The Lion's Roar 05/02/2017 by The Lion's Roar // Le Souvenir

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

Hammond, LA

May 2, 2017

Students get messy at 10th annual Swamp Bowl REGINA PERGOLA Staff Reporter

For seven hours, 22 teams played in a double elimination mud volleyball tournament at Swamp Bowl. Hosted by the Recreational Sports and Wellness Center and Campus Activities Board outside the Pennington, the volleyball games were played in three courts, which were pits dug in the ground and filled with water to create a muddy platform. The Swamp Bowl took place on Friday, Apr. 28. Teams had the opportunity to register until Apr. 14 with the guarantee of a T-shirt. Deryn Hill, a junior biology major on the team Kiss My Ace played in the first round against the team Block Party. “It was really hard to jump around in mud,” said Hill. “You think you’re going to go dive to get a ball and your feet just stay stuck where they are.” Starting at 12:30 p.m., teams played each other in a bracket format until the final two teams played against one another at 7:30 p.m. The Swamp Goats won

the final tournament, beating I’d Hit That with a score of 25-19. Monica Ramon, a junior mathematics major on I’d Hit That described her experience playing with her roommate and her teammate on the volleyball team. “It was a lot of fun,” said Ramon. “Especially playing volleyball in muddy water.” Ramon expressed that she had been in the audience during the past year’s Swamp Bowl and was inspired to play this year as a result. Ty’Desha Hall is a REC Kids worker and she was with a group of children from the REC Kids After School Program that observed the mud volleyball tournament for a portion of the games. “Today is just Friday,” said Hall. “They usually don’t have homework. Today is just a fun day. So, this is going on, and they couldn’t pay attention during snack time, so we were like ‘Let’s bring them out here.’” CAB Coordinator Nick Elliott expanded on what Swamp Bowl means to the university and its

Swamp Bowl 2017 was put on by Recreational Sports & Wellness and Campus Activities Board. Three pits that were filled with mud and water served as the courts for the end of semester mud volleyball tournament which took place over the course of seven and a half hours. Regina Pergola/The Lion’s Roar students. “Swamp Bowl was started 10 years ago,” said Elliott. “It’s something fun for the students to do. We do it at the end of the year

for students to come out and to enjoy. It’s just kind of a simple tradition. They look forward to it. It doesn’t take a lot of thought or a lot of practice to be able

DSA honors students for excellence at Convocation NIKISUN SHRESTHA Staff Reporter

The Division for Student Affairs organized their annual convocation this past week to recognize the achievements of various university students and organizations. On Tuesday, Apr. 25, DSA awarded The Man and Woman of the Year, Greek Man and Woman of the Year and the Green “S” awards. Senior communication major Neil Bourgeois was awarded the DSA Outstanding Man of the Year award. He describes his feelings after receiving the honor. “I was honestly surprised watching the video announcing that I had won,” said Bourgeois. “I know that there are many amazing student leaders on Southeastern’s campus who also deserve this award. I cried multiple times watching the video because winning this award meant so much to me. I feel incredibly blessed to be the 2017 DSA Outstanding Man of the Year.” Bourgeois expresses how he has grown over the years and feels he is on the right track after being awarded. “Southeastern truly means everything to me,” said Bourgeois. “It has brought me so many amazing opportunities to grow as a leader and a person. I am not the same person today that I was when I stepped on this campus in the fall of 2013. Getting the DSA Outstanding Man of the Year award validates to me that I am doing something right. Anyone that knows me knows that my true passion is leadership. I try everyday to be the best me and the best leader I can be.”

to be good at this volleyball were Brudders From Another tournament. It’s just a good time Mudder, Be Served, Crazy to get out there and enjoy the last Wet Suits, Sets On The Beach, few days of class.” see SWAMP BOWL, pg. 2 Other teams that played

Allen and Gilvey dance about womanhood and wandering ANNIE GOODMAN Staff Reporter

The Division for Student Affairs Leadership Ambassadors were recognized at the annual convocation. The event included the DSA Outstanding Man and Woman of the Year and the Greek Man and Woman of the Year awards being presented to students for their involvement on campus. Nikisun Shrestha/The Lion’s Roar President of Sigma Tau Delta and former president of Gamma Beta Phi Abbie Chiasson was awarded the DSA Outstanding Woman of the Year. Like Bourgeois, Chiasson was surprised after being awarded. “I was totally shocked,” said Chiasson. “I never thought I could get something like that. I’m not part of the SGA, I’m not in DSA and they had so many other people there who I felt were more qualified than I was. So, I was totally shocked. I was really excited when they gave my organization an award. I was just so excited with that, and I was ready to go. So, I was really surprised.”

Lauren Lambert was named the Greek Woman of the Year while Austin Rogers was awarded the Greek Man of the Year. Lambert shares how she felt after being awarded and also how being involved with Greek life helped her. “It was great,” said Lambert. “I wasn’t expecting it because there were so many people nominated for the award. It’s just great to be recognized. In high school, I wasn’t that involved, and I never thought I’d join Greek life. So, I just think everyone

see CONVOCATION, pg. 10

As part of their curriculum, general studies majors concentrating in dance must present a Senior Dance Major Thesis Concert. This year, Faith Allen and Sean Gilvey presented theirs. Allen’s concert was held Apr. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Gilvey’s was on Apr. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Allen, who is also majoring in psychology, plans to pursue a master’s degree in psychology at the university. Her show was about womanhood. “My senior concert was about women and being empowered as a woman,” said Allen. “I wanted to really talk about the different aspects of what makes a woman who they are. My dance was about empowerment, beauty, love, dreaming and uplifting. I wanted it to cover all aspects of the positivity of being a woman, not the negativity with the media that’s happening right now.” Director of Dance Keith “Skip” Costa felt Allen’s concert showed how much she has grown. “I liked watching the

growth that she’s had here at Southeastern,” said Costa. “I’ve known her before coming to Southeastern. She danced so vividly. She was a woman tonight. I felt she grew up on that stage, especially in her solo. The concept was clear. The dancers executed her ideas. I think she did a great job. She had a great turnout. She ran out of programs, which means she had a pretty good house to support her work.” Despite technical glitches, Gilvey felt his concerts went well. “All the pieces went really good,” said Gilvey. “There was a little sound mishap in the very beginning, but it was covered up really quickly, very easily. I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed working on it, and I enjoyed all the people that danced in it. I had a great time doing it, and I’d love to do it again.” Allen has been dancing for 18 years. “I used to try to tap dance when I was younger, and I didn’t even have tap shoes on,” said Allen. “So, my mom was like, ‘This must be a sign that she

see DANCE, pg. 8

Rogers inspires fellow students and friends to ‘Find Your Roar’ on campus Division for Student Affairs Greek Man of the Year strives for excellence inside and outside of the classroom MORGAN LEDET Editor

Chief

Student involvement is what every student can do to be a part of the university whether it be in sports, campus events or Greek life. One student takes student involvement to Austin Rogers the next level. Originally from Denham Springs, Austin Rogers had intended to only study his prerequisites at Southeastern. “Both of my siblings had attended Southeastern, and I had planned to attend to complete my prerequisite classes and transfer to LSU,” said Rogers. “But when I started, I quickly found out that Southeastern was my home, and I could never leave.” Rogers has been involved

on campus in numerous ways. He was an Orientation Leader in 2015 and was appointed justice for Student Government Association where he has worked under the chief justice for three semesters. “This year, I am serving on the president’s cabinet as the codirector of Leadership Council with Richard Davis,” said Rogers. “It is kind of bittersweet because the first thing I did on campus was join the Leadership Council as a member my freshman year. Now I get to see things on the other side.” On top of all of this, he is the founder and president of the Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement. He is in his second year serving as a Division for Student Affairs Leadership Ambassador, was initiated into Order of Omega, was appointed to serve on the Interfraternity

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Council executive board, serves as a College of Business ambassador and was voted onto the Homecoming Court for 2016. Also, Rogers is president of his fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha that he joined in 2015. “At the time, they were still a colony and had yet to become a chapter,” said Rogers. “I was lucky enough to join right before we received the charter, so I am a junior Founding Father of the Mu Nu chapter. In my soon to be two years, I have served as campus involvement, public relations, treasurer and the current president.” As president, one of his fraternity brothers says he puts his all into his position. “Austin puts a lot of time into his position as president,” said Neil Bourgeois, a senior communication major. “There are a lot of times where he has to

put off his own things to work on stuff for the chapter. He is very selfless with his time he gives to the chapter.” Rogers is a senior with a double major in management and marketing while also minoring in communication. He has worked closely with professors during his time at the university and David Faucheux thinks that he and Rogers have a close relationship. “You can tell he’s focused,” said Faucheux. “Me being from the real world, I take things a little more seriously about why you should be in class. Why you should learn, why you should set goals, why you should have a plan of action going forward. Austin is one student I saw that with, and so my interaction with Austin in the classroom and outside the classroom is almost more than a teacher-student relationship. It’s more or less

Index

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

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

a mentor-protégé relationship. wants. Faucheux thinks Rogers That’s the kind of relationship I is one of those farmers. wanna have with my students.” “I always tell my students, Faucheux explains that ‘While you’re young, your a farmer has to plant seeds depending on exactly what he see ROGERS, pg. 9

Neil Bourgeois, left, has worked with Austin Rogers, right, this past February on the Lions LEAD leadership retreat that the DSA Ambassadors put on. Rogers was in charge of putting together the first Advanced Leadership Track which Bourgeois assisted him with. Larshell Green/The Lion’s Roar Stay Connected With Us!

