The Lion's Roar 03/16/2021

Hammond, LA

March 16, 2021

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

Lions outlast Demons on game-winning field goal

Senior center Drew Jones checks Northwestern State’s defensive line prior to snapping the ball to senior quarterback Cole Kelley. The Lions moved to 2-1 on the spring season after defeating the Demons at home . Symiah Dorsey/The Lion’s Roar SYMIAH DORSEY Staff Reporter

With the score tied 24-24 and seconds remaining on the clock, the fans in Strawberry Stadium anticipated overtime for Saturday night’s football game against Northwestern State.

The No. 18 Lions, however, left no room for the Demons to get away and shocked the stadium with a 27-24 victory. Junior Mateo Rengifo kicked the game-winning 21-yard field goal with two seconds left in the game, securing the Lions’ second win of the season.

Following a slow start on offense in the first half, the Lions fought to revive themselves from the 10-point fourth quarter deficit, attaining the final 13 points of the game.

“There are some similarities this week to how we played last week,” senior quarterback Cole Kelley said. “I felt like we were moving the ball pretty well, but it was little things like penalties and turnovers and me taking a sack. Things like that are drive killers, so we just have to minimize those mistakes.”

Picking up momentum in the second half, junior wide receiver CJ Turner became Kelley’s top target as he hauled in nine passes for 127 yards.

Kelley commented on Turner’s leadership and performance throughout the night.

He said, “Coach Stevens called some good plays. I tried to throw it to other guys, and CJ was open. Big players make big plays in big time situations, and that’s exactly what CJ Turner did.

That’s the epitome of a big player right there. He’s a professional and a real good leader on our team, and I know I can always count on him when things get rocky.”

Morgan Ellison, junior running back, dominated the ground game with 10 carries for 81 yards.

“Props to our offensive line and our wide receivers and tight ends for blocking, and all of our backs. Morgan is a beast. We’ve

Southeastern’s defense sacks Northwestern State Quarterback Kaleb Fletcher in Saturday nights win against Northwestern State. Symiah Dorsey/The Lion’s Roar been knowing that, so it’s really nice to have him on our side,” Kelley said.

On the defensive end, senior linebacker Alexis Ramos racked up 17 tackles. Ramos said the team’s performance allowed him to execute well.

“I was just trying to help out my team the best way I could, which was running to the ball. Our defensive line did a great job taking out the double teams and making me come free and making plays. It took a team effort. Everyone did their jobs and made it easier for me to make the plays,” Ramos said.

Kelley also commented on the team’s defense, complimenting junior defensive back Ferlando Jordan for his two field goal blocks.

“Props to our defense. In my opinion, you can really tell the heart of the defense in their mentality and how much effort they put into blocking field goals—even if it’s just extra points. Guys like Ferlando Jordan flying off the edge, to me, that’s the making of a good defense. They never give up,” Kelly said.

Next, the Lions will hit the road for a face-off against No. 25 Incarnate Word in San Antonio at 2 p.m.

A look inside Southeastern’s procapitalist organization SYMIAH DORSEY Staff Reporter

The extent to which the government should control the economy is a pressing debate in the United States. A leading entity in this discussion is Turning Point USA. Founded by conservative activist Charlie Kirk in 2012, TPUSA is a national procapitalist organization with over 1,000 chapters on college campuses.

Graduate student Emily Bird and junior business major Lauren Wicker pose by the Student Union Breezeway with their Southeastern’s chapter of Turning Turning Point USA signs. Symiah Dorsey/The Lion’s Roar Point is currently not officially Weather

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Campus Life.................................2 Opinion/Campus Life...................3

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recognized on campus, but many students have still joined forces to advocate for free market economies.

Graduate student Emily Bird, an active member of TPUSA, believes free markets go hand-inhand with personal freedom “That’s an argument right now within our country: what type of economy we want to have. For us, we promote free markets. Really, it’s just a bunch of freedom-loving Americans who want to promote free markets and free people.”

Although Turning Point

nationally identifies as a rightwing organization, Bird said the campus chapter is free from party affiliation.

“It’s a simple group, we’re non-partisan, so we don’t political candidates or political parties.

We’re just getting together, talking about the Constitution and talking about economies,” Bird said.

