The Lion's Roar 03/02/2021

Hammond, LA

March 2, 2021

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

Lion Traxx implements new disinfection devices AUSTIN DEWEASE Staff Reporter

The Lion Traxx transportation system implemented a no-touch continuous disinfection device on all shuttles this spring semester along with other measures to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Mounted halfway down and on the ceiling of the buses, the disinfectant device continually disinfects the air on the bus while it is in motion and is specifically designed for public transportation.

Gary Prescott, director of transportation services, elaborated on the functions of the disinfection devices.

“It’s a photocatalytic disinfecting system, so it takes all of the germs out of the air and basically sterilizes them. These were installed on all of the shuttles that go around campus,” Prescott said.

Transportation services purchased from a local company called Natural Disinfection Solutions. According to their website, NDS offers commercial and residential janitorial cleaning, disinfection and odor removal services in the Covington and Mandeville areas.

Prescott said the goal behind the purchase of these devices was to provide continuous clean air and service protection for For the spring semester, the Lion Traxx shuttle service will only be making two stops: at the University Center and the Student Union. Per COVID-19 their passengers while riding the shuttles.

Besides installing a disinfection device on all shuttles, protocol, students must social distance while riding on the shuttles. Austin Dewease/The Lion’s RoarSymiah Dorsey/The Lion’s Roar Transportation Services is taking more measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the shuttles.

“We have designated seating on the shuttles to keep students away from one another while riding, so they have designated ‘no ride’ seats or designated seats that students are not allowed to sit on while riding the shuttles,” Prescott said.

Due to state restrictions, transportation services had to reduce the seating capacity by half.

“We’ve requested that all students perform a COVID-19 prescreening before getting on the buses, and that’s just checking their basic symptoms as the university requested and CDC requested. So they don’t have a fever, temperature, cough or any other COVID symptoms that are existing,” Prescott said.

Students and shuttle drivers are also required to wear a mask at all times while inside the vehicles. The drivers have a plexiglass screen acting as a barrier between them and any students who board the bus.

Along with the plexiglass shields, shuttle drivers are also required to follow several other disinfecting procedures.

Karla Rakocy, a Lion Traxx driver for Transportation Services, went over what protocols bus drivers follow while working their shift.

“We are behind plexiglass shields and wear masks like the students. We also have a disinfectant that we spray the bus with every afternoon,” Rakocy said.

The Lion Traxx bus runs Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is free to all university faculty, staff and studnts.

Students must follow the guidelines in order to use campus Students sit socially distanced on the Lion Traxx, per the new -safety protocols as they head to their next destination on campus. Austin Dewease/The Lion’s Roar transportation.

Student creates Cherrybomb Coffee Company ELANA GUILLORY Staff Reporter

“Fresh beans served within a week of roast, every cup manually brewed, sustainability and people in mind” – the covenant of a new craft coffee business created by university student Noah McLain.

The junior marketing major created a coffee-catering business called Cherrybomb Coffee Co. that offers handcrafted, authentic coffee beverages via pop-up cart.

“To serve the most authentic fresh coffee possible, we also roast our beans. We import beans from Guatemala and Ethiopia, and light roast them to bring out the naturally occurring flavor profiles. We decided to roast our own beans because it puts us in full control of how amazing our coffee tastes,” McLain said.

McLain described the preliminary steps he took to start his business in February of last year.

He said, “My initial efforts in starting this coffee cart concept included buying all the necessary equipment to make craft coffee. I invested lots of money into that, but I also saved money by building my own cart. I have some amazing friends who helped me shape

my branding into what it is.”

When the economy took a turn for the worse during the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, McLain’s start-up also hit a roadblock. He shifted his focus elsewhere and added an element to the business.

“My company is primarily a catering company, but when COVID hit, I had no events to cater for about five months.

I had to pivot to roasting for other businesses and pushing online sales. During all of this, I started a new sector of my business where I install nitro cold brew on tap in different offices and venues. This was a great pivot, and cold brew on tap has become very popular for us,” McLain said.

The craft coffee company offers espresso, hot brewed coffee, frozen beverages, cold brew, teas like matcha and chai, decaf and more. They also sell three versions of their own roasted beans.

McLain was inspired to start Cherrybomb because of his appeal to craft coffee. He wants to help give coffee a better reputation.

“Craft coffee is what inspired me to start Cherrybomb. Most people shy away from coffee because they associate coffee with being bitter and dark.

Others have come to love these undesirable brews because that

Weather

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Junior marketing major Noah McLain serves coffee at his pop-up cart. McLain is head of the coffee-catering business that offers coffee brewed form fresh, authentic ingredients. Courtesy of Noah McLain is all they’ve been exposed to. In the past 10 plus years, a new wave of coffee has emerged - it’s referred to as the ‘third wave’ of coffee, and I’m bringing this to the Northshore, where craft coffee hasn’t quite

boomed yet,” McLain said.

Although Cherrybomb is currently a coffee cart, McLain has hopes to expand in the future.

“We are a fully mobile business, so we do not have a

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brick and mortar – this is a big dream for us though. Our vision is to have a coffee shop in the next five years and to build a stronger coffee culture in the Northshore area. Coffee builds community, and community

is something we believe in,” McLain said.

To learn more about Cherrybomb Coffee Co., visit cherrybombcoffeeco.com.

Stay Connected With Us! Like and follow @lionsroarnews.

