September 2013

Renaissance The LSMSA

September 2013 Volume XXXI, Issue 1 The Louisiana School 715 University Pkwy.

Natchitoches, LA 71457 Praecellemus

Brandon K.

Matriculation Ceremony: Nichols-and-Dimes

Krista Nichols speaks to the audience at Matriculation.

Kyle Welch

Assistant Editor

During the Louisiana School matriculation ceremony held in the N.S.U. Fine Arts Auditorium on August 30, 138 new students, including five seniors, 47 juniors, and 86 sophomores, were welcomed to the LSMSA community.

The matriculated students of 2013-2014 represent 34 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, including nine from both Natchitoches and East Baton Rouge parishes.

With more rigorous standards for admitted students, the average ACT score of new students is 25, and their average GPA is 3.8.

However, matriculation ceremonies are never only about the statistics. Present at this year’s ceremony were

keynote speaker and Louisiana Commissioner of Administration, Kristy Nichols; Sen. Gerald Long; and President of Natchitoches Parish, Rick Nowlin.

Politicians are never far from any public event hosted by the Louisiana School, and their presence was important at this year’s ceremony.

A frequent Louisiana School guest, Sen. Gerald Long, introduced Commissioner Kristy Nichols, and prefaced her speech with a promise of wonderfully good news, which Nichols ultimately revealed to be the commission of a new $4 million dormitory facility to apparently begin development next year.

But a newly commissioned dormitory was not the only thing

4

Nichols addressed in her speech. Like other speakers (namely, Dr. Patrick Widhalm Mr. Michael Thorp, Alex Robertson, and Cheyenne Ortiz), Nichols praised students for their achievements as “some of the best students in the state” and encouraged them to develop their achievements further.

In addition, Nichols claimed the most important thing to do at a school like LSMSA is to have fun and savor the experience.

Having attended a school for the gifted in Memphis, Tn., Nichols attested to the permanence and uniqueness of a gifted education and suggested that LSMSA students take strong pride in their talents.

Her sentiments were echoed by seniors Alex Robertson (SGO President) and Cheyenne Ortiz (Senior Class President), who offered witty advice to incoming students and highlighted the quality of life at LSMSA they continue to admire and cherish.

During the ceremony students recited for the first time a revised Honor Code Pledge.

8

9

1.

2.

3.

Students posing with certificates after being matriculated: 1. Alvin Zheng 2. Nathalie Trow-McDonald 3. Jong-Ho Lee All taken by Brandon K.

3

In This Issue:

What’s it like being a new kid at LSMSA? No better way to find out than to ask one...or ten.

What exactly is Expanded Orientation?

Everything you ever wanted to know and more about EO. The woman, the legend, Dr. Pamela Francis You’ve heard about her, but do you really know who she is?

The Last Lecture: LSMSA Style You read about Randy Pausch’s last lecture, now read about Dr. V’s, Prem’s, and Ms. Mangum’s.

9

Meet Yolanda Thompson Did you know that this new SLA taught in Kuwait?

New teacher on the block: Dr. Jocelyn Donlon A published author, Fulbright Scholar, and new LSMSA English professor.

LSMSA goes “Old School” for Sadies The first major dance of the year takes a blast from the past.

The Fun Page Thought newspapers couldn’t be fun? Think again. ...and more!

4

10

5

11

6

12

The Renaissance

Page 2

September 2013

Letter from the Editor:

Having been on The Renaissance for almost two years, I’m excited to be the head honcho of it now. I don’t know what I would’ve done without my awesome staff. They deal with all the emails I send at odd times in the morning, along with me critiquing them on article length and journalistic grammar. They pretty much rock.

Also I have to thank Dr. Art, obviously. He’s one of the most patient people I know (I mean, how else could he deal with me?) He goes along with my crazy ideas for the paper, stays at school for hours to help me with it, and tries to understand my technical-talk about layout things.

Lastly, I want to give thanks to caffeine. Without it, I would not have been able to finish this paper. It helped me stay awake during all those quality hours I spent with inDesign and Photoshop.

I love doing this so much. If you have talked to me in the past week, chances are you’ve probably heard me say something about newspaper. Nothing makes me happier than messing with the layout for hours. It almost seems too fun to be for something actually important.

Journalism is seriously so awesome. I read the AP Stylebook for fun. I go on Twitter to keep up with the news instead of my friends. I hoard magazines and newspapers from everywhere just to look at their style and layout. I can take creepy pictures and get away with it by just saying, “It’s for newspaper.” I guess I’m just a journalism nerd.

