Volume: 59 Issue: 16

Volume: 59 Issue: 16

BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief The future of higher education hangs in limbo as Gov. John Bel Edwards and the state legislature work to cut into a projected $940 million budget deficit for the current fiscal year.

Last week, Edwards, who was inaugurated in January, addressed the state about the financial situation hours after it was announced that the TOPS program would be suspended immediately.

“Tonight I speak to you as no other Louisiana governor has ever spoken to our state, because the challenges have never been so great, nor the impacts so severe for all of us who live, work or go to school here,” Edwards opened with in his televised statewide speech.

Edwards presented a doomsday scenario if the budget deficit for the current fiscal year isn’t settled by June 30, which included all public universities being shut down and students receiving incomplete grades, even national powerhouse LSU. Edwards specifically singled out LSU football as a potential casualty if the problems in the budget are not fixed.

“If you are a student attending one of these universities, it means

FEBRUARY 17, 2016

that you will receive a grade of incomplete, many students will not be able to graduate and student athletes across the state at those schools will be ineligible to play next semester. That means you can say farewell to college football next fall,” Edwards said on Thursday.

Since the initial announcement, TOPS has been resumed, but with only around 25 percent of the funding.

Students who have TOPS currently will have their tuition picked up by the universities, lessening the burden of students, but increasing the financial despair by higher education.

Next year, fewer students will have the opportunity to receive TOPS, and in a worst-case scenario, students would need to score a 28 on the ACT to be eligible for TOPS. Universities aren’t facing the guillotine alone as some hospitals and health care programs are at risk of being closed as well.

“We’re kind of at defcon three or four,” said Edward Chervenak, a UNO political science assistant professor. “We’re not at defcon 5 yet, but we’re getting there and they’re trying to prevent us from getting there.”

Even though Edwards said in his speech “These are not scare tactics,” what he presented to

Louisianans was the worst-case scenario if the budget isn’t figured out.

“I’d say it’s less than 50 percent [chance that universities close],” Chervenak said. “I think cooler heads will prevail and they know the damage if universities are left with no funding and we’re closing mid semester and leaving students in a lurch.”

Michael G. Huelshoff, Associate Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department, agreed with Chervenak’s statement.

“I think it would be hard to shut down any schools because of the political side of it,” Huelshoff said.

In an effort to make up for the deficit, Edwards called a special session with state legislators and elected officials on Sunday.

During the session, he spoke on his proposed budget plan that included raising various forms of taxes, obtaining $128 million from the Rainy Day Fund, another $200 million from the BP oil spill settlement and reducing state contracts and tax credits from corporations.

Most of the proposed tax increases could go into effect by April, but that’s if Edwards earns the right amount of supporters, which isn’t likely.

The main priority for legisla-

driftwood.uno.edu

tors and officials is finding new forms of revenue. If taxes aren’t raised, then expect bigger cuts into higher education and health care in addition to the cuts they would already be facing in the months soon after for the next fiscal year.

The Edwards administration stated that under the best-case scenario, universities would be looking at $70 million cuts by July.

Edwards’ suggested options are meant to be both short-term and long-term solutions to the current budget problem that will ultimately last longer than just this fiscal year.

“In the end we’re going to need much more structural reforms in terms of providing a steady stream of revenue,” Chervenak said. “Short term, they’ve got to focus on ways to raise revenue and cut spending outside of higher education and healthcare.”

Even if legislatures are able to squeeze by the budget for this fiscal year, they’ll be facing a projected $2 billion debt for next year and will put universities back on the chopping block.

“The universities are still going to face cuts,” Chervenak said. “Personnel will have to be let go, I don’t know where that’s going to happen because there’s no more cutting anymore fat,

we’ve reached the point where it’s become amputations. Does that mean shutting down departments? Closing programs? Reducing staff? Those are very difficult questions.”

While the fixes to the budget will need to happen quickly, the worst budget deficit in Louisiana history will most likely be an ongoing issue for many years and will not go away quietly.

“This is not going to be easy.

This has been going on for almost the last decade and it’ll probably take another 10 to 15 years to fix this problem, this is not going to go away soon. You eventually have to hit bottom and then slowly build back up,” Chervenak said.

“Nothing is going to happen overnight,” he added. “This is a long, slow process.”

Until Edwards, legislators and officials can come to an agreement on what to cut, what taxes to raise and continue searching for funds, citizens are urged to contact their representatives to help push for answers.

Chervenak said, “Students and their parents need to contact their representatives and say, ‘Hey, what are you going to do? How are you going to fix this? Call, email and write a letter to your representative. That way they get the message.”

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016

OPINION

EDITORIAL Playing with TOPS scares students away As college students, a vast majority of our time is spent worrying about one thing or another. Despite what people may say about these being the “most carefree” years of our lives, odds are you (or someone you know) is often consumed with thoughts about the future, student debt or finding employment post-graduation. That’s why the news that broke last weekend about the immediate suspension of TOPS seemed like a cruel, sick joke.

The reactions to the update were different; some people reacted with humor (an exotic dance club filled with degree-less students called TOPS-less) or panic (*insert random family member asking if you’ve “SEEN THIS?!?”*) or even activism (call-a-thons, letters to legislators, etc.).

But of all the responses, one seemed the most prominent: Don’t worry. This is only a scare tactic to make sure people realize the gravity of the situation. TOPS has to go on the chopping block at some point, and this is them making that

more palatable.

And to a degree, that was the truth. Edwards needed people’s attention about the drastic budget shortfall currently facing the state of Louisiana, and he got it when the announcement was made.

But here’s the thing that’s on most students’ minds: we, the people attending this state’s colleges and universities, are not your toys.

