Volume: 59 Issue: 14
JANUARY 27, 2016
driftwood.uno.edu
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
Homecoming brings in new events, preserves old favorites BY ANNA GOWIN Features Editor With every new spring semester comes Homecoming season, a week of events dedicated to generating school spirit and celebrating the UNO student body, this year’s theme is “Privateers of the Galaxy.” “I think that UNO pride and Privateer pride is something that is lacking on this campus,” said SAC’s Lagniappe Chair, Devin Gaeta. “I think that Homecoming is the most effective thing that this campus does to try and bring that back.” Gaeta, as lagniappe chair, is the SAC member in charge of organizing the events of the week, leading up to this year’s basketball games against McNeese. Gaeta said he hopes that Homecoming offers a fresh, fun start for all students on campus, not just the members of Homecoming court, or organizations involved in creating teams. “From the beginning, I was just
like ‘Wow, this is a big deal.’,” Gaeta said, in regards to getting to tackle the challenge of planning such an important event. “It’s like an honor.” This year’s festivities are going to be a mix of the familiar and new events that Gaeta and SAC hope to turn into lasting traditions. Like, for example, the Homecoming parade was something Gaeta instantly knew he wanted to revive. “It used to be a car parade with floats and everything, and all the colleges participated. And I was like, ‘Why don’t we do that? We’re the University of New Orleans!’.” But of course there were a lot of details to be taken into consideration, and plans needed to be altered accordingly. So the event evolved to make the transition easier for students and SAC. “We decided to compromise and ease into things with a second line parade,” said Gaeta. The second line will include a brass band, the members of the homecoming court, the basketball players and even Coach Slessinger, all hand-
ing out “UNO swag” to students on campus. But there are a lot of staple events that Gaeta knew SAC needed to keep in line with what people expect with Homecoming week. This includes staples like the tailgate, and trivia night. And, Gaeta said, “Six Appeal has become a staple, this is their third year in a row here, so I knew from the beginning I wanted them to come.” The traveling A Cappella group, which performed Monday night, has become a student favorite. But one Homecoming tradition didn’t make it past the planning stage this year: the Homecoming dance. “In my mind, that is a Homecoming staple, but every year attendance is pretty horrible,” Gaeta said. And he and SAC understand why. “People want to go out, especially with their friends after the game.” So, while it would have been nice to hold on to, Gaeta said, “Objectively it’s just not worth the money, the effort or the time.” These are the kinds of sac-
rifices that have to be made when planning such a large scale event for students, in order to make the best Homecoming possible. “There were certainly a lot of twists and turns, in terms of what to do,” Gaeta said, “but we’ve added some fun and interesting things I’m excited about.” New events this year include things like the student showcase and the lip-sync battle, which will hopefully inspire students to get involved with the events happening on campus. Wednesday night’s showcase was actually the idea of a volunteer SAC member. “We want Homecoming to be about the students, and not just the basketball team,” Gaeta said. So it’s important that student voices are heard. And the lip-sync battle is probably going to be a surprise hit, according to Gaeta. “The more work you put into an event,” he said, “the more you idealize it in your mind.” But it is always the events that require “little to no preparation,” Gaeta said, that end up becoming
student favorites. “I was thinking about how all of the events are going to go, and just thinking that that is really going to be one of the more fun events.” Not to mention, Gaeta said, “We definitely have some people of character on our campus that I’m excited to see perform.” Now that the week is in full swing, Gaeta says this is probably the easiest part for him and everyone involved, watching Homecoming unfold. While they might have to deal with last minute problems as they arise, “At this point, it’s happening, and people are enjoying it. Just like, ‘Wow, here it is. It’s all here.’.” Check the campus calendar for a full list of Homecoming events yet to come. Voting for Homecoming court is open until Friday, Jan. 29 at noon. Pictured above from left to right: Marc Smith, Leroy Johnson and Matt Dayton enjoy homecoming event on Monday.
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
EDITORIAL
Are the #OscarsSoWhite ? The Oscars: the annual award ceremony meant to honor all of the cinematic achievements of the previous year. All of them. Not a couple. Not a select few. All. So what is it about this year’s Academy Award ceremony that doesn’t seem as inclusive as it should be? And why does it feel so similar to last year’s? Well in case you’ve had your head in the ground, the Oscars has not a single ethnic minority nominee for the second year in a row. And why is that? It’s not that there wasn’t a single movie by a black actor or director that could be considered Oscar-worthy. Idris Elba gave a phenomenal performance in “Beasts of No Nation.” And Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler together crafted one of the best movies of the year in “Creed.” If both of these movies were lauded by top critics, receiving over 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, how could they not have been nominated? No one is arguing that these people should be awarded the Oscar right off-the-bat. The Academy isn’t even giving them the chance. The idea that wanting the Academy to be
more diverse is somehow “racist against whites,” as Actress nominee Charlotte Rampling put it, is absolutely dumbfounding and incredibly ignorant. Black people aren’t trying to take awards from white people. They just want the same recognition and respect as any other race, including white people. When the hastag #OscarsSoWhite has to be revived for the second time, you know there is a problem here, clear as day. A number of black actors and directors have begun boycotting the ceremony. A number of prominent black icons will be boycotting the Academy Awards, including Will and Jada-Pinkett Smith, Snoop Dogg and Spike Lee. Even documentary director Michael Moore will not be attending or watching the Oscars. But this arises from the deeper issue that plagues this nation, that has been plaguing this nation for a very long time now. The issue is that as many rights that African Americans have today, there are still ways that they are being discriminated against. The racism has run deep into our society and in a multitude of social institutions.
