Northwestern State University News

Cajun accordion workshop to be held Saturday

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 10:30:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – The Cajun accordion will be the focus of a workshop at the upcoming Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival to be held Friday and Saturday in air-conditioned Prather Coliseum on the Northwestern State University campus. Master musicians Jamie Berzas and Bruce Daigrepont will lead the workshop, which will take place from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday. Festival patrons will pay no additional charge to participate in the workshop. Workshop attendees will be introduced to a wide range of knowledge and techniques related to the Cajun accordion, as well as a sense of the cultural importance of the instrument to Cajun music. Space in the accordion workshop is limited to 20 participants and accordions are to be tuned to ‘C.’ The Festival is unable to provide instruments. The workshop is free to Festival attendees.

Berzas and Daigrepont are both legendary players of the Cajun accordion. Berzas was born in Mamou. Berzas’ musical background began when he was 10 when he learned how to play the accordion from his father. He later learned how to play the guitar and the drums as well and now is the lead vocalist of Jamie Berzas and the Cajun Tradition Band, founded in 1979 in Mamou. The band played at the 1984 Louisiana World’s Fair and at the 1987 Annual Cajun Music Festival at Loretta Lynn’s Dude Ranch. Berzas was honored at the 2000 Mamou Cajun Music Festival for his contributions to Cajun music. In 2005, he was inducted into the Cajun Music Wall of Fame in Fred’s Lounge. The band’s 1988 album, “A’ La Veille Facon,” received a 1989 Grammy nomination for Most Traditional Folk Music Recording. In 1987 the band was awarded the title Musicien Du Bal as first place winners in a Bal Du Maison contest held at Acadian Village in Lafayette. Performances for the Cajun Grand Ole Opry in Eunice and other engagements have led the National Park Service in New Orleans to say, “At each performance, this band did an excellent job of demonstrating and interpreting Cajun music and culture in a very intelligent manner.”

Born in New Orleans in 1958, Daigrepont grew up in a Cajun family from Avoyelles Parish. The family was deeply imbued in folk music, and Daigrepont took up the guitar at five and the five-string banjo at 10. In 1978, after attending Festival Acadiens in Lafayette, Daigrepont was inspired to devote himself to the French accordion. By 1980 he had his own Cajun band, and was honing his skills at fais do do dances. Daigrepont has emerged as one of Cajun music's finest cultural ambassadors. He has performed at such prestigious venues as New York's Lincoln Center and the National Folk Festival. Over the past 10 years, he has performed in France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. At the request of the American Embassies, Daigrepont and his band have performed in El Salvador and Venezuela. Daigrepont is fully immersed in the singer-songwriter tradition, and several of Bruce's compositions such as “Marksville Two Step” and “Nonc Willie” have entered into the standard Cajun dance band repertoire. Daigrepont's recording career began in 1986 with his first Rounder Records release, “Stir Up the Roux.” He sings in the traditional Cajun way: in French.

The 40th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival will be held July 26-27 in Prather Coliseum, located at 220 South Jefferson Street on the NSU campus in Natchitoches. The site is wheelchair accessible and the festival is family oriented. Children 12 and under receive free admission to all events on both days. Tickets can be purchased at the Coliseum. The ticket booth opens at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The Festival features three stages of music and food on both days, and on Saturday the Festival will also include crafts, narrative sessions and the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship.

Support for the Festival is provided by grants from the Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc., the Louisiana Division of the Arts Decentralized Arts Fund Program, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation and the Shreveport Regional Arts Council. Additional support comes from City Bank, the City of Natchitoches, the Natchitoches Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Cleco.

For more information call (318) 357-4332, send an email to folklife@nsula.edu, go to louisianafolklife.nsula.edu/ or visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/NSULAFOLKLIFECENTER.

Campus events and activities for July 21-27

Sun, 21 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Here is a look at the week of July 21-27 at Northwestern State University.

July 21-27 – Early registration for fall semester

July 24-27 – NSU Summer Dinner Theatre presents “The Great American Trailer Park Musical,” A.A. Fredericks Auditorium Stage, 6 p.m.

July 26 – End of 8-week summer session, second 4-week session

July 26-27 – Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival, Prather Coliseum

Tickets available for "Trailer Park Musical"

Sat, 20 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present “The Great American Trailer Park Musical,” July 24-27 and July 31-Aug. 3 on the A.A. Fredericks Auditorium stage. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner and show beginning at 6 p.m. Reservations are required. “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” is a two-act musical, written by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso. It explores the relationships between the tenants at the Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Florida, particularly between Pippi, "the stripper on the run," the Dr. Phil-loving agoraphobic Jeannie (left played by Jade Duthu of Marrero) and Jeannie's tollbooth-collector husband Norbert (right, played by Chase Crane of Livingston). Tickets are $30, which includes the meal and show. The meal will include soup, salad, an entrée, dessert, tea and coffee. Dress is casual and the show is appropriate for all ages. For more information or to make reservations, call (318) 357-4483.

Students participate in RockOn! workshop

Dr. Anna Dugas — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 16:30:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – A student and faculty team from Northwestern State University participated in a research event hosted by NASA earlier this summer at Wallops Flight Facility on the eastern shore of Virginia. Jack Wright of Natchitoches and Holden Rivers of Zwolle, along with Assistant Professor of Physics Anna Dugas, joined 12 other college students and faculty from Louisiana at the RockOn! Workshop where they build and tested a rocked payload that was launched on a sounding rocket. The trip was funded by a grant from the Louisiana Space Grant Consortium (LaSPACE).