We are not here to be tools in your demonstration, and when you play with things like our future you make every student in the state wonder if Louisiana is where they’re supposed to be. Which is the antithesis of what TOPS was put in place to do.

It does not matter to us that TOPS is safe, for now. What matters is that that blow will have to be absorbed by our schools, the same schools that have been rebounding against budget cuts for years. The same schools that have no more fat left to trim. The same schools we might not be able to attend for those of us who might lose TOPS

for the 2016-17 academic year.

Trust us, we are not stupid. We are not blind, nor are we naive. We know that drastic changes have to be made for Louisiana to counter the massive debt left to us. This generation, odds are, are a huge part of why John Bel Edwards got elected in the first place. Because we know this state needs change.

But that change does not end with us, it starts with us. So when you place the futures of thousands of students on the line with so little consideration as to what it means to us or the fate of Louisiana, you’re doing nothing to aid the next generation of residents and taxpayers.

We are not an example, a tool or a demonstration. We are real people behind those letters, phone calls and Facebook statuses. And we have enough to worry about without being forced to wonder whether or not we’ll have a reason to worry in only a year’s time.

PERSPECTIVE

Illustration by Barrington Hebert

COLUMN Student reflects on educations worlds apart

BY TIMMY NGUYEN Driftwood Contributor After studying at a Christian school in the United States and returning to Vietnam for the summer, my friends asked me what I found most fascinating about the U.S. The food? The culture? The girls? Obviously, there are startling differences between the two countries, but what impressed me the most were the teachers.

Mr. Hudson, my science teacher, possessed an exquisite beard, one blind eye and the look of an 18th-century philosopher. Occasionally, after school I stayed and discussed theology and science with him, and I immediately realized he was the first adult I had spoken to who would listen attentively to a student’s unsophisticated opinions and converse as if I was on equal footing.

A year later he left the US to help build schools and educate children in Africa. The concept of leaving everything behind and volunteering in an exotic African country at the age of sixty was very strange to me, so I asked him about it. He laughed and said: “When you get to be my age, nothing is strange anymore. If you grow up a good man and you see people suffer like I did, you’ll understand.”

Mr. Draper was my history teacher and basketball coach, a formidable seven-foot black man who could slam dunk effortlessly.

He had a piercing and inscrutable stare that made troublemakers in

my school fidget a lot, and he was not afraid to share personal stories.

He told me of the time he got lost with a bad crowd in a bad neighborhood, where violence was at the touch of his fist and profanity the tip of his tongue. He told of the time his neck was at the end of a noose, when suddenly a light dawned upon him, and he was saved. Nowadays, he preaches passionately and prays every day for his friends, students and enemies.

Mr. C was my math teacher who knew countless facts and trivia and seemed a bit too smart to be a high school teacher. He used to work for the FBI (his task was classified), so I asked why he wanted to be a teacher.

After quoting something about the irrelevance of money and happiness after certain income and the decline of the American dream, he said that one day when he was showering, he heard a voice inside his head telling him to become a teacher.

Right after that he found a job posting at this school. After contemplating the possibility of being insane, he decided it was the voice of God and took the job.

Never before had I seen such unique set of characters within the confines of a small private school.

Those teachers possessed not only knowledge, but also conviction, inspiration, motivation and a little idiosyncrasy (which never hurts).

It is generally accepted that a person can only be as good as his society is and a teacher can only be as good as the education system

lets him be. Sadly, the Vietnamese education system is fraught with grade inflation, absurd and ineffectual curriculum, underpaid and apathetic teachers, and worst of all, indoctrination.

I never realized how weird it is that every college student and teacher in Vietnam is forced to learn Marxism-Leninism, a dead philosophy proven wrong by history (which is also revised and polished with lots of extravagant words like “glorious,” “triumphant” and “victorious” in our textbooks) until a friend commented that it was like something from an Orwellian society.

Thank goodness for the Internet, which is now primarily and inevitably used for League of Legends and the latest Korean soap operas, but nevertheless provides hope for students seeking information. The government actually made a hilarious attempt a few years ago to ban Facebook which can be solved with a simple Google search.

These educational failings stem from much deeper social issues that may have something to do with the horrendous way the government handles education (or anything and everything really), the political and religious suppression, ubiquitous corruption, wealth discrepancy, crippling poverty, dazzling propaganda and other topics that I could probably write a book about.

Anyway, talking about teachers in summer time seemed like an insufferable bore, so I said: “Well, the girls of course! They have the best personalities I’ve ever seen.”

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 Reporter | Alexandra Garcia • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • aigarcia@uno.edu Reporter | Thanh Nguyen • • • • • • • • • • • • • • tnnguye7@uno.edu Reporter | Mindy Jarrett • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • mjarrett@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

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

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016

3

Despite crime surge, UNOPD assures safe campus

BY CHLOE GAGNON News Editor Looking at the crime reported on the UNOPD website might lead students to be concerned about their safety, but UNO Chief of Police Tom Harrington said he is confident that students are safe on campus.

“Absolutely. That’s not to say that our students can’t be victims of crimes, but, overwhelmingly, UNO’s campus is a safe place.”

Last month alone, fourteen crimes were reported including two hit and runs resulting in damage to property, three thefts, one burglary and one simple rape, among others.

Harrington stated that theft was the most common crime on campus. In December 2015, five re-

ports of theft occurred on campus.

“On a given day, there are more than 10,000 faculty, staff, students and visitors on campus. That’s a sizeable community. Anytime there are that many people in one place, some people will inevitably break the law. However I think that, overwhelmingly, the University of New Orleans campus is a very safe place, especially when compared to the city of New Orleans as a whole.”

