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’ 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 20, 2018

Welding receives $1 million dollars JONATHAN RHODES Senior Reporter

The university’s industrial technology program has received a $1 million donation from CEO and co-founder of Performance Contractors Art Favre as part of a partnership to establish a welding inspection and supervision concentration for students interested in the field of welding. Industrial Technology instructor Anthony Blakeney explained how the relationship with Performance Contractors came to be. “I have known Art Favre through the American Welding Society,” said Blakeney. “In talking with Jerome Mabile

and another industry partner George Fairbanks, and others have been talking to me during my 18 years as a teacher, telling me that, ‘We need to create a welding program because there is no program out there, and it is such a huge need.’ So, talking with these people in the last 18 years, I have changed the coursework to match what they needed. Our field, our industry partners desperately want to help and teach these students. That is what we have done here. That is what we are trying to create here.” Blakeney is constantly trying to get donations to the program so students can get the best education on welding supervision and inspection that they can. “The whole thing we try to do within the department of industrial technology is work directly with our industry partners,” said Blakeney. “We have an industrial advisers committee, and we listen to them. We have the donation from Mr. Favre. I have a meeting next week with another industry partner. This $1 million donation was just the first big donation. I get any metals that we need

and any consumables that we need.” One of the courses being provided under the new concentration to help students become successful in the welding industry is the Certified Welding Inspector program. “The CWI is one of the top certifications that you can get in welding,” said Blakeney. “We are teaching the course specifically to that test. So, if students go out and graduate, they can take that test, and they should be able to pass it. It also is centered around the CWS program, which is the Certified Welding Supervisor program. It’s another certification exam that once students graduate they can take the test. We have had several students over the last five or six years who have gone through the improved welding course that follows the CWI exam, and within one year of working, they are making six figures because they have taken the CWI exam and passed it.” The welding industry is in a transition from one generation to the current one. Blakeney hopes that the university will be a source for this generation

to learn their craft. “In the United States, there is a shortage of over 200,000 welders,” said Blakeney. “Most of the welders and really across the world are in their late 50s. They are all retiring. There is no one to take their place. But along with the welders, you got managers, supervisors and quality control experts above them that are retiring as well. So, how is this going to affect our students? They now have the opportunity to jump into a program that is about to blow wide open.” Blakeney believes that while welding is not the most popular profession in the world, it is without a doubt one of the most important professions because of

see WELDING, pg. 8

Industrial Technology Instructor Anthony Blakeney performs a shielded metal arc wielding demonstration for his class. With the donation to the university’s welding program, Blakeney and other welding instructors hope to teach the craft of welding to the next generation of welders. Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion’s Roar

Hammocks, relaxation and bonding for ZT residents ZACHARY ARAKI Staff Reporter

Resident Assistant at Zachary Taylor Hall and sophomore communication major Helen Launey put up hammocks in the courtyard to build connections with her residents. Launey explained that the idea for using the courtyard as a hammock area arose when she got a hammock. Launey said, “I ended up going to set it up in the courtyard of ZT where they have those trees, and I thought, ‘Man, this could be a really good idea for us to do to get residents to engage with one another and to utilize a very unique

space that is the only residential hall that has it is Zachary Taylor Hall.’” Launey feels excited by the courtyard’s potential. She discussed how the area has helped her get to know her residents better. “As an RA, we’re supposed to be role models,” said Launey. “We’re supposed to be leaders. We’re supposed to be there for our residents, but we’re also supposed to be a resource, and when I’m down there engaging with them, it’s like a whole different atmosphere because I get to know them one-on-one or in a group like setting. So, I get to know what they’re

Resident Assistant at Zachary Taylor Hall and sophomore communication major Helen Launey and freshman kinesiolgy major

see HAMMOCKS, pg. 8 Audrey Mena relax in Zachary Taylor Hall’s courtyard between classes. Launey uses hammocks in the courtyard to get to know her residents better and bond with them. Zachary Araki/The Lion’s Roar

A How-To on Mindfulness: Stress and other effects on the human body DON LAWRENCE Staff Reporter

Student’s stress levels may rise at the mid-semester point. Despite the circumstances, stress can cause short and long-term damages such as psycho-physiological disorders,

OtionBleu

see PAGE 2

increased risk of illness and reduction in the ability to deal with future stress. Stress also shortens a compound structure at the end of chromosomes called telomere. Scientists believe there’s a correlation between the shortened telomeres and death. However, telomeres can be lengthened

A journey to success through Chick-Fil-A

Weather

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with aerobic exercise. However, stress does not always have a negative outcome. Sophomore art major Dayton Davis expressed how he normally feels around this time of year. “I am excelling in all of my classes, but preparing for multiple exams in one

see PAGE 3

week can be pretty tough,” said Davis. “I’ve learned to release the tension in my body, and for me, that is competing in intramural basketball.” Reference Outreach and Instructional Media Librarian Angie Balius explained the purpose of mindfulness and how it can potentially help students increase

Victor Correa- Cruz inspires

Index

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

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

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their academic grades. “In the past decade, it’s been growing by leaps and bounds in popularity,” said Balius. “The visionaries here said we’re sending our graduates out into this crazy world, let’s teach them or introduce

see MINDFULNESS, pg. 2

Winning streak continues

see PAGE 7

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The Lion’s Roar | Campus Life

Page 2 | March 20, 2018

OtionBleu: Riding the wave of the business world LARSHELL GREEN Editor-in-Chief

Freshman business major Z’Noah Broyard was inspired to create a project dedicated to consulting and promoting up-and-coming music artists. At 18 years old, Broyard officially launched the business OtionBleu on Jan. 1, 2018. An additional release occurred on March 1 that publicized the business’ slogan: “Motion in the Otion” and revealed an additional clothing design concept. Although the business focuses on music, it was initially created from a previously developed passion for visual art. “I love art including pictures and videos,” said Broyard. “I started OtionBleu to bring people from different backgrounds together through art and video.” Although Broyard is new to the world of business, his sense of planning, attention to detail and creativity has contributed to creating the unique name OtionBleu. “I was pondering a name for a long time,” said Broyard. “Everybody wants to join the wave. You find waves in the ocean. I spell it this way because it’s versatile. ‘Otion’ is found at the end of a lot of words. I could brand a lot of different things. I chose to spell ‘Bleu’ that way because it represents the bayou and Cajun cultures. We’re in the South.” In order to recruit artists, Broyard attends parties, allows his friends to help listen to artists on SoundCloud and social media, and attends showcases held on campus

like “Concrete Jungle.” He hopes to attend music festivals in the future to promote himself more and discover more talent. “I am contacted by some artists, but I reach out to them if I know that someone is making good music without videos to see if they want to make something,” said Broyard. Broyard stated that he is open to representing clients in all areas, but often represents those in the genres of hip-hop, indie and rock at the university, in the local area and in New Orleans. His larger goals for the business revolve around creating partnerships, expansion and customer satisfaction. “Hopefully soon, we’ll start branching out to get people all over the United States,” said Broyard. “I feel great when they feel great. If they feel like there is a need for improvement, I know that there is more work that needs to be done.” Freshman biological sciences major Tiara Varnado assists Broyard with OtionBleu. The pair met in middle school in 2013 and started dating during their senior year at Thomas Jefferson High School in 2017. Varnado said that she was supportive of Broyard’s dreams from the beginning, but did not think that she would be a big part of the business. She is now responsible for giving him tips on designs and concepts within the business, and serving as a model. She shared her perspective on why it is important for businesses like OtionBleu to exist in today’s society. “I’m excited to see people wearing the merchandise around and observing

