Almagest_Web

ALMAGEST
THE MAGAZINE
A J-Lab Publication
Volume 1, Number 2
November 14, 2015

I am excited to introduce to you the 2nd edition of Almagest: The
Magazine! Our first magazine was published in the 2015 spring semester. This
J-Lab Publication has proved to be a challenging, yet rewarding project for the
staff and me to create. This magazine is referred to as a J-Lab Publication
because journalism and mass communication students are the driving force
behind the content. However, we could not have done it without the help of
our graphic designers, Gopal Gurung and Koneisha Austin; as well as our
advisors Dr. Linda Webster and SB Magazine Executive Editor, Devin White. Their
guidance has helped us to create what you are holding in your hands right now.
This issue contains amazing stories about our fantastic campus,
students, faculty/staff, and organizations. One story in particular, written by
Malvya Chintakindi, is about the Pioneer Heritage Center on campus that is a major historical contribtion
to the LSUS campus and- well, you’ll just have to read about it for yourself. There are also some
spectacular photo spreads in this issue by Jessica Ingram from students’ style to the Fall Fest Fair event
this semester.
I personally want to thank all of the magazine staff, writers, and advisors for their contribu-
tions to this magazine. I also want to thank the LSUS Foundation and the Dr. Dalton & Peggy Cloud
Professorship in Communications funding for the opportunity to work with fellow students on such an
enjoyable, academic publication.
Happy Reading,
Emily Wright
Executive Editor
Editor’s Note
Emily Wright
Executive Editor/Writer
BA in MCOM in Theatre
emilykwright94@gmail.com
Gopal Gurung
Creative Director
BA in Animation and Visual Effects
mailgopsag@gmail.com
Koneisha Austin
Design Contributor
BA of Digital Arts Graphic Design
shantewillie@gmail.com
Jessica Ingram
Staff Writer/Photographer
BA in MCOM in Public Relations
jessicaingramphotography@gmail.com
PUBLICATION CREDITS
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Blair Burlison
bulisonb08@lsus.edu
Malvya Chintakindi
chintakindim20@lsus.edu
Samuel Lloyd Cooper
coopers15@lsus.edu
Kaylynn Henry
henryk29@lsus.edu
Katherine Lejeune
lejeunek74@lsus.edu
ADVISORS
Dr. Linda Webster
Dept. of Arts and Media
Chair, Professor
Linda.Webster@lsus.edu
Devin White
SB Magazine Exec. Editor
Devin.White@lsus.edu

CONTENTS
01 Largest Freshman Class
02 Color Run
03 Red River Watershed
07 Pioneer Heritage Center
11 University Police Profiles
13 Inside The Port
17 Fall Fest Photo Spread
19 Campus Music
27 Debate Team Wins Overseas
29 Toy Exhibit at Noel Photo Spread
33 Campus Style: Fall Fashion
35 Balance Beyond Basketball
42 LSUS Partners with Military Center
46 Game Design at LSUS
Featured Contents
13
The Port
35
Athletic Program
33
Campus Style
Almagest: The Magazine is a J-Lab publication of the Fall, 2015,
MCOM 270 J-Lab class. Funding was provided by the following
sources:
- Dr. Dalton & Peggy Cloud Professorship in Communications
- The LSUS Foundation
- Dr. Linda Webster

Whether the students are straight out of
high school, transferring from another university or
are nontraditional students, LSU Shreveport has
set a record for the largest freshman class in five
years.
According to the LSUS Common Data Set
for 2014-2015, there was a total of 4051 students,
344 of which were first time freshmen. There
was a retention rate of 68 percent of freshmen to
return as sophomores. Though proud of these
numbers, Chancellor Larry Clark has hopes to
increase these statistics for LSUS.
Chancellor Clark has been working
diligently since his first day on improving the
student experience at LSUS. Many students
transfer from one university to another and
applying courses from other universities is often a
source of conflict.
The administration has combatted this
problem by partnering with BPCC and Southern
University to make it easier for students to transfer
from school to school. Since then, there has been
a representative of LSUS on campus of BPCC
available two to three times a week, whereas in
the past they were only available once or twice a
month.
“On my first day, I was at Bossier Parish
Community College with my whole leadership
team and met with (former) Chancellor Jim Hen-
derson and his leadership team so that they could
talk because I felt personally that it was critical that
we embrace the two community colleges as appro-
priately and adequately as we could,” Clark said.
The Chancellor is now working on build-
ing opportunities for internships, career place-
ment and graduate school. Clark has moved
Kimberly Thornton from admissions to director of
career services because he said career services
is top priority and deserves full time focus. He said
that helping students through the “red zone” is just
as essential as education itself. Finding careers in
the field that students have earned their degrees
in is a very important issue that students are faced
with. By working on the future after education this
will attract new students to the university, retain
currently enrolled students and help graduates get
the careers they want.
“I just graduated from BPCC, and I
wantedtogetmybachelors’degree.Iwanttocontinue
until I graduate, mainly to have better skills in
graphics and to find a better job,” said Steffon
Bedford II, sophomore, graphic design major.
LSUS has more than 20 undergraduate
programs available to its students, with areas of
study ranging from various medical fields to digital
arts and even as specialized as cellular biology.
There also are dozens of masters
programs available to students.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Edu-
cation listed LSUS as one of the most affordable
colleges offering high-quality classroom instruction
in Louisiana. Tuition is approximately $3,356 for a
full-time student taking 12 hours, and LSUS offers
a number of scholarships to its students.
“LSUS has a strong reputation behind it.
When I took the tour I thought they had a great
history program and it would be more affordable
than at other universities,” said Catherine Green,
freshman, history major.
Despite LSUS being smaller than the main
campus in Baton Rouge, it offers a more person-
al learning experience. The ratio of students to
teachers is usually 19 to 1, and a smaller class
means that the student-teacher experience can be
more individualized.
1 NOVEMBER 2015 | ALMAGEST: THE MAGAZINE
Largest Freshman Class in 5 Years
By Jessica Ingram

ALMAGEST: THE MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2015 2
The second annual Color Run reins
in a vibrant close to LSU Shreveport’s Week
of Welcome. The race kicked off at 6:15
p.m. but by 6 p.m. there were only two shirts
left at the Student Activities Board sign-up
station. Students and faculty in white shirts were
waiting like blank canvases to be splashed with
paint.
The Color Run took place on Aug. 27 by
University Court Apartment Crosswalk. It was
sponsored by the Student Activities Board and
co-sponsored by University Court Apartments.
Aside from the members of SAB, the
event was accompanied by several other
campus-wide organizations. Sororities such as
Sigma Phi Iota used this opportunity to get to
know potential pledges.
“The Color Run provides students with a
unique and healthy opportunity to participate in a
popular trend free of charge,” said Lauren Wood,
assistant director of student activities.
The students ran 1.41 miles around
the LSUS campus. There were six stations set
up around the campus with students waiting to
By Jessica Ingram
Week of Welcome Races
to a Colorful Close with 2nd
Annual Color Run
The group photo of 250 students that participated in the 2nd Annual LSUS Color Run.
Photo by: Jessica Ingram
Color Run 2015
digital arts major.
The LSUS debate team manned the red
station. They painted a large table with the words
“caution” and “debate” and hid behind it await-
ing runners to spray with paint. Students were
overjoyed at the idea of working this booth.
“It sounded like a great time, a time to
meet people and to have fun,” said Elizabeth
Kemp, senior, political science major.
This is the second year the Student
Activities Board hosted a Color Run. It was
brought back this year because of its success
last fall.
“Last year, SAB had over 150 people
show up, and this year we are expecting more,”
Wood said.
In all there were about 250 students
that participated in the Color Run. The evening
concluded with a group photo and a glow-stick
party at the University Court Apartment Complex
Pavilion.
For more information on student events
at the LSUS campus, please contact the
Student Activities Board (318)797-5393.
ambush runners with an array
of colors. They used fluorescent
paints in pink, purple, green,
yellow, blue, and red. Students
and faculty volunteered to run
the booths.
“I work with SAB on
Week of Welcome to introduce
kids and new freshman to how
things run on campus and I
get to spray people with paint,”
said Kaydi Glatt, sophomore,

Red River
Red RiverWatershed Management Institute Research Projects
Across the highway from the LSU Shreveport
campus there is a levy and electric fence guarding
the Red River Watershed Management Institute’s
(RRWMI) watershed facility and grounds. The build-
ing is located on the waterfront at C. Bickham Park.
The watershed is a wooden building on stilts that
looks very similar to a house that would be seen
alongside a river. The stilts are stained from the flood
last spring and marked with a small laminated sign
attached to the supporting stilt to show the height of
the floodwater.
Four years after the LSU System Board
Regents established the Red River Watershed
Management Institute in July 2001, it was finally
installed by LSUS in 2005. The City of Shreve-
port signed a contract with LSUS to manage the
“living laboratory,” or the Red River Education and
Research Park located on the 583-acre park known
as C. Bickham Dickson. The Environmental Protec-
tion Agency and the Anderson Research Foundation
provided the funds necessary for LSUS to purchase
the property over the levy and build the multispec-
trum field research park.
By Jessica Ingram

Not only is it very fortunate that LSUS has
this park adjacent to campus but it is the only col-
lege in the country that has its watershed facility
in such an immediate proximity. Topographically
speaking, the Red River Watershed Management
Institute is unique in the sense that LSUS campus
has direct access to research and observe an ox-
bow lake, such as the one located in C. Bickham
Dickson Park. This allows both students and profes-
sors to manage research at close range.
Gary Hanson, director of the Red River
Watershed Management Institute, has been direc-
tor of the program from the very beginning back in
2001.
“Our goal was to bring knowledge to the
local officials about the capabilities and to
protect the water resources. In addition to that,
we want to train people and educate people in the
understanding of our watersheds, including surface
water and ground water by bringing students into
an environment where they go into the field and
get to work with the latest technology. Having the
watershed lab on campus gives the professors
the opportunity to train students in the field,”
Hanson said.
The Red River Watershed Management
Institute teaches biology students in a hands-on
environment how to use the latest technology while
training in the field. The students then bring the
samples and research back to study them further in
the labs on campus.
When engineering the watershed at C.
Bickham Dickson, Hanson and other faculty tried to
keep in mind that this oxbow lake floods frequently
throughout the year. They wanted to keep the area
around the lake as natural as possible. They built
the watershed on the flood plain and built the water-
shed on stilts and designed a floating dock with the
capabilities of rising as high as the levy. By doing
this, the Red River watershed is unique, because
there are no other watersheds built in an environ-
ment quite like it. When the Red River flooded 15
feet above the road in the summer of 2015, it put the
watershed’s architecture to the test.
“In a recent meeting for a basin-wide study
of the Red River the U.S. Geological Society
C. Bickham Dickson Park