However, there have been two gun related incidents on or near UNO’s campus since December.

Harrington said he did not think there has been a rise of gun related incidents.

In December 2015, students filed a complaint about shots being fired at the Privateer Place gazebo. The UNO Daily Crime Log states that

on Dec. 5, 2015, “UNOPD officers investigated a complaint of shots fired at the location. There were no injuries nor any persons located who were in possession of a weapon. Until such time as additional information is obtained, this case is considered closed.”

Soon afterward, UNOPD posted another gun violation on the corner of St. Bernard Avenue and Robert E. Lee on Dec. 6, 2015. “The victim was stopped at the above intersection waiting for the traffic light, when a black SUV (possibly a Grand Cherokee) pulled up next to the victim’s vehicle. An unknown subject exited from the vehicle’s front passenger door, and while pointing a pistol at the victim, attempted to open the driver side front door. The victim immediately fled and as she drove away,

the suspect fired a single round at her which struck the rear driver side door near the B Pillar. The victim did not sustain any injuries during the incident. The incident was investigated by NOPD and documented under item number L-07081-15.”

In reference to the second gun incident, Harrington said: “For the record, this took place off campus and was posted on the UNOPD website as a matter of information for members of the UNO community.”

In regards to safety, Harrington urges awareness and common sense. “Common sense precautions are very important. Students should lock their bicycles, lock their car doors, avoid leaving valuables in plain sight in their vehicles and be vigilant of their surround-

ings. If students see something that looks suspicious, they should call the UNOPD at 280-6666.”

Each time a crime is reported to UNOPD, it is logged on the UNO web page under the UNO Police Department. Anyone can view crimes reported to UNOPD by the UNO web page daily crime log.

UNOPD is here to help everyone on campus feel safe. Reporting crime allows UNOPD to squelch crime. “If members of the UNO community see something, they should say something. Our officers rely on faculty, staff and students to be our eyes and ears and alert us when they see something suspicious. You can also report a crime anonymously by using the anonymous complaint report on the UNOPD website.”

MAN ON THE STREET How are you preparing for mid-terms?

TREVOR NATHAN Freshman, Music

KATIE DUPLESSY Freshman, Nursing

I ask my professors a lot of questions and then I feel prepared. But then I take the test and nothing they say is on it.

Afterwards I cry.

I do study guides, flashcards and study groups.

Photos by Sanjiv Pradhanang and Barrington Hebert

CHRIS MONTGOMERY Sophomore, Computer Science

ASHLIE BURKE Freshman, Film

TAYLOR SNEAD Freshman, Computer Science

I don’t study.

I cry a lot. I drink my weight in Redbull. I dilute it with tears and regrets.

Since I go to [Ben] Franklin, I take only one class. I read my notes the day before. I don’t stress about it and that makes it worse.

CRIME SCENE DO NOT

CROSS CRIME SCENE

• On Feb. 4, a student reported her UNO I.D. missing after noticing her meal plan account has several unauthorized transactions made.

• On Feb. 8, UNOPD investigated a reported domestic disturbance at Privateer Place involving a resident and former companion. The former companion was banned from campus.

• On Feb. 10, one of the Human Performance Center columns cement blocks collapsed.

• On Feb. 12, a resident at Privateer Place reported domestic criminal damage as the suspect kicked the resident’s bedroom window after an argument and shattered the glass, damaged the frame and fled the scene.

CAMPUS CALENDAR WED., FEB. 17

THURS., FEB. 18

FRI., FEB. 19

SAT., FEB. 20

TUES., FEB. 23

Sketti Dinner Come to the Chapel of the Holy Comforter spaghetti dinner from 7-9 p.m. Tickets are $7 per person and proceeds go to the Sigma Kappa Foundation’s fight against Alzheimer’s Disease.

Public Lecture: Peter Jaworski, “Markets Without Limits” Join lecturer Peter Jaworski from 5-6:15 p.m. in the LA 236 as he talks about philosophy and political economy in the Tocqueville Project’s lecture series.

Kickback at the Amphitheatre The Progressive Black Student Union is providing music and games from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

MLB Urban Invitational UNO baseball opens season against Grambling, broadcasted on the MLB Network.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Trivia Night at the Cove Commuters United and SIL are conducting trivia night where students can win groceries and other prizes.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016

NEWS

UC student lounge proposed for gaming students

BY CHLOE GAGNON News Editor A retention committee has been formed at UNO composed of faculty and staff to improve retention rates among students. One of the first action plans to be initiated is called the Action Plan for Student Engagement and Involvement.

Headed by Dale O’Neill, Director of Student Involvement and Leadership, the action plan is designed to encourage students to stay on campus in between classes by building a student lounge in the University Center.

“This proposal came out of the fact that I [work] across the hall [where] there are these students who are here probably every other day playing video games,” said O’Neill. “They bring their own television screen and their own video game systems and they create this wonderful community of people hanging out in the university center and bonding over video games, which is wonderful, but it

kind of disheartened me when I saw that they were bringing their own television and their own video gaming systems.”

Before Katrina, UNO used to have a space like this in the UC with pool tables, pinball machines and video games. “Because of Katrina, we lost all of that and we haven’t had it since. We’re bringing back some of the services and entertainment that was in the University Center Pre-Katrina,” said O’Neill.

There are two phases to this action plan. “Our phase one is very simple and that is what we hope to get done by the end of the semester.

Phase one is going to be flat screen tvs and gaming devices. Eventually when that phase one is successful and completed, then we hope to do more of a phase two which would be more targeted programming towards commuter students,” said O’Neill.

