The Lion's Roar 03/31/2015

MARCH 31, 2015 VOLUME 86, ISSUE 25

’ 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 5

Arts & Entertainment Page 6

Sports Page 8

News Page 10

LionsRoarNews.com

INSIDE THE ‘ROAR’ Greek Games make comeback

The Lion’s Roar/ Gleana Hill

see GREEK WEEK pg. 2

BSU pits males against females The Lion’s Roar / Allison Crady

Members of Project Pull and the National Pan-Hellenic Council helped beautify Zemurray Park. Rashaud McDonald, a freshman business administration major (above left), Nicala Edwards, a senior communication science and disorders major (above middle) and Ciara Devau, a sophomore finance major (above right) painted the rails circling the park.

Students aid in Big service project

BY ALLISON CRADY Assistant Editor

The Lion’s Roar/ Taja Morgan

see BATTLE pg. 4

Band returns for new concert series

Five years after its initiation, the 2015 Big Event has continued to expand its outreach of cleaning and beautifying Hammond.

Depending on the job site, participants painted, shoveled, planted, organized and washed to support the overall community development and appearance. According to Zachary Whitehead, co-director of the Big Event Committee, not only has the number of student participants greatly increased but the list of work sites has also grown.

For the 2015 service day, 710 students registered to work for approximately 50 recipients.

“My first year, when I helped build a playground because it wasn’t up to code, these folks at the church were crying, and it really hit home for me,” said Whitehead, who has worked with

Big Event for four years. “Over my four years here, I’ve fallen in love with Hammond, and I know for sure I can give back through doing this.”

For the Community Garden on East Iowa Street, rain damage had stymied further expansion of the planting beds.

Cheryl Klein, co-chair of the Louisiana Healthy Communities Coalition, along with Dr. Louise Bostic, professor of industrial technology and owner of the lot, helped direct the volunteers.

“We came out last Saturday to try to build more beds, but we couldn’t do a single thing. We couldn’t even mow the area because there was so much water,” said Klein. “It was just such a huge project. When Ms. Bostic realized the Big Event was coming up, she said, ‘Well, maybe we can get some young men out here who can use a shovel and wheel barrel and get things moving.’”

Teams worked at local organizations such as the Hammond Chamber

of Commerce, Columbia Theatre, House of Serenity Homeless Shelter, Louisiana Children’s Discovery Center and Heritage Healthcare. This year the job site list extended to include public schools in the area.

Some recipient organizations, such as Holy Ghost Catholic Church, have been involved with the Big Event consistently.

Although the church utilizes a crew for weed eating and mowing, Parish Secretary Lea Smith explained their appreciation for help with beautification work.

“Right before Easter it gets really overwhelming, because we have a lot going on,” said Smith. “Having the Southeastern people come here at this time is wonderful, because everything’s beautiful for Easter.”

A team from Lions for the Lamb swept and washed windows at the Columbia Theatre downtown Hammond.

[Community service] connects the

community to the college and shows that there are young adults who go to school and do care about how it looks and developing a good relationship,” said Camber Robertson, sophomore business marketing major and member of Lions for the Lamb.

In addition to helping the community, the sweat and volunteer labor encouraged fellowship under a common cause.

Tre Johnson, senior accounting major and member of Pi Kappa Alpha, worked at the Community Garden for his second year at the Big Event.

“It gets us involved in the community and brings us closer to the people of Hammond,” said Johnson. “I feel like we’re making a difference because of the way the people that we’re helping look at us. They’re always happy to have us.”

For more photos from the Big Event, visit The Lion’s Roar Newspaper’s Facebook page.

Quackenbush, Reling debate for student government presidency

BY EMILY STEPHAN The Lion’s Roar / Megan Ferrando

see ARTISTS pg. 6

Lion fans enjoy full day of sports

The Lion’s Roar / Sara Patrick

see LIONS pg. 9

Copy Editor

Students with a passion for the university and its potential gathered at the annual Student Government Association debate last week.

The SGA debate was held Tuesday, March 24 at Fayard Hall 107 from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The purpose of the debate was for students to voice their opinion on why they would be effective if given an officer position.

Around 20 potential candidates for student government positions, some already affiliated with SGA and some not, came together to explain why they had what it takes to be given a position.

The candidates came from various backgrounds, classifications and majors, and they focused on issues as diverse as the concerns of international students to increasing involvement with the campus as a whole.

The two candidates for the SGA presidency, the current SGA Vice President Alexis Quackenbush and current SGA Chief Justice Tim Reling, both promise to find ways to keep the student body more informed about

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campus issues.

“My goals are to get more students involved, because this helps retain students on campus,” said Quackenbush. “Also, I would encourage more involvement in sports and the athletic department… [particularly more attention on] basketball and baseball. Another thing I would like to do is make counselors more available for students. Most students are not aware that we have free counselors available to help them. I would also like to extend library hours. Lots of students have come to me about that.”

Reling’s aims were different.

“Students should not have to go to us,” said Reling, applied sociology graduate student. “We should go to them.

We cannot make informed decisions without talking to them. I think we need bi-monthly meetings with students for proper representation. If you agree that student leaders need to be more representative of what is going on oncampus and in the nation, then please consider voting for me.”

Reling mentioned all of his accomplishments from his time at

see DEBATE pg. 10

Courtesy of Donna Bliss

The Community Garden is located on a 100 by 100 foot lot of land, owned by Dr. Mary Bostic, professor of industrial technology.

Garden to feed community

BY ALLISON CRADY Assistant Editor

Both Hammond residents and students are invited to get dirty and healthy through the Community Garden project.

Located near Woodland Park Elementary School on a 100 by 100 foot lot of grass, the garden allows for fellowship and growth with a strong family focus. The garden has been available to the community for over a year.

“We want to be healthier and live healthier. We want to provide healthier

Weather Tuesday H 82 L 60

experiences for our children so that they can grow up happier and more productive in our community,” said Donna Bliss, member of the Healthy Communities Coalition and chair of the Community Garden project. “Sometimes these things aren’t available to certain people, and through Health Communities Coalition, I can be a participant in something that gives value back to the community as a whole.”

Community members are invited to participate either through volunteering or

see GARDEN pg. 10

Reminders Wednesday H 82 L 64

The university will be closed Friday, April 3 through April 12.

Have a safe, fun Spring Break!

PAGE 2 MARCH 31, 2015

CAMPUS LIFE

THE LION’S ROAR

Greek Week 2015

The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown

District 7, made up of Alpha Omicron Pi, Kappa Sigma and Alpha Phi Alpha, took first place in the Greek Games, Step Show and overall Greek Week. The team’s theme was “Timber,” based on the popular “Hunger Games” trilogy. They won the Step Show after competing in a step-off against District 5, composed of Sigma Sigma Sigma and Kappa Alpha Order.

Greek Games featured for ‘Hunger Games’ after hiatus

BY GLEANA HILL Staff Reporter

Getting away from stress and homework, university fraternities and sororities cleared their minds while competing in the Greek Games for Greek Week.

This was the first time the Greek Games have been played in a few years. The games took place on Cook Field last Tuesday.

The theme was based on the popular book and movie series “The Hunger Games.” Assistant Director of Student Engagement Kyle Gallagher dressed up as the character President Snow and Director of Student Engagement Pamela Rault as Effie Trinket to get into the spirit of the games.

The purpose of the games is to gather the fraternities and sororities together in order to mingle and have fun in a friendly environment.

This gives more competition points overall instead of just participation points.

The first game played was a mystery that turned out to be a circuit consisting of two players, one from the respected sorority and one from the fraternity, randomly chosen from each district.

They had to walk tied together by the legs to reach a table in order to complete a puzzle, then weave in and out of cones like an obstacle course, stack a cup pyramid and get back to the finish line while being timed.

