Issue 18

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The Current Sauce

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Will higher education suffer more cuts?

northwestern state university’s student-run newspaper

CNN Hero to lecture Feb. 15 page 3

NSU Theatre opens ‘Next to Normal’ page 5

Basketball falls short against Houston Baptist Do legislators care about higher education?

Students at the Higher Education Day in 2016 brought “H.E.A.T” to state legislators to reduce budget cuts to public universities in Louisiana.

Photo by Ashley Wolf

page 6

Legislature fights over the rainy day fund ASHLEY WOLF Editor-in-Chief

page 7

SGA President John Pearce (left) and NSU Acting President Chris Maggio (right) with Representative Mike Johnson. Johnson represents the congressional district that NSU falls under.

Photo submitted by John Pearce

T

he possiblity of another budget cut to higher education hangs in the balance while the Legislature meets for their third special session in a year to solve the $304 million budget shortfall.

Gov. John Bel Edwards’ plan does not propose any more cuts to higher education, and, instead, proposes the use of $119 million from the “rainy day fund,” or the Louisiana Budget Stabilization Fund.

However some legislators, mainly House Republicans, see Edwards’ proposal as a short-term Band-Aid for the budget crisis and prefer deeper, long-term cuts, meaning yet another cut to higher education.

“Not using the [rainy day fund] would inflict more pain upon Louisianans than is necessary or advisable,” Edwards said in his opening speech to the Legislature on Feb. 13.

Edwards’ communications director, Richard Garbo, met with universities’ SGA presidents and student media representatives to discuss the future of higher education in Louisiana.

NSU SGA President John Pearce was among the university presidents who met at the capital on Feb. 14 and spoke to the SGA at their Feb. 13 meeting to discuss possible questions for the governor.

“Our funding has been cut by 40 percent; the national average is 20 percent,” Pearce

said at the meeting. “We also lead the nation didn’t create this problem, it’s his obligation in most incarcerations, and our country is to fix it, so he puts forth a plan in hopes that the incarceration capital of the world, so we can make some real changes in April,” just think about that...They’re putting more Garbo said. “And I think there are just some resources towards prisons than education.” legislators who don’t wanna do that. And In addition to sparing higher education, when we say legislators...there is a small Edwards’ plan would spare K-12 education, minority, but a very powerful minor that we prisons and some other areas, while cutting call the ‘caucus of no.’” funds from health care and the Legislalture’s Edwards’ press secretary, Shauna own budget. Using the rainy day fund would Sanford, said that consistency is key for require two-thirds students who approval of the want to make their Legislature, and concerns known to their decision must legislators.

[The Legislature] is putting more resources toward prisons than be finalized by “I think that education. midnight on Feb.22. when the session is - SGA President John Pearce H o u s e in, come up here; be Republicans tried up here,” Sanford to negotatie with said. “...You have Edwards with a plan that uses only $50 to keep pressing forward if that is what you million of the rainy day fund, but makes cuts really, really want, and you’re concerned. to higher education by $12 million, K-12 There’s power in numbers. We’ve seen that.” by $6 million, incarceration facilities by $9 At the SGA meeting, Pearce also told million and health programs by $44 million. senators about his trip to Washington D.C. Garbo said the reason higher education and what he learned from state representatives and health care are easy targets for budget about FAFSA. cuts is that they are not protected by the “The congressmen and senators I spoke state’s constitution. Instead of changing to have every intention of sort of privatizing the budget through the Joint Legislative FAFSA and transferring the power from Committee on the Budget, Edwards had to the central federal government to state call a special session to save higher education government,” Pearce said. from further cuts. Edwards plans to propose When asked about this, Garbo said he was structural budget reforms during the special not aware of any such plan, but he encouraged session in April to stop this reoccuring students to leave their information so they problem. could discuss more on the topic in the future.

“Edwards understands that, while he

news

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Alumnus’ research published in international journal

Editorial

Board Ashley Wolf Editor-In-Chief Jordan Reich Managing Editor Alec Horton Visual Editor Elisabeth Perez Public Affairs Manager Chloe’ Romano Social Media Coordinator Ad Sales Representative Anna Cowan Designer Rachael Coyne Designer

Advisers Paula Furr Department Head Daniel Thiels Student Media Coordinator

To submit pitches, stories, photos or illustrations to The Current Sauce, email us at thecurrentsauce@ gmail.com.

