Issuu

MARCH 1, 2016 VOLUME 87, ISSUE 20

’ 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

Graduates to Students rally for higher education at state capitol wear custom gowns BY WILLIAM SCHMIDT Assistant Editor

BY MORGAN LEDET STAFF REPORTER Commencement in May 2016 is getting a new look. This year’s graduation ceremony is going to be yelling “go green, go gold,” with the new custom made regalia. The undergraduates will be the first in university history to be wearing custom made gowns for commencement. “At first I was nervous about the new gowns because I received a letter in the mail explaining that they were changing the style,” said senior communication major Morgan Beard. “The next day they unveiled the picture and I love them.” The new gowns are green and will have the official Southeastern “S” logo on it. The “S” will be embroidered on both sides just below the shoulders. The gown will also have a matching green cap along with a green and gold tassel. “We have been ready to change that gown to something that looked more like Southeastern,” said Alumni Director Kathy Pittman. “We thought the time was really right for us to go ahead and look into this.” The Alumni Center worked with Oak Hall to get custom gowns for this spring’s graduation. “We work with Balfour for the Grad Fair and one of their recommendations was they work together with a company named Oak Hall, who does custom gowns,” said Pittman. “Oak Hall put several robes together and we ran it past the administration and they had some students and some faculty, and this is the particular one that they picked that they felt best represented Southeastern. We’re really pleased with it. I think it’s a good looking piece.” There are many factors that the Alumni Association had to consider before making the final decision to get custom gowns this year. “We have been talking about it with Grad Fair and the Alumni Association works with Gamma Beta Phi putting grad fair on and we’re the lead organization now,” said Pittman. “We decided that we have looked at this a couple times before and at one point we thought it was cost prohibitive, but it really isn’t. It’s only going to be like 10 dollars more to get a custom gown. We decided the timing was right, the price was right and we really wanted to do this to make Southeastern special. We want them to be proud to be alumni.” The masters and doctoral graduates will still be wearing the black gown, but these will now feature the Southeastern “S” starting with May 2016 commencement. “They will be custom,” said Pittman. “They have the logo on them. We asked the company to guide us on this because we thought about doing the green and they said traditionally most schools go with the black because of all the different hooding colors. We decided we would still do the custom gown, but they would be black rather than green.” Pittman also thinks that finally deciding to have custom gowns will make an impact on students. “I think it’s something that people will keep forever too because it’s theirs and its special,” said Pittman.

Over 2,000 university students from across the state joined in a rally on the steps of the State Capitol with one goal in mind: to advocate for higher education to be spared from more budget cuts. The rally entitled Bring H.E.A.T. (Higher Education All Together) took place on Feb. 24 and included music by Southern University Marching Band the “Human Juke Box,” speeches on the purpose, mission and importance of higher education, a word by Governor John Bel Edwards, charge to support higher education and more. Bring H.E.A.T. took place to show the legislators that the students cared about the decisions on higher education. “To show the legislature, state and the nation how much higher education means to students and our state, the COSBP, Council of Student Body Presidents, organized this event with the help of The Board of Regents,” said senior political science major Alexis Quackenbush. “We really wanted to take a stand. We wanted our voices to be heard as well as our fellow students. The legislature needs

The Lion’s Roar / Heather Jewell

Student Government Association Presidents from universities across Louisiana led their peers to the State Capital in Baton Rouge where they joined together in a rally to fight cuts to higher education. to know just how much students, as well as the state of Louisiana, is affected by these budget cuts. We cannot continue to cut from our education system.” Students who attended wanted to show support for those who currently have TOPS, as well as to stop legislators from hurting their personal situation.

“I am a student and if they make any cuts that cut my degree program, it puts me in a bad situation,” said junior occupational safety, health and environment major Charles Black. “Also, I feel for the people on TOPS and I feel if they are actually actively using TOPS, they’re meeting the

requirement of TOPS, then it shouldn’t be taken away from them.” Other students went to Bring H.E.A.T. because they believed in the political process and the part they play. “I went to the higher education rally because as a political science major, I feel it

is important to participate in all parts of the political process,” said senior political science major Erin Fernandez. “As a student, I feel that my attendance was necessary for a couple of reasons. It is important for the legislature to know that college

see RALLY pg. 8

Social media impacts students’ studies BY KELLI MEYNARD Staff Reporter

Students today have easy access to the internet, as well as apps on their smartphones. This can cause problems for them when trying to be productive. Social media sites can be distracting and prevent students from getting their work done. “I think social media is good and bad,” said junior business management major Alexis Chustz. “Good in the aspect of keeping in touch or in the loop with friends’ new gossip, but bad in the aspect of being distracting or starting drama. Also, if a college student doesn’t have self-control about how often they are getting on social media, then that can be bad, but that’s not social media’s fault.” For those students finding it hard to concentrate, they can use a free website blocker designed to block the internet or desired websites. The website is called stopprocrastinatingapp.com

and helps boost concentration and performance by not allowing you to get back on the internet or certain websites that distract you the most. For example, it can block Facebook for a certain amount of time. The annual survey of student Internet habits has found that 64% of US students have suffered significant procrastination because of online distraction. Students are worried about missing out on what is happening somewhere else rather than focusing on what is happening right now. Another problem caused by checking social media is anxiety from that fear of missing out. Not being able to check social media can cause students to become anxious and make it even harder for them to focus on what they are working on, but Stop Procrastinating could be the key to getting students to be more productive when doing homework and studying. Junior business management

major with a concentration in Human Resources Micah Hamner agrees that students are affected by social media and not only that, they also are starting to possess obsessive traits over it. “I believe that social media does affect college students,” said Hamner. “Especially in the sense of how connected people feel with each other. In other words, I feel like people are now measuring their self-worth by social media. Did people put me down as their woman crush Wednesday, how many people told me happy birthday, how many pictures am I in and so on. It’s also the same for Snapchat. People looking to see how many stories they are in or see how many people view their stories. It has become unhealthy. Cause when they don’t see the results they are looking for, people get hurt, offended and don’t feel important. Plus the drama it causes.” Many students are rushing

through their work so that they can get back on social media. The problem with this is that the quality of students’ work is not as good as it could be if

the student were to forget about social media instead and focus. To download this application, go to stopprocrastinatingapp. com.

The Lion’s Roar / Kelli Meynard

Freshman criminal justice major Alexis Guerra gets distracted by social media apps while trying to study in Sims Memorial Library.

‘Animal Planet’ star to speak at Science on Tap BY IAN FISCHER Staff Reporter

Courtesy of Public Info

Southeastern Louisiana University biologist Chris Murray holds crocodile he captured while doing his summer research in Costa Rica.

