SLU, BRCC sign agreement
Smitty's donates to Southeastern

Faculty Appreciation event set
Social Justice Speaker Series set

Art Gallery hosts student exhibition
Women's Suffrage exhibition to open
Let's Talk: Art features art crime
Rock n' Roar welcomes students

Suit Up event held
Southeastern in the News
This Week in Athletics
Professional Activities

Smitty’s Supply Inc. demonstrates commitment to Southeastern through sizeable donation
Southeastern is getting support in multiple areas thanks to a $250,000 donation from Smitty’s Supply Inc. Located in Roseland, La., Smitty’s Supply is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of lubricants and greases in the world today.
     The contribution will benefit four specific areas of the university – business, supply chain management, accounting, and the professional sales program.
     “This generous donation demonstrates Smitty’s Supply Inc.’s commitment and partnership with Southeastern,” said Senior Director of Development and Advancement Services Katherine Rose. “Smitty’s investment in Southeastern is an investment in transforming the lives of students.”
     Rose said that four endowments were created as a result of the donation - the Edgar R. Smith, III Endowed Professorship in Business, the Christina Smith Leto Endowed Scholarship in Supply Chain Management, Smitty’s Supply Inc. Endowed Scholarship in Accounting, and the Christina Smith Leto Sales Program Endowment. Part of the donation also includes funds to build the Smitty’s Supply Inc. Executive Conference Room in Southeastern’s Professional Sales Training Center.
     “Supply chain management is one of our fastest growing programs at Southeastern, and it offers students excellent career opportunities,” Rose said. “Our accounting program has a long history of providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the needs and challenges of today’s businesses. Smitty’s has a long history of hiring accounting students as interns and employs numerous accounting graduates.”
     The funds for the Professional Sales Program, Rose explained, will be used to complete the construction of the executive conference room in the Professional Sales Training Center and create annual funds to support unexpected program needs. Additionally, two of Smitty’s management team members have volunteered to serve as sales student mentors.
     For more information about the endowments, contact the Southeastern Office of University Advancement at 549-2239.

SOUTHEASTERN RECEIVES DONATION FROM SMITTY’S – Southeastern is getting support in multiple areas thanks to a $250,000 donation from Smitty’s Supply Inc. From left are Smitty’s Supply Board of Directors members Luiz Macedo and Charles Brister, Smitty’s President Chad Tate, Smitty’s Owner and CEO Ed Smith, board member Steve Hoover, Southeastern Senior Director of Development and Advancement Services Katherine Rose, and board members Brad Berner, James Ballard, Joe Miller, and David Padgett. Not pictured is board member Jack Baker. 

Southeastern Contemporary Art Gallery hosts student exhibition
The Department of Visual Art + Design at Southeastern will host the opening reception of the “Visual Art + Design Student Exhibition” on Thursday, March 12, from 5 – 7:30 p.m. at the university’s Contemporary Art Gallery, located at 100 East Stadium.
     The exhibition is free and open to the public from March 12 – April 29.
     Students featured in the exhibition are both non-art majors and art majors who are enrolled in an art course.
     “It’s a juried exhibition,” said Department Head of Visual Art + Design Dale Newkirk, “so they can submit up to four artworks,” he said.
“Two outside jurors, a professional graphic designer and fine artist painter will judge the artwork submitted. Students will also be awarded in certain art areas and “Best of Show.”
     Newkirk also explained the reason for not having a theme in this exhibition.
     “It’s a big effort to get students to submit their work because they’re not really used to it,” said Newkirk. “If you add a theme, it limits people’s ability to submit work to the show, because they may not have work that fits in that theme or not be interested in that,” he said.
     For Newkirk, hosting juried exhibitions gives students the opportunity to not only showcase their work, but also network, gain experience and show attendees what is going on in the art community on campus.
     “The students are part of a community,” said Newkirk. “I think by being in the show they’re embracing that. They need to become more comfortable and knowledgeable about the process of showing their work and choosing what they are going to submit to an exhibition. Because juried exhibitions are just part of what a professional artist does.”
     For more information, contact the gallery at 549-5080.

