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Table of Contents A Letter from the Editor

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Faith Laurent

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Columbia Theatre Football season preview Miss Southeastern Louisiana University

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Back to School 2021

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Head-to-head Vaccine OPinions

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Zachary Rogers

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Art Exhibit

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Humans of Hammond

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Will Vance

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Editorial:: Editorial Lion’S Roar the Lion’S The Lion’ Continues to Thrive thrive The past year during my time as editor-inchief has allowed me to grow in many ways.

I have learned to become a lot more patient when issues and obstacles arise. I have also learned that a group of people are only as strong as their weakest link.

I have also learned how a team works better together.

During my time as Editor-in-Chief I have been blessed with the strongest staff this media outlet has seen in years. We truly have no weak links and are filled with a team of hard workers. Currently the staff has three other editors who love their job and come in with the utmost passion day in and day out. Along with the editors, the news organization also has staff reporters that are eager to work and spread the news throughout the Southeastern and Hammond community. Without the strength of my staff, last year’s obstacle course of a school year would have been impossible to overcome.

Along with the newspaper staff being strong and hard working Dr. Lee Lind and Mrs. Lorraine Peppo have also made the jobs easy as without them the paper would not be where it is today. These two have always been there when needed and always step up to the plate.

Regardless of good times, hiccups will unfortunately

always arise. The Lion’s Roar Newspaper has seen a drastic change over the past few years as we are completely digital now. With the introduction of COVID, the paper had to start focusing on a different platform to spread our work. The staff and I also had to come up with interesting stories that kept the audience informed and entertained. Along with the hiccups, this year also brought blessings as The Lion’s Roar Newspaper received many statewide awards for our phenomenal work.

No matter what state the newspaper is in, The Lion’s Roar’s goal has and will always be to provide faculty, staff and students with a source of news that is honest, timely and informative.

This semester another area The Lion’s Roar will expand in is the use of video and audio podcasting.

The staff and I have are working extremely hard to create podcasts for every audience on campus. Along with video and audio podcasting The Lion’s Roar is also unveiling a brand new masthead this semester with a more prominent lion as the focal point.

Needless to say I am extremely proud that I am the Editor-in-Chief at the best college newspaper in all of America. As I begin my senior year I will take a step back from the paper to focus on my academics and life after college. If one thing is for certain, I know this amazing staff is ready to provide and inform The Lion’s Roar community.

- Gerard Borne Jr., Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief - Gerard Borne Jr. Photography Editor - Symiah Dorsey Opinions Editor - Dylan Meche Copy Editor - Brynn Lundy Graduate Assistant - Alyssa Larose Coordinator - Lorraine Peppo Director - Dr. Lee E. Lind

Lion’s Roar News

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EMBRACING WHAT IS NATURAL p ho to grap her captures the art o f natural hair

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n December of 2019, freelance photographer Faith Laurent made a decision that would bring new meaning to her journey of self acceptance: she put down the flat iron and began to her natural hair.

This decision for Laurent, a junior business major, not only gave her a new perspective on beauty but also a new source of inspiration for her recent photo series: “Floraison: The Upcoming of Elmonia.”

Laurent selected the title thoughtfully to honor where she is going and where she came from.

“I’m so dedicated with the effort and time I put into investing in myself, so that is where I got the ‘upcoming.’ My middle name is Elmonia, and I was named after my great grandmother who was French. ‘Floraison’ is ‘bloom’ in French,” Laurent said.

The term ‘Floraison’ pays tribute to the flowers featured in Laurent’s photo series. When it comes to beauty and vulnerability, Laurent said flowers and natural hair have a lot in common.

“I incorporated the flowers because they still are beautiful even while dead, imperfect or discolored. Similar to hair. The two hairstyles that I shot with are important to me because I wear them frequently,” she wrote in a description of her work.

For Lauret, placing her hair on an artistic pedestal has allowed her to take another step in her journey

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Back to School 2021

Courtesy of Faith Laurent

of embracing natural beauty.

“All my life, I went to school feeling like I had to straighten my hair to look good. Straighteners, flat irons, all of that. When I got to high school, I dyed my hair and by then, it was just dead. When I got to Southeastern, I said ‘you know what, I’m done.’ I was blonde, so I went back to brown and decided I had to stop,” Laurent said.

Laurent’s love for her natural tresses continued to grow alongside her love for photography, and by combining the two, her art has begun to receive recognition.

Out of 1,170 submissions, “Floraison: The Upcoming of Elmonia,” is within the 51 works that was selected and displayed in Louisiana Contemporary 2021, an annual exhibition hosted by the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans.

