Downtown River Market runs from May fourth until May 25. Experience downtown Monroe with local vendors, music and food that could be compared to New Orlean’s French Market. May fourth is also Antique Alley’s spring open house. Stroll “Macklemore and Ryan Lewis” style down the Alley for some cool local finds at Mojo’s or Salt and Pepper.

Take a road trip to Caney Lake with friends to spend a day on the water.

Travel to Ruston for some peach icecream and even more downtown shopping.

Want to see that new independent flick? Shreveport has a unique independent movie theater that shows films Monroe and West Monroe usually never get. Robinson Film Center is in the heart of Shreveport’s downtown and ticket prices are affordable, around $8. The best part about this theater is the really cheap concessions.

Shreveport is also hosting a Paranormal Fest June 20-23. Drive over for ghost tours, a cemetery creep or a “spirited” pub crawl, for more information on Paranormal Fest check out downtownshreveport.com.

If there is no money in the piggy bank for road trips this summer, plan a BBQ. Invite friends over for slip ‘n slide and corn hole. Finish the night with a slightly influenced game of Catch Phrase.

Can’t make the Taylor Swift concert tour? No worries she’ll have another one next summer once her boy of the month calendar runs out. In the mean time Monroe has a great music scene no matter music preference.

Fieldhouse, Pickle Barrel and Live Oak are all close to campus and feature live music on the weekends. Get a group of friends together and support local talent.

Another idea to put on the table is creating your own kick-starter video. Now that Duck Dynasty is over for the season it is time Hawk Dynasty found its own television station. Film a reality show episode of you and your friends showcasing campus and your life at ULM. Post it to Facebook and YouTube and wait for A&E’s phone call.

At the end of the day, a vacation can be anywhere you want it to be. Summer classes are a priority and money is sometimes tight. Have fun with friends and enjoy the summer heat and sunny skies.

The walk begins and takes them over a balloon-lined bridge to Fant-Ewing coliseum.

Excitement is probably the best word to describe the atmosphere of the future graduating class of Warhawks as they gather into the old building.

Four years ago was no exception to this tradition.

The class of 2013 will officially mark the end of their college journey, ending in the same place it began. Fant-Ewing.

“I’m extremely proud of myself,” said Aaron Willet, a senior music theory and composition major.

Willet completed his degree in four years despite the fact he changed his major along the way.

“I didn’t see myself being able to handle the amount of work and the amount of stress that comes along with being a music major. I didn’t think that I would do as well as I have,” Willet said.

A number of seniors said their favorite college memory had a little something to do with the football team this year.

For Willet, it was the ULM-ARK game.

“[I remember] being about thirty minutes away from campus, watching the ULM-ARK game. When we won, I heard that everyone was partying in front of Malone stadium. I got in my car and flew back to campus to be a part of the huge celebration,” Willet said. “That was the first time the campus really felt united to me.”

College can be stressful at times but students find enjoyable moments that make it all worth their while.

Senior toxicology major Victoria Burleigh said going to the Independce Bowl will be her favorite memory she carries with her.

“I enjoyed getting to see our school succeed and football is something that I enjoy,” Burleigh said.

Exams, studying and no sleep are quite common among college students.

According to Shaleka Griffin, a senior kinesiology major, the lessons learned are by no means confined to the classroom.

“I learned a lot about life, love and friendship,” Griffin said. “I had fun in the library study rooms. I might not have gotten a lot of studying done, but I got a lot of great memories.”

Students said they learned more outside of the classroom during the past four years than they ever thought they would.

Campus organizations are one of the many ways doors are open for students that can lead them in many different directions.

“I joined the choir and it’s become basically my family away from my family. It gives me a sense of family that I otherwise wouldn’t get here,” said Allison Friloux, a senior vocal education major.

Some seniors wanted to give any incoming freshmen some “elderly” advice and wisdom.

“Patience is a virtue that I have learned. College is really stressful and it’s really easy to be hard on yourself,” Friloux said. “You have to allow yourself to be patient because college is really stressful at times.”