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The next Southeastern Science on Tap will feature a lecture from university biologist, Animal Planet star and crocodile enthusiast, Dr. Chris Murray. Murray is a crocodilian biologist who works in the Department of Biological Sciences. He has been on Animal Planet in the TV series “Gator Boys,” and in a documentary called “Monster Croc Invasion.” His lecture, How the Croc Ate the Farmer: Filming Controversial topics as a Biologist, will be on Tuesday, Mar. 1. It will address nature television and will be an opportunity for people to learn from someone who has had experience with large, dangerous animals. The lecture is free and open to people of all ages. “Crocodiles fascinate me,” said Murray. “I’m also interested in evolution ecology, biological philosophy and functional morphology, but mostly crocs.” Murray began working with the “Gator Boys” when working in South Florida in summers and

Weather Tuesday H 79 L 45

winters when he wasn’t attending school. “Gator Boys” was a reality-TV alligator nature series which ran on Animal Planet from 2012 to 2014. He was surprised to have been involved in real scientific research during the series. “I don’t know if that’s the case for other reality TV but in that case it was,” said Murray. After working with the “Gator Boys,” he established a research program in Costa Rica which led him to be involved with another Animal Planet show: “Monster Croc Invasion.” According to a blog post he wrote in May 2015, they aimed to learn exactly why there were more males in a population than females and if that was causing a negative interaction with people living near the crocodiles. “I had the goal of being factual and scientifically accurate and not intimidating to anybody,” said Murray. “Which is hard to find in terms of content right now on Animal Planet or Discovery and stuff like that.” Murray has interesting memories working with

see MURRAY pg. 7

Reminders Wednesday H 70 L 43

The Presidential Preference Primary and Municipal Primary will be taking place March 5.

CAMPUS LIFE

PAGE 2 MARCH 1, 2016

THE LION’S ROAR

NPHC showcase, it’s more than just stepping

The Lion’s Roar /Ian Fischer

Members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (left), Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (middle) and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (right) do their step performances in front of a fully packed Student Union Theater on Feb. 24, 2015. Stepping is a percussive dance the National Pan-Hellenic Council choreograph to showcase their fraternities and sororities. Other NPHC organizations recognized during the showcase were Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Iota Phi Theta Sorority, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

BY IAN FISCHER Staff Reporter

Sororities and fraternities from the National Pan-Hellenic Council honored their history and black history month by “stepping” it up in the Student Union Theater. The annual showcase went from 7-9:00 p.m. and featured unique acts from each of the performing organizations belonging to the NPHC. The greek organization represented their letters by doing a step-dance performance which involves clapping, spoken word and stepping to create a rhythmic sound. The spoken word

portions of the performance informed the audience of the histories of their organizations, ethics and to honor important and founding members. “I had a lot of fun,” said Vice President of NPHC at the university, Nicala Edwards who represented Sigma Gamma Rho. “Its a lot of hard work to practice and do all of these steps and to keep up with scholarships. We were founded on standards: scholarships, sisterhood and service. For the boys, brotherhood. Strolling and stepping comes second.” Racial equality was a theme during many of the performances because organizations within NPHC were

founded when Jim Crow laws were still in practice. “All of our organizations had different forms of struggles to get where they were,” said Edwards. “Especially since before our organizations there weren’t too many auxiliary groups for African-Americans.” Edwards mentioned her organization as an example. She said that when it was founded, police officers had to escort members to class. Members of NPHC used Wednesday night as an opportunity let the campus know who they are. “The purpose of the showcase is for the National Pan-Hellenic Council is

to showcase what their organizations are about because not that many people know about us on campus or in general,” said NPHC President Jimecia Williams, who was in the second performance with Theta Phi Beta. “That was our goal, to show them who we are and what we stand for.” Williams said they had been preparing for Tuesday night since the beginning of January to put on this showcase. The turnout was surprising to alumna returning to campus to support their fraternities and the NPHC. “I’m really proud how greek life has came about because of Steven Gallagher,

we call him Kyle,” said Kristopher Green of Iota Phi Theta, who graduated in December with degrees in industrial technology and occupational, safety, health and administration (OSHA) and also performed Tuesday night. “He did a great job of getting people from other councils: CPC, IFC.” Green was happy to see more energy and life in the performances than in previous showcases. NPHC was founded at Howard University in Washington DC. on May 10, 1930. It’s made up of nine organizations referred to as the “Divine Nine.” Eight of those organizations operate at the university.

Greek organizations will be traveling through the decades Those involved in Greek Life display their letters every Wednesday but will soon have an entire week to show Greek pride during Greek Week. This is a week long competition each year between the Greek organizations. The events start Sunday, Mar. 6 and end Thursday, Mar. 10. A few events include a volleyball tournament, tug-o-war, pie eating contest and much more. Each time a fraternity or sorority wins a competition, they will receive points for winning 1st, 2nd or 3rd place. The award ceremony will follow the annual Step Show competition held on Thursday, Mar. 10. Two new competitions organizations can participate in this year are the kickball

tournament and Give Back night. Give Back night will be held throughout the day on Monday, Mar. 7 at La Carreta. All proceeds will go to the Food Pantry. “Greek Week is a week long event that brings the Greek community together to support one another as well as Southeatern through various friendly competitions,” said Order of Omega president Harli Manuel. “Greek organizations from CPC, NPHC and IFC are paired together to form a team. Throughout the week, there are different events that the teams attend to either compete for points or just to socialize and bond as a Greek community.” This year’s theme is

“Decades.” The decades that will be represented are 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. Sororities and fraternities have been grouped together in teams to see who can represent their decade the best. Alpha Sigma Tau, Kappa Sigma and Sigma Gamma Rho are representing the 60s. Alpha Omicron Pi and Theta Chi are recreating the 70s. Phi Mu, Theta Xi and Zeta Phi Beta are portraying the 80s. Theta Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta are presenting the 90s. Lastly, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Delta Tau Delta, Sigma Tau Gamma and Omega Psi Phi are mirroring the 00s. “Order of Omega, which is the Greek Honor Society on campus, collaborates to come up with the

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

FKF

The Southeastern chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) will hold a general membership meeting on Monday, Mar. 7 at 3:30 p.m. in the Library Administration Conference Room on the second floor. We will discuss the quiz bowl, upcoming Initiation and Banquet, fellowship opportunities and other awards and scholarships available. We will also vote on new members. Faculty, staff and alumni members are encouraged to nominate other faculty, staff and alumni by bringing a brief resume of the nominee. All current PKP members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

SCA

The Southeastern Christian Association is sending out an invitation to all SLU students to join us for our Bible Study every Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Fayard Hall Room 107. You can also connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/ SoutheasternChristianAssociation/.

QFA

Theta Phi Alpha is extremely excited to welcome seven new sisters in our sisterhood. We can’t wait to see you flourish in Theta Phi Alpha.

theme, events and schedule as a whole,” said Manuel. Preparing for these events take time and effort; it is not something they just throw together over night. “I am super excited for everyone’s hard work to shine through the week of,” said Manuel. “Every organization always works so hard, and we do not want that to go unnoticed this year. These organizations have been preparing for three weeks, and that itself takes a lot of time on top of school, work and of course, their usual chapter duties.” The Greek community is

not all fun and games. They are interested in helping and giving back to the community. “We have an amazing Greek Community that has so much potential to give back to the university, so we are excited we incorporated the Give Back Night to show our appreciation for the institution we represent,” said Manuel. From banner decorating to group pictures, the activities do not seem to end. There is so much that goes on during Greek Week. For more information, contact Manuel at harli.manuel@selu. edu.