PERSPECTIVE
Just look at the uprisings going on at colleges and universities. Black students are having to protest just to feel like equal members of their communities. And administrators are just now starting to care. Now that the Oscar nominations have taken on such a backlash, the Academy has finally begun to notice of what has been going wrong and are taking actions to rectify these mistakes. Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs has said in a statement: “The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership…. As many of you know, we have implemented changes to diversify our membership in the last four years. But the change is not coming as fast as we would like. We need to do more, and better and more quickly.” If African Americans mean to be treated as an equal people, they have to pull these wrongdoings out from their hiding places in our everyday interactions and conversations into the light where they can be properly addressed and settled. Otherwise, they’ll find themselves no further ahead than where they were over 50 years ago.
Illustration by Barrington Hebert
COLUMN
Planning my way to a better me
BY CHLOE GAGNON News Editor Since I was in fourth grade, I have always used a planner because it helped me stay focused in school. Now I use a planner not only for school, but for my everyday life. “Organization is the key to happiness,” I tell myself. If I didn’t keep a planner my life would be chaos, not just as a student, but in my personal life as well. The number one reason that I still use a planner is because I have a horrible memory. I found that if I didn’t write something down, I would forget it. I would keep lists of stuff I needed to do or errands I needed to run. I found that making lists motivates and helps me remember to get done whatever needs doing. I have now merged my lists and my planner into one, and it rules my life. I keep homework to do,
due dates, bills due, grocery lists, errands to run, how much sleep I get, what I eat, and more. By keeping track of my everyday life, I have managed to change my life for the better. For example, I now have a regular sleep schedule by keeping track of the hours I sleep. Another thing I keep track of is meal planning. If I didn’t plan out dinners, my husband and I either wouldn’t eat or eat takeout every night. By planning out dinners, it motivates me to not only cook, but cook healthier. Basically, I divide my planner into four categories. Each day of the week gets three sections—to do list, today, and homework. The ‘to-do’ is where I keep all of the things that I need to get done that do not relate to school, whether it’s Driftwood tasks, errands to run, people to call or email, etc. The ‘today’ section is where I keep track of my day-to-day items such as what time I work, what time my husband works, how many hours of sleep I got that night, what I plan to eat for dinner that day, how much television I watched that day, and any personal plans that I have. The ‘homework’ section is devoted to homework which is color coded to my classes. Each class is assigned a different color highlighter so that when I have homework for class, I write it down and highlight it so that I don’t get my homework confused. The fourth category is a sidebar
that changes weekly depending on what I need to keep track of that week. This week in my sidebar, I have a grocery list section, toclean list section, films to watch this week, and two habit stickers which are stickers that have a blank space and then “M T W R F S S” to choose my habit and cross off the days I complete it. I also keep a key in my planner with my color coding and functional stickers that I use. This is my final semester of college and I plan to continue using a planner after I graduate. I have found a way to spice up my planning by using decorative stickers. It becomes pretty to look at and it makes me want to open it and see all the stuff I need to do. There is also some sense of gratification of crossing completed todo items off a long list of chores to do at home, a pile of homework or another list of disgusting yet necessary obligations. The gratifying feeling is like a pat on my own back. Sometimes in life (well, actually a lot of times in life) we have to do things we don’t want to do. These are the times when I turn to my pretty planner and look at that inspirational quote at the top that I write in each week. With all of the decorative stickers added in there, it almost becomes a scrapbook/journal of sorts. I don’t write my thoughts or feelings in it but I can reflect back and see where I want to make changes in my life or how to be better organized.
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 | Anna Gowin • • • • • driftwoodent@uno.edu Photographer | Helen C. Reed • • • • • • • • • • • • • hreed1@uno.edu Web Editor | Ave Maria Bordenave • • • • • • • • abordena@uno.edu Reporter | Lones Gagnard • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • lgagnard@uno.edu Illustrator | Barrington Hebert • • • • • • • • • • • bkhebert@uno.edu Illustrator | Jared Buck • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • jbuck@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 Correction: An article last week about the COLA Dean search forum incorrectly stated Dr. Kevin Graves was planning to merge the departments of music, fine arts, theatre, film arts administration and human development and education into a brand new college. Graves is planning on merging the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Education and Human Development into a single College of Liberal Arts, Education and Human Development.
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
UNO mourns death of retired physics professor Jan. 20th, 2016, saw the loss of another invaluable member of the UNO faculty- Physics professor Dr. George Ioup, who died after a battle with gastric cancer. Ioup, who passed away at age 76, had been a member of the UNO faculty for almost half a century, before retiring at age 73 in 2012. He earned his undergraduate degree in physics from MIT and then pursued a graduate degree at University of Florida before joining the UNO community in 1969. During his time at the university,
DR. GEORGE IOUP Retired UNO Professor
Ioup was both a dedicated professor and gifted researcher. His research specialty was signal and image processing, especially when applied in areas such as underwater acoustics. He also dedicated his time to students through research for both thesis and non-thesis master’s students, as well as doctoral candidates in the physics department. Ioup, in his time at the university, was instrumental in developing the Ph.D. program in Engineering and Applied Science, as well as UNO’s partnership with the Stennis Space
Center, a program which allowed Stennis employees to take courses at the university. Ioup also received accolades like the Amoco LSU System Distinguished Undergraduate Educator Award in 1976, and the Cooper R. Mackin Medallion for exceptional service to UNO in 2014. He is survived by his wife and fellow physics professor and research colleague, Juliette Ioup. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to St. Basil Eastern Orthodox Church.
