In order to provide timely information on COVID-19 specifically for Northshore residents, the Southeastern Channel has begun airing a new weekly segment titled Northshore News Update: Coronavirus on the North Shore.

The new 15-minute update debuts each week on Friday at 4 p.m. and airs throughout the day every day of the week on the Southeastern Channel, which can be seen on Spectrum 199 cable throughout the Northshore for a potential viewing audience of 250,000 in Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, Livingston, and St. Helena parishes.

Live streaming of the 24-7 Southeastern Channel broadcast can also be seen on Roku and Apple TV along with thesoutheasternchannel.com, which offers video on demand of all episodes. The coronavirus update can also be accessed through Southeastern Channel accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

“With all of the broad and rapidly-changing news everywhere on the coronavirus, we wanted to provide Northshore viewers with a resource of timely and vital information specific to individual parishes that will address the most urgent needs,” said Rick Settoon, general manager of the Southeastern Channel. “This is a condensed segment spotlighting critical services for those in Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, Livingston, and Washington parishes provided by their specific parish governments, school systems, hospitals, law enforcement, and business organizations.”

Information provided spans everything from COVID-19 testing and school food distribution to small business disaster loans. Also included are phone interviews with parish officials conducted by student reporters from the Southeastern Channel’s national award-winning newscast, Northshore News. Student reporters include Gabby Cox of Hammond, Lorraine Weiskopf of Covington, and Kaylee Normand and Chris Rosato of Mandeville.

Settoon said that since the student reporters are forced to work from home during the pandemic, and are thus unable to shoot interviews and footage to avoid face-to-face contact, their reports lean on phone interviews and graphics with timely information in the form of websites, phone numbers, URLs, and times and locations of the vital services provided in each parish.
“Our award-winning students are eager to tackle the challenge even while having to spend most of their time with online courses,” Settoon said. “They see this as a unique, real-world opportunity at a time of crisis using new technology and formats where they can really serve their community and viewers with critical news and information.”

In its 17 years of existence, the Southeastern Channel has won over 400 national, international, and regional awards, including 17 awards from the Emmys.

For the eighth consecutive year, Southeastern has been named a Military Friendly® School for 2020-2021.

Viqtory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs, states the listing honors the top colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace the nation’s military service members, veterans, and spouses as students and to ensure their success on campus.

“Southeastern’s consistent listing shows our continued commitment to serve active military, veterans, and their families,” said President John L. Crain. “As always, we are proud to receive this recognition, as it places us among some of the top universities in the nation, but more importantly we know it means we are doing our best to serve those who have made many sacrifices in service to our nation.”

Southeastern enrolls over 528 veteran and military service members. The University maintains a Veterans Upward Bound program; has an Office of Veterans Affairs that assists students in obtaining benefits and with other issues; provides academic and other counseling services; offers scholarships specifically for military students and veterans; and maintains a wide range of online and distance learning programs that provide students with flexibility in scheduling.

Southeastern’s ROTC program, which is a sub-unit of the Southern University Army ROTC program, returned to Hammond in 2016 after more than a 20-year hiatus. Fifty-five students now participate in the program.

Southeastern now serves as a resource center for thousands of Louisiana veterans in an effort to help active-duty military servicemen and servicewomen successfully transition to college through a new program called LaVetCorps.

Additionally, Southeastern recently launched the Office of Military and Veteran Success. The new office includes two college employees, a LAVetCorps employee and six veteran ambassadors. The center offers help with academic advising related to VA education benefits, processing VA education benefits, counseling on VA education benefits, programs, events, and priority registration.

“Southeastern has made a concerted effort in the past several years to focus on military service members, veterans, and their families,” said Director of Military and Veteran Success Matt Watkins, a U.S. Air Force Veteran. “Southeastern has created innovative programming, services, events, and resources for our veterans, dependents, and military population. All of our staff members feel there is no greater calling than serving those who have served us.”