Survey, which is a biological, hydrological and
geological whole spectrum long-term study, they came
here to speak with us because they saw on the news
our facility sticking up out of the flood waters,” Hanson
said.
Hanson has spoken with representatives of
the Naval Oceanographic office in Stennis, Miss. in
hopes of the Red River Watershed being used for a
satellite that they are launching in the next three years.
The satellite will be observing freshwater related
issues, like flooding. The RRWMI plans to continue to
monitor water and be a chosen site for the satellite of
the Naval Oceanographic to study.
The Environmental Protection Agency
provided LSUS with a grant to help fund workshops on
wetland protection and water-related studies for
local high schools and middle schools. In the fall of
2015, LSUS hosted a tour group of 90 seventh grade
students from Dallas-Fort Worth by taking them to the
field station on the oxbow lake. The staff involved in the
RRWMI want to teach students at a young age the
importance of the wetlands ecosystem.
Water is not the only avocation the Red
River Watershed Management Institute focuses on.
The institute also conducts biodiversity-related
research projects. The RRWMI surveys the flora, fauna
and wildlife in C. Bickham Dickson Park. During
research they have found a rare plant known as carex
decomposita, a cypress-knee sedge.
Along with these findings, the area has
become a paramount for birds — 263 species have been
catalogued at the park. The team at the Red River
Watershed Management Institute concluded that C.
Bickham Dickson Park offers many species of migratory
birds and an abundance of natural resources, showing
that this ecosystem is both healthy and functional.
By utilizing biology and hydrology, the
RRWMI also has played a role in the biological control of
invasive species. According to Hanson, salvinia
molesta appeared during a flood in 2009 and made its
way into a natural body of water where it rapidly took
over. The plant floats above the water and is not rooted.
Hanson said it’s believed to have been brought over
from Asia and used to decorate koi ponds.
Due to salvinia growing an inch per day, it would
need to be regularly maintained in the koi ponds. It grows
rapidly and needs to be regularly manicured. Home-
owners would carelessly discard it, and as a result, the
Flood water level indication
Inside Red River Watershed

salvinia made its way into our ecosystem through
natural bodies of water. Since it has no natural
predators, it easily suffocates bodies of water like Lake
Bistineau.
In response to this invasive species, a task force
was created. Because this species is near impossible to
eradicate, the solution was to cope with it and remove it
as best as possible. The idea was to utilize the weevil,
a small insect that eats plants, to slowly destroy the
salvinia population.
“The goal of the Giant Salvinia Task Force,
which is the state’s optimal protocol right now, is the
weevil and engineering a more winter tolerant weevil
so that there is less die-off in the winter. salvinia has
hair-like projections causing it to be insulated and
resistant to the winter. By creating a more winter
tolerant weevil, there will be less die-off in winter
and higher population of the weevil in spring,” said
Amanda Lewis, assistant to the director for the Red River
Watershed Management Institute.
Lewis also is an expert biologist with a vast
knowledge on bats. In 2004, the RRWMI and LSUS
students created an artificial cave for bats near the
levy. They recycled 26 large tires that were used in
land mining. The bat habitat is 53-feet in length and is
covered in Red River clay and river sand. Unfortu-
natly no colonies of bats currently hold residency in this
manmade cave, but there are hopes that one day it will
be occupied by bats.
“The bat species in our area did not evolve with
caves. So they do not typically look for cave dwellings.
The have a lot of natural habitats to roost in, such as,
crevices in trees, loose bark and hallows. There are
colonial bats in this area that could use it but bats are
very finicky about their environment,” Lewis said.
There are built-in access ports for graduate
students to collect data, along with cameras and
sensors to monitor motion going in and out the cave.
There has been talks of eventually modifying the
artificial habitat so that its humidity and temperature are
more desirable for the bats to live there.
Red River Watershed and Research Center

Pioneer Heritage Center
Brings History to Life
By Malvya Chintakindi
Despite being deaf since she was a child,
Margaret Hutchinson continued to live in the same house
after her parents’ deaths. All of her siblings moved to
homes of their own but she didn’t leave the house.
The ‘Caspiana House,’ in which Margaret
Hutchinson resided, is one of the few remaining
antebellum frame houses in northwest Louisiana. It is
a classical revival cottage with a central hallway, which
is 15 feet wide. According to the family members, the
original roof was made of wooden shingles. The
House was built by William Hutchinson in 1856 at
Caspiana Plantation in Red River and was donated to
LSUS in 1977. This style of house was not common
because building it was a difficult task in the low-lying
bottomlands along the Red River.
Margaret, fondly called ‘Aunt Marge’, enjoyed
arranging family gatherings and did so until her death
in 1952. Such is the specialty of this rare antebellum
house and is referred to as the ‘Big House’ or ‘Caspiana
House.’ It is one of the seven buildings being preserved
by the Pioneer Heritage Center at LSUS.
The Pioneer Heritage Center, founded in 1977
as a joint project of LSUS and the Junior League of
Shreveport, offers answers to questions regarding
the pioneers that settled in the northwest corner of
Louisiana, the regions they came from, the way they
lived and the way they adapted to life on the raw frontier.
The Center has information about these settlers gained
through careful research of the history and folk life of the
pioneers who came to the Red River frontier.
“Do not expect to see ‘history under glass.’ This
is a ‘history laboratory’ where you can see how the
pioneers built their first homes, how they clothed and fed
the family, how they coped with sickness and hardships
and how their diverse beliefs and customs contributed to
the cultural mosaic that is Louisiana. This is an extreme-
ly enriching learning opportunity,” said Marty Young,
director of the Pioneer Heritage Center.
The Pioneer Heritage Center is listed under the
LSUS Continuing Education Department, though the
Center serves independently. It is run by Marty Young
who is the one-man army behind the activities of the
Center.
The buildings, exhibits and the trained volunteer
interpreters who guide the visitors through the seven
structures give insight into the diverse cultural history,
the natural environment and the daily lives of the settlers
in the region during the period from the 1830s through
the 1930s. Exhibits and programs offer educational
opportunities for all ages and hands-on activities for
youth groups.
‘The Detached Kitchen’ is a structure included
in the Caspiana House but it used to stand as an origi-
nal shotgun house, which was built as a tenant farmer’s
residence. It was donated to the Pioneer Heritage Center
in 1979 and has been equipped with a hearth, a working
fireplace and kitchen utensils that are representative of
the time period. The interior walls were decorated with
newspapers dating to the 1940s, which was a common
Marty Young answering visitors questions. Pioneer Heri-
tage Center Director Marty Young keeps an eye on all of
the activity at the annual event.
Photo Credit: Dr. Linda Webster

practice for sharecroppers who could probably not afford
wallpaper.
Food was always prepared in the detached
kitchen and carried to the main house for dining along a
covered passageway between the main house and the
kitchen. This tradition would continue throughout the
antebellum years as a means of survival. Wood-burn-
ing cast iron stoves were available in Shreveport
during this period but open hearth cooking remained
common in the rural area. On the Caspiana Planta-
tion, the kitchen remained detached until the turn of
the century.
The layout of the Center then leads to the ‘Doc-
tor’s Office’ which is adjacent to the Caspiana structures.
The ‘Doctor’s Office’ was built on Caspiana Plantation
and served area residents until 1930.
It is a shotgun with ‘Victorian’ ornamentation that
was originally built on Caspiana Plantation by Doctor
Hartwell Lockwood Alison in 1903. The two rooms of the
building include the front room, which was the original
examination room and the back room, which was the
pharmacy stockroom.
“Due to shortage of doctors, the plantation
mistress was largely responsible for the health of her
family and plantation workers. She might be able to call
on the local ‘granny’ or a blacksmith who was usually
the local veterinarian who taught her recipes to make
medicines,” Young said.
Seven different doctors practiced medicine
in this house and descendants of all these doctors
practice medicine in or near what is Shreveport
today. The Hutchinson family donated the house to the
Shreveport Medical Society Auxiliary. This organization
moved the house to the Pioneer Heritage Center in 1982
and restored it to its present condition. The Doctor’s
Office contains artifacts that were collected by the Aux-
iliary from prominent local and area doctors that include
some furniture and instruments, which belonged to doc-
tors who practiced in Shreveport and the surrounding
area between 1890 and 1940. In 1849, there were only
87 doctors in the entire western half of Louisiana.
One of the most important structures of the
Pioneer Heritage Center is ‘The Webb Commissary.’
It is a turn of the century of structure that is typical of
the plantation commissary and the retail store of the
19th century and 20th century. The Commissary was
donated to the Pioneer Heritage Center in 1982 by the
Webb family and moved to the campus by the Junior
League of Shreveport as its 50th anniversary gift to the
Center.
As an institution, the Commissary represents
the change in the regional economy from slaveholder
Gregg Stephens (left) and Chad Manning (right) working on wall brackets in the blacksmith shop. Stephens normally
drives a tractor at Louisiana Downs. He taught himself how to work metal by practicing on nails before moving on railroad
spikes that he found abandoned on old rail lines. Manning works in the insurance industry and his history background
comes in handy when he’s smithing at these events.

