RenaissanceVolume XXX, Issue 5 Praecellemus May 2013

The Voice of the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts Natchitoches, LA

In this issue...

2 Letter from the Editor

2 Meet Mrs. Buckhalter

3 SGO Forum 4 Freddy-May’s Recital

4 Spring Concert

5 Special Projects

6-7 College Matriculations

8 Zombie Prom

9 BSP: Finals

10 SLAMT

11 Lacks Family Visit

11 Farewell to Mrs. Allen 12 Senior Collage

LSMSA Honors 29th Graduating ClassStaff

The Louisiana School awarded diplo-mas to 95 members of the 29th graduating class at ceremonies held Saturday, May 25, in Prather Colise-um on the Northwest-ern State University campus. Featured speaker for the occasion was Dr. Steven Procopio, Chief of Staff in the Louisiana Division of Administration. Procopio was a last-minute replacement for Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols, who had been scheduled to speak. A 1989 gradu-ate of LSMSA, Pro-

copio received B.A. and M.A. degrees in Political Science from Louisiana State Uni-versity and a doctor-ate in political science from Indiana Univer-sity. Procopio was the latest of several LSMSA alumni to ad-dress the graduating seniors. Previous alumni speakers have includ-ed journalist Angie Drobnic Holan and Col. Lenny Ricoux (U.S.A.F.). Student speakers for the ceremonies in-cluded Maya Welch in an address titled “The Manual” and Penny Metzger, whose ad-

dress was entitled “In the Words of--.” A colorful aspect of each LSMSA gradua-tion ceremony is the presentation of gonfa-lons. Gonfaloniers for this year’s ceremony

included Kathleen Birk for the Dept. of English and His-tory, Pratik Patel for the Dept. of Science, Brianna Lawson for the Dept. of Math and Computer Science, Savannah Neill for the Dept. of Creative and Performing Arts,

and Prisha Patel for the Dept. of Foreign Languages. Music for the oc-casion was provided by the N.S.U. Brass Quintet. The ensemble was directed by Prof. Galindo Rodriguez of the N.S.U. Dept. of Music.

The 2012-13 Hall of Fame Inductees Staff

Six seniors were in-ducted into the Robert A. Alost Hall of Fame during a Senior Recog-nition Ceremony held Friday evening, May 24, at the A.A. Freder-icks Performing Arts Center on the N.S.U. campus. Named after LSMSA’s founding Director, membership in the Hall of Fame is considered the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating senior. This year’s honorees include: Kathleen Birk. From Slidell, Kathleen is the daughter of Lothar

and Carola Birk. She previously attended North Shore High School. Eric Dilmore. From Lake Charles, Eric is the son of Robert and Angela Dilmore. He previously attended Sam Houston High School. Raine Hasskew. From New Orleans, Raine is the daughter of Scot Hasskew and Stacy Crouser. She previously attended Lafayette High School. Brianna Lawson. From Lake Charles, Brianna is the daugh-ter of Daryl and Heather Lawson. She

previously attended Sam Houston High School. Janet Lee. From Natchitoches, Janet is the daughter of Dukha and Geumja Lee. She previously attended Natchitoches Central High School. Reagan Ross. From Hahnville, Reagan is the daughter of Lemieux Ross and Chandra Evans. She previously attended Hahnville High School. Other honors be-stowed during the ceremonies included the Spirit of Louisiana School Award, which

went to Toni Carlone and Oliver Daliet. Carlone previously attended East Jeffer-son High School while Daliet attended East Coweta High School (Ga.). The Sharon Sturdi-vant Williams Praecel-lemus Award went to Kripa Upadhyay of Leesville. She previ-ously attended Lees-ville High School. The Marvin Lock-hart Award for Work Service went to Tori Antley and Nathan Schultz. Antley pre-viously attended Downsville High School, and Schultz at-tended St. Amant High School.

Page 2 Renaissance May 2013

Letter From the EditorBrian Kim

Editor-in-Chief

Meet Krista BuckhalterJacob Foreman

Staff Writer As students get anx-ious to transition out of this school year, some staff members are just beginning to settle into new positions. One such individual is Mrs. Krista Buckhalter as the new Director of Media and Public Relations. Buckhalter, born and raised in Jackson, Mis-sissippi, attended the University of Southern Mississippi where she majored in Radio/Televi-sion Film and minored in English. She has experi-ence working for the Mississippi Economic Policy Center, writing as a freelance journalist on

indie films in Chicago, and working for Hope Enterprise Corporation as the Communication Director. “I am excited about my new job here at LSMSA because it is such a unique school with unique opportuni-ties. I see many pos-sibilities and a lot of room for growth here,” said Buckhalter. Buck-halter has indeed given much thought to the possibilities of expand-ing LSMSA’s impact on high-achieving students in Louisiana. “I would like to see LSMSA’s influence extend tremendously out-side of Alexandria and Natchitoches. I would