The Lion’s Roar / File Photo

Greek Week will begin Sunday, Mar. 6 with the annual volleyball tournament held in Greek Village.

OPINIONS

THE LION’S ROAR

MARCH 1, 2016 PAGE 3

The Libertarian Party still exists today Ian Fischer Staff Reporter If you don’t identify with any of the major political candidates running for president, you might be a libertarian. I know because I am a libertarian. Actually, I am a Libertarian as I am a card holding member of the Libertarian Party. This may come as a surprise to some, but there are more than two political parties in the United States. In fact, the left/right paradigm commonly associated with Democrats and Republicans only describes contemporary American political thought. It wasn’t until the 2012 presidential race when libertarian Ron Paul ran as a Republican did we actually see “libertarian” in the news. I would have voted for him had he won the nomination. As far as this election goes, I cannot vouch for any

of the major party candidates. I’m going to step on a lot of tails for this but, no, I don’t “feel the Bern.” Though there is common ground between libertarians and Bernie Sanders, the style of government he proposes is not libertarian. Any principled libertarian should see this. The Libertarian Party describes itself as the “Party of Principle” for a reason. Think about it. Then, we have Ted Cruz who said: “It is now clear that [Edward] Snowden is a traitor, and he should be tried for treason.” This is the same candidate who has been described as libertarianish. I’d like to ask Cruz exactly what makes Snowden so clearly a traitor. Certainly he should be tried for treason for the legal formality of it, but any respectable libertarian should pardon him. Without Snowden’s revelations, there wouldn’t have been bipartisan support for reforming the surveillance state. His revelations turned out to be positive for the people of the United States. I remember reading somewhere about the government

see LIBERTARIAN OPINION pg. 5

SPEAK OUT

Why do you believe America is a great country? I believe America is a great nation because we have opportunities and freedom that other countries do not.

There’s a lot of freedoms here opposed to other countries. We have freedom of speech, freedom to bear arms.

America is a great nation because there are no restrictions on what you can do or achieve in this nation.

Isabella D’amico Freshman, General Studies

Lakyn Domiano Junior, English Major

Julia Graf Sophomore, Business Administration

America is a great nation because it’s Christian based and we have the freedom to speak and share Christ.

America’s great because we offer opportunities for everyone that wants to come over and wants a fair life.

America is a great nation because we have the ability to make our children more successful than we are.

Destiny E. Brumfield Freshman, Nursing

Robert Chenevert Sophomore, Psychology

Michael Rodriguez Freshman, Finance

America is the greatest nation This country still needs improvement Larshell Green Staff Reporter

Earlier last month was President’s Day. Although we still had to attend classes, this day probably went unnoticed. The more celebrated days of patriotism, which will occur in upcoming months, like the 4th of July and Labor Day have prompted me to examine the quality of our nation. I believe that America is the greatest nation in the world. I will defend that belief whole heatedly. Warning: the principles that I

will discuss are my beliefs alone. Although I wish to inform you of these things, I do not wish to persuade you on how amazing America is, although I do believe that some of your ideas may change upon reading this article. Some of these principles are based on cold, hard facts and some are just my opinion. I often hear people say, ‘I hate this country.’ Well since this a “free country,” you are very much allowed to leave. But, for those who want to stick around, let’s focus on the positive things that we have instead of the negative. No, this country is not perfect, but I don’t know of a perfect country. Yes, we have a lot of issues, but they could be much worse. I’ll run down some of the main reasons

Dear Editor, As a historian, I was disturbed by parts of the February 16, 2016 article entitled “KA Chapter Changes Name of ‘Old South.’” I agree with the article’s central thesis...that racism or anything reminiscent of racism has no place in our society. The part that I take exception to was the comparison of American slavery to the death camps of Nazi Germany. I know that I must take care to avoid somehow being labeled intolerant in my assessment of the accuracy of such a comparison. But permit me to pre-emptively blunt such possible charges by saying that I teach African American History 489, which is an assessment of Black History from 1619 to the present and Southern History 610, which is a Graduate study of the South at large from 1607 through the present. Such expertise gives me some authority to address the accuracy of parts of the statement “...just as in Europe, in America slaves were systematically executed, had their rights taken from them and beaten.” I readily acknowledge the truth that slaves received beatings, often unmerited and severe. As slaves, they had no rights from the beginning and therefore had no rights to lose. What really concerns me is the assertion that slaves were “systematically executed.” While it is undeniably

why I believe that America is wonderful, although they are countless. As a reporter, freedom of speech is one of the advantages to being in this nation. Can you say anything you want, at any point in time, in any venue? The answer is a big, fat no. For example, you’re not allowed to threaten someone, or attempt to incite violence without some type of repercussion. This includes using “fighting words,” offensive speech and of course, copyright laws apply. Inciting panic, such as yelling ‘fire’ in a crowded movie theater is not allowed. Some may see these things as restrictions, but I feel

see GREAT AMERICA pg. 8

WIlliam Schmidt Opinions Editor

Last month, a number of official and unofficial holidays took place honoring our country. Some of these included President’s Day, Washington’s Birthday and Lincoln’s Birthday. Throughout the year, we will continue to celebrate ways in which our nation is great. I for one am extremely thankful for the country I live in. I know it could be a lot worse. However, I cannot take the standpoint that we are the greatest

a time when European explorers first made contact with Native Americans and rape, murdered and killed them through warfare, disease among some atrocities. You may think that the first contact between Europeans and Native Americans in the 1550s are not a reason to blame Americans specifically. The problem with that logic is that it doesn’t explain how approximately 15,000 Cherokee Indians were forced to leave their lands in which the Cherokee refer to as “The Trail Where They Cried.” American textbooks seem to dehumanize that the Cherokee were a group of people by referring to this event as “The Trail of Tears.”

foundation of TOPS rested on shaky ground. This was all I harped on for a long time. What kind of responses did I get? “Melanie, that’s boring. Can’t you talk about something students care about? It’s just the midterm elections, not the presidential election. College students probably aren’t going to be voting on that anyway.” It deeply upsets me to hear about how blindsided everyone feels now that TOPS may be taken away. If you didn’t vote in the midterm elections, don’t you dare blame anyone for this but yourself and your fellow students. We all had the opportunity to prevent this from happening if we’d stop being so apathetic. This is what happens when young people don’t

think about politics, especially state/local politics. We don’t get representation when big decisions are being made about our futures. What can we do to turn this situation around? We can get involved in politics. Students need to advocate for themselves and take action when higher education is being threatened with legislation and budget cuts. It’s awful that TOPS may be taken away one day, but we can prevent further damage from being done if we learn our lesson, and fast.

