The Lion's Roar 10/18/2016

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OCTOBER 18, 2016 VOLUME 88, ISSUE 09

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

A Student Publication

Campus Life Page 2

Opinions Page 3

Arts & Entertainment Page 4

Alumni family

Sports Page 6

News Page 8

LionsRoarNews.com

StandOUT honored celebrates Coming Out BY WILLIAM SCHMIDT Editor in Chief

equipment.” That is still part of working in the brewery. Even running the business hasn’t changed the basic job responsibilities. “I run the brewery but I’m also head tinker,” said Zac Caramonta. “I love brewing the beer, I like drinking the beer and making and maintaining the equipment. It’s a passion in many different ways for me.” Cari and Zac transitioned from simply brewing at home for family and friends to marketing themselves at brew festivals. The first festival they participated in was New Orleans on Tap, a nonprofit festival that allowed home brewers to serve beer without selling. Cari Caramonta said that it allowed them to get an honest opinion on the beer from non-relatives and friends. This festival opened new opportunities for the couple. “The days following that festival, I got multiple calls from beer distributers in the state,” said Zac Caramonta. “I was like, ‘These people want to sell our beer.”’ It took from 2011 to 2014 for their company to expand from its original home brewing to start manufacturing beer. “It was perfect because if it was up to me we would have opened too soon and we wouldn’t have had it figured out. Then Zac was like ‘Lets get this figured out and do it the right way,’” said Cari Caramonta. “We opened when we needed to open because we were on opposite sides of the spectrum. It was American Craft Beer week when we opened. We opened at Red White & Brew where we discovered craft beer together.” As they opened and grew, the Caramonta’s company expanded past their expectations. “We started as a much smaller project,” said

National Coming Out Day was celebrated on Oct. 11, and StandOUT honored this day by setting up a table in the Student Union Breezeway to recognize the day and those who it impacts. “We want to basically just be a safe haven for those who are thinking of coming out or who have never come out about their sexuality,” said Vice President of StandOUT Gabrielle Filiberto, a junior social work major. “National Coming Out Day means a lot to people, even people who have already come out, just taking credit for their sexuality and we are here to support a community that supports that and supports anyone that hasn’t come out.” National Coming Out Day is an annual awareness day that was founded in 1988. The day was founded in the feminist and gay liberation spirit of a person coming out being political. One form of activism was coming out to family and friends, to be able to live openly as a gay or lesbian person with a foundational belief that once a person came out, the people who are around them would maintain less homophobic or oppressive views. Since then, Coming Out Day has expanded to include the entire LGBTQ+ community. StandOUT’s table provided students a time to come out, and a time to raise awareness on how to safely come out. “Basically, if anybody feels the need or wants to come out, they can know the knowledge to do it safely because some people are not accepting of this, and if you are living with your parents, or you’re living with someone who is not accepting, you become homeless. It is not the best thing to do,” said Erica Cross, a freshman psychology major. For those who may not be able to talk to family or friends about their sexuality, StandOUT offers a safe haven, and those who stopped by their table were able to write encouraging things to those coming out. “We service as a Gay Straight Alliance, so it doesn’t matter if you are gay or even if you are straight, you can be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community and we do have a

see GNARLY BARLEY pg. 2

see STANDOUT pg. 8

Breshon Foster / The Lion’s Roar

NEW ART EXHIBIT IN CAG pg. 2

Regina Pergola / The Lion’s Roar

MACABRE SHOWCASE w. 4

Amber Grace Garrard / The Lion’s Roar

ARMY ROTC SCHOLARSHIP pg. 6

Morgan Ledet / The Lion’s Roar

LEE’S REMODELING pg. 9

Regina Pergola / The Lion’s Roar

Zac and Cari Caramonta, university Young Alumni of the Year, balance their daughter Stevie Caramonta on top of their bar at Gnarly Barley Brewing Co. The couple hopes their daughter will follow in their footsteps and join the Brew Crew as well as possibly going to Southeastern University.