All are welcome to attend our weekly meetings at 1 p.m. on Fridays in Kyser, Room 225.

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Recent Scholars’ graduate Blake Schouest’s research was published in an international journal. He now attends medical school at Tulane University.

Photo by Karalee Scouten

BRITTANY DAVIS Contributing Reporter A 2016 NSU alumnus co-authored a paper published in the international peer-reviewed Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research about his research to discover drugs that could possibly stop the spread of HIV within infected individuals.

The Scholars’ graduate, Blake Schouest, worked on the paper under the mentorship of Scholars’ chemistry professor, Dr. Massimo D. Bezoari, who also co-authored the paper. The title is “Investigation of Stilbenes as Potential Inhibitors of Human Immunodeficiency Virus

by Computational Docking.”

Schouest’s research was an extension of his senior thesis project that is part of the core curriculum in the Scholars’ College. He and Bezoari used computer simulations in drug discovery in order to study how to stop the spread of HIV. “Stilbene is a class of compound which has been postulated to slow the spread of HIV, so we used computer algorithms to identify more effective inhibitors,” Schouest said.

“We identified several compounds that could prove to be more effective drugs than current therapeutic candidates.”

He became interested in the study of HIV in the summer of 2015 when he did an internship at Tulane School of Medicine where he worked on an HIV project.

Schouest said he decided to attend NSU after receiving a scholarship to the Scholars’ College. At the time, he had no idea that it “would heavily influence how he viewed the world and civilization in general.”

NSU proved to leave another positive impression on him through Dr. Bezoari.

“Dr. Bezoari was an extremely supportive mentor throughout the whole process of research and also writing of the manuscript,” Schouest said. “He pushed me to accomplish more than I ever imagined was possible as an undergrad. I know he does the same with other students, and this is what makes him such a great professor and friend.”

Among those that are proud of Schouest for his accomplishments is sophomore Tori Mato.

She attended high school with Schouest and graduated with his sister in 2015.

“He was very nice to everyone and a great representation of [our] Parish,” Mato said.

“Any time you asked anyone about Blake, they had nothing but nice things to say about him.”

Schouest was born and raised in Des Allemands, Louisiana, by parents Brent and Rebecca Schouest. Des Allemands is known for its catfish, and Schouest grew up fishing with his dad, one of his favorite pastimes.

“I was always so interested in how catfish could stay alive so long,” Schouest said. “I think this is where my real fascination with biology came from.”

While at NSU, he was also a member of the rowing team for two years and was a studentathlete tutor for three years. He graduated in May 2016 at the top of his class with a 4.0 GPA and two degrees, one a Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts with a concentration in scientific inquiry and a minor in microbiology, and the other a Bachelor of Science in biology with a concentration in biomedical sciences. He is now a Ph.D student in biomedical sciences at Tulane School of Medicine.

Police Blotter Feb. 6

Complaint of Loud Noise UP1 Subject Disturbed Complaint of Nerf Guns University Columns Gone On Arrival

Feb. 7

Complaint of Dog Bite Bienvenu Hall Report Made Complaint of Marijuana Smell from Dorms - UP1 No Marijuana Found

Feb. 8

Complaint of Intercourse WRAC Ongoing Vehicle Hit by Gate University Columns Report Made

Feb. 9

Theft of Phone - UP1 Ongoing

Feb. 10

Complaint of Breaking Bottles - Natatorium Situation Controlled

news

3

Ugandan activist to lecture at NSU SGA Meeting Feb. 13

Covered by Jordan Reich

- Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe will speak on Wednesday, Feb. 15 in Magale Recital Hall at 7 p.m.

- The Presidential Search Committee will hold a meeting on Feb. 23 in Baton Rouge.

- SGA Resolution 2017.01 was approved; the resolution affirms SGA’s support of Dr. Maggio as Acting President.

- Treasurer Aly Jacobs stated that the SGA budget will be uploaded to OrgSync under a separate Treasury tab instead of under financial documents.

- Senator Nick Bailey said students can text “DAILY” to 228466 to receive information from Daily Action Mobile on how to contact local officials like representatives and senators. Students can also download apps that provide updates on Congress such as the passing of bills.