Lauren Wicker, a junior business major, joined TPUSA to grasp a better understanding of economics. She believes free market conditions are the best way for individuals to generate wealth.

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Volume 92, Issue 19 A Student Publication www.lionsroarnews.com lionsroar@southeastern.edu

Page 2 | March 16, 2021

The Lion’s Roar | Campus Life

Delta Tau Delta: Truth, coverage, faith and power

From left to right, Avery Boutchard, Cameron Prejean, Ryan Thomas, Tyson Cowart, Khoa Nguyen, Ross Regard, Burlie Shola, Carter Rabalais, Bryce Gaudin, Bryan Bourg, Scott Capace Jr., Carson Regard. Austin Dewease/The Lion’s Roar AUSTIN DEWEASE Staff Reporter

When it comes to Greek life on campus, the amount of options can seem overwhelming for many potential members.

For male students, there are nine fraternities in total under

both the National Pan-Hellenic and Interfraternity councils.

In deciding which fraternities are right for them, one must consider the reason for joining a fraternity in the first place. Is it to find a group of friends who will be there for them through thick and thin?

To better understand one’s self?

Or to have a positive impact on the community around them?

One fraternity in particular claims to have the answers to all of these questions.

According to their mission statement, Delta Tau Delta is a place for leaders to hone their

skills, youths to grow, students to find support and guidance and men to find their paths to a life of excellence.

Current Delta Tau Delta president Tyson Cowart described the values of the fraternity as truth, courage,

faith and power. Delta Tau Delta is heavily involved in community service and Cowart explained that the fraternity attempts to spread its message through acts of philanthropy.

“We try to get involved in the community where we can positively impact everybody.

We do community service and we do philanthropy for JDRF which is the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. We try to uphold the utmost values as we can by getting involved with events such as Chef’s Evening, which will be an upcoming event with the university where we try and portray our values to the community as a whole and help Southeastern,” Cowart stated.

Other events that Delta had hosted or participated in include: canned food drives, cleaning up Hammond, intramural softball, a virtual 5k and a Superbowl board which had raised them $1000.

Kade Despino, junior business management major, talked about his involvement with the organization during his time as a member.

“My experience in Delta Tau Delta so far has been all it was hyped up to be and more. It’s great to be a part of an organization that cares so much about you. I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys and organization,” Despino said.

However, COVID-19 had limited what Delta and other

student organizations can do on campus due to restrictions and regulations.

For Delta in particular, this had caused their meetings to be conducted through Zoom but the members are taking it well, according to Cowart.

He said, “The big challenge due to COVID is trying to keep members interested because you can’t really do many of the fun aspects of a fraternity. It is hard to plan events and get the ROA approved, which we haven’t been able to do, so it is really hard to keep the morale up sometimes throughout COVID. However, the guys are taking it pretty well because we do our best to hang out when we can and to have a good time whenever we can.”

According to Cowart, the process of joining is fairly simple. Delta has formal recruitments typically held in the fall semester and other events where anyone interested in joining is welcome to participate.

The main word of advice Cowart gives is to reach out to a member and ask if there are any upcoming events and they will most likely send those interested an invite.

Delta Tau Delta is a brotherhood for male students looking for inspiring friendship and a chance to better themselves and the community around them.

Thrifting: The new fashion trend HANNAH JUNEAU Staff Reporter

Colorful, affordable and sometimes crowded, thrift stores are becoming the new hot spot for teenagers and young adults to purchase clothing.

Known to many, thrifting is the act of buying pre-owned clothing at a low or discounted price.

These options can range from $5 windbreakers to $20 dresses. For many college students, thrifting is an accessible way to save money and shop sustainably.

Freshman Kinesiology major Amber Peterson shared why she prefers thrifting as opposed to shopping elsewhere.

She said, “I prefer thrifting because it’s much more environmentally friendly to shop secondhand because those clothes would’ve ended up in the landfill if they weren’t donated. It’s also so much cheaper than buying new clothes, and a lot of the time you’ll end up finding clothes from popular brands for a really low price.”

Peterson said she enjoys thrifting anywhere but the main place she goes to is Goodwill.

“I shop anywhere I can find a Goodwill. The Goodwill in Hammond usually has nice stuff, and I like the Goodwill in Boutte,” Peterson said.

