SENTRYTHE

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AT ALEXANDRIANovember 2009 Volume 45, Issue 2

Registration now openStudents encouraged to see advisors soon

Registration for the Spring se-mester opens Nov. 5 for continuingseniors, and all students are encour-aged to meet with their advisors assoon as possible.

Students can search for SpringClasses in Self-Service (IQWeb) byclicking the Search tab and choos-ing Course Sections for Spring 2010.The schedule of classes informationhas been posted on the LSUAwebsite as well.

The registration scheduleopens first for continuing seniors andthen will open for juniors, sopho-mores and freshmen.

Registration for Spring 2010begins:·November 5 for Continuing Seniors·November 9 for Continuing Juniors·November 11 for ContinuingSophomores·November 13 for Continuing Fresh-men·November 17 for New students

Registration will remain openuntil Jan. 15, 2010. Schedulechanges (drops) made after Janu-ary 15 must be processed in thedepartmental offices.

Students who are not autho-rized to register before finals week,will have to wait until January 6-7 toregister.

Fee bills should be paid by4 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2010. Classes forSpring semester start Monday, Jan.11, 2010.

Reminder! Students who ac-cepted financial aid for Fall and makea schedule for Spring, will not show

up on a wash list. Those schedulewill not be deleted. It is up to thestudent to drop classes if they donot intend to pay for them. Sched-ules must be paid for or payment ar-rangements made by 4:00pm,Thursday, January 7, 2010.

Again, schedules must be paidfor or payment arrangements madeby 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7,2010.New Fee Schedule

Students who register forclasses are responsible for paying forthose classes. If a student choosesnot to attend but does not drop allclasses by the appropriate date be-low, the student will still bereponsible for any charges remain-ing.

If classes are dropped prior to4 p.m. on Jan. 7, the student will be

ImportantDates

Registration:Nov. 5 (Seniors)Nov. 9 (Juniors)

Nov. 11 (Sophomores)Nov. 13 (Freshmen)

Nov. 17 (All new students)

Harvest HullabalooNov. 7 at 7 p.m.

Staff Senate JAMNov. 9 in the Quad

Thanksgiving HolidaysNov. 26-29

Final day of classesDec. 4

Final ExamsDec. 7-11

CommencementDec. 17 at 10 a.m.

RegistrationJan. 6-7, 2010

Spring Semester beginsJan. 11, 2010

responsible for the $15.00 registra-tion fee only.

However, if classes aredropped after 4 p.m. on Jan. 7, andbefore 4 p.m. January 25, 2010; orif your schedule is washed, you willpay the mandatory fees that are ap-proximately $175.00.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:If students registered for classand are on the roster after the10th day of class (Jan. 5, 2010)students will pay the full tuitionand fee bill even if you drop allclasses.

Students will be notified via e-mail if they are selected to have theirschedule deleted (washed) for non-payment.

This information is alsoavailable on the front pages whenyou log-in to Self Service (IQ Web).

Mrs. Sandra Franklin, instructor of radiologic technology, talks with astudent. Students are encouraged to meet with advisors soon to prepare for theSpring semester.

Photo by Missy LaBorde

LSUA working hard to be a university of choiceBy Grace FarmerSentry Reporter

Why did you choose LSUA?For a specific bachelor or associatedegree? The student-to-faculty ra-tio of 15 to 1? Sports or studentgroups? ….or did your parents justmake you? Whatever the reason,LSUA campus is working hard tobecome the university of choice.One method used to reach that goalis recruitment activities.

Recruitment for LSUA stu-dents is year-round, says ShellyKieffer, LSUA Director of Recruit-ing and Admissions. Recruitmentactivities target both high school stu-dents and adult learners, saysKieffer.

“Our goal is to be the insti-tution of choice,” says TeresaSeymour, Executive Director, andRegistrar of Enrollment Mgmt. &Records.

Some people continue withthe same perception of LSUA, saysSeymour. In the surrounding area,parents of potential college studentsstill see LSUA, as a two-year col-lege, says Seymour, “not as a grow-ing, viable institution, so in someways it is easier to recruit outsideCentral Louisiana.”

High school students makeup approximately half of the LSUAstudent body, says Seymour. To

assist in the local recruiting effort,LSUA recruiters hope to indentifyscholarship recipients before theygraduate in May, says Seymour.

