McNeese Summer Reading Clinic participants display the recycled robot creations they created with McNeese student tutors.
(July 6, 2016) For 60 years, the McNeese State University Summer Reading Clinic has offered Southwest Louisiana a program to help children in grades 1-5 become better readers through the department of education professions in the Burton College of Education.
The central focus of this summer reading program is to provide assessment and instructional services through diagnostic testing to a wide variety of students, including instruction on comprehension, vocabulary and writing skills.
The theme of this year’s camp - “Reading Is a Blast” – has provided the young campers with an entertaining opportunity to study the solar system and other planets through stories, reading challenges, art projects and science experiments.
This summer’s program is staffed by 15 McNeese undergraduate and graduate students in EDUC 503 and EDUC 416 and under the supervision of the program’s two coordinators – Dr. Debbie King, professor and the education professions department head, and Laura Fontenot, instructor and field experience and PK-16 coordinator.
The reading diagnostic skills studied and executed during this program not only benefit the students enrolled but also the tutors working the camp as they earn credit towards their undergraduate degrees, alternative certifications or graduate programs in education, according to King.
Each morning the children begin the day with a one-on-one session with their personal tutors. During this time the tutors evaluate the reading, writing and comprehension skills the students exhibit and use tools provided in their education courses to help strengthen the students’ abilities.
![Braud reads with Bishop]()
Marcie Braud, Lake Charles, finds the one-on-one tutoring sessions to be the most rewarding element of the camp. As a team, Braud and her student, Bishop Agee, 10, (pictured right) have written a story about a pair of shoes that allows the main character to run fast and fly like a rocket.
“It’s been amazing to see how creative he truly is,” said Braud. As she learns, develops and exercises new teaching strategies with her student, Braud earns credit towards her elementary education teaching certification.
The children then spend time with Fontenot, the camp’s master teacher, in a group setting. “We read a story that relates to that day’s activities and either do a craft or science experiment that corresponds to the theme and chosen literature,” explained Fontenot.
While Fontenot works with the campers, McNeese students participate in an interactive lecture with King, discussing educational techniques and strategies while dissecting the teaching challenges and opportunities available at the reading clinic.
The McNeese reading program, located on the second floor of Farrar Hall, not only offers local children an opportunity to strengthen![Goodley does craft time with student]()
their reading performance but it also supports the innovative preparation of current and future McNeese teachers, according to Fontenot.
Desmine Goodly, Lake Charles, another student in the McNeese alternative certification program, describes the summer reading clinic as a “practice session.” The tutoring sessions, reading challenges and craft activities with his student, Kenny Fullington, 9, (pictured left) have provided Goodly with new and crucial practicum experience. “The clinic is also giving us the opportunity to help local children achieve their goals.”
As McNeese graduates, Braud and Goodly have both returned to the university to earn their graduate certificates in order to teach. Braud will do her student teaching at St. John Elementary this fall to complete her certification, while Goodly will begin his teaching career at the Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy in the fall.
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(July 26, 2016) Banners at McNeese State University is annually supported by donations from area corporate sponsors. Union Pacific donated $10,000 for the 2017 Banners season. On hand for the presentation, from left, are Patricia Prudhomme, director of Banners at McNeese, George Swift, President/CEO of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance, Drew Tessier, public affairs director with Union Pacific, and Avon Knowlton, executive vice president with the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance.
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(July 29, 2016) Two graduates of McNeese State University’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program have received 2016 Wallace Stegner Fellowships for the Creative Writing Program at Stanford University this fall – Dr. J. Bruce Fuller, a 2011 graduate, in poetry, and Jenn Alandy Trahan, a 2015 graduate, in fiction. Both report to the California campus on Sept. 23 for orientation.
The Stanford Creative Writing Program, founded in 1946 by writer and environmentalist Wallace Stegner, offers 10 two-year creative writing fellowships each year, five in fiction and five in poetry.
These alumni follow two other McNeese MFA graduates who were also recipients of these prestigious fellowships - Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner Adam Johnson (1996), who now teaches at Stanford, and Michael Shewmaker (2010), an award-winning poet who is also teaching at Stanford as a Jones Lecturer in poetry.
![Dr. J. Bruce Fuller]()
Fuller, who received a doctorate in English from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2015 and is currently teaching there, said, “The award means unobstructed time to write, but it also puts a spotlight on our work that we otherwise would not have had. It is a great opportunity to share our work with a larger audience.”
Fuller gives McNeese’s MFA program credit for preparing him for this prestigious fellowship.
“McNeese certainly prepared me. As a program, it is a nurturing place to work on one's craft and I benefited greatly from the writing culture there, my fellow students and the faculty. There are many people who helped me get here, none more so than Amy Fleury, (MFA director), but all of the faculty at McNeese prepared me well for academia and the writing life,” he said.
A native of New Orleans, Fuller applied to McNeese’s MFA program because “I wanted a program that was small enough that I could work primarily with one poet that I could trust and who knew my work and my goals. I also wanted a program that focused more on craft than trends. I wanted a program that wasn't cutthroat and focused more on process than prizes. McNeese was all of those things to me.”