“During the mystery game, we severely underestimated the amount of time that it would take to complete a puzzle, so we did

have to change and adapt some rules there, but other than that it went rather well,” said Gallagher.

Other games that were played include life-size memory cards, an egg-toss and human wheelbarrow.

Each Greek holds on to a different memory or experience that they create each time they are with their brothers or sisters.

“I love being in Phi Mu,” said Jordyn Barlow, junior health and education promotion major. “It’s brought a lot of different things to my life, mostly leadership roles and stuff, and I found the best friends and sisters I can ever have. I know they’re going to be my bridesmaids one day, and they help me through every day.”

Being in a sorority is one way to get involved on campus in student activities.

“I love it. It gets me completely involved on campus. If it wasn’t for Sigma [Sigma Sigma], I wouldn’t stay on campus as much as I do,” said Summer Carter, freshman early childhood education major.

“It makes me enjoy the school more being around everyone all the time.”

For the results of Greek Week, see page 3.

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The Lion’s Roar / Gleana Hill

Kappa Sigma member Kristopher Liptak and Alpha Omicron Pi member Courtney Hart (left) raced to get through the circuit of the mystery game. Dr. Pamela Rault (right), director of Student Engagement, dressed as Effie Trinket from “The Hunger Games” and gave a “Reaping” speech to the districts before the games began.

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THE LION’S ROAR

CAMPUS LIFE

MARCH 31, 2015 PAGE 3

The Lion’s Roar / Lee E. Lind

District 7 (above), made up of Alpha Omicron Pi, Kappa Sigma and Alpha Phi Alpha, won the Step Show after a step-off to break the tie with District 5.

District Seven wins

BY MORGAN LEDET Staff Reporter

The odds were ever in the favor of Greek Week champions Alpha Omicron Pi, Kappa Sigma and Alpha Phi Alpha as they took home the big prize.

Sororities and fraternities battled it out Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m. during the annual Step Show. The theme for Greek Week was “The Hunger Games.” Each team was given a district from the book and movie franchise to base their step upon.

The teams were as follows: District 13 Phi Mu, Delta Tau Delta and Zeta Phi Beta; District 3 Alpha Sigma Tau and Theta Chi; District 7 Alpha Omicron Pi, Kappa Sigma and Alpha Phi Alpha; District 5 Sigma Sigma Sigma and Kappa Alpha Order; and District 4 Theta Phi Alpha, Theta Xi and Pi Kappa Alpha.

The Step Show is judged by a panel of three judges on style/ appearance, choreography, stepping, overall performance, creativity, theme and crowd appeal. Following the criteria, first place would receive five points, second place would receive three points and third place would receive one point toward their overall Greek Week team score.

For the Step Show, each team had to follow certain rules.

Each team could have no more than 25 members stepping, they had to have at least 10 minutes of performance time, with each team having at least one representative from each organization participating.

No profanity, foul language

or verbal attacks on any other district were allowed. The performance required at least five to six minutes of step without music.

The teams were selected at random on the order they would perform. To start off step show, Alpha Sigma Tau and Theta Chi took the stage with “Electronics.” Next, Sigma Sigma Sigma and Kappa Alpha sparked the stage with “Power.” Then, Phi Mu, Delta Tau Delta and Zeta Phi Beta blew the stage with “Nuclear Weaponry.”

After, Alpha Omicron Pi, Kappa Sigma and Alpha Phi Alpha stomped the stage with “Timber.” To close the show, Theta Phi Alpha, Theta Xi and Pi Kappa Alpha hooked the final spot with “Fishing.”

“With the theme this year, everyone had to get creative because the districts were so different from each other,” said Haley Burke, Theta Phi Alpha member. “Step Show is the most exciting part of Greek Week because it is about a month’s worth of practice and getting to see what everyone comes up with.”

This year, there was a tie between District 5 and District 7, causing both teams to step again. Each team had 10 minutes to practice for a twominute performance. A coin toss decided which district would take the stage first.

District 7 won the coin toss and chose to go second.

Each team performed their two minute step, but in the end District 7 slashed the competition, giving them first place in the Step Show.

District 5 placed second in the

step show, earning District 5 three points, and “Nuclear Weaponry” placed third, earning District 13 one point towards their final score.

“It was an amazing opportunity to work with these wonderful organizations,” said Gabrielle Riccobono, Alpha Omicron Pi member.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our team to be the winners of Greek Week and to be a Lion.”

The Lion’s Roar / Lee E. Lind

Alexis Quackenbush, member of Alpha Sigma Tau, stomps along with her District 3 team. The district’s theme was “Electronics” in conjunction with the “Hunger Games” theme.

The Lion’s Roar / Lee E. Lind and Elizabeth Brown

District 5 (left), made up of Kappa Alpha Order and Sigma Sigma Sigma, had to compete in the step-off as a tie breaker against District 7. District 5, whose theme was “Power,” came in second place overall for the Step Show and second place overall for Greek Week.

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PAGE 4 MARCH 31, 2015

CAMPUS LIFE

THE LION’S ROAR

BSU educates on sexual issues

BY TAJA MORGAN Staff Reporter

With the majority of midterms under their belts, students had a chance to wind down and take a break from classes while educating themselves on sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. The Black Student Union hosted their fourth annual Battle of the Sexes competition with men and women competing against each other. This semester’s competition was held in front of the Recreational Center on Friday, March 27 at 1 p.m. Some activities featured during Battle of the Sexes were an obstacle course, sack race, three-legged race, tug-of-war, water balloon toss and an Easter Egg Hunt.

Participants and onlookers on campus enjoyed music from a disc jockey and concessions provided by members of the organization.

According to BSU president, Amairielle Cordova, the sole purpose of the Battle of the Sexes event is to raise awareness for HIV and AIDS. Each year, the event is planned to inform all new and old members on the awareness of these diseases.

Since Battle of the Sexes is a major event for BSU, Cordova explained how the organization

members prepared for this year’s competition.

“The organization prepped and planned for this event both in our executive board meetings as well as in our membership meetings,” said Cordova. “We asked our members which games and foods they wanted to see at the event, and we did our best to grant their wishes.”

Throughout all the challenges, the males won the battle, becoming the competition winners for the second year in a row. Despite the females falling short in the competition, every individual who participated left with a smiling face.

A new activity was added to this year’s Battle of the Sexes event, which played as an educational component.

“An Easter Egg Hunt was added to this year’s event,” said Cordova. “The game was relevant because in some eggs we put HIV and AIDS awareness facts.”

Friendly competition played a huge part in the success of Friday’s event. Both females and males were able to compete without any complications or mishaps.

“I really enjoyed seeing the students come together for a great cause,” said Hannah Rogers, freshman criminal justice major.

The Lion’s Roar / Taja Morgan

Female members of the Black Student Union, who host the annual Battle of the Sexes competition, compete in a tug-of-war competition against an all-male team.

“The competitions were hilarious, and I had a chance to meet some new people.”

Cordova commented on her thoughts of the event.

“I personally thought this year’s Battle of the Sexes event was an amazing event,”

said Cordova. “We set a goal for the event and successfully accomplished it. Everyone that came out to the event truly enjoyed themselves, and we couldn’t have asked for a better turn-out.”

BSU hopes to continue to

host events for students and the Hammond community.

“For the remainder of the semester, BSU is hosting our annual comedy show, Wild N’ Out on April 14,” said Cordova. “On April 18, we will be participating in the African American Alumni

Association’s fest. We will also be doing community service.”

For more information and regular updates regarding BSU as well as their future events, visit and follow the organization’s Instagram page at BSUSELU.