Griffin said freshmen should slow down and take it all in.

“Enjoy it because it goes by fast,” Griffin said.

Graduation for the class of 2013 will be in the Fant-Ewing coliseum Saturday, May 11, at 10 a.m.

ULM’s English and theater department brought many laughs and tears to a full crowd in a production of Eve Ensler’s “Vagina Monologues.” The event took place Thursday night in The Upstairs Gallery in Monroe.

The “Vagina Monologues” are different monologues that reflect different women’s experiences or issues with their vaginas.

Some monologues were funny, but some were very serious.

English professor Vanelis Rivera came up with the idea to bring the monologues back to ULM when she was a graduate student in 2009.

Rivera read the “Vagina Not-So-Happy Fact” and played a part in the woman one, two and three dialogue.

Her main monologue was “My Vagina Was My Village.”

“It was a very serious and emotional monologue,” Rivera said. “It was about a woman who was part of the mass rape that was going on in Kosovo because of their war.”

At the end of the monologues, Rivera spoke about the 1 Billion Rising campaign meant to put a stop to the violence against women.

“On February 14 the world saw the biggest global action ever to end violence against women and girls,” Rivera said. “One Billion Rising activists in 207 countries took to the streets and danced. Tonight we are rising with the millions of women and men around the world who rose on February 14 to say enough.”

This global action was called V-Day, and according to Rivera, 10 percent of the donations made at the event will go to V-Day.

Freshman medical lab science major Courtnie Mason was so surprised by the content of the performances that she was laughing while tears ran down her face.

“It was very funny, and to know that the actors understood what women go through was fascinating,” said Mason. “They were so raw and bold.”

Donations went to the Wellspring Alliance.

Either way, graduation day is speeding towards us.

It is important for all of the graduating seniors to take some time out of shoe shopping (as this is the only item of clothing seen from under the graduation robes) and reflect on what they have learned in their time as a Warhawk.

Hopefully each graduate walks away with some lesson or ounce of wisdom they have picked up since their days in PREP.

I have several, and the first is the lesson of courage.

The courage to pursue dreams that are different than the ones my parents planned for me to have.

The courage to forgive people who have hurt me and to forgive myself for the people I have hurt.

Most importantly, the courage to keep pushing forward when dwelling in the past seems the easiest thing to do.

A lot of people come to college hoping to find love. Maybe the love of their life, or maybe just a newfound love for life that they didn’t know existed.

The lucky ones find both.

I came to college hoping to find the romantic kind of love and ended up finding a love for theatre and dance- things that have given me more happiness than any date I’ve ever been on has.

Probably the most beautiful thing about college is finding out who you are and what you were meant to be.

ULM offers so many things to help students figure out which road to take.

Want to take ballroom dancing? You can.

Become fluent in Latin? Sure.

Maybe you want to learn how to make pottery. There’s a class for that.

I truly believe the majority of the professors at this school sincerely care about their students and take pride in watching them grow from bushy-eyed freshman to graduating senior.

While there have been times that I deeply disliked some of my classes, the good has definitely outweighed the bad.

Which brings up the next lesson – the good sticks way more than the bad.

Nights filled with “Wagon Wheel” and “Sail” are going to outlast the memories of pulling all night study sessions.

Laughter shared with friends will outlast the tears shed over pointless drama.

I had no idea that college would teach me so much.

My favorite lesson was definitely learning how to live.

But no one is around.

The announcer again welcomes the next performer to the stage, but no one is there.

A rap mix starts up—suddenly—he appears out of nowhere.

He comes out in a navy snapback, a light blue shirt, a gold watch and of course gold all in his chain.

He’s fearless.

The young man smiles and begins to rap for the audience.

This scene took place at the annual Spring Fever Concert. The concert sums up the majority of the week and is usually the big finale for students.

The song being performed is called “Project X2,” an original track created by Keldric Bonton.