According to Peterson, she enjoys trying out new styles, but primarily dresses in neutral colors.

She explained, “I like neutral colors like black, brown, olive green or grey. Almost all of my tops are crop tops, so I’ll usually just pair that with some jeans or shorts and a jacket on top. Lately, I’ve been getting more into mini skirts, but I’m still testing that out.”

Sophomore Nursing major Dede Nason said she enjoys thrifting because of the affordable prices.

She said, “I prefer thrifting because, first of all, it’s way cheaper than regular retail clothing. I feel better buying used than brand new for the majority of the time because it is more eco friendly and unique!”

Like Peterson, Nason also shops at Goodwill. She described her style to be pretty basic with an athletic touch.

“My go-to daily outfit is Nike shorts and a big t-shirt. I have gotten a ton of biker shorts from thrifts and get almost all my t-shirts from thrifting as well,” Nason said.

Shopping for more 90s style outfits - like mom jeans - is another great aspect of thrift shopping, according to Nason.

“I love to search for mom jeans at Goodwill or some regular jeans to destress myself,” she said.

Sophomore psychology major Jewel Vincent prefers thrifting because of the memories that have been made from the previous owners.

She said, “I feel that they have already made memories, and I get to experience those and make my own in them. I get to craft new items, too and I feel it helps me express myself better rather

Freshman computer science major Abby Ortego looks through clothes at Goodwill. She is searching for professional clothes so that she can give a speech. Hannah Juneau/The Lion’s Roar than shop at a store where everyone has the same thing and style. I want to be an individual, and thrifting helps me do that.”

Vincent’s style varies but mainly follows street style fashion trends with a bit of grunge influence.

She noted, “It ranges depending on what I’m feeling sometimes. It can be grunge, streetwear-ish or very vintage, but it mostly looks like it came from the 70s.” to better themselves and the community around them.

Cheerleaders prepare for virtual championship have been looking forward to having a “normal” routine again.

Bailey Strother, a freshman nursing major, discussed how COVID-19 has changed the standards of the team.

“In the beginning adapting was harsh, many of us had Covid and caused numerous people to quarantine multiple times. There was a point where we had to take a break in hopes of Covid calming down. But we are back on our feet, we wear a mask at events and take precautions to prevent anyone else from getting it. We also check temperatures before every team get together. We have since been able to get back on our feet and enjoy this crazy season as much as possible,” Strother said.

Taelen Jacomine, a freshman biology major, shared how her freshman experience has looked different compared to older members on the team.

“Overall, I feel like my freshman experience on the team has been nothing but short of amazing. Even though football season and college nationals were both pushed back because of Covid, our coaches do everything to make sure that we are still getting a full experience, and everyone on the team is making the best of what we can to prepare for the football season. We have game day practice every week, sometimes on the football field.

We also have had workouts since the beginning of fall semester to ensure that we stayed in shape for football season and nationals,” said Jacomine.

Due to the pandemic, the cheerleading team will be competing in the 2021 UCA College Cheerleading and Dance Team Nationals Championship on April 27-28 at the Walt Disney World Resort. Unlike previous years, the competition is open virtually for teams who are unable to join in-person.

Torion Vallery, a junior sports management major, discussed what this year’s competition will look like.

The cheer team runs into Strawberry Stadium led by Roomie during the victory over Northwestern, the team is currently “A virtual competition basically means that everything will be done virtually. The team will submit videos preparing to compete in the 2021 UCA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships. Symiah Dorsey/The Lion’s Roar of our routines for a panel of judges to score and determine where we rank against others in our division. This will determine if the team makes it to finals, where we will then submit another video for our final placement in the nationals virtual division,” Vallery said.

GABRIELLE WOOD Vallery shared what the preparation for the UCA Championship entails.

Staff Reporter He said, “When it comes to preparing for competition, the best thing to do would be to make sure that we are getting our reps in. Doing the routine as many times as we can so that our bodies can become conditioned to the The moment that the university cheerleading team has been waiting for is finally here: spring football season. skills that we need to perform and make sure that we can hit them to the best of our capability.”

Although the competition will not be in-person, the team is still excited to compete.

