Volume: 59 Issue: 10 by Driftwood

Volume: 59 Issue: 10

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

driftwood.uno.edu

PRIDE OR PREJUDICE?

Confederate monuments ignite controversial debate about complex history of BY TISHAWN MITCHELL Driftwood Staff “The most important thing is for Americans to come to terms with the war’s roots in slavery and the way that slavery has shaped American society: what slavery meant,” said LSU history professor and author Dr. Gaines M. Foster. “Whether slavery helps or hurts those causes, I don’t know.” To help kick off UNO’s Alumni Week, Foster delivered a lecture in the Grand Ballroom of the UC on November 3. The subject of the lecture was the sesquicentennial, or 150-year anniversary of the Civil War. Foster’s presentation, the second installment in the Homer L. Hitt Distinguished Presidential Lecture Series, was titled: “The Memory of the Civil War: What Americans Think About It- and What They Should!” “I suppose I should start with an apology to those of you who actually read the title of this talk,” Foster said. “I used that title for a course this spring that had to be approved by the faculty board of the Honors College. They sent it back to me, told me I couldn’t do it. That we only teach people how to think; we don’t tell them what to think. So if I’ve offended, I apologize, and I won’t tell you what to think. I’ll just give you a few suggestions.” Dr. Foster, who is a Murphy J. Foster Professor of History at LSU, is the author of over 100 book reviews, a dozen encyclopedia articles, 20 scholarly articles and essays and three books, including “Ghosts of the Confederacy Defeat, the Lost Cause and the Emergence of the New South.” “You may have missed it,” Foster said. “It ended in April, and passed with [a] surprising lack of comment. There were some battlefield reenactments..But by and large, for

most people, the sesquicentennial passed with surprising lack of public involvement.” “And then,” Foster said, “a very interesting thing happened: Dylann Roof savagely and senselessly murdered nine people at the AME church in Charleston. All of a sudden, the war seemed more intense than it had at any time during the sesquicentennial.” The incident mentioned by Foster is the June 2015 massacre of nine African-Americans during a prayer service at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina. Prior to the attack, Roof ran a now-defunct website called The Last Rhodesian. The site featured racist rants, a lot of them targeted towards the African American community, and photos of Roof in various poses by Confederate monuments and museums. Upset over the media coverage that the Trayvon Martin murder case had received, Roof, who had hoped to incite a race riot, “chose Charleston (to commit the crime) because it is the most historic city in my state and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to Whites in the country,” according to a post on the website. Roof is currently in jail for murder, awaiting trial. The killings didn’t spark a race riot, but they did ignite a nationwide debate over the way that Southern states, particularly through the use of Rebel flags and Confederate monuments, chose to portray events of the Civil War. In July, Mayor Mitch Landrieu proposed that at least four monuments in New Orleans be taken down. “We didn’t hear about this for a very long time because the people who controlled politics and public discourse weren’t worried about monuments,” Foster said. “So, as African Americans have joined the

slavery and race in South

PHOTO BY GRANT CAMPBELL

conversation in ways that they couldn’t have in 1890 or 1896, they can in 1996 and 2015, and we’re seeing the war in different ways because we have to see the way that it looks in their eyes.” “We have to think about how the monuments look in their eyes.” Foster admitted that the historical White Southern view of the Civil War, an event that, by his estimation, killed over 700,000 American soldiers, can be seen as misguided at best. “There is, in the White south, a fear of dishonor. Much of the celebration, much of the Civil War, focuses on the battlefield. That reconciliation is based on ignoring both the issue and the cost of the war. It becomes a grand crusade, a tremendous, wonderful event.” At the end of the talk, Foster took a few questions from the audience. “I’m going to ask a question and bring us into 2015,” an audience member said. “Regarding our monuments, I personally feel that history should never be erased. I believe that we do need to honor our soldiers, North and South....by taking down our monuments, we’ll eventually just make this go away by the wayside, and it needs to be remembered.” The comment drew some applause. “I was really hoping that that question would come sooner,” Foster said, “There’s tremendous division over the monuments, which the applause suggests. I’m with you; we don’t want to erase history. We also want to confront history. If my talk said anything, it said that we’ve never really come to understand the war.” “One of the problems is most of the monuments that you’re talking about in New Orleans, most of the Confederate monuments in particular, go up not to help us understand history but to confuse it. The mon-

uments are really tough for me. Let me not answer yes or no, but tell you how to deal with it.” Dr. Robert Dupont, Associate Professor and Chair of UNO’s History Department and a former student of Foster’s, gave a short introductory speech before Foster’s lecture. Dupont is not as divided about the fate of the monuments. “Well, I may have a little bit stronger opinions than he did,” Dupont said. “There are some monuments that I think need to come down.” “I don’t see any reason why we have—still, although it’s put off to the side now—the battle of Liberty Place, I think it’s called. That really was a monument put up to honor white racism. It wasn’t put up to honor a person; it was put up to honor a victory when a mob of White people overcame federal authorities in the city during Reconstruction. So, that one I don’t have any trouble with saying, ‘Let’s get rid of it.’” Dupont also doesn’t see any particular need for a monument honoring Jefferson Davis. “He was not a noble soldier. He was a political leader, but he was a political leader of a rebellious part of the United States and that’s not something that we should honor. I’m more torn when it comes to the military stuff, like Lee, Beauregard. But I see the argument for either cutting them back severely or taking them out.” Foster said that he’s not so worried about what to do with the monuments; he’s more concerned about how the South, based on the way that it has portrayed its association with slavery in the past, will depict those ties in the future. “I think that what’s happened is that we suddenly have more voices in this debate, and we’re still trying to figure it out.”