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PAGE 2 | MAY 2, 2017

The Lion’s Roar | CAMPUS LIFE

Strawberry Jubilee offers outlet before ﬁnals JONATHAN RHODES STAFF REPORTER

The 27th annual Strawberry Jubilee, hosted by the Campus Activities Board and held at the Student Union War Memorial Park, gave students and faculty the chance to relax, eat free food and enjoy the tables set up by student organizations. Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Eric Summers cut the traditional strawberry cake along with Miss Southeastern 2017 Kristyn Gary. “It’s one of my favorite events of the year, and obviously it is one of the students’ favorite events because they show up in great numbers,” said Summers. “This gives them a nice break from the academic side to kind of relax

and let the hair down and enjoy some good friends and good food. It kind of helps to relieve the stress in the classroom.” Gary enjoyed being a major part of the festivities as Miss Southeastern, but also enjoyed the excitement that all students have at the event. “I think it is a fun tradition that Southeastern has, and I am really honored to be a part of it,” said Gary. “Kind of being on the other side of things with helping the administration cut cake and everything, it definitely is different. But it is still just the same. I am still a student here and feels just as fun.” Something that was new to Strawberry Jubilee was a dunking booth by the Pre-Law Student Association table.

“We knew people always do food and water at Strawberry Jubilee and we wanted to do something with games and whatnot,” said Vy Tran, president of the Pre-Law Student Association. “Having a dunk tank was one thing, but we wanted it to appeal to students and what better way than to dunk your own professors? The teachers that volunteered actually sent an email that said, ‘Want a chance to get back at your professors? Here is your chance with a promise of no point reduction in your grades.’” Dr. Lisa Olson, the advisor for the Pre-Law Student Association was one of the three professors that volunteered to be dunked.

In the Lion Light: A spotlight on campus organizations

Camp Rec Kids returns offering safety, fun and wellness for local children BY SARAH HESS Staff Reporter

The Pennington will be hosting a summer camp for children aged 5 to 13. The camp named Camp Rec is focused on the well-being and safety of its campers. The camp will begin on May 29 and is run by counselors who are students at the university. These students were chosen through a rigorous application process. Assistant Director of Youth Programs and Field Experience Kathy Cusimano is in charge of Camp Rec and all its workers. “I have the best counselors, but I have to make sure I have the best counselors,” said Cusimano. Last year’s summer camp had see JUBILEE, pg. 10 seven counselors and currently four have been hired. This week, they will be conducting interviews for more counselors. Cusimano has made sure that her counselors are equipped with multiple skills to ensure that the children of the camp will have a safe, fun and productive week at Camp Rec. The counselors must be certified in CPR, attend Darkness to Life class and even take part in a food-training program. Cusimano explained why they put emphasis on hiring the most qualified students to work with children, “It takes a special kind of person to spend eight hours with a child,” said Cusimano. “We have to get in the pool. We go on off-campus field trips, so yeah they do have to be talented.” Camp Rec has three main principles woven into their program. Safety for the campers, monitoring to make sure each child has a fun camp experience and wellness of the campers, where each staff member treats the children like their own. Cusimano explained about how beneficial Camp Rec is for the children. Dr. Lisa Olson, assistant professor of criminal justice and the advisor to the Pre-Law Student Association, helped her “They’re meeting kids they haven’t met before students raise money by volunteering to be in a dunk booth for Strawberry Jubilee. JONATHAN RHODES/THE LION’S ROAR and they have to spend a week with them, so it’s about team building,” said Cusimano. “It’s about SWAMP BOWL

continued from pg. 1 Jaeger Bombs, Alter Servers, Diggs, Deez Nets, Brick Squad, Muddy Tacos, Mudd Dawgs, MBA Jam, Swamp Foots, MBA Green, Team Extreme, 1998 Mulan, Swamp Goats, Swamp Swimmers, Swamp Donkies and MBA Gold Squad. The final event that CAB is

bonding and building relationships as well as learning sports and different games and just stepping out and different activities.” Cusimano estimates around 70 to 80 children will participate in this summer’s Camp Rec. Children attending the camp will get to take part in many fun and learning oriented activities. Cusimano says that when she was working on planning for Camp Rec, she strived for their event not to be just field trips but an adventure. Cusimano expanded on what she believes the program offers to the community. “We do so much, we introduce the kids to things they don’t get to do every day,” said Cusimano. “So each day is completely different and not only that but parents have work. We have culinary once a week. We have robotics once a week. So those are high school students that are coming in to do that, but that gives them their hours. That’s a great way that we’re partnering not only with the community, we’re also willing to pick up kids half day if they’re going to lab school for camp. We have late care so I feel like really we’re here for the kids to have an experience. It’s all about them making friends and bonding with counselors.” Cusimano talks about how the children and counselors, such as Ty’Desha Hall, have been affected by the program. “She came to me wanting just 40 hours a week and now she’s changed her major to work with children,” said Cusimano. “She’s one of my best counselors. She’s a mentor on campus. She’s amazing and she will be my lead counselor for the summer camp.” Hall is a junior and was a psychology major but soon found herself changing her major after finding her passion for working with children when she applied last year to work as a counselor at Camp Rec. Hall talks about her time working with the children. “I could be having a bad day stressed about finals and I come here and they do something to make me laugh and it brightens my day,” said Hall.

Crawﬁsh, Monsters and games, oh my

putting on will be held today, Tuesday, May 2. “We only have one more event and that’s our second Puppy Pawlooza,” said Elliott. “I think it starts at 11. We work with local animal shelters to bring puppies onto campus. Just for students to come and enjoy some kind of pet therapy. Just to come play with a dog and enjoy it right before finals kick in.”

NATHANIEL CALLAWAY STAFF REPORTER

REC Fest is an annual event put on for students to mingle with fellow students while partaking in food, games and music. The picnic style event was held on Thursday, Apr. 27, outside the Pennington from 2 to 6 p.m. Multiple groups and organizations set up booths. Monster Energy set up a tent to hand out free energy drinks. Crawfish and drinks were provided for free to university students and $10 for the public. The games included beanbag toss and a giant Jenga game. However, while the event was enjoyed by some of the students, others thought it was not on par with last year’s. “Last year’s was better,” said Alexis Guerra, a sophomore healthcare management major. “I understand we’ve got Swamp Bowl coming up as well, so really it’s not that bad. I’m enjoying myself. They did Swamp Bowl before REC Fest last year, so there was just way more room. And it was a lot bigger. It’s not bad though, like I said, it’s still really nice. It’s something to do, so there’s that. The main thing is the crawfish to be honest. That’s all that matters.” Some students felt it was a pleasant afternoon despite the limited amount of food choices. The 2017 Swamp Bowl mud volleyball double elimination tournament took place last Friday. The Campus Activities Board and the Recreational Sports & Wellness, “It’s not bad, but I mean, who hosted Swamp Bowl, served drinks while Mario Lozanov, the owner of City Gelato, sold hand crafted gelato. REGINA PERGOLA/THE LION’S ROAR I wasn’t here last year. So, I

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

Delta Omega Alpha

Delta Omega Alpha is a pre-professional honors society on Southeastern’s campus designed to aid students with preparation towards a career in health care. The organization brings in representatives from a number of ﬁelds and graduate schools to provide information on pursuing a graduate level degree, including but not limited to medical, Nursing, Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Physical or Occupational Therapy, Anesthesiology, Pharmacy,

on by

Dental, Veterinary, Pathology, Ophthalmology or Optometry and Public Health, Medical Technician, Scribe or Volunteer. We meet every other Monday at 5 p.m. in Meade Hall, Room 112. Meetings last approximately one hour, and food is provided. Total dues are $15 a semester, which includes t-shirt, food, rafﬂe prizes, etc. and are due at the second meeting of each term. If you are interested in joining Delta Omega Alpha for the Spring 2017 term, or would like additional information, please feel free to e-mail us at doaselu@gmail.com https://doaselu.wordpress.com/

don’t know what to compare it with,” said Ana Hernandez, a sophomore finance major. “The jambalaya is okay, but I’m not a seafood person, so I guess it’s good.” While there were a great deal of recreational activities to choose from at the event, other organizations and clubs used it as an opportunity to raise money for various causes. “We’re a part of the Southeastern Sociological Association, and right now we’re just trying to raise some money,” said Will Busby, a sophomore marketing major. “What we like to do is to bring forth some current issues in the community. This is for one of those.” Busby explained that he and his group were selling some baked goods for the clean water situation in St. Joseph, Louisiana. “I don’t know if everyone is familiar with the situation, but right now their government and the people there are fighting back and forth about their water situation,” said Busby. “It’s really dirty and clearly undrinkable. If you Google it, you can see all the reports on it. The government says it’s okay, but it’s not. As of right now, we’ve raised enough money and cases of water that we’re just gonna donate to the whole city. Right now we’re just trying to raise even more money at the end of the semester, so we can get off on a good note.”