Laurent was inspired to submit her work to the exhibition through the support of her

photography professor.

She said, “I want to shout out Mrs. Lily Brooks because even after school ended, she sent me a link to Louisiana Contemporary. She said “I really think you should do this,” and then I did, and I got in. She was really proud.”

This was Laurent’s first ever submission and acceptance into a contemporary art exhibition, and she knew she wanted to make a statement.

“While shooting, I was reminded about how natural hair is not always accepted in the workplace.

Knowing that natural hair is viewed as unprofessional to close-minded people is what drove me to make my prints large. I made them large to show off their beauty. The dimensions of each print in the exhibition will be 16x20,” Laurent said.

As a photographer, Laurent also aspires to leave an impact on her digital platforms. According to

Laurent, being authentic is one of the most powerful decisions you can make when sharing your art and posting online.

“Social media is known for giving people false expectations. You have all these influencers and women’s bodies looking ‘perfect,’ and I’ve had enough of all of that. This is my way to emphasize that you should just be yourself.”

Laurent added she is always looking for new people to work with.

The locally-based photographer can be reached via Instagram @ faithlaurentphotography and via her website elmoniabeauty.com.

“Floraison: The Upcoming of Elmonia” will be on display at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art until October 10th.

- Symiah Dorsey, Photography Editor

Lion’s Roar News

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Columbia theatre celebrates life with new season

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hrough the storm that was COVID-19, many businesses struggled to stay afoot.

The Columbia Theatre may not have been at their highest, but they were still able to learn and grow from what happened.

The theatre’s new season is a celebration of life, according to Artistic Director Jim Winter, as it is a symbol of commemorating what everyone has lost and what is now being taken back.

Winter shared what his favorite show for the new season is and why he is looking forward to it most.

“Personally, probably the ‘House on Haunted Hill.’ I’m a big Halloween buff, and I always enjoy working with the playwright of that piece,” he said.

With a wide range of productions for people to choose from, Winter said he is unsure of which show will have the best turn-out.

Winter said, “I would imagine people would be excited about the holiday. It’s an extravaganza, especially with the “Polar Express.”

I think the live Rocky Horror in March will be very popular. It’s hard to say. You never know; sometimes the public surprises you! You think one show is going to be the big show of the year, and they fall in love with something else.”

The “Rocky Horror Picture Show’’ is a classic, and Winter says he is sure that one will fill many sets. He added on why the Columbia’s version will be special.

“We have two different things. In late October, we’re screening the “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

We’re looking to make that an annual tradition because it was so popular last year. In the spring, with us staging the original musical, the “Rocky Horror Show’’ by Richard O’Brien, that’s the one where we have the creativity to play with it,” Winter explained.

Winter said that this musical will include many local talents, which will be a

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positive aftereffect from the pandemic.

The musical will also be a co-production with the Southeastern Theatre Department.

He said, “We’re bringing in a guest director, Shane Stewart, who does a lot of work with talented theater students in Baton Rouge. We’re really excited to see what vision he brings to it.”

Guest director Shane Stewart said this will be his directing debut at the Columbia.

“I’ve directed all over the place. I’ve been teaching talented theater for about eighteen years, but I’ve never actually directed at the Columbia. I have directed at Vonnie Borden a couple of times,” Stewart said.

Stewart explained that acting was his first dream, and he even got a Master’s Degree in Performance Art at UNO prior to discovering his passion for directing alongside Artistic Director Jim Winter.

A Southeastern alum, Stewart said that he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in English at SLU where he took almost every class. Steven Schepker, the associate professor of theatre at the university, was his theatre professor.

Stewart said he has many ideas for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

He said, “These characters have been around so long. They’re almost like heroes. I’m sort of giving a Superhero-y or Marvel spin on it.

We’re not going to be doing Spider-Man on stage, but we want to honor those old comics with the bright colors and things like that.”

Tickets for upcoming shows such as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” can be purchased online at the link www.columbiatheatre.org/whats-on.

-HANNAH JUNEAU, STAFF REPORTER

J F T T T T T

aws August 14, 7:30 P.M.

erris Bueller’s Day Off August 28, 7:30 P.M. h e H o u s e o n H a u nte d H i l l October 15, 16, 22 and 23, 7:30 P.M. he Rocky Horror Picture Show October 29 and 30, 9:00 P.M. h e L a st W a lt z , H a m m o n d November 5, 7:30 P.M. he Columbia Theatre’s Holiday Extravaganza December 3, 6:00 P.M. h e N u tc r a c k e r December 10 and 11, 7:00 P.M. and December 12,

2:00 P.M.

