A Drop of Red // Nicholls State University’s Students, Alumni and Community
by Daniel Benitez & Erik Koike, Managing Editor & Features Editor It starts with a drop of ink, spreading and growing. The red and gray Colonels of Nicholls State University are growing too, this year being named the top regional university in Louisiana by the U.S. News & World Report in September 2019. “For U.S News & World Report to say that were are number one in the state for public, southern universities, I think it’s a pretty big deal,” says Todd Keller, Nicholls Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. Nicholls is located in Thibodaux, the 21st largest city in Louisiana, in other words, a pretty small town. With a population of just under 15,000, Thibodaux is not as known as other Louisiana cities like Alexandria, Lafayette, Monroe or even its neighbor, Houma. In fact, Houma more than doubles the population of Thibodaux with around 34,000. The institution itself has an enrollment of about 6,500, making it one of the smaller universities in Louisiana. And while state funding has gone down in recent years, enrollment is increasing for the fourth year in a row according to the university’s enrollment office. And students is where everything begins. Together, they make up the spirit and culture of the school. In fact, the university has 107 programs of academic study and over 800 students involved in Greek life. Ethan Adams, director of student rights and grievances, says Nicholls provides a beneficial education with a unique bond between its students and Thibodaux. “Nicholls offers an opportunity for its students to get a world-class education from quality professors, while also still having a small community feel (to it),” Adams says. Adams says the faculty at the university choose to stay and work in Thibodaux because of the region’s laid-back family culture. “We have incredible professors that could be at ‘better’ universities, but they love living here, and so that’s why we retain them.” Patrice Guidry, a nursing major from Lafayette, says Nicholls size allows faculty and staff to more personally help guide students in their college careers. “I feel like it’s a school that’s not too small or too big, and I feel like it’s more family-oriented where everybody knows everybody,” Guidry says. Jay Clune, university president since 2018 and a 1986 alumnus, has attempted to push the school forward with various campus renovations. From the announcement of a multi-million-dollar football facility, to the restoration of the front lawn of Elkins Hall, the revamping of the Bollinger Student Union and many more projects, Clune and his administration are trying to draw in more students to Nicholls through this work. The university is stretching out to each corner of the Bayou region in southern Louisiana and using its physical location as “Closest to the Coast” as a way to actively engage, participate and lead coastal research and work. These areas of study and engagement draw many different kinds of students, from people who come from families with no college backgrounds, to out-of-state and international students. This fall 2019 edition of Garde Voir Ci is focusing close to home, delving into the lives of Nicholls students, alumni and the community. Our staff will be continuously adding new content with videos, podcast series, feature stories, and more throughout the course of this issue exploring how much can be contained in A Drop of Red. Loading…
Living Local // Experiencing Louisiana’s Bayou
by Al Wilson & Trevor Johnson, Managing Editor & Features Editor Grandma says it starts with the roux, the base. The caramel colored goodness which is the beginning of all Cajun cooking. “Stir it low and slow,” she chides. It takes time and variety to make a good pot of gumbo — just like the culture of South Louisiana. This multi-cultural blending of the French and Spanish, along with Acadians from Nova Scotia, and African-Americans brought as slaves has created a pot of different personalities and cultures that make South Louisiana something unique. “South Louisiana accepted a lot of immigrants,” says Kathy Dugas, a history professor at Nicholls State University. “Even though there was a lot of prejudice, there was an acceptance of their cultures.” And in the heart of South Louisiana, sits Thibodaux, a place Readers Digest in 2018 named as the most charming town in Louisiana. And while the area may seem sleepy, in 2014, Forbes ranked Houma-Thibodaux as the eighth fastest-growing small town in the country. So while many tourists traveling to Louisiana are consumed with New Orleans, they may miss out on something truly unique — the bayou region. The Spring 2019 issue of Garde Voir Ci, Living Local, explores what it’s like to experience South Louisiana as an outsider, from an insider’s perspective. Living local is really just about exploring the region’s culinary culture, landmarks and businesses as well as its art and music. The culinary element of the magazine highlights the homegrown restaurants, food spots and drinks of the area, detailing both the deep history and rich tastes of South Louisiana. This includes a map that pinpoints essential locations and how to spice up your experience — while visiting or even back home. While the food is one of the main draws for the area, the deep history and unique businesses of the region drive the culture forward. From historical spots like museums and the sugar cane business, to popular tourist destinations like plantations and Mardi Gras, this issue provides a comprehensive guide for a diverse journey. New Orleans is often considered the artistic powerhouse of the state, but the bayou region offers a more grassroots experience. Unlike the Big Easy, which has become the most recognizable part of Louisiana to the rest of the country, South Louisiana music and art has retained its Cajun DNA and really round out the Cajun trinity. They are an essential ingredient to the true South Louisiana lifestyle. Whether it is the entertainment to accompany the great food or provide businesses with artwork, South Louisiana’s music and art allow the culture to sing. Living local is the best tour guide for South Louisiana, making any visit a truly local experience. Whether whipping up some crawfish sauce piquant or blasting “The Boudin Song” on the way to work, this issue will help you carry some South Louisiana with you wherever you go. https://youtu.be/UCR3vzwB5EY A LITTLE CAJUN MUSIChttps://open.spotify.com/track/4mHibX2CglCNCeRWx5tLXL
