The Lion's Roar 03/22/2016

MARCH 22, 2016 VOLUME 87, ISSUE 23

’ THE LION S ROAR S O U T H E A S T E R N L O U I S IA NA U N I V E R S I T Y

A Student Publication

Campus Life Page 2

Opinions Page 3

Arts & Entertainment Page 4

Sports Page 6

News Page 8

LionsRoarNews.com

Angola Three member speaks out

INSIDE THE ‘ROAR’ Opera combines culture of past and present

The Lion’s Roar/Tiffany Nesbit

see pg. 5

Lady Lions Softball take victory on home turf

Alumni Association director to retire

Kathy Pittman honored after 20 years of service to university BY MEGAN FERRANDO Editor in Chief

Jonathan Rhodes

see pg. 7

Women march for equality

The Lion’s Roar/Tiffany Nesbit

see pg. 8

The Lion’s Roar / Ian Fischer

The Lion’s Roar / Megan Ferrando

Past university president Randy Moffett (left) greets retired alumni association director Kathy Pittman (middle) as he attends her retirement reception with friends and family. Moffett was president of Southeastern from 2001 to 2008.

Alumni Association director Kathy Pittman will retire at the end of the month after 20 years of service to the university. Pittman was active not only on campus, but also the Hammond area. Her impact on campus and beyond resulted in a large turnout for her retirement reception on Mar. 17. “I think she really turned the association around,” said son Eric Pittman. “It’s pretty amazing that there’s this many people here, it really shows what impact she had.” Friends, family and university staff filled the Alumni Association building to honor the hard work Pittman has offered to the university over the years. “Our alumni are incredibly important for the university in many, many ways,” said President John L. Crain. “Kathy has done a tremendous job of keeping everybody involved and engaged. We’re going to miss her tremendously, but I know she’s going to enjoy retirement. It’s a bittersweet thing today.”

Staff Reporter

There have been recent concerns with students and their ways of transportation. At the beginning of this semester the Coasting Devices Policy banned all electronic coasting devices. Recently, problems with skate boards have been brought to Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs James McHodgkins’ attention. “Skateboards are not banned from campus, but we have in our policy stating skateboards are to be used as transportation to and from wherever they’re going,” said McHodgkins. “Our campus is not really designed for people to be doing tricks and jumps and stuff like that. When people do things on our campus to rails, to walls, to cement things, the chance of them breaking is a lot better because they’re not designed for that.” While the budget cuts have been a recent issue in many news stories, it also plays a role here with the skateboarding policy. “When students break things on our campus, we have to spend money on those things to try and

get them fixed,” said McHodgkins. “That’s money we could have used for other things, especially when we’re in a tight budget situation.” According to McHodgkins, there is no problem if students ride their skateboard around campus, however, the university is not a skate park. Tricks are not allowed because of injury risks to others around them, themselves or property damage. Many damage reports have been sighted and reported to McHodgkins. “Lots of damage that we see are the stairs, the fountain area, you’ll see some bricks missing in different places, the performance circle is an area where we’ve had some issues,” said McHodgkins. McHodgkins’ goal is to make students aware of the damage they are causing and to make sure students follow the policy that the university has in place. “We’re asking our students to please work with us,” said McHodgkins. “If you want to do these things, we encourage you to go to the skate park.” If students are caught doing any tricks on campus there will be

see SKATEBOARD pg. 8

see WOODFOX pg. 10

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The Lion’s Roar / Alex Brainard

Issues concerning the skateboard policy have been brought to Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs. Skateboard policy states that skate boards are meant to be used as transportation. The campus is not designed for students to do tricks. consequences. “If we find students on campus that are doing tricks, we will enforce “If we find students on campus that

Weather Tuesday H 72 L 57

Staff Reporter

are doing tricks, we will enforce our conduct and send them through

see PITTMAN pg. 10

Student policy does not allow skateboard tricks on campus BY ALEX BRAINARD

BY IAN FISCHER After his release from 43 years in solitary confinement, activist and member of the Angola Three, Albert Woodfox spoke at the University Center last Tuesday. The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice hosted his speech.. Albert Woodfox spent more time in solitary confinement than anyone else in United States’ known history. He spent it in connection with the 1972 murder of prison guard, Brent Miller. Woodfox stood in front of the audience answering questions about his life and experiences. During his time in prison, Amnesty International, among other organizations called for his release from what the state calls Closed Cell Restriction. Woodfox said he was allowed to leave his cell for just one hour a day. He explained what viewing the world was like for such a short time. “Robert Hillary King, he has this saying,” said Woodfox. “‘To the frog in the well, the world is no bigger than the opening.’” King is another member of the Angola Three. The late Herman Wallace is the third member. The three men went to solitary confinement in connection with Miller’s murder, but they maintained their innocence. Woodfox said his mother is his biggest inspiration, but he did not feel that way during his youth. “My mom fought a valiant fight to save me from the street,” said Woodfox. “The noise of the street was louder than my mother’s voice.” Woodfox became involved with petty crime in New Orleans. He was eventually charged with armed robbery and sentenced to 50 years in prison. He escaped during his sentencing and went to Harlem, New York where he found the Black Panther Party. “Eventually, the Black Panther Party’s voice became louder than the street,” said Woodfox. Woodfox is a founding member of the Black Panther Party of Angola. He said he and the Angola Three became involved with the Black Panther Party to fight corruption, racism and abuse. Miller’s murder occurred after the party’s founding and an eyewitness testimony from Hezekiah Brown connected Woodfox to the crime. According to NPR, the former warden Murray Henderson said he bribed Brown with the possibility of a pardon and more comfortable living conditions. Amnesty International among other organizations also noted the lack of physical evidence connecting Woodfox to the crime. Both Woodfox and Wallace’s fingerprints did not match a bloody fingerprint found at the scene, but the evidence has since been lost. This made it impossible to match with any other fingerprint on record. Woodfox pled nolo contendere, which means no contest. He said it was not an

in getting the alumni involved in Homecoming after football was discontinued in 1985. “When Kathy came along and got hired she got the alumni involved in Homecoming again even though it was with the basketball team, which was kind of untraditional,” said Thomas. “She did it the way we do with the students she fed the alumni, and that worked.” According to former university president Randy Moffett, Pittman drew many people to the university through her efforts and spirit. She not only increased Lion pride on campus, but off as well. “I think Kathy is probably the most unique personality that I’ve ever known,” said Moffett. “She had the ability to unite the alumni association, she had the ability to create an external image for the university that is extremely positive and draw people in to support the university. She is caring, sometimes stubborn, but she is driven

Pittman attended Southeastern herself and was part of the class of 1971. She was involved on campus through various organizations and has continued that involvement in years since. “Southeastern has always been a part of my life,” said Pittman. “My dad was a Loyola graduate and he asked me if I wanted to go there. I told him, ‘Absolutely not. I want to go to Southeastern.’” Pittman has made many friends over the years and was able to see many of them again at her retirement reception. Pittman also credited Homecoming as a special opportunity to see old friends. “This is one of my fondest moments,” said Pittman. “I’m truly touched and honored that this many people would come. The best part of my job is all the new people I’ve met, and for 20 years I’ve made so many friends because of Southeastern. Homecoming was also always really special to me because everybody would come back and I could see all my friends again.” According to friend Jackie Dale Thomas, Pittman was a huge factor

Albert Woodfox stands before an audience of students and faculty after spending most of his life in solitary confinement at Angola Prison.

Reminders Wednesday H 76 L 62

Regular Classes: Last day to withdraw or resign from the University. The Deadline is at 5:00 p.m

CAMPUS LIFE

PAGE 2 MARCH 22, 2016

THE LION’S ROAR

Nu Delta marches to remember women’s suffrage BY TIFFANY NESBIT Staff Reporter

Last week, women joined together on campus to march for women’s suffrage. The Nu Delta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. gathered together on Tuesday, Mar. 15 at 6:45 p.m. on the side of Garrett Hall to speak out against women’s inequality in today’s society. The sorority marched from Garrett Hall to the Union Mall where they held a rally of prayer, poems and speech. This march was in remembrance of the Women’s Suffrage Parade held on Mar. 3, 1913 in Washington, D.C. that was led by activist Alice Paul. The parade was to support the idea for the right for women to vote. Twenty-two African American women from this event were the first to start the Nu Delta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Filled with powerful messages of inspiration, the march was led by the president of the sorority, Rideia Wilson. She stood proud as she announced each speaker to

The Lion’s Roar / Tiffany Nesbit

Leaders and members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. stand together before the march. President Rideia Wilson stands with group along with previous members of the sorority who have graduated. The march ended with a speech entitled “What Will Your Legacy Be?” given by Chelsea Alford. The speech encouraged women to go forward in life and be themselves. the podium. The speech entitled “What Will Your Legacy Be?” given by a previous member of the sorority, Chelsea Alford, raised great awareness of how this issue is still relevant in today’s society.

