ByLion
IN THIS ISSUE, MAY 2, 2016

Governor to address commencement
Balanced Structure to perform May 2
Campus Safety Guide launched

All Styles Night moves to May 7

Next Science on Tap May 3
Shrimp Boil scheduled May 12

Reception for Lori Smith

Southeastern in the News
This Week in Athletics
Professional Activities

 

BYLION STORIES

John Bel EdwardsLouisiana Governor to address Southeastern’s commencement
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards will provide the keynote address at Southeastern’s graduation ceremonies at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, at the University Center.
     The university will confer approximately 1,100 degrees on students who are graduating with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
     Edwards was elected the 56th governor of the state last year and assumed office in January. A native of Amite, he served eight years as an Airborne Ranger with the U.S. Army. While in the service, he commanded a rifle company in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
     In 2008, he was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 72, representing parts of East Feliciana, St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes and served as a member of the Northshore Delegation, which includes districts that cover Southeastern. A Democrat, he served as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and as minority leader in the House of Representatives. Edwards served for eight years in the House until the Louisiana voters elected him governor.
     Edwards graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1988 and earned his law degree from the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, earning the honor Order of the Coif, a scholastic society recognizing excellence in legal education. His civil law practice is located in his hometown of Amite.

Balanced Structure to perform May 2
The Department of Fine and Performing Arts presents the duo Balanced Structure on percussion. The recital will take place on Monday, May 2 at 6 p.m. in the Pottle Auditorium located at Southeastern’s Pottle Music Building.  
     The event is free and open to the public.
     Balanced Structure is comprised of a new charismatic percussion duo, Kathryn Irwin and Emily Strachan. Both currently reside in Lansing, Mich., and attend Michigan State University.
Their core consists of commissioning new works, performing music by living composers, and bringing light to percussion pieces that are undervalued in the United States.
     “Through masterclasses, clinics, and live performances, Kathryn and Emily seek to provide audiences with a moving musical experience through their creative manipulation of sound,” said Victor Drescher, instructor of clarinet and assistant director of bands at Southeastern.
     The concert series will include pieces by composers Alejandro Viñao, Joe Moore III, Elliott Carter, Kevin Volans, Peter Klatzow, and Elliot Cole.  Two of the pieces they will perform are new commissions they premiered earlier this month.
     For more information, contact Fine and Performing Arts at 549-2184.

‘The Perils of Navigation’ is topic at Science on Tap presentation
A century ago, driving changed the way maps were made; now maps enhanced with GPS are changing the way we drive.
     Southeastern Computer Science Instructor Steele Russell will discuss the perils of navigation in the information age at the next Southeastern Science on Tap presentation scheduled at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3, at Tope Lá Catering, 113 East Thomas St. in Hammond. Sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences, the lecture is free and open to all ages. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
     “Maps have definitely changed in the last 20 years,” Russell said. “Digital technologies and GPS information have fortified and augmented maps to make for a more accurate and functional means of navigation.”
     Russell said his presentation will walk the path from AAA paper maps to Google maps, while discussing strategies for determining location and route planning. Additionally, projects being worked on at Southeastern featuring autonomous robots will be highlighted and demonstrated as Russell discusses the future of transportation with the advancement of autonomous vehicles.
     For information on future Science on Tap presentations, contact the Department of Biological Sciences at 549-3740.

Southeastern All Styles Night moves from May 3 to May 7
Southeastern’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts has rescheduled All Styles Night, the final event for the 2016 Southeastern Guitar Festival. Originally slated for May 3, the event will now take place May 7.
     “Unavoidable circumstances have led to the rescheduling, but we are planning to put the end of classes’ release of pressure to good use,” said Patrick Kerber, coordinator of the festival. “We are inviting everyone to Pottle Auditorium at 7:30 on Saturday, May 7, to hear an entertaining mix of jazz, pop, folk, classical, and original music performed by Southeastern students, non-music faculty, and talented members of the community.”  
     The popular event features guitar music of all styles: folk, pop, jazz, classical, and original   music performed by Southeastern students, non-music faculty and local area musicians.
     In addition to Southeastern students, notable performers this year include The Infamous P-Town Ramblers, at least one Impaired Faculty member William Robison, department head of History and Political Science, Hristo Balev and Jessica Kerber.  
     Admission is free. For more information, contact Kerber at 549-2886 or pkerber@southeastern.edu.