Freshman business administration major Z’Noah Broyard and freshman biological sciences major Tians Varnado actively participate in the music management business OtionBleu. Broyard, the owner, enlisted girlfriend Varnado to recruit, assist and model attire. Larshell Green/The Lion’s Roar how people feel about it to see how far the business goes,” said Varnado. “It’s important to show that black people can own businesses and become big brands, especially while they’re still in college.” Prices vary based on the length of the video. However, customers seeking smaller videos may receive a set price towards the beginning of the process. Broyard’s work with photography and videography in the eighth grade has expanded. Although he cited that the most difficult aspect of starting the

business was gathering information, he was always comforted by his talents in photography and videography throughout the process. For young entrepreneurs hoping to start their own businesses, Broyard recommended defining what the goals of one’s project will be first and being prepared to learn from mistakes. “Come up with a name that people would want to represent,” said Broyard. “After that, promote and show off your best talents. That’s how to make your business grow. That basically comes from trial and error.

You can learn in school because you have people who can teach you like your professors in the field as opposed to being in the real world. By then, you are sort of on your own in a way.” On Thursday, March 22 at 2 p.m., OtionBleu will have a pop up T-shirt sale on campus. Those interested can expect to spend $15- 20 on clothing with multiple choices of designs. Check OtionBleu’s social media pages at @otionbleu and website at https://www.otionbleu.us/ to stay updated with events and to make inquiries.

Plans for recreational sports JACOB SUMMERVILLE Staff Reporter

Employees of the Department of Recreational Sports & Wellness have been working on new projects leading into this semester. Director of Recreational Sports & Wellness Seth Thomas, Coordinator of Competitive Sports Jason Templet and Coordinator of Fitness and Wellness and alumnus Nick Mayeur discussed their experiences in their field and what initiatives they are currently executing. As a director, Thomas is responsible for anything in the Pennington Student Activity Center and North Oak Park, which includes intramurals and fitness. Thomas shared the ideas and goals for the university such as developing a sport club program. “There were no sport clubs, and so we’re trying to develop one, or develop at least six this spring,” said Thomas. “Within intramural sports: trying to energize intramurals, add some dual individual activities and strengthen what we already have. For fitness, we’ve added more Group X classes. So, we’re looking to be more dynamic in that, and basically just offering something that’s inclusive to everybody.” Thomas explained that a sport club is “a student-led organization that students build and run themselves. They’ll compete against other universities.” Thomas shared how he will attempt to work with students and organizations. “I’m just offering what they want and am trying to provide a more dynamic atmosphere for students,” said Thomas. “We’re trying to build sport clubs. We’ve been working with student engagement and working with

Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability L.I.V.E. the Code Nominations: It’s time to nominate an outstanding student that goes above and beyond. The Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability works with students to encourage honorable behavior that models the code of conduct. L.I.V.E. the Code is a campaign to recognize students who uphold worthy characteristics such as leadership, integrity, values, excellence, responsibility, citizenship and respect for self, peers, educators and community. Students are nominated by university Amber Collins instructs a Zumba class in the Pennington Student Activity Center administration, faculty and as part of the GroupX classes the university offers. File Photo/The Lion’s Roar

staff, or are recognized by an active student organization’s president. Only one L.I.V.E. the Code award will be recognized at the annual “DSA Awards Convocation” held in May. Eligibility: Sophomore status or above, must be free of any infraction of the code of conduct, considered in good disciplinary and academic standing during the fall 2017 and spring 2018 semester, enrolled full-time, 12 hours or more, cumulative GPA of 3.0, must be active in one or more extracurricular activities or organizations on campus, demonstrate leadership and involvement, has shown

outstanding contributions in the community on and off-campus and going above the call of a traditional student. Selection Process: A committee of representatives from a variety of areas on campus will review the applications and make a selection based on the criteria above. Selection is based on involvement in student organizations, committee appointments, honors, awards and community service. To nominate a student, please visit www.southeastern.edu/live. The nomination deadline is Friday, March 23 by 12:30 p.m.

some student organizations here on campus. I think they’re looking forward to having sport clubs in rec. and wellness.” Currently, Templet is working on increasing participation within intramurals as well as helping with the production of sport clubs. Being new to the staff this semester, Templet is reaching out to members of the campus. “Right now, the challenge is not knowing a whole lot of people on campus,” said Templet. “I’m making as many bonds as I can with people, so I’m able to reach out to them and meet more people.” Graduating from the university in December 2017 with his master’s in kinesiology, exercise and health promotion, Mayeur’s work ranges from coordinating personal training to marketing events and fixing broken equipment. He discussed the work he has been involved with

stress as the discomfort, physical symptoms or tension that arise when a stressor strains our ability to cope effectively. “The pattern of response to stress is called the general adaptation syndrome,” said Dugas. “There are three stages: alarm reaction, resistance and exhaustion. During stage one, the autonomic nervous system is activated, and stress hormones are released causing physical symptoms of anxiety. In the second stage, humans adapt and find ways to cope with the stressors. Finally, in prolonged stressors, our resistance can break down.” Balius explained that the series that began last week and

will last through finals week is intended to ease stress levels and teach preventative techniques. “We’re not going to make the work load disappear, but we can change ourselves to cope with the stress better,” said Balius. For those who are interested in learning how to cope with stress, there are mindfulness breaks every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on the third floor of Sims Memorial Library. Nurses and librarians have been educating students about transferable stress mechanisms. For more information, contact Angie Balius at 985-549-3898 or angie.balius@selu.edu.

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taking the position. “We’ve kind of revamped our entire fitness program from the ground up starting in January whenever I came on,” said Mayeur. “We’ve created a brand new personal training program since then, which includes personal training and small group training. You split the cost of personal training into small group training, which is more targeted towards students because it’s a lower cost per session.” Mayeur shared how he perceives challenges, and that he hopes to aid the campus community. “I really don’t see too many things as challenges, but more like obstacles,” said Mayeur. “That being said, we get through whatever we have to to make things work. I’m pretty excited to go through that process to make these things happen for students here at Southeastern.”