“...we don’t want to erase history. We also want to confront history. If my talk said anything, it said that we’ve never really come to understand the war.” — Dr. Gaines M. Foster, LSU history professor and author

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

Heritage or hate?

EDITORIAL

Local confederate monuments considered The events in our newsroom leading up to the writing of this editorial were, in a way, representative of the city-wide debate taking place right now. Do the Confederate monuments sprinkled around the city stay up, or come down? There were opinions, examples (and some might say arguments) shared before we at The Driftwood reached some kind of consensus about the fate of these statues. The truth remains that figures like General Lee and Jefferson Davis took part in something ugly. During the time of the Civil War, the South was fighting for the idea that slavery needed to be preserved, something we widely recognize now as the wrong side of history. Do those events, a part of our history as a city, need to be remembered? Of course. Remembering the past is the only way to prevent ourselves from repeating it. And

like it or not, our less than positive history with race relations shaped us in the past. Because of this, should the statues stay up? No. By presenting these figures in the way that we do, we are not merely remembering these men and their actions, we’re revering them. As figures who in one way or another represented certain beliefs, beliefs we recognize now as deeply flawed, reverence is not the path our city should take. So should the statues be destroyed? Also, no. Destroying the statues would only serve as a means to try and erase something that is undeniably part of our history, as dark as that part may be. The best solution instead might be to move the statues somewhere else, down from their (literal and metaphorical) pedestals, to a museum or designated park. Somewhere that they can be accurately re-

membered for the realities of their actions, while also removing any trace of hero-worship from the equation. No person of color in this city would view a Confederate statue and view that as part of their heritage. And blanketing the entire city under that definition of heritage ignores the complexities of the past, as well as denies the voice of a group that was not allowed to have them for a very long time. Maybe we need to listen, and rather than instinctively push back, work to understand that perspective and work to reach a compromise. As hard as we may try, we cannot destroy our past. So maybe the true solution doesn’t lie in attempting to do so, but rather in changing the way we look at, and teach, our history.

COLUMN

Sports: It’s not that serious BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief This past weekend, one of the biggest rivalries in college football was heating up: LSU vs Alabama. The love for both teams by their respective fans run deep, and the hatred for each other runs even deeper, sometimes showing how much sports fans can absolutely lose their minds and dignity. Before the SEC conference showdown between the Tigers and the Tide, pictures of an atrocious sign hung from an apartment balcony by Alabama fans that read: “Finish What Katrina Started” and began to surface on the Internet and social media. Finish what Katrina started? Really? There has to be a line here, sports fans. I won’t condemn an entire community of people, which I am proudly a part of, who have a deep passion for sports based on the actions of a few thoughtless, childish and disrespectful college students. But this isn’t the only instance of sports fans taking their love for their team and hatred for their opposition way too far. A recent video shows a Philadelphia Eagles fan knocking out a New York Giants fan because of football. Back in September, San Francisco 49ers fans jumped a Minneapolis Vikings fan outside of the stadium after a Monday night football game, also because of football. There was also the incident at a Los Angeles Dodgers game in 2011 where the beating of a San Francisco Giants fan that

left one man with permanently disabled with brain damage and two other men landing in jail. And, of course, we can’t forget the Stanley Cup Riot, which caused around $4 million in damage. This is just a small list of fans having no chill, and it’s sad.

Sports are fun, I get it, but there’s no reason to let your fandom get in the way of good judgment. Every coach of any team you talk to will, or should, preach good sportsmanship and respect, not only for yourself, but for the love of the game and those who love it just as much as you do. Disrespecting people by mocking a natural disaster that changed millions of lives because of a football game? No, we don’t need those types of fans anywhere. It’s not necessary, and it’s the type of stuff that will make your friends, your fellow fans and even

your school disown you. The fact is: Sports are not that serious. No, I’m not going to give the “sports don’t matter” speech. If anything, sports absolutely matter. The feeling that a team’s success can give to a city, state, region or country can be invaluable. Any Saints fan should be able to attest to that after the feelings that swirled around the city when Steve Gleason blocked the Falcons punt in the first game back in the Superdome. Whether it’s basketball, football, baseball, soccer or cricket, teams have become representatives with the city and in some cases, the people within that city. Having instances like the one in Alabama gives everyone a bad name. Almost instantly, most people will feel as if every Alabama fan must be thinking the same thing. I was glad to see some Bama fans come out on social media and disapprove the thoughts that those kids put on a banner and hung from their apartment. It goes to show we have to be mindful of what we say and why we chose to say it. At the end of the day, these games are just games. It’s okay to be passionate about a team and their success, but remember to be passionate about people first. Loving your team doesn’t give you an excuse to be insensitive and heartless. Love the game, love your team, but show respect as you do it. This game called life and the people who play it are much more important than whatever score is left on the scoreboard.