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys reading this as much as I enjoyed making it.

Yours truly,

Carlie Procell

Coming Soon: Sept. 24

College Fair//11am//Gym Sept. 25

Improv Performance//6pm//CPT Blackbox

How to Succeed in Biology//6:30pm//Recital Hall Oct. 6

Mr. Hendrix’s Colloquium//6:30pm//Recital Hall Oct. 7-11

Pink Week//Across Campus Oct. 12

Eaglestock//2pm//Front Yard of CPT Oct. 18

Breakfast for Dinner//7pm//CPT Atrium Oct. 18-19

Connections Weekend//Across Campus

“The dirtiest I’ve ever been was on this one archaeological dig...” -Dr. Francis “Are boys and girls even allowed to play together?” -Jenny Schmitt *waiting outside Caddo after a fire alarm* Ravleen Kaur: “Can I go get my homework?”

“When people say that humans descended from monkeys, you can tell that at least some of us did.” -Dr. Dalling Carlie Procell: “Dr. Art, have you ever had a near death experience?”

Dr. Art: “I am near death.”

“You lost your hair. The Navy gave you cancer.”

-Drew Nieman “I am a bird and I fly over the land of math.”

-Mz. Gleason Kyle Welch: “Is there a football game today?”

Allison Smith: “It’s Tuesday.”

Kyle Welch: “I don’t know how football works.”

For more information on any event, contact us at: newspaper@student.lsmsa.edu wallsonline.org

The Renaissance

September 2013

What’s it like being a new kid at LSMSA? Johnnette Johnson

Page 3

Brooke Mendoza

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Between dealing with an entirely different schedule, taking college level classes, living with 300 other students, and having the hormones of a typical teenager, how can new kids be expected to maintain their sanity?

This month, The Renaissance polled some new students on their experiences as tiny fish in the big sea of LSMSA. Students here come from all over the state; some move to Natchitoches from cities, some from towns, and some from small villages solely to come to this school. Everyone has their own reasons for coming here, but we all stay for the same reason: the cafeteria .

Being here isn’t easy, but most students can agree that it’s worth it in the end.

What was

f LSMSA? o n io s s e r p “As soon as I visited, I knew that your first im I wanted to come here. The atmosphere and students are way more out-going, eccentric, and firm in what they believe. I love it; I couldn’t find that at my old school.” - Colton Boothe (‘14)

“My first impression was that everyone was smarter than me in some way. It gives me a challenge so I can strive to be better.”

-Kenny Driggers (‘16)

“I think school will be a big transition, but right now it still feels just like camp. You stay for a week, then go home. I think it will take a while before it sets in completely.” -Hailey Vance (‘16)

Was coming

A

How is LSMS

here a big tra

nsition?

“The only big transition was living in the dorms.” -Sam Crochet (‘16)

hool?

r old sc u o y m o r f t n differe

“All the opportunities. There are so many things I can do, like clubs or independent studies, that will boost my college applications and broaden my knowledge & horizons.”

-Isabela Walkin (‘16)

“You live on campus, for one. The teachers also really care about the students’ learning. Mostly, the people are different. Being yourself is okay and you won’t get weird looks for doing random things.” - Leia Bright (‘16)

What’s your f “My favorite class is Lit/Comp with Bankston. There is a huge change from my previous English class. It is more open to discussion.” -Ryan Domingue (‘15)

avorite class

here? Is it dif

ferent?

“Chemistry. It’s a lot harder than any other science class I have taken.” -Jack Dalton (‘16)

Do you feel like there are enough opportunities to meet everyone here?

“I feel like there are more than plenty opportunities for people to get to meet everyone here. There are mixers every week & different meetings every day.” -Monét LaCour (‘15)

“Everyone here’s really nice.

Between Expanded Orientation and socializing in the dorms you get to meet pretty much everybody.”

-River Scrantz (‘16)

The Renaissance

September 2013

Staff Writer

Have you ever thought about the possibility of kick boxing, attending a chips and salsa party, and learning how to write a lab report taking place all in the same setting? These activities, among others, are part of the 2013 Expanded Orientation Program at LSMSA. Since 2011 the goals of Expanded Orientation have been to help students make connections with faculty, staff, and peers at LSMSA, as well as help them develop skills that will benefit them during their time at LSMSA. The program allows students to adjust to LSMSA by attending sessions that pertain to their own specific needs.

The Expanded Orientation activities are grouped into four categories: health and wellness, social, academic, and personal development.

Each activity is worth a designated number of points, with academic and informative events being worth more points than purely social ones.