He plans to return to teaching after the fellowship is over.
![Jenn Alandy Trahan]()
Trahan, who is currently teaching English as a visiting lecturer at McNeese, said she “feels like I've been drafted by an elite team to play a sport I love with my literary idols as my coaches and some of the most talented writers in the country as my teammates. I'm incredibly humbled and honored.”
She echoes Fuller’s statement about how the Stegner Fellowship will give her the “gift of time.” “I'll be able to complete my short story collection - currently titled ‘They Told Us Not to Say This’ - and my novel.”
As for her plans after her fellowship, Trahan said she had offers from a number of excellent doctoral programs, so she can see herself earning a doctorate in English in the future.
Attending Stanford this fall will be a “homecoming” of sorts for Trahan. Though she was born in Houston, Texas, her family relocated to California shortly after she was born. “My family moved to Vallejo (from Daly City, Calif.) when I was 5 years old,” she said.
“Vallejo is indeed my hometown as I spent 12 years of my life there, the longest I've ever stayed in one place.” Vallejo is about 61 miles from Stanford so she’s excited about going back to the Bay Area.
So, how did she find her way to Lake Charles and McNeese’s MFA program? By way of the New Orleans Saints, she offered.
“I will admit that I fell in love with the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 30, 2009 (the night of my 27th birthday) when they stomped out the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football 38-17. Drew Brees posted a perfect passer rating that night. I told everyone I knew that the Saints were going to the Super Bowl (I was living in Washington, D.C., at the time), but no one believed me,” said Trahan.
“Well, sure enough, the Saints did and I told myself that I had to find a way to get down to Louisiana and become a part of the culture, so I applied to the MFA program here,” she added.
Trahan said that “without a doubt” McNeese’s MFA program provided the opportunity to compete for the Stegner Fellowship.
“At McNeese, I earned my Master of Arts in English and my MFA in fiction within a span of three years, and I also got the opportunity to reach approximately 200 students since I taught 10 courses over six semesters. Nothing beats the kind of experience I got to have as a graduate student here. It's a crucible of sorts: you find out what you are made of, who you are as a teacher, who you are as a writer and who you are as a person. It's an incredible journey of self-discovery that I got to share with other people,” she explained.
“For the first time in my life, I felt like I truly belonged somewhere because my classmates felt like my teammates. We've supported each other through losses and victories, large and small, personal and professional,” she continued. “We've inspired each other, challenged each other and held each other accountable. We still do. And, needless to say, the writers who come here are the kind of people who have forsaken other zip codes in order to read and create literature in Lake Charles, which should be on a Top 10 list of ‘Underrated Places to Be an Artist.’ I've lived in 10 different cities across the country and nothing tops the culture, the people or the food here in Southwest Louisiana. I was enchanted with Louisiana before I even moved here. It's an inspiring place.”
MFA Director Amy Fleury said, “For a small, out-of-the-way MFA program, McNeese has always been able to attract gifted, hard-working writers who care about making great stories and poems. Their dedication to and love for the work of writing is what makes them so successful. We are exceedingly proud of the work our students and alumni do, and we hope to continue fostering a community that is both supportive and challenging, where writers can concentrate on their craft.”
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(August 4, 2016) McNeese State University ranks third among public and private schools in Louisiana for both the best average starting salary for its graduates and for the best college education value, according to SmartAsset, a New York City financial technology company.
In ranking the best average starting salaries in the state, Louisiana State University was No. 1 with $48,900, followed by Louisiana Tech University at $47,000, McNeese at $46,900, the University of New Orleans at $45,500 and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette at $44,800 rounding out the top five.
In ranking the best college education values in Louisiana, SmartAsset again had LSU at No. 1 followed by Louisiana Tech, McNeese, UL at Lafayette and the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
In the Best Value ranking, McNeese has the lowest tuition of the top 10 schools ranked at $5,701 a year, followed by Southeastern Louisiana University at $5,715.
SmartAsset looked at five factors to calculate the best value colleges and universities - tuition, student living costs, scholarship and grant offerings, retention rate and starting salary. Data from the National Center for Educational Statistics, Payscale and College InSight were used to rank the schools in its report.
“McNeese State University continues to receive national attention for its outstanding academic programs, student success and affordability,” said Dr. Philip Williams, McNeese president. “I believe this is in a great part due to the commitment by our faculty and staff to our motto of “Excellence With a Personal Touch!”
McNeese has nationally accredited programs in business, engineering, computer science and nursing. “These majors are highly recruited and offer high average starting salaries,” Williams said.
“Ensuring that students stay on track to complete their degree requirements in a timely manner is very important and one of the goals of our academic advisers. This reduces the amount of loan debt that students graduate with and boosts the return on investment for their degree,” Williams added.
For the fifth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named McNeese one of the top public universities in the United States and one of the best regional universities in the South.
McNeese was also ranked fifth in Best Value Colleges in the state by BestValues Schools.Com. This ranking was based on graduation rate, price, acceptance rate and return on investment.
To check out the complete study, go to https://smartasset.com/student-loans/student-loan-calculator?year=2016#louisiana/value.