The song was inspired by an actual house party that Kel attended last year thrown by a few ULM students.

“It’s a blessing to be in the building.” said Bonton. “I encourage everyone to follow their hearts and dreams no matter what anyone says. Have faith that God will lead you where he wants you to go.”

Bonton is a senior mass comm major from Alexandria. He has been working with music for six years now and is also working on his seventh mixtape.

Some of his inspirations include Earth, Wind, & Fire, Luther Vandross, Drake and Whitney Houston.

The headliners for the concert were TPain and Chingy, opened up by Trey Parker, Kel and B. Smyth.

Trey Parker (Silas Trey P. Stapleton) is also a student from ULM who graduated with a degree in music and is from Jackson, Miss.

B. Smyth, 19, is an aspiring performer from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., who has only been in the music business for about a year now.

His fame developed from YouTube this the past year. Smyth said that his inspiration is Micheal Jackson because his talent.

Everyone has tried to moonwalk at least once and all of Jackson’s work is phenomenal, according to Smyth.

“The concert was amazing.” said Mone’t Zeno, a sophomore education major. “My favorite part, of course, was B. Smyth since he’s extremely good looking and has the voice of an angel. I feel like he’s going to be really big really soon.”

Although Waka Flocka Flame, the original headliner for the show, was not able to make it, Chingy was quick to fill his place. Chingy has been in the music industry since 2002 as a popular hip-hop artist from St. Louis, Mo.

Some of his debut tracks include “Right Thurr,” 2003, “Pullin’ Me Back” and “Dem Jeans,” 2006.

This was Chingy’s first time performing in Monroe.

“I would give the same energy I would to an audience of one or two people that I would to an audience of thousands.” said Chingy. “It’s important to make the audience feel like they are a part of a show and that they are included.”

Through determination, motivation and colored powder, ULM raised over $9,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Students and families from all over the area came together to get sweaty and colorful in ULM’s first 5k Color Me Cured race held by Up ‘Til Dawn.

“It was so satisfying to see everyone running around completely rainbowed out,” said Laura Knotts, director of student life and leadership. “I like seeing how excited the students are. And we’re just so excited to get to raise all of this money for St. Jude.”

CAB and SGA gave money to sponsor the color run as an RSO scholarship.

Between the two organizations there was $1500 put forward to fund Color Me Cured.

Senior elementary education major Emily Lovelady got to throw the colored powder as part of the Up ‘Til Dawn executive board.

There were families who ran in the race and would also come join in on the powder throwing.

“It was a great experience and it’s good that we can do something like this on our campus, that we have enough student and community involvement to actually be able to pull this off,” Lovelady said.

CAB members Amanda Hikes and Beth Hughes volunteered to get the chance to chase people around with paint.

Hikes would encourage the runners to get to her checkpoint and then surprise them with her paint bottles.

“I would cheer for them and beckon them to over to the finish line. Then I would get them in their moments of victory,” said Hikes, a freshman biology major. “It was a lot of fun to see their faces. I actually hated throwing paint at the little kids because they were so cute. But now they are cute little rainbows and I’m responsible for that.”

Psychology graduate student Monica Winkler was disappointed when the she lost the chance to run a half marathon a month ago in Dallas.

Then she learned about the color run at ULM. She also wasn’t expecting to hear her name get called for first place in the women’s category.

“I was so excited about my prizes and running with my body all painted,” Winkler said. “That’s actually the reason why I really ran. I was like ‘heck yeah I want a bunch of color on my body.’”

Senior communication major Macky James had two things on his mind – charity and first place. But then he realized he was probably going to end in eighth place, and went in to cross the finish line with his final kicker.

But when he got there he was told to turn around.

“I had run all the way back to the starting line,” James said. “Then I came in 27th place. But I had fun. I loved running for a great cause.”

Rain or shine, nothing could keep the crowd away from seeing this showcase of students perform a highly anticipated musical.

I’ll admit before I saw “Guys and Dolls” I had no idea what the musical was going to be about.

