IN THIS ISSUE ... 

Opera/Music Theatre opens Fanfare

Student ambassadors named

SLU rated tops for online offerings

Ricks named "State Star" again

College and Career Fair scheduled

Albertson's hosts tailgate

Student Food Pantry in need

Encore Forum broadcasts set

Students meet employers at Career Fair

Library Resources Day scheduled

Register for Corporate Cup

Southeastern in the news

This Week in Athletics

Professional activities


 

An opera, a lecture on the Middle East and a puppet theatre performance highlight Fanfare's first two weeks
Forum rehearsalA classic opera, a lecture on the Middle East and a puppet theatre performance are just some of the events providing the opening flourish for the 30th season of Fanfare, Southeastern’s annual October arts festival.
     “With the approach of Fanfare’s 30th anniversary, we are excited to continue the celebration of arts and culture that were at the heart of Fanfare’s beginning. Through this festival, our community has had access to many life-enriching events,” said Roy Blackwood, interim director of the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts and Fanfare.
     “Kicking off with ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,’ the tradition of excellence will continue this year with everything from favorite events generated on the campus to nationally known speakers and even Broadway.”
     On Sept. 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Columbia Theatre, Southeastern Opera/Music Theatre Workshop will present “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”
     Winner of five Tony Awards, the show is considered one of the funniest musicals in the history of theatre. Based on the 2000-year-old comedies of the Roman playwright Plautus with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, the production promises fast-paced hysteria, desperate love and mistaken identity.
     Oct. 6-9 the Southeastern Theatre Department will present “No Exit,” a 1944 play by French playwright Jean-Paul Sartre about three damned souls conversing in hell. Scheduled at 7:30 p.m. nightly, the production will take place in Vonnie Borden Theatre in D Vickers Hall.
     In a new translation of Sartre’s existential classic, Southeastern Theatre explores the most valuable aspect of the human condition: free will. With freedom comes great responsibility, especially when “Hell is other people” and there is no escape from our choices.
     Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for faculty, staff, and non-Southeastern students; and free for Southeastern students with university ID.
     On Oct. 7, the Department of History and Political Science’s “Then and Now Lecture Series” officially kicks off its 15th presentation of free lectures.
     Southeastern History Professor Margaret Gonzalez-Perez will present the first lecture in the series, “The Return of the Reel Middle East,” at 1 p.m. in Pottle Auditorium. The History and Political Science specialist on international politics, the Middle East, and terrorism returns with a brand new update on a subject she first examined a decade ago – the people, institutions, and culture of the Middle East as they are presented through stereotypes in modern media, such as popular films. She will discuss how these stereotypes developed, how they correlate to global events, and why the public accepts them.
     Next up is Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre in a production of “Princess Thimbelina.” The classic Hans Christian Anderson fairytale tells the story of a little girl no bigger than a thumb.
     Scheduled for Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Columbia Theatre, the production is the first of two Pajamas and Play performances scheduled this year for the theatre’s youngest fans.
     “Princess Thimbelina demonstrates you can find happiness if you have belief in what your heart tells you to be true,” said Blackwood. “Thimbelina and her menagerie of animal friends are featured in this original musical adaptation. The production also features giant puppets, fanciful costumed characters and actress Holli Rubin as Princess Thimbelina.”     
     Fanfare tickets are on sale at the Columbia/Fanfare box office, 220 E. Thomas Street, 543-4371. The box office is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and one hour prior to Columbia performances. For a complete schedule, contact the Columbia/Fanfare office at 543-4366 or visit columbiatheatre.org.

OPERA OPENS SOUTHEASTERN’S FANFARE
– The 30th season of Southeastern’s Fanfare will open with Southeastern Opera/ Music Theatre’s production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” on Sept. 24 and 25 at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts. Rehearsing for the production are, from left, Nicholas Smith (Ponchatoula) as Hysterium and Benjamin Vollentine (Covington) as Pseudolus. Leading the rehearsal is Director Alton Geno.