President John Pearce recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to discuss education. The SGA President reported on several issues: - Government officials have “every intention” to privatize FAFSA and transfer the power from the federal level to the state level.

- Pearce met with Senators Kennedy and Cassidy, Congressmen Graves, Abraham, Scalise and Johnson, the representative for the district that Natchitoches is in. “Basically, the representatives weren’t very helpful,” Pearce said.

- Pearce will travel to Baton Rouge on Feb. 14 to meet with Gov. Edwards to discuss higher

education in the state of Louisiana, specifically to discuss Act 619 and the proposition within to reduce TOPS. Director of Athletics Greg Burke spoke about the athletics department and later opened the floor for questions. He discussed the following: - In the last three years, almost every sport has won at least one Southland Conference championship title. This excludes football and baseball.

- The cumulative GPA of all student athletes has risen to a 3.13 and the graduation rate is over 70 percent, a number that Burke said is “very competitive for our level of Division I.” - Men’s basketball player Sabri Thompson was one of five Division I players in the nation to be named to the Allstate NABC Good Works Team, an honor based on community leadership and service.

- “I think there’s a little bit of a false perception that athletics has all the money,” Burke said. The department receives funding from the student fee and the self-assesed fee, but they are responsible for generating the rest of the funding.

This money can come from ticket sales and private donors.

- After opening up the floor, senators questioned Burke on the football team and their record, recruiting and the Feb. 1 National Signing Day, advertising for sporting events other than football and on athletes that display loyalty and dedication yet are benched because of transfer athletes.

Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe (left) meets Pope Francis and gives him an Italian version of her biography. Photo courtesy of Sewing Hope Foundation

JACOB BENNETT Contributing Reporter Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe will speak at NSU on Feb. 15 in Magale Recital Hall at 7 p.m., sponsored by SGA. Included in Time’s Most 100 Influential People in 2014, she is recognized for her work with the Sewing Hope Foundation in Uganda providing shelter for women and children in need.

The 2007 CNN Heroes finalist has made it her mission to help women and children oppressed by guerrilla leader Joseph Kony.

The Lord’s Resistance Army, led by Kony, has been in action since 1987 and currently operates in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.

Nyirumbe currently directs the Saint Monica Girls’ Tailoring Centre where she has taken in more than 2,000 girls abducted

by Kony since 2002. She helps them transform into capable members of society by providing shelter and education.

“I was thinking about how to give a voice to the voiceless, how to give these young women dignity and let them be accepted,” Nyirumbe said.

In 2013, Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker narrated “Sewing Hope,” a documentary about Nyirumbe’s work.

Describing his meeting with her, Whitaker said Nyirumbe’s “magnetic and contagious energy” is fascinating.

“The traumas she heals are unfathomable,” Whitaker wrote for Time magazine in 2014. “But the reach of her love is boundless.”

She wants students to understand that the effort to mend broken lives is something we can all take part in, and that even though there are difficulties, the future is still hopeful.

“Changing lives can be challenging,” Nyirumbe said. “You got to take it one at a time. You can’t change everyone’s life. If you are scared of failing, you need to tell yourself ‘I at least need to try.’”

The Body closes its doors for good AN-GEL SAMUEL Reporter

T

he Body, a popular college bar located on the Hwy 1 Bypass, closed in January and owners said it will not be reopening.

The Antoon family owned the college bar, and they still own a bar next door called Antoon’s. The Body has been a family business since Johnny Antoon began it in the 1980s. His daughter, Danielle Antoon, said her dad was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma cancer in 2010. While he was still alive, he was still able to run the business.

Johnny Antoon had a very good lifestyle compared to other people who battle cancer, Danielle said, and he was still able to go to work through his illness.

He became sick in November of 2016, and passed away the day before Thanksgiving of the same year.

“It was his wish to keep Antoon’s open since that was the very first business he

started in 1975,” Danielle said. “We hate to see [The Body] close, but unfortunately, that’s what we have to do.”

After his passing, the family had to make decisions about the two bars.

Antoon’s will remain open, per her fathers’ wishes, Danielle said. But as far as The Body goes, they will not be reopening it.

“My mom is 60 years old; she obviously doesn’t want to run a bar for the rest of her life,” Danielle said. “I have a full-time job with the American Cancer Society, and my brother is a lawyer in Lake Charles.

