Volume: 59 Issue: 3

Volume: 59 Issue: 3

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

driftwood.uno.edu

UNO Students encouraged to take advantage of available resources Nigel Washington Editor-in-Chief Privateer Plunge, the calendar of endorsed events that kicks off every fall semester, offers activities that involve multiple organizations around campus.

The Office of Student Leadership and Involvement (SIL) and the Office of Enrollment Services (OES) plan the six-week event that has become an important introduction to UNO. Without their collaboration, Privateer Plunge would not be possible.

“That’s how the university should be. It shouldn’t be these isolated offices doing a whole bunch of work. It’s better if we work together and make a program really successful,” said SIL Director Dale O’Neill.

Privateer Plunge offers the faculty members to meet not huge, they did not bring workshops on resume build- with their students outside of back the event this year. ing, interview tips, job-search the classroom setting.”

Christy Heaton, Associate The organizers evaluate Director for Orientation and strategies and stress management workshops to prepare the success of each event to First Year Student Success. students for life outside of determine whether they will “We might have the classroom, in had anywhere addition to social from six to ten Data from the Plunge over the last events. students, but for four years show that students who Alumni and facthose six to ten participate in at least six events have ulty also help with individuals they these events to aid a 7-10 percent higher retention rate came every week the younger stuand they estabthan the average freshman or student dents as much as lished connections transfer. possible. with each other.”

- Christy Heaton “[Having alumHeaton’s assisAssociate Director of Admissions for ni and faculty tant Lindsey DesOrientation and First Year Student Success support] is very selle was one of important. We rethe students who ally stress that,” ran every Tuesday.

O’Neill said. “That’s a huge be offered again. Privateer Not all students take advanpredictor (of college success) Plunge previously hosted an tage of this opportunities like and we think it’s important event called Fight The 15 Desselle did when it was her for faculty of college de- to connect students to each time to Plunge. partments to participate in other and promote a healthy “Unfortunately, sometimes Privateer Plunge because it lifestyle. students don’t realize all the provides the opportunity for Because the turnout was resources they have until they

leave college and then they want to go to a workshop on meditation and they can’t do it and they realize they have to pay all this money to do it,” O’Neill said.

Fraternities and sororities use Private Plunge to promote themselves and their mission; they do more than just recruit.

“They are definitely wanting to recruit,” O’Neill said. “…but these events that they are putting on are not recruitment events. They are a service to a community. If a fraternity puts on an event, they know that it is for everyone to come out and participate in. I think for them it’s about being able to be visible and say that they are around and they are here to boost up campus life and student morale.”

Continued on page 4

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

EDITORIAL Fos’ Retirement: What the future could hold?

With President Peter J. Fos’ recent announcement of his retirement, a question that should be asked is: “What does this mean for UNO?” What does it mean for a university when its president steps down? It wasn’t long ago, in 2012 to be exact, when President Fos took up the position. At the time, the University had just transferred from the LSU system to the UL system, making Fos the first president of the university (the previous chief administrators were called chancellors).

Since then, and even before, the university has seen consistent ups and downs. Enrollment continues to decline while tuition and fees increase. It is a president’s job to make sure that the university is functioning well which puts him in the position of making some very difficult decisions.

For example, last year Fos recommended closing seven degree programs and eliminating the Geography Department, a staggering blow to the academic structure of the university. How does the state of affairs look to students, both current and prospective, when these types of decisions are made? And how do we know that the president is making the correct decision? Or that the president is acting in the students’ best interest?

It’s quite troubling to see President Fos making the decision to step down at such a time. Why now, just weeks into the new semester? Why not before the semester started? And why will he not officially retire until after the 2016 Spring semester has begun?

Fos’ retirement is only the most recent of administrative changes the university has seen.

On July 1, John Nicklow took up the position of Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs.

As assistant provost of academic management at Southern Illinois University, Nicklow was responsible for the largest freshmen class in 20 years as well as an

eight percent first-year retention rate. That’s an impressive feat and the type of initiative that UNO sorely needs. It is also grounds for speculation of what could come out of the changing of presidents.

Students undoubtedly will wonder what type of positive changes we can expect of the new president. As the face of the university, we should expect proposals and promises to be announced (though whether or not they will be fulfilled must be seen).

These changes should first include extensive plans for an increase in academic viability.

In order to increase enrollment, people should look at UNO and say “I would attend that school.” Higher enrollment and retention would soon spell the end of tuition increases and (we hope) the beginning of decreases.That could eventually mean the return of paid Graduate and Research Assistant positions, reestablishing UNO’s position as a ‘research university’.

Not only that, but there should be improvement to student life: more availability of courses, better hours for on-campus facilities, better options for on-campus dining and so on, creating an on-campus environment students want to be a part of.

Sure, this is spelling out the obvious for all this campus so desperately requires, and if life were a fairy tale some amazing man or woman would come along and make it all happen.

But it’s not, and they (likely) won’t. However, for a new president to actively and visibly fight for these changes and work with the UNO community to enact them, would mean that we can rest easy about the fate of our university, even after current students leave. Not to mention seeing hopeful and rebuilding activities rather than defensive and protective actions would spell out hope for the entire university population.

