Volume:60 Issue:21

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

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THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS Volume: 60 Issue: 21

UNO President John Nicklow delivers spring State of the University address

President Nicklow gave his semesterly “State of the University” address, touching on recruitment, enrollment, and morale.

-Photo by Brennan Probst

BY JAMIE LLOYD News Editor University of New Orleans President John Nicklow promised, in his fall inauguration speech,

that he planned to hold a state of the university Address once a semester, and last week, he kept his word.

Nicklow delivered his first address of the year last Friday to a University Center Ballroom full

unodriftwood.com

APRIL 5, 2017

of school administrators, faculty, staff and university leaders.

“I intend to do this every fall and every spring semester. The goal of it is to understand where we are and where we’re going. I want to communicate to you in a very direct way, a very honest way, and your presence here means you’re invested in what you’re doing,” Nicklow said.

The address had a few central themes, which included high and low points from the university’s recent history involving budgetary issues, student recruitment and retention, UNO athletics, alumni affairs, research, and university marketing.

Nicklow said his top priority, however, is enrollment.

“This semester, we’ve seen a 16-percent increase in firsttime freshman and a 33-percent increase in transfer students. What drags down that overall number is continuing students, as we graduate more than we bring in, and the fact that our graduate enrollment is down.”

Nicklow said that the new undergraduate numbers are “very promising,” noting that registration is running 73 percent, while campus visits are up 11 percent.

“It means our enrollment decline is leveling off, and we can reach a point where we can start growing again.”

Continued on page 2...

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Since you became a student at UNO, do you think the university has gotten better, worse, or stayed the same?

I think that the university is getting worse.

As the classes get harder, the professors become less clear and less consistent when compared to what they put on the syllabus. We would go over the syllabus at the beginning of the semester and it would be different next week and the week after. They can collectively get it together.

JASPREANA TOBIAS Freshman, Psychology I definitely think [UNO] has gotten worse.

Lately I’ve seen a lot of weird people around campus. I think that security is not doing a very good job with securing the campus; they could do better. With the lunch, I can see how they’re trying to accommodate for different cultures, but I feel like they should provide a larger variety of foods.

RAINA NATOINE Freshman, Sociology I feel like the university has helped me improve since I’ve been here. I kind of learned about the college and found how it can improve my experience and help me learn more. I feel like there aren’t too many bad things and you mostly learn how the university is good in different aspects.

MADELINE CROSS Freshman, Environmental Sciences Photos by Nathan Nguyen

UNO Lakefront arena hosts massive barbecue cookoff

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-in-Chief

For the first time in its nineyear run, the massive barbeque cook-off called Hogs for the Cause took take place at the University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena.

Until now, the event has always been held at City Park.

The barbeque gathers professional and amateur barbequers from all over the country to compete with one another for the grand title. All money goes to families of children with brain cancer.

Olivia Nuss, a junior studying digital advertising at Louisiana State University, helped put on the event. “Hogs was started when a group of guys got together and decided to roast a single pig and sold tickets to the event since one of their good friend’s child had pediatric brain cancer.”

“The event was such a success that they decided to expand it, and it eventually became the massive

event you see today. This festival has been going on for 9 years.”

Nuss spoke about the change in location from City Park to UNO. “It’s a lot easier over here, a lot more spread out. This year has been extremely successful, also because of the good weather. The UNO Lakefront arena was super easy to work with.”

Over 91 teams competed, and the grand prize went to Blue Oak BBQ, a professional and well-established restaurant in New Orleans.

Larry Canada, the team captain for Aporkalypse Now, the team that won the grand prize back-to-back in 2015 and 2016 said, “Being affected by cancer is horrendous, but being a caregiver for someone with cancer is horrible, especially a parent of a young child with a terminal illness. You can’t imagine what that’s like.”

“Of course, we have fun and compete to the best of our ability, but everything we sell here, the money goes to Hogs for the Cause.

James, our pit boss, has been out here two days solid with little sleep, but it’s all worth it. This competition and work ethic is all for the kids.”

There are four competitive categories: butts and shoulders, ribs, whole hog, and porkpourri (a category where any meat dish can compete). The judges take the top three scores the teams get, throw out the lowest score, and weigh the other three at 30 percent each.

Fundraising covers the last 10 percent.

To even be in the running for the grand prize, a team must raise more than $4,000.

James Cruse, the pit boss for Aporkaplypse Now and a UNO One of the pit bosses for “Aporkalypse Now” prepares brisket to be sold alumnus said, “We’re going to off for charity” -Photo by Christopher Walker raise about $14,000, but some house for the families to stay at that every pork slider and turkey teams out here have raised over while their kids get treatment nacho we sell goes to the kids’ $100,000.” when their kids are at the hospital. living expenses, travel expenses NOLA.com reported the Fleur It’s communal housing, a hotel for … it goes to the parents so they De Que cooking team raised over families to stay in,” said Olivia can take off work and spend more $225,000.

Nuss. time with their kids.

That’s what “[With the money we have Larry Canada said, “We know it’s all about.” raised], we actually just built a

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

NEWS

Model UN preps to represent Haiti in NYC

BY MATTHEW HABERMANN Contributor The Model UN is an opportunity for students at UNO to learn about world affairs. It is a class that, as the name suggests, models itself after the international organization, United Nations.

Each participating school represents a country and researches its current issues as a way to study international politics. A conference is held in New York each year where students from Model U.N. student David Teagle participates in last year’s conference. The around the globe gather to disUNO delegation represented Australia in 2016. cuss the work they have done.

