Volume: 59 Issue: 11 by Driftwood

Volume: 59 Issue: 11

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

driftwood.uno.edu

HONORING THE FALLEN

Unity uses Day of Remembrance to create community of trans allies BY ANDREW LABORDE Driftwood Staff

AND ANNA GOWIN Features Editor Unity, UNO’s campus LGBT+ organization, is using Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) as a way of bringing awareness to the transgender community both here at UNO and on a national scale. TDOR, a national event that takes place on Nov. 20, commemorates all the transgender identified people who have died due to violence because of their transgender identities. It is observed across the country through organizations like Unity, who do events to raise awareness about what it is like to live as a trans person in America. Annually, Unity honors TDOR by creating memorial headstones for every transgender person who died in the past year, including their name, age and how they died. In addition to have the headstones visible on the quad all day, Unity members will be around to talk about TDOR and the life of trans people. Moe Labbe, Vice President of Unity, has been in charge of planning the TDOR event as well as oth-

er campus events over the course of November, transgender awareness month. “I am a part of the transgender community so that means I am directly involved with everything that happens. So when I hear things on the news about some trans person getting murdered or hurt or anything like that, that hits home for me,” said Labbe in regards to why this month is important. Some of the headstones have the names of people as young as 13 listed, making it a very harsh reality for both transgender and cisgender (people who identify as the same gender they were assigned at birth) students here at UNO. “It already hits home for us because we are such a small community,” said Shawn White-Maddox, Unity’s program coordinator and another transgender male. Bringing awareness to the realities of violence against the trans community is just one step in Unity’s month-long road towards creating a community of allies here on campus. Allies to the trans community are those who work to be aware of the living conditions for trans people right now and are willing to advocate for a huge im-

provement in those lives. “The biggest way to be a good ally is to be knowledgeable about things that go on in the community and understand what it means for trans people to openly identify as trans and the struggles they have to go through,” said Labbe. Labbe, White-Maddox and the other executive members of Unity have been using their weekly meetings to create a three-part series about transgender issues and awareness. “I’ve really taken the reigns on

TDOR

Nov. 20th 12 - 6 p.m. in the Quad

November. I’ve had a three part meeting. The first part explains what trans is and the big umbrella and what that means,” said Labbe, who hosted the second part of the meeting on Nov. 13, which featured transgender identified students sharing their stories and experiences. After the meeting, there was a showing of the documentary, “Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story.” The documentary follows former Navy SEAL Kristin Beck as she transitions and lives her life as a transgender woman. “The next meeting is going to be next Friday [Nov. 20] and is going to be a wrap-up meeting that teaches everyone to be good transgender allies,” said Labbe. The meeting is going to take place at 4:30, after the TDOR event in the quad. “Everyone will get their trans ally certification. We’re going to have all these different stations set up, and every station is going to teach you in a fun way different aspects of being a trans ally,” said White-Maddox. Part of becoming an ally is understanding the day-to-day experiences, in addition to things

like hate crimes and violence. White-Maddox said the little things cisgender people take for granted mean a lot to the transgender community. Even something as simple as using the bathroom becomes a herculean task for transgender students. Unity will be tabling in the UC this week and handing out buttons for the “I’ll Go With You” campaign. By joining the campaign and accepting a button, the community offers their assistance to check the restroom for a transgender person. “Sometimes being trans it’s hard to go into the bathroom that you identify with and it’s hard to be comfortable with that. With these buttons these people will have someone to go with,” said Labbe. “We love to see allies and help allies become better allies by educating them on the new terms that come up and the new issues that happen. The queer community is ever-changing. There’s always new terms and new identities. It’s important to stay relevant,” said Labbe. Unity has meetings in the Math building on Fridays at 4:30 in room 102, and the executive board can be reached at unity@uno.edu.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

OPINION

EDITORIAL

Ineffective University of Missouri president deserves blame for current campus crisis Most of us are well aware of the myriad of issues occurring at the University of Missouri, as well as other college campuses around the country. Student protests, a hunger strike, a boycott by the football team, a staff member requesting some “muscle” to force member of the media off a protest area and reports of African-American students being threatened on campus have been just some of the events occurring at the institution. It has created an unstable situation at the flagship state school that has been in operation since 1839. While there are fingers being pointed all over the place, this entire situation is ignited by the ineffectiveness of University of Missouri System President, Tim Wolfe. The turmoil and aggression now on campus are directly at-