Opinions | The Lion’s Roar

May 2, 2017 | Page 3

s p e a k

Surviving dead week and finals apocalypse

o u t

What is your best kept secret to finals success? “Study hard, stay procrasination.” Joe Quarious Simmons Freshman, Business Administration

focused

and

“Basically, just study as much as I can, use the study guides professors give and a good night’s rest. Without it, you’re done.” Phinehas Taylor Freshman, English

“To-do lists and staying organized.” Molly Lesage Junior, General Studies

“Know your professor, study and have a mental The dreaded intellectual breakdown once in a while.” apocalypse of our generation is Kayla Fletcher closing in fast around us. We are Sophomore, General Studies warned that it will be completely normal to have feelings of complete and utter despair and to expect to “Focus and do not procrastinate. The only way be completely to succeed is to study ahead of time. Focus helpless in more on the classes you’re not doing well in.” the upcoming Dorian Carriere Regina Pergola desolation of Senior, Communication Staff Reporter the human psyche. No amount of preparation will ever be enough to survive the “Study beforehand, don’t stress too much and incoming desolate landscape organization.” of barren intellect. We will be Elizabeth Maurin challenged beyond the socially Freshman, English Education accepted physical and mental limits of human capabilities. with the physical and mental. No, I am not talking about the newest fashionable supernaturally inspired apocalypse. I’m talking “Rewriting notes and lots of coffee.” about the trials of every semester’s Allison Garar finals week. In the beginning, Freshman, Criminal Justice simple instructions are given out to students. Arm oneself with useful knowledge over extended periods of time. Stock up on the necessary nourishments required “Don’t wait till finals week to study for finals.” to sustain human life and push Laura Montreuil boundaries of sleep deprivation, Sophomore, Middle School Education hunger and mental energy. Find the necessary documents that are needed to ensure the rejection

of failure before the beginning of any exam. Snack shelves are emptied, energy drinks are hoarded and scantrons are coveted. I can only try to help and offer what advice I have on surviving the F.I.N.A.L.S., or Fear Inspiring Nearly All Last minute Studiers. My advice is as follows: Be up in arms. When preparing for the dreaded 8 a.m. final exams, proper defenses are essential. These come in many shapes and sizes. Though the playwright Edward BulwerLytton said, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” I respectfully disagree. Nothing is as important in the apocalyptic 336 hours of preparing and taking finals as a good pencil. The counterpart of many pencils during finals week would have to be either scantrons or blue books. To be sufficiently prepared, I urge you to obtain this key instrument far beforehand. Like storing nonperishable food items for the incoming zombie apocalypse, writing utensils are something every student should have stocked up on. It’s too late now for advice on how to prepare at the beginning of and during the semester. Now is the time for insincere promises to never let study habits get this bad

and worthless oaths about next semester being properly planned around time management and a structured life. Continuing on with my advice, I suggest staying on the move, albeit mentally. There is no time to rest, no time to take a break. Socializing is for the weak. Sleep is for the dead. Only those who can cram an entire school years worth of knowledge into their brains a week before the finals will survive. This is natural selection at its finest. I apologize, I meant that this is the American school system at its finest. Of course, one can hardly worry about their mental stability, dreams of happiness or hopes of obtaining enough sleep to function when grades are on the line. After the supply of cramped and halfforgotten knowledge is exhausted and after the inevitable blank mindedness that comes with staring at a piece of paper, comes a period in which freedom is foreseen. It is mistaken foresight because while there is a distinct lack of student psychics, it is a common truth that at the end of one finals week is the beginning of preparation for the next. Unless the student is graduating, in which case they have a whole other set of problems with

which to deal. Once minds have become desolate landscapes, intellect has been depleted, and mental breakdowns have subsided into residual tremors, the realization of an easy option becomes present to any student who wishes to short the ongoing pressure during exams. This advice has been passed down from generations of students to the next. This coveted piece of intel has only recently been cleared for public knowledge. This option is, very obviously, that the student purchases a one-way ticket to the place of their desired destination before dead week. There, they can successfully ignore any and all pressures or stress that comes with finals. Of course, they will also be ignoring their finals but that is a far less important detail. Who cares about going to classes and automatic termination of continuing education when you’re in Fiji? Disclaimer: please don’t actually follow this advice. Study hard, take care of yourself and please realize that grades don’t really last that long. Finals are not the “end-all, be-all” of your college career and envisioned future.

Dismantling Mistaken Heroes, statue removal in N.O.

“Sleep ’cause if you don’t sleep, you won’t do as well.” Here we are. The year is 2017, in the Sarah Plaisance midst of one of the single most progressive Senior, Physics time periods in the 200,000 years of human history. We’re a lot of things, us people. We are, at our very core, resilient. Keep in mind that word: resilient. We’ve suffered trial “Keep all of your old tests and look over them.” after trial after trial after Kate Thomas trial for thousands of Sophomore, Marketing years. That said, the past 2,000 years alone have Zachary Billiot been some of the hardest Staff Reporter years humanity has faced. And every time, we’ve bounced back. The past 300 years have been pretty hard, too. Famine and conflict “Study before finals season.” after famine and conflict. In the United Matthew Prescott States, we’ve faced the Civil War, the Senior, History Great War, World War II, the Jim Crow era and things like that. Make no mistake, many of these events were due to the actions of people whose motives encompassed the worst attributes “Study at least a week before. Stay calm and of Humanity. They were fueled by racism and prejudices caused by ignorance and eat.” hate and fear of something different than Connor Shows themselves. Junior, Nursing In the southern United States and in New Orleans specifically, these horrible traits ran rampant. Racism and discrimination were things that we used to be known for, 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. 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.

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much like Mississippi and Alabama. These were trials that we faced as people. And we’re still bouncing back. As I understand it, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the city of New Orleans started taking down monuments to historical figures from the Civil War and other eras around that time. Specifically, they’re taking down the obelisk dedicated to the Battle of Liberty Place, statues of both Robert E. Lee and P.G.T. Beauregard, who were generals of the Confederate States of America, and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. A monument, by definition, is something that commemorates a famous figure or a person worth noting, typically in the interest of honoring them. The honoring part is where these statues of Confederate leaders becomes an issue. These are men who, in my opinion, abandoned the ideals of our nation and while the most notable factor of their motives was not their sole intention, they prided themselves on the worst aspects of humanity simply by aligning themselves with those who would have preferred people of color remain in chains. I know that Robert E. Lee called slavery “a moral and political evil in any country.” He was a complex man, but he was still a man of

his time. He owned slaves. Regardless of how he treated them, they were still slaves. Jefferson Davis led the country that ultimately supported that slavery. P.G.T. Beauregard aligned himself with these ideals, regardless of his intentions. The support of slavery by the Confederation is not negotiable; it’s a fact. That said, the monuments to these men do not reflect the ideals and the resilience that we have as people. I think these are not men we should honor, they are men we should study and learn from and learn what not to do. Now, there are people who think that this is erasing history. To put it simply: it’s not. The city isn’t destroying these monuments. It is simply storing them until they can place them elsewhere in the proper context. The city isn’t erasing its history, it’s showing that we have learned from and do not support ideals that exclude the unity that we need to survive. Taking down these statues is us bouncing back from a plague that we are still facing today. New Orleans wouldn’t be what it is without the people we have. Should we really honor those who sought to keep some of us in chains and considered to be less than people? I don’t think so.

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Page 4 | May 2, 2017

The Lion’s Roar | Arts & Entertainment

Four-man show presents a spin on classic children’s tale

In this version of the play by the Virginia Repertory Theatre, the wolf became a sweater model and lived with townspeople in the conclusion. Larshell Green/The Lion’s Roar

The four-man show consisted of Leanna Hicks, who played the Mayor, Benjamin Brackley, who played The Boy, Emma- Claire Polich, who played Inga and Cory Steiger, who played Larry the Sheep and the Narrator. The theatre has existed for more than 60 years with the intention of providing performances and a knowledge of theatre to children. Olivia and Jackson Pizzolato of Tickfaw, bottom right, had milk and cookies after the production in the Columbia’s lobby. The cast greeted children and took photos. Larshell Green/The Lion’s Roar LARSHELL GREEN A&E Editor

Four members from the Virginia Repertory Theatre visited the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts to present a different version of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” The play ran on Saturday, Apr. 29 at 7 p.m. Children were encouraged to wear pajamas and were given cookies and milk at the conclusion of the show in the Columbia’s lobby. Executive Director of the Columbia Theatre for Performing Arts Roy Blackwood shared the benefits of including the tradition at the theatre’s productions. “It’s really popular,” said Blackwood. “The parents love it, the kids really love it and they especially like it when the cast comes out.” The four-man show consisted of Benjamin Brackley who played the Boy, Emma-Claire Polich who played Inga, Leanna Hicks, who played the Mayor and Cory Steiger who played Larry the Sheep and the Narrator. Because of their small cast, members of the production simultaneously played other characters such as Polich’s role as the Town Crier, Brackley’s role as the Town’s Guardian Candidate and Steiger’s role as the Town Guardian. Virginia Repertory’s version of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” began when Steiger retired from his role of Town Guardian. A campaign began between

