Volume: 59 Issue: 6 by Driftwood

Volume: 59 Issue: 6

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

driftwood.uno.edu

ADMINISTRATION TO PROPOSE FEE INCREASE BY CHARLES NICHOLSON

Managing Editor

If you haven’t checked your student email in a week, you may not have heard of new fees being proposed by the UNO administration. On Wednesday, Sep. 23, Student Government President Joy Ballard sent out an email to all students regarding the newly proposed fees. “It is with a great sense of urgency that I write to you today. While I have not received the official proposal, last week it was brought to my attention that UNO would be proposing new fees at October’s University of Louisiana System meeting,” the email opened. According to Ballard, these new fees are the “Student Success Fee” and the “Athletic Fee.” The “Athletic Fee” is $10 per credit hour and the Student Success Fee” is $12 per credit hour, so a full-time student taking 12 credit hours would pay an additional $264 per semester. “I do not have the exact wording of the proposal because the administration will not give it to me,” said Ballard. “I’ve reached out to them several times and said, ‘I’m going to talk to students. I need the exact wording. Because if you don’t send me something soon, I’m gonna send them what I have, which is going to make everybody mad.’” Ballard had not received a response at the time she sent out the mass email. As a student government member, she felt responsible for keeping the student body informed on anything that affects them. Friday afternoon, after heavy student response, Ballard said that the fee proposal was taken off of the UL System’s October agenda, but also warned that it could be reintroduced in December. She also said that Fos will be looking for more

student involvement before the next proposal. Ballard was determined to use whatever power the administration would give her when it comes these issues, which she said isn’t much. “Instead of giving us a subcommittee of the University Budget Committee, which is what we asked

f o r , and that would have some sort of power, they instead called it the ‘SGA Student Advisory Committee.’ And there are a couple of problems with that,’” said Ballard. “First of all, putting it under the umbrella of the SGA doesn’t give us any real power. Because now it’s just a group of students, versus being a group of students under an admin-

istrative and faculty committee, so

it diminishes the power of the committee.” An issue to come from these fees, which Ballard wants to avoid, is who would claim responsibility for the fee increase. “These fees are not SGA-endorsed. And I don’t want any names surrounding me to say: ‘Oh, well the SGA committee decides how we spend

it,’” said Ballard. “Everybody knows SGA fought last year for our fees, but our fees were completely transparent, we told you exactly what we were going to spend them on. These fees don’t have that.” The other fees Ballard mentioned were the Student Self-Assessed Fees that the SGA proposed last semester. It was a flat $384 per semester divided into nine categories, which included an athletics fee as well as

academics and student experience fees. Those fees, however, specified what within those categories students would pay for. However, due to complications, SGA abandoned the fee proposal. “The athletics fee is going into the athletics program. This fee is not enough to keep athletics afloat,” said Ballard. Ballard predicts that the university may not see an end to fee increases any time soon. “Personally, I expect to see more fees from them in the future. House Bill 152, that passed over the summer, gave the university the right to raise fees as much as they see fit, as they see fit,” said Ballard. “So, this is the beginning. This is the start. Once these fees pass, for the average undergrad, we will only be $250 cheaper than LSU.” Ballard also anticipates that students could see the increase on their fee bill next semester, which raises an important issue. “Whenever you accept your loan and scholarship offers, they’re for a year. You can’t adjust them in the spring, so people have accepted loan offers based on what fall tuition was. They’re gonna be out this amount o f money come spring, because they can’t change their loan offer. That’s not fair either,” Ballard said. Before Fos dropped the proposal, she and the SGA were planning to attend the UL system’s meeting on Oct. 22, possibly paying for a bus or organize a carpool, though it is unclear if it is being postponed or altogether discontinued. Ballard said, “Our administration sees a problem, which is fair enough. But this isn’t how we fix it. This isn’t even close to how we fix it.” President Fos and Gregg Lassen, Vice President of Business Affairs, were contacted but did not respond for a comment. *Infographic based on student enrolled in 12 credit hours

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

OPINION

EDITORIAL Proposed fees shows administration out of touch with student body There is no doubt in any student’s mind that this campus could use more money. Increased funding would mean better facility maintenance, less pressure to push already full class numbers to the brim, no lingering fear that your favorite professor might not be there next semester and even more resources on campus for students. But, where people cannot seem to reach a consensus is where this money might need to come from. Unfortunately, these new student fees (read more about them on the front page) are definitely not the answer. A completely out of the blue fee from the higher ups, with zero transparency about where this new money might go in order to ensure “student success” doesn’t give anyone answers--or confidence. If the University of New Orleans wants to improve morale (something the university desperately needs with the retirement of the current president,

the introduction of a new provost and the turnover of facility services), the one thing that truly needs to improve is student involvement. The Facebook page currently devoted to protesting those very same fees, “Say NO to $816+++ Increased Fees at UNO”, has a group of students who are vocal about their aversion to paying any additional fees towards the Athletic department. It’s enough to make students wonder why the university didn’t seek any student input about the fees sooner. If the community of UNO is saying that their priorities don’t lie in Athletics, why is the university making it a priority? It does nothing for the community spirit of campus to have fees pushed on us that we’re expected to pay blindly. The only way that UNO could even consider passing a fee increase would be if they actively sought feedback from the students that are expected to pay them. Seek input about what stu-