While the cheerleaders have been active throughout the year attending events and other fall sports, many

March 16, 2021 | Page 3

The Lion’s Roar

Students speak on new speed bumps on campus DYLAN MECHE Staff Reporter

When returning to campus last fall, several students noted a slew of steeper speed bumps on the roads surrounding major campus locations.

Over the past year, the physical plant has installed new speed bumps on SGA Drive, Mane Street and Union Avenue.

Byron Patterson, director of physical plant, explained that the new speed bumps were installed because the older ones were becoming ineffective.

“The old speed bumps were flattened and needed to be upgraded. If they do not slow down the individuals, then they are ineffective,” Patterson said.

Several students have taken note of the new speed bumps.

Some have even expressed difficulty crossing them.

Taylor Nettle, (confirm major and classification), described being surprised upon her first experience crossing the new speed bumps after driving to the Union for lunch with her friends.

“These new speed bumps left us speechless, literally we hit

A student crosses one of the new speed bumps near the Kinesiology building. The speed bumps were installed around key campus locations throughout last year. Several students have expressed suprise regarding the steepness of the new speed bumps. Dylan Meche/The Lion’s Roar our heads so hard on the ceilings of the car that we could not talk because we were too busy holding our heads from pain,” Nettle said.

Nettle also shared that some of her friends have also had difficulties crossing the speed

bumps.

“The 2003 GMC mom van I own is quite the trooper when passing these speed bumps, so I have yet to have trouble with them. However, some of my friend’s cars have not had such a lighthearted experience. One

of my friends’ cars even scraped the speed bump,” she explained.

John Williams, (confirm major and classification), also expressed surprise when first crossing the speed bumps.

“They were a bit of a shocker at first just getting used to the

size of them and how intense the bumps are, but once I got accustomed to them, I was fine,” Williams said.

Patterson noted that the new speed bumps were installed to protect pedestrians around campus after a series of incidents involving speeding cars.

“Campus has a 15 MPH speed limit but individuals do not adhere to the speed limit. We have had people hit by speeding cars and even individuals in wheelchairs.

So, the message is please slow down and let’s protect our Lion nation,” Patterson said.

According to Patterson, the new speed bumps were placed because of recommendations from the campus community, including an incident that he was personally involved with.

“The process to install speed bumps come from recommendations of people who have been involved or observed areas that need to be slowed down to create a safe environment. Dr. Summers and I were in front of Garrett Hall and a guy going 45 almost hit us,” he explained.

Despite her initial shock from the speed bumps, Nettle

explained that she is now more used to crossing them and understands why they were installed.

“I know that they are simply trying to keep us safe. No doubt in my mind, they are effective. If you hit these speed bumps going above 5 mph, one of two things will happen: your car will break or you will get whiplash. Or both. I mean, they definitely get the job done,” she said.

Williams also expressed a similar sentiment.

“I think they are more than effective at preventing speeding on campus. If a speeder were to hit them going any faster than a couple miles an hour, I’m sure it would cause some decent damage to their vehicle. So yes, they’re quite effective I believe,” he said.

Patterson recommends that students cross the speed bumps slowly and reminds students that speed bumps would not be necessary if people followed the 15 mph speed limit.

“If people did not speed, we would not install the speed bumps. The speed bumps are for the safety of our students, faculty and staff,” Patterson concluded.

Opinion: Dr. Seuss controversy exemplifies cancel culture run amok If you have spent any time on social media over the past few weeks, then you are no doubt familiar with the controversy surrounding Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.

On March 2, Dr. Seuss Enterprises Dylan Meche announced Staff Reporter that six titles published by the beloved children’s author would be discontinued due to their depictions of Asian people.

Almost immediately, accusations of racism were hurled at the children’s author and a campaign was launched to “cancel” him.

An Op-Ed for NBC News titled “Why Dr. Seuss got away with anti-Asian racism for so long” written by Taylor Weik suggested that the banning was a long delayed “reckoning over his racism.”

President Biden’s proclamation of Read Across America day, a national holiday to promote literacy across America in celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, failed to mention the very man who inspired the holiday’s creation.

Some second -and markets have also sought to purge the books. eBay announced that it would crack down on resales of the book. According to The Wall Street Journal, a spokeswoman for the company said that they are “sweeping our marketplace to remove these items.”

