Volume: 59 Issue: 19

Volume: 59 Issue: 19

MARCH 16, 2016

driftwood.uno.edu

GAME CHANGING STRATEGY

UNO spin for wins in enrollment and retention

BY CHLOE GAGNON News Editor Enrollment has decreased dramatically at the University of New Orleans in recent years.

UNO’s enrollment was at 17,742 students pre-Katrina. In the Fall of 2015, UNO’s Office of Institutional Research reported only 8,423 enrolled students .

With over half the enrollment down in a ten-year span and budget cuts happening left and right, increasing enrollment would be a fighting force to keep this Univer-

sity strong.

The term ‘enrollment’ is used to encompass both recruitment and retention. “They are both very important parts of our enrollment strategy. They need to be separated, and each one needs to have a plan,” said UNO Provost John Nicklow.

The Strategic Enrollment Manangement Committee (SEMC) met in July for a retention retreat, broke into groups with student data and discovered the problem areas. “We looked at programs, we looked at retention by race, by gender, by geograph-

ic location, by how many hours you’re taking. What becomes very clear is there are opportunities...to improve the retention of certain populations.”

“By focusing on a specific problem, it becomes a tractable or solvable problem that if we can fix that or make progress on it, it dramatically reflects overall retention.”

After the groups identified some problems areas, they came up with action plans to help a specific population of students.

Nicklow gave an example of one of the action plans set forth

called ‘15 to Finish.’ “The data is very clear; if you take 15 or more hours, you succeed at a much higher rate and it’s just [by] looking at students that take 15 or more, [those that] take less than 15 to 12 and [those] that take less than 12. If you take less than 12 hours, the data says that you’re retained at a much lower rate.”

Retained as in that student will not return the next semester.

According to Nicklow, only 2530 percent of the student population takes 15 or more hours.

Continued on page 4

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

EDITORIAL

You can never cut the essence of what makes our university

In times when the stakes are high, when the survival of a university is in the balance, ingenuity and initiative are essentially lifelines. So when it comes to the Strategic Enrollment Management Committee (SEMC)’s recruitment and retainment plans, we at the Driftwood applaud the effort being made to keep and grow the UNO community.

If there is anyone who recognizes how important it is to have a large, active and engaged student body it is us here at the Driftwood.

There’s much to be gained from being a UNO student: experience, commonality, festivity.

These are things that people look for in a university, besides, of course, an education. Because you can get a quality education at many institutions in the nation and the state, but a university has to have something that no other can offer.

Which is what makes UNO something special. In the heart of the Crescent City, we have an identity that is unique across the United States. Being a New Orleanian is to be capricious and fascinated in oneself. It’s something that we see and do everyday. And that’s no different on this campus.

When the funding cuts came rolling down from the state, they cut the education: the professors, the programs, the facilities. They cut the technical side of the university but not the personality.You can’t cut what makes UNO what it is and that’s significant for how we move forward through further cuts.

Now this isn’t to diminish the significance of budget cuts. We know the university can’t survive alone on love and good vibes. We need degrees and programs that people want to be involved in. We have great engineering and business departments, but we must continue to expand on other areas, such as liberal arts and education.

Two programs of notice as far as retention are the 15 to Finish and the Intrusive Advising.

Not many students understand the significance of taking more credit hours. With the requirement for full-time being only 12 hours, that’s where most people choose to place themselves.

Yet what many may not realize is that they won’t be finished in four years at that rate. Intrusive Advising is just as important to graduating on time because it’ll be very helpful that students won’t be wasting time with unnecessary or unrequired classes.

Although the road ahead is likely going to be very tough, UNO has the integrity and determination that has kept it alive in the 10 years of decline since Hurricane Katrina. We have what it takes to move on until we see the return to form and rise to exceptionality.

COLUMN How racism has seeped into the core of the nation

BY NGUYEN NGUYEN Driftwood Contributor USA, the melting pot of almost every possible ethnicity on Earth, perplexed me the first time I set foot upon its soil because of its cultural nuances, one of which is the heavy racial undertone that pervades American consciousness.

There is harbored prejudice between people of different regions in my country, but not to the extent that is clearly felt, yet without being explicitly expressed, here in the US. A short trip to the Internet revealed to me how many cancerous opinions about ethnicity still exist out there, in this day and age.

Racism has its root in history and anthropology. The historical

aspect has been well studied and imprinted in the American mind that I need not to discuss it further.

The anthropological aspect, in the other hand, is more subtle and has profound implications. Since the age of primates to the dawn of civilization, tribal humans have evolved to distinguish between foes and friends through the easiest mean: appearance.

Those who looked like us were possible friends; others were most likely enemies. To this day the remnants of this lingers, making xenophobes out of would-be decent people.