P

uffs, Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic

February 4 and 11, 7:00 P.M. and February 5 and 12, 2:00 P.M.

R T T

ichard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show March 11, 12, 18 and 19, 7:30 P.M.

he 21st Annual Bill Evans Jazz Festival April 6-9, 7:30 P.M. h e P h a nto m o f t h e C o l u m b i a : A M u r d e r M y ste r y D i n n e r T h e at r e

April 27-30, 7:30 P.M.

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ta r W a r s : A N e w H o p e May 4, 7:30 P.M. Lion’s Roar News

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Lions Look look Forward to Upcoming Fall Season

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t will be a season of change for the Lions football team. Raymond Monica, who spent the last two seasons as the assistant head coach and defensive line coach, will be changing to defensive coordinator and linebacker’s coach. Head coach Frank Scelfo made one new hire in his son Anthony Scelfo who will coach tight ends, serve as passing coordinator along with recruiting coordinator.

Central Arkansas, Lamar and Stephen F. Austin, leaving the Conference with 6 schools left.

Some opponents will be played twice a year in the new conference format. Southeastern will play in-state foes McNeese State, Northwestern State and Nicholls State all two times this year.

On the field, the Lions are expected to finish first in the Southland Conference this season, with a league high 16 preseason All-Southland conference returners leading the way the season has real promise.

Senior quarterback Cole Kelley is coming off a season in which he broke many records and achieved multiple accolades. He was Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year, a first team All-America selection along with winning the FCS Walter Payton Award which is given to the top performing player at the FCS level.

Kelley tossed 18 passing touchdowns to go along with seven rushing touchdowns and 2 receiving touchdowns. Kelley also Morgan Ellison, junior running back, celebrates his touchdown against Northwestern State threw for 2,662 yards to go along University. Ellison finished the game with a total of 89 yards and one touchdown. Symiah Dorsey with a 69% completion percentage.

Kelley is looking to be a Anthony has spent the previous three seasons back-to-back recipient of the Walter Payton Award. as Northwestern State University’s quarterbacks Junior cornerback Ferlando Jordan has coach, recruiting coordinator and pass game also been named to a pre-season watchlist for coordinator. Northwestern quarterback Shelton the FCS Buck Buchanan award. The award Eppler set university records in almost every is given to the defensive player of the year. major passing stat while being coached by When asked about the high expectations of Scelfo. This included passing yards, touchdowns, the season, head coach Frank Scelfo had this to pass attempts and completion percentage. say, “We don’t have expectations for ourselves, we Head coach Frank Scelfo is more than just want to go out there and do the best we can happy to share the field with his eldest son. every single day. When Saturday’s roll around we’ll “It’s awesome. For one I know he’s a good look around at the scoreboard and hopefully we’ll coach. He believes in the same philosophies that like the result. It’s about us improving every day.”

I believe in which is execution is the key not The Lions kickoff the season Sept. 4th innovation. I know how he is as a man and how he’s against North Alabama University in Strawberry going to mentor these young players,” Scelfo said.

Stadium which has been newly renovated Besides the changes with the coaching along with the updated SLU logo on midfield. staff, the Southland Conference has seen some movement this offseason. Five schools left the - Chase Gispert, Staff Reporter conference: Sam Houston State, Abilene Christian,

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Cole Kelley sits back in the pocket and throws a pass against Southern Illinois University during the 2021 Spring Season. Kelley was the first ever Southeastern football player to be a recipient of the Walter Payton Award. Kelley and the Lions open the season at Strawberry Stadium on Sept.

4 against the University of North Alabama. Courtesy of Sports Information

Junior wide receiver Terrell Carter walks out the tunnel before the Lions face Northwestern State University. The Lions finished the 2021 spring season with a 4-3 record just missing the FCS Playoffs. Gerard Borne/The Lion’s Roar Newspaper

Lion’s Roar News

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Miss Southeastern

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rowned as the 60th Miss Southeastern, Lily Gayle’s reign has taken her to new heights.

From reading to SLU LAB school kids, to competing all the way in Monroe for the Miss Louisiana title, Gayle has made many accomplishments while carrying her title. Miss Southeastern has now begun to reflect on her reign now that the fall semester has arrived.

Gayle, a senior communication major, was crowned with the title on Jan. 22, 2021 at the Columbia Theatre and from there has gained experience and useful real world skills.