tributed to a lack of acknowledgment and solving the problems on campus by a university president.By accepting the job of president, he or she has to be able to relate with all of his or her students and address their problems accordingly, especially a situation as serious as rampant racism on campus. Wolfe failed to do either. If a university is going to promote the diversity on its campus, then it needs to make sure those students feel fully integrated within the society of a college campus. Wolfe failed to do that too. If anything, Wolfe has created the opposite. Much like the state of Missouri has been since the death of Michael Brown, the University of Missouri is a community divided. Faculty members have even turned on their students and even their own departments in the midst of all the issue on

campus. Mizzou faculty members Janna Basler, the Assistant Director of Greek Life, and Melissa Click, a professor of Mass Media, have both been captured on film being aggressive to a student photographer trying to take photos of a protest that was being held on campus. The unrest at the University of Missouri has even brought out a defensive side to the cause as some protesters have taken to Twitter and cited the recent terrorist attacks on Paris as a way that the media chooses to ignore the issues on campus. It’s safe to say this situation didn’t happen overnight. The racism that exists in Missouri has been well documented. The Michael Brown riots still feel like yesterday, and the #BlackLivesMatter movement that has been growing exponentially since that tragic incident has

COLUMN Rein in your reindeer this Thanksgiving BY CHLOE GAGNON News Editor Whether or not you like the cold weather, it comes every year if you want it to or not. With the cold weather comes this magical time of the year—the holiday season. No matter which holiday you celebrate, it brings parties, food, family, friends, presents, music and of course decorations. I say “magical time of the year” because all the decorations mixed with holiday lights are so beautiful that it looks magical! The twinkling little lights look like fireflies or fairies floating around. Play “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” on the radio while driving around gazing in wonderment and I’ll be in heaven! Even though I love this time of year (including the cold weather), it seems like every year Christmas comes a little bit earlier. I work in a grocery store and the stockers started putting out Christmas merchandise on Halloween night. Is that really necessary? That is just a little bit too early for me. I mean let’s get through Thanksgiving first. Even though Thanksgiving is a fun tradition dating all the way back to the birth of our country, it’s a weird thing to celebrate because the Pilgrims really weren’t good people to the Native Americans. What is taught in elementary school about the friendship between the two groups of people were all lies!

What’s more is it’s a holiday that encourages people to eat and eat and eat some more until you are so stuffed that you blow up like a balloon. How does that not encourage obesity? Need a visual? Watch “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of

Azkaban” in one of the first scenes when Harry accidentally blows up Aunt Marge. That’s what I feel like after Thanksgiving dinner. Or should I say Thanksgiving lunch now in order to let family members rush off to department stores? Black Friday doesn’t even start on Friday anymore. It starts on Thursday, on Thanksgiving night. Should we start calling Thanksgiving ‘Black Thursday?’ What about Thanksgiving? Why do people want to jump the gun and skip Thanksgiving? Just for a couple of good deals where you’re skip-

ping quality family time in order to wait in a line for hours upon end and, depending on where you live, could potentially get trampled and die. Another thing, “Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” one of my favorite holiday movies, reminds me of real life so much in terms of gifts. Cindy Loo Who tries to get her community of Whos to remember the real reason Christmas is celebrated and not the artificial gift centered holiday. Back to the point, Christmas and other holidays should not be celebrated over the course of two months. Thanksgiving and Christmas are only two days out of 61. What would someone say about a person if he or she put up Easter decorations before even Valentine’s Day? I might call that person a wee bit crazy. I go by the rule of no Christmas/ holiday season decorations until after Thanksgiving, a.k.a. “Black Thursday.” That should go for holiday music too. Listening to incessant Christmas music for 8 hours at work gets really bothersome. I have no idea when it is going to start, but I’m sure it will be any day now. Don’t get me wrong, I love listening and singing along to Christmas music, but not constantly for eight hours. I prefer it at a time of my choosing, such as at a Christmas party or on the radio while I’m driving along looking at Christmas lights.

been one of the most talked about and active movements in recent history. Any racist incidents that happened on campus didn’t start this month; this has been a growing problem that students were clearly sick of. Complaints were sent and seemingly ignored. Protests commenced and were taken into account, but never taken too seriously until the football team boycotts, and that’s when administrators fall. Sadly, the damage had already been done, and the chaos that would ensue would be inevitable. Now, UM must rebuild, not the bricks on their campus, but the image that currently lives there. Whoever is chosen as the next president of Mizzou will have a load to deal with. He or she will have to lead them past this dark time in the university’s history, and this choice will be

an important one. They have already made the mistake of placing an incompetent president in the chair. He failed miserably and set their institution back a few years. Enrollment will surely decline, and transfers will surely increase. The Missouri System cannot make the same mistake again. Here at UNO, we find ourselves in a similar place. Looking for a new president to lead us out of the dark ages, we are currently debating and deciding what traits and characteristics we need in our next university president. Search forums with faculty and students have already started and will continue to take place over the next few months to find a suitable replacement. Mizzou will surely be doing the same. Making the wrong choice could be detrimental. Wolfe has proven that.