MINDFULNESS

continued from pg. 1 this crazy world, let’s teach them or introduce mindfulness to them for their benefit, and let’s teach it while they’re still here studying so that it makes a difference in their academic performance.” Mindfulness will aim to reduce the possible increments of stress as much as possible before exams. Balius explained that during exam weeks, her department has made plans to have sessions that will calm people down, center their focus and make studying more productive. This is all done in the hope of helping students to remember information and increase performance levels overall. Instructor of Psychology Timothy Dugas clarified what stress is and what effects it has on the human body. Dugas defines

(985) 345-1898

Opinions | The Lion’s Roar

March 20, 2018| Page 3

Insight into Chick-fil-A: An educational experience

After the students gather for a photo in front of a Chick-fil-A billboard with Rob Dugas. Right, Ian Squires, Anna Strider, Lauren Buchanan and Don Lawrence “Lion Up” behind founder S. Truett Cathy’s desk Courtesy of Don Lawrence/The Lion’s Roar My visit to Chick-fil-A headquarters has changed the way that I view the fast food industry. I was granted the opportunity because I asked insightful and revealing questions at a Project Pull meeting. Subsequently, Regional Consultant and Operator Support for Chickfil-A Chloe Griffin extended her information and encouraged me to Don Lawrence use it. I smiled and said, “I’ll treat it Staff Reporter like homework.” I emailed later that day when she happened to be at dinner with Vice-President of Student Affairs Eric Summers and Marketing and Supply Chain professor Michael Jones. Griffin let the two read the email I sent her. The following morning I woke up to several emails from Summers and many other Chick-fil-A consultants. Griffin’s email stated, “We all were extremely impressed by your presence, your willingness to ask questions and now your impeccable communication skills. I’ll be in touch about future opportunities at Chick-fil-A.” Less than two weeks later, I found myself in a Ford

Explorer with other individuals driving to Chick-filA’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. After hearing about the accomplishments of others, I felt like the underdog. When I made it to the hotel room, I popped in my headphones and watched hours of motivational videos. I gleaned that people pull for the underdog when they put up a fight. As a result, my confidence grew wild and I remembered that asking insightful questions was my method to impress. In the morning I sprung out of bed, freshened up, consumed a healthy breakfast and rallied up an army of questions. Upon entering the headquarters, my smile grew large and I was filled with excitement. I remember Chick-fil-A Vice-President of Supply Chain Rob Dugas saying, follow me to my office. I chuckled when we were seated in a section of the cafeteria that was surrounded by whiteboards. “Why is your office the cafeteria?” I asked. Dugas smiled, told me good question and proceeded to answer. His smile was contagious as he responded, “Because I felt good!” Touring the facility, I continuously asked questions. “What products or services are in the development

stage? What educational preparation do you recommend? What types of training does your company offer?” Suddenly, I didn’t feel like the underdog anymore. Everyone was interested in what I had to say. Dinner was quickly approaching, and Griffin asked me to bless the food. I didn’t feel comfortable, but I remember the motivational video that stressed how you’ll miss 100 percent of the shots you never take, so I welcomed the opportunity. I went to YouTube for help, but I didn’t find any prayers that I could relate to. “Be authentic,” I said to myself looking in the mirror. It was time to bless the food and I stood up and said, “This isn’t your traditional prayer, so I’m going to take y’all home. I want to thank my heavenly Father for granting us this time to acknowledge him because we tend to make all the time in the world for the creations, but not the creator. But before we show our gratitude, I want everyone to forgive anyone that ever tried to bury you, because little did they know you are a seed. Furthermore, be grateful! Say ‘thank you’ for what is already yours. God wants us to live

SPEAK OUT

Do you think Trump should meet with the North Korean leader? “I feel that he definitely should meet him. At this point, I feel that communication is more than needed to restrengthen the United States Foreign Affairs. If each sit down and discuss what really matters, the citizens of America and North Korea, and put their selfish opinions and egos aside, a lot can get done leading each country to build a better relationship and become stronger together.” Jody A. Bennett, Jr. Sophomore, Music

“No, they’re both crazy. Both their egos are insanely ‘yuge.’ I have a feeling that neither person will try to be understanding, and the meeting will lead to destruction. Kim’s a deranged little man who seems to actually believe that he is a deity. He is absolutely not to be trusted. And I say all this not only for America’s safety, but also for all of our territories and allies.” Terelle Bibbins Senior, Music

“I think they should meet to hopefully come to a middle ground and a neutral agreement to avoid any kind of nuclear war.” Colby Jackson Junior, Psychology

“Yes, but he should take careful consideration before making big decisions if they were to meet.” Megan Holliman Junior, Communication

“Yes, Trump should talk with Korea because America needs a sense of peace from the threats of nuclear weapons.” Jaminie Fernandez Freshman, Biological Sciences

“Honestly, I have no idea and don’t know much about politics, but I think they should communicate.” Vincent Costanza Sophomore, Nursing

“Trump should withdraw from office.” Keenan Wallace Freshman, Engineering Technology

“Trump honestly might get us blown up.” Charleigh Parker Freshman, Athletic Training

“I think he should meet with North Korea’s leader because there are a lot of important issues that need to be discussed and a lot of things can get misinterpreted by other forms of communication like email or phone call. Whereas in person, meetings would be the most effective way to arrive at a resolution.” Claudio Franc Senior, Biological Sciences

“Trump should meet with the leader Uncle Kim.” Semaj Norman Freshman, Kinesiology and Athletic Training

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fully. You don’t defeat the grim reaper by living longer, you defeat him by living fully.” After dinner, Dugas and I caught up and talked about the importance of surrounding oneself with the right people. “Always seek to befriend people two levels above you,” said Dugas. “If you are in middle school and wondering what is like to be in high school or any advice, you shouldn’t ask a high schooler. Your two levels up would be a college student. Former education will make you a living and self-education will make you a fortune. You alone are responsible for your development, but you are never alone.” Prior to visiting Chick-fil-A, I never understood the importance of their employees responding “my pleasure” after serving customers. When we say, ‘You’re welcome,” in so many ways it’s saying okay you can return the favor. When someone replies, My pleasure,” it shows you’ve done a good deed and you don’t expect anything in return. So like me, be inspired to ask great questions to unlock the mysteries of life and say “my pleasure” to show gratitude.

