THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS Volume: 62 Issue: 14
BY STEFAN MURO Reporter
JANUARY 30, 2019
unodriftwood.com
BLOW WHISTLES, NOT GAMES
Prior to kickoff of the 2019 NFL Pro Bowl, Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan was already making headlines on social media. The five-time Pro-Bowler arrived to Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida in a black T-shirt that spoke substantially louder than any fashion statement. His shirt read “blow whistles not games” in big, bold white letters. Underneath, it featured a small picture of a referee shrugging his shoulders, along with a smaller message: “make calls, not apologies.” This was clearly a reference to the now infamous “no-call” pass interference that likely kept the Saints from playing in Super Bowl LIII. Jordan joins fellow players, personnel and even politicians who have stood up and taken action on behalf of the heartbroken Who Dat Nation. Since the NFC Title Game loss, much has transpired. Including: A Madison County, Mississippi resident named Terry Cassereino started a Change.org petition that reads “Due to the refs’ inability to properly officiate at the game, we the undersigned want a rematch against L.A. on Sunday, Jan. 27. It’s the only fair solution to this travesty of epic proportions.” The petition managed to go viral and obtain about 756,000 signatures in its oneweek span. Season ticket holders Tommy Badeaux and Candis Lambert filed lawsuits against the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell for the emotional trauma and monetary loss due to the controversial call. Badeaux and Lambert hired Frank D’Amico Jr., also known by his local nickname—The Strong Arm— to take the case. D’Amico wants Goodell to enforce Rule 17, Section 2, Article 1 in the NFL Rulebook, which calls for the commissioner’s “sole authority to investigate
-Photo via ESPN Twitter ESPN posted this photo on their Twitter account 90 minutes before kickoff of the 2019 NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Jordan’s shirt was arguably the biggest headline of the Pro Bowl.
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Best of the Best: Keeping up with Pro Bowl student government
and take appropriate disciplinary/ corrective measures in any club action, non-participant interference, or calamity [which] occurs in an NFL game which the Commissioner deems so extraordinarily unfair or outside the accepted tactics encountered in professional football that such action has a major effect on the result of the game.” This includes a reversal of the game’s result or a replay of the entire game affected by the call. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy made an elaborate presentation of the controversy about what he calls the “most blatant and consequential blown call in NFL history” to fellow Senate members on Capitol Hill. Cassidy explained to his peers that “Football is more than just a game, it’s part of our culture” and that the no-call “impugned the integrity of the game.” Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards wrote Goodell a letter expressing “deep disappointment” in the result of the no-call and the lack of action taken by him and the NFL following the game. Edwards mentioned in the letter that “I do recognize that you are unlikely to change the result of the game.” Unfortunately, Edwards seems to be correct. Despite the NFL fining Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman $26,739 for helmet-to-helmet contact on Saints wide receiver Tommylee Lewis, there was no statement from Goodell or the NFL regarding the missed pass interference call. Neither was there any acknowledgment of Cassereino’s petition or the political moves being made against the NFL about this matter. With the Super Bowl less than a week away, it seems that the NFL will not take any further action toward the debacle that was the NFC Championship game. The Who Dat Nation is hoping more of its most influential members can take further action to give the Saints justice.
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Yoga in the Bywater
Do the Saints deserve a rematch?
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SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019
SEC Gymnastics Championship coming to New Orleans
-Photo from LSU Athletics via SECSports.com The SEC Gymnastics Championship is coming to NOLA for the first time in the meet’s history where LSU hopes to defend its title.