Bayou Currents // The Region’s Most Influential Resource
by Kathleen Rodrigue, features editor Water. Locals along the South Louisiana coast, couldn’t escape it if they tried. Bayous, lakes and the Gulf of Mexico physically surround the region. Water is so common that residents, without even paying attention, cross bodies of water every day and use bayous and rivers to describe where they’re headed, instead of using cardinal directions. Water is everywhere. “We are sitting on top of a mountain of natural resources, almost all of which are related to the water,” says Michael Massimi, invasive species coordinator for the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program. This issue of Garde Voir Ci explores South Louisiana’s waterways and coastal land — how water has sustained the people who settled here, influences the region’s unique blend of cultures and provides locals with recreational activities. And, maybe most importantly, this edition will explore the threats to the coast and ways residents are working to protect their land and waterways. The region’s first beginnings are rooted in water. Bayou Lafourche, one of the main waterways in the Bayou Region, was the main channel of the Mississippi River and therefore the primary thoroughfare for commercial traffic, says Massimi with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program. Due to this, Bayou Lafourche became the primary reason immigrants established their roots in South Louisiana. The French, Spanish, Germans, Cajuns, Creoles, Acadians, Anglo-Americans, Croatians and Vietnamese were among the first to arrive, drawn by the water, and are the basis for the region’s “interesting blend of cultures,” says Angela Rathle, Thibodaux’s supervisor park ranger. The Croatians were involved in the fishing and oyster industries, Acadians were farmers, and the Vietnamese contributed shrimping skills, she says. And the Europeans settled here in order to gain control over the Gulf of Mexico and the Port of New Orleans. “When you look at Louisiana, it’s all about the water… I think the more you study about this region, you see how important the rivers and bayous are to the development of people’s lives,” Rathle says. South Louisianans have always depended on the coastal region’s waterways. Not only does the water provide people with livelihoods, but it also shaped the recreational culture that still stands today. Henry Templet, treasurer of Friends of Bayou Lafourche, says fishing, crabbing, shrimping, boating, skiing, swimming, and even pirogue racing down Bayou Lafourche are a few pastimes locals enjoy. While the water has drawn people to the region and driven recreation and livelihoods, residents haven’t always taken care of the water and coastal lands. Coastal land loss is becoming a real problem as whole communities, like the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Native American tribe living in Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, are now under water and, BTNEP’s Massimi says people are to blame for most of the land loss and poor water quality. “Louisiana residents just don’t seem to have the pride or respect for wilderness like people in other states have,” he says. “Nineteen hundred square miles of land have been lost between the 1930s and 2012. The amount of land loss we have experienced in those last 80 years is roughly equal to the amount of land we could lose in the next 50 years.” The biggest causes of coastal land loss are subsidence, or sinking land, salt-water intrusion, sea-level rises, coastal erosion, carving out canals, and invasive species. Massimi says it’s even more concerning that the region’s Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary, the 4.2 million acres of land between the Atchafalaya River and the Mississippi River, is the “fastest disappearing landmass in the state, or possibly the world.” Land and water are changing so quickly that the effects are noticeable in one lifetime. “It’s been 26 years since I retired. I wouldn’t recognize that area, because so much of its land has gone and washed away by now,” says Leroy Lebouef, a retired production supervisor that worked for Texaco in Venice. Coastal organizations recognized this problem in the late 1970s and have been developing plans and executing projects since then to restore the land. Massimi says the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program created the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Agency is the agency that creates a new Coastal Master Plan every 5 years. In order to continue restoring the coast, Alma Robichaux, BTNEP’s outreach coordinator, says people need to participate in coastal cleanup efforts, eliminate the use of plastics and have conversations with congressmen about the importance of having the funds to preserve Louisiana’s land. “We are sinking and the sea is rising at the same time. Louisiana is in a very precarious situation, so we need to act now.”