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 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • atlabord@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 18, 2015

SGA plans bill for funding UNO mascot BY MIA LETT Driftwood Staff The Student Government Association is planning a bill proposal to fund a mascot for UNO at their next meeting. With the fall semester coming to a close, the finance committee has announced $21,000 remains in their budget and the executive committee suggested that a portion of that amount go toward the partial funding of a school mascot. The SGA unanimously passed

three bills for the funding of 12 mats for the Taekwondo Sports Club and catering for the Department of Recreation & Intramural Sports soccer and flag football championship tournament events at the November 13 meeting. In addition to regular agenda items, SGA President Joy Ballard announced her interest in using some of the remaining SGA budget to fund a UNO mascot. She suggested the SGA allocate $7,500 toward the estimated $15,000 cost of a mascot. “I think a mascot would be great

for our campus…because everyone has a mascot,” said Ballard. But she wants the effort to be a collaboration with the athletics department, hence the partial funding. Ballard also suggested forming a committee in which the Student Activities Council (SAC), SGA and the Athletic Director would be a part of. The committee would decide on the choice and the name of the mascot. With the SGA sponsorship, Ballard said the mascot could be used for SAG and SAC events, not only benefiting athletics.

The decision will be made next SGA meeting after the bill is presented. Additional meeting highlights included Ballard’s executive report in which she made three announcements. The first was “Get to Know UNO,” an event where student organizations, colleges and majors can set up and talk to students about why they should choose UNO. SGA has set up a table. The event will be held November 21. Ballard also announced it was time for SGA to sign up for a homecoming team and to nominate any

fellow senators for homecoming court. Ballard’s final announcement was regarding “Week of Welcome,” an initiative planned by the executive committee. The event will be held at the beginning of the spring semester and SGA plans on doing an event every day of that week. During nominations and appointments, Everett Odom, a senator on the SGA was voted unanimously to fill the role of Deputy Pro tem. The last SGA meeting of the semester will be held on Friday, Nov. 20.

MAN ON THE STREET What Thanksgiving tradition can you not live without?

MARVIN CRAYTON, JR. Freshman, Music Studies

I can not do without cranberry sauce.

ASHLEY WOOD Freshman

DON STONER Freshman, Civil Engineering

RYAN WARREN Senior, Philosophy

BLAINE TOUCHARD Junior, Accounting

I cannot live without honey baked ham.

A tradition I can’t live without would be having mashed potatoes and gravy and biscuits.

The thing I can’t live without on Thanksgiving is stuffing.

Tradition I can’t be without is being around family because family is everything really. Photos by Traven Stout

See page six for more Thanksgiving Man on the Street questions! CRIME SCENE DO NOT

CROSS CRIME SCENE

• On Nov. 2, UNOPD broke up a quarrel between two roommates who had been fighting for several days. They are no longer roommates. • On Nov. 10, UNOPD arrested a subject after being told to leave campus multiple times by Privateer Place Office staff members.

CAMPUS CALENDAR WED., NOV. 18

THURS., NOV. 19

FRI., NOV. 20

SAT., NOV. 21

SUN., NOV. 22

The Gathering Worship Service UNO, Xavier, Loyola and Tulane students will be meeting in Milneburg 179 for a service in worship and will also hear from a speaker. The event is from 6 to 10 p.m. and free for all students, faculty and staff.

Tocqueville Project Lecture: “Capitalism and the Family” - Speaker Steven Horwitz is a Professor of Economics at St. Lawrence University and will be holding a lecture in his series about political economy and philosophy, the “Tocqueville Project.” The lecture is from 5 to 6:15p.m

Cabbage Ball Tournament and Potluck with IELP - Enjoy some good food and cabbage ball with Intensive English Language Program (IELP) at the International Center Courtyard from 11a.m. to 1 p.m.

Capture the Flag - As a part of their Brotherhood event, Theta Xi fraternity will be playing Capture the Flag in the quad from 3 to 5 p.m.