“The Terrier-Orion Rocket launched at 5:30 ET June 20. The payload was successfully activated and the team received data,” Dugas said. “There was 35.2 megabytes stored on the microSD card with 478304 lines of data from the accelerometers (3-axis low and medium, 1-axis high), pressure/temperature, humidity, gyroscope and Geiger counter, which yielded from approximately six and a half hours of recording time. The rocket flight length was within 20 minutes, so the data received proved that the G-switch initiated recording and the recording time length was more than sufficient to obtain the time-of-flight measurements. The final battery voltages on the payload were measured both as 8.9 V after initial voltage of 9.7 V, so the payload was designed with a more than sufficient power supply system.”

Rivers, who is majoring in Industrial Engineering Technology, said RockOn! was very organized and participating was a terrific experience that he hopes future NSU students can share.

“There were tons of self-inspections made by workshop workers. This provided clarity when something wasn’t right so it could be fixed without wasting time looking for the problem,” Rivers said. “The attitude of the workshop workers and their leader was very laid back. I believe this offered comfort for what could have been stressful. They did an outstanding job of keeping everyone together and the workshop moving forward.”

Wright, an Electronics Engineering Technology major, said he gained knowledge and information to bring back to the university to apply in the classroom and on future projects.

“The team at RockOn! did an excellent job in helping us have everything well organized and had it down to a fantastic routine,” Wright said. “I hope in the future, NSU can be more involved in participating in similar programs.

Dugas said RockOn! was one of the best professional opportunities she has ever experienced.

“I was amazed at how the workshop’s director Chris Koehler developed such an effective support team, as well as such an effective workshop curriculum and agenda to make sure all attendees at every skill level can learn and build confidence in electronic payload building,” Dugas said. “I was also impressed at the hours the RockOn! Team must have spent after hours fixing the small glitches that came up during the day. For instance, our group had one of the several humidity sensors that had a manufactured problem and the support team replaced our sensor after we left. This workshop was truly fun and educational for my team and I am extremely happy that we got to attend.”

In terms of the payload design, Dugas was impressed by the detailed and highly-visual slides provided on Kindle Fire 7 tables offered to each team member and each PCB board was exceptionally labelled with built-in test ports. She was also impressed that surface mount soldering techniques were included in the training, including the use of reflow iron, and that students came away with respect for people who regularly use surface mount components.

Wright and Rivers also learned how to build effective oscillator and high voltage transformer circuits to operate a Geiger-Muller tube, a hollow cylinder filled with a gas at low pressure used to detect radioactive particles.

“I was also happy that the students now have access to an effective I2C sensors library for the Arduino and they were able to see a complete microSD code on the Arduino IDE, since they struggled with this last spring in one of their courses,” Dugas said.

Outside the workshop, the 15 delegates representing Louisiana and LaSPACE found time for recreation, visiting Tom’s Cove Beach in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and several restaurants on Chincoteague Island.

Pictured:

NSU students Holden Rivers, left, and Jack Wright, right, accompanied by Professor Anna Dugas, center, participated in the NASA-sponsored RockOn! Workshop where they build and tested a rocked payload that was launched on a sounding rocket.

New head of Social Work announced

Leah Jackson — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 11:30:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Dr. Ruth Weinzettle has been named head of the Department of Social Work at Northwestern State University effective July 1. The NSU Department of Social Work offers the nationally accredited (CSWE-Council on Social Work Education) Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree, with face-to-face and online options. Weinzettle has been on faculty at NSU since 2006 and has been acting director for the last year. Her appointment as department head was approved last month by the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System.

Weinzettle’s first act as department head was to announce that NSU’s social work program was recently ranked fifth online program in the nation by bestcolleges.com, an organization that researches online programs to inform students about institutions that provide quality distance education at an affordable cost.

“I am excited about continuing to lead and work with dedicated colleagues to provide an excellent BSW program,” Weinzettle said.

The department will begin the year with several new faculty and staff in addition to experienced faculty members who will collaborate to achieve departmental goals. Goals include strengthening the online program offerings, establishing stronger connections with social work alumni and community agencies, enhancing efforts to engage with students, including online students, offering student scholarships and implementing the first social work endowed professorship given in honor of Matilde Bradford.

“It will be a busy first year as Head of the Social Work Department,” she said.

Weinzettle chose social work as her life’s work as a teen and earned a bachelor’s degree in social work at Louisiana College and master’s and Ph.D. in social work at Louisiana State University. She began her career in Marksville and worked five years with the State of Louisiana in Child Welfare , the area that influenced her decision to be a social worker. She then spent nearly a decade at Family Counseling Agency in Alexandria as a social worker, family violence program coordinator, clinical supervisor, director of professional services and interim executive director. She transitioned to academia and taught at Louisiana College for 14 years before joining NSU’s faculty in 2006 as associate professor and coordinator of NSU’s Cenla social work program,

She has since served as a professor and director of field education and NSU Lead of the State of Louisiana’s Title IVE Stipend Program. She has taught classes in human behavior and the social environment, generalist practice, field placement, research methods, marriage and family and generalist practice with families. As acting department head, she has for the last year overseen curriculum development course scheduling, budgetary issues, faculty evaluation and other duties.

While teaching college, Weinzettle has also been active in part-time private social work providing therapy services, supervision and consultation services regarding social work practice, community practice and programs. She has been a member of the Association of Social Work Boards since 2004 serving in several leadership capacities.

Professionally, she is an appointed member of the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners, is a member of and site visitor for the Council on Social Work Education and is a member of the National Association of Social Workers.

Weinzettle is currently a volunteer mental health consultant for the Strong Neighborhoods Project directed through the United Way of Central Louisiana and an evaluator for the Extra Mile Parent Project. She is a member of St. James Episcopal Church and the Red River Chorale.

