THIBODAUX, La. — Nicholls State University invites you to join the campus in honoring veterans this week by attending the Thursday premiere of a student-filmed documentary showcasing the lives of local veterans as well as a Veterans Day celebration in the Quad on Friday.
The documentary, “Local Veterans: An Oral History” was filmed by students from the Nicholls mass communication and history departments and edited by professors Dr. Andrew Simoncelli and Lance Arnold. History Department Head Dr. Paul Wilson also assisted with the project, which was funded by an $88,000 Board of Regents grant.
Filmed during the 2015-2016 school year, the documentary captures the oral histories of several veterans as they discuss aspects of their military service from why they enlisted to the challenges they faced during deployment.
The video screening will be held Thursday in Peltier Auditorium with doors opening at 4:45 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served in the lobby. The film will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by a question-and-answer session with some of the veterans featured in the project.
On Veterans Day, Nicholls Veteran Services will hold a public ceremony at 11 a.m. in the Nicholls Quad and veterans will be served a free lunch in the cafeteria.
Col. Jacques Thibodeaux, a Nicholls alumnus, Thibodaux native and 31-year U.S. Army veteran will be the ceremony’s featured speaker. Other speakers include Dr. Todd Keller, associate vice president for academic affairs, and Wes Parfait, a Nicholls student and U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Other participating groups include the Thibodaux High School JROTC, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Little Colonels Academy and Max Charter School.
Nicholls has earned the “Governor’s Military and Veteran Friendly Campus” designation and has consistently been named a “Military Friendly School” by G.I. Jobs magazine.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 7, 2016
CONTACT: Jacob Batte, Media Relations and Publications Coordinator, 985.448.4141 or jacob.batte@www.nicholls.edu