Volume 92, Issue 17 A Student Publication www.lionsroarnews.com lionsroar@southeastern.edu

Page 2 | March 2, 2021

The Lion’s Roar | Campus Life

Southeastern women shine in Ruston

Southeastern students Hannah Tribou, Kimberly McClendon, Alyssa Larose, Megan Magri, Catherin Wooton and Gillian Hebert Lion Up before competing in the Miss Louisiana sweeper pageant. Courtesy of Alyssa Larose GERARD BORNE E ditor -In -Chief

Over the weekend, six women from the university competed in the Miss Louisiana Sweeper Pageant in Ruston, with three of them earning titles.

Alyssa Larose, a graduate student and former Miss Southeastern, won Miss Lincoln Parish and spoke on how it felt

to represent Southeastern again.

“Anyone who knows me, knows I am a Lion for life. The incredible representation of Southeastern at the sweeper pageant on Sunday made my heart so happy,” Larose said.

Larose shared why she chose to do a tap dance performance for the talent portion of the competition.

“I performed a tap dance and was really happy with my performances. I told the judges in my Interview that I tap

because no matter if I am performing for a room full of 9 year olds or 90 year olds, I can put a smile on someone’s face because people love tap,” Larose said.

The 2018 Miss Southeastern elaborated on why this tap dance performance was so special to her for this pageant.

“My tap dance that I am competing with this year is particularly special for me because a former Miss Southeastern, Chelsey Blank, choreographed it,” Larose said.

Larose explained how the university will make history in June at the Miss Louisiana Pageant.

“The women who were crowned completed the Miss Louisiana Class of 2021 who will compete in June. This will be the first time in years that more than three women will be representing Southeastern at Miss Louisiana. That is definitely an accomplishment for the university,” Larose said.

Along with Larose, Catherine Wooton, a junior criminal justice major, and Megan Magri, a sophomore kinesiology major, also earned titles in the pageant. Wooton was crowned Miss Louisiana North Bayou and Magri Miss Pride of the Twin Cities.

Suzy Nations, sweeper pageant director, shared how Southeastern should be proud of the girls who competed.

“Southeastern should be extremely proud of all the girls that came to compete because they were a joy to have here in Ruston,” Nations said.

Along with Larose, Wooton and Magri, the university also had Gillian Hebert, a sophomore mathematics major, Hannah Tribou, a senior accounting major, and Kimberly McClendon, a senior business administration major, compete in the pageant The current Miss Southeastern, Lily Gayle, attended the pageant to support her fellow classmates.

“I was so glad I went and supported my girls. I am proud that these young women gladly represented Southeastern to the best of their abilities. I was excited to support my top five and a veteran Miss Southeastern,” Gayle said.

Larose, Wooton and Magri will all have a chance to compete for Miss Louisiana in June in Monroe on June 17-19 in addition to Gayle and Miss Southeastern 2020 Janine Hatcher.

To the left, women who competed in the Miss LA sweeper pageant pose among contestants from the university. University contestants roadtripped together to Ruston for the pageant. Alyssa Larose, right, is a former Miss Southeastern. Larose won the title of Miss Lincoln Parish and will compete in the Miss Louisiana pageant on June 17-19. Courtesy of Alyssa Lorise

University students experience an unexpected winter wonderland HANNAH JUNEAU Staff Reporter

Louisiana is not known for being cold. At least, it was not until a few weeks ago.

During Mardi Gras break, Louisiana residents, along with our other southern neighbors, experienced record low temperatures, with the highest exceeding the 40s for several days.

Many students stayed on campus for the freezing weather.

Freshman nursing major Allison Davis shared how the weather and ice affected her experience around campus.

“My car was completely encased in ice, and I had icicles hanging off my balcony,” Davis said.

She lives off campus in an apartment nearby, and the roads were completely frozen over, according to Davis.

Davis shared that the worst part about the weather was being in her apartment.

“The worst part was definitely being stuck in my apartment because I was too scared to drive on the ice,” she said.

Davis also sympathizes with her mother’s friends who live in Texas and were completely snowed in.

She said, “It’s devastating what happened over there. People were saying they deserved it for being a ‘red’ state, which is absolutely ridiculous. They live in the Texas panhandle, so Freshman accounting major Jordan Blake walked around campus and took pictures of her “winter wonderland” on they were snowed in and without power or water campus. The ground freezed underneath the campus oak trees. Courtesy of Jordan Blake for a good while.”

While Davis is not a fan of the cooler climate, freshman supply chain management major Nicholas Perrin grew up in the snow.

He said, “I grew up in Moscow, Russia. I was put up for adoption after I was born, and then I finally was adopted when I was three years old. I moved into the United States when I was three in 2004, and I remember not going to sleep the entire plane ride to America and going up and down the aisles of the plane saying ‘hi’ to everyone in Russian.”

The snow here was nothing compared to Russia, according to Perrin.

“I did not see that much ice compared to the snow in Russia because I stayed put in the Pike House,” he said.

Freshman accounting major Jordan Blakeman believed the weather was fine for a bit but would not want it to stay like that forever, according to Blakeman.

Blakeman adored the snow and expressed her joy in the “winter wonderland” aspect of the weather.

She shared, “I didn’t drive during that time because I heard I-55 was frozen over. Ice covered the windshields of all the cars in the parking lot. I went walking around after the rain settled down, and it was very pretty. It was just me and the frozen campus. Friendship Oak was very beautiful. What little snow we did get stayed under the branches, and it looked like a ‘winter wonderland.’”

Students perform at Exhibiting African American Culture The University’s Multicultural and International Student Affairs division hosted Exhibiting African American Culture, an event meant to showcase African American talent and culture through the lens of the students that live on campus.

Dancers Cilicia Thornton and Diamond Lee, part of the

student-organized Hip-Hop dance group Flipside, performed a spirited routine at the event, but first were three individual performances by Southeastern students. Biology major Angie Jacobs recited “Dear Black Man,” written by viral poet Ernestine Morrison Johnson.