Letters to the Editor

true that some masters murdered the occasional slave, sometimes with extraordinary brutality, it is equally true that slaves were never “systematically executed.” Crops such as sugar were so profitable that masters worked slaves to death and simply replaced them, but such treatment occurred on the islands of the Caribbean and in Brazil, not in America. Despite terrible treatment in the form of physical abuse, and inadequate food, clothing and housing, slaves remained valuable property, assets that often represented many thousands of dollars. A pragmatic assessment of the relationships between masters and slaves indicates that masters stopped far short of damaging themselves financially by “systematically executing” their own slaves. The reality of slavery was bad enough. Don’t make it worse than it really was. I tell my students that slavery was always about the money, and that it could only exist as long as it was profitable. A dead slave earned nothing for the master. I have an additional and related comment. I was equally disappointed with the reporter who took such inaccurate statements at face value without checking them against another source or sources. -Ronald D. Traylor Ph.D; History

Dear Editor, Good job guys, we screwed up TOPS. Before you start pointing fingers at Louisiana’s governor or any other institution, let me explain how this is our own fault. For those of you who are uninformed, before those elections, Louisiana’s constitution only permitted government funding to be taken from higher education and medical systems to balance budget deficits in other areas. During the midterm elections, Louisiana citizens voted to protect medical systems from having funding pulled. That decision left higher education twice as vulnerable to budget slashing at a time when it was very well known that the

Organizational News space is provided at no charge as a courtesy for university recognized Greek and Student Organizations. The space of such articles is limited to 150 words. Submissions of this Organizational News must adhere to the same polices as other submissions or letters to the editor, but must also include the name of the organization. All views expressed in The Lion’s Roar are those of the author or, if unsigned, those of the staff of The Lion’s Roar. These views should not be interpreted as the views of the administration, faculty or students of Southeastern Louisiana University. A single issue of The Lion’s Roar is free. Additional copies may be purchased for 50 cents

see IMPROVE AMERICA pg. 8

-Melanie Mann Senior, Social Work Editors Note: Mann is a former Opinions Editor on the staff of The Lion’s Roar.

THE LION ’S ROAR - STAFF

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The Lion’s Roar is the official newspaper of the students of Southeastern Louisiana University. It has been in continuous publication since 1937. Submissions and letters to the editor are welcomed, but the editor of The Lion’s Roar reserves the right to edit all submissions for grammar, libel and available space or refuse publication without notification. Submissions must include the author’s full name and either phone number, e-mail or other contact information (not to be published). Faculty and staff members should include their title and department. Students should include their classification and major. By submitting an article for publication, the author understands that the submission will be edited.

nation or take the viewpoint of those who follow Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again. #AnyoneButTrump.” I agree with those who ask, “When was America Great?” With looking back at history, are we talking about when we forced slavery and people would beat their slaves into submission? When we forced those people into Internment Camps because they looked like the people who bombed Pearl Harbor? What about how women couldn’t vote until 1920? What about how even in modern times people would be beaten, sometimes to death, if their choice in who they married or their sexuality was questioned by those following social constraints? Or let us go even farther back to

in the Old Student Union 1303 (Student Union West 1303). Annual mail subscriptions are $35 within the continental U.S. The Lion’s Roar, in its print form, associated Web sites and CD/DVD versions are designated public forums. Student editors have the authority to make content decisions without censorship or prior approval. The Lion’s Roar also defends the rights of student journalists relative to freedom of speech and press as stated in Amendment I of the Constitution of the United States of America. The Lion’s Roar is published through the Office of Student Publications, part of the Division for Student Affairs. It is published weekly during regular semesters and monthly during the summer semester.

Editor in Chief Assistant Editor Campus Life Editor Sports Editor

Megan Ferrando William Schmidt Megan McCormick Heather Jewell

Distribution Jake Treadway Advertising Assistant Nicholas Walsh

Administrative Assistant Heather Collins Coordinator Lorraine F. Peppo Director Lee E. Lind

CONTACT General Offices Old Student Union 1303 Mailing Address The Lion’s Roar SLU 10877 Hammond, LA 70402 E-mail lionsroar@selu.edu Telephone Numbers 985-549-3527 (newsroom) 985-549-3842 (fax) 985-549-3748 (advertising) 985-549-3731 (Student Publications) www.lionsroarnews.com www.selu.edu/lionsroar

PAGE 4 MARCH 1, 2016

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE LION’S ROAR

Shattered Visionary follows passion for prop design Illusions Dominguez recreates iconic props and originally designed pieces BY ALEX BRAINARD Staff Reporter

BY MEGAN FERRANDO Editor in Chief

Review My favorite childhood television show was recreated with the newly released Netflix show, “Fuller House.” The series is a spinoff of the much adored “Full House,” only set about 29 years later. D.J. is a widow with three sons. Stephanie is a goofy party girl. Kimmy is actually likable, yet still very “Gibbler.” I remember watching “Full House” every weekend as a child, hopelessly in love with Uncle Jesse. I can even partly credit Uncle Jesse for my obsession with Elvis Presley. Needless to say, I was excited to see my favorite characters all grown up and see where their lives have taken them. “Fuller House” is a show dependent on nostalgia—or at least the first four episodes that I watched are. The first episode, which sets up the basic plot, makes constant references to its predecessor “Full House.” I doubt someone who did not watch “Full House” would get many of the jokes and references used throughout. They likely would not even find the show very entertaining. “Fuller House” is a show created for “Full House” fans. “Fuller House” opens with all of the “Full House” characters meeting again in their old home (minus Michelle, played by the Olsen twins). The characters use their famous catch phrases including “cut it out,” “have mercy” and “how rude!” Even some of the scenes were recreated where the past shot was shown next to the new one. The basic plot is even a recreation of the old plot. Instead of three men raising three girls, three women raise three boys. For those who loved “Full House,” this was nostalgia heaven. It was so enjoyable seeing something I love in a new, yet old way. I won’t be surprised, however, if the show discontinues after the nostalgia runs its course. Basically, the show is pretty simple and one-dimensional. It is not as good as “Full House” since it relies so much on the old show to make it. As far as I have seen in the series, “Fuller House” does not dig too deep into the bigger issues. It simply glosses over the dramatics to create the lighthearted comedy, which I suppose is what some are after. I recall “Full House” often found a great balance between the two however. For example, one episode focused on D.J. dealing with anorexia as a teen. “Fuller House” is both really lame and cute. It is a familyfriendly show, despite the adult jokes embedded throughout. Due to the unimpressive level of acting, I get the impression that many of the actors haven’t done much since their reign on “Full House,” although they do occasionally make references to their outside jobs such as John Stamos’ role in “General Hospital.” The show plays on the idea that it is a show, even breaking the fourth wall in the premier to make a jab at the Olsen’s for not taking part in the show. “Fuller House” is good. It is something I may want to watch when I don’t want to think about anything too serious, but it is not something I will likely devote too much time too. If you watched “Full House,” I recommend you watch at least the first episode for kicks and giggles. If you did not watch “Full House,” do.