MAN ON THE STREET
What is your opinion on the hoverboards ban?
REECHA KHANAL Freshman, Computer Science
HIMAL SAPKOTA Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering
I wanna buy them more as I see them.
It’s a cool technology, but it needs improvements.
KARIM SHOKEIR Freshman, Business
JULIE MILLER Sophomore, Biology
EDMUND PINE Junior, Philosophy/Political Science
Hoverboards are dangerous
I think they are cool. People should use them if they want.
Oh God! They are annoying.
Photos by Sanjiv Pradhanang
CRIME SCENE DO NOT
CROSS CRIME SCENE
• On Jan. 11, the lock on the vending machine in the Biology building was destroyed and money and snacks were stolen. • On Jan. 17, the victim’s ex-girlfriend smashed his telephone and threw it into the Cove’s water fountain. • On Jan. 19, a student reported his parking decal missing off of his vehicle while his car was parked at his residence on Willow Street. The case was declared as a ‘mental patient.’ • On Jan. 19, the victim’s ex-boyfriend damaged her cell phone, sorority cane, vehicle’s trunk and bedroom door frame after an argument. He was arrested and taken to the Sheriff’s Office.
CAMPUS CALENDAR WED., JAN. 27 STUDENT SHOWCASE Pass through the UC to get a look at a collection of artwork by fellow Privateers. The showcase will be from 11a.m.-3 p.m. TRIVIA NIGHT SAC will be hosting a game of trivia with five questions in ten categories. Gather up a team to
win the competition, as well as attendance and spirit points. Trivia Night is set from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the UC.
THURS., JAN. 28 HOMECOMING CARNIVAL Come to the UC to celebrate UNO with food, spray paint and airbrush t-shirts. The carnival is from 11a.m. to 3 p.m.
MIKE SUPER: AMERICA’S FAVORITE MYSTIFIER America’s Got Talent contestant, Mike Super will be performing his famous craft of engaging and personal magic tricks. Don’t miss this magic show from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the UC.
FRI., JAN. 29 Homecoming Second Line Parade Gather up all your school spirit and prepare to second line across campus, from the UC to the Cove and back. The parade will begin at 12 p.m. HOMECOMING PEP RALLY Following up from the parade, gather in the UC at 1 p.m.,
along with the UNO Basketball and Dance teams, and the Cheerleaders for an hour of spirit building and Privateer pride.
SAT., JAN. 30 HOMECOMING TAILGATING AND BASKETBALL DOUBLEHEADER Join your fellow UNO students, faculty, staff and alumni for
pre-game fun with food, drinks, and music from 12p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Afterwards, head on over to the UNO Lakefront Arena to catch the women’s basketball game at 4 p.m. and the men’s game at 6:15 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
NEWS
Dr. Verner named director of Women’s Center BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief Former English instructor Dr. Lisa Verner was named the new Director of the UNO Women’s Center on Wednesday, Jan. 20, per official release from the University of New Orleans. She will now be responsible for producing and supervising activities with the Diversity Council, Student Affairs and other groups on campus and updating service information for on and off campus networks. Along with giving several scholDr. Lisa Verner was recently named the arships for women students, the Director of the UNO Women’s Center. Women’s Center also helps con Photo courtesy of UNO/Juan Pablo Madrid nect students to other resources to help educate them about women
and LGBTQIQ issues. Verner, who earned her Ph.D in medieval literature from Tulane University, has been on the faculty since 2002 where she operated as a Women’s Center Coordinator. During her time as coordinator, Verner taught women’s and gender studies courses for over 14 years and given Coffee Talks, a series of in-house lectures sponsored by the Women’s Center. While she believes the Women’s Center itself could use some renovations, her main priority is getting students feedback. “I consider my first order of business to be meeting with students themselves and hearing what they need from us…,” Verner said. “I really want to hear from students, particularly groups like the
Muslim Student Association or the Vietnamese American Student Association, which perhaps aren’t the most obvious connections the Women’s Center might forge, but whose members may have unique concerns and needs that the Women’s Center can help with.” Beth Blankenship, who recently became the coordinator for the new Center on Teaching Innovation that was opened earlier this month, was the director before Verner was appointed and has been helping her throughout this process. “In the last few weeks Beth has been extraordinarily generous with her time and expertise,” Verner said. “It’s phenomenal how much information Beth manages to keep in her head, and I just pray she keeps letting me draw off her
knowledge until I get the hang of all this.” Verner said she was initially gratified by the opportunity to become the new director, but was quickly realized what was needed to fill Blankenship’s shoes. “…it will be quite a challenge to live up to Beth Blankenship’s legacy,” Verner said. The Women’s Center first opened in 1985 and was responsible for opening the now defunct UNO Children’s Center, in addition to at least six scholarships for female students. For more information on scholarship opportunities, visit the Women’s Center page on the UNO website.