The fight against racism isn’t specific to any nation; it’s a fight against the basic, animalistic urges that have haunted us, like sexual impulses, aggression, greed, etc.

However, unlike sexual impulses or aggression which manifest as outright criminal offenses, racism is more subtle, disguised in the dinner table conversations, malicious remarks and opinionated comments.

All of those things have no direct visible impact on society, but they gradually build up an extremely toxic atmosphere, a bubble containing all the anger and hatred of a whole group of people.

The tension builds up to a tipping point, so much so that a shoot-

ing could burst the bubble and raise hell. I was amazed at how one such minor incident with sufficient witnesses and records can be interpreted in wildly different ways, distorted with outrageous disinformation, then erupted into inflamed protests and gained infamous publicity for such a long duration of time.

Thousands of people die unjustified, undignified deaths everyday; the death of one person spiraling into a national turmoil was a very curious chain of events to me. Racism, like other impulses, has a logic of its own that is not necessarily rational or sensible, but totally explainable, although rather ridiculous at times.

What I’ve written comes from what little experiences I have studying in the US, which is subjected to bias and ignorance. I can offer no new insight or remedy to this issue, as men far older and wiser than I have tried to tackle this social illness in vain. This is simply a thought of a foreign student observing a peculiar malady afflicting the US and offering some of his impressions.

I hope one day our offspring will look at us and wonder incredulously how racism could have been, just like the way we now look at sexism of our forebearers’ generation decades ago.

PERSPECTIVE

Illustration by Grant Campbell

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 | Nathan Nguyen • • nvnguye2@uno.edu@uno.edu Web Designer | Harish Kadambala • • • • • • • hckadamb@uno.edu Web Editor | Ave Maria Bordenave • • • • • • • • abordena@uno.edu Reporter | Lones Gagnard • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • lgagnard@uno.edu Reporter | Alexandra Garcia • • • • • • • • • • • • • • aigarcia@uno.edu Reporter | Mindy Jarrett • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • mjarrett@uno.edu Reporter | Thanh Nguyen • • • • • • • • • • • • • • tnnguye7@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

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

Remembering Professor Jack O’Connor

Photo courtesy of UNO

UNO and the Driftwood honor the memory of longtime history professor, John T. “Jack” O’Connor. O’Connor served the University of New Orleans for more than three decades before an 11 month battle of leukemia.

He passed away on Feb. 17, at the age of 78.

After receiving his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan, O’Connor joined the UNO faculty in 1973. He was a Fulbright fellow in Paris for two years

while doing research in various European archives. This lead to the publishing of his book, “Negotiator Out of Season: The Career of Wilhelm Egon von Fürstenberg 1629-1704” in 1982.

Following that, in 1984, O’Connor received the UNO Alumni Award for Excellent Teaching. His courses at the university included the French Revolution, Napoleon, 17th century France and the Age of

Louis XIV. O’Connor also went to Haiti in 2000, and produced articles on the Haitian revolution and its liberation from France.

O’Connor also enjoyed mystery novels, reading cookbooks (many friends said that his messages often contained recipes) and ballet, due to his daughter’s career as a dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. He is survived by his daughter Rosalie, as well as his brother Dennis and his sister Theresa.

MAN ON THE STREET What are you doing for spring break?

Photos by Nathan Nguyen

CAROLYN STEVENS Sophomore, I.D.S.

PATRICK CASEY Sophomore, Education

ADAM ISHAQ Junior, Business

PHILLIP KLEIN Freshman, Biological Sciences

ALEXIS JULIAN Sophomore, I.D.S.

I’m going to take that time to just rest from school. You know, just take it easy.

I’m going to go to my friend’s cabin up in Mount Pillian.

I’m going to visit some family in South Carolina.

I’m going home to chill and hang out with my family.

I’m going to Atlanta, Miami and Dallas for my 21st birthday.

CRIME SCENE DO NOT

CROSS CRIME SCENE

• On March 8, the complainant reported her license plate had been stolen off of her vehicle outside Privateer Place.

• On March 11, the victim reported a simple rape that occurred in Sept. 2015 at Pontchartrain Hall by a UNO student and acquaintance.

• On March 12, a light pole in the Performance Art Center parking lot was discovered fallen.

CAMPUS CALENDAR WED., MAR. 16 JAZZ AT THE SANDBAR A series of jazz artists will be performing at UNO’s sandbar every Wednesday from March to April. This week’s performer is drummer Carl Allen. The show starts at 7 p.m., $5 general admission or free for UNO students with school I.D.

THURS., MAR. 17 PUBLIC LECTURE: ANDREW I COHEN, “BASELINES FOR MORAL REPAIR” Andrew Cohen will present his lecture on philosophy and political economy as a part of the Tocqueville Project’s lecture series. The lecture starts for 5 p.m. in room 236 in the Liberal Arts building.