Polich and Brackley, and Brackely’s character sabotaged Polich’s character Inga by spreading the rumor that she had fleas. “‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’ is such a popular story, in any version, so I think people should come in with an open mind,” said Steiger. “I think our version has something that’s a little different. There’s a lot of twists and turns.” One of those twists occurred at the conclusion of the play when Brackley, who played the new Town Guardian, pretended to see the Wolf. When the Wolf showed up, Inga saved the townspeople and was appointed Town Guardian. Brackely’s character learned the error of his ways and was named Most Trustworthy Citizen. The Wolf became the town’s sweater model. Adaline Brock, 7, of Loranger Elementary School enjoyed the theatrical elements of the show and quickly identified the moral of the story. “I learned that you shouldn’t lie to other people,” said Brock. “If you lie, they might not believe you and you could hurt people.” Shameka Lee of Greensburg brought kids along to teach them some of the lessons described in the production. “I did actually like that about the show as far as being honest, telling the truth and not being a bully,” said Lee. “I’m so against bullying.” Hicks explained the importance of imagination

when presenting a show to an audience. “I think it’s always best when people are already in the mindset of what this is, and they’re ready to imagine with us, go along with our different characters that we go into, are ready to open their creative minds with us and come along the journey with us,” said Hicks. The Virginia Repertory Theatre has been around for over 60 years. According to Brackley, who also serves as the road manager for the show, the theatre was originally known as Theatre IV. The Columbia Theatre has worked with this company before and likes their professionalism. “We’ve contacted the Virginia Rep before,” said Blackwood. “They’re an excellent company. They always produce a really good show, and we can count on them.” In 2012, Theatre IV and Barksdale Theatre merged to create the current company that is based in Richmond, Virginia that hopes to educate children about theatre. “We travel the country going to different schools and theatres, performing for children,” said Brackley. “We get kids involved in the arts by introducing them to what theatre is and what it can be. We do different things such as with the sound, sometimes with the lights depending on the theatre that we’re at.” Blackwood explained the importance of allowing

children to be exposed to the theatre community early in life. “We want it to be fun for them so that when they come back later, they’ll want to come back and they’ll already know how to behave.” said Blackwood. “Then they’ll maybe start a tradition of coming to the theatre. It’s all about audience development.” The actors work hard to differentiate each character they play. “That also relies on us too, being able to distinguish different characters for the audience members so they don’t have to do a whole ton of work,” said Hicks. “It’s nice when our costumes and our props that we put on to create a whole new character from the one we just played literally two milliseconds ago helps us tell the story to them in different character ways. It’s nice when they’re open to, ‘That’s a new person, that’s a new character.’” Polich cites two of the perks to her job as being able to travel and inspire the youth of communities. “I’ve never been to Louisiana until yesterday, so getting to travel is really awesome,” said Polich. “Also, being able to dress up and play imagination games on tour is super fun for me because I get to literally do what I love as my job. I get to brighten so many kids’days or evenings and just have a great time. and see their enthusiasm for theatre or costumes.”

Local chefs prepare to present meals at the Culinary Arts Series REGINA PERGOLA Staff Reporter

Chefs will have a chance to display their dishes at the Hammond Regional Arts Center’s Culinary Arts Series. “The Culinary Arts Series is part of HRAC’s annual programming and one of our major fundraising events,” said Tara Bennett, the media coordinator of the HRAC. “This is an excellent opportunity for an off-menu experience showcasing the acclaimed chefs of our region.” CAS’s 2017 season has already been sold out for the months of May, June, July and August. “The Culinary Arts Series is one of the premiere events the Hammond Regional Arts Center organizes each year,” said Bennett. “It offers guests an opportunity to see how food is prepared and developed all right before their eyes.” There are still available tickets for the “Coming Home” dinner which will be held on Sep. 11. Each dinner consists of different courses that are prepared in front of the audience. “We present five dinners every year with a different chef for each one,” said

Bennett. “They prepare three or four courses while explaining the various techniques shown in creating them. When they are done, the dish is served to the audience. We usually have either a salad or appetizer, a main course and dessert for every dinner. There are wines to go with the meal as well.” The first CAS dinner will be prepared by Chef Paul Dupré, owner of mid-city Baton Rouge restaurant and pie shop Elsie’s Plate & Pie. “Chef Dupré is our first featured chef of the season, and we’re excited to bring him to Hammond as attendees of the May Culinary Arts Series dinner will be one of the first groups of people to try his delicacies,” said Bennett. Dupré will be preparing dishes including 3-cheese Smoky Pimento on Crostini, Seafood La Fourche Bisque, Poulet Pot Pie and Banana Foster’s Cream Pie. Chefs of all ages are able to attend and take advice from the presenting chefs as an opportunity to further their education. “Aspiring young chefs in the audience will be able to hear tricks of the trade from these seasoned professionals and will have chances to have their personal culinary

questions answered,” said Bennett. “It’s like being in the audience for a cooking show.” This year, Chef Tommy Wong of Trey Yuen will present his dinner on Jun. 12, Chef Joshua Garic of Jacmel Inn will present on Jul. 10 and Chef Tommy Masaracchia of Tope Là will present on Aug. 14. “While the format doesn’t change, each Culinary Arts Series dinner is never the same,” said Bennett. “One chef’s talents may lie in one genre of cooking, but it does not mean that is what you will be served. An Italian chef may decide he wants to put his spin on a dish from France or Japan. It’s a great chance for chefs to play.” The CAS has been around for years and aims to bring the community together over food. “This Hammond tradition is celebrating two decades of creating and experiencing delicious cuisine,” said Bennett. “Back in 1997, it was formed to raise awareness of the work that goes into culinary art to showcase the level of southeast Louisiana’s regional talent and present art in a way outside of the realm of paintings Chef Paul Dupré will kick off the Culinary Arts Series hosted by the Hammond and sculptures.” Regional Arts Center. Courtesy of Phillip Colwart

Theatre program receives grant to host traveling show for kids ANNIE GOODMAN Staff Reporter

The university’s chapter of Alpha Psi Omega has received an inaugural grant from the APO National Office. “This is the first year they offered this grant,” said James Winter, associate professor of acting and directing and faculty advisor for Alpha Psi Omega. “It’s called the Frankie Day Chapter Advancement Grant. It’s named after a past president of the national organization. It’s to help chapters like our chapter either produce work or enhance whatever they’re doing on campuses and in communities.” This grant will be used to fund their touring production of “The Jungle Book.” “We applied for it, and we got the first ever one,” said Winter. “We got a $1,000 grant from the national office to help us produce a touring production. Every spring, Alpha Psi Omega does an allages show, something for parents and children alike, that we take on tour usually just somewhere along the I-12 corridor. We’ll do shows in Baton Rouge, Covington, Bogalusa, Hammond.” APO usually tours every year but due to the flooding last year,

they will be postponing it to next spring. “This would have been our fifth straight year, but with the flooding and whatnot, a lot of the communities we normally go to were not prepared to host us this spring,” said Winter. “This grant will go toward next spring. We’re going to do a brand new version of ‘The Jungle Book’ world premiere written by Tommy Jamerson, who is a professional playwright in the New York, New Jersey area. He’s writing an all new version of ‘The Jungle Book’ that we’re going to premiere next spring and take on tour.” Winter is grateful for the money and recognition of the university’s chapter. “There’s less and less money out there right now for the arts or educational arts programs,” said Winter. “So any time when a group like our chapter of Alpha Psi Omega can get extra money to aid their cause, it’s a big deal because there just isn’t a lot of money out there. I think, more importantly, it’s personally important because it’s a national organization recognizing our campus and the achievements of our students here at Southeastern in little ol’ Hammond, Louisiana.” APO does these touring shows as a way to give back to the community.

“In this case, it’s money that goes towards something that gives something back,” said Winter. “That has sort of always been our goal to take these shows to towns where maybe a lot of the kids don’t get to see a lot of live theatre. We always make it very affordable so that the whole family can come, and it’s not gonna break the bank. It’s nice to get some start-up funds to help us to do something like that because it takes money to put on a play, its expensive. At its cheapest, it’ll cost us a few thousand dollars to do these shows. That grant won’t even cover all of our expenses, but it’ll help.” Winter is excited and shocked to have received this grant. “I’m blown away,” said Winter. “I didn’t think we’d get it. Honestly, it was one of those things where I saw the ad in the Alpha Psi Omega magazine, and I was like, ‘You guys want to apply for this? It can’t hurt,’ and we did. I couldn’t believe it when a month later they contacted us, and they said we had won. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of active APO chapters all over the country. I can’t believe we won that grant. I’m just kind of shocked.”

