Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           www.selu.edu/NewsEvents
    Date: 7/3/97
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple 1

Editors: Photo accompanies release
SLU LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY
     HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University President Sally Clausen and local
community leaders met with media representatives Monday to discuss the 1997 Legislative
Session and its impact on the University and the community.  
     Clausen; Hammond Mayor Russell "Tippy" DePaula; City Administrator Willie Johnson;
Stan Dameron of First Guaranty Bank, a member of the president's community advisory council,
and Marguerite Walter, director of Hammond's Downtown Development District, stressed the
importance of partnerships between the University and the community when working with the
Legislature.  
     Because of Hammond and Southeastern's joint efforts, Clausen said, the Legislature has
allocated more than $3 million  to renovate the Columbia Theater in historic downtown
Hammond. The one-time movie theatre on East Thomas Street was donated to the Downtown
Development District by First Guaranty Bank. Once renovated, the facility, which will seat
1,400, will be  managed by Southeastern.  
     An additional performing arts theatre has been a "sore need for the university," said
Dameron, who worked closely with Clausen, Walter and Southeastern's Fanfare arts festival
director Harriet Vogt on the project. The Columbia, he said, will not only benefit Southeastern,
which stages approximately 60 events during the annual October arts festival,  but "will also
bring something back into the community. Without the university's help this would never have
come to fruition," Dameron said.
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LEGISLATIVE PRESS CONFERENCE -- Add One
     "The renovation of the Columbia will obviously be an economic and cultural boon to
downtown Hammond," said Johnson. 
     Southeastern and local communities also support Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Blanco's
efforts to win funding for a movie studio in the hopes that it will be located on the North Shore.
The legislature has allocated $6 million to the studio project. Clausen said if the movie studio
becomes a North Shore reality, Southeastern could develop academic and other programs to
interact with the studio.
     "The progress made toward realization of these two projects was the result of partnerships
between the University, community leaders, leaders in state and local government and various
government agencies," Clausen said. "We are grateful for everyone's efforts."
     Clausen said the movie studio has been "a dream" of  Louisiana Film Commission
director Ed Lipscomb, a Hammond native, and Lieutenant Governor  Blanco. 
     "A studio almost any place in Louisiana is good for economic development," Clausen
said. "We promoted it on the grounds that it was good for Louisiana, hopeful that it was going to
be close to Southeastern."
     The president also discussed the University's operating and capital outlay appropriations
for  fiscal year 1997-98. The capital outlay appropriation totals more than $39 million in funding
for four major projects.
      "I am extremely pleased with the $39 million capital outlay appropriation that
Southeastern received and also the enhancement and maintenance funds," Clausen said.
     The $39 million  in the Capital Outlay funding includes     
     -- $13,000,000 for a new classroom and science laboratory building. Provost and Vice
President for Academic Affairs Randy Moffett said the university plans to build the new
structure on North Oak Street and is designing it as part of a landscaped quadrangle that
would also be anchored by D Vickers Hall, the War Memorial Student Union and Sims 
Memorial Library.
     -- $4,445,000 for the renovation of Old Westside School. The former elementary school 
complex on University Avenue currently houses some Developmental Education faculty and
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LEGISLATIVE PRESS CONFERENCE -- Add Two
classrooms. This fall, the university's financial aid offices will also move to the site and the 
renovated complex eventually will be home to Southeastern's Junior Division and Enrollment
Services.
     -- $11,725,000 for an addition to and renovation of the Biology Building.
     -- $9,950,000 for the new Student Activity Center.
     "Our hope is that by the year 2000 we will be in three brand new facilities in time to
celebrate our 75th anniversary," Clausen said.
                                 - SLU -
         This press release is available on the World Wide Web:
          www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsm97.htm