Safe Campus logo

Southeastern launches safe campus app
Southeastern has launched an app to provide students, faculty and staff with simple instructions and recommendations for actions to take in the event of an on-campus emergency.
    Designed by computer science students as a class project at the request of the university’s Emergency Preparedness Committee, southeastern.edu/safecampusapp is free and can be downloaded on any smart phone or device.
    “What’s the one thing modern students have with them 24/7? Exactly – their phones,” said Executive Director of Public and Governmental Affairs Erin Cowser, a member of the campus committee. “For that very reason, the committee wanted something students could easily access electronically should an emergency event ever occur on campus.”
    The app can direct dial the University Police Department from its home screen and from links embedded throughout its sections. Among the areas addressed on the app are suggested steps to take in the case of an active shooter or stabbing on campus, bomb threat, fire or explosion or intruder/mental health emergency. Professor Ghassan Alkadi’s computer science software engineering students Joshua Asoodeh, Ryan Craft, Alexander Gonolfi and Joshua Valladares were able to create the app that also addresses procedures to be taken for a lockdown, shelter in place, evacuation, physical injury, sexual assault, weapons on campus and weather emergencies.
    “Safety for our campus community is of paramount importance, said Vice President for Administration and Finance Sam Domiano, who chairs the committee. “The directives on the app were designed so that they’re appropriate for individuals to review so they’re prepared for any potential emergency, but also so that they can be accessed immediately for instructions on how to protect yourself, who to contact and how to assist victims should a situation arise.”
    The app is the newest addition to the bundle of efforts included in the university’s comprehensive approach to safety and emergency preparedness. Information on all the various offerings and endeavors can be found at southeastern.edu/safecampus.
    A significant part of the overall plan are sirens located strategically across campus that will sound in the event of an emergency.
    “If you hear the sound, you should check your device for information on the current situation,” said Domiano. “This is yet another reason why it’s so important to register for the Southeastern Emergency Alert System. Campus members can elect to receive emergency notifications via text and telephone in addition to the messages sent automatically to all campus email accounts.”
    Students, faculty and staff can register for the system by visiting southeastern.edu/about/safe_campus/alert/.
     The southeastern.edu homepage is also a source of information for situations developing on campus or weather-related warnings and updates. Additionally, updated Quick Reference Guides with tabbed categories will soon be shared with departments to use as a resource for emergency training or in the event of an actual emergency. Smaller Pocket Guides, which are a condensed version of the Quick Reference Guides will also be made available in the near future.

Alumni Association Tangi Chapter hosts Shrimp Boil on May 12
The Tangi Chapter of the Southeastern Alumni Association will host a shrimp boil for alumni and friends on May 12.
     Scheduled at the Alumni Center, 500 University Ave., the event will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Soft drinks will be provided, as well as corn, potatoes, and desserts.
     The cost is $12 per person in advance or $15 at the door. Advance registration is preferred. Free hamburgers will be provided for children under 12.
     Participants may prepay and register online at www.southeastern.edu/alumni or call 549-2150. 

Retirement reception for Lori Smith
Sims Memorial Library invites you to attend a retirement reception for Government Information Librarian Lori Smith on Thursday, May 5, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Library.

     Stop by to help us celebrate Lori's 25 years of service and wish her well as she begins the next phase of her life. A short program will take place at 2:30 p.m.
     For more information, call Janie Branham at 549-2186.

SOUTHEASTERN IN THE NEWS

WGNO-TV
Where do you get the best college food in Louisiana?

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

The American Conference on Irish Studies was held in Atlanta, Ga., in April under the sponsorship of Georgia State University. As this year is the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland, the conference focused on pre-revolutionary influences upon the rebels’ bid for freedom. Dr. Martin Kearney (English) presented his essay titled “Revolt and the Other James Stephens: Facilitating Revolution with The Crock of Gold.”
     “Italy goes viral: Italian cultural Influences from around the world” was the title of a two-part session that Dr. Lucia Guzzi Harrison (Languages and Communication) organized for the 36th Conference of the American Association of the Italian Studies on Baton Rouge, April 21-23. Three other members of the Department of Languages and Communication joined Harrison at the Conference: Dr. Francesco Fiumara, Dr. Agnieszka Gutthy, and Dr. Marianna Kunow. Dr. Harrison presented her paper “Immagini italiane nella letteratura spagnola del “Siglo de oro”: Alcuni esempi cervantini;” Dr. Fiumara talked about “Il Galateo español di Lucas Gracian Dantisco e il Galateo di Giovanni della Casa: similitudini e contrasti;” Dr Gutthy introduced the audience to “Bona Sforza- Poland’s Italian Queen;” and Dr. Kunow focused on “M. C. Escher’s Italy: A Youthful Love Affair.”

     Students and faculty from Southeastern’s Master’s program in Applied Sociology presented their research at the annual meeting of the Southern Sociological Society, which was held in Atlanta April 13 - 16. Dr. Marc Settembrino (Sociology) presented a paper on “Full Contact Pedagogy and Immersive Learning: Notes on Teaching and Learning Abroad in Cuba” in a session on critically teaching sociology. In addition, three attendants presented research posters: “Determinants of Frequency of OSHA Inspections,” by Dr. Peter Shrock (Criminal Justice); “Neoliberalism in Higher Education and Alienation: A Study of First Generation Students in Louisiana,” by graduate student Sarah Basile; and “Court is Court is Court: Racial Disparity in the Child Support Enforcement System,” by graduate student Maretta McDonald. Ms. McDonald has been accepted to the graduate program in Sociology at Louisiana State University and will begin working on her doctorate in the fall.

 

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