These responses are perfect examples of what cancel culture leads to: a swift, unquestioned purging of media or people deemed offensive, rather than a productive conversation surrounding the issue.

Looking at the books in question, it is clear that the portrayal of Asians is taboo under modern standards. Several ads and political cartoons depicting Black people with monkey-like features, drawn by Dr. Seuss, have also come to light. It is also important to mention that Dr. Seuss Enterprises has every legal right to decide which books they do or do not want to publish.

This latest controversy with Dr. Seuss is just one of many examples of woke social media activists launching reckless and emotionally driven “cancel” campaigns.

Just last month, actress Gina Carano was fired from the enormously popular show “The Mandalorian” after a social media uproar over her right-leaning political views. In January, the San Francisco Board of Education voted to remove the names of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln from public schools citing their ties to slavery and racism.

Under cancel culture, one mistake can spell complete destruction. No apologies are allowed and no one must dare question the severity of the backlash. Cancel culture treats outdated depictions of the past as black-or-white issues, when in

“Personally, I think socialism has no space on the table in American just because of everything that America is founded on. Capitalism encourages and builds up the individual, and it helps people to keep moving forward. It motivates people and builds a strong worth ethic in people so that people can be self-sustainable and not reliant on any other individual to provide for one’s needs,” Wicker said.

As a warning against socialism, many capitalists look to the current economic state of Venezuela. Bird claimed socialism to be the root of Venezuela’s economic plight.

“What we’re seeing in countries like Venezuela is that people are so poor and so hungry at this moment after socialism has taken root. We don’t want people in America to get to that point, and we are very fortunate in this country. Even people who live here in poverty are still in a better place than people in some of TPUSA

continued from pg. 1

reality, they are gray.

Saying the wrong things or having the wrong opinions unleashes the fury of the mob.

The simplistic world view of proponents of cancel culture that some people must be defined by one mistake has profoundly negative consequences on our country. Completely destroying someone’s career or legacy because you are offended by something they have done is

hardly ever justifiable.

In the case of Dr. Seuss, activists are undermining the accomplishments of a great American icon by attempting to define him based on outdated cultural depictions.

Dr. Seuss is a significant American author. His works are often among the first books that many children read. Purging any of his works from our culture, even ones that do not hold up to current

these other countries, and we want to keep building them up,” Bird said.

To promote capitalism, TPUSA tables on campus with signs, buttons, stickers and other merchandise. Their slogans often spark conversation, with one of their signs reading: “Women don’t need government to succeed.”

Bird explained why she stands by this statement.

She said, “Women are treated like a special interest group even though we’re over 50% of the population. So, having somebody come in and say ‘We want to give you special benefits and lift you up because you’re women,’ it almost makes it unequal. I believe in this country we are viewed as equals and that women can do anything they set their minds to in this country. So, having someone put their hand out like we can’t do it for ourselves, it’s kind of demeaning.”

Topics of economic and gender equality are some of the reasons

standards, would be foolish. We should not throw the baby out with the bathwater on this issue.

Rather than facilitating a nuanced discussion regarding these depictions, activists chose to offer a simplistic explanation that the books are unquestionably racist and immoral.

Through cancel culture, we see the consequences of a society that places emotion above logic or objectivity. Everything is based on

anger. Nothing less than a complete and total removal of things deemed offensive is satisfactory.

Cancel culture accomplishes nothing other than further polarizing a deeply divided country. It only succeeds in making us more angry at each other. It isn’t productive to try and find the skeletons in everyone’s closet.

Instead of cancelling each other, we should try to support one another.

Wicker was inspired to join Turning Point in the first place.

“What inspired me to get involved in this is all the political craziness that is going on right now in the world. It’s me just trying to form my own opinions and beliefs about what is going on, and I think having a good understanding of what we believe in as a country can help us not only succeed as individuals, but also as a society,” Wicker said.

Wicker encouraged students to get involved and become educated while they are young.

She said, “It’s so important for college students to get involved in this because we are the future. We are young now, and one day, we will be the main voice of this country. If we don’t start educating ourselves now, it might be too late by the time we have more power to make decisions.”