Correction In the issue published on Sept. 2, 2015, Driftwood reported that the shooting of Michael Brown occured on Aug. 10, 2015. The shooting actually occured on Aug. 9, 2014.

Opinion: Somebody please help clean UNO

Nigel Washington Editor-in-Chief

One, lonely dead roach. While the ones around my neighborhood are usually brown, this one is

black. With its feet in the air and back on the ground, I have passed this roach many times on my way to class and I have grown tired of seeing his corpse every time I walk up the stairs. Somebody please give this guy a proper burial, and while they’re at it please do something about the rest of the filth on campus.

Far too often I find myself giving the grinch face to a pile of dirt or mystery stains spotted at random places in the hallways. As a student it does not make me feel good about my university to see it this way. Some parts of campus are decent while others are unacceptable. Sometimes trash litters the front of the Earl K. Long library in an amazing show of negligence.

I remain baffled on how the math building can acquire brown stains

on those tall ceilings.

The responsibility of keeping a clean campus is something students and administration have decided to sweep under the rug. As students, we need to take pride in our school and lend a hand when we can. We have all seen the efforts when the university prides itself in something. The University Center is, for the most part, spotless and the same can be said for the library.

There’s no doubt in my mind that efforts can be made to help keep the other areas on campus clean.

The beautification of our campus needs to happen, and it needs to happen soon. Without it we are literally burying ourselves in dirt.

UNO needs a clean and appealing campus to breathe life into the students. As of now all it’s doing is blowing up dust.

Driftwood is the student run newspaper of the University of New Orleans. We publish every Wednesday with the exception of mid-term and finals weeks and official holiday breaks.

2000 Lakeshore Drive University Center 252 New Orleans, LA 70148 Phone: (504) 280-6377 Fax: (504) 280-6010 Ad sales inquiries should be directed to driftwoodads@uno.edu

STAFF Nigel Washington Editor-in-Chief driftwoodeditor@uno.edu

Traven Stout Photo Editor tstout@.uno.edu

Charles Nicholson Managing Editor driftwood@uno.edu

Lili Harrison Advertising Manager driftwoodads@uno.edu

Anna Gowin Features/Entertainment Editor agowin@uno.edu

Zachary C. Guntner Marketing Manager driftwoodpr@uno.edu

Chloe Gagnon News Editor cprange@uno.edu

Ave Maria Bordenave Web Editor abordena@uno.edu

Grant Campbell Visuals Director gbcampbe@uno.edu

Vickie Kennedy Faculty Adviser vkennedy@uno.edu

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

Tuition waivers cut from graduate assistantships Tori Bush

Driftwood Staff In Fall 2014, under the stress of budget cuts, UNO changed the policy for Graduate Assistantships: Research and Professional Assistants would no longer receive a tuition waiver.

Previously, Research and Professional Assistants were paid a minimum wage salary, but also received a waiver that allowed them to attend UNO with a full tuition subsidy. After a year of implementation, this is no longer the case.

This loss of significant funding for graduate school affects the rate of students coming to UNO, a “research” university and it could af-

fect the future of UNO’s graduate programs.

Adam Norris, the Director of Public Relations at UNO said, “The reason for the change in policy is twofold: to reduce the amount of money being spent from the general fund and to place a higher priority on the instructional role of Teaching Assistants.”

However, Christiana Croegaert, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and the Graduate Coordinator of the Master’s of Urban Studies program last year, sees it has a negative impact on the department’s ability to attract top students. “Cutting back graduate tuition waivers, a relatively modest stipend for students, shows a real lack of vision…

in order to attract students, and students do want to study in New Orleans, you have to invest time and money in their education. I understand that at the state level there are serious constraints, but if we want to be a top research university we have to invest in graduate training,” said Croegaert.

In 2012-13, UNO spent $1,909,600 on Graduate Tuition Exemption. In 2014-15, the cost came down to $1,468,642, a reduction of $440,958. The total budget for this year is approximately $101 million.

But the amount saved by this reduction may actually have more significant budgetary consequences if student enrollment continues

to decrease. Graduate student enrollment is down 15.8 percent this year from Fall 2013.

UNO has faced significant budget cuts in the last two years. Sandy Baum, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute recently told NPR: “ it’s not that colleges are spending more money to educate students. It’s that they have to get that money from someplace to replace their lost state funding — and that’s from tuition and fees from students and families.”

However, a recent New York Times article pointed out that “according to the Department of Education data, administrative positions at colleges and universities grew by 60 percent between

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1993 and 2009, which Bloomberg reported was 10 times the rate of growth of tenured faculty positions.”

The general fund tuition exemption is still intact for Teaching Assistants.

Jessica Anne Dauterive, a Graduate Assistant in the History Department said: “It makes you feel like your department is also investing in you, and you are not only investing in your department. There is a reciprocal relationship that I think is an important part of becoming a professional in your field, and that doesn’t exist as readily if you are not a graduate assistant.”

That reciprocal relationship is often hard to quantify in a budget.

MAN ON THE STREET

Has your schedule been affected by the availablity of courses this semester?

