On July 5, former LSU adjunct professor and Reveille and Gumbo adviser Howard Arceneaux lost a short battle with cancer.
Arceneaux worked with LSU Student Media from 1998 to 2005. During his tenure, The Daily Reveille covered historic events including the Iraq War and LSU’s first football national championship in 45 years.
Pat Parish, who was the Associate Director of Student Media when Arceneaux served as adviser, said his commitment to helping students learn made him a valuable instructor.
“Howard loved watching the students learn,” Parish said. “He gave lively presentations for workshops and classroom lectures. He had a natural talent for keeping students interested. Howard’s big smile brightened the Student Media offices for many years. All of us who worked at Student Media during those years extend our deepest sympathy to his family.”
Current Student Media Director John Friscia came to the University in 1999 as a radio engineer for KLSU.
“Howard helped me acclimate to the campus life,” Friscia said. “I had not been in higher education.
Howard helped me make that transition so I didn’t feel awkward or out of place. He was down to Earth and the students really appreciated that.”
After LSU, Arceneaux was a sports columnist and government reporter for The St. Francisville Democrat, which is now part of The Advocate. According to his obituary, Arceneaux also published two monthly magazines, Livingston/Zachary Business and Real Estate Journals, to spotlight small businesses and events in West Feliciana. Arceneaux also served as a public relations consultant for the West Feliciana Parish Hospital and the West Feliciana Parish schools.
“Any time he could chip in and help, he would,” Friscia said. “That’s just the kind of guy he was.”