EDITORIAL BOARD Nigel Washington Editor-in-Chief driftwoodeditor@uno.edu Charles Nicholson Managing Editor driftwood@uno.edu Visuals Director | Grant Campbell • • • • • • • driftwoodart@uno.edu News Editor | Chloe Gagnon • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • cprange@uno.edu Features/Ent.Editor|AnnaGowin•••••••••• driftwoodent@uno.edu Photo Editor | Traven Stout • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • tstout@uno.edu Web Editor | Ave Maria Bordenave • • • • • • • • • abordena@uno.edu Reporter | Andrew LaBorde • • • • • • • • • • • • • • atlaborde@uno.edu Reporter | Mia Lett • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • mlett@uno.edu Reporter | Tishawn Mitchell • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • tratcliff@uno.edu Illustrator | Lindsay Alexander • • • • • • • • • • • • • • lralexa1@uno.edu Illustrator | Barrington Hebert • • • • • • • • • • • • bkhebert@uno.edu Advertising Manager | Lili Harrison • • • • • driftwoodads@uno.edu Marketing Manager | Zachary C. Guntner • • driftwoodpr@uno.edu Business Manager | Matt Stennis • • driftwoodbusiness@uno.edu Faculty Adviser | Vickie Kennedy • • • • • • • • • • • vkennedy@uno.edu

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. 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. 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. Please limit letters to 500 words. Submissions can be emailed to driftwoodeditor@uno.edu and must be sent no later than 5p.m. on the Monday before publication. 2000 Lakeshore Drive, UC 252, New Orleans, LA 70148 | (504) 280-6377

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

HRT students benefit from New Orleans tourism BY ZACHARY C. GUNTNER Driftwood Staff New Orleans continues to thrive as a major tourism destination as the University of New Orleans’ Hotel, Restaurants and Tourism (HRT) students flourish. The school’s HRT website states that 90 percent of all of their students hold full or part-time jobs that are directly related to their profession. Two other major points that should attract incoming students hoping to work within the tourism industry is that the school of HRT is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and UNO

hosts the only Master’s degree program in Hospitality and Tourism Administration within the state of Louisiana. The program is 120 credit hours total with 73 credit hours focused on general business, hotel, restaurant and tourism education. In addition, students have a work requirement of 600 hours that must be completed in the hospitality industry prior to graduating. Most students that receive jobs after receiving their degree are given extended offers after putting in time with their internship experience. Dr. David Pearlman, an associate professor in the HRT department at UNO and the former Director of Research for the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, said that

students within the program have an extremely high placement rate in terms of searching for jobs due in large part to the mandatory internship and work experience required by the department. With Undergraduate and Graduate students getting so much time working in their respected fields, Pearlman said, “It is hard for me to go anywhere within the hospitality sector without bumping into a current or former student.” Connie Chung, a senior HRT major, currently works at the Courtyard by Marriott of New Orleans and got introduced to the company through the university’s HRT department. She hopes to use her experience as an intern to break into the Human Resources sector of the hospitality

industry. For current students trying to establish themselves within their respected field of study, Chung said, “Get to know your professors and use the multitude of resources that UNO has to offer.” Chung also had some additional advice that applies for students already working as interns when she said, “Take what you learn and in class and apply it to your job, and always have the motivation to learn and excel at any tasks you are given.” For HRT majors, the internship is a credit course which provides practical and supervised training to upperclassmen, undergraduate and graduate students. The interns are placed in projects relating to their major and are required to work at

least 10-15 hours per week in the fall and spring semesters with 1820 hours per week in the summer, and in most instances, interns are compensated. “Our students have to have a great [deal] of practical experience,” said Pearlman “Whether you have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree you still need to know the entire industry to manage effectively.” Fortunately for the city, as well as HRT graduates, tourism in New Orleans isn’t going to be a dying business anytime soon as the city is preparing for their Tricentennial celebration which will feature an opening of a “new” Louis Armstrong International Airport on May 7, 2018 according to 2018nola.com.

MAN ON THE STREET What’s on your Netflix binge list for the break?

DREW JORDAN Grad Student

“Twin Peaks,” been meaning to watch it for some time, looking forward to knowing a 20 year mystery fiction.

FOLUKE UWAEZUOKE Freshman, Computer Science

TONY FROST Freshman, Mechanical Engineering

I don’t have a Netflix. Just not interested in it.

“Walking Dead.” Been interested in watching it for a while now and all my friends watch it.

MADELEINE KIRGO Freshman, Jazz Studies

MCKENNA TUCKER Junior, I.D.S.

Nothing to watch, already saw “Walking Dead,” so I’m set.

I only watch “Grey’s Anatomy” on Netflix. That show is amazing. I watch it everyday before Biology class to get me pumped. Photos by Traven Stout

CRIME SCENE DO NOT

CROSS CRIME SCENE

• On Oct. 28, a car was scratched on the hood with what appeared to be the letters of the alphabet while parked in the University Center Parking Lot. • On Oct. 30, a non-UNO student was found loitering in his car at the Privateer Place parking lot near building five. He was later found to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana and paraphernalia. • On Nov. 2, a motorized scooter (Genuine Scooter Co., Model “Buddy” 125) was stolen from the Lafitte Village Parking Lot.

CAMPUS CALENDAR WED., NOV. 11 Jazz at the Sandbar - This week’s performance features saxophonist Jason Marshall, frontman of Overt Negritude, who has collaborated with Thad Wilson Jazz Orchestra and bluesman Roy Gaines. The performance starts at 7 p.m. General Admission is $5

and free to UNO students, faculty and staff with I.D.

THURS., NOV. 12 Genshiken Bake Sale - UNO’s Anime Club is hosting a bake sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the library breezeway to fund their Test of Courage.

Million Student March - The event, sponsored by the UNO Socialist Alternative Club, is to the promote the cancellation of student debt and free college debt tuition. Attendees are to meet at the UNO Amphitheatre at 12 p.m. and march around campus, then follow-up with speakers and an open mic.

FRI., NOV. 13

SAT., NOV. 14

MON., NOV. 16

Leadership Retreat - A weekend-long retreat that will be composed of group leadership sessions that will teach team building and leadership styles.

Austria Art Exhibit - From Nov. 14 through Dec. 6, the St. Claude Gallery will be featuring works of various Austrian students including those of Birgit Pleschberger and Anemona Crisan.