“Since being crowned, I’ve gained connections, networking skills, marketing strategies and have been able to help others grow along with myself,” Gayle said.

Gayle also recently reached her goal of making over 40 appearances in the last six months. She plans to continue making these appearances to ensure that Miss Southeastern is not only representing

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Gayle’s life thro ugh Lily Gayle Gayle’’ s eyes the campus but also the community of Hammond.

Gayle has mentioned before that she would love to see Miss Southeastern become more immersed in the Hammond community. She said she loves the Hammond area and that she has not felt so passionately about a place since her time living in Peru.

“She is the queen of Hammond and the community needs to know that she will always be there for them. I want to see her take charge and make Miss Southeastern a household name because she is someone special.

She always has been, is and will be,” Gayle continued.

Along with her achievements in the Hammond area, Gayle also went on to compete in the Miss Louisiana Competition in June at the Monroe Civic Center.

Miss Southeastern, titled Miss Green and Gold for the competition, placed as a Top Ten finalist on the last night of competition, accomplishing something no Miss Southeastern has done since 2015.

Hitting this type of mark in her career has shown Gayle the extent of her potential.

“I had fun, but now I know the ropes, and I will go back to Miss Louisiana with hopes of gaining the crown next year. The Miss Louisiana Competition has shown me what type of person I am, but also what I can be,” Gayle said.

Gayle also added that her faith as a Christian truly helped her throughout the whole competition. On the night of the Top Ten finales she listened to the song “Who Am I” by Casting Crowns before the competition and was reminded that no matter what, she knows who she is because of who she is in God. This academic year, Miss Southeastern has more future appearances planned with the Counseling Center in July as well as University Athletics. Gayle will also assist in recruiting for Miss SLU this fall.

Along with her Miss Southeastern duties, Gayle plans to graduate this year.

“It’s time to go to the next chapter, and I was not ready last semester, but this time I am.

I cannot wait to see what’s next,” Gayle added.

Gayle said she understands that the title holding life can be difficult, tiresome and even overwhelming. However, she also understands that this is simply the life of a public servant leader.

Gayle continued, “This life is so worth it, it’s colorful, vibrant and beautiful. Not because of a crown and sash, but because of the little girls that want to be you. The young women who look up to you.

The mothers that are grateful that their daughters are looking to you because they know that you are the princess their daughters have the potential to be. If I could redo it, I would do everything the exact same because the lives you touch and the smiles you are given.

You will always remember the feeling of making an impact. That is what Miss Southeastern is about.”

“This life is so worth it, it’s itit’s colorful, vibrant and beautiful.”

- Chloe Williams, Staff Reporter

Lion’s Roar News

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head to Head To head: Vaccines mandates are autho ritarian and un-American Within the past few months, several institutions around the country have indicated that they will implement vaccine mandates.

It reads like something out of a dystopian novel or sounds like some conspiracy theory you would find on Alex Jones’s website: but it is real.

President Joe Biden announced a vaccine mandate for federal workers in late July. Several other companies such as Walmart, Google and Disney have announced similar requirements. Schools and universities around the country, including both LSU and Southeastern, announced that they will seek to mandate the vaccine once it has received FDA approval.

San Francisco announced that proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test will be required to enter certain indoor settings such as bars, restaurants and gyms. New

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Back to School 2021

Orleans has also announced similar requirements.

As I read all of these developments, I can’t help but wonder how we got here. Why are people who have legitimate concerns about a vaccine that has not yet been fully approved being treated so harshly? How are these mandates even possible in the United States?

Regardless of whether you have been vaccinated or not, the idea that getting a controversial vaccine should be mandatory for you to live your normal life should concern you. I will not mince words: it is authoritarian and immoral.

We are living in an environment with incredibly inconsistent information about the vaccine from almost all sources, even the CDC. Yet, we are also in an environment where the rules cannot be questioned.

Even suspicion of the vaccine is not tolerated.

It was only a couple of months ago that we were told by President Biden and the CDC that vaccinated people did not have to wear masks. Now, we are being

told that because of the new Delta Variant, even if you are vaccinated, you must wear a mask.

Given these developments, I don’t think it is unreasonable to question the effectiveness of the vaccine. If you still have to wear a mask and still catch COVID, what is the point of getting vaccinated?

This is the question that a sizable portion of the American people are asking. They are hearing so much conflicting information.

They are frustrated and feel lied to.

We were told that if they get the vaccine, our lives will go back to normal. Now, even with a vaccine, we have the same restrictions we had a year ago.