While there is no limit to the number of Expanded

Orientation events students can attend, all new students are required to earn 100,000 points from all four categories by the end of the first nine weeks of school.

As an added incentive, students who earn 50,000 points from at least three categories by halfway through the first nine weeks can earn 10pm curfew.

Students who fail to meet the goal will receive one level lower in the level system for the next nine weeks.

Director of Student Services Emily Shumate remains hopeful about the future of the Expanded Orientation program and hopes students see the value in the program, as well.

She recognizes that some may not, but feels that it is something they will appreciate later on in the future.

“Perhaps they will when they get to college and see how much more prepared they are than most of their peers or maybe years from now when they remember that it was Dr. Landry who

Students wishing to know their EO point total can contact Jenny at jschmitt@lsmsa.edu

taught them that tip for being organized, Nick Guidroz who taught them to change their oil, or Yolanda Thompson who taught them that game they still play on long road trips,” said Shumate.

News of upcoming Expanded Orientation events can be found in email announcements and on screens in the CPT, Caddo Hall, and Prudhomme Hall.

Dr. Dalling teaches an EO on how to operate Sony Vegas

Home Sweet Home

#BoardingSchoolProblems Allison Smith Staff Writer

You know you have been at LSMSA for a while when you start referring to the dorm as ‘home’. Students often find the phrases “I left my computer at home” or “I’ll do that when I get home” slipping out

By living with their peers students form unbreakable bonds and learn more than ever imagined. They bring out each others’ strengths through study sessions and late night debates, things that would never happen at a ‘normal school’.

they think about nasty water, Steel Magnolias, and lights on the river.

However, students of LSMSA have a different view.

The LSMSA community hears Natchitoches and thinks about WalMart runs, Goodwill, and the occasional night

Brandon K.

Cosette Zacarias

Brandon K.

What exactly is Expanded Orientation?

Brandon K.

Page 4

Christine Savoie

The humble abode of Caddo Hall (left) with the homely Prudhomme Hall (right)

Students participate in a Super Smash Bros. tournament for EO credit.

of their mouths.

It makes sense. We live here, eat here, study and go to school here.

But what makes the place so welcoming that we give it that famous term of endearment: home.

LSMSA prides itself on its living, learning, community. It is obvious that the school’s academics are superior, but in-coming students tend to worry about the living section of community more than anything.

Living in the dorms is not any student’s dream, but Caddo and Prudhomme find a way to make it bearable. Different student organizations host movie nights, bonfires, and other impromptu activities to entertain students during the weekends. Other benefits like evening study sessions help people to catch up on their work during the weekdays while getting help from professors.

When people think about Natchitoches,

out to Magee’s. It’s these events that make the LSMSA community so unique and unified.

Students from across the years have a connection to each other because they have been through it.

Even though times evolve, many things at LSMSA have not changed. Students still catch a bus to get to Wal-Mart, and they still stay up all night finishing their daunting research papers.

The Renaissance

September 2013

Page 5

The woman, the legend, Dr. Pamela Francis

Before staring an interview with new literature teacher, Dr. Pamela Francis, I asked how she liked to be addressed.

“Do you prefer Dr. Francis, Dr. Pamela Francis, or Dr. Pamela?” I ask.

“Oh, I don’t care,” she answered, “But I do like the ‘Dr.’” Dr. Francis, as her students already know, is an unusual character.

From the energy in her voice and gestures, it is clear how much she enjoys teaching literature; and from occasional digressions, one can easily estimate how far her interests reach.

Francis grew up in Shreveport, where she reluctantly went to high school.

“I didn’t like high school very much,” she said, shaking her head.

“In fact, I hated it. I lived a little farther from the school than everyone else, so I didn’t really have many friends.”

But her time was not spent idly.

“In my free time in one of history class, I would read War and Peace,” she explained. “I ended up finishing it. The problem was that [school] was too easy.”

Because high school was so easy for Francis, she read more than just War and Peace. As she explained, she read all the time, particularly books about horses.

Her grandfather frequently brought her family on trips around the South, which exposed her to the history of the land and sparked an interest in history that she still carries.

In fact, after graduating high school, Francis went to college at Blue Mountain College, a women’s

university in Mississippi, and received her B.A. in English and history.

I pointed out her frequent historical references in class.

“Yeah, [literature and history] are very connected,” she explained.

“When you read literature, it’s hard to understand it without knowing at least something about its history. Even when I was reading those horse books when I was younger, there was always something historical about them, sometimes even about the history of the horse.”