 


Southeastern students named ambassadors for ‘Real-World Ready’ promotion
Student ambassadorsFive Southeastern students have been awarded scholarships by the Office of Experiential Learning for their role in helping to promote the university’s Real-World Ready (RWR) initiative.
     Real-World Ready is part of Southeastern’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that is tied to its application for reaccreditation by the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
     “Experiential learning includes internships, practicums, service-learning courses, study abroad trips, research and other opportunities that link class work with hands-on experience and is intended to help students to prepare for the workforce,” said Jayetta Slawson who is coordinating the QEP.
     Named Student Ambassadors and the colleges they represent are Rian Earnest of Ponchatoula, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Nisha Lama of Nepal, College of Science and Technology; Tony Miller of Hammond, College of Nursing and Health Sciences; Caroline Pixberg of Mandeville, College of Education; and Mikayla Shippy of Pueblo West, Colo., College of Business.
     Slawson said the students were selected to represent their colleges based on academic standing, previous experiences in experiential learning and work ethic. As part of their duties, they are required assist the director in promoting the project.
     “Our colleges have selected a wonderful team of students that is committed to excellence and who understand firsthand the power of experiential education as a valuable tool for creating a stronger learning climate at Southeastern,” said Slawson. “These student leaders will speak to student organizations, assist with developing a one-day student conference on experiential learning in the spring semester, and serve as a subcommittee on the RWR Advisory Council.”
     Earnest is a senior history major with double minors in international studies and French who has studied abroad in England and France. She is a member of the Louisiana Reading Council and the Southeast Reading Council and intends to pursue future studies in comparative law.
     A junior physics major, Lama is involved in several campus organizations, including the Society for Physics Students, the Physics Club and the Nepalese Student Association. She plans to continue studies to become a medical physicist.
     Miller is a senior athletic training major who plans to attend physical therapy school and specialize in athletic rehabilitation following graduation. He recently completed an internship with the New Orleans Saints’ athletic training staff.
     Pixberg is a senior middle school education major with a focus in math and social studies. She is the president of the Southeastern Education Organization for Students and has assisted in classrooms in various schools in St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes.
     A senior accounting major, Shippy is currently the captain of the Southeastern volleyball team. She completed an internship last summer with a CPA firm and plans on working with a public accounting firm in Oklahoma City following graduation.
     For more information on the experiential learning program, contact Slawson at 549-3340 or visit the website at http://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/programs/el/index.html#sthash.Fkwezsg0.dpuf.

SOUTHEASTERN NAMES STUDENT AMBASSADORS – Southeastern has named five student ambassadors representing the university’s academic colleges to the Office of Experiential Learning in the promotion of its Real-World Ready initiative. Pictured are, from left Caroline Pixberg, College of Education; Nisha Lama, College of Science and Technology; Tony Miller, College of Nursing and Health Sciences; Rian Earnest, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; and Mikayla Shippy, College of Business.

 


 

Southeastern earns top rank for university with online offerings
Southeastern was named the top Louisiana university in a recent ranking of institutions with online degree offerings.
     Affordable Colleges Online reviewed all institutions in the state that offer a bachelor’s degree at a minimum. The report, “2015-2016 Best Online Colleges for Louisiana,” is based on a proprietary scoring system that ranks the schools using various cost-to-quality criteria and metrics.
     Among the criteria used are the number of online bachelor’s degrees available, student-faculty ratio, loan default rate, job placement and career counseling availability, the online tuition rate and the six-year graduation rate.
     “Students and parents today want to receive a good return on their education investment. Southeastern consistently shows that it offers our students both an excellent value and unparalleled academic programming,” said university President John L. Crain. “Our online programs certainly contribute to that level of success.”
     Southeastern was cited specifically for its online degree programs for individuals who have earned registered nurse certification and are looking to obtain bachelor’s degrees.
     Earlier this year, Southeastern’s online nursing program was ranked in the nation’s Top 50 Best Value Online RN to BS Programs for 2015. The program was ranked 36th in the U.S. by ValueColleges.com.
     The ranking by ACO ties into other high affordability ratings the university enjoys, including its ranking of 19th in the country by Accounting Degree Review in a listing of the 30 most affordable residential degree programs in accounting.
     “We wanted to highlight the schools in each state that are driving innovative learning and meeting demands of students,” said Dan Schuessler, chief executive officer and founder of ACO. “These schools are not only offering great programs, but they have expanded their program excellence to the much-desired online environment.”
     ACO provides prospective students and their parents with information and resources to help them manage the cost of obtaining an education. It is the first website to offer comprehensive lists of “Most Affordable Colleges” in different categories.