In a healthy democracy, everyone would have an opportunity to examine the given data and have a say in what the restrictions should be. However, from the very beginning of this pandemic, this has not been the case.

Of course, this pandemic has been devastating. People have lost their loved ones and as I write this, hospitalizations and cases

are increasing dramatically in Louisiana. Every death is a tragedy, and I am in no way trying to discount anyone who has lost their lives to COVID-19.

With all of this being said, people still have a right in this country to question their government, and they should. The CDC is not infallible, Dr. Fauci is not infallible, no expert is infallible.

The words of experts should not be treated as gospel.

We have handed a concerning degree of power to both the state and federal government over the past two years. The precedent of governmental control we have set is absolutely terrifying.

Almost every single one of these decisions was made by a bureaucracy. People who were not elected and have no accountability.

Drastic decisions that have dramatic impacts on our everyday lives are being made without our consent. There is absolutely no sign that these bureaucrats will allow us to return to the “old normal” anytime soon.

They locked us inside of our

homes, forbade us from going to church and now, it is a very real possibility that proof of vaccination will be required to go to certain indoor settings. This is not a conspiracy theory, it is already a reality in New Orleans.

The amount of pressure and cocertion to take this vaccine is not at all democratic. The more vaccine mandates are announced, the more those who have not been vaccinated will be hesitant and even hostile.

We cannot allow our constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms to be treated so frivolously.

The American people deserve a say in conversations surrounding the vaccine. We cannot afford to grant the government the power to force us to take a quickly developed vaccine.

- Dylan Meche, Opinions Editor

Lion’s Roar News

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Head Head To to Head: head: head: Vaccines keep co llege students safe Dr. Crain recently made a statement that Southeastern will request mandates for the COVID-19 vaccine once it gets FDA approval.

But does the vaccine deserve FDA approval? Does this decision affect the rights of students? I will discuss these concerns that some may have and why everyone should, in fact, get the vaccine.

First off, the Delta variant is different from COVID-19 that first spread in March 2020.

It is as contagious as chicken pox and causes more severe symptoms.

It originated in India, which only has vaccines for 18.3% of their population currently compared to the United States that has vaccines for 54.7% of their population (bloomberg.com). There are several other

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variants as well, including Alpha, Gamma and Beta.

If we don’t distribute more vaccines across the world, the virus will become more resistant as more variants form, and eventually COVID might even become a non-curable disease.

For those who say you can still get COVID-19 with the vaccine, yes you can. However, take this as an analogy: wearing a seatbelt in a car doesn’t prevent you from getting in a car accident, but it can prevent you from getting seriously injured. This is exactly what the shots do, they can prevent you from getting hospitalized or facing death from COVID-19.

The statistics prove this, with over 99% of patients being hospitalized from COVID not being fully vaccinated (WebMD).

People who are young or don’t have underlying

conditions may think they are invincible to this statistic, however they are not. People 18-29 are reporting the most cases statewide in the most recent wave, with 3,772 COVID-19 cases the week of July 15-21 (LDH). Natural immunity may cause one to think they are invincible, but this only lasts for about 90 days.

Some may question how safe the vaccines actually are. Unlike many vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna do not contain a dead or weakened version of the virus. It uses mRNA, which gives your immune system a genetic instruction manual on how to respond to the actual virus. This is different from DNA as it is never in the nucleus and broken down quickly, therefore it won’t alter your DNA. This is also why the vaccine process was super fast, mRNA allows a faster approach than a regular vaccine and there has been research on this method for years when trying to find a cure for SARS. There have been about 1,000 cases of heart inflammation or

allergic reactions, however this is very rare compared to the millions of shots administered. As a fully vaccinated person myself, I had no side effects on my first vaccine and a slight hot flash and dizziness on the second shot for only about 30 minutes after waking up.

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine was also paused after a small number of rare blood clots.

However, all these cases were women under 50 and they may be taking other medications such as birth control with estrogen that also can cause these side effects.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women can get the shot and it does not mess with fertility. Overall, most people feel less sick getting the vaccine than getting COVID-19.

However, some people who do not want the vaccine are the same people who don’t want to wear masks as well. The reasoning that these people often use is based on “personal freedom” and there’s even theories that the vaccine is inserting chips to track us.

Although the truth is, the government is already tracking us through our cell phones and there’s other vaccines that are already required for students before they even enter elementary school such as Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Polio, Rubella, and Measles/Mumps (CDC). In addition, the government also makes all men 18-26 sign up for a mandatory draft and we all have to pay taxes. The government already handles a large portion of our lives and we shouldn’t single out this issue as one of politics when it is really about everyone’s health.