to sharecropper agriculture. In the slavery era, planta-
tions kept locked storerooms from which sugar, spices,
medicines, and cloth were dispensed to the household
and fields as needed. Following the Civil War and the
change from slavery to sharecropping, laborers were free
to make their own purchases. The typical plantation store
was stocked with in-demand items and staple goods for
the convenience of people on surrounding farms. This
store also served as a social gathering place for social,
political, fraternal and protective groups.
“The present day visual form of this building
provides clues to any passerby that a wide variety of
services were available under the roof of this building
and the porch area serves as an exhibit area for displays
which depict various activities the commissary was used
for,” Young said.
Probably the structure with the most activity is
‘The Blacksmith’s Shop.’ It was built in 1880 as a barn
on the DeSoto Parish farm owned by Jack Grigsby who
donated it to the Center in 1985. The ‘jubilee’ farm owned
by Goodloe Stuck, also from DeSoto Parish, donated
many of the tools in this shop. The Blacksmith Shop is
18-square-feet and made of cypress logs, a common
type of notching found in log house construction.
Navigating through the Center then leads to the
‘Thrasher House’ which is at the end of the circle of the
Center. It was built in 1856 near Castor, La. This was
donated by Aubrey Thrasher in 1981. Thrasher House
is a fine example of the Log Dogtrot house that became
the typical plantation home of the Upland South. The
dogtrot derives its name from the open central hallway
that was supposedly the favorite spot for dogs to catch the
summer breezes. It makes use of the Georgian symmet-
rical floor plan with two rooms divided by a central-open
hallway and uses the log construction techniques that
were of German influence.
“Log Dogtrots were especially popular in
northwest Louisiana and became an ‘emblem’ of the
culture of the area. The early pioneers lived in log hous-
es no matter black, white, rich or poor. The early pi-
oneers’ first concern was to produce enough food to
feed their families and any slaves they may have had,”
Young said.
The last structure of the Center is the church.
The riverfront mission of First Baptist Church of
Shreveport was established as a ministry to the people
living on the red river front during the great depression
of the 1930s.
Mary Mitchell “hand quilting” in the country store. Mitch-
ell took up quilting in 1993 after promising a friend that
she would join a group after she finished her master’s
degree. She in in the process of creating a 50th class
reunion quilt that will include the signatures of everyone
attending.
Vintage clothing expert, Jan Pettiet, discusses fashion
from the late 19th century.

It is natural to wonder how much it would
actually take to maintain these seven glorious structures
and run the Center. But, the Center does not have a part
in what the students pay for going to LSUS. There is an
author book-signing event in the spring and the annual
fundraiser every fall, which is the main source of income
that helps run the Center.
“The Center is self-funded and self-generated.
Additionally, the annual fundraiser helps the Center to
repair or change the facility usage and do the restorations
when required. A large part of the money received from
the fundraisers goes to restorations,” Young said.
This Center has an excellent outreach within
the community in Shreveport. The Pioneer Day event,
which takes place every fall, celebrates everything the
Center does throughout the year with demonstrations and
exhibits at the Center.
“Outside organizations involved with the
Center mainly consist of Northwest Louisiana Gardeners
Association that help the Center manage the flower
beds. The Red River Smiths is a local blacksmith organi-
zation that helps with the Blacksmith shop and put on a
show at times. Additionally, Boy Scouts of America sends
volunteers every now and then to help with the Center’s
work,” Young said.
Young is hoping to start a folklife lecture/work-
shop series at the Center along with the Blacksmith
workshops and classes such as Dutch oven cooking
which is the most famous one. He is a very busy man
who goes to various schools in Shreveport, dressed in
various costumes like that of a Blacksmith or a chef to
educate children about the history of the region. He has
at least given around 100 tours in the previous academic
year.
One of the main problems faced by the
Center is the lack of awareness about this valuable
treasure among the student population at LSUS. There
are opportunities such as internships and work study
positions that can be made use of by any student
interested in learning about the Center or to work for the
Center for class credit.
“This is great place to learn about the history of
the region and Louisiana as a whole. It’s located right on
campus and needs to be utilized as much as possible,”
Young said.
Young is very interested in providing tailor-made
internship positions and work-study positions to students
who are keen on utilizing this Center’s resources. He
pointed out that the Student Activities Board at LSUS
needs to concentrate on organizing more activities or
events surrounding the Center or in the Center itself to
create components of student life there.
“I wish the Center had more activity through
LSUS’s on campus students because this is an oppor-
tunity to take pride in our history while also learning
valuable lessons,” Young said.
Marty Young surrounded by artifacts in his office.
Photo Credit: Malvya Chintakindi

Campus’ Finest
Meet the University Police
By Samuel Lloyd Cooper
The University Police at Louisiana State University Shreveport are not just security guards or “rent-a cops.”
Many of the officers students see every day have decades of prior experience in law enforcement. When asked
about “a typical day,” Police Chief Donald Wray said there was no such thing.
“We want a ‘typical day,’ but every day is different. We are prepared and trained for shootings, but we hope
that never happens,” Chief Wray said.
Almagest: The Magazine was curious to learn more about the men behind the badge. Meet the LSUS
campus’ finest.
Officer Glyn Best
Best retired from the Shreveport Police Department (SPD) as a sergeant with 20 years’ experience. While at
the SPD, Best was a patrol officer and then supervisor for the first 10 of his career. For the second half of his career,
Best was a detective and eventually a detective supervisor. He joined the University Police in 2005.
Officer Richard Lopez
Lopez retired from SPD as a sergeant with 27 years’ experience. He served on the Special Response Team
unit for two years, in the K-9 unit eight years, and in the mounted and bicycle unit six years. Lopez came to LSUS in
2012.
LSUS Police cruiser.
Photos by: Jessica Ingram

Chief Donald Wray
Wray worked for Southern Arkansas University Police from 2001
to 2013. While there, Wray was the sergeant in charge of investigations
and Training Coordinator from 2010 to 2013. Wray came to LSUS after
that as a patrol officer. He is a certified instructor in DWI Standardized
Field Sobriety.
Officer Lance Cole
Cole served on the Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Department for
almost 11 years. Cole Worked as a K-9 officer and an investigator, and
as a Narcotics Investigator in the Tri Parish Task Force. Cole came to
LSUS in 2004 and received the Outstanding Service Award in 2010.
The patrol officer served as Interim Chief of Police from January 2015
to April 2015.
Officer Leonard Bonnette
Bonnette has been working at LSUS since 2004, but he has
been in law enforcement for 41 years. When he graduated from high
school he joined the Air Force and became a security police officer.
Bonnette started working in the canine division of the military, and after
he got out of the military, he began working at the SPD. Following 26
years with the department, Bonnette came to LSUS where he received
the LSUS Outstanding Service Award in 2005.
Officer John Webb
The newest officer on the force is John Webb. Webb served for
more than 25 years in the SPD. Webb started on the midnight shift of
the patrol division and worked his way up to lieutenant before retiring.

Many LSUS faculty, staff and students have
been to or have heard of The Port. The Port is
located on the first floor of the University Center on
campus. The staff at The Port believes that everyone at
LSUS is family and wants to provide the best food and
service. Steve Sittenauer, The Port director, has been
managing the cafeteria for 11 years.
“Many changes have been made since I first
starting working here,” Sittenauer said.
The Port has 26 years of food services and
catering experience combined among the management
staff and a combined 18 years of experience among the
talented cooks, according to the LSUS website. The
Port is staffed and operated by four full-time employees
and two student workers.
As students walk from the northwest side of
campus toward the University Center (UC), they pass
a wall of windows looking into The Port, some of which
display colorful calligraphy showcasing the fraterni-
ties and sororities on campus, as well as other student
organizations. Once in the UC, there are two bright red
neon signs on the left accompanied by water-like waves
with the words “The Port” in between the blue streaks.
As one walks through the arch of the cafeteria,
many tables and chairs line the windows and walkway.
Many different types of food smells hit the nose and
make the stomach growl even louder than before. In
between four columns sit three blue spacious couch
sets with individual chairs and round tables for students
to lounge and enjoy their time together.
“I enjoy having a place to hang out with friends
and classmates to talk about homework and life,” said
Rachel Ebarb, senior, accounting major.
INSIDE
THE PORT
By Kaylynn Henry
Many students take time out of their busy school
day to enjoy what The Port has to offer. The Port is not
just a food venue; it also offers a wide range of other
student activities.
In the far right corner of the dining area sits
a stage and piano. Sometimes students will enter-
tain each other with melodies throughout lunch and in
between classes. The stage area is also used during
Common Hour as the center of events, including Coffee
House Debates featuring the LSUS Debate Team, Bin-
go Common Hour, Karaoke Common Hour, and more.
“I enjoy spending time in The Port because it is
usually quiet and peaceful,” said Windy Ryan, senior,
elementary education major. “It’s a great place to sit
back and relax. I usually grab a large Icee and study for
class or hang out with friends between classes.”
As one walks into the line to order food, a cou-
ple of soda machines can be seen, which include an
Icee machine and a freezer filled with juice. Sittenauer
said that the when he first started working at The Port
all of the fountain drinks were behind the counter.
“We had a bunch of student workers and when
the students placed their order the workers would
The Port entrance.