Film Screening: Follow Me Down Follow Me Down, a documentary and concert film about music in Louisiana prisons, is being screened and co-sponsored by Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Online courses are met with mixed reviews BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief Scheduling season is here and classes are already beginning to fill up with students looking to fulfill those courses necessary to graduate. For those who missed a chance to reserve their spot in the class, taking an online course may be the only option to stay on track and finish school on time. In a recent survey, ten students with varying majors, all of whom are currently in or have taken an online course and two professors who have taught multiple online courses, were questioned on the difficulty of online courses, the pros and cons of taking these courses and how they differ from the traditional lecture style of teaching. Survey participants agreed on a variety of factors in online courses, one being the scheduling flexibility for students and teachers. Dr. Gilda Reed, a psychology professor who has taught online courses since 2002, said time flexibility and the lack of need to travel to campus were the main positives for students. For a university known for being a “commuter school,” all of the students who answered in the survey agreed with Reed’s statement. “They are probably the most convenient for commuter students or grad students,” said Zoë Alexander, a junior with a Pre-Nursing major. “As it gives them a lot more scheduling flexibility. You can do school work in between shifts, or

forgo the drive across the city to go to class.” Like anything, the good comes with the bad, and all of the negative factors in taking online courses varied among the participants with the most common factor being the lack of communication between students and teachers. Students said the lack of interaction creates a dull and uninteresting class. Because everything is done through a screen, class discussions are largely nonexistent. “I don’t usually ask questions in class or speak in general,” said Evan Kramer, a sophomore Anthropology major. “…I do like the spontaneity of an in-person lecture, which is absent from online classes. It’s cool to see the professor interact with his/her students.” The lack of interaction also makes students feel alone when it comes to learning the material. Tests are taken online with the exception of the final. Taking proper notes, understanding the material and staying on schedule with the assignments and any changing that may occur are all solely on the students. In an in-person lecture, teachers can react when a class is having trouble getting a firm grasp of the material. Online courses prevent teachers from being able to help their students. “The lack of direct communication makes the whole experience very impersonal,” said Dr. David Berris, an associate professor of Anthropology who has been teach-

With many classes starting to fill up, some UNO students may have to take online courses to stay on track. Photo by Grant Campbell

ing online courses since the fall of 2005. “It can be hard to be sure students are making sense of the material, except during exams, which of course makes it harder to do a nuanced job of teaching.” All in all, whether grades are better in online courses than in traditional lecture courses will depend on who you talk to. Seven of the 12 survey participants said grades tend to be better in online courses. Reed, in her online classes allows three hours for students to take tests, and all of her tests are open book. She also provides easy

points in the form of weekly assignments that generally improve test scores. In general, six out of 12 participants would rather take in-person courses than online courses and three were split on the choice. “Personally, I prefer in-person lectures because I have had better learning experiences,” said Gabrielle Raedisch, a senior Film and Theatre major. “I have gotten more in-depth in learning and studying material. I also have the advantage of being more invested into making the grades.” Three people were split on the

decision, saying some courses are better for online and some are better for in-class style teaching. “I guess because I see just as many pros as cons with online classes, I can’t say whether I prefer online classes to lectures,” said senior Kaitlin Keith. “It’s probably a good idea for the student to use their best judgment on which classes should be taken online or which one’s should be taken in class. For example, psychology might be more appropriate for an online class than chemistry.” Samantha Eroche contributed to this story.

Navigating finances and solving problems with UNO FCU BY ZACH LETO Driftwood Contributor Dealing with banks and credit card companies can be a hassle. Since the vast majority of purchases and transactions take place electronically and the attention span of the average person continues to shrink in the tech-driven world, the need for transparency and clarity in banking practices grows. It can be tricky figuring out where to begin if a problem does arise. Customers often wonder what the proper channels are for solutions to those problems. Who do they talk to? Steve Juliff, a 22-year-old junior film major, recently ran into complications with his UNO Federal Credit Union (FCU) debit and credit cards. When he moved to New Orleans from Minnesota, he transferred his Wells Fargo accounts to the campus credit union. “I had to transfer all my funds … because they don’t have Wells Fargo here,” Juliff said. “So I needed a bank and [UNO FCU] was on campus.” After establishing his accounts, he received a debit card and tried to purchase school textbooks online. “I wanted to buy something online to ship it here, but for some reason that debit card wasn’t working to

order things online,” Juliff said. “So they (the credit union) were like ‘you have to get a credit card in order to buy those things.’” Juliff applied and was approved for a $1000 limit credit card through the credit union and proceeded to use it for online purchases. Earlier this semester, he decided to apply for a new, outside credit card. “I wanted to get a card so that I could have the additional perks of having a card,” he said. “Discover was there and I got up to $1500 credit.” That is where he ran into another problem with the credit union. For some reason, parts of his accounts were frozen because of the new credit, he said. He was then told that in order to unfreeze those funds he would have to apply for a smaller credit card with the credit union. “It was just a ridiculous process because you should be able to have your money,” he said. “They should not freeze your money. I didn’t see that anywhere in the application.” Juliff never mentioned who he talked to from the credit union, but it was likely an employee at the desk. For Juliff, the entire ordeal was confusing and concerning. As

it turns out, there was confusion on both ends. Chris Maurer, the CEO of UNO FCU, offered some insight into the issue. “I’m not aware of any acceptance issues,” Maurer said, concerning the use of a debit card for online purchases. “This is probably a situation that is unique to this person, or if we did give out incorrect information, I would certainly address that and rectify that.” He said there might be a number

