Hammond, LA
September 8, 2020
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
University opens up about the coronavirus numbers on campus MAGGIE TREGRE Staff Reporter
The Louisiana Department of Health will begin collecting data from public colleges and universities across the state regarding positive cases of COVID-19. The university sent out a Faculty/Staff notice on Sept. 4 that included the number of cases that have been reported so far. According to the notice, “As of the beginning of this week the university has had 35 positive student cases to date, where five are currently isolating off campus and the others are no longer required to isolate. In addition, there have been 38 faculty/staff cases to date, where 29 have returned to work.” The notice mentioned that the reason the university waited to release this information was due to uncertainty surrounding what qualifies as a confirmed case on campus. “To this point, however, the university has not been publishing the number of cases because there have been no common standards or
Students study at the Student Union Food Court. Tables at the food court have been separated by pexiglass sneeze guards to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Symiah Dorsey/The Lion’s Roar definitions as to what constitutes or misinterpretation,” stated the student who is working or studying a ‘case,’ which could result in notice. “As an example, it has been entirely remotely who shares confusion, misunderstanding unclear whether an employee or with the University that they have
DYLAN MECHE Staff Reporter
With the conclusion of both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and the official nominations of Former Vice President Joe Biden and Incumbent President Donald Trump, the 2020 Presidential Election race officially began. Both the Democratic National Convention, originally scheduled to occur between July 1316 in Milwaukee Wisconsin, and the Republican National Convention, originally scheduled to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina from August 2427, were scaled back due to current COVID-19 restrictions. Most speeches for each respective convention were delivered remotely. Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden delivered his acceptance speech remotely in Wilmington, Del. on August 20 while Republican Nominee and Incumbent President Donald Trump gave his acceptance speech outside of the White House in front of an audience of Republican leaders. Peter Petrakis, associate professor of political science, believes that both conventions were equally as effective as in-person conventions would be.
“Objectively, if I had to compare the two, I would give the Democrats the edge but we’ll have to wait to see how the polls shake out in the next few days and up to a week,” said Petrakis. “In our contemporary moment, as with almost everything, it hinges on partisan perspective.” Petrakis was impressed with the aesthetic appeal of the Democratic National Convention. “As a scholar, the Democrats set the stage with ‘slick’ or excellent virtual visuals—they did not come off as tinny zoom calls—and they emphasized social distancing,” shared Petrakis. “However, speaking without a crowd caused some problems for a few speakers.” The highlight of the DNC, Petrakis believes, was Biden’s acceptance speech. “I think the big story is how well Biden performed,” said Petrakis. “Many pundits have said it was the speech of his life and that his decency showed through.” Travis Thompson, a junior industrial technology major and vice president of the SLU College Republicans, enjoyed his party’s virtual convention. “I think virtual is fine,” said Thompson. “I believe the RNC was the best ever done. It was truly amazing.” Petrakis also believes that the RNC has its moments. “The ‘narratives’ were tighter than the typical Trump administration’s messaging,” said Petrakis. “They stressed how dangerous the times are and highlighted the ‘dangers’ of a Biden administration.” A surprising component of the RNC for Petrakis was the fact that President Trump appeared several times before his acceptance speech. “Normally, nominees (even incumbents) stay in the background until their big speech,” shared Petrakis. “I think it is fair to say that the convention was not targeted at expanding the electorate but rather inspiring his ‘true believers’ or ardent supporters. Trump’s speech itself was rambling and odd, but how much that hurts him will take time to tell.” Typically, candidates experience a bump in national polling after their respective conventions. Petrakis believes that it is too early to tell if either candidate experienced a post convention bump,
Weather
Tuesday H 89 L 72
see ELECTION CAMPAIGN, pg. 3
Students complete schoolwork in the Ascension Hall Marketplace, another campus location where plexiglass dividers are utilized. Symiah Dorsey/The Lion’s Roar AUSTIN DEWEASE Staff Reporter
The university released a framework of guidelines for student organizations to follow regarding meetings and events in response to COVID-19. The guidelines have been in effect since Sept. 3. However, the Living-Learning Communities (LLC) inside of Ascension Hall have been able to have in-person meetings and events, which began on Aug. 16. This is because the freshmen LLC students are residents of Ascension Hall, and the Honors Program is not a student organization. Dr. Claire Procopio, Honors Program director, oversees all planning and preparation for the LLC. She explained why she wanted to have these meetings inperson as opposed to virtually like many student organizations. “They help students build community, live together, learn together and generally enhance the college experience,” explained Procopio. “As part of the LLC, students take core classes together, live in the same area of a dorm and participate in activities that supplement and enhance their classroom instruction.”