prepare their drinks. So I brought them to the front
counter so now it’s all self serve like you would see at
most fast food restaurants,” he said.
Along the way students can make a salad or
enjoy daily soups. The Port always has hot pizza ready
for anyone to grab a slice for a quick meal or snack. As
everyone is walking to order their food, there are multiple
noises surrounding them. Throughout the day you can
hear students and staff filling up cups of ice and soda,
different cooks calling out numbers to announce an
order that is ready. Diners can hear multiple conversa-
tions buzzing around about how class was or counting
down the days until the next school holiday.
Following the order line, coolers are filled with
various drinks, such as tea, Coke, water, Dr. Pepper,
Gatorade, and the much needed energy drinks and
milk. At the register there are assortments of chips,
fresh baked cookies, fruit, and candy. Once at the
register anyone can order anything off the menu.
The Port menu also offers breakfast, which
includes breakfast tacos, sausage, egg and cheese
biscuits, cereal with milk, and muffins. People can order
single items such as pancakes, eggs, hash browns or
grits for a fraction of the price.
“My favorite menu item is muffins for breakfast
and the club for lunch,” said Tiffany Gomez, senior,
biology major.
As soon as the order is paid for diners
receive a receipt with a number on it, then the cooks
quickly begin to prepare the food. A few minutes later, a
cook comes around a corner saying the number on the
receipt and the food is ready.
“The Port is a great place to pick up food
because everything is prepared quickly and the lines
move fast,” Gomez said.
Across from the cashier is a gourmet coffee
bar that is stocked with multiple types of coffees and
smoothies.Thecoffeebarfeatureslocallyroastedgourmet
coffee. Early in the morning students and faculty flock
to the coffee bar to get morning refuels to start their
busy day off right. Some students use the coffee bar for
an afternoon pick-me-up from pulling an all-night study
session; others find it a nice wake up between classes.
The coffee bar features cold and blended
beverages, coffee, espresso drinks and coffee
alternatives. The menu lists five options for cold bever-
ages, which include iced café latte, iced chai latte, iced
chocolate latte, iced white chocolate latte and an
iced caramel macchiato. The menu has four blended
beverage options including creamice caramel,
creamice chocolate, creamice white chocolate, and
creamice cherry.
The cold and blended drinks are available in
one size, 16 ounces, and all prices start at $3.10 and
increases to $3.60. The rest of the menu has two size
options of 12 ounces and 16 ounces. The coffee bar
also offers six different espresso options including: café
latte, vanilla café latte, cappuccino, chocolate latte,
The Port coffee shop.

white chocolate latte, and caramel macchiato. They
offer fresh brewed coffee with 75-cent refills.
For the people that don’t like or want coffee,
The Port offers alternatives such as hot tea, chai
tea latte, hot chocolate, gourmet hot chocolate and
smoothies. Four smoothie flavors are available including
mango, strawberry, strawberry banana, and piña colada.
Along with different beverages, The Port offers all of the
fixings to make coffee any way you want it. Sugar,
Splenda, and multiple types of creamer help fix up any
type of coffee.
For lunch The Port offers 19 different combo
meals for everyone’s enjoyment. The combos include
the entrée, a side and a drink. The side options are
fries, chips or salad. The lunch combos are cheese-
burger, hamburger, Philly steak, fried chicken breast,
shrimp, shrimp po-boy, steak fingers, catfish, chicken
tenders, hot winds, club, ham and cheese sub, turkey
and cheese, BLT, chicken or tuna salad croissant, grilled
cheese, grilled ham and cheese, and garden vegetable
burger. Sittenauer said that the top-sellers are grilled
chicken sandwich, chicken tenders and hamburgers.
“My go-to meal at The Port is the chicken fingers
and a strawberry banana smoothie with extra whipped
cream,” said Alexis Yarbrough, sophomore, education
major.
Along with breakfast and combo meals, The
Port menu has a section titled “Good Stuff.” Under this
category lists a lot of fried food such as fries, cheese
fries, chili cheese fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks,
stuffed jalapenos, Frito pie, hot dog, chili dog, and
pizza by-the-slice. Another category on the menu is
salads and soup. The Port offers five different salad
options ranging from grilled chicken salad to Caesar
salad and multiple soups of the day.
Additionally, The Port works well with students
and faculty with food allergies. Sittenauer asks in detail
what the allergy is and lists off everything that The Port
has to offer that doesn’t contain the allergen. He then
makes sure the food is properly prepared and not cross
contaminated.
For the average college student, the prices at
The Port are reasonable and have multiple options for
everyone to choose between. Peyton Gosdin, fresh-
man, community health major, and Macie Mosley, junior,
secondary education major, both agree that their favor-
ite thing about The Port are the cheap prices on food
and drinks. The prices range from as low as 69 cents
for eggs to $5.65 for grilled chicken breast or shrimp
po-boy. The Port is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
giving students and faculty a way to start their day
with a good meal and have plenty of time to grab food
throughout the day.
The Port offers food and a place for students
and faculty to sit and relax, but not many people know
they also offer catering. The Port offers catering for
on-campus and off-campus events as well as occasions
including employment fairs, charity and alumni dinners,
homecoming and prom, staff luncheons and wedding
receptions. Their motto is, “whether it’s big or small,
we can make it happen!” They offer various menus to
choose from or they can accommodate the menu to the
likings of the event.
“We mostly cater to on-campus events. Septem-
ber and May are our busiest times to cater because
that is when the administration caters a lot, but all
together we probably have 10 catering events a month,”
Sittenauer said.
Some of the menus are vastly different than
what is offered on The Port menu. Some of the dinner
ideas for catering is called “The Captain’s Main Course”
Steve Sittenauer director of The Port.

and includes options such as blackened tilapia, BBQ
brisket, herb baked chicken, and crawfish etouffee.
Splashy salads include tossed, Caesar, spring mix,
Italian pasta, potato salad, macaroni, and fruit salad;
cole slaw is also available. They also offer “Sailor’s Side
Items” which has options including rice pilaf, cornbread
dressing, rosemary new potatoes, and steamed cauli-
flower and broccoli just to name a few items. Dessert
options include cheesecake, apple pie, bread pudding,
pecan and pumpkin pie, and four different cake options
including carrot, chocolate, coconut, and tiramisu.
Catering services are available seven days a
week with flexible hours. Sittenauer and the assistant
manager, Jeff Stewart, typically are the workers that
prepare catering meals unless it is a big event and
all-hands are needed.
Along with hours that work well with a lot of class
and work schedules The Port is the place were a lot
of Student Activities Board (SAB) events are held. The
SAB hosts Grocery Bingo multiple times every school
year. Grocery Bingo is a fun night where students come
together and can win different prizes including gift cards
and groceries.
“My favorite event held in The Port is Grocery
Bingo, because it’s a fun game that you can win free
food and great prizes. I mean, what college student
doesn’t love free stuff, right?” said Ashley- Kate Mcnatt,
junior, kinesiology major.
The Port has also been the location of Paint-
ing with LSUS, a spinoff of Painting with a Twist and
teaches students how to paint a picture. During
basketball season SAB hosts an overtime party to cele-
brate the sport. Pizza is usually provided and is a great
way to get students involved in the sporting events and
hang out afterward for a great party. Also hosted by
SAB are comedy hour and karaoke hour that take place
throughout the school year. These events allow
students to relax between classes and catch a few good
laughs here and there.
The SAB is not the only organization that hosts
events in The Port. The eating area also is a location
for the Coffee House Debate hosted by the award-
winning debate team. The debate team always picks an
interesting topic to debate over, and it usually
involves the latest event going on in the world. The fall
semester’s debate was about whether Donald Trump or
Kanye West would be a better candidate for president
of the United States.
All together, The Port does so much that goes
unnoticed. The staff and cooks provide a nice and
welcoming environment for both faculty and students
to come together to enjoy a good meal. The Port also
caters to special events all around the area and
provides a fun, spacious place for events to take place
for LSUS students.
Students eating in The Port.

Fall Fest 2015
Photos by: Jessica Ingram

Hobbies may include singing, dancing, sewing,
cooking, building, hunting, camping, and swimming,
but for 60 members of this Shreveport group that ex-
ists on the LSU Shreveport campus, their interests rest
in talent, skill, family, and community. However, their
focus is not on academics, but the focus is instead on
music.
It is Monday evening, the time is 6:30 p.m. and
members of the band continue to straggle in for the
rehearsal at 7 p.m. Some musicians carry small black
cases with handles, others have large black cases
crossed over their shoulders and resting on their backs.
Still others enter the building empty-handed
as they walk into small storage rooms on the side of
the rehearsal place to bring out drums, basses, and
other musical instruments. Papers shuffle and period-
ically fall to the floor as the musicians organize their
sheet music into the correct order for the rehearsal.
Instruments sing while the musicians softly warm up
their instruments for the work ahead.
“The concert band provides a great opportuni-
ty for beginning and experienced musicians, students,
and retired band directors to have an outlet to play,”
said Kevin Wolfe, a board member for the band. “We
provide a place for band musicians to hone their skills
and make great music for the community.”
All walks of life are represented: young and old,
working or retired, white and black, experienced and
beginner. The noise in the room grows continuously
louder as the hand on the clock in the back of the room
moves closer toward the seven. People talk to one
another, introduce new friends, catch up on the events
that happened over the weekend, and softly practice
their instruments.
Some players who travel out-of-state to come to
the rehearsals on Monday evenings stand for a while,
The Shreveport Metropolitan Concert Band
at LSUS
The Band
By Emily Wright
The band’s rehearsal space in the Community Outreach Building.
Photo by: Emily Wright

stretching their legs. The individuals who travel a fair
distance to participate include musicians in Many, La.
who travel two hours, and a couple in Tenaha, Texas,
who travel a two hour drive round-trip.
“If you’ve got it in your spirit, you’re gonna
do whatever it takes,” said the retired director of the
campus-based band, Allen Swilley.
The Band’s Purpose
The Shreveport Metropolitan Concert Band
(SMCB) at LSUS was established in 1984 and is the
premier community band in Shreveport. The SMCB is
the oldest, continuously operating community band in
Shreveport.
The band’s handbook and membership guide
explains they have a “no chair auditions” policy. So the
placement seating of musicians is based on seniority
in the group, the performer’s experience and desires,
dependability, and cooperation.
The orange metal chairs are positioned in a
semi-circle with the conductor’s stand at the front. The
walls of the building are lined from top to bottom with
a black egg-crate pad that absorbs the sound of the
orchestra when they play.
The metropolitan band provides two concerts a
year with one being in the fall and the other one in the
spring. The band also provides the music for the fall
and spring LSUS graduation ceremonies.
The concert band plays music for special
events in and around the community including the Red
River Revel and Holiday in Dixie events. The band has
even played concerts at the Louisiana Boardwalk in
Bossier City and the Fourth of July event in Jefferson,
Texas, which they have done for 20 years. They also
have played in various parks in the area in conjunction
with a City of Shreveport summer program of weekly
concerts in the park.
In addition, the band plays at the Barksdale
Air Force Base for the ceremony and luncheon for the
retirees of the program and to honor the purple hearts
and POWS. They play two or three times a year and
have done so for a number of years.
“That’s a neat thing to do when you honor all
of those people who’ve been out there fighting and
especially for the purple hearts who had to be shot
to do that,” Swilley said. “There was a guy that was
a survivor of the Bataan death march. The Japanese
captured all these Americans when they were fight-
ing over there in the jungles. The Japanese marched
them through the jungle. They call it the ‘Bataan Death
March’ because they were going to Bataan where the
prison was. They lost over half of the prisoners from
different things like exhaustion, malnutrition, and bugs.
But this guy was a survivor.”
The members of the band preparing to rehearse.