like to see LSMSA uti-lize Northwestern’s news bureau in order to gain more exposure specifi-cally in Shreveport and Baton Rouge,” described Buckhalter. Buckhalter is also interested in bringing journalists from across

the state to the Louisiana School so that they can then return to their area and promote LSMSA as a “home-grown alterna-tive”. She believes that a key part of LSMSA’s success is the fact that students feel at home here and

that the Louisiana School does not broadcast the close-knit community of students enough. In adjusting to her new position, Buckhalter describes breaking into the natural cliques of the education world as dif-ficult. “It was very odd to enter into the cafeteria for the first couple of days because the faculty naturally divided into the history teachers, English teachers, etcet-era,” she said. “That was intimidating for me, but the faculty was actually so welcoming at times that it was scary. I truly appreciate all of their efforts to make me feel at home.”

Mrs. Buckhalter in her office.Photo by Brian Kim

It seems like only yes-terday I was an anxious sophomore matriculating into LSMSA’s class of 2013, but that was three years ago. Today, I am a graduat-ing senior embarking on a new journey, but the friends I have made and the lessons I have learned at LSMSA will forever remain etched into my life. LSMSA gave me a new ambition to strive higher and galvanized my academic life with the support and motiva-tion of my teachers, I was able to achieve accomplishments beyond my expectations for my-self. They challenged me to do better, and it was here in the LSMSA class-rooms, that I reached my fullest potential. The same can be said about my experience in

Prudhomme Hall. Liv-ing away from home, I learned how to live independently and take care of myself. Under the guidance of my CRL, John Shore, I prospered into a young man ready

for college. More than my diploma or college acceptance letter, the most valuable thing I have received while at this school is the mentorship from my teachers and residen-

tial life staff. They will continue to influence and shape my life. Although 10 o’clock curfew and signing-out are a thing of the past, I will always be reminded of my time at LSMSA. The friends that I have made at this school will be my closest peers dur-ing my life. For me, LSMSA is where it all started. This is the place where my goals and dreams bur-

geoned from something small to something big. This is the place where my breadth of knowl-edge increased like never before. This is the place where I found people with the same enthusi-asm and excitement for learning. LSMSA is the beginning, and wherever the end may be, I know that my experience at this school will have ev-erything to do with that decision.

May 2013 Renaissance Page 3

SGO Hosts Annual ForumKyle Welch

Assistant Editor It is possible the favor-ite pastime of Louisiana School students is to complain, which could be taken more than one way. On the one hand, an inconsolable dissatisfac-tion could be symptom-atic of ingratitude among students. On the other hand, the complaints and inconsolable dissatisfac-tion could be illustrative of students’ insatiable hunger for progress, which is what the SGO Forum seeks to effect. At a typical SGO Forum, concerned and/or curious students congre-gate with the relevant staff and administrative members (usually any-one with “Director” in his/her title) and candid-ly discuss and argue the problems that might have arisen during the year. This year, students and faculty discussed a future class schedule, revisions to the level system, con-cerns about the Junior College Seminar class, the Louisiana School’s position as a Course Choice Provider, confu-sions about LVS and independent studies, and ways of working in more guided study hours. Regarding the future class schedule, it was established that the first class of every day will begin at 8:30 next year. Therefore, the sched-ules of each day will be pushed back a half hour, which the administration (Dr. Patrick Widhalm, Ms. Emily Shumate, Mr. Michael Thorp, and Dr. Clayton Delery) explained was based on studies that show students in high school

perform better later in the day. The move also elimi-nates a group of students who had both 11:00 and 12:00 classes and were without lunch breaks. Instead, there will no longer be 12:00 classes, granting everyone the chance to eat lunch. When discussing the level system, the main qualm with students was the lack of privileges and the difficulty in obtain-ing them. For example, seniors, as Reagan Lon-don Ross (Sr.) noticed, have a more difficult time achieving Level 5 because they take more rigorous classes. (To earn Level 5 privileges, a student must have a 3.6 GPA without any C’s.) She explained that a senior can maintain a 3.6 GPA with a C and be in-eligible for Level 5. With that, Ross suggested that C’s be discounted when determining a student’s level status. It was also brought to the Forum’s attention by Cheyenne Ortiz (Jr.) that students may be ineligi-ble for Level 5 privileges should they have too many minor infractions (three minor infractions

render a student ineli-gible for Level 5). She suggested to the Forum that the limit of minor in-fractions incurred either be raised or the minor infractions as a whole be discounted. Cheyenne also sug-gested students with