Is it spring break or Easter break? It is almost that time of the spring semester. You know, that full week where millions of college students get to recharge their batteries Jonathan Rhodes after surviving Senior Reporter almost the entire month of March. Usually, the sun is shining and it’s getting warmer, which might happen in the next few weeks. Teenagers and young adults will be going to the beach and having other types of vacations while procrastinating on their homework. Spring break has been around in the United States since the 1930s according to the article “How Did Spring Break Get its Start?” in Mental Floss. However, the purpose of spring break was not always for young people to have fun and to have a break from school. It was originally scheduled around the Christian holiday of Easter Sunday. Students got off from school to celebrate Good Friday, which is the Friday before Easter Sunday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and to be at church on Easter Sunday. Basically, spring break is seen by some to be part of a religious holiday. The change began around 1960 due to a movie called “Where the Boys Are” that

became a coming-of-age movie about four female college students who spent their spring break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The film was a huge success because of its accurate portrayal of adolescent sexuality and the attitudes of young adults at the time, but the biggest impact it had was on how spring break was seen by college students. From that point on, students rushed to the Florida beaches, and spring break was the mid-semester getaway that all students need. I personally see spring break and Easter Sunday as being separate from each other because they are celebrated for two very different reasons, but that does not mean that they should not be scheduled at the same time. Having them in the same week benefits those who want to celebrate the sacrifice of their savior made for them while also having some fun with friends. Those who want to do one but not the other are not affected by both spring break and Easter Sunday being on the same week. So, while I will be staring at my laptop or procrastinating on my homework, the rest of you should go out, enjoy spring break and get that well-needed relaxation so that you can finish out the semester. Or depending on your beliefs, go out and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with your family or friends.

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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 - April Assavedo Coordinator - Lorraine Peppo Director - Dr. Lee E. Lind

Page 4 | March 20, 2018

The Lion’s Roar | Arts & Entertainment

Meet the guest artist for the ‘Bill Evans Jazz Festival’

Musician Mary Fettig will be the guest artist at the 17th annual “Bill Evans Jazz Festival” teaching master classes to high school and university students as well as performing with jazz ensembles. Courtesy of Michael Brothers ZACHARY ARAKI Staff Reporter

Musician Mary Fettig will perform and educate students as the guest artist for the 17th annual “Bill Evans Jazz Festival.” “I’m thrilled to be a part of the festival and particularly honored to be setting foot in the college Bill Evans attended,” said Fettig. “I’m very excited to play with student and faculty groups, and I

love the workshop settings.” Fettig joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra as the first female band member when she was 20 years old. “It was a thrill of a lifetime when Stan asked me as I never thought it possible,” said Fettig. “What made it a bigger thrill was that it happened at Disneyland where dreams come true. I was a student at UCLA at the time, and the band was performing at Disneyland. I had been at his camps and playing first chair in the first band, so he knew me. When he saw me in the audience and came over and said he had been looking for me, I wanted to be in his band.” Fettig shared her experience being a member of the band. “I had no role models to emulate so had to figure it out on my own,” said Fettig. “There was no internet in 1973 to find videos of women playing jazz. As the first woman in a famous band, there was a lot of media interest, which I was also unprepared to navigate. I had just turned 20 and was thrust into the spotlight. Most days I had to do interviews. There were usually questions about being the only female on the bus, to which I would reply they were all like my brothers.” Fettig discussed a challenge she faced in performing with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. Fetting said, “Not having control over my free time was definitely the hardest part of being in the band, but getting to see the U.S. and Europe, playing seven nights a week in a different place every day was an exciting adventure. And the Kenton music was my favorite big band.” Fettig recalled one of her favorite moments from performing. “Although I’ve had many of those moments, what continues to stick with me is a tour with the great Brazilian guitarist and composer Toninho Horta,” said Fettig. “His chord harmony is very challenging, and the first couple of days, my goal was to make sure I played the chord progressions. The third night was when I was able to move to that next level where something takes over and magic happens. It was an incredibly exhilarating moment.” Lecturer of Double Bass Dr. John Madere explained why Fettig

was chosen to be the guest artist for this year’s jazz festival. “We have a rotation for the festival,” said Madere. “We alternate between a brass artist, rhythm section artist and woodwind artist.” Lecturer of Percussion Michael Brothers shared his thoughts on the choice of Fettig as the guest artist. “I’m very excited about her coming to be here,” said Brothers. “She’s done just about everything you can do in jazz, played with everybody, appeared at every major jazz festival in the world.” Brothers discussed Fettig’s part in the festival. “She’s also a very strong woodwind doubler,” said Brothers. “In addition to the master classes she’ll do for the high school students and the performances she’ll do with us, she’s also doing a separate class with all the university music major woodwind student. She’ll be quite busy when she’s here, but I hope people come out and hear her play because she’s a great player. The concerts we’re doing with her, she’ll be playing both alto and flute.” When she was younger, Fettig performed in her school bands including Ygnacio Valley High School where the jazz band won the Monterey Jazz Festival high school competition in 1971. Fettig expresses her love of music through both performance and teaching. “I knew I wanted to be a teacher from a very young age and when I fell in love with music, knew that I wanted to be a band teacher,” said Fettig. “Girls didn’t dream of doing the things I do, so that wasn’t in my game plan. That all changed when I joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra as the first woman at the age of 20. Things evolved from there. I have managed to keep both loves of teaching and performing in balance.” Fettig shared what she enjoys about music performance. “I have the fortune to play in very diverse musical settings and love it all,” said Fettig. “I welcome the challenges of preparing the music and executing a good performance. I look forward to the camaraderie that goes with any musical setting both personally and musically. Jazz is my favorite because of the spontaneity of the music. I love the interactions with other band members and always rely on those musical dialogues to inform the development of my solos.”

Joining the department of music faculty BRIANNA HAWKINS Staff Reporter

Orchestra Director and Assistant Professor of Violin Dr. Victor Correa-Cruz reflects on his journey working in the department of music and performing arts. Correa-Cruz who has been a part of the university’s music faculty since October explained that his experience has been a fun challenge when it comes to teaching his students. “When I arrived, I had to take care of things,” said CorreaCruz. “Then I had to learn how the university works and become familiar with all the spaces, all of the offices, the people and how everything is running here. So, it was an intense time. Right now, I’m more at ease with many things

but still very occupied. I have many decisions to make for planning our next concerts.” Correa-Cruz expressed that he decided to work for the university when he realized that certain things offered in the American university system were not offered in Europe. “I was a student in the United States in my college years, and here I studied my master’s and my doctorate,” said Correa-Cruz. “So, I went back to Spain afterwards, and I was working in Europe for a few years. But I missed a few things that the American university system was offering, and I started thinking that maybe I should develop something in the states. I contacted some schools, and it turned out that Southeastern was interested in having me. I was very happy about that. I came and

started taking care of the orchestra program here.” Once Correa-Cruz started working for the university, he started changing chamber orchestra to a symphony orchestra. Correa-Cruz said, “We’ll still play pieces that require less players, and that would belong to the chamber orchestra repertoire, but the main thing is that we’re developing the program with more students to become a bigger group that allows us to play symphonic works by composers like Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak to name a few. The idea is to cover composers from the Romantic period on, and that’s part of my task here. I shall set the ground for that.” One project Correa-Cruz and the university’s orchestra are looking forward to is his first