Northwestern State’s online bachelor's degree in social work at NSU prepares students for generalist social work practice. This 120-credit program includes 53 credits of core social work courses. Students graduate with a bachelor of social work (BSW) degree upon completing the program. Online courses follow both synchronous and asynchronous delivery formats, and courses are taught following the typical 16-week semester with fewer courses offered in either the 8-week A or B terms. In the summer, students can opt to enroll in 4-week or 8-week terms. The BSW program does not require any campus visits for completion. Students meet the field work requirement within their home area with the approval of the school.

Information is available at nsula.edu/socialworkhome.

Prescott named University Registrar

By David West — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 10:30:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Barbara Prescott has been named University Registrar at Northwestern State University. Her appointment has been approved by the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System.

Prescott will supervise and manage the University Registrar’s Office including functions for student and faculty academic services, registration and graduation, records, Veteran Affairs and NCAA Certification.

She has served as acting registrar since September 2018. Her responsibilities include supervising and managing all functions of the University Registrar's Office, supervising and managing academic student records in the Banner system, supervising Banner security, authorizing access to the student system, and coordinating the processes for the Curriculum Review Council and the production of the University Catalog.

Her job includes chairing several university committees including the Registration, Credits and Graduation Council, Grade Appeal Committee, Commencement Committee, Registration Committee, Data Entry Standards Council and the Academic Calendar Committee. Prescott supervises the collection and maintenance of grades, coordinates and produces the 14th-class day count and graduation count reports to the Administration at NSU, the State Board of Regents and the Board of Supervisors. She assists faculty, staff and students through counseling, advising and the interpretation and enforcement of academic policies.

Prescott has nearly three decades of experience in the University Registrar’s Office. She was a University Records Analyst Coordinator from 1990-2008 then served as Assistant to the Registrar for Student Services from 2008-2018.

Prescott earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology along with a Master of Arts in Adult Education at Northwestern State.

Phlebotomy course to begin in Alexandria July 29

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Office of Electronic and Continuing Education will offer a Phlebotomy Technician course starting Monday, July 29.

The classroom portion of the class will be held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Room 164 of the NSU Cenla campus at 1410 Neal Kirby Boulevard through Aug. 30. The clinical portion will be held on Sept. 2-13. Hours for this portion will vary.

This course is broken down into five weeks of classroom and two weeks of clinical training. The class is designed to teach entry-level phlebotomy skills to students interested in pursuing a career in phlebotomy. Students are required to complete 100 clinical hours and 100 venipunctures before being allowed to take the board exam. Upon satisfactory completion of this course, students will be eligible to take the National Board Certification Exam on site through the American Certification Agency for Healthcare Professionals. This course also includes Basic Life Support Certification through the American Heart Association.

Requirements to take the class include proof of a high school diploma, GED or official transcript, payment of National Board Certification and material fee paid to the instructor on the first night of class, a set of solid scrubs of any color for clinical days and the required textbook: Phlebotomy Essentials, 6th edition (Wolters Kluwer).

The fee for the class is $950, half of which must be paid with registration. The remainder must be paid prior to the start of class along with $150 paid directly to the instructor for National Board Certification and material fee.

For more information on NSU non-credit programs, go to nsula.edu/ece/non-credit-programs or call (800) 376-2422 or (318) 357-6355. To register for classes, go to checkout.nsula.edu.

To learn more about NSU’s online non-credit courses visit gatlineducation.com/nsula or ed2go.com/nsu.

Duke TIP rep visits ADVANCE

Hariette Palmer, ADVANCE associate director — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 16:30:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Paris Andrew, director of Partnerships and Engagement for Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP), visited the Northwestern State University campus last week to experience the daily operation of the ADVANCE Program for Young Scholars, a collaboration with DUKE TIP for 31 years.

Andrew joined staff and students in the cafeteria for lunch where she visited with several faculty members and learned of their professional backgrounds. She visited several classes and was impressed with academic programming and the number of ADVANCE Program courses included in an articulation agreement with Northwestern State. She then toured NSU’s campus including A. A. Fredericks Auditorium, the host site for the annual Louisiana Recognition Ceremony for 7th grade Duke TIP participants, and Magale Recital Hall, the venue for ceremonies and the talent show. According to Harriette Palmer, ADVANCE Program Associate Director, she was amazed with the modern functionality and cleanliness of University Place 2, and the residence hall’s amenities, including the pool, sand volleyball court and clubhouse available to ADVANCE students.

NSU’s ADVANCE Program for Young Scholars is a three-week academic summer program for gifted students ages 12 – 17. Student enroll in one course of intense and demanding study. The residential life portion of ADANCE is vital to the program, offering balanced recreational and social activities to complement the intensive academic curriculum. The ADVANCE Program has built up a host of traditions and a strong community of staff and students that keep ADVANCErs returning year after year. This year’s camp will run July 7-27.

For more information on ADVANCE, visit http://advance.nsula.edu, or call 318-357-4500.

Pictured:

Paris Andrew, director of Partnerships and Engagement for Duke University’s Talent Identification Program, right, visited the ADVANCE program for young scholarships last week. From left are Harriette Palmer, ADVANCE Program Associate Director, and Chris Hynes, ADVANCE Program Director.

Campus events and activities for July 14-20

Sun, 14 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Here is a look at the week of July 14-20 at Northwestern State University.

July 14-20 – Early registration for fall semester

Officials monitoring Tropical Storm Barry

Leah Jackson — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 11:00:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – 10:30 a.m. Sunday

Officials at Northwestern State University are monitoring weather conditions related to Tropical Storm Barry, in coordination with the National Weather Service.