In addition, Chey-enne noted that there are some students with Level 5 who are not able to exercise their driv-ing privileges because they do not have cars at school. So essentially, they have no privileges at all. Cheyenne suggested there should be exclusive excursions for those stu-dents to locations of their choice. The Junior College Seminar course this semester has stirred much discussion among students, particularly those who feel they could do something better with their time. It was argued at the Forum that the course is disor-ganized and holds too much weight in students’ GPAs. Some students felt they were required to perform too much home-

they needed more rel-evant and specific work that might help in finding careers while simultane-ously arguing against the tediousness of the tasks at hand. No consensus was reached. Some students were confused about what it meant that the Louisiana School is now a Course Choice provider, so Widhalm explained to them that it just means the school will provide online classes to students and schools who other-wise would not be able to take them. Widhalm also explained that the pro-gram could be beneficial to the Louisiana School’s admission. He then further had to explain to some still con-fused students that LVS courses will still be avail-

as a quarter credit, the Louisiana School does not count them as part of student’s course load. The participating ad-ministration took note. A guided study sys-tem similar to the one in place two years ago was also discussed. It was suggested that instead of a guided study hour for each teacher on Tues-days and Thursdays, one teacher of each field be present for an hour of guided study after school. This suggestion emerged as part of a gen-eral consensus that every day should have a guided study hour. Note taken. Forum adjourned.

Level  To qualify  Curfew Required Study Course Enrollment 

Extracurricular Open Campus? 

Driving/Riding Privilege? 

0  Incoming students during their first quarter ‐ 9pm Mon‐Thurs 

‐None unless determined necessary by staff 

‐Max =6‐Audit = None ‐Ind Study = None ‐Dual Enr = None 

‐Up to 3 clubs‐Up to 3 sports practices per week ‐May participate in home games only  

1  ‐GPA < 2.5 or ‐More than 2 D’s or ‐More than 4 C’s or ‐More than 8 UNAs or ‐U in work service or ‐More than 1 major infraction or ‐More than 8 (first or second quarter) / 5 (third or fourth quarter) minor infractions 

‐9pm Mon‐Thurs 

‐Required Monday through Thursday unless status on this level is not due to academics 

‐Max =6‐Audit = None ‐Ind Study = None ‐Dual Enr = None 

‐Up to 2 clubs‐No leadership positions in clubs ‐Up to 2 sports practices per week ‐May participate in home games only ‐2 consecutive quarters at Level 1 = ineligible for sports   

No No

2  ‐GPA > 2.5,  ‐No more than 2 D’s,  ‐No more than 4 C’s,  ‐No more than 8 UNAs,  ‐Grade of NI or higher in work service,  ‐No more than 1 major infraction, and ‐No more than 8 ((first or second quarter) / 5 (third or fourth quarter) minor infractions  

‐9pm Mon‐Thurs 

‐Required Monday through Thursday unless status on this level is not due to academics 

‐Max =6‐Audit = 1 ‐Ind Study = None ‐Dual Enr = None 

‐Up to 3 clubs‐No leadership positions in clubs ‐Up to 3 sports practices per week ‐May participate in home games only  

No No

3  ‐GPA > 3.0,  ‐No more than 1 D,   ‐No more than 2 C’s,  ‐No more than 5 UNA,  ‐Grade of NI or higher in work service,  ‐No major infractions, and ‐No more than 6 (first or second quarter)/ 4 (third or fourth quarter) minor infractions  

‐10pm Mon‐Thurs 

‐Required 2 nights per week, unless status on this level is not due to academics 

‐Max =7‐Audit = 1 OR Ind Study = 1 ‐Dual Enr* = 1 *Sophomores are not eligible for dual enrollment 

‐Up to 4 clubs‐Up to 4 sports practices per week  

No No

4  ‐GPA > 3.5,  ‐No D’s or C’s,  ‐No more than 4 UNAs,  ‐Grade of S in work service,  ‐No major infractions, and ‐No more than 4 (first or second quarter)/ 3 (third or fourth quarter) minor infractions 

‐10pm Mon‐Thurs 

‐None ‐Max =8‐Audit = 2 OR Ind Study = 2 ‐Dual Enr* = Yes *Sophomores are not eligible for dual enrollment 

‐Unlimited clubs and sports Yes No

5  ‐GPA > 3.6,  ‐No D’s or C’s,  ‐No more than 3 UNAs,  ‐Grade of S in work service, ‐No major infractions and ‐No more than 3 (first or second quarter) / 2 (third or fourth quarter) minor infractions 

‐10pm Mon‐Thurs 

‐None ‐Max =8‐Audit = 2 OR Ind Study = 2 ‐Dual Enr* = Yes *Sophomores are not eligible for dual enrollment 