Capturing downtown in a photo for DDD poster contest ZACHARY ARAKI Staff Reporter

The Hammond Downtown Development District encourages the community to represent downtown with a photo for the 2018 “Hot August Night” poster contest. “We usually host contests in order to get the community involved in our events and get them excited,” said Administrative Assistant for the DDD Olivia Graziano. “Events like ‘Hot August Night’ only work because the community gets so invested in it, so being able to feature a community member’s photograph on the poster only adds to that investment.” The contest opened on March 1 and ends on March 31. The 23rd annual “Hot August Night” is scheduled for Aug. 24. Graziano compared this year’s poster contest to past ones. “Last year, we did an art contest for the poster, which was great and unique,” said Graziano. “But we decided to go back to some features from the

beginnings of the ‘Hot August Night’ event including having original photography on the poster. We figured that photos instead of drawings or other renderings would attract more people to enter as well.” The guidelines for the contest asked for “photos that represent downtown Hammond or ‘Hot August Night.’” “There are no written stipulations for what exactly the photograph should be,” said Graziano. “We just encouraged using some aspects of downtown or the community as inspiration. There will probably be some unique perspectives gained through all the entries in the end.” Photo submissions can be sent to Chauvin_mc@ Hammond.org, or contestants can go to the DDD office. “The winner of the contest will be selected by the DDD Board of Directors at the April board meeting, April 1,” said Graziano. “From there, the DDD team will create the rest of the poster and release both the full poster and the winner of the contest towards the end of April.”

performance in the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. “You can expect an interesting program that shows music from a transitional period where composers were opening up to new ideas, especially focusing on being more expressive and breaking the forms,” said Correa-Cruz. “The classical forms were tight. The composers were starting to break free. So, that’s what we are presenting here. It’s just an open Dr. Victor Correa-Cruz directs a rehearsal in the band annex for an orchestral window to romantic repertoire that performance on Wednesday, March 21. Brianna Hawkins/The Lion’s Roar

see CORREA-CRUZ, pg. 5

Arts & Entertainment | The Lion’s Roar

March 20, 2018 | Page 5

Dance at record enrollment ANNIE GOODMAN Staff Reporter

The dance program has reached record enrollment with some classes filling up past full capacity according to Director of Dance Keith “Skip” Costa. Costa credited the growth during his five years on staff to marketing and branding the program. Costa believes his experience prior to joining the staff at the university has helped him build the program. “My specific expertise of what I’ve found along the way, through New York and all my other experiences, then coming back here and building a layer one by one and addressing the students needs, their passions about being a dance major,” said Costa. The program has seen a growth in both general studies with a concentration in dance majors as well as dance minors according to Costa. “Our minors have grown to 30,” said Costa. “You can get the minor in 18 hours instead of 29, I think it was when I came here. We had to do a couple things to go down to the lower 20s, I think 21. Then we had to reduce it again, which worked out perfectly because some of our minors are getting their minors in two and a half years. It’s perfect.” Costa credited his students in the growth by word-of-mouth marketing. “I think because the momentum has started with people wanting to be invested in the program and being very professional in trying to get information out of the program, that spawned all this extra interest,” said Costa. “The students speaking about the courses. Coming to our concerts. Our concerts are growing in attendance now. I think it’s just evolved to this point.” According to Costa, the dance program at the university is centered around contemporary dance and emphasizes choreography as a discipline. “There’s a lot more people interested in doing choreography,” said

Costa. “Last year, our choreography class was completely full. I had to make some overloads just to get them in. I felt the same way about this year. There comes a point where you have to put a cap on it. The philosophy of Southeastern, across the board, is small classes that cater to the students. So, it has to be in every discipline. I’m trying to follow that and be able to give the corrections and information that we need that students deserve.” Costa is hopeful that the recent enrollment statistics will foster a change from the administration. “We have one person on staff, that’s myself,” said Costa. “Director and full-time instructor, and I’m teaching a multitude of classes, of which a lot of them are overloaded, and I’m still registering people for term II. Even though we’re at max, we’re still getting them in there. I think it’s a great move, and it shows the university that the students really want this program. They want to be invested in it. Numbers and figures always make sense, especially to the administration.” A change Costa would welcome is the addition of another faculty member. “I am predicting that it will continue to just grow,” said Costa. “In the fall, the courses that I teach will be full. We also have a guest artist, adjunct faculty or lecturer, that comes in. I’ve done it in the fall in term II. It adds to the philosophy of contemporary program, and we do contemporary ballet.” Costa believes having multiple instructors will help broaden the students’ minds. “I’m hoping that position remains solid and we can keep filling it with guest artists so that students have an influence from other people’s thoughts and ideas coming in. So that they can still get a program that’s more well-rounded,” said Costa. Costa’s ultimate goal is for the university to offer a bachelor’s degree in fine arts for dance.

Freshman general studies major with a concentration in dance Madeline Aldana performed in “Cornered,” which was choreographed by Amber Whiteside as part of the Dance Performance Project’s “The Movement Project.” File Photo/The Lion’s Roar “I think a shift to a BFA would be incredible to give them a more wellrounded sense of all styles but contributing to the core of what we do here, which is contemporary dance,” said Costa. “I think it would be an influence of people around the area coming to this university, specifically for that rather than going to other schools within the UL System or going out of state.”

Speech and theater fest unites high school students

Students from Covington High School gathered together before their first round of competition. CHS placed second at the festival. Jacob Summerville/The Lion’s Roar JACOB SUMMERVILLE

competition. The “Vonnie Borden Speech and Theatre Festival” was held High school students gathered on March 16 from 12-8 p.m. in at the university to embrace a couple of buildings on campus theatre, dramatic speech and including D Vickers Hall and the Staff Reporter

Kinesiology and Health Studies Building. Associate Professor of Communication Dr. Amber Narro explained the function and history of this event. “This event has been going on close to 30 years for a really long time,” said Narro. “So, the students who participated in this event come back every year because ‘A,’ it’s a fun event and also because it qualifies them to go to that next level. It kind of confirms their talent and their hard work.” There were three rounds for the competition where students could compete in categories such as poetry, extemporaneous speaking and dramatic interpretation. Senior from Zachary High School Aidan Hill explained how he was introduced to theatre.

