The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Banquet honors Alumnus of the Year

    Each year the most spirited of Southeastern alumni return to celebrate the success of the Lion football team and see how campus has grown, and some of the most prestigious and successful alumni receive honors from the Alumni Association. 

    The Alumni Awards Evening is held each October during Homecoming, and this year the event was held Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. in the new Student Union Ballroom. 

    “It was a great year,” said Kathy Pittman, director of the  Alumni Association. “We had a record crowd. It was a sellout.”

    When guests arrived they were treated to a meal and dessert. University President John L. Crain led the program with the presidential toast during which he named Hammond mayor Mayson Foster, another alumnus, the recipient of the “Loyal Lion” award for never passing up an opportunity to support the university.

    Then 10 current students were recognized for receiving scholarships. Student Government Association president Stephanie Travis, a graduate student in sociology, was unable to attend the event but was recognized for the SGA Scholarship. Miss Southeastern 2014 Crystal Gonzalez, a second generation legacy of Southeaster, attended the event. Gonzalez received a year of paid tuition with her title. In addition, Kasi Chenier, Emily Dunn, Emily Graham, Linden Landreneau, Kelsey Shreve, Kayla Hoover, Amy Le and Taylor Stanley were also honored for their undergraduate work as Lions.

    Each college names a Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. Among this year’s recipients were Danny Heitman, who graduated in 1986 and went on to be an award-winning columnist for The Advocate, and Colonel Stanley John Whidden, a double graduate in 1971 and 1973, whose work and concern for preserving life earned him the honor. 

    The Distinguished Service Award went to the New Orleans Alumni Chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma for their generous donations of time and talent to the betterment of the Alumni Association. The Director’s Diamond award was given to David Panel, a 1986 graduate and Sigma Tau Gamma alumni who goes “above and beyond in volunteering” and “always expresses his love for his Alma Mater,” according to Pittman. 

    The two final awards of the evening went to the 2014 Young Alumnus of the Year and Alumnus of the Year. The 2014 Young Alumnus of the Year is Jay Prather, a 2005 biology graduate who worked to document changes in fish. The 2014 Alumnus of the Year is Craig Huss, a double graduate in 1974 and 1976 who went from being a conference-winning Lion basketball player to one of the most successful workers at the nation’s largest agricultural firm. 

    During his acceptance speech, Huss spoke of his fondest memories from playing basketball at Southeastern to being an assistant coach during graduate school. He said his parents taught him integrity, and he learned to persevere and be accountable during his college years. 

    “We had a wonderful Alumnus of the Year,” said Pittman. “I think he gave us some words of wisdom, and it shows us when you dedicate yourself and work hard, you can do just about anything. So I think he’s an inspiration to our students.” 

     
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