For some students, college can be a time for major adjustments in people’s lives. Students are faced with huge decisions, such as their future careers. Some people have trouble making this kind of choice, but freshman art major in graphic design Jacob Dominguez had set his plan for what he wants to do when he graduates. “I design and build prop replicas from movies and video games,” said Dominguez. “I do a little of cosplay and I build animatronics and puppets. There aren’t many classes out there that you can take or books you can get and read. You have to experiment and figure out what works and what doesn’t.” According to Dominguez, he’s been building props since the 7th and 8th grades. Dominguez obtains the materials for his projects through different hardware stores and electronic shops that help him build his creations. “A lot of the structural stuff and the mechanical parts of it I would get from Home Depot, Radio Shack and places like that,” said Dominguez. “For the detail work, I go to craft stores like Hobby Lobby. I usually just buy things and repurpose them if I can, instead of having to build things from scratch. Some of the things I’ve had to buy, such as wood burning tools and hot glue guns, but a lot of the bigger tools are just things I’ve had around the garage for a while because my dad used to do construction.”

Jacob Dominguez has recreated various model wands from the “Harry Potter” series (above). Dominguez has also created an original piece of a talking animatronic alien head (near right). Dominguez holds his personal favorite creation, the “Monster Book of Monsters” from “Harry Potter” which opens and closes (far right). According to Dominguez, his current projects revolve around moving animatronics. He is currently working on an alien head that will have the ability to move and talk as well as have a Mad Eye Moody replica eyepiece from the “Harry Potter” franchise. Dominguez’s goal is to build something that is wearable but can also move on its own. “I built a velociraptor over the summer that stands six feet tall,” said Dominguez. “It’s inspired by the one from the ‘Jurassic Park’ movies. It was an interesting project using the upholstery foam and I’d like to explore more things like that.

Original play set to leave audience wanting more BY LARSHELL GREEN Staff Reporter

An original play about a witty literary pioneer will soon arrive that will leave audiences in need for an encore. It takes a village to lead a play and this team has grasped that concept. After winning the 2015 Inkslinger playwriting competition with an original script written by Colin Crowley, director Jeffery Polito made a Vonnie Borden worthy adaption. This competition is created by the Southeastern theatre, where winners receive a production in the Vonnie Borden Theatre. According to Polito, he has taught Introduction to Theatre at the University for the last 3/4 years and has previously taught Introduction to Public Speaking at Southeastern since 2000. After hearing about an opportunity for

directing from Steven Schepker, Polito began working on the adaptation. “I wanted to stay true to the intentions of the play writer and do their work justice,” said Polito. “Colin does a great job. If the play writer is already good, then my focus as a director is to stay true to his words and take it from the page to the stage.” According to Polito, “Encore, Encore” tells the story of Dorothy Parker, an author, writer for publications such as “Vanity Fair” and drama critic. The play will tell the story of her life in the early 1900s until her death in 1967 in a narrative storyteller form. This will include what Polito calls, “poignant moments” between Parker and her husband Eddie, a WWI veteran that deals with what would be considered modern day

see ENCORE pg. 8

Honestly, if I had the room I’d like to build a full size T-rex.” While Dominguez has built many props, his personal favored is one of his very own “Harry Potter” creations. “My favorite would be the ‘Monster Book of Monsters’ from ‘Harry Potter,’” said Dominguez. “Its one of the first animatronic props that I built that worked like it was supposed to.” The time it takes for Dominguez to build the props can vary. Under those circumstances, Dominguez’s experience with creating props in the design stage can go anywhere from a few days to

a few months, depending on how complicated the design of the prop is. “It depends on whether I want it to move or if it’s just a very intricate piece,” said Dominguez. “As far as building goes, it just depends on the piece. There are some props that I’ve knocked out from start to finish in a weekend and some that have taken a few months to finish.” Dominguez has taken an interest with trying to become involved with the movie industry and has even set up

his own page on etsy.com. “I’m trying to make connections in the movie industry around here, I’ve met with a few people around here,” said Dominguez. “As far as doing stuff around school that would be great, anyway to get my work out there and show what I can do. I would like to sell more; I actually have an Etsy shop, it’s Wasteland Replicas on Etsy.” To learn more about Dominguez’s projects, search his Etsy page by googling “Jacob Dominguez on Etsy.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE LION’S ROAR

MARCH 1, 2016 PAGE 5

Koeppel’s, “America, Come Back,” charts on iTunes top 100 BY MORGAN LEDET Staff Reporter

Already having six songs released, student Jonathan Koeppel released another original song. Koeppel’s new song “America, Come Back,” will be his seventh produced and released song. Koeppel’s inspiration for his new song comes from how he thinks the United States is divided. “I’ve noticed that the USA as a whole is extremely divided right now and the political atmosphere is pretty crazy,” said Koeppel. “Even though I’m not a famous artist or big public figure, I wanted to use my music to try and bring people together. The goal is to get this song to be used as an anthem that people can sing together regardless of their skin color or social class.” Along with his new song, he released a video that he shot in Old Town Slidell and in his home in Lacombe. He started in October of last year and finished in February. “I wanted to add a visual aid to the song in order to accompany the lyrics and add extra emotion,” said Koeppel. “It’s also really something any artist should do when releasing a song; music videos can really help an artist get noticed.” Koeppel’s music video for “America,

Come Back,” is being promoted by a Marketing/Development company that is based in Los Angeles. The company works with Univision Radio, Alex Campos, Tercer Cielo and other known clients. For three weeks, it will be marketed in the United States. The video already has reached over 2,000 views on YouTube in a little over 4 days. Even though Koeppel only has six released songs, he writes quite frequently and has over 50 songs that are registered with American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. “Writing is something I do on a regular basis,” said Koeppel. “I come up with phrases here and there, then later I am able to turn them into complete songs. I write so much that sometimes I’ll find videos on my phone or pieces of paper with songs I’ve written and forgot about.” Since Koeppel released his EP in October 2014, he has played 40 gigs, but his favorite is the home of the Lions. “Honestly, my favorite place to perform is on campus,” said Koeppel. “It feels like home and I’m more relaxed.” Koeppel has many people he owes gratitude to about his success, but he feels the university has been a lot of help. “The university has helped out a

bunch,” said Koeppel. “If you want to be a successful artist, you need people to know who you are. Being able to say that I’ve been promoted in any kind of way on my university’s campus is a blessing. It speaks volumes. When I am able to go to meetings and show an article posted in ‘The Lions Roar’ or on the university website, it really helps me to stand out among other artists.” Koeppel also mentioned that he owes a lot of his progress to his faith. “I credit all of my progress with music to my networking skills and Jesus,” said Koeppel. “I have no idea how I am always at the right place at the right time, talking with the right person.” Since the songs release on Feb. 25, the song has reached 96 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart. “At first I couldn’t believe it, but then I remember that this is what I have been praying for and it all became real,” said Koeppel. “I was really in awe when I saw my song starting from 200 and working its way up to 96. I was on the charts with artists like Ed Sheeran, Tracy Chapman, Cheryl Crow and James Taylor. It was awesome and hoping that bigger things are to come.” You can find Koeppel’s song, “America, Come Back,” on iTunes and his music video on YouTube.