After receiving her degree, Francis moved to Dallas, where she stayed and taught at an alternative

food.”

“Just everything about New Orleans attracted me,” she said. “New Orleans is the most un-American place in America.”

Inspired by the various religions she encountered in New Orleans, Francis decided to get her M.A. in religious studies from Loyola.

She explained that the religions that most interested her were spiritualism, a mixture of African religions and Catholicism, and Eastern Christianity.

After living in New Orleans, Francis moved to Houston to get her Ph.D. in English from Rice University.

Her thesis included re-

The site of Tel Gezer, where Francis once went on an archaeological dig.

a book club that she started with Dr. Nahla Beier.

“The book club is wonderful,” boasts Francis. “There are members of both genders, which you don’t see very often, and we don’t just discuss Kyle W.

Kyle Welch

Assistant Editor

Dr. Francis enjoys wearing clothes and accessories from around the world.

school for 10 years.

When she reached the age of 30, however, she felt she needed change and spontaneously moved to the French Quarter in New Orleans with only $20.

However, she soon got a job, met her husband, and even the Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria.

“I was just so attracted to the history,” she said, “and the mystery… and the literature… and the

search in imperial ideologies in London, and she said most of her research was done on eBay, collecting memorabilia and artifacts. Her research also dealt with eugenics to some degree.

Although not currently continuing her research, Francis says she expects to continue research on imperial ceremonies, such as the Diamond Jubilee, eventually.

Currently, she maintains

fiction, which is also unusual.”

As she explained, the discussed reading is often very diverse. With members such as Dr. Patrick Widhalm and wife Betsy, Dr. Beier and husband Bill, and poet laureate Dr. Julie Kane, topics can range from musical theory, theory, travel, law, art, and politics in addition to fiction.

Another very important part of Francis’s life is

travel, particularly outside of the United States.

She recently went on a trip to Greece, where she visited Butrint, Crete, and hiked the Samaria Gorge.

She also visited Albania during her trip.

In addition to Greece and Albania, Francis has also been on an archaeological digging trip in Tel Gezer, which she claimed to have been one of her favorite trips.

“The Palestinians are so generous and so hospitable,” she explained. “Even though they didn’t speak the language, they were just so helpful.”

In addition to travel, Francis enjoys many outdoor hobbies, such as gardening and hiking. She recently visited the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll in London.

Francis also enjoys West and North African music.

Her favorite instruments are the khura and Greek bazuki. She hopes to make a trip to Mali when the conditions are right.

I asked what her favorite thing about teaching at the Louisiana School was.

“That students actually read,” she said, laughing.

“It’s nice to teach students who are interested in the subjects and who can actually teach me things I didn’t know before.”

The Renaissance

Page 6

September 2013

The Last Lecture: LSMSA Style Kyle Welch

Want to see more “last lectures” from LSMSA staff and faculty?

Assistant Editor

Soojin Lee Staff Writer

Email suggestions to: newspaper@student.lsmsa.edu We’re going to post one last lecture per issue for the rest of the year from your favorite staff and faculty members.

WisdomPortal.com

LSMSA has recently employed a common reading program in which students and faculty vote on a book of interest and read it over the summer to discuss it in the fall.

This year’s common reading selection was The Last Lecture. Written by Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture is about his diagnosis for cancer and subsequent lecture at Carnegie Mellon as part of its “last lecture” series.

Pausch offered a plethora of insight in his lecture about savoring life and realizing dreams.

The Renaissance staff polled the student body to find three teachers from whom it would most like to hear a “last lecture.”

The term is usually reserved for teachers and professors who will soon

be retiring or resigning (or dying) but is being used here to describe an insightful lecture about topics not covered in classrooms.

After tallying the re-

sults, the chosen teachers were briefly interviewed to provide an “abstract” of their hypothetical last lectures.

Randy Pausch while giving his last lecture in 2007.

Mr. Prem Gongaju

Prem Gongaju has worked at LSMSA for 18 years and is very well-known around campus for his generosity, wit, and insight.

When I asked what Prem would talk about in his last lecture, he promised no one’s eyes would be dry by the end of it. I told him we were not expecting him to die after giving the lecture, so he spared me his lachrymose material and gave me something much different.

“Children shouldn’t think of history as burden,” said Prem. “It’s a tonic of the heart and should be used to extend the hands of humanity.”

“American people are hospitable, kind, generous, and helpful,” said Prem, “but so many kids only see Louisiana or Texas to go to a football game or Florida to Disney World. The founding fathers of America, their ideas, are tainted with cottonseed oil.”