PERSPECTIVE

dents consider campus priorities and make plans to allocate fees there. See how much students would be willing to tolerate in increases before the school lost the allure of affordability. Create a panel of diverse students: undergrads, graduates and even part-time and non-traditional students. They together would most effectively represent the broader student body and be able to represent them in a possible vote. Luckily, the fee increase proposal has been removed from October’s agenda (thanks to much outcry from students and the SGA). But that only buys students time, not saves them entirely. For students, the only way for us is to ensure our voices are heard is to make sure we use them. Tell administration that this isn’t what you want, and that if they want to retain our loyalty to the university, then they need to make sure we are being listened to.

COLUMN Planned Parenthood debate about more than abortion EDITORIAL BOARD Nigel Washington Editor-in-Chief driftwoodeditor@uno.edu Charles Nicholson Managing Editor driftwood@uno.edu Visuals Director | Grant Campbell • • • • • • • driftwoodart@uno.edu News Editor | Chloe Gagnon • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • cprange@uno.edu Features/Ent. Editor | Anna Gowin • • • • • • • • • • • agowin@uno.edu Photo Editor | Traven Stout • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • tstout@uno.edu Web Editor | Ave Maria Bordenave • • • • • • • • • abordena@uno.edu Faculty Adviser | Vickie Kennedy • • • • • • • • • • • vkennedy@uno.edu Reporter | Andrew LaBorde • • • • • • • • • • • • • • atlaborde@uno.edu Reporter | Mia Lett • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • mlett@uno.edu Reporter | Tishawn Mitchell • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • tratcliff@uno.edu Illustator | Lindsay Alexander • • • • • • • • • • • • • • lralexa1@uno.edu Illustator | Barrington Hebert • • • • • • • • • • • • bkhebert@uno.edu Advertising Manager | Lili Harrison • • • • • driftwoodads@uno.edu Marketing Manager | Zachary C. Guntner • • driftwoodpr@uno.edu Business Manager | Matt Stennis • • driftwoodbusiness@uno.edu

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 and columns 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 are the author’s opinion 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

BY MIA LETT

Driftwood Staff

There is something unsettling about our nation’s discussion around Planned Parenthood. For me, it’s not just abortion itself, but the moral judgement which the abortion issue imposes on women. A couple of years ago a woman came to my door: “Have you heard about Planned Parenthood?” she asked. Oblivious to her motive I respond: “Of course, I’ve used their services when I was a teenager. They’re wonderful!” And then I get slammed with some PR about how many abortions Planned Parenthood conducts per year. She was offering signage to people around the neighborhood to display on their lawns. I kind of laughed her off and asked her to leave. I didn’t have a counter-argument to what she was saying. I had never thought much about it before and I felt the experience a bit disconcerting. Practically every young woman I went to high school with went to Planned Parenthood. I went, simply because I didn’t want to ask my old-man-family-doctor-sinceI-was-a-baby for birth control pills. But since my visit from the anti-Planned Parenthood lady, and all the hoopla surrounding the upcoming election, I am, like I’m sure most people are, quite familiar with the conservative argument against Planned Parenthood. And I’m also quite familiar with the liberal argument for Planned Parenthood. Republicans are against abortions. They see it as destroying a life and they want to defund the or-

ganization. Democrats are against the defunding of the organization because of the services they provide for women (i.e. contraception, HIV and other STD testing, pregnancy screenings etc.). Neither argument is unreasonable. But one argument suggests that it is immoral for a woman to have an abortion. And Planned Parenthood is an enabler of such immorality.

Photo by Grant Campbell Recently, Representative Jody B. Hice had spoken out against the organization: “there is no excuse that can possibly be given for the moral bankruptcy of Planned Parenthood.” But is it moral bankruptcy that determines whether or not a woman has an abortion? Or is it the judgment imposed on women for making that choice that’s immoral? I believe it’s the latter. The fact is, abortion rates have actually declined. The latest statistics conducted in 2011 show that the rate of abortion is the lowest

number in nearly 40 years. The Atlantic published an article last December which reflected the reason behind the decline. And it may be surprising to hear that it’s not lack of access to abortion services, or pro-life advocates chanting their dismay. The reason behind the decline is that single parenthood is now socially acceptable. 40 years ago a woman had four choices when she became pregnant out of wedlock: a shotgun wedding, adoption, abortion, or single parenthood (and in that order of social acceptability). Now, women have the same four choices but the order in social acceptability has changed: single parenthood, abortion, shotgun wedding, and adoption. That’s a drastic change. Single parenthood went from the least socially acceptable to the most. The social acceptance of single parenthood has enabled women to reconsider, or possibly never consider, having an abortion. So no matter how morally bankrupt pro-life advocates may think a woman is for making a particular choice, it is not the choice itself that is immoral. It is whether or not she has the right to freely make that choice. As the women’s movement progresses so do women’s social and economic freedoms. Let us not focus on abortion. Making the medical practice safe and legal only makes sense in the medically modern era we live in. But let us focus on women’s liberation. Instead of judging women for their choices, let us accept women for having to make that choice.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

