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Employee Spotlight: Candance Thomas Annual Day of Giving set May 20
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New Media & Animation cited again
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Kinesiology names outstanding alumnus
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This will be the last ByLion until June 8. For the rest of the summer, ByLion will
be distributed every other week. The normal weekly ByLion schedule will resume after
Fall Convocation.
Southeastern confers degrees on approximately 1,100
Southeastern conferred degrees on 1,166 graduates Saturday, May 16, at the university’s
spring commencement exercises.
One of Louisiana’s top educational leaders addressed the graduating students.
Patrice B. Pujol, superintendent of the Ascension Parish School System and the 2015
Louisiana Superintendent of the Year, spoke at the 10 a.m. event held at the University
Center. The system is comprised of 21,500 K-12 students in 28 schools in the parish.
Pujol received her recognition as top superintendent last November from the Louisiana
Association of School Executives and the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents.
The award is given each year to the superintendent who demonstrates excellence in
education, leadership and district school performance.
Under her leadership, the school system has become one of the top performing
districts in the state. The district recently received an “A” rating for the third
consecutive year and improved its District Performance score to rank No. 4 overall
among public school districts in the state.
Candidates for associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees were honored.
The university recognized its first class of students graduating with a Doctor of
Nursing Practice degree, a relatively new graduate program at Southeastern. Being
hooded at the ceremony were Lori Lemoine, New Orleans; Adriana L. Taylor, Covington;
Laura K. Martin, Lisa H. Nicoletti-Wack, and Heather L. Surcouf, all of Slidell; Jean
Genzale-Bertrand, Tickfaw, Kathyryn Mizell Lyons, Bogalusa; and Lisa C. Bayhi, Gonzales.
In his welcome, Crain noted that the 1,166 individuals being recognized at commencement
included 419 men and 747 women who were receiving 14 different degrees; and representatives
from 18 states and 11 countries. Five candidates received the doctorate in educational
leadership.
The university awarded its highest academic honor, the President’s Medal for
Academic Excellence, to 13 students with the highest cumulative grade point average
in the university’s five colleges. This year, all medal recipients achieved a 4.0
GPA.
Medal recipients were:
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – English major Rebekah Leigh Grommon
of Slidell and general studies major Kayla Anne Hill of Walker.
College of Business – management major Patrick Raphael Becnel of Belle Chase and
finance major Yuhang Wang of China.
College of Education and Human Development – middle school education major Allison
Danielle Martinez of St. Amant; early/childhood education major Angelle Elise Roddy
of Ethel; and middle school education major Laken Nicole Sciortino of Hammond.
College of Nursing and Health Sciences –social work major Victoria Anne Bruno of
Hammond; communication sciences and disorders major Andie Carissa Bush of Holden;
kinesiology major Crystal Ann Gonzalez of Hammond; and kinesiology major Erin Alexandra
St. Pierre of Larose.
College of Science and Technology – chemistry major Suraj Kumar Ayer of Nepal and
computer science major Pratyush Charan Pradhanang of Nepal.
1)
2)
1) PRESIDENT’S MEDAL WINNERS – Southeastern awarded its highest academic honor, the President’s Medal for Academic
Excellence, to 13 students with the highest cumulative grade point average in the
university’s five colleges. Pictured front, from left, are Pratyush Pradhanang, Nepal;
Yuhang Wang, China; Crystal Gonzalez, Hammond; Andie C. Bush, Holden; Angelle E.
Roddy, Ethel; Rebekah L. Gromman, Slidell; and Victoria Bruno, Hammond; second row,
from left, are Patrice Pujol, Ascension Parish Schools Superintendent; Southeastern
President John L. Crain; Suraj Ayer, Nepal; Erin A. St. Pierre, Larose; Kayla A. Hill,
Walker; Patrick R. Becnel, Belle Chasse; Laken N. Sciortino, Hammond; and state Rep.
Steve Pugh. Not shown is Allison D. Martinez, St. Amant.
2) ADDRESSING GRADS — Patrice B. Pujol, superintendent of Ascension Parish School System, addresses Southeastern
students at commencement on Saturday. Pujol earned her bachelor’s and doctoral degrees
from Southeastern.
Employee Spotlight: Candance Thomas
Candance Thomas, outreach specialist with Upward Bound, was selected for the Employee
Spotlight Award (Unclassified Staff) during the recent competition for the award held
during Employee Appreciation days last month.
Other recipients of the award are Linda Alford of Athletics (Classified Staff)
of Athletics and Sarah Clifton, (faculty), Department of Mathematics.
Candance was nominated by Wendy Stevens of Upward Bound, who praised Candance’s
excellence in service and professionalism.