The center of Tropical Storm Barry was located about 50 miles south-southeast of Shreveport. Movement is to the north at 9 mph. Barry continues to weaken while moving north across Louisiana and should move into Arkansas tonight. Tropical storm-force winds are located well to the southeast of the center of circulation

NSU officials will continue to monitor weather conditions and issue announcements as needed.

Announcements will be posted on the Northwestern State University homepage, www.nsula.edu, and on NSU’s Facebook pages, Twitter and Instagram accounts. NSU will also issue announcements to students, faculty and staff through Purple Alert, the university’s emergency notification system. Information on Purple Alert is available at https://www.nsula.edu/purplealert/.

Nursing students present health education fair

Tamara Baxter, Asst. Professor of Nursing — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 14:30:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Fifth level clinical nursing students from Northwestern State University’s Natchitoches campus organized a student health education fair in the Ebarb community in Sabine Parish earlier this summer.

Ebarb students in PreK through ninth grade who were enrolled in the PALS (Positive Alternatives for Learning Success) program visited health stations where they learned about healthy lifestyles, infection control (hand-washing), the effects of smoking and juuling, the importance of exercise to heart health, central nervous system and reaction times and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for fun. Stations also addressed careers in health care and nutrition choices.

“The fifth level clinical students will be graduating this semester and this was their community health service project,” explained Tamara Baxter, assistant professor and coordinator of Natchitoches campus nursing.

Pictured: Heather Trichel of Many discussed the health risks of sugary drinks with students attending the health education fair.

'Great American Trailer Park Musical'

Leah Jackson — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 09:30:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present “The Great American Trailer Park Musical,” a Granny-slappin’ good time dinner theatre, July 24-27 and July 31-Aug. 3. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner and show beginning at 6 p.m.

Reservations are required.

“The Great American Trailer Park Musical” is a two-act musical, written by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso. It explores the relationships between the tenants at the Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Florida, particularly between Pippi, "the stripper on the run," the Dr. Phil-loving agoraphobic Jeannie and Jeannie's tollbooth-collector husband Norbert. It was performed in the first annual New York Music Theater Festival in 2004 and Off-Broadway in 2005.

The cast includes Adele Hebert of Lafayette as Pickles, Chase Crane of Livingston as Norbert, Jade Duthu of Marrero as Jeannie, Kristie Contreary of Geismar as Linoleum, Mary-Scott Pourciau of Baton Rouge as Pippi, Milla Gonzales of Bossier City as Betty and Ricky Hernandez of Las Vegas, Nevada, as Duke.

Pia Wyatt, professor of Theatre and Dance, is the director. Krislyn Mardis of Choudrant is stage manager and Je’Breanne Morgan of Plaquemine is assistant stage manager and sound designer. Elizabeth Guy of Anacoco is costume designer.

Tickets are $30, which includes the meal and show. The meal will include soup, salad, an entrée, dessert, tea and coffee. Dress is casual and the show is appropriate for all ages.

For more information or to make reservations, call (318) 357-4483, or visit https://capa.nsula.edu/theatre/season-tickets to order tickets online.

College of Ed earns CAEP accreditation

Leah Jackson — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 16:30:00 -0500

Northwestern State University’s Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development was among 42 providers in 23 states and the District of Columbia to earn accreditation for their educator preparation programs (EPPs) from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). During CAEP’s spring 2019 review, the 42 providers were approved under rigorous, nationally recognized CAEP Teacher Preparation Standards.

“These providers meet high standards so that their students receive an education that prepares them to succeed in a diverse range of classrooms after they graduate,” said CAEP President Dr. Christopher A. Koch. “Seeking CAEP Accreditation is a significant commitment on the part of an educator preparation provider.”

CAEP is the sole nationally-recognized accrediting body for educator preparation. Accreditation is a nongovernmental activity based on peer review that serves the dual functions of assuring quality and promoting improvement. CAEP was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. It is a unified accreditation system intent on raising the performance of all providers focused on educator preparation. Approximately 800 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP Accreditation system, including some previously accredited through former standards.

Educator preparation providers seeking accreditation must pass peer review on five standards, which are based on two principles: solid evidence that the provider’s graduates are competent and caring educators and solid evidence that the provider’s educator staff have the capacity to create a culture of evidence and use it to maintain and enhance the quality of the professional programs they offer.

“The CAEP accreditation process is quite rigorous, and, therefore, is an accurate measure of the excellence of our Teacher Preparation Programs,” said Dr. Katrina Jordan, director of NSU’s School of Education. “The faculty, staff, students and stakeholders of the School of Education at Northwestern State University worked tirelessly to ensure that we were able to receive this accreditation by consistently setting and meeting rigorous academic goals as well as by directly participating in the accreditation process. Thank you to all of those who helped us to reach this incredible milestone. Because we have this ‘seal of approval’ from such a meticulous and highly regarded accreditation body, we can say with certainty that we are thoroughly preparing our students for the workforce while ensuring that their investment into our programs is an excellent one.”

Information on NSU’s Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development and degree programs available can be accessed at.

Boydstun Scholarship to benefit HMT student

Leah Jackson — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 15:30:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – An anonymous donor is honoring the life of a Northwestern State University alumna by creating a scholarship in her memory. The Willie Ethel Boydstun Endowed Scholarship will benefit a student in NSU’s Hospitality Management and Tourism program. Boydstun passed away in 2008 at age 89.

“The donor was a member of a women’s club in Natchitoches and most of the members are now deceased,” explained NSU Development Officer Danielle Cobb. “Mrs. Boydstun would come and present to the club members. They still had a balance of $7,800 in their club banking account, so they closed the account and decided to establish a scholarship in Mrs. Boydstun’s name.”

