Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts

The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) is a two-year, public residential high school located in Natchitoches, Louisiana on the campus of Northwestern State University (NSU). It is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST).

LSMSA is the brainchild of State Representative Jimmy D. Long of Natchitoches and Robert A. Alost, president of the then-declining NSU. The school was conceived to offer a unique experience to the state's brightest students while supplying Natchitoches with a well-needed influx of commerce and attention. On the heels of a fleeting surplus of state funds from oil revenues following America's oil crises of the late seventies, one-term Republican Governor David Conner Treen approved the founding of the school, and as a result is largely credited for saving the fledgling community college.

Classes were originally held on the ground floor of Prudhomme Hall, an unused dormitory on the campus of NSU while female students lived in the upper floor and male students originally lived in Bossier Hall, another dorm. Renovation of the "High School Building," (known by no other formal title, but formerly the campus of Natchitoches High School) was completed in 1984, and the ceremonial ribbon was cut by famously infamous Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards.

"The Louisiana School," as it is commonly called, was the second state-supported residential school of its kind - the first being the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, which opened in 1980. The school was founded in the early 1980s with the first class enrolling as juniors in the fall of 1983, graduating in 1985.

Academically, the school is similar to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Studies focus on mathematics, science, and the humanities. Unlike other math and science high schools, it has an arts program, with instruction in music, theater, visual art, and dance.

Student musicians may perform in the Louisiana School Chamber Ensemble, under the direction of composer/conductor Dr. Al Benner. The ensemble performs works native to Louisiana biennially in the Louisiana Composers' Consortium, of which Benner is the founder. "Impulse," the school's dance company, travels across the state performing and also holds its own concert in the Spring of each year.

Admissions
As LSMSA recruits students from all of Louisiana, it can be described as a statewide magnet school. Prospective students apply during the fall of their sophomore year. Applicants submit application forms, grade transcripts, SAT or ACT results, and four letters of recommendation with one optional recommendation form. Applicants to the arts curriculum also submit a portfolio of artwork or audition. Also, a small number of students in their junior year may apply for admission for their senior year only. As of the 2007-2008 school year, LSMSA will add its first Sophomore class, which will be composed of 30-45 students.

Residential Life
Students who attend LSMSA live in dorms, away from their families, much like college students. The dormitories are single-sex; girls in Caddo Hall and boys in Prudhomme Hall. At Caddo and Prudhomme, students of the opposite sex are only allowed in the dormitory lobbies unless accompanied by an SLA(Student Life Advisor). Rules regarding residential life are fairly stringent. Students have free time before 9pm during weekdays during which they can sign out to various areas within the city of Natchitoches. The school provides a bus for transportation because students with cars can only use them to drive home on weekend.

Academic Integrity
Students must agree to the following honor code pledge:

"As a student of the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, I understand that I belong to an institution dedicated to the pursuit of learning. Thus, I promise to uphold the Honor Code that safeguards this pursuit. I accept my personal duty to promote an honorable attitude in my academic life by refraining from lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarizing, or vandalizing."

Notable alumni

 * Rod Dreher (1985) - The Dallas Morning News editorial writer, columnist, frequent contributor to National Review, The New York Post
 * Hai Bui (1985) - well-known retail clothier
 * Andre Dehon (1986) - Nanotechnology pioneer, associate professor of electrical and systems engineering at the University of Pennsylvania
 * D. Stephen Voss (1986) - Federal Elections Project principal investigator, assistant professor of political science at University of Kentucky
 * Keith Nicewarner (1986) - Robotics engineer at NASA Ames Research Center, supervisor of Personal Satellite Assistant robot designed for the International Space Station
 * Stephen Lazarus (1988) - Senior Policy Associate at the Center for Public Justice
 * Trent Dawson (1989) - actor, played Henry Coleman on As the World Turns
 * Heidi Gomez (1992) - U.S. diplomat;
 * Mary Ellen Slayter (1995) - Career advice columnist for the Washington Post
 * Josh Tickell (1992 - Biodiesel pioneer.
 * Varla Jean Merman - burlesque performer, featured in Showtime Special

Notable Former Directors

 * Dr. Arthur Williams, PhD
 * Dr. Richard Brown, PhD
 * Dr. Robert Alost, PED
 * Brother David Sinitiere

Trivia

 * The first class of LSMSA was given the option of voting for the school's mascot. However, the administration vetoed the student choice of "The LSMSA Platypi".
 * Alumni claim that many of the rules in the student handbook have particular people or situations attached to them, as much of the handbook was built as the school developed over the years. Various alumni can recount rules that resulted from their classes or classmates. The handbook contains a "catch-all" rule for situations which may not directly violate an existing rule, but "violate the spirit of the handbook."
 * Some students of the school refer to themselves as "gifties."
 * The short bus that students often ride on weekends is called the "giftie bus."