“We want more students to be coming to the UC, mixing and mingling and the UC to become a hub of student life at UNO. We

think that by doing this, it will draw students to actually want to stay on campus in between classes,” O’Neill said.

The space will be available for all students to use. Eventually the lounge hopes to do educational and social programming and reservations of the space.

“We’re proposing a bill to maybe get funding through SGA so we can get even more gaming devices and even more supplies for the room. That goes up for vote at their next meeting,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill noted that the only downfall of the lounge is that it will only be open when the UC is open. “If students want to play video games at two in the morning that will not be possible.”

The Student Lounge will be located in what is now called the Gallery Lounge in the UC. It will be in the same space as the Interfaith Prayer and Meditation Room, but this space will still be available for students and will not be affected.

“Some of the other surrounding

Photo by Dale O’Neill Students gather in the University Center Gallery Lounge to play video games.

universities actually have lounges with televisions and video games.

So this is not innovative. It is something that UNO should be providing to students, and I think we will be providing to students in the near future,” said O’Neill.

“We will be working with facilities to mount the televisions and

mount the gaming systems. A lot of what the other schools have done is they buy these plastic covers for the gaming systems and they nail them into the wall so no one can remove them. So they will be bolted into the area.”

The Lounge is on track for completion by the fall semester 2016.

UNO campus receives grant for improved evacuation plan

BY ALEXANDRA GARCIA Driftwood Staff The University of New Orleans has accepted an evacuation research grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that will prevent the poor planning that occurred during Hurricane Katrina from happening again.

This ongoing two year $260,000 grant is being researched by UNO’s Center for Hazard Assessment, Response and Technology, also known as UNO-CHART. The people target that this evacuation grant research is for are those who are living at home with disabilities,

handicaps, special needs and the evacuation includes their families.

The co principal investigators are Monica Farris, director of UNO-CHART and John Kiefer, director of UNO’s Master of Public Administration program.

Ultimately the main purpose of this research is, “to assess the ability of the RTA (Regional Transportation Agency) to move the city’s vulnerable population when a disaster strikes,” Kiefer said.

A big question that first needs to be answered Kiefer claims, “Does the RTA, which is the city’s bus service, do they really have the transportations assets to move vulnerable people all at once when an emergency happens?”

An important start to solving these issues is looking at the busses to be assured they are well equipped and how many of these vulnerable people live here. The first strides they are making to finding out how many people there are Kiefer states: “We’re conducting interviews and focus groups with representatives from the vulnerable population.”

Another step being taken is to learn how spread out these vulnerable people are because there are 17 sites that are set up as pick up points that need to be in convenient locations. “You’ve got these pickup sites that are supposed to be for vulnerable people and you’ve got like three or four of them up in up-

town and you have one or two in the poorest areas of the city,” Kiefer said.

Often an issue that is not considered is if the information that is being received is understandable and even in the correct language. There is a large community of Hispanic and Vietnamese people and some that need transportation, but cannot read English well if at all.

Graduate students are introduced to the issues that are facing the grant and how to solve them. “All of the things we actually do in our research, we try to get in the classrooms... Our lessons that we learn about collaboration, well, they go into our nonprofit class so students can get the cutting edge. What is

really being done,” Kiefer said.

While evacuation plans will never be perfect, New Orleans and UNO are continuously working with each other to make sure that what happened with Katrina and the Superdome never happens again. “Most of the people that actually died in Hurricane Katrina, no matter how you looked at it, were older people and a lot of those old people had special needs… and health problems.”

So will we be prepared for the next hurricane season? “Katrina was a huge wakeup call and it’s never perfect, but since Katrina, we have gotten better and better over time,” Kiefer said.

University remembers passing of retired longtime UNO librarian

BY ANNA GOWIN Features Editor Marie Elizabeth Windell, a longtime UNO librarian, died Dec. 29, in St. Joseph, Mo at the age of 96.

Windell, before retiring from the university in 2006, served as both an adjunct professor of French History alongside her husband George Windell and later as a member of the library staff in 1979 following his death.

She was a member of many groups, including the Academy of Certified Archivists, the Society of Southwest Archivists, the Society

of American Archivists, the Southern Historical Association and the Louisiana Historical Association.

After graduating from Stephens College in Columbia, Mo, Windell served as the head of reference and research at the Hagley Library in Wilmington, Del. Windell, in her time with the Earl K. Long Library, was responsible for conserving the Supreme Court of Louisiana Archives and making them accessible to the community.

In addition, Windell worked to secure the National Endowment for the Humanities antebellum case files and direct turning them to mi-

crofilm for the archives.

She has been cited by many authors who sought her help in matters of historical and archival research.

In her husband’s memory, Windell sponsored a lecture series that brought European historians to campus. She also endowed the George G. Windell Prize in History for the best M.A. thesis in a given year.

She is survived by many nieces, nephews and their children. Her ashes have been placed near her husband’s at Arlington National Cemetery.

Photo by Al Kennedy Marie Windell, shown here in 2002 when meeting Dr. Donald DeVore as a part of her work with the New Orleans Public School Collection.

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016

5

Sitting down with the interim president

Photo by Grant Campbell Dr. Randy Moffett became the interim president at UNO on Feb. 1, 2016.

BY CHARLES NICHOLSON Managing Editor Coming out of retirement, Dr. Randy Moffett isn’t new to academia or being a university president.

Moffett was raised in Jonesboro, LA, and after earning his bachelors from Louisiana Tech and masters

from Northwestern State, he would eventually get his doctorate from LSU in 1980.

After being president at Southeastern from 2001 to 2008, he was given the honor of being the president of the UL system, overlooking the nine universities in the system until 2012. During his four years of retirement, he said that he enjoyed

golfing and spending time with his grandchildren.