Adult Learners are moredifficult to reach, says Kieffer. Re-cruitment activities held at the locallibrary of the surrounding communi-ties helps reach more potential stu-dents, says Kieffer.

continued on page 2

THE SENTRY POLICIESThe Sentry newsroom is located in Room 211 of the Bolton Library. E-mail us at sentrynews@lsua.edu or call 318-767-2602.Editorials PolicyUnsigned editorials on these pages reflect the views of The Sentry’s editorial board. Signed columns and commentaries on these pages reflect theviews of the writer which may not be the same as that of the editorial staff.Letters PolicyThe Sentry welcomes Letters to the Editor. Letters should be kept to 400 words or less and are subject to editing for grammar and content. TheSentry will not publish anonymous or libelous letters. Letters must be submitted via e-mail. Letters must be signed by the writer and include aphone number where the writer may be reached. Letters will be verified by The Sentry with the writer.Contributions PolicyThe Sentry accepts stories, photos and opinion pieces for publication. Submissions should be sent to the newsroom via e-mail. All materialssubmitted then become property of The Sentry and can be reprinted in the newspaper without notification.Advertising PolicyThe Sentry reserves the right not to publish any advertisement it deems to be libelous, false, or in bad taste.Mission StatementThe Sentry is a voice for LSUA students and will remain in service to them by representing their values, focus, and experiences. As a public forumfor free expression and debate, the newspaper strives to provide fair, objective, accurate, and unbiased coverage of issues relevant, informative,interesting, and entertaining to the LSUA student body. Faculty, staff and community members are welcome readers.The Sentry, designed and edited by students in CMST 2151, is an official publication of LSUA and offers a hands-on learning experience forstudents regardless of their career goals. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board; columns reflect the opinion of the author.

The Sentry Volume 45, Issue 2 Page 2

A new event held for the firsttime this year, “March Back to Col-lege,” focuses on adult learners, saysKieffer. The current number ofLSUA students from a particulararea determines the parish in whichthe event will take place. The driv-ing distance cannot be more than 1to 1 ½ hours to campus, saysKieffer.

Kieffer is also a member of theExecutive Committee forLACRAO, the Louisiana Assoc. ofCollegiate Registrars and Admis-sions Officers. They put together astate calendar so recruits from eachcollege will be in the same area atthe same time, says Kieffer. Thisallows more student participation,says Kieffer.

Recruiting takes place throughspecific businesses says Kieffer. Forexample, Ft. Polk, local schoolboards, and a workers compensa-tion co. with approx. 200 employ-ees, are included. Lowes is also a

recruiting target, especially since theyoffer tuition reimbursement.

LSUA draws attention frommany different places, saysSeymour. The current FreshmanClass of first time students is from10 different states.

“LSUA’s out-of-state fees areless expensive than in-state fees for4-year public universities in someother states, such as Texas,” saysSeymour. The current LSUA stu-dent body consists of 21 high schoolgraduates from Texas, 19 from Mis-sissippi, and approx 102 from 31other states, says Seymour.

Recruiting also takes placevia LSUA’s prospective studentwebsite, says Seymour. All studentsshould check it out at go2lsua.com,says Seymour. You can see the talk-ing book, a photo album of yourpeers, and make the coffee spill, saysSeymour. The website has only beenavailable for about a year, saysSeymour.

Becoming a university of choice...continued from page 1

Recruitment Activities

Nov. 10 - Career Exploration for high school students: 6-8p.m. on LSUA campus.

Nov. 24 - Open House: Students can tour the campus, attenda college class in session, and learn more about Admissions and Fi-nancial Aide. They can also meet with different departments anddiscuss their concerns with campus security.

Dec. 12 - Leadership Challenge: Scholarship offers go to highschool students who successfully complete various missions in one-hour increments. The winners receive four-year scholarships. Firstplace wins $1500/semester; Second place wins $1000/semester;Third place wins $750/semester. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPAand be actively involved in organizations to retain scholarships.(Needed: current LSUA students for judges)

Dec. 14th - 18th: Push week for LSUA students to visittheir home high school. Volunteers will set up booths with LSUAinformation, provided by Kieffer, to promote enrollment. They willanswer basic questions, but refer other questions to Kieffer viaadmissions@lsua.edu.

