Dear Reader, Happy holidays and welcome to our final issue of the fall 2023 semester! I can speak for all of the editorial board when I say that we are so incredibly proud of what we have accomplished this semester . . .

It's sleeting, it's snowing! The pile of ice is growing . . .

Dear Reader,

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our poetry issue! As an English major, I adore both reading and writing poetry, but I’m not going to lie, I still have a hard time defining what exactly poetry is. I’ve heard people say that poetry is how people think, and this is true to a certain extent. Some people might think in poems, but other people might think in prose. Additionally, poetry goes beyond just being a reflective piece of writing. It is a vast genre of literature that has many different forms, and I like the fact that a sonnet, a blackout poem, and a haiku all look very different from one another . . .

As we all know, the talented Aimee Nezhukumatathil visited our campus this semester on Monday, October 23, 2023. While she was on campus, she gave a guided tour of Centenary’s Arboretum, visited a poetry class, and, of course, spoke at the official Corrington Award Ceremony. If you were not able to attend the ceremony, there is, fortunately, a recording on Centenary’s Facebook page!

On October 25, 2023, the House of Representatives elected its 56th Speaker after more than three weeks of attempting to replace Kevin McCarthy, who was historically removed on October 3, 2023. Desperate to return to business after three failed nominations, the Republican Party united behind their fourth choice, a candidate low enough in party ranks to appease moderate sects and staunchly conservative enough to appeal to the far-right: Mike Johnson.

Dr. Matthew Blasi, one of Centenary’s English professors, recently gave a reading from his debut novel, Sweet Muffin Ranch. The novel follows Gene, his family, and their rescue and rehabilitation center for dogs. Before Dr. Blasi read an excerpt from his book, Sam Brown, Dr. Jones-Pierce, and Dr. Martin all read brief pieces. Sam Brown read a couple of flash fiction pieces, and Dr. Jones-Pierce read a creative nonfiction excerpt about a childhood friend

It’s officially fall and spooky season! The weather has finally gotten the memo and given us just a hint of a chill in the air, so now you can truly partake in the festivities! And don’t you worry, Shreveport has some fun stuff you can do to celebrate autumn and Halloween coming up. We’ll talk about 4 things that you can go to this month, and one that starts this month and extends into November. . . .

Dr. Matthew Blasi, one of Centenary’s English professors, recently gave a reading from his debut novel, Sweet Muffin Ranch. The novel follows Gene, his family, and their rescue and rehabilitation center for dogs. Before Dr. Blasi read an excerpt from his book, Sam Brown, Dr. Jones-Pierce, and Dr. Martin all read brief pieces. Sam Brown read a couple of flash fiction pieces, and Dr. Jones-Pierce read a creative nonfiction excerpt about a childhood friend

As qualifying for the Louisiana gubernatorial election ended on August 10th, there are officially 16 candidates vying for the governor’s seat—eight Republican, four Independent, three Democratic, and one with no declared party. All sixteen candidates will run against each other during the primary election on October 14th. Unless one candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates (regardless of party affiliation) will go on to compete for the governor’s seat during the general election of November 18th . . .

Dear Reader,

It is my absolute honor to welcome you to the Fall 2023 volume of The Conglomerate! With the start of a new volume and a new semester, I have been thinking a lot about beginnings. As a society, one of the beginnings that we talk a lot about is the beginning of a new year. Many people have lots of New Year’s traditions, ranging from starting a new planner to making a meticulous list of goals for the year, and, of course, it would be hard to forget about New Year’s resolutions . . .

With Centenary in Paris approaching fast and the school year about to start, it’s a good time to start preparing for traveling abroad. Maybe you’re a first-time traveler joining the rest of your freshman class to explore Paris, or perhaps you’re just thinking ahead for your May module. Either way, it’s important to know some tips when you’re traveling internationally . . .

There are so many words that I could use to describe Remi Miller, our head of the News and Worldview section. She is assertive, creative, determined, fashionable, driven, passionate, and so much more. She has done a fabulous job guiding the News and Worldview section this year

Dear Readers, it seems that somehow, we’ve reached the end of The Congo’s 2022-23 publication year.

No matter how many times I reread that sentence it still has yet to sink in. It honestly feels like only the other week where I was accepting the Editor-in-Chief position – being told strongly that “it’s a crazy job, absolutely mental, but you’re going to be fantastic and love every moment.” Simply speaking, that claim was nothing but an understatement . . .

Most of you may know Emily Moreno as an incredibly encouraging, stylish, and beautiful woman, but we here at The Conglomerate know her as the brave and hardworking soul in charge of getting everyone paid. However, next year Emily will be leaving her post as Business Manager to become the Sports Section Head for the 2023-2024 school year . . .

For the past three years, Centenary’s Black Student Union (BSU) has hosted Family Reunion, feeding the Centenary students and the community with great soul food, games, and music . . .

In the fall of 2023, Shreveport will welcome its first French immersion school in Fairfield Magnet Elementary School. The first classes to open will be kindergarten and 1st grade, all with francophone native-speaker teachers. After that, two classes will open each year. Shreveport was the only major city in Louisiana without a French immersion school until now.

Ramadan, Easter, and Passover are celebrated during the same week only three times each century, but such was the case during the first week of April 2023. Muslim students are halfway through their month-long observance of Ramadan, during which they pray and fast from sunrise to sunset to purify themselves, self-reflect, and show devotion to Allah. Many Muslims also use the holiday as an opportunity to practice kindness, empathize with those who suffer from food insecurity, and make charitable donations to people living in poverty . . .

Happy April Fool’s Day, dear reader! In honor of this day full of pranks and tricks, and as a marker of being halfway through our publications, The Conglomerate very proudly present our satirical issue! Satire, for those who may not know, is “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues” (via a lovely Google Search).

The Academy Awards are often a highlight for film lovers everywhere. The most recent awards ceremony early this month awarded a record number of women and people of color. Because it is often critiqued due to the white and male monolithic award winners, film lovers were ecstatic to see the list of winners this year . . .