Alford gave examples of ways women are not treated equally such as not receiving the same salary as men, unrealistic images of women in videos games and ads and how successful women are constantly being bashed in

social media. Alford’s powerful speech pointed out that as women, it is their decision to choose their legacy. They have the power to make the change that is needed in the world, take advantage of

knowledge and succeed in their education. “Ignorance is not bliss,” said Alford. “When you are educated to know better, you can do better.” Popular woman celebrities were given as example role

models. “There are three statements, words of advice, from Oprah Winfrey,” said Alford. “One, know who you are. Two, find a way to serve, and do great in the world. And three, always do the right thing.” Guest marchers and members of the sorority expressed their opinions on how this march impacted campus. “We are making a statement that we are just as strong as men and can do just as much,” said sophomore English major LeLe Taylor. “It is okay to be a strong woman on campus. As long as you are doing it for you, gender should not matter. It is our life.” Those who marched for women’s suffrage are ready for campus to start respecting women. “We are tired of demeaning phrases such as ‘Stop acting like a girl’ being said around campus,” said member of the Nu Delta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Patricia Barney. “This rally is a great way to raise awareness about offensive things like that.”

CAB anticipates annual Strawberry Jubilee to be held in April BY IAN FISCHER Staff Reporter

The Campus Activities Board plans to bring variety and new ideas to its annual event to kick off the spring. The strawberry themed event will be on Wednesday, Apr. 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Strawberry Jubilee location will be determined at a later date. There will be free food and activities for students who attend. Among the food items are red beans and rice, bread, cupcakes and soft drinks. Also, there will be strawberry shortcake. This year, the Strawberry Jubilee has a different approach. According to CAB, one of the new activities will be a Stuff-A-Lion. This activity is much like the stores where customers build their custom teddy bear. Students who do Stuff-A-Lion get to make their own lion. There will also be a new Instagram

printing activity. According to CAB, when students take a picture at Strawberry Jubilee and put the given hashtag symbol on it, a printer will automatically print the picture for the student to take home. Alpha Omicron Pi member and sophomore business administration major Anna Leader expects the Instagram activity to be popular. “That will get a lot of people’s attention just that,” said Leader. Leader said she was familiar with Gumbo Ya Ya and the inflatable activities involved in it. She said the different activities the CAB is offering for Strawberry Jubilee will be fun. Strawberry Jubilee had a booth in previous years where people can make their own university stylized license plate. This year will have a similar booth which will make street signs instead. Sophomore psychology major

Hayden Kimball was satisfied with his previous experience at the event. “It was a lot of fun,” said Kimball. “I really enjoyed myself. It was a great time.” The origins of the Strawberry Jubilee are a mystery. Previous CAB coordinator Todd McElroy said it was just a “Southeastern tradition that’s been here longer than I have” in a 2014 issue of “The Lion’s Roar.” Campus organizations can set up a booth at Strawberry Jubilee. Interested organizations can find the sign-up form on the Campus Activities Board’s page on the university website. CAB will provide chairs and tables, but the organizations must bring everything else. The deadline to complete the form is Apr. 4, 2016 at 5 p.m. To find out more about Strawberry Jubilee, call 985-549-5467, email at cab@selu.edu, or visit CAB on the second floor of the student union.

The Lion’s Roar / Tamara Alexander

Keaton Northington puts Tabasco on his red beans and rice at the 2015 annual Strawberry Jubilee. The event is hosted by Campus Activities Board and will be held on Apr. 13. The location of the event has yet to be determined.

AOP and KA Wiffle Ball Tournmanet raises over $2,000 for Sam Barker BY IAN FISCHER Staff Reporter

“7 guys 1 bat” took home the victory at the Alpha Omicron Pi and Kappa Alpha’s Annual Wiffle Ball Tournament held in the Pennington Student Activity Center last Saturday morning. On Mar. 19, wiffle ball teams made up of members of AOPi, KA and other Greek organizations faced off to fight against lymphoma and muscular dystrophy. The two Greek organizations held the tournament in honor of AOPi’s late sister Samantha Barker and KA’s national philanthropy. Barker suffered from lymphoma which was the cause of her death and is the reason for AOP’s philanthropy. Members had to donate in order to play ball.

There were 25 teams playing ball when the tournament started. The Pennington Student Activity Center was sectioned off into three courts so three games could be running at the same time. By the time the semi-finals came, there were just four teams left: “Here Comes The Runs,” “Holy Balls,” “7 guys 1 bat” and “Master Batters.” “Holy Balls” defeated “Here Comes the Runs” and “7 guys 1 bat” defeated “Master Batters.” “7 guys 1 bat” defeated “Holy Balls” with a final score of 10-4. KA and sophomore industrial technology major Kamen Carter was among the winners. “It was a good competitive game all the way up until the end,” said Carter. “We broke open and had a big six-run inning. We broke a lot open and they just couldn’t handle it.”

Although the finals were competitive, Carter said both teams still had fun playing ball. “They were good sports,” said Carter. “We were good sports. We had a good time.” According to AOPi Community Service Chair and junior communication sciences and disorders major Courtney Hart, the tournament raised over $2,086 for the causes. Senior business administration major and KA Project Outreach chair Eric Pennington was on the 2nd-place team, “Holy Balls.” Pennington said the money raised will help both philanthropies. According to Pennington, he helped Hart put the tournament together and said it’s been a tradition for 4 or 5 years. “It’s a blast being out here,” said Pennington. “These are the people I hang out with. I get to

come out here on a Saturday morning, have good food and just enjoy the environment.” KA served their famous pastalaya at the tournament to help raise money and feed hungry wiffle ball players. According to KA member and junior occupational safety health and environment major Evan Gaudet, serving pastalaya at philanthropies, tailgates and similar events is a five-year tradition. Phi Mu and junior accounting major Ashely Nelson enjoyed her bowl of pastalaya with her friends. “The Louisiana Order Kappa Alpha pastalaya is a great treat after a tough loss in the AOPi,” said Nelson. “The pastalaya is tempered with a hint of spice and we’re enjoying it.”

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

DTD The men of Delta Tau Delta Epsilon Phi Chapter are hosting the first annual

Clay Shoot to benefit Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and their fight against Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes. Spots are still open for teams wanting to sign up and sponsorships are available for businesses that are interested. Contact any member or call (985)

351-2133 for more information. We look forward to seeing you all there.

QFA

Congratulations to all of the new big/little pairs. Our chapter would also like to congratulate all of our wonderful sisters who have been accepted to graduate programs and the Disney College Program.

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OPINIONS

THE LION’S ROAR

MARCH 22, 2016 PAGE 3

Relaxing on the beach without alcohol makes a good Spring Break Morgan Ledet Staff Reporter

The most anticipated break of the year is approaching quickly. Spring Break is an exciting break when it comes to college students. I can honestly say it’s my favorite too. College students plan a vacation months in advance just to make sure they get hotel rooms on the beach, where all the action will be happening. Last Spring Break, LSU, ULL, SLU and who knows what other colleges had their Spring Break the same week. The place to be last year was Panama City Beach, Florida especially if you attended a Louisiana college. The big problem this year is the Panama City Beach Council has passed a law banning alcohol from PCB during the entire month of March. I think this is something that should have been done sooner. There have been murders, gang rapes and God knows what other types of violence in PCB over the years. Why would you want to put yourself at risk of being killed just to go to a beach and have a good time? I think students are missing the point of Spring Break. This break is for taking a break from studying and homework to relax on the beach. Yes, I understand that drinking is great way to relieve stress. Yes, I am well aware because I just turned 21 and being able to buy my own alcohol is a reward. But, you can’t really relax if you are so drunk that you’re hugging the toilet and throwing up everything you drank on the beach. I will never understand how a person gets so drunk that they do not know when to stop. There are so many other things to do than just play loud music and drink. You can drink in your hotel room, then go out to the beach. Yes, I understand that sometimes drinking away the problems you have with school can be fun. But again, how are you having fun when you are hugging the toilet because you’re throwing up. That honestly just tells me that you do not know how to handle your alcohol. If you can’t handle it, don’t drink it. I can honestly say that I have always wanted to go to PCB for Spring Break because people say it is so much fun. The thing that has kept me away is the enormous crowds of college students PCB gets during Spring Break. If I am going to the beach, I want to be able to play some beach volleyball, go in the water and maybe lay out in the sun to get a tan. With the amount of students PCB gets, there is no telling if I could do any of that without getting a headache from the noise and music. How is that relaxing? This year I am more willing to spend my money to go to PCB because the ban on alcohol seems to be keeping away the majority of the college drunks and I may actually get a relaxing Spring Break. What better way to spend Spring Break than actually relaxing? Turn up for no alcohol.

SPEAK OUT

Do you think mid-semester is good timing for Spring Break and what are your plans? Yes, because it lets people chill out, but no, because it passes so fast. I’m going to sleep and eat crawfish.

