Chris LeBlancThe Contraband

In the 2013-2014 school year, we’ll reach several milestones as a university. Chief among them is our 75th anniversary celebration, which will begin in January. How-ever, The Contraband is reaching a marker of its own.

The paper you are now hold-ing is the first issue of the 75th edition of The Contraband. As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, The Contraband has been around since the foundation of Mc-

At a Glance SEED Center award-ed a grant by Economic Development Administra-tion, see page 6.

Burton Residence Hall, excitement builds as hall builds opens and stu-dents move in, see page 9.

McNeese Confes-sions, Q&A with the ad-ministrators of the popu-lar Facebook page, see page 10.

Football Preview, an early look at your Mc-Neese Cowboys, see page 11.

Student Tickets, changes ahead for student football tickets, see page 11.

The ContrabandThe voice of the McNeese community since 1939

Vol. 75

August 26-30, 2013

Phone- 337-475-5646 EMail- msucontraband@gmail.com

Jacob TroutmanThe Contraband

On Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013, McNeese State University wel-comed Bruce Hemphill as the new athletic director, only the ninth individual in school history to hold the position.

“I am deeply honored and ex-cited to be given the responsibili-ty to lead the athletics department at this great university,” Hemphill said. “During my interviews, I heard many ideas and sugges-tions, and I want to hear more. I will hit the ground listening.”

Hemphill, the former Associ-

ate Athletics Director at the Uni-versity of Wyoming and Assis-tant to the Athletics Director at the University of North Carolina (UNC), is a native of Sulphur, La., with 24 years of administrative experience at the collegiate

See New AD on page 3

Issue 1

Sulphur native Bruce Hemphill tapped as new AD

Commemorating the 75th issue of ‘The Contraband’

The front page of volume 1, issue 1 of The Contraband.Courtesy of McNeese Archives

IndexWeekly Calendar, page 2News, page 3Student Life, page 7Arts and Leisure, page 10Sports, page 11Editorial, page 15

Follow us @msucontraband

See 75th Issue on page 4

02 August 26 - 30 The Contraband

Weekly Calendar - August 26th-31st

MondayAugust 26th

TuesdayAugust 27th

WednesdayAugust 28th

ThursdayAugust 29th

FridayAugust 30th

SaturdayAugust 31th

Get Connected Day New Ranch 10-1

Various student support departments and academic areas will host table setups in the New Ranch to meet new students, give information about the services they provide, and to answer general questions. Departments wanting to reserve a table should contact the Student Union & Activities Office at 337-475-5609 or email studentunion@mcneese.edu

Student Organization FairNew Ranch 10-1

The annual Howdy Rowdy Welcome Week Student Organizations Fair is a chance for students, faculty, and staff to become acquainted with our 120+ recognized student organizations. Organizations will be recruiting new members and sharing information about their plans for the new school year.

Soccer Game7pm

Home opener versus Texas State University

Welcome Back Wednesday & Meet the GreeksQuad 10-1

Student Union Board will host its bi-annual Welcome Back Wednesday program in the Quad. The event will include interactive attractions, music, free food, and take-home novelties. This is an excellent opportunity for students to engage in activities that will encourage future campus involvement. There will be opportunities to compete and win prizes through activity participation. Adjacent to SUB’s Welcome Back Wednesday will be table displays by Mc-Neese’s 15 Greek-lettered organizations.

Campus Ministry DayNew Ranch 10-1

McNeese’s many campus ministry student organizations and local churches in the McNeese area will be present in the New Ranch Atrium to distribute information to students about joining their organizations and attending their worship services and meetings.

Community Day New Ranch 9-1

Local businesses & community service agencies in the McNeese area will have booths in the New Ranch Atrium to culminate Howdy Rowdy Welcome Week. Several businesses will be marketing their products and services, while others may be offering opportunities for part-time employment and internships for students.

Cross Country MeetMcNeese 6K Relay

Volleyball TournmentDePaul Invitional

Football Season Opener@ University of South Florida Coverage on ESPN 3 at 6pm

Volleyball TournmentDePaul Invitional

New AD from page 1and high school levels. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s de-grees from Louisiana State Uni-versity (LSU) where he was a three-year letterman and won All-Academic Southeast Conference honors playing wide receiver on the football team. He began his professional career as a graduate assistant and assistant football coach with LSU before becom-ing the Supervisor for Health and Physical Education for the Louisi-ana Department of Education.

In 1984, Hemphill returned to college athletics as an assis-

tant football coach with Louisiana Tech University for two years. In 1987, he became the recruiting coordinator for North Carolina State University and served as the assistant recruiting coordinator for the University of South Caro-lina in 1989 before joining the staff of UNC in 1990. For eight years, he served as assistant to the athletics director and director of recruiting. In 1999, he went to the University of Wyoming but re-turned to North Carolina in 2003 to become the athletics director at a 4A high school.

“It is rare to have one can-didate pull head and shoulders away from all applicants so early

in the search process,” McNeese President Dr. Philip Williams said. “Bruce is a unique find and meets every criterion that we were seek-ing in an athletics director.”

More than 35 candidates ap-plied for the position. The search committee conducted interviews via Skype or telephone with six applicants, including Hemphill. He was the only finalist invited to the McNeese campus itself for an interview.

“I plan to immerse myself in the history of McNeese State Uni-versity and McNeese athletics and to meet with as many people as possible to determine what is good for McNeese,” Hemphill said.

