Issuu

’ 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

Hammond, LA

March 6, 2018

The

Fundraiser held to benefit students

B I G

PRAKRITI ADHIKARI Staff Reporter

The Hammond community, restaurants and alumni gathered to celebrate cuisine and the “taste of the Northshore.” The Southeastern Foundation organized the 34th annual “Chefs Evening” on Sunday, March 4 in the Student Union Grand Ballroom from 5:30-8 p.m. and included restaurants, vendors and live and silent auctions. Donor Relations Coordinator for University Advancement and Coordinator for “Chefs Evening” Lisa Patti explained that the purpose of organizing “Chefs Evening” annually is to raise funds for the university. “‘Chefs Evening’ is our largest fundraising event that we have, and it supports scholarships and academic programs,” said Patti. “It consists of restaurants who donate their time. We have 25 this year who donated their time to come by.” Before the event, the organizing committee also held the “President’s Toast” hosted by President Dr. John L. Crain at the President’s Residence. Patti mentioned some of the restaurants and vendors who participated in the event. “Some of our beverages and vendors are from the Northshore like Champagne Beverage, Jim Carey,” said Patti. “We also have Gallagher’s from Northshore that is participating with us, and then we have Hammond restaurants.” The event featured a live auction and a silent auction. The three items for the silent auction were a wine dinner

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According to Head Coach Jay Ladner, the ultimate goal for this team is to appear in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2004-05 season. Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion’s Roar

Circle of Success see page 7

Roomie came in to support the men’s basketball team in the regular season title deciding game against Nicholls State University. Nikisun Shrestha/The Lion’s Roar

Win

see CHEFS EVENING, pg. 8

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Junior fo the Lio rward Mos es n shots a s with 18 po Greenwood i n n l ts, thr de Jonathan ee blo ed Rhodes/ ight reb The Lion o cked unds. ’s Roar

Mastering preparation and time management the community. “Being Miss Southeastern has been wonderful the past now almost four months,” said Larose. “I’ve done a lot of things on campus and in the community. I’ve also been preparing for the Miss Louisiana Pageant. It’s amazing where the crown will take you because one journey always leads to another. It’s very unexpected. You never really know who you’re gonna Miss Southeastern Alyssa Larose File Photo/ The Lion’s Roar meet or what opportunities are going to come forth when you do something.” ZACHARY ARAKI As Miss Southeastern and a student Staff Reporter involved in various student organizations, Larose balances her time commitments. Since being crowned last December, “It’s a good thing that my entire life I’ve Miss Southeastern 2018 Alyssa Larose has been very busy,” said Larose. “I’ve always worked to be more involved and active in had to balance school with other things like

Victory at last

see PAGE 6

2017 Inkslinger play focuses on austism

Weather

Tuesday H 61 L 37

dancing and other extracurriculars and organizations at school. So once I got into college and I wasn’t so busy my first year, it was very weird. Being busy is where I feel comfortable. I just need to make sure that I’m setting time aside to study because I’m really on campus every day from 7:30 in the morning to 7:30 at night doing classes, organizations and going to

see LAROSE , pg. 8

Thomas awarded by UPD

see PAGE 4

Index

Wednesday H 63 L 38

Campus Life.................................2 Opinions.....................................3 A&E............................................4

Horoscope, Crossword, Sudoku....5 Sports.........................................6 News..........................................8

see PAGE 2

Holi: The Festival of Colors

see PAGE 8

Stay Connected With Us!

Volume 89, Issue 18

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A Student Publication www.lionsroarnews.com lionsroar@southeastern.edu

Page 2 | March 6, 2018

The Lion’s Roar | Campus Life

The 2017 Officer of the Year: Thomas Behind the Badge LARSHELL GREEN Editor-in-Chief

University Police Officer 2-A Earl Thomas III was selected as the University Police Department’s 2017

Officer of the Year. The New Orleans native began working for the department as a student worker in Aug. 2014. Outside of the office, Thomas is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the university and serves as

a referee and organizer of the university’s intramural sports teams. Thomas’ most celebrated University Police Officer 2-A Earl Thomas III received the title of 2017 of the Year partly because of his commitment to personal accomplishments forming connections with the community. Thomas enjoys working with UPD’s social media pages. Larshell Green/The Lion’s Roar revolve around the connection that police officers create with the community.

TLR: How did you gain knowledge of social media and why have you

The Lion’s Roar: How do you feel about obtaining the chosen to operate the department’s social media pages? honor of Officer of the Year? Earl Thomas III: I didn’t really gain knowledge per se, I’m only 22 years old, so I’ve been using social media all my life. As far as Earl Thomas III: I am grateful and honored to receive the department’s social media goes, I use it as a way to show the other

the Officer of the Year award. It shows that my hard work doesn’t go side of police work and use it as an interaction tool with the students and unnoticed. visitors to campus.

The Lion’s Roar: What sparked your interest in becoming TLR: What degree are you pursuing at the university?

an officer for the university?

Thomas III: I am currently pursuing my undergraduate Earl Thomas III: I always knew I wanted a career in law Earl degree in criminal justice. enforcement my entire life. Coming to college and becoming a student worker, working with the University Police Department furthered that idea and mixed with the wonderful people that already worked for the department, I was sold.

TLR: What do you hope to accomplish upon graduation? Earl Thomas III: After graduation I hope to continue my

TLR: What job positions have you previously held? Earl Thomas III: Before becoming a full-time officer, I TLR:

career in law enforcement going wherever it may take me.

worked as a UPD Building Checker and Housing Cadet.

What was your number one goal when you accepted your position at the university? Has it changed? Why or why not?

TLR: What is your favorite event to help out at? Earl Thomas III: One of my primary goals when I started as an officer was to improve the relationship between the Southeastern Earl Thomas III: My favorite event is our new “Blue and community and the University Police Department. That goal has not

You” event. I like that event because it allows us, as officers, to meet with changed because I feel that the better the relationship we have, the the students and get to know them. They get to know and hang out with more we can improve the campus community. us. What do you want people to know about police officers? What do your duties consist of? I want students, visitors and staff members to I perform patrols of campus on foot, bicycle know that not all police officers are mean. We like to laugh and joke around and in patrol car. I also respond to traffic incidents, domestic disputes and like everyone else. I also want everyone to know that officers are approachable and just because we are around, that doesn’t mean that someone is in trouble. various reports of criminal activity.