Up next was Michelle Brister, a music major, who covered the

classic soul song, “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke on her electric guitar. Last of the individual performers was Claraion Hill, a senior early childhood education major, who recited “Phenomenal Woman”

by Maya Angelou.

The event was rounded out by Jarrod Benjamin who gave a keynote address

entitled “Change Agents, from Oppressed to Success.”

After her performance, Hill discussed how she became involved with the event, noting that she needed little time to prepare because of how well she knows the poem from performing at previous Black history events.

“Once L’Oreal contacted me

about two weeks in advance I chose that poem but it is never super hard to perform because I have done it so many times now.

It is also a poem that I can relate to, so it’s easy to feel,” Hil said.

At the end of the event, students were given the option to go across the walkway to view the art created by students on campus or stay in the theater

and play different Kahoots, which asked questions about African American trivia.

Hill chose to tour the art gallery.

She said, “I thought it was a wonderful event. I truly enjoyed all the other performers and speakers. And I can’t wait to see SEE CULTURE, PG. 6

Opinions | The Lion’s Roar

March 2, 2021 | Page 3

Did Cuomo hide COVID-19 deaths among elders?

Recently, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was put on the hot seat for what some are calling the killing of hundreds of citizens in nursing homes throughout the pandemic.

Cuomo issued a policy last March stating that nursing homes should not discriminate against potential patients that may have tested positive for the virus.

Some may say that this was a sweet gesture for those families who were worried that they would spread COVID-19 to their elderly loved ones that live with them. They may have been thankful for the policy and sent their mothers, fathers and great uncles to what they thought would have been safer and cleaner.

However, this was not the case for New Yorkers who found out days or weeks later that Trinity Brown their family members were dead due to contracting the virus.

Staff Reporter A lot of reporters say the policy that Cuomo enforced was meant to help with the overflowing of New York hospitals.

Officials also say that Cuomo was a strict criticizer of the Trump administration and how they handled the virus. At the time, Cuomo was praised for his handling of the pandemic, but apparently, all was not as it seemed.

The main problem was the nursing homes took the policy as an order and assumed they had to take in the patients even though they were a risk. The governor’s office claimed it was never intended as an order.

In my opinion, it was not a bright or healthy policy to issue. It simply has bad ideas written all over it, but the real problem out of this whole ordeal was even after all the deaths of these innocent people, he tried to hide the deaths on record.

While the deaths were reported, they were not classified as COVID deaths, which is what is most problematic for Cuomo.

Why someone who is the governor would hide these very vital and well-deserved statistics to his citizens, I have no idea, other than to clearly, as the kids say, ‘save face.’

While Cuomo is still refusing to respond to all of the allegations since the leaked statistics have been found, there are many families who are coming forward saying they did not actually find out about the death of their relatives until days or even months later.

I could not imagine not being told the day my grandmother or grandfather passed. If I had to find out by calling the nursing home to speak with my loved one, only to be told they were dead, I would have been to resign from governor immediately. devastated.

His constant picking at Trump’s decisions regarding COVID-19 and this incident makes him the definition This is unacceptable, along with his other recent sexual assault allegations, which I think all point to his need of a hypocrite.

Women’s History Month: The stories to tell of Ida B Wells With Black History Month coming to a close and Women’s History Month kicking off, an African American woman worth celebrating is Ida B. Wells, who has inspired countless Symiah Dorsey w r i t e r s , Staff Reporter including myself, to tell stories that give voice to the unheard.

No matter how many times I get frustrated by writer’s block or rapid deadlines, I always keep coming back to journalism. It is what I love to do. It is what I was meant to do.

With all that I hope to accomplish in my career, nothing can compare to the pioneering journalism of Ida B. Wells.

Born into slavery on July 16, 1862 in Holly Springs, Miss., Wells entered the world just prior to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Her parents instilled in her the importance of education, and Wells began to attend presentday Rust College as a young teenager. At the age of 16, a yellow fever epidemic orphaned Wells, taking her parents and infant brother and leaving her to raise six other siblings alone.

Wells began teaching to keep her family together and later moved the bunch to Memphis, Tenn. Even as an educator, Wells had a naturalborn investigative spirit and very low tolerance for acts of injustice.

In 1884, Wells filed a lawsuit against a Memphis train company after being manhandled and severely mistreated on a first-class train car. Wells won the case on the local level, but it was ultimately overruled in federal court.

The story made headlines in Memphis Appeal Advocate: “A Darky Damsel Obtains a Verdict for Damages Against the Chesapeake

and Ohio Railroad – What it Cost to Put a Colored School Teacher in a Smoking Car.” Channeling her personal experiences and observations of life in the south, Wells began to write about the mistreatment of African Americans. Wells’ articles were published in many Black newspapers and periodicals under the moniker “Iola,” and she later

became the owner of the newspaper “Memphis Free Speech,” which was eventually renamed “Free Speech and Headlight.”

In 1892, a fateful moment redirected the trajectory of her work. Wells began an anti-lynching campaign after a close friend and two of his business associates were murdered over their successful grocery store. She wrote editorials

denouncing the lynchings, risking her own life in the process. Wells published “The Red Record” in 1895, her personal examination of the lynchings in America. She traveled internationally to shed light on the tragedy that gripped so many Black Americans. Openly, Wells confronted white women in the suffrage movement who chose to ignore the issue.

Despite being ostracized by various groups, Wells continued on to establish several civil rights organizations. She was also a cofounder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, more commonly referred to as the NAACP. Wells may have died in 1931, but last spring, she received a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for her stories on lynching.