 


LSBDC business consultant named ‘State Star’ for second time
Rande Kessler, left, and Wayne RicksWayne Ricks, senior business consultant at Southeastern, was honored for his second time as a “State Star” at the recent annual conference of Small Business Development Centers held in San Francisco.
     Ricks received the award – presented to top business consultants across the nation – for his work with Southeastern’s Louisiana Small Business Development Center.
     In his 10 years with the SBDC, Ricks has been able to garner approximately $173 million in funding and help create more than 600 jobs for the Hammond and Northshore area business community. In the last fiscal year, he brought in about $26 million in capital and created more than 100 jobs through the LSBDC at Southeastern.
     “Wayne Ricks has consistently performed at the top level for the LSBDC,” said Southeastern President John L. Crain. “His personal attention to clients’ needs have successfully resulted in the creation of numerous jobs and significant capitalization for businesses and entrepreneurs in the area. Working at Southeastern’s SBDC – named the best in the nation earlier this year – means he must meet high expectations and being named a State Star for the second time attests to that.”
     Ricks’ areas of focus are consulting with clients on an individual basis and assisting them in creating financial projects and industry research.
     “It’s nice to be recognized for the hard work we put in,” said Ricks, a certified global business professional. “As a center, we do a lot and work hard to help the region’s business community.”
     The Southeastern LSBDC is a nationally accredited network of nine centers statewide dedicated to promoting business formation and growth through no-cost, confidential business consulting, low-cost entrepreneurial and business training, and online information and resources. The center covers the five-parish region of Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes. For more information about the Southeastern center, call 549-3831.

RICKS A ‘STATE STAR’ AGAIN –  Rande Kessler, left, director of the state’s Small Business Development Center, congratulates business consultant Wayne Ricks of Southeastern’s SBDC, on being named a “State Star” for  his work with businesses and entrepreneurs in the Northshore area. The award, the second for Ricks, was presented at the national SBDC conference in San Francisco.

 


College & Career Fair scheduled Sept. 29 for St. Tammany, Tangipahoa high school students
High school students and their parents can get an informal introduction to college as well as valuable information about scholarships, financial aid, and admissions requirements at the Northshore College and Career Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
     Not to be confused with Career Fair, Southeastern’s Office of Career Services’ annual university wide employment recruiting event scheduled Sept. 17, this event caters to high school students. One of the largest college fairs in the state with more than 70 participating colleges and universities from throughout the state and nation, the event will be held from 6-8 p.m. at Southeastern’s Pennington Center, located on the corner of University Avenue and General Pershing Street.
     The fair is open to all Tangipahoa Parish and St. Tammany Parish high school students and their parents; the event is scheduled in cooperation with the public school boards of both parishes.
     Students can pre-register for their own special bar code at lacollegefairs.com to use at the event. Many vendors will be able to scan the codes to collect the students’ contact and interest information, eliminating the need to complete information cards at each table.
     “This is the primary event for high school students and their families to learn more about selecting colleges and career options,” said Lori Fairburn, Southeastern director of Enrollment Services.  “Students and their parents will be able to browse exhibits offering information on academic and career options, university admissions requirements, the state TOPS scholarship program, as well as other scholarship and financial aid opportunities.”
     The fair will host college and technical program representatives from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and other states, who will be on hand to inform the students about their respective areas of study. Banks and lenders will also be available to offer information and financial aid options.
     For more information on the fair, contact Southeastern Admissions at 549-5637 or e-mail northshorefair@southeastern.edu. Additional information about Southeastern, including admission requirements and scholarship opportunities, is available at southeastern.edu.