-Photo by Brennan Probst The UNO chapter has been active since 2009, being rebooted of Haiti, and they’ve only been in have to think about that [UN topafter a hiatus. Students must fill office for a few months.” ics] as if they were Haiti, so one out an application and be interUNO’s Model UN represents of the things they have to do is to viewed for admittance into the Ukraine in the Security Council, do lots of research to find out what class. This rigorous process starts the branch of the UN that “is most position Haiti has actually taken… in the fall because the class is only responsible for the maintenance of we spend a month and a half or so offered in the spring semester. international peace and security,” doing nothing but researching.”

This year, UNO is representing according to globalpolicy.org.

On the general mission of the Haiti. Dr. John Hazlett, Director There are five permanent memModel UN, Hazlett affirmed, “We of B.A. in International Studies bers including: USA, UK, France, act as if we were representing deland Faculty Adviser for the Model Russia and China. There are ten egates … it’s kind of a role-playUN Club and Delegation, spoke other members that serve two-year ing operation … we’re supposed of some concerns, “Sometimes we terms. to know the country well-enough are very critical of what the United The Security Council functions so that we can … speak and act Nations is doing … Haiti has a differently from the rest of the on behalf of the Haitian governvery conflicted relationship with class. Hazlett explained, “There ment.” the United Nations. [Its] workers are only two students on the SecuHazlett was adamant about the were responsible for bringing rity Council and they’re veterans. importance of the Model UN and cholera to Haiti.”

They’re students that have been its impact, “It’s life-changing. It “There were many, many in the Model UN before … It’s makes them see the world very instances of sexual assault on the sort of a prestigious committee to differently … Our last day [in part of United Nations’ soldiers in serve on.”

New York] we spent at the United Haiti,” he continued.

Students do lots of research Nations itself in the General The recent change in the Haitian on the countries they represent.

Assembly Hall … We’ve had political administration was a Hazlett said, “There were five students who have stood at the challenge. Hazlett explained, journalists from Ukraine who were podium delivering speeches to a “They’ve just had a change of here in town and I found out about thousand students up there in the government; a new president was it … we do a lot of sort of ad hoc auditorium on the same podielected. There were all kinds of stuff to try to make these contexts um [as real political leaders]... problems with the Haiti elections … we set up an appointment with Khrushchev has been there, Ken… We have to sort of play catchthem.” nedy has been there … it’s very up … We have to be able to repHazlett also said, “[Students] moving.” resent the current administration

Theta Xi philanthropy raises money for MS

BY BRANDON MELERINE Contributor Philanthropy events are taken on by every fraternity on campus as a requirement.

Ryan Williams is part of Beta Xi and is coordinating a fundraising event for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The events to raise awareness and money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will be taking place on campus, “Our main event being this Friday at 5 P.M. in the Recreational Center. The Theta Xi Fraternity poses for a picture with many participants from their

-Photo by Christopher Walker event is ‘Dodge Ball for MS.’ Friday dodgeball event. where teams of six compete the other fraternities will be parSclerosis Society, “ Nationally, in a dodgeball tournament.” Ryan ticipating in their own philanthroTheta Xi adopted the National MS said. The event does have a fee py events. Each of the fraternities Society sits national philanthropy with a prize being awarded to the are asked to hold philanthropy in 1974.” Ryan said. Their long winning team, “It is 18 dollars for events for their chosen charities, standing history comes from coma team of six to play, and the win“All fraternities have their own passion for their fellow brothers ning team will receive a 50 dollar national philanthropy society that and all of those suffering. The campus connection gift card.” they sponsor, so each organization mission is to provide awareness Ryan said. holds their own events to raise while putting events on to provide Since the event is being put on money for their charity.” Ryan funding for care, “We have had by the fraternity, their intentions said. some brothers suffer from the disare to allocate all funds to the NaHistorically, Theta Xi has been ease so our goal is to raise awaretional Multiple Sclerosis Society. long affiliated with philanthropy ness and money for them and the “All proceeds will be donated to events, and this chapter is no many other patients who suffer the National Multiple Sclerosis stranger to the National Multiple from this disease.” Ryan said.

Society.” Ryan Said. In addition,

Chi Alpha Christian fellowship plans Easter trip for international students

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-in-Cheif This spring break, UNO’s Chi Alpha Christian fellowship will be hosting an “Easter Excursion,” an event specifically catered for International Students to be the primary participants.

They will leave Louisiana for Gulf Shores, Alabama on Friday, April 14th and return Sunday, using the three days for fun in the sun along with traditional Christian worship.

Christine Johns, the Chi Alpha campus pastor, said “It’s an opportunity for international students to use this break to go to the beach, and experience why and how Christians celebrate Easter.”

“We used to use Spring Break to go on larger service trips, such as to Atlanta’s inner city ministry to help with sex trafficking and the homeless, but since the University changed the Spring Break policy it’s made those types of trips more difficult.”

The group will stay on a beach retreat right on the oceanside in Gulf Shores, Alabama with meals provided each day. The group will participate in team-building games on the beach during the day Friday and Saturday, along with small group discussions in the evening.

On Sunday morning, to close out the trip, Chi Alpha will have a worship service at the beach.

“It’s a great way for international students to explore and grow in their faith.” “[Small group discussion] is a great opportunity for some international kids to practice their English. We also have a professor from Nicholls giving a presentation on his personal story of how he came to faith in Jesus,” said Johns.

