The Lion's Roar 08/19/2014 - Back To School edition

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THE LION’S ROAR S ou t heastern L ouisia na Univer sit y Fall 2014 Special Edition

DREAM COMES TRUE FOR LACEY SANCHEZ

License to Shoot Photography / Michelle Roberts

lionsroarnews.com •• A Student Publication •• Volume 86, Issue 3

PG. 14

2 | The Lion’s Roar www.lionsroarnews.com

Table of Contents 4 ~ Advice for freshmen 6 ~ Health Resources available on campus

8 ~ Homeless students offered little support

12 ~ Louisiana ranked tenth lowest in student debt

14 ~ Third time’s the charm for Lacey Sanchez 18 ~ From cancer to college 20 ~ University embraces state mandated policy

26 ~ Meet the new head basketball coaches

28 ~ Lady Lions teams

24

17

preparing for season

30 ~ Racing to the top

10

The Lion’s Roar / Christopher Martin, Sara Patrick & Fernanda Chagas

The Lion’s Roar | 3

From the editor: Something for everyone

By Sara Patrick Editor in Chief

The fall semester is always an exciting time: freshmen and transfers take their first steps on campus, returning students reunite with friends and hundreds of events take place over the course of five months. From performances to football games, there should be something for everyone in the Hammond area, and I hope you will read the university’s newspaper, The Lion’s Roar,

Staff Editor in Chief Sara Patrick Assistant Editor Jasmine Tate A&E Editor Allison Crady Opinions Editor Melanie Mann Coordinator Lorraine Peppo Director Lee E. Lind Administrative Assistant Tarah King

Contact Us Telephone Numbers

The Lion’s Roar SLU 10877 Hammond, LA 70402

985-549-3527 (newsroom) 985-549-3842 (fax) 985-549-3731 (advertising)

Email lionsroar@selu.edu

www.lionsroarnews.com www.selu.edu/lionsroar

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or your picture will make it in the paper.

Physical copies of the newspaper can be found in bins across campus, and all content is published online at www.lionsroarnews. com. For photo albums and links to popular stories, like The Lion’s Roar on Facebook and follow us @lionsroarnews on Twitter and Instagram.

Any university-recognized organization that would like an announcement printed in the newspaper may submit their Organizational News through the tab on The Lion’s Roar Facebook page by 10 a.m. on the Friday before each publication.

I would also like to encourage everyone to write a Letter to the Editor if they have a complaint or a comment on a university matter. Letters can be submitted either through the Facebook page or by emailing lionsroar@selu.edu.

I hope that all new and returning students, faculty and staff have a great start to the semester and experience all Southeastern has to offer.

Policies and Procedures

The Lion’s Roar

General Offices Mims Hall 128

each week to stay in the know and find out where you fit in on campus.

The Office of Student Publications consists of student workers, including myself, who produce the newspaper once a week during regular semesters and monthly over the summer. Student Publications also produces the official Southeastern yearbook, Le Souvenir, which comes out around Homecoming Week each October.

Flip through the pages of this special move-in issue to learn about fall sports, arts and entertainment, a royal alumna and an inspiring incoming freshman. These pages contain information, including advice for freshmen and what everyone needs to know about the university’s new tobacco-free policy.

Each week we aim to fill The Lion’s Roar newspaper with vital campus and local news, features on interesting people, important issues, previews of exciting events and recaps of athletic competitions. If you attend any events on campus, it’s possible a quote

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 in regular issues of The Lion’s Roar. The space of such articles is limited to 150 words. Submissions of this Organizational News must adhere to the same polices as other submissions or letters to the editor, but must also include the

name of the organization.

All views expressed in The Lion’s Roar are those of the author or, if unsigned, those of the staff of The Lion’s Roar. These views should not be interpreted as the views of the administration, faculty or students of Southeastern Louisiana University.

A single issue of The Lion’s Roar is free.

Additional copies may be purchased for 50 cents in Mims Hall 128. Annual mail subscriptions are $35 within the continental U.S. The Lion’s Roar, in its print form, associated Web sites and CD/DVD versions are designated public forums. Student editors have the authority to make content decisions without censorship or prior approval. The Lion’s Roar also defends the rights of student journalists relative to freedom of speech and press as stated in Amendment I of the Constitution of the United States of America.

The Lion’s Roar is published through the Office of Student Publications, part of the Division for Student Affairs. It is published weekly during regular semesters and monthly during the summer semester.

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Editorial: Advice for incoming freshmen

By melanie mann Opinions Editor

As a junior, I remember all too well my first few months of college. I was on my own for the first time, in charge of my own schedule and fully responsible for my life’s progress. I was as ecstatic as I was terrified.

After two years of adjusting to college life, I’m here to help incoming freshmen learn from my mistakes in order to make the transition as smooth as possible.

One of the first things most people do after enrolling in college is decide on a major. This is a big decision if you’re going to college to start a career. The degree you have will influence available opportunities in the workforce. Your decision will affect how you will spend a large portion of your time as an adult, so it’s important to do some soul searching beforehand. Think about what you want from life. What is important to you? What kind of lifestyle do you want to live? What makes you happy?

All of these factors should contribute to your choice of major. Additionally, if you become unhappy with your choice, it’s

OK to change your major. Even if your graduation date is withheld an extra year or two, it’s worth it to study a field you’re happy with.

Once you declare a major, you’ll enroll in courses for the semester. Keep in mind, the courses you enroll in will determine your schedule for several months. If you’re not a morning person, stay away from morning classes. If you’re used to rolling out of bed at noon every day, it’s going to be difficult to attend class at 8 a.m., four days a week.

When giving advice about making good grades, most people will mention frequent studying and avoiding procrastination.

While these habits are important, maintaining your health is just as vital, if not more so. Eating healthy and exercising regularly induces many cognitive benefits, including promoting clarity of mind, raising energy levels and improving memory. It’s much easier to do well in class when your brain is getting premium fuel. Conversely, lethargy and gluttony make you sluggish and cloud your thinking. Remember, just because the cafeteria provides all you can eat does not mean you should eat all you can eat.

Additionally, students should not neglect their mental health. Juggling work, school, finances and other responsibilities can be stressful, and sometimes it can get overwhelming. When things are getting difficult, don’t be afraid to go to the Counseling Center. Services are free and confidential. The counselors are trained to help you address issues from sexuality to depression. Counselors can also make referrals and review options for those

with more severe mental health problems.

The Counseling Center is one of the best resources for struggling students, and students would be wise to take advantage of it.

Because I’m not a parent, I won’t be telling anyone they should or shouldn’t party during college. A lot of college students celebrate their newfound freedom by experimenting with formerly off-limits forms of debauchery; however, if you care about your grades at all, limit the partying to the weekend. Nothing hurts academic performance more than trying to absorb information while battling a hangover.

However, remember a social life isn’t a magical entity given out with your student identification after starting college. Unless you already know a lot of people at the school you’re attending, you’re going to have to start establishing relationships from scratch. The easiest way to make friends with those who have similar interests as you is to join a student organization. Recognized student and Greek organizations cater to interests from art to religion to majorspecific groups. Unless you’re happy limiting your social interactions to the classroom, student organizations are a good way to go.

I probably made a million mistakes as a freshman, many of which I can’t begin to cover in a single editorial. Unfortunately, there is no instruction manual for becoming an adult. The final thing I’d like to say is that no matter what advice you’re given, you are probably going to make mistakes.

Just remember, no matter how intimidating it is to be on your own, it’s going to be OK.

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Communication vital to roommate cohesion

By William Schmidt Staff Reporter

Living on campus offers a unique college experience for students, including coexisting with an assigned roommate for many. Whether your roommate is a stranger or a childhood friend, a healthy relationship is necessary to maintain pleasant living conditions.