 


Albertson's helps launch Southeastern Football Season
Southland Marching Band at Albertson'sSoutheastern music student Greg Griffith of Baton Rouge directs the university’s Spirit of the Southland Band in the annual Lions Football Tailgating kickoff for football held in Albertson’s Supermarket Sept. 11. The annual event features the band, cheerleaders and dance team as well as Lions’ players and coaches.

 


Southeastern Student Food Pantry in need of donations
The Southeastern Student Food Pantry is currently in need of the following items:

Rice
Pasta
Pasta sauce
Peanut butter
Tuna
Canned chicken
Canned fruit/fruit cups
Packaged/canned meals

     The food pantry has been serving an average of 25 students per week since school started. If you are interested in supporting the pantry, donations can be dropped off to Lauren Williams in the Alumni Center or Brendan Daigle in room 2302 of the Student Union.
     For more information, call 549-5224 or 549-3850.

 


Encore Gubernatorial Forum broadcasts set
Gubernatorial Forum logoSeveral encore broadcasts of the first statewide televised forum of the Louisiana Gubernatorial race are scheduled over the next several weeks.
     The Sept. 2 forum, held in Southeastern’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts, featured candidates Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, Louisiana State Rep. John Bel Edwards, and Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle. U.S. Sen. David Vitter did not participate.
     Southeastern and Northshore Technical Community College students served as panelists while a recent Southeastern graduate moderated the event.    
     The Southeastern Channel will re-broadcast “Student Gubernatorial Forum: Their Future, Their Questions” in four weekly airings according to the following schedule: Mondays, 5 p.m. or 8 p.m.; Tuesdays, 7 a.m. or noon; Wednesdays, 6 p.m. or 8 p.m.; Fridays 6 a.m.; Saturdays 1 p.m.; or 9 p.m.; and Sundays 7 a.m. or 10 a.m. The Southeastern Channel is located on Charter Cable Channel 199.
     The forum is also available in its entirety on the Southeastern Channel’s website at thesoutheasternchannel.com/govforum.

 


Southeastern students meet employers at annual Career Fair
Career Fair 2015Jacob Penton, an accounting major from Slidell, left, talks with representatives Lizzie Scott and Chris Province of the Louisiana Legislative Auditors office about employment opportunities with the agency at Southeastern’s annual career fair for senior students and alumni held Thursday (Sept. 17). More than 140 employers participated in the event designed to link students with regional and national employers and graduate schools.

 


A Day of Library Resources
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, Sims Memorial Library and the Center for Faculty Excellence will co-sponsor A Day of Library Resources. Sessions to be offered include:

Films on Demand: Digital Educational Video (10 to 10:45 a.m.)  
Paul Kelsey, Sims Memorial Library head of acquisitions and Angela Dunnington, head of access services, will introduce participants to Films on Demand, a new streaming video database subscription service containing over 21,000 video titles. Topics will include a content overview, searching the database, and embedding videos in Moodle.

Web of Science/Endnote Overview (11 a.m. to12 p.m.)
Tracy Matthews, customer education, and Thomson Reuters will provide an overview of Web of Science, which consists of three databases: Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Arts & Humanities Citation Index.  Endnote Online, which is a web-based tool for managing and citing references in papers and creating bibliographies, will also be explained.

Journal Citation Reports /InCites: New Resources at Sims Library (12:30 to 1:30 p.m.)
Tracy Matthews, customer education and Thomson Reuters will demonstrate Journal Citation Reports, which allows users to evaluate and compare journals using citation data drawn from approximately 12,000 scholarly and technical journals and conference proceedings from more than 3,300 publishers in over 60 countries. Journal Citation Reports is the only source of citation data on journals, and includes virtually all specialties in the areas of science, technology, and social sciences. Essential Science Indicators, which is a unique compilation of performance statistics and trends extrapolated from counts of articles published in scholarly journals and the citations to those articles will also be covered.