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(August 5, 2016) Dr. Keagan LeJeune, professor of English at McNeese State University, has been awarded the 2016 Brian McConnell Bo![Keagan LeJeune]()
ok Award by the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research (ISCLR) for his book, “Legendary Louisiana Outlaws: The Villains and Heroes of Folk Justice.”
The Brian McConnell Book Award is a prize established “to encourage scholarship in the field of contemporary legend, to recognize and inspire standards of excellence in contemporary legend publications and to commemorate the life and work of Brian McConnell, a long time member of ISCLR, celebrated crime reporter, author and legend scholar.”
"This book wouldn’t have been possible without the people who opened their homes to me and told me their stories,” said LeJeune. ![Book cover for Louisiana Outlaws]()
“These stories were often so amazing and interesting to me, and I wanted to make this book as interesting to readers. The award recognizes several different achievements of the book, but it’s especially rewarding to hear the judges found the book so accessible and engaging."
LeJeune’s book has been recognized as a work that offers access to a legend cycle grounded in place and in social history, both locally and statewide. By tracing legends from the early years of Louisiana - infamous pirate Jean Laffite and the storied couple Bonnie and Clyde, to less familiar bandits like train-robber Eugene Bunch and suspected murderer Leather Britches Smith - LeJeune outlines how the Louisiana legend cycle about outlaws continues to serve to maintain local identity today.
Of particular note are the intricacies of folk and institutional justice in the context of these legends, the legacy of the Civil War and resentment over incursions by Jayhawkers from the northern states and the role that tourism and ostension (real-life occurrence of events described by a legend) play in sustaining the legend cycle.
LeJeune, a 1997 graduate of the Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing at McNeese, is past president of the Louisiana Folklore Society. He was also a finalist for the 2016 Tennessee Williams Festival Poetry Prize.
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(August 11, 2016) The American Press Foundation has given $15,000 to the McNeese State University Foundation to establish the Lake Charles American Press Scholarship in Visual Arts. The scholarship was established with the proceeds of the McNeese Visual Arts Calendar that was produced by the American Press. The Shearman family - which owns the American Press - has also established the Shearman Research Grant Endowment and the Library Shearman Grant Endowment through the McNeese Foundation with gifts totaling over $500,000. At the presentation are from left to right: William E. Rose, McNeese Foundation Board of Directors member; Thomas B. Shearman III, president of the American Press Foundation; and Lisa Reinauer, art professor in the McNeese Department of Visual Arts
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(August 16, 2016)
(7:45 a.m.) Update: Telephone and network service has been restored at McNeese. Brief interruptions to power may occur during the day due to ongoing repairs to the electrical system. Power remains off in the New Ranch.
(August 15, 2016)
(4:30 p.m.) Update: A power outage earlier today has caused problems with the campus telephone system. Some building are having network problems. Crews are on campus working to fully restore service. If you are on campus and have an emergency, dial 9-1-1. Monitor McNeese social media channels, the McNeese website and KBYS for updates.
(1:30 p.m.) Update: Most of campus now has power. However, phone lines are still down. We will update when the phone lines have been restored.
(11:30 a.m.)There is currently a power outage at McNeese State University. Phone lines are also down. Crews are on site and we hope to have all power restored soon. Updates will be posted to McNeese social media channels and the McNeese website.
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(August 18, 2016) McNeese State University Master of Fine Arts graduate Elizabeth Genovise has been named a 2016 O. Henry Prize Story winner. This award is among the nation’s most prestigious honors for best short fiction, with past winners including literary luminaries such as William Faulkner, John Updike, Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker and Truman Capote. ![Elizabeth Genovise]()
O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), an American short story writer. O. Henry’s best-known stories include "The Gift of the Magi," "The Last Leaf" and "The Ransom of Red Chief."
Genovise’s piece, “Irises,” was among 20 stories selected from thousands of works published in literary magazines to be published in an anthology by Anchor Books this fall. “Irises,” which first appeared in Cimarron Review, is a story about a moment when a daughter learns a long-hidden and profound secret from her mother’s past.
Genovise - a 2009 MFA alumna– is an assistant professor of English at Roane State Community College in Harriman, Tennessee. She also received her Master of Arts in English that year at McNeese.
A native of Villa Park, Illinois, she said she “found McNeese” via word of mouth. “I was still at the University of Iowa when my roommate, a UI MFA student, suggested I look into McNeese. My roommate's husband had known someone who attended the school and highly recommended the MFA program.”
Genovise said the MFA workshops conducted by then MFA director Neil Connelly were boot camp for her. “I worried that I didn't belong, that my work would never pass muster. My particular problem was an impulse to write poetically but without much substance, structure or courage; I could make laundry sound beautiful but couldn't construct a believable scene,” she explained.
“After my stories were decimated in workshop, I began working from the ground up, learning the craft and learning the art of control. Most importantly, I learned that the best aesthetic is one of compassion: the character is at the center, always. Plot and pretty words follow, and only when earned,” she said.
She currently teaches English and enjoys it. “I enjoy teaching, especially literature, because I love to empower people. I also remember how much my own early English professors did for me, giving me the foundations of good writing and a deep appreciation for truly excellent literature.”