Similar to when we first found out about the virus happening in China, most people do not care until it affects them. Please do not wait until it is too late.

- Rachel Folse, Staff Reporter

Lion’s Roar News

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Rogers seizes opportunity in the Big Apple

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e was born in Florida. He lived and learned in Louisiana. Now, this former campus leader and university alum has settled in New York to chase his dreams.

Zachary Rogers was the coordinator for Leadership and Service in the Office for Student Engagement from the summer of 2018 to the spring of 2021. A history buff, Rogers graduated with both his Bachelor and Master of Arts in the history program at Southeastern.

Rogers, now a visitor services associate at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, explained that his role includes educating citizens about the history of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, as well as the history of the new World Trade Center.

“One of my jobs is to help individuals, whether they were alive at the time or not, understand what happened on Sept. 11 and also tell about the impact

Courtesy of Zachary Rogers

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it had on the community here, the city around the country and even around the world,” he said.

Rogers said he did not have any interest in leaving Louisiana until 2019. It took the convincing of a close friend and a visit to the Empire State to seal the deal for the alumnus.

“I’m not gonna lie, if you ask some people around Southeastern, they will tell you–especially some people I grew up with at Southeastern–that they expected me to live and die at Southeastern,” Rogers shared.

Taylor Williams, also a 2018 SLU graduate, encouraged Rogers to explore the city with her with an initial trip in October 2019, due to her own interest in moving to the Big Apple.

“We woke up at 4 a.m. to make it to our early flight and came down to New York during sunrise. This may sound like a fairytale, but in that moment it all felt different. The city brought this feeling of home and peace, and I know he felt it even more than me,” Williams shared.

Rogers visited New York two more times before graduating with his master’s degree and officially making the move. “The City That Never Sleeps,” an increasingly diversified melting pot filled to the brim with history and culture, sparked in Rogers a passion for the environment.

“I love history. One of the things I specialize in is queer history and African American civil rights and especially how both of which are integrated with one another. New York has a beautiful opportunity for someone to learn not only queer history but a lot of African American history as well,” Rogers said.

Williams met Rogers in 2014 when they started their journeys at Southeastern.

They became inseparable after they spent the summer of 2015 as orientation leaders.

“We found ourselves becoming a sort of team and where there was one of us, you would most likely find the other. We often were called on to help with other events around campus and found ourselves in similar, if not the same, organizations to be a part of,” Williams shared.

Rogers is a part of the fraternity Delta Tau Delta

while Williams was a member of the sorority Theta Phi Alpha. Much of their bonding throughout the years has been through various Greek Life events on campus, including when Rogers was TPA’s beau in 2017.

Williams said, “Over those years, I got to watch Zach grow in his leadership abilities with skills such as organizational communication and event management. I was able to see how students found a mentor in him and were able to rely on him if they ever needed it. He was just the type of reliable, honest and fun friend that everyone needs in their life.”

Rogers was also a part of the History and Political Science Society, the Residence Hall Association and StandOut in addition to OSE and Greek organizations. Some of his favorite memories include spending time with his fraternity family and connecting with students.

“In my graduate career and professional career, OSE helped me

not only develop professionally but personally. I learned lots of skills from communication to networking, working with teams, working with individuals. One of the most valuable things that I learned at OSE was being a problem-solver,” he said.

Rogers gave a piece of advice to students interested in becoming more involved or who are seeking a leadership role on campus: Find your passion and your purpose and go from there. According to Rogers, each organization he was involved in taught him valuable skills, positively impacted his time as a student and helped him with his career goals.

He shared, “If I wasn’t involved at Southeastern, the only thing I would be doing would be going to class and going back to my dorm, so getting involved not only makes your college experience better, but it also connects you to your future.”

- Brynn Lundy, Copy Editor

“Getting involved not only makes your college experience better, but it also connects you to your future.”

Lion’s Roar News

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Black Paintings exhibit Exhibit meets Meets the THE SLU Gallery

J

ohn

Isiah

Walton’s

latest

exhibit,

“Black

Paintings: Cybernetic Folklore, Place + Spirit”, opened in Southeastern’s Contemporary Art

Gallery on June 14 and will be on view until Sept. 2.

Walton’sinspirationforallofhispieceswasthecontinual pursuit of being creative. His exhibit consists of paintings from a span of over four years and contains topics of the internetandideaspertainingtotheworldofthe21stcentury.