TLR: Earl Thomas III:

University Counseling Center receives funding to aid in addiction recovery on campus ANNIE GOODMAN Staff Reporter

Transforming Youth Recovery awarded a $1,000 grant to the University Counseling Center to aid in recovery from substance abuse disorders and other addictive behaviors. “The UCC applied for this grant May of 2017,” said Assistant Director of Programming and Outreach UCC Annette Newton-

Baldwin. “We found out about the opportunity to apply for a collegiate recovery grant through one of our treatment providers.” Newton-Baldwin hopes to allow students to drive the direction of recovery on campus. “We are hoping to utilize the money to recruit students in recovery that are already here on campus,” said Newton-Baldwin. “Our students in recovery can then help guide the process of

developing programming and our campus culture.” Newton-Baldwin explained that the program needs to be flexible as time changes. “The addiction field is always CAROL’S FLOWERS making the world a happier place one flower at a time. Call us for flowers for all occasions. In downtown Hammond. 304 E. Morris Ave. 985-345-0525

changing,” said Newton-Baldwin. recovery does not work like a “So, we will be staying vigilant medicinal cure. of changes as well as continue our “A simple definition is not just relationship with quality treatment about abstaining from addictive referrals.” According to Newton-Baldwin, see RECOVERY, pg. 8 In this world, two things are certain. One of those is taxes. If mom ain’t doing your taxes call Tony Schillage, CPA (985) 345-1898

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March 6, 2018| Page 3

Why stereotyping is dangerous SPEAK OUT All plus-size women and men are not lazy, unhealthy, insecure or desperate. Being “pretty for a big girl” is not a compliment. Stereotypes like these can be very problematic in the society that we live in. We are constantly being judged by our appearances before Larshell Green our personalities, talents, Editor -in- Chief hopes and dreams are discovered, and for those on the receiving end of these comments, it hurts. I am proud to be a beautiful and confident plus-size young women, but our society helps to form unfair stereotypes about body image. Every single time a beauty ad involving a plus-size model is posted, the comment section is immediately filled with comments that are partially negative and partially positive. Some commenters embrace the fact that a different type of beauty standard is forming and celebrate it. Others immediately jump to conclusions about the physical capabilities of the subjects of the media being presented to them. Genetics can play a huge role in obesity, and whether you diet or exercise, you may still have the chance of not being defined as healthy from a medical standpoint. Even if by some chance you are in the small percentage of people in the U.S. that is neither underweight nor overweight, you can still develop health issues. The worst part of this all is the

assumption that plus-sized women are somehow inferior to “average-sized women.” Several studies including one by refinery29.com, reveal that 67 percent of women wear a size 14 or higher. If you add men to that percentage, the percentage of those identified as plus-size would increase. I’m no math wiz, but I think it’s pretty obvious that the misrepresentation in the media is ridiculous. Why is the term “plussized” even being used if those identified make up most of the population? The “average-sized” people are either shunned for their weight or praised for being “normal.” Let me clarify that body shaming does not only apply to plus-sized women or men. It applies to everyone. Thinner people are commonly stereotyped as drug addicts, health nuts, or are believed to be suffering from eating disorders. That’s not OK. From a medical standpoint, being overweight or underweight is not necessarily a good thing, but neither is being insecure. There are plus-sized models, ballerinas, actresses, athletes, you name it. These are the types of images that should be shown on a regular basis. In this modern world, people all look different, and that should be reflected in our media. When we begin to only show impressionable children the “ideal” male and female bodies, then we are practically forcing them to have issues with their bodies and self-esteem. What kind of world will we have if our future leaders do not love themselves and cannot

make accurate decisions about what is right and wrong? Everyone has the right to express themselves. We have to believe and practice that for both sides of the argument. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, at what point does it become OK to attack someone based on only a portion of themselves that you are seeing? A lot of commenters are quick to reveal that they are disgusted by plus-sized women or men. Well, I am disgusted by how human beings treat each other. Learning to love yourself and the way that you look is no small feat. Neither is committing to regular diet or exercise. We should remain active as often as we can. It is necessary to eat a well-balanced diet and practice portion control. For me, if I don’t do those things, I will greatly increase my chances of having health issues. Diabetes, high blood pressure, several types of cancer, epilepsy, heart disease and lupus are only some of the conditions that I am aware of that could possibly affect me. Nevertheless, whether someone wants to exercise or remain on a diet is none of your business. It’s their life and their decision. If you don’t know something, then ask. Don’t make unfair assumptions without knowing the entire story. And if you are reading this and wondering why in the midst of other important issues in the world I am discussing this, there is one simple answer: if we love and support each other as members of a society, then nothing else will be impossible.

Do you think plus-size models are healthy? Why or why not? “Plus-sized models can be healthy depending on different body types. They’re going to look different. They’re going to have different body fat percentages.” John Malik Senior, Chemistry “I feel like plus-size, they have to be healthy because they’re still models at the end of the day, and being plus-sized, you are kind of in shape in your own way because you’re plus-sized.” Carlton Dunn Senior, Sport Management “Plus-sized models are healthy. Everybody has different body types, so even with them being a little bigger, I feel like they’re still healthy because they have to be healthy to be in the industry.” Darius Woodfork Junior, Applied Sociology “It’s hard to generalize the health of all plussize models because healthy looks different for everyone and you can’t generalize it that easily.” Katherine Davis Junior, Applied Sociology

“As long as their doctor says they’re healthy, that’s all that matters. I don’t think that being out of shape necessarily means you’re healthy.” Adrian Sanders Junior, Art

“Plus-sized models are healthy. They are just big boned. That’s all. They look nice. I like them, and there isn’t anything wrong with them. Everyone is made different.” Kaziah Rolle Senior, Marketing “Skinny models can be unhealthy because they may starve their body just to look a certain way or get a job.” Maricela Barrera Freshman, Nursing