Lewis on UL BoardChris LeBlancThe Contraband

On July 19, McNeese State Uni-

versity Student Government Asso-

ciation (SGA) President, Davante

Lewis was sworn-in as the student

member of the University of Loui-

siana System’s Board of Supervi-

sors.

During his post on the board,

Lewis will represent the interests

of 92,000 students enrolled the

nine universities under the UL

System’s administration. His roles

will include attending regular

board meetings as well as serving

as a voting member of the Nich-

ols State University Presidential

Search Committee.

No stranger to broad leader-

ship positions, Lewis chaired

the statewide Council of Student

Body Presidents last year and is

set to begin his second term as

McNeese’s SGA President.

Asked about his newfound

role, Lewis expressed gratitude.

“I’m thankful for the oppor-

tunity to serve in this new capac-

ity,” Lewis said. “As my mother

is a teacher, education has been

my issue from the beginning. My

goal is to help convince the state

that it’s best investment is edu-

cation.”

Student members of the UL

Board are chosen for one-year

terms. Their professional coun-

terparts, meanwhile serve for six

years.

NewsAugust 26-30, 2013 The Contraband

courtesy of Mcneese athletics

New Athletic Director, Bruce Hemphill

Davante LewisSpecial to The Contraband

Howdy Students! Welcome

back to this New Year. McNeese

is undergoing a great new start

as we get close to celebrating

our 75th Year Anniversary. Stu-

dent Government is committed

to helping make progress for

McNeese. Our surrounding area

is undergoing a total transfor-

mation that we be able to ben-

efit our entire region. Over this

semester and next year Student

Government will be working hard

to make this university a dream

destination for students. We will

outline these items in many cen-

tral themes:

• CreatingaCommunityon

Campus

• Fosterarelationshipwith

the Community

• MakingStudentGovern-

ment more approachable

• BeingInnovative

• Creatingalong-termplan

for McNeese

I have outlined just a few of

our major goals to accomplish

this year. I am looking forward to

meeting and talking to all of you

about how we can continue mak-

ing progress for McNeese. On, Sep-

tember 4, 2013 at the first Student

Meeting, I will release the SGA Cal-

endar, Goals and Strategies, and

give a state of the School Address.

Remember, we are all Cowboys!

Let’s have a great year!

SGA President’s welcome

04 August 26 - 30 The Contraband“The Cowboy” stands tall in the Jack V. Doland FieldhouseChris LeBlancThe Contraband

On August 14, just in time for football season, McNeese State University erected a new statue in the lobby of the Jack V. Doland Fieldhouse.

Standing at nearly 7-feet and weighing in at 900-pounds of cast bronze, “The Cowboy,” is a sculp-ture by renowned artist, Buck McCain. Specializing in West-ern painting and sculpture, Mc-Cain fed on his own experiences in ranching and herding cattle in Southern California to make the work “as authentic as possible.”

“It is a tribute to the stoic men who made up my family, my heri-tage and my world as a young-ster,” McCain said.

An apt depiction of the te-nacity and spirit of the McNeese Cowboys, “The Cowboy” stands tall and proud although dirty and tired after a long day’s work.

“The Cowboy,” the third Mc-Neese campus effigy to represent

the school mascot, is meant to be a symbol of pride for present and future Cowboys, Buck said as he addressed the crowd at the com-memoration ceremony.

“I hope ‘The Cowboy’ brings good luck, many wins and pride to the McNeese Cowboys,” he said.

One of only 35 castings, the operating budget of the university was not touched in the acquisition of the statue. According to the Mc-Neese website, the funds for “The Cowboy” came from “the Percent for the Arts program under the Louisiana Division of the Arts.”

Part of a 1999 state legislation focused on the conservation and restoration of art, the program mandates that “whenever more than $2 million in state funds is spent for the construction or renovation of a state facility, up to 1 percent of the funds are set aside for acquiring, conserving or restoring works of art for display in or on the grounds of the state building.”

Special to the Contraband“The Cowboy” is located in the lobby of the Jack V. Doland Fieldhouse

Special to the ContrabandBuck McCain proudly displays his statue of “The Cowboy”.

75th Issue from page 01State University (then Lake Charles Junior College) in 1939. This pub-lication and the Student Govern-ment Association were among the first student organizations voted into reality by the university’s first student body.

Throughout the years, Mc-Neese has seen its share of chang-es. One constant however has been the printing of The Contra-band. Although, there has been plenty of evolution in the way news was reported upon, printed and dispensed since 1939.

The first Editor-in-Chief, G.W. Ford Jr. was responsible for over-seeing 20 student publications employees, including 10 “Student Reporters.” Subsequent staff num-bers have fluctuated drastically, but few if any in modern times have reached this initial peak.

The earliest Editor-in-Chief we

were able to track down is Cliff Seiber. The Editor in 1964, Seiber recounts struggles with staffing in his heyday.

“We only had four or five (staff members) from what I can recall,” Seiber said. “But it was pretty much a one man or two man band sometimes.”

Seiber explained that he and cohort Bob Houston traded duties as Editor during that time, while their small staff wasn’t of much use. “There were quite a few 2 o’clock and 3 o’clock in the morn-ing gigs where we had to rush to put everything together,” Seiber said.

Although short on reliable staff members, Seiber was able to solicit the help of the university “News Bureau,” the predecessor of the McNeese’s modern Public Relations department. “The ma-

jority of our photography at that time was done through the News Bureau,” Seiber said.

Fast-forward 13 years and The Contraband’s operation looked vastly different. Ann McMurry graduated from McNeese in 1977 and was the Editor-in-Chief for the two years prior.