Many of his paintings allowed him to incorporate his cultural identity and bits of his personality into each

evolution types it can have, reminding him of how he

piece. “I’m giving the viewers a perspective from my

likes to use different mediums to approach his ideas.

thoughts. The thoughts of an African American male that

When going into depth about the title of

“I’m ’’m giving the viewers a perspective from my thoughts.”

has

experienced

his

exhibition,

Walton

describes

the

phrase

racism, witnessed

“Cybernetic Folklore” as a way to refer to the

the rise of the

collision of the digital age and traditional culture.

and

There are many references to the internet

who is an avid

clashing with tradition in several of Walton’s pieces.

part time gamer. With these experiences, I try to come

“Computer virus and binary 1’s and 2’s are referenced

up with the best images to create strong works with

in ‘McAfee’ and ‘Trojan Horse.’ ‘Machiavellian Browser’

one of my many styles of mark making,” Walton said.

tells the story of police violence through pop-up windows

One example of this are the Pokémon that are

and interface buttons like ‘save’ and ‘delete’ hover over

placed in some of Walton’s paintings. Viewers can spot

the Robert E. Lee monument,” Walton described when

icons such as Beedrill, Sandile and Weedle. Walton’s

listing combined tradition and technology in his pieces.

personal favorite Pokémon is Eevee due to how many

He also made sure to have references to New

18

Back to School 2021

internet

Orleans and Louisiana in most, if not all of his pieces.

When discussing his journey to Southeastern’s

While many of his pieces have a story or history

campus, Walton said he found his way here thanks to a

behind them, Walton’s personal favorite when concerning

studio visit with Cristina Molina, the SLU gallery director

that is his piece “Renovation Bowl.” He explained that it

and associate professor of news media and animation.

is because it is a tribute to one of the most disrespected events that comes to New Orleans, the Bayou Classic.

“This historically black college and university SWAC

Upon

seeing

how

much

work

Walton

had in his space, she thought it would be a

great

idea

to

exhibit

them

on

campus.

game is played in the Superdome every Thanksgiving

With this exhibit, Walton encourages people to have

with battle of the band events which feature local high

Google open on their phone when visiting to figure out the

schools and college marching bands that battle it out

references and codes. Molina has also provided small wall

for an always hyped crowd. It always gets bad publicity

text in addition to the wall labels next to the paintings that

because of what happens during non-official events and

will clarify content that could fly over some viewer’s heads.

gatherings on Bourbon Street, there being the occasional

“Black Paintings: Cybernetic Folklore, Place+Spirit”

French Quarter fight or shootings,” Walton explained.

exhibit will be on view at the SLU Contemporary Art

He went on to say that some of the restaurants

Gallery until Sept.2. Walton’s works can also be found on

close down for Thanksgiving, but these types of

his Instagram (@john_isiah__vii_duragsaga2) as well as

shutdowns come with a “closed for renovations,’ which

Southeastern’s gallery Instagram (@slu_contemporary).

is an excuse to not serve people of color because other events such as the R.L. Stein Garbage Bowl and Sugar

- Chloe Williams, Staff Reporter

Bowl do not share this issue of closures for renovations.

Lion’s Roar News

19

humans of hammond b o o ming in D o wnto wn befo re D o wnto wn w as b o o ming

A

decades-long friendship and business partnership between two New York natives, Rick Colucci and Paul Murphy, has contributed to Hammond life and economy since the late 70s with the establishment of two of their restaurants: Jacmel Inn and Brady’s Restaurant.

The pair left New York – sometimes together, sometimes separately – finding work and gaining experience in different parts of the country. In 1973, Murphy headed to Louisiana where his brother Richard was attending Southeastern. Colucci joined him in 1976.

That year, the three of them borrowed $50,000 from the bank, signed the corporate documents, and opened Jacmel Inn in 1977.

“We just saw a need and an opportunity.

There was an opportunity to maybe do a restaurant in Hammond, so we decided to gamble and take a risk,” Murphy said.

Colucci described himself as a “drifter” during the time they spent traveling and working – from Hawaii to Colorado to the Virgin Islands – after he graduated from Cornell University in 1969 and Murphy from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1971.

“I think I was talking to Paul about being on two interstates, a college town, and the possibility of being in the restaurant business. So I came down.

At that point in my life, I had to get a little more serious,” Colucci shared.