The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown

Jonathan Koeppel’s newly released song, “America, Come Back,” has reached 96 on the Singer/ Songwriter Chart since its release on Feb. 25. This is his seventh produced and released original song.

Jurored student artwork to be showcased BY KARSON SHARP Staff Reporter

The Lion’s Roar / Karson Sharp

Senior art major Jacob Maricle, kneels beside his art piece “Fortress of Solitude.” The piece was one of the few sculptures selected to be in the exhibit and he was inspired to create it by a lecture he saw during the summer.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Consider moving beyond the usual methods to find a more creative means of handling a difficult on-thejob situation. Avoid confrontation and, instead, aim for cooperation. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Seasonal change creates a new look for the outdoors. It also inspires Taureans to redo their own environments, and this is a good week to start redoing both your home and workplace. Enjoy. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A misunderstanding needs to be straightened out so the wrong impression isn’t allowed to stand. If necessary, offer to support the use of a third party to act as an impartial arbitrator. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A career change offering what you want in money and responsibilities could involve moving to a new location. Discuss this with family members before making a decision. LEO (July 23 to August 22) Feeling miffed over how you believe you were treated is understandable. But before you decide to “set things straight,” make sure the whole thing wasn’t just a misinterpretation of the facts. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Showing you care makes it easier to build trust and gain an advantage in handling a delicate situation. What you learn from this experience also will help you understand yourself better. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Planning for the future

is fine, especially if you include the roles that family members may be asked to play. Don’t be surprised if some hidden emotions are revealed in the process. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Making choices highlights much of the week, and you have a head start here, thanks to your ability to grasp the facts of a situation and interpret them in a clear-cut manner. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Carrying a torch can be a two-way situation: It can either keep you tied to the past or help light your way to the future. The choice, as always, has to be yours. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Your watchwords this week are: “Focus.” “Focus.” “Focus.” Don’t let yourself be distracted from what you set out to do. There’ll be time later to look over other possibilities. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A workplace opportunity might require changes you’re not keen on making. Discuss the plusses and minuses with someone familiar with the situation before you make a decision. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Love and romance are strong in your aspect this week. If you’ve already met the right person, expect your relationship to grow. And if you’re still looking, odds are you’ll soon be finding it. BORN THIS WEEK: You approach life in a wise and measured manner, which gives you an edge in many areas. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Every year, art students will prepare for one thing: the Art & Design: Juried Student Exhibition at the Contemporary Art Gallery. From Mar. 3 until Apr. 1, the Contemporary Art Gallery will display the work of chosen student artists. Students could submit anything from a graphic design to an interactive piece or sculpture. “This show, the purpose of it is to celebrate and to show off the variety of artwork that students do in the visual arts plus design area of the fine and performing arts,” said Professor and Gallery Director Dale Newkirk. “It’s a juried show, so students will submit their work and they’ll be a juror for graphic design and a juror for fine arts. They are experts in the field, who have been invited by the Gallery to juror the show.” Newkirk also emphasized the diverse body of work that will be displayed. “The list on the press release just reflects all of the different areas that we teach in the department, which is important in the show that we show all of that,” said Newkirk. “But there’s always interesting work, always different types of work, everything from ceramic pots to video art to painting, drawings, small things, large things. So anyone coming to the show is bound to find something they find interesting, exciting, LIBERTARIAN OPINION continued from pg. 3 of the United States was a government of and by the people. Since Rand Paul dropped out of the race, I have yet to see any of the other major candidates be seriously suggested for libertarian voters and for good reason too. In November, I will probably vote Libertarian so America doesn’t

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informative.” The show also provides a reliably strong turnout. “Well, this is a popular show, because the students are the ones who are in the show because they only do this once a year and their work got chosen,” said Newkirk. “And the students support each other’s, so this opening is always well attended. Parents come, other students on campus come because it’s a student event. So they invite their friends, put the word out on Facebook, so this is always a very well attended opening. Probably around 500 will be here.” One senior who’s art will be featured is Robert Gilliam. “The piece is called ‘Self Restraint.’ Making it was a very hands on process,” said Gilliam. “The stump I pulled out of the ground myself, sanded it down, took other roots from other trees, sanded them down, applied them to give it a feeling of a little bit of contrast. Then I wanted to take the man made steel, metal effect and combine the two into a cohesive image as kind of an autobiographical piece of me holding myself back from bigger and better things that I could go through and reach in my lifetime.” For more information, call the Contemporary Art Gallery at 985-5495080. The show is open to the public and free to anyone. A diverse body of work will be displayed and students devoted a great deal of creative energy to the upcoming exhibit.

forget we exist. This may also come as a surprise; I don’t look like the monopoly guy. I’m not rich. The Koch brothers do not pay me. I simply believe that the government should play a minimal role in our lives. I believe that all people are born free. I believe in the individual. I believe the road to prosperity is paved with freedom and not the other way around. If you want to discover libertarian philosophy, there is plenty of literature. If you

want to read something long, Fredrich von Hayek wrote two great works called the “The Road to Serfdom” and “The Constitution of Liberty.” If you want something short you can read Frédéric Bastiat’s “The Law.” If you’re tired of reading, YouTube these two things: Milton Friedman and Learn Liberty. Or if you see a short man with a mystical beard on campus, it’s probably me. You can certainly just walk up to me and ask me about what it means to be libertarian.