Protest course challenges students to rethink activism
Blockus festivalgoers rage in excitement during a performance.
Photo courtesy of Fonald Photography
Local music fest, Blockus, still growing BY LONES GAGNARD Driftwood Staff Coming back this year for the third carnival season in a row is Blockus, a post-parade locally organized music festival. Dom Rivera, the creator and organizer of the 3-day event is planning on this year being the best yet. “Blockus is a 3-day music festival that features independent artists from the New Orleans area and beyond, which takes place on the weekend of Bacchus, as the name implies,” Rivera said. The event takes place on the Thursday, Friday and Sunday surrounding Bacchus, skipping Saturday night to make way for the big parade. “We created Blockus because we wanted a friend-driven, community-driven music festival for local bands to be able to meet their audience and have fun together,” Rivera said. “We wanted to celebrate Carnival in a way that is beyond just standing in the street, where everyone can come together.” “We want to keep the event simple and inexpensive so everyone feels comfortable and nothing feels forced.” Moving from its beginnings
in backyard D.I.Y. stages to bars throughout central city, Blockus’ latest venue is an up-and-coming barbeque restaurant and bar. “This year we’re doing two nights at the Black Label Icehouse, Thursday and Friday, which are both open to the public. It just opened two months ago, but it’s already one of the greatest locations for independent artists right now,” Rivera said. Thursday and Friday nights’ festivities are free to the public at the Black Label Icehouse, but when the party moves to the Baronne Zone on Sunday, Feb. 7, the cover is $5. Rivera said: “The party starts as soon as the parade passes,” at 8 p.m. every night. Thursday, Feb. 4, after Muses, brings local blues and garage rockers to the stage for the first night of the festival. Kicking off Blockus at Black Label Icehouse are progressive psyche rockers The Ivory Sons. Next up will be garage rockers Dronebaby. Deltaphonic takes the stage after that, and ending the night is Bantam Foxes who are sure to have the Icehouse roaring. Taking place after Morpheus on Friday, Feb. 5, is the second day of Blockus, also taking place at Black Label Icehouse. The first act of the
night goes by the name of Yuppie Teeth. Indie rockers Grotto Girl take the stage next, continuing the never-ending jam that is what Blockus has become. Feverish, who will be leaving to go on a 2016 east coast tour for their new album in April, is up next. Last, but not least on the schedule for that night is none other than progressive rock juggernauts Caddywhompus. Skipping Saturday night, the event rolls over onto its last night of Sunday, Feb. 7 at the Baronne Zone, 2845 Baronne Street, with Blockus ending exactly where it started two years ago. Experimental jazz-fusion will be heard as Taos Transit begins the final night of the fest. Out steps Spare Change after them, with only a guitar and horn section. Smack-dab in the middle of the night is Elysian Feel. Continuing on the night is local band Noruz. The grand finale of all Blockus also ended the event in its first year. Big Nasty can be summed up no better than by Rivera himself: “This 40oz-malt-liquor-fueled funk band with a lot o’ soul is coming to shake legs and melt hearts.”
Professor Amit Gilutz is teaching “The Sounds of Protest.” Photo courtesy of Amit Gilutz
BY QUEST RIGGS Driftwood Contributor This semester, visiting professor Amit Gilutz is offering an innovative course that challenges students to think about protesting and activism in a new way. Gilutz is a composer, and this is his first teaching job after recently graduating from Cornell University in New York. Originally from Israel where he earned his undergraduate degree in Jerusalem, Gilutz has a lot of experience in activism. He has worked in various capacities with a number of organizations in the international movement pushing for an end to human rights violations in occupied Palestine. Speaking about his course, entitled “The Sounds of Protest,” Gilutz said, “We look at sound as an organizing force in contemporary socio-political struggles.” Students taking the course will learn about the songs and soundscapes of contemporary social critique and protest. Gilutz characterizes his course as having a “hands-on” and “doit-yourself” approach. Students will not only create their own artwork but will also be required to join an activist group on campus.
In doing so, students will get a well-rounded view of the work and innovation that goes into activism, and they will see how their unique talents and capabilities might contribute to the struggle for justice. The course will mostly examine contemporary protest movements, such as Black Lives Matter and the cultural artifacts that are coming out of their activity. However, Gilutz said, “You can’t understand the moment we’re in without drawing connections to the past.” For this reason, the course focuses in on prominent examples from history such as “We Shall Overcome,” an example that Gilutz said has “a layered history of solidarity which is particularly beautiful.” Gilutz hopes that his course will work against the tendency to “look at music as something that’s removed from the cultural, social and historical context in which it’s being produced and consumed.” He wants to situate sound as “just another way of activating people [and] investigating the ways in which people are resisting; coming together to fight for change.” Gilutz is a longtime member of Jewish Voices for Peace at the local level (in Ithaca, NY) and the national level, and he was a member of Students for Justice in Palestine at Cornell University, where he earned his graduate degree last fall. While living in Berlin, he participated in the Boycott, Divest, Sanction Movement, which is very active in Europe. In his native country Israel, where military service is compulsory for every citizen, Gilutz was a signatory of a widely-circulated open letter urging Israeli students to resist service in the Israeli Defense Force-- a crime punishable under Israeli law. As of now, Gilutz and his course will only be at UNO this semester, but last time he taught “Sounds of Protest” it was so well-received that Cornell University asked him to allow it to continue to be taught by other professors. Gilutz said this may be a possibility at UNO as well.