FRI., MAR. 18

SAT., MAR. 19

SUN., MAR. 20

DARE TO DODGE Teams will compete in a dodgeball tournament in the Wellness center to raise awareness and money for multiple sclerosis at 4 p.m.

INTERNATIONAL NIGHT Cultural exhibitions, colorful performances food, dances and a fashion show will be showcased at the Human Performance Center at 9:30 p.m. International Night is organized by the International Student Organization in collaboration with the Student

HOLI, FESTIVAL OF COLORS Students throw colors and dance in a spectacular celebration of Holi, a traditional Hindu rite of spring, near the Amphitheatre at 5 p.m.

Activities Council.

MON., MAR. 21 GREEKS GO GREEN Delta Zeta and Sigma Kappa

will hold a recycling competition between organizations in the quad from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Winning organization will win a pizza party.

TUES., MAR. 22 TRIVIA NIGHT Trivia Night at the Cove starts 8 p.m. Winners receive free groceries and other prizes.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

NEWS

LSU physicians join campus Health Services

BY MINDY JARRETT Driftwood Staff For those suffering springtime sinuses or any other ailments, the upcoming merge of UNO Student Health Services with LSU Health and Science Center will be quite the asset.

The clinic, or “Doc-in-the-Box,” as Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Brett Kemker calls it, can be compared to “a typical walkin clinic like you would find just about anywhere in the city.”

Students who read their UNO fee bill have seen “Other Mandatory Fees” listed, under which health services are covered by a fee equal to two percent of the semester’s tuition cost. Therefore, the visit is free and does not require a student to have insurance. “Anything out-

side the realm of the regular doctor’s visit, like if they have to send out for tests, then they will bill you for that. But for people who have insurance, they just bill the insurance,” Kemker said.

The convenience of having health services on campus is an asset money can’t buy.

“The idea is that as a student at UNO, it’s all about time management. So, if you can just pop in without an appointment to the health clinic – let’s say you have a bad cold and you need some antibiotics, or let’s say you have a sinus infection – it may be only less than an hour to do it, if you did it here.

Whereas if you had to go off campus and go to a Doc-in-the-Box somewhere around here or back home, wherever that might be, to your general physician, it would

take up most of a day. And we don’t have that time. So the convenience is amazing.”

Technically, though, LSU Health and Science Center isn’t new to campus. “We currently, and have historically, had a partnership with LSU Health and Science Center.

Our physicians that are attending in the health clinic now are on contract from LSU, so they’re LSU physicians,” said Dr. Kemker. In fact, the Medical Director for UNO Student Health Services, Dr. Betty Lo-Blais is an LSU doctor.

UNO-LSU Health Services is located on the second floor of the University Center building, room 238. The clinic is open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments are required and can be made by calling (504)-280-6387.

UNO spins for wins in enrollment and rentention CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “If that number could be 35-40 percent or 45-50 percent, so I’m not talking about majority, I’m talking about just inching it up, our overall success rate improves, our graduation rate improves and we help more students be retained and graduate.”

“Math and English data shows that if you take Math and English your first term here, you succeed at a much higher rate. If you wait, you don’t.”

Nicklow believes recruitment and retention go hand-in-hand. “I don’t want to bring more students here if we aren’t improving our success rate. At the same time improving our success rate becomes an issue if there aren’t more stu-

dents coming in. The two have to happen together.”

“I think there has been a number of things over the past ten years [that has decreased enrollment]. A dramatic change in admission criteria, the storm certainly changed the student makeup demographics, but also who’s willing to come, who stayed. TOPS played a role in changing the landscape of our student body,” said Nicklow. “What I also know is we are in an increasingly competitive enrollment environment. Many of our states have decreasing numbers of high school graduates including Louisiana.

We’ve been on a decline for almost a decade.”

With about 4,500 higher education institutions in the United States and high school graduation rates dramatically declining, Nick-

low explained that there is a smaller pool of students eligible to matriculate in college.

“If you look nationally at the number of high school graduates from about 2008 forward, [there] has been a decline. That’s true in the South; that’s especially true in Louisiana. We’ve actually been on a decline from about 2003.”

“I think state budget restraints; state admission changes the loss of faculty and staff; negative press and genuine concerns from parents and teachers have played a role [in the decline of enrollment],” said Brian McDonald, a technology training support specialist and a member of the Retention Sub Committee.

With budget cuts always in the back of student’s minds, morale becomes very low, fears spark and rumors fly that UNO will close.

“Despite what some people may say or the claims made, we’re not going anywhere...It may affect perceptions of what the institution has to offer,” Nicklow said. “Sometimes that’s not always real, sometimes it’s just a perception. I still say we have incredibly high quality programs here and that’s not changed anything. I do believe that when you read the media and the discussions about budget cuts and how big they can be, it does affect perceptions of influencers.”