The Band’s Retired Director
Swilley has been in the community group for 22
years. He joined the band in the summer of 1993, but it
was not his choice.
“I had a friend in the band and he decided that I
ought to come join, so I did. I played clarinet and started
on the back row and gradually worked my way up to the
front,” Swilley said. “The director of the band at the time
was moving, so the board asked me if I would fill in until
they found somebody. I filled in for a year and auditioned
for the role of director with several others, but they finally
said I should go ahead and be the director since I was
filling in for one.”
After two decades with the band, Swilley retired
in 2015 as director. The director of the band is a paid
position, but it is not enough to support oneself.
“They paid just enough for me to keep coming,”
he said with a smile.
Before Swilley could lead the LSUS-based band
for 22 years of his life, he would need some knowledge
and skills to develop that talent into a lasting art.
“I started out in the fifth grade and in a classroom
I was sitting next to a friend of mine who would get up
every day and go out. So I asked him what he was doing
and he said ‘I was going to band.’ And I said ‘Oh, okay.’
He played trumpet,” Swilley said with a smile. “So I went
home and asked my parents ‘Can I join the band and
can I play trumpet?’ Because friends wanna do the same
thing. They said ‘Well, I don’t know.’”
He said his aunt had been in the band and had a
clarinet, so he wrote her a letter to ask if he could borrow
her instrument. She said ‘Yes,’ so he started playing the
clarinet in fifth grade and went all the way through up
to his high school graduation. In his senior year of high
school he was drum major.
“Now this part gets interesting because it came
time for graduation and I had no idea what I was going
to do. So my band director said ‘Let’s go over and let
you play for the clarinet teacher at Northwestern and see
what he says,” Swilley said. “So I went over and audi-
tioned and he said ‘Well, if you’ll come over here, we’ll
give you a scholarship to play in the dance band and you
can major in music.’ I told my parents that this sounded
like a pretty good thing to do, so that’s what I did. At
Northwestern I played in a dance band, but we called it
a stage band at the time, that played every Wednesday
night. I was a leader in that group for a while. I learned
how to play saxophone because I had to play sax to be
in the dance band, so I took the horn and a book home
and taught myself how to play. Then I graduated and got
a job teaching. It seemed like that was the thing to do.”
Swilley worked as an itinerate string instructor
teaching orchestra at schools in the Queensborough
The members rehearsing on Monday night.

area including the Midway, Fair Park, and Claiborne
schools. He eventually reached the point of retirement
and worked as a band director at the Ridgewood Middle
School for two years before he retired.
The Band’s Name
The Shreveport Metropolitan Concert Band was
born 31 years ago, but it went by another name then.
“It started out as an Alumni Band at Byrd High
School. They were building up to the ultimate reunion.
Some of the Alumni, there were only fifteen of them, de-
cided to get together and make a band, and they did,”
Swilley said. “The band director at Byrd at that time was
Ned James. Now Ned is playing the concert band right
now. He’s a band director in Caddo Parish. The SMCB
was originally called the Byrd Alumni Band.”
Ned James, the original conductor of the band
in 1984, said his most memorable moment while in the
band was the first concert they ever performed. The
concert took place outside of the Centenary Amphithe-
ater.
The metropolitan band came to the LSUS
campus in 1990 with Jimmy Reynolds as director.
Reynolds was a Byrd alumnus and taught as band
director at Louisiana Tech University and Ohio State
University. He later taught band at Byrd High School. In
the end, the Byrd Alumni Band ultimately became
the Shreveport Metropolitan Concert Band when it
made LSUS its home because Swilley said members
wanted to leave a bigger footprint.
The concert band has been at LSUS through
five chancellors since the band came to campus. Dr. E.
Grady Bogue, chancellor (1980-1990), who played the
French horn and had a friend in the concert band, was
another help in getting the band to campus.
“Jimmy and Dr. Bogue were in conversation with
each other about where the band could move to,” Swilley
said. “Jimmy was moving to California at the time, but
before he left he wanted to make sure there was a firm
foundation for the band. That’s how the band came to
LSUS.”
The Band’s Location and New Director
Before coming to the Community Outreach
Building behind the Red River Radio Station on campus,
the members of the band moved around all over campus
to find rooms to fit their growing numbers.
Swilley said with a chuckle that they have been
in every building on campus.
“We started out in the theater and rehearsed on
Mondays, but of course they had conflicts with people
wanting to use the theater so they looked around and
found another place for us. We sometimes had to go
back to rehearse at Byrd when we couldn’t rehearse at
the theater,” Swilley said. “We went up to the second
floor that used to be the old library building on the LSUS
campus, but now it’s the Technology Center. There was
a huge room up there and we spent three or four years
there. We also used to rehearse downstairs in what
used to be the old mailroom in the Technology Center.

Then we went back to the theater. We have been in the
Community Building for six or seven years.”
With Swilley’s retirement this summer, Joe
LeBlanc stepped in as band director. He started in
August 2015.
On the Monday night rehearsals, LeBlanc steps
up onto the black conductor’s stage in front of the
orchestra. The platform is a small square shape that
stands three to five feet tall. He raises his voice to get
the attention of the talking musicians, then welcomes
them to the meeting.
He briefly discusses the night’s order of events
before lifting his hands to direct the orchestra in front of
him. In his left hand he holds a short brown stick, called
a baton, to direct the tempo of the pieces being played
by the band members. The musicians begin to play while
watching LeBlanc for their music cues.
They lift their instruments, take a deep breath,
and move their fingers to create a roaring, full sound of
harmony. The space fills quickly, like helium blowing up
a balloon, until the room is singing with pure, complete
reverberations.
In the ‘90s LeBlanc was with the Byrd
Alumni Band, but then stopped when he started
teaching as a band director. He came to Shreveport in
1986 as the Caddo Parish band director. Before that, he
was the CEO and Director of the Texas Air Force 5th 31st
Reserve Band. He has played at the SMCB on-and-off
for the last several years, but has played consistently for
the past two years.
The Band’s Publicity and Members
The concert band generates interest and draws
members by way of online promotion.
The SMCB promotes itself on Facebook and
at other events in the community, but most interested
individuals find the band via its webpage at
smconcertband.com. Swilley used to have an SMCB
booth during the Week of Welcome Fair at LSUS to
generate interest among students about the band and
the opportunity to play. The Fair takes place on the
University Center Mall on campus and involves music,
food, and a student organization fair.
Kevin Wolfe, along with his wife Linda, also a
board member, play in the band. They usually arrive 30
to 45 minutes early to the rehearsals so they can place
the sheet music out on a table for the musicians to pick
up as they come into the room. Wolfe also begins to pull
out the percussion instruments to set the instruments in
place for the rehearsal.
This year marks his second year to play in the
band and although he started out playing the violin, he
now plays the auxiliary percussion because of the need
for the instrument.
Director Joe LeBlanc leading the band during the rehearsal.

Linda, however, has been in the band for years
and plays the clarinet. Wolfe said that even though the
band is made up of older musicians, the group is a great
outlet for young players to learn what it is like to play
alongside other musicians in an orchestral setting.
“High school students have an enjoyable expe-
rience when they are with us,” Wolfe said. “Teachers
that are in the band bring students from their school to
the SMCB for a semester or a few weeks to gain the
experience of playing in a band and being surrounded by
musicians. We also provide an opportunity for students
to earn credit by playing with the band.”
LSU Shreveport offers the one credit hour music
course, MUS110: Shreveport Metropolitan Concert Band
at LSUS, for students to have a practical application of
playing in an orchestra.
The 2015-2016 LSUS catalog states that
students must have consent of the department and
prior experience in woodwind, brass, or percussion
instruments to enroll in the class. The music that is
studied and performed in the course includes all
combinations of wind and percussion instruments from
the Renaissance period to modern day. The course
listing also has the option of repeating MUS110 for a
maximum of three credit hours.
Wayne Sistrunk, a retired 71-year-old who used
to work as an electronics technician for AT&T, walks
into the Community Outreach Building with his flute
case and heads to his seat at the front of the orchestra
forward-facing the conductor’s stand. He has been
playing the flute since 1957.
Sistrunk has played for 20 years in the
concert band and loves to play music. He also was in the
first graduating class of LSUS in 1975. He encourages
anyone to join in the band so long as they like to play
and learn.
“Teamwork can take individual talents and
combine them into something far greater than the
individuals,” Sistrunk said. “And that’s with everything,
but especially music.”
Ronny Smith, a retired individual who worked
in the petroleum field in Shreveport, plays trombone.
He arrives early to the rehearsal so he has time to talk
with LeBlanc and visit with friends in the band. He had
not played the instrument for 50 years and two months
exactly, but he realized how much he enjoyed playing
trombone and went into his barn and pulled his old
instrument out of storage.
Smith had forgotten the notes and music so he
bought a book to help him learn and has been at the
concert band for one year. He also commutes from
Texas to rehearse. He said playing in the band is great
for LSUS because it represents the university and its
organizations. Nevertheless, Smith said the music the