FEATURES
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
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University signs five-year collaborative agreement with Université des Antilles
The Université des Antilles campus in Guadeloupe signs agreement with UNO.
Photo by Richard Speaker
the two universities. “We were looking for opportunities to do research in France, to do things with French emersion here and with English emersion in France,” Speaker said. “We were connected through the consulate of France in New Orleans and the cultural attaché there said, ‘I can get you a contact with the university in France’.” After going to that university six or so times, “The cultural attaché at
the consulate changed and the new one said, ‘Why don’t we try some things with Martinique and Guadeloupe?’” and Speaker agreed. Martinique and Guadeloupe are two small islands between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. “It’s about two and a half hours [to fly to Martinique]. It’s much closer than France [and] it’s on the same time zone as the east coast,” Speaker said. Guadeloupe is an additional 45 minute flight.
BY CHLOE GAGNON News Editor UNO has recently signed a fiveyear collaborative agreement with the Université des Antilles (UA), a French university which has subsets of the school in Martinique and Guadeloupe. Richard Speaker, chair of curriculum and instruction, and Juliana Starr, chair of foreign languages, initiated the collaboration between
“This opportunity came up under the French consulate to send a delegation from Louisiana to Martinique and Guadeloupe at the Université of the Antilles and see what’s there and what the possibilities are.” Speaker said that: “We wanted to talk about the range of possibilities of collaborative projects. We didn’t go with a big agenda, we were exploring. There were people from a whole variety of universities in Louisiana. LSU sent about six people. Xavier sent two. The head of CODOFIL [Council for the Development of French in Louisiana] went.” When the group arrived, they had many scheduled events including a welcoming ceremony, a tour of the campus, observed instructions of French and Creole classes, a meeting with the deputy mayor, a trip to a museum and a reception with the rector of the university (which is like the president of the university system). “There was [also] this grand reception with signing of the collaborative agreement. Then we flew to Guadeloupe…where there was another signing of the agreement,” Speaker said. “The University of the Antilles is a French public university. It’s part of the French university systems that are governed in Paris. It’s not what you’d call one of the top tier prestigious…but it does do a full range of programs…There are actually two campuses on Guade-
loupe. St. Claude campus is up on the mountain. It’s on the side of the [active] volcano.” Martinique and Guadeloupe are tropical islands with a French culture. “It really looks French except for all of the tropical vegetation,” Speaker said. “In December, we signed a letter of agreement with dignitaries who came from the University of Antilles to further our collaborative relationship,” Speaker said. “It’s basically an agreement that states: ‘Yes we’re going agree to collaborate, talk to each other and see what we can then build.’ But each piece will have to have another agreement to make it work. We’re still in this initial phase of what can we do.” There are six goals the program wishes to achieve, such as building French and Spanish immersion programs, building French, Spanish and English immersion teaching certification programs and building B.A., M. A. and other degree programs through collaboration of students and faculties at UNO and at UA. On Feb. 24, the first visit from UA will be the President of the Mémorial Acte (a project for preserving the history and of those in the slave trade) in Guadeloupe, Jacques Martial, who will come to UNO and meet students, faculty, and conclude with a reception. There will also be a group coming from the Caribbean in April for an event.
Urban Studies professor uses on-site visits to refresh classes, aid community organization
Dr. Michelle M. Thompson is associate professor for the Department of Planning and Urban Studies at UNO. Photo by Grant Campbell
BY SANJIV PRADHANANG Driftwood Contributor
Dr. Michelle M. Thompson, associate professor for the Department of Planning and Urban Studies at UNO, has a distinctive way of teaching her classes-- field trips. “I’m from Bridgewater, New York. I didn’t even grow up in the cities,” Thompson said. Her passion of planning out urban structures gradually changed to community service as she went on to research in Boston, where she analyzed data regarding prices of housing and overtaxing visitors in the neighborhood. After graduating from Syracuse University in New York, she received a master’s degree and a doctorate in Regional Planning from Cornell University. She is highly experienced in teaching classes on Neighborhood Planning, History, Urban Studies, Research Design, Public Finance, Community Development and the New Orleans region. Today, she focuses more on the
lower 9th Ward area of the New Orleans region. Her course on the New Orleans region is comprised of frequent visits with students to various places around the city so that the significance of a historical or cultural site in the modern society can be understood. “Look at how much greener the region has become,” Thompson said as she explained the map of the lower 9th Ward on the wall of her office. Furthermore, she emphasized that it is not the planning of construction in new areas that helps them, but rather the intention to reinvest or clear the area which has lost its significance. By request of students from her classes like history and philosophy, she began to incorporate site visits into these courses. She mentioned that practical involvement is an essential part of any urban studies course because a little bit of everything is embedded in it.
