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

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| i | The world beyond ne place where students and the public alike may explore the “space world” is the McNeese observatory. Prior to 1985 the observatory was located on the grounds of the McNeese farm. Now it rests on Burton Coliseum acreage. Move to the new location brought better viewing of astronomical sites since the observatory now stands further away from the city’s lights. The observatory consists of three buildings, which house various types of telescopes and other instruments. These include a 5.5 inch portable tel- escope and a 12 inch reflecting tele- scope. Dr. David Frantz, physics pro- fessor, oversees the facility, which is one of only a few in the state. Students enrolled in astronomy class- es are taken to the observatory one evening per semester for field obser- vation and instruction. DR. DAVID FRANTZ discovers the wonders of the ‘‘outside”’ world through one of the ob- servatory telescopes. (e) Observatory

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Gaining ground ‘he Burton Coliseum Complex was completed in 1976, built by the Cal- casieu Parish Police Jury on land donated by W. T. Burton. In its early years, the complex consisted of the Coliseum and the Livestock and Exhibit Building. In 1982, McNeese purchased the Coliseum and began its renovation and expansion of the complex. The university was ab le to maintain the facility with a $3.5 million grant by the Rockefeller Reserve. The Coliseum, itself, is one of the largest covered arenas in Southwest Louisiana. Originally built to house rodeos and live- stock shows, it had a dirt floor and alu- minum benches for spectator seating. Af- ter last year, however, it was completely renovated. The dirt floor was replaced with a concrete one, and the benches were re- placed with auditorium seating. These ren- ovations greatly expanded the scope of activities that the Coliseum is capable of housing. The refurbished Coliseum now hosts basketball games, as well as grad- uations and other events. Wedding recep- tions, banquets, and meetings are also held in the smaller Chalkley Room. The rest of the Complex consists of the Livestock and Exhibit Building and Ag- ricultural Arena. The Livestock Building encompasses four acres of land and pro- vides facilities for not only livestock shows, but also activities ranging from car shows to flea markets. The Agricultural Arena, completed in 1987, is a 50,000 square feet covered arena suitable for equestrian events and livestock shows. RICK KINNEY, assistant director of the Burton Coliseum, shows his own ex- pertise in equestrian activities at McNeese's newest “Home of the Cow- boys. 16 Burton Coliseum @)

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rowing, rooming, razing earning through experience is a method widely practiced at McNeese. There are several courses that offer or require labs which reinforce lecture material; one of the most familiar examples of such teaching methods is the McNeese farm. The farm sits on 500 acres of land and sustains various forms of livestock. Ac- cording to John Smith, farm manager, the farm owns two herds of cattle. One is a registered beef masters herd, and the other is a commercial herd of Angus cattle. The farm also owns several thoroughbred horses, including several mares and thor- oughbred stallions, and several hogs and lambs. These animals are utilized by McNeese in numerous ways. Students majoring in An- imal Science, Agriculture and other related fields are required to take specific courses which make use of the farm’s resources. The farm also employs McNeese students as part of their continuing education. Sev- eral animal science classes include labo- ratory cattle study and equine production; agricultural engineering courses utilize the farm as well. THE FARM is one place where grooming is a priority, especially when you're trying to sell your- self. John Smith and Kyle Fontenot prepare one of the steers for upcoming sale. 18 McNeese Farm @) oe