New provost sees university’s potential TISHAWN MITCHELL

Driftwood Staff

For Dr. John W. Nicklow, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of New Orleans, challenges are nothing new. “I’ve wrestled a steer in an amateur rodeo, I played football in college, and while I never set out to be a provost (I’m not sure who would), I enjoy working to positively effect and add value to the lives of our students - my job is not work, it’s a passion, and I love what I do for a living,” he said. For those who don’t know what, exactly, a provost is, Nicklow’s job description is long. According to UNO’s website, the provost, through the Office of Academic Affairs, works closely with the president of UNO regarding issues such as enrollment and budget,

as well as addressing staff, student and faculty concerns. All individual colleges and departments at UNO report to him. Together, they work to ensure that policies are put in place and enforced, all with a collective goal in mind: improving a UNO student’s chance of academic success. “My dialogue and meetings with departments have not just been productive, they’ve been enjoyable,” he said. Nicklow has held the position of provost at UNO since late spring. Before that, the Berlin, Pennsylvania native was the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Southern Illinois University. The transition from Southern Illinois to New Orleans, Nicklow said,

has been smooth. “My on-boarding during the spring semester allowed me to get up to speed and hit the ground running in July.” The two universities, as well as other institutions of higher learning

students, is a challenge and priority that will be a focal point for me. We are already changing some of the traditional thinking and culture.” In addition to there being a “spirit and pride here that rivals or exceeds that of any campus,” Nicklow noted that UNO has the potential to give students options other universities in New Orleans do not. “As the city’s only four-year public research institution, we have the opportunity to be the college of choice for our local high school graduates. Being in New Orleans, we also have the opportunity to recruit far more students from across the country and the globe. We really can be the destination for every journey.” In the future, Nicklow sees UNO

The challenges are just opportunities in disguise... - Dr. John W. Nicklow UNO Provost

across the country, share common threads of struggle, slashed budgets and enrollment decrease, among other concerning issues. “The challenges are just opportunities in disguise. Enrollment, both recruitment of new students and ensuring success of our existing

restored to its former glory. “UNO was an innovator in this area at one time, and we will be again,” he said. “Over the next year, I will be heavily focused on reaching this population and making education more accessible.” He plans on doing this by offering quality online and hybrid degree programming. “Students, particularly the working student or those with significant family obligations, need added flexibility that comes with online and blended courses.” While Nicklow acknowledges there are plenty of challenges to face (or opportunities, depending on one’s outlook) he has high hopes for the future of the university. “Make no mistake,” he said. “I probably wouldn’t be here if there weren’t challenges - one of the most rewarding parts of my job is working with a team to solve problems and overcome challenges.”

MAN ON THE STREET

Was affordability a factor in choosing to attend UNO?

CAITLIN ALONZO Junior, Philosophy

CAROLYN STEVENS Sophomore, IDS

CHRISTOPHER HANDY Sophomore, Film & Theatre

JOANELLY ROS Sophomore, IDS

KRYSTYNA NICELY Senior, Studio Art

No, I’m an exchange student. However if I were a New Orleans native affordability would be a factor.

Yes! UNO’s tuition is cheaper than my high school’s. Affordability was definitely a major factor in choosing UNO

Definitely! I live on campus with a meal plan and all that added to tuition was still a good price.

Yes, I wanted to stay in the New Orleans area and it’s cheaper than Tulane and Loyola.

Yes, it was one of the main reasons I chose UNO.

Photos by Traven Stout

CRIME SCENE DO NOT

CROSS CRIME SCENE

• There were no major crimes reported during the week of Sept. 21 through Sept. 29.

CAMPUS CALENDAR Wed., Sep. 28

Fri., Oct. 2

Sun., Oct. 4

Wed., Oct. 7

Study with the Greeks - Join the Greeks for a fun study session in the UC from 7:30pm to 10:30pm.

NAMI Thrift Sale - Show your support for the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) by thrift shopping at the UC from 8am to 4pm.

Fall Retreat - In the Newman Center, enjoy an evening of reflection, sharing and prayer. Admission is $10 and attendees are asked to sign-up at http://bit.ly/UNOFallRetreat15.

Jazz at Sandbar - The new season of the Jazz at the Sandbar commences featuring Pianist Ellis Marsalis. Admission is free for students, faculty and staff with I.D. and $5 for general audience.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

NEWS

Greek encourage involvement BY ZACHARY C. GUNTNER

Driftwood Staff

Despite the national stereotypes, some feel Greek life is the face of leadership and camaraderie at the University of New Orleans. Graduate Assistant of Greek life Brooke McCray said she thinks the Privateers are “five steps ahead nationally.” McCray recently evaluated the school’s Greek life organizations within the Pan-Hellenic Council, the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Inter-Fraternity Council, and said her findings indicated that UNO is more inclusive and diverse. McCray credited Student Involvement and Leadership Director Dale O’Neill for the maturation and growth of the school’s Greek system. With formal recruitment in the books for the Fall of 2015, non-affiliated students still have an opportunity to get involved with Greek life if they are interested, as the organizations have “informal rush” currently being held by IFC and PHC. Junior Marketing major Andrew Amaya-Shaw currently serves as the Recruitment Chair of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, with only 15 members, making it the smallest of the IFC fraternities. He said that IFC did a great job marketing Rush week, “letting people know that there is informal [rush] going on is an opportunity to join outside of the formal rush week and would