To be eligible, the student must be from north Louisiana and have a grade point average of at least 2.0. The recipient will receive $250 in the fall and spring semesters.

Boydstun was born in Many in 1918 and was a graduate of Many High School. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in home economics at Northwestern State and a Master of Science in agricultural extension education from Louisiana State University. She joined the staff of the LSU Agricultural Extension Service in Natchitoches in 1955 and was well-known throughout Natchitoches Parish for her homemaking skills and abilities, teaching the art of homemaking to people in the area for many years as a home demonstration agent. She received the Distinguished Service Award from the Louisiana Association of Extension Home Economists in 1976.

Boydstun was a member of the Natchitoches Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches, Natchitoches Garden Club, Natchitoches Historic Foundation, Delta Gamma Phi, Epsilon Sigma Phi, the Louisiana Retired Teachers Association, the Natchitoches Extension Home Economics Association and the Louisiana Extension Home Economics Association. She was also an active member of First Baptist Church of Natchitoches until her health declined. She served on the Shultz Chapel building committee, the pastor search committee and the landscape committee.

“Our family is very thankful to the anonymous donors who contributed to start this scholarship,” said Boydstun’s grandson William Masson. “My grandmother firmly believed in the value of higher education. She would be very happy to know that NSU students will benefit from this honor in her name.”

Boydstun’s late daughter, Carolyn Boydstun Masson, and two grandsons, William and Patrick Masson, are all NSU graduates.

Friends are invited to contribute to the scholarship by visiting northwesternalumni.com or contacting Cobb at (318) 357-5513 or cobbd@nsula.edu.

Campus events and activities for July 7-13

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Here is a look at the week of July 7-13 at Northwestern State University.

July 7-13 – Early registration for fall semester

July 9 – Freshman Connection Session IV, Natchitoches campus

July 12 – Doug Ireland Retirement Roast and Toast, Friedman Student Union, 6 p.m.

NSU to close July 4-5

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 15:00:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University will be closed Wednesday, July 4-5 for Independence Day. Classes will resume and administrative offices will reopen on Monday, July 8.

Watson Library will be closed July 4-7 and will reopen for regular hours on July 8.

Benoit to serve as Honorary Chair of Folk Festival

By Dr. Shane Rasmussen — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 11:00:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Louisiana Music Hall of Famer and Grammy nominee Tab Benoit will serve as Honorary Chair of the 40th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival which will be held on July 26-27 in Prather Coliseum on the Northwestern State University campus. In addition to serving as Chair, Benoit will be inducted into the Louisiana Folklife Center Hall of Master Folk Artists and will make several appearances at the festival.

“It is our honor to recognize Tab Benoit as an incredibly exciting musician, whose distinctive sound captures the vibrancy of Louisiana’s traditional culture,” said Dr. Shane Rasmussen, director of the festival and NSU’s Louisiana Folklife Center. “This year’s festival theme – Vive la Louisiane! – is a celebration of how folk tradition is alive and well in Louisiana. It’s fitting that this year we should honor a musician of Tab Benoit’s stature, as he has inspired so many others to follow in his steps.”

Benoit is one of the foremost blues singers and guitarists in the world. Hailing from Houma, his music ranges in style but mainly focuses on Delta blues. Benoit has been playing the guitar since he was a teenager. As a regular at the Blues Box in Baton Rouge, he learned from many blues legends such as Tabby Thomas, Raful Neal, and Henry Gray. He has toured across the United States since 1991. His 2006 album “Brother to the Blues” received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album. On two occasions Benoit has been a recipient of the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award and Blues Music Awards Contemporary Blues Male Artist award, and in 2010 he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Benoit is also active in promoting the conservation of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, founding the “Voice of the Wetlands” organization, and receiving the Governor’s Award for Conservationist of the Year in 2010 for his efforts.

Benoit will appear at the welcome ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday July 27, when he and his fellow members of the 2019 Louisiana Folklife Hall of Master Folk Artists class will be inducted. Inductees will include Cajun musicians Jamie Berzas and Bruce Daigrepont, filé maker John Oswald Colson, and country musician Vanessa Niemann, all of whom will also participate in the festival.

In addition to his headline performance on Saturday evening, Benoit will also appear in two narrative sessions during the afternoon. In the first, “Tab Benoit: A Man and his Guitar,” Benoit will talk with fellow blues musician and Master Folk Artist Ed Huey about his experiences performing his distinctive Louisiana style blues around the world. In the second Benoit will discuss his environmental efforts with the Voice of the Wetlands Foundation.

The Southeast Tourism Society (STS) has named the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival as one of the STS Top 20 Events in the Southeast for July 2019. The family-oriented festival is wheelchair accessible. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. For a full schedule of events, to purchase tickets, or for more information call (318) 357-4332, send an email to folklife@nsula.edu, or go to louisianafolklife.nsula.edu.

Support for the festival is provided by grants from the Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc., the City of Natchitoches, the Louisiana Division of the Arts Decentralized Arts Fund Program, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.

Summer camps bring more than 8,500 to campus

By David West — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 16:00:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State University campus will see plenty of activity this summer as more than 8,500 students and staff will take part in more than 50 summer camps and workshops hosted by the university.

The camps include band, art, music and science camps, Louisiana Boys State and Girls State, cheerleading and sports camps, the ADVANCE Program for Young Scholars, the Louisiana Association of Student Councils, robotics camps and more.

“We have the most enchanting, beautiful campus in the state of Louisiana,” said Director of Enrollment Services Jana Lucky. “Summer camps are a great way to show off our campus to students that might not have had an opportunity to experience it. Natchitoches is also very friendly and welcoming to visitors from all over.”