‐Unlimited clubs and sports Yes Yes

 

Level 4 should at least be allowed to ride with someone who has driving privileges. Currently, on weekends, only students with Level 5 may ever enter a vehicle that does not belong to the state of Louisiana.

work, to which the pres-ent seniors unanimously replied, “Wait until next year.” Touché, seniors, touché. In actuality, the juniors were divided in their arguments about the course. Some argued

able to Louisiana School students next year. Regarding inde-pendent studies, some students felt they were not weighted enough in determining course load. Because most indepen-dent studies count only

The Level Privileges Chart

Page 4 Renaissance May 2013

On the Sixth Day God Sent a Siren to EarthKyle Welch

Assistant Editor Or I Was Given An Out-of-Body Experi-ence by Freddy-May AbiSamra (Sr.). Those are two deserving titles of Freddy-May AbiSam-ra’s senior voice recital with Dr. Charles Jones this month. In an hour-long performance, AbiSamra sung 15 songs in three languages and sent her audience through centu-ries and miles of diverse works by various com-posers—Giovanni Paisi-ello, Arthur Sullivan, Charles Gounod, and Claude-Michel Schön-berg, to name a few. Each work chosen was concerned with love in some fashion, but each one required something different of AbiSamra, each propitiously deliv-ered. Though they were similar in subject matter,

each set of works pre-sented a different aes-thetic. For example, the first set of Italian com-posers (Guilio Caccini,

Andrea Falconieri, and Giovanni Paisiello) with the help of AbiSamra’s voice evoked the images and sounds of ecru ca-thedral walls, sun-gilded

Mediterranean hues, and classical talent unique to a culture and time. One could hear Italy in every consonant sung.

On the other hand, the second set of compos-ers (Ned Rorem, Arthur Sullivan, Carl Strommen, and Edmund Gould-ing) was reminiscent

Freddy-May AbiSamra sings at her Senior Recital.Photo by Kyle Welch

LSMSA’s Spring ConcertCarlie ProcellLayout Editor

Dr. Al Benner and Mrs. Lisa Benner coordi-nate their music classes to put on a concert together once a semester. This semester’s Spring Concert took place on May 6 and 8 in the Re-cital Hall and showcased many talents. Mrs. Benner’s Chorale

opened accompanied by Dr. Charles Jones on piano. Though there were a plethora of voices in chorale, it lacked a good tenor, so Dr. Clay-ton Delery joined the 23 students as they sang nine pieces hand-picked by Mrs. Benner. There was special rec-ognition for the seniors in chorale—Freddy-May

AbiSamra, Jay Canova, Eric Dilmore, Inah Hong, Theresa Hudson, Amber Kropog, Gabby Paz. Dr. Benner then took the stage with his endless supply of puns to accom-pany each piece played by his mixed ensemble. The ensemble consisted of four flutes, five clari-nets, two saxophones, two trumpets, a trom-bone, a tuba, and a viola. Even with this unusual mix, Dr. Benner man-aged to pull it off and make every song sound solid. “We’ve got some marches, some old-timey, pop, jazz, gospel, and classical music in this,” said Dr. Benner of the ten pieces he chose to showcase. Most of the pieces incorporated each instru-

Mrs. Benner recognizes the chorale seniors on the right.Photo by Carlie Procell

Dr. Benner conducts the mixed ensemble.Photo by Carlie Procell

ment, but there was a duet, quartet, and quintet for the saxophone, brass, and clarinet players re-spectively. There wasn’t a senior recognition piece, but Dr. Benner affectionately recognized seniors Jose-phine Robichaux (flute), Kathleen Birk (clarinet), and Eric Dilmore (trum-

pet) during the concert. Overall, it was a great concert, as can always be expected when the Ben-ners put it on. The future looks bright for the mu-sic department, as many of the musicians are underclassmen that will be returning to hopefully put on an even better Fall Concert next semester.

more of impressionistic landscapes—wildflower meadows, humble cityscapes, ordinary people with hats and parasols—all resonating with AbiSamra’s voice. The third set (Herman Bemberg, Lady Dean Paul Poldowski, and Charles Gounod) was very French—velvety, coquettish, flamboyant, indecisive. AbiSamra, are those composers happy or forlorn? Can we ever really tell of the French? And finally, a set of show tunes, lighthearted and humorous and definitely the audience’s favorite. AbiSamra’s voice is uniquely her own, but, for reference of those who were unfortunately absent, it carries with it the distinct sounds of the Middle East, particu-larly reminding me of the lulling and nurturing voices of popular Afghan singers from the 1980s,

Hangama and Ustad Mahwash. But it also had the crooning qualities of shoegaze artists Alison Shaw from Cranes and Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins. (Please join a shoegaze band, Freddy-May.) Even more, AbiSam-ra’s voice reflects the maturity and edginess of a cigarette-smoking woman from the 1940s who spent a lot of her time seducing men and living on the wild side. Frisky and smart. AbiSamra’s recital was, in conclusion, a precious treasure. To see her dainty figure produce such notes at one point drew a tear from my eye. Versatile, evocative, and beautiful, AbiSamra was moving, and I am glad to have borne witness to such a siren. (I’m seri-ous about the shoegaze band.)