ACM hosts annual SLUGO

BY STAFF REPORTS

The Association for Computing Machinery came together this past Friday and put on Southeastern’s Game On fundraiser, more commonly known as SLUGO. Starting at 5 p.m. and lasting until 6 a.m., participants began by paying a $5 entry fee. Many of the participants signed up for various tournaments, some of which included: ‘League of Legends,’ ‘Super Smash Bros.,’ ‘Mario Kart 8,’ ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 2,’ ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ and ‘Street Fighter.’

Participants of SLUGO anxiously awaited the start of their passion while setting up for an all night event of gaming.

“I look anxious, but actually I’m pretty calm,” said Vice President of ACM Jeffrey Balint.

“I love doing this kind of stuff.”

While setting up, other students were exhilarated and pondered how they would spend the night.

“I feel excited,” said freshman social work major Christian Jeanmarie. “I’m not a pro. I’m more of a casual gamer, so I’ll probably play ‘Bioshock.’”

Those that did not bring their own equipment began to play games with others, some of which included: ‘Bioshock,’ ‘NidHogg,’ ‘Guitar Hero,’ ‘Grand Theft Auto V,’ ‘Mortal Kombat’ and ‘The Binding of Isaac.’

The top three tournaments were ‘League of Legends,’ ‘Super Smash Bros.’ and ‘Mario Kart 8’ on Wii U. Lasting the entire night, the League of Legends

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

AYO Psi Chi W e The members of Alpha Psi will be selling our psychology

The Lion’s Roar / Elizabeth Brown

Students enjoy the the video game tournments provided by the Association for Computing Machinery and put their gamer skills to the test at the biannual SLUGO. tournament had eight teams go of the tournament. He won a head to head in a series of matches $10 GameStop gift card and for a prize of $125 with the second GameCube controller. After this team winning. victory, he felt enthusiastic.

Those who participated in the “It was fun,” said Woods. “I other tournaments competed for basically got lucky that I was a gift cards to various stores such as good bit ahead.”

Best Buy and GameStop as well Pi Kappa Alpha sponsored as prizes related to video gaming. the event by selling snacks and The ‘Super Smash Bros.’ drinks and donating the proceeds tournament originally composed to ACM. Women in Technology of nearly 50 individual also appeared at the event and competitors. In the final match sold pizza for $1 per slice, while of the tournament, Craig Schayot promoting their organization. won the final match for the fourth According to Balint, SLUGO semester in a row, winning a prize will be held every semester as it of a $15 gift card to GameStop continues to improve. and a Pikachu figurine.

“This SLUGO has probably “[I feel] a little prideful,” said been one of the best SLUGOS Schayot. “It feels good to win.” in years,” said Balint. “This is an The ‘Mario Kart 8’ tournament every semester event. SLUGO is was composed of 12 players getting better and so is the ACM. racing side by side in various This year, we had people working rounds. Computer science major together, it is definitely going to Jataylon Woods was the winner be better in the future.”

Omega would like to thank each and every volunteer who came out to work for our High School Day on Friday, and also for assisting us with the Big Event on Saturday. Both days were a great success and couldn’t have been done without your support and hard work. You’ve earned a well-deserved spring break.

Stay tuned for the next APO meeting Tuesday, April 14 at 5:30 p.m. in D Vickers, room 125.

T-shirts today, March 31 to April 2. Today and Thursday, you may purchase a T-shirt in the Student Union from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wednesday, you may purchase a T-shirt from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We will also raffle off a GRE study packet for $2 a ticket. If you are a psychology major, you know how important it is to prepare for the GRE for graduate school. Even if you are not a psychology major, support your own studies by buying a ticket.

We need a head count for those attending induction as either a

new member for the fall 2014, spring 2015 and/or graduating seniors. Please reply to the PSI CHI email by April 1. Induction ceremony will be held at Jacmel Inn at 5:30 p.m. on April 23. If you have any questions, email psichi@selu.edu.

QFA

The ladies of Theta Phi Alpha would like to thank their greek week partners, Theta Xi and Pike, for a wonderful week and we look forward to working with them in the future. We hope our Southeastern family has a safe and fun spring break.

OPINIONS

THE LION’S ROAR

MARCH 31, 2015 PAGE 5

Remember the importance of women in history It’s in our minds t h a t Feb. 1 marks t h e start of Megan McCormick Black Staff Reporter History Month, yet many people fail to realize that March ushers in a month to recognize women all over the world.

I think of March as the beginning of spring and the closing of the cold, windy days.

Never do I distinguish March as “Women’s History Month.” I did not even know there was such until a week ago. Therefore, I strongly feel that Women’s History Month is unappreciated.

Now that it has been brought to my attention, it is very moving to reflect on the past generations of powerful women who have impacted our country’s history.

Up until the 1800s, women were confined to their homes and were expected to marry

who they were told. Females were seen as slaves forced to upkeep the home, cater to their children and answer without attitude to their husbands and every other man. Women had no self- defense or voice. That is until Susan B. Anthony began her campaign for women’s freedom in 1852. Anthony’s campaign included the freedom for women to earn an education, to divorce, to own property, to obtain a job outside of the house and most importantly, to vote.

In 1920, Anthony’s campaign was accepted into society as the League of Women Voters was formed and the 19th amendment passed granting women their voice in elections. Two years later, Cable Act guaranteed a woman independence from her husband.

In 1941, during World War II, over seven million women were given the opportunity to go to work while men fought in the war. Once again, women were seen as being “too weak to fight for our country.” However,

SPEAK OUT What is the best practical joke that you have participated in or seen?

Patricia Fowler, Biology Pre-Med, Sophomore I don’t really pull pranks, but one year my mom told me we were going to Disney when we really weren’t.

Augusta Ceasar Education, Freshman One time, my brother told me he was having a baby, but he had already had one seven months earlier.

Edwin Clark Athletic Training, Junior For our senior year, we took all the chairs and bleachers and put them on top of our school.

Julia Meyers Communication, Freshman [In] my senior year of high school, we decided not to show up. Everyone in the hall did the same thing.

Eric Conley, Business Management, Sophomore My brother decided to play a joke on my dad by saying he had gotten in trouble at school.

Jason Nyblom Art, Junior Telling outright lies and laughing at people who actually believed them.

Alyssa Hernandez, Music, Senior I taped a champagne popper on the other side of the door, and when my dad walked in, he freaked out.

this changed within a year when women military branches were established.

Next in the line of history is a famous name we all know and love, Rosa Parks. She is one of the first women to say, “no.” To say, “No, I will not move to the back of the bus.” In 1955, Parks prompted women, both white and African, to join together and fight against segregation.

John F. Kennedy established the President’s Commission on the Status of Women in 1961.

The newly-formed council was chaired by the one and only, Eleanor Roosevelt.

Even then, after women fought to earn respect, many still questioned the true role of a woman. Betty Friedan retaliated by writing “The Feminine Mystique” in 1963. And for all the Cosmopolitan lovers, thank Helen Gurley Brown for transforming it into a women’s magazine in 1965.

The most powerful mark in women’s history has to be in 1969 when the first secondary

course opened to women and was offered at Cornell University.

If it wasn’t for this, I would not be attending college, much

continuously worked their way up the totem pole of liberty as the years passed, and thankfully women continue to be recognized today.

Should society continue April Fool’s Day? Never let laughter cease to exist

End foolishness of practical jokes

As children, anticipating the arrival of April Fool’s Day always got my friends and me overly excited. People should look forward to getting an extra laugh on this fun day, realizing that jokes can be positive.

April Fool’s Day is one day of the year where it is generally permissible to unleash your inner troll while breaking some social Maria Goddard norms.

Staff Reporter According to infoplease.com, the origins of this day are unclear. The most popular belief is that the beginning of the calendar year was moved from April 1 to January 1. Pope Gregory XIII enforced this and named the new calendar the “Gregorian calendar,” after himself. Those who continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1 were considered fools.