“I accidentally entered a class my eighth-grade year, and that’s what got me interested,” said Hill. “I didn’t know anything about it. I was accidentally put in the class, and from there on, I loved it. But my ninth-grade year, my talent and theatre teacher recommended me to try extemporaneous speaking, and I’ve been doing it here ever since.” Hill also said that he likes the “interpersonal” connections he makes at this event since the schools participating are near to one another compared to the state-wide competition. Attending for his fourth year, Hill talked about what he likes about the festival. “I think a lot more than other events, the judges are really great,” said Hill. “A lot of other judges will be really stone-faced

professional players and international soloist Washington Garcia who will play Wolfgang Mozart’s “Piano Concerto in D minor K.466.” “The forces that we are putting together for this program are very launches the beginning of the romantic era.” diverse,” said Correa-Cruz. “I am convinced the overall result will be Attendees can also expect performances from faculty members, local very good. I’m also looking forward to it because this is my first time performing in the emblematic Columbia Theatre, so that’s exciting. I to October 22) Expect more expect that the orchestra will show a lot of good qualities and a lot of information to come out energy to present this wonderful program. So, whoever comes is going to about that possible career shift. have a very good experience and is going to see a solid performance by Meanwhile, your loving concern an excellent college symphony orchestra.” helps someone close to you get Correa-Cruz wants to incorporate repertoire that helps highlight the ARIES (March 21 to April through a worrisome period. assets of the university’s orchestra while getting more involved with the 19) Resist a confrontation with SCORPIO (October 23 community. that irksome person. The matter to November 21) Despite an “We’re designing projects that are involving collaborations with will soon blow over anyway. occasional setback, workplace choirs, bands, ballet with some faculty and students to perform as soloists, Meanwhile, channel your high pressures should continue to ease also with some other guest artists that we are going to invite from the Arian energy into areas with more through most of the week. This international circuit,” said Correa-Cruz. “The whole program is going positive potential. would be a good time to plan that TAURUS (April 20 to May long-delayed trip. 20) The innovative Bovine finds a SAGITTARIUS (November creative way to resolve a sensitive 22 to December 21) The sage domestic problem by midweek. A Sagittarian quickly recognizes an former colleague returns with an opportunity when she or he sees intriguing business suggestion. it, especially if it’s one you’ve been Sponsored By GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) planning for. Take aim and go for An unexpected critical statement it. from someone you trust could CAPRICORN (December catch you momentarily off 22 to January 19) The Sea Goat’s guard. But you soon recover unique insight guides you as you your equilibrium and rise to the check out a questionable situation. challenge. Your efforts should prove CANCER (June 21 to July 22) rewarding for you and your many You might feel you can handle supporters. a new project on your own. AQUARIUS (January 20 to But advice from someone with February 18) You might want to experience could help you avoid pace yourself a bit more. Rushing possibly costly as well as time- could lead to serious slip-ups. Take consuming obstacles. more time to check out details you LEO (July 23 to August 22) might otherwise overlook. Waiting for others to make PISCES (February 19 to decisions is difficult for the take- March 20) The best way to resolve charge Lion. But by week’s end, those remaining problems is to ask you should hear news that will others for help. They’ll be happy to help you regain control of the do so, especially when you agree to situation. share the credit for a job well done. VIRGO (August 23 BORN THIS WEEK: Your to September 22) Your natural gift for honest leadership superjudgmental side could earns you the respect and dominate the week unless you try admiration of others. to keep it in check. Otherwise you (c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc. risk offending people, including some who are very close to you. LIBRA (September 23 CORREA-CRUZ

continued from pg. 4

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with you. And while there’s a professional atmosphere here, you also feel like you have a friend as a judge. You get to talk to them and have a good time.” Senior from Zachary High School Maggie Terral stated that this was her third year attending, and she competed in the poetry event. She explained that fellow students at this competition drew her back year after year. “It’s not very often that you get to be in a room with a bunch of drama kids who all relate to you,” said Terral. “So, it’s really fun, and to watch everybody from different schools and different backgrounds and different families come together and express what they love and do what they love is really awesome.” This festival served as a district competition, and the

students who qualify for the state competition will compete at a festival at Louisiana State University as described by Narro. She also shared the success of the students’ work at this festival. Narro said, “We had superior ratings across most of the schools that came this year, and the judges will be sending a lot of kids to compete at the state level.” Zachary High School won first place at the event with Covington High School earning the second-place prize. Terral shared advice for students who wish to become involved in theatre. “Don’t knock it until you try it,” said Terral. “It’s a little scary at first and a little hard to put yourself out there, but it’s really freeing and really exciting.”

to be very dynamic, collaborating with as many people and institutions as possible. Then we also need to come closer to the community, and for doing that, we have to organize family concerts, pops, film music events, collaborations with our pre-college program.” Correa-Cruz feels that by getting more involved with the community, the orchestra will be known in places outside the local community. “I want to get more rooted in the community as well as more projected towards the outside and make some outreach concerts so that our program is better known in other places by having the orchestra tour sometime,” said Correa-Cruz. When it comes to why Correa-Cruz chose to work in this field, he says it was not really a decision. “For me, it was more like the natural thing to do,” said Correa-Cruz. “I was playing since I was a kid, and I got more and more involved as years went by. Playing in an orchestra made me realize that I felt something very special when I was making music with other colleagues.” For the full story, visit lionsroarnews.com.

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The Lion’s Roar | Sports

King’s facility record highlights Louisiana Classics NIKISUN SHRESTHA Staff Reporter

The university’s track and field team had a successful outing at the Louisiana Classics on Saturday in Lafayette. The team continued to improve its record with senior pole vaulter Devin King leading the way. King broke the facility record with a vault of 18 feet, 1.75 inches and recorded his 24th career victory. “Devin’s one of the best in the country,” said Head Coach Corey Mistretta. “He continuously performs accordingly. This was a meet that would not generally be on his radar because the competition isn’t as strong for someone like him but we took him there as a warmup for the Texas Relays, which is two weeks. That was a record there that has stood since 1998. He wanted to go and beat that record. It took him a couple of attempts to do it, but he battled through.” Sophomore Ashley Davis secured a victory in shot put despite battling an injury. Mistretta believes Davis can perform at a higher level after recovery from the injury. “Ashley continues to do well for us,” said Mistretta. “She’s battling a little wrist injury. So, her performance has been kind of in a rollercoaster. We’re expecting her to be a nationallevel performer. We still have a long way to go. It was good to see her get back on track. There’s still a whole lot left in the tank for her.” This was the third meet of the outdoor schedule for the team. Mistretta gave his thoughts on the team’s performance so far and how the initial meets are being used to assess the team’s performance. “It’s been good,” said Mistretta. “I think the first one’s out of the gate. We tried to give everybody on the team an opportunity to show us what they have and show us that