Nine decades after her passing, Wells’ work still has an influence on our modern lives.

That is why I continue to write. That is why I keep a camera closeby wherever I go. As a journalist, I am not just writing for today or tomorrow. I want to write in order to keep people alive long after their greatest tragedies.

Journalism preserves the lives wrongfully taken.

Racial injustices are still widespread to this day, and my heart still breaks every so often.

I struggle to find my calm and balance in being both a Black person and a journalist in today’s world. But still, I write. I write because that is what I was meant to do, and no amount of grief can take us away from what we are meant to do. Wells’ legacy is a testament to that.

I may not be the next Ida B. Wells, but I can cherish the memory of her through all that I do. By simply taking the time to understand the grievances of others and voicing out against what is wrong, you can cherish her memory too.

After this season, It’s time to say goodbye to The Bachelor franchise The latest season of “The Bachelor” has gotten so dramatic that even the host has been sent home. In a season that was intended to highlight diversity and progression, the show has found itself under fire once again.

After nearly 20 years, the show finally casted its first Black bachelor, Matt James. Many of us were excited to see James take on the role of The Bachelor, hoping it would mark a shift in the franchise. Unfortunately, this season has taken a turn for the worse.

For those wondering what all the fuss is about, here’s a quick summary of what has been going on with “The Bachelor”: photos have surfaced of Rachael Kirckonnell, a 24-year-old contestant who made James’ top three, at a plantationSymiah Dorsey themed college party in 2018.

Staff Reporter The host of “The Bachelor,” Chris Harrison, sat down for an interview on Extra with the former and first ever Black Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, asking for fans to give Kirkconnell compassion and grace.

I’m not one to subscribe to cancel culture. After Kirckonnell’s repeated apologies and acknowledgement of her mistakes, yeah, people really could afford to give the woman some compassion and grace. Harrison’s approach, however, was all kinds of wrong.

Before Kirckonnell had the chance to issue her apology, Harrison already came in swinging blindly at her defense.

When Lindsay asked Harrison about his thoughts on Kirkconnell and the allegations, the first thing he said was: “First and foremost, I don’t know. I haven’t talked to Rachel about it,” and from that statement alone, I knew everything that followed would just be a clumsy attempt at damage control.

Lindsay politely tried to explain to Harrison the implications of an old-south Antebellum party, but Harrsion continued to dish out tone-deaf, dismissive responses that only dug the franchise 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.

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into a deeper hole.

In addition, James has also chosen to speak publicly on the shortcomings of “The Bachelor” franchise. Harrison has since stepped away from the franchise indefinitely, and this might be a good time to end the series altogether.

The host is worthy of a second chance, but the current controversy only alludes to the bigger picture: the show has run its course, and it’s time to say goodbye.

It fails to keep up with the times. Although “The Bachelor” has become increasingly more diverse over the years, you hardly get to know all the beautiful, kind and educated women on the show because the majority of airtime is used to broadcast bullying.

Casting a diverse group of contestants only means so much when equitable opportunities aren’t provided for all women.

Drama might be the whole reason we watch reality television, but this season has been unbearably brutal. They have taken it to a whole new level of toxicity that is hard to sit through. Seriously, what bachelor is worth insulting another person and embarrassing yourself on national television?

And have you seen the challenges they make these women do? Why are they making the contestants prance around the forest in squirrel costumes for a chance at an engagement? (episode four, if you’re interested).

Kirckonnell even face planted into the grass during a skydiving incident in episode eight, and everyone just acted like that is totally normal. Is she okay?

The show has always been an unrealistic depiction of finding love, but now contestants can’t even seem to compete without compromising their dignity.

Sure, “The Bachelor” could survive with some surgical chances to the franchise, but sometimes it really is just better to say goodbye. Even a temporary hiatus would be nice.

All I know is: there’s going to be nothing left to repair if “The Bachelor” puts on one more season of this circus.

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Page 4 | Month 00, 2021

The Lion’s Roar | Arts & Entertainment

A taste of home: Siblings bring Nigerian tea and culture to Hammond, start business

Founder Firdaws Ashiru poses with her product: Fresh Hibiscus Tea. With the help of her brother. Ruhullah Ashiru, a Southeastern student, Firdaws has expanded her business into the Hammond Farmers Market’s top-selling vendor. Courtesy of Firdaws Ashiru

HANNAH JUNEAU

came to Hammond, La., they did not expect Americans to be obsessed with something so dear to their childhood.

When siblings Firdaws and Ruhallah Ashiru Upon their arrival, they heard news from a

Staff Reporter

man named Jonathon Wong off of Cate Street that Americans also enjoyed tea, and that gave the Ahirus siblings an idea.

In Nigeria, they drank hibiscus tea when they were little, and they realized that America did not seem to have anything similar to the tea they used to love.

Fresh Hibiscus Tea, founded by Firdaws Ashiru, was created to bring hibiscus tea to the Hammond area.

Ashiru explained why she chose Hammond to share her product.

“They have this weekly Hammond farmer’s market. I do different markets on a monthly basis, and Hammond is a pretty great spot. We’ve [her and her brother] been in the market since 2019.

We’ve been in that community for quite a while.

It’s a great crowd of people,” Ashiru said.

Firdaws took Louisiana’s love for iced and sweet tea and combined it with a special ingredient from home.

Ashiru shared details of her journey from bringing her Nigerian roots and products to the Hammond area.

She said, “The hibiscus flower, what our product is all about, is a drink that we shared as kids. The hibiscus flower is a flower that grows in tropical regions, so you’ll find it in Africa, Asia, Latin America. Really, every part of the world drinks Hibiscus, so it’s not a new innovation. Really what’s new is bringing it to America, bringing it to the Louisiana community.”

