The Renaissance
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Septmeber 2014
New kids on the block: 31st matriculating class Victoria Dowden Staff Writer
Alyssa Martin Staff Writer
The transition to LSMSA can be tough for many students whether it be because of the college-like schedule or because you miss your best friend at home. LSMSA’s family-like structure can be quite helpful. Between expanded orientation and the close-knit dorm community, LSMSA quickly becomes a second home for students. Soon, you will be looking back at when you pulled three straight all-nighters for finals week while laughing with your friends on the way to Front Street. See what new LSMSA students have to say about themselves!
How are you adjusting to LSMSA?
“It’s not quite as like Hogwarts as I hoped. I’m having a pretty easy time except for the laundry.” - Benjamin Tiberias III (‘17)
Which classes and teachers are your favorites?
“Beginning Acting with Thomakos and Religions of Asia with Prem.” -Josh Savage (‘17)
What has been your favorite part of the LSMSA experience so far?
“My favorite part of LSMSA thus far was definitely EXCEL. It was very stressful, but also provided me with opportunities to have tons of fun and meet some of the most amazing people.” -Janie Bourgeois (‘17)
What made you want to attend LSMSA?
“I came to LSMSA because I knew I could do better for myself education-wise. I knew I would have to actually apply myself and that I wouldn’t be able to just memorize the answers anymore.” -Shona McCullough (‘17)
Security system updated Johnnette Johnson Assistant Editor
If you are a criminal who is considering breaking into one of the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts academic buildings, do not get your hopes up. Just this year, LSMSA’s security system took it to the next level. The High School Building, the Music and Arts Building, as well as the Center for Performance and Technology’s security systems have been technologically upgraded. Rather than leaving the doors unlocked to
any and everyone, the entrances to these buildings have been restricted to LSMSA’s students, faulty, and registered visitors. Inspiration for the installing of this system lies in a couple of state regulations that demand a “safe, secure, and orderly school that is conducive to learning” or a “safe learning environment for children and young people attending schools in Louisiana.” Therefore, in light of these state mandates, and possibly others, the administration decided to update the system. “The LSMSA admin-
istration decided upon installing a key card system to monitor and manage the flow of certain populations into the buildings,” said John Allen, the Director of Finance and Operations. Although the administration has been planning this change for the past two years, there are still concerns throughout the school’s faculty and staff. “As with any new piece of technology or any new process, there are concerns. There are four main concerns: controlling ID distribution since it allows access to the school much like a tra-
ditional key; the system not being an absolute guarantee of safety; electricity and server outages disabling the system; changing the culture of students, faculty, and staff monitoring individuals attempting to enter the buildings,” said Allen. Aside from the concerns of the faculty, most students are excited about the new system. “I think the new ID system reinforces the traditional ID policy, and I think it’s much safer than what we had before,” said Erica Chachere (‘15) from Church Point, Louisiana.
The administration is also considering future plans for adding more security coverage to the gym, as well as improving the intercom systems throughout the academic buildings.
The newly installed ID system. Taken by Johnnette Johnson
The Renaissance
September 2014
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The philosophical math class Elizabeth Fontenot Staff Writer
One of the newest additions to the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) staff, Mr. Tomasz Owsiak, or more commonly known as Mr. O, has caught the attention of many students not only because of his math lessons, but also his valuable life lessons. Mr. O, born in Poland, traveled over to America when he was only ten years old and has since then lived in numerous
places including Pennsylvania, New York, and Atlanta. He earned his master’s degree in math and programming statistics at Queens College in New York. Owsiak started teaching in 2008 at the Brooklyn Generation High School. He also has taught at ITC, a technical college in Atlanta. “It’s more rigorous and more challenging [at LSMSA],” said Owsiak. “It’s definitely a teacher’s dream job.”
From his teachings, Mr. O has made it clear that one of his passions is philosophy. Owsiak read his first philosophy book at the age of fourteen. He started out reading about general and life philosophy, but now he chooses to focus on business philosophy and the principles of success. Mr. O makes sure to incorporate philosophical lessons into his math classes. One such thing is that math is only about perception and
that math teaches one how to reason logically and precisely which will help later on in life. “When life challenges you, take it as a compliment because it means that you have yet to learn what you can do,” said Owsiak. “So when a challenge arises, don’t say ‘omg I’ve got to do this,’ say ‘I will do this and I will learn something new about myself and because of this experience I will become 10 times better.’”
Mr. Tomasz Owsiak, the new mathematics teacher at LSMSA. Taken by Johnnette Johnson
Sweet dreams, Cupcake Danni Yang Staff Writer
The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) mourns the death of a beloved member of our family this month. “We’re devastated that Cupcake is no longer with us,” said Mr. Thorn LaCaze, Assistant Director for Institutional Advancement. Cupcake LaCaze, a pygmy goat of 7 months, passed away on Aug. 28, 2014. Cupcake lived her whole life in this quaint town of Natchitoches. She is survived by her
father Thorn LaCaze, her mother, and her brothers. What is important is not to wallow in grief over Cupcake’s death, but to celebrate her adorable life. Cupcake got her sweet name from Mr. Thorn’s son, who named her after his favorite dessert at the time. She is most noted for winning the LSMSA Teacher Pet Show. Cupcake won over the hearts of the students with her fluffy little coat and her cute personality. “I just brought her
[Cupcake] to the pet show for the students to get to see and interact with her,” said Mr. Thorn. He was quite surprised that she won. For the student body, however, it was an obvious choice. What makes a person get a goat in the first place though? LaCaze recalled a time when he was mowing his two and a half acres of land and thought how it would be nice to have a goat to help him out. Cupcake wasn’t just a cute addition to the family for the kids to play
with, but she provided a great service as well. Mr. Thorn recommends goats as pets as they seem to make great lawn mowers. While Cupcake helped out by eating the grass, her favorite foods included rose bushes and leaves from baby fig trees. LSMSA grieves over the death of Cupcake. Her time spent at LSMSA, no matter how short, was a heart-warming experience. She was a unique character in the pet show and a delightful addition to
the LSMSA family. Cupcake will forever be in our hearts.
Cupcake the goat with her first place ribbon and trophy after winning the LSMSA Teacher Pet Show. Taken by Victoria Dowden
Spiders and soaked floors #BoardingSchoolProblems
Aliyah Newell Staff Writer
A distressed shriek rang through the 1st West hall, “My window is LEAKING!” Soon after I heard the cry, a lightning bolt struck uncomfortably close to my window and knocked out a branch on the nearby tree. The debris fell and ripped a tear in the window screen right outside the glass.
As multiple girls started screaming about their windows leaking, I frantically checked every window to see if I had the same unfortunate problem. Luckily, my window panes were seemingly air-tight. Or so I thought. On a Wednesday afternoon, a few days after the heavy storm that flooded the dorms, I killed a one-inch spi-
der crawling across our spunky new carpet, while my roommate watched from fetal position on her bed. An increase in bugs was not too much of a surprise after the storm, but this was the fourth spider I had seen lurking in the dorm since school started. I decided I should try to discover the source of the spiders, and found
that they were crawling in through an opening in the window pane no bigger than a sliver. I also found a cricket, a grasshopper, and a ginormous arachnid, all bigger than anything I would be comfortable killing with my own hands, just leeching onto the glass. An eerie sight. Had I opened the window from the inside without looking,
they would have graciously sauntered in and disturbed any sense of peace and security I might have found in the dorm. Note to self: keep the shades drawn on that window forever. Or, maybe I should just file my first maintenance report.