“We’re working to change perceptions; we’re working to make sure the message is getting out there. One of the reasons I came here is because of the incredible reputation UNO has across the country. In many cases, it’s better than the reputation right here. If you ask people across the country,

this institution is very well known and has a strong, strong reputation.

While a student from here may want to go away, you may have a student from Chicago who says, ‘absolutely I want to be at the University of New Orleans,’” “I think we have people out there right now who are fearful with TOPS, fearful with budget reductions. At the end of the day, I would encourage those people to lay the fear aside and focus on our institution because we still will be here.

We are still going to have very high quality programs at an incredibly reasonable price. Our singular goal is to help students succeed to complete students and help them be career ready.”

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

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Service organization connects N.O. students

BY ADAM POYNER Driftwood Contributor For students looking to get involved on campus, there is already a variety of organizations to choose from, ranging from pre-professional, to special interest, to Greek life.

One of the newest student service organizations to form on the University of New Orleans campus is the Intercollegiate Outreach Union (IOU), which is UNO’s first nonGreek student service organization.

According to the founder of the IOU, Cameron Boissiere, one of the main goals of IOU is to connect students from all of New Orleans’ institutions of higher education by performing community service projects together.

Students can also benefit from this organization because it offers a great opportunity to meet other college students studying the same subjects at other universities such as Dillard, Loyola, Tulane, Xavier, Southern or Delgado. Connections that are formed through service projects (rather than at the Boot or similar establishments) can be very useful after graduation when it comes time to start a career.

Boissiere first felt the need to start this organization last August when she realized just how many colleges and universities exist in

New Orleans and how much potential there could be for these students to meet and network for their future careers while giving back to the community that is simultaneously supporting them. With the help of advisor Tilman Hardy and her friend and co-founder Mike Mosko, the Intercollegiate Outreach Union was born.

The IOU will also be working with the Interdisciplinary Studies program here at UNO so that future IDS students can use the IOU as a way to fulfill requirements for their IDS major. “We also are working on having our service projects count towards internship or individual research credit,” added Boissiere.

Currently, the IOU is working on a few different service projects in partnership with various community leaders and organizations. One of these is “The Beat Within,” a California-based nonprofit which serves incarcerated youths from juvenile correctional facilities by publishing their writings and artwork in a bimonthly magazine.

“We are in communication with the superintendent of the Youth Study Center and hope to bring the CEO, David Inocencio, to New Orleans to host a workshop before we kick off the program,” said Boissiere. This would be “The Beat Within”’s first appearance in New Orleans.

Photo coutesy of IOU Facebook The Intercollegiate Outreach Union, which spans six different universities in Louisiana, has started a new chapter in UNO.

Other projects include a collaboration with Dillard University students to study property lots in the Gentilly neighborhood called “Project Homecoming” and an art project that will be dealing with race and race reconciliation. This

project will focus on the St. Roch neighborhood, and the IOU is working with the Welcome Table New Orleans city council initiative.

Presently, the IOU has eight members from Tulane, Xavier, Dillard and UNO.

For those interested in any of the service projects, go to iounola.org to find more information about the organization, its upcoming projects and how to pursue membership in the new organization.

Viewers’ relationship to time on display at Studio Be

Photo by Lones Gagnard “Ephemeral Eternal” hones in on one’s most precious moments in life and relate them to historical moments that define today.

BY LONES GAGNARD Driftwood Staff Brandan “Bmike” Odums is a New Orleans graffiti artist who uses his art to express things that words

simply cannot.

His artwork began when he spray-painted an abandoned apartment complex in the 9th ward for his own self-expression and pleasure. He named his first venture

Project BE, and it got a lot of attention and left on-lookers wanting more. Odums’ art branched to another forgotten apartment complex, which he named ExhibitBE, his most famous project yet.

ExhibitBE was a four-story, collaborative graffiti exhibit based out of an abandoned apartment complex that Odums himself called “the largest street art exhibit in the American south” His latest experiment is called Studio Be and is currently going on every Wednesday through Sunday from noon- 6 p.m. in a large Bywater warehouse. “Ephemeral.

Eternal” is the show that is on display right now and was inspired by time itself.

According to Odums and a plaque that welcomes people into “Ephemeral.Eternal” the exhibit focuses on the short moments of our lives that we want to last forever and the moments throughout history that have made the world the way it is today.

Odums wants his art to speak for a generation of young New Orleanians who feel lost or like they don’t belong. In a city where so many parts have been forgotten, it is not hard to imagine that some of its citizens feel the same way. “I just want the people that visit here to feel something and when they leave to know more about their history and who they are,” Odums said.