McMurry wasn’t exactly sure on the number of students in her staff at that time, but she said, “We used a lot of writers.”

“We put out big newspapers because we had a sales manager who brought in a large number of ads, even national ads, so the newspaper grew,” she said.

“We did all our own photogra-phy,” McMurry said, “And it was color photography which was unusual at that time.” McMurry reflected on the changes in the paper under her administration

warmly. “I think students enjoyed it,” she said “We had a guy that did an editorial cartoon that was considered kind of edgy for the time. We tried to cover issues that were very relevant to the students and I think the paper was well-re-ceived.”

Staff size and technology were not the only evolutions to occur during McMurry’s time around The Contaband. She said she re-turned during the mid-80’s to take over as staff advisor for the paper.

Upon returning, McMurry was “amazed” by the evolution of the students’ understanding of their rights as student journalists. “I was surprised. In that 12-15 years, students had really grown in their knowledge of what kind of over-sight the university could have over the student newspaper,” she said.

August 26 - 30 05The ContrabandDavante Lewis fights for his position as SGA PresidentChris LeBlancThe Contraband

McNeese State University Stu-dent Government Association (SGA) President, Davante Lewis had another brush with school ad-ministration over the summer re-garding his academic eligibility.

The office of McNeese Presi-dent, Dr. Phillip Williams ruled in early June that the incumbent pres-ident, Lewis was ineligible because he failed to maintain the required minimum GPA requirements. The SGA constitution states that in or-der to run for office, candidates

must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.4 and a GPA of 2.5 for the two semesters prior to election.

Lewis, however, fought the decision citing various interpreta-tions of an ambiguity in the clause as his defense.

“We followed every step of the tradition on how that rule was in-terpreted,” Lewis said. “I consulted my staff, as well as other universi-ty student body presidents across the state (Lewis chaired the state-wide Council of Student Body Pres-idents last year), and they agreed unanimously that I was in compli-ance.”

Lewis is no stranger to shaky eligibility. During last year’s con-troversial SGA elections, disagree-ments in the interpretation of rules regarding the filing of campaign paperwork caused a rift in the SGA.

The spotlight being shed on SGA policy has exposed significant loopholes, which have led to incon-gruity in interpretation between administration and SGA staff.

Following meetings between the office of Dr. Williams and the Lewis administration, Williams inevitably decided that there was ambiguity in the wording of the policy.

In an email to the students, fac-ulty and staff on July, 1, Williams said, “Last week I met with leaders from the Executive and Legislative branches of our Student Govern-ment Association. They convinced me that language in the SGA Con-stitution relating to the academic eligibility of executive officers contains a serious ambiguity.”

In an effort to correct these problems, Lewis plans to “recom-mit” himself to the rewording and correction of clauses in order to prevent further issues.

McNeese Resident Life welcomes residents to their new homeJacob TroutmanThe Contraband

The buzz of energetic conver-sation filled the Old Ranch this weekend as students anxiously lined up to receive the keys to their new home, the McNeese dorms. The Housing Community Assistants (CA) have been working hard to prepare for the upcom-ing school year, and their week of training culminated in move-in day.

Joining Watkins, King, Zigler and Collette this semester, Burton Hall officially opened last week. The CAs not only helped check-in and orient the new McNeese resi-dents with their living spaces, but are also in charge of making sure everything runs smoothly in the dorms.

Check-in for the residents lasted from Friday, Aug. 22, to Sunday, Aug. 24, and kept the McNeese Resident Life staff busy and the streets around the dorms clogged with eager students and excited friends and family helping with the move-in process.

There are various events planned for the upcoming week to further introduce residents to life on the McNeese campus.

Chris Leblanc/ContrabandResidents fill the Old Ranch to receive their residence hall keys and important information.

Chris Leblanc/ContrabandResidents eagerly wait in line during check-ins.

06 August 26 - 30 The ContrabandNews

Newly awarded grant to benefit the SEED CenterJacob TroutmanThe Contraband

McNeese State University was awarded a grant from the Economic Development Admin-istration (EDA) by the U.S. De-partment of Commerce to ad-vance and strengthen regional economies totaling $102,590. The school will use the grant, received through entry into the University Center Economic De-velopment Program Competi-tion, to become the hub of busi-ness and industry innovation for Southwest Louisiana.

“We will leverage our exper-tise, resources and outreach ac-tivities to grow our public and private partnerships,” Janet Woolman, McNeese Director of Research and Governmental Re-lations, said.

The $13 million, 52,000 square foot Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial and Economic Development (SEED) Center lo-cated across Ryan Street from the main McNeese campus is one of the university’s newest resources. The SEED Center, which officially opened for busi-ness on Aug. 16, serves as the focal point for economic devel-opment in Southwest Louisiana, encouraging entrepreneurship and support for local business in Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jefferson Davis parishes.

In addition to hosting the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance and busi-ness incubator, the SEED Center will house the McNeese Student Innovation Center.

“We have a minor in innova-tion that is open to all majors,” Woolman said. “We also have a very strong undergraduate re-

search program, so creating an ecosystem to support innova-tion and entrepreneurship is critical for our students and fac-ulty.”

McNeese is only one of two universities in the country to of-fer the innovation curriculum.

“Producing graduates who have achieved mastery in a par-ticular content area is critical,” McNeese President Dr. Philip Williams said. “But, we want to teach them new ways to ap-proach that major. For example, a chemistry major would have the tools to become an inno-vative chemist. The minor re-quires coursework in creativity, communication skills and com-mercialization, which means learning how to develop a raw idea into one that can be com-mercially viable.”