BY DEMI GUILLORY Reporter If you are unaware that gymnastics exists outside of an Olympic year—let alone as an actual collegiate sport—consider yourself part of the majority. Despite its popularity being steadily on the rise over the last few years — no doubt due in large part to pop-culture inspired floor routines going viral across social media, the most recent this season from UCLA’s Katelyn Ohashi — NCAA gymnastics tends to fly under the radar in the shadow of other, more popular mainstream
sports. But now, the SEC Gymnastics Championship is coming right up the road to the Smoothie King Center for the first time on Saturday, March 23. Many of the world’s top gymnasts and even a few former Olympians will be here. These worldclass gymnasts, also known as elites, have retired to collegiate gymnastics because there is more of an emphasis on having fun and enjoying the sport and less on winning medals or trophies. Consequently, many elite-turned-NCAA stars have more success in college than they’ve ever dreamed about having
in the elite world, which makes the four-year experience even more rewarding for both gymnasts and fans alike. Some of these include Sarah Finnegan, the 2012 Olympic team alternate; Lexie Priessman; Trinity Thomas; and Alyssa Baumann. Baumann, who is in her sophomore year at the University of Florida, represented the United States at the 2014 World Championships in Nanning, China. The team won the gold medal by an overwhelmingly large margin. All four of these exceptional, gravity-defying gymnasts, and many others, will soon be right here in New Orleans, and
locals will have the opportunity to see them. The tickets to the meet, which start at $17 through Ticketmaster, grant access to both sessions of the competition, where eight schools will be vying for the highly coveted SEC tournament title. Greg Sankey, SEC Commissioner, is quoted in the official SEC press release to be “excited” about the meet being here in New Orleans, saying that the city has a “rich tradition of hosting championship events in all sports and the SEC is proud to have played a significant role in that legacy.” While we unfortunately won’t
be cheering for local gymnasts because we have no gymnastics team, a couple of gymnasts from the New Orleans metro area will be competing, including Olivia Gunter from Mandeville and Rebecca D’Antonio from right here in the city. Our own neighboring college in Baton Rouge, LSU, will certainly be one to watch as the reigning champs fight to secure a third consecutive win and the school’s fourth overall — their first came in 1981. LSU has what some may consider a “home field advantage.” They average an impressive 10,000 people in attendance at home competitions, second only to Utah for the highest gymnastics attendance. Many expect the fiercely dedicated fan base to take the road trip to the Smoothie King Center this spring. The March competition, as well as other conference championships, mark the beginning of the NCAA gymnastics postseason. Regionals follow two weeks later, when eight teams will advance to the National Championship to compete for a spot on “Four on the Floor.” This final round of competition will feature four teams competing for that elusive national title. The March 23 competition will be one of the most unique events the city has had to offer in years. Both sessions of the competition will also be streamed live on the SEC Network.
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019
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Best of the best: Pro Bowl BY NICOLE GUILLEN Managing Editor
If rain doesn’t stop first-year starter Patrick Mahomes, then only the Patriots can. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback lead the AFC team to its third consecutive win of 26 - 7 with the help of a fan favorite defensive line that managed to catch an impressive three interceptions and seven sacks. More impressive than that was the fact that the game was played in the rain, where slippery ball handling and falls were more than likely to happen. Less shocking was the spectacular offensive starting lineup that included consistent superstars like Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, Steelers running back James Connor and a handful of Mahomes’ own personal teammates from the Kansas City Chiefs playing as wide receiver, tight end and fullback. Mahomes was able to get a total of 156 in passing yards with most of them starting from successful firstdown passes. What was the key factor in the AFC victory over the NFC in the Pro Bowl? The AFC’s unstoppable defense. The AFC defensive lineup was comprised of heavy-hitters such as Steelers lineman Cameron Heyward, Dolphins cornerback
Xavien Howard, and Jets strong safety Jamal Adams, who was eventually awarded Pro Bowl MVP alongside Mahomes. Post-win Jamal Adams even admitted that “he dropped two picks” due to the rain factor, but he and his fellow AFC teammates “came and competed hard.” The AFC defense managed to shut out NFC attempts for a touchdown for three consecutive quarters with their consistent tackles and significant pressure on the NFC quarterback in the form of sacks and tackles for loss of yards. If there was ever an instance that showed how clearly the AFC came to play, it was the first interception thrown by NFC quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and caught by Bears cornerback Chris Harris Jr. The AFC had its share of fun with Mahome’s early no-look pass to Steelers wide receiver Smith-Schuster, but it meant business when it came time for the defense to step up. On the other hand, the NFC did have some opportunities to drive the ball forward, but it ended up missing those, with lots of ball dropping and unfortunate throws that either got intercepted or didn’t cause a significant gain in yards. The NFC offensive side was mostly lead by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who had contributed 68 of the total 101 passing
yards that the team made overall. Like Mahomes, Wilson was surrounded by a high caliber of players that consisted of running backs Ezekiel Elliott of the Cowboys and Alvin Kamara of the Saints, Packers wide receiver Davante Adams and 49ers tight end George Kittle, just to name a few. As their offense was continuous-
ly stopped by a strong AFC defense, Cowboys and NFC head coach Jason Garrett decided to make things interesting with an offensive-to-defensive switch. Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints, in particular, tried his hand at his pass-rush game as a defensive player and did surprisingly well, with good tackle pressure on Mahomes.