Arts & Entertainment | The Lion’s Roar

May 2, 2017 | Page 5

Vocal and instrumental talents combine for an afternoon of music NATHANIEL CALLAWAY Staff Reporter

The Southeastern Women’s Chorale, Concert Choir, University Chorus and the North Shore Choral Society got together for an afternoon of music. On Apr. 30 from 2:30 to 4 p.m., the four choirs combined their efforts and talents to put on a concert at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Covington. Rowe directed selections in the concert. Selections included Jonathan Dove’s “Seek Him That Maketh the Seven Stars” and Gustav Holst’s “Two Psalms.” The concert was made up of numerous pieces spanning a wide amount of time, performed by different choirs overseen by Dr. Alissa Mercurio Rowe, the director of choral activities and associate professor of voice. Brian Martinez and Amy Prats conducted some pieces during the performance. It was Prats’ last performance as a graduate student with the university,

Rowe told the audience that not only were they emotional to see her go, but that she has done an excellent job as a conductor for the choir. Martinez, an adjunct instructor and director of both the University Chorus and North Shore Choral at the university, shared some reasons of why he loves working with music. “It’s a fantastic experience,” said Martinez. “I love music, and I love to share it with people. The two pieces we did are kind of unknown, so it was great being able to teach that to the students and even the audience as well. Dr. Owen and I sit over the summer. We talk about and figure out our repertoire and find things that the students might have never seen before. We try to give them an exposure to all kinds of different time periods and things like that.” Martinez also explained why he decided to work at the university and his inspiration to begin a career in music. He

studied at both the university and Florida State. “I’ve been singing since I was younger,” said Martinez. “I actually did my undergrad at Southeastern and my masters at Florida State. I just felt I was meant to do it. I got the opportunity to teach it this year, and I just really love it.” Rowe expanded on why she picked the particular pieces that she directed. She conducted the “Cherubini Requiem” for the last portion of the concert. Other performances were centered about the selection. “Well, that is a piece I’ve always wanted to do,” said Rowe. “I picked that one first, and I picked the others to kind of fit with it. Brian and Amy helped me find all those pieces, but that one is just absolutely gorgeous.” Rowe also shared her story of why she got involved in music and how it has personally impacted her. “I was a singer,” said Rowe. “I remember I would stand on the stage with the orchestra

and I’d just weep. It’s just my emotions and everything I couldn’t hold it in. It was all just so beautiful. I just knew that I wanted to do music.” Despite less than ideal practicing circumstances, Rowe felt the choir did an excellent job in performing the pieces. She accredits the success of their performance to the participating student’s ability to grasp onto concert material at a fast pace. “The practices went well,” said Rowe. “They couldn’t know what it was going to sound like here and with the orchestra because we were only ever able to practice with piano, so it’s a completely different sound. This was definitely the best they’d sung that. Some of the choirs had worked on it all semester, but two of my choirs, the women’s group and another group, really only worked on this for about six or seven weeks. So, it was only about half the semester, and it’s a lot to learn. That was In addition to the different choirs performing in the concert, there were also a number the best they’ve done.” of instruments including violins, an organ and a cello. Nathaniel Callaway/The Lion’s Roar

Alumnus Paul Catalanotto features documentary at Louisiana International Film Festival and prepares new release ZACHARY ARAKI Staff Reporter

The 5th Annual Louisiana International Film Festival selected the 58-minute documentary “When the Rivers Rise,” directed by university graduate Paul Catalanotto. The film highlighted the Springfield Fire Department’s response to the 2016 Louisiana flood. It incorporated interviews and footage shot from firefighter’s phones. Two full audiences watched the documentary on Apr. 22, at Cinemark Perkins Rowe in Baton Rouge. “What I’ll always remember is in the second screening during the Louisiana International Film Festival, the fire department, and Filmmaker and university graduate Paul Catalanotto featured his documentary I was behind them, walked out in “When the Rivers Rise” at the Louisiana International Film Festival. His next film front, answered questions and the entire crowd stood up and gave the “Sacrilege” will arrive in Redbox on May 2. Larshell Green/The Lion’s Roar

fire department a standing ovation for the work that they did during the flood,” said Catalanotto. The 2016 flooding caused damages in 20 parishes including at least 13 deaths. According to Federal Emergency Management Agency, federal aid exceeded $127 million. The American Red Cross called it the worst natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy. “It was just unbelievable devastation how much water got in places that I’m familiar with, that I have driven across and, you know, these firefighters, they just showed up,” said Catalanotto. “They need their time. They put their lives on the line to help people. That’s what stuck with me. They did an amazing thing and the only thing they were thinking about were other people and how to keep them safe.” Springfield is a town in

Livingston and home to 487 people as of the 2010 census. “It’s so easy to do,” said communication professor Dr. Joe Burns. “It was in New Orleans, or it was on Baton Rouge, but you don’t think of Springfield, little Springfield, you know, but that’s where it’s focused. Those are people too, and that’s where they live their lives.” An advanced video editing class taught by Burns introduced Catalanotto to filmmaking. “You know how you hear some football players say like they just picked up a football and understood it,” said Catalanotto. “I was just able to pick up the software. I understood the film language. All those hours and questions paid off. It was always natural for me when it comes to editing.” Catalanotto accomplished a series of achievements since

graduating from the university in 2002. His documentary “Painting a Normal Life” won Best Documentary at the New Orleans Film Festival. He directed “Proof of the Devil” and received several awards, including an Atlanta Hip Hop award. Upcoming works include “Sacrilege,” a horror film available on Redbox May 2. “It was one of those raw talent things,” said Burns. “You can see it. I know I’m sitting here like ‘Oh, let me tell you how wonderful he was,’ No, he really was. He was that good, and he’ll back this story up. He made, I think it was a final, in the video editing class, and the piece was so good and so professional that I really couldn’t pick it apart. So what I did was I gave him a 99 out of 100 and the comment I made was ‘Because

see PAUL CATALANOTTO, pg. 7

May exhibition reception promises People’s Choice Award competition for attendees ZACHARY ARAKI Staff Reporter

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You Ewes and Rams will find your ideas cheered by a mostly receptive flock. Those few dissenters could well be turned around by your charm and powers of persuasion. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) It’s time for the bold and beautiful Bovine to shake off the dust of the past and shape up with new ideas for the future. This could surprise some folks, but they’ll soon adjust. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Those nagging new doubts about an upcoming decision should alert you to step back (at least temporarily) so you can reassess its potential impact from a new perspective. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) That unpleasant situation you hoped would go away by itself needs immediate attention before it affects an upcoming decision. Expect your supporters to rally around your cause. LEO (July 23 to August 22) You’re moving up and away from that recent setback. But remain cautious about finances. An exercise in thrift today helps cushion a possible end-of-themonth money squeeze. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You’re still dealing with overtones of pessimism that cause you to doubt your ability to make some needed changes. But the negative pressures will ease up by week’s end. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) There could be some

The Hammond Art Guild is for its 55th Annual Spring Open and refreshments,” said HRAC preparing to showcase local artists Fine Art Exhibition. Media Coordinator Tara Bennett. The reception will be held May “Viewers may vote for the People’s 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hammond Choice Award and participate in fallout from the way you handled Regional Arts Center. The an art raffle for $1 a chance. This a recent family problem. But those exhibition will continue until May year’s judge is Mark Biletnikoff, who know that you were in the 26. Both reception and exhibition the gallery owner in the Bocage right won’t hesitate to step in on will be free and open to the public. Cultural District of Baton Rouge.” Artists who won awards will talk Art submissions closed on May your behalf. SCORPIO (October 23 to about their award-winning artwork 1. “We never know how November 21) Financial strains and tour the gallery as the last event ease by week’s end. Meanwhile, for the “Let’s Talk: Art” series on many people we’re gonna get, how many artists are gonna focus on cultivating that new May 10 from 5-6 p.m. “This year’s reception will have bring those pieces in,” said relationship if you hope to have it blossom into something more live music by Jim Fournet, wine Hammond Art Guild President meaningful. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Health matters once again dominate the week. Be careful not to ignore recurrences of an old problem. An almostforgotten commitment resurfaces. SPONSORING CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) The emergence of an unusual selfish streak could dismay those close to you. Defy it -- don’t justify it -- so you can become your gracious self again. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Reassess your decision to stay with the status quo. It might seem like the sensible thing to do right now, but changes around you could make that choice a risky one. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Move decisively but cautiously when dealing with a delicate personal matter. The fewer mistakes you make now, the less likely it is that the problem will recur later on. BORN THIS WEEK: You can find beauty where many cannot. And you enjoy sharing your discovery with others. (c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.

Sponsored By

PAUL CATALANOTTO

continued from pg. 5

nobody’s perfect’ and I gave it back to him and he still to this day brings that up to me. After he shows me something, he’ll say, ‘Well, was that perfect?’ No, 99 out of 100, nobody’s perfect.” Anyone interested in seeing the film will have to wait. “I’m thinking about doing another cut of it, see if I can get it on Louisiana public broadcasting, but I’m also probably going to donate it to the local TV stations so people can see it,” said Catalanotto.