Now, people seem to have forgotten about this and simply put on their prankster hats.

I can remember being at a family gathering on this day and reaching for a lovely grilled-cheese sandwich. To my surprise, I found that it was actually yellow icing instead of cheese. This brought the biggest, cheesiest smile to my face.

People say I laugh too much, but I strongly believe that more humor is needed in life. Elizabeth Bennet from the book “Pride and Prejudice” said it best, “I dearly love a laugh.”

It is painful to see professors trying to brighten up a lesson with a joke, but no one laughs. They respond by saying, “tough crowd.”

People are increasingly serious and in need of some comic relief. I truly believe in the saying “laughter is the best medicine.”

According to helpguide.org, there are physical, mental and social benefits involved. Laughter helps your immune system, pain tolerance, energy and stress levels. It also reinforces relationships, aids in overcoming conflict, relaxes muscles and even prevents heart disease.

I am sure there are some people who are adamantly against playing jokes on April Fool’s Day, but unless the pranks are harmful to the person’s emotional or physical health, I don’t see the big deal.

The use of ethics and boundaries are important. For example, one of my cousins once poured “itching powder” down the back of his little sister’s shirt that he got from a prank shop. This substance was actually fiber glass and it is horrible when it comes in contact with skin. This is the type of joke I am against.

Overall, if a person is not playing a seriously dangerous prank, participating in April Fool’s Day is a positive action. People need to lighten up, relax and create laughter to brighten up the day.

A year has gone by, and once again people will be making a mockery of themselves on April Fool’s Day. Since I was in grammar school, I could remember those moments of dread as the bully on the bus would scream out, “April Fools” after punching some poor soul in the stomach.

William Schmidt After years of dreading the start of April, Staff Reporter I would have hoped that this obnoxious behavior would become irrelevant in college. However, this is not the case. In many ways, I believe it has only become worse.

I have heard people say that, “laughter is the best medicine.” I do believe this, but most of the time, people take it too far. From itching powder, to false promises, lies, to straight out being mean, April 1 is not a day that should be recognized for laughter.

I find laughter in a good book, movie, comic or video game. I laugh when one of my friends does something funny, and not always on purpose. The friends that are closest to me know exactly how to make me laugh. The laughter that they instill inside of me when I need it most is nothing compared to the horrors of those on the Day of Fools.

I would honestly be confused and concerned if some of my friends decided to put a fake snake in my bed or sugar in my salt container. I am not saying that some people aren’t like that, just not them.

Another problem I have with this day is how people may say, “I can bring out my inner-humor, the humor that resides inside of me,” “I am so glad that I have a day that I can just devote to practical jokes” or “Let me see what torment I can bring to someone and have another chance to use April Fool’s as an excuse to be mean.”

My issue is why don’t you just do that all year around? If you have inner humor, let it out. Be yourself. Don’t hold back. If you are afraid that you may offend one of your friends, then find better friends. Find those friends that will accept you exactly how you are, a person that enjoys light, practical jokes that don’t physically or emotionally hurt anyone.

Please be considerate on April 1 and be yourselves. Let us drop this foolish nonsense of hoaxes and malicious behavior. Let us become better as a society and show the rest of the world that America can actually do something right for once.

Honestly, I don’t want to celebrate a day that is nothing more than a load of schadenfreude and deceit. I believe that there is a reason that April Fool’s Day is not a national holiday in a single country and I believe that April Fool’s Day needs to be forgotten by the time that the next generation enters our beloved college.

Dear Editor,

p.m. in front of the State Capitol Building in Baton Rouge to show support for stable higher education funding.

Louisiana’s colleges and universities cannot endure in an environment with cuts of this magnitude. The students of Louisiana are a determined group of citizens. We have conscientiously made the decision to pursue higher learning, despite living in a state that has repeatedly made funding higher education a low priority. As a state, we need to work to improve conditions for our learning institutions, whether it be through voting for ballot measures that support our students, writing letters to our representatives or simply spreading knowledge of the strain that budget cuts place on each and every one of us. As a community, we need to stand in solidarity and demand stable funding for higher education and our future.

Letter to the Editor Students enrolled in Louisiana’s colleges and universities have been at the mercy of repeated increases in tuition because over the last six years, Louisiana has cut state funding for higher education by $700 million, more than any other state in the country. Now, yet again, the students of Louisiana are being threatened with a higher education budget cut of up to $608 million that could cause great harm to an education system with over 174,000 full-time students. Is it not enough that school tuition for full-time students has increased nearly 80 percent since 2008? Our teachers deserve more for the work they are doing, and our students deserve fairness in striving to better themselves and the communities in which they live.

The Louisiana Council of Student Body Presidents invites you to attend a demonstration Wednesday, April 15 from 12 p.m. to 3

that the submission will be edited.

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.

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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

less writing this article.

Through the 1980s, hatred toward feminism led to the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, when women

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Editor in Chief Assistant/A&E Editor Campus Life Editor Sports Editor Copy Editor

Sara Patrick Allison Crady Megan Simon Jay Love Emily Stephan

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PAGE 6 MARCH 31, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Artists return to support new series

Shattered Illusions

BY TAMARA ALEXANDER Staff Reporter

Review The Columbia Theatre began their New Artist Concert Series with Denton Hatcher and the Soap Box Blues, followed by headliner River Whyless.

Even though River Whyless headlined, I found myself enjoying Denton Hatcher and the Soap Box Blues more.

I could not relate to River Whyless because most of the songs performed had a little too much going on.

The group was great and very talented. However, I enjoyed the use River Whyless made with a variety of instruments as they performed. Singer Halli Anderson played the violin with both the bow and her fingers.

She also used a tambourine and conga to create a unique sound as she sang with the other band members. Daniel Shearin, the drummer, also stood out the most because he not only used a typical drum set, but also sat a tambourine on top of his cymbals and made a high-pitch sound accompanying the guitars with the perfect beat.

Despite their talent and good use of instruments, I will not be excited to see the band again, but I would love to see Denton Hatcher and the Soap Box Blues again.

I am not one to listen to much Americana music, but this band was so good, I went online to listen to more of their music.

Singer Denton Hatcher’s vocals blew me away with each song performed.

Overall I enjoyed the concert being that it was my first concert experience.

THE LION’S ROAR

BY MEGAN FERRANDO Staff Reporter

The Lion’s Roar / Megan Ferrando

Denton Hatcher and the Soapbox Blues opened for River Whyless to kickoff a new concert series on the main stage of the Columbia Theatre.

North Carolina’s Indie band River Whyless returned to the Columbia Theatre to begin the New Artist Concert Series. The series premiered last Tuesday, March 24 with Denton Hatcher and the Soapbox Blues opening for River Whyless for the second time.

Both bands previously played at the theater’s Ghost Light concert venue, similar to the New Artist Concert Series in that it offers a stage for rising musicians.

Unlike the Ghost Light, the New Artist Concert Series takes place on the big stage of the Columbia Theater, providing a larger experience.

“The bands sound so much richer and fuller in here,” said Roy Blackwood, director of the Columbia Theatre. “I was excited to hear the sound and capability of what the theatre can do with a band of this quality so I’m really pleased with the kick-off of this whole series.”

While the seats were not packed, both Blackwood and the artists were pleased with the turnout. The audience ranged in age, and many who saw the band at the Ghost Light nearly a year ago returned to see them perform

The Lion’s Roar / Megan Ferrando

Halli Anderson, vocalist and violinist of River Whyless, enjoyed her return to the Columbia Theatre after performing about a year ago at the Ghost Light concert venue. River Whyless has since been on tour and have released a new EP.

on the big stage.