A letter FROM the editorBy David HumphreySentry Editor

The entire time that I have beena student here, I have felt that thenewspaper lacked a certain depthfound in newspapers at other uni-versities. The Sentry should bemore than a glorified newsletter stat-ing an itinerary of upcoming eventsor a forum for artistic pieces that didnot make it into the literary maga-zine. It should be a genuine sourcefor all students to learn what is go-ing on around the campus and withinits administration. It should be anoutlet for students to both learn andreport information that truly mattersto them. Most importantly, it shouldbe an opportunity for students tohave their voices heard in front of acampus-wide audience.

The Sentry will al-ways be dedicated to fac-tual and timely news re-porting, but the newspa-per should go beyond justreporting information. Itshould be a catalyst forchange. It should inspirestudents to actively informone another of events ordecisions that play a rolein the lives of the studentbody and allow students themselvesto play a role in those events. Stu-dents will now have a newspaperthat will allow them to project theirideas and concerns to all their peers.

So I invite all students to par-ticipate in future issues of The Sen-try, not only as readers, but as con-tributors. Submit articles, editorals,

David Humphrey

Recently named Editor forThe Sentry

Comm. Studies Major

Worked on The Sentry as areporter during the Fall 08

semester as part ofCMST 2151 course

Member ofKappa Sigma Fraternity

Student GovernmentElection Board

Contact info:The Sentry - 767-2602sentrynews@lsua.edu

photographs. Submit your opinions.Submit anything that you know isimportant for those on campus tolearn. With an active newspaper, wecan help to create a more active cam-pus.

News items can be submit-ted to The Sentry via email tosentrynews@lsua.edu.

courtesy photo

Texas Renaissance Festival day trip offered on Nov. 21Page 3 The Sentry Volume 45, Issue 2

By Heidi SpohnSpecial to The Sentry

The dream of every indepen-dent film director or producer is tohave his or her film premier at TheHot Springs Documentary Film Fes-tival.

This festival is known as “thewindow to the world,” because thefestival’s sole purpose is to exposepeople to documentary films and themessage each film conveys. EveryOctober thousands of people fromall over the world travel to the his-torical town of Hot Springs, Arkan-sas to watch these monumental films.The films are full of innovative knowl-edge and help to raise awareness ofglobal occurrences and concerns.

On October 16, my AmericanFilm Comedy class accompanied byour professor, Dr. Rhonda Shook,began our journey to Hot Springsfor the 18th edition of the film festival.

Upon arriving at the festival wewere immediately in awe of thefriendly atmosphere and buzz sur-rounding the film festival. The open-ing ceremony was full of eager movieenthusiasts who had traveled fromall around the globe just to get thefirst glimpse at these critically ac-claimed documentaries.

The film festival lasted fromOctober 16 – October 25 and fea-tured over 100 different documen-taries. The documentaries rangedfrom romantic, love stories to co-medic interpretations of individual’slives. There was a movie that wouldinterest any type of movie watcher.

One of the most popular, criti-cally acclaimed films of this year was“I Am A Man From Memphis, ALesson in Life.” This award-winningdocumentary centered around Afri-can American sanitation workers inMemphis, Tennessee in 1968 who

Students attend Documentary Film Festivalwent on strike. The purpose of thestrike was to gain respect and equal-ity from people of all ethnicities. Thisstrike was a direct result of MartinLuther King Jr.’s visit to the city andthe message of equality he preached.This film reveals the trials and tribu-lations of the sanitation workers andthe hardships their families experi-enced during this time. This filmserves as a tribute to all the sanita-tion workers and salutes them forall of their achievements.

Another notable film entitled“Girls On the Wall,” exposed thelives of several incarcerated teenagegirls imprisoned in a juvenile deten-tion facility in Chicago. The girlsworked with a musical/ theatreteacher for nine months to write theirown musical/ play, in turn helpingthese young women express andaddress their feelings and emotionsabout themselves, family, and their

LSU Alexandria is offering aday-trip opportunity for students andcommunity members.

On Nov. 21, the Chancellor’sArts and Humanities committee willsponsor a trip to the Texas Renais-sance Festival in Plantersville, TX.

The festival is one of thenation’s largest and most acclaimedrenaissance theme parks where thesights, sounds and tastes of 16thcentury England come alive everyfall. Festival goers are invited todress in period costume.

Tickets for the trip are $17 foradults and $7 for children ages 7-13. The ticket price covers trans-portation and the cost of admissioninto the festival. Food and drink arenot included.