In 2019, Fresh Hibiscus Tea hosted a demonstration at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, which aired on the Food Network in New Orleans.

“It was through the New Orleans Museum.

There’s this museum that exhibits New Orleans history, and it was really cool because, the owner of that museum that introduced me to the network channel and got us featured, she was sharing some

really cool facts about New Orleans and how they had this culture, but it’s not there anymore of the red drink,” Firdaws said.

Ashiru explained the significance of the red drink, which is something she learned while on tour of the museum in New Orleans.

She said, “It was like a red soda drink, and people didn’t know that, in order to make it red, they used hibiscus. When I first started this business, and people saw how red my drinks were, they were like, ‘oh, you’re definitely using some kind of coloring’ and I was like, ‘no, this is all natural.’ We don’t use any artificial flavors. The hibiscus flower is so strong.”

Firdaws’ brother Ruhullah Ashiru, a Southeastern student, is known for his skills in sales.

“I introduced her to the Hammond market and everything, and I helped her sell products. I talked to a lot of people in the downtown area before Firdaws came to the Hammond market. Whenever I talk to them, I introduce the product, and it’s easy to have more popularity downtown, and the name of Fresh Hibiscus became more known, so everyone wanted to try it. I was trying to hype up the name, so that’s kind of my job,” Ashiru said.

Ruhullah was excited to share his culture with the area. The tea he and his sister make reminds him of bubble tea and its popularity in the states.

“It originated in Thailand, and the person who brought it was really happy to see that Americans like it, and that reminded me of the hibiscus tea.

It’s bringing a culture to America. America’s culture is a melting pot, and a lot of cultures thrive here. Just bringing that culture and sharing it is really amazing to me. Seeing peoples’ reactions is awesome too,” he said.

Fresh Hibiscus Tea shared that they are currently looking for workers who love sales and who could help them sell their products. For more information, email freshhibiscustea@gmail.com.

Columbia Theatre brings modern take on ‘The Wizard of Oz to Hammond ELANA GUILLORY Staff Reporter

The Wizard of Oz is going to take on a contemporary twist at a local theatre this month.

The Columbia Theatre will present “The Wizard of Oz” on the following dates/times: March 11-13 and March 26-27 at 7:30 p.m.; March 21 and March 28 at 2 p.m. As of today, tickets for all performances except the showing on Friday, March 26 have sold out.

Columbia Artistic Director Jim Winter is directing the show. According to Winter, this production of Oz will be nontraditional.

“It’s got its own look to it–it’s a lot more contemporary and original in the concept of the costumes and set design. It’s all the same characters you know and love, and it’s the same story, but how it looks is very, very unique,” Winter said.

Approximately 80 people auditioned for the show in November when the theatre held open auditions. The cast list consists of a variety of community members.

“There’s a nearly 50 year age range from youngest to oldest in the show – kids in the

single digits and actors in their 50s, and all points in between. I think our youngest actor is eight, and our oldest in his early 50s–we’ve got high schoolers and college students – it’s really quite the mix,” Winter said.

With 40 cast members in the show, Winter said the fear of a COVID-19 surge among the actors has been looming throughout show prep.

“Doing that safely, making sure that everybody’s masked and distancing to the best of our ability - I know the looming shadow of COVID, if somebody in the company were to test positive, we suddenly would shut down the show, but we’ve been operating very safely and responsibly,” Winter said.

Experienced choreographers Chelsea Tallo Little and Olivia Graziano have been dancing together for nearly 15 years and teaching at Lemoine Dance Academy for more than 10. They decided to choreograph the show.

“This show is really special. It’s the first community show of its kind in Hammond, and we wanted to be part of something that gives back to the culture of our community,” Little said.

In addition to choreographers, Oz required a large team, including a fashion designer from

The Columbia Theatre will present “The Wizard of Oz” on the following dates/times: March 11-13 and March 26-27 at 7:30 p.m.; March 21 and March 28 at 2 p.m. As of today, tickets for all performances except the showing on Friday, March 26 have sold out. Photographer Name/The Lion’s Roar Jackson, Miss. and volunteers from Paris Parker Salon.

“Our capacity is really limited so that we can distance people. We can only seat 75 people per show. Normally, we can seat 830, so you’re talking less than 10 percent of our capacity. We have nine total performances, but most of them are well on their way to being sold out,” Winter

said.

Little is excited for what the extravagant show means for the city of Hammond.

“Come see the show. This is a going to be a top-of-the-line show with professional props, technology and an insanely talented cast. It really is history in the making for our small town,” Little said.

Department of Visual Art + Design introduces new photography minor photography integrated with journalism.

Assistant professor of photography Lily Brooks explained what the curriculum has in store for students interested in a minor.

“Throughout the curriculum, they learn how to use a camera technically and have full control over the manual digital camera and film camera. They learn industry-standard software, like Adobe Suite for image processing, which includes Lightroom and Photoshop. They learn how to print their images and how to translate a digital image into a digital print. They learn studio lighting so we have strobes and backdrops,” Brooks said.

No equipment or software is needed prior to taking any photography class. Everything will be provided by the department, according to Brooks.

“All of the labs on campus in our department have the Adobe Creative Cloud installed on them so no student has to own any equipment or software to take a photography class. In fact, we have a suite of digital cameras that students can check out so you don’t have to have a camera to take a class,” Brooks said.

Chloë Bishop, an art major with a concentration in photography, has been a darkroom lab monitor since the beginning of the semester. The lab, located in the Clark Hall annex, allows students to develop film from their cameras and edit their photos.