“The crowd was equally receptive both times, which is positive for us, and they came back, which is doubly positive,” said Halli Anderson, singer and violinist for River Whyless. “The word has spread since the Ghost Light show. I can feel it. I’ve seen it on our social networks, and I saw it tonight. That’s good. We’ve only played here once so to see the same come out on a Tuesday night on some new idea, that’s good.”

Since River Whyless’s performance at the Ghost Light last year, they released a new EP this past January and continued touring.

Recently while on tour, the band played a small gig in a town where a man is trying to revive the culture and music in that town. This experience reinforced Anderson’s desire to provide music and also help in beginning the Columbia’s New Artist Concert Series.

“There was a gig earlier in the tour that we almost canceled because we were worn out and it was a very small gig, we’ve never been in the town before,” said Anderson. “We heard that the owner was trying to curate events. He was really trying to bring music and culture into his town, and money or no money, people or no people, that idea is why we started playing in the first place.”

Anderson saw this same idea in the New Artist Concert Series. She commented on the authenticity of this new series and how it is a place to truly enjoy new music.

“There’s a great group of people here and they’re trying to create a space where people can come and listen, and not get really drunk and talk through the whole show,” said Anderson. “It’s a place where people come to see an act, and I am in full support of that.

That’s how this feels, and that’s what we want to be a part of. That’s what we search for as musicians. We want to be heard, and they’re creating this space for that to happen.”

According to Blackwood, the new series offers a unique venue to Hammond they have never had before.

The series will continue with Maybe April, a country-folk trio, April 14. To learn more about the New Artist Concert Series, visit columbiatheatre.org.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE LION’S ROAR

MARCH 31, 2015 PAGE 7

Guest guitarist transforms classics

BY MELANIE MANN Staff Reporter

The Lion’s Roar / Melanie Mann

Classical guitarist Robert Wetzel traveled to Southeastern to take part in the annual Guitar Festival. Wetzel transformed classical pieces traditionally not written for guitar into a unique guitar performance. He was mentored by the legendary Romeros guitar dynasty and has grown in prestige ever since.

Guest musician Robert Wetzel performed pieces by classical artists such as Bach, Debussy and Vivaldi on guitar to lend a new perspective of the instrument.

The recital took place Saturday, March 28 as part of the music department’s annual Guitar Festival.

“The purpose of the Guitar Festival is to bring the guitar, which is probably the most popular instrument in the culture, to the campus in ways the culture usually doesn’t see,” said guitar instructor Patrick Kerber.

Wetzel performed pieces that were not originally written for guitar. By translating a piece through a different instrument, Wetzel feels he is offering a new light to a classical piece.

“I don’t choose anything unless I think they’re really good arrangements and that the guitar is kind of expressing a different incarnation of that particular musical composition,” said Wetzel. “It’s interesting that when we do translate from one instrument to another, often it brings hidden meanings or feelings or beauty out that was not so much noticed in the original instrument.”

Pieces from composers of different countries, time periods and instruments were chosen to offer a variety of translated classics.

“This is exactly what I wanted to see,” said Kerber. “Robert brought for us a mixture of very traditional music.

The music in the beginning [“Aria con variazioni detta” by Girolamo Frescobaldi] was originally written for the lute, and then we had a Bach piece [“Cello Suite No. 1, BWV 1007”] originally written for cello and arranged for the guitar. The Spanish music, the sonata [“Sonata in F Major” by Sylvius Leopold Weiss] was originally for piano.

The French music [“The Girl with the Flaxen Hair” by Claude Debussy and “Pavane for a Dead Princess” by Maurice Ravel] was all originally for piano.

We brought a very high level of guitar performance and guitar composition to the campus.”

Kerber was pleased with the turnout; though he was expecting between 10 and 15 people to attend the recital, there were 45 people in the audience. Many in attendance were music majors interested in hearing familiar pieces in a different light.

“I haven’t been to any of the performances yet this semester, so I thought, ‘Since I’m not doing anything, I might as well go,’” said Alexis Dunn, freshman music major. “I think it was great. It was very beautiful. It made me feel like I should practice more.”

The next performance in the Guitar Festival series is the Southeastern Guitar Ensemble, scheduled for Wednesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Pottle Auditorium. For more information on upcoming performances, visit the music department page on the university website for a schedule of events.

Alumna debuts latest period piece on campus

BY MEGAN SIMON Staff Reporter

Katie Wainwright added to her growing collection of published books, this time drawing inspiration from her time spent on the Tangipahoa Parish Council.

Her newest book, “Pohainake Parish,” made its debut at the book signing located at the campus bookstore Thursday, March 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“It’s a story of a divorced woman with two children who gets elected to the parish council;

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A problem in getting a workplace project up and moving might upset the Lamb, who likes things done on time. But be patient. The delay could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your instincts are usually on the mark, so if you feel uneasy about being asked for advice on a certain matter, it’s probably a good idea that you opt not to comply with the request.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You might have two minds about a proposed change (which often happens with the Twins), but once all the facts are in, you’ll be able to make a definitive decision. Good luck.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) The Crab’s frugal aspect dominates, so while you might be reluctant to pay for technical repairs, the time you save in getting things back on track could be well worth the expense.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) While you Leos and Leonas continue to concentrate on doing well in your work-related ventures this week, consider reserving the weekend for sharing good times with family and friends.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) This is a good week to take stock of the important personal, professional or familial relationships in your life and see where you might need to do some intense shoring up.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your sense of justice

it’s her and four men. It’s during the ‘good ol’ boy’ period, so she’s kind of ostracized because she’s the only woman on the council.

They have to build a jail, get a sanitary landfill, pave the roads, but they don’t have any money because they’re bankrupt. They have to find a way to tax people or do something to get money to do all this work that they are under federal mandate to do,” said Wainwright.

Since the book took place during the ‘90s, Wainwright wanted to especially draw attention to what it was like to be makes you the likely person to help deal with a work- or family-related grievance. But you need to have any doubts about anyone’s true agenda resolved first.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) The Scorpio passion for getting things done right and on time might rankle some folks.

Never mind them. Others will be impressed, and they’re the ones you want in your corner.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Finances could be a mite tight this week. And, while things will ease up soon enough, you savvy Sagittarians will want to keep a prudent eye on your expenses at this time.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Although a technical malfunction could cause a temporary delay in getting things up and running, you could use the time to recheck your operation and make changes where necessary.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You might find it difficult to resist making a snap judgment about a colleague’s behavior. But stick with your usual way of assessing situations and wait for the facts to come out.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Asking for help with a family situation might be the wisest course to take right now. Just be sure you turn to someone you can trust to do and say the right thing for the right reasons.

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a woman in a man’s world during that time by making her main character female.

“I made her a woman because I wanted to highlight the bias against women during that time,” said Wainwright. “I thought she would be an interesting character to have in that situation.”

Although Wainwright did not publish until after her retirement, she officially began writing at the age of 15 and it has been her hobby ever since. By the time she started to publish, she already had a trunk-full of her writings. She continues to use her past writings as prompts for her books, having already published four.

Wainwright draws inspiration from the experiences in her life and couples them with her own inner workings.

“I was part of the council, and it was quite an eye-opening experience,” said Wainwright.

“This is a nugget of truth enhanced by a lot of imagination.

Some of the occurrences are

exaggerated or made funny.”

Kathy Pittman, a friend and fellow alumnus of Wainwright, helped out with the book signing.

“I enjoyed the book very much because it had a love story to it and a lot of history about the parish,” said Pittman.

“I recognized a lot of the trials and tribulations the parish went through when it was almost bankrupt, so a lot of those things were very similar to how it once was.”

Wainwright’s books cover a wide range of subjects, each reflecting a particular moment in her life.