It seems like things are just getting pretty busy. We need a break. As for plans, I’m going to St. Francisville.

Well, I’m stressed out, so yeah, it’s at a good time. And I’m going to Gulf Shores.

Alana Collins Freshman, Nursing

Salvatore Grizzaffi Freshman, Industrial Technology

Amber Ingola Freshman, English Education

It is because we’re about to have midterms. I’ll be with family and hangout with friends in Alabama.

I think it’s great when it’s right in the middle of the semester. It takes me a good week to chill out and relax.

No because we just had a Mardi Gras. It disrupts professors. I’m just going to start studying early for finals.

Brandon Miranda Freshman, Music Education

Wendy Rhodes Senior, Elementary Education

Chad Jackson Freshman, Communication

It’s for most people the hump like Wednesday is. I was thinking about going to Florida.

Well, with the arrival of Easter coming up, it’s no surprise that they’d do it. I’m going to hang out with my family.

Yeah, it’s definitely a good point to relieve from school, chill out from stress. No plans, what comes, comes.

Jonathan Hill Senior, General Studies

Paul Ferguson Junior, General Studies

Aaron Montz Sophomore, Criminal Justice

Choose your battles when discussing opinions with over sensitive or ignorant people William Schmidt Assistant Editor I believe everyone’s opinion is important. This is why I agree that everyone should talk about what they believe in. If I believe you are wrong but you bring me the facts, show mutual respect and your opinion won’t physically harm yourself or others, we can have an intellectual debate. I have stood by this belief

for some time now. One thing that has changed though is that I choose my battles. For those who may be as opinionated as me or even more, not every battle is worth the fight. I suggest, as much as it hurts me to say this, that sometimes it is just better to keep your mouth shut. Some people are just ignorant and don’t want to change. It still blows my mind how people don’t believe that racism still exists. How people think it is “wrong” for a woman to breast feed in public. That people can’t see

that yes, we do live in a white privileged world. It scares me that people can’t let people love who they want to love. Love, that is something that is extremely important in life. If we can’t let people love, then how are we going to find peace on earth or even our city? But, some people, I don’t even bother trying to change their close-minded views. I let them rant or I just walk away as long as it won’t make the situation worse. Some humans are just dumb and you can’t reason with them even if it

makes perfect, logical sense. Also, another issue for choosing battles is it will just make for a friendlier atmosphere. I think many people can relate to those times when they are around family or friends who hold different political or social beliefs. Tensions get high, emotions rise, people say things they don’t truly mean and it is just a horrible experience for everyone involved. So, make the wise decision and make sure that your opinion is worth voicing. Your emotional wellbeing is more important than

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

If we speak our mind, we will offend someone and that just makes for a bad day. To the intellectual that makes the right decisions in political and social current events, kudos to you. For those people who are wrong, I do hope that we can have a lively discussion one day, but I will choose my battle before speaking my mind. I would rather keep my mouth shut than have a dire decision where I stop caring all because someone was either too sensitive or just plain braindead.

THE LION ’S ROAR - STAFF

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

you trying to change the mind of those that are ignorant, closed-minded, believe lies, are unable to open their eyes and see what is right in front of them or just make it obvious that the human race does not deserve to continue. One final point on why we all must choose our battles is that today’s society is oversensitive. It seems to me that every little action that we do is going to offend someone. In my eyes, just by choosing when to take a breath, I’ll offend someone. The same principle applies for opinions.

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

Editor in Chief Assistant Editor Campus Life Editor Sports Editor

Megan Ferrando William Schmidt Megan McCormick Heather Jewell

Distribution Jake Treadway Advertising Assistant Nicholas Walsh

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

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

PAGE 4 MARCH 22, 2016

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE LION’S ROAR

Seniors perform series of dance concerts

The Lion’s Roar / Morgan Ledet

Southeastern Louisiana University’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts’ dance company, Dance Performance Project, presented a series of four senior concerts. The seniors involved in this production included Millenique Brown, Joseph Matherne, Leah Reeb and Christa Sevin. Auditions were held for dancers to perform in their concert. Not all seniors danced in their show, either, but watched their personally choreographed piece from the sidelines.

The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown

The Lion’s Roar / Morgan Ledet

David Armand to release ‘My Mother’s House’ BY ALEX BRAINARD Staff Reporter

English instructor David Armand has written another book titled, “My Mother’s House.” “My Mother’s House” is a non-fiction memoir about Armand’s life. “It focuses on my relationship with my mother who is schizophrenic,” said Armand. “She didn’t raise me, but I met her five years ago after she tried to commit suicide. It was weird because it was my birthday when I started to write it. I didn’t think I was going to write a book, I thought I was going to write a blog, just thinking about my mother. I thought I’d just write about 1500 words about her and she’ll never see it but I just wanted to do it. When I started writing this blog, after the first day I had three thousand words. Within six weeks I had 50,000 words.” For some, this kind of memoir could be an emotional topic. However, according to Armand, he was not sad while writing this. Armand feels

that this event is just him telling people his story and another piece of his life. “I wasn’t writing this for therapy, I felt obligated to write the story of her but also about how screwed up the mental health system is in Louisiana,” said Armand. “That’s what’s hard and sad about this, I don’t talk to her anymore. It isn’t because I can’t, it’s because she’s ill but she won’t recognize her illness. She dominates so much of my time and my emotional energy; I had to cut her out of my life. It’s hard because it is a tribute to her, even though if she read it she’d be upset because she doesn’t think anything is wrong with her. In the book, the first paragraph says she’s schizophrenic and she won’t accept that is true.” Armand has discovered that writing memoirs is similar to a new genre of writing for his stories because he never knew he would enjoy writing them so much.

see DAVID pg. 6

The Lion’s Roar / Alex Brainard

David Armand sits at his office desk located in D. Vickers Hall. He has released a number of books and was a finalist in the 2016 Foreword Revies Book Award in the literary fiction category.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE LION’S ROAR

MARCH 22, 2016 PAGE 5

The Lion’s Roar / Tiffany Nesbit

Actors of the young maidens dancing and swirling their umbrellas (top left) as the actors playing the role of Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo (bottom right) were falling in love. Other main actors Pish-Tush and Ko-ko are also shown (top right). All actors are showing off their colorful attire and strong voices.

Percussionists bring rhythm to Pottle BY KARSON SHARP Staff Reporter

‘The Mikado’ ignites humor with American culture BY TIFFANY NESBIT Staff Reporter

One of the many versions of the opera “The Mikado” was reenacted by university students. The opera was performed at the Columbia Theatre in downtown Hammond this past Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. and was directed by guest stage director Rachel Harris and musical director and conductor Charles Effler. The opera was enhanced by a live orchestra. “The Mikado” is a story about two young lovers Nanki-Poo proposal given to Nanki-Poo by the Emperor of Japan, Mikado. As the story goes on, the two lovers eventually find loopholes in the law and live happily ever after. Although the story of “The Mikado” takes place in Japan, this version of the opera used American political humor as its main attraction. Jokes involving our political leaders, or possibly, current political leaders like Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, were tastefully thrown into the story. Other American humor

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Regarding your upcoming challenges, the Aries Lamb should very quickly size things up and allow you to make the best possible use of whatever resources you have on hand. Good luck. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You rarely blame others for missteps that worked against you. But this time you need to lay out all the facts and insist that everyone acknowledge his or her share of the mistakes. Then start again. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You might want to start making vacation plans. And don’t be surprised by unexpected family demands. Maintain control. Be open to suggestions, but don’t get bogged down by them. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Work with both your Moon Child and Crab aspects this week to keep both your creative and your practical sides balanced. Your intuition sharpens, giving you greater insight by the middle of the week. LEO (July 23 to August 22) The Big Cat finally should have all the information needed to move on with a project. If not, maybe you’ll want to give everything a new and more thorough check before trying to move on. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Too much emotional pain caused by someone you can’t win over as a friend? Then stop trying to do so. You have other things you need to work on this week. Go to it, and good luck.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) It’s a good time to reassess where and how your strengths can help you build, and where your weaknesses can hinder you. Remember to build on your strongest foundation. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) That personal matter that seemed so hard to deal with should be less confusing now. Don’t rush. Let things happen easily, without the risk of creating even more puzzlement. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Change continues to be a strong factor in many important areas. Keep on top of them, and you won’t have to worry about losing control. A personal situation takes on a new look. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A business offer sounds intriguing. But if you don’t check it out thoroughly, you could have problems. Take a set of questions with you when you attend your next meeting. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Your self-confidence should be coming back. That’s good news. But it might be a bit over the top right now, so best to let it settle down before you start making expensive decisions. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Your life, your decisions. Good enough. But be sure you have all the facts you need to put into the decision-maker mixing bowl and hope it will come out as it should. BORN THIS WEEK: You find much of your creativity with new people who give you much to think about. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