As the current interim president of UNO, Moffett has committed himself to leading the university, as well as assist in the search of the new president.

“When there’s an opening for a president, there’s usually a review where a team comes in and tries to look at some pluses and opportunities and it’s a document that’s not to dictate what the president should do, but to help them think about some priorities and changes,” Moffett said about the Institutional Review for which he is involved in.

“A new person comes in and there’s a lot of things going on.”

Having only been president for a little over two weeks, Moffett is uncertain of exactly how long he foresees keeping his current position, but expects the new president to be announced by June or July.

“Stability is important in having a permanent president,” said Moffett.

“I’ve told several people [that] I’ve found working here in the spring doing some work here and in the fall that I’ve been met with very open communication,” said Moffett. “ I find the faculty and staff very committed to the university and to the students. The students that I’ve encountered I asked ‘what’s your major?’ and ‘why did you choose UNO?’ I think that’s important to ask because you get a little feel of what students believe about, what they like about the university.”

Moffett said he enjoys taking the time to walk the university, taking in the scenery and learning the buildings. He said his favorite place to eat is Chick-fil-a.

“I’ve been to the Cove but I haven’t eaten at the Cove. I tend to forget it’s over there ‘cause it’s a long ways away and [the UC] is so convenient,” said Moffett.

“Anytime you have an opening and a new president coming and you have all of the dilemmas we’re dealing with right now with higher ed and budget cuts and so forth, you must create some sense of stability and calmness,” said Moffett on his goals as interim president. “I’m trying to look at some of the things out there, like the new budgeting system that was put in place by the budgeting committee, to try to begin to take that process and define some steps for implementation.”

Moffett said about how he happened to come out of retirement: “I was asked by UL system president and some board members [to be interim] when there was going to be a transition they wanted somebody that knew the system, knew UNO, and I wasn’t looking for an assignment, but I felt like it would be a service to the university and the system.”

“I think the greatest place in the world to work is a university campus. You’ve always got bright, intelligent people around. Having spent my whole life in that environment, I appreciated the opportunity.

I know it could be a relatively short assignment, but I hope to do some good things while I’m here,” said Moffett.

Between all of the issues that UNO university faces, especially under the threat of major funding cuts, Moffett sees the current largest challenge as bringing stability to the campus in the form of increasing enrollment. By his perception, the combination of increased enrollment standards and rising tuition has greatly affected enrollment and retention.

Even now, with the state in a deep budget hole and TOPS funding being cut to almost nothing, Moffett is sure that UNO will prevail. In an email sent out to students, faculty and staff, Moffett said of Gover-

nor John Bel Edwards’ address to the state: “While we navigate these unprecedented conditions, I want to assure you that the University of New Orleans remains committed to our students, faculty and staff. How we proceed will be dictated by the guidance that we receive from the University of Louisiana System and the Board of Regents. While the situation is fluid, and will likely remain that way in the coming weeks, please know that we will do everything we can—whether it’s related to TOPS or possible budget reductions—to stand behind our students and employees, and their families.”

Moffett wants to encourage the UNO community that the state won’t be slacking off in trying to remedy the seemingly disastrous situation in place.

“I think [Gov. Edwards] has gone into office and found the budget hole larger than anticipated and I think that’s where he’s caught right now. He’s trying to get some things to stabilize but the hole’s bigger than he thought. I have worked with the governor when he was a legislator and he is very committed to getting the funding of higher ed stable and reducing and eliminating reductions,” said Moffett.

“My plans are to stay in touch with UNO and the system as I can and to play more golf,” said Moffett of what his intentions are after he’s gone. “I’m at a point that I want to enjoy life and if I’m called upon to do something to help, I’ll be willing to do that. But I plan to go back to retirement.”

Moffett said, “There are things that you get to do that you were willing to do before and you now have time to do them. Being a campus president or a vice president or a faculty member can be a pretty demanding job and it takes a real toll on your time, so I’m enjoying every minute of it.”

Nepali student’s experiences highlights cultural differences

BY RAJAN POUDEL Driftwood Contributor His day begins with a short meditation and ends with reminiscing about what he accomplished all day, which he does just before he goes to bed. Like anyone else, he loves watching movies, listening to music and sleeping as much as he can.

The student is Bijay Regmi, a Computer Science sophomore at UNO from Nepal who has quickly adjusted to his New Orleans home while staying in touch with his roots.

He came to UNO in the Fall 2014 semester after receiving an opportunity to study in the United States with an amazing scholarship that pays the entire cost of atten-

dance. He is proud to study under such a prestigious scholarship and he hopes this will help him build a great future.

“I didn’t have much difficulty settling down in campus like other international students because of a decent number of Nepali students [on campus],” Regmi said. The presence of Nepali students has been a plus for him.

“When we are with Nepali friends, we don’t miss home much.

And, being with them is fun,” Regmi said.

Regmi likes the UNO campus as a whole, especially the eye-catching view of Lake Pontchartrain for when he needs a respite from his studying.

The campus life is also vibrant for Regmi. Although, he doesn’t

participate in many on-campus activities, he enjoys campus organizations a lot. He is a member of UNO Robotics Club and International Student Organization at UNO. In Robotics Club, Regmi has been assisting in computer programming, which has been beneficial for him especially with his future fast approaching.

“The beginning of school was piece of cake since we had learned most of the stuff in our high school.

Now, the school is slowly turning more difficult and at the same time I am feeling more responsible towards my future,” Regmi said.