Expressing yourself with your chosen campus clothing style College is a time for people to express themselves and develop and discover who they are. One way that college students can express themselves on campus is by having the Sarah Hess freedom to Staff Reporter dress how they want. Before college, I spent 12 years of my life wearing a uniform five days out of a week. So, I was ecstatic to have the chance to wear what I wanted to and not be forced to wear a tucked in polo like a Steve Urkel wannabe, because there is no way I have his swagger. Walking on campus, you can see so many types of people and get a sense of their personality by what they are wearing. Some college students go to class dressed to the nines, and then there are other students who attend a 12 p.m. lecture in pajamas. With the freedom to wear whatever as students, we must have common sense and discretion when choosing our clothes because as adults, all of our actions reflect on us even our clothing choices. Comfort and professionalism are the two basic styles I see on this campus with a wide range of levels for both the categories. I feel that one’s style also progresses

with each new classification. Sometimes casual outfits turn into more professional ones when you go from 100 level classes to 400 level. Some people go to the complete opposite end of the spectrum. As the struggle gets harder, their clothing shows their haggard mental and physical state. An evolution of dress wear can also be seen in a semester from the bright-eyed makeup every day and planned outfits of the first week. You can know when it is testing season simply by looking at the outfits on campus. When the number of hats you see on girls increases after so many all-nighters and daily use of dry shampoo and a prayer, the end result is hiding the beast with a cap. With the chance to wear what I want, comes a lot of planning and strategy. I am a creature of comfort. If my outfit takes more than five minutes to put on, then you better believe I am not wearing it. While there is no uniform for this university, my unofficial uniform is just as constant as my unofficial, official seat in class. My lecture uniform consists of “Norts,” which is the street term for Nike shorts, an oversized pocket T-shirt and a hat because hats make life better. This outfit has a design specifically built for comfort and laziness without looking too much like a

gremlin walking around campus. This outfit was designed to make one feel cozy in that cold 8 a.m. desk chair using your larger-thanneeded shirt as a blanket by lampshading, which is when the hem of the shirt goes past the hem of the shorts. Pocket T-shirts are like the Mary Poppins bag of shirts. You can use that front pocket as a new bag to put pensin or to stash your phone and headphones, so you can walk and listen to music without holding it. A little variation to this routine involves leggings and Chacos. After all, Chacos are my comrades that never let me down when hiking up the D Vickers stairs. Comfort is the key to the success of surviving class for myself, but sometimes a basic wardrobe is not appropriate for all campus functions. That is when a student brings out their A-game business outfits, or in my case, not leggings. This style upgrade is basically like a Pokémon evolution of my clothing because it’s the same thing but a little better. I dress in a cute outfit of real pants, also known as jeans, a nice top, and booties or sandals, depending on the semester. The evolved outfit is restricted to special occasions such as presenting in class or going to my internship. I have a philosophy that after my four years of being in this little lion bubble in society, I

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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 in the Student Union suite 1303. Annual mail subscriptions are $35 within the continental U.S. The Lion’s Roar, in its print form, and associated online or digital 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.

will have to dress professionally every day and be a 9-to-5 real adult. So, why not look like a lazy sloth while I can? A problem I have is that I think of the university as home a little too much now that I live here. I have no problem with going to the union in mismatched socks and Chacos, a combo almost as tacky as Crocs with sock, but I also wear slippers at night to the library like it is my living room. University pride is also great to represent when in class, especially those classes with professors that literally stop lecturing when they see purple and gold in their peripheral. They’ll ask you to leave class because you’re wearing a Louisiana State University shirt. An item students need in college is rain boots because the drainage system on campus is definitely not the best in the nation, and you need them unless you like wet socks. Incoming freshmen, take heed to this warning because on a hard rain day, freshmen parking becomes more like a mini lake than parking spots. Another big factor of campus clothing is the terrain of this campus. It’s a big campus, so if someone commits to uncomfortable shoes such as heels for a day, props to you. Wearing any shoe with a lift guarantees you can skip leg day at the gym because your thighs and calves

Students on campus often wear clothing that allow for comfortability indoors and out. Sarah Hess/The Lion’s Roar will be burning by 11 a.m. Plus, some of the buildings on campus are not suitable. Wearing a skirt or dress on campus is a struggle because you have to always check if you are flashing someone when your book sack pulls up your skirt. Or the never-ending stairs that make you pause to adjust your outfit situations because some parts of the outfit are not meant for the public, such as your undergar4ments. The different lecture rooms come with different seating that is not always skirt friendly, especially those chairs connected to desks like in Fayard. The moral of this is no matter your style, college allows people

the chance to be who they are and express that through their clothing. College is full of diverse, free-thinking people. This is one of the few places where society’s judgment is minimum. An example is when a guy can dress as Santa to ride a scooter on campus, and no one cares. So if you want to look like Kim Kardashian during fashion week on a Monday, or just roll out of bed and wear pajamas to class, do what you want because we should try to make college as fun as possible and wear what makes us happy. After all, you are the one sitting in that 75-minute long lecture, so you might as well wear what you love.

General Offices Student Union 1303 Mailing Address The Lion’s Roar SLU 10877 Hammond, LA 70402

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The Lion’s Roar Staff Editor-in-Chief - Larshell Green Senior Staff Reporter - Jonathan Rhodes Distribution - Jesse Salminen II Office Assistant - Alyssa Larose Administrative Assistant - Gemma Carter Coordinator - Lorraine Peppo Director - Dr. Lee E. Lind

Page 4 | March 6, 2018

The Lion’s Roar | Arts & Entertainment

‘Life on the Moon’: Drama in the theater

Meghan Shea as Piper’s mom, Colin Ross as Bruce Rawley and Emery Foster as Piper preformed “Life on the Moon.” Piper, left, hugs Spencer. Spencer tries to give Piper a hug in the first scene but Piper doesn’t like being touched. The whole play revolves around Piper trying to figure out how to make Spencer happy because she is the only one who can tell he is hurting on the inside. Annie Goodman/The Lion’s Roar DON LAWRENCE Staff Reporter

The unpublished “Life On the Moon” came to campus. The theatre department put on the annual Inkslinger competition winner in the Vonnie Borden on Feb. 27 to March 2. Playwrights were encouraged to submit their work in hope to have it produced. In 2015 the Inkslinger winner was “High & Mighty” by Donna Gay Anderson, and in 2016 the Inkslinger winner was “Why Are You Nowhere” by Ethan Warren. This year, “Life On the Moon” was chosen. Freshman elementary education major Gabrielle Nixon shared her view on being

assistant stage manager. “I did a lot of behind-the-scenes work and helped wherever I was needed,” said Nixon. “The rehearsal process was my favorite part. This was such an intense play, and it was incredible to see these four characters come to life. Honestly, I love the play as a whole. I found the sister-brother relationship between Piper and Spencer incredible, and the entire family’s chemistry was great to watch.” Senior communication major Bruce Javery II was an usher who watched the play several times. “I thought it was a very beautiful, emotionally moving piece of art,” said Javery. “Everyone involved truly encapsulated the characters from beginning to end. My favorite part was when