“There’s likely a logical explanation for all of this,” Maurer said. “Certainly we would provide him with the proper explanation. We’ll be happy to take care of that.” The issues have since been resolved, and the proper channels to voice complications and concern have become more apparent. “Really, that applies to any financial institution that you are doing business with,” Maurer said. “Whether it’s us, Capital One, Chase or wherever you have an account. If something doesn’t seem right and the explanation doesn’t make sense, then it is always a good idea, like with a medical [issue], to ask for a second opinion.” That second opinion should come from someone in management. Chris Maurer and Angela Capella, the assistant manager, are always available and willing to assist customers with any problems or misunderstandings they might have. In fact, the UNO FCU goes to great lengths to serve students on campus as both a means to attract new customers as well as educate them on a variety of financial topics. “We are frequently [working]

“If something doesn’t seem right and the explanation doesn’t make sense then it is always a good idea, like with a medical [issue], to ask for a second opinion.” - Chris Maurer, CEO of UNO FCU of variables that cause a debit card to be declined for online purchases. Such include: exceeding the $1000 daily debit limit, an inconsistency with the address on the card and the address for the purchase or companies authorizing a larger amount than what is in the account. Despite that, Maurer said, “There is no reason why our card shouldn’t be able to be used – both debit and credit – for online purchases.”

through the First Year Experience, the academic orientation forces. We are on the speakers list. We actually attended maybe eight or nine sections in the fall. We have a budgeting program that’s about a half-hour long,” Maurer said. “We also have Understanding Your Credit, like avoiding pitfalls while you’re in school and getting into a lot of debt because we found out most people who have to drop out, it’s for financial reasons. And a lot of times it’s financial reasons that maybe could have been avoided had there been a little more of a foundation up front, whether at the secondary school level or at our level.” He admitted the most difficult thing about the programs has been getting people to attend, a struggle that many organizations are familiar with on campus. Despite this, Maurer is willing to keep pushing. “If there’s a different approach that we could be taking to promote [the programs], we are very open to that,” he said. Considering the costs of being a college student will likely continue to rise, more financial training might be worthwhile campus-wide. If that is the case, UNO Federal Credit Union is prepared to navigate everyone through that.

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Political Analysis: Hillary vs. Bernie BY MIA LETT Driftwood Staff The former Secretary of State and the senator of Vermont are undoubtedly the top runners for the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential election. Hillary Clinton would be the first woman president in US history; Bernie Sanders would serve to be the first self-declared “democratic socialist.” The two are neck and neck in some states, Clinton still leads, but both overshadow any other democratic candidate. And though they both share the same democratic values, the candidates differ significantly on almost every issue. Here are some examples:

did not fall under the responsibility of the NRA, but health care: “we have to address the issue of mental health…” he said at the last democratic debate.

She wants more regulation for the banks as well as other financial institutions like big insurance companies and investment banks: “That’s where the experts tell me the next

IMMIGRATION

A hot topic in the debate right now, dramatized by Donald Trump’s infamous racist rhetoric targeting America’s Latino commu-

GUN CONTROL

Probably the issue Sanders is weakest on. He believes in stricter background checks, but he voted against the Brady Bill and immunity provisions on gun owners. And he may have put too much emphasis on the difference in gun control issues based on whether you are governing a rural or urban area. Clinton, on the other hand, voted for immunity provisions and believes gun owners should not be immune to the consequences of gun violence at the hand of their gun purchasers. Sanders was the first, however, to bring up a point on gun control that

Though both candidates have similiar values, they differ significantly on several issues.

THE ECONOMY

Sanders wants to break up big banks. Sanders was against the merging of banks which took place in the 90’s. Clinton, however, doesn’t want to break up big banks.

potential problem could come from,” she said at the last debate. Both candidates want free tuition, but Clinton wants students to work 10 hours a week, while Sanders wants Wall Street speculation tax to pay for tuition.

