More than 3,480 students from 84 different high schools converged on Southeastern on February 23, 2019, for the Southeast Louisiana District Literary Rally and Rock ‘n Roar, the University’s annual campus-community festival. Southeastern currently has the largest regional literary rally in the state.

The Louisiana High School Rally, an academic competition held throughout the state since 1909 with the regional competition held at Southeastern for over 40 years, is an academic competition in which high school students compete by taking exams on a variety of subjects. The Southeast Louisiana District Literary Rally at Southeastern featured 48 different tests on subjects ranging from agriculture to calculus.

Southeast Louisiana District Literary Rally participants came from public and private high schools in East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Livingston, Orleans, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington, and West Feliciana parishes.

Students who earned qualifying scores on their tests advanced to compete at the State Literary Rally at LSU in Baton Rouge in April. At the Southeast Louisiana District Literary Rally held at Southeastern, over 825 students qualified to attend the State Literary Rally, and 370 students qualified for the Freshman Scholastic Achievement Award, which comes with a Southeastern scholarship if the student chooses to attend the university within one year after graduating from high school. When they finished their tests, students were able to gather information from hands-on academic displays and financial aid and career booths at Rock n’ Roar.

Now in its 23rd year, Rock n’ Roar provided a day of family fun for both the Literary Rally visitors and the community, said Southeastern Director of Recreational Sports and Wellness and Rock n’ Roar Chairman Seth Thomas. “Rock ‘n Roar is an event with something for everyone, and a great way to invite the community, campus, and regional high school students to have fun while visiting and learning about Southeastern,” said Thomas. “We appreciate the efforts of students, faculty, and staff to share Southeastern’s offerings with future Lions.”