May 2013 Renaissance Page 5

Special Projects Week: May 16th - May 22nd

Special Projects Week is a week of relaxation & learning at LSMSA. After the stress of finals is over with, students take a week to learn about a topic not usu-ally taught in classrooms by the faculty & staff. Some special projects even travel off-campuis. Topics range from Japa-nese flower arranging to advanced physics to the way artificial intel-lingence is portrayed in films. This year, special projects includes:

Carlie ProcellLayout Editor

A Cut Above: A Study of Men’s Barbershop Music & History

Gilbert and Sullivan Comic Opera

Acting for the Camera with Joanna Cassidy Hispanics: One or many cultures?Advanced Physics Human Interfaces with Technology

AIDS: Where did it come from? Where is it going? Ikebana: The Art of Japanese Flower ArrangingArt Camp Learning Broadcast Camera Skills

Artificial Intelligence in Film Modern Weddings: Planning & A Look at Histori-cal Traditions

Before You Were Born II Natural Areas of Northwestern LouisianaCamping: An American Passtime Nepali Voice

Colorado Environmental Labs Programming the TI-83/84 Graphing CalculatorCommunity Service Projects Science in Movies & TV

Contemporary Politics and Culture Slapstick ComedyDangerous Women Tae Kwon Do

Ernest Shackleton: The Greatest Polar Explorer EVER

Technology Horizons

Funadmentals of Tennis The History and Development of the PianoGenealogy Yearbook

Natural Areas of Northwestern LA Community Service Projects Learning Broadcast Camera Skills

Modern Weddings

Tae Kwon Do

The History and Development of Piano

Ikebana

Community Service Projects Programming the TI-83/84 Calculator

Page 6 Renaissance May 2013

LSMSA Class of 2013 College Matriculations: State-BoundLouisiana State University

Savannah BillingsNathan Bossier

Michelle BrommerTammy Chau

Samantha FadrigalanChris Faulkner

Raven GrayCharles Hardison

Inah HongKurtis JohnsonAlan Johnson

Alex Le GrangeJustin Manning

Sawyer McMickenLondon MillerLane MoberlyEverett MoserChrysalis Ortiz

Gabby PazSpencer Perry

Carson PrewettSidney Reynen

Emily Ribando-GrosBobby Russell

Aaliyah SanchezGriffin SchlampHana Stillmaker

Hannah TeerTaylor Weakley

Louisiana Tech UniversityTori ChristianLuke Hebert

Matthew JohnsonSkylar McFarland

Jaryd ResterLogan Simpson

Jessi StackWilliam Watson

Loyola University of New Orleans Brittany Givens

Nicholls State UniversityMejoan Whittington

Northwestern State UniversityJay Canova

Amber Kropog

Tulane UniversityMadison ConlayGrace HerringtonEvelyn Lambeth

Prisha PatelLauren Sobel

Kripa UpadhyayMaya Welch

University of Louisiana Lafayette

Toni CarloneShade GaspardMorgan GriffinBrianna LawsonKatie MurphySavannah Neill

University of Louisiana MonroeKatie Berry

Elisa MurilloNathan SchultzAshten Taylor

University of New OrleansJane Albright

Penny Metzger

Xavier University of Louisiana

Theresa Hudson

Gap YearDanielle Bass

Air National GuardKristen George

U.S. NavyCole Meisner

May 2013 Renaissance Page 7

Hendrix College (AR)Janie Stultz

Arizona State University (AZ)Nani Cruz

California Polytechnic State University (CA)

Josie Herumin

Stanford University (CA)London Ross

University of California-Los Angeles (CA)

Bronson Schoen

University of Colorado-Boulder (CO)Austin McMichael

The United States Air Force Academy (CO)

Patrick HenniganBenjamin Lane

American University (DC)Jasmine Hardy

LSMSA Class of 2013 College Matriculations: Out-of-State Bound

Emory University (GA)Sneha Yadlapati

Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)

Oliver Daliet

Oglethorpe University (GA)Tori Antley

Meagan Muldoon

Savannah College of Art and Design (GA)

Breanna Davis

Columbia College (IL)Freddy-May AbiSamra

Illinois Institute of Technology (IL)

Kathleen Birk

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)