“Life has always been a rush for me. I feel that things are happening pretty rapidly. It was just about 1.5 years ago, I came to study at

UNO. Now, I am already going to become a junior. Time passes, and you don’t realize.”

Because of the high unemployment rate in Nepal, Regmi said it is common to find people (especially youths) just hanging out in groups. He said he appreciates that in the U.S. almost unemployment rates are lower.

As a Computer Science major, Regmi aspires to work at one of the tech giants in the U.S. Even though he said he understands it won’t be easy. “We get a lot of emails and announcements of opportunities to work in companies of our interests.

But, the criteria that applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent resident deprives us from even applying to them. This is something I am not happy about.”

But for Regmi, and international students like him, the differences extend past the borders of campus.

The culture of New Orleans and the education system here are two things that were notable, especially when compared to Nepal. For example, Regmi said he found Mardi Gras insane with intoxicated people in the streets. For him, it was a true culture shock.

“The city of New Orleans is lively city with great history, culture and diversity,” Regmi said of his recent visit to the French Quarter.

Being from a mountainous country, Louisiana has almost no resemblance to Nepal’s geography. “It is as hot as hell here,” Regmi said.

Getting used to the the summer climate of New Orleans has been a challenge.

6

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT

The Hungry Privateer: Valentine’s Day table for one at Mariza

BY ANNA GOWIN Features Editor The occasion: Valentine’s Day, a notably important night in New Orleans restaurant patronage. The venue: Mariza, a distinctly romantic Bywater eatery, which, since its opening in 2013 has become a neighborhood staple for simple, Italian-inspired cuisine and intimate setting. The patron: yours truly. A girl single on a couple’s holiday and looking to treat herself and drown her sorrows in rich food.

So, once the scene has been set, what remains to be done? Feast, is the answer. I sat at the bar which, at a restaurant with communal seating, is a pretty similar experience to just being seated as a party of one.

I got there early, a half hour after opening, in hopes of beating the crowd I was sure would come to Mariza’s first Sunday night open ever. The result was me chatting with Jack, the bartender, before the siege of date-goers arrived.

I started with a half-dozen oysters from the restaurant’s raw bar.

The Caminada Bay oysters were cultivated at a farm in Grand Isle, and the process of keeping them off the ocean floor yielded a huge oyster, delightfully briny and clean

of any Gulf oyster grit. Paired with the house-made tomato horseradish cocktail sauce and a sprinkle of sea salt, they were a perfect starter.

The clean, unified flavors continued into my next courses- a fresh mozzarella burrata with pesto and local heirloom tomatoes, followed by a lightly dressed salad with anchovies and crispy pig ear. Both were well-balanced and simple, with the ingredients taking prominence over the technique. Shout out to Jack for recommending the burrata as “a hug on a plate,” because it absolutely was. A warm, liquid, cheesy hug, brightened by fresh tomatoes.

The lamb meatballs, which were would be considered a highlight of my meal at any restaurant who had less thoroughly impressed me, felt a bit heavy on my palette. The flavorful tomato sauce and lamb, while excellent when swirled with the sunny-yellow duck egg yolk, could really have used an element of brightness that so many other dishes benefited from.

One might think the duck ragout pappardelle (Jack’s favorite pasta dish) would suffer the same fate.

But the duck three ways (braised leg in the ragout, sliced smoked breast on top and liver mousse) kept

Photo courtesy of Mariza The mozarella burrata, served on Belgarde bread and local heirloom tomatoes, is one of the definite highlight of Mariza’s Italian-inspired menu.

my mouth and mind interested in every bite. The mousse could have used another moment’s worth of cooking out the alcohol, but that’s a petty complaint.

While the panna cotta with fresh strawberries was incredibly simple,

boring even, the texture and flavors were almost impeccable. And besides, it proved to be quite the conversation starter with the Canadian writer next to me. The company surrounding me at the bar was arguably as good as, if not better, than

the food.

It’s no cheap date ($7-16 per dish), but hey. If you’re going to treat yourself, you might as well do it the way you want to and I’m typically one who knows what they want, pig ears and all.

HRT student finds spotlight in acting extra work

Photo courtesy of FOX Jessica Gillio Everett, recieves a bloodied foot as a “Chanel-o-ween” prank in her episode of “Scream Queens.”

BY GRANT CAMPBELL Visuals Director Like most UNO students, Jessica Gillio Everett juggles school and work, but her part time jobs are a little different. She has worked as an extra on a few local productions.

Everett, a Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism major, takes advantage of New Orleans’ booming film and television industry and isn’t afraid to try out for parts whenever she

gets the chance.

“I heard that ‘Scream Queens’ was filming down here and I’ve always been a fan of Ryan Murphy and Lea Michele…I watched Glee [from] day one,” Everett said. So when she heard about the audition and the series filming locally, she decided to go for it.

After submitting for the call for “Scream Queens,” she received an email saying her portfolio was being sent to the director because the part was to be director picked. This

made her think the possibility of getting the part was slim to none.

During a lunch with her mom, she missed a call telling her she got the job via voicemail. She couldn’t believe it and started crying, “It felt too surreal.”

Everett said she wasn’t really interested in meeting the cast and stars of the show. “As much as I love Lea Michele, I was more interested in meeting the directors.”

She also noticed differences from set to set. In fact, Everett was sur-

prised that the “Scream Queens” scene was shot entirely with an iPhone and had a much more positive experience compared to working as an extra on “Pitch Perfect.”

“It was a 10-hour shoot, but went by quick and we were done in four hours.”

Now that she has some experience acting, Everett said she thinks personality and work ethic are important.