Pillow Talk with the Lights Off Mu Tau Deltas and Iota Lambda Sigmas discuss with students everything to do with with sex and relationships. It will take place in the Pontchartrain Hall North’s 4th Floor Lounge from 7:27 to 9:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

NEWS

Education professor inspires future teachers BY CHLOE GAGNON News Editor UNO professor Pat Austin has won the International Literacy Association’s Arbuthnot Award. After dedicating her life to teaching not only elementary students, but also future teachers and librarians, she has been recognized and honored as a college professor of children’s literature. The award “is given to someone who teaches children’s literature and teaches kids about books and reading to become future teachers and librarians to honor their career in the field,” said Austin. Austin traveled to St. Louis, Missouri to attend the International Literacy Association Meeting in July 2015 where she received the award. Austin has worked at UNO for the past twenty years and prior to that, she worked as a teacher of grades two through eight. “I just knew that ultimately I just wanted to be a college professor,” said Austin. “I was inspired by my professors in wanting that larger pond. When you’re teaching a class of 25-30 children, that’s one thing. If you’re teaching 30 children who will each be teaching 30 other children, that’s that ripple effect. I always told myself that I wanted to be a good teacher before

I taught teachers.” Austin received her Ph.D. from UNO in 1987 and has followed in her mentor, Coleen Salley’s, footsteps. “No one here probably knows Coleen Salley, but she was one of my mentors. She taught children’s literature here for thirty years. I took every course she ever taught and I knew I wanted her job when she retired. In 1995 when Salley retired, I was fortunate enough to be hired by my alma mater. Children’s literature has been taught here by only four people in the entire inception until now.” Not only is Austin a professor on campus, but she also is the graduate coordinator of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, program coordinator for the English education program, advisor for the masters of education program and the curator of the Children and Young Adult Library on campus. “It’s the best kept secret on campus no matter how hard I try to publicize it,” said Austin. “We have over 20,000 volumes—fiction books, nonfiction books, picture books, all kinds of books from Pre-Kindergarten all the way up through twelfth grade. We also have materials for future teachers where they can get math games, science manipulatives, early childhood games and toys and reading

materials.” Any student, staff or faculty member on campus is allowed to check out books or materials. The library is open about 30 hours per week and is staffed completely by volunteers. On top of all the jobs Austin has on UNO’s campus, she is also a published author. “I have one published children’s book. It’s called ‘The Cat Who Loved Mozart’ published in 2001.” Austin believes that reading is crucial to children growing up. “I’ve always thought it was a valuable thing. It develops creativity, it develops imagination and it widens your world. We have one teeny little life, but if we read, we have a million lives. It develops vocabulary, it develops language. Reading does everything. Books do everything.” Austin also believes that even when children learn to read on their own, they should still be read to: “Children need to be read to. I read to my students in children’s literature class at the university level every day. They enjoy it. Who doesn’t love a good story?” “What you want out of education is for people to be better people. Not better students, not good at this or that. You just want them to be better people and literature and reading are routes to that too.”

Pat Austin received Arbuthnot Award after dedicating her life to educating future teachers. Photo by Grant Campbell

Balling on a budget: Making ends meet in college BY ZACH LETO Driftwood Contributor “Overworked and underpaid” is a mantra that much of America’s working class lives by as tuition for college students continues to rise. Nevertheless, students still have to pay the bills, but how do they do it? According to a report by Edvisors, a group of websites about planning and paying for college, the average graduate has a debt of more than $35,000. Students at the University of New Orleans seem to have some things figured out because for the fifth year in a row, the university has made U.S. News & World Report’s ‘Least Debt’ list with an average graduate debt of $18,850. One of UNO’s strongest selling points is its low tuition cost, so students who choose it over other in-state options are already making a conscious decision to lower the amount of cash they have to fork over for their higher education. This makes it attractive not only for the younger crowd, but also for older students who are not fresh out of high school and will have missed out on TOPS and other scholarships. The average age of a UNO undergraduate student was 24 years old as of fall 2015, a whole three years older than the average 21-year-old undergraduate at LSU. The extra years of post-high school experience might represent some fiscal

responsibility as a result, but the younger students are showing off their penny pinching chops as well. Jessica Bealer, a 19-year-old sophomore business major, is evidence of that. As a freshman, with few bills to pay still living at home with her parents on the Westbank, she was able to do with her four nights earnings from a Bourbon Street bar as she pleased. And Kate Spade watches, Tory Burch shoes and Marc Jacobs handbags pleased her. When asked if freshman orientation touched on how to spend money wisely, she responded with a laugh, “Probably, but I wasn’t paying attention.” In the middle of her freshman year, she moved out of her house in favor of a new roommate: grandma. Her old roommates then gave her the bills and the well began running dry. Noticing a trend in poor spending along with finding a new, meaningful goal to look forward to she started to practice better habits. She wants to study abroad in Austria with the Innsbruck program so she has devised a new financial plan.