Another recent addition to campus is the Southeastern Student Veterans and Military Interest Association, a group open to veterans, reservists, spouses, dependents, and ROTC participants attending both Southeastern and Northshore Technical Community College. The association was founded to help the school administration better understand and meet the needs of veterans; offer advice from experienced to incoming veterans; help civilians better understand the military experience; and provide opportunities for veterans to meet one another and connect.

Institutions competed for inclusion on the Military Friendly Schools list based on such categories as military support on campus, graduation and employment outcomes, and career and job counseling services. The firm Ernst and Young independently tested the data provided by schools.

The 2020 list of Military Friendly Schools shows the commitment of those institutions in providing a supportive environment for military students, the company said in announcing the list.

Viqtory Media is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business founded in 2001. In addition to G.I. Jobs, the company also publishes the magazine Military Spouse.

Southeastern’s KSLU took home top honors in the Best College Radio Station and Radio News Reporting categories at this year’s Southeast Journalism Conference competition.

KSLU sportscaster and Half Time Adjustments host Adam Cortez of El Paso, Texas, represented KSLU during the on-site competition, placing first in Radio News Reporting. A junior communication major and Southeastern track athlete, Cortez took home first place honors for his news package covering the African American History Museum.

Recent Southeastern graduate Connor Ferrill of Mandeville helped KSLU earn the Best College Radio Station title for the second year in a row. His daily newscasts featured exclusive stories with in-depth interviews from newsmakers.

“Connor Ferrill’s high level of professionalism and ability to convey complex information in an easy to understand manner set him apart from other competitors in the field,” said KSLU General Manager Todd Delaney.

The Southeast Journalism Conference celebrates student journalism and offers an opportunity for participants to develop relationships with students from schools across the Southeast United States.

“KSLU regularly participates and places in conference events, taking home Best College Radio Station and Best Radio Journalist in the 2019 competition,” Delaney explained.

Available on terrestrial radio, online, and through digital streaming apps, KSLU opens the door for student broadcasters to pioneer their own programs, creating something uniquely their own, and uniquely Southeastern, Delaney said. Programming includes music, live broadcasts of sporting events, and community-oriented talk shows.

“KSLU provides Southeastern students with the real-world experience necessary to be successful in their chosen fields,” Delaney said.

For more information about KSLU, visit kslu.org.

The Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies at Southeastern has announced a new partnership with the Young Sanders Center. The partnership combines the resources of the two centers to advance scholarly research on Louisiana and surrounding regions of the South.

The merger includes the creation of two scholarly awards—the J.Y. Sanders Research Scholar Award, designed to advance the research of an established scholar, and the Young Sanders Center Graduate Assistantship, which will support student research. Both awards will be based in the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies at Southeastern.

Director of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies Samuel Hyde said he was extremely pleased to be approached by members of the board of directors of the Young Sanders Center a couple of years ago.

“The mission of our two entities perfectly support one another, and we are delighted to have the infusion of resources and research materials the partnership will eventually provide,” Hyde said. “The Young Sanders Center is currently based in Franklin, La., but the Sanders family maintained a home in Hammond, and Congressman Sanders represented a portion of the Florida Parishes during his tenure in Congress. The partnership represents a good fit for research collaboration and collections acquisitions.”

Supported by a bequeath from Mary Elizabeth Sanders, the partnership and the accompanying awards program begin this spring. Hyde said the Research Scholar award carries a $10,000 stipend and the Graduate Assistantship includes full tuition at Southeastern, along with a $13,000 stipend to facilitate research and cover services provided to facilitate the partnership. May 1, 2020, is the application deadline for both awards.

For more information about the awards and the application process, visit the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies’ web page.

Officials from Southeastern Louisiana University and Baton Rouge Community College recently signed an articulation agreement to officially align resources that will provide successful BRCC students with the opportunity to progress directly into Southeastern’s bachelor of arts program in criminal justice.