Staff Reporter

Art majors submitted their artworks for the Visual Art + Design Student Exhibition to showcase their work and try to win awards. The awards were given to students whose submissions were the best in their category, or for one

student, the best work in the show. The premiere for the Department of Visual Art + Design Student Exhibition was held in the Contemporary Art Gallery on March 1 from 5 - 7:30 p.m. The gallery will stay open to the public through March 29. Gallery Director and

Professor of Sculpture Dale Newkirk explained how the artwork is selected for display. “There were two outside jurors for graphic design and one juror for fine arts,” said Newkirk. “Erik Kiesewetter and Karen Dufour were the graphic design jurors. John Barnes Jr. was the fine art juror. All three are professional artists, designers. It is important to have jurors from outside of SLU who do not know the students.” Newkirk also stated that more artwork was accepted into the show this year compared to last year. “There were 266 artworks submitted to the show,” said Newkirk. “147 artworks, not students, got accepted to be in the show, which is better than last year. Last year, only 37 percent got into the show, but there were a 100 more entries.”

The magic behind the theater’s curtain JENNIFER DETTWILLER Staff Reporter

Campus plays involve various facets before premiering for an audience. Associate Professor of Acting and Directing James “Jim” Winter feels artistry by a collaborative effort of multiple people is the basis of a well put together production at the university. “Good plays are always a collaborative effort,” said Winter. “You need hard work and artistry from all your different designers, your actors, your director, your crew people. Hopefully, you have a strong script as a starting point for all of this. Beyond that good teamwork with a collaborative spirit, the best production is always when designers, directors and actors are sharing ideas and working together towards a common goal.” The casting process for students most commonly involves a monologue or cold read. Preparing for a production can present difficulties in different ways. “During preparation, there are any number of variables that can be speed bumps in the process,” said Winter. “I like to think we generally overcome them, but sometimes, you have issues with certain personalities. Putting on a play takes a lot of time. Sometimes you might have an actor who didn’t realize what kind of time commitment it was or something happens in their personal lives, and you may lose personnel along the way and have to replace them.” Professor of Theatre Design and Technical Directing Steven Schepker explained how the budget affects all aspects of the performance.

friend who made some of the costumes,” said sophomore biological sciences major Kirstyn George. “The costumes and set blew me away. Every item within the audience’s mise-en-scéne was incredibly significant.” Senior marketing major Harlan Thorpe was also an usher, and she expressed her delight about the reactions from the audience. “The people here tonight are having a great time,” said Harlan. “During intermission the people wouldn’t stop sharing their predictions with one another. Some audience members were left very emotional because the family finally came together and brought happiness to the audience. The ending was beautifully done, and I was left filled with tears of joy. It’s a very moving production.”

Art students show off their work

Students and parents roamed the Contemporary Art Gallery during the Visual Arts + Design Exhibit preview on March 1. Jacob Summerville/The Lion’s Roar JACOB SUMMERVILLE

Piper hugged Spencer because everything came full circle in both of their arcs, and compared to the opening when she refused contact, it makes the moment impactful and poignant.” After attending the play, sophomore English education major Jenny Gautier expressed her love for the performance. “I earned bonus points in two classes by enjoying a very entertaining play,” said Gautier. “Piper was an extremely challenging role, and seeing the character form piece by piece was amazing. The play was dynamic, and is certainly one of the better plays I’ve watched in Vonnie Borden Theatre.” Some attendees went to support friends involved in the play. “I came to this performance to support my

Awards were given towards the beginning of the program. Some of the categories were graphic design, painting, photography and sculpture. The last award to be given was Best in Show, which went to senior art major Abigail Coleman for her sculpture “Devils’ Remnant.” She also submitted a painting to the show, and she described her excitement after receiving her award. “I was taken aback because I haven’t shown it before, especially in this show,” said Coleman. “It’s one of my favorite pieces, and I feel like it’s one of the most cohesive pieces I have and the most successful. Like I said, it’s one of my favorites. I like it, and I think people will like it too. As far as the painting, it’s also one of my favorite paintings. Coincidentally, it’s the two

pieces that I had spent the most time on, and they’re both part of the same thought process. So, I kind of wanted to have them in the same show.” In the process of creating her sculpture, Coleman ran into several obstacles. “That particular sculpture was when I was learning how to weld,” said Coleman. “So, it’s my first completed welded sculpture. There was a lot of hang-ups with that because I was freaking out on what works and what doesn’t. That’s what you’re taught in that kind of process, and there’s what actually works. There’s a lot of things I had to learn the hard way, and that’s probably one of the reasons that it’s such a favorite for me because it managed to be successful despite all the mess-ups I did while learning how to do that process.”

Coleman shared that her inspiration for her art came from the aging process of geological features. “I wanted to talk about geologic process, weathering and the beauty in weathering in hopes that the viewer will find parallels with how important the process is in human life, and all we do is work these processes,” said Coleman. “The process of getting an education, the processes of gaining a skill, the process of going to school, or dealing with a loss and how important those processes are to create what we are. So, to find the beauty in those kinds of arduous processes that take millions of years, it’s important to find the importance in our processes that take a much shorter time, and they should be appreciated.”

Wind Symphony for all generations

“The ultimate challenge is always budget, JENNIFER DETTWILLER like how much money you have and how Staff Reporter much you can spend, how much labor I have, how many people I have working for me, and The university’s Wind Symphony presented a balancing that and getting the most we can with theme of “Music for All Generations” in the Pottle what we have,” said Schepker. Schepker additionally explained that some set pieces have been recycled throughout different productions to save money. During performances, though, some things can still present issues or difficulties including not knowing how an audience may react to the play. Winter discussed one of his favorite productions at the university, “Parking Lot Babies.” “It was my favorite because we overcame a lot of adversity with that play,” said Winter. “We competed with it at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, and we traveled to New Orleans and performed it, and we did so good we were then invited to travel to Amarillo, Texas, to perform it. Along the way when we were supposed to take it to Amarillo, that was when the school started to get hit with those big budget cuts, and the school was no longer able to pay for us to bring the show.” Despite these complications, the students came together to make it happen. “The students banned together and raised thousands of dollars to tour the whole set and show to Amarillo and stay in Amarillo for a week and be able to perform it,” said Winter. “It was voted the best show at the regional festival and received seven national accommodations from the Kennedy Center. Our student playwright won a fellowship to study playwriting at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.”