Tickets are available for pur-chase at the Contining EducationOffice in the Business Education

Center, 1501-A Wimbledon Drive,Alexandria. The Continuing Edu-cation office phone number is 473-6495.

LSUA students should regis-ter and purchase tickets before 4:30p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18.Community members may purchasetickets beginning at 8 a.m. on Fri-day, Nov. 6 through 4:30 p.m. onWednesday, Nov. 18.

The bus will depart from theStudent Center parking lot at 5 a.m.on Saturday, Nov. 21 and will re-turn to the same location by 11:30p.m. Contact Dr. Eamon Halpin at767-2604 for more informationabout the trip agenda.

future. This heart-felt documentarytruly provides the audience with theharsh realities teens face in the worldtoday.

Other intriguing films at the fes-tival were “Coming Back for More,”which exposed the life of the infa-mous 1960s band Sly and the Fam-ily Stone. “The Last Freak Show,”was also a popular documentarybased on how the views of peoplewith disabilities have been revolu-tionized in the past few decades.

The Hot Springs DocumentaryFilm Festival is an extraordinaryevent, and a unique atmosphere.These independent filmmakers knowprecisely how to connect with theaudience while providing a wide-range of knowledge based on true-life events.

Photo on far right: Tiffany Dales,left, director/producer of thedocumentary film “Girls On theWall,” is pictured with LSUAstudents Heather Ross, HeidiSpohn, Brittany Schmidt.

Photo, near right: Students andcommunity members who traveledto the Hot Springs DocumentaryFilm Festival pose in front of theMalco Theatre where thedocumentary films for the festivalare shown.

The Sentry Volume 45, Issue 2 Page 4

By Chris EndsleySentry Reporter

LSUA’s continued expansionhas opened the door for student in-volvement like never before. Withinthe past two years LSUA has intro-duced baseball and softball teams,multiple clubs and organizations, TheOaks, and much more.

LSUA is also in the process ofbuilding its newest building, whichwill house a theatre, Mac lab, andnumerous amenities for LSUA stu-dents.

In addition to the “NEW,”LSUA also has a very rich array ofactivities, not so new, that studentscan be involved with.

Project1Eight meets everyWednesday at 12:00pm in Room212, located above the bookstore.The group provides a tremendousopportunity to meet other LSUA stu-dents, with similar interest and en-gage in all sorts of life applicable dis-cussion. The discussions are facili-tated by, both the members of thegroup and also through the manyguest speakers that frequent themeetings. For more information,

All are welcome with campus religious groupscontact Sabri Deason atsabrideason@gmail.com.

Baptist Collegiate Ministry(BCM) meets every Wednesday at12:15pm in the BCM building. Thegroup meetings consist of give-aways, relevant devotions, and agreat social atmosphere.

In addition to 12:15, also thename of the Wednesday meetings,the BCM host a Thursday night smallgroup meeting called, “Merge.”

The BCM has three monthlyactivities as well; Guys and GirlsNight, Poor College Night, andWork Crew. AND THAT’S NOTALL!

The BCM has two confer-ences, “Ignite” in the Fall and “CEC”in the Spring, where they combinewith other BCM’s from across thestate. The BCM also participates ina Missions Project during springbreak and will be taking its first everinternational missions trip next year.

If you would like any addi-tional information on the BCM orany of the events listed, you can stopby the BCM in person Monday thruFriday from 9:00am-5:00pm or you

can contact Director Chad McClurgat lsuabcm@mac.com.

Catholic Student Organiza-tion (CSO) provides a place wherestudents can get away, focus, study,and fellowship. The CSO hasmonthly meetings, and multiple offcampus events.

One such event is Cinema &Coffee night, in which all in atten-dance discuss life related topics, overcoffee, and then enjoy the companyof friends while viewing a movie.2010 will mark an unforgettable yearfor the CSO when they venture offon their first ever missions trip.

For more information about theCSO or any of its events contactCampus Minister Lynn Ray atlray@diocesealex.org or stop bythe CSO in person: Monday,Wednesday, and Thursday from 9a.m.- 4 p.m. or Tuesday from noon-3 p.m. The CSO holds Mass everyThursday from 12:20-12:50p.m.

