ByLion
IN THIS ISSUE, AUGUST 28, 2017

Columbia announces new season
IT receives donated simulator
Students view eclipse

Exhibit to feature photography

Young entrepreneurs wanted

Part-time job fair scheduled
Quiz Bowl scheduled

Southeastern in the News
This Week in Athletics
Professional Activities

 

BYLION STORIES

MummenschanzSoutheastern’s Columbia Theatre announces new season 
Southeastern’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts launches its 2017-18 season, offering everything from live music to dance to theatre.
     The season also boasts entertainment from campus ensembles, said Roy Blackwood, director of the Columbia Theatre and Fanfare, Southeastern’s annual festival of the arts, humanities and social sciences. Performances will be scheduled throughout the season. Dates and additional information will be available soon at columbiatheatre.org.
     The Columbia Theatre curtain officially opens Oct. 5 with Southeastern Opera/Theatre Workshop’s presentation of “A Night on Broadway,” a concert with an on-stage orchestra that will consist of approximately 25 Broadway solo songs and ensembles.
     The production is scheduled on Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $21, adults; $18 faculty/staff and seniors, $8 for children 12 and younger. Southeastern students are admitted free with university ID. Tickets are available at the Columbia Theatre box office, located at 220 E. Thomas Street in Hammond, on line at www.columbiatheatre.org, or by calling 543-4371.
     Next on tap is a concert from the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, which begins its series of performances at Columbia on Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. with “An Evening at the Cinema.” The program includes Verdi in “Overture to La forza del destino;” Beethoven in “Overture to Egmont;” Bock in “Fiddler on the Roof for Violin and Orchestra;” J. Strauss in “On the Beautiful Blue Danube;” Barber in “Adagio for Strings;” and Tchaikovsky in “Suite from Swan Lake.”
     Additional LPO concerts include the Yuletide Celebration, a fun program of holiday musical favorites for the entire family featuring local student choirs, on Dec. 1 and the “Beethoven Meets the Wild West” on Feb. 16. Both concerts are scheduled at 7:30 p.m.
     On Oct. 18, Columbia Theatre presents “The Heart Behind the Music” a group of entertainers who come together to perform a one-time concert, at 7:30 p.m. Every show is unique because each performance is composed of different musicians.
     “Since 2011 ‘The Heart Behind the Music’ has been bringing to the stage some of the world’s best singers and songwriters who share the meaning and music behind their hit songs,” Blackwood said. “This show provides an up close and personal insight into some of the greatest music ever written and performances by some of the industry’s most talented musicians.”
     Artists who have performed in the past under the umbrella of “The Heart Behind the Music” include Sam Hunt, Kim Carnes, Linda Davis, John Ford Coley, Will Champlin, Lee Roy Parnell, Marty Raybon of “Shenandoah,” Larry Stewart of “Restless Heart,” Richie McDonald of “Lonestar,” Teddy Gentry of “Alabama,” Deana Carter, Bill Champlin of “Chicago,” John Berry, and many more.
     The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience starring Joby Rogers is scheduled on Nov. 3.  
     “As the mirror image of Michael Jackson, Joby Rogers is both entertaining and electrifying,” Blackwood said. “This full stage, high energy production is a tribute to the music and dance of the world famous star. Joby Rogers’ stunning resemblance to Michael Jackson, combined with the intricate dance moves of the genius himself, presents an exciting performance preserving the legacy and spirit of this entertainment icon.”
     On Dec. 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. Columbia Theatre will present Hammond Ballet Company’s “The Nutcracker.” The classic holiday ballet features professional guest artists and excellent all-star local dancers.
     Missoula Children’s Theatre will make a return visit the week of Dec. 11 - 16 with a production of “Gulliver’s Travels” for area youth. Upon their arrival Dec. 11, Missoula will hold auditions and cast approximately 50 to 60 area children. Rehearsals will begin that day, and a full scale production will be presented Dec. 16 at 2 p.m. Blackwood said the production is also a Columbia Theatre Pajamas and Play presentation designed to make theater performances especially accessible and appealing for children. Kids are invited to wear their pajamas, robes and slippers to the 60-minute performances, no matter the time, and will be given cookies and milk as an added treat. For additional information, contact the Columbia Theatre administrative office at 543-4366.
     Also in the theatre category is Aquila Theatre presenting “Hamlet,” one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, on Feb.24. Directed by Desiree Sanchez, Aquila’s “Hamlet” will seek to shed new light on this tragic story. Blackwood said the production will use movement, design, sound and superb acting to vividly explore the depths of rage, madness, love and death brought about by a culture of obsessive personal ambition.
     Rounding out the season is a performance by Mummenschanz on April 18 at 7:30 p.m. Mummenschanz is an experimental troupe formed in Switzerland. The group is made up of performers whose techniques include acting, puppeteering, expressive dance, and other forms of artistry.
     A compliment to the Columbia Theatre season, Fanfare will feature many “home-grown” artists. Fanfare will once again showcase music, theater, dance, lectures, children’s events, and art exhibits, highlighting the myriad of talent university faculty and students have to offer in Fanfare’s 32nd season. The complete Fanfare schedule will be posted soon and updated regularly at southeastern.edu/fanfare.
     For Columbia Theatre season or individual ticket information, contact the administrative office at 543-4366 or log on to columbiatheatre.org.