In the beginning of Studio Be, a lot of Odums African-American pride resonates through the warehouse walls, much like his work with ExhibitBE and Project Be. Activists are painted with their quotes beside them asking visitors to seek the truth and seek their ancestry.

Portraits of men holding signs reading: “I Am A Man” show all men demand respect no matter their color or creed.

One art installation titled “Don’t Play Yourself” shows an infinite number of DJ Khaled’s shouting statistics at you. While young children in the city know Steph Curry’s shooting percentage feels their selfknowledge and what they know about their heritage recedes everyday, according to Kevin Griffin, a photographer visiting the exhibit.

Studio Be, and the works viewed

by Griffin and others, are seeking to return that knowledge back to the.

As the exhibit grows, so do the ideas that fall behind Odums’ artwork. Walking through to the second part of the exhibit are ideas that unite the entire world, like love Studio Be asks viewers to consider their relationship to time and how “views on love are bound by [the] attraction to the ephemeral.”

When Brandan Odums started this three-part project he felt he had to speak for those who had no other voice or outlet. Now Odums says that he is focusing on the universal experiences with the passage of time, and our effort to leave something lasting behind.

Although Studio Be may be ephemeral, the lessons that are taught will live on eternally through the touch of graffiti, the effects of which Odums said are started his “attraction to the spray can.”

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT

BUKU MUSIC + ART PROJECT 2016

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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

ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

NERO

FUTURE

KHALANI Photos by Nathan Nguyen

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT

“10 Cloverfield Lane” is a meld of mystery and thrills

BY CHARLES NICHOLSON Managing Editor It’s only three months into the year and many are looking forward to the big summer blockbusters to hit the screens (of course an exception of that is the upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice). But the month of March has graced us with not one, but two Oscar-worthy entries: “Zootopia” and J.J. Abrams-produced “10 Cloverfield Lane.”

“10 Cloverfield Lane” is a chokeon-the-air suspense thriller that is bolstered by its small but incredibly talented cast and its “bottle”-style production that keeps the characters as the central focus.

The “Cloverfield” name placement is an interesting one. Abrams has stated that the film is a “blood relative” to the original “Cloverfield” (2008) and that won’t make much sense until you see it. At most, the two films share a similar tone and atmosphere (clearly having Abrams’ fingerprints) and a couple of obscure references that only those who were really into the

original “Cloverfield” would catch.

Otherwise, these are two completely separate movies that are only recognizable by name.

At any rate, whether or not you enjoyed the 2008 “found footage” thriller, “10 Cloverfield Lane” has many new things to offer, most notably its great performances. The lead, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, plays the exertive and astute Michelle who is cast into the situation of being stuck in a bunker with two others, and is quick to action when things start to look suspect. Michelle is accompanied by the lively Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) who also lucked out (or not?) into making it into the safe haven, and whose jovial character offsets the brooding tone.

The most laudable performance is by John Goodman whose character, Howard, is an unsettling mass of mystery. Just about every word to come out of Howard’s mouth seems to be contradicted by the little things that Michelle picks up on. Michelle more or less acts as a surrogate for the audience, basically doing and saying what any reasonable person in her position would.

Photo courtesty of Paramount Pictures

The back and forth between the two create a tense conflict in which one is clearly at a disadvantage against the other. But it’s how intelligent Michelle comes off that gives the viewer hope that she gets through her unpredictable scenario.

Probably the most divisive aspect of the movie would have to be the third act. I won’t go into detail here, but the writers have thrown

in a twist that goes full-on thriller movie. But it’s not at all unearned.

It’s that the film constantly has the viewer ask “what the hell is going on” so that the subsequent “oohh” makes perfect sense. Whether or not you enjoy the ending is purely up to preference.

In summary, Director Dan Trachtenberg certainly needs to pat himself on the back for what is his

first feature-length film. There’s never a moment in “10 Cloverfield Lane” where you’ll find yourself looking for the next scene because you’ll be so immersed in what’s going on right then and there. Though it’s not a real sequel, it captures the ambience and subtlety of the original and reignites the “Cloverfield” franchise.

Netflix Original “Fuller House” fulfills ‘90s sitcom cravings

BY CHLOE GAGNON News Editor All film and television shows are grouped by genre and with genres come certain expectations. Sitcoms are expected to contain both cheesy and heartfelt moments.

“Fuller House,” the remake of the sitcom “Full House” that ran from 1987 to 1995, has recently been released on Netflix. The all-star cast is the same original cast from the 80s and 90s. They came back in full swing and hit a homerun.

Unlike “Full House,” “Fuller House” is centered around DJ Fuller, the eldest Tanner sibling, recent widower and mother of three boys.