band plays is also beneficial to keeping the band and
the music itself represented in this contemporary age.
“Much has been lost of this music, so I think it
is good that we keep playing it so that it stays alive,”
Smith said.
Bill Boyd, another member of the band, taught
Smith trombone lessons in childhood. Smith said Boyd
charged $5 a lesson and he went a couple of times a
week after school.
The oldest player recently retired at 93. Bill
Tebow, the band’s former percussionist, played in a
dance band for the army during the World War II era.
The Byrd graduates and original members of
the band included local men who each had the same
passion for music.
Irving Selber, a trumpet player, was one of the
family members of the Selber Bros. department store
in downtown Shreveport. Next, Bob Dunkleman, who
also played the trumpet and thought he was Harry
James II (a popular player in the ‘40s), was an engi-
neer who worked in England, met a friend, came back
to the U.S. and opened a business called Frymas-
ter that makes the frying and cooking equipment for
McDonald’s.
Yet another trumpet player in the original band,
Dr. Ben Levy, was a physician in town. John Richie,
baritone, was an attorney in Shreveport, whose son
still carries on the business. Last, but not least, Hyman
Gardsbane was a local optometrist who played the
clarinet.
Billy Guin, an 87-year-old man and clarinet
player, is the last member of the original band. He said
the Shreveport Metropolitan Concert Band works to
bring about an appreciation for the classic band idea.
“The concert band keeps the classic band idea
alive, which keeps us alive,” Guin said.
He also said the value of this band and the
wide range of music they play, from the classical
period to other classic pieces, such as Amazing Grace,
God Bless America, and contemporary music, is
beneficial to everyone involved from the musicians to
the audience.
The Band’s Future
The Shreveport Metropolitan Concert Band’s
original Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was
written and signed in 1989 when the band joined
the LSUS family. An MOU is an official document of
agreement between two parties. Wolfe said it was
written for a five year period with an annual review.
“At that time we added ‘at LSUS’ to our name.
The last MOU was written in 2013 for a period of two
years. When Chancellor Clark arrived, he elected
to keep that MOU until it expired,” Wolfe said. “The

annual review is designed to allow either party to
recommend changes as necessary as the relationship
evolves.”
Until recently, however, there has been a
change in the structure of the financial needs of the
university.
“A little over a year ago, Chancellor Clark
had just taken the LSUS reins and met with Mr. Allen
Swilley, our director at the time,” Wolfe said. “Mr. Clark
was concerned for the financial situation at LSUS and
was looking for ways to increase the school’s revenue.
During that meeting, Mr. Clark indicated he needed all
facilities associated with LSUS to generate income if at
all possible. At that time, the building we are using for
rehearsals was not used for any other purpose. Mr.
Clark decided to use the facility for community outreach
in the form of classes that would be taken by community
members.”
Some of the first classes have included dance
and sewing classes, as well as a Lego project this past
summer.
The band’s MOU with LSUS was set to
expire in September of this year, but Chancellor Clark
and Lottie Huckaby, the continuing education interim
director, were able to extend the expiration to Dec. 16,
2015.
“Mr. Clark wanted Ms. Huckaby to be involved
with how the facility would be used and help decide
whether they would allow our band to continue to use
the facility without generating any revenue for the
University,” Wolfe said. “Unfortunately, he has not been
able to hire a director as yet and the MOU is about
ended. We are hopeful that once a director is hired
we will be able to craft another MOU to keep us on
campus.”
Wolfe said Huckaby has been very helpful
in getting the extension for the MOU, which will
allow the band to stay on campus until December 16
of this year.
“My understanding is that the chancellor does
not want to make any long term commitments for the
facility until the new director of continuing education
is on board. We do not pay anything for the use of the
facility and appreciate that very much. The current
sharing of the facility has worked out well and not
caused any problems for us at all.”
Wolfe said the band has always, and still does,
have a great relationship with LSUS. Moreover, the
band members hope that the collaborative relationship
will continue into the future.
“The band leadership is truly hopeful that LSUS
will allow us to continue on campus and are therefore
not pursuing any other venue,” Wolfe said. “If we were
to start looking we would need a place to store some
of our instruments and equipment in addition to a re-
hearsal hall. That would not be easy to find. We would
be looking at churches and other schools in the area.
Such a move might also require us to rent the space,
a cost we do not currently have with LSUS. We are
confident it won’t come to that.”
The Band’s Memories
In the last few years, Swilley said an interesting
phenomenon has occurred. Some of the young women
who play in the band are married to Airmen at Barks-
dale. These families have started having children and
there have been six band babies in the last three years.
Swilley started collecting pictures of the growing
number of babies that are a part of the metropolitan
band’s community.
As Swilley reminisced about his time at the
band, he said his most memorable moment was in
the late 80s while standing on the stage in the Strand
Theatre. They played concerts at the theatre, one
concert for four years, through sponsorships and did
so for fundraisings in order to help people in need.
“The first time I walked out on stage and looked
out over the audience was overwhelming,” Swilley
said.
At the end of the day, Swilley said the band is
like a family.
They meet together, share their passions with
each other, and have a collective bond of music to
hold them close to one another when the reality of life
strikes. And no matter what the future holds for the band
or for any of the members, they will still be able to hold
fast to their memories and their music, which are both
inseparable to the human condition.

Debate Team Wins Overseas
By Jessica Ingram
LSUS debate team, represented by three students
and Director of Debate Trey Gibson, traveled across the
globe to represent the U.S. in the Montgomery Cup British
Exhibition Debate Tour in March. This was the second time
in 17 years that LSUS took part in the competition. They not
only made history for LSUS but they made the entire nation
proud.
“It’s really neat when you are sitting in the lower
Parliament hall in St. Andrews, Scotland where the Scottish
Parliament met in the 1600s and the convener says ‘LSU
Shreveport,’” said Gibson.
Gibson has been mentoring the LSUS debate team
since 2007. He has 25 years of experience in debate and
truly takes pride in his students. One of the students is
Elizabeth Kemp, who scored 12.5/19 of the U.S. points that
won LSUS the Montgomery Cup in 2015. Due to Kemp’s
expertise in the art of debate, she specifically has been
requested to return in the 2016 competition.
“We don’t just walk in and debate and say ‘Nice to
meet you’ and then leave. I still have Facebook friends from
Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. It was really cool to
meet a lot of new students. We have a lot more in common
than you’d think,” said Kemp, senior, political science major.
The debate group completely embraced the
European culture by not only touring many historical sites
but also by participating in a completely different style of
debate. LSUS usually practices a “line by line format,” which
means that the debater has to discuss a detailed point on
their given topic. Very similar to the way U.S. would hold a
presidential debate, each speaker is given several opportu-
nities to speak by providing an argument, asking questions,
the rebuttal and conclusion.
The United Kingdom’s style of debate reflects the
way its Parliament would run. This leaves each opponent
one chance to speak instead of back and forth but the
debater can interject with questions while the opposition
speaks.
According to the International Debate Education
Association’s website, “Debate is not a forum for asserting
absolute truths, but rather a means of making and evaluat-
ing arguments that allows the debaters to better understand
their own and other’s position.”
“Debate teaches you that you have to be very
impartial in life because you are put in situations where you
have to act impartially,” said John Griffin, senior, criminal
justice major.
Students tend to acquire more skills than just the art
of controverting when they participate in an organization like
debate. There is quite a bit of strategy involved along with
critical thinking skills and the use of time management.
Trey Gibson, director of debate, (in purple) speaking to members of debate team

“The other thing I am really proud of is that the
average GPA (of a student in debate) is around 3.4. There
have been plenty of studies out that support that debate
increases critical thinking skills and grades go up,” said
Gibson.
Typically when participating in a debate tourna-
ment, students are given a time limit of about 30 minutes
to research their topic, come up with an argument and
provide detailed points they want to convey. These skills
help students to participate and study more efficiently in
classes.
“School-wise the prep we have to do before rounds
helps me to take notes more quickly in classes. It helps
me with papers because we are constantly trying to find
evidence and make sense out of the information so that
it can be presented to other people,” said Kamaya Jiles,
junior varsity debater, sophomore, digital arts major.
The debate team is participating in the first
tournament of the 2016 season on the weekend of Aug. 10.
They will be competing at Lee College in Baytown, Texas.
There are typically eight to 10 tournaments per season.
For more information on the LSUS Debate Team or
if you are interested in joining, please contact Trey Gibson
318.797.5081.
Mock practice debate. (Left to Right: John Griffin acting as judge, Rhys Waters opposition, Kamaya Jiles affirmative)
Trey Gibson talking to students about topics for practice debate

Noel Collection
Look back in time to prepare for family
winter entertainment! The James Smith Noel
Collection at LSUS is presenting an exhibit
titled “Whimsical Wonders: Toys, Games, and
Other Amusements from the Past.” The materi-
als on display will include many fine examples
of pastime entertainment from the 1800s and
early 1900s, including puzzles, porcelain dolls,
and hand-cranked box theaters. The exhibit
also explores the art of souvenirs and the fine
illustrations that were used in panoramas and fold-
ing peep shows for remembering special occasions.
Come visit us in the Noel Collection to explore
and learn more! The exhibit will run now through
December and is open Sundays from 2:00-6:00 p.m.,
Mondays from 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., and Tuesdays-
Fridays from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.To arrange a
tour contact Martha Lawler at 318-798-4163 or
Martha.Lawler@lsus.edu or visit us online at
jsnoelcollection.org.
The descriptions of the photos were written by the Noel Collection catalogors, Amy Blackburn,
Aimee Plaisance, and Martha Lawler.
Photos by: Emily Wright

Admit One: Moving Picture Shows
Come one, come all! These moving panorama
shows are designed with long strips of paper wound
between two vertical rollers. The entire illustration
and rollers are placed into a show box with a key that
rotates the rollers to the left to “play” the show.
Kids can enjoy the full performance experience by
advertising their shows with posters, passing out
admission tickets, and narrating the illustrations.
The Historiscope shows the history of America
through the end of the American Revolution. While
passing by this hand-colored scene, the narrator will
explain the plight of Patriot Army at Valley Forge in
December 1777. The Myropticon tells the history of
the American Civil War; this scene reveals telegraph
corps quickly installing telegraph wires to help the
federal government maintain communication with
the commanding officers in the Union Army.

Game Night!
Games and puzzles have been popular pastimes for generations. All of the games in this case have more
than one way to play, which allows for many hours of family entertainment from a single purchase. The antique puz-
zle has six sides with six illustrations to create from the blocks,. With the cards from the game Trolley (1888) game
provides three different sets of rules depending on the level of difficulty or a group’s preference of gameplay.
The box the puzzle is stored in.
Six-sided puzzle. Card game.