Bon Moment // Let the Good Times Roll on the Bayou
by Hannah Carlos & Mallory Matherne, co-features editors There’s a reason people from South Louisiana love the saying “Laissez les bons temps rouler.” Down in the Bayou Region, the locals always let the good times roll. And if asked what makes up the heart of the Bayou Region, locals all give a different story. Misty Rhodes of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou in Raceland said the locals’ heritage is unapologetic. “That’s just the way we are,” she says. The good times really start rollin’ in the season of spring. Mardi Gras parades, delicious seafood, hunting wildlife and cooling down with flavorful snowballs are some things true locals do. In the South, locals live their lives based on the season. In the Lenten season, the work week is concluded by going home Friday afternoons and getting the backyard ready for a weekly crawfish boil. Weekend mornings usually start before the sun comes up because that’s when the fish are biting. If locals aren’t hunting and fishing on a Saturday morning, they’re at the snowball stand getting a treat before they head to the camp for a day of recreation and relaxation. A lot of the traditions in the Bayou Region are based off of good eatin’, good livin’ and good playin’. Most of the things locals do to pass the time involve food, drinks and music. Whether it’s a weekend lunch date with friends or even a funeral, everything down here becomes a celebration. Every meal has a beer with it, every award show is a reason to have a food-centered get-together and every Friday in the spring means foldable tables covered in newspapers with piles of crawfish. Bayou entertainment means more than Mardi Gras season and crawfish boils. It represents a simpler way of living that connects family and friends at every gathering. Jeanne Lirette, 70, said she recalls family gatherings occurring daily. She said the gatherings always involved seafood boils, dancing, drinking and quality time together. Although she was raised in the Bayou Region, Lirette was born in the Philippines and moved to South Louisiana at nine months old. Her parents met during World War II, tied the knot and moved to Louisiana after she was born. Lirette’s father owned a local seafood restaurant on the east side of Houma where she and her six siblings immersed themselves in the Bayou culture. “Family time became a way of life for me,” Jeanne says. “That’s where your value is. Because Louisiana living is so simple, you were able to focus on the real value and treasure in life. Louisiana made it easier. The bayou region and entertainment influenced these beliefs instilled in my life, and it still affects the way that my family lives their lives today.” Although Lirette has lived in the Bayou Region for most of her life, she said she could not imagine living anywhere else.Megan LeCompte was born and raised in Houma. She has lived other places, but she said there was something so special about Houma that she could not find anywhere else. “When my husband and I became pregnant with our first child, I knew I wanted my kids to grow up immersed in the same culture as I did,” said LeCompte. “I grew up fishing behind the house on weekend mornings, and now we have a bayou in the backyard so my boys can do the same.” LeCompte said, “I love having weekly crawfish boils and not having them be in celebration of anything, but having them just because we feel like it.” The community and atmosphere of the Bayou Region allows locals and guests to fully immerse themselves in the food, life and culture that the area has to offer while making everyone feel like they belong. So “look at this” and come visit the bayou for a taste of the Southern culture that will always leave “Bon Moments” to remember for a lifetime! MANAGING EDITOR LATOYA ROBERTS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT
From the Ground Up // Work in the Bayou Region
by Taylor Gautreaux, Co-Features Editor Workers in the Bayou Region of Louisiana can be described with one word: innovative. “When people say Cajun ingenuity, it’s truly a thing that people don’t quite understand,” says Cody Blanchard, chairman of the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce. “It means that we find solutions for things. For example, we are experts at building levees because we had to learn to live with the land.” In South Louisiana, we work with what’s available. Our location gives access to waterways and natural resources that allow us to diversify our job market. The fall 2017 issue of Garde Voir Ci focuses on the aspects of our work that set us apart from other areas of the country. We work from the “ground up,” literally and figuratively – from life offshore to the sugarcane fields to family-owned and operated businesses. We are working to power, feed and inspire. As of March, 1,901,295 jobs are held in Louisiana, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Our workforce makes up 1.33 percent of workers in the country, and we are 0.9 