“Now I started this thing where I keep $300 in my account, plus if I know I have to pay off something then I keep an extra $50 in there for the week,” she said. “Then by the weekend, if I go down I just refill it with the money I made, then put the rest in my savings account. It’s been working.” U n conventional, but apparently effective. Just

halfw a y through the fall semester, she is almost to her goal. “I’m not acting like a baller anymore,” she said, “I’m acting like a

responsible adult.” But like the students on UNO’s campus themselves, their budgets come in different shapes and sizes. Hannah Marcotte is a 22-yearold senior English major who lives and works on campus as a resident assistant in Lafitte Village and desk assistant in the dorms. “I get paid in a free place to live and a free meal plan,” she said, concerning her resident assistant job, but she gets minimum hourly wage for working the desk. She has had these modestly paying jobs for the past two and a half years. But how much do her parents contribute? “My parents split my fees,” she said. Other than that, she’s on her own. Yet somehow, the only time she has had to take out a loan was this past summer when she studied abroad in Cork, Ireland for the writing workshops there. Thanks in large part to various scholarships, her general tuition at UNO is covered. The financial struggle has been very real at times though. “When I first started, I didn’t have a credit card, so I would only have what I had on my debit card,” Marcotte

said. “I was living paycheck to paycheck, so I would usually run out of money the Monday before I got paid and have like 13 cents for the week.” Her mother encouraged her to get a credit card in order to cover costs in that arid five day span, and so she did. Since then, she said she has grown wiser in managing her money even with the extra wiggle room the credit card provides. As a resident assistant, Marcotte is in charge of organizing programs for her residents, but at this point there is not one focused on financial responsibility. The idea intrigued her because the only financial training incoming freshmen get during orientation is a push to join the UNO Credit Union. An undertone to all of this is the university’s seeming shortcoming of financial advisement towards students which can be unnerving in the light of rising tuition and fees. There have been no problems about notifying students about the need to pay those. What programs are available for financial education are unclear. Student Affairs runs no such programs and the Financial Aid department deals mostly with loan counseling. Nonetheless, UNO students, young and old, full-time and parttime, graduate and undergraduate, have found ways to stay out of the red. As the Beastie Boys would say, ‘They’ve got the skills to pay the bills y’all.’

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

Masters degree in transportation thrusts students into already flourishing industry BY TISHAWN MITCHELL Driftwood Staff Transportation is an important part of just about any economy, but in New Orleans it’s especially crucial: one out of every four jobs here is transportation-related. “Whether you’re talking about on the river, at the port, the streetcars, the buses, trucking, warehousing-all of the dynamics that are around transportation—the industry is really short-handed. They need qualified, educated people to come and work,” said Dr. Bethany Stich, Associate Director for Research at UNO’s Merritt C. Becker Transportation Institute (UNOTI). Becker Jr., the institute’s namesake, was a World War II railway worker and model train enthusiast who gave more than $1 million to UNO to establish a transportation research center back in the early 2000s. Today, the UNOTI is home to the Master of Science in Transportation (MST) degree at the university. Launched this fall, this degree is the first of its kind in the state, and one of the first in the country to train students in multiple modes of transportation.

Stich said that, so far, the recep- gents, the Port of New Orleans and area had 40,260 jobs in transportation has been great. the Port of South Louisiana, among tion and material moving, account“It’s both passenger and freight, others. ing for 7.5 percent of local area emwhich makes it pretty unique in the “Because it’s been industry sup- ployment, significantly higher than country. M.I.T. the 6.8-percent has a similar national share. program, but The local most transporwage for transtation degrees portation and focus on one or material moving the other, either was also signififreight or pascantly higher senger, and here than the nationwe cover them al average. The all.” mean hourly The MST dewage for transgree program portation and is a 33-credmaterial moving it curriculum workers in the that consists greater New Orof both online leans area was and on-campus $18.40, about 11 courses. Because One out of every four jobs in New Orleans is transportation related. percent above the Photo by Traven Stout national average of its hybrid for- mat, the program of $16.57. is ideal for stu“Daily, we get dents who already work full or ported, because of our advisory emails, ‘Could you contact your part-time in the transportation field board, we’ve been able to really students? We have this job opening, and wish to advance their careers as bring the industry to the students, that job opening.’ The port system as well as take the students out to is often hiring, so there’s jobs in the well as more traditional students. Stich, who is also teaches Trans- do some tours of the facilities,” she port of South Louisiana, the Port portation Studies classes at UNO, said. of New Orleans, dispatch jobs for According to the U.S. Bureau of trucking companies and railroad noted the importance of the support that the program receives from or- Labor Statistics, in May of last year, companies.” ganizations like the Board of Re- the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner Stich said that for jobs such as

railroad work and transportation planning, the average starting wage for those just coming out of program is around $60,000 a year. “The room to grow is substantial,” she added. “It’s really such a broad field. There’s so many things you can do.” There are also job opportunities for those who want to work in the transportation industry from a not for-profit standpoint in areas such as bicyclist and pedestrian advocacy. “Of course, those aren’t going to start at $60,000,” she said. Because New Orleans is the only place in the country that offers every mode of transportation, there’s no better place to study it, but for those who may not stay in New Orleans after graduation, Stich maintains that the degree is useful no matter where one goes: “Things and people move everywhere.” For more information about the Merritt C. Becker Jr. University of New Orleans Transportation Institute and the UNO Master of Transportation Professional Program, visit www.transportation.uno.edu.

SGA MEETINGS 2015

Every other Friday, 2:00pm Starting September 18

Room 208, 2nd Floor of the UC Come visit us and see what the Student Government Association is all about! /UNOSGA

unosg

@unosg

sga@uno.edu

sga.uno.edu

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

FEATURES

Historian and LSU professor Dr. Gaines M. Foster was the Second Installment in the Homer L. Hitt Distinguished Presidental Lecture Series. Photo by Traven Stout

Student Legal Services

SPONSORED BY: UNO STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

What we do:

• Give legal advice • Write letters and negotiate on your behalf • Assist withdrafting of wills, living wills, and powers of attorney

We cannot: • Represent you in court • Advise you on any dispute you have with the UNO administration, a UNO faculty or staﬀ member, or another student

Located near the intersection of Canal Street and Jefferson Drive Parkway, the statue of Jefferson Davis has been the target of vandals over the years. Photo by Al Kennedy

• Review and notarize documents • Help you prepare to go to court • Help with divorce, custody, landlord/tenant disputes & traﬃc oﬀenses

CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT TODAY!

