|
Southeastern celebrates 92 years
Southeastern celebrated its 92nd birthday in style with the help of Campus Activities
Board on Thursday, Sept.14. What began as a junior college nearly a century ago now
stands proudly as the third largest university in Louisiana. On hand for the celebration
were President John L. Crain and Miss Southeastern 2017 Kristyn Gary of Denham Springs.
|
|
Southeastern Wind Symphony to present two concerts this fall
Southeastern’s Wind Symphony will present two concerts this fall at Columbia Theatre
for the Performing Arts in downtown Hammond.
Tickets for both concerts are adults $10; faculty, staff, seniors and non-SLU
students $5; and Southeastern students are admitted free. SLU students must present
their student IDs to receive tickets. SLU students must present their student IDs
to receive tickets. Tickets are available at the Columbia Theatre box office at 220
E. Thomas Street or by calling 543-4371.
The first concert, “There’s a First Time for Everything,” is scheduled Sept.
28 and will feature a wide variety of music. The concert opens with Gustav Holst’s
landmark composition “First Suite in E-Flat.” Also on the program is Samuel Barber’s
“First Essay,” composed in 1937 and translated by Joseph Levey.
The concert will close with a performance of the First Symphony of American composer,
Andrew Boss. Titled “Tetelestai,” which translates to “it is finished,” the work is
an interpretation of the images and feelings conjured by the story of the crucification
and death of Jesus Christ.
“Because it is not a retelling of the story, the work is not programmatic in
nature; rather it seeks to allow the listener to recall their own experience and beliefs
to relate to the music that they are listening to,” said Interim Director of Bands
and Director of Athletic Bands Derek Stoughton. “It is a powerful piece that will
resonate with everyone that has the opportunity to listen to it.”
The second concert, titled “Shades of England,” is scheduled Nov. 9 and will
feature music generally linked to England.
“The concert will open with ‘Intrada 1631,’ which is a wonderful piece based
on liturgical music of the 17th century,” said Stroughton. “Stephen Montague was born
in the United States, but immigrated to London in the 1970s.”
Following will be a special performance of “Give Us This Day” by David Maslanka.
“One of the most important composers for the wind ensemble medium, Mr. Maslanka
unfortunately lost his battle with colon cancer earlier this year,” he said. “He was
a guest at Southeastern a few years ago, and many students still remember his gentle
spirit and true passion for music and its impact on the world. We want to perform
this special piece in his honor, as a tribute to the hundreds of thousands of people
around the world who have been touched and influenced by his music.”
Also on the program is the wind ensemble adaptation of the “Concerto for Tuba
and Orchestra” by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The piece will feature
new professor of Tuba/Euphonium Charles Goodman.
“The concert closes with one of the most important pieces ever written for the
wind ensemble - Percy Grainger’s ‘Lincolnshire Posy,’” Stoughton said. “This piece
is based on folk songs that were collected in Lincolnshire and has become a standard
of our medium.”
For more information, contact the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at 549-2184.
|
|
Davis, McCarthy participate in first ULS Management and Leadership Institute
 
Connie Davis Dan McCarthy
Two representatives of Southeastern have been selected for the inaugural class of
the University of Louisiana System Management and Leadership Institute designed for
mid-career faculty and staff.
Connie Davis, director of Auxiliary Services, and Dan McCarthy, dean of the College
of Science and Technology, will take part in the two-semester program for faculty
and staff who aspire to broaden academic, professional or administrative leadership
roles. The initial program was held recently at the Southeast Louisiana Business Center
in Hammond, a business and economic development outreach center operated by the university.
Southeastern President John L. Crain addressed the group.
Davis started at Southeastern in 1994 in the Department of Housing. She has held
positions of increasing responsibility in the areas of housing, Student Union operations,
dining services, bookstore and textbook rental program. She also oversees the Document
Source print and mail operations, event and conference services, and non-credit programs.
A scientist in the field of theoretical plasma physics with an application to
fusion energy, McCarthy joined the faculty in 1994, served as head of the Department
of Chemistry and Physics, and has been dean since 2005. During that time, the college
has created three new degree programs, and the number of majors has increased by more
than 400 students.
The initial class of 18 participants for the UL System’s nine universities will
participate in nine two-day sessions with each of the institutions hosting a session.
The institute immerses participants in a program designed to maximize their effectiveness
in leadership roles and to help them develop diverse, high-performance teams, manage
and implement change, analyze financial, student and market data, and identify opportunities
in the increasingly competitive market of higher education.
|
|
90.9FM KSLU marks 10 year anniversary of Caffe Italia
Southeastern’s own 90.9 KSLU will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its Italian
music program “Caffè Italia” this fall. The 30-minute show is hosted by Southeastern
Italian and Spanish professor Francesco Fiumara, who brought Caffe’ Italia to KSLU
to share the music and culture of Italy with the local community.
“Francesco has done an outstanding job of making the Italian language accessible
and interesting for our listeners over the years,” said KSLU General Manager Todd
Delaney. “During his 10-year stint he has produced and hosted over 500 shows. It enriches
the station’s offerings to provide cultural programming such as Caffé Italia.”
In honor of the show’s anniversary, Delaney said, Fiumara planned a special episode
celebrating 10 years of music at the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. The 10-year
anniversary special aired Sunday (Sept. 17).