Courtney Drachenbery

A.V.S. Bharadwaja

Junior, Fine Arts

Freshman, Computer Science

My schedule was directly affected by the lack of courses.

I was unable to take all of the courses I would have liked to take causing me to be unable to get closer to my graduation date. With such a low amount of course time availablity my courses conflicted with each other causing me to only be able to take 12 hours this semester.

As I am in my first semester, it’s very cool. I am very fine with the courses.

Sam LeBlanc

Stephen Maraist

Unknown, Theatre

Not so much, but there’s a lot of assignments to do.

Senior, Fine Arts

Nope.

Michelle Jepori

Senior, Interdisciplinary Studies

There are so many valuable courses offered that it was hard to choose from only 12 units!

As an IDS major, I have a lot of freedom to choose classes. It was easy to get my courses this semester.

Photos by Traven Stout

CRIME SCENE DO NOT

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CROSS CRIME SCENE

On Aug. 31, a university key that had been issued was reported lost or stolen.

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On Sep. 5, a person reported $351 was stolen from his wallet at the Recreation and Fitness Center.

CAMPUS CALENDAR Sept. 9 Resumes and Cafe Au Lait- Workshop your resume with successful UNO Alumni, the event will take place in the Alumni Ballroom from 11am-1pm.

Pie An OL- Help the Orientation Leaders fundraise with the opportunity to pie an OL for $1/pie or 6 pies for $5. Library Breezeway from 11am-2pm.

Pillow Talk- The Mu Tau Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority will host an open discussion about healthy physical, mental and intimate relationships. Fourth

floor Lounge, Ponchartrain Hall North, 7:30-9:30pm Sept. 10 Orientation Leader Interest MeetingStudents who want to ‘BNOL’ can learn more about what OLs really do in the Privateer Pride Room from 3-4pm.

Tocqueville Project Lecture Series- “Markets without Limits” Jason Brennan will explore whether money corrupts otherwise good intentions in this lecture series hosted by the Philosophy Dept. LA 250 5-6:15pm.

Sept. 11

Sept. 12

Safe Space Training- A training course that teaches people how to create an open and welcoming environment for LGBTQIQ+ students. RSVP at safespace. uno.edu.

Trivia Night- Alpha Xi Delta Sorority and Kappa Sigma Fraternity will host a fun night of trivia in the UC Ballroom from 5-8pm

9/11 Memorial Prayer Service- Join Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship in praying for our troops and honoring those who lost their lives on this day, as well as their family and friends. UC Interfaith Prayer Room 4-6pm

Sept. 13 UNO Starlettes Dance Team Tryouts- Fall tryouts for the 2015-2016 Starlettes dance team will offer all candidates the opportunity to learn routines and interview with the panel of judges to see if they make the cut. Rec Center 2pm.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

NEWS

President and Mrs. Peter J. Fos establish scholarship fund for female students

Photo by Grant Campbell President Peter J. Fos assured that the scholarship fund of $25,000 established by him and his wife Lori would not be affected by his impending retirement.

Anna Gowin Features Editor

Prior to announcing his retirement, UNO President Peter J. Fos and his wife, Lori, recently

made known their establishment of a scholarship fund primarily for female students in the College of Education, with priority for student athletes.

“My wife has a master’s degree

[from UNO]...we decided in January that we would start a college fund for students in the College of Education where my wife went to school, and for females,” Pres. Fos said in a press conference.

The Lori A. and Peter J. Fos Endowed Scholarship in Education will be awarded in the form of a $500 stipend in both the fall and spring semesters, amounting to $1,000 annually for the recipient.

Pres. Fos said that a large portion of the $25,000 scholarship fund is coming directly from him and his wife, but was also contributed to by personal friends: “[Me and my wife] recently celebrated our anniversary.

We had a party and we told people ‘Don’t give us gifts, give us money.’” In addition, Fos said a close friend of his had contributed to the

Driftwood Staff

With the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season in full swing, and in the wake of Katrina’s anniversary, many are wondering just how prepared UNO is for the next big storm.

“We’re very prepared,” said Dr. Brett E. Kemker, Vice President for Student Affairs. He’s also the leader of UNO’s Emergency Preparedness Team, a small task force that identifies potential threats on campus and recommends ways to fix them.

“Prior to each hurricane season, we will get together. Then, as we’re tracking storms coming off the coast of Africa and the Caribbean, as soon as we see that there’s the projection to bring it up our way, we all meet and make sure that we’re all on the same page,” Kemker said. Depending on the path and severity of the storm, the decision to cancel classes will be made and, if necessary, UNO will close.

UNO may have a reputation of being a school where local students arrive, attend classes and go home, but according to Kemker, “The residents here at the Uni-

versity average about 80 percent metro. It’s kind of an interesting fact. A lot of these kids can drive home in a few minutes, but they prefer to live on campus to have that campus experience.”

As for the international resident students who may not have family close by during a weather emergency, Kemker said, “They are certainly ones that we have on the list” of those to watch. At the time that they move in, all students residing on campus are required to submit a Personal Hurricane Emergency Plan.

If they are unable to leave on their own, they must fill out a request form to evacuate by bus from the university if faced with potentially dangerous weather that would call for UNO’s closure and a mandatory evacuation of school grounds.