percent below the national unemployment rate. The oil and gas industry is the largest employer of the Bayou Region. Port Fourchon in Lafourche Parish services over 90 percent of the Gulf of Mexico’s deep-water oil production, which accounts for nearly 18 percent of the nation’s total oil supply. “We’re where the rubber meets the road,” explains Blanchard. “Houston is where they control oil and gas. Lafayette has some service companies as well, but the Bayou Region is where it comes out of the ground. We are those hard workers that get stuff done.” The industry helped modernize our communities over the last decade by allowing us to advance in ways that other parts of the country already had. “These were very rural towns,” says Paul Wilson, head of Nicholls State University’s history department. “But because of the oil field, you can now have a city like Houma that is booming economically with paved roads, stores and restaurants.” Aside from oil and gas, we also work to provide food to fuel our communities. One out of every 70 jobs in Louisiana is tied to the seafood industry, which brings in $2.4 billion annually for the state, according to the state of Louisiana’s Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board. Additionally, Nicholls State University is home to the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, the only post-secondary institution that offers a four-year culinary degree in Louisiana. “It’s a great program,” says Blanchard. “It’s something we could expand on.” And when it comes to sugarcane, Cajuns do more than farm. Alternative uses for the crop have been developed. Virdia, a global manufacturer of biomaterials, has two biochemical plants in Raceland that convert sugarcane and its byproducts like bagasse into pellets that are used for energy production. “These are unique things that are happening,” says Blanchard. “We’re finding new ways of doing things.” While energy and agriculture play a large role in our history, our art also embraces our cultural heritage and ingenuity. From glass fusion to paintings, workers in the Bayou Region tend to incorporate aspects of life on the bayou into their craft. The Purple Penguin Art Company, an art gallery in Thibodaux, features signatures of Louisiana in its displays. Crawfish. Fleurs-de-lis. Pelicans. Sugarcane fields. Plantations. These images appear throughout the gallery, keeping the culture and history alive. “If you look at our pieces, they scream Louisiana to you,” said Tyla Deroche, an artist at The Purple Penguin Art Company. “Louisiana has such a rich culture that you can pretty much get inspired by anything that you see.” So “look at this” to learn more about how citizens of the Bayou Region are working to power, feed and inspire in this edition of Garde Voir Ci.
Geaux Girl // The Women of Bayou Country
Ana Pizzolio, Asst. Executive Editor, & Jessica Taylor, Features Editor In every time and place throughout history, women have played a major role in life and culture. Especially at this time in history, when women are coming together so visibly, Garde Voir Ci is taking a look at the women of the Bayou region — the women and their unique stories, experiences and challenges that make South Louisiana what it is today. Across the United States and the world, women are in the forefront — running as the first female presidential candidate for a major party, marching on Washington, and, in March, celebrating Women’s History Month and staging A Day Without Women protests. South Louisiana women, too, have been and are an integral part of the region’s history and culture. From leading in business and government to playing with the best of them, bayou women are at the heart of the region’s past and future. The Cajun women bring pieces of their roots to this culture — roots in Canada, France, Africa, Europe and more. Those roots aren’t just regional, but also spiritual. Catholic, protestant and Native American faiths are all threads in these women’s tapestry. So, “Look at This” to learn more about the women at play, women in power, and women of spirit in South Louisiana in this edition of Garde Voir Ci. Meet these Bayou Women . . .at Play, in Power and of Spirit * *look for these profiles on other stories in this issue to meet more women of the Bayou Region
Louisiana Festivals // Off The Beaten Path
Previous Next by Ana Pizzolio, Features Editor Every semester, the staff at Garde Voir Ci takes a look at different aspects of SOUTH LOUISIANA’S UNIQUE culture, places and people. The Fall 2016 issue will showcase a selection of offbeat festivals that represent the ultimate South Louisiana experience — celebrations of our culture beyond the nationally known festivals like Voodoo, Jazz and Essence. Our guide to the festivals you can’t miss this season will feature the best of the region’s music, cuisine, arts and more. Come “look at this” and get a true taste of the state’s cultural celebrations outside the mainstream festival scenery. And look for the logos to see what we’re finding!