It’s important to note that both Michael Thomas and Drew Brees did not attend the Pro Bowl, which put the NFC at a disadvantage. Despite a fun-to-watch swap, the NFC just couldn’t beat that defense, but at least Jason Garrett had a good time, with his same radiant smile on display everytime the camera happened to pan to him.
-Photo via Camping World Stadium Website The 2019 Pro Bowl was on Jan. 27 at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019
FEATURE
Student Spotlight: SGA senator, father of three, paparazzo, disabled, pre-med student
-Photo courtesy of J.D. Ligier J.D. Ligier shares some of his life’s most fascinating stories, including celebrity hijinks and his experiences supporting his transgender son.
BY HOPE BRUSSTAR Editor-in-Chief At UNO, the student body includes the world’s first video paparazzo, a disabled veteran and the father of the first transgender homecoming queen — and they’re all the same person. When Driftwood sat down with J.D. Ligier, the interview lasted for over two and a half hours. That’s because he had so many stories to tell, each of them just as important as the rest in shaping who he is to-
day. Ligier is about 48, a student of interdisciplinary studies and father of three sons. He grew up in California about an hour from Hollywood, and that put him in the way of E.L. Woody, the “king of paparazzi.” On his first night at a club — the Roxbury, Ligier was forced through a car window by Sylvester Stallone’s bodyguard, and the incident broke his cheekbone. Regardless, Ligier found the paparazzi business to be so lucrative that he made it his fulltime job, becoming the first video paparazzo at a time when portable video equipment was just becoming more accessible. “I did for about 4 years with no competition. Everything that was shot, we could name our price.. then I moved to New York to do it because no one was doing it there.” In New York, Ligier had a run-in with Robert DeNiro. On a tip that he would be at a certain night club, Ligier went there and took pictures as DeNiro exited. “Instead of retreating, I pulled my camera back and I got the shot of him punching me in the face,” said Ligier, who escaped from the incident with a broken nose. That night at the police station, police confiscated the camera and
removed all the photos from Ligier’s camera, including those from a film set he was invited to that morning. “People think paparazzi are adversaries, but really it’s a mutual, symbiotic relationship,” said Ligier. “Granted, there’s always bad people in every business — but we never broke the law to take a picture.” Ligier was Jim Carrey’s wedding photographer, Roseanne Barr would give them a call to take photos of her on some nights when she went out, and he was even friends with Charlie Sheen. In 1997, Princess Diana of the U.K. was killed in a car accident, and the royal family pointed fingers. “They said that [the paparazzi] chased her into this tunnel ... but they didn’t actually arrive until 10 minutes after the crash.” And after that, Ligier had to quit his job. “That incident changed my whole business. I was making $180,000 a year and that brought my annual salary to $35,000. ...I hated being a paparazzi, but I was really good at it. That gave me the opportunity to get out.” Ligier moved to Redding, California when he was recruited into the military. While training for
Desert Storm, he experienced a tibial plateau compound fracture. “I spent six months in a wheelchair, and probably another three months in crutches. For life, I get disability compensation, so that’s how I’m able to go to school,” said Ligier. While in Redding, Ligier went to Shasta Community College, where he became a teaching assistant and was a master tutor for macrobiology, anatomy and physiology and several other courses. As of now, Ligier has three associate’s degrees: one in allied health, one in natural sciences, and one in social sciences. Later on, Ligier came to New Orleans with his children, and his oldest child came out to him as transgender. “It’s not exactly the dream of every father, but you want your children to be happy,” Ligier reasoned. “While he’s transitioning, I’m transitioning too. I’m getting used to the pronouns — you know, it’s all new.” His son’s high school, Morris Jeff Community School, was very supportive. “They went out of their way to make sure he felt comfortable,” said Ligier. “I feel so sorry for all those kids