At a designated time, these students will be transported to an emergency shelter evacuation site at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi on buses provided by Hotard Coaches, Incorporated.

UNO has a long-standing contract with both the college and the bus company.

“If they’re leaving with friends, driving off in their own car or if

“If this scholarship can help a student, in some small way, achieve her goals of earning a college degree, it will be well worth it,” Fos said.

Lori Fos, a non-traditional student herself who returned to college after having two children, said: “Over decades, the University of New Orleans has built a reputation for graduating students who go on to be leaders in our local schools. We hope this scholarship can help contribute to that legacy of preparing top-notch educational personnel.”

At the press conference, President Fos said that the first beneficiary of the scholarship had been chosen, but wouldn’t be announced until later this semester after the student herself had been notified.

“If this scholarship can help a student in some small way achieve her goals of earning a college degree, it will be well worth it.” - President Fos

Hurricane prep essential Tishawn Mitchell

fund as a gift for his birthday.

According to Pres. Fos, a large motivator in the founding of the scholarship comes from both his and his wife’s history at the university. “It’s our way to thank

they’re coming with us on the bus to Millsaps, we account for every single student that lives on campus. That includes Privateer Place,” Kemker said.

Kemker stressed that those who go to Millsaps should expect very basic accommodations. “We’re not taking you to a resort. We’re taking you to a gym, “ he said.

“There are going to be cots. I wish we could go to Disney World while the hurricane hits, but we don’t have the funds for that. (The people at) Millsaps are very, very gracious hosts; they’re very good.

You will be fed.”

Kemker has advice for the students who commute to and from UNO as well: stay connected. “We have an emergency system that all students can opt-into here at the university, so I would encourage everyone to opt into that. That absolutely helps to get the message out quickly. As many points of contact that we can make, we will.

Students need to make sure that their uno.edu account is either forwarded to the account that they’re reading or that they’ll check that account.”

Kenker said, “We’re ready if anything happens, but we hope nothing does.”

UNO for what they did for us.

I’m the first person in my family who went to college... I have two doctorates, and that all started at UNO.”

More ways to stay connected during an emergency: • UNO’s Emergency Hotline: (504) 2806000 • UNO’s E2 Campus Notification System: • Texts and e-mail blasts are sent out to students, faculty and staff notifying them immediately of bad weather, school closings and any other emergencies. Visit www.uno.edu to sign up.

• UNO’s Facebook and Twitter page (@ UofNO) • Public Radio Stations, like UNO’s on-campus radio station WWNO (89.9 FM) • Local television and print media outlets including WWL (CBS 4), WDSU (NBC 6), WVUE (FOX 8), WGNO (ABC 26), The New Orleans Advocate, and NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

UNO Students encouraged to take advantage of available resources Continued from page 1 The smaller organizations also benefit from being involved with Privateer Plunge.

Their participation allows them to reach a larger audience. When groups sign up to host events, they are included in a media package to promote Privateer Plunge.Organizations across campus will get

featured on the Privateer Plunge guidebook and social media pages.

Participation is a requirement for freshman in the UNIV classes. This allows students to get exposed to organizations that they may never experience otherwise.

Privateer Plunge is also an important event for the university; it is in UNO’s best interest that it’s successful. Research shows that

students decide whether they will stay at a university within the first six weeks.

Privateer Plunge aims to make students gain as many on-campus connections as possible and to make students feel at home and comfortable at UNO, and in the process improve retention rates.

In 2011, when Privateer Plunge first started, Heaton said the Coun-

seling Services had three times the number of participants that they had in past years when the university only did a week of events.

Every year SIL and OES conduct an assessment of the event.

According to Heaton, data from the Plunge over the last four years show that students who participate in at least six events have a 7-10 percent higher retention rate than

the average freshman or student transfer.

In October, Privateer Plunge will end with a first-year student party where freshman and transfer students will earn various prizes based on how many events they attended.

For a schedule of events, visit the Privateer Plunge website.

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

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Departments remain flexible Ballroom dance club cha chas onto campus the ballroom dancing itself.” year dance party. “Essentially, Chloe Gagnon despite course availability He will begin the club by it was something I wanted to put News Editor Andrew LaBorde Driftwood Staff

With budget cuts up and enrollment down at UNO, it’s only natural that course availability changes from semester to semester. But with some digging and resourcefulness, students may find that course offerings may not be as scarce as they think.

Dr. Patricia Roger, English Department Undergraduate Coordinator at UNO, is responsible for helping English majors schedule their required classes for graduation. While Roger acknowledges that student enrollment is low, she insists that her department will make every effort possible to accommodate her students when it comes to scheduling the classes that they need to graduate.

Despite limited course availability for upper-level English courses, most students, Roger said, have not seen their graduation dates pushed back.

“Students have not had many complaints with the classes they need. If a course is not available, we will substitute a similar class,” Roger said.

Hannah Marcotte, a Senior English major who is graduating in December, is a prime example of the English Department’s flexibility. For her last semester, when the Advanced Poetry workshop she needed wasn’t offered, she was allowed to take an advanced Non-Fiction writing workshop class instead so that she could finish her Creative Writing concentration on time.