Resident Assistants, who are dedicated to mediating conflict among roommates throughout the semester, are able to provide invaluable insight for students struggling to get along with their roommate due to their own experiences.

“Getting along with your roommate can be explained perfectly in one word: communication,” said junior marketing major and Livingston

Hall RA Matthew Olivier. “If you’re not communicating and have an issue, there’s no way you can resolve it, so a lot of the time things get worse.”

Start off by introducing yourself to your roommate.

Discuss your interests, hobbies and lifestyle so your roommate will get a feel for what kind of person they’re living with.

“I believe that if you lay everything out on the table [you will get along with your roommate],” said current Livingston Hall RA Rebecca Mayeux. “For example, if you jam out to Beyoncé, you should let your roommate know. I think after the first week it’d be safe to have lunch and talk about each other’s quirky living habits.”

Setting rules together early on will help to address potential areas of conflict. This sets

expectations for acceptable behaviors as well as those that are not tolerated.

“Talk about who likes to do what chores and how cold you want to keep your room,” said Southeastern graduate and past RA Brooke Adams. “Talk about your preferences and try to work out a middle ground for both of you.”

Getting to know your resident assistants is crucial. Should any conflict arise, RA’s should be consulted before the problem becomes overwhelming.

“Be nice to your RA, or an RA in the building, even if it’s just talking to them in the hallways.

That way if you have issues with your roommate, you will feel comfortable going to them for help,” said Southeastern graduate and past RA Katherine DeVall.

“It may be difficult to confront a roommate about something they do that is bothering you, but they may honestly not even know

they are doing it unless you communicate with them. Most of the roommate conflicts I had to deal with were over them not communicating with each other, holding grudges and waiting too long to bring me in.”

Finally, remember you are sharing your dorm with another person, whose personality and habits are different from your own.

“The most important thing is to always remember that the room belongs to both people, and it’s not just your room and it isn’t just your roommate’s room,” said Sarah Stickley, Southeastern psychology graduate student and past RA. “Respect each other and your differences; accept that you will have different backgrounds, routines and habits. If both parties want to get along they will, but if one of you gives up on getting along with each other, you’ll have problems.”

A Letter from the Alumni Association Welcome back to Southeastern! We have a great fall planned with many exciting activities for our alumni and students. Mark your calendar for Homecoming Week October 13 – 18, and join us for all the festivities.

Browse the bookstore for all kinds of new green and gold apparel. While at the bookstore, order your ring the first week of school for the upcoming Ring Ceremony sponsored by your Alumni Association. Be sure to get your friends together for tailgating and to cheer on the Lions at a game.

We look forward to seeing you at many events this fall. Your involvement matters. Treasure this time at Southeastern and make the most of it. It will be gone before you know it.

Lion Up! Daryl Ferrara President SLU Alumni Association

6 | The Lion’s Roar

Health resources available for students

By Sara Patrick Editor in Chief

Whether the need is physical, mental or emotional, there is always a place on campus where student health needs may be met.

The Student Union addition houses most Campus Dining options, including the Mane Dish fresh-food concept cafeteria on the second floor and several fast food options on the first. There is also a Food Pantry located in Mims Hall Room 226, where students may go during specific hours to grab a few free groceries if needed.

After enjoying a meal, work off those calories with Recreational Sports and Wellness programs at the Pennington Student Activities Center. The Rec offers a variety of workout equipment, Group X courses

including Zumba and Thai Chi, personal trainers, intramurals and more.

“There’s something fun for everyone at Recreational Sports, including fall intramural sports like flag football, volleyball and outdoor soccer to individual tournaments including dodgeball and table tennis,” said Megan Mast, assistant director of health and fitness.

In addition, the Rec now offers massage therapy. For an appointment, contact licensed massage therapist Angel at 985634-6040. Once the massage is confirmed, call 985-549-5728 to pay over the phone or come in person. Payment is required in order to reserve a spot. Pricing was unavailable at the time of publication.

The University Health Center is a short walk from most dorms

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on campus and offers check-ups, vaccinations and other services.

To make an appointment or view a list of services provided, visit www.southeastern.edu/health.

The links for Available Services and Fees for Services are both on the left side of the University Health Center home page.

“We offer a wide array of services and we have a nurse practitioner who can write prescriptions, so students come here for all sorts of reasons,” said Melissa Jacob, a member of the Administrative Support at the Health Center. “We have a large group of students who suffer from allergies and get a monthly injection. They provide the medicine, and we administer the injection. We can do routine blood work if necessary as well.”

Students may make appointments for free, but

services such as vaccinations and tests cost fees, which must be paid by credit card through LeoNet or Lion’s Lagniappe. Flu shots will be available at the Health Center starting in October for $20. The Health Center will also begin HIV/AIDS testing this fall.

Though physical health is of great importance, mental health should also be a concern for students. The University Counseling Center gives students the opportunity to receive free counseling with a professional. The Counseling Center is located across the street from Southeastern Hall, where freshmen receive academic advising and students can receive free tutoring.

Additional information on these and other resources is available on the university website.

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8 | The Lion’s Roar

Few resources for homeless students

By Melanie Mann Opinions Editor

With exams, jobs and student loans to worry about, college students do not always have it easy. Students can take comfort knowing the burden of these stressors can be alleviated by tutors, career fairs and financial advisors— all accessible resources at Southeastern. However, not all problems college students face are so readily attended to by the community. A growing concern in Hammond is student homelessness, a problem which there are few, if any, resources offering solutions.

Marc Settembrino, a sociology professor, was approached by a student who was living in his car during the

Fall 2013 semester. According to Settembrino, the problem of student homelessness is more prominent than one might think.

“I’m not the only faculty member that’s ever had a homeless student in their class,” said Settembrino. “It’s sort of this unspoken experience that some college students have.”

According to Erin Matheny, co-chair for the Northlake Homeless Coalition, 375 people between the ages of 18 and 24 sought services for housing crisis remediation throughout the five parish regions between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. Settembrino speculates that number may be even higher, as many students facing homelessness either choose not to seek services or are ineligible for them.

The Northlake Homeless Coalition provides services to five parishes: Tangipahoa, Livingston, St. Tammany, Washington and St. Helena.

According to Matheny, units of local government within the region, in total, received $184,000 in federal funds during the last allocation of Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) monies to pay for rental assistance for persons who are facing evictions or have already been evicted.

With such a limited budget, services must be oriented toward those who are experiencing chronic homelessness, often neglecting cases of shortterm homelessness.

Most college students experiencing homelessness find themselves struggling temporarily, couch surfing or living in their cars

in between semesters. This leaves them ineligible for many services.

Additionally, many programs combating homelessness have strict eligibility requirements that people may fail to meet such as too much or too little income, not having a diagnosed disabling condition, not having the appropriate household composition, etc.

“In order to qualify, you have to show that you are financially stable,” said Settembrino. “They have income requirements. There are many cases where people are told, ‘I’m sorry, but you don’t make enough money to qualify for help.’”

This lack of available services leaves students grasping at straws, trying to better their circumstances.

The Lion’s Roar | 9 Some local religious organizations have taken on the responsibility of providing assistance to homeless students. “[We] have housed abused students, students who were destitute and could not afford housing and school at the same time,” said Emile Tasso, owner and minister of the Wesley Foundation of the United Methodist Church in Hammond.

“We have fed hundreds of students through our food pantry.

We have provided furniture and bicycles to international students, [and] we have housed international students during hurricanes. We have paid many electric bills, rent deposits and rent assistance over the last eight years for international students.”