“The trip is open to all interna-

tional students, regardless of their religious background. We’ll have some students from South America who are already Christians, and some from other parts of the world that are not; it doesn’t matter.”

American students are not barred from the trip, but Johns said the event was pushed almost exclusively to international student.

“We do a lot of events during the year for all students on campus; most of what we do targets the campus as a whole. Spring break is a really crucial time for these international students, because most of our American students are going home to be with their families, and international students don’t have that as an option.”

“So this becomes a time when they can feel like they are part of a family, and that’s what we want them to experience.”

Chi Alpha stresses the importance f experiencing the entirety of American culture to the international students. “A lot of different things make us American and contribute to our culture, and I think one of those is the freedom of religion we take for granted.”

“They should have the right to explore so many different ideas, I think it’s a great opportunity for them to find out what Christianity has to offer.”

The event is not completely centered around religion, though. “It’s not just Christianity we push on the trip. We also explain the Easter Bunny; we’re going to take them on an Easter Egg hunt, teach them different aspects of why Easter is a big deal in America.”

“For example, not all foreign students understand why when they walk into Walmart during the Spring they are going to see Easter baskets and all kinds of crazy colors. That’s the exposure we’re trying to explain.”

Spring State of the University address Continued from page 1...

“We are making faster progress than even I anticipated,” he added.

“Beginning in the fall semester, we will reduce the overall tuition and non-resident fee for out-ofstate students by 40 percent. We did this, simply, to be more competitive with our peer institutions in the eyes of prospective students and their families.”

“In fact, students in a number of other states will find that the University of New Orleans is now more affordable than many of the public institutions in their home states. This is part of our effort to grow enrollment and provide greater access to wider populations and diversify our enrollment portfolio.”

Nicklow also acknowledged the recent events UNO was involved with on- and off-campus, and he mentioned the volunteer effort from student organizations that assisted in cleaning up debris following the New Orleans East tornado in February. Nicklow also mentioned more light-hearted student affairs, such as the revival

of UNO’s on-campus Mardi Gras parade, the fourth floor library renovations, and the national recognition the UNO men’s basketball team received this spring for advancing to the NCAA tournament.

Although the address was peppered with few trials and tribulations UNO endured in recent history, Nicklow said he hopes that the address conveyed something he feels every day at the university, a sense of “incredible optimism.”

“Our community [has] determination, grit, resilience ... we also have an incredibly bright future and lots of opportunity at the University of New Orleans. I can say that with confidence because of all of you: faculty, staff, and our amazing students,” said Nicklow.

“I can’t wait see what’s in store for us. Every day is getting better, and I can’t wait to see what’s next semester brings for us, and what next year brings for us.”

“Thank you for all that you do each and every day at this university, and take pride that the University of New Orleans does so much for so many.”

NEWS

Health Fair provides networking opportunity for pre-med students

A recruiter at the 2016 Alpha Epsilon Delta Health Fair meets with students interested in health care.

-Photo courtesy of Alpha Epsilon Delta

BY JAMIE LLOYD News Editor The University of New Orleans chapter of the national pre-medical and pre-dental honor society Alpha Epsilon Delta will host the Alpha Epsilon Delta Health Fair on Wednesday, April 19 from 11am to 3pm in the University Center ballroom.

The health fair will serve as a networking opportunity for prospective health professionals as well as educating the UNO student body about health opportunities and services on and off campus.

Some of those services include free HIV, STD, and blood pressure testing. Additionally, there will be EMT and CPR demonstrations, regional medical schools sponsoring content and representing their programs, and organizations, such as the Princeton Review, offering assistance for those looking to take the Medical College Admission Test.

Alpha Epsilon Delta Vice President Ariel Hernandez said the health fair has been put on by the honors society every spring semester since 2009.

“The purpose of the event is to help students who are interested in a career in health to become

more acquainted with the many opportunities offered locally that can help them with whatever they wish to do,” said Hernandez.

This means practicing medicine, or even simply getting involved with the medical community in the region.

Hernandez said the event is also an “opportunity to network” for volunteering, which he said is an asset on any medical school application. “If you go to apply to any medical school, they’ll ask you: ‘Have you volunteered?— Are you a person that’s involved in the community?—Are you a leader?—Are you involved in any on-campus organizations?’”

Hernandez himself described how he became a volunteer for the American Cancer Society through networking at the health fair last year.

The Alpha Epsilon Delta Health Fair is open to the public and is an event for “anyone interested in a career in medicine and people, in general, who are interested in health.”

Additional information about the health fair can be found on the Alpha Epsilon Delta chapter page through the student organization home page on www. uno.edu. Further questions and inquiries may be directed to aed@ uno.edu.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

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SGA elections result in run-off

must be held.

The run-off elections will be held electronically, like the initial election, on Thursday and Friday of this week.

The candidates now competing are Nigel Watkins and Sam Sternfield for SG President, and Daisy Gaeta and Jill Edwards for Vice President.

Student Government released the percentages each candidate earned in the initial election in a series of graphs, shown here.

While Watkins came close to winning the SG presidency, he and Sternfield will have a The winners of this run-off later this week.

-Photo courtesy of UNO SGA week’s election will take the place of Antocame up inconclusive, with both

BY ANNA GOWIN nio Torres, current SG President, races resulting in a run-off.