When it comes to selecting the venues of the visits, she’s concerned about how significantly locations have changed over the years. She focuses on illustrating to the students the change in the essence of the locations to affirm why a place should now be renovated or torn down. “Students need to know stuff like why Jackson Square is where it is,” Thompson said. Overall, she clarified that she always looks for a way to help people through her work. “I think about how I can enhance the student’s experience and how I can help the organization I am working with,” Thompson said. But the one thing that sets her apart is that she brings real puppies to her class during the week of midterms when students are usually expected to be reviewing the course content. “It is a good way to relieve stress
off students by letting them interact with the puppies and just forget about the tests for a while,” Thompson said. “This way, you can also expect students to understand that they need to be focused on their studies throughout the semester and not just around the week of midterms.” Through this activity, she has been able to encourage students to volunteer at the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Louisiana SPCA). The puppies from the SPCA event can go on to aid the organization in other activities to help eliminate animal suffering and abuse. She has provided help to people in Kenya and Tanzania with cattle rearing, agriculture and test preparation for students through Cross World Africa Inc.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
FEATU
Homecoming 2016 blasts off
Junior Darius Miner hustles out of an inflatable obstacle course.
Students are provided with catered food and lemonade.
Students choose props for photo booth fun and eat free cotton candy given out by SIL.
Photos by Grant Ca
URES
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
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on campus with food and fun
ampbell
LeeAnne Sipe, Assistant Director Student Involvement & Leadership, feels the homecoming spirit.
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
• 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!
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Michael Tusa, JD (504) 280-6229 Wednesday 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM Thursday 1 PM - 6 PM
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
ENTERTAINMENT
Zombies tear into Austen’s world BY ASHLEY LARSEN Driftwood Contributor “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” Jane Austen’s classic romance is reimagined in the upcoming and hysterical blockbuster “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” which slashes its way into theaters Feb. 4. Fans of Austen’s 1813 version will rejoice that many of the original lines were preserved, but this isn’t the mild-mannered romance that you had to read in high school English class. Beloved Mr. Darcy is now Colonel Darcy (Sam Riley), a cold-blooded zombie killer who shoots first and looks for bite marks later. And Elizabeth Bennet
(Lily James) is a well-trained warrior who vows that she will never put down her sword for a man. But even in a world overrun by zombies, manners are everything, and Elizabeth cannot get over Colonel Darcy’s aristocratic pride. Will social class divide the star-crossed lovers? Or will they manage to get over their differences and work together to defeat the undead? The premise of the film is, of course, ridiculous. As is the idea that anyone in the middle of a zombie apocalypse could possibly care about their reputation in an almost extinct society. This comes across most in one scene, when Elizabeth is politely scoffed at by Miss Bingley for having been trained in China as opposed to Japan (where all the fashionable people learn their ninja
fighting skills). But while the odd combination of Quentin Tarantino-esque gore and whist parties can be hard to swallow at first, writer and director Burr Steers (Pulp Fiction, Charlie St. Cloud) manages to create a perfect balance of nineteenth-century coquetry and absolute ridiculousness. While it is not necessary to have read either novel before watching the film, its fast-moving plot could be hard to follow if you don’t already have some familiarity with the classic tale. However, this film is probably better suited for fans of “The Hangover” than Regency classics. The film is based on the 2009 novel of the same name, and stars Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Bella Heathcote, Douglas
Booth and Lena Heady. And don’t miss Matt Smith as Mr. Collins, in a sidesplitting portrayal that almost steals the show.
Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment
P.S. There is a secret scene at the end of the credits, so don’t be one of those people who gets up to leave as soon as the film fades to black.
.Paak offers diversity, ageless styles on “Malibu”
Photo courtesy of Steel Wool/OBE/Art Club/EMPIRE
BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief There are a few ways to blow up in the music game these days, but none of them are easy. Getting a big Internet following is probably
the most “organic,” as fans tend to find you before you find them. We can’t forget having that one track to get big on social media, which seems to be the most common nowadays. But the best way to get noticed is receiving endorsements
from the game’s biggest names. There are not many figures bigger than Dr. Dre, and being the most used artist on his first album in 15 years is the best endorsement anyone can ask for. Anderson .Paak (yes, the period is necessary) was the one to receive The Doctor’s treatment and was on six of the 16 tracks on Dr. Dre’s “Compton” album. “Malibu,” .Paak’s second studio album, mixes hip-hop, soul, blues and gospel that showcases his true musicianship and delivers a much needed breath of sea air. “Malibu” captures its audience early and often. The moment the opening track--“The Bird”-- slowly fades in with wavy guitar strums and solid drumming, .Paak’s raspy voice sets the tone almost instantly as he soulfully croons about his family and childhood. He’s not afraid to go in depth about his family’s troubles as he mentions growing up alone “in a lonely castle” without much parental guidance and how their issues with alcohol and the law helped keep them away. Despite many hardships, family is always mentioned as a positive factor in his life. “We never had to
want for nothing/ Said all we ever need is love,” he confesses. Two songs later, BJ the Chicago Kid takes over the vocal duties on “The Waters,” a bass heavy track that propels the artists rather than shining the light on legendary hiphop beat-maker Madlib. .Paak demonstrates his rapping ability, which sounds more like open word poetry than simple raps, as he talks about his humble beginnings and his own prediction of success. “I swear I seen this sh*t coming as if I was living up under the plumbing,” he raps while BJ softly sings in the background. From there, .Paak holds topics on love and happiness in many different ways. The singer, songwriter and drummer has a love/hate relationship with a girl who loves hurting him, and he kind of likes it. He knows the game and constantly goes back, “There I go volunteering, punish me/ self-inflicted pain, sickness over you,” .Paak confesses. Even though he “doesn’t mind the pain,” he battles himself throughout the track on whether he should stay or go. On “Room in Here,” .Paak recruits fellow California natives The Game and Sonyae Elis for a perfor-
mance that sounds like it was performed in a smoky basement bar where everyone’s smoking cigars and drinking whiskey. Lush piano keys drive this song, and it’s easily the most unique song on the album. “Silicon Valley” is the most fun song on the album and the sexiest. “I just want to know what’s under that tender titty meat,” .Paak cries out as he desperately tries to read his girl’s heart, which just so happens to be under her garments. This 90’s style slow jam with booming horns gives “Malibu” a great change of pace, even at the tail end of the album. In a world where Bryson Tiller and Torey Lanez have ruled the radio with their spacious, druggy style R&B that was first coined by Drake, “Malibu” delivers hints of nostalgia while not feeling outdated and old. The album plays like a classic, and Anderson .Paak impresses with his sheer musicianship and artistry on each song. Dr. Dre is largely responsible for skyrocketing the careers of Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and now .Paak is the newest member of that very elite list. He seems to already be on the right track.