who don’t have support in their own home,” Ligier added. “We need to reach out and help our fellow humans — it’s our responsibility as a society.” As for Ligier, he’s on the track to becoming a physician’s assistant, and he just finished up his thesis work for the film portion of his interdisciplinary degree, a documentary on E.L. Woody, his lifelong mentor. “Netflix is interested and they’re talking about doing a four-part series,” Ligier said about his thesis work. In his free time, he’s a senator with the SGA, where he’s making UNO history by planning the remodel of the core of the math building’s first floor. He’s also working with the Technology Fee Committee right now to get UNO registered with an app called Rave Guardian. Any UNO student will be able to use the app to stay safe. It’s an alternative to the emergency blue-light phones around campus, which Ligier said no one uses or even knows about. Says Ligier, “People are so governed by fear — fear will hold you back. ...I live for today, I guess you could say. I don’t want anything to hold me back from experiencing life.”
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019
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Dr. Gregory Price pays visit to UNO
-Photo via gspclaw.com Dr. Gregory Price visited UNO on Thursday, Jan. 24 to lecture on the importance of entrepreneurs as protectors of a constitutional democracy.
BY DEMI GUILLORY Reporter Nearly 30 aspiring economists, inquisitive students and faculty
members were treated to an interactive lecture by Dr. Gregory N. Price on Thursday at the Earl K. Long Library. Though geared toward economics majors, or at
least those with some background knowledge and experience in the field, the hour-long lecture was open to anyone interested and available to attend. It was the first
of the Honors Program lecture series for the spring 2019 semester. Price is a professor of economics at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Once a student there, Price earned a bachelor’s in economics. Both his Ph.D and Master’s degrees were earned at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. The lecture was titled “Entrepreneurs: Guarantors of a Constitutional Democracy Based on an Ethic of Individual Property Rights” and begged the question, as Price put it, “what constitutes a great society?” His presentation answered this very question and dispelled the common misconception that entrepreneurs are “greedy, manipulative” people who are only out to do what is good for themselves. Price spent the hour passionately explaining that the bulk of his paper and thereby the lecture, which was embedded in economics equations and statistics, proved that prosperity is encouraged by entrepreneurs because they “are more likely to enforce the property rights and features of a constitution because they’re versed in having the politician
surplus increasing.” According to Price, virtue and entrepreneurship simultaneously work together to create a more polite, kind society. Price credited evidence, which he includes in his paper, that proves “the right to ownership makes a man more virtuous, more sympathetic, more honest” or, more simply, an overall better person. Furthermore, he argued that the growth of firms and self-employed entrepreneurs has led to prosperity that has benefitted every one of us. His presentation concluded with a question-and-answer session where one curious audience member asked if the increase in virtue which entrepreneurs are attributed to having could also be a result of self interest. Price acknowledged that it certainly is possible. He also counteracted his response by asking whether self interest should be interpreted as a negative, because self interest and vice have been proven to be “positively correlated.” Readers who would like a copy of Price’s paper may email him at gregory.price@morehouse.edu.