“Hustle and heart will set you apart. Being passionate and hardworking will get you somewhere eventually, but it’s an all or nothing deal. I feel like you can’t just kind of want to be an actor, you have to want it and you have to dive in head first and give it all you’ve got or you’ll end up disappointed. I have to keep reminding myself that the right part will come.”

Being able to act is like a dream come true for Everett and access to this city has made it come to fruition.

“Acting is something I’ve always wanted to do but never felt it was possible, but it is because they film so much here [in New Orleans] and it’s easier to get involved than I thought.”

Everett gives credit to her UNO acting class taught by Sarah Beth James for preparing her to work in the movie business.

“I really got a taste of what it

takes to be in the industry. [James] was tough in a sense that she really cared about us and she wanted all of us to succeed,” Everett said.

“We would have ‘fail hard Friday,’ and we would do different exercises to help us with aspects of acting. I remember one day we were tossing balls to each other in a pattern and it ultimately wasn’t about throwing balls. It was about relying on your scene partner. Little things like that really help give me the confidence to succeed.”

Since getting involved with acting, Everett is more confident and has a clearer direction of where she wants to go.

“I went from being with 200 plus people as an extra to being with one other girl in the scene and 50 crew members.”

Everett preferred the much more intimate setting, which allows for networking, whether it involves speaking to a sound technician or chatting with a producer.

“Seeing the cast get along made it that much better because when I found out that two of the main stars on ‘Sex and the City’ hated each other, it made me so sad and it took away from the show.”

Everett recently worked on the Jon Lucas and Scott Moore feature film comedy, “Bad Moms,” which is set for release in August.

ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016

9

Deadpool rings in new age to superhero genre

BY CHARLES NICHOLSON Managing Editor What is Deadpool? Deadpool is, to put into the most basic of terms, a character. But Deadpool is so much more than a character.

He is an unstoppable creation of mayhem set out to cause destruction upon anyone who chooses to get in his way while also bringing in a style of meta-humor that is one of a kind.

Well, that just about summarizes the movie, but let’s get into some details.

If there’s nothing else to congratulate the movie for pulling off, it’s the way they took on an origin story. For anyone who’s watched a superhero movie, he or she knows that the concept of an origin story is recognized by how the protagonist has come to obtain his/her powers and why they chose to do what they do with it.

With “Deadpool,” the movie opens with former mercenary-for-hire, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), already adorned in his red suit and in the thick of battle. From there, he narrates into a

flashback explaining his life before he was known as ‘Deadpool.’ The movie goes back and forth from present time where the action is highest to the past where the narrative slows down to telling a meaningful tale of passion and foolhardiness.

So what is the story of Deadpool you ask? In a nutshell Wade Wilson, already a hired gun as a profession, meets a prostitute named Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and the two hit it off pretty well (leading to a much-revealing sex montage). Things progress well until Wilson learns that he has cancer in his...well, everything vital to his life. Back at the bar he frequents, where his friend Weasel (T.J. Miller) works, he meets The Recruiter (Jed Rees) who offers him the chance to be rid of his cancer plus benefits.

Wilson makes the decision to go through with the operation without consulting Vanessa and never gets to see her again. At The Recruiter’s facility, he meets Ajax (Ed Skrein) and his superpowered assistant Angel Dust (Gina Carano) who put him through agonizing torture

before beginning the procedure that ultimately causes his physical mutation (including the ugly mug), despite saving his life. Ajax manages to get away, and from there Wilson vows to seek revenge for what he’s done.

Now don’t let the flashback cuts discourage you. Even though the action will take a break mostly, the humor never stops (excluding a particular moment when the tension demands gravity). Wade Wilson wasn’t just some do-gooder before putting on the mask. He was always the vile, brash, potty-mouth, wisecracker, the transformation into Deadpool only enhanced it.

The movie very clearly advertises itself by putting the immature and edgy humor in the forefront, and that won’t appeal to everyone.

So if dick jokes and breaking the fourth wall aren’t your thing, you may want to think twice about this one.

Some important things to note are the additions of the gentle Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and angsty Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) who help to bal-

ance out the heaviness of Deadpool’s presence in the film. Even though this is Deadpool’s movie, the two X-Men are necessary to bring a sort of contrast that isn’t readily available from the film’s villains.

While we’re on the topic of villains, it’s sad to say that once again, yet another superhero film fails to bring in a great villain. A great villain isn’t one that outshines the hero, like in “The Dark Knight,” or one that whose name you’ll never remember, like in Iron Man. A great villain is one that is captivat-

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

ing on the screen and memorable off, like “The Avengers.” Sadly, Ajax, a generic British “mastermind,” has even less presence than his sidekick, Angel Dust, whose super strength proves to barely be a challenge to the protagonists.

One thing you’ll want to know and remember going into the movie is what “Deadpool” is. “Deadpool” is action and gore. “Deadpool” is hilarity and shenanigans.

“Deadpool” has the best Stan Lee cameo and end credits scene yet.

But “Deadpool” is not a superhero movie.

Unpopular opinions on best-selling novel “The Kite Runner”

BY THANH NGUYEN Driftwood Staff Given its enormous popularity, I was bound to stumble upon ‘The Kite Runner’ one day. However, I was left with a weird aftertaste that I felt betrayed by my own expectations.

Don’t get me wrong; the book’s fame is justifiable. It is a beautiful, heart wrenching, melancholic book that makes you stay up at night and wonder what the hell is wrong with this horrible world. The prose flows eloquently and in some passages, poetically. The story is wellpaced and entertaining.

The book’s premise is intriguing enough: set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, it ranges from the fall of Afghanistan’s monarchy to the Soviet military intervention, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States and the rise

of the Taliban regime.

Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant and a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, Amir’s servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir’s choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. Twenty years later Amir journeys back to a distant world to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

Many say a fiction is only as good as its characters; that’s probably why I wasn’t impressed with the book. The characterization is what irked me so much.

Amir is an unlikable coward who failed to come to the aid of his best friend for much of the duration of the story. The author

tried to create sympathy through upbringing and circumstances, but his cowardice remains unjustifiable as Hassan was his only friend, brother and protector throughout his childhood.

Hassan is nice, lovely and endearing, but ultimately uncomplicated. We pity him the way we pity the helpless and the innocent, but it’s hard to imagine him as a true friend or identify with him because of his lack of distinct personality and unnatural selflessness.

His selfless devotion to Amir provides a disturbingly romantic take on what is basically a master-slave relationship. I wonder what the readers’ reaction would be if the story is set in the US, with Amir as a Caucasian boy and Hassan an African-American boy. The book would probably not get published anyway.

Baba, Amir’s father, starts out so promising in the beginning. He’s

the kind of man every man secretly wants to be and every woman wants to be with: brave, formidable, unyielding but also kind, principled and honest.

To my dismay, he’s later revealed as a hypocrite, preaching against stealing the truth while keeping a lie till his death. His goodness is not for the sake of goodness but for penance of past sin. Without his sin, would he still be so kind toward the less fortunate? Everyman has his fault, but I honestly believed Baba to be the hero of the story, someone I can relate to.

The revelation of his sin ruined it for me.

Assef is the main antagonist, a homicidal, pedophilic, racist, psychopathic villain, the one-dimensional personification of pure evil.

Interestingly, his malevolence does not stem from his upbringing or the company he keeps, since his friends and parents fear him. He is

simply born evil, presupposing the existence of a particular gene for immorality, which is highly unrealistic. If that is true, then we have to consider whether he is morally responsible for being born that way, just as the way some people are born deformed, but that’s a philosophical question for another day.

Hosseini said to the Guardian: “Yeah, it looks like the work of somebody younger than me. I’m glad I wrote it when I did because I think if I were to write my first novel now it would be a different book, and it may not be the book that everybody wants to read. But if I were given a red pen now and I went back … I’d take that thing apart.”

I can almost feel his pain saying that, since a work of art is like a child to an artist. It must have taken him much agonizing self-reflection to even consider taking apart his best-selling child.

LAGNIAPPE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016

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Solutions for Distr

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Answers will be published online on Friday via our Instagram account:

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016

11

Thibodeaux grabs career-high 15 rebounds in 65-57 loss

BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief The University of New Orleans fell to Texas A&M Corpus Christi 65-57 on Monday at the Lakefront Arena and now find themselves on a three game losing streak heading into the final six games of the season.

After scoring the first two baskets to start the game, UNO had a small 4-3 lead against the Islanders. Texas A&M Corpus Christi took the lead with a three-pointer and never looked back.

UNO (8-15, 4-8 SLC) could never regain the lead, trailing the Islanders (19-6, 10-3 SLC) for the remainder of the contest.

The Privateers didn’t help them-

selves by giving the ball away 14 times in the first half. Corpus Christi took advantage of UNO’s generosity and earned 19 points off turnovers.

At halftime, the Privateers were down 36-26 to the Islanders. Junior Erik Thomas led the team in scoring at the break with seven points while sophomore Travin Thibodeaux had already grabbed 10 rebounds. By the end of the night, Thibodeaux would finish with a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with eight points.

In the second half, the Islanders didn’t let up as they continued to grow their lead.

Islanders guard Hameed Ali stopped any chance UNO had at a late comeback as he scored 13 of

his 18 points in the final period.

A three-pointer by junior Christavious Gill gave the Privateers life late in the final period with four minutes remaining to make it a 59-52 score.

Ali held off the effort with free throws and a three pointer in the final minutes to secure the victory for Corpus Christi.

The Privateers tied a season-high with 22 turnovers for the game, but dominated the boards, outrebounding the Islanders 43-26. UNO shot 39 percent from the field and was 3-for-11 from the three-point line.

Sophomore Michael Zeno led the team in scoring with 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting and also corralled seven rebounds. Thomas was the only other Privateer to score dou-

Photo courtesy of UNO Athletics | Clem Barbazon Sophomore forward Travin Thibodeaux set a new career-high with 15 rebounds on Monday against Texas A&M Corpus Christi in the Lakefront Arena.

ble-digit points for the game with 10. He also added eight rebounds.

UNO will start a four game road

trip against Northwestern State on Saturday. Tip is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Men and women’s tennis sail past Alcorn State, women earn 7-0 sweep

BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief The men and women’s tennis team continued their strong start to the season as they both knocked off Alcorn State on Saturday at the

University Tennis Center.

After the women’s team (4-0) dominated the singles competition, the Lady Privateers looked to finish the sweep in doubles play.

Senior Soledad Arroyo and junior Anna Ruis earned the 6-2 victory that sealed the 7-0 sweep against

Alcorn State (0-6).

While the men’s tennis team (30) couldn’t get a sweep as well, they still had success against Alcorn State’s (0-4) men’s tennis team.

Junior Luis Albuquerque coasted through his singles matches with a perfect 6-0, 6-0.

Albuquerque and freshman Jeffrey Hsu earned the first doubles points for the day after a 6-4 victory.

Alcorn State only mustered two victories on the day as UNO triumphed over the Braves 5-2.

Up next for the women’s team is a road match against LSU today at

7 p.m.

The men’s teams will stay in the University Tennis Center for the next two contests as they host Troy on Friday at 2:30 p.m. and Stetson on Saturday at 11 a.m.