“Do you see where I’m going with that?” he asked and laughed. I nodded “yes,” and he continued. [Prem was talking about slavery.]

“White people should know if they are in higher positions,” he said, “historically, it’s been because of the [suffering] of colored people. I want kids to see whoever is different from [them] as the face of a brother or sister instead of seeing fear. White people should see what Dr. Findley and Dr. Van Rhyn teach when they see people of color.”

“People should give up Limbaugh, those people spreading venom,” said Prem, “and take up culture. Some people say the decline of America has already begun, but I think the kids at LSMSA can prevent America from falling.”

He made a point that students from other countries have the unique ability to prosper in America while offering different perspectives and spreading new ideas. They should, he said, take advantage of it for the benefit of America and diplomacy instead of using it to send a bomb one way or the other.

He continued on.

“Hours are allotted to [the students] by the tax payers of Louisiana,” he said. “They shouldn’t waste them by playing Magic cards, video games, fornicating, smoking, or drinking. Most of the people who pay for their education will never have the opportunity to receive it themselves. That’s why students should value work service.”

And more.

“Grades don’t matter,” he said. “What’s up with studying for grades? What kind of learning is that? And what is it with PDA? It’s exhibitionism! [PDA-ers] force me into that role of Peeping Prem. Every day, I have to stop that.”

In short, clean up your acts. You’re worth better.

September 2013

The Renaissance

Page 7

Dr. Mark Van Rhyn A teacher of history and assistant basketball coach at LSMSA for 10 years, was among the three teachers chosen to give a last lecture. Van Rhyn encourages students to build personal relationships with him outside of class and devotes a lot of his time to LSMSA’s extracurricular life.

Unsurprisingly, the number of votes sent with his name was substantial.

In his lecture, Van Rhyn said he would discuss two ideas: broadening horizons and questioning authority.

After living in south California for most of his life, Van Rhyn spontaneously moved to Alaska, looking for change, an opportunity to start over, and a place to get away from his parents.

“I was very angry when I was younger,” said Van Rhyn.

“I was just always so mad from high school until I graduated college because of the [Vietnam] war… I needed a change.”

“I knew probably two people in the whole state of Alaska,” said Van Rhyn. “You have to be open to change; you have to be open to new things.”

Allowing for change, Van Rhyn said, unveils opportunities to experience new environments, build different perspectives, and meet new people.

In fact, he met his wife in Alaska.

“If I had enough money,” said Van Rhyn, “I’d give each and every one of you tuition money to out of state schools.” He pointed to a photo of Yosemite Valley on the wall of his office, explaining the abundance of similar places across the country that students rarely get to experience.

“But I don’t have enough money.”

Secondly, Van Rhyn would encourage students to question authority.

“Authority thwarts our ability to think and act,” said Van Rhyn. “Sometimes you need to push the envelope, and sometimes the envelope’s going to break.”

“Always ask questions,” said Van Rhyn, “not only for yourself, but for society. There’s a lot to be said for that kind of attitude… Conformity is monotonous, it’s boring, it’s not fun... You know, Robert Frost wrote that poem about taking the path less traveled. There was a time when I was taking that path unintentionally, but over time I did it deliberately.”

Lastly, Van Rhyn would encourage students to cherish their time at LSMSA. “This place is absolutely magnificent,” said Van Rhyn. “[Teachers] are considered experts in their fields, and they each have a different way of teaching. That kind of diversity, I think, is essential to education.”

Ms. Jennifer Mangum

Ms. Mangum has taught at LSMSA for 15 years, and is famous among students for her sense of humor. Over the years, she has “collected” a group of students whom have now become her friends and whom she calls her “Thanksgiving collection.”

“What if I don’t know what I would say at a last lecture?” asked Mangum.

Then she was reminded of that exclusive group of students, her “Thanksgiving collection.”

“Well, some of them are going to school to be ER doctors,” said Mangum, “so I don’t feel like I can give them life advice. I mean, one of them just called me and asked me how to set up her 401K, because she knows I’m good with my money.”

“Be good with your money,” said Mangum. “Do not get into credit card debt. Invest, invest, invest.”

But investing is not all Mangum is concerned about. In fact, when asked about The Last Lecture, she had even more insightful things to say.

“Oh, I thought it was beautiful, you know, heartbreaking,” replied Mangum. “If something like that happened to me, I hope that I would soldier on like that, you know, not collapse in self-pity, and teach without hair.”

“We’re all going to die, you know,” said Mangum, “You can either pass away one night or you can, you know, have two months to plan your life. Then you can either collapse in that self-pity or you can get through with it.”