About half of the camps are overnight camps, requiring the students to use campus residence halls and dining facilities. Lucky says this gives camp participants a good idea of what student life is like at Northwestern State. The camps have a significant economic impact on the community because of the overnight stays and purchases made by the camps and visits from parents.

This year’s summer camps will have an estimated economic impact of nearly $3.5 million on the local economy, according to the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Camps also provide a valuable way for academic departments to promote themselves and possibly spark an interest in a future NSU student. Northwestern State’s Department of Engineering Technology has offered STEM robotics camps for nearly 10 years for both beginning and advanced levels.

“The interdisciplinary construction of robots, which involves motors, sensors, and programming, makes it a useful pedagogical tool for all STEM areas,” said Jafar Al Sharab, head of the Department of Engineering Technology. “The novelty of robotics is instrumental in attracting and recruiting diverse STEM students. In the classroom, robotics can easily be used to introduce a variety of mandatory skills needed to pursue a variety of STEM career paths. More specifically, a robotics platform advances students’ understanding of both scientific and mathematical principles develops and enhances problem-solving techniques and promotes cooperative learning.”

A list of summer camps hosted by Northwestern State is at facilityuse.nsula.edu/summer-camp-list.

McCullen family creates nursing scholarship

Leah Jackson — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 11:30:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – The McCullen Family of Natchitoches has created an endowed scholarship through the Northwestern State University Foundation that will benefit upper level nursing students. Wayne and Sandra McCullen created the scholarship to mark the 50th anniversary of their graduation dates from Northwestern in 1969 and 1970 and their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple hopes the scholarship will help “someone in clinicals who is very serious about being a nurse,” they said.

The McCullens, along with their children and their spouses David and Beth McCullen of Oxford, Mississippi; Brandon and McCall McCullen of Benton and Rob and Michelle McCullen Posey of Benton, joined faculty and administrators from Northwestern State University’s College of Nursing to discuss needs the scholarship will fill and the family’s history with Northwestern State. In Mr. and Mrs. McCullen’s immediate family, four out of five are NSU graduates and, including their children’s spouses, seven out of eight are NSU graduates.

“This is very dear to me,” Wayne McCullen said. “I give a lot of credit to NSU for my success.”

Mr. McCullen was a first-generation college student from Springhill who credited his parents’ work ethic in forming his character. He became interested in nursing as a teenager after an emergency appendectomy in which he was acquainted with the CNA (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) who put him to sleep for the procedure. He later asked his guidance counselor where he should pursue a nursing degree and was pointed to NSU. After earning his bachelor’s degree in nursing, he pursued a degree in anesthesia at the University of South Alabama and served as the director of anesthesia at Natchitoches Regional Medical Center from 1974-2000.

Mr. McCullen was a three-term mayor of Natchitoches, leading the city from 2000-2012. Prior to that, he served on the Natchitoches City Council from 1980–2000. Northwestern State honored him with an Nth Degree for meritorious service and in 2012 he was inducted into the Long Purple Line, NSU’s Alumni Hall of Distinction.

Mrs. McCullen graduated from Baton Rouge High School and completed her nursing degree at NSU in 1970. As an RN, she held several positions in nursing care and administration at Natchitoches Parish Hospital, including serving as assistant director of nursing, taking time off when each of their children was born. She was active in the community while raising a family and supporting her husband’s political life. The McCullens have been members of First Baptist Church for over 50 years and will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Aug. 9.

Mr. and Mrs. McCullen both credited NSU for preparing them for successful careers and, with the support of their children, felt a strong desire to give back.

“We are delighted we can contribute and make it possible for a person with a hardship to finish their degree in nursing,” Mr. McCullen said. “I could not have gone to school without scholarships and student loans.”

Beginning this fall, the $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a nursing major in clinicals in Shreveport, Alexandria or Natchitoches who demonstrate a financial need.

“The culture we have right now at NSU is keeping our students at the forefront,” said NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio, adding that 80 percent of NSU students receive some form of financial aid. “We know the median income for families in northwest Louisiana has put a burden on a lot of our students. Gifts like this make or break whether a student can continue to go to school. I’m so grateful the McCullens are embracing this as a family.”

Maggio said that when he became president of Northwestern, Mr. and Mrs. McCullen were role models for him and his wife Jennifer, who looked up to the McCullens as a husband and wife team in leadership roles.

Dr. Dana Clawson, dean of NSU’s College of Nursing and School of Allied Health said scholarships for students are the college’s great need.

“We had a couple of students who passed the spring semester, but we noticed they weren’t re-enrolled. They are one semester from graduating but they said, ‘We just can’t afford to go.’ We were able to find scholarship money and if we hadn’t been able to, I think we would have passed the hat. Many of our students are first generation students and those taking summer classes don’t receive TOPS.”

NSU’s nursing program has grown by 30 percent in the last two years. There are about 2,500 nursing students and over 700 in clinicals. Graduates have 100 percent job placement and 100 percent pass rate on the NCLEX, the National Council Licensure Examination required to become an entry-level nurse.

In addition to improving labs and technology and hiring faculty to accommodate growth, administrators have developed several programs to meet needs in the community, including a paramedic/military medic to RN program that will begin this fall and a Bachelor of Science to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program for students who completed a degree in biology and would like to become nurses. The School’s first class of psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners graduated this past May.

Clinicals students are now able to take classes at sites in Natchitoches and Alexandria so that students with band, athletic or ROTC scholarships can more easily complete upper level courses. The School also offers a full summer session so students can finish a year early. Administrators said scholarship awards also help offset the cost of board fees, exam fees and other costs stacked on top of tuition.