An articulation agreement is a cooperative endeavor between a two-year community college program that offers associate degrees and a four-year institution that provides students with an easy transition through the sharing of application and admissions information, transcripts and other records.

The agreement will facilitate transfer to Southeastern’s bachelor’s degree program in criminal justice upon the student’s completion of the Associate of Arts Louisiana Transfer, Criminal Justice concentration at BRCC.

Participating in the signing ceremony on behalf of Southeastern were Southeastern President John L. Crain, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Tena L. Golding and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Karen Fontenot; signing for BRCC were BRCC Interim Chancellor Willie E. Smith, Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Laura Younger and Dean of Business, Social Sciences and History Todd Dozier. Also participating in the signing event were Ken Bolton, head of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Southeastern, and Chandra Joseph, chair of the Department of Social Sciences and History at BRCC.

“This agreement represents another sign of cooperation between Louisiana institutions intended to advance the success of higher education students at both the community college and university levels,” said Southeastern President John L. Crain.

“Baton Rouge Community College is deeply committed to helping our students succeed. This includes strengthening our transfer pathways and forging new agreements with four-year institutions,” said BRCC Interim Chancellor Willie E. Smith. “This agreement with Southeastern will not only allow a seamless transfer for our students, but will create a clear pathway for success.”

BRCC students will take 60 credit hours, which include all of their general education coursework and introductory coursework in criminal justice. The remaining 60 hours at Southeastern will focus specifically on criminal justice topics.

Although Southeastern’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts is not currently open, it is still finding creative ways to entertain the public. The theater recently announced its first-ever #columbiafamous talent contest through Facebook.

Columbia Theatre Artistic Director Jim Winter said the contest began Monday, April 6, and will span several weeks. Interested contestants can submit a short video clip, approximately 60 seconds or less, in a variety of categories. The categories included are singing, dancing, acting, instrumental music, comedy, and visual art. Winter said submissions for the visual art category will be digital photographs rather than videos.

“The Columbia Theatre exists to entertain the public,” Winter said. “I wanted to do something that kept Columbia entertaining the wonderful people in our community at a time when we cannot come together in our beautiful theatre. The #columbiafamous contest is our way of getting some creative and positive energy out into a community that truly needs that right now.”

Each week will focus on preliminary contests in two of the talent categories. Contestants will have four days to submit videos. The Columbia staff will narrow the submissions down to three finalists in each category. The finalists’ videos will be posted for 24 hours, during which time the public can vote for their favorites.

The winners in each category receive two tickets to one of next season’s shows at the Columbia Theatre; automatic entry into the grand prize contest for a pair of season tickets to Columbia Theatre’s 2020-2021 season; and an invitation to perform their winning act at Columbia Theatre on Hot August Night.

The contest is open to all ages; however, children 12 and under can submit to all categories for a chance to win the children’s grand prize, which is a pair of tickets to next season’s world premiere of “Alice’s Christmas in Wonderland” and an invitation to perform their winning act at the Columbia Theatre on Hot August Night.

Interested in competing? Visit Columbia Theatre’s Facebook page for full submission and prize details.

For more information or to submit an entry, email columbiafamouscontest@gmail.com.

Students are adapting to change in many ways, and for some that includes traveling back to their homes in another state. Bradley Miller is a freshman student at Southeastern from Paducah, Kentucky, majoring in computer science. Bradley lives on campus in Ascension Hall.

In efforts to keep COVID-19 from spreading, students have been encouraged to return to their home for the remainder of the semester. Bradley left campus and went back home to be with his family in Kentucky during this time. His move has made it more of a challenge, “not being able to interact and talk to my friends as much.”

However, Bradley’s professors have adapted to remote classes and have become a source of support. “My English teacher, for example, is really good at telling us what direction we should be heading and how we are doing on our assignments,” Bradly said.