Played by Candace Bure, DJ lost her husband and is now faced with raising her children alone. She moves

into her father’s home, the same original Tanner San Fran house that 80s and 90s children grew up in, because Danny (Bob Saget) and Rebecca (Lori Loughlin) take their show ‘Wake Up San Francisco’ to Los Angeles for a new show called ‘Wake Up USA.’ Uncle Jesse, played by John Stamos, also gets a new job in LA as the new music composer for the soap opera “General Hospital.”

Joey, played by Dave Coulier, lives in Las Vegas doing comedy shows.

The four guest star periodically throughout the season. Meanwhile, it is focused on DJ’s life. Stephanie, played by Jodie Sweetin, decides to take time off from her famous DJ lifestyle and Kimmy, played by Andrea Barber, who is now a party planner, move in to help DJ adjust to her new life.

The show is like a repeat of the original. In Full House, Dad is widowed, left with three kids and is helped by his brother-in-law and friend. In Fuller House, Mom is widowed, left with three kids and is helped by her sister and friend.

With this remake, the meta plays a big role in the show. The characters make jokes then look directly at the camera to the audience to connect it to real life.

The first episode is one big reunion with the whole gang minus Michelle (played by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen). The twins are running a fashion industry in New York City and are the only cast members that do not appear. However, Danny mentions this reason as to why they are not on the show and then waits for the audience to realize the connection to the Olson twins’ real life

fashion empire.

Recorded in front of a live studio audience, cheers erupt when each character first appears all the way down to Nicky and Alex (Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit). The same Elvis jokes from Uncle Jesse (John Stamos), Bullwinkle imitations from Joey (Dave Coulier) and anal cleaning from Danny bring childhood memories back to all the returning fans.

Stephanie Tanner wears some revealing outfits for a family friendly television show. Granted, it has been 21 years since the original ended and fashion and exposure on film and television has become more lenient.

Kimmy’s character sells the show and puts it over the top. Her eccentric character from the 80s and 90s is never-changing and ever intrigu-

ing to watch. She’s stuck in the 90s, she’s a mother and a wife with a separated Latino lover.

Four new main characters join the show—Kimmy’s daughter Ramona Gibbler (Soni Bringas) and DJ’s three sons Jackson (Michael Campion), Max (Elias Harger) and Tommy (Dashiell Messitt).

Steve Hale, played by Scott Weinger, also makes an impression on the show by chasing DJ the entire time even though she develops a new relationship with a co-worker, Matt Harmon (John Brotherton).

The show is cheesy, adorable, fun and full of laughs. Intended for old fans, it hits home for childhood memories and make audiences smile the entire time.

ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

9

BUKU leaves crowds perfectly high and dry

BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief The weather the day before was getting worse by the hour. Flash flood warnings were already announced, thunderstorms were looming and schools were beginning to close operations for the remainder of the week. The status of the fifth year of Buku Music + Arts Project, also known as Buku Fest, had many ticketholders concerned. In the early morning hours of Friday opening day, the rain was heavy and the reports seemed to hold true to what was being predicted days prior.

Two hours before the festival gates opened, the rain suddenly stopped. Dark clouds hovered above, but with no rain. That was more than enough as hordes of fans were fully prepared to party in the rain and rushed through deep mud pits and bottomless puddles to get to the festival gates and enjoy Buku Fest, which sold out for the third straight year.

Day one provided a huge list of exciting acts, both new and old.

Anderson .Paak is a up-and-coming artist to watch in 2016, and anyone who didn’t know who he was before the Buku opener took note by the time his set was over.

Playing cuts from his recent album “Malibu” and from Dr. Dre’s “Compton,” .Paak kept the crowd energized with his groovy vibe and live band performances. His drum solos showcased his sheer musical talent, something that was not overlooked by those in attendance.

In between songs, he would interact with the crowd and even haggle

his band mates about drinking beer during the set for comedic effect.

Up next was the hometown legendary collection of Juvenile and Mystikal with a helping hand from longtime electronic bounce artist Fly Boi Keno. Keno warmed the crowd up before Mystikal took the stage. Mystikal reminded the largely young crowd that if they don’t know who he is or his songs, then “ya momma and ya auntie know who I am.” He handed over the stage to Juvenile, who brought his son on stage as well.

Juve sent the entire crowd on a nostalgia trip though 90s New Orleans hip-hop as he performed classics like “Ha,” “Nolia Clap” and “400 Degreez.” Buku has always done a great job bringing old school acts each year and this one was no different. Juve, Mystikal and Keno put on a show that ranks second only to Nas’ performance of “Illmatic” on the album’s 20th anniversary two years ago.

Rae Sremmurd closed out day one in rambunctious fashion, filled with crowd surfing and a pineapple. Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi are well known for their high energy performances, and this was no different. “No Flex Zone,” “Come Get Her” and were just a few songs that played the theme music for the moshing crowd. The duo also played “No Chance” off their upcoming album “SremmLife 2.”

