News & Worldview
Throw Me Something, Centenary: Shreveport Gears Up for the 2026 Mardi Gras Season
January 30, 2026
If you have been outside lately, you may have noticed that it feels just a little different. It’s not just the weird January weather or the upcoming tests we have this week. The purple, green, and gold are out in full force in Shreveport, and it’s officially time for the 2026 season of Mardi Gras! For us at Centenary, this may be the best time of the year to put grade-point averages out of our minds for a minute and throw ourselves headfirst into good ol’ Louisiana chaos.
The schedule will be full this year, considering that Fat Tuesday is pretty early, falling on February 17. Therefore, the parades will be sooner than we think. The Krewe of Centaur parade will happen on Saturday, February 7, around 3:30 PM. This krewe is actually the biggest one in all of North Louisiana. Thousands of individuals show up to the parade, and to top it off, there will be enormous floats.
Flu Season Surges in Louisiana, Impacting Centenary College
January 30, 2026
Throughout December and January, Louisiana experienced a heavy burden from the flu, and it is still going strong. The CDC reports very high levels of flu activity in Louisiana for late December. After the holidays, emergency room visits have been trending above normal and flu cases continue to rise statewide. Influenza activity remained high into early January, which indicates that this year's flu season will be longer than usual and potentially more severe.
There has been a recent uptick in flu related hospital/urgent care visits in the Shreveport area. Medical professionals saw more patients with flu-like symptoms, especially in young adults. Reports indicate, "Louisiana's influenza-like illness was listed at 7.0% of ED visits, and was noted as increasing and above the regional baseline."
Centenary and Hope Connections Battle Homelessness in Shreveport
October 11, 2025
Centenary, The Highlands, and Hope Connections
A 10-minute drive east of Centenary’s campus, just past the outskirts of the Highland neighborhood boundary and tucked into the corner of the I-49 and I-20 interchange sits an industrial region of the city. After passing under I-49, the Highland greenery and homes quickly give way to cracked concrete, railways, and roads under seemingly perpetual construction. This is the home of Hope Connections, a shelter and service provider for the homeless in Shreveport and the greater Northwest Louisiana Parishes.
Surrounding Hope is crisscrossing railways by warehouses as well as construction and electrical suppliers, large open concrete lots, and a golfcart dealership. The only thing like Hope is their neighbor Christian Services which serves two meals a day, everyday, for anyone who comes. These two non-profit organizations stand in deep contrast to the industrial zone surrounding them.