Helping college students facing homelessness pays off in the long run. Alumna Tao Zhang faced the threat of homelessness during her time at Southeastern. Thanks to the help she received from the Wesley Foundation, she was able to earn her undergraduate and master’s degrees in accounting and is now financially stable. “[The Wesley Foundation] provided me with a place to stay,” said Zhang. “That really helped because I was at the end of the semester and couldn’t figure out where to go. I desperately needed a place to stay. The Wesley Foundation provides you with a place to stay. Not only that,

Department of Housing and Urban Development Point-in-Time Count Homeless in Louisiana

5226 3651 1575

2013

3908 1318 393 1115 575 9291 3405 5886

2011

7941 1350 469 4352 950 Total Homeless in L.A. Sheltered Unsheltered Individuals

Total Persons in Families Family Households Chronically Homeless Veterans

Graphic by Cyprien Campeaux

but an important thing is the encouragement I received from Emile. He always encouraged me to try new things and try my best.

I feel like I could not be where I am right now without him or the Wesley Foundation.”

If services such as homeless shelters were available in Hammond, many would not choose to take advantage of these services. Reasons for denying services range from feeling unsafe around other people experiencing homelessness to being too embarrassed to admit the need for help.

“One of the things I found in my own research is many people

don’t want to go to homeless shelters, and they have different reasons why they don’t want to,” said Settembrino. “They might be too proud. They may not want to follow the rules that the shelter has.”

Settembrino believes in order to truly be effective in alleviating homelessness, not only must services be made available, but the community should work toward reducing the stigma toward those who need help.

“I think, as a community, we really need to be a little bit more compassionate about people who have less,” said Settembrino.

“I remember when I first was

getting ready to move here; I was reading the Daily Star online, trying to get an idea of what Hammond was all about.

I remember last summer they had an issue with vagrancy, and that the police were arresting vagrants, panhandlers and people asking for money. I think we have this attitude about homelessness that we don’t want to see the homeless. We don’t want them around. People internalize that, and they see the stigma, so they’re not going to ask for help.”

Students currently struggling with homelessness may reach the Wesley Foundation at (985) 3451675.

10 | The Lion’s Roar

Campus to offer variety of entertainment Staff Reports In the fall, there are many opportunities for rest, relaxation and fun on campus in addition to fall sporting events. Sometimes small treats are offered to brighten the day or students get a chance at friendly competition.

Every Monday Campus Activities Board will offer free snowballs to students throughout day.

“We like to find the balance between the big events and small ongoing stuff just to enhance the day-to-day college experience,” said Todd McElroy, coordinator of CAB. “So we thought this would be a nice way to do something all semester long.”

According to McElroy, the snowballs have been a major success, being very popular at the orientations during the summer.

He attributed the success to the Louisiana heat.

CAB will begin handing out

these refreshing treats on the first Monday of classes, so be on the look out as you walk through campus.

Get ready to grab a blanket, sit back and relax for a night. The department will continue hosting movie nights, providing an opportunity for students to take a break from their studies and watch a movie while enjoying fresh air.

The first movie night will take place Sept. 3 outside of the Pennington Student Activity Center. As for what movie will be playing, it is still being decided between ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past,’ ‘The Edge of Tomorrow’ and ‘The Other Woman.’ Popcorn and various drinks will be offered throughout the movie.

In addition, the school is planning to revisit the past by hosting a drive-in movie one night near Halloween. The movie screen will be put on the edge of

The Lion’s Roar / Fernanda Chagas

Cheerleader Michael Vinsanau and Roomie display the Lion Up symbol on the Green and Gold fire truck during the 2013 Homecoming Parade.

the parking lot so students will be able to pull up in their cars and watch the movie by tuning into a certain radio station the university provides.

CAB will also be planning trips to the local theater, where a theater room will be rented for students to enjoy a movie at no expense.

Homecoming is one of the biggest fall events at Southeastern, where alumni are invited to join everyone on campus to celebrate Lion pride.

Multiple events and activities take place throughout the week leading up to the football game. Teams and organizations competing to win Homecoming Week create banners and decorate local shop windows according to the year’s Homecoming theme.

Gumbo Ya Ya brings something special to the excitement of Homecoming Week: good ol’ Louisiana cooking. The CAB sponsored event is an ongoing Homecoming tradition, serving gumbo years longer than most can remember.

This year Gumbo Ya-Ya will take place on Oct. 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside the Student Union. Students are free to enjoy gumbo, cupcakes and more.

“I enjoy [Gumbo Ya Ya],” said McElroy. “It’s a chance to get a large portion of the university together, and it helps create a sense of community.”

On Thursday, Oct. 16, the Lip Sync competition and bonfire will take place on north campus.

This is one of the biggest opportunities for organizations competing during Homecoming Week to earn points.

On the day of the Homecoming game, there will be the traditional Homecoming parade, a tailgating contest and the Lion Walk for former football players.

Students, cheerleaders, Lionettes, Greek Organizations and the Homecoming Court parade through Friendship Circle, the final destination of the parade, building campus excitement and showing their Lion pride.

Homecoming Day is Saturday, Oct. 18. The game will be at 7 p.m., where the Southeastern Lions will battle it out against the Central Arkansas Bears in Strawberry Stadium.

The new Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned during halftime.

The Miss Southeastern pageant has given students the opportunity to represent Southeastern for more than 50 years.

Miss Southeastern is a scholarship pageant which is a part of the Miss America system.

The pageant will take place Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Student Theatre.

The contestants will compete in five categories: interview, fitness, evening gown, onstage question and talent. Miss Southeastern 2015 will receive one year’s tuition while the first and second runner-ups are awarded a semester of paid tuition.

The winner is aided by the school in her preparation to compete in the Miss Louisiana pageant.

Miss Southeastern acts as a spokesperson for the university and community at various events, including Chef’s Evening and the Homecoming parade.

“It is a good chance to see some of the talent Southeastern has,” said McElroy. “It’s a running tradition.”

Informational meetings will take place during the beginning of the semester. Contact CAB at (985)549-3805 for more information.

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Loan debt affects recent graduates By emily StePhan Staff Reporter

Loan debt awaits many Louisiana undergraduates after they get their hands on their diplomas. According to the Christian Science Monitor, two-thirds of graduates nationwide will have loan debt after they procure their bachelor’s degree.

Considering the state of the economy, these new graduates may also face the potential reality of unemployment for some time. Even those who find jobs might not make a high enough salary to pay off their student debt.

According to a piece

by Elizabeth Crisp in The Advocate, the Louisiana student loan debt is currently averaged at $22,789. Combined with steadily increasing tuition fees, many students are struggling to get a higher education and fear having to haul their loan debt about like a ball and chain for the rest of their lives.

“I want the American dream too… the house, the car, everything, but at this time I can’t afford it,” said LSU graduate Jessica Potts in an interview with The Advocate.

Compared to the rest of the nation, Louisiana’s debt figures are lower than most.

On the Christian Science Monitor website, Louisiana was ranked at number 10 on their list of the states with the lowest amount of student loan debt. Unfortunately, this boon is evened out with the fact that the state’s median household income ranks among the lowest of the United States, according to the article in The Advocate.

Student loan debts began rising around the turn of the century. According to an

Graphic by Cyprien Campeaux

article in the Christian Science Monitor, between 1999 and 2009, tuition costs for public universities were increased by an average of 73 percent.

Another major contributing factor to the rising tuition costs are state budget cuts.

This has made it more difficult for students to pay for higher education, which is one of the causes forcing students to borrow money.

The government and many universities have been trying to find a solution. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard are attempting to utilize open source software to offer free online courses. According to the iGrad website, President Obama is trying to prevent the interest rate on student loans from doubling by tethering student loans to Treasury bonds.

Many have and are still proposing suggestions for a solution, but none has yet to prove definitive.