Day one ended without a single drop of rain. With the exception of the 35-minute wait time to get through security and into the gates, everything was shaping out nicely.

The second and final day had similar results: slight rain in the morning, the eventual let up, dark

Fans hangout at the Back Alley Stage during BUKU 2016.

clouds and long line times. It would be one of the performing acts on day two that proved to be the true showstopper for the weekend.

Future was a must-see for Buku fest and everyone knew it. The Power Plant packed together like sardines in a vacuumed tin can to get a good spot for one of the hottest rappers in the industry, and it was a smart move. Future Hendrix rocked the crowd with popular tracks like “March Madness,” “Thought It Was A Drought” and “Jumpman.” With heavy bass, energy inducing stage lights and mosh pits, Future provided the best set of the weekend.

Odd Future lyricist Earl Sweatshirt provided a mellower vibe than Future, but still had an enjoyable performance despite the emo

style of dark sounds combined with even darker rhymes. Some technical difficulties held things up only a little bit, but the remaining time was spent heavily head nodding to the young, talented rapper.

Finishing off Buku Festival with the final performance of the weekend was A$AP mob member A$AP Ferg. The New York rapper came out almost 20 minutes late, but made up for his tardiness with an emotional and powerful performance. With lighters and cell phone lights brightening the crowd, he dedicated a portion of his set to A$AP Yams, Ferg’s hometown friend who passed away early last year.

Afterwards, Ferg turned the party all the way up, playing “Hella Hoes,” “New Level” and “Shab-

Photo by Nathan Nguyen

ba.” Those tracks were simply build-ups to the ground shaking “Work.” The crowd bounced and moshed throughout and Ferg ended the Buku weekend the right way.

Rain never came on day two as well, and the whole experience proved to be another success. The food was just as good, toasted PB&J sandwiches, gyros, smoothies and pizza slices were just a few of the food options to choose from while bouncing through crowds and admiring art from the graffiti wall. Buku fest has been building a consistent festival experience since the very first showcase in 2011. This year, with arguably the best lineup in Buku history, they proved why they are a premiere festival in the city.

Driftwood sits with DJ Soul Sister at BUKU 16

Photo by Nathan Nguyen DJ Soul Sister checks her records while performing at Buku fest on Friday.

BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief The proclaimed “Queen of Rare Groove” DJ Soul Sister has earned many accolades during her almost two-decade tenure as a live and radio DJ. Along with being the first DJ to earn the “Best DJ” award in New Orleans and the one of the

longest running DJs in the city, she has worked alongside musical greats like George Clinton, Erykah Badu, Teena Marie and Chaka Khan.

Her use of various forms of rare groove, disco, funk and jazz music has a reputation to keep any dance floor grooving all through the night. On the opening day of Buku Music + Art Project 2016, we sat

with DJ Soul Sister, real name Melissa Weber, after her set to talk.

First off, great set.

Thanks!

For the past two years you’ve performed at Buku fest it’s been on the VIP boat. Was there a different approach to your set this year knowing you’ll have a bigger crowd?

Yea, that’s a great question that no one else has asked me. Absolutely. I mean I love playing the boat, but it’s sort of mellow. People go in there to get their drinks and kind of chill out and the music is a little bit of background. Being on a stage for me, I was a little nervous about it because, of course I play all vinyl and the weather forecasts have been disastrous, talking about flooding rain and torrential winds.

The production staff here has made everything so beautiful and easy and everything lightened up. There was no rain, and no wind when I performed so I just did what I normally do at my regular gigs and parties here and had a good time.

You’ve been DJing both live performances and on the ra-

dio for a really long time now.

Is there a preference for you at this point? Whether you’d rather be on the radio or in front of a live crowd?

There is no preference as long as I can share the music that I love. What I love to play is what’s known as rare-groove. It’s a catchall term for anything soulful— soul, funk, disco, afrobeat, reggae, 1970s through mid 80s is the general time, but things that you might not know. Songs that you might not know, album cuts, 45 singles maybe only 100 pressed for the neighborhood. Just because a song wasn’t a top 10 Billboard hit doesn’t mean it doesn’t sound or feel good, and that’s what I like to look for when I’m buying records and that’s what I love to play and share with people and hope that they get the same feelings that I get when they hear it.

Is there one album or record in your massive collection that you can point to that has the most significance to you, whether emotionally or sonically?

Yea, my favorite—this is what I cite as my favorite album of all time—is “Music is the Message”

by Kool and the Gang from 1972.