Bishop explained her responsibilities as a lab monitor.

“Make sure everything is tidy, fix the printers if something happens. If people need help with an image like editing or if they need help with the printers. Making sure people sign up for lab hours and that students wear masks and are socially distancing,” Bishop said.

Art students concentrating in photography plan to produce a juried exhibition and a senior exhibition toward the end of the semester.

“It will include artwork by students of all different disciplines within the art department, and at the end of the semester, the senior exhibition goes up, and that’s where seniors present their entire thesis project or capstone Photography student Jaden Williams shares his fashion/editorial portraiture. Courtesy of Jaden Williams project,” Brooks said.

According to Brooks, he wants the photography minor to serve students and enable them to be able to create AUSTIN DEWEASE visuals in all fields.

Staff Reporter “Everything that we look at is saturated with images these days, so there’s this insatiable need for images in the world and we think that a background in being a skilled image maker and storyteller will lead to students The department of Visual Art and Design is now offering a minor in photography.

With non-art majors in mind, the minor is designed for students to gain a foundation in creative photo being more valuable potential employees in a number of different fields, not just within the fine arts,” Brooks said. techniques, industry-standard software, visual language and photo history.

For more information on the photography minor and program, students can email Lily Brooks at lily.

Students will take a total of six courses, which include basic digital and darkroom classes, intermediate and brooks@selu.edu and follow @slu_photo on Instagram. advanced classes. Students are also required to take a class oriented towards commercial and assignment-based

Sports | The Lion’s Roar

March 2, 2021 | Page 5

Southeastern Channel paving the way for sports reporting

Kaylee Normand, Southeastern alumna who previously worked for the Channel, poses for outside of the Student Union during her announcement at KATC TV3.

Norman thanked the Southeastern Channel for giving her the skills that prepared her for her broadcasting career. Courtesy of Kaylee Normand.

GABRIELLE WOOD Staff Reporter

With a full sports schedule for the spring semester, university athletes are not the only ones finding themselves busy on the field. Where there is a game, there are also students of the Southeastern Channel reporting every play alongside its players.

Ross Chauvin, a junior communication major,

discussed his experience working for the Southeastern Channel.

“My experience being a sports/news MMJ for the Southeastern Channel has been truly surreal and eye-opening.

Not many students that decide to enter this field of study are given such opportunities at just any school. The Southeastern Channel has been nationally recognized for consecutive years ever since before this

past decade, and I am glad to be able to contribute towards that success,” Chauvin shared.

Many student reporters of the channel gain experience that aids them in finding careers upon graduation. Chauvin feels his tenure with the Southeastern Channel has helped him with finding a future career.

Chauvin said, “I’ve been given opportunities to fulfill MMJ tasks and responsibilities ever since my first semester

on campus. It has also allowed me to receive an internship and become a stringer at WGNO (ABC) New Orleans for Friday Night Football and Friday Night Sports. My goal is to become a sports reporter and work my way up the ladder of larger market stations and to one day work for a network such as NBC Sports, ESPN, MLB Network, etc.”

On Feb. 20, Chauvin was given the opportunity to serve

as color commentator for Southeastern’s season opener game against Mississippi Valley State University on ESPN+. He shared his experience covering the game.

“I had a great amount of fun with such a rare opportunity.

That experience is tied with being able to be a part of the media for a New Orleans Pelicans home game in February 2020 broadcasted on TNT. I was able to interview Alvin Gentry and Zion Williamson and enter the Pelicans locker room and interview Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram at the same time as several other professional news networks,” he recalled.

Kaylee Normand, university and Southeastern Channel alum, reflected on her time as a student reporter before becoming a reporter for KATC TV3.

Normand said, “I can’t thank the Southeastern Channel enough for everything that it taught me to prepare me for my job at KATC today. Not only did they teach me how to be a successful journalist and on camera talent, but they taught me about every other aspect of working in the news/television industry. They really did push us as student reporters, and we were faced with hard deadlines and difficult stories, just like real reporters are faced with every day.”

The Southeastern Channel

has won over 300 regional, national and international awards, including 15 Emmy Awards and 56 Emmy nominations, according to their website.

Normand shared that the most important thing she has learned through working at the Southeastern Channel is time management.

“Although it is very different in the real world setting, learning how to work on a short deadline in college made it so much easier for me to adapt to getting my work done within a few hours. I think the way the Channel tries their best to recreate a real news setting with all that they do is extremely beneficial for someone who wants to become a multimedia journalist,” Normand shared.

Normand shared advice for those looking to get involved in the field.

He said, “My advice for anyone who is thinking about getting into the news industry, don’t be afraid. Don’t let your nerves about being on camera, or your nerves about time management get in your way of something that you might be passionate about. When I first started at the Channel, I was horrified to do standups and be on camera, and I was even more nervous about not being able to catch on to everything and meet deadlines, but I gave it a shot.”

Last week in sports: Feb. 22- March 2 GERARD BORNE Editor-In-Chief

The Lady Lions women’s basketball team continued to stay hot as they extended their winning streak to six games with victories over McNeese State University and Northwestern State University.

On Feb. 27, the Lady Lions secured a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament with a 7339 win over Northwestern. Along with getting into the tournament, the Lady Lions secured their first winning season in over a decade.

Lady Lion’s head coach Ayla Guzzardo spoke on the team’s recent successes.

“We’ve been playing so well together as a team. We’re seeing different people step up for us every game, which is an encouraging sign,” Guzzardo said.

Along with the women’s basketball team making school history, the Lions football squad lost its first ever spring game against their Southland foe, Sam Houston State University.

Last season’s defensive flaws followed the Lions into their first game of the unique 2021 season as the Bearkats toppled the Lions 43-38.