“People like the experiences in my books,” said Wainwright.

“People like different things.

My children like my first book the best, ‘Cuba on My Mind,’ because it was where I was born and raised. I think the guys like ‘Secuestro’ best because it’s about a kidnapping up in the mountains. It’s not so feminine.

My real-estate friends like ‘The

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Katie Wainwright, a Southeastern alumna, returned to campus to read from her new book, “Pohainake Parish,” in the campus bookstore.

Azaleas’ because it’s about a plantation. So everybody has their favorite.”

To learn more about Wainwright and her novels, visit katiewainwright.com.

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SPORTS

PAGE 8 MARCH 31, 2015

Athlete of the Week

James Anstiss

BY HEATHER JEWELL Staff Reporter

James Anstiss left New Zealand to play golf at Southeastern.

Since then, he has set multiple records. During their first day at the Lone Star Intercollegiate, Anstiss accomplished a 64, the lowest round in the tournament’s records.

The Lion’s Roar: How have you liked living at Southeastern?

James Anstiss: It is a lot different from home, but I have enjoyed getting used to the culture differences here. Everyone here is really nice and respectful.

TLR: Was it hard to move here from New Zealand?

JA: Where I live is the most beautiful place I have ever seen, with mountains and lakes. It’s hard to get used to not seeing that.

TLR: Do you take time to contact your family?

JA: I miss my family a lot. I talk to my family most days through text, and I Skype home on a Tuesday here, Wednesday back home.

TLR: At the Lone Star Invitational you carded a 64, the lowest in the tournament’s history. What was it like accomplishing that?

JA: It was an amazing feeling shooting 64. I had it on a string, I felt really confident with the way I was playing and I put it all together.

TLR: How long have you been playing golf?

JA: I have been playing golf for about five years. I was first introduced to it by a friend, who I played with one day for a bit of fun. I immediately fell in love.

TLR: What about the sport inspired you to pursue it?

JA: The sport is so hard, you can’t perfect it, so I play for the challenge. We are basically trying to perfect a game that can’t be perfected.

TLR: Has it been hard being a foreign student?

JA: It was not too hard coming here. I find school relatively easy compared to home and the professors very helpful.

Everyone is so nice and welcoming; it is easy to fit in.

The entire interview can be found on lionsroarnews.com

THE LION’S ROAR

Southeastern sprints past competition

BY HEATHER JEWELL Staff Reporter

The men’s and women’s Southeastern track teams competed in two meets this past weekend, one of them hosted by Texas State in San Marcos, Texas, and the other was held in Austin for the Texas Relays.

The Texas Relays are one of the most prestigious meets to attend, and currently the second largest meet in the United States. Up to 50,000 spectators attended the meets to watch, on average, 5,000 athletes compete over the course of three days. The meet includes both Divisions of high school, 1-A through 5-A, is open to Division one, two and three colleges, the junior college level and international colleges.

Starting off in the Texas Relays was junior Jonathan Kinchen, who placed second in the hammer throw and tied for his personal best at the relays; another junior, Alex Young, placed 14th with both athletes throwing the hammer 211 ft. 10 in. and 188 ft. 9 in.

respectively.

First timer at the Relays was junior Collin Rowland, who placed sixth in the men’s javelin. For his third attempt, he threw for 203 feet, 4 in.

Junior Christian Chapman competed in the preliminary (first) round of the 400 meter hurdles and came out at 71st, running 56.48 seconds.

Brett Olsen threw the discus for 174 meters to place 12th.

In San Marcos, Kinchen and Young threw 210 ft.

0.07 in and 209 ft. 3.4 in respectively.

Not lacking her good consistency, Misha Frazier threw 157 ft. 5.3 in. for the women’s hammer throw and for the running events, Ashley Riley grabbed second in the men’s 400-meter dash running 47.89 seconds.

In jumps, Gennard Paul placed second in the high jump with two meters, while Kadarius Williams jumped a distance of 1.95 meters, putting himself in seventh place. Williams also ran a personal best in the

100 meter dash with a record of 10.97 seconds. DJ Woodard and Andre Colbrook ran 53.75 seconds and 53.79 seconds placing fifth and sixth in the 400 meter hurdles.

On the final day of the Bobcat invitational in San Marcos, the men’s 4x400 meter relay team claimed first place with runners Colbrook, Raheem Brown, Billy Minnifield and Riley; their merged time was 3:12.51.

In the men’s 200-meter dash, Brown placed third with a season best of 21.21 while Ken Breland ran his personal best time of 21.92 seconds.

Colbrook also took a fourth place finish in the men’s 800. He ran 1.53.48. All the while, Chapman made another top 10 finishes in the men’s 110-meter hurdles after running 15.91.

This weekend the teams will compete at Louisiana State University.

For information and the current schedule for the track team, visit lionsports.net.

Lady Lions sweep Athletics offer variety of promotions at home games double header

BY WILLIAM SCHMIDT Staff Reporter

With the start of each semester, Athletic Marketing and Promotions makes plans to benefit attendees of sporting events as well as find ways to promote the variety of sports taking place at the university.

These variety of promotions are offered to the students for their benefit as well as to say “thank you” for all the student does in helping Southeastern Athletics through enrollment.

“Ninety percent of our promotions are student driven,” said Lindsey Cramer, assistant to the coordinator of Athletic Marketing and Promotions.

“Our budget comes from student tuition. We return that by giving to the students. Those are the promotions where the first 300 students will get free food and a T-shirt or some kind of perk such as a study pack, which will be our next promotion for baseball.”

These incentives are targeted for a large base of students, but Cramer also hopes that students will have a reason to come back and “Lion Up” at future competitions as well as understand that we need to be supportive of all athletics.

Enjoying a football game may be the place to start once fall arrives.

“We try to do things that are fun but also get students to

understand that athletics are a big part of college,” said Cramer.

“Everybody loves T-shirts and we know everybody loves food.

We know we are hitting a large base by offering those two things. Now once they get there [sporting event], we hope they have a good time. I want people who don’t understand athletics and never experienced a game in Strawberry Stadium, I want them to come out. I want them to come back. I feel like it’s a ‘Circle of Life.’ You are coming to the game, you are having a good time and you’re motivating our football team. Having a full stadium is benefiting everyone.”

By the end of summer, Cramer is hoping that an app program will be fully functional and allow students a way in which to check-in to a game and have the possibility of a prize at the end of the football season. Previously, only large organizations had a way to gain a large prize by a recorded attendance.

“We are working on something that is app based, so we will have something that is like a reward program,” said Cramer. “When a student checks-in at an athletic event, it will record how long they are at an event. We have things like Greek challenge or organization challenges where if you are in a student organization, you can sign-in and check-in at the start of games. At the end of the semester, we give the

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student organization that has the most attendance throughout the semester $500, $1,000 or something like that. But what happens when people aren’t in organizations and they still come to games, we want to reward them too.”

Athletes are the ones that are supporting the university through sports and Cramer hopes that they will help to express to their fellow students the importance of supporting the athletic program.

“We are trying to get more of the athletes to be involved,” said Cramer. “We are saying, ‘Hey, if you want people involved, go to the union and tell people. You want fans, you can’t just expect people to come without having the interaction.’ That is what I am a firm believer in.”

To see a list of all the promotions taking place for the rest of this semester in men and women’s basketball, baseball and softball, visit lionsports.net.

BY JAY LOVE Sports Editor

Southeastern continues to make a name for itself in the Southland Conference as the Lady Lions softball team (14-18, 9-2 Southland) hosted Sam Houston State (921, 2-9 Southland) and came away with the series win.

Head coach Pete Langlois and the team took both games of the double-header on Friday, March 27, but failed to complete the sweep after falling to the Bearcats the following day in game three.