Features & Entertainment Editor and Matthew Schantz, the current With SG elections, even if one VP. candidate is ahead in polls, if no The election held this past week Last week’s election also resulted one comes away with more than to elect a new Student Governin the appointment of new SG ment President and Vice-President 50 percent of the votes, a run-off senators in five departments.

UNO CALENDAR Wednesday, April 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Friends of the Library Books and Brownies used book sale. Earl K. Long Library Wednesday, April 5, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Demonstration Day activities, part of Einstein Week by the UNO Physics Club. Earl K. Long Library Wednesday, April 5, 7-9 p.m.: Jazz at the Sandbar featuring pianist Cyrus Chesnut. The Cove Thursday, April 6-Sunday, April 9, 7:30 p.m.: Theatre UNO presents Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” directed by David W. Hoover.

Nims Theatre, Performing Arts Center Friday, April 7, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.: Inaugural Research & Scholarly Activity Day celebration with free food and door prizes. Earl K. Long Library Saturday, April 8, 8 a.m.-noon: Louisiana Autism Speaks walk presented by Alpha Xi Delta

Now Hiring: 2017-18 Driftwood Editor-in-Chief Please submit a cover letter, resume, at least two published writing samples and one reference letter by noon by April 10. May be submitted via electronically or dropped off in the Office of Student Affairs (University Center 248). Applicants must meet the following qualifications: Be a UNO student (undergraduate or graduate), have a GPA of at least 2.5 for all the fall 2016 semester, be a student in good standing and have worked at least one semester for Driftwood or have equivalent publication experience.

Questions, please email: studentaffairs@uno.edu.

The editorship is a paid position.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

SPORTS

New Orleans baseball wins series against Islanders with split doubleheader Courtesy of UNO Athletics The University of New Orleans baseball team wrapped up its Southland Conference series with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday with a doubleheader, winning the first game in walk-off fashion 10-9 while falling in the series finale 8-4.

Between the two games, New Orleans (16-13, 6-6 Southland Conference) posted 27 hits, including a season-high 19 hits in the first game. Senior outfielder Hezekiah Randolph and junior infielder Owen Magee both posted five hits over the two games, with Randolph also logging five RBI and a home run. Senior infielders Aaron Palmer and Samuel Capielano each posted two hits in both contests for four total hits.

“I thought we played well,” head coach Blake Dean said. “We did enough to win the overall series, but we looked flat in the final game and came up short of getting the sweep after winning the first two.”

Trailing 8-9 in the ninth inning after allowing seven runs by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (10-19, 3-6 Southland) in the eighth inning, the Privateers scored a run in the ninth and one in the 10th to take the second game of the weekend series. Junior catcher John Cable opened up the ninth frame with a single to center, followed by a single from junior infielder Owen Magee and a sacrifice bunt from Randolph to bring junior outfielder Jared McKay, who came in to pinch run for Cable, over to third base. Needing only one more base

Hezekiah Randolf lands the first homerun in the game against the Islanders for a triple with Orynn Veillon following soon after with the second homerun for 2 more points.

-Photo courtesy of UNO Athletics to tie up the score, junior outfielder Jay Robinson hit a sacrifice fly into right field to bring McKay home and send the game into extra innings.

After holding the Islanders scoreless in the top of the 10th, UNO managed to load the bases off a single from Capielano, a double from senior infielder Dakota Dean and a walk for junior outfielder Tristan Clarke. Junior infielder Chase Crump came into pinch hit with the bases loaded and one out, drawing a walk to score Capielano and give the Privateers the 10-9 victory.

“We fought at the end of the first game,” Dean said. “They competed well, both sides made some fielding errors in the game but we found a way to win.”

In the sixth inning of the first contest, UNO blasted two home runs sandwiching a walk to score five runs, with a RBI single from Magee earlier in the frame to make it six runs scored in the frame. Hezekiah hit the first home run, scoring himself, Magee and Cable, while sophomore outfielder Orynn Veillon hit his homer two batters later to score him and Robinson.

Sophomore southpaw Bryan Warzek got the start in game one, throwing seven innings with four runs allowed off five hits with seven strikeouts, while junior right handed pitcher William Griffin got the win after throwing the final two and third innings without allowing a run to score.

In the sequel, Corpus Christi scored five runs in the opening inning and led the entire contest.

UNO responded with one run in the bottom of the frame and making it a one-run contest with three scores in the fourth, but a homerun by the Islanders in the fifth recre-

ated a two-run cushion and ended the Privateers rally.

Freshman right handed pitcher Reeves Martin threw six innings in relief, allowing one run to score off six hits with one strikeout.

Junior right handed pitcher Rafael Martinez got the start and the loss, allowing five runs off four hits.

For Corpus Christi, Dalton Stark and Luke Marbach both posted five hits, while Lukas Hermanson recorded four RBI over the two contests. Chad Romere pitched in both games of the doubleheader, striking out seven Privateers over five innings.

New Orleans women’s tennis soars over Cardinals 6-1 Junior Anja Luethi and sophomore Brittany Johnson paced New Orleans (13-6, 5-3 Southland) with victories in doubles play and straightset sweeps in singles action. For Luethi, the Brittany Johnson for UNO’s women’s tennis along with her partner Anja Luethi set the stage for Bern, SwitUNO’s 6-1 win with 2 win in doubles.