It’s a soul record, it’s a funky record, it’s a dance record, it’s a mellow record, it’s got everything, and I first bought it when I was six years old by accident. It was 1980, and that year Kool and the Gang had a huge hit that you probably know called “Celebration.” And I’m six and my dad brought me to the record store and I see “Kool and the Gang” on the album artwork and I was like “Oh, Celebration!” and there was no celebration on this album. It was an album from like eight years prior ‘cause it was cut out and it was cheap. But I loved it so much. It’s got that hard funk, and a million rappers have sampled off of it, and it’s my favorite album of all time not only because it provided a groundwork for me for wanting to learn more about soulful music that’s not on the charts but it’s just a good record.

Thank you Soul Sister, It was a pleasure talking to you!

Same here!

LAGNIAPPE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

ink blots

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3/14/2016

sudoku

word search

Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.57)

3

5 2 8

1

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6 1

3

7 4

2

3

6

3

5 7

6

5

5 8

3

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Tue Mar 15 02:23:09 2016 GMT. Enjoy!

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M C L M U S U R E E K C T E O

ANDERSON ANDERSON BUKU BUKU CLOVERFIELD CLOVERFIELD EPHEMERAL ETERNAL EPHEMERAL FESTIVAL FULLER FUTURE JUVENILE MYSTIKAL RECRUITMENT

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R U P E E G G R O E X E A T T

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JUVENILE MYSTIKAL RECRUITMENT RETENTION

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

11

Baseball wins first conference series against Sam Houston

BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief The UNO men’s baseball team got their first test against in-conference competition as they won a weekend series against Sam Houston State at Maestri Field.

Game one on Friday was a pitching battle as neither team could drive home their first run until the sixth inning. Starting pitcher Shawn Semple had a career night as he recorded 11 strikeouts and only allowed one run through eight innings of work.

When the sophomore was replaced with senior closing pitcher Daniel Martinez the top of the ninth inning, UNO (13-3, 2-1 SLC) was holding on to a 3-1 lead with men on first and one out.

Sam Houston (6-11, 1-2 SLC)

was far from done and a two run blast from the very next batter gave the Bearkats a tie ballgame. Martinez stayed composed, however, and worked his way out of the inning by sitting down the next two batters by way of strikeout.

UNO couldn’t muster a run in the bottom of the ninth, and extra innings were needed to decide a victor.

After halting Sam Houston in the top of the tenth, UNO had the winning run on third with two outs.

Junior shortstop Samuel Capielano was up to bat and had yet to earn a hit in his first three trips at-bat.

Capielano came through as he singled to right field and brought home the winning run, giving the Privateers a 4-3 victory to start the series.

The series clinching game proved to be a close matchup as well as the

team played a doubleheader on Saturday. The Privateers were down 4-1 after the fifth inning, but a six run inning gave the team a late 7-4 lead.

Sam Houston rallied back in the top of the ninth and loaded the bases before getting a single out. UNO managed to only let up two runs and walk away with a 7-6 win to secure the series win.

Later in the day, the Bearkats were finally able to get an 8-4 win to finish the weekend, but the series had already been decided.

UNO currently holds the best record of all Southland teams.

They will travel to Baton Rouge today to face LSU (12-3), their toughest matchup so far. Pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

The match will be a reunion trip from new head coach Blake Dean, who was a part of LSU’s World Se-

Photo by UNO Athletics/Clem Barbazon Sophomore pitcher Shawn Semple earned 11 strikesouts in the first game against Sam Houston on Friday.

ries Championship team in 2009.

After the trip to Baton Rouge, the Privateers will stay on the road for a weekend series against Stephen

F. Austin (8-8, 0-3 SLC) in Texas.

Pitch is schedule for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Lions give UNO defense fits in Southland Tournament loss

BY NIGEL WASHINGTON Editor-in-Chief The University of New Orleans men’s basketball team was knocked out of the first round of the Southland Conference tournament after a 84-74 loss to Southeastern Louisi-

ana in Katy, Texas.

UNO struggled throughout the game as they could never find an answer defensively for the Lions’ offensive efficiency. In the first half, Southeastern shot 57 percent from the floor en route to a 49-42 lead.

Guards Nate Fry and Christavi-

ous Gill did all they could to keep the team in it as they both scored a combined 26 points in the first half.

Fry had the hot hand from behind the line, shooting 4-for-5 from three point range.

Early in the second half, UNO made strong pushes to retake the lead, bringing the score to 49-48 in

less than a minute.

A three-pointer with 13:21 left in the second half started a quick 13 point run by Southeastern that gave them a 72-58 lead. The Privateers could never make another serious run at the lead as the Lions ended their season.

The team shot 42 percent from

the field for the game while recording 33 total rebounds. SLU dominated inside offensively, scoring 32 points in the paint to UNO’s 22.

UNO finished the season with a 10-20 record and a 6-12 record against conference opponents.