Caffè Italia airs on Sundays at 8 p.m. and is also available online at kslu.org.
|
|
|
Community lawyer named Young Alumnus of the Year
Chuck Toney, owner and operator of The Toney Law Office, LLC in New Orleans, has been
named Southeastern’s 2017 Young Alumnus of the Year. He will be officially recognized
at the Southeastern Alumni Association’s Awards Evening to be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday,
Oct. 6, during Homecoming Week.
“We are pleased to honor Chuck Toney as our Young Alumnus of the Year,” said
Alumni Association President Brad Stevens. “Chuck has seen that once you join the
Southeastern family, you are a Lion for life. He never misses a chance to tell others
all the benefits of the unique university where his journey started, and he proudly
gives back as a donor, volunteer, and board member.”
Toney graduated from Southeastern in 2006 with a bachelor of arts in political
science. His passion for advocating for others led him to become an attorney, graduating
from Southern University Law Center in 2011.
While a student at Southeastern, Toney was a member of the Student Government
Association, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., and served on the Judicial Board and as
a graduate assistant in the Division of Student Affairs. He worked with fellow student
government members and the university’s administration to facilitate the building
of the new Student Union and the Katrina-Rita Memorial Fountain. He was also involved
with the return of the football program and reestablishment of the Homecoming celebration.
“All of my Southeastern experiences helped shape me into the leader that I am
today and prepared me for my role as an advocate for my clients,” he said.
Alumni Awards Evening will include recognition of several Southeastern faculty
and staff and alumni, including Alumnus of the Year for 2017 William Cefalu, the chief
scientific, medical and mission officer at the American Diabetes Association.
Tickets for the event are available from the Alumni Association by calling 1-800-SLU-ALUM
or through the association’s website, southeastern.edu/homecoming.
|
|
Southeastern’s Stiegler selected for Clinical Achievement Award
A professor in Southeastern’s Department of Communication and Sciences Disorders has
been selected to receive the 2017 state Clinical Achievement Award from the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation.
Lillian Stiegler, a specialist in the field of autism spectrum disorders, will
be honored by the association at its annual meeting in November in Los Angeles. The
award recognizes professionals whose clinical work results in innovation in science
and practice.
Stiegler, a resident of Covington, was nominated for the award by Southeastern
colleague Paula Currie, for her work in helping to establish Lions Connected, a program
that provides a post-secondary educational experience at Southeastern for individuals
with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities. With the support of other Southeastern
professionals from various disciplines and a family donor, Stiegler helped to develop
the program, now in its second year.
Participants in Lions Connected, which is housed in the College of Education,
are immersed into the college campus experience with their age peers, working side-by-side
with an academic and social mentor, Currie explained.
“Dr. Stiegler has devoted her professional career to helping children and families
who deal with the challenges of autism and other communication problems,” said Jackie
Guendouzi, head of the Department of Health and Human Sciences and professor of Communication
Sciences and Disorders. “Her commitment to this cause is her vocation, and the Lions
Connected program is just one example of her hard work. The department is very proud
of her achievements.”
“Dr. Stiegler’s vision and efforts in helping to develop the Lions Connected
program has had a tremendous impact,” said Currie, “especially on the families of
individuals with intellectual disabilities in our community who now have the opportunity
to participate in post-secondary educational experiences.”
Stiegler was recognized several years ago by the American Speech-Language and
Hearing Association as one of only 20 professionals across the nation selected as
ASHA’s Faces of Inspiration, a recognition of individuals “who serve as beacons of
inspiration in their everyday work.” She is a recipient of the Award for Higher Education
Excellence by the Greater New Orleans Chapter of the Autism Society of America and
was honored by Southeastern in 2010 with the President’s Award for Excellence in Faculty
Service, one of the highest honors the university bestows on faculty.
|
|
Sims Library celebrates the freedom to read during Banned Books Week
If you think “banned books” are a thing of the past, think again. Last year, the American
Library Association reported over 300 attempts to remove or restrict books from school
curricula and libraries. Most books that are banned or restricted involve complaints
about a book’s content or appropriateness. If this is shocking news, you should visit
Sims Library during Banned Books Week, Sept. 24-30.
“Can you believe some people don’t want students reading books such as Brave
New World, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Kite Runner, The Color Purple, and even the
Harry Potter series?” asked Sims Library Director Eric Johnson. “Banned Books Week
reminds us of the First Amendment and the freedom for all of us to be able to read,
think and grow as lifelong learners.”
Banned Books Week is an annual event started by the American Library Association
to celebrate the freedom to read and highlight the value of free and open access to
information. Sims Library will offer three activities to bring awareness to book banning
and censorship.
For more information, call Sims Library at 549-3898.
 “Read Out” -- on Monday and Tuesday, September 25-26
Students in Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society will be disrupting classes
with a purpose. Sigma members will interrupt classes, with instructor preapproval,
to read aloud excerpts from classic literature and famous banned books. Afterwards,
they will disbribute bookmarks inviting students to attend the “Words Have Power”
event on Tuesday evening.
“Words Have Power,” on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 5 p.m.
This lively discussion will include comical and cautionary tales about the absurdity
of censorship and banning books. Speakers include Leigh Rourkes and Dr. Keith Dorwick,
from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, and Dr. Sarah Schillage and Sherri Craig,
both from Southeastern’s Department of English.
“Mugshots” for Those Caught Reading Banned Books
Come to the library and have your mugshot taken with your favorite banned book.
As part of a small exhibit, the library will have a backdrop set up just like at central
lockup, where book fans can pose for a fun souvenir of Banned Books Week.
|
|