The EDA awarded a total of $2.5 million in grants to 19 schools. Southern University in Baton Rouge was the only other Louisiana institution to receive a grant of the same value.

“The EDA recognizes that institutions of higher educa-tion are critical players in the development of vibrant eco-nomic ecosystems,” Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said. “Universities contain significant economic development assets—such as faculty, staff, students, research and proof of concept centers, laboratories and high speed broadband networks-to support regional economic growth. Innovation is the key to global competitiveness, the creation of new and better jobs, a resilient economy and the at-tainment of national economic goals.”

Special to the ContrabandThe SEED Center is located across from the campus of McNeese and serves as the focal point for economic development.

Special to the ContrabandThe SEED center will house the McNeese Student Innovation Center.

A few things to know before you go tailgatingKatelynn McCartneyThe Contraband

People gather together to cel-ebrate, to mourn, to laugh and to cry. Many gatherings are for spe-cial occasions such as holidays, birthdays and funerals. There are usually refreshments for everyone to enjoy while every-one begins conversations with strangers and familiar faces. However, there is one gathering that brings people together ev-ery fall and promotes and pro-motes pride, confidence, hope and dedication—tailgating.

Tailgating is a football tradi-tion that takes pride in serving

the best refreshments and mak-ing sure that every person is tailgating for one reason- to be ready to cheer his or her team to victory. With everyone tailgating for the same reason, everyone must be responsible for know-ing how to tailgate in a safe and organized manner. Just like in a football game where both teams have to play by the same rules, tailgaters have to celebrate by the same rules.

Saturday game day tailgates can become crowded quickly, especially when fans are finding their way to the correct tailgat-ing lot. McNeese Cowboys fans

who have RVs and campers can set up for game days as early as Friday at noon and before 2 p.m. on Saturday. They can reside in their designated area until Sun-day at noon. No one is allowed to tailgate in Lot A until 5 p.m. on Saturday. Tailgaters can re-side at their designated tailgat-ing area in Lot A until Sunday at noon, but Lot A is available only for preapproved tailgaters who need to show their passes when entering the lot. Once tailgaters are situated in the correct lot, they can enjoy fall football at-mosphere and get ready to watch the Cowboys strive for victory.

Tailgating at McNeese foot-ball games is a community affair with many families and people of all ages coming to take part in the pregame celebration. Every-one has a unique way of tailgat-ing and having fun, and everyone is responsible for conducting their tailgating festivities in ac-cordance with McNeese’s tailgat-ing rules and regulations, as well as acting in such a way that up-holds McNeese’s high standards of being a safe, family-friendly environment while preparing to make some rowdy noise for the Cowboys from kick-off to then end of the fourth quarter.

Bid a fond farewell to ‘Blue Blaze Nation’Katelynn McCartneyThe Contraband

There is a place where college students can play a role in lead-ing their sport teams to victory. Even if the final score is a loss instead of a victory, students protect their team’s dignity not by numbers on the scoreboard but by the school spirit that en-courages their teams to continue fighting for a victory even in the midst of defeat.

A team needs peers who sup-port and encourage all the team members no matter how games are played or how the outcomes affect statistics. Students who are devoted to their school’s ath-

letic teams are the stadium rep-resentatives of the team mem-bers who are on the field actually playing the game. McNeese once had a group of high-spirited, de-voted college students known as the Blue Blaze Nation, who would rattle the stadium and bleachers for the entire game no matter the team’s statistics. These students were easy to see with their Blue Blaze hair, t-shirts, cowbells and megaphones. They had as much passion for the game and the team, just as the amount of pas-sion the team would have to play the game.

Blue Blaze Nation was a stu-dent organization open to those

who had a passion for McNeese athletics, not just at home games but at away games as well. Stu-dents were able to ride charter buses to away games and be provided with refreshments as a way to show appreciation for their high level of school spir-it. The organization gave a new representation of what it took to be a fan of McNeese Athletics, which was a desire to support all athletic teams whether they won or lost and to ignite a passion throughout the student body as well as the community.

The physical image of Blue Blaze Nation, students wearing bright blue hair and t-shirts while

ringing cowbells and cheering through megaphones, indicated that Blue Blaze Nation was at the game for the team and their fel-low students. This student or-ganization was lost not long af-ter it began. McNeese’s athletic teams need encouragement and support by their peers when they play at home as well as other uni-versities. The sight of Blue Blaze Nation in every stadium at every game—a high-spirited group of students wearing the same spirit gear and cheering for the love of their team—will define the team by its sense of pride, letting no score define what it means to be a Cowboy and a Cowboy fan.

Student LifeAugust 26-30, 2013 The Contraband

Do you have the back to school blues? Does the thought of end-less lectures have you feeling down? Check this out: Start your school year off right with Howdy Rowdy Week, a weeklong welcome back party that offers students the chance to get interact with other students and organizations and to have some fun.

There will be one event every day from Sunday through Friday, Aug. 25-30, 2013. To start off the week, there will be a party on Sun-day, Aug. 25, in the Memorial Gym-nasium at 7:00pm featuring Head-phone Disco as a main attraction. Every student will be equipped with their own set of wireless head-phone, having their own private DJ. Through the headphones, the stu-dents will hear two separate DJs spinning their tracks side by side. There will also be a photo both and

other novelties provided.On Monday, Aug. 26, head the

New Ranch from 10:00am-1:00pm to get connected. There will be ta-bles introducing new students to the support departments of McNeese. Faculty will give new students the information on services provided by McNeese and how to access these services.

