Cajun music, king cake, jambalaya and politics – just a few ingredients in the mix that makes Louisiana a unique, cultural melting pot.
To highlight Louisiana’s culture, Student Government brought back “Louisiana Week.”
The week full of events sparked back up in 2007 after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. SG brought back the week after several years of absence to celebrate the different and vital aspects of Louisiana.
The popular Cajun band “Lil Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers” kicked off the week with three hours of lively American folk music and free jambalaya Monday.
Today, students can pick up free king cake and chat with SG President Cassie Alsfeld and Vice President Josh King in Free Speech Alley.
“We’re just giving students another means of getting in touch with us, and we mainly want to hear their concerns,” King said.
But the day’s festivities will not end when the sun goes down.
Later tonight at 7 p.m., students can venture to the Parade Ground for free popcorn, Cajun music and a “Drive Thru Movie” featuring “DéJà Vu,” which was shot in New Orleans.
“New Orleans is becoming a popular spot for movies, and I wanted to go with a movie that was shot in Louisiana,” said Phillip Singleton, SG director of programming.
Singleton, along with several other SG members, helped coordinate the weeks’ events. He said the purpose is to give students the opportunity to experience the musical, political and cultural side of the state. Singleton said the week will show out-of-state students more of what Louisiana has to offer.
“We have a lot of diverse groups of students here, and this gives them the opportunity to experience the Louisiana culture,” Singleton said.
Some of the activities, including “Political Awareness Day,” are also geared toward political gurus on campus. On Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Free Speech Alley, SG will host “Louisiana Politics – Past, Present and Future” in an effort to engage students in the entire Baton Rouge community.
Adam Parker, SG director of external affairs, helped coordinate the activities and invited local government and public service organizations to share their services and resources with students. Representatives from Blueprint Louisiana, Louisiana Department of Arts, Mayor-President Kip Holden’s office, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s office, the Council for French Speaking Louisiana and Louisiana Old State Capitol Museum are tentatively scheduled to be in Free Speech Alley.
But Parker said the main focus Thursday is voter outreach, and he is hopeful about listening to representatives from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Department of Voter Outreach.
In a continued effort to lessen voter apathy, SG will launch their “Beyond The Gates: Student-Community Portal” Web site. Parker said the site has made registering to vote easier than in the past. SG will provide laptops in Free Speech Alley for students to register to vote and change party affiliation among other voting options.
The Web site, www.sg.lsu.edu/-beyondthegates, also includes links to useful community resources including access to live traffic cameras, paying traffic tickets online, a free Louisiana travel guide and links to purchase a fishing license.
“I didn’t realize all of these resources were available, so we decided that SG should make them more accessible to our campus community,” Parker said.
Jermaine Harris, political science senior, said he is interested in Thursday’s events because politics affect students now and in the future.
“We are at a turning point in the history of this country, and I think it’s important for more youth to get involved,” Harris said.
Alsfeld said this week is part of her mission to end her term with programs students can enjoy and benefit from.
“Instead of slowing down, we’ve picked it up at the end of the year,” Alsfeld said. “Louisiana Week’s going to be one of the most unique and fun things we’ve done all year. Every student’s going to be able to benefit from it because there’s literally something for everyone.”
Em LeBlanc, SG chief of staff, said SG spent about $2,300 from the SG General Account made up of student fees to fund “Louisiana Week.”
—-Contact Natalie Messina at [email protected]