GIANT PUPPETS TO TAKE THE COLUMBIA THEATRE STAGE – Mummenschanz, an experimental troupe formed in Switzerland, is just one of the programs included in Southeastern’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts’ 2017-18 season. The group, scheduled to perform April 18, is made up of performers whose techniques include acting, puppeteering, expressive dance, and other forms of artistry.

Southeastern receives donation of virtual reality welding simulator for use in industrial technology program
Southeastern students enrolled in its expanding industrial technology courses will soon benefit from the donation of a virtual reality welding simulator.
     The new $65,000 welding simulator – a Lincoln Electric Vrtex 360 – came fully equipped with all the bells and whistles from GEO Heat Exchangers, according to Lu Yuan, interim head of the Department of Computer Science and Industrial Technology. The new equipment can be used by for training welders and supervisors at all levels, he said
     “This donation adds tremendous value as we develop a welding technology and inspection concentration within the industrial technology (IT) program,” said Yuan, interim head of the Department of Computer Science and Industrial Technology. “The students and faculty will have access to state-of-the-art equipment to learn welding techniques and be able to augment instruction with use of traditional welding systems.”
     He expressed appreciation to GEO Heat Exchangers and its president, Gene Ohmstede Jr., for support of Southeastern’s industrial technology program. Located in St. Gabriel, the company employs 140 specialists who design and manufacture shell and heat tube exchangers for petro-chemical, plastics and fertilizer industries.
     Southeastern’s relationship with GEO was developed through a partnership with local professional sections of the American Welding Society and the university’s CSIT Industrial Advisory Committee. The committee is made up of professionals who serve as advisers on curriculum development and the needs of employers.
     Students in the IT program receive a broad technical and managerial background in materials and production processes, industrial management and communication skills, and physical sciences and mathematics to effectively hold supervisory positions in area industries and plants.
     “Our students are prepared through intensive hands-on training and real-world experiences to enter the workforce with the skills area employers are seeking,” Yuan said.
     The virtual reality welding simulator will augment training in traditional welding processes, explained IT Instructor Anthony Blakeney. The simulator can mimic several forms of welding, including shielded metal arc welding, or stick welding, gas metal arc welding, and flux core arc welding. Users can simulate welding in all positions without the need to use extensive power or metal consumables.
     “The machine is a virtual reality welding system. There is no fire or electricity other than what powers the system,” he said.
     Blakeney said the system guides the student into making correct settings and adjustments that would be required to weld using a traditional welding machine. The user wears a specially equipped helmet to observe his or her work, and a monitor provides real-time feedback to other students and observers. A large, flat-screen monitor will allow all students in the classroom/laboratory to observe the process avoiding having to have them crowd around the system.
     The IT degree program at Southeastern is a management-oriented technical curriculum and is built on a program of studies drawn from a variety of disciplines related to manufacturing technology, Yuan explained. With approximately 300 students enrolled, the program offers concentrations in automated systems; drafting; supervision; and occupational safety, health and environment.

IT Department receives equipment donation

 

LEARNING IN VIRTUAL REALITY – Southeastern Industrial Technology Instructor Anthony Blakeney, left, explains the use of the virtual reality welding instruction system now being used in the program to students Rhett Hickman of Covington, center, and Tanner Mayo of Prairieville. The $65,000 welding simulator was donated to Southeastern by Geo Heat Exchangers of St. Gabriel.