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14 | The Lion’s Roar

Miss Louisiana: Queen of the South

By Jasmine Tate

T

Assistant Editor

he road to Miss Louisiana began at Southeastern for Lacey Sanchez, the newly crowned 2014 Miss Louisiana.

Sanchez entered the Miss Southeastern pageant in 2010 and did not look back. After being named Miss Southeastern 2010, her pageant career continued with numerous titles and three years of participation in the state competition.

Although she was faced with challenges along the way, she proved her ability to conquer, earning a title she once dreamed of in her final chance at the Miss Louisiana crown. Sanchez sat down with The Lion’s Roar to reflect on her pageant career, future aspirations and journey to Miss America.

License to Shoot Photography / Michelle Roberts

Sanchez was named Miss Southeastern 2010 during her first shot at a crown. Competing in the state pageant three times, a new journey began on June 28 as she was named Miss Louisiana in her final year of eligibility. Although she received many awards including the lifestyle and fitness swimsuit award, she was particularly proud of her vocal performance of “God Help the Outcast” in the talent phase of competition.

The Lion’s Roar: Describe your reign as Miss Southeastern 2010.

Lacey Sanchez: Miss Southeastern was my first pageant. It was actually my [Phi Mu] sorority sisters on campus that encouraged me to do it, but I wasn’t really sold on the idea. Actually, what pushed me into making the final decision was that at the time my mom had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She did pageants when she was younger so I decided that that was going to be our project to lighten the mood of going through radiation therapy. We fell in love with it and had so much fun. Being a university titleholder is very special, and I think any university titleholder in the state will tell you that.

Being able to represent your school is just on a different level because you’re a spokesperson for the entire university. It’s not only a scholarship opportunity, but I had the privilege to meet Dr. Crain and sit in on the FeLion’s luncheons. I got to do things as Miss Southeastern that I never would have got to do as a typical student, but I was proud to represent my university, and I loved every second of that.

The Lion’s Roar/ File Photo

The Lion’s Roar | 15 TLR: How did you balance life as a student, athlete and Miss Southeastern?

LS: I think it’s one of those years that you look back on and say, ‘How did I do all of that?,’ but I have an incredible support system here at home. My family is behind me 100 percent. So it’s a family affair for us; I could not have done all of that without my family’s help. Simple things as cooking dinner for me at night just made a huge difference.

TLR: How many pageants have you competed in and titles have you earned?

LS: I competed in the Miss Louisiana Pageant three times, but I actually had four titles. It’s made a difference in me. I know, professionally, I’m so much more confident speaking to people and in front of people because that’s what you do as a titleholder.

I think Miss Southeastern really helped me develop that skill.

TLR: What are the most rewarding elements of being a titleholder?

LS: The most rewarding parts of being a titleholder are two things. I have a huge passion for working with children, and being a titleholder, you have to have a personal platform. My platform is “Designed to Move,” and it allows me to go into schools and talk to kids about why it’s important to be physically active. As an athlete, I have that connection to physical activity. The other thing I would say is Miss America’s National Philanthropy is Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and we get to go into Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and meet kids. To be honest, I am prideful enough to think that I’m going to go in there and make the difference in these kids lives, and without fail every single time I am so humbled because they are the ones that teach me something; it’s amazing. I would say those two things are definitely my favorite part of being titleholder, and that’s something that every single titleholder, not just Miss Louisiana, every Miss America titleholder experiences: a platform and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

TLR: At what point did you realize that you wanted to be Miss Louisiana and that you were going to give it everything you had and keep going back until you earned the title?

LS: I don’t really think I realized I wanted to be Miss Louisiana until after my first year at [the] Miss Louisiana [Pageant], but I think in a way I knew I did because when I

was signing up for Miss Southeastern, Blaire Abene was working in the Campus Activities Board. She was the first person I talked to when I was signing up for Miss Southeastern.

The minute she opened her mouth she just had this presence and this confidence, and it was just so admirable I wanted to be like that, and I knew that. That was very motivating for me to meet a Miss Louisiana. She exuded confidence, and she was so articulate and educated; and I went ‘oh I want to be like that,’ and I think in a way it just took off.

TLR: Was the Lifestyle and Fitness competition easier for you as a former athlete?

LS: I think the only way it made it easier is that my athletic background has given me incredible discipline and a great work ethic.

This year was very different for me because my eligibility was up for track last May, May of 2013, and so I was done with track. You realize when you’re not doing it anymore that it’s a luxury to have three hours of your day completely blocked off just to go work out.

So what that meant for me was getting up

all know when we show up there that only one girl is going to go home with the crown. We know that when we’re getting ourselves into it so we just get up there and we try to make the best of it, and we have so much fun. In fact, I describe it as a weeklong slumber party because we stay up late in the dorms laughing and cutting up, and we just had a blast. So, I really enjoyed the contestants this year. We still keep in touch, and I still hear from them.

TLR: What made this year special for you before you were crowned Miss Louisiana?

LS: I think what made it special this year is that it was my last year being able to compete for Miss Louisiana because there is an age limit, and I reached that age limit. I’m the old lady at the pageant. Knowing that, I really just said to myself ‘you’re never going to do it again, and you really need to enjoy it.’ And that’s what I did; I went in there and enjoyed every second of it. Regardless of whether I was going to win, I was determined to have fun and end this entire journey on a high note because that’s what it’s about.

Being a university titleholder is very special, and I think any university titleholder in the state will tell you that... I got to do things as Miss Southeastern that I never would have got to do as a typical student, but I was proud to represent my university, and I loved every second of that. before 5 o’clock in the morning and getting to the gym and getting it in and sometimes even going back after work. It was a definite challenge for me because nobody wants to wake up before the sun rises, but I knew that this is what I wanted. Going back to work ethic I just did it, and it obviously paid off because I was able to win the preliminary swimsuit award, which is really exciting.

TLR: What is your favorite phase of competition?

LS: My favorite part of the competition is actually the interview because going back to what I said with Miss Southeastern about developing that public speaking and that communication skill, I absolutely love interacting with people. In the interview, you get to do that with the judges, so that’s my favorite phase of competition. We really had a great group of contestants this year, and we

Really, it’s about growing as a person. I let myself have fun, and I really think that’s what made the difference for me.

TLR: What was your biggest improvement from last year when you were named 1st Runner Up? LS: I knew I had prepared as much as I could, and I just let that be and went and had fun. I really think that was the biggest change for me. Of course, I worked endless hours in the gym working out for swimsuit, and I actually really improved my talent a lot this year. That’s something else I’m really proud of, but I really think the biggest difference was just having fun and enjoying it.

TLR: How did it feel to compete with five other talented students representing Southeastern?

LS: I was so proud of our Southeastern

16 | The Lion’s Roar girls, and in fact if you go back and look at the Top Ten, three Miss Southeastern’s were in the Top Ten. I think that says something great about Southeastern as a university. I was so glad to be able to be there with them, and we really represented south Louisiana well.

nothing to do with Southeastern.

It was a life change for me. I wasn’t feeling well; medically I wasn’t doing well so I just came home to Baton Rouge is what the bottom line was. I love

TLR: What are your career aspirations?

LS: I’m really interested in news broadcasting. I was also an intern at the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. I was

TLR: What advice would you give girls who are interested in stepping into pageantry or the Miss Louisiana Organization for the first time?

LS: I would tell them to go for it. I know that this is going to sound really cliché, but you really cannot lose by entering a Miss Louisiana prelim[inary] because no matter what, you learn so much about yourself that you’re going to develop so many skills. It develops you so much as a person that even if you don’t walk away with a preliminary crown or the Miss Louisiana Crown you’re not going to lose at all.

TLR: What do you want people to know about Lacey Sanchez?