“The English department has always been more than willing to work with me. They have let me

substitute other courses that fit the criteria or cover the information that the cancelled class would have covered,” Marcotte said.

Taking online classes is also a viable option for students whose classes may no longer be offered on campus. A few weeks before the Fall semester began, Christy Lorio, a UNO Senior majoring in English and FTA was surprised to find that a few weeks before the Fall semester started, her math class was moved from on-campus to online.

“As a graduating senior, this was cause for concern, especially since I haven’t taken an online math class before,” Lorio explained. So far though, she has been doing better in the class than she expected.

Dr. Robert Dupont, Department Chair of History at UNO, has also reported that his department saw no deferred graduation dates because of limited course availability.

According to Dupont, the History department’s unique ability to bring in instructors from the University of Austria in Innsbruck, with whom UNO is partnered, as well as generous endowment funds like one provided by the late Carl Muckley Sr., has kept the department afloat.

Muckley Sr., a UNO graduate with degrees in Philosophy and History, passed away in 2004. He posthumously gifted nearly four million dollars to both the Philosophy and History departments at UNO. “The History department has more flexibility because of endowment funds that can supplement courses,” Dupont said.

A brand new Ballroom Dance Club, started by UNO undergraduate student Jared Eppley, has joined the wide array of possibilities available to students on campus.

Eppley, a junior majoring in Environmental Science with a concentration on Geophysics, has been dancing for six years. He started dancing when he was a student at LSU. “I was looking for something to do outside of going to class...I scrolled through their list of clubs and that one happened to catch my eye...I tried it once and I never looked back.”

Since first trying out this hobby, he has competed in four Ballroom dancing competitions and placed in all four, with his highest score being second place.

According to Eppley, “Ballroom dancing focuses a lot on technique at the competition level.” He also explained that there are four different levels of competition—newcomer, bronze, silver, and gold. “Gold is where it really gets fancy, where they really want to see those more advanced moves [and] make sure you know what you’re doing with

teaching members the six basic Ballroom Dances—the waltz, the foxtrot, the tango, the cha cha, the rumba, and the east coast swing.

“My favorite is one of the ones I haven’t named, it’s called the west coast swing, but as far as the ones I’ve named, my favorite would have to be the cha cha. It’s more fun,” said Eppley. “There are more than just those six that I could teach, those being west coast spring, bolero, samba, [and] salsa. But there are all types of dances from places all over the world.”

Eppley said anyone is welcome and no experience is necessary to be involved in this club. “I had none when I started ballroom dancing and now I am where I am today. You do not need any kind of background at all to join this club because I am going to teach everything they need to know and if they have questions, I absolutely encourage them to come to me and ask...You can come in here with two left feet and I will help you learn how to dance.”

In addition to lessons, Eppley plans on using the membership fee of $10 per semester for members to celebrate with an end-of-the-

together to be a culmination of everything that we did throughout the semester just two hours of straight dancing with a mixed playlist where everyone could practice what they wanted to know...It’s designed to be a night of fun and a thank you for being with the club,” said Eppley.

Eppley encourages anyone to join because “ It’s very physical, you’re definitely going to get exercise while doing it...[and] it’s a great way to make friends.”

“The Ballroom Dancing Club in my mind was going to be the place to come, meet, and learn from my standpoint a kind of lost art.

Not a lot of people around here know too much about ballroom dancing. It’s one of my favorite past times and I wanted to share that with the university itself because they didn’t have a club I thought maybe I could help spread it around and hopefully it will gain more popularity,” explained Eppley.

The meetings will take place Tuesday nights from 6-8pm in room 103 of the Education Building and will include one hour of instruction and one hour of free dance and practice.

Macari advocates diversity for next generation of engineers

Photo by Grant Campbell Dean Emir Macari is one of 14 deans across the country joining an initative to focus on preserving underrepresented groups in the field of engineering.

Mia Lett

Driftwood Staff Dr. Emir Macari has been the Dean of UNO’s College of Engineering since Jan. 2015. On Aug. 14 of this year Macari signed a letter, along with 125 other deans across the country, pledging to commit to providing opportunities for underrepresented groups in the profession.

It is not just the letter that has motivated Macari to commit to the cause; he has a history of advocating diversity through his work

at California State University and has brought his successful track record to UNO: “my number one issue is diversity in Engineering,” said Macari.

Because of his devotion to diversity, in April 2012, Macari was amongst 14 other deans of engineering across the country invited to meet with President Obama to discuss engineering education and ways in which the profession can attract more diversity.

“The concern over the years has been that our country has fallen behind on graduating and attract-

ing people into engineering. A lot of it had to do with demographics and shifting of demographics, but also that China, India and countries around the world were graduating many times over the number engineers that the U.S had,” said Macari.

For the next five years, Macari’s mission is to focus on diversity in order to attract the growing population of minorities.

“I’ve told everybody in the college that we are going to be focusing on underrepresented groups: females, African Americans and Latinos…not is it only the right thing to do, because this is a state university and we should be representing the demographics of the state and of the city, but because that’s where the populations are that are growing.”