Index
Wednesday H 91 L 72
Sam Englehart, a freshman criminal justice major, shared that he tested positive after an outbreak of the virus at Tigerland in Baton Rouge. He decided to get tested even though he was not showing any symptoms. “I tested positive mid-June and tested negative a week later,” said Englehart. “I never had symptoms, but I read an article about a COVID outbreak at JL’s Place in Tigerland after the night I was there, so I decided to go get tested.” Taylor Gautreaux, a junior middle school education major, found out that she had the coronavirus in July after coming back from a family beach trip. The symptoms she was experiencing felt like mild allergies. “When my mom tested positive on the rapid test, I went later that day and tested positive,” shared Gautreaux. “I was living in a missionary community at the time and we all quarantined together. However, no one else showed symptoms. Five days after my positive test, the entire community tested negative, including me.”
Honors students conduct inperson meetings
Virtual Conventions mark official start of unprecedented 2020 Election Cycle
The Democratic and Republican National Conventions were both pushed back from the original dates due to COVID-19. Most of the speeches were delivered over a virtual format. This presidential election will be the first ever election with mail-in votes. Symiah Dorsey/The Lion’s Roar
tested positive for COVID-19 and are in isolation at home should be considered a ‘university’ case.” The numbers reported to the LDH will be uploaded to a website that will be created within the upcoming weeks. The website will contain the weekly reports of COVID-19 cases from other universities as well. Dr. Jim Henderson, president and CEO of the University of Louisiana System, released a statement regarding case reporting on Aug. 18. “Our nine member institutions, distinct geographically and in student mix, will follow robust contact tracing and notification protocols,” said Henderson. “In addition, each is working in collaboration with local public health entities to release all information that advances public health decision making at both the policy level and by individuals. Providing an accurate, informative data picture while protecting individual privacy is achievable, and doing so will enhance our collective efforts to mitigate COVID-19 impacts.”
Campus Life.................................2
Opinions.....................................3 A&E............................................4
There are three different LLCs each focused on a unique area: Arts Appreciation, Health Sciences and Leadership Development. Each of the unique areas have their own meetings and events. For example, the Arts Appreciation LLC had a Bob Ross Painting night, the Health Sciences LLC had a bingo night and the Leadership Development LLC had a Trivia night. The LLC meetings and events follow social distancing measures and facial covering procedures, according to Procopio. “The room we use is quite large,” said Procopio. “It can hold 80 people in regular times, but we limit attendance to 25 or fewer. Students are required to wear masks throughout any LLC events just like in class.” Procopio compared the measures to that of how an inperson class operates, saying that it is not riskier than any other classroom on campus. Part of this decision to meet face-to-face was that these students work in cohorts, according to Procopio. “Since they already have classes and live together, a carefully controlled in-person event does not represent much additional risk Stay Connected With Us! Like and follow @lionsroarnews.
of COVID-19 exposure for them.” said Procopio. Living in an LLC is a positive learning experience for newly acquainted freshmen at Southeastern, according to a few members of the Leadership Development LLC. Grace Songy, freshman political science major who is a part of the Leadership Development LLC, said it has given her a unique opportunity. “Through the LLC, I am given the unique opportunity to socialize and make bonds with my peers through my Southeastern 101 course, several activities, such as trivia and painting nights and by living on the same floor as them.” stated Songy. Another member of the Leadership Development LLC, Emma Mier, freshman criminal justice major, said her LLC experience had helped her grow in ways she never had imagined. “It gives me the opportunity to learn life skills in order to strengthen my leadership while also being able to build connections with people who want the same thing I do: Success,” said Mier. “The LLC has really been teaching me ways to not only get involved, but become a leader on campus, which has impacted me much more than other experiences I have had at Southeastern.” Brooke Leboeuf, freshman accounting major and Leadership Development LLC member, shared how the organization has allowed her to meet people even during these unusual circumstances. “It gives me a chance to go to events right now, which is something that is not very common right now during COVID-19,” said Leboeuf. “So, it still gives you a feel of the college experience even though it is altered.”