Keeping up with Student Government involvement and make sure everyone is UNO proud. SGA also meets every week to discuss and vote on bills and plans for other organizations on campus. Topics of bills range from funding a movie night or allotting a certain department more money to better its organization. These meetings are open to all students and take place every Thursday at 4:45 p.m in Kirschman Hall, room 137. Senator Bryce Hartlin took the time to sit down for an interview with Driftwood to speak on what the SGA does.
Senator Bryce Hartlin
-Photo by Jack Waguespack
to keep school spirit alive at UNO. They have planned multiple events, fundraisThe Student Government ers and leadership retreats Association works nonstop in order to promote student
BY JACK WAGUESPACK News Editor
W: Why did you become a member of SGA? H: I believe in the link between students and faculty. I really wanted to be a part of something that would allow me to fix social issues around campus and help it become the best it can be overall, and SGA gave me just that.
W: Why should students be involved with their student government? H: Students always see something they want changed on their campus, but rarely ever do something to work toward their goal. Being inW: Waguespack, H: Har- volved with student government allows you to help make tlin the changes you want to see. W: What is your role in Not only are you improving your life, you are helping othSGA? H: I am a senator, so we er students who may see the meet every week and dis- same problems as you. cuss bills that students want W: What are some of the to pass. Usually it’s organizations or clubs looking for more recent bills that SGA funding or departments look- has passed? H: We do a lot of them, so ing for equipment and other it’s hard to keep track. We things like that. We make sure each club has what it needs donated a good bit of camand that the school’s mainte- era equipment to the film department, and we work nance is kept up. really closely with the fra-
ternities and sororities on campus. Each week is different and really depends on the needs of the students and faculty. W: What has been your favorite part of being a member of student government? H: Being a part of the culture on campus and knowing I have a say in what the students need and want. I have the power to sponsor bills that students want passed, and it feels good being able to help them with what they need. Most campus organizations plan events to draw students’ attention, and it’s up to students to take advantage of these opportunities. Campus involvement provides students with opportunities to make friends, join organizations and even find an internship or job. It’s a way to start a dialogue between students and the people who work directly with the school, ensuring the students’ voices are heard and that they have the college experience they want.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019
NEW ORLEANS’ ANNUA
-Photos by Brennan Probst This year’s King Cake Festival in Champions Square at the New Orleans Superdome featured several categories and drew thousands of people on Sunday, Jan. 27.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019
ENTERTAINMENT
New Orleans King Cake Festival
-Photos by Brennan Probst
BY JACK WAGUESPACK New Editor On Sunday, King cake lovers gathered at Champions Square to taste and judge the best king cakes in New Orleans. This was the festival’s sixth year supporting pediatric programs and Ochsner Hospitals for Children. More than 400 Ochs-
ner volunteers work the festival every year. According to one of the organizers, last year they raised over $259,000, making the festival one of Ochsner’s largest fundraisers. The first one was held in 2013, and nobody expected it to grow as large as it has. Brought to New Orleans from France in 1870, the king cake tradi-
tion has become a staple of the Mardi Gras season. The king cake is a symbol representing the holy day observed by Catholics as the day Jesus showed himself to the three wise men. A plastic baby is hidden inside the cake, and whoever receives the piece with the baby in it has to buy the next king cake. Three Kings Day is when the majority of
bakeries debut their king cakes for the season, following the Catholic tradition. This year, 24 vendors showed up to see who had the best king cake in New Orleans. Some local favorites such as Bywater Bakery, Langenstein’s, NOLA Brand, Cartozzo’s Bakery and many others all brought their best cakes for the judges and guests to taste and vote on. Since not everyone brings in traditional king cakes, the festival has different categories for judging: “best presentation” went to Balestra’s, “most unique” went to Pain Frais, “best traditional” went to Sierra’s Sugar Love Cakes Bakery, “best non-traditional” went to Balestra’s, “most likely to replace a meal” went to Food Drunk Food Truck and “people’s choice” went to Mr. Ronnie’s Famous Hot Donuts. Crepes a la Cart, Diva Dawg and Food Drunk Food Truck offered meals that were a little more substantial than king cake. The panel of judges ranged from former Mardi Gras maids to local food critics. Each judge went around to different tables and tasted various pieces of king cake from each bakery. It was up to th festival participants to judge the different cakes and vote for a people’s choice king cake. Prior to the festivities, the Earn
Dat King Cake marathon participants ran a 4.5k Rep Run through Champions Square. Runners were decked out in Saints gear and Mardi Gras apparel as they sprinted directly from the finish line to all of the sweet king cakes. Local bands such as One South Lark and Marshland provided live music throughout the event, and items were raffled off in support of Ochsner. A children’s area provided games and an inflatable for kids to enjoy; local merch was sold. After a devastating Saints game that cost them a trip to the Superbowl, the city gathered together once more and showed that there are still things worth celebrating. The Mardi Gras season looks like it is the redemption that many need, and the King Cake Festival is meant to kick off just that.