On Tuesday, Aug. 27, there will be an organization fair, also in the New Ranch from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. There, students will be intro-duced to the different student orga-nizations on campus.

Wednesday will be Welcome Back Wednesday/Meet the Greeks. It will be a mini party in the quad from 10:00am-1:00pm. Students will be

able to play games, win prizes and check out the Greek tables.

On Thursday, get your worship on in the New Ranch from 10:00am-1:00pm with Campus Ministry Day. Local churches will be passing out information about their ministries and what they do on campus and will be informing students on how to get involved with their worship services.

To end the week, head to the New Ranch on Friday, Aug. 30 at 9:00am-1:00pm, where local busi-ness will be hosting tables. Not only will students receive free promo-tional items, but they will also have the opportunity to earn internships or part-time positions. So don’t come in jeans and t-shirt unless you’re just there for the free stuff.

Still have questions? Call the Stu-dent Union and Activities Office at 337-475-5609 or email studentlife@mcneese.edu with any questions. Hope to see you there!

Morgan AuthementThe Contraband

08 August 26 - 30 The Contraband

Student Union Board sets schedule for Howdy Rowdy Week

Cowboy Camp builds on six years of successCowboy Camp began in 2008

with the goal of acclimating stu-dents into the campus one step further than freshmen orientation. This summer, there were around 100 students in attendance at Cow-boy Camp after its six years of suc-cessfully engaging and inspiring in-coming freshmen to make the most of their experience at McNeese State University.

“The goal was to keep up with other universities […] The other goal was to begin to mold the next wave

of student leaders. A lot of our lead-ers that are now in positions that the students admire went through cowboy camp,” said Kedrick Nich-olas, dean of student services at McNeese, when he was asked why Cowboy Camp was started.

Cowboy Camp gives students who attend a chance to learn more about student involvement on cam-pus and see and experience parts of the campus that average students don’t usually get the chance the enjoy. Nicholas says, “The most im-portant thing they take away from Cowboy Camp is the connections to people that are already here. Cow-

boy Camp offers them a chance to start school better prepared than students that did not attend Cow-boy Camp.”

Cowboy Camp begins in the sky box, an area that most students nev-er enter. While there, they hear from a number of speakers from the ath-letic department. Once they leave the sky box, the next part of Cowboy Camp begins with the group leaders leading the campers through skits that involve elements on campus. Then, they take a trip down to the Alumni Center for a meet and greet with current alumni, and the day ends with a personalized version

of the game show “Think Fast” on campus.

The goal for the future of Cow-boy Camp is to add a second step to the current Cowboy Camp program. Nicholas said, “Our vision of cow-boy camp down the line is to have a part 2 of Cowboy Camp. A portion of students from part 1 could go off campus to some remote location for part 2 and gain more in-depth knowledge of involvement on cam-pus and participate in team build-ing activities. This is the long term goal.”

Athena JohnsonThe Contraband

Special to the contrabandSuddenlink representatives chat with McNeese students at Community Day 2012.

August 26 - 30 09The Contraband

Burton Residence Hall reopens doors after eight years of ClosureTori HebertThe Contraband

There is always something go-ing on at McNeese State Universi-ty. From football games to every-day interaction, there is rarely a dull moment on campus. On Fri-day, Aug. 16, 2013, the buzz was around the opening of the new Burton Residence Hall.

McNeese State University President Dr. Williams, Associ-ate Vice President Toby Osborn, friends of the university and fu-ture Burton Hall residents were all in attendance for this special occasion. Dr. Williams opened the ceremony by introducing ev-eryone present and then passed the podium on to Dr. Osborn who gave the history of Burton Hall. Before the students followed Dr. Williams outside to cut the blue and gold ribbon, Jack Lawton Jr. said “My great-grandfather would be very honored to know that Bur-ton hall, originally named for his mother Alice, continues to exist and thrive.”

Unlike the other resident halls on campus, there is a more stren-uous process involved to be ac-cepted as a resident into Burton. Every interested resident must first fill out an application that asks questions such as their GPA and involvement in extracurricu-lar activities.

Applicants also have to in-clude an essay describing how they would contribute to the di-versity of Burton Hall. Students with high academic achievements and those from the McNeese Hon-ors College will be residing in this

60,000 square foot, three-story hall. Keeping with the academic focus in Burton, roommates are paired by similar majors while the other dorms on campus pair roommates by similar interest.

Security is always a number one priority for McNeese officials, and Burton Hall is no exception. An access key is needed by each student in order to go inside the building, to use the elevator, and to enter their two-bedroom one bath suite or four-bedroom two bath suite. Each resident also has a key to their own private bed-room. Surveillance cameras have been placed throughout the build-ing, and an intercom system that is directly linked to the campus police has been installed.

Being centered around aca-demic excellence, Burton Hall will also have Wi-Fi throughout the en-tire building. Also, on both ends of each floor are study areas al-lowing residents the opportunity to have study groups, quiet time while other roommates maybe so-cializing in their rooms, or just a change of scenery in order to have fresh ideas and focus on study-ing. Perhaps, the greatest way that Burton Hall emphasizes academic excellence is that on the first floor is a classroom available for Hon-ors College courses.