they’re gonna be conferencelevel kids. This was the third one in that string. So, we have a pretty good idea on who we have now, and we’ll look forward towards preparing for the outdoor conference championships.” The meet also saw good performances from junior Stevon Crooks in shot put and discus throw, sophomore Grant O’Callaghan in 800 meters, freshman Jonathan Respress and senior Tajh Lewis in middle distance running. The team will be participating next week in two meets. The Texas Relays is scheduled from Wednesday, March 28 to Saturday, March 31 in Austin, Texas while the Southern Miss Invitational is scheduled for Saturday, March 31. Mistretta explained that he will split the team and take 30 athletes to Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He also described the level of competition that the team will face in the Texas Relays. “Texas Relays’ a qualifier meet,” said Mistretta. “So, you have to be at certain standards to qualify for that meet. We’re probably gonna take about six or eight kids to the Texas Relays. It’s a really difficult meet to be in, a high nationallevel meet.” Due to the high level of standards in Texas Relays, Mistretta sees the meet as an opportunity for the athletes to be prepared for tough experience going into the outdoor season. “Those who qualify for the Texas Relays, that’s a big honor for those kids, and we hope that they go to that meet and use it as a way to prepare themselves for a really difficult competition that will come later in the year with the conference championship and regional championship and then the national championship. So, that’s a precursor for all that, give those kids the opportunity to learn how to compete against the best of the best.”

Lions build a winning momentum

Junior pitcher Mason Knopp prepares to pitch against Purdue University in the “Pack the Pat” game. Gabrielle Ybarzabal/The Lion’s Roar NIKISUN SHRESTHA Staff Reporter

The Lions baseball team was unbeaten in the five-game stretch last week. In this process, they took out number 19-ranked Mississippi State University, Purdue University and conference opponent Lamar University. The first game of the week on March 13 against Purdue was highlighted by junior pitcher Mason Knopp’s performance. “The storyline is pretty simple,” said Head Coach Matt Riser. “It’s Mason Knopp. He went out there and absolutely dominated the strike zone, and just did a fantastic job of pitching. The lights and the fastball and the way he locates and pitches, just a premier college pitcher. It’s

good to see him have success. In all reality, his numbers, today so far, do not reflect his outing. Tonight, he had the wind blowing in and had some guys make some plays behind him. The rest is history.” Knopp credited the atmosphere around Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field for his pitching display. “It felt good,” said Knopp. “Our dugout brought energy. We had a nice crowd tonight. They were loud and cheering us on. We are playing with confidence. We were just out there grinding out at bats. Defense played good, and I made pitches. That’s how you win baseball games.” Playing in the first out-of-state game in Biloxi, Mississippi, the Lions trailed Mississippi State 5-1 at the bottom of the first inning. However, junior pitcher Corey Gaconi came back from the early setback to leave the opponents scoreless in the remaining eight innings. Riser described that the team needs to adjust for the road games. He explained how these games provide a mental test for the team and prepare the team for conference play. “It’s gonna be a different approach for us now,” said Riser. “We’ve done a majority of this at home. The first time we’re gonna be leaving the state is gonna be to Mississippi and Lamar. We got a six-game road trip. We’ll see what we’re made of. In all honesty, clubs that play well on the road, clubs that play well on Sundays on the weekend, you handle some hostile environments. You handle some different venues in the road trips. It’s more of a mental preparation than it is anything else.” The game against Mississippi State also saw the return of junior outfielder Mike Taylor from injury. Riser credits the effort of Associate Athletic Trainer Ben Stewart for Taylor’s recovery. “We tried to rush him back last week with UNO, and it was just too soon,” said Riser. “So, hopefully, the swelling goes back down. Ben’s doing a fantastic job with him of having him right, having him ready. He’s a tough kid who wants to go, but I’ve got to make my judgment on it when it’s time when he can go 100 percent and full speed.” The team finished last week’s play with a 3-0 sweep at Lamar. The team responded to the call of Riser in generating early runs and finishing the games in the second and third game of the series. “Offensively, we’ve got to do some more things to create runs,” said Riser. “We gotta get some more bunts down. We gotta have some better at bats, some guys in scoring position. At the end of the day, we gotta throw the last punch.” Knopp explained the key to success in the road games. “We just got to bring the energy,” said Knopp. “Just continue to do what we’ve been doing. Just trust the process and go up there and grind out at bats, play good defense and throw strikes.” The Lions will look to continue their five-game winning streak against University of South Alabama today and Jackson State University tomorrow.

High-powered offense leads to series sweep JONATHAN RHODES Senior Reporter

The Lady Lions softball team showed what they are capable of offensively in the threegame series against Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi by outscoring the Islanders 4211 in a sweep. The Lady Lions’ overall record is now 1511, and their record in conference play is 4-2. In the third game of the series, junior outfielder Jaquelyn Ramon recorded her 14th stolen base of the season and her 100th career stolen base. She is the first player in the program’s history to achieve the accomplishment. Other records that were broken in this series include the Lady Lions scoring 33 runs in a doubleheader and scoring 12 runs in the seventh innings in the second game of the series. Senior infielder Mahalia Gibson who leads the team in home runs hit her seventh home run this season in the first game. Senior infielder Alli Daigle started off the 18-hit attack in the first game by getting four hits out of five attempts at bat. Head Coach Rick Fremin was proud of the effort from the team and how they quickly bounced back from the 8-0 loss to the University of Mississippi at home on March 14. Senior pole vaulter Devin King broke a 20-year-old facility record at the “I think the team played extremely well in Louisiana Classics with a vault of 18 feet, 1.75 inches. The previous record was all three games at a high level,” said Fremin. set by Greg Duplantis in 1998. File Photo/The Lion’s Roar “We had a good balanced attack offensively

Senior pitcher Rachel Hayes helped control the pace of each game in the series against Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi. In the third game of the series, Hayes had three strikeouts. Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion’s Roar and defensively. The players executed the game plan to near perfection.” Senior pitcher Rachel Hayes pitched for 6.2 innings in the third game, which she started, and had three strikeouts and only one walk. “It was a great weekend for us, and we had some solid pitching,” said Fremin. “Rachel Hayes did a great job at the circle. We had a lot

of offense throughout the series as well.” Senior outfielder Maddie Edmonston led the team scoring three runs in the third game. Ramon and Gibson had two runs batted in, and senior outfielder Kinsey Nichols led the team with three hits.

see SOFTBALL, pg. 7

What’s your favorite KSLU program?