COLUMN
Free yoga class, a great chance to relax and rewire
-Photo by Hope Brusstar Yoga mats piled up and ready for the taking near the entrance of the bar, which is transformed into a yoga studio on Sunday mornings.
BY HOPE BRUSSTAR Editor-in-Chief Sunday morning in the Bywater is a quiet, relaxed affair. The colorful shotgun homes stare at each other wordlessly; vessels slip down the river unheard. The air was still as I approached Parleaux Beer Lab for their weekly free yoga class. Prior to this, I’ve done yoga a grand total of two times: once as a bored-to-death preteen, and again a couple months ago on a whim with a YouTube video. I never got anything out of it, but I guess it’s like the saying goes: I’ll try anything three times. Yoga mats were supplied, and newcomers were more than wel-
come. The back doors of the bar were open, and a gaping opening in the wall allowed the chilly morning air to enter. Before long, it hardly mattered: the yogi, Ryan Stevens, prompted us to glide so swiftly between the same handful of positions that some of us even sweated. Bridge, downward dog, sphinx, triangle, warrior, chair, plank, peaceful warrior, warrior one, warrior two, child’s pose, happy baby: these were the different configurations I took, some with more difficulty than others. The thirty or so people whose yoga mats filled the room and adjoining backyard were encouraged to focus on what suited them best. My lower back hurt as I tried to switch back into the chair pose
with everyone else “Don’t hurt yourself because you did something you thought you were supposed to,” Stevens cautioned his attentive audience. We always seemed to switch out of the most challenging positions just before my body was about to give out. I found that although child’s pose was the most relaxing state, I relished the feeling that the triangle pose gave me as my thigh strained to support my leaning body. I could feel my heart making an effort and enjoyed the consistent reminders from Stevens to keep breathing. There was a steady pace to the class that allowed me to lose myself in it, a natural arc of activity that Stevens brought gently to a close. In fact,
that climax may have been the pregnant few moments in which everyone strained to do their best full bridge - a literal arc with the back, supported precariously on arms and legs bent backward. A few minutes later, and we were in fetal positions, hugging our legs “listening to our bodies” and “feeling our warmth.” I am too literal to appreciate the soulful poetry of yoga lingo. More than once I had to suppress an eye roll. But there is something to the madness. Yoga forced me to slow down, to put time into my schedule — blind haste punctuated with dumb idleness — during which I seek self-awareness and calm. It is not enough to simply give up the stress at the end of the day by
escaping with Netflix. In slowing down, do not forget yourself. Yoga seems, to me, to be a great way to use downtime while still remaining active. It strikes the excellent balance between alertness and laziness. Since July of 2017, Parleaux Beer Lab has offered its free yoga class every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Other free and inexpensive community classes can be found all around the city. The New Orleans Museum of Art, in conjunction with East Jefferson Wellness Center, offers $5 yoga classes from 8 to 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings in its beautiful sculpture garden. Both locations are a quick drive from UNO’s campus and surrounded by areas inviting to pedestrians. Let’s get out and enjoy our city!