Burton Residence Hall has come a long way since originally opening in 1970 as an all-girls dorm. It’s been through a lot over the years, including damage from Hurricane Rita in 2005 after which it waited eight years for repairs. Administration at McNeese has al-ways provided the best for its stu-

dents and always takes their opin-ions into consideration when improving the campus. Perhaps, Dr. Osborn described it best by

saying, “We’ve listened to our stu-dents and learned a lot about what they like, and we think Burton Hall delivers.”

Special to the contrabandCommunity Assistant Hailey Veillion gives a tour to new residents.

Special to the ContrabandDr. Williams, Jack Lawton Jr., Devante Lewis and McNeese supporters at the Ribbon Cutting Cer-emony on August 16.

Q&A with “McNeese Confessions” Admin.Chris LeBlancThe Contraband

So called “Confessions” pag-es have popped up all over the country in recent months. This is particularly true among universi-ties. These pages offer a forum in which members of a community can anonymously air their deepest darkest secrets or pose difficult questions to their peers.

The “McNeese Confessions” page has garnered a tremendous following in recent months, now boasting over 10,000 followers. We caught up with one of the ad-ministrators of McNeese Confes-sions for some insight on the back-ground of the creation of the page as well as what they’ve learned with their newfound anonymous authority.

In keeping with the almost sa-cred anonymity of the page, the administrator chose to conduct the interview via email (the address of which is cleverly registered to one Anon Ymous).

The correspondence was as follows:

Q: When and why did you start the McNeese Confessions page? And are you alone or are their other admins?

A: The page was created at the end of April, right in time to ruin people’s finals. A friend and I were bored at work when the idea for the page occurred. I’m not sure how serious the idea was at that moment, but later that night I went ahead with it and created the page. I set the friend as an additional admin and basically said, “Hey, guess what?”

The immediate thought was to

make it more entertaining (both for us and the followers) than some-one else might have. Instead of copying and pasting secret crush-es all day long until we got tired of it and turned it into a monster truck fan page, we decided that we were going to have fun with it. The effect rubbed off, and what we’re left with is sort of a forum for the school where people are not only able to get things off of their chest but also to share their thoughts, have a laugh, or practice their grammar.

Q: You’ve kept up with the page consistently since it start-ed, why?

A: I think keeping up with the page has been a key factor in its sustained growth and activity, but it has been a bit of a hassle at times. The other admin has been busy with more important things for the past few months, so the page most of you are familiar with is largely the result of people un-knowingly asking me if I read something on the page. While that person complains to me about how the admin never posts his/her “hi-larious” confessions, I update the page from my phone. School and work can make it difficult to main-tain the page discreetly, but one way or another I think we have al-ways managed to at least be there during the busier hours.

Q: Has the popularity waned as of late?

A: According to the tools that facebook provides to analyze these things, the page’s popularity has been steadily increasing. As far as actual activity on the page is concerned, every week it’s high-er than the week before. I believe

there was more action per user when the page started at the end of the previous spring semester, but I suspect that will return to some extent once the fall semester has started.

Q: How exactly does it work? Do you see the posts by individu-als, or is it completely anony-mous?

A: There’s a link on the page that directs you to a form, and ev-erything submitted to that form is stored in a spreadsheet. It’s com-pletely anonymous. However, we do receive confessions in the form of facebook messages directly to the page fairly regularly. I think part of this is Murphy’s Law apply-ing to thousands of people, but a big part of it is that the link isn’t clearly displayed on mobile de-vices. We actually have someone working on a dedicated app for the page that should help to alleviate this issue and a few others.

Q: Is it a burden knowing some of the darkest secrets of the people you may have class/work/hangout with?

A: I guess it is slightly. I mean, for the most part I think we all deal with the same issues or at least the same types of issues. The hardest thing for me is when it’s obvious that someone is really struggling. There have been a few instances where people have submitted con-fessions with a disclaimer that they only wanted to send it and didn’t necessarily care for it to be posted.

Q: What, if anything, are the criteria for a post being admitted on the page?

A: There aren’t really many cri-teria. We aren’t going to let people

submit something to anonymously attack another person by name. We don’t tend to post links to other pages (including things like You-Tube) unless it’s a special case.

Q: There are some pretty sa-lacious posts at times. Are these added for a “shock value” to keep attention, or is there a broader purpose?

A: I like posting bad advice and keeping the good tips for myself. Other than that, it’s just posting what we’ve got that we think peo-ple want to see.

Q: Roughly how many mes-sages/potential posts do you sift through on a daily basis?

A: It depends on the day, and also a lot on how often the page is being updated. Roughly, it’s some-thing between 200 - 500 submis-sions.

Q: How many hours per day, or per week, do you spend on the page?

A: That’s hard to answer, both because it’s done in spurts and be-cause it’s embarrassing.

Q: How, if at all, has your ex-perience in this little social ex-periment changed your outlook on the McNeese community at large?

A: No comment.…just kidding. Truthfully, I

think it’s made everyone a bit more relatable. I’m not sure if that’s profound or if it’s because I’m a terrible person though. It’s nice to see a person pour his or her heart out and have hundreds of people there saying, “Hey, me too.” It’s also nice to know which bathrooms to avoid.

Arts and LeisureAugust 26 - 30, 2013 The Contraband

SportsAugust 26 - 30, 2013 The Contraband

Viator has high hopes for Cowboy football

As the fall semester kicks off, all eyes turn to the football field where the McNeese Cowboys prepare to kick off their season. The first test of their twelve game journey to the playoffs is this Saturday, Aug. 31, in

Tampa, FL. The Pokes travel to the University of South Florida (USF) to face off against the Bulls.

