110. Zack Kopplin interview, part 2

110.  Part 2 of our interview with Zack Kopplin, an Louisiana political activist, journalist, and television personality from Louisiana. Kopplin has campaigned to keep creationism out of public school science classrooms and been involved with other separation of church and state causes. He has opposed school vouchers because they provide public money to schools which may teach creationism. As a high school student, he organized seventy-eight Nobel laureate scientists in a campaign against the Louisiana Science Education Act, a creationism law. He is also involved with science funding policy and curriculum and textbook policy.

1. This week in Louisiana history. June 28, 1861. First Civil War battle engagement for Louisiana Tigers, at Seneca Dam on Potomac River.
   
2. This week in New Orleans history. On June 27th, 1957, Hurrican Audrey, the most destructive hurricane to strike Southwest Louisiana until that time, moved ashore near the Texas/Louisiana border causing a disastrous storm surge.  Storm surges of 6 feet of more extended from Galveston, TX along the coast to Cocodrie, LA.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Essence Music Festival
   July 2nd, 2015 - July 5th, 2015
   Mercedes-Benz Superdome
   1500 Sugar Bowl Dr., New Orleans, LA 70112
   504-587-3663
   Website 
   Mercedes-Benz Superdome
   "Party with a purpose" at this star-studded celebration of African American music and culture in the Superdome. Jazz up your July with performances by the world's biggest hip-hop, R&B and soul artists.

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Zack Kopplin and Bill Nye

109. Zack Kopplin Interview, Part 1

109.  Part 1 of our interview with Zack Kopplin, an Louisiana political activist, journalist, and television personality from Louisiana. Kopplin has campaigned to keep creationism out of public school science classrooms and been involved with other separation of church and state causes. He has opposed school vouchers because they provide public money to schools which may teach creationism. As a high school student, he organized seventy-eight Nobel laureate scientists in a campaign against the Louisiana Science Education Act, a creationism law. He is also involved with science funding policy and curriculum and textbook policy.

1. This week in Louisiana history. June 20, 1968. Presidential candidate George Wallace speaks in Baton Rouge raising $60,000.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Al "Carnival Time" Johnson (born June 20, 1939, in New Orleans,) is an American singer and piano player best known for the Mardi Gras song "Carnival Time."
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Louisiana Peach Festival
   West Park Ave.
   Ruston, LA 71270
   Tel: 318-255-2031
   Website
   Description:
   The 65th Louisiana Peach Festival will be held June 26 & 27, 2015 in Downtown Ruston. The festival is in its 65th year, one of the longest running agricultural events in Louisiana. It's held the 4th weekend in June when the peaches are ripe and delicious!  In beautiful downtown Ruston you can enjoy the parade, concerts, kid's rides, art & crafts show, peach eating contest, peach cookery contest and more. Throughout Lincoln Parish there's also a rodeo, golf tournament, bass tournament, Kid's fishing tournament, 5K, tennis tournament, quilting contest, baby photo contest, diaper derby and antique car show. Something for everyone!
   Admission is charged for ages 7 and over. Friday $10, Saturday $10, Weekend Pass $15.

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Zack and the Science Guy

108. Sheryl St. Germain, Part 2

108.  Part 2 of our interview with poet Sheryl St. Germain.  A native of New Orleans, Sheryl has taught creative writing at The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Knox College and Iowa State University. She directs the MFA program in Creative Writing at Chatham University where she also teaches poetry and creative nonfiction.  The author of many books, her work has received several awards. 