Music Building Auditorium. The symphony performed on Thursday, March 1 starting at 7:30 p.m. Director of Bands and Athletic Bands Derek Stoughton see SYMPHONY, pg. 5

Arts & Entertainment | The Lion’s Roar

March 6, 2018 | Page 5

Disney magic in Pottle ZACHARY ARAKI Staff Reporter

The Southeastern Wind Symphony performed its third annual Disney concert with some performers dressing as popular Disney characters. The symphony performed “The Music of Disney and Friends!!” in the Pottle Music Building Auditorium on March 3 at 2 p.m. “I feel the concert was great,” said Associate Director of Bands and Conductor for the Wind Symphony Derek Stoughton. “There was a lot of fun music. The group played really well. Clearly, there was wonderful participation from the audience. They really enjoyed it. I think it was just a wonderful afternoon.” Stoughton explained the purpose of the concert. “It’s a great opportunity for outreach within the community,” said Stoughton. “We always receive requests all the time for students and parents that want to bring their kids to this event, so it’s great community outreach. It’s a lot of fun for our students as you can tell. They get to dress up, and almost all of them love Disney and everything associated with Disney. It’s something to do that is a lot of fun for everybody involved, for the students, for the community, for the parents.” Junior music major and flutist Jordan Bergeron discussed why he enjoys making connections through music. “You’re able to connect to a bunch of different people on another level,” said Bergeron. “It brings

out a lot of emotions. You can have fun. It’s a comfort, especially for me. All these people are here to see me perform, to listen to the hard work I put into what I’m doing.” According to Stoughton, the largest challenge of the concert was not having much time for preparation due to weather conditions at the beginning of the semester. “We were actually gonna do this concert at the end of January, but we just didn’t have enough time to put it together,” said Stoughton. “So, we postponed it to this weekend, which was really the only other weekend on the calendar we could do it. So, I think the biggest challenge for us was just that we got started late. We had to put this concert together in basically less than two weeks, and really only spending about 15, 20 minutes on the music every day. And then they put on an hour concert. I’m very, very proud of our students. They really stepped up.” Bergeron discussed what he finds to be the most difficult aspect of performing. “It’s a weird balance of trying to be hard on yourself so you can get it right but also making it like I shouldn’t worry about this so much,” said Bergeron. “It’s a very fine line of not stressing yourself out and still having fun.” The music for the afternoon was chosen based on the popularity and relevancy of Disney movies. “‘Beauty and the Beast’ had a remake last year,” said Stoughton. “‘Frozen’ is still very popular. We still got a little bit of mileage from that one. ‘Star Wars’ of course is taking off with the release last

Performers in the Southeasten Wind Symphony dressed up as popular Disney characters such as Minnie Mouse and Mr. Incredible for their third annual Disney concert. Zachary Araki/The Lion’s Roar year. I believe the summer is the next installment of the movie coming out. That’s always very exciting. ‘Tangled’ I actually did for one of my friends back in Texas. She’s a big fan of ‘Tangled,’ and it’s great music, so we did that one for her. ‘Moana’ is another very popular film. Really, we just take the movies that are the most current right now and highlight

discussed the importance of the performance. “It spans over two hundred years of compositional technique,” said Stoughton. “The earliest piece we are performing was composed in 1782, and the most recent piece was composed in 2010.” The opening piece was a piece of harmony music called “Serenade in C Minor” written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which included only eight players. “The fact that we are doing a piece with only eight players on a concert is very different,” said Stoughton. “Almost all the other concerts that I’ve done with this group have been for full ensembles.” The fourth and final piece was “Pictures at an Exhibtion” by Modest Mussorgsky. Stoughton explained that “Pictures at an Exhibition” was originally a forehand piano piece, which was then arranged for full orchestra then finally transcribed for the band. Junior music major Carmen Vessel explained why she decided to come to the performance. “I came today to support friends,” said Vessel. “I’m actually a music major, and most of my friends are playing in the show. I just wanted to come out and listen to what they’ve been working on all semester.” The flute section of the Southeastern Wind Symphony plays a piece during the Industrial technology major Matthew Gunter shared his thoughts on second half of the performance on March 1. Jennifer Dettwiller/The Lion’s Roar the performance as a whole. “I thought it was very professional,” said Gunter. “My favorite part

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them.” Some attendees brought their children to the concert, and one parent shared her opinion of the performance. “I think it was wonderful,” said alumna Laura Bauerle. “We really enjoyed it. The kids enjoy coming to this concert every year.”

was the march. I think it was the second performance.” Graduate student in music Kiersten Jonkman explained how she felt about the pieces they performed and some of the aspects in the music. “It was challenging,” said Jonkman. “It was a challenging repertoire that some of like, ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ is a really big piece in the orchestral literature. It’s really challenging for professional orchestras. So, for us to put it together was quite difficult, but I think it’s really rewarding to play something that might be, you know, at your limit or above what you can do because you can grow from that.” Although students have been preparing for this performance since the beginning of the semester, snow days shortened preparation by a few weeks. Senior music major Abigail Lambert described how she felt about the performance in its entirety, and the challenges that came with being a part of the eight in the first piece performed. “Tonight was really awesome because we played a lot of hard music, and we managed to put it together, so it was a really great experience to be able to play such high-caliber pieces with all of our friends here in the band,” said Lambert. “It definitely was a challenge because we didn’t really have that many rehearsals for the group. We had to just kind of wait after the big band rehearsal to have it, and we really only had like four rehearsals. It was a really great feeling to get together with seven other players.”