Entering his eighth season as McNeese Head Coach, Matt Viator boasts a .684 winning percentage, the seventh-best percentage in Southland Conference (SLC) history. Last

year his Pokes finished the season with a 7-4 record; two of those losses were by a margin of one point. Viator has never had a losing season during his tenure with McNeese and has his eyes set perpetually on not only a conference championship, but also a national title.

The last time the Pokes

captured a ring was in 2009, the program’s 13th SLC title. The 2012 season the team knocked on the door, but fell just short. This year, returning their quarterback, running backs, most of their receiving corps and a defensive lineup heavily laden with potential all-stars,

Jacob TroutmanThe Contraband

Courtesy of McNeese AthleticsMcNeese Cowboy Football 2013 Team

See Football on page 12

12 August 26 - 30 The Contraband

Football from page 11

Student ticket regulations change for football

Starting this fall, McNeese State University students will no longer be allowed into football games by simply swiping stu-

dent ID cards.According to the McNeese

ticket office, students must ac-quire a “physical” ticket before being allowed into games.

Monday through Friday and on game days, students will be

able to get tickets from the tick-et office. Tuesday and Thurs-day, the ticket office will have a booth set up in the New Ranch from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Also, on game day students will be able to get tickets at the student tail-

gate from 4 – 5 p.m.To acquire tickets, students

must display valid student ID. Also, when entering games, stu-dents must have the physical copy of the ticket as well as a valid student ID.

Chris LeBlancThe Contraband

Courtesy of www.geauxcowboys-eastside.org / contraband

Sports

their receiving corps and a defensive lineup heavily laden with potential all-stars, the Cowboys are set to kick the door in.

Quarterback Cody Stroud threw for 2,094 yards last season, racking up 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Marcus Wiltz shared running time with Javaris Murray and Kelvin Bennett, and received less than 30-percent of the carries of the 2012 season. Wiltz still managed to scramble for 651 yards and six touchdowns. Murray put up 506 yards and three touchdowns, while Bennett, a true freshman in 2012, used his uncanny speed to run for 302 yards and three scores.

The majority of the Cowboys receiving corps is back in action this year, including Diontae Spencer (31 catches, 413 yards, two touchdowns), Ernest Celestie (21, 246, 1) and Wes Briscoe (13, 22, 3). Joining the veterans will be true

freshman Kent Shelby.“At 6-3, 205 pounds, we

haven’t had a receiver around here like that in a while,” said Viator. “He’s not afraid to go get the ball. It seems like every tie ball is his.”

On the defensive side, last year’s standouts include safeties Terence Cahee and Ryan Bronson, defensive end Chris Loveless and defensive tackle Kevin Dorn. Cahee was selected as the 2012 MVP and to the second team all-conference and all-Louisiana teams, leading the Pokes with 83 tackles and tallying 10 pass breakups and one interception.

Joining the Cowboys coaching staff is defensive coordinator/assistant head coach Lance Guidry, a 1995 McNeese graduate.

“I was real excited when Matt (Viator) called to talk about me coming back,” Guidry said. “My loyalty is to Coach Viator and to McNeese. It’s like when momma calls you to come back home, you go.”

Last Wednesday, Aug. 21, Guidry and his defense

faced off against the McNeese offense in the annual Cowboy Night scrimmage. Stroud and the offense had the upper hand, racking up 360 yards in the air and four touchdowns, including impressive strikes to Shelby, junior transfer Nic Jacobs and senior Deajon Mitchell. Bennett scrambled for 66 yards on three carries, including a 55-yard dash to the endzone.

“I thought things went really good,” Viator said. “We got all our situations in…I thought Cody [Stroud] did a great job on the first drive and then with the two minute drive. We got all of our situations in.”

The Cowboys are in the process of finalizing their battle plans before travelling to USF this weekend. The coaches have high hopes for the rest of the season. The fans are already thinking of how they’re going to celebrate their team’s return to championship status. But first the Pokes have to tame the bulls.

August 26 - 30 13The Contraband

Cowgirl volleyball opens Friday at Depaul Invitational

Jacob TroutmanThe Contraband

In his fourth year heading up the McNeese women’s volleyball program, Head Coach Terry Gam-ble has a team all his own. Their first practice for the 2013 season was held on Aug. 10. Their first game will be this Friday, Aug. 30, in Chicago, IL, where the Cowgirls will be taking part in the DePaul

Invitational. The squad takes on Chicago State Friday afternoon, be-fore competing against Providence and DePaul on Saturday, Aug. 31. “I am really excited about this year and the future of the Cow-girl Volleyball program,” Gamble said. “This is the first year I have all of my own recruits, and you can tell the difference in the gym.” The Cowgirls welcome eight fresh-

men to the roster and return eight letter-winners from last season, in-cluding five starters. The team is young and inexperienced, boasting only one senior middle back Court-ni Bauer and juniors, outside hitter Maegan Carlton and outside hitter and right side hitter Rachel Cagnina. “Once we learn to play to-gether and the freshmen learn the college game, we are go-

ing to be good,” Savoie said. Savoie called special attention to freshman OH/RS Sophie Tenbusch from Dresden, Germany, and soph-omore OH Amber Fryer of Chicago. The Cowgirls faces off against Al-corn State in their home opener at Memorial Gym at 7 p.m. on Sep. 4.

The team begins Southland Conference play on Sep. 17 at home against Texas A&M – Corpus Christi.