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about popular celebrities was also used. “I absolutely loved it,” said junior social work major Michaelynn Parks. “I loved all of the political jokes that were thrown into the play. I loved how the actors portrayed American politics rather than Japanese; it definitely caught me off guard.” Some felt that the actors’ chemistry between each other was most recognizable and that the characters’ personalities looked natural during the performance. “It is amazing and ecstatic,” said senior history major Sahag Hovagimian. “The actors are playing out their roles and have great chemistry between each other. Specifically, I love the chemistry and how everything is flowing together perfectly in the play. It is something you don’t get to see much around here.” Some of the actors felt that this opera was a huge success. “It was a great amount of fun,” said actor Nanki-Poo and senior music major Benjamin Vollentine. “I had a good time. It is becoming a standard role of mine to play a romantic character. Everyone on cast is so talented and the energy between us all is so perfect. I think that is a big reason why the play came out so original and was a huge success.” Others felt that the opera was a good mix of today’s modern culture and the culture of when the opera was first written. “The costumes were a great example of mixing modern and old culture, the music and the humor were all a good mix,” said the actor Pish-Tush and junior music major Terelle Bibbins. “The opera was a great success, I think, because of that. This version was a lot of fun because of the mix of modern culture.” The audience of “The Mikado” gave a standing ovation as the curtains fell for its final close.

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When he hit the stage on Monday night, the sounds of percussionist Daniel Pate banged through the auditorium well into the night during a concert. The concert consisted of five major songs and lasted from 7:30 until 9:00 p.m. on Monday, Mar. 14. Songs for the concert included “Unchained Melody” by David Lang, “Loops IV” by Philippe Hurel, “Asanga” by Kevin Volans, “Vignettes” by James Stephenson and “Khan Variations,” by Alejandro Viñao. During the “Vignettes,” Pate performed with accompaniment from Dr. Logan Place, a university trumpet instructor. Pate, who is from San Diego, California, currently pursues a doctorate in contemporary music performance. Pate is currently a student of Stony Brook University. When designing the concert, he chose songs that he felt were underrepresented. Pate also used songs that he enjoys performing, which is why he chose the songs “Unchained Melody” and “Asanga.” Although Pate used an extensive array of instruments, he explained he had to fit all of them into a suitcase. Because of this, he had to be creative with how he assembled the instruments he used. “Unchained Melody” used a specially designed set of drums, containing seven glockenspiel notes, as well as cowbells,

wood blocks, a bass drum and a borrowed pot. “Loops IV” used a marimba. “Asanga” used two conga drums, bongo drums and Chinese copper gongs. “Vignettes” contained the marimba, vibraphone, tambourine, wood block and triangle. Pate considered the concert a major success. “It was a joy to play here and present this music,” said Pate. “It was a joy to meet the students here and watch how excited they were about this event.” According to Place, he did a great deal in planning the concert. He booked the Pottle Auditorium and spent weeks preparing it aesthetically and acoustically. He first attempted to book the concert in October 2015. The instructor also explained why he chose to host the concert. While working at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, he had come to know Pate, and the two would play “Vignettes” together. Place and Pate wanted a chance to perform together once again, and so the idea of a concert in Pottle was born. From there, the two musicians began a long road of practice and preparation. According to Place, the two practiced “Vignettes” most of the day for up to an hour before the concert. A list of trumpets in the concert contained: B-flat trumpet, C-trumpet and a piccolo trumpet. For more information about other upcoming concerts in Pottle, visit the university home page.

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PAGE 6 MONTH 22, 2016

SPORTS

THE LION’S ROAR

Young reflects on becoming an elite college athlete BY LARSHELL GREEN Staff Reporter

Alex Young recently made history at the university by becoming the first Lion to become a national champion for Division I as a weight thrower. Before this, Young had a career of highlights at Southeastern including wins in: first team All-Southland Conference, Southland Conference, LSWA All-Louisiana between 2015 and 2016 in: weight throw, shot put, hammer throw and indoor and outdoor competitions in track and field.

Courtesy of public info/Randy Bergeron

The Nashville, Tennessee native began his career at La Vergne High School. He participated in both track and field and football, where he was a letter winner on both teams 3 times. Currently majoring in kinesiology his senior year, Young reflects on his journey to becoming an elite player in the game of college athletics. The Lion’s Roar: What first inspired you to get involved in track and field? Alex Young: I originally wanted to find a second sport to participate in during the spring in high school. I was just a football player my freshman year, and I wanted to do more my sophomore year. We had a great assistant track coach, Coach Mark Stephens, who helped by scouting a few of us football players. TLR: What was your sports career like in high school? AY: I found success in sports in high school as well. I was awarded multiple class 6A district 7AAA all-area football awards. I won the Class 3A State shot put Championship as a senior, as well as holding the school record and finished in the top 8 at state in the discus throw for Class 3A. TLR: Was Southeastern your first choice for college? If so, why? AY: I transferred from a small Baptist division one college called Gardner-Webb University. I was looking for a new track home after my college coach of two years, Andy Fryman, left to pursue his own Olympic dreams in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I had a few schools that were very interested in me, but I narrowed it down to Oklahoma State DAVID continued from pg. 4 “That’s one thing I learned about memoir writing,” said Armand. “I talk to people who say ‘I’m writing a memoir but its four thousand pages long.’ And they think they have to put everything in their life that’s ever happened to them. From my understanding, the memoirs I’ve liked are like an essay, you have to focus it. The memoir focuses on just my mother and me growing up on the shadow of her illness.” Armand has written many books before and has become very successful, as his success only continues to grow. Armand was recently named the winner of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Award for Excellence in Artistic Activity. He was also named as a finalist as in the 2016 Foreword Reviews Book Award in the literary fiction category “My Mother’s House” will be available to students and Armand fans on Tuesday, Apr. 5 at his book launch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Writing Center in D. Vickers Room 210.

and Southeastern. I ended up choosing Southeastern because there were great athletes here to train with and the track program won an indoor and outdoor conference championship the previous year. I also liked Coach Brady’s faith in me as an athlete and young man, so that’s the reason I came here.

TLR: What was it like being a freshman here? AY: I wasn’t a freshman here, but being a junior in a brand new environment definitely made me feel like one. It didn’t take too long to get accustomed to life here because I was a little more mature than when I was a freshman. TLR: How have you changed from freshman year to senior year academically and in sports? AY: Academically, I have always been a strong student, but the biggest difference has been I’ve become more efficient with the way in which I study. Athletically, I’ve seen huge differences in my technique and physically. I have more body control now than I did as a freshman. The biggest difference is that I am more positive in competition and more confident in my abilities now. TLR: You have been named as the national championship for Division I in track and field. How does it feel to be the first person in Southeastern’s history to have this honor? AY: It is just an amazing accomplishment to win a national title, but to be the first national champion at your school is just icing on the cake. It’s awesome to know I helped establish Southeastern on the national level. TLR: You have also been named a conference award winner many times. How was your first conference and how was your most recent one? AY: My first conference track meet was with the Big South Conference during my

time at Gardner-Webb. That first meet, I knew I had enough skill to win the weight and shot put. I won the weight, but took second in the shot put. However, back then, I didn’t have faith in my shot put ability like now. The most recent conference track was much different than my first one. I was going into the most recent knowing that I was King of Hill. I knew that my teammates would pose a challenge and really make me work for wins. I’m glad they were there to push me and vice versa.

TLR: What is a typical day like for you? AY: I wake up at 5:30 a.m., get ready and eat breakfast. I arrive at the Naquin Center around 6:15 a.m. to start the day at my internship site. There, I work with various sports teams throughout the day until about 3:30 p.m. each day. I go to practice at 11 a.m. every morning and usually won’t finish until about 1-1:30 p.m. I’ll grab lunch after practice and head back over to the Naquin to finish my training session with a weight training session. I usually finish with that by 2:30 p.m. Once I’m finished with training for the day I finish up at my internship. Right after my internship, I go to the nursing computer lab in which I complete work-study until about 5 p.m. After I finish work-study, I head over to the Dugas Center to get athletic treatment. I’m usually in there working on prehab until about 6 p.m. I head back to my apartment shortly after to eat a nice dinner that I’ve cooked and shower. I’ll complete a little homework if I have it or play video games depending on the day. I’ll engage in either activity until about 10 p.m. Once 10 p.m. hits, I’m in bed ready to sleep and rest for a new day. TLR: How do you successfully balance life as a student and a successful athlete? AY: I think the biggest thing is time management. I’ve gotten

The Lion’s Roar / File photo

Young, weight thrower for Track and Field, (right) proudly Lions Up beside Assistant Track and Field throwing Coach Amin Nikfar. Young recently became the first Lion to become a national champion for Division 1 as a weight thrower.

better over the years in ways to utilize my time between the two.