Volume 92, Issue 3 A Student Publication www.lionsroarnews.com lionsroar@southeastern.edu
Page 2 | September 8, 2020
The Lion’s Roar | Campus Life
Hybrid courses: a new academic experience for students TRINITY BROWN Staff Reporter
After an abrupt closing of campus last spring in March, the university is finally returning to some normalcy by reopening the campus to faculty, staff and students. As most classes are being conducted with a hybrid format, students are undergoing a different experience. For some students, the new format for classes seems to have shaken things up. Epiphany LaCour, a sophomore and nursing major, shared how she was not expecting it to be easy, but adjusting has been weird and a little uncomfortable for her. “I don’t like online but I’m trying to make it work and motivate myself,” shared LaCour. “It has been stressful trying to understand and one of my professors doesn’t really know how to work Google Meet so I’ve been feeling lost because of that.” LaCour shared that she does half-and-half for one class, with one day online and one in-person while the rest are optional.
Students have been adjusting to the new format of hybrid classes, consisting of both classroom time and virtual participation. They shared their experiences with hybrid learning and discussed how the circumstances differ from previous semesters. Jordyn Franklin/The Lion’s Roar Since she is required to come on campus one day a week, she is afraid that she will get her family sick. “As of right now, I am just not
really comfortable with studying on campus because I don’t want to bring anything back to my brother and sister when I visit home. I prefer to do as much
at my place as I can, especially since I have everything I need here.” LaCour is hopeful that things will go back to normal next year
if everyone follows the rules and wears a mask. “Maybe next semester, I guess, if everyone wears a medical mask and keeps their distance,” said LaCour. On the other hand, students like Brittany Thomas, a senior business management, have also decided to stay home and take classes online, but have been struggling with their lack of campus involvement. “This will be my first time doing 15 credit hours all online from home,” said Thomas. “I am used to being involved on campus and being able to be taught face-to-face. Saying this, it is beyond different for me. It has been difficult for me to focus on all five classes at home surrounded by all the natural disasters and storms.” Thomas commented on how it can also be demanding due to all the emails of instructions for assignments. She feels that students can easily get pulled into the sea of due dates and some professors are emailing out sets of directions for multiple assignments at once. “The challenging part about these online classes is that the
due dates and assignments can be difficult to understand being that they are sent with confusing explanations,” said Thomas. Thomas does not come to campus at all and says staying healthy is her top priority and although she is grateful that it has been easy to get in touch with all her professors thus far, she is still worried about the ongoing semester. “Being able to communicate with my professors has been an easy task, as they are very understanding at these times,” said Thomas. “But my concerns would be if there are more natural disasters, how will the semester continue to roll? How will professors get through their material if there are weeks off because of these natural disasters?” Other schools have also taken similar precautions and are pushing for students to take as many online courses as possible while still offering hybrid classes. As of now the university is continuing to steamroll ahead taking all of the CDC’s guidelines into consideration.
New at CSE: Academic Connect Groups provide academic coaching
The Center for Student Excellence has developed new coaching groups for students to interact with other peers with similar academic paths. To follow safety procedures, the meetings have been held virtually. Symiah Dorsey/The Lion’s Roar REPORTER NAME Staff Reporter
Last semester, the Center for Student Excellence began offering “Academic & Career Exploration” for students who no longer have freshman advisors. This semester, the CSE is introducing Academic Connect Groups, a student group counterpart to the academic coaching service. Students who register to work with an ACE Coach are also eligible to sign up for the Academic Connect Groups to engage
in weekly Zoom meetings during which they discuss academic challenges and solutions in a supportive environment. Brad Bergeron, ACE assistant director, explained that each group will have four to six students in addition to an ACE Coach who leads the session. “Students within the group keep each other accountable in a supportive, challenging, accepting kind of way, encouraging each other and celebrating successes together,” detailed Bergeron. “It will be led by ACE Coaches, and it’s a really great way to keep some sense of community and support while navigating such an unusual semester.” During a Connect Group session, students will actively participate and share their weekly academic experiences. Students will not only discuss hardships but also contribute possible solutions for one another. “They will talk about their goals, what type of grades they want to make,” said Bergeron. “They’re going to talk about their strategies for reaching those goals. They’re going to talk about the obstacles that are getting in the way of them reaching those goals. In those groups, they are going to be supporting one another and helping one another and sharing what they’ve done to be successful and sharing what they think could be options in helping them.” For sign-up, students fill out an intake form and note if they are interested in participating in an Academic Connect Group. Bergeron described the screening process, which began the week of Aug. 31. Students individually must go through with an ACE Coach to determine if the Connect Groups are the right resource for the student. “We want to make sure that they are okay with the way the group is going to be held,” claimed Bergeron. “It’s not a passivetype group. They can’t sit there and just listen. They really are going to be sharing. They’re going to be helping one another, so