ENTERTAINMENT
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019
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The Ongoing Story NICOLE GUILLEN Managing Editor This story is part of a series we’d like to call “The Ongoing Story.” This series continues for every subsequent issue published. The story will continue with a new writer for each upcoming issue. The writer may come from Driftwood’s own writing staff or it could come from readers like you! Do you want to continue this story the way you imagine it? If so, please email driftwood@uno.edu for submissions. The color white has become my new best friend. No, more like an ivory hue with sporadic splashes of eggshell coloring. I know this color to be a symbol of consistency, something I haven’t had before. I grew up with a concrete understanding of a few things: 1: Experiences come and go like an indecisive wind, 2: Marble floors can be deceiving, and 3: Trust no one. The only things I can trust are my hands and feet. My hands follow the connections between nail and wood, carpet and floor, fabric and fiber. As I walk towards the dark and distorted door frame, I don’t question its imperfect alignment with the door’s opening. Immediately after my feet touch the cool white marble, an owl aggressively hoots outside a nearby
window I can no longer see out of. With each hesitant step I take forward, the hooting grows in timbre, highlighting the off-key note at the end of each hoot. My heart’s beating faster and I haven’t the slightest idea what to do next. Should I wait until the hooting stops and then continue on my path? Or do I immerse myself into the danger zone? Running ferociously past the cob-webbed hallway, I inhale the dust of worn-out library books and the ashes of my ancestors. I miss their smell. I miss their excitable laughs when told a good knock-knock joke. Oh, wait. I hear them. Their whispers are taking the place of white noise. The owl seems to have decided to listen to these voices and hear for itself. “Come outside.” I’m startled by the demand of the nowhere people. I stumble upon half-eaten plates of food that were randomly placed on the floor. My hands cling to the small animal-made nook that establishes my only connection to life outside of my own. I rest my head on the now-warm marble surface and wait for another sign. All is quiet and all I can hear now is the sound of my fragile breaths. A lowly figure dressed in heavy clothing approaches me slowly,
“Hell yea! We got robbed! Everyone in the USA knows the wrong team is in the Super Bowl!” Tyler Dinh, junior, electrical engineering
-Photo via Flickr
What happens when your reality is not what it seems? with the gentle tap of his keys against his lap adding depth to the sound of his steps. The figure hovers over my body and darkens my whole atmosphere. “Go,” it says soothingly, as if it were caressing my cheek. I desperately grasp the nearby doorknob. With the strength of one arm, I am able to stand on both feet. The doorknob creaks
with every slight 20-degree turn. I spare myself the slow surprise and turn it a full 180 degrees. I’m expecting the outside to look as if there were precisely lined sidewalks hugging each end of the street, a hollow-yet-fruitful tree in the front yard, and children playing in the distance. No television show could’ve prepared me with what I was about to encoun-
“Yeah, of course! We got ROBBED!”
“Yes, what happened was ...bad! Everything about that play stresses me out.”
Josh Tran, junior, accounting
Kayla Lewis junior, business administration
QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH STEFAN MURO
ter. My father stands before me with tears in his eyes and a smile that could ward off even the most vile of villains. Instead of streets, there’s a path toward another hallway. There’s a familiar feeling to this place but I can’t seem to understand how. I am stopped at my tracks. I know where I am. “Welcome back.”
“Yea, I feel like the Saints going to the Super Bowl would’ve been great for the city.” Annie Watson, freshman, business
Do the Saints deserve a rematch or any compensation for the no-call? “I don’t think we should do a rematch. The Saints wouldn’t look good no matter the outcome of it. Although, I think the NFL should ban the refs of that game from calling anymore games for the league.”
