First lady, local film studio show respects on national holiday

Veteran’s Day is where the veteran servicemen and women, as well as those currently in service to the nation, are celebrated for their sacrifices for our country. To help celebrate, ULM teamed up with sponsors in the Monroe area to host “Stars on the Bayou.”

The event included keynote speaker Louisiana First Lady Supriya Jindal and R-Squared Productions owner Rodney Ray. The event was not only for the celebration of veterans, but also for the students of Quest school. Quest school is a private school in the Monroe area with at least 33 students from grades first through eighth. The event was put together to help raise money for the school.

Rodney Ray of R-Squared Productions attended the event to not only be a speaker but to also help out with the fundraiser and show respect to the veterans in the area.

“The veterans have done so much for our country along with current servicemen and women,” Ray said. He spoke about three movies his company produced before a talk from Jindal.

“The movies that I make are war movies to bring awareness about what our soldiers go through and what our vets have gone through,” Ray said. “One of my movies also talks about Post-traumatic Stress Disorder because it is a common syndrome that most war vets go through after serving.”

Ray said he hopes that people honor the veterans, he also wants to make sure that people are aware of the fundraiser for Quest school and help the growth of this small private school.

Nicole Johnson, a supporter of one of the Quest students, said that Veteran’s Day is important for people to recognize “those that work hard for this country.”

“Veteran’s Day is one of the more imp o r t a n t holidays because our own citizens of this country have fought for us,” Johnson said. “I’m grateful for that.”