they have to be comfortable in a small group setting of sharing what’s going on in their week and helping others and participating in that way.” Bergeron described the primary objectives of the Academic Connect Groups, including providing a space for students to help themselves and each other reach their goals. It will normalize the need for academic support-seeking “It’s going to create a sense of community among Southeastern students,” said Bergeron. “It’s going to support them through their challenges. It will help them really reflect on their behaviors and their thoughts and help them share successes and obstacles here with the group and the Academic Coach, and provide a platform where students can interact and gain self-confidence and resiliency.” Raven Johnson, a sophomore nursing major, is one student who has utilized the ACE program and is currently going through the screening process for the Academic Connect Groups. She expressed her sentiment on the groups being held virtually. “Having the coaching meetings virtually works best for me as I feel more comfortable expressing my issues from the comfort of my bed rather than an office setting,” claimed Johnson. She shared how ACE Coach Bevann Dubussion has helped her thus far. “So far, my coach has worked with me to create a game plan that will help me prioritize school, strategies on staying organized and, overall, obtaining that balance between school and social life,” said Johnson. Johnson said she chose to partake in the group aspect of the program for peer support. “I decided to join the group option as well because I’m sure other students at SLU are going through the same thing as me,” shared Johnson. “With group sessions, we can relate as peers and learn something from one another.”
OSAA to host a series of virtual events for Connected by Care campaign JORDYN FRANKLIN Staff Reporter
OSAA to host a series of virtual events for Connected by Care campaign Throughout September, the Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability will be hosting an event named “Caught you Caring.” “Caught you Caring” allows students to submit stories of when they caught someone caring on campus or within the university’s community. “As a part of the Connected by Care campaign, this upcoming month, OSAA will be doing ‘Caught you Caring,’” stated the OSAA Instagram account. “We will be sharing your stories of care and kindness seen within the Southeastern community.”
On Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to noon, the first of OSAA’s “Spilling the Tea” series will also be launched via Zoom. Chaise Gilbert, a graduate assistant and CARE co-chair, explained the specifics of “Caught you Caring” and “Spilling the Tea.” “Each week throughout the month, we’re wanting to feature one of the stories that would fit on all of our social media,” said Gilbert. “Students can visit that link at our Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. In September, we’re also having the first of our ‘Spilling the Tea’ series. We’re going to have a couple more after this one.” The event’s title is “Spilling the Tea on Relationships.” Gilbert detailed that Andre Carpenter, PLPC and OSAA LINK Coordinator, will be discussing communication and
healthy habits within a relationship. The following month, on Oct. 14 from 11 a.m. to noon, “Spilling the Tea on Title IX” will be held. Gene Pregeant, OSAA’s Title IX compliance officer, and Gabe Willis, Dean of Students, will be discussing
resources, changes and how to report. “We have one more,” explained Gilbert. “It’s going to be the last of our ‘Spilling the Tea’ series. It’s going to be on Nov. 11, and it’ll be called ‘Spilling the Tea on STDs.’ That is going to be spoken about by staff
members from our University Health Center, and they will be talking about STDs, sexual wellness and prevention.” Gilbert explained the motivation for the OSAA holding “Caught you Caring” and “Spilling the Tea” during this time. “Right now, there are a lot of things going on in our world and our society that are just very heavy,” said Gilbert. “We didn’t want to put more heaviness out into the world.” The OSAA decided to change the game and highlight caring and kindness, revealed Gilbert. “We wanted to share some joy, show some care and show it happening on our campus—just to bring some light into the world,” expressed Gilbert
Louisiana Phase two extension affects campus organizations GABRIELLE WOOD Staff Reporter
On Aug. 4, Governor John Bel Edwards extended the phase two implementation to Aug. 28, which limited gatherings to no more than 50 people. Campus activities have had to be paused until Sept. 3, with guidelines and limitations still in place. According to the Division of Student Affairs, all events and organizations must complete a Registration of Activities form. There must also be a host for the party that is required to overlook the party in its entirety, and maintain sanitation stations. All events will have a social distancing monitor who will keep up with social distancing measures, wearing face masks and