Neither one of us had the time to run the bar with our full-time jobs.”

Junior Dorianna Telsee said she liked going to The Body her first two years of college, and she was upset to hear that it would not be reopening.

“I never had the chance to go, but a lot of my upperclassman friends said they loved it,” freshman Morgan Williams said. “I wish I could have gone before it closed.”

arts & living

4

The Poet

Speaks

Not the one ACQUIRIA MITCHELL Contributing Author Surrounded by hundreds Yet the only thing you see is what made you the way you are All you see is him, the things he did All you hear, the lies that spilled from his mouth Then everything stops. Silence arises.

KNWD has something for everyone TORIA SMITH Reporter The staff of KNWD has been creating special playlists for a while, but the idea really took off this year. NSU’s diverse student population calls for keeping many genres on rotation and providing audiences with a wide variety of listening options.

In the past, playlists were created for holidays and certain months, like the “Rocktober” lineup for the month of October; however, Internal Music Director Trena Camp and External Music Director Ka’ihe Fisher have expanded the idea to

include birthdays and artist groups.

“We’re trying to be uber-inclusive this year,” Fisher said. “Radio isn’t genrespecific, and it should include music that everyone can enjoy.”

On Fridays throughout the month of February, the station will broadcast their Black History Month playlists.

“We focus on a different genre each week and play songs from influential black artists,” Camp said.

General Manager Courtney Page thinks the Music Committee has “set a really huge goal for themselves” in creating five playlists a month for their station’s Spotify

Science showcase recruits high school students

He appears He starts running towards you with open arms You think everything is how it should be…

Then he runs past you You start to look around, but you see nothing but darkness You drop to your knees, realizing...

Even with no one around, you still aren’t the one that he wants Even with NO other options he still won’t choose you My friends would tell me that he’s stupid and he doesn’t realize what he’s lost But maybe, just maybe, he realized what he found and knew he didn’t want to keep it He took everything he wanted And me?

He left me with what I needed Needing… him I needed his lies I needed those long nights waiting on him to text back I needed…

That feeling...

No, not sexual healing But that feeling of feeling full Full…

Of feeling Feeling feelings of feeling full, ya know?

and for playing on-air.

Valentine’s Day has its own playlist, followed by a breakup playlist for the days after. The staff is also working on playlists for both Rihanna and George Harrison’s upcoming birthdays. Past birthday playlists have included Drake, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears and Jay-Z. KNWD will send links to OrgSync surveys through Student Messenger asking students what they would like to hear the station play. Students wanting to provide even more input are invited to join the public KNWD Music Committee group on Facebook.

Microscopes are available to students in Bienvenu Hall.

Photo by Valentina Perez

MADDIE FRY Reporter At NSU’s School of Biological and Physical Sciences, most students spend an average of 3-5 hours studying every week per class. Since most students take more than 12 credit hours per semester, their weekly workload requires dedication and focus.

NSU students will show the results of their hard work in the Science Showcase on Friday, Feb. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and the event will give high school students the opportunity to see what it’s like to be a science major at NSU. The showcase will start in the Friedman Student Union, with welcome messages from Acting President Chris Maggio, Creative and Performing Arts Director

Greg Handel, and Biological and Physical Sciences Director Francene Lemoine and will include a student-led Q&A panel.

Interested students will have an opportunity to view demonstrations, participate in hands-on experiments with faculty and closely observe the research projects of NSU science students.

The showcase will provide insight into the areas of biomedical science and microbiology, natural science and ecology, veterinary science, chemistry and physics. Additionally, it is an opportunity to recruit prospective NSU freshmen.

Colby Lasyone, an instructor in biological sciences, hopes for a nice turnout.

“It is our hope that students will leave with an interest in and greater appreciation for the sciences at Northwestern State,” Lasyone said.­­

Over the past year, NSU’s faculty for the School of Biological and Physical Sciences has been working to provide crucial resources to their students.

Between finding grants, setting up lab spaces that haven’t been used in years and teaching students how to use brand new equipment, Assistant Professor Christopher Lyles has his work cut out for him. “[At other schools], most undergraduate science majors don’t get to spend hands-on time learning to use the equipment,” Lyles said. “At NSU, the goal is to make sure our students are able to learn and become comfortable using these machines.”