Raine HasskewLouis Tao

Antioch College (OH)Hanna Strange

The Ohio State University (OH)Shelvi Shah

Swarthmore College (PA)Phyllis Lee

University of Pennsylvania (PA)Brian Kim

Baylor University (TX)Nilupul Bulathsinhala

Janet Lee

Texas A&M University (TX)Pratik Patel

University of Houston (TX)Rola Ghorab

University of Texas -Dallas (TX)Eric DilmoreIan Gonthier

James Madison University (VA)Beth Burleson

Page 8 Renaissance May 2013

Theatre Rep Premiers Zombie PromKyle Welch

Assistant Editor Blue and Gold Week this year went nuclear with Theatre Rep’s pre-mier of Zombie Prom. The Treen Audito-rium and its occupants were taken back to the Cold War atmosphere of the 1950s—Truman’s containment of com-

munism, nuclear arms races, nuclear suburban families, ultraconserva-tive moral norms, the rise of youth culture… and zombie romance. The senior prom is approaching at a strict Enrico Fermi High School, an academy of Rules, Regulations, and Respect; and Toffee (Destiny Keller, Soph.), a cheerleader, needs a date. Toffee is immediately lured to the new misun-derstood rebel, Jonny “Without an ‘H’” Warner (Chase Bernard, Soph.), who wears leather letter-man jackets, jeans, and t-shirts instead of the school’s shirt-and-tie uni-form; he greases his hair

and questions authority. When Jonny asks Toffee out to the senior prom, she rapturously accepts. But Jonny’s rebellious behavior proves unac-ceptable for the academy as well as for Toffee, as the school’s principal, Miss Delilah Strict (Julia Landon, Soph.), and her parents (Freddy-May

The cast in their final pose of Zombie Prom.Photo by Jeff Thomakos

AbiSamra, Sr. and Eric Dilmore, Sr.) convince her to break up with him. Utterly dismantled, Jonny kills himself in a nuclear reactor.

Toffee mourns his death as her schoolmates try to help her move on, but to everyone’s sur-prise, Jonny returns as a zombie just before the senior prom. His story is swept up by the sleazy reporter of Expose Magazine, Eddie Flagrante (Collin Jenkins, Soph.), and a turbulent controversy is stirred in the school. Miss Delilah Strict refuses to allow Jonny to the senior prom, but through the rebellion of Jonny and his school-mates, Miss Strict’s mind is ultimately changed when Jonny defiantly makes an appearance at the prom, and she dis-covers that she and Eddie Flagrante are Jonny’s real parents. Zombie Prom, al-though fundamentally cliché, was actually one of the better Theatre Rep performances thus far. It offered a spectrum of humor that was edgy, ironic, and campy. It showed talent, dedica-tion, and hard work that were as conspicuous as the green skin on Jonny. Particularly captivat-ing were the energies of Collin Jenkins, who

Jonny (Bernard) defies Miss Strict’s (Landon) authorityPhoto by Jeff Thomakos

Read is the star during the commercial breaks of Expose Magazine’s talk show.

Photo by Jeff Thomakos

The chemistry between Jenkins and Landon stole the show.

Photo by Jeff Thomakos

played Eddie Flagrante, and Julia Landon, who played Miss Delilah Strict. Both sang ex-ceptionally well in the play and embodied the humorous romance between Miss Strict and Eddie Flagrante par-

ticularly well. It could be argued that the two stole the show, especially given the scandalous and steamy kiss scene they shared. But a close runner-up was Madeline Read

(Soph.), who delivered so much energy and pas-sion in all of her charac-ters that a viewer could not possibly keep his/her eyes off her. I could not help but be reminded of the famous thespian of last year’s generation,

Tori Lloyd. Nothing less than “good job” in review-ing this play would be appropriate. Let’s hope LSMSA’s Theatre Rep can continue to outdo itself.

May 2013 Renaissance Page 9

Boarding School Problems: Finals WeekAllison Smith

Staff Writer Finals week. We all know the drill—eat, study, sleep, and study some more. Over time, LSMSA students have become professionals at the strange sleeping schedules, middle-of-the-night food concoctions, and late night study sessions that finals weeks are well known for.

