McNeese State University - Log Yearbook (Lake Charles, LA)

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Through years of experience, intensive education, or an imstinctive talent, you can practice The Art of Writing “I've been writing since high school,’’ said Randolph Bates, ‘‘but when | was younger, | made up stories |’ve never writ- -, ten down.” Bates, who lives in New Orleans, visited the McNeese campus to meet with fiction writers in the Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing; he also gave a public reading of his work. Bates has published fiction and poetry in leading magazines, including The Southern Review, Ploughshares, Cimar- ron Review, and Seattle Review. He is the | winner of several literary prizes, including a Division of the Fine Arts Fellowship and the Deep South Writers’ competition. “| don’t think of the stories | made up when | was younger actually as writing,” } said Bates. ‘'l think of them as prewriting. They were fantasies at night lying in bed, and | was always the hero. | created a world for that hero to be heroic in.’ “| think that most people who end up ) being interested in creating art have that kind of private quality about them. They are interested in getting in touch with their | imaginations, even if they aren't con- scious of doing it.” Bates began considering writing seri- ously while in high school. ‘| began think- ing of myself as possibly being a writer when | didn’t understand a book when | read it, but | was struck by the fact that it was a kind of reality that spoke to me; I'd never seen it in the world before, and | couldn't help but be very moved by it.’ When he entered college, Bates hoped to become a journalist. As time passed, however, he became increasingly inter- ested in poetry. After taking many English courses, Bates eventually changed his major to English. ‘| got a Ph.D. in English, ’ said Bates, “for the purpose of giving myself the free- dom to write. | thought if | were a profes- sor, I'd have the time to write; I’m not sure that’s so accurate.” ‘| think professors work harder and are busier than they're expected to be,”’ said Bates. ‘So ina way, getting aPh.D. was a kind of false trail for me.” Bates began publishing in campus liter- ary journals while in college. To date, he has published six stories and nearly 30 poems. Bates is presently working on a book about an actual family living in a New Or- leans housing project. The book involves three generations. ‘‘If | tell it (the story) right,’ Bates said, ‘‘it's an important sto- ane The book also illustrates ‘‘that you can measure a society by the quality of its penal system. If that’s the case, we live in a barbaric society in parts of the United States.” Bates currently teaches at the New Or- leans Center for Creative Arts. This school, which accommodates high school students, was engineered by Tom Waylon, a former McNeese State Univer- sity instructor. The school offers classes for students who want to pursue careers in the various arts. In closing, Bates commented about the importance of poetry to a fiction writer. ‘'| think that reading poetry and writing poet- ry is one of the most valuable things a fiction writer can do because it helps to put language in the center of things, and that’s how it should be.’ Seniors Graduates 243

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Wil - Zer Wiley, Carrie E. — Sulphur, Sr. Wiley, Faylyn G. — Moss Bluff, Gr. Willey, Melonee L. — Orange, TX, Sr. Williams, Gregory D. — Westlake, Sr. Williams, Karen L. — Lake Charles, Sr. Williams, Laurie M. — Gillis, Sr. Williams, Luke M. — Lake Charles, Sr. Williams, Patricia A. — Lafayette, Sr. Williams, Preston C. — Lake Charles, Gr. Williams, Robert M. — Waco, TX, Sr. Willoughby, Kathleen A. — Sulphur, Sr. Wilson, Gayla M. — Lake Charles, Sr. Window, Melanie A. — Sulphur, Sr. Windat, Judy A. — Pitkin, Sr. Winstead, Katherine A. — Sulphur, Sr, Withers, Julie E. — DeQuincy, Sr. Wood, Suzanne S. — Hayden, AL, Sr. Wood, Tonia E. — Lake Charles, Sr. Woodard, Irvine S. — DeQuincy, Sr. Woodson, Rick G. — Lamesa, TX, Sr. Wooten, William K. — Lake Charles, Sr. Worley, Steve K. — Lake Charles, Sr. Wright, Christine L. — Elton, Sr. Wright, Julie D. — Lake Charles, Sr. Wysinger, Deborah A. — DeRidder, Gr. Yandell, Foy R. — Lake Charles, Sr. Yepez, Fernando F. — Houston, TX, Sr. Young, Brenda A. — Grand Lake, Sr. Young, Charles S. — Lake Charles, Sr. Young, Mark J. — Lake Charles, Sr. Young, Virginia C. — Reeves, Sr. Zachry, Stephanie — Lake Charles, Gr. Zaumbrecher, Randal G. —Lake Arthur, Sr. Zerangue, Linda D. — Lake Charles, Gr. 242 Seniors Graduates

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Aar — All Aaron, Kathalene C. — France, So. Abate, Karen L. — Lake Charles, Fr. Abbott, Don — Lake Charles, Fr. Abdoh, Haroon R. — Jerusalem, dr. Aboutboul, Daniel — Leesville, So. Abraham, Raynard — Chicago, IL, So. Abrahamsen, Inga M. — Cameron, Jr. Abshire, Jill — Lake Charles, Fr. Abshire, Jordan P. — Hackberry, Fr Abshire, Michael D. — Lake Charles, So. Abshire, Nancy M. — Lake Charles, So. Abshire, Rhonda — Lake Charles, Fr. Ackelson, Michael L. — Lake Charles, Fr. Ackley, Keith A. — Lake Charles, So. Ackoury, Nolan H. — Jennings, So. Adams, Amanda L. — Ville Platte, Fr. Adams, Darlene M. — Kaplan, Jr. Adams, Gloria J. — Lake Charles, ur. Adams, Sonya L. — Oberlin, So. Adams, Wayne J. — Kaplan, Fr. Adams, Wayne T. — Eunice, Fr. Addison, Bray G. — Leesville, Jr. Addison, Sharon A. — Lake Charles, Fr. Aguillard, Jeffery C. — Lake Charles, Fr. Aguillard, Kevin P. — Elton, Fr Airhart, Steven P. — Reeves, Fr Albaba, Muneer S. — Egypt, So. Albanese, Gilbert — Lake Charles, So Albers, Diana M. — Lake Charles, So. Albert, Lynda G. — Lake Charles, Jr. Alex, Victor D. — Lake Charles, So. Alexander, Arthur L. — Jeanerette, Fr. Alexander, Carita G. — Lake Charles, Jr. Alexander, Christa F. — Sulphur, Jr. Alexander, Edward — Lake Charles, So. Alexander, Matthew — Lake Charles, Fr. Alexander, Sandra A. — Breaux Bridge, Jr. Alford, Keith B. — San Augustine, TX, So. Alfred, Brady A. — Fenton, dr. Alfred, Eddie B. — Fenton, Fr. Al-Halteh, Ronda N. — Lake Charles, Fr. Ali, Marion S. — Orange, TX, Fr. Alleman, Pamela A. — Suphur, So. Allemand, Anthony A. — Kinder, Fr. Allemand, Pamela G. — Welsh, Fr. Allen, Angela G. — Westlake, So. Allen, Barry M. — Lake Charles, So. Allen, Bettylu 1. — Sulphur, dr. Allen, Christopher B. — Sulphur, Jr. Allen, Famir G. — Richmond, VA, So. Allen, Gary D. — Lake Charles, Jr. Allen Jennifer M. — Lake Charles, Fr. Allen, John F. — Lake Charles, Fr. Allen, Leola J. — Vinton, Fr. 244 Underclassmen