There is action behind his words. Accessibility and retention are the main issues minorities face when going into engineering, and Macari believes there are two actions that make all the difference in attracting a diverse student body: finding a mentor and

creating accessibility for the next generation of engineers.

Professional organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) play an important role in supporting underrepresented groups, particularly the student chapters

what I wanted was to have student chapters that had continuity,” said Macari.

Macari has assigned a faculty mentor to the UNO’s SWE chapter, he is on the National Board of Directors of SHPE, and he is on the Board of Directors of ACE Mentor Program of America, an organization that provides mentorships and scholarships to high school students who want to pursue careers in architecture, construction and engineering.

The dean is also creating partnerships with community colleges such as Nunez and Delgado by developing articulation agreements between UNO to attract racially visible persons to the profession. The agreements will ensure that credits from the partnering colleges transfer to UNO. Macari is optimistic about the future of a more diverse engineering workforce: “We are going to be able to create a stronger workforce, and one that’s going to be helping the economy of New Orleans.”

“We are going to be able to create a stronger workforce, and one that’s going to be helping the economy of New Orleans.” - Emir Macari associated with them. Macari is working closely with these groups to ensure they are supported by strong mentorship.

“What I noticed with student chapters was that if they didn’t have a strong faculty mentor, the chapters would fluctuate between doing well and not so well…and

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

FEATURES

SOUTHERN DECADENCE FILLS CITY WITH PRIDE

The view from the Bourbon Orleans’ Swiss Navy Balcony shows the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann before the party starts.

Two hours later, that same view shows Southern Decadence 2015 in full swing. Crowds of people gathered Labor Day weekend to celebrate New Orleans LGBT+ community.

Photos by Liz Maddox

Student Legal Services

SPONSORED BY: UNO STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

What we do:

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

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

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

CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT TODAY!

I

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

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

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ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

Book Review: The Secrets of Blood and Bone: A Novel

Courtesy of Broadway Books

Shay Chandler Driftwood Staff

She may not be a brain eating zombie, but there is no way around it, Jackdaw Hammond is a dead woman walking.

For author Rebecca Alexander, this is nothing new. In her debut urban fantasy novel, “The Secrets of Death and Dying,” Alexander introduces the concept of “borrowed timers,” or people who are destined to die but are able to remain alive due to extensive magical concoctions and runes inked

across their flesh. Always a second away from death, Jackdaw lives cold and exhausted, drained by her struggle for continued survival. It is not until she is tasked with the rescue of a new borrowed timer, Sadie, that she truly begins to live as she not only fights for her own life, but must also battle for Sadie’s against the evil Elizabeth Báthory.

Unless the reader happens to be a scholar of sixteenth century Eastern European history, “The Secrets of Death and Dying” may be hard to follow. Not only does the story follow Jackdaw’s journey, but also that of alchemist and sorcerer Edward Kelley and his master Dr. John Dee, who are actual historical occultists.

In Poland, they meet the same, if not younger, Elizabeth Báthory.

She is dying from the same disease as Jackdaw, living on borrowed time. Tasked with saving her life at the risk of their own, Kelley and Dee must make the decision between condemning their own souls or condemning their earthly bodies for the only cure is one that both Kelley and Dee fear: eternal life granted through bloodlust and slaughter of innocents.

Fast forward five hundred years and one book, Elizabeth Báthory has been defeated by Jackdaw Hammond and Felix Guichard,

a relatively normal anthropology professor who has somehow been pulled into Jackdaw’s mess of a magical world as her love interest.

In “The Secrets of Blood and Bone,” Alexander mixes magic and lore in a very random potion resulting in a mythical concoction that misses and hits the mark at the same time. While her borrowed timers evoke the recent pop culture obsession with zombies and her witches range from a clichéd elderly herbalist to an even more stereotypical sexy sorcerer, Alexander also baits the reader with the concept of blood drinking fiends, adding vampires into the urban fantasy fueled fusion.

As if that weren’t enough, Edward Kelley finds himself in Italy where a family of rich Venetians run like wolves, viciously hunting humans under a full moon. This odd family tradition finds it’s way into the modern days under the guise of a wealthy English family, the Dannicks. Not only is the family powerful and infused with the wildness of wolves, they are also Jackdaw’s new neighbors when she moves to the Lake District with a delicate Sadie in tow to watch over a magical garden left behind after her adoptive mother’s deceased sister’s mysterious death. Oh, and don’t forget the angels and demons

thrown in for fun.

Is the plot of Alexander’s sequel confusing? Yes. Is it interesting?

Definitely. There is no doubt that “The Secrets of Blood and Bone” is just as entertaining as it’s predecessor. However, it seems to be more of a hodgepodge of random magical entities than anything else.

In a story that is routed in the magics of witches and ancient alchemist lore, it is no surprise that half of the book seems to be taken up by lengthy explanations of mythologies that retain very little sense by the end.

The second half of the book is used to indulge awkward sexual tension amidst imminent doom.

There are multiple instances in both books that the reader will find his or herself wanting to slap themselves with frustration, one of them being when delicate Sadie is near death and Jackdaw somehow finds the time and mental capacity to ogle Felix’s naked chest.

Excuse me. She’s dying. This is far from sexy time.