Additionally, professors are using technology to explain concepts. Bradley said, “My math teachers are either posting videos of practice problems or [PowerPoint lecture] slides.”

Many professors are also using Google Meet, which gives students an opportunity to continue to have open discussions during classes and ask questions. Bradley’s computer science and history professors are both using this platform.

Bradley has continued to work hard despite these challenges and plans to continue to maintain his schedule “to still perform well in my classes.” Although online classes may be a new experience for some students, Bradley has a positive outlook on them. He said he knows it may “require more self-discipline in order to accomplish my work and study, but I feel that I will adapt to that rather quickly. ”

Bradley is using this time to continue to work on his studies. In his spare time at home, he is keeping busy by practicing the organ and the piano.

Students at Southeastern are adjusting to remote classes in response to COVID-19 to protect the health and safety of students and the community.

Kalendra Khadka is an international student from Nepal majoring in both math and finance.

He has experienced some challenges due to the changes COVID-19 has brought to his routine at Southeastern. Kalendra said, “I love being on campus. I work there on campus, and the nature of my work has been changed now.”

For many Southeastern students, the University is a special community with faculty that work hard to help the students achieve many educational experiences, and learning goes beyond the classroom. They are adapting to not being on campus in coherence with restrictions brought from COVID-19.

Kalendra said that the campus closure of the library has been challenging. He said, “The library is a nice place to go study. I can’t check out any physical books anymore.”  Additionally, he is adapting to the changes in dining services. Despite the challenges that this may bring, he is working to adjust to the changes.

The transition to online classes, while taking his upper-level math and finance courses, is another obstacle Kalendra has been overcoming. In response to the challenges, professors have provided instruction and guidance. He said, “It is very necessary to understand the concepts. The interaction with my professors matters a lot while in my math classes and in my finance classes.”

The professors have used Google Meet, presentations with audio recordings, and Zoom during this time to continue to provide a quality education. Additionally, his math and finance professors have provided extra resources online related to the material in specific classes. Some of his online classes are also recording the presentations, which can allow students to “watch the videos back and forth to try to grasp the ideas.”

Additionally, Kalendra is a student worker in the Mathematics Tutoring Lab on campus at Sims Memorial Library. He is now remotely helping students as they are transitioning to online learning.

The math lab is a place that any student who is enrolled in a math class can seek extra help. With the changes to remote learning, the math lab tutors have responded by providing videos online. Kalendra is spending time helping to create these videos to continue to help students enhance their education through the resources Southeastern provides to their students.

Although the COVID-19 virus has impacted this semester, Kalendra is enjoying the flexibility. He stated, “There are some books I have already checked out from the library on topics I am interested in, so I am also using this time to do other work that I feel is important to me.”

Kalendra is appreciative of the University taking action due to COVID-19, saying “I totally understand the severity of the situation. I appreciate the action that was taken.”

The COVID-19 situation has permeated the world, but instead of succumbing to it, Americans have been banding together to overcome the threat it poses to both health and our way of life. This has been particularly evident within our Southeastern community, with faculty, staff, and students all working together and demonstrating their commitment to offering or pursuing a quality education.

Dr. William B. Robison, professor of history and department head of the Department of History and Political Sciences (HIPS), is one of the hundreds of faculty members who has adapted quickly to the situation in order to continue to meet students’ academic needs. “Although I would much prefer to teach my classes in person, particularly because they were very good classes this semester, adapting to online instruction and work from home has gone smoothly,” he said. “As Department Head of the Department of History and Political Science, I am very fortunate that most faculty in the department have taught online classes and that the few who have not done so were quick to seek assistance from the Center for Faculty Excellence or tech-savvy graduate students.”

In transitioning to fully remote instruction, William has been recording lectures using voiceover with Keynote slides and uploading them to YouTube along with posting their URLs in Moodle, hosting forum discussions on Moodle, and conducting meetings through GoogleMeet and Zoom. He also plans to begin occasionally incorporating GoogleMeet into his courses.