I went in with a blank slate of expectation, ready to immerse myself in the musical.

This musical takes place during the height of the New York scene.

The program even mentions how “Guys and Dolls” embodies New York and its people.

As the overture started, my heart started to race, and I’m sure the cast was high off adrenaline at that point.

Each cast member’s performance, from those dancing to the main parts of Sarah Brown and Sky Masterson, was highly entertaining.

I would have to say the character I enjoyed the most was Nathan Detroit.  He was funny, sneaky and really embodied a gambling man.

I am thoroughly amazed at how talented our student body is. People I see everyday transformed into stars on the stage at night. I appreciate the fact that our university is able to provide such entertainment for our campus.

It would be cruel of me to mention how great the cast was without telling you how surprised I was by the orchestra.

Every note danced through Brown Auditorium with beauty; I felt as if I were at an opera.

I cannot begin to explain how impressed I was with the quality of music that was produced, but it was nothing short of perfect.

I want to personally congratulate Cody Jackson on his amazing toe-touches. As a former dancer, I envy you.

My favorite song was “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.”

This number was so lively with everyone running around on stage dancing, paired with some of the best singing I’ve ever heard.

The choreography was so amazing during this performance.

It was cleverly done and each dance number matched the scenes so well.

A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this production. “Guys and Dolls” is a musical everyone can enjoy and I’m sure it will inspire the younger generation to participate in the arts.

Director Robin Stephens guaranteed the audience that this musical would “knock you off your feet.”

I was brought to my feet at the end, when I gave the cast a standing ovation.

Mascara, eye shadow, brushes and lipstick are strewn on the counters in the dressing rooms. The smell of hairspray still lurks in the air.

The cast is ready.

The moment is here. Months of rehearsal will now be put to the test.

Backstage, some are mouthing the lines they’re about to speak, others are stretching or practicing dance steps, but most of them are silent.

Director Robin Stephens comes in for the final talk before show time. There’s no mention of things to work on during practice. There won’t be any more practices. It’s show time.

“You’ve put so much work into the show at all kinds of levels. Please honor the work,” Stephens said. “Break a leg and have a wonderful show.”

“Places!” The stage manager gives the final call before the orchestra strikes up the overture.  Just like that. Everyone from the dancers to the costume designer come alive.

After months of preparation the cast of “Guys and Dolls” performed in Brown Auditorium last weekend. There were four performances over the course of the weekend.

“Guys and Dolls” is set in New York City during a time when gambling was illegal. This play was filled with secret casinos and unexpected love through the lives of the four main characters: Miss Adelaide, Nathan Detroit, Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown.

Flashback: Dress rehearsal

It’s Tuesday. Opening night is two days away and the cast has been having nightly rehearsals for two weeks.

Dressed and ready, the performers listen while Stephens gives notes before rehearsal starts.

“Let’s go forward with our work and not backwards,” Stephens said. “I had to pry myself out of the fetal position yesterday, but last night I was grinning and loving every moment.”

While waiting to go on stage Allison Friloux, who plays general Matilda B. Cartwright, and McKenna Giovingo, who plays Miss Adelaide, make small talk.

“It’s been a long week,” Friloux said.

“It’s only Tuesday,” Giovingo said.

Tucker Futrell, who plays Nathan Detroit, paces back and forth while practicing his gestures. Mouthing his lines. Earlier Futrell talked about how he feels while onstage during the performance.

“I always want to at least make sure the audience is engaged with what I’m doing. If they are engaged I can take the energy they’re giving me and always try to give that back,” Futrell said.

Futrell, a music education major, said he was a little nervous because he hasn’t played a part this big. His first performance was in last year’s production of Chicago when he played the master of ceremonies.

The girls have changed into their outfits for “Bushel and a Peck.” One of the dancers is practicing steps. Another dancer goes to grab her shovel, which is a prop in the performance. But then they run off to their places.

