Students, faculty, staff, and the community are invited to an afternoon of dialogue about “The South at the Crossroad” Thursday, March 15, when two speakers visit Wyly Auditorium on Louisiana Tech’s campus. At 2 p.m., Barry Erwin, President of the Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL), will speak on the history and current controversies surrounding Louisiana’s budget and legislative session. Anyone curious or concerned about potential cuts to higher education and/or TOPS funding, or possible tuition increases is strongly encouraged to attend. Questions and comments from the audience are welcomed and encouraged. At 4 p.m., Dr. Jessica Wilkerson, associate professor of History and Southern Studies, will present “Who Gets to Speak for Appalachia? Women, Gender, and Historical Memory” For more about her visit read History Department Hosts Talk on Appalachian Women’s Labor Activism. Erwin’s presentation is sponsored by the Waggonner Center for Civic Engagement and Public Policy; Wilkerson’s presentation is sponsored by the Department of History, with support from the McGinty Trust and Lambda-Rho Chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta history honor society. For more information, please visit waggonnercenter.com, @waggonnercenter, or contact Dr. David M. Anderson, associate professor of history and coordinator of the History Department’s Women’s History Month events, at 318.257.2872 or by email at history@latech.edu.