LS: I love a challenge; I love trying new things, and I also like to meet new people. That’s really what led me to the Miss Louisiana Organization; it was out of my box and out of my comfort zone, and it was a new challenge. I am excited for this year because I think it’s going to present even more challenges, but those challenges present opportunity. I’m so excited about that and my year. I’m excited not only to represent Louisiana, but to represent my two universities, which are like my home, LSU and Southeastern.

TLR: How did you end up at Louisiana State University?

LS: I had some medical problems, and I had two stomach surgeries. I was sick and broken down, and honestly it had

TLR: What have you learned about yourself during your pageant career?

LS: I know without a shadow of a doubt that if I had not entered my first pageant, Miss Southeastern, I would not be the same person that I am today. Not to get all emotional, but it’s true.

It turned me into an articulate, feminine person. I was an athlete; I didn’t really care about how I looked or how I appeared to people. It polished me, and it helped me grow as a person and really have confidence in myself and believe in myself enough to not be afraid to do things that are uncomfortable like entering pageants.

TLR: Do you feel prepared for Miss America?

LS: When you’re preparing for the Miss Louisiana Pageant, you’re not only preparing for Miss Louisiana, but you’re preparing for Miss America because you have to be ready to go. I have a great board working with me. I have great family support; my friends are here supporting me.

I’m just going to keep working hard, keep doing what I’m doing.

Miss Louisiana’s never won Miss America; hopefully we can bring it home this year.

License to Shoot Photography/ Michelle Roberts

It turned me into an articulate, feminine person. I was an athlete; I didn’t really care about how I looked or how I appeared to people. It polished me, and it helped me grow as a person and really have confidence in myself.

Southeastern. Southeastern will always hold a special place in my heart, and I also love LSU just as much. I’m fortunate that I was able to go to two great schools. That’s just where my life took me.

a brand-marketing intern, and I really enjoyed that. I’m also interested in sports marketing as well, but right now I’m working on my master’s in mass communication; that’s my first priority.

TLR: What are you most excited about at the Miss America Pageant?

LS: I cannot wait for the ‘show me your shoe’ parade.

You sit in a chair for this parade, and each contestant decorates a shoe that represents their state.

They ride down the boardwalk in Atlantic City and they show the prospects their shoe, just like the name of the parade. The shoe is actually your costume. You’ll probably see some crazy shoes and some crazy outfits during the parade, but that’s what I’m most excited about. I went to it last year, and it was a blast.

The Lion’s Roar | 17

New venue to offer concert series

By Megan Simon Staff Reporter

After a successful opening season in the spring, the Ghost Light venue will offer another concert series featuring a variety of local talent.

The new concert setting at the Columbia Theatre in downtown Hammond made its debut last semester. The series features rising local and national music artists. There are four shows scheduled in the Ghost Light 2014-2015 Concert Series: Sept. 4, Nov. 20, Feb. 26 and April 23.

In addition, the Ghost Light will offer a free concert during Hot August Night on Aug. 15, where Jason Martin from Baton Rouge will be

performing songs from his new CD. He will be sharing stage time with Better By Design of Hammond.

The first showing will feature Baton Rouge bands Listen, Earth and West Without as the opening acts while local Hammond band Modern Language will be debuting as the headlining act.

“It’s going to be a great show; all three bands are awesome,” said David Avelar II, operations and production technical assistant.

“As for the headliner, Modern Language, they played an opening set in one of our shows last series. I knew about half way through their set that I wanted to book

them as a headliner. They’re a great band with their own sound, but most of all, you can hear their heart in the music. They’re the real deal.”

The Ghost Light features original music from growing artists, booking everything from folk to indie pop rock to hard rock to electronic music.

The event normally features three bands/artists per show, allowing for a mixture of music styles and sounds.

“If you want to hear great original music with great lighting and sound from up and coming artists, you want to come to a show at the Ghost Light,” said Avelar.

The Columbia Theatre will be making improvements to the event, in hopes of making

it more entertaining than the spring series.

“There are some new stage design elements. A new sign will be up and some new lighting and sound elements as well,” said Avelar. “We also have a couple other ideas in the works, some things that attendees from the last series said they’d like to see, so we’re trying to make that happen.”

Ghost Light tickets are $7 each and the doors open at 7 p.m. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Interested bands and artists can visit the Ghost Light Facebook page or columbiatheatre.org to enter through the submission form, available in the electronic press kit.

The Lion’s Roar / Megan Simon

The Telegraph Salesmen, who won KSLU’s spring Battle of the Bands competition, were one of many local groups to perform at the new Ghost Light concert venue at the Columbia Theater in spring 2014.

18 | The Lion’s Roar

End of chemotherapy marks fresh start for aspiring nurse

By Sara Patrick Editor in Chief

The greatest concerns the average teenage girl has in high school are dating, finding a prom dress and applying to colleges, but for Taylor Mangus, one of her biggest challenges began when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Mangus was an honors student at East Ascension High School involved in several extracurriculars including the National Honor Society, Beta Club, Future Business Leaders of ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Dealing with a difficult person can be the kind of challenge you Aries Lambs love. Or it could be an energy-draining exercise in futility. Be certain your goals are worth your efforts.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) The Divine Bovine might be seeing red at having your crisis-resolution efforts overlooked. But others know the truth, and they can be expected to step forward when the time comes.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You should be well on your way to finally making that important decision. Having the support of loved ones will help when crunch time comes. Keep a positive attitude.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Feeling uneasy about a move might not mean you're having a case of Cancerian wavering. It could be your inner sense is warning you to reassess your situation before taking action.

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VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Trying to please someone with a less-thanglowing opinion of something you value could be a waste of time. If you like it, stay with it. The week's end brings an answer to an old mystery.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) There might be time to make a change. But be honest with yourself: Is it what you really want, or one you feel pressured into making? Your answer should determine your next move.

Taylor Mangus America and the Fellowship of Christian Students. She fell ill at the beginning of her sophomore year of high school.

“In October, I started SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Change is dominant, but so is caution: Proceed carefully, checking each step along the way to avoid encountering any unwelcome surprises that might be lurking along your path.

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to get really tired,” said Mangus. “My mom kind of figured, ‘You’re a teenager.

You’re supposed to be tired.’

I had really bad jaw pain, especially late at night. I went to the doctor like three days in a row, and she said, ‘Try Advil.’”

Mangus remembers one doctor who insisted she was faking her symptoms to get out of school. Despite skepticism, she scheduled an MRI with a neurologist.

Blood work conducted at an emergency room visit came back surprising, and after retesting, she was admitted

for a weekend in the hospital.

“My first nose bleed ever lasted three hours long,” said Mangus. “We had discussed the possibilities. Leukemia had come up in discussions but was kind of looked at as a last resort, so the doctors covered all the bases.”

Mangus was sent to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, where she had a bone marrow biopsy on Halloween. Her doctor entered the room dressed in a pink fairy costume, told her that she had leukemia and said that she would have to leave for St. Jude Hospital in Memphis,

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The Lion’s Roar | 19

Courtesy of Taylor Mangus

Mangus (above) completed her chemotherapy treatment and was declared cancer-free shortly after her high school graduation. In honor of her clean bill of health, Our Lady of the Lake Hospital hosted her “No Mo’ Chemo” party, which was camo-themed.

TN, the next day to begin treatment.

For two months, Mangus endured the beginning of her

treatment, growing too ill to even attempt keeping up with school, and received her first PORT, which is a device used

to distribute chemotherapy.

“It’s basically a metal or plastic circle with a silicone in the middle,” said Mangus.