Students began the preparations as Dead Day, and the last finals week of the 2012-2013 school year approached. People stocked up on junk food, energy drinks, and the occasional apple. Everywhere you turned, study rooms were packed with people calculating

on whiteboards and read-ing textbooks trying to brace themselves for the week ahead. After the numerous hours of studying, it was finally time to take the tests. The cafeteria was packed full of students with their white papers flipping and shouts of vocabulary and formulas flying around the room. Nervousness about the looming tests was evi-

dent, and people began to reach breaking points. People walked around with their game faces on ready to tackle the next final they had in store. Students studied every spare chance they had, and it was rare to see someone without note-cards or someone who

Wannia Beg (Soph.) and Tammy Chau (Sr.) studying in the 1st West study room

Photo by Allison Smith

A wild Isabel Milton (Jr.) appears in a Caddo hallwayPhoto by Ravleen Kaur

was calling out informa-tion to him. Everything flowed until the middle of the week hit. Delirium, fatigue, that strange hyper feel-ing—all things that begin to set in at the half-way point of finals. Students began walking around with blank stares on their faces, only focusing on what tests they have next. Friendships were made as people bonded over studying. Exhaustion set in as students stayed awake for longer hours trying to cram in the last hours of studying. Trevonne Skillern (Jr.) stayed up for 62 hours consecutively, while Tytiana Isaac (Soph.) was awake for the more common 23 hours. The contest of who could stay awake the longest produced more studying than ever before. Students who were taking AP Exams were bombarded with addi-tional amounts of stress. AP Exams are often scheduled with coin-ciding finals, so many students were forced to rearrange their finals schedule to accommo-

Madi Trahan (Soph.) and Logan Osborn (Soph.) cram before an exam on the HSB’s 2nd floor.

Photo by Allison Smith

AP Calculus BC students getting ready to tackle pancakes after tackling the AP ExamPhoto by Ny Pham

date the AP Exam. Student Life Advisors (SLA’S) realized the toll that the stress of finals took on the students and implemented new pro-grams to help de-stress

students. Students were encouraged to come to the CPT Café to blow bubbles and color in coloring books while eat-ing snacks during down-time between their finals. SLA’s also served study snacks after room-check in the residence halls ev-ery night of Finals Week. Finally, everything was over. Students fin-ished up their last finals and celebrated in many

different ways. Celebra-tions included running down the hallway, taking a nap for the first time in two days, and going out to dinner to commemo-rate the end of finals

week. People took to social media posting things such as “I’M DONE” and “It’s the end of high school.” Overall, finals week brought people together. Friendships grew stron-ger as minds became more powerful, all lead-ing up to summer where LSMSA students will finally get their break.

Page 10 Renaissance May 2013

LSMSA Hosts 20th Annual SLAMT CompetitionAllison Smith

Staff Writer SLAMT. It is the event that athletes wait for all year. It is the one time that LSMSA students get to meet students like us. It is the only time when we forget about the homework (until Sunday at least) and focus solely on sports. Originally created in 1993, the SLAMT com-petition has been encour-aging sports in schools like LSMSA for years. Schools from Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, and Tennessee have participated in the competition in the past, and this year the Loui-siana School for Math, Science, and the Arts had the honor of hosting this honored competition. This year the Texas Academy of Mathemat-ics and Science and the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Science, and the Arts competed along with the Eagles. Students arrived

LSMSA students hold up signs to cheer their Eagles on!Photo by Isabel Milton

After much blood, many tears, and buckets of sweat, LSMSA walks away with the overall first place plaque.

Photo by Carlie Procell

Our Ultimate Frisbee team after winning first place.Photo by Jodi Meisner

Janie Stultz (Sr.) gets ready to score a goal in the LSMSA v. ASMSA soccer game.Photo by Jodi Meisner

Friday night, and al-though I wasn’t hosting somebody my suite was packed with students. We all went to bed relatively early in order to get ready for the competitive day ahead. The next morning, my

alarm clock buzzed, and I was up and ready for the 8:00 volleyball game. Cheering on the Eagles to victory, I then walked over to the soccer field where we were sched-uled to play at 8:30. The fun did not end there. At 9:30 the gym opened for the beginning of the basketball games. Later that afternoon, it was time for the boys’ basketball game. Ev-erybody was there to

support the team, and the LSMSA gym experi-enced some of the loud-est cheers ever. Every time somebody scored, the crowd erupted. Students became more and more excited as LSMSA pulled out a

victory against Arkansas only to turn around and be narrowly defeated by Texas. The crowd’s enthu-siasm was so great that after the game, Texas player Godswill Osa (Sr.) said, “I thought we were losing, everybody was cheering so loudly that I thought we were behind. “Until half way through the game I didn’t know we were losing. The crowd was just that excited,” said cheer-leader Maya Welch (Sr.). The crowd is what really emphasized the SLAMT

experience. Once everything died down, the awards cer-

emony was held. Stu-dents from all schools gathered in the gym to receive their awards. The sought-after overall first place trophy has remained at LSMSA for years and will still re-main here for the coming year. After the long day of sports, the event that ev-erybody waited for was here, the SLAMT dance. Athletes from all three schools that participated exercised their immense sportsmanship both on and off the field as they came together to laugh, dance, and make new friends regardless of who won.