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PAGE 6 MARCH 1, 2016

THE LION’S ROAR

Lions resume spring season at Louisiana Classics LAFAYETTE, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University’s men’s golf team returns to a familiar setting this week when the Lions travel to the 31st annual Louisiana Classics hosted by the University of Louisiana at Oakbourne Country Club. “It’s a tournament we’ve been to numerous times,” said Southeastern head golf coach Jake Narro. “We know the course well, so we’re expected to play well. The weather forecast is good, so we should play good. We’re looking forward to playing. It’s a great course and a great event. UL does a great job with this event.” The tournament began with a shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. on Monday. The second round is scheduled to begin with a shotgun start at approximately 1:00

Le Souvenir staff receives awards HAMMOND – The work of six Southeastern Louisiana University students on the university’s 2015 yearbook, “Le Souvenir,” has been honored with Gold Circle Awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association in New York. Editor-in-Chief Fernanda Chagas, a senior graphic design and printmaking major of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, led the team of student designers who were recognized for their work on the yearbook. “I want to congratulate and thank the staff of Le Souvenir for helping me put the 2015 yearbook together,” said Chagas. “It was a great journey and it is nice to be recognized for our hard word and efforts.” A first place certificate was awarded for pages featuring spring 2015 commencement ceremony in the “people spread with mug photos.” Megan Ferrando, a senior English education major of Mandeville, and Chagas were recognized for their work. The team also received another first place certificate for the pages featuring headshots of the graduating students in their caps and gowns in the category “people spread with mug photos multi-page presentation.” A second place certificate was given in the “sports pages” category that featured the football team. Chagas, along with Tamara Alexander, a junior kinesiology major from Baton Rouge; Heather Jewell, a sophomore communication major from Ventress; and Jay Love, a senior communications major from Denham Springs, were all recognized for their efforts. Along with the Gold Circle Awards, a gold medalist certificate was received for a critique conducted by the CSPA. The judged praised the publication for “beauty in its simplicity and clean lines” and for a “unique layout design… using creative and powerful images.” The 33rd annual Gold Circle Awards attracted more than 4,200 yearbook and digital entries from college universities and secondary schools throughout the United States. Judges cited a total of 506 winners as either first, second or third place or for Certificates of Merit for those deemed worthy of honorable mention in a category. “Each edition of the “Le Souvenir” is unique and different,” said Lee E. Lind, director of Student Publications. “What is constant from year-toyear is the dedication and hard work of our student editors and staff. This recognition from the CSPA serves to reaffirm the pride we have in the accomplishments of our students.” The CSPA is an international student press association, founded in 1925, uniting student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges though educational conference, idea exchanges and awards programs. Courtesy Information

Public

p.m. today. The third round will tee off on both holes one and 18 at 7:30 a.m. with the trophy presentation at 1:30 p.m. Live stats, provided by Louisiana and Golfstat, will be available at lionsports.net. UL will also provide a free live video feed covering hole No. 9 with Dan McDonald and Gerald Broussard calling the action both days starting at 9 a.m. Joining Southeastern, ranked 124th in the latest Golfweek poll and host Louisiana will be defending Classics champion and No. 1-ranked Illinois, No. 39 Texas A&M, No. 49 Kansas, Illinois State, Kent State, Middle Tennessee, Southern Miss, Texas State, UTSA and UT Arlington. Juniors James Anstiss and Paul Obermann,

senior Lawrence Allan, junior Gustavo Leon and freshman William Meyers will be the starting five for Southeastern. Senior Eamon Bradley and sophomore Wyatt Ott will compete as individuals. Southeastern tied for sixth at the Classics in 2015 with a 16-over-par 880. Anstiss, then playing in his second tournament as a Lion, finished in a tie for 12th at 2-over 218. Southeastern will be competing for the first time since finishing eighth at the UTSA Oak Hills Intercollegiate on Feb. 9. Anstiss led the Lions with a tie for 14th with a 7-over 220. Courtesy of Sports Information and Staff Reports

The Lion’s Roar / File Photo

Senior Eamon Bradley has been at Southeastern since his freshman year, when he came to the United States from his home in Scotland.

Pool hits milestone as Lady Lions fall on Senior Day HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana senior forward Nanna Pool scored her 1,300th career point but the Lady Lions were unable to catch Central Arkansas in the final seconds as the Sugar Bears held on for a 64-60 Southland Conference win on Senior Day Saturday in the University Center. Southeastern (4-23, 3-13), playing its final home game of the season, saw its hopes for a berth in the Southland Conference Tournament end with its fourth-straight loss. Central Arkansas (24-3, 14-2) won its fifth straight to clinch the top seed in the tournament. Pool tossed in a short jumper

off a Taylin Underwood assist with 1:39 remaining for her 1,300th point, becoming the fifth Lady Lion to reach the milestone. She passed Kristy Carlin (2005-09) into sixth place on Southeastern’s scoring list with a jumper with 6:23 left in the second quarter. Pool finished with a team-high 25 points and nine rebounds, just missing her fifth straight double-double. Senior guard Erica Hernandez added 15 points while senior guard KaeLynn Boyd had eight points, eight assists, three steals and six rebounds. The four seniors – Pool, Hernandez, Boyd and guard Peaches Anderson accounted for 50 of

The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown

The Lady Lions lost their game against the Sugar Bears on Saturday, putting an end to their chances of making a spot in the Southland Conference.

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the Lady Lions’ 60 points. Maggie Proffitt poured in a career-high 32 points, including six 3-pointers, to lead Central Arkansas. Taylor Baudoin added 11 points and a team-high six rebounds while Kendara Watts had 10 points. Hernandez tied the game for the 12th time at 53 with a jumper with 3:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. Proffitt answered with a pair of free throws and Sandy Jackson followed with a jumper to give UCA a 57-53 lead with 2:37 left. After a jumper by Pool, Brianna Mullins hit two free throws for a 59-55 lead with 1:49 left. Pool and Watts traded jumpers before Bre Warren hit a 3 to bring Southeastern to within 61-60 with 52 seconds remaining. Baudoin then missed a jumper as the shot clock expired, but Watts put back the rebound with 16 seconds left. Raquel Logan then grabbed a steal and was fouled but missed both free throws with 11 seconds left. Following a foul by Mullins and a Southeastern timeout, Underwood was trapped on the left sideline and was ruled to have stepped out

of bounds. Baudoin was then fouled and hit the first foul shot to give the Sugar Bears the 6460 lead with five seconds left. Anderson hit a jumper to give Southeastern a 42-40 lead to start the fourth quarter. Hernandez knocked down a 3 and Pool added a jumper to make it 47-44 with 8:31 left. Proffitt regained the lead for UCA at 49-47 with a 3 with 6:50 left. Two ties and a lead change later, Proffitt made it 53-51 with a jumper with 3:50 left. Proffitt gave UCA a 31-24 lead with a jumper with 7:56 left in the third. It was 35-28 with 5:52 left when Southeastern went on a 9-0 run, using two Boyd free throws, a layup by Pool and a 3 by Hernandez to tie the game at 35 at the 4:32 mark. A jumper by Pool gave the Lady Lions their first lead since the first quarter with 3:42 remaining. Proffitt hit a 3 to put UCA ahead 40-38 with 1:22 left, but Boyd hit two free throws with a minute remaining to tie the game at 40 going into the final quarter. Southeastern took a 9-7 lead on a Hernandez jumper

at the 5:10 mark of the first quarter. Proffitt put UCA up 11-9 with a jumper with 3:49 remaining. Boyd tied it at 11 on a layup with 3:10 left but the Sugar Bears closed the quarter on a 5-0 run, taking a 16-11 lead on two Watts free throws with 26 seconds left. The run grew to 11-0 as a pair of Proffitt 3s gave UCA a 22-11 lead with 6:43 left in the first half. After Pool’s jumper ended Southeastern’s 6:47 scoreless spell, Fielder hit a jumper from the right side and Boyd followed with a layup to pull the Lady Lions to within 22-17 at the 5:01 mark. Warren hit a 3 and Fielder added another jumper as Southeastern cut the deficit to 26-22 with 3:47 left. But Proffitt hit her fourth 3 of the half as UCA took a 29-24 lead into the half. Southeastern will close out the season at New Orleans at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and at Nicholls at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Courtesy Information