Yet to offer her own perspective, Mangum took a moment, then continued.

“I did think about this,” said Mangum, “and, ultimately, everything I thought about was about finding and maintaining companionship. You know, everything good I’ve gone through and everything bad I’ve gotten through has been through companionship.”

“You’re born into a family,” said Mangum, “and you spend time with them, and the rest of your life you build your own. If you don’t find people and treat them well, life is nothing. The goal in life is companionship.”

“You know, the gay community has always been about building a family,” said Mangum, “and that’s exactly how it’s been for me.”

“I’m a pretty private person,” said Mangum, “but my inner core is rock solid. I’m the kind of person who stays up all night if something’s wrong. I treat my people well.”

The Renaissance

Page 8

Allison Smith Staff Writer

Dr. Francis

With teenagers screaming chants, teachers acting crazily, and music blaring across the gym— Eagle Antics is not your average school’s pep rally.

For people outside of the LSMSA community, it may seem like one giant celebration or a silly athletic event. To the

screaming and shouting, just like in class,” said Dr. Robert Dalling, physics professor and a faculty representative for 3W. “Everyone was chanting or yelling...so I started getting more excited, and by the time I reached Prudhomme, I was wanting to yell and scream too!” said Dr. Pamela Francis, new English professor and a faculty

William Ganucheau & Lee Hoyle battle each other in Dwarf-Wizard-Giant.

representative for 2C. “This is my third year participating in Eagle Antics and I unequivocally state that this year’s version was the best!!

Even Mrs. Dr. Hall and Ms. Gray got dressed up to participate in the festivities.

wizards, and wizards beat giants.

Before beginning the games, each hall walks to the center of the gym to give a 45 second presentation. The men of 1A stole the show this year with their Mad Men theme, even taking the time to pour the judges a few bubbly glasses of “champagne.”

Between senior Will Smith singing on the loudspeaker and an impromptu dance off, 1A was impossible to beat and took home the overall win without a challenge.

Dr. Francis

people of LSMSA, it is the single most important competition of the year.

Halls have a mere two weeks to come up with themes, choreograph a dance/skit, and rally teachers together to increase their chances of winning. The day of the event, people rush from Community Dinner to the dormitories to prepare for the night to come.

Students run up and down the residence halls looking for the perfect addition to their costumes as music blares throughout the walls of the dorm.

Teachers even show up to get decked out for the competition.

“Everyone had a blast

The enthusiasm of every hall was tremendous,” said Dr. Jason Anderson, biology professor and a judge for this year’s Eagle Antics.

Each hall competed in three tasks: a relay-race, body spelling, and dwarfwizard-giant.

The relay race was composed of wheelbarrow racing, crab walking, and running around in some sort of hula hoop contraption.

Students who participated in body spelling formed three letter words on the ground using their bodies. Some of the words included, “tea”, “bee”, and “tie”.

The last event is an Eagle Antics classic: dwarf-wizard-giant.

Basically a game of rock-paper-scissors, but dwarf-wizard-giant adds a mystical touch. Students play with their entire bodies to form one of the three characters.

To be a giant, one must put both of his arms straight up in the air. To be a wizard, he reaches his arms in front of himself and wiggles his fingers. To be a dwarf, one only has to squat down on his haunches. Giants beat dwarves, dwarves beat

Dr. Francis

Eagle Antics: the biggest competition of the year

September 2013

Different halls compete in body spelling to spell three letter words with ten people

Not to mention, they dominated in the competitions, which allowed the Eagle Antics trophy to find a special home on 1A. In terms of spirit, 3W was the hall to beat. They started collecting teachers at the very beginning and even managed to make costumes and tee shirts for everyone on the hall. Their preparedness plus their loud shouts and spirited third year seniors helped them to take home the spirit trophy yet again this year.

Along with receiving the trophies from winning overall and spirit, both 1A and 3W were also awarded with $100 to their hall budgets to have a celebration afterwards.

Eagle Antics brings the students of the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts together to compete and cheer with one another. Through this crazy competitive pep rally, students bring out their creative sides and top each other off year after year.

The Renaissance

September 2013

Allison Smith Staff Writer

Audra Allen

In the past few years, the dance program at LSMSA has had many different teachers.

After teacher Randy Allen’s retirement in

2011, the school began the search for a new instructor.

Mrs. Audra Allen was finishing up her MFA in Dance at the University of Arizona when she applied for the job.

Allen en pointe in ballet attire.