-Photo courtesy of UNO Athletics zerland prodteam showed it still had gas left uct paired up Courtesy of UNO Athletics in the tank with a 6-1 victory with freshman Yurina Asai at the over UIW on Monday afternoon top doubles flight and won 6-4 Despite playing four matches at the University Tennis Center to before a 6-1, 6-1 victory at the in as many days, the University end the four-day homestand. second singles position. Johnson of New Orleans women’s tennis

teamed up with sophomore Trang Dao at the third doubles slot, easily handling their UIW (5-16, 2-6 Southland) opposition 6-1, while posting a 6-1, 6-1 win on the fifth singles court.

“We played very well today,” head coach Burzis Kanga said.

“In doubles play we continue to show improvements while in singles action we did a great job of executing and limiting our mistakes. This is a highly motivated team that is dedicated to our goal, they just played their fourth-straight match and were competitive in every one of them with both the losses being 4-3 scores. We are back in action on Saturday at Central Arkansas so with these matches over our focus is now on the weekend.”

Sophomore Paula Garriga also won her singles match in straight sets, blanking her opponent in

their opening frame 6-0 with a 7-3 triumph in the second set tiebreaker clinching the overall match for UNO. Dao, playing at the top singles position, lost her opening set 2-6, but posted a reversed score in the second frame with a 6-4 win in the third set to get the victory. Freshman Claudette Gilhespie split the first two sets in her match 7-5, 4-6, before winning the pro-style tiebreaker 10-6 for the Privateers final point.

Senior Yasmine Rashad, playing at the fourth position, suffered the lone UNO loss in a 7-5, 6-4 outing.

The Privateers are back in action on Saturday, Apr. 8 when they take on Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas at 9 a.m.

UNO returns to the University Tennis Center on Friday, Apr. 14, when they host Sam Houston State.

Men’s tennis falls 5-2 to Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Courtesy of UNO Athletics The University of New Orleans men’s tennis team concluded its Southland Conference schedule on Sunday afternoon against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, losing to the visiting Islanders 5-2.

New Orleans (6-9, 2-3 Southland) claimed the doubles point

over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (13-7, 2-0 Southland) with victories on courts two and three. The Islanders won at the top flight 6-1, but a 6-4 triumph for sophomores Jeffrey Hsu and Nicolas Kramer at the second position followed by a 6-3 victory for senior Luis Albuquerque and junior Giacomo Adoncecchi at the

third slot sent UNO into singles play up 1-0.

“We played well, but not well enough to get the win,” head coach Burzis Kanga. “I thought we executed well in doubles play, but did not bring our “A” game in singles. At the end of the day, it was a competitive match that I think we could have won.”

In singles play, half the matches went into a third set, with the Privateers lone win coming via junior Federico Boscarino at the second flight with a 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 score. Hsu and Adoncecchi also forced their Islander competition to a third set, losing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on court one and 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 at the sixth position.

Junior Federico Staksrud, Kramer and Albuquerque all lost in straight sets with scores of 6-1, 6-2 at the third flight, 6-3, 6-2 at the fourth position and 6-1, 6-1 on court five.

The Privateers hit the road to take on Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday, Apr. 7 with the match scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

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Friends of the Library sponsor “Books and Brownies” Far left: Jerry Christifi frequently volunteers with Friends of the UNO Library at events such as “Books and Brownies.” On April 4, Christifi stood outside the Earl K. Long Library to sell baked goods.

Right: UNO students and other community members who caught wind of “Books and Brownies” search through stacks of used books for bargains. The “Books and Brownies” fundraiser has most books for sale at under $5.

-Photos by Nathan Nguyen

PURSUE: Using research to get students involved beyond the classroom

BY MICHAEL HABERMANN Contributor The University of New Orleans recently created a program that partners selected students with faculty for specific projects.

P.U.R.S.U.E., or the Privateer Undergraduate Research and Scholarly UNO Experience, is an academic opportunity for undergraduates to learn the valuable skills of research.

Faculty members work with students and teach them the ins and outs of research during the

course of an assignment. It is a way for undergraduates to gain hands-on experience in research and academic thought.

There are 20 spots available to split evenly between upper- and underclassmen. A 2.0-minimum GPA is required, and the student must be enrolled in at least six hours per semester.

As part of admission into the program, the student is awarded an hourly sum for research completed for a total of $1,000 for freshman and sophomores and $1,500 for juniors and seniors.

A recipient can only receive the

award once. Competition is fierce as there have been more than 100 applicants.

“There’s been studies that have shown that [for] students that are engaged in research early on, there’s a higher retention rate and higher graduation rate,” said Elizabeth Sigler, coordinator of undergraduate research. Students also have the opportunity to show their work at various academic events.

Sigler explained, “We’ve had some really good presentations from some of these students.

We’ve had some that have

presented at Innovate UNO last year … ULL [University of Louisiana at Lafayette] has a fall symposium for undergraduates … they presented poster and oral presentations … The more often you do that, the better it prepares you when you graduate and you have to have a job interview or if you’re trying to sell your product or if you’re a researcher [trying to get funding].”

Various types of research are represented, ranging from the sciences to the arts. Sigler said, “You think the word ‘research’ and you think of a white lab coat, but it

can be in any discipline.” Some of the previous award winners worked in anthropology, film, arts, and psychology.

The emphasis on mentorship is strong. Sigler said, “Most of these faculty mentors meet with the student to discuss the project initially, give them some guidance; and most probably have some sort of timeline.”

Undergraduate research is a way to get students involved beyond the classroom. For more information, visit http://www.uno.edu/ research/StudentResearch/pursue. aspx.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

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Batting Out Breast Cancer” to raise awareness

Various teams competed at the Human Performance Center Field on Sunday, April 2 in Zeta Tau Alpha’s annual “Batting Out Breast Cancer,” a softball tournament with all proceeds going to breast cancer awareness.