get more people to sign up and join Greek life.” The process of informal rush is another opportunity that happens when a fraternity or sorority wants to offer membership to those who didn’t partake in formal rush and goes without meeting every organization. Currently, initiated members vote on extending bids or invitations to join to any potential new member that meet their minimal requirements which can be found on greeklife.uno.edu. The biggest question among non-affiliated students is “why anyone would want to join Greek life?” The answer is often exhibited rather than talked about. Students work with leaders and businesses throughout the community annually by assisting in charity events across the city or establishing their own. Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity hosts an olympic-style games event every September called Watermelon Bust. Last year, the event helped to raise more than 70,000 tons of food for Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that serves the fight against hunger in the United States. The pep-rally atmosphere around “bust week” are competitive as teams of sororities in custom t-shirts participate in watermelon fieldgame events, fighting to be crowned the Watermelon Bust Champions. McCray said, “Greek life is not for everyone, but at UNO it is an opportunity.” When asked why Greek life may not be an option for

everyone, she was quick to reply: “It is time consuming.” Members of a Greek organization are also mandated to join at least one other organization on campus, another reason why these students are vital to campus life. Shaw said, “Once you go Greek it’s easy to be a part of the community and to be involved in many things…You make friends in Greek Life then get involved in their organizations.” Greeks have been known by administration to steadily produce a crop of leadership that are able to be inserted and step up right away in a variety of organizations on campus. McCray said, “If you look on UNO’s campus, a lot of leaders are Greek, with members participating as Privateer Camp Krewe Leaders, Orientation Leaders, or even within the Student Government Association.” Involvement in organizations on and off campus is what first interested freshman Gage Cochrane to join Greek life at UNO. After choosing Theta Xi fraternity this fall rush, he wanted to share an important tip for other potential members. “Friends are important to think about while it doesn’t hurt to know the fraternities’ values and philanthropies so you can know who you align with most,” Cochrane said. “When it comes to Greek life, you only hear about the bad,” McCray said. “We look to show how approachable Greek life at UNO can be.”

At English Department event, “Yeah, You Write!” students read original works BY ANDREW LABORDE

Driftwood Staff

Reading one’s own writing for a crowd can be frightening and exhilarating, but UNO’s English department provides student’s with the opportunity to gain practice reading their own writing in front of an audience. At the semesterly event, Yeah, You Write! undergrad creative writers read their works at the Cove on Thursday, Sept. 24. The crowd at the Cove heard nonfiction and short stories, poetry, and excerpts from potential novels. The dais featured Garrett Piglia, Lauren Burgess, Breia Gordon, Michelle Lepori, Christy Lorio, Daniel Vines, and Megan Whiteley. This was Burgess’ fourth time performing at Yeah, You Write! Before she began reading her poetry, she told the audience: “Thanks for letting me do this all the time,” which received laughter from the audience. Burgess attended the Writing Workshop in Brunnenburg, Italy this past summer, and she said her time there taught her “general professionalism” and “objectivity” towards her own writing. “[Yeah, You Write!] is a great introductory experience to the poetry reading scene,” Burgess said. The lax environment at the Cove eases

the nerves of readers and audience members who have a desire to enter the poetry reading scene. Christy Lorio, who read for the third time at Yeah, You Write!, said, “I enjoy the event because it gives students the opportunity to share creative work outside the classroom

Senior English and FTA double major Christy Lorio reads her creative work at the Cove during the “Yeah, You Write!” event. Photo by Traven Stout

setting in a relaxed environment. It’s always interesting to see the audience’s reaction and the faculty and students are very supportive.” Lorio voiced her support to include more than one event like Yeah, You Write! because it is not just a way to listen to people per-

form, but it is a great social event as well. Dr. Patricia Roger, the Undergraduate Coordinator, said the event has been held since the fall of 2013. She credited Katie Chosa, a Coordinator Associate, with coming up with the idea for the event as well as the name. Chosa helped plan the event and regularly hosts it. “We hold the event to give undergraduates an opportunity to read their creative work to an audience outside of the classroom and to give students and faculty an opportunity to gather and visit, to help create a community among English majors, other interested students, and faculty members,” Roger said. She also mentioned the Sandbar as a perfect venue for the event, making the readers feel they are giving a performance. Daniel Vines, who read poetry and an excerpt from a novel he hopes to finish in ‘the next 20-22 years’, called his reading a “performance,” much like that of a musician. “[Audience members] can discover a lot of ways of thinking by listening,” Vines said regarding attending poetry readings. Any undergraduate may submit creative work for the event, which can be sent to Roger at pmroger@ uno.edu

In Memorium: Ivan Miestchovich

Photo courtesy of UNO

UNO business professor Ivan Miestchovich passed away Friday, Sept. 25 after a year-long battle with ALS. Miestchovich was 66 years old, and had been with the university for nearly four decades. In addition to teaching courses in real estate principles, en-

trepreneurship, personal finance and economic development, he was also the founding director of the UNO Small Business Development Center and the International Trade Center. Miestchovich retired in May of 2015 after being with the university for 38 years. He is survived by his wife, Peggy, as well as his daughters, Kristin and Kaitlin. There will be a reception at Harry McKneely & Son Funeral Home, 2000 N. Morrison Blvd. in Hammond on Monday, Oct. 5 from 11a.m. to 2p.m. A memorial will be held in the chapel of the funeral home at 2p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Gleason Initiative Foundation.