Project1Eight, the BaptistCollegiate Ministry, and theCatholic Student Organization areALL open to anyone and everyone.So, if you’re hungry and broke onWednesday, swing by, check oneout, and enjoy your FREE lunch.

The religious organizations continue to be active on the LSUA campusparticipating in many campus-wide programs such as the Organization Fair.Pictured above is the display board for the Catholic Student Organizationfrom the Organization Fair this fall.

MelindaF i t z g e r a l dAnderson hasbeen ap-pointed ex-ecutive direc-tor of the Of-fice of Institu-tional Advancement/LSUA Founda-tion, announced Dr. David Manuel,LSU Alexandria chancellor. The ap-pointment was effective Oct. 26.

“Melinda will be an importantcatalyst as LSUA strengthens itsalumni relationships, cultivates andstewards our wonderful donor sup-port group and helps launch the uni-versity into its next 50 years,” saidManuel. “She has an impressive his-tory of promoting several CentralLouisiana ventures, executing spe-cial events and creating solutions fora wide array of constituent inter-ests.”

Anderson replaces MissyLaBorde, who held the interim po-sition for several months. LaBordereturned to the faculty as assistantprofessor of communication studies.

Catherine McCrory Pearshas been appointed executive di-rector of the Alexandria Museumof Art, announced Dr. DavidManuel, LSU Alexandria chancel-lor. The museum is operated byand affiliated with the university andthe LSUA Foundation.

Pears has been curator at themuseum for nearly two years, andshe has been a fine arts instructorand technical director for theuniversity’s Empty Space Players.An accomplished free-lance artistwhose works have been featuredin many solo shows and juried ex-hibitions, murals, and more than 50theatrical set designs and back-drops, Pears holds an undergradu-ate degree in graphic design fromLSU and a master’s in paintingfrom Northwestern State Univer-sity. She was a co-founder of Fam-ily Playhouse and has served thenon-profit children’s theatre invarious leadership roles for 12years.

“She brings a passion for thearts and the skills and energy toposition the Alexandria Museum ofArt as the region’s central resourcefor art and art education,” saidManuel. “It is vital that the museumserve as the most important venuefor art and cultural appreciation inCentral Louisiana, and Catherine’sleadership will make that happen.”

Briefs

Anderson to headIA/Foundation

Pears named toAMoA director post

Pears replaces RichardGwartney, who served as executivedirector in addition to his role as as-sociate professor of theatre andcommunication studies. Gwartneyrecently resigned from the museumto concentrate on teaching and the-atre productions.

Ells to presentEnvironmentalComm. lecture

LSUA Departmentof Education hostsaccreditation team

LSUA’s Teacher EducationProgram recently concluded aninitial accreditation visit by a teamof peers from the National Coun-cil for Accrediation of TeacherEducation (NCATE). Dr. JudyRundell and the faculty and staffof the Department of Educationhave worked for the past fiveyears preparing for the visit. TheNCATE team offered high praisefor the department. A final deter-mination of the visiting team andthe accrediting board will not bereceived for several months, butearly signals were very positive.

Dr. Kevin Ells, assistant pro-fessor of communication studies,will present “3 Shades of Green -Creation, Conservation, Commu-nication” on Nov. 10 as part of theCavanaugh Lecture Series. Thelecture, which is offered free andis open to the public, will be heldat the Alexandria Museum of ArtMedia Room. The lecture will be-gin at 7 p.m.

Dr. Ells’ articles have beenpublished in Environmental Com-munication and Explorations inMedia Ecology.

HarvestHullabalooplanned for

Nov. 7The LSUA Speak Easy

Communication Club in-vites everyone to the Har-vest Hullabaloo on Friday,Nov. 7 beginning at 6:30p.m. The festivities willkick-off with a bonfireacross from The OaksResidence Hall followedby a Battle of the Bandscompetition. Admissionto the event is free.

The Battle of theBands competition featur-ing local musicians willbegin immediately fol-lowing the bonfire.

Local bands sched-uled to appear include“Flying First Class,”“Paranemo,” and “Fit 4Failure.” The bands arerequired to play at leastone cover song as part oftheir set.

For more informa-tion about Harvest Hulla-baloo, contact Dr. DoranO’Donnell at 290-8734 orMichelle Dupin at 308-1401.