Genovise adds, “I find ways to sneak creative writing assignments and exercises into my classes and the results are terrific and I credit this to my English courses at McNeese.”
As for balancing work and writing, she said academic breaks of course afford extra time to dedicate to fiction, but really, the challenge is finding ways to write or at least sketch out ideas in the middle of a normal day, just as with any job. “I do a lot of writing in my head when I've driving between campuses. Cars and trains have always been my friends when a story is in the works.”
Genovise said she misses McNeese, and Lake Charles, so much.
“I felt very supported by my fellow MFA'ers at McNeese. Everyone was constructive in their criticism and encouraging when it came to submitting works for publication,” she said. “I do still keep in touch with a few folks, though I tend more towards isolation since I don't use Facebook!” she admitted.
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September 7, 2016, 7:25 am
(September 7, 2016) CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital donated $5,000 to the McNeese State University Alumni Association to help sponsor 2016 Homecoming week activities Oct. 22-29. On hand for the presentation are from left: Donald Lloyd, president and CEO of CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital and CHRISTUS Health Southwestern Louisiana, Kevin Caldwell, McNeese Alumni Association president; and Heather Hidalgo, CHRISTUS St. Patrick director of marketing and communications.
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September 13, 2016, 11:13 am
(September 13, 2016) The McNeese State University Alumni Association will present its 2016 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year awards during halftime ceremonies at the Cowboys vs. the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football game Saturday, Sept. 17.
The three McNeese alumni who have been named recipients are: - Carlin G. Conner, president and CEO of SemGroup; G. Janelle Frost, CEO of AMERISAFE Inc.; and Tommy Marks, director for the U.S. Army’s Office of Small Business Programs.
![Carlin Conner]()
A native of Lake Arthur, Conner graduated from McNeese in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science. He began his career at GATX Terminals Corporation in Houston, Texas, serving in various roles, including operations, engineering and commercial management.
Conner - who has more than 25 years of experience in the energy midstream sector - then joined Oiltanking Houston LP in 2000 and served in positions of increasing responsibility, including president and CEO of Oiltanking Holding Americas Inc.; president, CEO and a member of the board of Oiltanking Partners’ general partner; chairman of the board of directors of Oiltanking Partners and its general partner; and managing director of the global Oiltanking Group based in Hamburg, Germany. During this time, Conner led the initial public offering of Oiltanking Group.
In April 2014 Conner was named head of SemGroup. He is also a member of the SemGroup board of directors, president and CEO of Rose Rock Midstream and chairman of the board of directors of Rose Rock Midstream's general partner. SemGroup, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a multi-billion dollar energy midstream company focused on activities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and United Kingdom.
Conner is on the executive board of the Philbrook Museum and on the board for Greater Tulsa Regional Chamber of Conference.
![Janelle Frost]()
Frost, who grew up in the small, close-knit community of Oberlin, received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from McNeese in 1992 and immediately began her career as a staff accountant in October of 1992 at AMERISAFE Inc., the premier specialty provider of workers’ compensation insurance focused on small to mid-sized employers in hazardous industries founded in 1986 in DeRidder.
Over the next 24 years with AMERISAFE, Frost served as deputy controller, controller, assistant vice president, vice president, executive vice president and chief financial officer, chief operating officer and president.
In April of 2015, Frost was named as the first female to serve as CEO of AMERISAFE - a one billion dollar publicly traded organization.
![Tommy Marks]()
Marks received his Bachelor of Science degree in health and physical education from McNeese in 1977, his Master of Science degree in acquisition management from Florida Institute of Technology in 1988 and his Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in 1992.
As director for the Office of Small Business Programs, he serves as the Army's lead for small business policy, goals and procedures. In this position, Marks represents the Secretary of the Army at congressional committees and subcommittee hearings on small business, historically black colleges and universities’ minority institutions, economic utilization and other business matters.
A native of Jeanerette, Marks attended McNeese on a track scholarship in 1973 and was active in the ROTC program. When Marks graduated in December 1977, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry and reported for active duty in the U.S. Army in January of 1978. He retired from active duty in 2001 as an Army aviator with the rank of lieutenant colonel after 24 years of service.
After retirement, Marks has worked as a government contractor and Army civilian for the last 15 years, which includes a six-year deployment to Kuwait supporting the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) for the U.S. Army Material Command and then serving as LOGCAP’s executive director.
He previously served as the executive director for acquisition services policy for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement before his promotion in April 2015.
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September 15, 2016, 2:46 pm
McNeese State University’s Ducks Unlimited chapter was named the new university chapter of the year for 2015-2016 during the annual meeting at DU’s national headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. On hand for the presentation are from left: Derek Poe, Will Hodgkins, Austin Mouton, Cole LaPoint, Dylan Trahan, McNeese DU members, and DU’s Youth and Education Committee chairman, Ronal Roberson.
(September 15, 2016) The McNeese State University Ducks Unlimited chapter has recently won two awards at both national and state levels with Ducks Unlimited.
The McNeese DU group received the national 2015-2016 New Chapter of the Year for universities, which is based on event attendance and monies raised through those events. The McNeese DU chapter – which currently has 30 members – has raised over $40,000 for Ducks Unlimited since the chapter began last fall.
Louisiana Ducks Unlimited presented the McNeese chapter with the 2015 Top New Event award in recognition of outstanding leadership and fundraising for DU’s conservation mission. The state award is given to the event that is “new” to Ducks Unlimited’s event system and is not just specific to collegiate chapters but all chapters/events in the state.
The McNeese chapter held its first event – “Sportsman's Night Out” - in November of 2015 and raised $13,000. This event was the largest (revenue) new event across the state of Louisiana in 2015.
“We are excited to receive these awards for our chapter and are proud to represent the university, ” said chapter president Austin Mouton of Erath. For more information about the chapter, contact Mouton at 337-772-9765.
Dr. Jeffery Stevens, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship, and Dr. Jiun-Shiu Chen, associate professor of management, received a Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Learning and Administration in Higher Education 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Their paper – “Does Students’ Personality Affect the Learning Outcomes in an International Business Course?” - will be published in a future issue of Journal of Learning in Higher Education.
Stevens also chaired a session titled “Absorbitive Capacity and New Practice Adoption” at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management in Anaheim, California. Founded in 1936, the Academy of Management is the largest organization in the world devoted to management research and teaching. It has more than 20,000 members in 125 countries.
Dr. Janet Allured, history professor and director of women’s studies at McNeese, recently presented a lecture - based on her upcoming book to be released in November titled “Remapping Second-Wave Feminism: The Long Women's Rights Movement in Louisiana, 1950-1997” - at the exhibition of “Voices of Progress: Twenty Women Who Changed New Orleans” at The Historic New Orleans Collection on 533 Royal St. in New Orleans.
Research regarding second-wave feminism often concentrates on activities happening in the northern United States, but vibrant pockets of activism existed across the country, including the South. Allured discussed her attempts to reshape this narrative, offering a corrective to the centralized power of northern feminism by focusing largely on the grassroots women's movement in the South, particularly in Louisiana.
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September 19, 2016, 6:40 am
For tickets or more information, call 337-475-5040.
(September 19, 2015) McNeese State University Theatre will kick off its 2016-2017 season this fall with the play, “LIZARD,” Sept. 28-Oct. 2 in Tritico Theatre. Times are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28-Oct. 1 and 2 p.m. Oct. 2. ![Poster for Lizard play]()
The play was written by Dennis Covington based on his 1991 novel of the same name and is described as a coming-of-age story about 13-year-old Lucius Sims, a physically deformed boy who is nicknamed “Lizard.”
“Lizard searches for the truth as the play explores what it means to be a family and how each one of us can overcome the limitations placed on us by society and other people by finding the key within us that sets us free,” said Charles McNeely, coordinator of theater at McNeese and the play’s director.
“LIZARD” is set in Southwest Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama, during the summer of 1976. The play references Lake Charles, Holly Beach, DeRidder, Leesville, DeQuincy, Rosepine and New Llano.
“Dennis wrote the novel after being stationed at Fort Polk in the early 1970s,” said McNeely. “The Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF) asked him to adapt the novel into a play in the early 1990s and the play was first performed at the festival in 1994.”
“LIZARD” is described as an intriguing cross between “Candide” and “Huckleberry Finn.”
“While the story deals with a 13-year-old boy in the mid 1970s, some of its language may be unsuitable and offensive to audience members,” added McNeely.
The cast and crew include: Lizard, Evan Seago, Lake Charles; Callahan, Matt Dye, Nashville, Tennessee; Sallie, Stacy Solak, Emporium, Pennsylvania; Miss Cooley, actor and stagehand, Chassadi Decker, Bridge City, Texas; bus driver, Mike, stage technician and Roger, Joseph Comeaux, Lake Charles; Tinker, Homer and Waldo, Gabi Fontenot, Cameron; Rain, Troyal Harris, New Orleans; Nurse Barmore, actor, stagehand and woman at courthouse, Jennifer Tolbert, Grand Lake; Walrus and accordion player, David Duplechin, Lake Charles; actor and stagehand, Jane-Claire Radde, Lake Charles; Ricardo and Sammy, Isaac Thomas, Lake Charles; Willie and preacher, Michael Davis, Baytown, Texas; Albino and Ronnie, Sean Hinchee, Lake Charles; Miranda, Corinne Mitchell, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; fire chief, Tre’Vion Edwards, Jennings; understudy, Kevin Downing, Amite; stage manager, Jennifer McHaffie, Sulphur; light designers, Mark Teal, Westlake, and Stephen Vidrine, Sulphur; set designer, Randy Partin, Moss Bluff; costume designer, Diane Rathbun, Lake Charles; and costume assistant, Mark Bailes, Rosepine.
Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $10 for McNeese faculty/staff, senior citizens and youth, and free for McNeese students with a current ID. For tickets or more information, call 337-475-5040.
Persons needing accommodations as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the ADA Coordinator at 337-475-5428, voice; 337-475-5960, fax; 337-562-4227, TDD/TTY, hearing impaired; or by email at cdo@mcneese.edu.
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September 21, 2016, 2:50 pm
![Harlequin sign]()
A fundraiser to benefit student scholarships and the McNeese State University Department of History will be held Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Harlequin Restaurant. Nic Hunter, owner of the Harlequin, has established an endowed scholarship through the McNeese Foundation that is awarded annually to an academically qualified student majoring in history or liberal Arts. Pictured from left are Leigha Ardoin, a history senior from Iowa, who is the first recipient of the History and Liberal Arts Scholarship, and Richard Reid, left, vice president for university advancement and executive vice president for the McNeese Foundation.
(September 21, 2016) A fundraiser to support the McNeese State University History Department and student scholarships will be held on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Harlequin Restaurant in Lake Charles.
“Many notable professors, including Dr. Joe Gray Taylor and Dr. Robert Hebert, taught thousands of McNeese students and are still fondly remembered today,” Patricia Prebula, president of the McNeese Foundation board of directors, said.
In 2012, Nic Hunter, owner of the Harlequin, created an endowed scholarship - the History and Liberal Arts Scholarship - through the McNeese Foundation that is awarded annually to an academically qualified student majoring in history or liberal arts. The Harlequin is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
“Tickets for the event are $100 per person and the evening will include a silent auction, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres prepared by the Harlequin chefs,” Prebula said.
For ticket information, contact the McNeese Foundation at 337-475-5588.
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September 16, 2016, 2:28 pm
(September 16, 2016) The 2016 McNeese State University Homecoming Parade is scheduled to roll down Ryan Street at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, and the community is invited to participate.
Registration for the parade is now open for community entries and the fee is $50 per unit.
This year's theme is “Rowdy Wants You!” The Cowboys are playing the Abilene Christian Wildcats for homecoming at 6 p.m. Oct. 29 in Cowboy Stadium.
For more information or to register for the parade, community organizations can contact the McNeese Office of University Services at 475-5706 or the Student Union and Activities Office at 475-5609 or go online at www.mcneese.edu/homecoming.
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September 30, 2016, 1:47 pm
(September 30, 2016) Al Cochran, a 1965 engineering graduate and a 2016 general studies graduate of McNeese State University, has donated $20,000 to the university through the McNeese Foundation for the Alfred Cochran Civil Engineering Scholarship. On hand for the presentation are from left: Dr. Nikos Kiritsis, dean of the college of engineering and computer science, Cochran and McNeese President Dr. Philip Williams.
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October 11, 2016, 11:10 am
(October 11, 2016) Bridget McDaniel, assistant professor of art at McNeese State University, will give a lecture titled, “Degas: A New Vision!” at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, in the McNeese SEED Center as part of the McNeese Fall 2016 SAGE Series.![]()
In her lecture, McDaniel will explore a survey of the artwork produced by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas. She will address each of the themes and subjects covering his entire career, from portraiture and ballet dancers to his New Orleans paintings and café scenes.
McDaniel received her Master of Arts degree from Louisiana State University and the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece. She is the coordinator of the Visual Arts Academic Studies Abroad Program at McNeese.
SAGE is open to the public and cost is $65 for the series.
This presentation coincides with the opening of the international retrospective exhibition, “Degas: A New Vision,” at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts.
The SAGE series will offer a one-day bus trip Wednesday, Nov. 2, for a guided tour of Degas’ works as well as another museum exhibit, “Emperor’s Treasures: Chinese Art from the National Palace Museum, Taipei.” In addition, the group will view another exhibit, “Grand Designs: Neoclassical Taste in the 18th Century,” at the Rienzi Mansion.
The cost of the one-day bus trip is $135 by Oct. 17 or $145 after this date. For more information or to sign up for the trip, call 337-475-5616 or visit www.mcneese.edu/leisure.
Persons needing accommodations as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the ADA Coordinator at 337-475-5428, voice; 337-475-5960, fax; 337-562-4227, TDD/TTY, hearing impaired; or by email at cdo@mcneese.edu.
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October 17, 2016, 1:47 pm
(October 17, 2016) The McNeese State University Admissions and Recruiting Office will sponsor its Fall Cowboy Q&A Day for prospective students and their families from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29.
Registration and welcome presentations begin in F.G. Bulber Auditorium. Afterwards, campus tours will be offered and McNeese personnel will be on hand to answer any questions about academic programs, admissions, financial aid, scholarships, TOPS, student life, student services and housing.
Students receive free admission into the McNeese vs. Abilene Christian University football game at 6 p.m. in Cowboy Stadium. Parents and guests can purchase tickets to the football game at the ticket office in the Doland Field House.
The McNeese Bookstore will also be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. for students and parents to purchase their McNeese gear.
For more information about this free event, contact admissions and recruiting at 337-475-5504 or go online.
Persons needing accommodations as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the ADA Coordinator at 337-475-5428, voice; 337-475-5960, fax; 337-562-4227, TDD/TTY, hearing impaired; or by email at cdo@mcneese.edu.
