By Message Staff PINEVILLE – Louisiana Christian University has tapped one of its former star football players to become the program’s new head football coach. During a press conference Feb. 22, school officials named LC (now LCU) Hall of Fame quarterback Ben McLaughlin to lead the Wildcats. “I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt this is my dream job,” McLaughlin said. “Why? Because this where God wants us to raise my kids. This is where God wants us to raise my grandkids. Everything that we're going to do in life is right here in central Louisiana. “My number one priority is to do everything we can do to develop these players as young men, as academic scholars in the classroom, develop them spiritually, help him to understand Jesus Christ and everything is involved in that,” he continued. “And obviously there's a big part of that (in which) we've got to develop them as football players. It's all intertwined.” McLaughlin, who most recently served as head football coach for two years at Buckeye High School in Deville, became one of the most decorated male athletes in Wildcat history. During this career at the school, McLaughlin finished as the American Southwest Conference’s all-time leader in passing years … [Read more...]

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University recently helped more than 120 high school students prepare for the ACT with a test preparation course on campus. The course, which was sponsored and created by LCU in early February, was open to students in grades 9-12 from public, private and home schools across central Louisiana. Shaina Goudeau, associate vice president of the School of Nursing and Allied Health, and Cheryl Bullock, PTA administrative assistant, spearheaded the ACT event by engaging in conversations with district teachers and administrators, as well as high school students, on how to best meet the needs of the students and the community. Following conversations with students, Goudeau identified multiple aspects that mold students’ perceptions concerning ACT testing. “Although high school students are provided a quality education through district instruction, there remains a level of anxiety regarding the ACT standardized testing,” Goudeau said. “Students not only realize the significance of obtaining a good score for improved confidence and entry into college, but they also recognize that their score could translate into improved scholarship … [Read more...]

By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU NEWS) - Louisiana Christian University will offer high school students information about what opportunities await them at its annual Spring Preview Day, March 9. All high school students in public, private and home school are encouraged to pre-register to attend the event on campus from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students and their parents will meet with faculty and current students and learn about academic programs, athletics and extracurricular activities. Attendees will also hear from current students about their experiences in major fields of study and what it’s really like to be a Wildcat. Interested students should sign up at the Preview Day registration form. Students who attend Preview Day will receive free lunch and LCU merchandise. All students who pre-register for Preview Day will have the $25 application fee waived. … [Read more...]

By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University participated in the RECIPE for Rural STEM DAY at the LSUA Mega Shelter in Alexandria, Feb. 8. More than 1,300 central Louisiana fifth and sixth-graders interested in science, math, engineering and technology fields participated in the event. RECIPE for Rural STEM Day is a statewide initiative to promote STEM education to upper elementary-age students. RECIPE stands for Relevant, Educational, Career-minded, Impactful, Purposeful,  and Engaging. LCU’s Physical Therapy Assistant program, along with the Health and Exercise Science programs, attended and provided interactive games that correlated general anatomy and systems of the body with various basic healthcare assessments, said Associate Vice President of the School of Nursing and Allied Health Shaina Goudeau. Examples of planned activities included determining the effect of physical activity on heart rate, sensory nerve testing, grip strength assessments, and an anatomy versus body system matching game.  LCU faculty selected simple tasks and created fun games to allow a direct approach to science-based activities. The simplified method of active learning served to pique the curiosity of … [Read more...]

By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University’s Psi Chi chapter is celebrating its 75th anniversary on campus, complete with a Color Run, March 23. The Color Run will be held at 9:10 a.m. Registration will be commence at 8:30 a.m. for those who have not pre-registered. The cost is $10 for the one-mile fun run event, which is co-sponsored by the LCU Criminal Justice Club. “Our overall goal is to make a ripple effect in the world one person at a time,” said Mollie Wise, coordinator of the psychology department and Psi Chi adviser. “We want to better our campus, community, state, country and world by seeing people for who they are and loving them as Jesus has called us to do. It is nothing that most others are attempting to do. We just use the avenue of psychology and mental health to do it.” Psi Chi is an international honor society for psychology students, and since its inception, the LCU chapter has inducted more than 200 members. According to its website, Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, was founded in 1929 with a mission to encourage excellence in scholarship and advance the science of psychology. LCU Psi Chi will host the event to bring awareness and empathy to today’s … [Read more...]