“I heard about the position when I was looking for a job after completing my masters degree”, said Allen. “I especially liked that they asked for the instructor to be able to teach many styles of dance. I liked the idea of a challenge.”

Since arriving at LSMSA Allen has taken over teaching the many dance courses offered including modern, jazz, ballet, and even a few advanced courses.

When asked what her favorite style of dance is, Allen noted that she loved taking ballet but did not have a preference when teaching. “I love them all,” stated Allen.

Allen started dancing at the age of five not knowing that one day she would make a career out of it.

“My parents put me in a dance class as a Christmas gift, thinking

Brandon K.

Audra Allen waltzes into new position as dance instructor

Page 9

Allen in her new office in MAB 217

it would be a phase,” said Allen. “Fortunately I never grew out of it.”

Allen originally planned to be a professional ballet dancer but after a few injuries realized being a performer was not going to happen.

At that point in her career, she decided to go to college, and there she fell in love with choreography.

Allen plans on improving the dance program at LSMSA by expanding the opportu-

nities available to the dancers so that they can receive as much experience and education as possible.

“I loved the small town vibe, it is one of the things that made me tell my husband ‘We need to move here’,” stated Allen when asked about the town of Natchitoches.

Allen is very excited to be apart of the LSMSA community and the place that many students call home.

Allison Boudreaux Staff Writer

This year LSMSA welcomed several new faculty and staff members. Among these new faces is Yolanda Thompson, the student life advisor for 2nd East in Caddo Hall.

Originally from Sierra Vista, Arizona, she has lived in and visited many countries and has a passion for traveling.

After receiving a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education and a Masters in Higher and Postsecondary Education,

she taught English in for nearly two years in South Korea and worked as an academic counselor for college students.

More recently, Thompson taught fourth graders in Kuwait.

She finds teaching very rewarding and loves learning about different cultures. She left Kuwait to return home for one month before moving into Caddo at the end of July.

“Moving to Natchitoches was definitely a very smooth transition,” said Thompson.

Allison B.

Meet Yolanda Thompson

Thompson is excited to be at LSMSA this year.

“I felt very welcomed here.”

Thompson is currently co-sponsoring the Black Student Union with Dr. Jason Anderson, heavily in-

volved with Deliberate Acts of Kindness, and offering kickboxing as an Expanded Orientation event with the 3rd West student life advisor,

Eboni Mosley.

She is looking forward to becoming more active and sharing her interests with the LSMSA community during her time here.

She brings with her some meaningful advice for students.

“Try new things, meet different people, branch out, and travel,” said Thompson.

“It’s all about networking.”

The Renaissance

Page 10

Sarah Thomas Staff Writer

After Dr. Nahla Beier’s retirement and Dr. Clayton Delery’s shift into the role of Director of Academic Services at the end of the last school year, LSMSA began looking at applications for two new English teachers. Dr. Jocelyn Donlon, born in Thibodeaux, LA, emerged as one.

In addition to her career as a teacher, Dr. Donlon is also a published author. In November 2000, the University of North Carolina Press published her book, Swinging in Place: Porch Life in Southern Culture through.

It explores the meaning, symbolism, and role of the front porch in southern culture This book is noted as one of the first serious studies of the subject as well as “an important addition to folklore and southern studies” by the Journal of American Folklore.

In the book, Donlon reveals how porch culture crosses both ethnic and cultural lines. The porch,

as she reveals, is not merely a place to relax but also sets a stage for many social dramas.

A graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Illinois (where she got her Ph.D.), Dr. Donlon has been teaching off and on for 30 years and began her career at New Iberia Senior High in 1979 before transitioning to college level education and vowing never to teach high school again.

After teaching at LSU, she received a Fulbright scholarship to teach at Ege University in Turkey for one semester in the fall of 2002.

She spent another seven years in Japan at Tokai University teaching English Language Acquisition (ESL) and American Literature as well as several classes on international folktales and Shakespeare.

During her seven year hiatus in Japan, Dr. Donlon experienced a culture entirely different from that

Brandon K.

New teacher on the block: Dr. Jocelyn Donlon

September 2013

Dr. Donlon in her new office located in HSB Rm. 102

which she was accustomed to in the U.S. She explained that living in Japanese society was “difficult but appreciated.”

She described several differences she noticed in Japanese society, such as the cultural importance of harmony and group cooperation rather than having all attention focused on the individual, as it is in American culture.

When asked why she decided to leave Tokai University a semester early to return to Louisiana, she simply stated that “it was just time to come home, and this was a job worth coming back to.”

