillary Clinton in a debate, promising, “I’ll beat her rear end on that stage,” and tormented fellow Republican Marco Rubio as a fragile “boy in the bubble.”

Even Jeb Bush, whose 90-yearold mother recently complained that he was too polite, belatedly joined in.

Bush, a favorite target of Trump’s taunts, tweeted back: “You aren’t just a loser, you are a liar and a whiner.” This, after weeks of calling him a “jerk.”

It’s not that politicians are typically paragons of proper speech and etiquette. They’ve just tended to keep their name-calling and coarseness off-mic. Now, it’s on the podium.

AUDIT: LOUISIANA BORROWING

MANEUVERS INCREASED STATE DEBT

The Lion’s Roar / Alex Brainard

Willie Dantzler serves students at her deli station, one of many stations in the Mane Dish.

Some things I remember about SLU is how friendly the people are.”

While the food is fresh, both students and cafeteria workers have favorite dishes which are prepared on certain days.

“My favorite meal served is the fried fish,” said Richardson.

“Fried fish is my favorite because it has a great taste. They know how to cook it.”

Out of all the hard work and

time that the workers put into the cafeteria, each cafeteria staff member has a good time they remember and cherish.

“I have a lot of great memories,” said Mane Dish employee Nichole Cousain. “I love being here and meeting different students. I love serving to students every day. I love talking to them. I like doing everything.”

From cooking fried fish, hamburgers, hot dogs and other

delights, students appreciate all the hard work Mane Dish employees put into their food.

“My favorite dish is the fried fish because it seems fresh,” said freshman marketing major Tyler Olivier. “However, my favorite thing about the cafeteria is it’s all you can eat.”

Mane Dish daily menus can be found through the Southeastern website.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s borrowing decisions during former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration will cost the state millions in extra interest payments over decades, according to an audit released Monday.

Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera’s office says the debt payment maneuvers used since the 2010-11 budget year helped get quick cash for the state budget but came with a price tag for Louisiana.

The long-term cost to the state for the maneuvers could reach as high as $231 million, auditors estimate.

“These practices have also pushed the state closer to its debt limit, which will limit the state’s borrowing capacity for (construction) projects in the near future and increases the risk that the state’s credit rating will be downgraded by ratings agencies,”

the audit says.

The report says Louisiana used a type of borrowing in which it got extra money upfront by agreeing to pay higher interest rates over the life of the debt. Purpera’s office says that will cost the state an additional $71 million in interest over 20 years.

In addition, the Jindal administration and lawmakers used $335 million in surplus and other dollars that could be spent in limited ways to pay off debt early in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 state fiscal years.

The pre-payment tactic freed up the same amount of unrestricted, state general fund money in the annual budget to spend on operating expenses, to avoid cuts to government programs and services.

THE PSY.D. PROGRAM IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AT XULA PREPARES GRADUATES TO MAKE A CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES

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