overseeing that the party does not reach more than 25 people. All organizations except for intramural or club sports will be able to resume participation. Joidyn Nelson, a junior communication major and Press Club president, shared how the structure of Press Club meetings will be carried out this semester. “As of now, we are not planning on resuming regular in-person meetings,” shared Nelson. “We will be holding our meetings via Google Meet either weekly or bi-weekly. Google meetings can be seen as a precaution to maximize our members’ safety.” Many club members have expressed doubts of a virtual meeting. However, Nelson shared the outcome has been the opposite. “When we switched to Google Meet last semester, we saw
a greater amount of participation from club members,” said Nelson. “These restrictions might limit us as far as who we can reach out to, but I think we will still have a great turnout.” Lauren Buchanon, a graduate business major and College of Business Ambassadors president, described how her organization has stayed involved throughout the pandemic. “During the pandemic, we’ve made sure to stay in touch,” said Buchanon. “We have a GroupMe message where we can all reach out to each other whenever we need. In the spring semester, we really just focused on utilizing our group message as a form of support for each other. We checked in and made sure everyone was doing well both physically and mentally.” All events scheduled for the 2020 Spring semester were
see JUMP LEAD, pg. 3
Opinions | The Lion’s Roar
September 8, 2020 | Page 3
In Sports, we do whatever it takes On Aug. 23, a young man by the name of Jacob Blake was shot seven times by Kenosha, Wis. police officer, Rusten Sheskey. This shooting sent professional athletes on a Trinity Brown strike, halting Staff Reporter Game 5 of the NBA Series for three days, shocking fans and the rest of the world. Blake was walking away from the police towards his vehicle after they had gotten into an altercation outside. That is when the officer opened fire, leaving Blake now paralyzed and currently in the hospital. Once the incident surfaced the media, it only triggered communities even further after a summer of fighting for the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Although, this time, athletes took an even more serious approach instead of just “bringing awareness” to the incident. On Aug. 26, both the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic remained in their locker rooms during warmups. There had been talks of the Toronto
Raptors and Boston Celtics possibly boycotting Game 1 of the East Semifinals the night before the Bucks’ decision, according to Marc J. Spears, a writer for ESPN. After the dust settled, players everywhere wanted to pay tribute to Jacob Blake by refusing to play in a game or match in order to stir up change for justice. Many fans were outraged and did not believe sports should be brought into the situation, but as a young African-American woman in today’s society, I strongly believe just the opposite. I think the fans that made those comments are not truly understanding the big picture as to why athletes everywhere should get involved in such a sensitive case. The players made a very courageous and smart choice by not playing. Sometimes, it seems as though the world is only paying attention to issues and people when there is fame or money involved. As we all know, sports are the key to America’s heart and always have been since the beginning of time. When they ended all seasons
ELECTION CAMPAIGN
continued from pg. 1
but he does not expect to see one. “Probably because of heightened partisanship, and the fact that there aren’t that many undecided voters anymore, big ‘bounces’ in the polls are unlikely,” said Petrakis. “I don’t think either convention changed the landscape to any serious degree. The big take-away is that they have a very different approach. The Dems
due to the pandemic, citizens everywhere were highly distraught and anticipating the comeback. But, that also made it seem as if the death of Elijah McClain, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and now the shooting of Jacob Blake this summer were all irrelevant, so in order to call attention to
are taking Covid seriously and the GOP is pushing a ‘put your head down and muddle through’ approach.” Reflecting on the race as a whole, Petrakis believes it is difficult to predict how the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic will affect the result. “Seemingly, Trump is finding it hard to revive the enthusiasm he had in 2016-he enjoys and strives on raucous crowds and adoration -- whereas Biden is better in ‘controlled’ settings,” shared Petrakis.
these injustices and get action from those fans who can make change, the athletes decided to stop playing. It is almost similar to the saying “what does not affect you, does not matter to you,” and the players have made this issue now matter a little more to those people who were
“As for the presidential election, it will hinge on turnout. How safe will we feel to congregate? Who will be willing to actually turnout to vote on Nov 3rd? How much absentee and mail-in-voting will there be? Again, we are in uncharted waters and will have to wait and see.”