Women’s Suffrage Centennial Exhibition opens March 16
“Determined to Rise: The Woman’s Suffrage Movement in Louisiana,” a traveling exhibition opening at the Linus A. Sims Memorial Library on March 16, celebrates the challenges and triumphs of the women’s suffrage movement in Louisiana in celebration of the 100th anniversary of ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.
     The traveling exhibition was made possible by a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) Rebirth grant program. It consists of eight panels depicting photos of Louisiana suffragists, a timeline of significant events, the movement from the African-American woman’s perspective, laws that have changed since women gained the vote, and Louisiana women who have made their mark on history.      Developed by members of the Centennial Woman’s Suffrage Team at Southeastern, the exhibit will increase awareness of Louisiana’s history with the suffrage movement, especially how it began, the women who advocated for it, and the societal forces that sought to defeat it in Louisiana.
     Free and open to the public, “Determined to Rise: The Woman’s Suffrage Movement in Louisiana” will be on display at Sims Library until March 27, with an opening ceremony March 16, at 5:30 p.m.

Rock n' Roar welcomes Literary Rally participants
Various academic departments participated in Southeastern’s Rock n’ Roar Saturday (March 7) to welcome participants to campus for the annual Literary Rally. Sarah Newcomb, left, of Varnado High School and Robert Ferrell of Denham Springs High School experiment with 3D printing pens. Overseeing the exhibit is Assistant Professor of Industrial Technology and Undergraduate Coordinator Mehmet Bahadir. The 3D printer pens are a simpler version of the 3D printer that was also displayed on the table. Both use the same working principles; they melt filaments of plastic and inject/extrude the plastic through a nozzle and create a solid object upon solidification of the molten plastic. Students created simple 3D shapes and geometries by using the 3D printing pens.

Athletics presents Wingin’ it Wednesday and Faculty Appreciation for Lady Lions softball game
The Lady Lion softball team will take on Appalachian State this Wednesday, March 11, at 5 p.m. at North Oak Park. The first 100 fans through the gates can enjoy free wings for Wingin’ it Wednesday.
     We appreciate our faculty and staff at Southeastern. Any personnel with a current Southeastern ID will receive two free tickets to see the Lady Lions host the Mountaineers March 11 at 5 p.m.

Cane’s Challenge
When the Lady Lions score three or more runs on a designated Cane’s Challenge date, everyone’s a winner of a buy-one-get-one-free combo courtesy of Raising Cane’s. Fans must present a game ticket and students must present a student coupon in order to claim the meal deal.

Southeastern Social Justice Speaker Series welcomes Honore, Rolfes
Southeastern’s Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice will present retired United States Army Lieutenant General Russel L. Honore’ and Anne Rolfes, director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, as part of Southeastern’s 2020 Social Justice Speaker series.
     Now in its 15th year, the Social Justice Speaker Series will focus on environmental justice as the theme of the panel discussion scheduled at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 12. Free and open to the public, the event will take place in the Student Union Grand Ballroom on Southeastern’s campus.
     Associate Professor of Sociology and Co-chair of the Social Justice Speaker Series Committee Marc Settembrino said the panel discussion is about environmental activism in Louisiana and will be moderated by Associate Professor of Sociology David Burley.
     “Many of our students are concerned about climate change and coastal land loss in Louisiana. They want to protect the environment but don’t know how to get started,” said Settembrino. “Gen. Honore and Anne Rolfes have decades of experience to draw on and will inspire Southeastern students to make a positive change in their communities.”
     

     Honore’, pictured above, is a native of Lakeland, La. Prior to his command of Joint Task Force – Katrina – leading the Department of Defense response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana – General Honore’ served in a variety of command and staff positions which focused on Defense Support to Civil Authorities and Homeland Defense.
     Rolfes, pictured below, began her career in Nigeria, collaborating with local communities to address oil companies’ destruction of the Niger Delta. She returned to Louisiana in 2000 and founded the Louisiana Bucket Brigade to end petrochemical pollution in her home state. The organization has prioritized media as a tool to amplify the voices of the leaders along “Cancer Alley” and has created innovative tools to document and expose the industry’s abuse of the state.
          The Sociology and Criminal Justice Department organizes the annual Social Justice Speaker Series as a means of bringing nationally and internationally recognized social justice activists to the Southeastern community. Previous speakers have included Sister Helen Prejean on the death penalty, Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty and Law Center on race and racism, and Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, on war and human rights.
     For more information, contact the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at 549-2110.