Located on Southwest Railroad Avenue, Brady’s opened in 1980. It is a full-service eatery with classic American and Louisiana cuisine with an Irish-inspired name and the feel of a New Orleans oyster bar. Jacmel Inn is just outside the downtown district on East Morris Avenue, a spot where folks can experience fine-

20

Back to School 2021

dining with Creole, Italian and Caribbean cuisines.

Murphy said, “All the places we’ve been – like Hawaii, the restaurants he worked in Maui, Hawaii, and upstate New York and Connecticut, and I worked in Colorado – we brought all those things from those places and those visions. We brought a lot of our experiences from around the world.”

Until the late 1990s, Brady’s, Mariner’s Inn and Lee’s Drive In were the few restaurants in the downtown district.

Now there are more than 20.

“It was a culture shock in a way to the average person in Hammond 43 years ago. Brady’s downtown was an anchor like Paul would say, but it was more of the college kids. Now I’ve had second generation people work here of the people that worked here back then and even come after that – third generation,” Colucci said.

The pair’s businesses persevered throughout the decades despite issues such as economic downturns, natural disasters, and the coronavirus pandemic. Murphy and Colucci opened Nuvolari’s, an Italian restaurant, in Mandeville after Richard passed away in 1982.

“It gave us three legs on the stool, so when

one leg is not working as well as the others, the others give us support. Financially, ’86 to ’90, the income that came through there helped us to maintain the overall stability,” Murphy said.

Both Murphy and Colucci married women from the Hammond area who attended Southeastern.

Colucci said that much has changed since their early days in business, including Hammond’s explosive growth in the last five years.

Colucci said, “If someone told me 20 years ago that there would be 20-something restaurants in Hammond, I’d say there’s no way I’d still be in business. Business is still good, but Hammond has turned into this unbelievable restaurant town.”

According to Colucci, it was no problem for them to put in the time and effort necessary to get their businesses up and running because it was what they loved to do.

“Find a business that you really love because it’s a long haul. You gotta like what you do or don’t do it. You better have a passion for it,” Murphy said.

““Hammond Hammond has turned into this unbelievable restaurant to wn.” wn.”

- Brynn Lundy, Copy Editor Lion’s Roar News

21

Will Vance chases music dreams the Columbia Theatre for Performing Arts.

Vance said he remembers the first time he ever performed, recalling how special it was.

“The first time I performed in public was my fifth grade talent show. While it wasn’t singing, my friends and I did Coolio’s “Gangster’s Paradise.”

After high school, I wasn’t playing baseball anymore, so when I enrolled at SLU, I took my

O

grandpa’s guitar with me and started teaching nce

an

aspiring

teacher/baseball

history

coach

at

Southeastern, university alum Will Vance chose to follow a

different path and pursue his long-time love for music.

Vance said that music has always been in his

blood,even when it looked like it would not be his future career. He did not play the guitar until he was 18, but once he began, he unveiled his passion for music and realized he loved writing his own songs.

Music kept calling his name, and soon, he became a musician and began working for

22

Back to School 2021

myself. I believe it was my third semester when my Theater 101 professor told the class, ‘If you want to be truly wealthy in life, find something you love and go after it,’ So that’s what I did,” he said.

For Vance, music was an opportunity to thrive as an artist, and he said he does not believe anyone can limit themselves to one type of music, especially if they are a true music lover.

“There is good and bad music in every genre. I listen to everything from Willie Nelson to Anderson Paak. If I had to pick a top five, I’d say Allman Brothers, Black Keys, St. Paul and the Broken

Bones, Andrew Duhon and OutKast. I think

According to Vance, the unprecedented events

the type of music I play ref lects that,” he added.

of 2020 further solidified his love for his music

Vance explained how he was able to get

career and all the memories that came along with it.

involved with the Columbia Theatre. He said

Vance shared, “The year 2020 made me take

that his friend and fellow Hammond musician,

time to ref lect on what my band of brothers

Byron Daniel, led him to the opportunity.

and I have accomplished the past decade or

He said, “An older project, The Kinfolk, and I

so. We have gotten to open for some of our

played our album release there at the Ghostlight

heroes and made numerous lifelong friends

Lounge probably close to ten years ago. Byron

around the country. Those memories and

Daniel and I were talking, and he asked if I

friendships are worth more than their weight

would be a part of the Hammond version of

in gold. I think that’s what it’s all about.”

the band’s ‘The Last Waltz.’ We thought it’d be cool if the Columbia would let us have it there.

- Hannah Juneau, Staff Reporter

I reached out to Jim Winter, and he was very receptive and excited about the whole thing.”

Lion’s Roar News

23

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