CHEERLEADING

continued from pg. 2

Strother said, “I am most looking forward to seeing how the team performs for Virtual Nationals. We have been through an interesting season due to Covid, but it hasn’t stopped our determination and dedication to be the best and take home a win.”

Strother reflected on her biggest lesson learned while cheering for the university.

“The biggest thing I have learned while being on the team would have to be how important supporting one another is. Supporting each other is crucial to success and this has built our team to be where it is today,” Strother concluded.

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Organizational News space is provided at no charge as a courtesy for university recognized Greek and Student Organizations. The space of such articles is limited to 150 words. Submissions of this Organizational News must adhere to the same polices as other submissions or letters to the editor, but must also include the name of the organization.

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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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Page 4 | March 16, 2021

The Lion’s Roar | Sportst

Lions vs Tigers: The long history of rivalry AUSTIN DEWEASE Staff Reporter

Lions baseball has faced plenty of opponents throughout their career, but one team stands out as one of their toughest.

Ever since their first match-up in 1937, Lions baseball has gone head-to-head with the LSU Tigers and has put up a tough fight, but ultimately, the Lions have the most losses at a staggering 74 out of 93 contests with LSU. Last year, the Lions fell 6-3 to the Tigers on the road at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge.

Head coach Matt Riser said he is hopeful that the Lions can pull out a win in Tuesday’s match against the Tigers.

He said, “Hopefully it is a different result, but obviously the process is still the same. We’re going to go and have some different arms and opportunities in that game to improve ourselves even though it is a different format now than it was last year.”

Riser pointed out that this game is going to be in between two conference series. Since this is the case, Riser is not planning to go too long on one pitcher in the match as to not wear them down before the conference series this weekend.

When facing an opponent like the LSU Tigers, Riser said he treats them as any other opponent and stated that there are no special preparations or considerations regarding a tough opponent.

“It doesn’t matter who is in the dugout. It could be the Bad News Bears, Mississippi Valley State, Arizona or the LSU Tigers.

Our preparation and what we put into it is separate. We always talk about if we’re executing what we are trying to execute gameplan-wise and take care of ourselves, we can have success.

The preparation is the same, nothing out of the ordinary,” Riser said.

Coach Riser commended the LSU Tigers for their program and commented on the environment of the Tigers’ “homeland.”

He said, “They obviously have a great program and historically, they have always been one of the top programs in the country in the last 30 years and it’s always a tough stadium and environment when playing in the Alex Box Stadium.”

In regards to the environment of Alex Box Stadium, junior outfielder Matt Taylor recalled his experience of the Lions game

Eli Johnson, senior third baseman, leads off second base in the Lions victory over Tulane University on March 3. The Lions will face LSU with a 11-4 record, the best start the Lions have had in over seven seasons. Southeastern will take on LSU on March 16 at Alex Box Stadium at Skip Bertman Field. Elana Guillory/The Lion’s Roar against the Tigers’ last March.

Taylor said he felt as though he and his team are more prepared “They were well-prepared and I mean it is LSU and it is a bigger this year because they are more adept both offensively and environment and something you dream about. The experience defensively coming into the game. was awesome. Obviously, the nerves were going the first two to Lions baseball will face off against the LSU Tigers Tuesday, three innings but that is to be expected. But overall, it was pretty March 16 at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge at 6:30 p.m. lit,” Taylor said.

Last week in sports: March 10-16 GERARD BORNE Editor-In-Chief

The sports-packed spring semester continued last week with the Lions baseball team extending its win streak to eight games.

Currently sitting at 11-4, Lions baseball swept Southland Conference rival Sam Houston State over the weekend. Southeastern will hit the road Tuesday night to square off against LSU at Alex Box Stadium. The Lions are 19-74 all-time against the Tigers, as their last win came back in 2015 at Pat Kenelly Diamond.

Along with the baseball team’s victory Sam Houston State, the Lady Lions softball team swept Southland Conference foe Lamar over the past weekend, outscoring Lamar 21-6 over three games. Third baseman Lindsey Rizzo continued to stay hot as she leads all Lady Lions with a .420 batting average on the season. On Tuesday, the Lions will host the LSU Tigers at North Oak Park as Southeastern will look to improve to 1310.