While Alexander may miss the mark on romance, she sure hits it when it comes to the dark and supernatural settings she has chosen.

“The Secrets of Blood and Bone” takes place in three cities: New Orleans, where blood drips behind the scenes; Lake District England,

where magic grows with a life of it’s own; and Venice, a city drowning in “plots, lies, deceptions, [and] abductions.” Each setting is realistic and enveloping, from the traffic disputes of New Orleans to the beautifully lush scenery of Lake District England. Today’s Venice is a vacation hotspot but Alexander’s historical Venice is one that no sane person would wish to see. Alexander’s biggest victory, it would seem, is in her ability to not only take the reader across the world, but also across the expanse of history and time.

Overall, “The Secrets of Blood and Bone” is a fun read filled with the delight of magic and the humor of both modern and sixteenth century protagonists. The journey Alexander takes the reader on is drenched in ancient beliefs fast forwarded into a modern society, encompassing the reader in five hundred years of mythos.

Anyone who desires a fun, light, and fantastical read should be delighted to pick up Rebecca Alexander’s novels. Currently working on the third installment, “The Secrets of Time and Fate,” and a prequel to “The Secrets of Death and Dying,” Alexander plans to give readers every ounce of magic and blood they desire.

STAFF PICKS

RODEO Courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment

This new decision-based horror game from developer Supermassive Games plays expertly into kitschy ‘cabin-in-the-woods’ stereotypes. Players will find themselves immersed in the story as they play as all eight of the games characters. The game’s most interesting feature is that players cannot change their decisions without starting over from the beginning of the game. With a well-chosen voice cast and hundreds of potential endings, the PlayStation 4 exclusive has a ton of replay value.

Courtesy of Epic Records

Houston native Travis Scott brings a mixture of sounds and styles to his debut studio album “Rodeo.” The influences of Kanye West and Kid Cudi are apparent as Scott highlights any and all forms of drug use, sex, and debauchery with auto-tuned singing and trunk rattling bass to go along with the synthesized sounds laced in background. Guest appearances include Juicy J, Kanye West and Schoolboy Q just to name a few. The G.O.O.D Music rapper released a mixtape “Days Before Rodeo” last year.

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Entertainment

Britt Robertson and Scott Eastwood star in Nicholas Sparks’ newest book that comes to the screen. The transformation from book to film follows the original narrative well, but in a cohesive way that brings it to life. This romantic love story brings two very different people together who come from two different worlds--the world of city life and art and the world of country life and bull-riding. Their love story is entwined with the love story of an elderly man that endears himself to them in an unforgettable way.

ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

The Hungry Privateer: Arabella Casa di Pasta

YAK ATTACK I may not be your cup of tea, but I might be your tenth shot of whiskey. +2 The Rock should open a bar called “The Hard Place” +1 “So I heard you like bad buoys.” *Slowly sinks to the bottom of the ocean* +6 Photo courtesy of Arabella Case di Pasta | Facebook Rigatoni, one of Arabella’s most popular options, can serve as a perfect base for a wide variety of their classic sauces like the Pomodoro or the Puttanesca.

Arabella Casa di Pasta, a holein-the-wall tucked next to the notorious Kajuns Pub on St. Claude, is what could easily be described as “the theory of Olive Garden’s Create Your Own Pasta deal if anyone there actually gave a shit.”

The sparse interior, with its utilitarian tables and long benches, is not what sings about the place.

Neither is the counter-style service and the admittedly warm staff, who are more than willing to assist you in navigating the build-your-own menu of housemade pastas, sauces and toppings. The place itself is inviting enough, but Arabella Casa di Pasta will never be the kind of restaurant you go to for the atmosphere.

The menu may initially seem daunting, but there is a method to the madness. Certain styles of pasta tend to favor certain sauces (i.e.

Rigatoni with heartier sauce, like the Bolognese), and whoever is working the counter would be glad to help you navigate your options.

Not to mention the pre-composed specials like the Spaghettisburg Address take all guess work out of a perfect bowl of pasta. The beauty is that, ultimately, it’s your call.

It’s the kind of restaurant you

go to unashamedly stuff your face; hearty servings of pasta in addition to salads and small plates wind up being the kind of food you do not hesitate before digging into.

It’s not that the flavors aren’t nuanced, one taste of the signature Bolognese erases that idea from your mind, it’s that there is no pretense. The people at Arabella wanted to make food that tasted good, really good. Food that they cared about. Anyone who sidles up to the posted blackboard menu can tell that they succeeded in all accounts.

You can taste the efforts in the black pepper fettuccine, spicy and perfectly al dente. You can taste it in the sauces, like the pecan pesto which maintains a bright herbal flavor while balancing the nuttiness of pecans and parmesan cheese.

You can even taste it in the finishing touches, housemade meatballs or italian sausage that melts in your mouth, especially when wrapped in spicy tomato cream.

It would be easy to dismiss Arabella as the kind of hipster enclave the Bywater region has started pumping out, but in making assumptions like that you’re missing out on something pretty great.

There is no facade of trendiness, with enough classics and new favorites to appeal to foodies of all ages. The only intended audience for a restaurant like this is people who care about what they’re eating.