TLR: Why did you decide to major in kinesiology? AY: I decided to major in kinesiology because I loved sports and wanted to know more about the body and how it worked. Kinesiology was the best way to help me learn more about the anatomy and functions of the human body. TLR: What do you want your future to be like as far as a career and personal goals? AY: Hopefully, I’ll be still some active member of the sports world. Hopefully, it will be within the field of sports psychology. I just want to enjoy what I do. My personal goals involve throwing. I want to throw the hammer as far as I can, as long as I can. I hope to make the Olympics some day, but I’m definitely taking it one day at a time. TLR: How has your family influenced your success? Are they your support system and what values did they instill in you? AY: My family plays a big role in my success. I’m consistently motivated by trying to make them proud. I know my family enjoys my success more than I do and that’s one of the things that keeps me going. They instilled the values of hard work and dedication. I learned at a very young age, if you want something you have to work for it, because at the end of the day nobody else can do it for you. TLR: What is the best advice you have ever gotten? AY: The best advice I’ve gotten has been to believe. I have to believe in my abilities. I have to believe in God’s plan. I have to believe in coaches. Believing in these things has helped me to this point.

The Lion’s Roar / File photo

Senior kinesiology major Alexander Young leaps to victory after success at a recent competition. Besides becoming a recent national champion, Young has continually scored honors in first team All-Southland Conference since 2015. TLR: Have you ever given someone else good advice? AY: The best advice I’ve given was to a friend that was very stressed out due to several circumstances. I told him to stay positive and continue to focus on one task to the next. That piece of advice really helped my friend out. That’s the most recent example of telling people to stay positive. TLR: Which video games do you like to play in your spare time? AY: My favorite game as of right now is Tom Clancy’s The Division. I just bought it last week. I also like another shooting game called Battlefield Hardline. TLR: How often do you get

a chance to fish or any other outdoor activities? AY: I don’t get to fish as much as I wish I could. I left my fishing poles with my friend in North Carolina, but I always forget to grab them on my way out of Nashville. TLR: What are the biggest differences between your life in Tennessee and Hammond? Are there similarities? AY: There aren’t many differences between life from Tennessee to Hammond. Tennessee has way more hills first and foremost. Hammond is a little hotter than home, but not much. Here I get a lot of freedom to my self. Back at home, I can’t do as much because it is a little too big and not washer or bike friendly. Both places have pretty good weather.

SPORTS

THE LION’S ROAR

MARCH 22, 2016 PAGE 7

End of season is exciting, yet bittersweet for seniors BY JONATHAN RHODES Staff Reporter

At the start of March, four Lady Lions played the last game of the 2015-2016 Women’s Basketball season and of their college career, in a loss to Nicholls State. The four seniors were guards Peaches Anderson, Erica Hernandez, KaeLynn Boyd and forward Nanna Pool. Anderson and Boyd had transferred from other schools to come play at Southeastern. Boyd came from Texas Pan American and Anderson from Michigan University. Boyd talked about this season being her last. “It was hard,” said Boyd. “Every day my days were counting down, (it was a) bittersweet feeling because all good things come to an end, but we never want them too. Being a Division I athlete is a once in a lifetime experience.” This season was not very successful for the Lady Lions as they finished (425, 3-15 SLC), missing the Southland Conference Tournament. “This season was a little rocky,” said Anderson. “We had games where

we were playing the teams and the referees. It was tough and frustrating at times, but it all comes with the sport. However, I wouldn’t have changed any of it if I could redo it all over again.” Despite the team’s record, certain milestones were met last season, most of them by Pool who had a fantastic season. Pool was named to the 3rd AllSouthland Team and grabbed 1,002 rebounds in her Lion career, making her just the fifth Lady Lion to reach that milestone. According to Boyd, this season was about more than just wins and losses. “If I measured it by wins and losses (it was) not very good,” said Boyd. “But, there was much more to this season. We grew as a team, we found ourselves and who we really were.” This was the last season of now former Head Coach of the Lady Lions Yolanda Moore. Coach Moore coached these seniors their entire time playing for the Lady Lions. “Coach Moore is an intense, but fun coach,” said Anderson. “She is all about business when it needs to be handled on the court. Off the court,

she is fun, caring and goofy.” For Anderson, playing basketball is not the only thing she is interested in doing with her life. “I have a passion for fitness,” said Anderson. “I want to be able to work with athletes and help them improve their sport performance, so strength and conditioning coaching would be something for my future career.” These four athletes must now look to the next chapter of their lives and decide if they want to stick with basketball or follow other passions. “I want to pursue a career in coaching and also spend some time playing basketball professionally,” said Boyd. “I plan on playing professionally overseas, then exploring the avenues of coaching.”

Peaches Anderson

KaeLynn Boyd

Erica Hernandez

Nanna Pool

The Lion’s Roar / Sports Info

These four Lady Lions have played their final seasons of their college careers. Forward Nanna Pool cemented herself in Lady Lion history as being only the fifth player to record 1,000 plus rebounds for her career.

Lady Lions Tennis pulls off miraculous win against Abilene Christian BY KARSON SHARP Staff Reporter

The Lion’s Roar / Collin Guedon

Sophomore Madina Vorotnikova and junior Margaux Kaltenbacher in doubles play. Vorotnikova won one of the two clutch matches down the stretch for the Lady Lions against Abilene Christian.

In their latest match, the Lady Lions tennis team managed a miraculous win over Abilene Christian Wildcats with a final score of 4-3. Since the Wildcats entered the Southland Conference during the 2013-14 season, this marks the tennis team’s first victory against Abilene Christian. According to lionsports.net, a crucial aspect of the tennis team’s victory was their success at clutch singles. The Lady Lions took an early lead in the game when Southeastern’s No. 3 team, consisting of junior Margaux Kaltenbacher and sophomore Dany Raygadas, won the doubles point. They won it with a 6-1 victory over ACU senior Nada Marjanovic and sophomore Andrea Crook. This put the game score at 1-0 with Southeastern on top. Afterward, Southeastern’s No. 1 team of Dalina Dahlmans and Renee Villarreal played ACU

junior Erin Walker and sophomore Whitney Williams. It ended in a 6-3 Lions victory; however, ACU managed to bring the score to 1-1. With the match tied, ACU surged into the singles portion winning four of the six courts they were playing. This resulted in a score of 2-1, with ACU leading. With a 6-4, 6-2 sweep of Walker, Villarreal managed to even the score to 2-2. This brings Villarreal’s record to 63-9 for singles play as a Lion. She now holds seventh place for career uncontested victories and is only one win away from being tied with multi-conference champion Jana Simurkova for sixth place in career victories. With a straight set win on No. 3 by ACU, the Lady Lions were on the ropes and on the verge of defeat. However, sophomore Madina Vorotnikova tied up the game once more with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Crook in the No. 6 court. After this, the fate of the match hinged on the singles match between Dahlmans and ACU senior Kaysie Hermsdorf.

This last match seemed like it would end in ACU victory as Hermsdorf won a 6-0 victory during the first set. But, Dahlmans came back managing a 7-5 win in the second set activating a third and final one. With a score of 6-1 in the last set, Dahlmans brought the final score to 4-3. Head tennis Coach Jason Hayes was impressed with the team’s performance, citing “heart and character” as reasons for their

success. Hayes also explained what the team will focus on going forward. “We want to get a little better each time we step on the court, we know that we will have several tough matches next week and the only way we will be successful is if we continue to work hard and believe,” said Hayes. For more information about the game and the tennis team, visit lionsports.net.

The Lion’s Roar / Collin Guedon

Teams, community recognize first responders at ‘Local Heroes Night’ BY JONATHAN RHODES Staff Reporter

Lions baseball and softball won their games last week on their promotional Local Heroes Night. First responders from the firefighters, EMTs, Sherriff’s office and Hammond Police Department were able to go and enjoy themselves at both games. “We had about 30 show up for the baseball game,” said Coordinator of Student Marketing & Promotions Lindsey Cramer. “We offered free admission to those in uniform or with valid identification and once at the gate, first responders received a free meal card from Chick-Fil-A

to show our appreciation. It’s a small gesture, but we really like to be able to give back to those who work so hard in times of crisis.” This promotion seemed to be scheduled perfectly as it happened just one week after the disastrous flooding that hit Hammond and other parts of Louisiana. “It was really ironic that we chose this day to honor our first responders of the community due to all of the flooding, destruction and severe weather concerns throughout Louisiana that has happened within the last week,” said Cramer. “Although, the promotion was planned at the beginning of the season, it

just so happened that we got the chance to take a moment to thank them for the adversities they are facing at the moment. We are proud of the work they do to keep our community and surrounding parishes safe.” Head Baseball Coach Matt Riser was also pleased at the promotion supporting first responders. “This is huge for us. These people do a lot behind the scenes that goes unseen,” said Coach Riser. “What they just went through with all the flooding going on they have been extremely busy. This is way for us to say ‘hey here is a bit of normalcy come out and enjoy a ballgame a little bit and get