Page 8 | May 2, 2017

The Lion’s Roar | News

Nero talks Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao Museum in Spain ZACHARY BILLIOT Staff Reporter

The Contemporary Art Gallery hosted a lecture about the man behind what is called “the most significant building of the 20th century,” the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. On Wednesday, Apr. 26 at 5 p.m., Associate Professor of Art History Dr. Irene Nero hosted the talk about the architect Frank Owen Gehry, titled “Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao Museum in Spain: 20 Years Later.” The talk analyzed the Guggenheim Museum which officially opened in October 1997, its effects on mainstream architecture and how its praises still hold true nearly 20 years later. Nero explained how and why she chose Frank Gehry and his museum as the topic for the lecture. “I was writing my dissertation back in 1996, right before it opened,” said Nero. “I was Dr. Irene Nero presents her lecture of the Bilbao Guggenheim Musuem to a crowd of almost 40 people at the Contemporary trying to decide what I was Art Center of campus. She gave a brief history of its designer and the creative process of its design. Zachary billiot/The Lion’s Roar gonna write on, and I wanted

to write on architecture. I just started examining architecture. I ran across the plan for the building and I thought, ‘This is something very different, I need to pay attention to it.’ It was my dissertation project.” Gehry was born on Feb. 28, 1929 in Toronto, Canada, and moved to America in 1964 with his family where he changed his name from Frank Owen Goldberg to Frank Owen Gehry. Nero explained that she has loved buildings and was interested in architecture from the time she was a child and that many of her professors in college were architectural historians which contributed to her interest in Gehry. Nero also gave a little insight into how she chose the material to present at the lecture. “I realized that I was gonna have to rely on a lot that I already just knew off the top of my head, and then just pull out some old research,” said Nero. “I’ve been studying it for 20 years, so I’ve got boxes of research. So, what I did was I pulled out a couple of my old notebooks that I knew

were really significant, because I wrote a book on the topic and a chapter in a book on the topic. I said, ‘This is gonna give me those numbers, some of the data that I just don’t keep in my head.’ Then I actually got on the internet and found current images. Because when I first started doing this, there were no images, so I had to take all my own. Some of those were mine, some of those were brand new images.” Nero went on to explain why she chose the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain. “When I looked at his body of work, I said, ‘There’s absolutely nothing that’s ever been like this, nothing ever going to be like this,’” said Nero. “It’s an absolutely unique building. I said, ‘I’m going for the gold. I’m gonna talk about the thing that’s gonna win the gold prize.’” Gehry is still alive today, living in Los Angeles, and is also the mind behind other buildings such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. In 2010, he was labeled “The Most Important Architect of Our Age” by Vanity Fair.

Child Welfare workers trained to Jaguars and Lions come together combat human trafficking in Louisiana for 101st Military Ball REGINA PERGOLA Staff Reporter

Dr. Corie Hebert, a social work professor and Title IV-E Child Welfare Program Coordinator, has partnered with Lt. Chad Gremillion and the Department of Children and Family Services to create an online child welfare academy aimed at training child welfare workers that recognize signs of human trafficking. The training is called Human Trafficking 101: A Multidisciplinary Training which covers the basics of recognizing when someone has been trafficked. “I am the principal investigator over a project we have here at Southeastern,” said Hebert. “The training academy’s responsibility is to train all child welfare workers as well as any persons that come in contact with cases of abuse and neglect of children that end up in the court system. So, when the child must be removed from the parents’ home due to risk of abuse or neglect, they’ll come in through the court system and then they’re put into the foster system, a group home or kinship care. We also train judges, attorneys, anybody that comes into that system designed to protect children.” The training, which will be at least an hour and a half long, will DANCE

continued from pg. 1 wants to dance.’ She brought me to a local dance studio, and I took off from there.” Allen’s show was inspired by the song “Bird Girl.” “There’s been so much going on lately, and I’ve always kind of wanted to do a piece or show about women, but it just wasn’t the right time,” said Allen. “Then I found my solo song, which is called ‘Bird Girl,’ and that made me choose this topic. I had a different topic completely, and then I found that song, and I’m like, ‘This is it. I need to do this.

test run. He made the decision whether to pass his friend against the truth or fail him. Col.Keys failed his friend saying it was the right thing to do, and that his friend understood why he did not lie. “I’d like to think he wouldn’t be good friend if he asked me to do that,” said Col. Keys. Col. Keys gave more advice on life which covered asking for assignments and the challenges of being a minority in the military. His last piece of advice was about giving and receiving mentorship. “I challenge you to find someone to mentor to show them how life supposed to be,” said Col. Keys Among the attendees was Cadet Aric Mackay, recipient of the Sons of the American Revolution ROTC medal. According to the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, recipients “are direct descendants of those patriots that achieved the independence of the American people and the objectives of the organization are intended to perpetuate a more profound reverence for the principles of the government founded by our forefathers.” “It is a great honor to have received this award since it has Retired Lieutenant Col. Preston Rodrigue Cadet Aric Mackay mingled during the such a great tradition,” said Cadet Army ROTC’s 101st Military Ball. Courtesy of Gayle Miller Commander Mackay. .

first be available on the DCFS website and then later on the Louisiana Child Welfare Training Academy website for anyone to complete, free of charge. “So, a very high need these days is human trafficking,” said Hebert. “We know we have a pretty big problem in Louisiana. One of our tasks through the training academy is to develop training and to make sure all child welfare workers in the state are trained on human trafficking, the issues, the prevalence, how to deal with the problem, how to recognize red flags.” Hebert described how she made connections with the police as well as the DCFS to further the training academy. “We have reached out to the state police to see if they would partner with us,” said Hebert. “Originally, we said, ‘Can we come and interview you and video it because we’re developing right now an online training.’ We wanted a video on the training because we want to make it interactive. And so, Lt. Gremillion, with the Special Victims Unit through the state police, met with me last week. I asked him some questions about what’s going on in Louisiana. It was interesting. A lot of the research I’ve done was confirmed by this interview. He said that we have a bad problem in Louisiana

and we tend to see it in areas where there’s a pipeline. I-10 is a big human trafficking pipeline all across the country. But also, he’s seen a lot of activity on I-55.” She also elaborated that one of the main problems with identifying human trafficking is that the person being trafficked, either for sex or for labor, is usually reluctant to come forward due to fear of being in trouble with the law or that family members may be harmed if they do so. “He says we see a lot of sex trafficking because labor trafficking is harder to identify and it may be individuals from out of the country who are coming in and working whereas sex trafficking tends to be a lot of minors who are then recruited,” said Hebert. “The reason we are doing it in child welfare is because we know that children that are in the system like that, in foster care or group homes or even in the Juvenile Detention System, are more vulnerable or susceptible due to past traumas. So that’s why we are making sure all of our child welfare workers are informed.” If anybody sees a crime, not necessarily human trafficking, there is an app called See Send they can use to report it anonymously.

BATON ROUGE, LouisianaSouthern University and SLU Cadets, ROTC Cadre and Retired Soldiers for Life celebrated together at the Army ROTC 101st Military Ball in honor and tradition. “This is a good opportunity to come together to have fun and, also, remember those who could not be here with us,” said professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Melvin Chisolm. Attendees celebrated the military ball at the Martin Luther King Catholic Center at Southern University in Baton Rouge. The military ball included a welcoming ceremony for guests and members of Reserve Officer Training Corps, honoring those

who died in service, dinner and remarks from an honored guest speaker. Dancing began after the closing remarks. Retired Soldier for Life and Military Intelligence Officer Col. Eric B. Keys was the honored guest speaker at the ball. He took the opportunity to speak to give advice to the Cadets in the form of a series of phrases to live by. These rules covered both excelling in professional and personal life. “Your most valuable asset is your integrity,” said Col. Keys. Col. Keys told the cadets about a situation he faced during his service where he had to guard his integrity. A friend of his entered his unit, but that friend did not finish an army physical fitness

This is what I need to do.’ I just felt it at that moment.” Allen feels Costa and Dr. Martie Fellom influenced who she has become in her time at the university. “I had done competitive dance all my life, so it was very jazzy, very showy,” said Allen. “When I came here, Skip and Dr. Fellom really pulled something out of us to tap into our emotions more, to think outside of the box and to push the boundaries. It just kind of molded me into who I am today.” Gilvey started dancing in college and fell in love with it. “I went to school at

Northwestern, and I was a theatre major,” said Gilvey. “I tried out for the dance company there because it was part of the degree. They accepted me. I worked my way up. When I first started, I couldn’t even touch my ankles. I was very unflexible. When I first started, it was very rough, but I never gave up. I kept working on it because I loved it. It became my major because I loved it so much and now I’m here choreographing.” This was Gilvey’s first time choreographing. “Throughout the years, I never had a chance to choreograph before,” said Gilvey. “I had

chances to dance, but I had never choreographed anything. So, when I was approached to do a senior concert, I said, ‘Yes, of course.’ All these ideas that I’ve had built up throughout the years of all these different ‘Well, what if I do this? What if I do this? What if I do this?’ just kind of came together in the formation of this one giant show. They all seem to have this central theme of like this lost kindred soul trying to search for something to make you whole.” Costa felt Gilvey’s concert took the audience on an emotional journey. “I thought the concert was

well done and performed,” said Costa. “I think that it was both creative and entertaining. His goal for the audience was to take them from joy to sadness, yet not depression, and have an emotional roller coaster of the soul.” Allen believes dance is about making people feel. “My inspiration is real life experiences, things that people can connect to on different levels,” said Allen. “I’m not afraid to make someone uncomfortable or mad if it’s a sensitive topic. I want people to feel something. That’s what dance is about. That’s what the arts are about.”