Reminder: The last date to apply to graduate in Fall 2020 is Sept. 15.Candidates for associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees can apply for graduation by logging into their LeoNet campus accounts and choosing the “Self Service, Degree Progress/Graduation, Apply for Graduation” option CAMPUS ORGANIZATION
continued from pg. 2
was doing well both physically and mentally.” All events scheduled for the 2020 Spring semester were canceled, leaving campus groups to make other arrangements. “That semester we put a pause on any other events we had planned, but for this fall semester we are getting plans in place to do more than just communicate with one another,” said Buchanon. Buchanan explained that there will be a
variety of ways for students to be still involved in College of Business Ambassadors. “With that being said, we, COB Ambassadors, are planning some flexible meetings for the semester,” shared Buchanon. “We’ll offer it to our members to be in person and those who cannot will be able to join via Zoom, like many classes are doing. I’m just asking members to notify me who plans to be in person so I can ensure we get a room with enough space for us to practice social distancing standards.” The ambassadors are coming up with ways for students to get creative this semester.
sports fans but did not have any knowledge of what Black Lives Matter was fighting for, or may not have necessarily cared initially. Now that it has taken away a moment of something that was important to them, they might pay attention. There were also many commentators saying how not
playing one game did not really bring the ‘change’ that activists were hoping for, but in my opinion, it brought enough. Vox.com announced that the strike came to an end with the league receiving a few concessions, which included multiple basketball arenas being turned into voting locations and the formation of a league-wide social justice coalition. I also think during this time that many teams and athletes have spoken out and shown how they truly feel about these injustices, which is important for their peace of mind. The most prominent demonstration for me was a WNBA game where the Washington Mystics wore shirts that spelled out Jacob Blake’s name. Each player had a letter on the front and seven bullet holes in the back, reminding everyone how Blake was shot, during their game against Atlanta Dream. All of the lengths that we as supporters and fighters of this movement are going through to push this agenda forward are important, and I hope that players can hold out even longer next time if that is what it takes.
Speak
Out
What are your thoughts on professional athletes going on a strike to raise awareness about racial inequality?
“ I think it’s quite ridiculous..I would really appreciate if sports could be left out of this. “We are still in the process of putting @cs.pepper together some events and outings,” said Buchanon. “We’ve been discussing some different virtual events we could do such as a “ I support them 100%!” COB T-shirt Design contest voted on by the @magpietothem business students via social media and putting together a virtual ‘How to Get Involved in the COB’ where other organizations would “ I think it’s ridiculous especially & the players look like fools.” be able to share their information with @phoenix_gundam students.” Any organization seeking to hold campus “ It is important and admirable because racial injustices can no must have a social distancing plan and can longer be ignored. fill out the Registration of Activities Form at @abbyguraudy www.southeastern.edu/roa.
Health center informs about the complementary and alternative medicines
ALEXIA FISHER Graduate Assistant, University Health Center
diseases using drugs, radiation and/or surgery. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a term used for medical products and practices that are typically not part of traditional medicine or included in standard medical care. The terms complementary and alternative both refer to treatments like herbal remedies or acupuncture. However, complementary medicine is when these therapies are used along with traditional western medicine practices. Alternative medicine refers to using alternative approaches instead of using traditional western medical approaches. Some practices of CAM include massage therapy, acupuncture, acupressure, Tai Chi, aromatherapy, herbal medicine and chiropractic. When it comes to CAM, there are four major alternative medical systems that were developed by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in 2000. These four alternative medical systems include: 1. Mind-body interventions: involve using specific techniques to boost the mind’s capacity Western medicine, also known as traditional to influence bodily function and enhance health medicine, is the familiar system in which (i.e. meditation and yoga) healthcare providers treat symptoms and 2. Biologically-based treatment: the use of
substances found in nature (i.e. herbs, foods and vitamins) 3. Manipulative and body-based methods: focuses on applying specific treatments to address health issues (i.e. reflexology and chiropractic) 4. Energy therapies: based on the idea that energy fields surround and penetrate the human body (i.e. therapeutic touch and Reiki) As you can see from the four major alternative medical systems, CAM is used for physical, mental and spiritual health. In addition, CAM is widely used today and is increasing in popularity. In the United States, complementary and alternative medicine is used by about 38% of adults and 12% of children, according to John Hopkins Medical. If you are interested in integrating or learning more about CAM, ask your primary care provider if integrated therapy is right for you. You can also ask your primary care provider if they can provide you with recommendations and/or contact your local hospital or medical school as they often keep lists of integrative medicine practitioners in the area.