-All photos by Brennan Probst.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

Dave Chappelle is back in spotlight after a 10-year hiatus

BY ANJANAE CRUMP Managing Editor Comedian Dave Chappelle has made a fiery comeback after a 10-year absence from mainstream entertainment. Netflix secured a $60-million deal with the comedian for an exclusive three-part series, two of which are now available to watch.

Chappelle performed “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” in Austin, Texas in 2015 and “The Age of Spin,” in Los Angeles in 2016, with both bringing sharp material worthy of laughter. Within the two hours between them, Chappelle reveals some of the qualities he is best known for.

One of those qualities is the injection of controversial issues into his routine and not only making a joke of it, but also shedding light directly and unapologetically on the darkness behind it.

In “The Age of Spin,” shortly after taking stage, he said, “Man the f*** up, or you’re not going to make it to the end of this show,” and as the performance progressed, this warning proved true.

He joked about his numerous encounters with OJ Simpson and his “soon-to-be slain wife,” for a lack of a better phrase. He also joked about the water crisis in

Flint, Michigan, the boycott of the Oscars, the LGBTQ+ community, the younger generation and technology and much more.

One of his deepest moments in “The Age of Spin,” was his commentary on Bill Cosby. After getting the crowd to laugh about the controversial allegations against the legend, he forced them step back and see the other, more complicated side of things.

Chappelle mentioned the numerous contributions Cosby has made for the black community, including comedians like himself. He acknowledges that it’s a complicated situation but that Cosby has a legacy the American public can’t just throw away.

He touched on many dark sides of America: the media’s portrayal of certain groups, how big corporations, like Nike, deal with controversy, how the country handles the people who stand

up and speak out. salt kills more black people than his wife and kids and being exHe ended the show on a lighter anything else. torted with an old VHS tape. note about fellow comedian Kevin He joked about a few things It’s obvious that Chappelle is Hart. After a 10-year hiatus, it that may have been more relfrom an older generation not yet was nice to see Chappelle honest evant two years ago when he caught up or in full agreement and even laugh about other comeperformed, such as Paula Deen with the social politics of todians garnering more fame. saying the N word, the leaked day.

This is seen most clearly in In “Deep in the Heart of Texrecording of Donald Sterling makhis comments on the LGBTQ+ as,” the same pattern is followed. ing racist remarks, and Ray Rice community.

But in every comedy He joked about ebola, AIDS as punching his wife in the face. show, there are jokes that make at the disease that “hates everybody He also got a bit more personal least one person uncomfortable. old white people hate,” and how toward the end with jokes about However, even with jokes that

“Twelfth Night” hits UNO Nims stage rescues her, Viola becomes a servant to Duke Orsino (disguising herself as a young boy named Cesario), with whom she falls in love.

Duke, however, is in love with Olivia, a

-Photo courtesy of TheaterUNO countess,

BY JAMIE LLOYD and sends Cesario to Olivia in an effort to News Editor woo the countess to win over her fickle affection.

William Shakespeare’s famed As one may imagine, things do final comedy, “Twelfth Night,” not go entirely as planned, and made its University of New OrViola (while still in disguise) leans debut last Thursday night finds herself trapped in a love at the Robert E. Nims Theatre, triangle.

What ensues for the a production put on by Theatre remainder of the play is an enterUNO. taining he-said-she-said row that The performance, which has the characters questioning marked the latest installment in Theatre UNO productions for the themselves and their love interests with all the necessary pomp 2016-17 season, also marked an and circumstance of an antiquatofficial return of a Shakespeared Shakespearean comedy and a ean production at the university modern-day sitcom. since “Hamlet” in 2014.

Think of the mischief of “Twelfth Night” begins with Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer the necessary backstory of Viola, Night’s Dream,” just with less a shipwrecked twin of Sebastian, fairies and premarital sex and the sailor, believing that her more cross-dressing and aristobrother has drowned. Through crats. the help of a sea captain who UNO’s costume department

and stage-design team offered an interesting take on Shakespeare’s comedy by creating a turn-ofthe-century aesthetic for the entire production—a refreshing take on a comedy written in the early seventeenth century.

With this mood set, the actors inhabited the roles naturally.

Film-and-theater major Hayden Guthrie stole the show as Viola, marrying boyish charm with youthful exuberance in her performance. UNO students may also recognize a number of faces in this charismatic cast: film-and-theater students Ryan Michael Decker, Austin Krieger, and Kristin Schoffer are all alumni of last semester’s Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival-nominated production of “The Aliens” by Annie Baker.

Overall, the onstage chemistry between the actors is palpable, as each character is given moments to shine with the witty one-liners and comic relief Shakespeare is known for, and is a delight to watch.

This is Shakespeare, so naturally Shakespearean prose can be long-winded—but worry not; with three intermissions, there are plenty of opportunities for recharging with the concession booth and bathroom breaks.

If this sounds like your idea of fun, you can check out “Twelfth Night” at the Robert E. Nims Theatre, located on campus in the Performing Arts Center, with performances running Thursday through Sunday at 7:30pm.

Tickets are $12 general admission and $8 to the UNO community. Admission is free for UNO students wishing to work concessions or usher with the Lakefront Players, UNO’s student theater organization on campus.

-Photo courtesy of Netflix we know deep down shouldn’t be funny, Chappelle still managed to create laughter.