Page 5 The Sentry Volume 45, Issue 2

LSUA’s Trick or treat Street Thursday, October 29th 5pm—7pm

LSUA’s annual Trick or Treat Street brought nearly 1400 people tothe State Evacuation Shelter just south of campus. This campus traditionhas become a favorite for student organizations as well as faculty andstaff. Thanks to everyone who made Trick or Treat Street 2009 a hugesuccess! Photos by Saurabh Singh.

The Sentry Volume 45, Issue 2 Page 6

The LSU Alexandria debateteam captured the Varsity Divisionchampionship at the second annualOak Tree Swing Debate Tourna-ment. Nine universities from fourstates, represented by 76 debaters,participated in the tournamenthosted by LSUA.

David Tubbs, a senior historymajor and last year’s national Nov-ice Division champion, won the Var-sity Division title in only his secondvarsity competition. Tubbs claimedthe championship by winning all fourelimination rounds after finishing sec-ond in the regular rounds.

Jackson Laningham, a fresh-man political science major and

former Bolton High School debater,won all six rounds of regular varsitycompetition before losing in an elimi-nation round. Laningham won 1stPlace Speaker in his second varsitycompetition and captured anoctofinalist medal.

Paul Medica, a sophomorebusiness student from Alexandria,also was an octofinalist medal win-ner in varsity debate. Lei Prenell, asenior psychology major from Al-exandria, was a quarterfinalist in theNovice Division, finishing fourth in afield of 30.

Louisiana College finished firstin the Novice and Professional divi-sions.

LSUA Debate Team takes Varsity Championship

Members of the LSUA Debate Team are pictured above at a recent tournament atthe University of Arkansas-Monticello. Dr. Kevin Ells, pictured back row to theleft, is the team coach/advisor.

Courtesy photo

By Natalie NorthSentry Reporter

The Sigma Kappa Sigma so-rority had an amazing turn out withRush Week 2009. As a result of thehard work of all the members ofSigma Kappa Sigma, 22 wonderfulgirls were welcomed to the organi-zation.

Rush week, along with theOrganizational Fair and ConstitutionDay, was held September 14-18 andincluded Sigma Kappa Sigma So-rority and Kappa Sigma Fraternity.Rush Week is always exciting be-cause students have a chance to joinorganizations and get involved withcampus life.

Once the organization has stu-dents who are interested in joining,the students are invited to severalevents where they have the oppor-tunity to learn about the organiza-tion. At the end of Rush Week, stu-dents who are interested in joiningreceive a bid from the sorority, in-viting them to become a pledge for30 days.

Kasey Perkins, Vice President,has been a member of Sigma KappaSigma since the organization starteda year ago. Perkins, talked about theimportance of rush, “Rush is an im-portant opportunity for all womenat LSUA because before recenttimes, Greek Life did not exist atLSUA. Rush, for any Greek orga-nization, is a chance to meet newpeople, learn new things aboutLSUA, and potentially become apart of a Greek Society on campus.”Perkins stated. “Also, becoming amember of a Greek Organization,especially Sigma Kappa Sigma willenrich your college experience, andhelp you to truly enjoy the years youspend here at LSUA.”

Perkins said that she is veryexcited about the result of rush, thepledges. “I am stoked about the FallPledge Class of 2009!” Perkinsadded, “I am already becoming

f r i e n d swith manyof thep l e d g e sand I amvery im-p r e s s e dwith thesegirls andtheir desireto be apart of ourorganiza-tion. As we are en route to gettingchartered with a national sorority,increasing our membership is a defi-nite plus. But we’re not just lookingfor quantity, the quality of ourpledges this fall is evident.”

When asked about how shefelt as a new edition to the organiza-tion, Sigma Kappa Sigma pledgeShelby Martin stated, “I’m excited,it is an honor and great privilege tobe able to stand with these girls andcall myself a pledge to this greatgroup of girls. It has been a dreamof mine since I was a little girl tobecome a part of a Greek organiza-tion and now my dream has cametrue. I can already tell that my deci-sion has been a smart one on mypart.”

The Sigma Kappa Sigmamembers are very excited aboutexpanding the organization. Eachnew member adds a unique qualityto the group. Lindsay Parker, 2nd

Vice President, has also been withthe organization for a year. Whenasked about her feelings about theorganization, Parker replied, “I feelthat the organization is stronger thanever because of the dedication ofeach and every member of the so-rority. Without each and every mem-ber involved, the sorority would notbe as successful and strong as it isnow. Every member of SigmaKappa Sigma is dedicated to thepurpose of our sorority which is cen-tered on promoting friendship, loy-

alty, and sister feeling; as well as theobjective to excel in all phases ofthe sorority and student activity asLouisiana State University Alexan-dria.”