Art Crime Lecture opens spring series of Let’s Talk: Art
The first lecture in the spring series of Let’s Talk: Art, sponsored jointly by Southeastern’s Department of Visual Art + Design and the Friends of Sims Library, will be held on Wednesday, March 18, at 5 p.m., at the Contemporary Art Gallery on Southeastern’s campus.
     Anna Dow, a practicing attorney in Louisiana and a part-time instructor in world art history, will take a look at the fascinating world of theft, fraud, and cultural heritage in her talk “Art Crimes as Demonstrated in Some Famous (and Not-So-Famous) Case Studies.”
     “If you are interested in true crime and/or antiquities and art, then you’ll enjoy the first lecture in the spring series of ‘Let’s Talk Art,’” said Sims Library Director Eric Johnson.
     Dow, a 1979 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., received a Master of Arts degree in Art History at LSU in 2019. She also completed post-graduate work in Near Eastern Languages and Literature at the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. Prior to joining the faculty at Southeastern, Dow taught criminal justice and law classes for fifteen years at the University of Phoenix in Baton Rouge.
     “The combination of Anna’s knowledge of criminal law and art history, together with her love of ancient Egyptian art, should result in an entertaining and thought-provoking presentation,” said Johnson.
     The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Johnson at 549-3962 or ejohnson@southeastern.edu.

Career Services hosts Suit Up event
On Sunday, March 8, from 4 to 8 p.m. Career Services hosted the third Suit Up at JC Penney’s at Hammond Square. The event allowed any Southeastern student, alumni, faculty, or staff member to save up to 60% (or more) off regular retail prices on professional attire and accessories.

Action News

SLU Men claim SLC Indoor Championship

Southeastern gets $250,000 grant from Smitty’s

Baton Rouge Advocate
Southeastern’s Columbia Theatre to present ‘The Songs and Stories of Neil Diamond’

Hammond Daily Star

Hibernian Scholarship

Smitty’s donates $250,000 to SLU

Livingston Parish News
Author David Armand to speak at Southeastern’s Sims Library Tea

New Orleans Advocate
St. Tammany students awarded top science fair honors

The Southeastern women’s basketball team will compete in the 2020 Hercules Tires Southland Conference Tournament, while the baseball, softball, tennis, track, beach volleyball and golf teams will also be in action during this week in Southeastern Athletics.
     The Lady Lion basketball team (12-17) will be returning to the conference tournament at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas for the first time since the 2011-12 season. No. 8 seed SLU opens up tournament play on Thursday, facing No. 5 UNO at 11 a.m. in first-round action.
     The SLU-UNO winner will advance to face No. 4 Sam Houston State in Friday’s 11 a.m. quarterfinals. The winner of that game moves on take on No. 1 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the semifinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. Sunday’s championship game will also tip-off at 1 p.m. with the winner earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
     Fans are invited to send off the Lady Lions on their way to Katy when the team leaves on Tuesday. Fans are asked to gather at 10:15 a.m. at Gate 3 of the University Center to send off SLU.
     The SLU Athletics Ticket Office has tickets available for the Southland Conference Tournament. Southeastern is selling all-tournament books that includes tickets for all men’s and women’s tournament sessions for $60. Single-session tickets are on sale for $20.
     Tickets can be picked up at the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office through Wednesday. Fans who would like to pick up their tickets at the Merrell Center will-call must purchase by Tuesday. The SLU Athletics Ticket Office is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and can be reached at (985) 549-5466.
     SLU fans who purchase tickets on game day at the Merrell Center are encouraged to visit the Southeastern Athletics window at the tournament site.
     The SLU baseball team (6-9, 1-2 Southland) takes a break from conference play with four games on tap this week. The Lions open the week with a 6 p.m. game at Louisiana Tech on Tuesday. Southeastern then returns home for a three-game series versus Valparaiso at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. The series opens with a 6 p.m. contest on Friday, continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m.
     Sunday’s game will be a Cane’s Challenge at The Pat. If the Lions score five or more runs, fans can redeem their game ticket or student coupon to their local participating Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers to receive a free combo with the purchase of another of equal or greater value.
     The Southeastern softball team (15-7, 2-1 Southland) returns home to open a nine-game home stand on Wednesday, welcoming Appalachian State to North Oak Park for a 5 p.m. nonconference contest.
     The first 100 fans through the gates can enjoy free wings for Wingin’ It Wednesday. In addition, it will be Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night, as all SLU faculty and staff with a current, valid Southeastern ID will receive free two tickets to the contest.
     Wednesday will also feature a Cane’s Challenge at North Oak Park. If the Lady Lion score three or more runs versus ASU, fans can redeem their game ticket or student coupon at participating Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers to receive a free combo with the purchase of another of greater or equal value.
     Southeastern then welcomes Houston Baptist to Hammond for a three-game league set. The series opens with a 5 p.m. contest and concludes with a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
     The Lion tennis team (5-6, 1-3 Southland) opens the week with a 6 p.m. nonconference home match versus Illinois State on Wednesday at the Southeastern Tennis Complex. SLU then heads to McNeese for a 1 p.m. Southland matchup on Saturday in Lake Charles.
     Fresh off winning the 2020 Southland Conference Indoor Championships, the SLU men’s track and field team and their female counterparts will open the outdoor campaign this week. The Lions and Lady Lions will be in Lake Charles on Saturday to compete in the McNeese Relays.
     The SLU beach volleyball team (0-3) will continue its inaugural season this week, heading to Houston, Texas for the Southland Showcase. On Saturday, the Beach Lions face Stephen F. Austin at 10 a.m. and Houston Baptist at 3 p.m. Southeastern matches up with Central Arkansas at noon and Abilene Christian at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
     The Lion golf team continues its spring schedule this week. On Monday and Tuesday, SLU will be in Houston, Texas to participate in the Colin Montgomerie Invitational.
     The Harlem Globetrotters, featuring Southeastern Athletics Hall of Famer Nate “Big Easy” Lofton, will visit the University Center on Thursday at 7 p.m.
     Tickets are available through the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office. All tickets are reserved and start as low as $20. Children two and under receive free admission.
     Tickets may be purchased online at www.lionsports.net/globetrotters or by contacting the SLU Athletics Ticket Office at 549-5466. The ticket office is located in the Dugas Center for Athletics (800 W. Galloway Drive, Hammond, LA 70402). The ticket office’s normal hours of operation are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
     The Globetrotters’ show dates back to the 1920’s and features amazing basketball skills and wizardry, with a continued focus on family entertainment. For more information on the Harlem Globetrotters, visit www.harlemglobetrotters.com.

On the Air
The first three rounds of the 2020 Hercules Tires Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament will be televised on ESPN+. Sunday’s championship game will air on CBS Sports Network.
     All of this week’s baseball and women’s basketball contests will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the TuneIn Radio and Lions Gameday Experience apps. Should the SLU basketball team advance to the weekend, Saturday and Sunday’s baseball radio broadcasts will be preempted.
     The Southeastern Sports Network will offer a free video stream of all of this week’s softball games, as well as the baseball series versus Valparaiso. Tune in online at www.LionSports.net or the Lions Game Day Experience app for Android or iOS devices. Fans can also watch on Southeastern’s YouTube channel (/SLUathletics) with any mobile, tablet or smart TV device (e.g., Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV and Roku).
     The Southeastern baseball team’s game at Louisiana Tech on Tuesday will air on CUSA.tv.
     The latest episode of Inside Southeastern Baseball with Matt Riser is set for Monday at noon from Blackened Brew in downtown Hammond. Riser joins host Allen Waddell at lunchtime every Monday during the regular season for the 60-minute radio show, talking the latest in Southeastern baseball. Each week, select Lion players will also join the duo. Blackened Brew is located at 112 W. Thomas St.
     The show airs in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the Lions Gameday Experience and TuneIn Radio apps. A live video stream of the show will also be available courtesy the Southeastern Sports Network (www.youtube.com/sluathletics).

Southeastern home events in bold.
* - Southland Conference contest

Dr. Roldán A. Valverde (Biological Sciences) was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, funded by the US Department of State. This scholarship will allow Valverde to teach and conduct research on the reproductive physiology of sea turtles in collaboration with Spanish colleagues at the Universidad de Las Palmas de la Gran Canaria in the spring of 2021.

     Anne Babson (English) had her poem titled “A Confederacy of Objects” appear in the latest edition of Lou Lit.
     Edgar Reyes (Mathematics) presented a talk titled “L-Iwasawa decomposition of the Lie algebra of the Lorentz group” at the recent annual meeting of the Louisiana/Mississippi Section of the Mathematical Association of America.

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