LSU’s 2024 Scholarship First Bus Tour: Day 2 Dispatch from President Tate
October 16, 2024
I knew it would be difficult to top our first day of the Scholarship First Bus Tour, so I tempered my expectations.
However, when heading out to get a feel for the logging industry with Rep. Jack McFarland, I was acutely aware that I was stepping into a storied industrial history. And frankly, what I saw made me understand my adopted home state even more.
The forestry industry is the largest agricultural commodity in the state, supporting almost 40,000 jobs and generating $11 billion in economic impact. Experiencing the process of harvesting timber gave me a much deeper appreciation for the value and history of forestry in Louisiana.
My good friend Roy O. Martin has also helped me gain greater insight into this economic driver, having sponsored the inaugural Scholarship First Bus Tour last year and given us a tour of his plywood facility in Chopin.
SEE THE DAY Two BUS TOUR PHOTO GALLERY
After learning how to operate heavy machinery and taking down a pine tree, we rode over to the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield to explore its rich collection of political relics, including an incredibly detailed display of Huey P. Long’s dining room.
We enjoyed an outstanding home-cooked lunch, learning a lot about the local community and Louisiana’s incredible political history.
Learning about the logging industry with Rep. Jack McFarland.
Visiting the Louisiana Political Museum in Winnfield.
Then, it was off to Fort Johnson in Vernon Parish. Their leadership was extremely welcoming, and we discussed new partnership opportunities with our university.
LSUA Chancellor Paul Coreil and Provost Elizabeth Beard joined the group as we toured STARBASE, a Department of Defense-funded program run through a partnership between LSUA and Fort Johnson to enhance elementary and middle-school children’s understanding of STEM subjects.
Discussed potential partnerships at Fort Johnson.
Thoroughly impressed, we departed for the NUNU Arts & Culture Collective in Arnaudville, where we received a warm welcome, some Cajun and Creole words and phrases of encouragement, and even a cooking lesson! T
he people of Arnaudville are so welcoming and creative, and the pride they share in their community and heritage is palpable.
French cooking demo with Paul Cluse and Ashlee Wilson at NUNU Arts & Culture Collective in Arnaudville.
We celebrated the end of Day 2 with a fun-filled evening alongside alumni and friends
at the Bayou Teche Brewery. Good food, great music, and amazing company solidified
what I already knew — this part of Louisiana has deep-rooted cultural ties that, in
many ways, define how the world outside of the “boot” defines our state. I’m grateful
to have experienced such an incredibly nuanced day among LSU supporters around the
state.
We’ll kick off Day 3 shortly with a tour of Conrad Rice Mill, the nation’s oldest
rice mill. Given this product’s economic and cultural significance, I am looking forward
to learning more about its production.
LSU's Scholarship First Agenda is helping achieve health, prosperity, and security
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