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away from seeing the disaster side of things.’” First responders stood after the national anthem as the PA announcer and the fans applaud and recognized them for their service to the community. “As a first responder I think it is great that Southeastern would do this,” said Michael Polato volunteer for the State Fire Marshal Office. “It really shows professionalism for the first responders we had last week with the flooding. They really stepped up and helped save a lot of lives.” The Lions baseball team (11-6, 3-0 SLU) defeated South Alabama last Tuesday 9-2. This was their fifth straight win and their fifth straight win in game against South Alabama. The Lions had seven shutout innings through relief pitching and came back from down 2-0 in the second inning. In the fourth inning the Lions tied the game 2-2 with two runs scored by shortstop freshman Brennan Breaud and junior first baseman Jameson Fisher. The Lions took a

commanding lead in the sixth inning and never looked back. Center fielder junior Jacob Seward made it to second base before Breaud hit a single up the middle helping Seward make the score 3-2. Fisher walked to home base and after that designated hitter senior Daniel Midyett knocked a home-run out of the park to make the score 5-2. The Lions had three more runs in the game two of them coming in the seventh inning with 2 outs. “Before the ballgame I didn’t think our energy was right,” said Coach Riser. “We started to go through the emotions: we just got back home, we have won for in a row so it was easy to get relax. Once we identified are problem before the game we figured out how to solve that problem.” The Lions next game is tonight on the road against Jackson State in Jackson, Mississippi 6:00 p.m. The Lady Lions won their doubleheader versus Southeast Missouri 7-1 in the first game

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and 4-3 in the second. This victory ended an eight game losing streak for the Lady Lions as their record is now (14-12, 0-3). “I thought we came out with great intensity,” said Head Softball Coach Rick Fremin. “We had a phenomenal game plan for game one and the players executed it nearly to perfection. I was very encouraged that we completed the sweep especially after an eight game skid.” In the first game the Lady Lions had a lead early in the first inning, but quickly lost the lead in the second inning to the Lady Redhawks 1-1. That would be the only run the Lady Redhawks would score as the game busted wide open for the Lady Lions in the fourth inning. Three errors by the Lady Redhawks led to the first three runs. Sophomore outfielder Kinsey Nichols hit a sacrifice allowing the score to be 5-1. The Lady Lions would go on to win the first game after making two more runs. In the second game the Lady Lions faced a more challenging game and had to persevere to victory. The Lady Redhawks jumped to a 1-3 lead in the second inning, but the Lady Lions took a bite out of the lead piece by piece. Nichols scored from third base after brilliantly getting to the base making the score 2-3. In the bottom of the seventh the Lady Lions loaded the bases with senior first baseman Amber Sather. She hit deep down the middle and it was enough for senior outfielder Katie Lacour to score to game-winning run. Lady Lions next game will be at Mississippi State University tonight 5:00 p.m.

NEWS

PAGE 8 MARCH 22, 2016

THE LION’S ROAR

Faculty and staff leave legacy upon entering Golden Years BY KARSON SHARP Staff Reporter

The Lion’s Roar / Karson Sharp

This year’s retirees, encompassing a broad spectrum of campus functions, come together for a reception as they enter their golden years. Only the university president Dr. John Crain (far left corner) will continue his role at Southeastern. All the others will enter a long-awaited retirement.

On a warm spring afternoon, many of the university’s long serving faculty and staff headed into their well-earned retirement. To wish the retirees a happy journey into their golden years, the Office of Alumni Affairs held a celebration in their honor. It took place on Tuesday, Mar. 15 at the Alumni Center and lasted from approximately 2 - 4 p.m. A large group retired this year. The reception began with opening remarks from university President Dr. John L. Crain. After his speech, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Tammy Bourg presented gifts to the retirees. After this, Patsy Causey delivered “Golden Lion Remarks.” Her speech described a very different Southeastern, one in the 1970s where only about 5,000 students attended. The University Center had not been built and all students dressed nicely on a frequent basis. She mentioned past university presidents, such as Dr. Moffett, Dr. Parker and Dr. Clausen, all of whom some of the retirees served under. In an interesting twist, Director of Alumni Association Kathy Pittman, who usually plans the reception, was retiring this year. As such, much of the responsibility for this year’s celebration was delegated to President Dr. John Crain. She has served Southeastern for 20 years and will continue

AKD raise awareness on homeless BY TIFFANY NESBIT Staff Reporter

Tourists’ spots around the country are making it illegal to be homeless. The law states that if you are homeless or are of suspicion of living without a residence, you are to be arrested, jailed and fined. A census done in 2015 by the Northlake HMIS Data Project describes one to be homeless only when one resides in: a place not meant for human habitation such as cars, parks, sidewalks and abandoned buildings. If you are caught feeding the homeless without a permit, you can also be charged the same. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless website, places like Birmingham, AL and Little Rock, AR have in the past made it illegal to be homeless. This is because statistically, tourists’ spots look more appealing without the look of the homeless laying around the town. Florida is also currently trying to

joining this new fad by preventing the homeless from taking shelter in large cities. The House of Serenity, a local homeless shelter of Ponchatoula is currently raising awareness of Florida’s new law. The shelter is trying to raise awareness and prevent Louisiana students from spending their Spring Break on Florida’s beaches to fight against the new law. The Alpha Kappa Delta chapter of Southeastern is taking sides with the House of Serenity. The chapter has recently sent out a letter stating their thoughts and goals. “Over 500,000 individuals in the U.S. alone are currently homeless and in need of our help,” said the Alpha Kappa Delta chapter in a letter. “Many cities cite that having the homeless fed publicly negatively affects tourism and therefore hurts the cities revenue as their reasoning for homeless feeding bans.” The letter further reasons that it is important to help the homeless by

providing food and shelter rather than just arresting them. It is also important that the good people who help the homeless are protected from these laws. As a form of protest, the Alpha Kappa Delta chapter has formed a fundraiser event collecting food, cleaning supplies and money. These donations will be sent to the House of Serenity Shelter of Ponchatoula. The chapter will have a table set up in the union every Tuesday of March from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. They will also be at the Hammond’s Farmers Market on Apr. 2 from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. also collecting donations. “We encourage Southeastern students to come into the community and help out, and live beyond the books,” said AKD member Sarah Basile. Louisiana’s state laws thus far are not against the homeless hanging around towns and cities but are against panhandlers. If caught panhandling, it could result in arrest and or large fines.

Professional women mean business BY WILLIAM SCHMIDT Assistant Editor

March marks Women’s History Month, and the Tangipahoa Professional Women’s organization, along with the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, will be hosting the Women Mean Business Conference 2016. On Thursday, Mar. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the conference will be held in the Student Union Grand Ballroom. “It is an all-day event with networking, speakers, a silent auction, a day for professional women,” said Assistant Director and Training Coordinator of LSBDC Sandy Summers. “One of our goals for Tangipahoa Professional Women is to provide resources and tools for professional women and those aspiring to be professional women.” One of the goals for the conference is to benefit the future of Tangipahoa Parish women. “We would like them to meet the ladies of the community,” said Summers. “Hopefully to gain opportunities as well as job opportunities. The speaker has some really good topical areas that would benefit a professional women student in general; no matter what stage of life they are in. We are hoping that there will be

some professional development for them as students and some things that they can take back and apply to their lives as students and upcoming professionals as well.” The conference for professional women is expected to be a fun-filled affair. “It is going to be a really fun day,” said Summers. “We can still have fun in a professional work tone. It is not going to just be a day sitting and listening to people. We are going to have a lot of fun things going on such as a lively discussion.” One of the benefits for Southeastern students will be that they can attend for free. “We are always trying to increase the number of students,” said Summers. “We applied for a grant through the university and they provide dollars for departments that are doing things to provide cultural development for students. Because of that grant, we are able to offer the event for no cost.” The registration can be found online at tangipw.org/wmb. Students may enter the code WMBLIONUP and click “zero out” to wipe out their registration fee. Also, you may contact LSBDC at 985-549-3831 or lsbdc.slu@lsbds.org. Pre-registration is a must to be able to attend the Women Mean Business Conference 2016. The deadline to register is today.

to be affiliated with the university. Pittman enjoyed being a part of the ceremony rather than planning it. Some of her fondest memories are Homecoming and Greek Week, as well as seeing Alumni celebrate anniversaries. She officially retired as of Thursday, Mar. 17. Pittman is a native of Hammond, who worked for 17 years at First Guaranty Bank then went on to work for Southeastern. “I’ll definitely continue to volunteer with the university,” said Pittman. “It’s been a great day and a great career.” Another retiree was Dr. Hunter Alessi, a professor of counseling. She was hired under President Larry Craig and worked under department head of education and future university President Randy Moffett. Alessi attended Southeastern and was hired for the Department of Education after attaining her masters in psychology. Alessi professed intent to be an active member of the Golden Lions. “Southeastern has been good to me,” said Alessi. “I’m a lifelong Southeastern supporter, fan and member. It’s wonderful Hammond supports Southeastern the way it does and I look forward to being a part of that.” After gifts were distributed, Dr. Crain concluded the ceremony and the reception began. Refreshments were served, including coffee, punch and water. Food included sandwiches, fruit and other ceremonial staples. For more information about the Golden Lions organization, visit the university home page.

