Centenary College of Louisiana

Every September, Centenary holds the annual Book Bazaar in the Gold Dome. Volunteers collect some 40,000 books over the year and organize the event. The Bazaar is a great way to get some cheap books and records. Just be careful, because the building is packed and you're likely to get reamed in the gut by a woman making a mad dash for a 25-cent Nicholas Sparks book. The Shreveport community is serious about their book collection. They often cart around rolling suitcases and wagons filled to the brim with books. Make sure to grab a book quickly if you want it, any languishing will result in said book being snatched away before you can blink.

Every year, the faculty and students at Centenary present the John William Corrington Award for Literary Excellence to an established writer. The award is named after Centenary alum John William Corrington, who was a prolific poet. He was best known for his short novel Decoration Day, which was adapted into a film starring James Garner. He was also the head writer for several television series including General Hospital and Search for Tomorrow. Recent recipients of the award include Debra Greger and William Logan, Michael Longley, and Eavan Boland.

On Centenary's campus, the week of Halloween is known as Freak Week. On this week you'll see cardboard ghouls hanging from the trees. You can paint a pumpkin in the SUB, though ever since pumpkins were thrown off the third floor of Cline into the courtyard, this tradition has been in danger of dying. If you're the gambling type, Casino Night is held every year during Freak Week. You can win a bunch of cool prizes and curb your gambling addiction without actually losing any money.

Kollege Kapers was a popular touring variety show in the 1940s that featured a cast of Centenary students. Though the tradition was lost for many years, the college recently breathed some life back into the event. These days the Kapers stay on campus and perform jazz and big band music.