On commencera á 6 heures precise!
This unique French toy theatre captures the vibrancy and wonder of the marionette-centric performances that
became popular in the 1840s. These performances combined the Italian genre of commedia dell’arte and its
signature masks with puppetry and street entertainment. As the small figures facing the stage show, this art form
was popular with children and adults from all walks of life. As France progressed through the nineteenth century
to La Belle Époque, these rough street performances began to transform into a distinct art form in their own right.
The front of the peep show.
Navigation Station
Humans have been navigating the world by using star charts
and compasses, similar to the highly decorative versions here, for
many years before the development of GPS technology. The game
Astrophilogeon (1828) is a geographical and astronomical card game
that comes complete with a little book on astronomy and geography.
In this game the players take turns trying to match the coordinates of
constellations (celestial cards) with geographical locations (terrestrial
cards), or vice versa, to win a trick.
Compass.

Campus
Style
By Jessica Ingram
“I lean towards Audrey Hepburn’s
style. It is business but casual. I
always want to dress appropriate
for any situation I may be thrown
into.” Ashley Cannon, psychology
graduate working on biology
degree
“I lean towards the preppy style or
with an edge, sometimes incorpo-
rating both to add more flavor and
make it more interesting. I typically
dress with different palette for dif-
ferent seasons, so if it’s a gloomy
day I may wear a neutral colors.
Or grey or like when it is spring, I’ll
wear something brighter.”
Cadarius Perry, community
health major with concentra-
tion in physical therapy, junior
“I generally just put on whatever
is closest and hope it looks good,
though some days I really want to
do the punk-rock thing and then
other days I just want to wear a
really twirly skirt and ballet flats.”
Catherine Green, history major,
freshman

“I typically like to wear dull col-
ors because I don’t like to draw
attention through my clothes. I’d
rather do that with my personality.
As far as accessories go, I have
an extremely unhealthy addiction
towards ties. I have a huge tie
collection.” Daniel Jordan, field
and organismal biology major,
senior
“My style is to wear clothes that
are vintage and edgy. I feel like the
vintage style is girly and by adding
an edge to it makes it more your
own.” Fatma Ibrahim, bio-chem-
istry major, freshman
“I like to mix it up but still typically
lean towards the preppy style. I
also like the old school retro style,
like the 90s and then business
casual.” Jarrett Lofton, mass
communications major, senior
“I like to wear black T-shirts that
have movie or book statements
on them, especially horror movies
because I am a big film fan. I’m
wearing a shirt that has Necronomi-
con from Evil Dead. As far as acces-
sories go, it’s usually my headset or
computer bag. ” Jeremiah Brown,
English major, sophomore
“I love to dress for fall and es-
pecially like the colors. Like my
sweater is a pretty cream color
and my pants are fall color. I also
love to accessorize by wearing long
chain necklaces and rings from
Rue 21.” Mariah Ford, business
major, freshman
“I don’t typically accessorize but I
always wear earrings, you will nev-
er see me without them. I love to
shop at Charming Charlie for stud-
ded earrings. I feel like they make
the outfit.” ShaVanety Jones,
psychology major, junior

Eighteen years ago the Dock at LSU Shreveport
was an empty ghost town. Meanwhile, five miles
across town a legacy of coaching basketball was
born that would change the destiny of LSUS athletics
forever.
In 1997 LSU Shreveport had three sports:
baseball and women and men’s basketball. However,
the athletic program’s part-time coaches and limited
funds prevented the program from being able to con-
tinue. There were only enough funds to support the
continuation of one sport. The continuation of the
program rested in the hands of the students by voting
via a student referendum to incorporate a higher tuition
so that the sports could continue. Dr. Terry G.
Harris, LSUS athletic council chair and English
professor, remembered that it was only by a
narrow margin that the referendum favored a
non-increase. Despite all options explored by the
Athletic Council, the Dock, the name given to
the basketball court on the first floor of the Health and
Physical Education (HPE) Building, would serve
as a ghost town for the next six years. Ultimately,
the students were devastated by the removal of
women’s and men’s basketball but realized it was too
late.
According to the history on the LSUS athletics
website, a dock is “a human-made structure or group
of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships.
The exact meaning varies among different variants of
the English language and is sometimes referred to as
a dockyard or shipyard where the loading, unloading,
and building of ships occurs.”
For six years, there was no building victories,
no loading school spirit and support, and no unloading
of hard work and practices. The Athletic Council was
determined to bring this back. But how?
In 2003, the Athletic Council increased the
athletic fee in tuition. This was the first step in bring-
ing back the program. Men’s and women’s basketball,
along with the already existent baseball, were the first
three sports introduced in the 2003 reinstatement.
Harris reports that women’s soccer was later added
as a Title Nine compliance factor. Title Nine of the
includes three requirements “Prong One: Propor-
tionality: Male and female athletes are “substantially
proportionate” to their respective undergraduate
enrollments OR Prong Two: Demonstrate a history and
continuing practice of expanding opportunities for the
underrepresented sex (usually females) or Prong
Three: Completely and effectively accommodate the
interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex.”
During the same time, LSUS was part of the Gulf
Coast conference. However, another conference, known
as the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC),
was flourishing in intercollegiate athletic sport member-
ships among universities in Georgia, Alabama, South
Carolina and Tennessee. This was not a good thing for
LSUS athletics.
While LSUS had two men’s sports and two
women’s sports, the active existence of these did not
benefit LSUS if there were not comparable competitors
within the conference for athletes to compete with.
While the reinstatement of the program appeared
to be a victory in moving forward towards success,
LSUS athletics now had yet another problem to over-
come- finding a new conference that included congruent
competitors. LSUS joined the National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and also coincided as
part of the Red River Athletics Conference (RRAC).
Over the past several years the LSUS Athlet-
ics Association has struggled with various obligatory
circumstances. The continuance and success of the
Balance Beyond Basketball
Kyle Blankenship
LSUS Men’s Pilot Head Coach
By Katie LeJeune

LSUS athletic program is dependent upon two things:
meeting eligibility requirements and having adequate
funds to support the program.
First, the program had to meet the addition-
al conference requirement, two sports in each season.
According to Harris, this included men and women’s
soccer for the fall, men and women’s basketball for the
winter, and baseball and women’s tennis for the spring.
Secondly, there must be an adequate amount
of funds available to finance all six sports. Yet, proving
to be another challenging circumstance for the athletic
program to overcome.
One of these times was in the spring semes-
ter of 2010. The athletic fee is included in the tuition of
traditional LSUS students. Traditional, meaning the
student is enrolled in classes on the LSUS campus.
Students enrolled in the LSUS Online e-campus do not
have the athletic fee included in tuition. The number of
online students continued to increase. As a result, the
finances for athletics began to decrease.
This hit home for the students on campus.
Unlike 1997, students were determined not to let the
unity of school spirit and support become a thing of
the past. In April 2010, the students voted on another
athletic fee increase within the tuition. In one of the
largest voting turnouts in LSUS history, 594 students
voted to increase the athletic fee, while 422 students
voted not too.
Despite the collaborative efforts of the
student body, men and women’s soccer were cut in 2013-
2014. The removal of soccer in the athletic program was
devastating, but it wasn’t something that the Pilots
allowed to dampen school spirit. Cross-country replaced
soccer as a more financially convenient sport, and the
requirements of the conference could still be maintained.
While LSUS may not have comparable
attendance to that of LSU, or other Louisiana college
basketball games, it certainly exceeds in school
spirit and wins. In fact, LSUS ranks No. 1 in the most
wins in the state of Louisiana for men’s basketball since
2003.
Most wins in the state of Louisiana since 2003 - Men’s Basketball

Many years before the LSUS athletic program
faced challenges, Kyle Blankenship faced the real-
ization of his future. Blankenship grew up around
sports, and developed a passion for basketball at an
early age. Blankenship’s grandfather was a Hall of
Fame Coach for Spiro High School in Spiro, Okla., from
1952-1970. Blankenship’s grandfather coached basket-
ball, his teams were 382-95 (.800 winning percentage),
including one stretch of nine consecutive years without
losing a home game. His football career record was
118-53 (.690 winning percentage). He was inducted into
the Oklahoma Coaches Hall of Fame in 1972.
Basketball was part of who Blankenship was, and
exactly what he wanted to be. Blankenship’s basketball
skills led him to excel in the sport, and eventually earn an
all-district title in high school at C.E. Byrd High School.
As fate would have it, Blankenship’s coach while playing
at C.E. Byrd, was Coach Chad McDowell, former LSUS
men’s basketball coach, and now, current LSUS athletic
director.
“Of all the coaches I’ve played for, Coach
McDowell has been the one that has had the most
influence on my career, not just on the court, but off the
court as well,” Blankenship said.
“Coach Blankenship has taught us plen-
ty of things on the basketball court, but one thing that
really sticks out is when he conveys that we, as both
players, and men, can control two things at all times- our
attitude and our effort,” said C.J. Hyslop, senior, business
management major, and Pilots basketball player. “No
matter what situations arise on the basketball court, we
can always be in control of those two things. But that
doesn’t just apply on the court, it applies to our lives. No
matter life’s circumstances, we always need to look at
it with a positive attitude and keep pushing forward. He
doesn’t only preach it, but he lives it.”
After Blankenship finished his college basketball
career at the University of Tulsa, he coached at Lamar
State University and Rogers State University. He joined
the LSUS coaching staff and in 2012 became head coach
for the men’s basketball team. While Blankenship’s
family followed their grandfather’s legacy and coached
football, Blankenship surprised them by opting to coach
basketball.
“My grandfather was known more for his associ-
ation with coaching football, but basketball was actually
my grandfather’s favorite sport,” Blankenship said. “It is
in my blood, coaching is the family business. I knew my
playing career would one day end and coaching basket-
ball is what I wanted to do for a living.”
With a love of basketball running through his
blood Blankenship acquired values at 14-years-old from
Coach McDowell that extended beyond the lines of the
court.
“I learned what it takes to be a leader, a role
model, and the importance of knowing how to make a
positive impact on players as a coach,” Blankenship
said.
Today, this legacy of coaching beyond the lines
of the court continues to be practiced within the LSUS
men’s basketball team.
During the 2012-2013 season, the Pilots finished
Blankenship’s inaugural season ranked at No. 4 in the
NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Final
Hyslop was referring to a particular incident
last year in which Blankenship’s grandfather was in the
hospital and passed away. Hyslop said his coach
never faltered, not once did Blankenship ever put forth
anything less than 100 percent for his players.
McDowell (left) with Blankenship (right) –C.E Bryd