Avoid negative effects of sun exposure BY MORGAN LEDET Staff Reporter

The sun can affect our skin in ways we may never know. Nursing student Jenna Berger and her colleagues are trying to bring awareness to these effects the sun can have on our skin. “One person dies every hour from melanoma,” said Berger. “Skin cancer is a huge problem, especially for our generation.” Berger is working with colleagues Rachel Kiley, Theresa Ascani, Trevor Case, Ashleigh Bergeron, Bethany Stoner, Meredith Welch and Raylin Magliolo. They want students to understand the effects the sun can have on your skin and what a tan actually is. “Beauty standards tell us that it’s ‘in’ to be tan,” said Berger. “A tan is actually evidence of damage to skin cells. Our goal is to educate students on the importance of prevention of skin cancer, ways they can protect their skin from the sun and how to identify any areas that may be cancerous or precancerous.” With melanoma being the leading cancer among young women, Ascani hopes students take this seriously. “Increased sun exposure accounts for 90 percent of all melanoma cases,” said Ascani. “This affects all young people because melanoma is the leading cancer among young adults especially young women. I hope that students take the knowledge we share and translate it into their daily lives.” These students will be taking time to inform the students of campus about the dangers of sun exposure next week. On Mar. 23, in the Student Union, Berger and her colleagues will have a booth set up all day. “We will be doing pre and post-tests to evaluate the effectiveness of our education,” said Berger. “There will also be free gift bags for all students who participate. Our goal is to influence students to make more ‘sun-smart’ decisions on Spring Break.” Ascani agrees that tans are great, but you need to be aware of the effects. “While everyone loves a good tan, nothing is worth your life,” said Ascani. “So, we want everyone to be safe this Spring Break and don’t bake.” SKATEBOARD continued from pg. 1 student conduct,” said McHodgkins. “There could be fines. Students could have to replace whatever was broken. It could lead to probation. It depends on the severity of the case and how often we have to stop the individual from doing what they we’re doing. There’s a skate park less than a mile from us. We’re asking students to keep our campus looking good and not destroy the property.”

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MARCH 22, 2016 PAGE 9

Iron Horse has opened doors in Downtown Hammond BY KELLI MEYNARD Staff Reporter

Downtown Hammond recently became home to a new restaurant called Iron Horse Sports Grille & Spirits. The dining area is covered in wood-like material from the chairs, tables, to the floors and walls. TVs cover the walls and hang from the ceiling. The restaurant boasts windows that can open to make guests feel like they are dining outside. General Manager Joey Schillace IV began Iron Horse with the idea that his children will eventually take over. Schillace has been in the night club and bar business for years. He was the owner of the Buzz nightclub and several other bars in Hammond, but stopped around 2013. A little before this time, Southeastern stopped having classes on Fridays which caused night life to move downtown. Downtown then became the new social scene. With that in mind, Schillace realized locating Iron Horse in downtown Hammond would be a prime location for his business. “I lived in Hammond for 56 years,” said Schillace. “I felt like this was the premiere, number one location in all of downtown Hammond.” Schillace recently owned Wall Street, a restaurant located where Tommy’s on Thomas now stands. He also owned Jordan’s on Cate, where Tope Lá now resides. The Iron Horse Menu is similar to Wall Street except, according to Schillace, it boasts items

that other downtown restaurants do not have. “I designed our menu to be like Wall Street which is similar to Brady’s and Mariner’s,” said Schillace. “I wanted 90 percent of our items to not be on their menus and that is basically what we have done. If you take one of our menus and carefully study it, the majority of the things you’ll find on our menu you won’t find on other menus here in town. We did that to be different from everyone else, to bring something new to Hammond and if you like it you have to come back here to get it. You can’t get it anywhere else.” Iron Horse’s menu consists of many different types of meals. They have a create your own burger option. “We have only been open for 43 days which is around 6 weeks and a day,” said Schillace. “We opened on Tuesday, Feb. 2 and when you see people eating in your establishment on average, twice a week consistently for 6 weeks now, that tells you it is good or else they wouldn’t be coming back every week.” Iron Horse encourages students to come dine in for a meal. “We have a great product for a great price,” said Schillace. “Southeastern is what drives this community and this town. Students are welcome to come here. We have 30 employees and about 20 are Southeastern students.” Schillace hopes that the Iron Horse will soon be more involved with Southeastern and its students. They are located at 123 South Cate Street.

The Lion’s Roar / Kelli Meynard

Iron Horse Sports Grille & Spirits recently opened in downtown Hammond on South Cate Street.

Women celebrate history Louisiana still recovering: BY ELIZABETH BROWN Staff Reporter

Throughout each year, many well-known holidays are celebrated including Halloween, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Earth Day, to name a few. Many people may not know that the month of March is dedicated and celebrated as Women’s History Month. According to womenshistorymonth.gov, Women’s History Month began in 1981 when a law was passed to declare a chosen week as Women’s History Week. From there, Congress continued to further this holiday up until 1987 when the month of March officially became Women’s History Month. Since then, more has been done to further this. According to a press release, in recognition of this holiday this year, the university’s Department of History and Political Science has coordinated lectures and presentations throughout the month of March. According to Department Head of the Department of History and Political Science Dr. William Robison, the celebration of Women’s History Month began about 15 years ago. “Southeastern’s observance of Women’s History Month originated back in 2001 in the Department of English thanks to [former professor] Carole McAllister and some of her students,” said Robison. “Carole asked the Department of History and Political Science (HIPS) to get involved, which we were happy to do, and as time went on, HIPS gradually took the leading role in organizing it.” Robison further explained how the celebration has brought different university departments together and has featured women’s history throughout many topics. “Since 2001, almost every department on campus has participated at one time or another,” said Robison. “Over the years, the programs have featured not only talks about women’s history but also talks by women ‘making history’ in the arts, humanities, social sciences, business, education, nursing and science.”

Robison and other faculty members feel that it is important to celebrate Women’s History Month, due to inequality. “There is still gender inequality, which is one reason why Women’s History Month is important,” said Robinson. English instructor Chance Harvey, who is currently focusing her research on women’s rights advocate Elizabeth Lyle Saxon, feels that although women’s rights have come a long way, there is still more to be done, and the celebration of Women’s History Month serves a great purpose. “Since Elizabeth Lyle Saxon (1832-1915) spoke before the Louisiana Constitutional Convention in New Orleans in 1879 to argue for women’s voting rights, the advancement of women in the United States has been dramatic,” said Harvey. “However, significant inequalities remain, particularly in the pay gap between men and women and in particular, women of color. Our public celebration of women’s history during this month is an important reminder of both women’s progress and the need to address existing disparities.” Students also see the importance of celebrating Women’s History Month. Junior art major Gregory Griffith, in particular, views it as an opportunity. “I think that having a month for women gives everyone a time to really appreciate the progressiveness of women’s rights compared to how it used to be,” said Griffith. As the month comes to a close, only two events remain including “How Depictions of Careers for Women Have Evolved on Television” by languages and communication associate professor Carol Madere and “Mary Magdalene, the Da Vinci Code and History” by Robison. Madere’s presentation will take place on Wednesday, Mar. 23 in the Student Union Theatre at 12:30 p.m. Robison’s presentation will take place later in the same day at 7:00 p.m. at the Lafayette Public Library – South Regional Branch in Lafayette. For more information on the events, visit the southeastern website. For more information on Women’s History Day, visit womenshistorymonth. gov.