Michael Tusa, JD (504) 280-6229 Wednesday 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM Thursday 1 PM - 6 PM

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

International Education Week at UNO

All week long

International menu items in the UC cafeteria.  International Photo Contest finalist photos AND the top entries of the Second Annual Limerick Contest displayed in the International Center Student Lounge (also displayed online). 

Tuesday, November 17th

International Opportunities Fair, The Library Breezway, 10:00am - 2:00pm  Study Abroad 1001 Session, International Center Student Lounge, 1:00pm-1:45pm  Intercultural Game, International Center Academic Seminar Room (112) & Conference Rm (122), 3:00pm - 5:00pm. Have fun and participate in this cross-cultural simulation designed to foster intercultural awareness! Please be on time for this one! Contact Tanja for more information (tbauer3@uno.edu). Free refreshments provided. 

Wednesday, November 18th

International Opportunities & Passport Fair, UC Lobby, 10:00am - 2:00pm. Find out about UNO’s international endeavors, AND submit your passport application on the spot! Go to our web site to see the list of required documents.  Study Abroad Cultural Café, UC Ballroom, 12:00 - 1:30pm. Free food & cultural presentations. 

Thursday, November 19th

National Student Exchange Information Session, UC Atrium, 12:00 - 2:00pm. There will be food, music, and a slide presentation. Current visiting exchange students will be on hand to answer questions about the program. NSE advisors will be present to discuss program details and assist with the application process.  International BBQ, International Center, 12:30pm - 2:00pm. By invitation only.  International Photo Contest Awards Ceremony, International Center Student Lounge, 2:00 pm 

Friday, November 20th 

Cabbage Ball Tournament & Potluck w/IELP, International Center Courtyard, 11:00am 1:00pm. Come play cabbage ball (a mix of baseball & kickball) and enjoy food & fun with IELP (Intensive English Language Program).

November 14 - December 6, 2015 

Austrian Art Exhibit, UNO Fine Arts Gallery on St. Claude Avenue. With works by Birgit Pleschberger and Anemona Crisan

inst.uno.edu Sponsored by: * Division of International Education * Aramark * UNO Diversity Committee * * New Orleans Museum of Art * Center Austria * New Orleans Passport Agency * * Lakeside Camera & Photoworks * LeMieux Galleries * UNO Bookstore * * Global Mentor Program * Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group * * World Affairs Council of New Orleans *

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

The Hungry Privateer: Yummy Sushi and Hibachi offers affordable choices at near-campus location Less than a mile away from this very campus lies a hidden gem, tucked at the end of an otherwise unimpressive strip-mall. Yummy Sushi & Hibachi (although the ‘Hibachi’ might be a bit of a stretch) manages to offer the one thing a college student is always looking for: a damn good deal. If your baseline for judging sushi starts with the Aramark-provided, questionable-at-best Sushi offerings, it’s easy for any run of the mill sushi restaurant to meet and exceed those expectations. But Yummy, in this reviewer’s opinion, goes beyond exceeding to excelling. The options at Yummy are high quality, well-priced and a great blend of choices for both beginners and sushi veterans alike. They present not only the standards (spicy tuna rolls, crab meat salads and a variety of bento boxes, for example), but also unique menu items that display a shocking amount of finesse for a restaurant housed next to a nail salon. The yellowtail carpaccio special with ponzu and thin slices of fresh jalapeño comes to mind, as does the Tuna House Style, a thickly chopped tartare topped with avocado and a delightfully mysterious ‘special sauce.’ And don’t even get me started on

the long list of extravagant specialty rolls. One of the true treasures at Yummy is their practically unbelievable menu of lunch specials. As a diehard sushi lover, I will be the first to admit it’s an addiction I can’t always afford to indulge. But the ability to get two rolls, as well as a miso soup and salad for under $10 ($8.50 to be more specific) is probably a game changer. While simply a crunchy roll might not be the most elegant, it’s certainly enough to tide my cravings while not breaking my budget. Yummy also offers a selection of teriyaki and tempura lunch bento boxes for as little as $8, with enough packed inside to fill up even the hungriest Privateer. For those who might be looking for the typical atmosphere of a sushi/ hibachi hybrid, Yummy isn’t necessarily your best bet. The restaurant is small and usually relatively quiet, even on its busiest nights. The hibachi grill is hidden behind kitchen doors, so while Yummy is certainly pumping out the kind of delicious fare typical of a hibachi restaurant, the experience is missing. This isn’t always a detracting factor for all patrons, myself included, but it’s best to know what to expect upon arrival.

The two roll lunch special (shown here with tuna and crunchy rolls) is just one of many great deals offered at Yummy Sushi and Hibachi. Photo by Anna Gowin

As it stands, I can be in Yummy’s parking lot less than three minutes after leaving campus. When I get there, I know that I can fulfill either my most complex desires with something like the Whitney Roll (black pepper tuna, snowcrab, seaweed salad and cream cheese

all inside a soy paper wrapper) or my basic need for raw fish on rice. And considering I can do that on a student’s budget, Yummy is considered a winner for this reviewer. Worth Trying: The killer lunch specials, the Tuna House Style, the Tiger Roll

Yummy Sushi and Hibachi 6100 Hamburg St. New Orleans, LA 70122 (504) 309-9401 Mon-Thurs 11a.m.-9p.m. Fri-Sat 11a.m.-9:30p.m. Closed Sunday