She explained that she discovered LSMSA as a teenager when she met a piano student of her mothers who was in one of the first graduating classes.

When questioned about her previous vow to never teach high school again, she explained that LSMSA had always been the exception to that rule.

She explained that she had always liked the idea of a university-structured high school and that, as a teacher, the virtual “guar-

antee of teaching highachieving, eager students” had made the application stand out when she saw it online. She added that from there, “everything just worked itself out.”

“I love it,” Donlon said when asked about her first few weeks as an LSMSA teacher. She explained that “the students here are so much more willing to share ideas and opinions than the students in Japan.”

She explained that “group-thinks,” or class discussions, were made difficult by the culturally shy nature that made students terrified of having their opinions heard in addition to the fact that she was teaching literature as a second language.

This year, she’s teaching American Literature, World Literature, and English110: Writing and Literature, giving her the opportunity to teach all three grade levels.

She says that she’s having fun as a new teacher and is enjoying the challenge of identifying the needs of such a unique student body.

Dr. Donlon explained

her favorite things about LSMSA, including the close-knit community of the faculty, the interest that teachers have in their classes, and the lack of cynicism in the classroom.

She said that it amazes her that some faculty members have been here for 25 years and haven’t lost their enthusiasm for the subject they teach and the students they educate.

She loves that LSMSA offers teachers the freedom to experiment and bring new methods into the classroom and can be themselves with their students.

She also explained that the student body is the reason the teachers are here, which provides a mutually beneficial relationship.

When asked what she was looking forward to in her future here at LSMSA, Dr. Donlon stated that she would love to eventually teach classes on folklore and 21st century American Fiction as well as develop mentoring relationships with students.

The Renaissance

September 2013

Page 11

LSMSA goes “Old School” for Sadies Carlie Procell Editor in Chief

Ever wonder what music your teachers listened to at their high school dances? This year, music for the Sadie Hawkins dance was chosen by teachers to fit the “Old School” theme.

In past years, Sadies was always sponsored by the Student Activities Board (SAB); this year, two biology clubs took it upon themselves to throw the first major dance of the school year.

Animal Welfare and Botany Club teamed up to host the dance this year. Their theme, “Old School” won the vote against SAB’s “Livin’ Large” in the Inter-Club Council meeting.

“We actually came up with the theme on a Wal-Mart run,” said Taylor Tonnies, Animal Welfare President.

“The Grease soundtrack started playing on someone’s iPod and I thought, “Why don’t we have a school dance

with some of these songs?””

Some of the songs played included: “Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners, “Rocket Man” by Elton John, “What I Like About You” by The Romantics, and “Macarena” by Los Del Rio. Many male students dressed up in white t-shirts, leather jackets, and jeans while many female students wore poodle skirts and scarves. Some students

decided to approach the theme from an even older perspective and wore togas to the dance.

Since it was the first time planning a dance for both clubs, it brought about a whole new realm of challenges.

“It really was difficult planning the dance. We don’t have that many members in our clubs, so we had to get help from other people too.” said Jessi Pierce, Botany Club President.

“A lot of thought goes into planning a dance.

More than I originally anticipated.” said Tonnies.

Even with those difficulties, the dance turned out to be a success.

“I think it went really well. People even stopped me after the dance to tell me it was the best dance they had been to.” said Pierce.

Page 12

The Renaissance

The Fun Page

September 2013

This week’s puzzle topic is “Teachers of LSMSA.” The answer to each clue is the full teacher’s name. By Allison Boudreaux

ACROSS 2. This art teacher is originally from Massachusetts.

7. This teacher also works as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at NSU. 11. This teacher works primarily in the Math Playground.

DOWN 1. This teacher’s wife is the director of the LSMSA Foundation.

3. This teacher received his Ph.D. in Physics from New Mexico State University.

12. This math teacher sponsors LASCO.

4. This biology teacher worked on In Vitro Fertilization and Nuclear Transfer in cattle and goats.

13. This English teacher worked in Japan before relocating to LSMSA.

5. This foreign language teacher is a Washington state native.

14. This Wisconsin native teaches a performing art.

6. This teacher loves spiders and is the sponsor of Animal Welfare.

15. This teacher has been teaching at LSMSA since 1994 and is the sponsor of the Science Club.

8. This teacher offers a robotics class.

9. This history teacher has a J.D. 10. This history teacher offers a class on the American West.

Questions Comments? Concerns? Submissions?

Feel free to emai.l us at: newspaper@student.lsmsa.edu View this edition and more online! http://issuu.com/lsmsarenaissance