Sigma Kappa Sigma has manyother important goals such as serv-ing our community and campus. Weare striving to provide the opportu-nity of Greek life for other womenwho come to LSUA seeking edu-cation, leadership, and friendshipthat will last a lifetime.

When talking about the orga-nizations purpose and importance,Kasey Perkins stated, “I would likethe students, faculty, staff, and com-munity to know that the ladies ofSigma Kappa Sigma are establish-ing something that is lasting. As anorganization, we wish not only to gainfriendships and make lasting memo-ries, but to make an impact on thecampus and community around us.We wish to change LSUA for thebetter, and set examples for otheryoung women by doing things andacting in ways that are characteris-tic of the classy, intelligent ladies ofSigma Kappa Sigma.”

Sigma Kappa Sigma is worth the Rush!

Lindsay Parker, Natalie North and Kasey Perkins arepictured during Rush Week.

LSU Game Party with the Pledges

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

By Nick HannaSentry Reporter

LSUA Student Governmentelections have been no stranger tocontroversy the past few years. Thelast elected president for LSUA Stu-dent Government was ConradSpottsville, who has already gradu-ated.

The student government hasalienated itself over the years fromthe general population of students,and low voter turnout has been a re-sult.

SG has, however, taken stepsforward by moving to electronic vot-ing via my.LSUA. Sources say thatthe chancellor was the person behindthat decision and as a result the re-cent election was not as controver-sial in nature as previous SG elec-tions. This recent election is the firstStudent Government election that hasnot been dragged out by petitions andconstitutional hearings.

The change to internet votingwas generally embraced by both ad-ministration and students. The elec-tronic voting system helps avoid theproblems that naturally rise fromphysical ballot boxes. The electronicvoting system is more efficient butthe election results have still not beenreleased to the public.

The reason the results wereoriginally delayed, according to theformer SG interim president DavidTubbs, is so that “we can assure thesystem worked properly, while simul-taneously providing ample time forstudent feedback.”

SG is slowly moving in the rightdirection, with less room for inaccu-racy, by switching to the electronicvoting system.

Unfortunately, the total numberof students who voted dropped sig-nificantly with this first online elec-tion.

Time will tell whether thesesmall steps will have any impactwhatsoever, and the Sentry will behere as a medium between SG andthe student body.

Opinion:SG elections maybe getting better?

Some things are worth the wait...

Page 7 The Sentry Volume 45, Issue 2

Go

t n

ews?

Sen

d it

to

Th

e S

entr

y at

sen

tryn

ews@

lsu

a.ed

u

By Tim OliverSentry Reporter

The Oaks Residence Hall isoffering several new opportunities forstudents that may make living therethe right choice for you.

The Oaks has just released anew flyer offering two hundred dol-lars off a next a semester’s rent. Allthe student must do is refer anotherstudent to the oaks. If that studentputs your name as a referral on hisor her lease, the two hundred dol-lars will be credited for the springsemester. There is a limit of two re-ferrals per resident.

Right now the Oaks is also of-fering a free month’s rent at the endof any lease signed by a student newto the Oaks. These opportunitiescould draw in more students asmoney becomes harder to come by.

Along with money saving of-fers, the Oaks Hall has been offer-ing activities on close to a daily ba-sis. In October alone, there wereover ten study groups, parties, orother events to choose from.

Krystal Kelone, the leasing/marketing agent for the Oaks, spokeabout maximizing the success of theactivities. “Most importantly, weneed student life to get more in-volved”, Kelone said.

Events can also be held by anyresident by submitting an event re-quest form. An RA will contact youto help after the form is submitted.

Another resource available tostudents living at the oaks is the au-ditorium located in the clubhouse. “Itcan be used to hold group meetingsof any kind,” Kelone said.

The Oaks has some new faceson staff. The resident assistants areMegan Rowe, Casey Henagan,Laura Delanoix, Meagan Henagan,and Elisa Haaland. In addition tothe Oaks Manager Angie Rollins,any one of these people can be con-tacted with any questions.