“Candance is the glue in our department,” Stevens said. “She coordinates administration
functions that are critical for successful operations of the Upward Bound programs.
Her high standards and dependability allow our five independent programs to function
smoothly.”
“I am very elated by this news,” says Candance, a resident of Hammond. She has
worked at Southeastern since 20013.
“Candance is so dedicated to making sure that our students receive the services
they need to be successful,” added Upward Bound Director Ron Abel.
Southeastern to hold First ‘Day of Giving’ May 20 with matched funds
Southeastern will host its first day of giving called “All in for Southeastern,” during
which alumni, friends, students, supporters and community members can join together
to support Southeastern in an online effort.
“Donors can direct funds to specific areas of interest they would like to support
when making an online donation,” said Interim Director of Annual Giving Lauren Williams.
“Additionally, an anonymous donor has pledged $25,000 to match donations up to that
level, so donors get a double bang for their support. Donations will be doubled.”
Additional information is available at southeastern.edu/all-in or at facebook.com/southeasternfoundation.
Donations can be made at anytime, but are encouraged between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59
p.m. on Wednesday May 20.
Southeastern’s New Media & Animation program again cited as one of best in the South,
nation
The New Media and Animation program at Southeastern has been recognized for the fourth
consecutive year by Animation Career Review as one of the top animation and game design
schools in the United States and the Southern region.
Initiated in response to regional workforce demands in recent years and only
a few years ago in the university’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts, the program
was ranked 15th in the South and 47th nationwide by the web site.
“This honor once again affirms the superb work being generated by the students
and faculty in this dynamic segment of our art and design unit,” said Ken Boulton,
interim head of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. “It is recognition that
is highly deserved.”
Professor John Valentino said the computer studios and other equipment available
– including the addition of virtual reality equipment used in gaming and other art
forms -- are among the best, providing students with valuable experience that easily
translates into workforce skills. The program, he said, combines artistic talent with
technical proficiency.
ACR formulates its rankings by taking into account academic reputation, feedback
from industry firms on the programs they value highly, the depth and breadth of the
program, and geographic proximity to the industry’s leading firms. Also considered
is the value of the program as it relates to tuition and indebtedness. The full review
of the top programs in the South can be found at animationcareerreview.com.
CREATING IN 3-D – Nicholas Guillory of Slidell, a Southeastern senior majoring in New Media and Animation,
uses the visual art lab’s new Oculus Rift headset in a virtual reality project he
is developing while art Professor John Valentino checks his work on a monitor.
Southeastern wins graphic design awards
The Office of University Marketing and Communications was recognized for graphic design
by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts with three Communicator Awards, including
two first place Gold Awards of Excellence.
Graphic designer Michael Trahan of Livingston was recognized with Gold Awards
of Excellence for posters promoting the university’s opera performances of “La Perichole”
and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” The full color posters included
original illustrations by Trahan for each production.
Trahan was also awarded a second place Silver Award of Distinction for the 2014-15
promotional brochure for Southeastern’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in
the overall design category.
“Michael’s work is always top notch, and his work on ‘La Perichole’ even more so
because he only had about a week to come up with and execute the design -- and then
he goes and wins a first place award for it,” said Charles Effler, director of Southeastern’s
Opera/Music Theatre Workshop. “His design for ‘Sweeney Todd’ is nothing short of a
masterpiece. All of the conductors for performing ensembles in the music division
of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts feel privileged to have such a talented
artist designing our posters and program art.”
“In addition to utilizing the Columbia season brochure to advertise and sell season
tickets in the region, I use it in talking with agents while at the American Performing
Arts Presenters conference in New York in January,” said C. Roy Blackwood, Executive
Director for the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts. “Every person who saw this
brochure remarked on how beautiful and well-designed it is, and I concur whole-heartedly.”
Founded by communication professionals over a decade ago, the Communicator Awards
is an annual competition honoring the best in advertising, corporate communications,
public relations and identity work for print, video, interactive and audio. With over
6,000 entries received from across the United States and around the world, the Communicator
Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence
for communications professionals.
Southeastern student named state’s top broadcaster by Broadcast Association
For the second consecutive year, a news anchor/reporter at the Southeastern Channel
has been named the top student broadcaster in the state of Louisiana.
Paul Rivera, a senior from Slidell, was named Student Broadcaster of the Year
by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters (LAB) recently at its 2015 Prestige Awards
luncheon in Baton Rouge.