Downtown Hammond begins bike rack competition SARAH HESS Staff Reporter

The Downtown Development District in Hammond aims to incorporate art into some of the city’s upgrade projects. The DDD has an open

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) With your practical side dominant this week, it’s a good time to reassess your finances to see what expenses you can cut. Aspects also favor mending fraying relationships. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your Bovine-inspired determination to follow matters through from beginning to end pays off in a big way. Enjoy a wellearned weekend of fun with a special someone. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Aspects favor re-establishing business relationships you might have neglected. A family member’s request needs to be given more thought before you make a decision. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) While you might appreciate the avalanche of advice coming from others, keep in mind that the intuitive Moon Child is best served by listening to her or his own inner voice. LEO (July 23 to August 22) The Lion’s social life whirls at centrifugal speed this week as you go from function to function. Things slow by week’s end, giving you a chance to catch up on your chores. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Don’t let your stand on an issue cause a rift with a colleague. Insist on both of you taking time to reassess your positions while there’s still room for compromise.

competition for designing bike racks as a parking option for cyclists. Administrative Assistant and Farmers Market Manager Olivia Graziano described how the bike rack decorating competition began as a way to address the city’s issue. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) An opportunity you’d been hoping for finally opens up. But read the fine print before you make a commitment, especially where a time factor might be involved. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Your need to know what’s going on behind the scenes leads you to make some bold moves. Be prepared with a full explanation of your actions if necessary. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A lot of details need tending to during the early part of the week. The pressure eases midweek, allowing you to get back to your major undertaking. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A friend asks you to act on their behalf in a dispute. Be careful. You might not have all the facts you need in order to make a fair assessment of the situation. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A new development might require you to cancel some of your plans. But you adapt easily, and by week’s end, you could receive welcome “cheering-up” news. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Your recent workplace accomplishments boost your selfconfidence just as you’re about to consider a potentially rewarding, although possibly risky, career move. BORN THIS WEEK: Your love of the arts is equaled only by your strong sense of justice. People can depend on you to always try to do what’s right. (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.

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just want to encourage everyone that is in downtown Hammond and enjoys downtown Hammond to send us something. You never know where a great idea might come from.” The winners will be anonymously picked on April 5. After the winners are selected, the committee will decide on the execution and budget of the project. All are welcomed to compete, and the DDD encourages university students to compete. The criteria of the contest can be found on the DDD website. According to the website, the competition rules are: “racks should allow two-point contact with bicycle frame. There should

be accommodations to lock the frame and one wheel to the rack. Consider pedestrian and or motor vehicular traffic. Consider onstreet bicycle corrals as well as sidewalk parking. The rack should be resistant to being cut or removed with simple hand tools. The design will be subject to modification by the judges. The judges will consider maintenance and economy as well as functionality and creativity. The winning designs will become the property of Hammond City Administration.” Submissions can be brought to the DDD office located at 2 West Thomas Street or emailed to Executive Director Chelsea Tallo at tallo_ca@hammond.org.

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Page 6 | March 6, 2018

The Lion’s Roar | Sports

Track and field 10 years in the making hosts outdoor season opener NIKISUN SHRESTHA Staff Reporter

The university’s track and field team opened their outdoor schedule for the spring season as they hosted the Tulane Early Bird Twilight. The meet took place on Friday, March 2. Head Coach Corey Mistretta gave his assessment of the team’s performance. “I am very happy with the results from our first meet,” said Mistretta. “It was exciting to be able to open up at home. We had a very limited crew competing because we are still recovering from the Indoor Conference Championships. That being said, everyone competed very well, and we had some outstanding performances. We had a couple of outstanding performances at the Tulane meet that should be mentioned as well. Freshmen throwers Vigdis Jonsdottir and Charlotte Wissing had big performances and positioned themselves very well to be possible regional qualifiers.” Mistretta explained the process that resulted in Southeastern Track Complex hosting the meet. “This meet was originally scheduled for Tad Gormley Stadium at City Park in New Orleans,” said Mistretta. “However, there was a scheduling conflict with the stadium and Tulane University who was going to be the host there. Coach Peterson from Tulane contacted me about the conflict and to discuss possible alternatives. At that time, I offered our facility for them if he wanted to move the meet to Hammond. He spent some time discussing things with his administration as I did here, and we were able to work something out.” Senior pole vaulter Devin King was one of eight winners for the track and field team. He matched his school record and personal best with a height of 18 feet, 8.25 inches. “My performance today was a success,” said King. “It’s my first outdoor meet this year. I

did great with 18-8, which is a qualification for regionals. We were treating these first three weeks like it was an offseason training and trying to get into the real shape before the competition later on in the season.” Mistretta praised the efforts of King during the meet. “Devin’s performance was outstanding,” said Mistretta. “This is just another example of why he is one of the best vaulters in the country. He didn’t let the change in schedule or small competition field affect him. He is a true competitor and is able to focus on the task at hand, no matter the circumstance. We are very excited about what this outdoor season, his last, has in store for him and for the Lion Nation.” Mistretta gave his thoughts on how the team is poised going into the outdoor season. “We are still a long way away from where we will need to be in May,” said Mistretta. “However, both teams remain highly motivated to improve each day in training, and we are expecting positive results to follow as we improve in all areas.” King described how he plans to conclude his last season as a part of the track and field team. “I’ll try to be consistent around 18-8,” said King. “I’m gonna try to get 19 feet, add nationals over four nationals. That’s my goal for the season. It’s to jump at least 19 feet. I feel good about my last outdoor season as a Southeastern Lion.” The Lions will travel to Lake Charles, Louisiana to participate in the McNeese Bob Hayes Invite on March 10. Mistretta described his plans for the event. “We will be bringing full squads to McNeese this Saturday,” said Mistretta. “This will be a relay meet with limited individual events on the track. However, we are very excited to see where we are across the board. As a team, we will train through this meet, then scale back a little before the meet at ULL the following weekend.”

Senior outfielder Drew Avans at bat against Louisiana State University at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. Avans had four RBIs and hit two balls. One of them was a home run that helped the Lions to defeat the Tigers 5-4. Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion’s Roar JONATHAN RHODES Senior Reporter

After 10 years and 12 meetings, the Lions baseball team has beaten the Louisiana State University Tigers 5-4. It has been nearly 30 years since the Lions have beaten LSU at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. After the victory this past weekend, the Lions went to Baton Rouge to play in a round-robin series against Sacred Heart University, University of Toledo and have a rematch against LSU. The Lions lost to Sacred Heart 5-3 last Friday and lost their second match against LSU 4-2 on Sunday. They defeated Toledo 7-5 on Saturday. Head Coach Matt Riser was glad to defeat the Tigers and boost the confidence of the team and the fans. “It was nice to get the monkey off our back,” said Riser. “At the same time, we keep it in perspective that it is a mid-week game. To do this in front of the home crowd is what is really special. Not having to play it in Baton Rouge, but for them to come here at home was nice for all of our fans who came out here for support.” Redshirt junior Carlisle Koestler got the win striking out six batters and allowing only one run in the seven innings he played in. Koestler kept the LSU batters at bay early in the game until the Lions could put some runs on the board in the third inning. “Proud of the young man,” said Riser.