$earching for Gold and Finding the Green: Resources and Services for Grant$ (2 to 3:15 p.m.)
Office of University Advancement, Office of Sponsored Research & Programs, Sims Memorial Library.
Participants will receive information about searching for grants in the electronic Foundation Directory and working with the Offices of University Advancement and Sponsored Research & Programs to apply for funding.

All sessions will be held in Tinsley Hall, room 103. A light lunch will be provided.  Please email center@southeastern.edu or call the Center (x5791) to reserve your spot. You may register for individual sessions or the whole day.

 


Kinesiology encourages registration for Corporate Cup 4-Mile Run/Walk
On the morning of Saturday, Oct. 10, the Hammond Chamber of Commerce, along with Southeastern and Perfectly Fit, will host the 2nd Annual Corporate Cup 4-Mile Run/Walk on campus. The corporate cup events promote physical activity in the community and are organized around workplace teams/groups.
     You may encourage students and faculty to sign up under a “team” for their department, unit, student organization or other group. What’s important is that we have lots of participation, and SLU personnel, get some exercise, and have fun at the after-party.
     Registration may be done online at www.active.com. Paper registrations may be dropped off at the Hammond Chamber of Commerce in downtown Hammond or Perfectly Fit, a shoe store near the mall. To make it convenient for SLU people, those who register by Sept. 30 can drop off registrations at the Kinesiology and Health Studies office.
     Please consider forming a team and registering for the Oct. 10 cruise around campus.

 


Southeastern in the news

N.O. Advocate
Louisiana native to deliver Constitution Day lecture
http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/community/sttammany/13414833-171/louisiana-native-to-deliver-constitution

 


This Week in Athletics
The Southeastern women’s soccer team will celebrate Alumni Weekend, while the volleyball team opens Southland Conference play during this week in Southeastern Athletics.
     The Lady Lion soccer team (6-1-1, 1-0 Southland) will welcome back all former members of the program for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the program’s first season in 1995. SLU will host Incarnate Word on Friday at 7 p.m. and Abilene Christian on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Strawberry Stadium. All former players in attendance will be recognized at halftime of both matches. Admission to all home Southeastern soccer matches is free.
     Winners of four of its last five matches, the SLU volleyball team (6-7) will open conference play this week. The Lady Lions will travel to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for a 6:30 p.m. match on Thursday. On Saturday, Southeastern will be at Houston Baptist for a 1 p.m. match.
     The Southeastern tennis team will welcome Alcorn State, Lamar and Southern Mississippi for the North Cypress Invitational this week. The tournament runs Friday and Saturday at both the Southeastern Tennis Complex and the North Cypress Fitness Club.
     The Lion golf team will open its second tournament of the fall on Sunday. SLU will be in Chicago to compete in the Windom Invitational, which opens Sunday and runs through next Monday.
 
Thursday, September 24
Volleyball, at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas, 6:30 p.m.*
 
Friday, September 25
Soccer, vs. Incarnate Word, Strawberry Stadium, 7 p.m.*
            - Alumni Weekend
Tennis, North Cypress Invitational, Southeastern Tennis Complex/North Cypress Fitness Club, All Day
 
Saturday, September 26
Volleyball, at Houston Baptist, Houston, Texas, 1 p.m.*
Tennis, North Cypress Invitational, Southeastern Tennis Complex/North Cypress Fitness Club, All Day
 
Sunday, September 27
Soccer, vs. Abilene Christian, Strawberry Stadium, 1 p.m.*
 
Southeastern home events in bold
* - Southland Conference event


Professional activities
Charles Elliott (History and Political Science) will lead “(Re) Considering Louisiana History: Perspectives on the Pelican State,” a six-week directed readings and discussion program sponsored by Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities as part of the Readings in Literature and Culture (RELIC) project and hosted by the Ascension Parish Library in their Gonzales Branch on consecutive Tuesday evenings from Sept. 15 thru Oct. 20.

 


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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