For an artist out of the spotlight for the past 10 years, these two specials make a smooth entrance back into the mainstream comedy world.

Stay tuned to Netflix to catch the third installment of Chappelle’s comedy series.

ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

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“Ghost in the Shell” weaves distinct cyber-punk future

-Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

BY ROXANNE ARDEKANI Contributor Paramount Pictures recently released “Ghost in the Shell,” a live-action adaptation of the

classic 1995 anime film, which itself was based on the manga

by Masamune Shirow. The film was directed by Rupert Sanders (“Snow White and the Huntsman,” “The Life”) and starred

Scarlett Johansson.

Sanders beautifully weaves together pieces of the manga, anime, and movies to display a futuristic world, one that is unique, even in a market cur-

rently saturated with cyber-punk narratives.

In the film’s world, in order to enhance certain human traits, the majority of people have cybernetic body parts. After an incident, Mira Killian, played by Johansson, becomes the first full cyborg with the only human part of her being her brain, hence making her the first ghost-in-a-shell.

Killian is left with no memories of her past and believes she is nothing more than a machine.

She lives to bring justice, until she begins to find the truth about Hanka Robotics, the leading developer of augmentative technology and also the creators of her body.

She now has a larger purpose in life: not only to find out who her ghost truly is, but also to get justice for herself and others who suffered under Hanka Robotics.

It is no secret that “Ghost in the Shell” is a center of controversy for its decision to cast a white actress in a role that was

originally Japanese. However, it could also be said that the film presents an idea of the future that is diverse in its representation.

The movie was faithful to the material, using the same names and personalities from the original mangas and anime series but gave them different physical characteristics, a controversy that has overshadowed much of the film’s release.

Killian’s partner, Batou, is played by Pilou Asbæk, a Danish actor. Her other partner, Togusa, is played by Chin Han, a Singaporean actor. Some characters even speak exclusively Japanese throughout the film.

The film’s greatest asset is the balance of reality and sci-fi fantasy. The movie portrays a world corrupted by technology and greed—a world we may see in the near future. The movie stayed true to Shirow’s original work and even more made a unique and unforgettable story.

COLUMN Hollywood whitewashing no longer tolerated by diverse audiences

BY ANNA GOWIN Features & Entertainment Editor Whitewashing or, the practice of casting white actors in roles intended to be for people of color, is the cause of some of the biggest controversies in Hollywood today.

Which studios are whitewashing?

Which are trying to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to diverse casting? And, above all, why does any of this matter?

I think it’s important to establish that this opinion is coming from a white person. If I want to see myself represented on screen I can watch virtually any piece of media available.

But not everyone has that privi-

lege. It’s no secret that Hollywood prioritizes white narratives over those of black and especially Asian individuals. So when pieces of media exist that give representation to marginalized groups, it seems that preserving those stories should be important.

But recent history has shown that actors and movie studios aren’t interested in preserving those stories. Looking at films like “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” “Aloha” or even the recent Matt Damon movie “The Great Wall,” audiences get the idea that the only stories worth telling are the ones that have been whitewashed.

“Ghost in the Shell” is just the most recent in a long string of

films catching flack for casting a white actor in a role that was never meant to be white. And the box office shows that audience tolerance for whitewashing isn’t going to hang around much longer, with “Ghost in the Shell” pulling in only $20 million its opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.

No one is arguing that Scarlett Johansson isn’t a talented actress or is undeserving of the roles she receives. The issue is that in making that casting decision, in completely rewriting a role to be a white woman where she was previously a Japanese woman, the film is making the statement that representing Asian people

on screen isn’t important. They are depriving Asian-American audiences of seeing themselves represented on screen, even in Asian-made stories.

Take, for example, the recent adaptation of another popular anime, “Death Note.” The Netflix adaptation of the story also involved rewriting the lead character from being Japanese to being white and American.

And the argument can’t be that the actor cast, Nat Wolff, was the best choice of any actor who auditioned, aka “colorblind” casting.

Within the past week, Edward Zo, an Asian-American actor, has come out and said that he was denied the opportunity to audition

for “Death Note” specifically because the casting directors weren’t looking for an Asian actor.

When choices like this are made, it’s hard to believe that anyone in Hollywood cares about accurately representing the diversity of today’s audiences.

Even with recent successes like “Moonlight,” the diversity issue in Hollywood is moving forward at a snail’s pace.

But if studios want to continue using non-white narratives, audiences are trying to send the message that they won’t put up with white-washing any longer. The only chance for success against actively boycotting viewers seems to be progress: give us diversity,

Driftwood is looking for: literary and visual submissions Do you want your original creative work displayed in our paper?

Driftwood is looking for poems, excerpts from longer works of fiction, short stories, flash-fiction, or any other similair works. We are also looking for graphics, cartoons, drawings, or paintings.

Send submissions to dirftwoodart@uno.edu.

The deadline is April 5 (TONIGHT) at midnight.

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COMICS & PUZZLES

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

“Privateer Poop” - by Barrington Hebert

“Caffeine Addiction” - by Oswaldo Posas

MAZE

WORD SEARCH

ANTONIO CESARIO FESTE MALVOLIO MARIA OLIVIA

ORSINO SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE TOBY TWELFTH VIOLA

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

11

EDITORIAL Donald Trump: the President who cried wolf We’ve all heard the story of the boy who cried wolf, but this time the boy is the president of the United States, and his cries could hurt us whether we believe them or not.