“We have been so incredibly blessed,” Mrs. McCullen said. “We are so thankful to be able to help someone or several people.”

Information on associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs, post-master’s certificate programs and continuing education offered through NSU’s College of Nursing is available at nursing.nsula.edu.

Pictured: The McCullen family of Natchitoches initiated a scholarship to benefit Northwestern State University nursing students through a donation to the NSU Foundation. From left are David and Beth McCullen, Brandon and McCall McCullen, Wayne and Sandra McCullen and Michelle and Rob Posey. Of the eight, seven are Northwestern graduates. The scholarship commemorates the 50th anniversary of Wayne and Sandra’s graduation from NSU and their 50th wedding anniversary.

Online Ed.D. program ranked first

Leah Jackson — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) program was ranked by Great Value Colleges as the #1 online Training and Development program. Northwestern State was selected for the top-ranked spot not only for the program’s affordability but also for the institution’s overall outstanding reputation, its faculty’s excellence and the unerring commitment to providing non-traditional students a high-quality education and in doing so, giving them all the tools that they need to achieve their future career goals.

Northwestern State’s Doctor of Education in Adult Learning and Development focuses on developing community college leaders and preparing practitioners to work with adult learners and workforce development. Graduates will be qualified to assume advanced leadership roles in areas of community college leadership, workforce development, post-secondary education, adult learning and development, and scholarship.

The Doctor of Education is a practitioner degree program that prepares students for the practice of adult learning and leadership across the following domains: teaching and learning, curriculum and instructional design, adult development, workforce development, program management and planning, organizational change, and community college leadership.

Two concentrations are available: Community College Leadership and Adult Learning and Workforce Development.

“It is certainly an honor for our doctoral program to receive this recognition, particularly as we are only in our third year,” said Dr. Bill Morrison, coordinator of Adult Learning and Development Programs. “ I think that part of the reason for this recognition is that the program has a broad appeal in that it emphasizes rigorous, practice-based learning for those who wish to pursue advanced practice and leadership roles in the many different venues where adults learn, including community colleges, universities, adult education programs, and corporate training program.”

Great Value Colleges rankings are determined by using data collected from College Navigator regarding tuition, as well as program information gleaned directly from each institution’s official website. The methodology is based primarily on tuition but also considers program flexibility, customization within the degree program both in content and format and an overall factor which highlights each program’s unique offerings and sets it apart from the pack.

Great Value Colleges compiles these rankings in an effort to contribute to the academic mission of higher learning institutions. We provide pertinent, unbiased information for prospective students and working professionals to aid them in making more informed decisions as they seek to further their education.

“Northwestern State University has been a leader in online learning for almost two decades, being the state's first and largest electronic campus,” said Dr. Katrina Jordan, director of the School of Education. “As part of that campus, the program for the Doctorate in Education in Adult Learning and Development maintains the highest standards for online degree programs. Courses are interactive, engaging, and designed to optimize online learning. We are so pleased that this innovative, exemplary program has been nationally recognized as being both of high quality and affordable.”

Information on Northwestern State University’s Doctor of Education program is available at https://education.nsula.edu.

Keyboarding class to begin July 8

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 08:30:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Office of Electronic and Continuing Education will offer an Introduction to Keyboarding course starting July 8. The class will be on July 8-11 and 15-18 from 1 p.m. until 2:30, p.m. in Room 106 of South Hall. The fee is $150.

This course is designed for students enrolled in the 6th, 7th, or 8th grades and will introduce all the keys on the keyboard with a focus on correct technique, speed and accuracy.

For more information on NSU non-credit programs, go to nsula.edu/ece/non-credit-programs or call (800) 376-2422 or (318) 357-6355. To register for classes, go to checkout.nsula.edu.

To learn more about NSU’s online non-credit courses visit gatlineducation.com/nsula or ed2go.com/nsu.

Student focuses on Cradle to Prison Intervention

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 14:30:00 -0500

India Gurley of Logansport, a student majoring in Child and Family Studies at Northwestern State University, initiated round two of a service project to benefit local preschool and kindergarten students. For the second time, Gurley implemented a t-shirt fund raiser to support the Early Childhood Education Cradle to Prison Intervention Pipeline project at NSU. Gurley raised enough money to purchase 140 children’s books for local classrooms and plans to share her experience at the annual Louisiana Early Childhood Association conference in October with Dr. Michelle Brunson, director of Graduate Programs in Early Childhood Education at NSU.

Soccer team visits Guatemala

Matt Vines — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 14:00:00 -0500

GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA – Northwestern State soccer player Courtney LeJeune has had plenty of obstacles in her three seasons at NSU. The defender has appeared in just one game as she’s battled multiple injuries, including a knee injury she’s currently rehabilitating in hopes of stepping on the field this season.

But her perspective on her NSU career changed when she was one of nine Lady Demons who volunteered in Guatemala in mid-May. LeJeune and her teammates helped orchestrate youth soccer camps in the morning and played against women’s teams from the city in the afternoon.

“It was eye-opening,” said LeJeune, a nursing major from Gonzales. “The people were so grateful for everything they had, and from a soccer aspect, it made me feel like I’m spoiled.

“Sometimes we don’t want to go to practice when it’s really hot, but they are thrilled to kick a ball around with anyone. The most important thing I took away is to just enjoy the game. You remember why you love to play the game, and it’s going to push us to give a full effort every time we’re out there. This trip was perfect timing for me and reminded me how fortunate we are.”

NSU co-head soccer coach Anna Jobe has made eight similar trips to different countries, but she still absorbs lessons with each successive trip.