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October 17, 2016, 10:28 am
(October 19, 2016) “Rowdy Wants You!” is the theme of McNeese State University’s 2016 Homecoming celebration Oct. 23-29 with a number of activities for students, alumni and the community scheduled throughout the week.
Events this year include black light bowling, an escape room challenge, oozeball, the homecoming parade, pep rally and fireworks, door decorating contest, a step show, a golf tournament, tailgating and the announcement of the Homecoming King and Queen – all leading up to the big Homecoming game Saturday night, Oct. 29, in Cowboy Stadium.
The week kicks off on Sunday, Oct. 23, with a Bowling One-Half Nighter for students at the Petro Bowl from 9 p.m. to midnight. This year’s event is a Halloween party with awards for best costumes and the 2016 Homecoming Bowling MVP.
On Monday, Oct. 24, students can participate in an escape room challenge. An “escape room” will be constructed in the Old Ranch and students will participate in teams to find clues, solve mysteries and escape the room before time runs out.
Tuesd![Students playing oozeball]()
ay, Oct. 25, is Amnesty Day for students, who have the chance to have one parking ticket (up to $25) “forgiven” on this day. This popular event, sponsored by the Student Government Association, will be held in the Gallery Room of the New Ranch.
Also on Tuesday, SNAD (Something New and Different) Day is back after its successful premier at the 2016 Spring Fling Week. Students can compete in multiple events such as “minute-to-win-it” games, riddle challenges and various other electronic competitions to accumulate points and win large prizes like headphones, bicycles, flat screen TVs and portable speakers.
Oozeball – volleyball played in mud – is a student tradition at Homecoming. Teams slip and slide through the tournament for fun and a trophy. This year’s event is Wednesday, Oct. 26, on the front lawn of Frasch Hall. The top three teams are recognized.
Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach will be the grand marshal for this year’s Homecoming parade. The annual parade – with over 100 entries expected - is scheduled to roll down Ryan Street at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27.
The pep rally takes place immediately after the parade inside Cowboy Stadium, where the 2016 Homecoming King and Queen will be revealed. A fireworks display sponsored by the McNeese Alumni Association and its corporate sponsors CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital and Coushatta Casino Resort will follow the pep rally.
On Friday, Oct. 28, the 16th Annual Step Show will be held at 6 p.m. in F.G. Bulber Auditorium. General admission tickets for the event are $10 in advance and $15 at the door for students with a valid ID. This event is free for McNeese students with a valid ID who pick tickets in advance in the New Ranch and $10 at the door. For information, call 475-5609.
The McNeese Bookstore will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday with the latest collegiate apparel for Cowboy fans to wear to the game that night.
The Cowboys are playing the Wildcats of Abilene Christian at 6 p.m. Saturday in Cowboy Stadium. The 2016 Homecoming Court will be introduced during halftime ceremonies.
Other events taking place during Homecoming week are: the McNeese Rodeo Oct. 28-29 in the Burton Complex - for times and ticket prices call 475-5690; and the Fall Cowboy Q&A Day Oct. 29 for high school students and their parents - for information call 475-5504.
Homecoming activities include:
Sunday, Oct. 23
Women’s Soccer vs. Texas A&M – Corpus Christi
1 p.m. – Cowgirl Field
Bowling Half-Nighter
9 p.m.-midnight - Petro Bowl
Free bowling for McNeese students with an ID
Monday, Oct. 24
Escape Room Challenge
Noon-7 p.m., La Jeunesse Room, Old Ranch
Tuesday, Oct. 25
Amnesty Day
7:45 a.m. – 5 p.m., Gallery Room, New Ranch
SNAD
10 a.m., New Ranch
Past Alumni President’s Reception
6 p.m., McNeese President’s Home
Wednesday, Oct. 26
Oozeball Tournament
3-7 p.m., front lawn of Frasch Hall
Thursday, Oct. 27
Homecoming Parade
7 p.m.
Rolls down Ryan Street to McNeese Street to Cowboy Stadium
Pep Rally and Fireworks
9 p.m., Cowboy Stadium
Women’s Volleyball vs. UNO
7 p.m., Memorial Gym
Friday, Oct. 28
Geaux Blue Friday
Alumni/Friends Golf Tournament
11 a.m., Mallard Cove Golf Course
Homecoming Step Show
6 p.m., F.G. Bulber Auditorium
McNeese Rodeo Oct. 28-29
Burton Complex
Softball Alumni Weekend Oct. 28-29
Saturday, Oct. 29
Fall Cowboy Q&A Day
Women’s Volleyball vs. Southeastern Louisiana
12:30 p.m., Memorial Gym
Softball Alumni Game
1:30 p.m., Cowgirl Diamond
For info, call 337-562-4132
Alumni Pregame Tailgate Party
2:30-5:30 p.m./Alumni Grove
Student Tailgate
3 p.m./Lot E
McNeese Football vs. Abilene Christian
6 p.m., Cowboy Stadium
2016 SLC Champion Softball Team Recognized
For tickets, call 562-4MSU
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October 17, 2016, 12:00 pm
(October 24, 2016) Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach will serve as the grand marshal for the 2016 McNeese State University Homecoming parade scheduled to roll down Ryan Street at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27.
![Mayor Randy Roach]()
More than 100 businesses, organizations and bands have already entered this year's parade. This year's theme is "Rowdy Wants You.”
Roach, an attorney, has been a distinguished state representative and mayor. He served two terms from 1988 to 1996 as a state representative in the Louisiana Legislature representing District 36, which included part of Calcasieu and Cameron parishes. He served on numerous committees including civil and law, ways and means, natural resources and coastal restoration.
Roach was elected as mayor of Lake Charles in 2000 to fill the unexpired term of the previous mayor. In 2001, he was re-elected and began his first full term. He was re-elected in 2005, in 2009 and again in 2013. As mayor he has worked closely with city and parish governments and other agencies to form partnerships and pool resources that benefit not only Lake Charles, but also all of Southwest Louisiana.
An example is the collaboration of the city of Lake Charles with several other area agencies, including McNeese, in the establishment of the Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial and Economic Development (SEED) Center on the McNeese campus, which is dedicated to strengthening and diversifying the economy in the five-parish area.
McNeese student organizations and community entries compete for prizes for best floats in the parade. Plaques will be given to first, second and third place winners in these divisions with the winners announced at the pep rally in Cowboy Stadium after the parade.
A fireworks show sponsored by the McNeese Alumni Association and its corporate sponsors CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital and Coushatta Casino Resort will follow the pep rally.
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October 26, 2016, 8:40 am
(October 26, 2016) Three McNeese State University rodeo members – Leander Frey, Kent Richard and Edward Lee Kinney (posthumously) - have been selected for induction into the McNeese Rodeo Hall of Fame.
![Leander Frey]()
The induction ceremony and reception for the recipients and their families and friends will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, in the Chalkley Room at Burton Coliseum – home to the Hall of Fame. The honorees will be introduced that night during the 62nd McNeese Rodeo that begins at 7 p.m. in the Burton Complex Outdoor Arena.
Frey (right), of Goldthwaite, Texas, won competitions in both bull riding and saddle bronc riding. In 1970 and 1973, he was the bull riding champion in the Southern Region, and in 1973, he was also reserve champion in saddle bronc riding. At the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association finals, he placed second in bull riding in 1970 and fourth in the same category in 1973.
Richard (left), of![Kent Richard]()
Dayton, Texas, won competitions in both bull riding and bareback riding. He was the 1985 Southern Region champion in bareback riding, bull riding and in all-around and the 1986 Southern Region champion in bareback riding. He was the NIRA all-around champion in 1985. He has been inducted into the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Hall of Fame and into the Louisiana Rodeo Cowboys Association Hall of Fame.
Kinney, of Carlyss, was a successful stock contractor and founder of the Kinney Brothers Rodeo. In 1950, he was named the first Louisiana High School Rodeo Association All-around Cowboy and he was also inducted into the Louisiana Rodeo Cowboys Association Hall of Fame.
The McNeese Rodeo Hall of Fame preserves the rich rodeo traditions at McNeese and houses national and regional championship trophies, plaques of Hall of Fame inductees and historic photos. There is an interactive video that provides more information about the Hall of Fame and its members, as well as the history of McNeese rodeo.
McNeese rodeo has competed in the Southern Region of the National Collegiate Rodeo Association, which today consists of 12 regions.
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their reading performance but it also supports the innovative preparation of current and future McNeese teachers, according to Fontenot.
Fuller, who received a doctorate in English from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2015 and is currently teaching there, said, “The award means unobstructed time to write, but it also puts a spotlight on our work that we otherwise would not have had. It is a great opportunity to share our work with a larger audience.”
Trahan, who is currently teaching English as a visiting lecturer at McNeese, said she “feels like I've been drafted by an elite team to play a sport I love with my literary idols as my coaches and some of the most talented writers in the country as my teammates. I'm incredibly humbled and honored.”
ok Award by the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research (ISCLR) for his book, “Legendary Louisiana Outlaws: The Villains and Heroes of Folk Justice.”
“These stories were often so amazing and interesting to me, and I wanted to make this book as interesting to readers. The award recognizes several different achievements of the book, but it’s especially rewarding to hear the judges found the book so accessible and engaging."
A native of Lake Arthur, Conner graduated from McNeese in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science. He began his career at GATX Terminals Corporation in Houston, Texas, serving in various roles, including operations, engineering and commercial management.
Marks received his Bachelor of Science degree in health and physical education from McNeese in 1977, his Master of Science degree in acquisition management from Florida Institute of Technology in 1988 and his Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in 1992.
ay, Oct. 25, is Amnesty Day for students, who have the chance to have one parking ticket (up to $25) “forgiven” on this day. This popular event, sponsored by the Student Government Association, will be held in the Gallery Room of the New Ranch.
Dayton, Texas, won competitions in both bull riding and bareback riding. He was the 1985 Southern Region champion in bareback riding, bull riding and in all-around and the 1986 Southern Region champion in bareback riding. He was the NIRA all-around champion in 1985. He has been inducted into the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Hall of Fame and into the Louisiana Rodeo Cowboys Association Hall of Fame.