By Tim OliverSentry Reporter

The Oaks Residence Hall mightjust be LSUA’s best kept secret.Angie Rollins doesn’t plan on keep-ing it that way for very long.

Angie Rollins works for LSUAas the property manager for theOaks Residence Hall. When askedwhat she felt her job entailed, shedidn’t give answers like “doing pa-perwork” or “making money for theschool”. Instead, she stated that herjob description included “Makingthe Oaks the best option for studentsto live, safety, confidentiality, andfairness for all residents, and sched-uling weekly parties and studygroups.”

Rollins feels like treating stu-dents like individuals instead of num-bers will be her overall key to suc-cess. First time students can applyfor housing scholarships, those re-newing their leases received freemeal plans, and students living at theoaks during the summer will get theirlast month’s rent free. She feels thatLSUA should reward people forchoosing the Oaks.

To see why Rollins takes theindividual over numbers approachshe does, one needn’t look any fur-ther than her background. She wasborn and raised in the small com-munity of Deville, Louisiana, and at-tended Buckeye. She has beenmarried for 15 years, and is the

Courtesy photo

Angie Rollins

Rollins treats students as individuals

Check out what’s new at the Oaks Residence Hall

mother ofthree chil-d r e n .When out-side of theworkplace,her interestsi n c l u d espendingtime withher family,LSU football, hunting, fishing, andcountry music.

Above all, Rollins thinksthat someone in her positionshould have an open door policy.“The students can always reachme if they have any problems orconcerns.”

Informational tables are set up outside The Oaks clubhouse during Move In Day in August. Residents of The Oaks enjoygame nights, special parties and activities as part of the campus community.

Courtesy photo

If you don’t see yourorganization in thisissue, you probably

didn’t submit anything!Email us at

sentrynews@lsua.edu

The Sentry Volume 45, Issue 2 Page 8

By Landon JohnsonSentry Reporter

The Generals sports complexaka “The Baby Box” (a referenceto Alex Box Stadium at LSU) isheading in the right direction. Whilethe complex is not completed yet,every day it gets closer and closerto completion.

You may ask how is it not com-pleted? It looks like a completedcomplex to me. But to the untrainedeye this is what you would think. Butfor a sports and stadium connois-seur like myself, there are manythings that are still in the works toget completed in the future for theGenerals sports complex.

Don’t get me wrong. This is al-ready turning into a beautiful ballparkon the northeast corner of campus.But to me it is representing the sta-bility and staying power of our Gen-erals sports teams.

One thing you might not knowis that both the softball and baseballplayers keep up and maintain theirown fields.

“We did ninety percent of ourown labor,” Athletic Director DanPurvis says.

Baseball/softball complex nearing completion, bleachers addedAfter the

school built battingcages beyond theright field walls,both teams re-cycled and put uptheir own netting.Players will alsomaintain the play-ing surfaces afterthe grass grows in.

As you alsomight see there arenow bleachers ontheir way toc o m p l e t i o n .LSUA got thebleachers for freefrom big brotherLSU. The bleach-ers were free butthe cost to disas-semble and reassemble them waspaid for by LSUA.

“The old Alex Box bleachers...we where lucky enough to getthem...all we had to do was get themtransported,” said Purvis.

While these bleachers will bein place and ready for the start of

Intramuralsholds billiards,table tenniscompetitions

LSUA recently held intramu-ral competitions in billiards and tabletennis. Pictured in the top photo arethose who participated in the bil-liards competition. The group photobelow includes the table tennis com-petitors. Directly below is MichaelMonsour who is the campus ad-vanced table tennis champion. JohnBult was the billiards champion.

Intramurals are open to all stu-dents, faculty and staff. For moreinformation, contact John Barkdullat jbarkdull@lsua.edu or call473-6597.

the season there is still work to bedone. In the future we will see somemore bleachers behind home platewith press boxes on both fields.

There is a lot still to be donebut the basics are there. Now it ismostly just window dressing that wewill see done to the complex over

the next few months to make theGenerals sports complex one of thecrown jewels of NAIA sports com-plexes.

The official opening of the fieldswill take place on Feb. 2, 2010 aspart of the university’s 50th Anni-versary Celebration.

The Generals baseball/softball complex is located on the northeast corner of campus. TheLouisiana National Guard partnered with LSUA to build the complex which will be officiallydedicated on Feb. 2, 2010.

Photo by David Humphrey