1. This week in Louisiana history. June 15, 1910. Evangeline Parish created.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Melvin Lloyd ("Mel") Parnell, born in New Orleans on June 13, 1922, was a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He graduated from S.J. Peters High School where he starred with future major leaguers George Strickland, Howie Pollett, Raymond Campo, Ray Yochim and Lou Klein. Parnell spent his entire ten-year career with the Boston Red Sox (1947–1956), compiling a 123-75 record with 732 strikeouts, a 3.50 earned run average, 113 complete games, 20 shutouts, and 1752.2 innings pitched in 289 games (232 as a starter) After his playing career, Parnell managed the New Orleans Pelicans of the Class AA Southern Association in 1959 and a series of Red Sox farm clubs from 1961 to 1963.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   GospelFest2015 "A Celebration of Gospel Music"
   June 19th, 2015
   Downtown Shreveport's Festival Plaza
   101 Crockett St., Shreveport, LA 71101
   318-459-8211
   Website
   Downtown Shreveport's Festival Plaza
   This Festival will be in its second year of existence beginning in June 2015.  It boasts to have some of the biggest names in Gospel Music from all over the Northwest Louisiana, East Texas, Southwest Arkansas Areas- collectively known as the (ARK-LA-TEX), this event takes place in conjunction with the Let the Good Times Roll Festival hosted by the Rho Omega and Friends Omega Psi Phi Fraternity which is a festival that has taken place for the last 20 years plus; which draws thousands of people over the course of one weekend celebrating (Juneteenth) and the history, heritage, roots, and spirit of African-American Music! GospelFest II; which is what this event will be called, features "gospel" talent from all over, and all are welcomed to come and participate in this Gospel Music Showcase!

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Sheryl St. Germain

107. Interview with Sheryl St. Germain, Part 1.

107.  We interview poet Sheryl St. Germain.  A native of New Orleans, Sheryl has taught creative writing at The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Knox College and Iowa State University. She directs the MFA program in Creative Writing at Chatham University where she also teaches poetry and creative nonfiction.  The author of many books, her work has received several awards. 

1. This week in Louisiana history. June 7, 1892. Homer Plessy is arrested for taking a seat on a train that was marked "Whites Only."In 1890, the state of Louisiana passed a law (the Separate Car Act) that required separate accommodations for blacks and whites on railroads, including separate railway cars. Concerned, a group of prominent black, creole, and white New Orleans residents formed the Comité des Citoyens (Committee of Citizens) dedicated to repeal the law. They persuaded Homer Plessy to participate in a test case. On June 7, 1892, Plessy bought a first class ticket at the Press Street Depot and boarded a "whites only" car of the East Louisiana Railroad in New Orleans, Louisiana, bound for Covington, Louisiana. Additionally, the committee hired a private detective with arrest powers to detain Plessy, to ensure he was charged for violating the Separate Car Act, as opposed to a vagrancy or some other offense. As planned, Plessy was taken off the train at Press and Royal streets. Plessy was remanded for trial in Orleans Parish.  His loss in the trial Plessy v Ferguson made Jim Crows laws permissible until the modern civil rights movement.
   
2. This week in New Orleans history. Joseph Samuel Clark, educator, civic leader. Born, Sparta, La., June 7, 1881. Education: public and private schools in Bienville Parish, Coleman and Bishop colleges; Leland University, B. A., 1901; Ph. D., 1914; Selma University, M. A., 1913; Arkansas Baptist College, Ph. D., 1921. Further studies at Chicago and Harvard universities. Served as principal of Slater High School, Donaldsonville, and of Baton Rouge Academy between 1901 and 1912; president of Southern University, 1913-1938. During his administration, the school progressed from an institution with an enrollment of forty-seven students and an appropriation of $10,000 to a university with 3,067 students and an appropriation of approximately one million dollars.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   The Last Surrender
   June 1st, 2015 - June 30th, 2015
   Forts Randolph and Buhlow State Historic Site
   135 Riverfront Street, Pineville, LA 71360
   318-484-2390
   Forts Randolph and Buhlow State Historic Site, Pineville - The Last Surrender, This event commemorates the LAST FORTS SURRENDERED DURING THE CIVIL WAR, Forts Randolph and Buhlow. Union soldiers and sailors take possession of the forts after accepting the surrender of the local Confederate forces. A sesquicentennial ceremony will be reenacted for the public as Confederate colors are lowered for the last time.
   Website  

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Sheryl St. Germain