In Donald Trump’s short time in office, he has proven to have a lack of self control no man in such a position of power should possess.

He says what he believes at first glance, often lashing out with raw passion, with no further research to provide evidence for his often rash statements.

For instance, he attributed his loss of the popular vote to massive voter fraud, he claimed

he had the largest inaugural turnout in history, despite visual evidence, and most recently, he accused Barack Obama of wiretapping his phones.

This recent and serious accusation took the form not of an impassioned presidential speech, but of a tweet. Trump admitted he was led to this belief solely based on publicly available news reports, which is even more conflicting because just over a month ago, he declared mainstream media “the enemy of the American people.”

This accusation led to a run-in with the UK, who was not very happy to hear that the British

intelligence-finding agency had been falsely rumored to have been in cahoots with Obama.

Ultimately, none of this was proven true. Instead of Trump admitting he was wrong in the first place, he let it go so far that another country, a close American ally, got involved and upset.

If continued, this kind of behavior could land the United States in deep water where Trump’s administration won’t always be able to cover for him.

His blatant reports of inaccurate information as truth will only create a divide between those Americans who lose trust in the government and those Ameri-

cans who ignorantly support and spread his nonsense.

But aside from political responsibilities, the president’s actions show a lack of moral consciousness as well. It takes a lot of gall to make such statements, and as one of the biggest role models for the American public, there’s the potential of great harm.

While four years is what’s promised, these past two months have shown that we may feel the effects of Trump long after he is gone.

COLUMN

Federal education policies need close examination

BY ADAM POYNER Contributor On January 5, House Representative Steve King, a republican from Sioux City, IA, introduced H.R. 610, the Choices in Education Act of 2017. This act would directly affect how public education is handled, possibly in a negative manner if not closely examined.

So far, the only action that has been taken on the bill was to refer it to the House Committee on Education and Workforce, from

where it will hopefully never return.

According to USHistory.org and other sources, about 90 percent of bills die in committee, and with some good luck, H.R. 610 will die along with the countless bills that have come before it.

The summary of the bill states that it will repeal the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and amend an obscure federal regulation regarding school lunches.

It’s unlikely to succeed, not least of which because the ESEA has been reliably reauthorized under every president since Lyndon Johnson, generally with solid bipartisan support. The most recent and notable reauthorizations were Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and Obama’s Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015.

Though the ESEA is traditionally reauthorized early in a new presidential term, that may not be the case under the current presi-

dent, but it’s safe to assume it will be reauthorized at some point in the next four years.

If a major federal educational policy change is coming in six months or two years, now is the time for teachers, parents, school administrators at all levels to come together and examine which parts of the previous federal educational policies work, and which do not.

One of the most important components of teaching is continually researching and finding new ways to help every single student receive the highest quality education possible. In order to succeed in that goal, it’s necessary to begin a dialogue between policy-makers and a variety of professionals in the education field.

The current bill, ESSA, has a litany of provisions, some unique to this reauthorization, such as the additional requirement that states provide English Language Proficiency standards and assessments

for English Language Learners.

Other provisions are an extension of NCLB, like the requirement that states provide academic content and achievement standards in language arts, math, and science, as well as conduct assessments once a year from grades 3-8, and once in high school which align with the state standards for those subjects.

Parents and education professionals need to communicate and reflect on the development of state standards and assessments, the various methods of educating ELL students and how the current education system addresses these and a host of other issues.

There are dozens of methods that may be used to assess a student’s mastery of a certain topic, and sometimes a standardized test is not the best way for a student to show whether he or she has learned the material. However, it is also reasonable to expect that schools provide some evidence

that students are learning what is considered appropriate for a given grade level.

H.R. 610 aside, it’s time to begin the debate on public education. Education Secretary DeVos has demonstrated that she is neither committed, nor qualified to improve this enormous system, and frankly, it’s too large of a job to place solely on one person or department.

Even though H.R. 610 is unlikely to leave committee in its current form, it is alarming that this bill is what our current congress would have as a starting point for revising federal education policy.

If the parents and qualified educational professionals do not voice their opinions on how to make public education better, our schools will be steam-rolled by a secretary, congress, and administration who have the best interests of corporations in mind, at the expense of America’s current and future students.

2000 Lakeshore Drive, UC 252, New Orleans, LA 70148 (504) 280-6377 Christopher Walker, Editor-in-Chief.......................................................................................................driftwoodeditor@uno.edu Anjanae Crump, Managing Editor....................................................................................................................driftwood@uno.edu Mindy Jarrett.....................................................Copy Editor Matthew Ramos............................................................Staff Writer Jamie Lloyd.......................................................News Editor Kimberly Williams.............................................Business Manager Anna Gowin.......................Features & Entertainment Editor Angelle Cleneay............................................Social Media Manager Sanjiv Pradhanang.......................................Visual Director Matthew Stennis............................................Distribution Manager Nathan Nguyen............................................ Layout Editor Milan Holman........................................Driftwood Video Producer Brennan Probst......................................Head Photographer Vickie Kennedy....................................................................Adviser

Driftwood is produced solely by students of the University of New Orleans. Driftwood publishes every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters with the exception of holiday breaks and midterms/ finals week.

Letters to the Editor and columns are the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinion of the Driftwood editorial board.

All letters to the Editor are subject to editing for length, style and grammar.

Editorials are the opinions of the Driftwood editorial staff and do not reflect the opinions of the University of New Orleans, its administration or staff.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017

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