Kicking off the series and double-header, on the mound for the Lady Lions was junior Taylor Bishop. The righthander out of Texas was able to hold the Bearcats scoreless for three innings before surrendering a run in the top of the fourth inning. Bishop pitched a complete game,

surrendering only two runs off five hits on her way to gaining her ninth win of the season.

Runs came early and often in game one for the Lady Lions. Bearcat pitcher Meme Quinn allowed Southeastern to load the bases off walks, which was then followed by a double by senior first baseman Teresa Lemos to score three runs for Southeastern. Runs continued to pour in later in the game.

Freshman infielder Sydney Booker slammed a triple into left center field to score two runs in an inning which saw five Lady Lions reach home plate. Once all the dust had settled, Southeastern emerged victorious 8-2 in game one.

Bishop did not have time to enjoy her victory for long; she was back in the circle to start for the Lady Lions in game two of the series. Bishop

see SOFTBALL pg. 9

SPORTS

THE LION’S ROAR

MARCH 31, 2015 PAGE 9

Lions keep top spot in SLC Southeastern takes two out of three in series against Nicholls

BY SARA PATRICK Editor in Chief

The Lion’s Roar / Sara Patrick

Sophomore centerfielder Jacob Seward makes a catch during the series against Nicholls State. Seward had four hits Friday night to set a new career high.

Last weekend the Lions baseball team took on the Nicholls State University Colonels in a three-game series. The Lions earned two back-to-back wins Friday and Saturday, bringing their winning streak to seven games, and then lost Sunday.

The first game of the series was held at Nicholls in Thibodaux on Friday. Junior pitcher Tate Scioneaux scattered three hits in a complete game effort.

The Colonels jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first inning, but the Lions responded immediately with a run by sophomore outfielder Webb Bobo. The Lions took the lead in the fourth inning with a run by sophomore outfielder Ryan Byers.

Sophomore outfielder Jacob Seward added an insurance run in the ninth inning, finishing the game with a 3-1. This was the Lions’ sixth win in a row.

“We had one [winning streak] going before, and we had a kind of unorthodox game there versus Incarnate Word that broke our streak,” said Riser. “It’s good to see our guys back on track. You talk about staying consistent. That’s a big part of it.”

The second game of the series was held at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field on Southeastern’s campus Saturday at 1 p.m. in conjunction with Lion Athletics’ Super Lion Saturday and Alumni Day for past baseball players.

Again, the Lions stepped up to the plate and were successful in defeating the Colonels, 7-3. Riser said the team has learned over the season to focus on the moment and not the end goal.

“I think the guys are doing a better job of learning to play pitch to pitch, not looking at games down the road or even the end of this

game when we’re in the first inning,” said Riser. “They’re doing a better job of staying short-sighted and staying with a simple plan.

I think you see the result of it. We’re seven wins in a row. We’re excited about it.”

Riser also attributed part of the team’s success in the first two games of the series to reliable pitching efforts.

“Honestly, look at our pitching,” said Riser. “Jake Johnson going seven innings and only giving up one run. Tate Scioneaux pitching a complete game [Friday.] Those two guys did a phenomenal job for us from the defensive side.”

On the offensive side, several Lions were successful at bat Saturday, including senior infielder Jacob Williams, who earned three runs, as well as catcher Chris Eades, outfielder Julian Service, designated hitter Daniel Midyett and Seward each earning a run.

Midyett and Seward respectively are the top two players for runs scored in the Southland Conference standings with Midyett also leading the league in home runs. .

“Jacob Seward is really swinging the bat well,” said Riser. “I think he’s doing a fantastic job of having productive at-bats for us.

He’s really setting the table in that lead-all spot. Daniel Midyett is coming through in big time situations for us in RBIs.” Sunday, the Lions traveled to Nicholls again, but were unsuccessful in continuing their streak. The game ended 4-0 with Nicholls pitcher Justin Sinibaldi pitching a complete game to earn the Colonels the win.

The Lions (22-8 overall, 9-3 SLC) are currently ranked first in the Southland Conference. The Lions will host a three-game series against Northwestern State University on April 2-4. The team will host University of South Alabama Jaguars on April 7. For additional information on upcoming games, visit lionsports.net.

White team outshines gold in spring game

BY HEATHER JEWELL Staff Reporter

The spring football game held last Saturday in Strawberry Stadium gave Lion’s fans the opportunity to cheer for the new season’s team as well as scope out the new defensive coordinator, exNFL coach Blake Williams. The White team was victorious over the Gold team with a score of 4526; the Southeastern offense made up the White team while their defense created the Gold.

Points earned during the game were given uniquely. The offense were scored in the traditional way, but first downs and big plays were each awarded one point. The defense received three points with turnovers, two points for threeand-outs and one point when they

performed a stop.

With two consecutive Southland Conference championships, the Lions have no intention of slowing down this season.

“We expect to break all the records from last year and [to] be the best defense in the nation,” said senior defensive back Josh Dakin.

With Bryan Bennett gone, taking up the mantle at quarterback are juniors D’Shaie Landor and Larry Cutbirth.

The gold team held the white team to 289 yards in the entire game, including a Dakin interception of Landor. Leading the gold team were Dakin with two interceptions and junior defensive back Demareyen Lane who forced a fumble that was recovered by

junior defensive back Derrick Raymond.

With seven tackles, senior defensive back Micah Eugene had the highest number but was closely followed by senior defensive back Jordan Batiste, senior linebacker Herbert Harris and junior defensive back JQ Sandolph who each had accomplished six tackles of their own.

Leading the white team were senior running back Kody Sutton who rushed for a score and sophomore running back Eugene Bethea with 12 carries for a total of 49 yards as well as two touchdowns. The leading receiver was junior Jarrell Bennett with five catches for 49 yards.

The aforementioned Landor threw for 133 yards on 12 of 19 passing, while Cutbirth passed for 36 yards on 5-for-12 passing.

On the fifth drive, Sutton gave the white team a 10-8 lead after he ran in a touchdown from 10 yards.

Moving onto the second quarter, the white team changed their tactics to a goal-to-go situation while the gold team hardened to stop freshman running back Julius Maraclin on four consecutive chances.

On the following drive Ja’Hmal Macklin and freshman linebacker Dylan Vaughn forced a safety when they stopped Bethea in the end zone.

Moving into the third quarter, on the third drive, Landor went 4-for-4 for 57 yards, setting up Bethea’s two yard touchdown and advancing the white’s score to 3120.

In the fourth quarter, the highlight was when the gold team’s Dakin picked off a Cutbirth

The Lion’s Roar / Heather Jewell and Gleana Hill

Freshman running back Julius Maraclin lays a stiff arm on junior linebacker Caleb Young (above) during the 2015 Spring Game. New defensive coordinator Blake Williams (below) coaches the members of the gold team on the sideline. pass and allotted the team three points. Bethea closed out the scoring for the white team with a 10-yard run for a touchdown.

“I expect us to get better every day and I want us to play to our potential. None of us have yet to reach that level, not that they haven’t played extremely well but there are still things left to do. We have some upperclassmen who have been playing for years and are going to get to really step up their last year. I want us to realize our greatness,” said Williams.

The 2015 season opens on Sept. 3 with the Lions traveling to Northwestern State for a Southland Conference contest in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

SOFTBALL continued from pg. 8 lasted four innings before junior Madison Vige’ pitched the rest of the way in relief. The four innings of work were enough to grant Bishop her team-leading 10th win of the season.

Once again Southeastern found magic in the first inning, as the Lady Lions were able to

send 10 batters to the plate and score five runs in the process.

Despite the early hole, the Bearcats fought back with four runs in the fourth to bring the score to 5-4 in favor of the home team. One more run in the sixth inning sealed the win with a score of 6-4.

