HAMMOND, LA
FEBRUAURY 18, 2020
S O U T H E A S T E R N L O U I S IA NA U N I V E R S I T Y
PERSONALITY TEST AT OCS, pg.2
AN EVENING OF JAZZ, pg.5
2020 BASEBALL SEASON PREVIEW, pg.7
Local parade celebrates Mardi Gras history MAGGIE TREGRE STAFF REPORTER
Mardi Gras season has once again come to Louisiana, and Tangipahoa Parish has already begun to celebrate. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. Louisiana is the only state that recognizes Mardi Gras as a legal holiday. The first Mardi Gras celebration dates back to the eighteenth century, with historical influences that originated centuries earlier in medieval France. Some of the original celebrations involved parades, and the tradition has held up ever since. Mardi Gras parades are funded and coordinated by social organizations known as Krewes. Today, there are over 70 Mardi Gras Krewes in New Orleans, with even more in the surrounding parishes of Louisiana. One of the more distinguishing features of Mardi Gras is the three colors: purple, which represents justice, green for faith and gold for power. These colors can be seen all throughout the season.
New Orleans is known for hosting the biggest Mardi Gras celebrations in the world. They begin several weeks before Fat Tuesday when local Krewes begin hosting exclusive parties and balls. Many krewes keep the identity of their king and queen a secret until Mardi Gras. Some Mardi Gras traditions are more strict. In New Orleans, those who get to ride on the parade floats are required to wear masks by law. Being seen without a mask on a float can cost a Krewe member their spot in the Krewe and a possible fine of hundreds of dollars. Tangipahoa Parish’s own Krewe of Omega held its annual parade on Feb. 14. The parade began at the University Center and went down N. General Pershing Street before cruising through downtown Hammond. The Krewe of Omega was formed in 1986 and has brought Mardi Gras traditions to Tangipahoa Parish ever since. The parade featured members of the Krewe of Omega, community members, local organizations and school and dance groups. Georgia Canale, a university alumna, has attended the Krewe of Omega Parade for the past several years. She believes that Mardi Gras provides people with the opportunity to celebrate and have fun with
their loved ones. “I think it’s just that we can get together and have friendship and hopefully no problems,” said Canale. “It just gets us all together for a good time to be with our friends and family.” This year, the Krewe of Omega named three maids, one for each color of Mardi Gras. Canale’s daughter Julie Rock-Chatellier serves as the Green Maid, and her granddaughter Alyssa Rock serves as the Purple Maid. The Gold Maid is Bobbie Bickford. Parade attendee Noilen Gonzales, a junior psychology major, shared that Mardi Gras can instill a sense of pride for Louisiana residents. “My favorite part about Mardi Gras is the parades, and coming out and getting some candy and beads, and just the fun of it and the hype,” said Gonzales. “I think because it’s a part of Louisiana’s culture, and being from Louisiana, it’s just something that you do. You do it to have fun, and it’s something that you’re proud of.” Anyone over the age of 18 is eligible to join the Krewe of Omega. Memberships are $350 per year per adult. Members can participate in any Krewe events they wish to be a part of. To become a member, visit kreweofomega.org.
Members of the Krewe of Omega tosses festive trinkets and beads to parade goers on Friday, Feb. 14. The theme of the parade this year was “The Things We Love.” Krewe of Omega, whose mascots are the alligators pictured to the left, has been rolling through Hammond since 1986. MAGGIE TREGRE/THE LION’S ROAR
‘EvolveU’ preparation underway Handshake to replace LionHire GABRIELLE WOOD STAFF REPORTER
To help students improve leadership skills, the university organized “EvolveU,” a one-day conference held for high school students from Louisiana and surrounding areas. In preparation for the upcoming “EvolveU” event scheduled for Nov. 13, a seminar was held for speakers and volunteers to learn more about the art of public speaking. The seminar took place on Feb. 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Student Union. Leah Cross, Student Government Association chief justice, discussed the age group of students invited to attend the event. “‘EvolveU’ at Southeastern Louisiana University is a one-day high school leadership conference for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors from Louisiana and the surrounding areas,” explained Cross. Although the event is designed for high schoolers, university students can serve as volunteers or speakers after registering and training. Volunteers must help with setups, check-ins and
provide assistance. Presenters and volunteers receive free lunch and a T-shirt. During the public speaking training, volunteers were given guidance on how to present and what tools they can use to guide students. Volunteers were taught to use icebreakers such as Kahoot and Canva to grab their audience’s attention. “The conference is going on in its third year,” said Cross. “Southeastern students have the chance to present, as well as phenomenal speakers from the community and other areas.” The purpose of “Evolve U” is to provide high school students with the knowledge of skills that will benefit their roles in the community and school systems. Presenting, interviewing and networking are practiced among the attendees and volunteers. The four main lessons taught during the seminar were on leadership coaching, collaboration techniques, communication and achieving balance. Cross explained what high school students can expect from the “EvolveU” conference. “The conference is designed to equip, empower and inspire high school students with valuable
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leadership skills that will benefit them in their daily lives as they continue to grow as influential leaders in school, in their community and among peers,” shared Cross. “Participants will have the opportunity to explore various aspects of leadership, meet other student leaders and learn about and discuss leadership
roles alongside Southeastern students, staff and faculty.” “EvolveU” will have several opportunities for volunteers to attend workshops throughout the semester. To apply to become a volunteer for this year’s “EvolveU” conference, Contact Leah Cross or Mattie Hawkins at evolveu@southeastern.edu.
STAFF REPORTER
Starting this semester, the Office of Career Services has begun supporting a new job hiring and recruitment service to replace LionHire. On Feb. 28, LionHire will be removed from the university website and will be replaced with Handshake. Unlike LionHire, Handshake is a pre-existing application which specializes in finding personalized job recommendations from a database of vetted employers based on a student’s major and interests. The OCS began to integrate the app this semester while slowly phasing out LionHire. Craig Marinello, manager of student employment and internship development, explained why they decided to switch over to the Handshake app. “We wanted better and more relevant jobs, and we wanted more access for students,” said Marinello. “The LionHire Kandace Formaggio, an academic advisor, demonstrates effective ways to product was a good product, but engage an audience through presenting. This workshop aided presenters, who the Handshake platform has over will be facilitating “EvolveU” on Nov. 13. GABRIELLE WOOD/THE LION’S ROAR 700,000 companies across the Index
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country. LionHire does not have a fraction of that, so this was the future.” Marinello explained that the app’s design was built with the students in mind. “This is a student centric program built by students,” stated Marinello. “It always has the student in mind. The interaction that it presents for students is designed around the student so the real benefit goes to them. That’s what we wanted to see more of. LionHire was good, but Handshake is excellent.” Many different universities around the country have also utilized Handshake. Marinello explained that this makes peerto-peer networking easier, something that was not possible on LionHire. “Students are able to network with students who have similar interests and majors both locally and across the country,” described Marinello. “Handshake’s interface makes it very easy for students to connect with each other. I’m able to go out there and find other people so I can see what they are doing and what kind of people are looking
see HANDSHAKE, pg. 8 Volume 91, Issue 21 A Student Publication www.lionsroarnews.com lionsroar@southeastern.edu