“He didn’t complain, have any excuses or ask, ‘Why this and why that?’ He didn’t question what we were doing, just did a good job of embracing it. Obviously, that is why he is having big success.” Koestler remembers the last time he started against LSU and he wanted to bounce back in this game from the loss to UConn the previous week. “It’s a year later so I’m a different pitcher now than I was then,” said Koestler. “I’m a little more mature than I was last year and know how to bounce back when something bad happens. This win was a huge confidence builder and going into Alex Box Stadium and competing in the round-robin tournament.” The victory against LSU was needed, according to Riser, to encourage the team after losing back-to-back games to the University of Conneticut the previous week. “It’s so good to be back in the win column,” said Riser. “Coming away from last weekend we felt that we were the better club and should have had a sweep. Not to take anything away from UConn, but it’s tough to get back on a horse after a weekend like that. Just to get back in the win column is big for us.” After getting a five-run lead, LSU responded in the eighth inning by getting a three-run home run. The Lions brought in relief pitcher redshirt sophomore Bryce Tassin to close out the game when the bases

were loaded in the top of the ninth inning. The game ended with a double play made off the bat after the Lions strategically allowed the bases to be loaded to set up a force. Riser said he was not worried about the outcome of the game once it became a nail biter. “This isn’t the world series,” said Riser. “If we won the game, it is not the national championship, and if we lost the game, it is not the end of the season. I was excited to see some guys handle some moments there late in the game, Tassin to be able to come and do his deal to help with the double play. At the end of the day, I could be losing my mind in the dugout or be as calm as ever. It is about what they are doing on the field.” Senior outfielder Drew Avans had four runs batted in, one run and two hits, one of which was a home run. Avans has had a slow start at bat, but is glad to have his confidence back. “I was talking to Mike Taylor about getting my swagger back, so this helped out a little bit,” said Avans. “The fan support was huge. We rode their energy from pitch one to the last pitch. You could see it right after we won that you couldn’t hear anything. It was awesome.” The Lions will return to the Alumni Field tonight at 6 p.m. for their second match against Toledo, and they will travel to New Orleans to face Tulane tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.

Tennis team off to a rough start in the conference DON LAWRENCE

The overall record for the team drops to 3-6 along with a 0-1 “For UNO, we have to work on the things that didn’t work conference record. The team hopes to turn things around at their today and try very hard to improve because the matches will only next home game against the University of New Orleans. The get tougher,” said Raygadas. In preparation for their first conference game, the tennis team UNO match is on Saturday, March 10 at 12 p.m. played against the University of Louisiana at Monroe for the first time this season. Seniors Madina Vorotnikova and Fleur Holtkamp sat out this game to rest for conference play. Head Coach Jason Hayes moved everyone in the lineup up two spots, opening the door for two players to play in single matches for the first time. Vorotnikova cheered on her teammates during the rest. “Don’t focus on the game,” said Vorotnikova. “Don’t focus on anything, just take it one point at a time.” The Lady Lions played their first conference game against McNeese State University at 12 p.m. on March 4. The team lost all their matches on Sunday apart from one doubles match. Senior Dalina Dahlmans and freshman Ximena Yanez won their doubles match 6-2. Junior Ceci Mercier explained what she thought about the overall performance of the team. “The results didn’t show what we expected,” said Mercier. “The effort was definitely there. We fought really hard, and I guess they ended up better, and that’s why we lost. We have been practicing really hard, and this was a very tough team, but I think we still have a long season waiting for us. We are going to learn a lot of things from this loss, and we are ready to keep working hard and look forward to the next one. Against UNO, we are expecting to perform really hard and play hard and beat them.” Senior Dany Raygadas gave her thoughts on the positives from the matches. “It was definitely a tough match,” said Raygadas. “I think we all gave our best and 100 percent. I looked at every court, and everyone was fighting, running and moving their absolute best, and sometimes it doesn’t go the way we want to. But as long as we maintain that effort and attitude and give our heart, then the results will start to come as we expect. I think we had a good preparation because we were out here for three hours. We all gave 100 percent, and we can still go out and play. So fitnesswise, we are there, so we just have to get the tennis there and our attitudes there.” Staff Reporter

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Sports | The Lion’s Roar

March 6, 2018 | Page 7

Lions end season as number one seed

Junior guard Marlain Veal holding the Southland Conference regular season title, which the Lions are sharing with Nicholls State University. The last time the Lions was the number one seed in the Southland Conference Tournament was 2005. Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion’s Roar JONATHAN RHODES Senior Reporter

The Lions basketball team defeated Nicholls State University 69-57 in the University Center. The win secured the Southland Conference regular season title for the Lions along with a share of the number one seed in next week’s

Southland Conference Tournament. The Lions have also earned a spot in the National Invitational Tournament. Head Coach Jay Ladner reflected on the journey for the program to get this accomplishment. “We talked to our players about how this is a cumulation of four years to be in this position and play in these types of games,” said Ladner.