The department hopes to continue getting grant money, despite recent state budget cuts. It can cost upwards of $300,000 to purchase just a few of the many new machines in the labs.

“We have to find the money where we can; the budget cuts are not an excuse,” Lyles said.

Students who attend the showcase will see research posters created by NSU science majors, giving NSU students the opportunity to introduce their research and prepare for professional development. The posters are constantly updated as research continues to ready them for eventual publication. This falls under the JOVE Scholarship, an opportunity for 40 students to receive $500 per semester to conduct research with faculty members and learn the interview process to prepare them for their future careers.

The showcase is free for high school students, but NSU students are invited to Bienvenu Hall between 11:15 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. to observe the research being conducted.

arts & living

5

Scholarship program

helps students complete

research

TORIA SMITH Reporter

Luke Matherne (left) plays the role of Dan Goodman and Jessi Miller (right) plays the role of his Photos by Alec Horton wife, Diana. The musical also stars Michael Carrier and Marissa McMickens.

‘Next to Normal’ helps normalize mental illness CHRISTINA ARRECHAVALA Reporter

C

APA is bringing mental illness into the light with their production of Next to Normal. The Tony Awardwinning musical follows a mother with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects it has both on her and her family.

Musical theatre acting and directing major Thomas Hadzeriga plays the part

of Henry. While he said he is detached during the rehearsal process to focus on learning his lines, he lives for the stage.

“When I am on stage, I am living in the moment with my fellow actors,” Hadzeriga said. “I’m looking forward to sharing this story with everyone and am thrilled to be standing by such wonderfully talented people.”

He wants those attending to understand the meaning of caring for their loved ones.

The main cast of ‘Next to Normal.’

“Never search for something to fix about a person you love,” Hadzeriga said.

“Accept their faults and work to love them and cherish them.”

Since the production is located in Theatre West, the seating allows for a more intimate setting. This setting will make the subject matter more personal for the audience.

Gabrielle D’Antoni, a junior liberal arts and education joint major, thinks the musical is appropriate for the college atmosphere.

“I love that they are showcasing the hardships of mental illness,” D’Antoni said. “I think a lot of students struggle in silence with it themselves, so seeing it on stage might normalize it for them.”

Alexis Balbuena, a freshman Scholars’ student on the pre-med track, has only heard of the show through friends but is excited to see it live.

“I’m looking forward to how all the characters are portrayed and the music,” Balbuena said. “I’ve never seen this musical, so I have high hopes.”

The musical runs Feb. 15-19 and Feb. 21-24 in Theatre West. It will start at 7:30 p.m. every show except for a Feb. 19 matinee at 2 p.m. NSU, BPCC @ NSU and LSMSA students do not have to pay for admission, but they must make reservations at 318-357-4483.

Students in STEM fields at NSU can complete undergraduate research through the JOVE program, a special scholarship opportunity only available at NSU. The JOVE program, directed by Christopher Lyles, was initially a joint venture between NSU and NASA but has evolved to allow students to work within any STEM field.

“Every project is different, but 90 percent of the students currently in the program are doing research in biology or chemistry,” Lyles said.

Biology major Rebekah Taylor is currently using the zebrafish as a genetic model for human systems.

“Zebrafish systems, like their nervous and cardiovascular systems, closely mimic ours,” Taylor said. “They have similar reactions to things like medication and stress.”

Taylor focuses on how the zebrafish’s genes and gene mutations affect the regeneration rates of their tails.

“We catalog the regeneration rates by humanely removing the dorsal tail surgically and measuring the regeneration of the tale over a period of two weeks,” Taylor said. “Recently, we have been able to sequence DNA from the cut portion of the tail to look at the fish’s genes.”

Christina Arrechavala, a scientific inquiry and biology major in the Louisiana Scholars’ College, is currently studying the molecular docking of antibiotics.

“I’m using a computer program to dock the structures of antibiotics to bacteria in the body and applying them to other bacteria that they are not effectively working against,” Arrechavala said. “I will move on to developing and manipulating antibiotics in real life if this part is successful.”

Arrechavala has been working on this project for about one and a half years and plans to incorporate her findings into her undergraduate thesis.