All in all, the food at Arabella is the kind of food you want to come back to. Reasonably cheap, fast and with portion sizes that would leave anyone’s Italian grandma satisfied. The bar is decently stocked, with an assortment of craft beers befitting of its generally young clientele.

The new restaurant does, however, have a tendency to run out of certain things as dinner hours wind on, so either get there early, or stay open to trying something different.

Worth trying: Grandma’s Bolognese, Spicy Tomato Cream, Black Pepper Fettuccine, Spinach Salad, the John Belu-Cheese

Arabella Casa di Pasta 2258 St. Claude Ave. New Orleans 504.267.6108 M-Th 4pm-10pm Fri & Sat- 4pm-11pm Closed Sun.

Confidence isn’t asking a girl for her number. Confidence is seeing 5 “A’s” in a row on a multiple choice test and thinking “yeah, that’s right.” +21 Tinder needs to be called eBae +17 I consider myself an anti-shark. If sharks stop moving, they die. If I start, I collapse from exhaustion. +1 How many different animals did humans have to ride before they figured out horses were chill with it +12 If you’re an astronaut and don’t end every relationship by saying “look I just need some space,” then you’re wasting everyone’s time +14 CAN I GET A HELL YEAH!?? *teacher voice* I don’t know, can you? *sighs* MAY I get a hell yeah? +11 First Date Tips: Meet at an ice cream shop so that even if he doesn’t show, you can still get ice cream. +11 Honeymoon is a pretty interesting term because if there actually were honey on the moon that would imply space bees and that’s fucking terrifying +9 I was trying to tell my friend that I’ve been “napping all day” but autocorrect changed it to “balling all day.” At least my phone doesn’t think I’m worthless. +14

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

LAGNIAPPE

Illustrated by Lindsay Alexander

Sayings from Sid Circleton

Illustrated by Hayden Guthrie

9/7/2015

sudoku

word search E X N G A H J W B S V H K M V

D N O A I S M I N D R O E P Q

Z V I W H F L I V T U R A E B

AMATEUR

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Solutions for D

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N U I O E Q A E S N T U M S C

AMATEUR BALLROOM BALLROOM BEAT BEAT BOLERO BOLERO BRONZE BRONZE CHACHA CHACHA COMPETITION DANCE COMPETITION FOXTROT DANCE GOLD GRAPEVINE HUSTLE account: JIVE UNODriftwood MERENGUE NEWCOMER QUICKSTEP

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FOXTROT GOLD GRAPEVINE HUSTLE JIVE MERENGUE NEWCOMER QUICKSTEP

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

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Privateers Finish 1-2 in New Orleans Invitational Zachary C. Guntner

Driftwood Staff The University of New Orleans Privateers Volleyball team (3-3) hosted the New Orleans Invitational over the weekend, finishing with one win against La Salle and two loses to Providence and Eastern Washington.

The weekend started off slowly for the Privateers as they opened play against Providence University (1-3) on Friday night. Though UNO opened the first match with a six to three lead, Providence rallied back with a nine to two run that put the Friars out front. The Friars would keep the momentum and beat the Privateers in the three first sets 25-15, 25-17, and 25-14.

Providence registered 46 kills to UNO’s 24. Bryant led the Privateers with six kills.

On Saturday, the Privateers were hoping to have better luck against Eastern Washington(5-3) who came into the tournament with one win and three losses on their record. The morning game did not serve the team well as UNO fell to Eastern Washington in three straight sets losing 25-23, 25-20, and 25-17.

The team appeared to shape up though as Bryant registered nine kills and three blocks to which freshmen Kaitlyn Grice had eight kills, two aces and two block.

Dunn recorded out five kills, a block and an ace.

Though the match ended in a three set loss, the team played more competitively forcing a total

of thirteen ties and seven lead exchanges during the second set.

Trouble seemed to pile up for the Privateers in hitting percentage as UNO could only muster a .140 hitting percentage to the Eagles’ .314.

In the final game against the La Salle Explorers, both teams entered the match with two losses during the tournament but the Explorers had the best record coming into the Invitational (3-1).

La Salle looked like they would finish up play early as they lead the Privateers two sets to zero going into the third, beating UNO 25-16 in both sets.

However the Privateers refused to lose again in front of the home audience and managed to create their first come from behind victory (16-25, 16-25, 25-18, 25-22, 1510) since beating Arkansas State in the Sun Belt tournament in 2009.

After the first two sets, UNO registered 21 attack errors to La Salle’s four and still finished with a tournament high 32 errors.

By the end of the match, Kaitlyn Grice totaled 14 kills, three aces, one block, and was the only Privateer named to the All-Tournament Team. Dunn matched her in total kills against La Salle and fellow freshman Samantha Uline totaled 11 kills, two aces, and one block.

Bryant recorded eight kills.

The Privateer Volleyball team (3-3) will travel to Asheville, NC to participate in the UNC Asheville Tournament starting Thursday, Sept. 10.

Photo by Orlando Hurst The Privateer defense prepares for a return from the La Salle Explorers. UNO would display a bend-but-don’t-break mentality as they won in a close 3-2 match.

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