Breakfast with Alpha Xis

Autism Speaks Another Broken Egg Cafe

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

Muckley’s spirit lives on through Study Abroad students BY SAMANTHA EROCHE

Driftwood Contributor

Thanks to the generosity of the late Carl Muckley Sr., a UNO alumnus and local businessman, three study-abroad students said “Merci beaucoup!” for an unforgettable trip to Montpellier, France, this past summer. Muckley was an nontraditional student by definition as well as by character. He earned two bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and history and earned his master’s in the latter several years later, all by attending UNO. He began setting aside small sums of money in his will in the late eighties for both departments, and when he passed away in 2004, the university learned of his thoughtful bequest. The monies he had set aside for the history and philosophy departments had accumulated to nearly $4 million that they both now share. “We knew of his generosity...but then it turned out his will included the two departments in a big way,” said Dr. Robert Dupont, Associate Professor and Chair of the History Department. “I think it’s fair to say that it was a surprise. It would not have been a surprise for the two

departments to be told that he had left something, but what came as a surprise was the amount of money. His estate was substantial.” According to Dupont, both the philosophy and history departments have put Muckley’s donations to good use. Together, they have increased the annual Muckley scholarship as well as the number of scholarships they award to undergrads, established a scholarship fund for first-generation students as well as a professorship to improve undergraduate teaching, and support graduate research and some student employment. The departments also use the funds to sponsor undergraduate lectures, as well as put what funds they can toward students’ study-abroad aspirations if they meet the departments’ qualifications. “The idea is to administer the funds in the spirit that [Muckley] intended,” Dupont said. Three students in particular benefitted from Muckley’s generosity this past summer for their studyabroad trip to France: Sharacus De Juan Rankins and Claire Cook, two senior History majors, and Jade Turner, a History major who graduated this past spring. In order to be considered for the Muckley grant,

they had to undergo the initial study-abroad application process to demonstrate their seriousness. Then the history department interviewed each of them, considered their GPAs and letters of recommendation and

The late Carl Muckley Sr, a UNO alumnus and local businessman remembered UNO in his bequests. Photo courtesy of UNO

required they each write an essay about their experiences upon their return. They also agreed to help the Division of International Education office recruit more undergrads for

future study-abroad programs. Marie Kaposchyn, Program Director in the Division of International Education, and intern Nicole Schnell spearheaded the month long trip from July 5 to Aug 8 in Montpellier, France, the “eighth biggest city in France and only second in tourism to Paris,” according to Rankins. The students studied at Montpellier SupAgro, a graduate agricultural school equipped with its own vineyard where students learn the art of winemaking. “Wine is actually served with breakfast, lunch and dinner out there. I took advantage of it every course they had,” Rankins said. Students had the opportunity to take a variety of courses, such as Napoleon and the French Revolution, French Culture and Film and, yes, even a wine-tasting course. Though students’ primary destination was Montpellier, France, Kaposchyn gave them the freedom to explore other parts of Europe as well. “For a weekend I took a trip up to Rome, and the Coliseum is awesome,” Rankins said. “I visited maybe seven times while I was there.” Cook, on the other hand, took to the more scenic and lesser known attractions, such as the Jardin des

Plantes, France’s main botanical garden. “The French take their parks very seriously. It just has many diverse plant species, and it’s a very peaceful place,” Cook said. “I’ve never seen anything like it in America before. They labeled everything and have these plants from all over the world that they’ve transplanted, [and] it was free. I don’t think I paid to get into any parks the whole time I was in France.” Both Cook and Rankins have only positive things to say about their experience and highly encourage students to reach out to them and the study abroad program. “I would definitely recommend [study abroad] to other people,” Cook said. “The ways that you see things you’ve heard about your entire life and the ways that you’re confronted with the reality is something that is humbling and empowering, and it’ll make you more confident to travel internationally.” Similarly, Rankins cited his summer in France as the best he has had thus far. “It was just a chance for me to grow up. That was my first time actually living by myself on my own, so I actually got to learn what sort of person I was,” Rankins said. “I really appreciate [Muckley] for that.”