The Lady Lions women’s basketball team saw their Cinderella season come to an end as they dropped a nail-biter to Sam Houston State in the Southland Conference Tournament 7977. After finishing the regular season 11-7, the Lady Lions earned their highest seeding at no.

2 in program history. With the 2020-21 season not counting against any of the student-athletes’ eligibility, Southeastern is expected to have all of its top contributors back.

The men’s basketball team just got into the Southland Conference Tournament as the Lions secured the no. 9 seed and defeated no. 10 McNeese 71-69 in the first round. In a rematch against the University of New Orleans Privateers the Lions fell in the second round 80-63. Head coach David Kiefer shared his thoughts on the Lions 2021 season.

“I am very proud and honored to say I coached these groups of guys. This is one of the toughest teams I have ever coached. One guy had a bruised left hip and another with a bruised elbow in the Tournament, I’m not making excuses for our loss but I am very proud to say the least,” Kiefer said.

After beating McNeese State University at home on March 6, the Lions football squad returned home and defeated Northwestern State University 27-24 on a game-winning 21- yard field goal from Mateo Rengifo. With the win, the Lions improve to 2-1 on the season and will hit the road to take on the University of Incarnate Word on March 20.

The Lady Lions beach volleyball team had a tournament this weekend in Monroe where the team continued to struggle and fell to 0-8 on the season. The Lady Lions will have another tournament this weekend in Conway, Ark. where they will face Park University and Hendrix University.

Southeastern track and field took home seven titles at the South Alabama Invitational on March 12. Meanwhile, in Fayetteville, Ark., senior Shea Foster earned All-American honors after finishing in sixth place in the NCAA Division I Indoor National Championships 5k race.

Also on March 12, the Lady Lions soccer team defeated McNeese State University at Strawberry Stadium 2-1. Currently, the Lady Lions are riding a two-game win streak and will face the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio on March 26.

Indoor volleyball continued its winning streak to five games as the Lady Lions defeated Lamar, Stephen F. Austin and Abilene Christian over the week. As of March 15, the Lady Lions ASed que qui consed unt enda volorat ionsed maio commollenis es as aliquiaspis dem etur assim verum nonessin are 8-3 and sit at third place in the Southland preptatem exeris veniet vit ad mint qui coritas dis ex et laut omnihictur, nam nulparum sedita destiusant am re inctem quis sitat voloreiumqui con pelias delesti nciliqu iatibus. Photographer Name/The Lion’s Roar Conference.

Drew Brees calls it a career after 20 seasons in the NFL GERARD BORNE Editor-In-Chief

Over the weekend, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees officially retired from the National Football League.

Speculation arose that Brees would be returning after the Saints fell to the Buccaneers in the 2021 divisional round.

Brees originally drafted 32nd overall to the San Diego Chargers made the announcement 15 years to the day after he signed with the Saints on March 14, 2006.

Brees is touted by many fans to be a savior of the city of New Orleans and a savior of the Saints franchise. The quarterback signed 6 months after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina swept through the city. Brees will be regarded as the greatest player in Saints history.

The Dallas native currently holds numerous passing records as he is first in most passing yards in NFL history, first in total completions as a quarterback and holds the highest career completion percentage.

On top of all the impressive numbers and historic accomplishments, Brees also will be

remembered as a great underdog story. At just 6 feet tall, Brees was recruited by only two colleges before a record-breaking career at Purdue. For someone who was labeled out of college “too small and too short” Brees proved doubters wrong as he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2026.

He led the Saints to the NFC Championship Game in that first year and won the only Super Bowl in franchise history three years later, with Brees being named the game’s MVP. Brees led the Saints to a 31-17 victory over Peyton Manning in Superbowl XLIV in Miami.

The announcement came via Brees’ Instagram as he told the city of New Orleans “I am only retiring from playing football, I am not retiring from New Orleans. This is not goodbye, rather a new beginning. Now my real life’s work begins.”

As for now the Saints will be in search of their new franchise quarterback, with Brees leaving guiding the Saints to one Super Bowl, three conference championship appearances and seven division championships.

Former Saints quarterback Drew Brees and current Saints quarterback Jamies Winston meet at mid field after the Saints defeated the Bucs 34-17 on November 17, 2019. Winston signed a 1 year contract with the Saints in 2021. Ap Photo/The Lion’s Roar