I hope everyone enjoyed the Mardi Gras holiday! Even though it was a short week, it was certainly filled with activity and momentum across campus. Here are a few highlights.

International Women’s Day Leadership Luncheon
On Wednesday, Martha attended the International Women’s Day Leadership Luncheon hosted by our Student Government Association. The event featured Karen McCord as the guest speaker, who shared the powerful story behind her book Only Rainbows – the Carley McCord Story, which honors the memory of her late daughter, a very proud and accomplished 2011 NSU graduate. The luncheon provided a valuable opportunity for campus women to engage in leadership development and networking. Special thanks to the SGA for continuing this meaningful tradition each year.

Judit Castillo Visit
On Thursday, we were honored to welcome back former NSU tennis standout, now a professional pickleball champion, Judit Castillo. Judit conducted a clinic for students in Shannon Hale’s class, sharing her expertise and inspiring the next generation. A Spaniard, Judit earned a full-ride scholarship to NSU, where she excelled both on the court—ranking eighth all-time in singles wins —and in the classroom, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s in Health and Exercise Science and a Master’s in Sports Administration. We are incredibly proud of her continued success!

ROTC Demon Challenge
Congratulations to the Demon Battalion for the outstanding execution of their Third Annual Demon Challenge competition this past Friday. This dynamic event brought 96 high school JROTC students from 10 different schools to campus, where they competed in a series of physical and knowledge-based challenges. Beyond being an action-packed day, the competition serves as a vital recruiting tool for both Northwestern and our ROTC program. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a success!

Athletics Update
It’s time for March Madness in college basketball. Both of our teams begin play Monday at the Southland Conference Tournament in Lake Charles. Coach Anna Nimz and the Demon women play Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 11 a.m., with coach Rick Cabrera’s men’s team – having earned a first-round bye winning their last four games — heading into a 5 p.m. contest against a team to be determined by the result of a first-round game tonight. Players on both teams received All-Southland Conference honors this weekend. Notably, senior Mya Blake was voted SLC Women’s Newcomer of the Year and teammate Vernell Atamah won Freshman of the Year honors.

The Demon baseball team completed a homefield conference series sweep over UIW on a chilly Sunday afternoon with a 5-4 triumph, following wins Friday night (5-4 in 10 innings, overcoming a 4-0 deficit against a returning first-team All-SLC pitcher) and 12-4 on Saturday. My pal, Blue, and I enjoyed watching the action. We also made the short walk to the Demon Softball Complex and saw our team – the youngest in the country, with 11 freshmen — compete very intensely Friday and Saturday, but the visiting Houston Christian team escaped with three hard-earned victories.

Our Lady Demon tennis team rose to 3-0 in SLC competition Friday at the Jack Fisher Complex by beating UIW 5-2. Monday, we welcome back to campus distinguished former player and accomplished academician Olga Bazhanova Moore, who was also our head coach several years ago and now is coaching at defending SLC champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Another successful former NSU coach, Jonas Brobeck, brings his Rhode Island team to play here Wednesday.

Looking Ahead
I encourage everyone to take part in our upcoming Demons on the Road alumni events, which kick off on March 20. Hosted by the NSU Alumni Association, these events provide a great opportunity to connect with Northwestern graduates and supporters in different cities. To find an event near you, click here.

As a reminder, the highly anticipated Leadership in the Age of AI Forum will be on Wednesday, March 19, at 5:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. This event will feature Natchitoches native Dr. Julian Bailes, Dr. Neilank Jha, and NSU graduate Monty Chicola as they discuss practical applications of artificial intelligence in education, business, and society. If you haven’t done so already, click here to register at no cost for what promises to be an insightful discussion presented in layman’s terms. AI is already influencing our lives. This is a fabulous opportunity to broaden understanding of its immense beneficial potential.

Thank you all for your continued dedication to Northwestern. Wishing you a great week ahead!

Fork ‘Em Demons,

President James T. “Jimmy” Genovese
Northwestern State University