Courtesy of McNeese Athletics/ contraband2013 Cowgirl Volleyball team at the Lake Charles Civic Center

14 August 26 - 30 The Contraband

Cowgirl soccer season opens against Jackson

Jacob TroutmanThe Contraband

The McNeese Cowgirls soccer team took to the practice field on Aug. 6 to begin preparations for the 2013 season. The team kicked off the regular season on Friday, Aug. 23, hosting Jacksonville State University. The Cowgirls return 15 letter-winners from last year’s team, including last season’s top scorer for McNeese, junior mid-fielder/forward Haley Lyons, and seniors Callie Allbright, Johna Germany and Megan Snelling.

“We have done a great job

building toward this season through our spring workouts and much of that work was contin-ued by the players throughout the summer,” Head Coach Scooter Savoie said. “We have great lead-ership with our seniors [...] that will do a great job introducing our new players to the ‘Cowgirl Way’ by setting high standards for oth-ers to follow. All of this tells us we have a strong foundation in place to get the season started.”

Savoie welcomes 11 newcom-ers, 10 freshmen and one junior, to the team this season.

“We have several new faces

on the team with thirteen players that did not see action last year,” Savoie said. “We are looking for-ward to what they will bring to the table and to work them into the team structure.”

The Cowgirls opened the 2013 season last Friday, Aug. 23, against Jacksonville State here in Lake Charles. On Sunday, Mc-Neese hosted Jackson State Uni-versity and will take on Texas Southern University this Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 7 p.m., also at home.

“We know there will be a lot of competition within the team to solidify playing roles, and we

know our job as a coaching staff is to provide the best environment for them to train in,” Savoie said. “Our most important job […] is to put together a really good team that is based on teamwork and toughness, and to prepare to meet the challenges of competing in the Southland Conference.”

McNeese will host the Confer-ence tournament for the second straight year. The team earned a berth in the tournament last year and looks to do the same this sea-son.

Courtesy of McNeese Athletics/ contraband2013 Cowgirl Soccer Team in front of the Horse and Rider Statue

August 26 - 30 15The Contraband

New Editor’s reassessment of goals Chris LeblancThe Contraband

As the new Editor-in-Chief of The Contraband in such a milestone year as this, I feel it is incumbent upon me to reassess the goals of this publication.

In this, the 75th volume of The Contraband, it is our pledge, first and foremost, to continue to build upon the goals of its founders. In the first issue of the paper, nearly 75 years ago, the publication staff set out these “aims for our paper”:

1- To present school news in as interesting a manner as possible.

2- To represent every activity and every person.

3- To keep an acceptable school-year record.

4- To work for progress and betterment of LCJC (Lake Charles Junior College)

5- To publicize our college.

While we will seek to maintain and build upon the tradition to present news in an “interesting manner,” we will also adhere to the principles and ethics of sound journalism that have evolved since 1939. We will focus on timeliness, accuracy and balance, while keeping the entertainment of our readers in mind.

Furthermore, in an effort to accurately “represent every activity and every person,” while working “for progress and betterment” of McNeese State University, this publication will remain as politically neutral as

possible.We will be neither a

mouthpiece for political entities among the student government, nor a dispensary for propaganda from school administration. It is our pledge to be as fair as possible in our reporting. Thus, no faculty, staff, student or organization will be unfairly targeted for scrutiny. That said, in the event that any individual or entity finds itself under the microscope, we will “call it as we see it.”

Finally, an amendment to “publicize our college” should be made. Entities, the sole purpose of which is to publicize the university, currently exist. These entities have done marvels to increase the notoriety of our university.

Meanwhile, in recent years, The Contraband seems to have fallen into obscurity. There are upperclassmen and women who purportedly “never knew we had a school paper.” It does fall to my predecessors, as it will fall to me, that this publication has dropped in terms of notoriety or importance.

Therefore, outside of dispensing as accurate and timely news as is possible, our primary goal in the coming semesters will be to increase the profile of our student publication.

Methods of increased efficiency in circulation, interesting student life stories, and increased ad revenue are all currently underway. Also, our hope is to have a new,

reworked, student-publications webpage up and running before the end of my tenure as Editor. In the meantime, “like” us on Facebook or follow us on twitter, @msucontraband.

With these amended goals in mind, in this the first issue of the 75th volume of The Contraband, our reassessed and reaffirmed aims for our paper are:

1- To present school news in as interesting a manner as possible, while maintaining the accuracy, timeliness and ethical standards necessary to sound journalism.

2- To represent every activity and every person accurately and fairly.

3- To maintain a working relationship with, as well as a safe distance from the political interests of, the administrations of student government and the university.

4- To keep an acceptable school-year record.

5- To work for progress and betterment of McNeese State University.

6- To Increase the profile of our student publications.

So it is with these goals in mind that number one of volume 75 of The Contraband is dedicated to the founders of this university and to its student body. And, as The Contraband’s first Editor-in-Chief, G.W. Ford Jr. wrote, “May we all be justly proud of our student-publication.”

The McNeese

ContrabandStaff

Chris LeBlancContraband Editor in

Chief

Hailey VeillionLog Editor in Chief

Jacob TroutmanAssociate Editor

Morgan AuthementStaff Writer

Skyler HantzDistribution Manager

Tori HebertStaff Writer

Athena JohnsonStaff Writer

Megan LandryStaff Writer

Katelynn McCartneyStaff Writier

David Ryan PalmerPhotographer

Lauren SmithCopy Editor

Josephine VajkoAd Sales

Editorial

16 August 26 - 30 The Contraband

Special to the Contraband

Special to the ContrabandLeroy Tademy / contraband

Special to the Contraband