’ THE LION S ROAR Campus Haunted House 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
October 30, 2018
Left to right, College Republican panelists Caleb Kerstens, Mollie Millet and Hayden Porter participate in political discussions held at “Blue Meets Red.” Jacob Summerville/The Lion’s Roar
Going into the polls
JACOB SUMMERVILLE Staff Reporter
Local and state elections are next week, and two students at the university have been active participants leading up to Nov. 6. Vice President of College Republicans Mollie Millet, a sophomore political science major, and President of College Democrats Eugene Davis, a senior double majoring in communication and political science, may affiliate with different political parties, but both see great value in voting. Millet stated that not all countries have the right to select their officials and that voting matters, especially in close races. “We’ve seen it in past elections how even 1,000 votes away can determine a state’s red or blue or independent status,” said Millet. “So, I think if you really want to get your voice heard,
whether you think it’s going to be heard or not, vote.” Davis expressed the importance of the younger generation’s input. “Only 43 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 35 got out and voted last presidential election in the year 2016,” said Davis. “So, it is very paramount, very important for people in our age group to be able to get out and vote and utilize that weapon because in order for a democracy to actually function, the most basic fundamental is people using their right to vote. So, you can’t really complain about the government if you don’t participate and vote in it.” Both organizations have hosted events in light of election season. College Republicans teamed up with the St. Tammany Republican
see ELECTIONS, pg. 2
The scary side of social media
Stashia Liegl, a freshman psychology major, dresses as an asylum patient in the“Haunted House” put on by Campus Activities Board. Diamond Hollins/The Lion’s Roar
DIAMOND HOLLINS Staff Reporter
The Campus Activities Board tackles phobias and fears to spook students with this year’s “Haunted House.” The “Haunted House” will take place on Oct. 29-31 from 7-10 p.m. with the line starting outside the University Bookstore. The theme for this year’s “Haunted House” focuses on fears and phobias. “It’ll be a mixture of attractions like darkness, claustrophobia, insects and more,” said Event Manager for CAB Gabrielle “Gi” Levet. “Students have been signing up to be actors for a few weeks now, so the scare acting will be
improvised the day of the event. We have purchased costumes, but we have several makeup artists using their talents to improve the look.” Event Planner for CAB Megan Blomquist shared that the most challenging part of planning the “Haunted House” was coordinating with everyone involved. “There are a lot of people that are involved in making a haunted house happen, and a lot of information needs to be conveyed,” said Blomquist. “Many emails and meetings have to happen to keep everything updated and everyone informed constantly.” Blomquist discussed teamwork’s role in the planning process. “Teamwork plays an extremely big and important
role in every aspect of the ‘Haunted H o u s e , ’ ” said Blomquist. “We use a lot of different ideas in planning, and then we need a lot of help actually setting up the rooms. It takes many days and many hours of setting up to create our masterpiece, and of course, it takes teamwork to scare over 300 people.” Levet discussed changes from last year’s “Haunted House.” “We decided to make it a three-night event since last year we had so many people unable to get in,” said Levet. “We improved the lines since people were cutting the line a lot last year. We also made the ‘Haunted House’ much longer, scarier and more official like a professional haunted house.”
see HAUNTED HOUSE, pg. 2
Constant use of social media can carry negative effects. Zachary Araki/The Lion’s Roar DIAMOND HOLLINS Staff Reporter
Though social media offers a convenient form of communication and networking, negative effects can accompany prolonged use. According to Director of Graduate Studies and Institutional Effectiveness John Boulahanis, social media is psychologically addictive, and like other addictions, withdrawal brings negative effects. “A 2017 study published in the Public Library of
Science studied the effects of internet addiction on a group of individuals who stay online for extended periods of time,” said Boulahanis. “The findings revealed that people who stay online for extended periods of time go through physiological changes when they get offline. These changes include increased heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety, a pattern very similar to drug withdrawal.” Boulahanis shared how seeing crime information in media can affect individuals. Boulahanis said, “Various media and crime studies have also indicated that individuals who receive most of their crime-related information from the media, including social media, tend to suffer from higher levels of fear of crime and are more likely to engage in preventative behavior that may impact their quality of life.” Psychology Instructor Christina Parker compared the
initial stage of disconnecting from social media to later stages. “For those who have taken a break from social media platforms, many report feeling as if they are missing out on important updates from their friends or invitations to upcoming events,” said Parker. “For those who have moved past these anxieties and continued to live a minimal social media life, many report feeling as if they have more time for face-to-face meaningful relationships and reduced anxiety.”
Joshua Madere - Pg. 2
Entertainment and education wrapped in one
This year, the Louisiana Renaissance Festival will hold activities with themes such as Mask Weekend and Veterans Day among others. The festival features educational entertainment like the above show in the Village of Albright in the 16th century. File Photo/The Lion’s Roar DIAMOND HOLLINS
Renaissance era. Every weekend from Nov. 3 to Dec. 9, the festival returns to the Village of The annual Louisiana Renaissance Albright and the 16th century. Themes Festival returns this year to educate and include Mask Weekend and Veterans Day. entertain with activities relating to the Despite this setting, the festival will also Staff Reporter
Weather
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offer Greek, Asian and Mexican food. Bethany Baker, a sophomore psychology major, has attended the festival since she was 3 years old. “My first time attending was in 2001, and it became a sort of family tradition,” said Baker. “My family started taking me every year. Going to the festival became a time for my family and me to bond and spend some time together. One of the biggest misconceptions is that the Renaissance Festival isn’t really family oriented, but in reality, it really is.” According to Founder and Owner of LARF Alvon Brumfield, attendees can expect entertainment, education and shopping at the festival. “As it pertains to entertainment, there are 65 shows every day that span to 30 minutes, and there is something for everyone in these shows,” said Brumfield. “Regarding education, there are countless artists who do demonstrations. There is actually a whole section where nothing is for sale, and attendees just learn about history and get hands-on experiences. People get a chance to see how things used to be and get a feel for it.”
Baker shared that the Renaissance Festival is not only a place for fun but can also be educational. “While the Renaissance Festival focuses a lot of fun at shows, there are a lot of educational things that happen,” said Baker. “The living history center is a part of the Renaissance Festival, and the living history center is basically this whole area dedicated to preserving what it used to be like in the Renaissance time period. Also, you can learn, go to make baskets, and make cheese and milk goats. There’s a place where you can learn to make glass and candles.” Brumfield described the shopping experience at the festival. “As it pertains to shopping, it is not just a place to buy things,” said Brumfield. “People actually get to watch artists handmake something they want.” Baker’s favorite aspect of the festival was the friendly vibe that everyone at the festival emanates. “The people and the atmosphere was so friendly,” said Baker. “There was so much
Index
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Campus Life.................................2 Opinions.....................................3 A&E............................................4
Horoscope, Crossword, Sudoku....5 Sports.........................................6 News..........................................8
Halloween Opinion - Pg. 3
Dashain - Pg. 4
Christina Cutura - Pg. 6
see RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL, pg. 5 Stay Connected With Us!
Volume 90, Issue 12
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