Sneak Preview: “The Jim Jims” by The JimJims BY LONES J. GAGNARD Driftwood Contributor The JimJims are a groovy, rock n’ rolling four piece hailing from Alabama and Shreveport, Louisiana. They are releasing their debut self-titled album in the spring, but the music could not be contained or held back. This is a sneak preview of “The Jim Jims” by The JimJims. The JimJims are made up of Daniel Vines serenading on guitar and vocals, Adam Guthrie riffing on guitar, Jack Vogt banging on drums and Noah Albright walking down bass street. Bringing together a huge blend of folk, rock n’ roll, psychedelic rock and punk, The

JimJims are here to please your ears. The sound off of this album is fresh and unique, not many artists are blending these overlooked genres and creating something all their own. The lyrics are poetic, telling different stories of horror and psychedelia while the backing rhythms raise you to your feet and make you holler. This music lies somewhere in between The Doors during their blues, rock years and the “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” soundtrack. Plain and simple: these songs are barnyard bangers and will have you grooving along to every note. The first song on the album is “Screeching Violas” and it is Vines’ response to hearing The Velvet Un-

derground & Nico for the first time, though he admits The Doors influenced the final production. Rootsy guitar riffs along with a tip-tapping drum style create a constant groove throughout the song. Near the end of the song, a calm before the storm moment occurs as the tempo slows down before a repeated chorus ends the song in a rebel yell. Following is “The Essential Horror,” which is a light-hearted and very macabre song simultaneously. It makes a valid point that horror is quite essential or else our beloved haunted houses may not exist. The beat and the way the lyrics are sang could easily be a classic folk song or even a lullaby to a certain sadistic set of parents, the Addams Fam-

ily possibly. The lyrics themselves tell different tales all surrounding morbid mortality, animal and human. Coming third on the album is a personal favorite and the most recommended track. “O Gypsy Lady, Where’dja Come From” is a swing dance and a half of a song. The most up-tempo song on the album thus far really makes you want to dance in a Halloween honky-tonk. When is the last time you danced drunkenly to a melodica solo? If the answer to that question is never, then that day is rapidly approaching. “Endless Desert” is the most down-tempo song on the album, it sounds like a hypnotizing stroll through blazing sand dunes. The

listener becomes mesmerized and led on a 7-minute pilgrimage. Jim Morrison’s inflection and weaving of words is most evident in this mind-bending ballad. The final song from this album preview is “Release Me.” Starting with a bang on some Rolling Stones “Satisfactionesque” guitar riffs, “Release Me” keeps this album in the direction it was always headed. With a psychedelic guitar solo and driving drum work this song doesn’t stop to wait for directions. The instruments are breaking free from their contemporary constraints and putting the power of rock right in front of your face.

ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

“Spectre” doesn’t quite live up to “Skyfall” BY JANE ALBRIGHT Driftwood Contributor I’ve always loved Bond. From Connery to Craig, there are elements to Bond’s character: his wit, his expertise, timeless charm and effortless coolness, that makes people want to be him. I am definitely guilty of this. “Spectre” did not fail in presenting the Bond that everyone is used to seeing. However, the plot was not without its faults. Warning: some spoilers ahead. The film is excellent for feeding the action-hungry moviegoer. Every fight and chase scene puts Bond at high risk of losing his life, but of course he always struts (or flies) away with style. There are hightech car chases, explosions and a few nifty gadgets provided by Q. A particularly enjoyable concept in “Spectre” was its fresh perspective on 007’s license to kill. They made a clear point, as an overarching plot element, that a license to kill is also a license not to kill. This provided an excellent opportunity for Bond’s character to be humanized more than he has been in past films; presenting Bond as more than a conscious-less, killing machine. The film, however, didn’t use its time well. It’s very difficult to keep an audience invested in a three-

hour action film. Especially with the many, convoluted plot lines that the film presented. There were too many plots going on at once, so the filmmakers never had enough time to fully flesh out the main premise of the movie. Spectre is run by Bond’s step brother, Oberhauser, who killed his dad (Bond’s guardian) years before. Oberhauser killed his dad because he was jealous of Bond’s relationship with him, which seems like a very weak reason. Oberhauser claims to be responsible for all of Bond’s suffering in the other films, but the audience wasn’t shown how Oberhauser was connected to the other films specifically. The presentation of this plot was sloppy and hard to buy into. It seems like they didn’t plan this overarching plot between the films until they decided to make this particular film. I would have loved to see the antagonism between Bond and Oberhauser, but he was not nearly as menacing as Javier Bardem’s character in “Skyfall.” My other problem with the film was that of the ‘Bond Girl,’ Dr. Madeleine Swann. She was introduced as the daughter of an ex-assassin who knows how to defend herself, hide and use a gun, etc. But, when the time came for the actual fighting, she disappeared from the

James Bond (Daniel Craig) leaping from the sliding damaged plane, gun drawn, in typical 007 style during the new film “Spectre” Photo by Jonathan Olley

scene. This would not have bothered me if the fighting had not gone to the extent which it did. Bond and the man he’s combating with are breaking through walls, smashing tables, and throwing glass at each others faces. They do this for an excessive amount of time. Yet, Madeleine is knocked down with one punch. They introduce Madeleine as Bond’s equal, some-

one who can really understand Bond and his lifestyle, someone who he might leave his risky lifestyle for. Yet she wasn’t drastically different than any of Bond’s past counterparts. If they really wanted to make an impact on Bond’s character, they should’ve consistently portrayed Madeleine in the same manner that they presented her: as a badass.