Obama’s proposal for free community college may impact transfer stats BY MIA LETT

Driftwood Staff

President Barrack Obama has proposed two years of free tuition for students attending community college. The $60 billion proposal was not welcomed by the Republican-led congress when announced last February, so Obama is promoting the idea at a state-level. Obama has teamed up with Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, to establish a College Promise Advisory Board. The board is led by Jill Biden, which will highlight already existing free college programs around the country and encourage other states to follow suit. The president is recommending

that the federal government cover 75 percent of the cost and the state cover the rest. “It is the key to success for our kids in the 21st century, but what we also understand is that it’s not just for kids. We also have to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to constantly train themselves for better jobs, better wages and better benefits” said Obama in a public video message. But how would two years of free community college affect UNO? It’s no secret. UNO’s enrollment is declining year after year. Katrina had a large impact—the university went from 17,142 in 2005 to 11,747 in 2006. But we have been declining ever since. In 2014, only 9,234 students enrolled at UNO. Susan Dandridge, associate di-

rector of UNO’s Enrollment Services said: “I would say that if a student can receive two years of free education before starting at UNO then yes, many will choose that option. That does not mean that they would not prefer to start here, but free is free.” Free is free. And UNO has a significant number of students who transfer from Community Colleges. The Fall 2015 semester had a total of 1,472 undergraduate and 90 graduate students transfer from Delgado Community College and Nunez Community College, for a total of 1,563. That’s approximately 17 percent of UNO’s total enrollment. It is difficult to determine if this proposal will affect UNO’s fresh-

man enrollment as many students may opt to go to community college first to reap the benefits of a tuition-free education. But if you ask students what they think of the proposal, the response seems rather positive. Maria Dominguez, a graduate teaching associate said, “I think it’s really important for the United States to be competitive in the world as far as education because there are countless countries that offer free four-year College programs, so offering a two year is a baby step, but it’s necessary for us to stay competitive.” David Stephens, another teaching graduate associate agrees: “I think it’s a fantastic idea especially considering the fact that our government makes a profit off our stu-

dent loans…it would be a big deal for them to turn around and invest in student education.” Alex Garcia, a senior undergraduate student said, “I think it’s a good idea because [education] is no longer just a good thing to have on your resume. It’s now that you need to go to college to get into any basic entry-level job, unless you are going for really low-tier jobs. You can’t get a job without some form of degree that’s higher than high school.” Regardless if UNO and other 4-year university programs will be affected by the change, the benefit for the student struggling financially to get an education seems obvious. Free tuition will help lighten the financial burden of obtaining a formal education.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

FEATU

STUDENTS SERVE SCHOOL

In an effort to raise money for the UNO Ambassadors Scholarship fund, students got muddy during Swampball. Swampball is an annual mud volleyball tournament held at the Quad.

URES

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

L SPIRIT AT SWAMPBALL

Photos by Traven Stout

Student Legal Services

SPONSORED BY: UNO STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

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

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” shadow cast significant 40 years after film’s release

The classic characters of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” do the ‘time warp.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

BY LONES J. GAGNARD

Driftwood Contributor

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (RHPS) is a title most will recognize, especially considering the film just celebrated its 40th anniversary. First released in 1975, screenings of the cult classic are still as popular and interactive as they have ever been.

Almost from the films inception fans would talk to the screen and interact while wearing costumes inside the theatre; this fast sweeping phenomenon led to groups of fans “shadow casting” the movie. A shadow cast is when fans get in front of an audience to mime the actions and lip sync all of the lines. These casts gave audience members something concrete to interact

with and set a fun guideline on how to get the most fun out of a showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”. One New Orleans group felt up to the task of continuing this shadowing tradition, by the name of The Well Hung Speakers. Well Hung Speakers, the only permanent RHPS shadow cast in New Orleans, has been active for six years now. Rising through the ranks of the shadow cast’s personnel Sophie Symonds-Futerman, now director, and Mackenzie Walters, now tech-director, run the performance semi-monthly. “I got involved here in New Orleans because Tulane does a “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” every Halloween and that was how the cast basically recruited for the year,” said Symonds-Futerman. Both directors have been in the RHPS shadow cast game for roughly two years, while the Well Hung Speakers as a whole have been together for a total of six years. “The cast has a few core people, but even their roles change from month to month,” said Walters, “it comes down to who wants to play what and what the director thinks

fits best.” Joining the shadow cast couldn’t be easier for local fans of the movie. “People come in all the time after a performance at the Prytania that are interested and ask us how they can get on in the show,” Walters said. “A couple of people have been in from the beginning, but at this point it falls second to life in most cases, so roles depend on how much time cast members are able to spend on their character,” said Symonds-Futerman. Changing schedules and inconsistent casts lead to welcomed gender-role swapping. “Our Frank this month is a girl, who often is,” said Symonds-Futerman. Walters added that Riff Raff, Brad, Eddie, and Dr. Scott are usually girls. “Unfortunately, I mean I love having anyone we have, but it tends to appeal more to girls. Girls tend to like the idea of getting down to lingerie on stage more than guys do,” Symonds-Futerman said. “Go figure,” Walters jokingly chimed. “Rocky Horror” is one of those strange experiences that it can never really get old, no matter how many times you have watched it. “When we have a really good show I am

still blown away by it and I tell the cast how much fun it was to watch,” said Symonds-Futerman. “I find I grow to love the show more and more every time I see it and every time we put it on. It becomes more fun and more of a break from school and the stress of everyday life,” Walters said. The Well Hung Speakers are just getting started when it comes to performances and events. “We are partnering with the Carver Theatre to do a full-length Rocky shadow cast with live music and a DJ. We will be doing all of our virgin [someone who hasn’t seen the film with a shadow cast before] games with all of the pre-show that we can possible can, and an after party for hanging out with the cast,” said Symonds-Futerman. “There will also be a costume contest, first prize is $500 with possible tickets to Voodoo Fest or movies,” said Walters. The Speakers will also be shadow casting other shows such as an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dr. Horrible’s Sing A-long Blog. Other musicals may be in the works ranging from Dark Shadows to Little Shop of Horrors.

ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

Book Review: “Black Chalk” BY ANNA YOUNG

Driftwood Contributor If anyone coming across this paper is in need of a new source for procrastination, you are in luck. Christopher J Yates’ promising debut novel “Black Chalk” is a fictional psychological thriller which has the New York post calling him the ‘new Stephen King’. “Black Chalk” tells one story split into two alternating parts the past and the present. The past and main storyline is set at Oxford University in the 90s where 6 firstyear students create a secret game amongst themselves that challenge each of them to perform humiliating stunts for a cash prize. As pride and revenge get the best of the game players, each round gets more and more damaging according to each other’s insecurities, and it eventually takes them to limits they never intended to go. Flash forward fourteen years into the future, the narrator, described by Yates as an ‘OCD hermit’, is formally introduced as one of the surviving members of the game who is writing down the events of his experiences as a ‘confession’. Initially, the split time structure can be jarring due to Yates’ constant jumping between the past and the present every page or so. However, as the story progresses it becomes obvious that Yates’ uses this structure in a way that allows for unexpected twists and turns as well as other sorts of clever plot-lining to keep you on edge. It’s no surprise that Yates’ job when not writing is a puzzle compiler and editor, because reading

“Black Chalk” is purposely like being in a game yourself. Yates purposely plants little clues within the book, like pieces of a puzzle, that may seem insignificant until it’s described further on. It makes the book enthralling, and I couldn’t put it down because one clue led to the other and that one led to another and so on.

Photo courtesy of Pecador

There are still some elements in this book that left me slightly frustrated while reading. The main characters are basic archetypes for any school-set story, where there is the popular guy, the genius, the eccentric poet and the class clown, et cetera. Some characters are more or less successfully developed throughout the story, but others who are introduced with so much potential to intrigue unfortunately deflate. Besides this, the present narrator’s story doesn’t pick up it’s pace

till about the middle of the book. I found myself trying to rush those parts and get back to the past, where the real anticipation for tragedy was to happen. Of course, Yates’ intention for the book is to be what he describes as a ‘howdun-it.’ In other words, how the present narrator end up becoming a shell of what he used to be because of the game. Unfortunately, the present narrator begins as a hindrance to his past story. I must also mention that to anyone who prides themselves on being loyal character fans, be warned that these friends are emotionally untrustworthy to say the least. One second I found myself rooting for a specific character to win the game, and the next second I wanted them to be the first one out. Of course, this made me want to throw the book against the wall perhaps more than once, but it also kept me on my toes. I do think that it’s worth saying that I did finish this 400 page book within a time frame of two days, which is to say that I was engaged. There’s an exciting blend of suspense, drama, and vulgar wit all wrapped and served in a rather surprisingly unenthusiastic and conversational tone. It’s a great book for those with an interest of mystery, suspense or the average college student’s’ psyche and, to be fitting, I would recommend this book obviously to those who find themselves drifting to the crossword puzzle at the end of any magazine or newspaper. It’s a great book for those looking. If you happen to have some time on your hands, pick up “Black Chalk.”

Album Review: “What A Time To Be Alive” by Drake & Future BY NIGEL WASHINGTON

Editor-in-Chief

Months of speculation led to this moment. The Internet begged for it to happen. We all spent two weeks (which translates to about three months on the internet) connecting the dots and trying to answer a question more important than that whole is the world circle or flat nonsense. Are Drake and Future making the most lit album ever? Well it happened, and while “What A Time To Be Alive” doesn’t completely change the shape of the world, Drake and Future prove their hitmaking prowess on this 11-track album that had everyone on their toes. It wouldn’t be a Future album if it didn’t start off with a true slapper, and the opening track “Digital Dash” is just that. Atlanta-born producer Metro Boomin played chef and cooked up an instrumental with the prototypical deep bass and hard snare drums. Future continues with the same flow, styles, and drug-filled lyrical content that

made his previous album “DS2” number one on the charts a mere two months ago. Drake follows suite and matches Futures style with much fewer drug references, equal swagger, a Diddy reference, and another Meek Mill diss because Meek Mill. Things don’t seem to deviate too much after “Digital Dash”. The trap songs that Future has thrived on come and go. “Live from the Gutter” and “I’m the Plug” are just two examples of songs that could have easily replaced “Where Ya At” on “DS2”. Not a syllable falls on deaf ears as the hooks, bridges, choruses, and verses are catchy and filled with energy. “Jumpman” is the best example with even the adlibs becoming addictive (Woo!) as the 6 God and Future Hendrix drop countless NBA and Jordan references. The more down-tempo songs of “WATTBA” are just as good as the hype, trap songs even with the inconsistencies from two artists with different lyrical content. On “Diamond Dancing” Drake dips into a more personal scenario sing-