“So, embrace it, enjoy it and do not be terrified of it. We have been champions for three years as our guys have worked hard and progressed, but now we have bigger and better players than we’ve ever had at any point. The guys that were here before are all smiling because we talked to them all of the time about laying a foundation to improve it.” The Lions closed out the regular season on an eight-game winning streak and will have a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament if they can win the Southland Conference Tournament. Ladner does not want to settle for this victory and wants the team to go as far as they possibly can this season. “To win the Southland Conference Championship for the second time in school history is very satisfying, but we aren’t satisfied yet,” said Ladner. “In no way do we want to downplay this. We are very grateful and gracious, but I guarantee you they are not satisfied. Now the big challenge is to do it again in the tournament.” Ladner explained how the team could hold everything together and finish the season positively despite the on-campus shooting incident involving redshirt senior forward James Currington and redshirt senior guard Jabbar Singleton. “We certainly had an unfortunate situation that happened, and we are very anxious as a school for the truth to come out on that,” said Ladner. “It is unfortunate that some of our players were not out there with us physically tonight, but they were with us in spirit. This is a very tight-knit group. Anytime something like this happens, it could go one of two ways. It could split a team up that is not tight-knit, but they are a family. I’m proud of all of them, even the ones who are not here. Hopefully, this all

resolves itself.” Junior forward Moses Greenwood led the Lions with 18 points and had three blocks. Junior guard Marlain Veal led the team with eight assists and finished with the single-season record for assists with 190. Senior guard Eddy Polanco recorded his first double-double of his Lion career with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Redshirt senior guard Joshua Filmore was glad to finish his last regular season with the Lions as the best team in the Southland Conference. “Since my freshman year, it’s been five years with two ACL injuries and surgeries,” said Filmore. “It feels great to have all of that hard work pay off.” Redshirt senior forward Jordan Capps got injured in the previous game against the University of New Orleans and did not play in this game. “Capps was playing great at UNO, and it was unfortunate that on a fast break dunk as he jumped he got a strained adductor,” said Ladner. “He has improved greatly since then. He would have been used in an emergency. Our medical staff feels that he will be 100 percent by the tournament.” Veal described what winning the regular season title means to him. “It means everything to me,” said Veal. “Having my friends and my family and these people who have been supporting us since day one has been great. I always tell people that Josh Filmore was one of the people my freshman year telling me I got to do this and do that. He really let me mature into how I am now, and so, I thank him a lot for that.” The Lions will play in the semifinal round of the Southland Conference Tournament on Friday at 5 p.m. in Katy, Texas.

Underwood, Warren bid farewell to the basketball program NIKISUN SHRESTHA Staff Reporter

The Lady Lions basketball team closed their season with a 79-64 loss against Nicholls State University on “Senior Day.” With the loss on Saturday, March 3, the Lady Lions finished with an 8-21 overall record. Head Coach Ayla Guzzardo described her first season leading the program. “A learning experience,” said Guzzardo. “I’m 29 years old. I might be the youngest head coach in Division I, but I’m learning every day, and that’s something I won’t take for granted. I’m learning from the players. I’m growing with them, and I’m just happy to be given this opportunity.” Prior to the game, senior guards Bre Warren and Taylin Underwood were honored. Guzzardo described the qualities the seniors brought to the team. “They’re both leaders,” said Guzzardo. “They both bring leadership to our program, and that’s something that is irreplaceable. Anytime you lose two very good leaders on your team, it’s hard to bounce back, but they’ve also taught the ones younger than them. So, they’re cultivating this culture, and they’re helping us start something that’s gonna be successful here at Southeastern. We’re gonna miss them dearly, but they have a lot of things to be proud of.” Warren suffered from an injury that led her to miss out on her last season as a Lady Lion. She described her experience at the university and the lessons she learned from being a part of the program. “I transferred from a school up north and came down south for my family into this great community,” said Warren. “So, the experience was great. I’m not gonna lie, it was hard to cope in the beginning. I learned more being hurt outside of basketball about my life and on how to be a better person.” Warren shared the next steps of her life and gave her thoughts on

how the team would perform in the next season. “The next part of my life is probably gonna be more schooling so I can get the best possible job that I can,” said Warren. “I think that we proved to everyone that we became a better team. I think it just gets better from here.” In her final season, Underwood led the team with 530 points for the season. She described her experience playing her last game as a Lady Lion and her experience in the program. “Very emotional,” said Underwood. “It was a little hard to go out there and play considering it was the last one. Like I said, it was pretty emotional for all of us. I wouldn’t change it. It was great. I haven’t had the outcome I’d wanted, but I do think this past year, it was great. I loved it, all of it.” Underwood discussed the team’s performance during the 2017-18 season. Although she didn’t get the ending she hoped for, Underwood is optimistic about the program’s future. “We struggled in the beginning, but that didn’t show how we are as a team,” said Underwood. “We came back in the end and played our hardest. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to where we wanted to be, but I think we did really great. I’m excited to see how they’ll do next year. I think they’ll do great considering the way we played this year. We played so much like a team, and I think they’re gonna carry that over. They’re gonna do just as good.” Guzzardo looks forward to the next season and expects the team to come out fighting. “We still have two captains remaining in our team, Kyla Williams and Ashailee Brailey,” said Guzzardo. “So, still two captains that we have here, but we need to get some more fight. We need to find Taylin’s fight and Bre’s vocalness. If we could do that and take that from those two seniors that are leaving, we’re gonna be a tough team Senior guard Taylin Underwood prepares for a free throw. She led the Lady Lions next year. Next year, we’re gonna make some noise in the Southland with 19 points against Nicholls State University in her final game. Nikisun Shrestha/The Conference. Lion’s Roar

Lady Lions conclude 2017-18 Mizzou Tournament in Missouri PRAKRITI ADHIKARI Staff Reporter

The university softball team completed the 2018 Mizzou Tournament with a win and three loses. The tournament lasted from March 2-3 where the Lady

Lions played against Creighton University, University of Missouri and Drake University. The team started the competition with a 4-3 win against Creighton University and an 8-0 loss against University of Missouri. On March 3, the Lady Lions lost

7-2 against Drake University and 6-4 against University of Missouri. The overall record for the season is now 10-8. Head Coach Rick Fremin discussed the competition the team faced during the tournament. “Competition at the Mizzou

Tournament was very high,” said Fremin. “Missouri is a very experienced team. Also, our other opponents, Drake and Creighton, had winning records and competed at a high level as well.” Sophomore pitcher Tanner Wright described her experience facing the tough competition. “It was a good thing for us to go in that tournament because we faced a tough competition, and that’s really good going into the next weekend as our first conference series,” said Wright. Fremin was happy with the team’s performance against the tough competitors.

“We did a better job of competing on the road away from home,” said Fremin. “We did not have a very good win over Creighton, but it was a very respected softball team. And we also led against University of Missouri the entire game and lost the next straight against. So, I was very proud of our team to compete against that type of program at that level throughout the game.” Senior infielder Alli Daigle thinks the team is learning new things and was happy with team’s performance on the second day of the tournament. “I think overall, we grew as a team throughout the four games,” said Daigle. “We

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