Togetherness and the will to work together through tough times is what Louisianans have always been able to do, and going forward, that same effort will be needed now more than ever.

Looking back over the course of the year, Louisiana has had its share of national attention, and for the most part, none of the spotlight has been particularly something to hang our hat on.

Let’s go back to the beginning of the year. In February Gov. John Edwards in a statewide-televised address expressed that the state was headed towards some threatening cuts to state services such as higher education and health care. In March of this year, nearly 5,000 homes were damaged by what was then historic flooding due to heavy raining in central and southeast Louisiana. Over the summer the attention really fell onto our Bayou state after the shooting of Alton Sterling by two police officers outside of a Baton Rouge convenience store. Weeks later, three Baton Rouge Police Department officers were ambushed and killed. As if all of this wasn’t enough, recent historic floods devastated parts of the state worse than any flood in decades.

These tireless examples of the national attention placed on Louisiana in 2016 may have kept the citizens of the state on edge for the most part. Although the media may have highlighted some of the ugly times this year, do not let the media dictate the culture of this great state.
After the historic floods in early August, the focus within the state shifted. It was no longer focused on the state’s budget. The debating about the upcoming election paused. The floods didn’t care if you were black or white, nor did it care if you were a police officer or a man selling CDs outside of a store. One thing, though, is that when people needed help or assistance no matter who you were, what race you were, or what you did, the help was there by people from all over Louisiana.

As we move into the second half of 2016, let’s remember what makes this state great, which is the people. You don’t have to look too far to see those great people, because they are right here at Nicholls. Great people like those that make up the Nicholls football and baseball teams, who volunteered in Lutcher and Gonzales by putting together sand bags. Colonel Catholics sent donations and volunteer workers to help with flood aftermaths. The Nicholls Softball team help get water and Gatorade together for flood drives, along with different fraternities and departments around who have also chipped in as well.

Louisiana as a state has had one rollercoaster of a year, and the ride hasn’t been one that anyone wants to really remember. Despite the differences within the state in political, social and economical viewpoints, people that make up the Nicholls community and countless others around the state have shown that Louisiana culture doesn’t care about irrelevant opinions when people are in actual need.