Fresh, Local Food // A South Louisiana Movement
by Betsy Davis, Features Editor More and more people are demanding FRESH, LOCAL AND HOMEGROWN GOODS from the communities they live in, and Louisiana is responding. Farmers markets are on the rise, community gardens are sprouting up and businesses are staying true to their southern roots and all of the natural ingredients it has to offer. As an area that’s known for its rich food culture, Louisiana is already a cornucopia of good eatsfrom its fresh seafood to its fertile soil where almost anything grows. But, as the daily consumer is becoming more health and environmentally conscious, the demand for locally-produced, direct-to-consumer goods has increased three-fold between 1992 and 2007, and markets listed in USDA National Farmers Market Directory has grown four times the amount over the last two decades to meet their demands according to a 2014 study by the United States Department of Agriculture. And this rise in local goods is because more consumers are turning into locavores looking for fresh foods, showing a willingness to learn about farming processes to maintain integrity of the goods and producing a growing support for local businesses, farmers and agriculture—all sensible reasons to buy and eat local. The markets featured here are only a few of the 100-plus that Louisiana has to offer today. Along with the growth of community gardens and businesses with a local edge, it’s obvious that this fresh-food demand is more than just a fad. “We’ve come to know recently in the last few years that it’s always best to eat food from where you live,” says Randy Cheramie, executive director of the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. “Simply put, the best vegetables are at farmers markets. There’s no two ways about it — it’s cheaper and it’s just all around better for you.” A world-travelled and renowned chef, Cheramie has had more than a lifetime’s worth of experience with food. From owning and running a restaurant, to coaching in the American Culinary Federation and the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef competition, gaining the acclaim of one of the top 25 chefs in Louisiana by the American Culinary Federation and now part of the full-time faculty at the culinary institute, Cheramie is well versed in all things good when it comes to what to eat and how to get it. “If you look on the side of boxes and the ingredients in foods, like breadcrumbs for instance, there’s everything but bread in there!” Cheremaie says. “It’s scary. I made a pledge a long time ago, if I can’t pronounce it, I’m not eating it. [People] need to eat real food.” And Louisiana really makes it easy to eat real food. Cheramie points out that the region is rich in alluvial soil that can produce almost any crop imaginable, it’s positioned next to a the bountiful Gulf of Mexico where fresh fish of all varieties fill nets to the brim. Even more so, aiding those that bring these goods to our dinner tables is valuable in these times of big industry and fast food franchises. “We have a real commitment to Louisiana,” Cheramie notes. “A commitment to both the Louisiana fishermen and the Louisiana farmer cause we’re losing both of them. Generations of them are dying out and they need our support.”
St. Joseph Manor // A Place Where History Speaks
ST. JOSEPH MANOR is a peaceful place. A place where seniors can live in comfortable apartments, have meals prepared, socialize when they like and even impress their neighbors with festive door decorations.Celebrating its 20th anniversary this month, the retirement community is so popular they are currently expanding the original 56-unit complex to include more apartments in a new facility. It’s a thriving place. It’s also a place full of history — history of the residents, history of the community, history of a culture. More history than one realizes until you start to listen. And that’s just what the Mass Communication Department’s capstone students did this semester. They listened. And they collected a small piece of history. For this inaugural issue of Garde Voir Ci — a magazine that looks at South Louisiana culture, life and history — it made sense to start with our past. To start with a little about where we came from. And we have a lot more perspectives to get. But this is the beginning. The start of looking at us. Special thanks to St. Joseph Manor Administrator Ann Thibodaux for graciously opening her doors. Photo by: Britney Fournier Photo by: Britney Fournier Photo by: Britney Fournier The new Cardinal Place currently under construction adjacent to the main St. Joseph Manor facility.