Photos from candidates’ website

nity. Sanders and Clinton both tackle the issue with a strong emphasis on inclusion and sensitivity. Both agree that a comprehensive immigration reform is necessary and that immigrants need to be able to find a path toward citizenship.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Both candidates agree that black lives matter. Sanders’s solution is to reform our criminal justice system and address institutionalized racism. Clinton, though she did agree with criminal justice reform, her angle leans more toward the economy: affordable early child care, good housing options and access to good schools. There is no doubt about it: Bernie Sanders is favored by young voters. On October 28, a group of UNO students, along with 300 other colleges across the country, gathered together to view an online live stream of the National Student Hall meeting and discuss the presidential candidate. Clinton has yet to make a strong impression on youth, but her poll numbers are growing. Both candidates have skeletons in their closets. Clinton voted to go to war in Iraq. Sanders delayed action on the VA scandal until pressure came down from media and government reports. But one thing that can be said about these two candidates is that they respect one another. They address the differences in policy, but not differences in character. Insults and low blows are not a part of their rhetoric. No matter which candidate you chose, democratic voters can at least be proud of that.

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 18, 2015

FEATURES

MAN ON THE STREET What’s the craziest thing that has happened to you at Thanksgiving? JORDAN RANDOLPH Sophomore Film/Business

I dropped the pot of gumbo 20 minutes before Thanksgiving dinner when I was twelve.

ASHLEY WOOD Freshman

Craziest thing that happened to me on Thanksgiving was taking the wrong way to my grandmother’s house. I ended up at some random family’s house.

DON STONER Freshman Civil Engineering

One time, my uncle got plastered for Thanksgiving and tried to prove he was a ninja. So he jumped out a second story window and attempted to climb down a tree, but failed. Photos by Traven Stout

Student Legal Services

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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

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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 18, 2015

Students light up the Quad during Kappa Sigmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Warrior Week Laser Tag event. Photos by Traven Stout

ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Recommendations for best local social scenes for students BY ZACHARY C. GUNTNER Driftwood Staff Every college student needs a night out every once in a while to let loose after putting hard work into their studies. Whether you are looking to grab a drink with your closest friends or even interested in making a few new friends of your own, there are a few places around the city that might interest you. One of my personal favorite bars to frequent is The Bulldog at their Mid-City location. The beer and food selections are pretty vast which is nice because I like trying

new things. Luckily for me, The Bulldog is a dog-friendly bar, so I can always take my bros and dogs all to the same place and still be able to have casual conversations, as it is never really too crazy of a scene at the bar’s outdoor patio. They host Pint Night every Wednesday in case you want to start building your own personal pint glass collection. If you like them on Facebook, you can see other special events they may be hosting at random as they are pretty savvy with their use of social media. (21 to enter) If you are not of drinking age but you still want to take in some

of the best nightlife New Orleans has to offer, then Republic is the club for you. It is more considered a club than a bar where dancing is expected. Republic also hosts various artists for weekly concerts or themed nights such as Bounce, or Trap Night. As long as you’re 18 you can dance the night away like it is 1990… on 90’s Throwback night. Holidays tend to have fun specials and themes so be on the lookout after finals wrap up and you’re looking for a spot to unwind. (18 to enter) Red Eye Bar and Grill is on the same block as Republic on South

Peters. Pros of going to Red Eye is that their grill features some pretty darn spectacular food and is staffed with a crew that helps make your night there one to remember, or not. Either way, they play great music and Friday nights pack the floor with college students and young professionals looking to have a good time. Our students said they love it because you will see a variety of people no matter the school congregating here, which I can vouch for. (21 to enter) TJ Quills is one of the more common answers I received when asking younger students where they

like to go out for fun. Quills hosts Thirsty Thursday which is home of the five dollar drink special in a notorious big cup. This uptown bar is frequented by members of UNO’s Greek life and many students of the Tulane/Loyola community. Students like that Quills is accommodating to anyone aged 18 and older so it makes it easy for friends of any age to go and have a few drinks. The bar is pretty small so it can get tightly packed very easily on Thursday nights so if you’re not looking to bump booties, get there early. (18 to enter)

THANKSGIVING STAFF PICKS MIA LETT Driftwood Staff

For the past three years, me and my family put on our gloves and big 1920’s hats and head down to the racetrack for opening day. Opening day at the fairgrounds is a tradition for many New Orleanians. So if you’ve never been and want to do something different on Thanksgiving morning, check out the racetrack where you can bet on the horses, have a beer and observe all the beautiful racetrack attire.

TISHAWN MITCHELL

Going to Disney World during the dog days of summer is not my thing, so my family and I beat the heat by going during Thanksgiving holiday week instead. Perks of doing the big D in late November include cooler temperatures, more affordable hotel rooms and reduced crowds. We also get a sneak peek of the breathtaking Xmas decorations that will be put up in the weeks to come.