“They slip it into your chest or on your side, and they can access you with a needle to give you chemo. Because you get so much of it, it’s a lot safer than having just an IV.” Over the course of her treatment, she had two PORTs and three picc lines, which are tubes used to distribute chemo. The first PORT gave her a blood clot, and they put in a picc line for a while.

The second PORT gave her chemotherapy burns. For each picc line, Mangus was responsible for cleaning the lines while she was home to avoid infection. This was in addition to 30 or 40 pills she had to take for chemotherapy and combating side effects.

After the first few months of treatment at St. Jude, Mangus was able to go home and return to high school.

“They got me into remission after the first month and a half,” said Mangus about her treatment at St. Jude. “I was totally atypical.

They were like, ‘I think you might do better at home, and you live 20 minutes from the affiliate.’ There are only five or six affiliates in the world, so to live so close to one was such a blessing. St. Jude is

a wonderful place, but it’s totally different when you can be at home in your own bed, in your own room.”

She fought hard to catch up with school through added online coursework in order to graduate with the rest of her classmates. She maintained her high GPA and jumped back into activities. Despite the time away from East Ascension, she managed to transition back into her high school and was named Homecoming Queen her senior year.

Shortly after graduating in May, Mangus celebrated the end of her chemotherapy treatment, which normally lasts around two and a half years, by throwing the traditional “No-Mo Chemo” party with her family and friends.

Mangus has decided to take her experience battling leukemia to heart and pursue a career in the health field in hopes of one day helping others fighting cancer. She is officially cancer-free and is now preparing to start a new chapter in life as a nursing student at Southeastern.

“The campus is beautiful,” said Mangus. “The people are friendly. Everybody I talked to loves it. It’s not too big, not too small, it’s cozy and it’s just right.”

20 | The Lion’s Roar

Campus now officially tobacco-free

By William Schmidt Staff Reporter

As students and faculty return to campus for the fall semester, they will be greeted by the new signs welcoming them to “our beautiful, tobacco-free campus.”

The university’s tobacco-free policy went into effect on Aug. 1, making campus 100 percent tobacco-free, which includes all tobacco-related products and e-cigarettes.

The majority of students do not have to worry about the smoking ban on campus.

According to Annette NewtonBaldwin, M.A., LPC, LMFT and licensed mental health counselor, a recent survey shows that “only 13.5 percent of [the] student population has admitted to smoking daily.”

Those caught smoking on campus will be apprehended by the University Police Department.

“If smokers are caught, they will be stopped,” said Director of the University Police Department, Harold Todd. “We have some literature that we will hand out about hazardous smoking.”

Though non-smokers and people who are allergic to smoke are happy about the policy, they worry about the safety of those who will have to leave campus to smoke.

“I’m happy about the new change,” said junior criminal justice major, Daniel McQuary.

“I have always disliked the smell of smoke, and of course, the effects it can have on a person.

Friends of mine are allergic to the smoke itself, so it was always a huge risk to walk around parts of campus. One downside to the change is the safety risk it poses to people who have to walk off campus.”

The Lion’s Roar / William Schmidt

Signs, as can be seen above, were put in place over the summer to advertise the university’s new 100 percent tobaccofree campus policy.

As of the date of publication, the most updated consequences for smoking on campus are warnings, fines and community service.

“For the first couple of weeks, we are going to give out some warnings,” said Todd. “After the first couple of weeks, we will give out a citation of $50 or 10 hours of community service.

If you are an employee of the university, faculty or staff, then that citation would be sent over to human resources and human resources would decide what the penalty would be.”

Some believe that the new smoking policy is unfair for smokers on campus.

“Most of the staff and faculty already smoke, and at least half the student population smokes.

Smokers have rights too,” said psychology major Whitney Comeaux.

With the new policy in effect, all smoking parcels or ashtrays have been removed from campus

leaving no area for smoking.

“I think the new smoking policy will inconvenience and negatively affect a lot of Southeastern’s students,” said sophomore criminal justice major, Michelle Pace. “It will do more harm than good, and I do not agree with it or think it is the best solution. It would be better to make smoking sections and actually enforce them instead of banning smoking all over

campus.”

Faculty, staff and students will be allowed to smoke inside of their vehicles.

Students who smoke can find relief in their car, and those on campus who would like to quit smoking can attend smoking sensation groups.

Groups will meet twice a week in the counseling center for students and in the Pennington Student Activity Center for faculty.

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24 | The Lion’s Roar

Lions look to defend conference title

The Lion’s Roar / Christopher Martin

Lion football players display their school spirit while posing with their 2013 Southland Conference Football Championship and River Bell Classic trophies. The “Lion Up” symbol was created by the baseball team a few years ago, but quickly gained popularity with the success of the 2013 football season.

By Jay Love

Staff Reporter

Lion football made history last year. Not only did they win their first conference title in more than 50 years, the Lions also made their first appearance in the Football Championship Series Playoffs.

Head Coach Ron Roberts enters his third year as play-caller and looks to expand on Southeastern’s historic 2013 season.

Southeastern shocked not only Hammond, but they stirred the attention of FCS coaches throughout America. As win after win piled up, stars began to emerge from the green and gold squad.

The crowd in Strawberry Stadium grew larger and more raucous with every

passing win. Roberts and his team had given the fans something that the school has lacked in recent years: a sense of Lion pride.

“We had a lot of fun last year obviously,” said Roberts at a recent Coaches Caravan event. “The best thing was seeing the fans and the stadium grow. It creates a whole different atmosphere, and I’m real thankful for that. It was one of the best things to come out of last year.”

As a transfer from Oregon University, Bryan Bennett had plenty of hype built up going into the 2013 season and went on to successfully surpass expectations.

It was a testament to what he wanted to accomplish during his Southeastern career. By the end of the season, Bennett

set history-making records rushing for 16 touchdowns in a single season. He was named the Southland Newcomer of the Year, Southland Player of the Year and the Louisiana Offensive Player of the Year. Entering his second season, Bennett has set the bar high for himself.

The former Oregon Duck was recently named to the Preseason All-Southland Conference team and is being tabbed as a quarterback to watch for the Walter Payton Award, an award given to the top quarterback in the FCS. “It’s great to have a season like we had last year,” said Bennett at the Southland Conference Media Day. “We’re ready to play some football, and we’ve been really preparing. It’s going to be a great

The Lion’s Roar | 25 season.”

Bennett was not the only Lion to make it to the preseason All-Southland Conference team. Southeastern had a total of eight players make the first team squad, with Xavier Roberson being named to both the offense and defense. Rasheed Harrell and Jonathan Braddock join Bennett and Roberson on the offensive side while Isiaah Corbett, Jacob Newman, Harlan Miller, Drew Misita and Roberson were all defensive selections.

Defense in the upcoming year has the potential to be just as impactful in racking up the points as Bennett and the offense. Last season, the Lions featured the top scoring defense in the conference.

“We love to score,” said Corbett during Media Day. “We’re going to catch an interception and take it to the crib and try to score faster than the offense scores. We have to play fast, physical and smart, and just get the ball back to Bryan Bennett.”

Not only do the Lions plan on scoring from their offense and defense, but the special teams are becoming an area of strength for the green and gold.

Roberson set school records last season when he averaged 35.2 yards per kick and returned three for touchdowns. The Atlanta-native was rewarded for his hard work last season being named the College Football Performance Awards FCS National Kick Returner of the Year.

Now moving to his position as widereceiver, Roberson looks to contribute to his team in other ways. As the new season looms, he has already been named to the preseason CFPA National Kick Returner of the Year watch list.

“When you have a great player like Xavier, you just want to get the ball in his hands,” said quarterback Bennett at Media Day. “We are going to find some different ways to get him the ball.”

Depth is an area the Lions should feel comfortable in. To go along with the multiple first team selections to the All-Conference team, Southeastern also tacked on six more athletes to the second All-Southland Conference team.