Courses Offered
In addition to the listed courses, most subjects offer independent studies in one or more of the professors' special interest.
 * English
 * Composition/Major Themes in Literature
 * Studies in the English Language
 * Southern Literature
 * Ethnic Literature
 * Studies in British Fantasy
 * Reading in British, American, and World Literature
 * American Literature
 * British Literature
 * World Literature
 * Studies in Poetry
 * Studies in Romantic Poetry
 * Studies in Fiction
 * Kurt Vonnegut
 * Walker Percy
 * James Joyce
 * Introduction to Film Studies
 * Creative Writing: Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction
 * Creative Writing: Fiction and Dramatic Writing
 * Advanced Expository Writing
 * Shakespeare
 * William Faulkner
 * Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes
 * Social Sciences
 * Adv. American History to 1865
 * Adv. American History since 1865
 * Military History of the US I (Colonial Times to Spanish-American War)
 * Military History of the US II (1900-present)
 * Native American History
 * The Civil War
 * American Government and Politics
 * Selected Topics in American History
 * African-American History
 * The New South
 * Modern Presidential Politics
 * Post World War II America
 * American Environmental History
 * The Sizzling Sixties
 * US Foreign Policy in the Twentieth Century
 * Ancient and Medieval History
 * Modern History
 * History of England I
 * History of England II
 * European Intellectual History Since 1600
 * Constitutional Development
 * Post-Soviet Foreign Policy
 * Microeconomics
 * Macroeconomics
 * Introduction to Psychology
 * Introduction to Philosophy
 * Introduction to Ethics
 * Selected Topics in Social Studies
 * Gender Studies
 * Religions of Asia
 * Abrahamic Faiths
 * Public History Practicum
 * American Religious History
 * World History I & II
 * Strategy and Diplomacy of the Great Powers since 1789
 * Modern Latin America
 * History of the Modern Middle East
 * Foreign Languages
 * Beginning Spanish
 * Beginning French
 * Latin I
 * Introduction to Ancient Greek
 * Russian I
 * German I
 * Intermediate French
 * Spanish II
 * Latin II
 * German II
 * Russian II
 * Intermediate/Advanced French
 * Intermediate/Advanced Spanish
 * French/Advanced Topics
 * Advanced French Grammar and Composition
 * Advanced French Oral Communication
 * Spanish Advanced Topics
 * Spanish Conversation and Composition
 * Current Events and Modern Reading in Spanish
 * Advanced Latin: Prose
 * Advanced Latin: Poetry
 * French Advanced Topics
 * Introduction to French Literature
 * Introduction to Francophone Literature
 * The Modern Spanish Theatre
 * Advanced Placement French Language
 * Advanced Placement French Literature
 * Advanced Spanish Language
 * Advanced Spanish Literature
 * Interdisciplinary Studies
 * Arabic Literature and Culture
 * The Romantic Hero in Literature and Music
 * Cane River Natural and Cultural History
 * Dramatic Text and Performance
 * Literature and Science
 * Evolution and Literature
 * MATHEMATICS
 * College Algebra
 * Accelerated College Algebra
 * Trigonometry
 * Precalculus
 * Probability and Statistics
 * Topics in Mathematics
 * Discrete Mathematics
 * Calculus I
 * Calculus II
 * Quantitative Business Analysis
 * Modern Algebra
 * Topology
 * Linear Algebra
 * Chaos Theory
 * Graph Theory
 * Calculus III
 * Differential Equations
 * Vector Calculus
 * Topics in Advanced Mathematics
 * Computer Science
 * Visual Basic
 * C++
 * Java
 * Multimedia Programming
 * Computer Hardware
 * Science: Biology
 * Human Anatomy and Physiology
 * Genetics
 * Microbiology
 * Biochemistry
 * Comparative Anatomy
 * Botany
 * Molecular and Cellular Biology
 * Enzyme Mechanisms and Metabolic Pathways
 * Vertebrate Zoology
 * AP Biology
 * Science: Chemistry
 * Polymer Chemistry
 * Analytical Chemistry
 * Organic Chemistry
 * AP Chemistry
 * Science: Physics
 * Astronomy
 * Astrobiology
 * AP Physics
 * Physics with Calculus
 * Science Research Methods
 * Health and Physical Education
 * Creative and Performing Arts: Dance
 * Creative and Performing Arts: Drama
 * Creative and Performing Arts: Fine Arts
 * Creative and Performing Arts: Music
 * Creative and Performing Arts: Visual Arts
 * Mass Communication