“Students who participate in JOVE really love what they’re doing,” Lyles said. “You have to love it to dedicate hours to this work every week on top of your regular class load. I’m proud of the way every single JOVE student has responded to me asking them to raise the bar.”

sports

6

Demons fall behind in second half Feb. 9-12 Athletic Scores Women’s Basketball 2/9 WIN vs. Houston Baptist 75-54 2/11 LOSS at Abilene Christian 57-79

Men’s Basketball

2/9 LOSS vs. Houston Baptist

69-86

2/11 LOSS at Abilene Christian 72-76

Softball

2/10 LOSS vs. Southern Ill.

1-4

2/10 WIN vs. Grambling

13-1

2/11 WIN vs. Prairie View A&M

8-7

2/11 WIN vs. Sam Houston

2-0

2/12 LOSS vs. ULM

5-8

Women’s Tennis 2/9 WIN vs. UL Lafayette

4-0

2/11 WIN vs. Southern Miss.

5-2

2/12 WIN vs. LA Tech

4-3

Feb. 16-19 Athletic Schedule Women’s Basketball 2/16 vs. Southeastern 2/18 vs. Abilene Christian

5:15 p.m.

1 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Freshman Guard Josh Boyd returned to the court Feb. 9 after an appendectomy.

SHAY POWELL Contributing Reporter

N

orthwestern State’s mens basketball team faced another week of hardship with a loss against Houston Baptist on Feb. 9.

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HERE Email thecurrentsauce@gmail.com to purchase ad space

The Huskies and the Demons were shot-for-shot in the first quarter but fell behind by 20 points during the second quarter.

After an apparently effective halftime talk, the Demons came out with an enthusiastic attitude, making a comeback from being down 20 points to only being down by 10.

The score was 62-72 with four minutes left in the final quarter, but the Demons still fell to the Huskies, 69-86.

Josh Boyd made his debut after being out for four games due to an emergency appendectomy on Jan. 25. Boyd played a total of 17 minutes, scoring six points for the Demons.

Sabri Thompson was the leading scorer in the game against Houston Baptist, putting 24 points on the board.

“It’s just frustrating because we always wait to the last minute to play hard, but I just wanted to win,” Thompson said.

Photo by Gary Hardamon

Iziahiah Sweeney scored the second highest amount after Thompson, racking up 13 points.

“I would change me getting more rebounds; I feel that I wasn’t attacking the glass aggressive enough,” Sweeney said about his own performance.

Coach McConathy remained optimistic and confident about his team’s performance even though they lost.

In a post-game interview with KTBS, McConathy said, “I was pleased with our effort. I thought Bailey Walker really did a great job defensively.”

He also made comments about the quality performances from Josh Boyd, Devonte Hall, Sabri Thompson, Iziahiah Sweeney and Ishmael Lane.

Northwestern State fell short at Abilene Christian University on Feb. 11, losing 72-76, but have the opportunity to redeem themselves against Southeastern on Feb. 16.

2/16 vs. Southeastern 2/18 at Nicholls

8 p.m.

7 p.m.

Softball 2/17 vs. Maryland

Gainsville, FL 2/17 at Florida

12:15 p.m.

5 p.m.

2/18 at Florida

11 a.m.

2/17 vs. Florida International 5:45 p.m.

Gainsville, FL 2/17 vs. Florida A&M 8 a.m.

Gainsville, FL

Baseball 2/17 vs. Cincinnati

6:30 p.m.

2/18 vs. Cincinnati

3:30 p.m.

2/19 vs. Cincinnati

11 a.m.

Women’s Tennis 2/18 at Texas State

11 a.m.

2/19 at UTSA

11 a.m.

KZBL 100.7 FM KYSR 92.1 FM

opinions

7

Be sad, not embarrassing Best and worst places to cry on campus

Meg Denny cries over her failures in the Kyser bathroom. The acoustics of the tile make her sobs resonate beautifully.

Photo by Eryn Percle

MEG DENNY Contributing Reporter

L

isten up, kids. This emotional ball of woman has traveled across this hill-filled campus a thousandfold. I have witnessed a variety of people crying in and outside of these walls: freshmen, iconic faculty members, Vic the Demon, party girls, gamers, CAPA kids, Baptists, SGA Senators, etc.

Here’s some advice for all of my potential criers left out there...your designated crying area on campus can make or break your cathartic tears, so choose wisely.