Starting quarterback, Cole Kelley notched a career high as he threw for 462 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The Lions will look to get into the win column on March 6 at home against in-state rival McNeese State University.

The baseball team took its talents to Tucson, Ariz. to face off in a four game series against Arizona University. The Wildcats swept the Lions in the four game series as it was both teams’ first time matching up against each other on the diamond.

Southeastern’s pitching struggled throughout the series facing a potent Arizona offense by giving up 38 runs, and 54 hits during the four game stretch. The Lions will face Tulane University on Wednesday, March 3 at home and try to get back into the win column.

After knocking off Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi on Feb. 22 the men’s basketball team lost two straight to McNeese State University and Northwestern State University.

The Lions have been rocky all season long as the team currently sits at a 7-15 record.

Currently, the Lions sit at eighth in the Southland Conference and will hit the road to face a hot University of Central Arkansas on March 3 in Conway, Ar. Women’s Beach Volleyball started their season on Feb. 26 in Elmwood against Southland rival University of New Orleans in a 3-1 loss.

The Lady Lions continued to struggle throughout the weekend as they dropped three more matches against The University of Utah, the University of Alabama-Birmingham and Tulane University.

Southeastern will return to the sand on March 12 in the ULM Beach Invitational to face off against the University of New Orleans, the University of Central Arkansas, Nicholls State University and University of Louisiana-Monroe.

Women’s Soccer also saw heavy action last week in their two matchups against Central Arkansas and Northwestern State, both resulting in losses for the Lady Lions.

Head coach Chris McBride spoke on how Northwestern’s game plan was strong in the Lady Lions 1-0 loss.

“Northwestern State’s game plan was good.

They’re always defensively organized, disciplined and structured. I thought after halftime we were against it for the first 10 minutes of the second half, but we did a good job of getting some momentum and creating opportunities,” McBride said.

The Southeastern women’s tennis team was victorious last week as they knocked off Southland opponent Incarnate Word University at home 4-3.

The Lady Lions sit currently at 3-5 and will face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on March 5 in Texas.

After dropping 3 of 4 games at the UAB Green and Gold Classic, the Lady Lions softball squad got back into the win column over the weekend at the FSU Unconquered Invitational defeating Florida A&M University twice and Florida Gulf Coast University in a 1-0 defensive matchup.

Up next for the team will be a two game series Above, men’s basketball sophomore guard JonDarius Warren takes a jumphot against McNeese State University. On Feb. at home against Louisiana Tech on March 3, 24 the Lions fell to the Southland rival 95-91. Below, senior fullback Damien Dawson gets tackled in the redzone. Symiah the Lady Lions currently sit at 7-6 on the 2021 Dorsey and Sports Information/The Lion’s Roar season.

Intramural sports back in action for spring semester AUSTIN DEWEASE Staff Reporter

Intramural sports are designed to provide Southeastern students, faculty and staff an opportunity to participate in a variety of competitive sports in a safe, fun and structured environment.

Locations are different for each sport; the two main locations are inside the REC and outside in the North Oak Park fields. Occasionally, events are held at the Kinesiology building tennis courts.

Sports for the spring semester include: softball, a virtual 5k run, soccer, volleyball, home run derby, tennis tournament, cornhole, pickleball and swamp bowl. These sports will span seasons across two months, starting with softball kicking off its season at the beginning of March.

Although registrations have passed for softball, people can still register for the other sports scheduled.

To register for an intramural sport, one must create an IMLeagues account at www.imleagues.com/ SELU/Registration, entering their information and using their school email address. Upon activating their account, one must select which sports they are interested in playing.

On the website, there are three ways to join a sport: creating a team as a captain, joining a team or joining as a free agent.

This semester, like last year, will be a bit different due to COVID-19.

Assistant director of competitive sports and fitness services Jason Templet explained the guidelines

this semester’s intramural sports will follow.

“We have lots of COVID-19 guidelines in place to keep all of our participants, staff and spectators safe. Some of these measures include wearing face coverings at all times. Also, before anyone is allowed to play, they must have taken a COVID rapid test that day and show a negative result. Lastly, we are sanitizing any equipment that is used and keeping social distance as much as possible,” Templet said.

Students and staff also have the option to officiate a sport, in which they would judge performances to determine a winner and overall officiate the game.

Templet explained, “If someone is interested in officiating for intramural sports, they can reach out to me via email (jtemplet@selu.edu). You do not have to have any previous officiating experience since we go through training before each sport. I look for officials who are confident in making calls and are willing to learn and get better.”

Bradley Spinnato, senior business management major, will be an intramural referee and supervisor for this semester. Spinnato had started out working in intramural sports and eventually worked his way up to working for the REC. Spinnato had a few words for incoming freshmen.

He said, “Intramural sports are a good thing for incoming freshmen to participate in because when I went to Southeastern, I didn’t know many people and intramural sports help you meet a lot of people through it.”

Page 6 | March 2, 2021

The Lion’s Roar | News

SLU Gospel Choir finds ways to worship during pandemic

The SLU Gospel Choir, a musical ensemble of singers worshiping God, was established in 1973 and is known for being the university’s first African-American organization on campus. Gabrielle Wood/The Lion’s Roar GABRIELLE WOOD Staff Reporter

The SLU Gospel Choir, a musical ensemble of singers worshiping God, was established in 1973 and is known for being the university’s first African-American

organization on campus.

Michelle Brister, a senior music major and president of the organization, reflected on her experience in her final semester.