“I believe that they deserve a rematch but I believe if more people cared about relevant social issues as much as the they do about the Saints, our country would be a better place!” Brendan Mott, sophomore, computer science
Colette Muro, senior, hotel, restaurant and tourism administration “No… because I’m a Rams fan!”
“HELLLLL YEEAA!!”
Jordan Burnett, sophomore, political science
Key Weber, sophomore, business
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019
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COLUMN
The Netflix algorithm and the success of streaming
BY DYLAN MININGER Reporter I still remember the first time I booted up Netflix Instant, looking at that pasty grey and red screen, my computer chugging and whirring, trying to comprehend and load up “Pulp Fiction.” Before all of this, I had mostly gotten my movies through the mail, at the video store and through other online means that are slightly incriminating. My mind was blown: the movie started up and I sat there and marveled at the fact that I was watching a full-quality film, without having to wait for a download or having to walk to the video store and eventually forget to return the movie itself. I was a young man, but even then, as an avid film fanatic, I knew this was going to change the internet, the film industry and the way we ingest all types of media. As the years went on, Netflix only grew stronger and stronger, moving its streaming service to various countries and various streaming platforms. It was starting to seem like this was all too good to be true. Yes, they had a tough time getting a large and eclectic collection of films and tv shows, but Netflix was growing larger and larger by the day.
Somewhere during this developmental stage, they developed the algorithm. Essentially, the algorithm is a complex system that arranges the large catalog of films they have on their service based on what will interest you, the viewer. You have seen this every time you open the app: various oddly titled movie and TV show categories such as “LGBTQ Psychological Movies” and “Scary Cult Movies From the 1980s.” These categories are created by a group of human employees from Netflix to assist the algorithm. Alongside the strange and oddly specific categories, they take note of the movies you scroll by. They keep multiple thumbnail pictures for lots of the films, and they will change the picture to something that seems like more of the movie thumbnails you have clicked and watched in the past. For example, they see that you’ve enjoyed John Travolta films. You may have not watched “Pulp Fiction,” but the algorithm will change the image thumbnail to have Travolta on it so it catches your interest faster. This is Netflix trying to convince you to watch things you didn’t want to watch previously, and it’s genius. This streaming service is actually shaping what you are watching while also building on its existing system through
complex machine learning, based on people’s viewing habits and interests. You may be curious about how else this information is used. It’s not only to contribute to the education of the algorithm itself, but also to create large pools of user-viewing information to create their own original movies and TV shows. Many original films and shows that Netflix creates and produces are based off of the popularity of current titles within Netflix’s category. It’s currently unknown how much of their original content comes from this kind of information gathering, but after sitting through a few Netflix original films and TV shows, it seems as if they are creating most of their content based off of these figures. Not all of their content is generated this way. Netflix has spent large amounts of money producing and financing some seriously amazing film and TV endeavors. Currently, one of their most successful films, “Roma,” a new film from Alfonso Cuaron, is up for 10 Oscar nominations, including best picture. This is unprecedented and is paving the way for streaming services to getting wide theater releases as well as receiving Academy Awards. I can’t say I’m in full support of these methods of streaming ver-
sus theatrical releases, but I can say that I have a serious interest in seeing how Netflix, Amazon and Hulu move from just catalogs
and streaming to creating original content that includes serious contenders against the films made by big-budget studios.
DRIFTWOOD Staff
2000 Lakeshore Drive, UC 252 New Orleans, LA 70148 (504)-280-6377 Hope Brusstar, driftwood@uno.edu......................Editor-in-Chief Nicole Guillen........................................................Managing Editor Jack Waguespack........................................................News Editor Dylan Mininger............................................Entertainment Editor Stefan Muro.......................................................................Reporter Demi Guillory....................................................................Reporter Christine Bourgeois.....................................Distribution Manager Kimberly Williams..................................................Visuals Director Nate Nguyen................................................................Layout Editor Brennan Probst...........................................................Photographer Matt Stennis.........................................................Business Manager Missy Wilkinson...................................................................Adviser
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