Southeastern sponsors part-time job fair for students 
Southeastern’s Office of Career Services will sponsor a special job fair on Aug. 31 to help students locate part-time jobs while they complete their studies.
     Scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the event will take place at the Student Union breezeway.
     “The fair offers an opportunity for students to connect with approximately 30 local employers,” said Director of Career Services Ken Ridgedell. “Employers’ representatives will be on hand to accept job applications from currently enrolled Southeastern students.”
     Ridgedell said the part-time job fair is a casual dress event for students to drop by between classes.
     Career Fair 2017, Career Services’ annual job fair for upper-class students and recent alumni looking for full-time placement, will be held Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Pennington Student Activity Center.    
     For additional information about the part-time job fair or Career Fair, visit southeastern.edu/careerfair or call 549-2121.

Phi Kappa Phi announces Quiz Bowl
Attention trivia fans and overall savvy students, faculty, and staff, it’s time for the 16th Annual Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Homecoming Intramural Quiz Bowl. This year’s event will be the Tuesday of Homecoming Week, Oct. 3, from 2-5:30 p.m. in the Student Union Theater. Teams of three to five students, faculty, or staff will compete for cash awards and the honor of being named the 2017 Quiz Bowl Champions.
    For an application form, contact Dr. Joan Faust at jfaust@southeastern.edu by the deadline of Tuesday, Sept. 26, 4 p.m. Good luck!

students view eclipse

Southeastern students view eclipse
Gerard Blanchard, right, professor of physics and head of the Southeastern Department of Chemistry and Physics, explains how a sunspotter telescope works to view the solar eclipse. Students observing are, from left, Matt Spano of Independence, Christopher Hudspeth of Ponchatoula, and Andrew Killebrew of Hammond.
     Students by the dozens gathered on campus to view the solar eclipse on Monday (Aug. 21) using special solar glasses and homemade pin-hole cameras.

photography exhibit

Exhibit to feature “A Different Kind of Truth” 
Southeastern will host an exhibit featuring the work of Louisiana photographer Michael Alford in the university’s Contemporary Art Gallery.
     The exhibition will run from Aug. 30 – Sept. 29, with the opening reception scheduled Aug. 30 from 5 – 7 p.m. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.
     The exhibition features Alford’s long-term project, ‘A Different Kind of Truth.’
     “The photographic work examines the history and systematic mechanism of change within the New Orleans Charity Hospital, which was closed following Hurricane Katrina and remains abandoned after 300 years of service to the community,” said Interim Fine and Performing Arts Department Head and Gallery Director Dale Newkirk.
     For more information on this exhibit and others, contact the Contemporary Art Gallery at 549-5080.

Young Entrepreneurers

Young Entrepreneurs Academy accepting students

The Young Engrepreneurs Academy (YEA) is looking for 6-12 grade students that have what it takes to be a young entrepreneur. 
     YEA is coming to Tangipahoa Parish and will walk students in 6 – 12 grade through the process of creating a business, from idea, to design, to funding, to launch.
     The 26 week program will meet every Tuesday evening for three hours at Southeastern beginning Oct. 16. Click here to watch the YEA presentation at a recent Tangipahoa Parish School Board meeting.
     This nationwide program began in Rochester, New York, in 2004 and boasts 110 locations across 39 states. Tangipahoa YEA is made possible by a partnership between the Greater Hammond Chamber, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Southeastern, the Northshore Community Foundation and Shelby LaSalle with Shelby P. LaSalle Jr., Professional Project Services.  

     For more information, contact the Greater Hammond Chamber at 345-4457.

SOUTHEASTERN IN THE NEWS

Baton Rouge Advocate
Louisiana colleges look to turn corner after years of underfunding

Southeastern appoints dean of College of Business
St. Tammany College Notes - SLU Television
Crescent City College Notes - SLU Television
Students move into dorms at SLU

Southeastern Contemporary Art Galley to feature photographers Gus Bennett and Michael Alford

Country Roads Magazine
From the desk of ....our new Poet Laureate
Livingston Parish News

More than 100 Livingston Parish students named to SLU summer honor roll
Southeastern receives donation of virtual reality welding simulator for use in industrial technology program

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Dr. Sam Cavell (History and Political Science) has been named to the Historian-General’s Committee of the Naval Order of the United States. Cavell is a Companion of the NOUS and will serve on the committee alongside Professor John Hattendorf and Dr. Charles Chadbourn of the Naval War College and Dr. William S. Dudley, former director of Naval History for the United States Navy.

 

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