Policies and Procedures The Lion’s Roar is the official newspaper of the students of Southeastern Louisiana University. It has been in continuous publication since 1937. Submissions and letters to the editor are welcomed, but the editor of The Lion’s Roar reserves the right to edit all submissions for grammar, libel and available space, or refuse publication without notification. Submissions must include the author’s full name and either phone number, e-mail or other contact information (not to be published). Faculty and staff members should include their title and department. Students should include their classification and major. By submitting an article for publication, the author understands that the submission will be edited. Organizational News space is provided at no charge as a courtesy for university recognized Greek and Student Organizations. The space of such articles is limited to 150 words. Submissions of this Organizational News must adhere to the same polices as other submissions or letters to the editor, but must also include the name of the organization.
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 the Student Union suite 1303. Annual mail subscriptions are $35 within the continental U.S. The Lion’s Roar, in its print form, and associated online or digital 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.
Staff Editor-in-Chief - Prakriti Adhikari Office Assistant - Ashlyn Harris Graduate Assistant - Sean Haydel Administrative Assistant - Gemma Carter Coordinator - Lorraine Peppo Director - Dr. Lee E. Lind
SLU 10877 General Offices 900B Lion Lane Student Union 1303 NorthMailing Campus Main Address The Lion’s Roar156 Building, room SLU 10877 Hammond, LA 70402 Hammond, LA 70402
Like and follow @lionsroarnews.
Telephone Numbers 985-549-3527 (newsroom) 985-549-3842 (fax) 985-549-3748 (advertising) 985-549-3731 (Student Publications)
www.lionsroarnews.com www.selu.edu/lionsroar lionsroar@southeastern.edu
Page 4 | September 8, 2020
The Lion’s Roar | Arts & Entertainment
Career Fair to be held virtually this year DANIEL MCCLAIN Staff Reporter
Amongst several other departments and organizations, the Office of Career Services has decided to host one of its annual events virtually. Career Fair, designated to help students find an internship or starting job position, is held every fall. This year, it will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 14. A major change to the event is that it will be virtual. “There’s two things that the Virtual Career Fair offers,” said Assistant Director of the Office of Career Services Carm Maillet. “There are group sessions with employers, and they’re about 30 minute group sessions where the employer will tell the students a little about what opportunities they have and a little bit about their business.” With an option for one-onone meetings, students will not have to wait as long to speak to an employer. “Then, there are also little ten minute individual sessions, almost like mini interviews, where the students can go and look at what company has a session open and they can go
schedule and sign up for those,” said Maillet. “So, instead of waiting in a line at a booth to talk to an employer, they’ll be able to schedule a specific time with that employer if they have it open in that ten minute time period.” In order to attend and participate in the Career Fair, students must follow the steps to complete their registry. “First, they need to go in Handshake and log in,” commented Maillet. “If they’ve never done that, then there are directions on the website on how to do that. Then, they register for the Career Fair. After they register for the Career Fair they will be able to see all the employers listed with the information about their company.” With the list of employers, available job opportunities may be posted as well. The list also will include what sessions are open. The number of sessions available per hour will be determined by the number of companies participating in the fair. “Some companies may only have one representative, so they’re not going to have as
many sessions since there can only be six done in an hour,” said Maillet. “So, if they have more representatives, they will have a lot more sessions open.” Maillet wants all students to ensure they are properly prepared before the virtual event. “Just making sure that their computer, or whatever they’re going to be using, has access to the camera and the video,” commented Maillet. “Making sure they complete their profiles in Handshake. The profile can tell more about what they are looking for, what their major is, etc. So, if they complete their profile in Handshake ahead of time, that could be helpful.” Maillet also encouraged students to download a resume for potential employers to view. “Anything you would do for a regular Career Fair, you would still want to do for that Career fair as far as having your information up-to-date,” said Maillet. According to Maillet, social media accounts can also be useful for employers to ensure students are career ready. The whole month of October is Career Month, and Maillet
Handshake, one of the resources avilable through the Office of Career Services, is the platform that will virtually host Career Fair this semester. Students can sign up for Career Fair by logging into Handshake and registering with their university email account. Prakriti Adhikari/The Lion’s Roar detailed some of the events that will be held. “There are a couple before the Career fair,” commented Maillet. “There’s an employer panel where we are going to have about four or five employers come to answer
questions, so people can sign up for that, and then we have a couple of seminars after the Career fair just to help anything following that interviewing, like if they get called back for a longer interview, and also negotiations and
communications after the fair. The Virtual Career Fair will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Students can visit the university website and search for Career Fair to register for this event.