ENTERTAINMENT
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
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Gamer’s guide: A look ahead into 2016
BY CHARLES NICHOLSON Managing Editor The year 2015 was filled with action, adventures and pure amusement. Whether you were duking it out in “Mortal Kombat X,” or saving Gotham in “Batman: Arkham Knight,” it was a great year for video games. There are still players lurking the fully-fledged worlds of “The Witcher 3” and “Fallout 4.” But now that 2016 is upon us, it’s time to look into what awaits for this new year. What games will surprise us and which will disappoint? Let’s take a look at a selection of upcoming games of 2016.
UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END
The final chapter in the adventures of Nathan Drake. The third-person shooter/platformer is a staple Playstation 4 exclusive. Gameplay-wise, the series has played it safe with a simple, but fun, combat system. The true reasons gamers keep coming back to it is to follow the adventures of Nate, Sully and Elena. For PS4 gamers who’re too anxious to wait for Rise of the Tomb Raider’s release, Uncharted 4 is where you need to look, as the
series sports similar gameplay mechanics as well as a thrilling story. It’s also worthy to note that the game directors of the critically acclaimed The Last of Us will also be directing it. “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End” is set for release April 26 (assuming it isn’t delayed again). Can’t remember what happened in the previous Uncharted games or haven’t played them? Pick up Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection — all three games in one disc for just $60.
NO MAN’S SKY
There is no game that’s been on everyone’s tongue like “No Man’s Sky.” Developed by the indie studio, Hello Games, this deep space explorer has captivated onlookers by presenting a vast open universe where any planet is an inhabited land, filled with it’s own life forms and ecosystems. The developers have boasted that it would take five billion years to visit each planet, which is spawned on-the-fly through procedural generation. The game doesn’t come with any specific goal. Players will start on a planet at the edge of the galaxy and will have to use resources from various planets and trade with other players in order to further up-
grade their gear and spaceship and eventually get to the center of the universe. No official release date has been given but it is expected in summer of this year on the PS4 and PC.
GEARS OF WAR 4
After nearly five years, the next installment of the “Gears of War” series will be releasing sometime this year. “Gears of War” is an interesting take on the third-person shooter, featuring a selection of interesting weapons, including the prominent Lancer Assault Rifle, a machine gun with a bayonet attachment. Now that the Gears series has been acquired by Microsoft, they plan to bring it back to it’s roots with an intrepid and intimate storyline. But the game will be an exclusive, only available on the Xbox One. “Gears of War 4” is expected for a release sometime this fall.
TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION
One of the most hyped games coming out, “Tom Clancy’s The Division” is a third person shooter. But what makes the game interesting is that it’s an open world, RPG. As with any RPG, players earn experience points that’ll allow
them to upgrade weapons, gear and skills. The characters will be fighting for survival as they try to learn about a virus that has spread throughout the U.S. The Division will be looking to be a major competitor of Bungie’s “Destiny” as the game will be online-only, so if you’re a single-player type of gamer, be wary. The Division will be hitting retailers March 8 on the PS4, Xbox One and PC.
POKÉMON GO
Pokémon comes to life! Well not exactly, but this is pretty close. Nintendo has finally made the big jump to mobile gaming by creating an augmented reality game set within the Pokémon world. Players will go around the real world and discover Pokémon in actual locations. To keep with the lore, Pokémon will be found in their natural habitats — water-types can be found near lakes and rivers; rocktypes near caves and mountains. Players will be able to catch, train, trade and battle their virtual monsters. Nintendo is also releasing a wristband device, called the “Pokémon GO Plus,” which will be connected to the player’s iOS
or Android device via Bluetooth, that will notify players when a Pokémon is nearby with a blinking LED light and vibration. Be sure to download Pokémon GO on your device this year.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA (WII U)
One of the few Nintendo big names coming out this year, the new “Legend of Zelda” hasn’t even been given a full title. What is known of the game has been in short videos of gameplay that feature the protagonist, Link, riding on his horse, Epona. In one video, Link is seen riding through a forest, where Epona is designed to avoid obstacles like trees. A new feature shows Link being able to jump off of Epona in order to fire an arrow. This new Zelda will be the first and only original Zelda game released for the Wii U. However, as the console is nearing its last legs, with a new Nintendo console codenamed “NX” on the horizon, it’s highly speculated that the new Zelda will be ported to the new console. Expect the game for sometime late this year, but take the chance to indulge in old Hyrule adventures in the remastered “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess,” due out March 4.