NIGEL WASHINGTON

The food is cool. Yea, we all love family. But one thing makes Thanksgiving for me: Football. After a day of food and good jokes by your drunk uncle, nothing is better than making a dent in the couch and watching a few quarters of good ol’ fashion football. You can keep the backyard football. After gorging all types of foods, running around chasing little kids and getting gang-tackled is the last thing I’m trying to do.

Driftwood Staff

Editor-in-Chief

ENTERTAINMENT

Pixar animator blends storytelling & science

BY CHLOE GAGNON News Editor Pixar animator Michael O’Brien appeared at UNO for a behind-thescenes animation presentation of Pixar’s upcoming film—“The Good Dinosaur,” on Nov. 9. The event was held in Kirschman Hall where O’Brien gave a presentation on the making of “The Good Dinosaur” and showed several clips from the film. “The idea of what we’re trying to do is tell a unique story…We want it to be unique to our studio and that makes it really hard because everybody has seen everything. The stories that are out there have been told and told over again and told well and told badly,” said O’Brien in an interview following the presentation. “It’s not easy to be interesting and not cliché, and compelling and not sappy and emotional but not cheesy. That is a razor-thin wire, I think. To me, it looks like magic.” The main plot of the film is about a dinosaur named Arlo who gets swept down a rushing river and tries to make his way back home to his family. Along the way, he meets and befriends a human boy, Spot. “The Good Dinosaur” takes place on Earth as if the asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs missed and they never became extinct. O’Brien explained that the river was the most challenging part of the animation of this film. He, along with the main department heads of the film crew, such as the director, cinematographer, producer, head animator and others, went on a white water rafting trip to get the experience of a rushing river. “You have an idea of what a river is because you’ve seen them, you’ve played in them as a kid, you understand it’s water and it’s moving. Visually, you have a mental image of what that looks like,” said O’Brien.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

SENIOR RECITAL

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

“When you go there and you’re in a little raft that you’re getting swept down this thing, you fully appreciate the power and the inevitability of this…You find out that the water is going to move regardless of what you are doing to it. You are not big or strong enough to slow it down, to really divert it at all.” Despite the scary nature of it all, O’Brien admitted: “It was a neat experience. It’s one of those moments where I don’t think I’m going to die, but I could definitely die. There’s a lot of scary stuff happening in that whole space that made me really appreciate sending a character in it.” O’Brien has a degree in both Mathematics and Computer Engineering. He has been working at Pixar since 2000 where he lucked into the job and was thrown into the deep end of it all. “I had a bunch of very patient people that helped me with some basic things…You can make art, and a lot of it is trying to make better art every time. Being an artist is not ‘you’re born with it or you’re not,’ it’s a craft that you work on hard all the time. I wanted to do it.” O’Brien has worked on many Pixar films such as “WALL·E,” “Cars,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Good Dinosaur” and “Finding Dory,” which is set to release on June 17, 2016. O’Brien said that he did not have a favorite Pixar film. “They are all my favorite. It’s like picking your own kid. Each experience is so different. “Finding Nemo,” to me, was such an experience about growth as an artist, about understanding what that was like. That was such a cool experience. This film [“The Good Dinosaur”] was fantastic because the whole team came together to do something we didn’t think we could do on a scale we didn’t think we could do it at. I was on the “Cars” team for a long time. That was another super cool experience.”

Senior vocalist Brianna Francis performed works by Loewe, Schubertand Handel as part of her senior recital. Photos by Traven Stout

FREE EVENT

UNO Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center

Wed, December 2, 2015 | 7:00 p.m.

MIVOS QUARTET The New York-based contemporary Mivos Quartet performs original music by acclaimed composer and UNO professor Yotam Haber, as well as works from their own repertoire in this FREE concert. TICKETS UNOMusicalExcursions.eventbrite.com Advance Reservation Encouraged

Or stop by the UNO Music Office at PAC 331 weekdays 8:30-4:30 The Musical Excursions Series Sponsored by:

The Musical Excursions Series is presented by the UNO Music Department and Arts Administration Program in association with WWNO 89.9 Radio

LAGNIAPPE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Illustrated by Barrington Hebert

11/16/2015

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Tue Nov 17 03:00:10 2015 GMT. Enjoy! Answers will be published online on Friday via our Instagram account:

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SPORTS

Privateer profile: Michael Sotile BY ANDREW LABORDE Driftwood Staff Michael Sotile is your typical college freshman: he lives in the dorms, hails from another city, plays a sport with a scholarship stipend and has a car. But there is something atypical about him: he is the only American and the lone freshman on the men’s golf team at UNO. Sotile attended University High, which is located on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge. He considered attending Louisiana Tech, but he said he loves New Orleans, its proximity to home, as well as UNO being the only school to offer him a golf scholarship. Sotile noted the difficulty in living with all international students. “They have a different mindset. First of all, they are never on time. We always leave ten minutes late [for practice],” said Sotile. Another difficulty being the only American on the team is assisting his international teammates in traveling around the city. “If [teammate Homero Toledo] wants to go to Wal-Mart, he asks me because I’m the only one with a car on the team,” said Soltile. Sotile had to sign for his teammates to get a car because he is the only one with a Louisiana license. The vehicle is registered to Sotile because he is the only American on the team that can legally have one under his name. “It was a mess. It’s still in my name, but I’m getting it out next week,” said Sotile about signing for his teammate’s car. When asked about the difference between his high school golf team and his Privateer team, he said the UNO team is definitely closer. “With them being foreign, I feel they are more open with each other,” said Sotile. “It’s a lot different, but different in a good way. They’re more helpful out on the golf course. They have a lot of insight to offer even though they’re from outside the country.” His teammates call him “freshman,” but Sotile also mentioned their ability to help with his school-

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

FROM THE CROW’S NEST BY NIGEL WASHTINGTON Editor-in-Chief

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Michael Sotile is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is currently the only freshman on the golf team and is the only U.S. born member. Photo courtesy of UNO Athletics

work and being models for balancing both school and golf. Sotile noted that both he and one of his teammates, Markus Krieger, are Finance majors. “I try to balance my life how Markus does it. I try to do everything Markus does pretty much, because it obviously works for him. Markus is probably the one I try to be the most like in college because he is able to balance everything,” Sotile said. On the golf course, Sotile said his teammates are more technical with their swings, which is not typical with players in America, who practices their short game the most. “I take in all the information they give me,” said Sotile. Sotile noted the difference between his path to UNO and his teammates’ path. “What I found out about these guys except for the Canadian [Greg Palmer], their education in high school is much more intense.” Outside of balancing school and golf, Sotile said the hardest aspect

of his semester so far is telling his teammates “no.” “They don’t take ‘no’ very well. When they want me to drive them somewhere, and I have to study all day, then they just bug me all day.” For a potential school goal, Sotile wants to maintain over a 3.0 GPA and highlighted the difficulty of balancing the life of a golfer and a student. Golf practice lasts five hours per day, and typically the team does not return until 7:30 at night. “For golf, I was glad to get this last tournament in,” said Sotile regarding the team’s fifth place finish in the Arkansas State University Fall Beach Classic at the end of October where Sotile tied for 23. “I want to get stronger, get more fit and keep making the travel team, and in the future make a top five finish,” said Sotile. As for his career in finance, Sotile hopes to be a financial advisor on campus at LSU like his father, assisting the staff and faculty.

The Lady Privateers finished their regular season with a 3-0 sweep against Jackson State at the Human Performance Center. After winning the first set 29-27, the Lady Privateers cruised past the Bulldogs as they look forward to the Southland Conference Tournament. UNO finishes the season with a 19-15 record and a 7-9 record against Southland Conference opponents. Freshman Blessing Dunn led the team this season in kills with 293. Senior Celeste Ramirez cracked 1,000 assists for the season. The Lady Privateers will go into the Southland Conference Tournament as the fifth seed and will face off against the fourth seed McNeese State this Friday at 1:30 p.m. UNO and McNeese State split the season series. The winner of this match will go on to face either the eighth seeded Southeastern Louisiana or the first seeded Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The women’s basketball team could never get the offense in a groove as they dropped the season opener on the road to TCU, 85-36. The Lady Privateers could only muster 12 points through

the first two quarters while the TCU Horned Frogs scored 35 points in that same time. UNO committed 28 turnovers and shot only 20 percent from the field. Randi Brown led the team with eight points on 2-for-15 shooting. The Lady Privateers will have their first home game tomorrow against LSU-Alexandria for 5:30 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The UNO men’s basketball team finished their two-game stretch this week with losses to Bowling Green and Duquense. In the first match against the Bowling Green Falcons, UNO ended the first half with a tenpoint deficit. The team could never make get on a run to get back into the game as they fell 79-61. On Nov. 16, the Privateers played their final road game against Duquense before heading back to the Lakefront for their first home game. The Privateers defense couldn’t hold the Duquense offense as the team allowed 54 points in the first half. UNO couldn’t manage a comeback after halftime and fell to Duquense 95-75. New Orleans will head back to the arena with a 0-2 record. They will host Pensacola Christian College tomorrow, who the Privateers beat in last year’s season opener by more than 20 points. Tip off is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.