MAY EXHIBITION

continued from pg. 5

and all the things I mentioned before. It just makes more of an interesting show and having live music, having it be a judged show, having artists who are not members exhibiting all makes it very exciting.” Local high school students were also invited to participate. “This is our second year including students,” said Lowentritt. “I think we’ll have a lot more people than we had last year. Last year, we had four students. This year, I think we’ll have probably somewhere around 20, 25 students if we’re lucky ‘cause more teachers found out about it, and we’ve been trying to encourage the school to encourage students to enter the show. It gives them an opportunity to see what it’s like to enter a show, a professional show.” Attendees can purchase their favorite artwork or win one in a raffle. “We also do an art raffle, so each person who enters the show is invited to also bring along a piece that they’re willing to donate,” said Lowentritt. “Last year, we had about 30 pieces and people bought raffle tickets. For a From left to right, Alaura Cervine and Ashley Barbarin, perform a duet titled “Thorned Embrace,” Sean Gilvey performs a solo titled “Durham” and Faith Allen performs a solo to the song “Bird Girl” for the dollar a chance you might win 2017 Senior Dance Thesis Concerts. Allen’s concert was held on Wednesday, Apr. 26, and Gilvey’s was on Thursday, Apr. 27 both at 7:30 p.m. Annie Goodman/The Lion’s Roar a piece of art from one of the exhibiting artists.”

The Lion’s Roar | News

Page 9 | May 2, 2017

Another series sweep keeps Southland tournament hopes alive

Junior outfielder Maddie Edmonston, left, takes her stance in the game against Sam Houston State. Edmonston recorded the winning hit that sealed the series sweep for the Lady Lions. Sophomore shortstop Jaquelyn Ramon, center, prepares to throw the ball at first base after fielding it. Softball Head Coach Rick Fremin celebrates after the team came from behind to win the third game of the series. Nikisun Shrestha/The Lion’s Roar NIKISUN SHRESTHA Staff Reporter

A series sweep in the three-game series against Sam Houston State left the Lady Lions softball team optimistic about their chance to move into the Southland Conference Tournament. “I thought we played a very upbeat game offensively,” said Head Coach Rick Fremin. “Defensively, the pitchers threw really well. We were able to string hits together in this series and tear up the gaps offensively. It led to a lot of extra bases.” The 8-4, 9-3, 8-7 series victory improves the team’s overall record to 26-25 and their conference record to 12-12. The series sweep also marked the 18th win for the team at home. Junior outfielder Maddie Edmonston acknowledged the home crowd support in the series.

“We didn’t expect the big crowd today,” Edmonston said. “So, we’re pretty excited about that. I think we use it to our advantage to kind of pump us up. This series was pretty big in dealing with the conference tournament. We knew we had to get the sweep and just give it our all.” The third game was a tight affair between Sam Houston State and the Lady Lions. Edmonston expressed how she felt after hitting home the gamewinning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. “It felt great,” said Edmonston. “I was having a pretty bad game, not helping my team out my first few at bats. I knew I just had to string something together, so we could get back ahead.” Fremin gives his assessment on the closely-fought third game. “We set the tone early with offense,” said Fremin. “We put up four runs

in the first and then we left two innings, second and third, with no run production. Probably wouldn’t put us in that situation had we pushed a run across, but I’m just happy with the fight. We were able to find a way to win. As long as we get one more run than the other team, I don’t care how we get it, just as long as they keep fighting, they keep representing the university. I thought they did that in a first class manner.” These victories open up an opportunity for the Lady Lions to move forward to the Southland Conference Tournament. Edmonston believes the team can go far if they continue to play in this manner. “When we all play together when we’re on, we’re a great team,” said Edmonston. “We can string the hits together. We can play defense. We can just compete as one. I strongly

believe that we can be successful in the conference tournament. I believe in every one of my teammates. I know that they have my back. I have their back. We’re gonna help each other through. We’re gonna cheer each other on and just play together and play for each other.” Fremin believes the team still has some work to do and that they need to play their best game to do well in the tournament. “We got a ways to go as far as conference tournament,” said Fremin. “We gotta handle the midweek game, keep momentum going, continue to play well at home. We got to do what we can in every facet of the game, play a clean game, to have a chance against that type of opponent.” The Lady Lions have all their remaining games of the season at home. They hope their momentum at home

continues. “I think ending the season at home is gonna go in our favor,” said Edmonston. “We do pretty well at home. We’re strong at home. Just having those last four games, I think it can give us a momentum shift our way. We keep that momentum, and it can help us continue competing.” Fremin shares his thoughts on the remaining home games. “As I told them last night, we’re good at home,” said Fremin. “I just hope that continues. The rest of the games are at home this season. We can continue to build momentum. We’ve got a good team coming in here next week, Southern Miss, they’re much improved and then McNeese is at the top of the conference. We look forward to welcoming them into the park and just battling and trying to finish the season on a high note.”

Ten former Lions are playing professionally NIKISUN SHRESTHA Staff Reporter

The beginning of the 2017 professional baseball season will see 10 baseball alumni resuming their baseball career. Wade Miley is playing for Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball whereas the other nine players are representing teams in Minor League Baseball. Tate Scioneaux, pitcher for Altoona Curve describes life as a professional baseball player. “It has its ups and downs,” said Scioneaux. “I guess the toughest part is being away from your loved ones. Other than that, you’re living a life though. You’re playing baseball as your job. You’re meeting new teammates every year, moving up and down. I think it’s pretty awesome. You get paid to play. Couldn’t ask for a better job.” Pat Cashman, the pitcher for Arizona League White Sox tells ROGERS

continued from pg. 1 priority should be planting seeds for your future,’” said Faucheux. “Any farmer knows that if you want tomatoes or cucumbers or strawberries, you got to plant seeds. If you don’t plant the seeds, you can’t harvest the crop down the road. If you plant the wrong type of seeds, if you want oranges and you plant apple

how his daily routine has altered in professional baseball as opposed to the collegiate level. “It’s something different from college,” said Cashman. “It’s an awesome experience so far. It’s always something I wanted to do. This is an adjustment as far as like spending more time at the field and kinda living on your own. In college, we had a nice living situation, and it’s kind of organized. Professional baseball is more chaotic and is a more individual type of game now.” Along with Miley, Scioneaux and Cashman, Brock Hebert, Andro Cutura, Jameson Fisher, Kyle Keller, Domenick Carlini, Kyle Cedotal and Jake Johnson represent the former Lions playing professional baseball. Scioneaux explains how pitching in the professional level differs from the time he was in college. “The biggest difference was the hitter’s approach,” Scioneaux said. “In college, there are more

free swinger, just going up there and get the job done, but in pro ball, they have approaches and they have a plan of what they’ve gonna do and how they go about their business.” Cashman tells what the difference between pro ball and college level has been like for him. “Going to college and playing at Southeastern made the transition really easy because the way Coach Riser had the system set up at Southeastern,” said Cashman. “It had a lot of attention to detail. You’re controlling the small parts of the game, acting like a professional even when you’re in college. Once you go through Riser’s system, professional baseball is basically the same. It really wasn’t too much of a shock for me at all.” Cashman has been struggling with shoulder injuries, and he said he only had a few innings. However, he relives the time he

was drafted as a professional baseball player. “The highest point for me was definitely getting drafted, coming out to Arizona with the White Sox,” said Cashman. “That day, going from the day the draft started to getting drafted and coming out here, that threeday process, I felt like I was on top of the world.” Scioneaux tells about his progress so far and also where he wants to be. “Everybody playing professional baseball has one dream that is going to the big league,” Scioneaux said. “So, you keep on fighting till you get there. Here, starting in AA this year, I mean it’s only two steps closer. Just got to keep fighting harder and harder.” Just like Scioneaux, Cashman tells about the areas he needs to work on and his ambitions for his career. “Well for me, right now, it’s all about staying healthy,”

seeds, you’ll get apples and not oranges. Austin is someone that plants the right seeds.” Faucheux also explains that Rogers does well in the classroom. “He does the right things in reference to the classroom assignments, but not just do the right thing, he goes one step beyond,” said Faucheux. “He almost wants to be a perfectionist. In other words, go

one step more.” One of Rogers’ communication professors thinks that his class work is not what stands out to her the most. “What stands out is that he juggles that with really interesting extra curricular commitments,” said Dr. Claire Procopio. “He does the fraternity, he does service work, he does internships, he does political engagement work, where he is working on campaigns and volunteering, so it’s not the classroom stuff I would say, not that that doesn’t stand out, he is a good strong student, but it’s that he balances that classroom commitment with really interesting out of classroom experiences. So much of college is about what you do outside of class and he seems to really understand that. He’s engaged and he’s involved.” Rogers is a part of Pike and is the current president. He sometimes works with Student Engagement Assistant Director Kyle Gallagher who also doubles as a mentor for Rogers. “I have had the chance to watch him develop both as a student and a leader on campus,” said Gallagher. “Austin has a deep love and sense of pride for both Southeastern and the many

organizations he is a member of. Every time I see him he is working tirelessly on behalf of these organizations.” Bourgeois has been a friend and fraternity brother to Rogers for a couple years. They have worked together numerous times and they are a close team. “Me and Austin have done a lot together for our fraternity with him being President and me being Secretary,” said Bourgeois. “We have planned multiple events like socials, semi formals, and even put together our chapters first formal together. We always tackle everything as a team and that’s with everything not just things with Pike.” As a part of campus community, Rogers often shows great skills. “Austin has inspired me with how he goes above and beyond for our fraternity,” said Bourgeois. “He has shown how much of a great leader he is and how much he cares for the people in his life. I am very proud to call him one of my closest friends. I would want people to know that he gives everything he does his all. He will go above and beyond for his organizations and friends.” Being involved on campus