Flash forward: Opening night

“Opening night is always a frenzy of emotions for everyone involved. It’s the culmination of all the long hours of hard work that have gone into the planning and rehearsal process,” Alison Tugwell, the stage manager, said.

While the stage is lit with vibrant colorful dresses and loud musical numbers, the lights are off backstage. Only one blue light leads the performers back and forth from the green room to the props table and then on stage. Any other light comes from flashlights.

While the performers sing loud on stage and project their lines toward the audience, all is quiet backstage. There has to be silence so the actor’s microphones won’t pick up the noise.

But just because no one’s talking doesn’t mean the action hasn’t picked up. It’s much like the dress rehearsal. Performers run off stage to change for the next scene while listening to the overhead speakers set up in the green room.

Out on stage the cast lights up the auditorium with dramatic dance scenes of crap games and trips to Havana. This play is a complete turn around from last year’s production of “Chicago.” Stephens said “Chicago” was a “great way to hook an audience.”

“You can’t do Chicago every year. You have to do some varying away from that,” Stephens said. “This is iconic and it should be part of everyone’s experience with the musical theater.”

The cast gives all they’ve got until the very last note. And once the production is over the dresses will go back to the racks, the dressing room counters will be free of makeup and the scent of hairspray will dissipate.

But everyone involved will always remember the experience and hard work put into this production.

This year’s theme “Hawk Dynasty” is based off of the hit A&E series “Duck Dynasty” which is filmed in West Monroe. This week students can let their redneck flag fly with a packed schedule of events fit for a duck calling king.

Michael Roboski, committee head for Spring Fever, said with the amount of attention this local family and company has received there was no better compliment than imitation.

“I thought it would be a fun and relatable theme for campus. This show is the highest rated show on A&E and one of the most popular programs across all networks,” Roboski said.

Free lunch and snacks are offered for students Monday through Thursday in the quad.

Monday we celebrate Earth day and that night will be the drive-in movie in the Grove showing “Identity Thief.”

Tuesday is novelty day in the quad where there will be a sweet tea dunking booth, hawk calls and mallards.

Come out in your best “Duck Dynasty” themed costume for prizes as there is a costume contest for the crowd.

First place receives a $300 gift card and second place receives a $150 gift card.

Wednesday is full of sweet tea (you can drink this tea) and crawfish.

Stop by the Quad to see fellow classmates chug sweet tea in a chugging contest and go cheer on the Warhawks as they play against Mississippi Valley State again and enjoy free crawfish.

Piece for Paint, Art Improv and Toms take over Thursday before the evenings’ events.

Redneck Olympics in Bayou Park features steel toe boot toss and much more. Anyone wanting to participate in any competitions throughout the week needs to sign up for a slot because spots are limited.

Oozeball begins Friday at 11 a.m. This year 31 Ambassadors chose the theme “The Dirty South” which ties in perfectly with the theme.

The day ends at the Monroe Civic Center where T-Pain will perform for a hopefully packed crowd.

Waka Flocka was originally scheduled to perform along with T-Pain, however Juaquin Malphurs (Waka Flocka) recently fired agent/manager and cancelled many college performances. Laura Knotts, director of student life, apologizes for the change but ensures a supremely talented replacement.

“Waka Flocka’s cancellation was out of our control, the addition of B. Smyth is one we are very excited about,” Knotts said.

Smyth is an up and coming performer whose single “Leggo” featuring 2 Chainz is out now. He has the same manager as Justin Timberlake and is known for great vocals and dance moves.

Saturday starts with a 5k with all proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Color Me Cured: A St. Jude 5k” begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Alumni Center. Students may run/walk or volunteer. Colored powder will be thrown at runners throughout the campus course.

Baseball and Sand Volleyball will continue throughout the day.

Sunday wraps Spring Fever week up as the baseball team plays South Alabama.

A complete schedule was given to the Duck Dynasty cast. It is not certain if they will come or not. The full schedule can be viewed at ulm.edu/springfever.