Sports | The Lion’s Roar

March 20, 2018 | Page 7

Seniors lead the team to improve record NIKISUN SHRESTHA Staff Reporter

After beating Nicholls State University and registering their first conference victory, the Lady Lions tennis team rounded off last week with 4-3 win over Stephen F. Austin State University and 5-2 loss against Northwestern State University. Head Coach Jason Hayes credited his team’s hard work for the victory over in state rivals Nicholls. He also hoped the team could build up momentum after earning the win. “The girls have worked so hard,” said Hayes. “We needed this. Nicholls is a good team and very well coached. We needed that first win. Hopefully, we’ll get this rolling. We’ve got the talent, the heart and the fight. Getting that first win is going to be important and hopefully, we can turn it into more.” Senior Fleur Holtkamp shared her happiness about the win. Holtkamp earned wins in both singles and doubles category and was more confident going into the matches. “We’re very excited,” said Holtkamp. “We worked really hard towards this. Against UNO, it didn’t come in our way, but today it did. I think everybody needed that confirmation that we keep working hard and try to get more wins. I was very close against McNeese too. I think today, it just came out a little bit better, and

I was convinced I was going to win.” Holtkamp described the preparation going into the match against Nicholls. “They’ve been tough,” said Holtkamp. “We’ve played very long points and have had a lot of rallies, a lot of good footwork, good placement and smart decisions. That’s why today really showed that we practiced that.” The team sorted out their problems with the doubles category in securing the doubles point against Nicholls. Hayes described how his team’s initiative to stick with their partners and dig deep going into the sets helped them. “We’ve been close the other times and sometimes it may be just a point difference,” said Hayes. “I thought about switching them up, but the girls wanted to stay with their partners. When they’re invested in their own tennis, then as a coach, you feel better about that. When they said, ’Coach, we wanna stay together, we’re gonna fight,’ I said, ‘Go for it.’” Following the win, the team participated in two road games against Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin. Hayes knew the conference leader, Northwestern State, was going to be a challenging opposition. “Northwestern is a tough team,” said Hayes. “They’re good every year, but we’re just gonna try to get as many wins as

possible. It’s gonna be tough, they’re really good. It’s gonna be a tough weekend, but we got a great group. We’re just gonna play them one match at a time.” In the second road game of the week, the team had their backs against the wall after trailing 3-0 in the doubles category. Seniors Holtkamp, Ceci Mercier and Dalina Dahlmans along with freshman Katya Cornejo completed the Lady Lions come back with victories in their respective singles matches. Hayes was proud of the fight shown by the team and described how playing away has brought the team closer. “I could not be more excited with how the girls play today,” said Hayes. “Coming back from 3-0 down to win the last four matches, all in three sets shows how much heart this team has. There’s nothing better than road trips. You’re with the girls all the time. You bond together. We became a closer team this weekend.” The Lady Lions will host Abilene Christian University next on March 25 at 11 a.m. Hayes expects another set of competitive matches next weekend. “It’s gonna be tough,” said Hayes. “Last year, they beat us pretty badly, but I know our girls are up for the task and want to build on today’s win.”

Senior Fleur Holtkamp, left, has returned to form in the singles category with two victories in three matches. Senior Dany Raygadas, right, is currently working on improving on her serves going into conference play. Nikisun Shrestha/The Lion’s Roar

Historic season under Ladner comes to a close NIKISUN SHRESTHA Staff Reporter

The Lions basketball team concluded a historic season by participating in the National Invitation Tournament. In Head Coach Jay Ladner’s fourth season leading the team, the Lions finished the 2017-18 season with the second most overall wins in program’s history along with the Southland Conference regular season title. Ladner described his thoughts on his team’s achievements during the season. “First of all, it was very exciting,” said Ladner. “It was only the second time in the history of our program that we’ve been involved in a postseason play. The only other time was in 2005. It was also our first time to play in the prestigious NIT. It was a great experience.” After a loss to Stephen F. Austin State University in the finals of the 2017 Southland Conference Tournament, the Lions traveled from Katy, Texas to Moraga, California to play Saint Mary’s College of California within three days for NIT. “I certainly wish we had a little bit more time to prepare,” said Ladner. “It was an incredibly quick turnaround from the devastating loss at the championship game In his final outing as a Lion, senior forward Jordan Capps led with team highs of the conference tournament on a Saturday of 19 points and five rebounds against Saint Mary’s College of California in night, and to play on Tuesday night, that was National Invitation Tournament. Nikisun Shrestha/The Lion’s Roar difficult not only physically but emotionally

and psychologically. Overall, great reward and accomplishment for our program.” Ladner believes this season to be a benchmark for the program going ahead to the upcoming seasons. He described that he wants his players to be competing for conference titles and postseason glories. “This is a tremendous affirmation to our coaching staff as well as our players,” said Ladner. “We’ve been very fortunate over the time I’ve been here to have made significant progress every year and to finally get us to the point of conference championship and going to postseason. When you have seasons like this, it’s not something that just happens. It happens over a course of time. What we want to get done is get to a point where we can now be consistent with that. We want that to be our expectation now and not just once every 15 years that we have to wait to win the conference championship. We want to be competing for that conference championship every single year.” With the end of the season, the program bid farewell to its senior players. Ladner spoke about the contributions of seniors Jordan Capps, Joshua Filmore, Eddy Polanco and James Currington. “We’re gonna really miss those guys,” said Ladner. “They have been an incredible part of the building of our program. They’ve left an incredible legacy here. They’ve made history, but we’re looking forward to the new

SOFTBALL

continued from pg. 6 Edmonston was glad the team could get back on their feet and find a rhythm during the series. “I am very proud of my team,” said Edmonston. “It was a whole team effort all three games. The team really woke up and started

crop aligns and look to continue what those guys have established.” Ladner also spoke about how he and his coaching staff have planned to adjust with the departure of the senior players. “Unfortunately, unlike the professional ranks where you can keep a team together for many years, ours have a limited amount of time,” said Ladner. “Therefore, through that natural retrition of graduating and so forth, that is something that we need to anticipate is coming. Our coaching staff has been working hard developing recruiting relationships over the last couple of years to be able to anticipate losing those guys.” With the conclusion of this season, Ladner is planning ahead for the next season. He believes a basketball team has a limited life during a season and described the plans for next season. “Not a day can go by that you don’t work in preparation for next year, and I think that’s one reason we’ve been able to be successful,” said Ladner. “It’s because of our work in the off season. We understand the value of that. Our coaches have hit the road recruiting. We’ll be doing the strength training and conditioning. Players will be going back to the gym and work on some of their weaknesses, individual skill development and improve their overall game. The team will begin practice as well. There’s no real time to wait. It’s a yearlong process, and there’s no days off.”

hitting the ball. It is something that we have always been able to do, but we have been slow with it lately. We found the spark this weekend, and everyone started hitting. I just hope that we can continue doing that throughout the rest of the season.” The Lady Lions are hoping to play with more confidence coming

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