Rivera, a communications major with a concentration in electronic media, was
selected over all other college undergraduate, graduate and high school students in
television and radio from throughout the state by LAB, made up of all television and
radio stations in Louisiana. Rivera was presented the award by LAB chair Sandy Breland,
Raycom Media vice-president and former general manager of WVUE- FOX 8 in New Orleans,
WWL-TV in New Orleans and WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge.
“It’s a great honor because I was chosen out of all of the schools in Louisiana,”
Rivera said. “When you receive an award like this one, you’re recognized with all
of the news stations in Louisiana. To be recognized by an organization as prestigious
as LAB, makes it a huge honor when you’re a college student.”
It was only the second year the award has been given by LAB. Last year the Southeastern
Channel’s Erika Ferrando of Mandeville, now a news reporter for KPLC-TV in Lake Charles,
was named the first-ever winner. Last year at the Prestige Awards, Rivera was presented
one of two Louisiana Association of Broadcasters scholarships worth $2,000 to further
his studies as a student broadcast journalist.
Rivera is an anchor, reporter and producer for the Southeastern Channel’s student
newscast “Northshore News,” named one of the top four college television newscasts
in the country by College Broadcasters, Inc. He recently won “Best in the South” recognition
as “Best College Television Journalist” given by the Southeast Journalism Conference
made up of all universities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee,
Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. He also won first place in the SEJC onsite competition
for “Best TV Anchor.”
“The Southeastern Channel has helped me in so many aspects of broadcasting- from
reporting, anchoring and producing to videography and editing,” Rivera said. “They
have supported and guided me and given me the chance to show my work to organizations
like the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters.”
“We’re thrilled that Paul has been recognized as the top student broadcaster in
the state, but I’m not really surprised,” said Rick Settoon, general manager of the
Southeastern Channel. “Paul is an exceptional on-camera talent and an outstanding
reporter-anchor. He has the necessary focus and drive along with that special commitment
to excellence that will lead to great success in the television news industry.”
Upon graduation Rivera will be looking for a job as a television news reporter
at a television station somewhere in the country.
STATE’S TOP STUDENT BROADCASTER – Paul Rivera, a Southeastern senior from Slidell, was named Student Broadcaster
of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters recently at its 2015 Prestige
Awards luncheon in Baton Rouge. It was only the second time that the LAB has bestowed
the student award. A Southeastern Channel news anchor/reporter has won the award both
years.
Kinesiology and Health Studies names Outstanding Alumnus of 2015
The Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies has named Samone Cammon as Outstanding
Alumnus of 2015.
Cammon completed a BS in Sport Management at Southeastern in 2010. While a student,
she served as president of the Sport Management Association, worked with The Disposable
Heroes Project’s 100 Mile Run in support of wounded and fallen veterans, and interned
with the Hammond Host Committee for the LHSAA Top 28 Girls Basketball Tournament.
She was recognized as the Outstanding Sport Management Graduate in 2009-2010.
After graduation, Cammon began her career with The Wendy’s Company, beginning as marketing
coordinator for new product initiatives in the Shreveport area, and advancing to marketing
specialist for the Southeast United States.
Her work centers on multi-dimensional marketing support of local and national
promotions, new restaurant openings, franchise consulting, and media planning. In
2013 and 2014, Cammon received the Wendy’s Diamond Award for Best Sales Building Initiative,
and Best Marketing Campaign of the Year. Originally from Destrehan, she resides in
Roswell, Ga.
Southeastern Channel sheds light on the famous Breland murders
One of the most mysterious and diabolical crimes in Louisiana history, which took
place in Tangipahoa Parish in the early 1900s, will be brought to light on Southeastern
Louisiana University’s Southeastern Channel.
The controversial Breland family murders of 1909 near Tickfaw is the subject
of the latest episode of the Emmy-nominated history series, “The Florida Parish Chronicles,”
entitled “Murder Mystery: The Breland Killings and the Challenge of Justice in Southeast
Louisiana.”
The episode debuted Saturday, May 16, on the Southeastern Channel, Southeastern’s
educational channel on Charter 199. According to channel General Manager Rick Settoon,
the episode will continue to air at 8 p.m. Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays through
May. The program is underwritten by First Guaranty Bank of Hammond.
“Amid the many tragedies that helped earn Tangipahoa Parish the epithet ‘Bloody,’
one episode stands out as particularly gruesome,” said host and primary researcher
Samuel C. Hyde, Ford Family Chair in Regional Studies and director of the Center for
Southeast Louisiana Studies at Southeastern. “The tragic Breland family murders contain
all the elements necessary to make it a true horror story -- the ambush of an already
grieving family on a quiet road, the murder of one man and two women, one a teenage
mother, a baby left crying at the side of a ditch, along with a jail break and a hanging.”