Brister said, “As President, my experience with the SLU Gospel Choir for the past three years has

been beautiful. The SLU Gospel Choir or ‘GC’ for short, is my family. It warms my heart that there’s a place in GC where young people can freely sing praises to God. I am proud to be a part of the first Black organization on SLU’s campus.”

During the ongoing pandemic, the choir has to adapt under new circumstances.

“Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, we cannot sing inside the buildings. However, we can congregate outside using the guidelines of social distancing,”

Brister explained.

Tyrolynn Penn, public relations/ membership coordinator and a sophomore biological sciences major, described how the meetings are throughout the semester.

Penn said, “We meet on Mondays, and we typically greet

everyone coming in and try to loosen them up into feeling comfortable with an ice breaker/ activity. We pray and then practice a song or two which really loosens up everyone.”

The Gospel Choir provides leadership opportunities for students to get involved. Penn explained what his role as public relations/membership coordinator entails.

“I serve as a liaison for both current members and alumni. I am also in charge of the social media platforms and marketing our organization to the school. This has shaped me into becoming a more social person and letting my voice be heard; also taking accountability for my actions on a more personal level,” Penn said.

KeRon Jackson, treasurer and a sophomore english education major, expressed his biggest lesson learned from the organization.

“From being in the choir, I have learned that a silent voice can be powerful. The silent voice is one that will eventually be called on for needed input. It has impacted me by showing me that in order to grow you have to learn. Growth without learning can be detrimental to the one who repeats the same person,” Jackson said.

If interested in joining the SLU Gospel Choir, it is suggested to submit a membership application that can be found on @slugospelchoir Instagram and Twitter @SluChoir bio.

SGA grant applications open for Spring 2021 BRYNN LUNDY Staff Reporter

The Student Government Association offers grants every semester to provide students, organizations and departments with funds to travel, hold educational events on campus or for other departmental needs.

The deadline to apply for grants this semester is April 14.

Travel grant applications must be submitted at least seven weeks prior to travel. Organizational and departmental applications must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the event or project date. Those interested in applying for a grant must first schedule an informational meeting with SGA’s graduate assistant Julie Perise to learn about the process.

“Depending on the grant that they would like to apply for, we go over the rules and the procedures involved with that grant so that they will be informed as they submit their materials that they need to apply. I give them the information that they need to have so that they can do that properly,” Perise said.

An organization or department cannot receive more than one grant within one fiscal year. Additionally, organizational grant requests cannot exceed $500, and

departmental requests may not exceed $1,500. No travel grant request can exceed $500 for less than three students or $1,000 for three or more students.

Regarding the funding for the grants, SGA coordinator Brendan Daigle said, “The grants come from a budget that SGA has that students contribute to. It’s part of, I guess you could say, the fees.

Because those are funds that are generated by students, those are things that have to be voted on in order to be allowed to have those funds come out for usage.”

SGA Vice President Darnell Butler Jr. briefed the weekslong procedure that follows the applicant’s meeting with the graduate assistant and grant application submission.

He said, “We review the bill and bring it to the Senate meeting, then we’ll send that bill to our appropriations committee where they go over budgets and things like that.

If they want this bill to pass through, they’ll recommend it to the senate, and we’ll vote on it in the senate meeting. If it passes, they’ll go through the purchasing process.”

Butler said the travel grant process is different this semester due to the restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

“Because of COVID, the

Travel grant applications must be submitted at least seven weeks prior to travel. Organizational and departmental applications must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the event or project date. Those interested in applying for a grant must first schedule an informational meeting with SGA’s graduate assistant Julie Perise to learn about the process. File Photo/The Lion’s Roar university isn’t allowing traveling, but instead, we’re allowing students to apply for travel grants to attend virtual conferences and things like that.”

As coordinator, Daigle’s role

in the grant process includes signing off on legislation and acting as an advisor for the students who are involved in reviewing and voting on the applications.

She said, “I attend the Senate

meetings where they are voted on. I‘m an advisor, so if the GA who sets up the initial meeting, if she has any questions, she comes to me. Darnell comes to me if he has questions. I review all the documents to make

sure they’re good to go before everything is signed off above me.”

For additional questions regarding grants, contact SGA Vice President Darnell Butler Jr. at sgasenate@southeastern.edu.

the other part the guest speaker.” of the exhibition The art pieces were the second part of the that they have exhibition; a tour guide from MISA walked planned.” everyone through multiple rooms which In addition to MISA using its regular showcased different kinds of pieces from black staff to coordinate and work the exhibit, they and white canvases, to abstract Rico Nasty also extended a welcome for volunteers to drawings and photographs of everyday citizens.

Student Government Affairs and the National One artist, Sieara Williams, a sophomore Association for the Advancement of Colored marketing major, painted a colorful portrait of People chapter on campus. the rapper Tyler, The Creator.

One of the NAACP volunteers, Elan Williams, “It might have taken me about a month to a junior majoring in health sciences, was happy do but I already had the piece ready before I received the call to be in the gallery but I think to lend a helping hand.

“We had an NAACP meeting and they told us everyone enjoyed all the different artwork that MISA was having this so I signed up because it we presented,” she said.

Based on the success of this event, MISA looked fun and I thought it would be nice to help is planning on hosting many more events to out,” Williams said. celebrate Black culture. For more information She also expressed her appreciation for the on MISA and their upcoming events, visit their performances and how well the art gallery was website.e. organized.

“I think it went really good. We had a really good turnout. I liked how we set up all the pieces In addition to MISA using its regular staff to coordinate and work the exhibit, they also extended a welcome for in the exhibit. It was smooth and everyone volunteers to Student Government Affairs and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People tonight did well, especially the performance of chapter on campus. Trinity Brown/The Lion’s Roar CULTURE

continued from pg. 2

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