For William, who commented on the high level of participation in class discussion he had been able to enjoy until going remote, the lack of human contact has been his biggest obstacle to overcome. To help stay connected as best as possible, he has been keeping in touch with students and faculty by using email, messaging, the department’s Facebook page, and telephone.

Online courses may not be what students originally signed up, but William has noticed only strength, integrity, and dedication from students. “Contrary to the infuriating and inaccurate stereotype of contemporary university students as entitled ‘snowflakes,’ my students all have taken the situation in stride,” he said. “Of course they are not thrilled at the threat COVID-19 poses, and most of my students have told me they miss the face-to-face contact, but they have not complained or neglected their work.”

William also discussed how fellow faculty have been meeting this difficult time head-on. “The COVID-19 crisis has been a challenging mixture of devastation and uncertainty, but faculty are doing their jobs. We take a lot of pride in doing it right,” he said.

Reflecting on the situation, William commented that “Nothing much has surprised me. Our administration, faculty, staff, and students have responded well, as I would have expected. What I have learned is that we are a pretty resilient group of people. The experience has also reconfirmed for me that when the chips are down, Americans for the most part put aside their many divisions, political and otherwise, and do what needs to be done to survive and help others. That has been a great source of encouragement for me during this tough time.”

During difficult times, one can either inactively wait for the situation to pass or adapt and overcome the challenges presented, creating a positive influence in not only their own life but in the lives of others. Across the board Southeastern faculty, staff, and students have been meeting the sweeping challenges created by COVID-19 head-on. One of these many members of our Southeastern community who has been adapting to the situation is Erin Rode-Fiorello, instructor and undergraduate coordinator for the General Studies Program.

Like others Erin is currently working from home, meshing the determination to work as hard as possible to meet the needs of students with taking care of two boys while her husband continues to work outside of the home as an essential employee. For Erin, who has online instruction experience and was already teaching some online courses, the most difficult part of needing to go remote has been the transition to working from home. “I enjoy being on campus and being in the community-like work environment that is Southeastern’s campus. Now my ‘co-workers’ are my two boys, Sawyer (five years old) and Parker (two years old), which makes for a totally different if not sometimes loud and distracting work environment,” she said.

To overcome this challenge that many parents now find themselves facing, Erin said that she created a new daily routine. “It includes things like a nature walk in the morning so we all can get some fresh air and a nap time for the boys so that I can work without being interrupted every five minutes. I also check my email throughout the day so I do not miss any important messages as well as wake up early and stay up late as needed to complete my work tasks.”

While creating a routine has been very helpful, Erin has found that incorporating some flexibility and remembering to focus on the bigger picture has also become an important part of achieving success during this difficult time. “To be honest, I’ve had a couple of truly overwhelming moments,” she explained. “That is hard for me to admit because my Type A personality doesn’t like anything less than perfection, but I keep reminding myself this is the perfect time to remember that we are not perfect and I need focus on what I can control instead of the things that are out of my control. I’ve also made a point to find the positive and treasured moments each day. My boys, at this young age, are so eager to learn and experience everything. Our world may be limited to our house and the yard around it, but the adventures are boundless and I’ve surprised myself with how flexible I can be when something comes up that wasn’t in the plan for the day. I’m learning more about how to let go and go with the flow while still maintaining a routine.”

Witnessing how others throughout our Lion Family have come together during this time has also particularly made an impact on Erin, who is additionally not only an alumna but has been a part of the Southeastern community since attending summer camp on campus as a child. “I have noticed students, faculty, and staff responding with grace, understanding, flexibility, and kindness. This is one of the many reasons I love Southeastern so much,” she said. “I’ve witnessed amazing changes and growth that all universities experience, but at the heart of our University is the community and family that is Southeastern. The support and help that is given to each other through whatever may come our way, be it 9/11, a hurricane, a flood, or Covid-19, we get through it together.”