“We are so far along depth-wise than we were a year ago,” said Roberts at Media Day. “We have twos that are very good players that come in, and we don’t

classify them as twos. They compete for jobs.”

A poll was taken among the Southland Conference football coaches at the Conference Media Day, and the Lions were chosen to repeat their success and keep the conference championship at home in Hammond. This will come as no easy task, as stiff competition awaits the Lions in the Southland.

“We can’t get caught up in preseason polls, and we have to continue to work hard every day,” said Roberts in an interview with Lionsports.net.

The Lions kick off their season against Jacksonville University on Aug. 30 in Strawberry Stadium. Student admission is covered in the cost of tuition, allowing free entrance to home games. For ticket information, visit www.lionsports.net.

Graphic by Cyprien Campeaux

2014 Football Season

Gold Indicates Home Games

08.30.14 7 pm Jacksonville 09.06.14 7 pm Southern Utah 09.13.14 7 pm Tulane 09.20.14 6 pm Southeast Missouri St. 09.27.14 6 pm Incarnate Word 10.04.14 3 pm Northwestern St. 10.11.14 6 pm Lamar 10.18.14 7 pm Centeral Arkansas (HC) 10.25.14 3 pm Stephen F. Austin 11.08.14 3 pm Houston Baptist 11.15.14 3 pm McNeese St. 11.20.14 TBA Nicholls St.

26 | The Lion’s Roar

Ladner lays solid foundation for successful season

By Jasmine Tate Assistant Editor

Lion athletics welcomed Jay Ladner, the new head basketball coach, in early April. With a coaching staff behind him and several additions to the roster, the men’s basketball program hit the ground running with plans to bring a big change to Lion Basketball. The team entered the offseason with emphasis on strength, conditioning, weight training and plans to develop a national championship program.

The Lion’s Roar: What do you hope to accomplish during your first season?

Jay Ladner: What we really want to do is lay the groundwork and foundation for greater success. We want to change the culture of the men’s basketball program here. We want to think big, and our goal is to win the national championship. We’re realistic and realize that there’s some steps and some hurdles before we can get to that point, but that’s what we’re shooting for, and that’s what we want to establish. What we want to do is first of all change the mindset, not to be satisfied with being a middle of the road Southland Conference team. We have to establish the process. Everybody would say, ‘Oh yeah, we want to do that,’ but there’s a process involved. The process is certainly taking the players and developing the players that we have at hand to the best players they can be, and then certainly recruiting better players, players that can help us achieve those goals. So

[we’re] developing what we have and also [placing] emphasis on recruiting high quality student athletes.

TLR: What challenges do you foresee and how do you plan to overcome them?

JL: The biggest challenge that I’ve seen is changing the mindset.

There’s a mindset that I’ve come across that seems to be associated with the men’s basketball program that there’s not a very high expectation. So changing that is certainly one of the biggest obstacle[s] I see, and that’s going to permeate everything else.

TLR: Can you tell us about the new additions to the roster and what we can expect from them?

JL: Derrick Millinghaus has started on and off for Ole Miss in the last couple of years, so he’s an SEC-caliber guard, and the fact that we can get someone of that caliber to transfer, that’s a big thing for us. He’s a better quality player than maybe we’re used to having. Now the downside of that is he’s got to sit out a year because of transfer rules, so we won’t have Derrick this year.

Cedric Jenkins played right down here at Riverside Academy.

It’s important for us to get local players, if we can, and he fits that mold. He comes from an outstanding high school program, which we hope to tap into in the future. He’s a great shooter, and he had a really good career at Southern Mississippi. Cedric will be able to play immediately. We have some other guys that y’all will be hearing from very soon that we’re very excited about.

Courtesy of Public Information

New head men’s basketball coach Jay Ladner (above) spoke to The Lion’s Roar about the potential of returning players Onochie Ochie, JaMichael Hawkins and Josh Filmore, as well as promising transfers and incoming freshmen.

TLR: How important is it to not only recruit for this season, but have a solid program for the years and seasons to come?

JL: We’re recruiting to try to win now, but we’re also recruiting for the future. It’s going to be a mixed bag of guys that are eligible to play right now and signing a culmination of transfers and high school players that will be in here where we can really build our program where we have players that have been in the program and returning every year. It’s a mixed bag. We want to win and we want to win now, but we also have to lay the foundation for the future.

TLR: What are your expectations of your current team?

JL: We’ve come up with a term called the Lion Legion. That’s what we’re going to encourage and refer to our students as. We will continue to touch base with every student organization that

we have here on campus because in basketball, more than any other sport the home court advantage, because of the proximity of the fans to the court and the uniqueness of the different basketball facilities, it has the biggest impact on the game. It’s part of the student experience that for whatever reason has been missing. That’s a big thing to us to reach out to the student body and encourage them to become active vocal leaders of the Lion Legion, and we’re going to have all kind of promotions going on to encourage our student body; we really need our student body to get behind them. We’re going to ask each student to attend a single game. If you don’t like what you’ve seen out there, and it’s not a fun experience, don’t worry about coming back [because] you’ve done what we’ve asked you to do. We feel by doing that we’ll encourage that culture and that excitement.

For the full interview, visit www.lionsroarnews.com.

The Lion’s Roar | 27

Moore leads new era in women’s basketball

By Jasmine Tate Assistant Editor

Yolanda Moore, a two-time WNBA champion and former head coach of the 2013 Miss-Lou Conference champions, LSUEunice Lady Bengals, accepted responsibility as head coach of the women’s basketball program last spring, achieving her dream of coaching Division I basketball.

Moore came to Southeastern with a seasoned coaching staff and high expectations for her team.

The Lion’s Roar: What are you most excited about?

Yolanda Moore: The thing that I’m most excited about is that I get to coach an elite group of young ladies that I had the opportunity to meet during an interview process, and I was just so impressed with the vision that they have for what they want their season to be and for the program and just the fact that they want success. They understood what it takes and have no apologies about letting me know that. They show a vested interest in the program, so I’m excited that I get to work with such a great group of young ladies. Obviously, my staff coming over is a big deal for us; we’ve all played college basketball, and it’s always been a dream to coach at the Division I level. Being able to live out your dream is a journey in itself, but also to work for a great university such as Southeastern with so many things to offer, not just on the athletic side of things, but the academic side of things.

TLR: What are your expectations both on the court and outside of basketball?

YM: Obviously, I want to win.

Any athlete is not going to suit up to lose. I feel like we have all the components in place to be able to compete for a conference championship and compete for a national championship. It’s a building process obviously, but you have to have that ultimate goal in mind and that’s my ultimate goal. The challenge is going to be for our athletes to maintain that edge. I set my standards pretty high. My coaching staff and I expect great things. We won’t ever relax our standards because I think that the kids and people in general do what you tolerate. So, we want them to understand that there’s no room for mediocrity here.

In order to be great, you have to put in the work. These kids understand that in exchange for this wonderful opportunity they get to play college sports at no out of pocket costs, they have to perform in the classroom. Your job is to excel in the classroom and perform on the court.

TLR: Where do you see the greatest potential in your team of primarily returners?

YM: We have a lot of leadership and a lot of experience; I don’t feel like we’re rebuilding anything. There’s going to be an adjustment. They want to win.

When you have players on one accord in regards to what the goal is and that’s winning they’re going to make sure that everyone does what’s expected of them and then some.

TLR: What did you learn most about coaching during your first year as coach at LSU- Eunice?