Game Three of the series took place on Super Lion Saturday, but the festivities were

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dampened by a 6-1 lead for the Bearcats heading into the third inning. Although answering back with a run in each of the next two innings, the Lady Lions found themselves denied the sweep and were defeated 8-3 in the series finale. Senior Tori Stamper suffered the loss for the Lady Lions. Langlois credits troubles early on execution as one of the issues the team faced in the series finale.

“We had the opportunity to execute in the first and second inning, and we just didn’t,” said Langlois. “After playing two games, we went to the plate and swung at the first pitch knowing when we get to three, four and five, she’s not just going to serve it up there.”

Up next for the Lady Lions will be a double-header against Lamar University this Friday.

Game one is scheduled for 4 p.m. at North Oak Park.

Visit lionsports.net for more information on Lady Lions Softball.

NEWS

PAGE 10 MARCH 31, 2015

THE LION’S ROAR

Common Read gives insight on Chinese culture

BY SARA PATRICK Editor in Chief

This semester Yiyun Li’s book of short stories “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers” was selected for the bi-annual Common Read. Hundreds of English students read the stories for class, and over the past week several events were held to enlighten students on Chinese culture and the meaning behind Li’s work.

Li is Chinese, but has only written in English.

Her twelve stories in “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers” follow Chinese characters in modern China or America. Many of these stories are about Chinese traditions, such as marriage and duty to family.

“One reason Yiyun Li was chosen is because we partner with the Tennessee Williams Festival in the spring, and Li is one of the featured authors,” said Heather Botsford, English instructor and member of the Common Read committee. “We thought her literary style would be well received by students and were excited to offer a diverse author with an international world view. We chose her collection of stories, ‘A Thousand Years of Good Prayers,’ because the stories, though set in China, are about universal human experiences.”

The first of these events, “The Triumph of Human Will: Revolution and Traditionalism in Mao’s China,” was held Wednesday, March 25 in the Writing Center. The lecture given by Dr. Sam Hyde, Leon Ford Endowed Chair Professor of History, provided students with an overview of Mao’s China as a context for Li’s stories.

Mao Zedong led a rebellion in China in the 1930s and ruled as a dictator until his death in 1976. During his rule, Mao launched three

campaigns, the first of which caused a famine in China. His second campaign begged for feedback from intellectuals, but after hearing complaints, he launched a third campaign to purge the nation of anyone with pre-Mao beliefs.

“Mao was a great revolutionary,” said Hyde.

“He was a terrible governor. He didn’t know what the hell to do.”

In several of Li’s stories, the characters talk about communism and the cultural revolution, which Hyde also mentioned in his lecture.

The following evening, some of Dr. Chance Harvey’s freshman English 102 students presented a dramatization of Yiyun Li’s “Love in the Marketplace.” Freshman education major Karly Gunter, who portrayed the main character Sansan, was nervous, but honored and excited because she connected to Li’s story. “‘Love in the Marketplace’ was my favorite story,” said Gunter. “I just love the point of the story, that a promise is a promise. That means a lot to me. I do think that it was very honoring to be able to do this [act the part of Sansan], and I’m looking forward to being able to do this in front of the author.”

Monday, the author visited campus for a day of Common Read events beginning with the presentation of pre-selected English papers about Li’s stories, followed by a Q&A with Li. Harvey’s students gave an additional performance of their play for the author.

“Students always report that they are excited to have had the chance to meet the author of a book they have studied in class,” said Alison Pelegrin, English instructor. “I also love that they have a tangible reminder that literature is an ongoing process; it is happening right now, and that means

DEBATE continued from pg. 1

GARDEN continued from pg. 1

SGA so far, such as starting the sexual abuse awareness advocacy campaign.

In particular, he believes there needs to be more of a focus on social justice issues within SGA. “Social justice needs to be advocated for,” said Reling.

“Student leaders need to be at the front of it.”

For more information on the SGA, check out their page on the university website.

through setting up their own plant bed free of cost.

“They don’t have to purchase the ground or the plot, but they would have to build their bed,” said Bliss. “If you want a plot, you come in and add some sweat and time.”

Bliss encouraged students to get involved either through working in the garden or mentoring children in healthy living.

“It would be great if a group of young adults at Southeastern picked up this project and

AROUND

THE

mentored younger children,” said Bliss. “It’s a place for everyone to be out there, experience nature, the garden and physical activity and each other.”

According to Bostic, Southeastern students volunteered to help clean up the garden as part of the Big Event community outreach last Saturday.

In addition to the monthly Garden Day for community members to help work on the plot, Bliss encouraged anyone interested to attend an informational meeting in April.

Though Bliss coordinates the operations and upkeep of

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Rouge on April 15 for a march in peaceful protest of the recent cuts to the state higher

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at least one person. By Meredith Somers and Lolita C. Baldor.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS REVISING INDIANA RELIGIOUS LAW INDIANAResponding to an avalanche of criticism, Republican lawmakers begin

drafting revisions to an Indiana law on religious beliefs to ensure that the measure does not allow

discrimination against gays and lesbians. By Tom Davies.

SAUDI-LED COALITION BEGINS BLOCKADE OF YEMENI PORTS

YEMEN - Naval forces of the Saudi-led coalition start a blockade of Yemeni ports,

while airstrikes target the capital and forces of Shiite rebels and their allies trying

to advance on the southern government stronghold of Aden. By Ahmed al-Haj.

FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER CONVICTED OF CORRUPTION ISRAEL — Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is convicted of unlawfully accepting money from a

U.S. supporter in a retrial on corruption charges, the latest chapter in the downfall of a man who only years earlier

hoped to lead the country to a historic peace agreement with the Palestinians. By Daniel Estrin.

The Lion’s Roar / Sara Patrick

Each semester students from Dr. Chance Harvey ‘s freshman English 102 classes put on a play based on the Common Read.

This semester students acted out Yiyun Li’s story “Love in the Marketplace.” In this scene, the beggar, played by Cody Varisco (above center), tells people they can cut him if they give him 10 yuen, but Sansan’s mother, played by Brittany Chedraui (left), refuses. Sansan, played by Karly Gunter (right), takes the knife because she can relate to the beggar. that the conversation is constantly shifting.”

Later in the afternoon, a panel was held with Li and special guests at the Writing Center to speak to English majors about finding a mentor, internships the garden, Dr. Mary Bostic, professor of industrial technology, owns the lot and was influential in the startup two years ago. In addition to her own funds, Bostic received physical and monetary support from Troy Built and City of Hammond Grants department.

The first crop of vegetables was tilled and harvested December 2013.

“I was contacted by Donna Bliss, and we made an agreement for her to assume the upkeep of the property and to have complete access to continue garden activity,” said Bostic. “They have more than lived up to my expectations. All

and other opportunities.

The Common Read concluded in the Student Union Theatre Monday at 6:30 p.m. with a reading and Q&A with Li.

the gardening is done by Donna and her groups, and I have simply stood back and admired her work.”

More recently, Bliss has received donations from local business and community members to help purchase soil and to build the first boxes. They raised soil boxes instead of the ground.

“The interest meeting is for anyone who is interested in what we’re doing, to get involved and learn without any commitment,” said Bliss. “If you can come to an information night, it’s less commitment and you can ask questions.”

Bliss and Bostic are organizing

a variety of children’s activities for the summer which may include gardening, crafts, rock gardens and science activities, such as the study of wild flowers, poison plants identification, birds and other small animals.

For more information on the Louisiana Healthy Communities Coalition, visit healthylouisiana. org. For more information on the garden, contact Bliss at 985-4152169 or donnabliss@live.com.

“No person is an island,” said Bostic. “We are a part of our community, and if we do not work to make our community better we betray ourselves.”