May 2013 Renaissance Page 11

A Farewell to Mrs. AllenAllison Smith

Staff Writer The end of this school year marks the retirement of Mrs. Cindy Allen, a long-time member of the school’s counseling staff. Since coming to the school in 1986, Mrs. Cindy Allen has helped many a student at LSMSA. She started out working at a men-tal health hospital but moved to Natchitoches when her husband, Dr. Rodney Allen, got a job teaching at LSMSA. After the first year of the school being open, Mrs. Allen was offered the job as a counselor at the school. It was differ-ent from her original idea

for a career, but eventu-ally everything worked out. The job description was for personal, college, and academic counsel-ing. “Back then, and even now, there was no school that taught how to be a college coun-selor,” said Mrs. Allen. After going to colleges and learning more about application processes, Mrs. Allen expanded her counseling abilities. When asked what her favorite part of her job is, Allen answers, “Seeing a spark in a student when they figure something out as a result our conversa-tions is really reward-ing.”

One alumnus wrote Mrs. Allen saying how he owes his education and career to her. Allen says that is one of the many things that she is going to miss most about the school, the students. Upon retirement, Allen plans to open a private counseling practice in Natchitoches. “I’ll miss my colleagues, but I’ll still be able to help stu-dents,” stated Allen. Even though she is retiring, Mrs. Allen will always remember Louisi-ana School. “I would like to thank all the people that I have worked with, the students, faculty and staff for the impact that they’ve had on me and for being apart of my extended family.”

Mrs. Allen in her office Photo by Kyle Welch

On April 26, LSMSA was honored to welcome David and Kim Lacks, grandson and grand-daughter to Henrietta Lacks. The story of Henrietta Lacks is very controver-sial and well-known. It starts in 1951 at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where cells from her tumor were removed and cul-tured outside of her body without her knowledge. Since that time, her cells, called HeLa in the scientific community, have shown an extraor-dinary ability to undergo mitosis and overtake other cells, and therefore have been very important to many scientific break-throughs, such as the vaccine for polio. Although her cells were completely revolu-tionizing medical re-search, Henrietta was not aware of this matter.

It was not until much later that she was finally told about HeLa. In ad-dition, Henrietta and the Lacks family were never financially compensated for HeLa, even though the cells profited millions of dollars for the science community. Even today, HeLa is used in research science labs all over the world. The story of Henrietta Lacks and HeLa was largely unknown to the general population until 2010, when Rebecca Skloot wrote The Im-mortal Life of Henrietta Lacks that instantly be-came a best seller. During the summer before school started, all the students, faculty, ad-ministration, and residen-tial staff read this book to familiarize ourselves with the story of Henri-etta Lacks. LSMSA was able to contact David Lacks, the son of Henrietta, to

come speak on April 26. However, a couple of days before the event, he suffered a heart attack and could not deliver his speech, so his children came instead to talk about their grandmother. The presentation began with power point slides showing pictures of the Lacks family. One picture showed the whole family at an event at Johns Hopkins University, which holds a fundraiser every year in Henrietta’s name. Another picture por-trayed the family stand-ing with Dr. Patello, a doctor who has strongly advocated to make the story of Henrietta known around the world. There was even a picture of Henrietta posthumously receiving an honorary degree from Morgan State University. The second half of the presentation consisted of a Q&A session, where David and Kim answered questions from the stu-

dents and faculty. “We are eternally grateful for Rebecca,” re-marked David. “Prior to the book, the story about HeLa wasn’t known. Even members within the family were not aware of Henrietta’s story.” Today, the Lacks fam-ily has a close relation-ship to Skloot, as they attend many events together to talk about Henrietta. “Rebecca didn’t just talk about the HeLa cells, but she talked about Henrietta, the person,” explains Kim. “The pub-lishers did not want her [Rebecca] to talk about

family in the book, but she did anyway.” David and Kim also mentioned the Henrietta Lacks Foundation, which hosts many fundraisers to raise money for those in need. Initially, the founda-tion only benefited the family by providing health care and other needs. Today, however, the foundation has spread its influence to help everyone. “We are all proud of Henrietta, my grand-mother. We are all part of her legacy. Her blood runs through our body,” stated Kim.

Lacks Family Visits LSMSABrian Kim

Editor-in-Chief

David and Kim Lacks speaking in Treen AuditoriumPhoto by Kyle Welch

Page 12 Renaissance May 2013

Renaissance715 University ParkwayNatchitoches, LA 71457

Dr. Arthur WilliamsFaculty Sponsor

Staff Writers

Allison Smith Jacob Foreman

Brian KimEditor in Chief

Carlie ProcellLayout Editor

Kyle WelchAssistant Editor

Congratulations to the LSMSA Class of 2013!