Coach Kyle Blankenship (middle) with dad (left) and grandfather (right) after beating #1 ranked Columbia in the national
tournament to go to the Fab Four.
Locker Room, Kansas City

“I couldn’t think of a better example that I would
want to have in my life on a daily basis other than Coach
Blankenship. He always has the players’ best interest in
mind and will do anything for us,” Hyslop said.
In 2012, Blankenship’s very first year coaching
at LSUS, he led the team into uncharted waters for the
first time in history by coaching a team that made it to
the NAIA Fab Four. Going beyond trophies, it was about
relationships formed and lessons learned, the type of
investments and awards that would not collect dust
sitting on a shelf.
During the 2012-2013 season, the Pilots finished
Blankenship’s inaugural season ranked at No. 4 in the
NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Final
Coaches’ Top 25 poll after their remarkable run in
Kansas City at the Fab Four. Even after the final buzzer
sounded on the 2012-13 season, LSUS’s name was still
mentioned on the final day of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA
National Tournament.
Recognized for their outstanding display of
character and sportsmanship throughout the entire
National Tournament, the Pilots claimed the Dr. James
Naismith-Emil S. Liston Team Sportsmanship Award.
In addition, Coach Blankenship was recognized with
the Charles A. Krigel Award, which is presented to
the coach of the squad that earns the Naismith-Liston
Sportsmanship Award for his leadership to his team.
However, when asked about the success in
his first year coaching, Blankenship failed to mention
any of the awards, achievements, or record statistics.
Blankenship sat up in his chair as he began to explain
the investments that mattered most — the relationships
with his players and the impact he aspired to make.
Blankenship described how just that same week alumni
players who played in the 2012-2013 season texted him
reminiscing on how much the memories made that week
in Kansas City meant.
Coach Kyle Blankenship in action with the LSUS Men’s Pilots basketball team.

“That was something special to be able to
experience at a national level, it is something we think
about often and are striving to recapture,” Blankenship
said.
Dr. Harris was with Blankenship and the
players that week in Kansas City. He told a story about a
letter the University received from a parent following the
Kansas City Fab Four appearance. The story illus-
trates the gratitude of a young boy, a young boy
who was touched and impacted so much that his
mother felt the need to personally express in writing her
appreciation and admiration for LSUS and the athletes that
represented it.
During the most important moment of the
season, when all the hard-work of the players was only
moments away from paying off, LSUS players took the
time to notice this one little boy. In the fast-paced chaotic
arena, the LSUS players invited the child to watch the
game courtside and join them as they gave it their all. As
the most pivotal moment in the season, players chose to
briefly step off the court and make an impact on a child
by inviting him to join them on the court.
Even now, this type of integrity remains a
constant aspect in the LSUS men’s basketball program.
“Coach Blankenship always tells us when we
leave here, he not only wants us to be better players, but
also better men,” Hyslop said.
Recently, the LSUS Pilots men’s basketball team
received the Championship of Character Award by the
RRAC for the second year in a row.
The mission of the RRAC focuses on
implementing five core values within their conference:
respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership, and
sportsmanship. Coach Kyle Blankenship acknowl-
edged these values as a young player from Coach
McDowell long before the RRAC incorporated them in
their mission.
Coach McDowell coached the 2005-2006 men’s
basketball team that was named as the No.1 team in the
country. McDowell was awarded a feature piece in SB
Faith & Family Christian Magazine. He was asked what
the greatest honor he could ever receive would be. His
response was, “I’d like to make the Daddy Hall-of-Fame.”
McDowell flashed back to the magazine interview. He
said he remembered when he went home to share the
news of being ranked No.1 in the country with his wife,
Jennifer, and after congratulating him, she let him know
that they were out of milk.
McDowell explained while on the way to get milk
he told himself, “You know, you’re on top of the world
over being ranked No.1, and you go home and your wife
humbles you. Life moves on, there are bigger things than
being No. 1. Would I be this excited if I made the top 25
as a husband and a daddy? Would I strive as hard to
be No.1 in that role?” McDowell said that his drive and
motivation come from the Lord. In fact, he is a big
advocate of the character-driven athletics program.
During the interview for this piece, he called each
of the coaches of the LSUS athletic program and asked
them on speakerphone what the five core values were.
McDowell explained that the LSUS athletic program
emphasizes and instills within players the importance of
implementing five core values and that being a champion
of character can carry an athlete much further in life’s
journey than any championship ring.
The servant leadership of the men’s basket-
ball is demonstrated every year at the LSUS Phi Mu’s
“Hoop-A-Palooza” event to raise funds for Children’s
Miracle Network hospitals.
“The men’s basketball team comes out during
half-time of the women’s game to shoot free throws.
Audience members can place bets on who will make the
most baskets and all proceeds made during the game
go to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals,” said
Kaylynn Henry, LSUS senior and Phi Mu philanthropic
chair.
“My first year here we won the National
Sportsmanship award at the National Tournament. I
think that’s not only a reflection of the values I strive
to instill in the program, but also the standard that was
set before me by Coach McDowell and also the players
he coached,” Blankenship said. “In a way, we carry the
torch, we have, and will continue, to build on the team
with the most sportsmanship that exercises discipline on
and off the court.”
The LSUS operating budget’s total expenditures
reported $31,082,093 for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Of
that amount, zero dollars were allocated towards the
athletic program. Yet, in 2013, the year that soccer
was cut, 46 percent of traditional out-of-state enrolled
students were athletes involved in at least one LSUS
sport. LSUS athletes enrolled as traditional students
have contributed to over $2.5 million in tuition over the
last five years, an average of $450,000 each year.
Athletes are required to adhere to certain
academic requirements in order to remain eligible and

active participants and must complete 24 hours as a
full-time student over the course of one academic year
in order to be eligible for the upcoming year. Additionally,
athletes must maintain a required GPA minimum. Since
the 2003-2004 reinstatement of the athletic program,
the recognition of academic excellence among LSUS
athletes has increased by 177 percent.
“Academics are of the upmost importance. We
want our kids to come in here first and foremost to
graduate because the ball will stop bouncing one day
or another so they have to have a credible fall back.
For most guys they don’t play professional ball so we
stress academics as much as any other university in the
nation,” Blankenship said.
These players are models for the university,
contributors to the percentage of academic excellent
students, and they assist other university programs
through servant leadership while attracting positive
press that highlights the university.
Student support and attendance is vital for
the players and coaches. The players display service
through various platforms of the LSUS community.
“Basketball is not an individual sport, it does not
matter specifically who the glory goes to. One thing I
learned from Coach McDowell is that the greater power
of we is me,” Blankenship said.
There is a potential for growth in reference to
the student support of LSUS athletes. Dr. Harris has a
picture in his office dating back to a few seasons ago
where students came dressed up as their heroes as a
theme for student support for one of the home games.
Covered in bright body paint, students are seen
in the photo standing shoulder to shoulder, scream-
ing and cheering for the young men that sacrificed so
much time and effort into being honorable athletes, role
models, and representatives of LSUS.
Senior player, Breion Beaver, criminal
justice major, can attest to this. “We love when the
students show up to our games. Attendance gets us extra
motivated to perform at a higher level. The stu-
dent body does a great job of creating a fun college
basketball atmosphere. We have some of the best fans.
It makes everything better when you’re playing for a
packed house,” he said.
“We strive to have a servant-leader mentality. I
think you see that when you come to our games both
through our guys and the sportsmanship they display,”
Blankenship said.
Admission for home games is free for
students that present a valid ID. The next home game
will be against Tougaloo College on November 30,
2015. Come unload your school support at the Dock
beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the HPE building, and help
recreate the student section full of hero costumes and
roaring screams that cheer on the real campus heroes
— the Pilot athletes.
Student Section Picture in Dr. Harris’ Office.

LSUS Partners
with New Military Center
By Blair Burlison
Dr. Gary D. Joiner sits at his desk with a straight
back and folded hands with military awards and
medals assembled beside his chair. Military white
papers are fashioned neatly in a folder on his desk and his
historical military literary works are placed on a near-
by table. His office space is organized strategically,
with historical paraphernalia neatly aligned along the
polished shelves. His eyes light up as he begins to
discuss how military leadership will soon make LSU
Shreveport its base.
“Sometimes you work hard one thing for years
and then the clouds open and it just arrives,” Joiner said.
LSUS houses three military historians, one
being Joiner, chair and professor of the department
of history at LSUS. The two remaining historians are
Paul D. Gelpi, professor of military history at the U.S.
Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and Dr. Alex
Mikaberidze, LSUS professor of history. Each military
historian has generated a large amount of research,
writing, and publishing pertaining to previous military
combats found within the United States and other sur-
rounding countries.
“Barksdale is such an important part of this
community, economy, and social fabric. I’ve done a lot of
work with them over the years. In 2013, they requested
that I help Joel Wilson, head of global strike, with the
multiple upcoming anniversaries so I worked through-
out the year writing pieces for Barksdale in my History
Matters segment on Red River radio,” Joiner said.
“During this process, retired three-star general,
Robert Elder, and I started discussing what we could do to
enhance the status of the university including the militar-
ies to make some lasting contributions.”
The Strategic Alternatives Consortium (SAC) at
LSUS is a partnership that will benefit the institution and
community both academically and militarily.
Found within the SAC draft, there is a list of
various anniversaries that Joiner assisted Wilson with
Dr. Gary Joiner
Associate Professor & Director
History/Social Sciences Department

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