Student Accessibility Services offers mask accommodations for differently-abled students JORDYN FRANKLIN Staff Reporter
With the recent university mandates, differently-abled students may have issues navigating campus and their classes. Due to certain health conditions, wearing a face mask for long periods of time could pose difficulties for some students. The university has released a Face Mask/Coverings Exemption Policy that details what will be done in light of these issues. The policy covers the process students would complete to receive accommodations. “If a student cannot wear a face mask due to a valid health issue or disability, the student is to wear a face shield,” stated the university website. “Face Clear masks and face shields are available through the Office of Student Accessibility Services in Tinsley Hall. Students shields are available in the must provide documentation of a disability in order to receive a Face Covering Exemption Card. Symiah Dorsey/The Lion’s Roar Student Accessibility Services Office located in Tinsley Hall, assistant director of Student students will go through if they the individual academic Room 102.” Accessibility Services, further require accommodations. departments of the classes they Samantha Ricau, detailed the process that “They are to first contact wish to enroll in regarding
online class availability,” said Ricau. “Student Accessibility Services cannot create or edit classes ourselves.” Clear masks will be provided to students who are deaf and/ or hard-of-hearing and their instructors on a limited basis. “The student can come by our office in Tinsley Hall, Room 102, and pick up a clear mask for the student and their professors while we have clear masks available,” stated Ricau. Ricau also explained that a Face Covering Exemption Card will be available to students who qualify. “If online—remote—classes can’t be acquired, the student must submit documentation of their disability to Student Accessibility Services,” said Ricau. “Our office will then review the documentation and determine if the student qualifies for a Face Covering Exemption Card that is to be worn on a lanyard around the student’s neck.”
Ricau expressed that the fall semester is generally a busy time for the office. “Fall is always a very busy semester for our office, in particular, due to the large number of incoming freshmen students needing to register with our office and students who are already registered with our office requesting accommodations for the semester,” explained Ricau. However, Ricau emphasized that Student Accessibility Services will do its best to accommodate any student in need of assistance. “When you add COVID-19 related issues such as mask exemptions or immunocompromisation concerns, it can be very overwhelming at times,” expressed Ricau. “But our office has worked very hard to accommodate every student to the best of our ability.” The face mask policy can be found at the university website.
PortableLion: campus services on the go SYMIAH DORSEY Staff Reporter
After a year of assessment and creation, two university alumni have launched an app that has gained traction from over 2,800 students. PortableLion, an app developed by Damodar Dahal and Aakash Amatya, has allowed students to discover campus facilities and services, get updated on campus news and events and conveniently access campus portals such as Moodle. The development began in May of 2019, and the two creators have since achieved full completion of the app. Dahal, a recently-graduated computer science and mathematics major, explained how they created PortableLion to cater to the needs of students and faculty on campus. “As students at Southeastern, we deeply understood the student body’s problem,” shared Dahal. “Moreover, as international students, we understood how hard it can sometimes be to transition to a college lifestyle. That is why we took the help of more than 200 students over a period of 14 months (so far), and more than a dozen faculty members to understand the problems and to come up with a solution that will impact students’ lives.” PortableLion features a Campus Map that allows students to track the Lion Traxx shuttle in real time, a News & Events feed that provides campus-related tweets, emergency alerts and other
notifications, a Frequently Asked Questions tab and a Quick Links tab for quick access to Moodle, LEONet, Webmail and other campus services. Dahal and Amatya completed the beta launch of PortableLion back in January and released the full version on Aug. 15. Amatya, a summer 2020 graduate with a degree in computer science, expressed that PortableLion is just the beginning. “Due to high traffic adoption of mobile devices, Southeastern will eventually need to switch to a mobile-first approach,” said Amatya. “PortableLion is the beginning of a long road.” The two graduates have also gained massive amounts of support from both students and faculty members. “We received massive support from everyone, including Dr. John Crain, Dr. John Burris (Department Head of Computer Science), Provost, Dr. David Hanson (Department Head of English), Dr. Mike Asoodeh (Chief Information Officer) and other chief staff in the university,” shared Amatya. The full version of PortableLion is now available for both iOS and Android devices. Stephanie Light, a sophomore management major, shared her experience using the app. “I love it,” said Light. “I use it basically every day for Lion Traxx, Moodle and LEONet. I like The full version of the PortableLion app launched in August following the beta launch in January. The app includes looking at the news feed when I have downtime features that students can use to track the shuttle buses, keep track of campus news and stay up-to-date with emergency on campus, and I literally always find something alerts. They can also access resources such as Moodle and LEONet. Courtesy of Damodar Dahal to do.”