The WORST places to cry: Anywhere in Morrison Hall Yes, Scholars’ students and faculty have taken care of each other through times of stress, but I’ve only had two kinds of experiences during my crying days in Morrison. Either an entire building’s worth of people suddenly care about your personal life, or you’re labeled “that tragic kid” forever.

Student Services Building Ever get a chill walking into this building?

Me too. It seems like the people on the first floor are programmed to smile forever, the people on the second floor constantly shake their heads at you and the third floor...Well, it’s a combination of both.

Parking Lots No matter where I park on campus, people are always trying to look into my windows. Police officers circle cars

suspiciously, dudes with really tall and loud trucks zoom into nearby spaces, or people are yelling and laughing at each other. None of this brings me the peace I need to cry.

Campus Bookstore Don’t give in to the capitalists. They want to see you break.

The BEST places to cry: Library Stacks If you’re looking for some real privacy, crying in the stacks on a Saturday is the best solution. The aroma of outdated nonfiction can really bring the tears you’re looking for.

Once I saw a book about “the homosexual lifestyle” written in the fifties. That did me in.

WRAC Locker Room Showers Either you just came from a harsh workout, or you’re showering to procrastinate your attempts to exercise.

Either way, cry your little heart out. If people hear you, they’ll understand. It’s the shower––God’s gift to all of the sad sacks out there.

Natatorium Hearing the echoes of your sobs in an abandoned brick building can be a healing experience (not to mention the fact that you’ve managed to sneak into one of the most legend-filled buildings on campus). Savor it.

Kyser Bathrooms If you’re looking for inspiration or just another reason to wallow in your sadness, look no further than these bathrooms. Each stall is filled with offensive, sad writings on the blue walls, along with encouraging statements and enough Bible quotes to pick yourself up and get the hell out of there.

Students frustrated with higher education budget cuts held a rally in Baton Rouge last year to protest more cuts.

Photo by Ashley Wolf

State House Republicans don’t care about us ASHLEY WOLF Editor-in-Chief “Happy Valentine’s day!” the Louisiana Legislature said. “We care more about filling prisons than filling universities!”

The Legislature is currently in a special session (from Feb. 13-22) to make a decision about Gov. John Bel Edwards’ plan to use $119 million from the state’s reserves, or the “rainy day fund.” The task at hand is for legislators to mend a $304 million budget shortfall, and Edwards’ rainy day proposal would prevent further cuts from higher education to keep it afloat.

Many House Republicans aren’t supporters of the plan because it favors a short-term solution, and some legislators criticized Edwards for trying to put another Band-Aid on the budget crisis. However, Edwards’ opposers want further cuts for a long-term solution, and that means further cuts to higher education.

Instead of $119 million, Legislators Henry and Harris proposed only $50 million from the rainy day fun, according to The Advocate. In their plan, the state would pay for the difference with cutting higher education by $12 million, K-12 schools by $6 million, incarceration facilities by $9 million and health programs by $44 million.

This is the kind of news that makes me want to smash my head into a pillow and scream for 45 minutes. Cuts to prisons remain minimal in comparison to the cuts to health and higher

education simply because Louisiana is the incarceration capital of THE WORLD. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Louisiana takes first place in the U.S. for incarceration rates, with 38,030 in prison, a rate of 816 per 100,000. This is 100 points ahead of the second ranking state, Oklahoma. The U.S. leads the world in its incarcerations rates, so congratulations, Louisiana; you should feel proud of your humanitarian contributions to the world.

But you know what we don’t win at?

Higher education. Our state ranks last among Southern Regional Education Board states, and students at our universities receive $3,600 less in total funding support on average than students from other SREB universities. We also rank 48th in educational attainment. On the bright side, we aren’t in 50th place.

Don’t you love living in a state where we win at imprisoning people and lose at educating young minds? I’m so proud to live in a place where my representatives care about important problems, for example, the fate of my entire future.

But the main point is this: it doesn’t seem to matter how much we tell our legislators that we simply cannot cut any more funding to higher education. Our Governor can advocate for us, and Dr. Henderson can advocate us, but it won’t do any good unless two thirds of the Legislature votes to prevent further cuts. And House Republicans just don’t seem to sympathize, do they?