Tate Scioneaux is one of 10 university alumni to play professional baseball in the 2017 season. He plays for the Altoona Curve in Minor League Baseball. Courtesy of Rob Lynn/Altoona Curve

said Cashman. “That’s all I’m focusing on. Obviously, the big picture is making it to the big leagues and make it up to each level to reach the big leagues. It’s easy for me just to think

about getting healthy right now, and once I’m healthy, it’s about playing well. The end game is to make it to the big leagues and have a decent career up there.”

has been a part of Rogers’ life and DSA took notice. At the recent DSA Convocation, Rogers fraternity was awarded IFC Chapter of the Year, he was awarded the Green “S” Award, was recognized for being a DSA Ambassador, awarded the Vice President’s Excellence Award and he was chosen as the Greek Man of the Year. Rogers thinks these awards mean he is doing something right. “Whenever you are in a leadership position, many people can only see the things that are going wrong,” said Rogers. “We do not really see the good things that we have accomplished. Earning these awards has showed me that I can do well even if I do not think I am doing everything the way I think they should be done. They also push me to do better than I have before.” Rogers has had people in his life that see him for who he really is and there is always something more to each person. “Behind every great person there’s a story,” said Faucheux. “There’s a story of hard work, a lot of hard work, maybe a lot of pain, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of prices to pay and Austin’s one of those people that I could see doing really great things

because he doesn’t mind paying the price. He’s willing to make the sacrifice to move and go forward. I see him doing all the right things to send him up and position him for great success down the road and in the future.” Rogers explained that Southeastern has made a huge impact on him through his years and he hopes he can be a role model to future students. “I take pride in the family culture that Southeastern has,” said Rogers. “It will always be close to my heart. I would like to teach people that it does not matter if people tell you that you cannot do something. Use that as the fuel to push yourself harder and show them that you can do anything.” Being a Lion is much more to Rogers than just attending classes. “Being a Southeastern Lion is more than just being a student for however long it takes to get a degree,” said Rogers. “Being a Lion is being part of a 92-yearold legacy. It is a connection with the students that came before us and the students that will come after us. We all have a connection to the thousands of alumni scattered throughout the world just because of this university.”

Page 10 | May 2, 2017

The Lion’s Roar | News

Biggs to serve as new Executive Director of Alumni Relations SARAH HESS Staff Reporter

Starting this week, Michelle Biggs will be the university’s new Executive Director of Alumni Relations. Biggs holds a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University. She is also a 2015 graduate of the Institute for Organization Management, Michelle Biggs a four-year educational program focused on nonprofit management. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and held at the University of Georgia. Biggs has over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, branding and community relations with much of her experience obtained within the realm of nonprofit work. She spent the last six to 12 years as Communication and Administrative Officer of the

St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce where she oversaw the day-to-day management of the 1,000 member organization. Several years ago, Biggs also served as Associate Director for the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts and served on the Advisory Board for the theatre, which helped maintain her connection to the university, donors and the local Hammond community. Biggs is eager to once again become part of the Hammond community. “I’m looking forward to returning to Hammond, immersing myself into the Lion Nation and building relationships with Southeastern alumni in order to showcase the incredible institution that is Southeastern Louisiana University,” said Biggs. Many members of Southeastern’s staff that will work in conjuncture to her are excited to begin work with Biggs. “Michelle’s past experiences

CONVOCATION

continued from pg. 1 should give it a chance because I’ve grown so much. It gives you a lot of opportunity to be involved.” Bourgeois shares his plans at the university and his future. “I have a year left before my time here

will be an asset as we implement new initiatives directed at ensuring increased engagement from a diverse alumni community,” said Vice President for University Advancement Wendy Lauderdale. “We look forward to having her return to work again within the Southeastern family.” Biggs plans to use her already established connections to further the cause of the Alumni Association. “I will maintain my involvement within my community, not only throughout the Northshore region but throughout the state, representing the university and reaching out to all alumni to garner their support,” said Biggs. “Because of my history with the chamber and ties to the business community, I also plan to tap into area businesses to identify possible partnerships that can be developed that would be mutually beneficial to all interested parties.” She first became aware of the position’s availability through

at Southeastern is done,” said Bourgeois. “I plan to continue to dedicate my time to the organizations. I will continue to work hard so I can get into a graduate school for Student Affairs as that is my passion and what I want my career to be in. I will continue to find ways to grow because a leader never stops growing.” Chiasson also describes her plans for

her ties with the Hammond community. “I was fortunate enough to previously serve as Associate Director for the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts, owned and operated by Southeastern, several years ago,” said Biggs. “Working with former Director Donna Gay Anderson, I developed many great relationships with university administration, loyal donors and community leaders. I’m looking forward to coming back and continuing to build relationships with the great community of Hammond.” Biggs hopes to grow support for the university by getting alumni more involved. “In my first year, I plan to evaluate, strengthen and enhance existing programming, and to develop and implement new programs that will maximize the engagement of all Southeastern alumni, thereby increasing support for the university overall,” said Biggs.

Around

the

State

23 wildlife agents added BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana has 23 new enforcement agents at the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The latest class of cadets graduated after seven months of physical and academic training. They’ll join other agents that enforce Louisiana’s hunting, fishing and boating regulations.

They also will do general law enforcement work in the state’s wildlife management areas. The graduates will be assigned to other field agents for the next six months, for additional on-thejob training around the state. The new agents’ graduation ceremony was held Wednesday in Baton Rouge.

House reverses plan on spending BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Lawmakers are scaling back plans to boost their budget by nearly $11 million next year. Though Louisiana continues to face budget shortfalls, state legislative leaders initially weren’t proposing to cut their own agencies. The budget bill they introduced would have increased legislative agency spending in the financial year that begins July 1 to the level in place before

they took any reductions. But the House Appropriations Committee reworked that proposal Monday. The committee cut out the increase before advancing the budget bill to the full House for consideration. If passed by the House, it’s unclear if that spending plan can win Senate support. Senate President John Alario had said it would be difficult for legislative agencies to continue operating with the current level of financing.

this year and beyond. “I’m graduating next spring,” said Chiasson. “Next semester, I’m gonna be in methods for education and the semester after that I’ll be in Student Teaching. I’m getting married in December. So, a lot of my efforts will probably be going into that.”

Neil Bourgeois, a senior communication major, left, was awarded Division for Student Affairs Outstanding Man of the Year award while Abbie Chiasson, an English education major, center, won the DSA Outstanding Woman of the Year. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity,far right, won the 2017 Outstanding Pan-Hellenic Chapter of the Year award. Nikisun Shrestha/The Lion’s Roar JUBILEE

continued from pg. 2 “Out of 15 or so professors in our department, they asked everybody and got three,” said Olson. “The dunking part caught me a little off guard the first time. I kind of went all the way down.” Students loved the free food and the laid-back atmosphere but it was the student organization tables that found ways to entertain the students at Strawberry Jubilee. They took this opportunity to not only entertain their peers, but to also inform them about important topics. “What I enjoyed the most was the Made Men booth where they had the virtual reality thing about how you are not suppose to text and drive,” said sophomore music education major Lupita Mirafuentes. “I think that was really interesting because that is not anything related to finals or food, it’s just something that opens your eyes.” The Health Center also took a fun approach to giving out important information to students.

“We have a little wheel that we spin and it has different health risk behaviors for college students,” said Marlise Eschete, a graduate research assistant for the health department. What everyone enjoyed was the time to not think about finals week and all of the assignments that will be due

in the final two weeks of the semester. “It’s just a nice break and a nice time to be around other students,” said sophomore family and consumer sciences major Javunte Andrews. “I love the free food, I love the free T-shirts and I love the fellowship.”

Ms. Southeastern 2017 Kristyn Gary and Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Eric Summers kicked off Strawberry Jubilee and kept tradition by cutting the cake together. Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion’s Roar