The episode describes a bizarre and violent series of events leading up to and
following the tragic murder of J.O. “Buzzy” Breland, his wife and stepdaughter in
an ambush, referred to at the time as a “bushwhack,” on a country road between Tickfaw
and Genessee.
Chief suspects at the time were prominent Livingston Parish patriarch Ben Kinchen,
his brother Garfield Kinchen and friend Avery Blount, who at the time was Tangipahoa
Parish constable. Accounts state that fugitive Garfield Kinchen hid in the swamps
of Livingston Parish for 18 months after the murders.
“The Breland murders have long remained a mystery in the area, and local residents
still debate whether all of the varied victims of the tragedy ever received justice,”
Hyde said. “Court records, newspaper accounts, and interviews with descendants of
both victims and perpetrators were all employed in our effort to piece together the
convoluted story.”
Settoon said that period photographs along with dramatic reenactments and computer-animated
sequences of key incidents play an effective role in depicting the Breland case. Channel
operations manager Steve Zaffuto shot, edited, animated and created graphics for the
episode.
“Although there are different versions of the story, Sam Hyde’s exhaustive and
thorough research from all sides presents a balanced and objective view of what descendants
of the families involved will no doubt debate for decades to come,” Settoon said.
The program includes an interview that Hyde conducts with noted Livingston Parish
historian Clark Forrest, a descendant of Garfield Kinchen, at the New Zion Cemetery
near the Little River community west of Tickfaw, site of a killing during a funeral
which set the tragic events in motion.
“In addition to offering details on an exciting and mysterious incident from
our past, this episode also seeks to provide insight into the thinking of individuals
who lived in our area and participated in the violence that consumed the region in
the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,” Hyde said. “This episode will
both entertain and educate just as it may also be a bit of a shock to many viewers.”
THE BRELAND MURDERS- Reenactment scenes portray convicted killers, in the photo on the right, Avery Blount
(left) and Garfield Kinchen (right) and victims Eliza Breland (left) and stepdaughter
Alma Johnson Everette (right) in the famous Breland murders that took place in Tickfaw
in 1909. The crime has been called the most diabolical in Louisiana history and sheds
light on inter-parish feuds between families and origins of the tag “Bloody Tangipahoa”
for Tangipahoa Parish.
Southeastern in the news
Action News
SLU’s New Media animation Program cited as one of best again
http://www.actionnews17.com/news/slus-new-media-animation-program-cited-as-one-of-best-again-933353 Southeastern’s SBDC recognized as best in United States
http://www.actionnews17.com/news/southeasterns-sbdc-recognized-as-best-in-united-states-933324 Southeastern Channel sheds light on Breland murders
http://www.actionnews17.com/news/hyde-southeastern-channel-shed-light-on-breland-murders-935874
Amite-Tangi Digest Southeastern's New Media & Animation program again cited as one of best in the South,
nation
http://www.amitetoday.com/local-campus/southeastern%E2%80%99s-new-media-animation-program-again-cited-one-best-south-nation
Southeastern to hold first 'Day of Giving' May 20 with matched funds
http://www.amitetoday.com/local-campus/southeastern-hold-first-%E2%80%98day-giving%E2%80%99-may-20-matched-funds
Southeastern wins graphic design awards
http://www.amitetoday.com/local-campus/southeastern-wins-graphic-design-awards
BR Advocate Route changes, traffic for SLU commencement
http://theadvocate.com/news/livingston/12291903-123/route-changes-traffic-for-slu
Hammond Daily Star Southeastern and Albertson's
http://www.hammondstar.com/features/southeastern-and-albertson-s/image_bc03168c-f5a3-11e4-a05f-6f26b466d41c.html
SLU grads ready to tackle the world
http://www.hammondstar.com/news/slu-grads-ready-to-tackle-the-world/article_1c81cee4-fc1c-11e4-88b1-6758588666a4.html?_dc=191368096973.747
N.O. Times Picayune Southeastern Louisiana University broadcast student takes top honor
http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2015/05/southeastern_louisiana_univers_3.html St. Tammany business briefs - Payroll Management
http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/community/sttammany/12284165-171/st-tammany-business-briefs-for
WAFB-TV (Baton Rouge) Southeastern to receive national small business excellence award
http://www.wafb.com/story/29015089/southeastern-set-to-receive-national-small-business-excellence-award
ByLion is published weekly online (bi-weekly during the summer session) for the faculty and staff of Southeastern Louisiana University. Send submissions to publicinfo@southeastern.edu, SLU 10880, fax 985-549-2061, or bring to University Marketing and Communications Office in East Stadium. Submission deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
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