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LAGNIAPPE
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
Illustrated by Barrington Hebert
ink blots
Illustrated by Jared Buck 1/25/2016
Solutions for Distr
What We Offe
sudoku
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1 6
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Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.59)
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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Tue Jan 26 00:19:33 2016 GMT. Enjoy! Answers will be published online on Friday via our Instagram account:
R P L D S P B N L B S V W Z H
W L B L A I A D A T P O C B E
E E A R K I U S V R R X L D C
U S A G C B K X I I I G G I L
ACAPELLA ACAPELLA BASKETBALL BASKETBALL CARNIVAL CARNIVAL GALAXY GALAXY HOMECOMING KING HOMECOMING
LAGNIAPPE LIPSYNC MAGICIAN UNODriftwood PARADE PRIVATEERS QUEEN
G D A I N E L P N V V N M Z V
E A G C T I N J R I A I B E Q
B A L B W E A N A A T K G Z U
M J A A E O U P C O E Y X L I
W L T U X D H C P I E J M R N
KING LAGNIAPPE LIPSYNC MAGICIAN PARADE
L K Q A X Y Z S H E R R O Y W
T S H I R T Z A S T S P Q C M
O G C G X A C A P E L L A W K
C S H U S U A J C N Y S P I L
G N I M O C E M O H L X G J D
F P P X O F T G P K W T H G P
PRIVATEERS QUEEN SHOWCASE TRIVIA TSHIRT
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
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UNO wins 94-83, Hill moves into All-Time rebounding list BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief The University of New Orleans men’s basketball team outscored the Central Arkansas, 29-13, in the fourth quarter en route to a 94-83 victory. UNO (6-12, 2-5 SLC) was facing a five-point, 70-65, deficit early in the final period. A dunk by senior Kevin Hill would be the play to start an 11-3 run and give them a 78-73 lead with 4:57 left in the game. “During that run, we got a little bit from everybody,” head coach Mark Slessinger said of the offensive spurt late in the game. “It all came from ball movement.” Central Arkansas (3-14, 2-5 SLC) was able to cut into the Privateer lead and trailed 80-77, their efforts
wasn’t enough as UNO pulled away with a 14-6 run. The Privateers finished off the 9483 and snapped a five-game losing streak, their longest of the season. After the initial tip, the Privateers raced out to a 9-0 lead with major contributions from sophomore forward Travis Thibodeaux who scored four points and assisted on a three-pointer to junior guard Tevin Broyles in the first three minutes. The Bears were able to roar back soon after with three-pointers and get themselves back in the game. It was a constant uphill battle for Central Arkansas as UNO never gave up the lead in the first period, but the bears kept it interesting with a 44-43 score going into halftime. Senior Kevin Hill led the team in scoring with a career-high 23-points and earned his third double-double
of the season with 14 rebounds. Hill is now ninth on the UNO’s all-time rebounding list. “When you look at our Top 10 rebounding list and the names that are on that list, it’s Mt. Rushmore of UNO basketball,” Slessinger said. “For a guy who only had one scholarship offer out of high school, and that was us, for him to buy into us and for us to buy into him, it’s been a fun thing to watch.” Six different Privateers finished with double-digit scoring nights, which is only the second time this season. The first time was in an overtime, 103-95, loss to the University of Massachusetts in December. UNO will host McNeese State Cowboys (5-12, 3-4 SLC) for the Homecoming game on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.
Senior forward Kevin Hill is now ninth on UNO’s all-time rebounding list. He currently has 124 rebounds for the season. Photo courtesy of UNO Athletics | Ron O’Rourke
Lady Privateers fall to Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders, 79-53 BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief The UNO women’s basketball team lost to the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders, 79-53, at the American Bank Center on Saturday. The Privateers (5-11, 2-5 SLC) saw the Islanders (5-13, 2-5) lead grow to 21-points in the fourth
quarter as UNO struggled to keep up. UNO managed to stay with the Islanders for a large portion of the first quarter. After only a one-point, 9-8, UNO deficit, the Corpus Christi went on a 7-2 run to pull away from the Privateers. Senior Danielle Davis nailed a three-pointer to end the quarter and give cut the lead to only three
going into the second quarter. In the second quarter, Corpus Christi earned their first double-digit lead of the game after made a free throw from Islander center Kre’ana Henry. The Privateers cut the Corpus Christi lead to only six in the fourth quarter, but four straight three-pointers from the opposition closed out any chance for a come-
back. Texas A&M Corpus Christi would coast to the finish line with a 73-59 victory over the University of New Orleans. Sophomore Randi Brown led the team in scoring with 17-points. Freshman Shania Woods hauled in a team-high 10 rebounds, marking her second game this season with double-digit rebounds.
UNO has yet to win a game on the road this season but enjoys a positive 5-3 record when playing at home. They’ll look to snap a three-game losing streak today as they face the Nicholls State Colonels (6-11, 4-3 SLC) in the Lakefront Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.