There were several loose ends in the many subplots of “Spectre,” and inconsistencies with the characters of Oberhauser and Madeleine. They promised the audience one thing and delivered another. “Spectre” is definitely worth a watch, but “Skyfall” is still probably the most successful of Daniel Craig’s Bond films.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

LAGNIAPPE

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SPORTS

Privateers eager to build on last year BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief After an up-and-down regular season, the UNO men’s basketball team made some noise as the seventh seed in the Southland conference tournament and made it to the second round before losing by three points to the third seed Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders. This year, head coach Mark Slessinger and company will look to make a deeper push with a young, promising roster, multiple changes on the coaching staff and a ton of optimism looking forward. Last years seniors, Kevin Syon and Terrance Brown, who logged an average of at least 20 minutes per game, are gone and graduated. And Colton Weisbrod, who provided valuable minutes off the bench in a sixth man role last year for the Privateers, transferred to Lamar State College Port Arthur. Despite those losses, coach Slessinger doesn’t expect any regression with the team’s production. “I think we’ll actually get a lot better,” Slessinger said. “When you look at [Christavious] Gill, [Nate] Frye, and [Tevin] Brolyes coming back as juniors that have all played with big minutes, have all had a lot of starts under their belt and that are difference makers.” To go along with the returning junior trio, sophomore Travin Thibadeaux should also be expected have larger big role with the team. Thibadeaux made the most of his minutes in the Southland tournament as he recorded career highs in rebounds (12) and points (15) in the first two rounds and also led the team in blocks for the season. That kind of production should equal a seamless transition from Syon. The Privateers have also bolstered their depth with a handful of freshman hopefuls and transfer students who are all expected to play big minutes. “They are going to play a lot,” Slessinger said. “We’re going to play people early and really try to get deep in our bench and build our

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

FROM THE CROW’S NEST BY ZACHARY C. GUNTNER Driftwood Staff

Junior guard Nate Frye looks for a passing lane in the 61-58 loss to Texas A&M Corpus Christi in the second round of the Southland Conference tournament on March 3, 2015. Photo by Rick Yeatts/Southland Conference

team early.” Slessinger said the benefits of playing the younger guys early and often will help the team down the stretch. Using the non-conference games to help the freshman build experience and log real game minutes will help them get prepared in case of an injury as well as aid in development. The new freshman, all guards, consists of Coleman Edwards, Cameron Reed, Danny Cohen, Veinje Wallace and Corey Vinson. Edwards out of Fort Blend Clements High School in Sugarland, Texas was a three-time all district player and will give depth at the point guard spot behind Frye. Reed will give the Privateers a much-needed perimeter shooter as the 6-foot-5 forward shot 40 percent from behind the arc in his final year of high school. And Slessinger credited Cohen as the most athletic player on the team. To help develop the younger players, the Privateers announced

the signing of new assistant coaches in Jody Bailey and Bill Duany this offseason. As a whole, the squad will look to improve their offensive execution and defensive consistency. Slessinger has been working on the fundamentals of the game and trying to improve a defensive unit that allowed an average of 73 points per game, which was ninth in the Southland. The recent Southland Preseason poll has the Privateers at eight, and while Slessinger says they do see their preseason ranking, it just adds to the excitement of proving the doubter wrong. “It’s obviously something that you think about, that this is where people think your program is at, and we think we are at a different level. I’m anxious to get out and get playing and proving some people wrong.” UNO will start the season on Saturday with a road games against Bowling Green.

The UNO women’s volleyball team (18-13, 7-7) continued their winning streak, putting them at six straight victories with wins over Lamar (13-14), (25-17, 25-15, 25-18) then Sam Houston State (1216), (25-20, 25-20, 25-23) last week. Head Coach Millicent Van Norden was honored before last Thursday’s home game for reaching 200th career wins on Halloween night against Nicholls (6-18). In Thursday’s match against the Lamar Cardinals both teams opened up the first set tied within the first ten rallies before the Privateers scored nine straight rallies to break away. Though Lamar tried fighting back, UNO slowly pulled away resulting in a 2517 win thanks to their .367 attack percentage and the defense claiming five more digs then their opponent. Through the first ten rallies both teams tied again but the defense led by freshman Shaylene Reimer made a strong effort behind her nine dig-second set. Reimer then dominated the second set by registering 18 kills on 30 attempts with only a single error. UNO would go on to win the second set 25-15. The Cardinals would put up their best fight in the third set but could not capitalize as the Privateers swept Lamar in the first three sets. UNO looked dominant in the match as the team was able to put up 48 kills, nine errors, and .402 hitting percentage while holding the Cardinals to a measly .138 hitting percentage. On Saturday the Sam Hous-

ton State entered the match with an undefeated all time record against UNO but would leave with their record blemished at 13-1 as New Orleans would defeat the Bearkats in the first three sets (25-20, 2520, 25-23). Sam Houston State would put the Privateers on edge early in the first set when the Bearkats led 6-3. But the first set would not end the same way as junior Keke Irby and freshman Blessing Dunn each tallied five kills to help New Orleans overcome a slow start and eventually win the first match 25-20. The second set resulted in the same score (25-20) as the Privateers would go into the third set up two to zero. New Orleans would look improved with a .316 hitting percentage to go along with their 17 kills and only five errors on 38 attempts. UNO would eventually send the Bearkats packing with their first loss in the programs history to the Privateers after only three sets. After traveling to McNeese on Tuesday, the last two games will be home games against Central Arkansas (15-11) and Jackson State (10-20). The last time the Privateers faced the Central Arkansas Bears in an away game, UNO came back home with a four-set victory winning 3-1 after only losing the second set. Currently the volleyball team holds a .500 conference record with seven wins and loses but are riding a six game winning streak in overall play. They are ranked fifth overall in conference play and need to make a statement in the next few games for consideration to play in the Southland Conference Tournament on November 18-22 in Conway, Arkansas.