Sports

SPORTS

THE LION’S ROAR

MARCH 1, 2016 PAGE 7

Seniors shine on game day BY ELIZABETH BROWN Staff Reporter

This past weekend, the Lions basketball team seniors were honored on Senior Day. Following the honors, the team went into the game with high spirits and finished off with a 19-point leading victory. Surrounded by their family members were seniors forward Byron Smith, guard Zay Jackson and guard JaMichael Hawkins. Team manager Aaron Ardis was also honored. In his final season and soon to be graduating, Jackson felt proud to be a Lion. “I’m actually thankful for Southeastern because I transferred from another school under some different circumstances, but that’s behind me,” said Jackson. “I’m very thankful to be here and I’m trying to make the most of it.” In the first half, the Lions (9-19, 7-8 SLC) started off short, but they did not let this downfall set them back. The team stayed close behind and halfway through the first, assisted by Hawkins, sophomore forward James

Currington tied the score 1919 at 10:04. From there, the Lions held out defensively and swept past the Bears, finishing the first half with an 18-point lead at 48-30. Jackson and Hawkins both contributed 12 points while freshman forward Moses Greenwood followed close behind with eight points. Following the first half, Hawkins, who led in threepointers and in defensive rebounds, felt positive about his determination throughout. “Going to the locker room, everybody was telling me I was doing good,” said Hawkins. “It was a good feeling to keep going and attacking.” In the second half, the Lions remained on top even with the Bears trying to close the gap, finishing at 75-56. By the end, Hawkins led in threepointers with five, Jackson with 21 points and seven assists, freshman guard Demi Cook with five free throws and Currington with 10 total rebounds. Looking back on the team’s overall performance in this game, Head Men’s Basketball Coach Jay Ladner felt that the team started off slow in

the beginning of the first and second halves, but picked up as the game progressed.

really have nine young men that played fairly even minutes and all of them have started

in the basketball game. The second group that came in there provided some energy,

The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown

On Saturday, Feb. 27 at the University Center, before the game against the University of Central Arkansas began, the senior Lion team members were honored while surrounded by their family members and friends. “Today we really started kind of slow in both halves,” said Ladner. “So, certainly not good coaching, but I was proud of our second unit. We

basketball games. I thought defensively overall, it was one of our better defensive performances and I felt like that was really the difference

switching to the man-to-man defense being more aggressive in our execution. They did a good job.” Looking forward, Ladner

was proud of the seniors, but also felt that they and the rest of the team still have more to do before the season is over. “Our goals are still in front of us,” said Ladner. “We want to go to the NCAA tournament. I’m really proud of them on Senior Day. We want to start a tradition here that we do not lose on Senior Day.” Hawkins also felt proud to be a Lion and remains determined for the rest of the season. “To me, it’s good,” said Hawkins. “I feel like we still have our eyes on the prize. A lot of people are counting us out, but I feel like we are going to make a statement. We are playing our best basketball right now.” This Southland victory added another win to the current home game winning streak which is now at six games in a row and also qualifies the team for the tournament. Up next for the team is a Southland game against instate rival UNO on Thursday, Mar. 3 at 7:45 p.m. in New Orleans. For more information, visit lionsports.net.

Baseball falls short in weekend series Lions face off against Trojans and lose 2-3 BY JONATHAN RHODES Staff Reporter

The Lion’s Roar / Jonathan Rhodes

Catcher/Infielder Jameson Fisher (above) bats this past Friday Feb. 26 night against Troy. He contributed one RBI during their attempted comeback. The Lions had two players Jacob Seward and Brennan Breaud who went 3-for-3 batting in this game.

The Lions baseball team lost their first game in a three-game series against Troy University this past Friday at Alumni Field, with a final score of 2-3. The Lions never held a lead in this game, making this their second loss of the season. “In a one run ball game, you [have] got to execute,” said Head Baseball Coach Matt Riser. “That’s a good club over there [Troy]. We have a good club. It was fun to watch the clubs go after it and really compete. I was really pleased in the way we competed. I don’t think we competed that way in the first five games, but I also don’t think we have been tested like that in the first five games.” The Trojans got off to a hot start picking up two runs in the first inning. Later in the third inning, freshman shortstop Brennan Breaud hit a single across the right side and advanced to second base off of another single by junior outfielder Jacob Seward. Junior third baseman and pitcher Derrick Mount sacrificed to put both runners in position to try to tie the game. However, only one run was scored in that inning by Breaud after a hit by junior first baseman Jameson Fisher making the score 1-2. In the sixth inning, the Trojans picked up their third and final run off of two singles and a stolen base making the score 1-3. The Lions started their comeback bid in the seventh inning with senior catcher Chris Eades hitting a single to the right side followed by Breaud picking up his second hit, a single to the left side. Seward sacrificed to put both

MURRAY continued from pg. 1

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crocodiles. “Memorable experiences come in two flavors like being stranded on a boat at night for like 14 hours because the boat motor boat ran out of gas,” said Murray. “Huge three to four meter crocs would just

runners in scoring position. Mount hit a ground out to first, plating Eades and making the score 2-3. Breaud picked up his third hit in the ninth inning with a single. Seward also got his third hit in the game, a single to the right side. Mount hit another sacrifice to put Seward and Breaud on second and third base. Fisher was hit by a pitch and walked to first base. The bases were then loaded with only one out in the ninth. Senior designated hitter and outfielder Daniel Midyett struck out and senior outfielder Julian Service hit a grounder and was quickly out, ending the game. Senior pitcher Kyle Cedotal fanned 11 batters in six innings, but was still tagged with the loss on his record. Both Breaud and Seward were 3-for-3 batting for the game, leading the team. “To be honest, there was nothing that really went wrong,” said Eades. “It was a tough loss, but then again, we learned a lot. We learned that we have to just compete from the first pitch to the last. We will just come out here tomorrow and get back at it.” The Lions played their second game against Troy on Saturday and lost 1-5 after committing multiple errors and giving the Trojans four unearned runs. In the series finale, the Lions were able to overcome an early lead to win 7-2. Good pitching and defense carried the Lions to victory making their overall record 4-3. The Lions’ next game will be against Tulane at Alumni Field tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. where there will be fireworks. To see the Lions’ full schedule, visit lionsports.net.

swim over to our little boat like a tin can and nudge it with their nose like what the hell you doing here? You don’t belong here. We’re going to eat you. That was a really scary experience and probably one of the most memorable in Tempisque River in Costa Rica.” His most positive

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