BY REGINA PERGOLA Staff Reporter

An alumni couple’s business is a seamless combination of their two passions. Cari Caramonta was passionate about owning her own business and her husband Zac Caramonta discovered the joy of home brewing. Cari Caramonta was supportive of her husband’s hobby which later turned into their self-run company. Young Alumni of the Year, Zac and Cari Caramonta, own the local brewery Gnarly Barley Brewing in downtown Hammond. “Zac looked at me one day and said ‘I was put on this earth to brew beer,’” said Cari Caramonta. “He would go out in the driveway working in the sun brewing beer for hours and hours. You have to really love it to want to do that. I could tell how dedicated he was and the beer was actually really good.” Cari Caramonta explained that she took their two passions and made it into something they both enjoy. “I was like, ‘Well then, you totally have to do it,”’ said Cari Caramonta. “I can do the business aspect and help you do what you want to do and that would turn into what I want to do, and it turned into the perfect marriage, if you will, of jobs and of two different paths.” Cari Caramonta started as a business management major but changed to family and consumer sciences with a concentration and minor in marketing. Zac Caramonta graduated with a degree in general studies after changing his major from psychology and sociology. Cari Caramonta always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but did not envision it being a brewery. “I’ve always felt I wanted to own a business, but it was definitely never a brewery,” said Cari

Caramonta. “That was never a thought in my mind. I didn’t even know anything about beer at the time nor did I like it because I didn’t know about good beer.” Zac Caramonta changed Cari Caramonta’s view on beer by introducing her to craft beer. “He opened my eyes to craft beer,” said Cari Caramonta. “Beer doesn’t have to be the same old Coors Lite or Bud when you think of beer.” Cari’s experience with business in the beginning of her university years still helps with Gnarly Barley. “I just wanted to have my own little store, and after a few courses in accounting, I was like math is not for me,” said Cari Caramonta. “But it’s funny because it’s almost come full circle because now I almost wish that I had more accounting classes because that is one of the things I handle at Gnarly Barley. I knew I liked business, but I still didn’t know what my future was going to bring.” Past hobbies contributed to future skills that were key in the expansion of the Caramonta’s company. “He was a skateboarder first and foremost,” said Cari Caramonta. “That was a huge passion of his before brewing came about and he got into building his own ramps. That was definitely his hobby.” The tinker ability, that started with building skating ramps, helped Zac Caramonta with making equipment in the future. “Home brewing hobby is really neat because you’re making beer, but most of the people that get into that hobby are tinkerers and making little gadgets,” said Zac Caramonta. “I’ve always been into that since I was a little kid. I started welding and making my own tanks and equipment with building skateboard ramps as a background in fabrication. It helped me to really easily transition to making brewing

Victories bring hope to conference tournament chances BY JONATHAN RHODES Staff Reporter

Lady Lions volleyball finally earned a victory defeating Nicholls State in their annual Dig Pink game after four straight losses. The game was won 3-1 last Tuesday in the University Center. The Lady Lions record is now 4-16 overall and 3-4 in the Southland Conference. “It’s kind of like the weight of the world has been lifted off our shoulders,” said Head Coach Jim Smoot. “We know we are a good team. We just haven’t been able to pick up the victories so, I think this game is a real encouragement for the girls. They know what they can do.” Freshman outside hitter Chloee Holden led the team with 14 kills followed by senior outside hitter Madi Odom who had 11 kills. Senior middle

blocker Rachael Bunn had 10 kills hitting a .400 attack percentage and two blocks placing her 5th on the all-time Lady Lions career blocks list. The Lady Lions won the first set but lost the second. It took determination for the team to close out the game in the final two sets. “I think sometimes we let down after we win a game or two,” said Bunn. “We didn’t let down in this one and we just kept on being consistent and just kept going after the ball.” Odom and sophomore setter Haley Baker had a double-double. Baker finished with her career high 14 digs and 28 assists. Odom had 15 digs to go with her 11 kills. Sophomore libero Monica Ramon led the team with 26 digs. “I think our serve receive overall was really good,” said Smoot. “We got in trouble in the second set where we

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weren’t passing well and we had a lot of hitting errors. Tactically we ran through the middle to Rachael and Savannah. That looked like it was really successful so we really emphasize going to our middle blockers and that opened up the other hitters too.” Despite the losing streak, the Lady Lions still have a chance to make it and win the Southland Conference Tournament. “I think we should be one of the top four teams,” said Smoot. “We have a lot of freshmen that don’t understand, and we are telling them that ‘All we have to do is be in the top eight and be playing well then you can win the tournament. That’s always been our goal, to make it to the tournament and then to win it, that’s the second goal. So, we’re right on track.” see VOLLEYBALL pg. 6

Jonathan Rhodes / The Lion’s Roar

The Lady Lions have picked up some momentum as they have won two out of the past three games. The next three games will all be home games during Homecoming Week as they look to start a winning streak.

Weather Tuesday H 89 L 69

Reminders Wednesday H 89 L 69

Kickoff for the Homecoming football game will be at 4 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium.


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