Guatemala City is divided into zones, and Zone 3 where the NSU team served is one of the poorest sectors and where the city sends its trash and waste. The mostly dirt soccer fields with rusty poles serving as goals were in the shadows of the city’s dump, which spans more than 17 football fields.

“There’s a big gang presence there, and they start recruiting kids at six- and eight-years old and start grooming them for that life,” Jobe said. “FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) Guatemala is on the ground serving there, and they offer soccer as an opportunity to be part of a team and a community – they provide an alternative to gangs that gives them that sense of community and security.

“Our players jumped in from the first moment and did a great job loving and playing with the kids. Some of those children came to the clinic barefoot, or maybe they hadn’t eaten yet that day, yet still came with energy and a smile. We want our players to take something away from this experience and challenge them to approach life with a new perspective when returning to the States. I think our girls blessed those kids, but we also were greatly blessed by them in return.”

NSU teamed up with the Baylor University women’s soccer team on the trip. Former coach Marci Jobson, a mentor of Jobe’s when Anna was on the Bears staff, organized the trip for the third summer and invited the Lady Demon soccer team.

Rising junior defender Ashley Medawattage will remember the smiles on the kids’ faces when they played the game they loved.

“It’s humbling, and it opened my eyes to see how generous these kids were with certain things,” said the Edmond, Oklahoma native and nursing major. “Their faces lit up when they saw us with soccer balls.

“It’s amazing to see the impact that our words and presence had on them – you don’t think you can have significance like that. But (the trip) has helped me not take soccer for granted. Being in college athletics in the U.S., sometimes you don’t want to wake up and run and lift weights. But it helps you realize how fortunate you are to get up every morning and play soccer in this country, and seeing the kids and the other women’s players there with so much passion, it helps you remember why you love the game so much.”

Players did have trouble communicating with the English-Spanish language barrier, but sometimes, a smile and a high-five was all that was needed to share appreciation and soccer.

American and Guatemalan players swapped stories and testimonies through translators, but the athletes also talked to each other on the field and at the dinner table by themselves.

“It was great to hear what they were saying (through translators), but to try and communicate on our own was fun as well,” LeJeune said. “We learned some Spanish words, and it all brought us together.

“We had fun sharing soccer and sharing Jesus. At times, it didn’t feel like there was a language barrier at all.”

The players raised more than $14,000 to make the trip, and Jobe believes the Lady Demons built a bond by serving others.

“(The NSU girls) and Guatemalan girls come from different backgrounds and speak different languages, but once you throw a ball out there, there’s really not much difference because soccer and sports in general is a universal language,” Jobe said. “It’s neat to be able to share something with our players something I’m passionate about, which is to grow the game of soccer and explore different places outside of our little bubble at NSU.

“To get outside of yourself and go serve shoulder to shoulder with people that you do life with every day was a phenomenal experience. It takes relationships to a whole new level, and that was pretty special for us to do.”

To learn more about NSU soccer and ways to support the program, contact Anna Jobe by email (jobea@nsula.edu) or visit the NSU athletics website (nsudemons.com) and click on soccer.

Campus events and activities for June 30 - July 6

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0500

NATCHITOCHES – Here is a look at the week of June 30 – July 6 at Northwestern State University.

June 30 – July 2 – Early registration for second 4-week summer session

June 30 – July 6 – Early registration for fall semester

July 1 – Start of second 4-week summer session

July 4-5 – University closed for Independence Day

Valley/SWEPCO continues support of NSU

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 15:30:00 -0500

SHREVEPORT – Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell presented an additional $75,000 in aid to Northwestern State University arising from the purchase of the Valley Electric Membership Cooperative by SWEPCO in 2010.

Campbell presented NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio with a check for $75,000 to supplement $231,000 already donated by Valley/SWEPCO. Maggio said the total to date of $306,000 from Valley/SWEPCO is being used to match $80,000 in State Board of Regents funding, bringing the total budget impact on the Natchitoches school to $386,000. NSU will use the funds for university endowments, scholarships and grants.

The Valley/SWEPCO money originates from Valley Electric capital credits accumulated over the co-op’s 70 years of service. After buying Valley in 2010, SWEPCO refunded $25 million in capital credits owed to the families and businesses that were Valley members.

“Efforts to locate co-op members who were owed money are done, and at my request the Public Service Commission has dedicated the remaining one percent to NSU,” Campbell said.

Campbell said former Valley members are paying 13 percent less for electricity today with SWEPCO than they were as co-op members in 2010. In addition, since the sale SWEPCO has invested nearly $100 million in tree-trimming and other improvements in the eight-parish Valley territory.

Maggio said the donation of Valley funding to NSU means the co-op continues to contribute to the wellbeing of the Natchitoches community and its university.

“Northwestern State students are the direct beneficiaries of this donation,” Maggio said. “Many of our students come from the area formerly serviced by Valley Electric. Many are first-generation students. These funds, which support scholarships and faculty development, will be used in the best interest of individuals pursuing the dream of a college degree.”

Malcolm Smoak, president and chief operating officer of SWEPCO, said all former Valley employees were hired by SWEPCO and are valuable members of the SWEPCO team.

“Their focus on customer service and dedication to the Valley is visible each day through their hard work to deliver safe, reliable and affordable energy to our customers,” Smoak said. “Our continued investments in the power grid, our employees and the community are possible because Valley members overwhelmingly voted in 2010 to join SWEPCO.”

Pictured: Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell presented a check to the Northwestern State University Foundation that will fund scholarships, endowments and grants. The funds arose from the purchase of Valley Electric Membership Cooperative by SWEPCO in 2010. From left are SWEPCO President and CEO Malcolm Smoak, Campbell and NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio.