Spring 2015 - 1
Herget Parents Association Newsletter
Spring 2015
Meet the Rector
Hello from
Herget’s Rector.
My name is
Dorothy
McCaughey, and I
have been an
instructor in the
LSU English
department since
1989. I enjoy
teaching First Year
Writing, especially to your students. I also
keep my camera handy in Herget to record
our good times.
This is my 13th year teaching in Herget
Residential College, and my 11th year as
Herget’s rector. During that time, I have
worked closely with Herget instructors to
improve the variety and excellence of
academic offerings. We instructors have
seen the program become a vibrant,
memorable experience for our entering
freshmen.
A new initiative in several Herget
English 1001 classes last fall was career
exploration. During individual class
presentations, Joan Gallagher of Career
Services guided students through the ins and
outs of their prospective careers. Then
students researched their careers and wrote
analyses of issues within these professions.
English 1001 students also learned about
How to Use the Unwritten Rules of Success,
a life-guide by educator Sean Terry of Drury
University. Terry’s book of excellent advice
encourages students to put into practice a
solid work ethic to become happier, welladjusted individuals.
Positive growth makes all of us in
Herget very happy!
Voting: How do you choose?
Students with Dr. Stoner (third from right) include (standing) Blaise
LaCour, Myah Breaux, Julian Plaisance, Rebecca Krueger, Tiffany Bacon
and seated, Matt Sirgo, Jessica Kurtzman and Jessica Usand.
On April 15, 2015, Dr.
Jim Stoner of the political
science department
explained to Herget
students the ethics of voting
responsibly.
“Conscientious voting
should be based on justice,
on what is right, good and
noble,” Dr. Stoner said.
He explained how living
in a representative
democracy makes the task
of conscientious voting both
easier and harder. There is
no formula: voting
responsibly means taking
many things into account.
After Dr. Stoner’s
presentation, students had
much to think about.
Spring 2015 - 2
GRD Sarah Frances Lyon has been “on the go” all her life
Herget
Graduate
Residence
Director Sarah
Frances Lyon
has lived in 6
states in her 25
years, including
Ohio, Nevada,
Arizona, and
Washington
D.C. That is a lot
of moving, but
she loved every
new place and
remembers each one as beautiful in its
difference.
Perhaps this is why she is quite at home at
the Herget front desk greeting and getting to
know residents. She welcomes every
opportunity to make a positive and significant
impact on students’ lives.
As Graduate Residence Director, Sarah
assists Ricardo Horne, Residence Life
Coordinator, in daily tasks necessary to make
Herget Hall such a thriving community. Her
duties include desk operations, building
oversight in Ricardo’s absence, as well as work
with Herget Community Council.
Sarah earned a Bachelor of Arts with a
concentration in criminal justice from Marshall
University in Huntington, West Virginia.
While at LSU she is working on a master’s
degree in higher education administration and
anticipates finishing in May. With master’s
degree in hand, she hopes to land an RLC
position at another university in the country. “I
love connecting the classroom with the
residence hall, so I would like to work at a
university that has a residential curriculum
model as part of its residential life department,”
Sarah said.
Sarah explains that she has always felt
connected to residence life ever since her first
day of college. “I met my RA, and she was such
an influential mentor in my time at Marshall
University. I love that I will be that person for
someone else,” Sarah said. “I will help students
feel that they have a home away from home at
their university.”
As far as life in Herget goes, Sarah finds
interacting with RAs the most gratifying part of
her work. Herget staff is such a joy, according
to Sarah. “They make me smile and laugh every
day,” she said. Sarah admires how the RAs
work hard to build the same relationship with
their residents as they have with their friends.
Sarah is also enjoying her time with Herget
residents and finds the work very rewarding.
Her bright upbeat manner puts smiles on
residents’ faces as they pass the front desk.
Herget students are fortunate to be spending
their freshman year under Sarah’s capable
guidance.
The front desk has never looked so clean
and welcoming!
New RAs enrich Herget staff
Meredith Aulds
By Emily Ilgenfritz
Meredith Aulds is an anthropology and English double major with
a minor in Spanish who travelled to LSU from her hometown of
Kingsport, Tennessee. She has ambitions to become an anthropology
professor.
She is not only an RA, but is also involved in Chi Alpha and was a
team leader for Geaux Big.
Meredith decided to be an RA to give back to the school she loves.
This enthusiasm certainly shows – she is a joy to be around and brings
so much positivity to the Herget staff.
Spring 2015 - 3
New RAs, continued
Emily Ilgenfritz
By Meredith Aulds
Emily Ilgenfritz is from Shreveport, Louisiana, and is a
sophomore majoring in kinesiology. Her future goals reflect her
compassionate heart: Emily wants to provide medical care to people
suffering overseas.
This compassion and willingness to help others are evident in how
Emily treats her residents and fellow staff members. Emily decided
to become a Resident Assistant because the RA she had for her own
freshman year had a big impact on her life and she wants to do the
same thing for her own residents.
Emily is deeply involved with Campus Outreach, Relay for Life
and Kitchens on the Geaux. She loves to help others and is an
awesome addition to the Herget staff.
Jordan Bardwell
By Rodney Hebert
Jordan Bardwell, an RA on the 5th floor, is a senior history major
from Covington, Louisiana.
Jordan enjoys watching LSU sports as well as the Saints and
Hornets. During the summer, Jordan takes trips to Tennessee with his
family to hike and whitewater raft.
Jordan is a prospective law student and is a member of the Phi
Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity. He has recently been accepted and is
excited to begin the Fall 2015 semester.
Jordan enjoys helping residents and is readily available at Herget.
He can often be found playing pool in the lobby.
Rodney Hebert
By Jordan Bardwell
Rodney Hebert, a resident assistant on the 5th floor, is a junior
mass communication major from Port Allen, Louisiana.
Rodney enjoys traveling to see new sights and embracing the
different customs in different places. He loves to listen to music
because he finds peace and meaning there. Music is an escape that
takes him to different places.
He is involved in PRSSA and ImPRint Communications, where he
does public relations projects and learns about different public
relations professions.
Rodney may be quiet but he enjoys interacting with the residents and staff in Herget. His
main goal is to help residents have the best experience they can in the residential college.
Spring 2015 - 4
Herget dance marathoners make beautiful music
By Kaitlyn King
Marathoners Kaitlyna King and Amanda
Kuylen.
In its second year, Dance Marathon at LSU raised
$182,672.45 for Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital,
breaking the national second-year fundraising record. The
movement united students from all across the LSU community.
These students work year-long to raise money. The
fundraising year culminated with the Big Event, held February 27
and 28, where dancers stood for 26.2 hours in honor of Our Lady
of the Lake’s miracle children. The Big Event is a celebration of
Dance Marathon’s impact and a way to honor the children’s
struggles. No matter how difficult staying awake and standing for
26.2 hours is, it pales in comparison to the challenges these
children face every day.
This past year, Herget RAs served in leadership positions:
Amanda Kuylen, Director of Dancer Relations, Jonathan Brown,
Director of Recruitment, and Kaitlyn King, Assistant Director of
Recruitment. The Herget team boasted the largest number of
dancers for a residential hall, winning the Residential Hall Miracle
Cup.
Dance Marathon continues to grow in numbers and strengthen
ties within the LSU and Baton Rouge communities. Interested
students can register now by visiting
https://dancemarathonatlsu.wordpress.com.
Gallery Night goes downtown
On February 26, 2015, art
professor Darius Spieth met
students from his art and
architecture classes at the
Glassell Gallery in the Shaw
Center downtown for a closer
look at the work of Michael
Triegel, prominent artist of the
“New Leipzig School.”
Triegel is best known for his
portraits, including, a
controversial portrait of Pope
Emeritus Benedict XVI. His
portraits, still life, landscapes,
and graphic art are executed in
an impeccable Old Master style.
Spring Gallery Night hosted
about 50 students interested in
seeing more of Triegel’s art.
Above, Darius
Spieth and
Glauco Adorno
with Pope
Benedict XVI.
To the left,
students
munch and
learn.
Spring 2015 - 5
Director Evleen Nasir (third from left) talked about her play Big Love before Herget
students and faculty saw the provocative drama, based on an ancient Greek tragedy.
Students and faculty are ready to see Carrie,
the Musical.
Theatre
Nights
are lots
of fun
Moments before taking campus transit to the Reilly Theatre to
see The Book Club Play, a Herget favorite this spring.
Relaxing at the front desk
Herget Parents Association
Newsletter
Editor: Dorothy McCaughey
Contributors: Meredith Aulds, Jordan
Bardwell, Jonathan Brown, Rodney
Hebert, Ricardo Horne, Emily
Ilgenfritz, Kaitlyn King and Sarah
Lyon.
Photos: Ricardo Horne, Kaitlyn King
and Dorothy McCaughey
Comments or suggestions:
dmccaug@lsu.edu
Even RLCs have down time!
Spring 2015 - 6
Herget in action!
Day at the
Lake
“Pie Your
RA”
raises money
for Dance
Marathon
J.D. Bardwell, Kaitlyn King, Amanda Kuylen, Eileen DeLeo, Brandon Addison,
Ms. Dotty and Jonathan Brown are ready for “Pie Your RA” to begin.