Record flooding covers Southeast BY IAN FISCHER Staff Reporter

Drone footage showed people kayaking under the freshman underpass during the mid-March flooding, but others from the university had a much different experience. According to the Associated Press, flooding damaged at least 4,958 homes in Louisiana and the exact count is expected to rise. Rivers in Southeast Louisiana had record crests after the Thursday night of the storms. Many of these rivers run through areas where students and faculty live. According to weather.com, the flooding came after an unusual weather pattern caused record amounts of rainfall in the Southeast. It started Monday night in Texas and over 26 inches fell in Monroe, Louisiana. The record amount of rainwater made its way through Louisiana’s rivers, streams and eventually into people’s homes. This is what happened to freshman computer science major Ethan Morgan, who didn’t expect the flood. “There is a creek that runs behind our house and every time it rains it floods real bad,” said Morgan. “Every time it rains it floods the yard a little bit, but this time, it was a whole lot worse than normal. It just kept rising and rising.” Morgan said the floods came around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday night. He was half asleep and had to swim out of his house. The next day, they found the water to have risen to up to three feet in his house. He estimated it to be nearly seven feet in his yard. Morgan is from Chesbrough, which is almost 30 miles from the university. The town sits next to the Tangipahoa River, which crested to its third highest level. Morgan said he saw the water rise two feet in the time it took him to try to secure everything. Along with trying to save belongings, Morgan’s family has horses, two dogs and a cat he had to save before the flooding became too difficult to

manage. “We were up all night Thursday night,” said Morgan. “We didn’t sleep any trying to get horses out and whatever animals we can get out of there.” Morgan said there was a strong current, which made it difficult for him to help the animals escape. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to stay on my feet trying to get back,” said Morgan. The flooding destroyed infrastructure as well as people’s homes causing detours across Southeast Louisiana. This prompted the university to send out a notice, which reminded students to tell professors if they were not going be able to make it to class on Monday. The detours also affected instructors. Department of English instructor Mary Mocsary faced a detour to the university after a section of a bridge over the Tangipahoa collapsed. She took an alternate route in the morning, but by the afternoon, the flooding destroyed a section of her alternate route. “I didn’t know how to get home,” said Mocsary. Mocsary said she called her husband. He was able to guide her home with the help of a police officer. The next morning she forgot her route and became lost. She eventually found her way and made it to class at 8:00 a.m. Mocsary doesn’t expect the bridge on her normal route to be fixed in the near future. Although she is uncertain of the future of the infrastructure, she mentioned the difficulties others may be facing. “We can only imagine the grief that people are experiencing who’ve had damage to their homes,” said Mocsary. “Plus have the burden and the stress of not quite knowing how you’re going to get to work or get home.” Morgan says that going to class gives him relief by providing him with something to take his mind off of what happened. Morgan is in the Air National Guard but was not activated for the flooding.

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Friendship Oak undergoes treatment BY TIFFANY NESBIT Staff Reporter

Friendship Oak has been on campus since 1925. Many students recall the urban legend of Friendship Oak stating how if you kiss your significant other under the tree, you are soon to be married. It has been a part of the Hammond community for decades. However, the age of the tree is unknown. “No one is quite sure the age of the tree,” said Director of the Alumni Association Kathy L. Pittman. “Many times we have asked if there is a way to find out the oak’s age without hurting the tree, but no one has come up with a solution.” While trying to preserve the life of Friendship Oak, students during Southeastern’s 75th anniversary in the year 2000 collected acorns dropped from the tree. The students then handed the acorns out to the guest of the celebration to spread the life of the tree throughout town. Since then, the tree has required much maintenance due to natural and un-natural causes. Students climbing the limbs of the tree, Christmas lights hung from the branches and lightning strikes are just a few of the hazardous concerns of damage to the tree. Students are highly advised to contribute to the health of the tree by only sitting under the tree and not climbing or hanging from the branches. The university decided a few years ago to let go of the Christmas lights idea due to the damage from the wires and hopefully in the near future will have lights around the tree instead. Animals are

The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown

also a natural cause of damage to the tree. Animal holes, scratching and eating seem to be problematic. Many concerns relevant to the tree have become more recognizable these past few weeks. Workers from Biggz Tree Care of Baton Rouge have been doing maintenance on the tree and its surrounding area. Maintenance of the tree has been taking place since Feb. 12, 2016. The tree care has included root care such as replenishing the dirt for vitamins and nutrients to provide a healthier area for the tree to grow and continue to live. Concerns of serious construction on the tree have been heard

around campus. Public Information staff member Rene G. Abadie has confirmed, “that it is just normal maintenance work, no construction.” It is safe to say that Friendship Oak is under good hands and will continue to be the center of our beautiful campus grounds, healthy and nourished. “It will continue to be the Southeastern landmark,” says Pittman. If you would like to see more information or pictures of Friendship Circle as a small sapling, please visit the Sims Library or go to their library website and search Friendship Circle at: www. southeastern.edu/library.

Friends show appreciation for Pittman PITTMAN continued from pg. 1 to do things with quality and does it in a way that makes everybody associated with the university proud to be part of Southeastern.” Many friends and family

present at Pittman’s reception acknowledged the impact she had on not only the university, but on their own lives. They had only positive things to say about Pittman: “When I was little, I always thought that Mrs. Kathy was the most beautiful woman

in Hammond. I grew up in Hammond, she was always beautiful and still is.” -Frank Rusciano, cousin “She has influenced me with her dedication, her loyalty and her eagerness in whatever project she takes on. She is just a fantastic person. The spirit that she has, I certainly hope it carries on.” - Stella Remble Mathews, friend “I worked with Kathy down at the bank and we just fell in love with each other and just became friends over the years. I’ve known her for about 30 years or so, she’s a good friend to me. She’s a wonderful person. Her personality never changes. She always has a smile, she’s easy to love, easy to get along with.” - Hebert Wagner, friend

The Lion’s Roar / Megan Ferrando

Pittman (right) greets long-time friend Hebert Wagner, who was one of many friends who attended Pittman’s retirement reception. WOODFOX continued from pg. 1 admission of guilt, but a plea for his freedom. Woodfox shared his views on the 2016 election and Donald Trump who he said is exploiting the working class for his own gain. He also shared his views on the “Black Lives Matter” movement. “I think a lot of the kids in Black Lives Matter will be some of the greatest leaders,” said Woodfox. Senior health education and promotion major Precious Singleton was excited to see the presentation. “This is history,” said Singleton. “I’m honored. I’m blessed and he actually talked to me.” Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice Instructor Rebecca Hensley asked Woodfox how he avoided becoming bitter. “I am bitter,” said Woodfox. He said the bitterness motivates him now. Woodfox plans to spend time with his family and be “active and an activist” as a free man.

“Kathy has been really the spirit of Lion pride. When she came to the campus there was so many things we didn’t have, so many traditions we didn’t have. There was pride day and people weren’t wearing their school colors, so we worked together in the president’s office and we implemented so many things. She’s always energetic. She loves Southeastern. She

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clearly bleeds green and gold, and she’s just been a fabulous person, generous with her time, big heart and a big spirit.” -Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, friend and former university employee Pittman’s influence reached beyond her job description. She will continue to show Lion pride throughout her retirement and spend more time with her family.

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NORTH KOREA SENTENCES US TOURIST TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP)— At North Korea’s highest court sentenced an American tourist to 15 years in prison with hard labor for subversion on Wednesday, weeks after authorities presented him to media and he tearfully confessed that he had tried to steal a propaganda banner. Otto Warmbier, 21, a University of Virginia undergraduate, was convicted and sentenced in a one-hour trial in North Korea’s Supreme Court. The U.S. government condemned the sentence and accused North Korea of using such American detainees as political pawns. The court held that Warmbier had committed a crime “pursuant to the U.S. government’s hostile policy toward (the North), in a bid to impair the unity of its people after entering it as a tourist.” North Korea regularly accuses Washington and Seoul of sending spies to overthrow its government to enable the U.S.-backed South Korean government to take control of the Korean Peninsula. Tensions are particularly high following North Korea’s recent nuclear test and rocket launch, and massive joint military exercises now underway between the U.S. and South Korea that the North sees as a dress rehearsal for invasion. President Barack Obama on Wednesday imposed new U.S. sanctions on North Korea in response to what the White House called “illicit” nuclear and ballistic missile tests. U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Warmbier’s sentence was “unduly harsh” and urged North Korea to pardon him and release him on humanitarian grounds. “Despite official claims that U.S. citizens arrested in the DPRK are not used for political purposes, it’s increasingly clear from its very

public treatment of these cases that the DPRK does exactly that,” Toner told reporters, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Warmbier’s family in Wyoming, Ohio, could not be reached for comment. Susanna Max, a spokeswoman for Wyoming City Schools, said last month that the district, where Otto Warmbier attended school, had been in touch with the family. She said Wednesday that the district continues “to respect their privacy” and declines to comment. The University of Virginia also declined to comment. Before the trial, Warmbier had said he tried to steal a propaganda banner as a trophy for an acquaintance who wanted to hang it in her church. That would be grounds in North Korea for a subversion charge. He identified the church as Friendship United Methodist Church. Meshach Kanyion, pastor of the church in Wyoming, declined to comment. Ohio Gov. and Republican presidential hopeful John Kasich said in a statement that Warmbier’s was detention “completely unjustified” and that the sentence was “an affront to concepts of justice.” Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said he had met with North Korean diplomats to the U.N. in New York on Tuesday to request Warmbier’s release after the student’s parents and Kasich asked him to intervene. Richardson said he was neither encouraged nor discouraged by the meeting with the diplomats, who told him they would relay his request to Pyongyang. Richardson said based on past experience, North Korea could release Warmbier after sentencing, but current U.S.-North Korean tensions could hurt those prospects.