YM: It’s not as much about X’s and O’s as I thought it was

Courtesy of Public Information

“I’m a competitor,” said new head women’s basketball coach Yolanda Moore (above). “I like to win, but most of all I like to see people around me successful. I want to do everything I can to be successful.” going to be. It’s more so getting to know players and how to manage them and how to make sure you maximize the talents that are there. You implement a system that’s going to work for everybody so that everybody can successfully contribute and so that everybody can maximize what they bring to the table. I think that was the greatest thing that I learned. I had to take myself out of the equation and understand that these players weren’t me, and that didn’t take very long at all. I have a great staff, and I don’t have to know everything. That’s the beauty of being a part of a team. You only have to be great at what you’re great at.

TLR: What do you expect from the fans and community?

YM: We fully expect for the community to rally around us.

This is a new era for Southeastern Louisiana University Women’s Basketball. We want to make the

University Center a tough place for people to come and play here.

We want them to dread having to come and play here.

TLR: How do you plan to overcome the challenges of injuries?

YM: We take the injuries as they come. Prayerfully, we won’t have any. All you can do is take preventive measures to make sure that your body is strong and you get the proper rest. We’re going to make sure that all of our kids are prepared and ready when their number is called. Everybody’s going to have an opportunity to contribute because we need everybody.

TLR: What do you want people to know about you?

YM: I like to have fun. I told the girls that they’re probably going to work harder than they’ve ever worked before in their lives, but they’re going to have so much fun doing it.

28 | The Lion’s Roar

Defending champs return to the pitch

By Jay Love

Staff Reporter

The Southeastern Lady Lions look to defend their Southland Conference championship this fall as they strive to reach the NCAA playoffs for the second consecutive year.

With players Casey Peacock and Kayla Vera returning to the pitch and Hope Sabadash remaining in her spot in goal, Southeastern is poised to have another successful season under head coach Blake Hornbuckle.

Last season, the Lady Lions came out of the gate strong.

They won eight of their first 10 matches, which included Southland Conference foes McNeese, Incarnate Word and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

UA

The squad out of Hammond would go on to drop only two matches to Southland opponents, accumulating an 8-2-2 record in conference.

Southeastern’s magical run through the Southland did not end with the regular season. The conference tournament allowed the Lady Lions to top off their campaign in epic fashion with a penalty kick shootout to win the tournament and Southland Championship.

Sabadash, the reigning Southeastern Athlete of the Year, posted nine shutouts while keeping her goals against average to only 0.67. Stats like these earned Sabadash accolade after accolade. Southland Freshman of the Year, selected All-Southland Conference and named the Southland

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Hornbuckle is optimistic about the returning goalkeeper this fall and believes her best has yet to be seen.

“Hope’s return will be very beneficial for us all. She has had another year to grow and mature, so that’ll only make her better,” said Hornbuckle.

The Lady Lions’ defense frustrated and hounded every offense put on by opponents.

An opposing average of less than a goal per game goes to testify the intensity of the back line. Hornbuckle believes the defense will be as stingy as they were last season.

“We returned all but one on the back line so we feel very

confident about that,” said Hornbuckle.

Stopping teams from reaching the back of the net was not the only solid aspect of the Lady Lions. Peacock, Vera and Brianna Singh were among the team leaders in goals scored last season and are all back for this fall. Hornbuckle was especially fond of his forward Peacock, who slotted in seven goals and notched six assists last fall.

“We anticipate Peacock to use her athleticism and skills to have another great season,” said Hornbuckle.

The Lady Lions kick off their season with a match against Jackson State University on Aug. 22. For more information and the full Lady Lions soccer schedule, visit lionsports.net.

The Lion’s Roar | 29

Lady Lions set to impact conference

By Jay Love

Staff Reporter

Jim Smoot is strengthening the Lady Lions volleyball team for the upcoming season this fall, in what will be his second season as head coach.

Despite losing three seniors, Smoot is confident his squad will make an impact in the Southland Conference.

Last season provided mixed results for the Lady Lions. Despite battling to a 4-14 record in conference play, Southeastern showed signs of promise throughout the season. The Lady Lions went undefeated in the Tangi Tourism Lion Classic and brought the championship home to Hammond for the second consecutive year.

“Our main goal this year is to make the conference tournament,” said Smoot.

“That’s a very realistic goal for us and we will be shooting for it all this season.”

Although the first match is not scheduled until late August, the Lady Lions have been hard at work to reach their full potential.

“Offseason has been really good. We trained at six in the morning, four days a week,” said Smoot. “I think everybody showed a lot of improvement, and in the spring we look to improve individual skills so that when we enter our preseason we can put that improvement into effect with our team concepts.”

The Lady Lions were a

relatively young team last year, with only three seniors on the roster. This year features returning talent such as setter Mikalya Shippy and middle blocker Rachael Bunn, both of whom tied the team high for matches started.

Also coming back this season is defensive specialist Brook Balser, who led the team in sets played with 114.

Joining the seasoned squad are two incoming freshmen: Kacey Freeman of Mandeville and Sarah Friedman out of Houston, Texas. Smoot is fond of his new athletes and believes they will make a positive impact this season.

“Sarah is a 6’4 outside hitter, so we expect her to provide some more firepower in the front row,” said Smoot.

“Kacey will be a back row specialist, which will help our defense.”

The season begins with the Green and Gold scrimmage Aug. 26. Southeastern is scheduled to compete in several tournaments this season, the first being the 2014 UAB Volleyball Tournament, which is set to kick off Aug. 29.

Smoot and the team will be grateful for student support.

“I think the Lion nation will be really pleased when they come watch us play,” said Smoot. “We are going to take a big step forward, and we have a lot of talented girls.

We need everybody to come on out, especially if you’ve never been to one of the matches before.”

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30 | The Lion’s Roar

Cross country enters season with confidence

By Megan Simon Staff Reporter

With a well-balanced mixture of upperclassmen, underclassmen and a strong work ethic to match, coaches feel confident about the upcoming cross country season.

During the 2013-2014 season, the women’s team placed 13th out of 14 conference schools while the men finished 11th out of 14 schools.

According to Student Assistant Coach Brandon Chapoton, these were improvements from the 2012-2013 season.

“We hope to improve the overall quality of both the women’s and men’s team,” said Chapoton. “We are looking to build on the progress the team has showed as a whole.

We’re going to see some good competition this season and look forward to competing against some of the better schools in the south region.”

Returning this season is junior Harry Wiggins, the team’s top finisher from last season, junior Joseph Edwards and sophomore Leonel Moreno for the men’s team and seniors Katie Neil and Jennifer Ernst for the women’s team, will be competing in the races to come in fall 2014 and providing a strong base for the team.

In addition, the incoming athletes are expected to strengthen the team further and help returners compete.

“We have a pretty solid group of incoming freshmen from around Louisiana,” said Chapoton. “On our women’s

side, we have two very good two-milers who competed against one another during their four years in high school, and they are Clarissa Smith [from Holden High School] and Celia Zaeringer [from Patrick F. Taylor High School]. Both of these athletes will bring a great deal of enthusiasm for running to the team, as well as a great work ethic that we are sure will be contagious.

On the men’s side, we have Michael Perez and Isaiah Gilbert [both from Ponchatoula]. These two young men bring a dedication and will-to-win to our men’s side.

Both are blue collar workers and only want to improve. We see them as a great addition to the Lion track family.”

Head coach Sean Brady

feels good about the upcoming season, believing both the talent of the returning athletes and incoming freshmen will create a sound team.

“I get excited every August to see our teams report to cross country camp,” said Brady. “It is only a matter weeks until the ‘new Lions’ freshmen will have their first opportunity to express their talent and show the hard work they have put in over the summer. Our returning athletes know what a competitive environment the Southland Conference can be. Distance runners from Kenya, Great Britain, Australia and all over the globe will be competing for the top spots.

Coach Chapoton will have teams ready in November for the SLC championships.”

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