ing, “And you know what I need from you when I get home…telling them I never spend time with you.” Meanwhile, Future continues with the trap lifestyle and ignoring his significant other for the love of his own drugs. “I got so many bad bitches that I barely wanna/ I’m barely paying attention, baby I need substance,” Future sings as he clearly isn’t in the same situation Drake is in despite being on the same song. The inconsistency continues on “Change Location”. While Future is busy hanging from ceilings high off Adderall and fucking waitresses, Drizzy is up until four in the morning thinking about a girl in typical Drake fashion. The discrepancies between them are well documented before this album could even be a possibility, but the disparity shows how “WATTBA” is not a well-thought out piece of work. It’s the most mixtape feeling album this year. The final two tracks of this project are reserved for a solo appearance for Future and Drake. While Futures “Jersey” sounds like it

could be a throwaway from DS2, Drake’s “30 for 30 Freestyle” offers the most substance in the entire album. The duo of Drizzy on words and verbs while longtime friend and producer Noah “40” Shebib on the boards close out “WATTBA” with Drake delving into his inner thoughts on just about everything from killing the competition (more Meek Mill), his rise to the top, and his growing concern for the mayhem and madness he sees in the world. “I’m talking bigger shit than you and I/ Kids are losing lives got me scared of losing mine/ And if I hold my tongue about it I get crucified,” Drake confesses. While most of us think our mega-stars are too rich to concern themselves about the problems of everyday people, Drake admits he sees this and even he fears for his life. Drake has reached the upper echelon this year; he is bigger than anything walking right now, but he decides to come back down to earth a bit and gives us what could be the last piece of work we hear from Drake before his highly anticipated album “Views From the

6” which has been rumored to drop later this year. Of course we want to see the hottest artists collaborate and create something even better than before, but “WATTBA” is not that. While the songs are just what we look for in a Future/Drake joint album, there isn’t enough here to join the two and create a new entity that is Drizzy Hendrix that comes with a whole new sound and vibe. These cuts can easily be mistaken as songs left out of Future’s “DS2” or Drakes “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late”. While I did expect more, this album (which should be more of a mixtape) is still very enjoyable. Two of the biggest hitmakers in the world teamed up to become a club song machine. Future will most likely ride this wave out for the rest of the year. Drake, on the other hand, is far from done. “Views from the 6” is still on the way, and whatever he does will most likely surpass what happened in this album. Stream “WATTBA” on Apple Music or Spotify. It’s also available for purchase on iTunes.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

LAGNIAPPE

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

UNO Lady Privateers off to slow start in conference play, 0-2 against Southland foes BY ZACHARY C. GUNTNER

Driftwood Staff

The Lady Privateers Volleyball team (8-7, 0-2) started off the Southland Conference play by losing back to back games to Houston Baptist (8-7, 1-0) and Texas A&M Corpus Christi (14-4, 3-0). Heading into the first game, UNO was ranked in the top five in the Southland in kills (third), assists (second), and service aces (first). New Orleans had 99 aces on the year, 13 more than second place Central Arkansas and Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The Houston Baptist Huskies opened up the first set with a dominating 9-1 lead against the Privateers at Sharp Gym in Houston, TX. After an attack error made by the Huskies, UNO fought back to make the first set 12-8. However, Houston Baptist wouldn’t slow down as the Huskies responded with five straight points and eventually pushed the Privateers into a 24-12 lead late in the first set. UNO made the Huskies earn the last point as they surged back to a score of 24-18 before the Huskies finally pulled away by win-

ning the first set 25-18 after calling a timeout and registering a kill to close out the Privateers hot streak. In the second set, Houston Baptist jumped out to an early lead again forcing UNO to try to play from behind. UNO caught up to the Huskies twice, cutting the lead to only one point each time. Yet each time, the Huskies ran away – eventually running away with the second set victory 25-22. The third set gave the Privateers some hope as they came out of the halftime to win the set 25-15 and forced the Huskies into a fourth set. But the fourth set would be the last set of the day as the Houston Baptist Huskies finally buried the UNO Privateers by winning the final set 25-16. UNO’s leading scorer was 6’2” freshman Kaitlyn Grice (eight kills, two blocks, and one ace). On Saturday, the Privateers traveled to Corpus Christi, TX to play their second conference game of the season against the Southland Conference standing leading Islanders. UNO would leave the Dungan Wellness Center with their second loss in three days after losing three straight sets 25-20, 25-10, and 2514.

To start out the match in the first set, the Privateers and Islanders exchanged blows as the score was tied on three different occasions. New Orleans lead 7-6 when the Islanders stormed back with a 7-1 run of their own giving them momentum to close out the first set 25-20. The second set was dominated by the Islanders as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Privateers earned their first point of the second set on a kill by Rondolyn Bryant. UNO could never gain any momentum as the Privateers were stunned losing the second set 25-10. The trip to Corpus Christi was no vacation for the Privateers as the Islanders sent the team back to New Orleans in a hurry after sealing their victory in the third set 25-14. It would mark the fourth time this season the Lady Privateers were swept in a match. UNO’s top scorer of the match was freshman Blessing Dunn recording six kills and an ace. On Tuesday, Sept. 29, the Lady Privateers will travel to compete against New Orleans rival Tulane at 7pm before leaving to Central Arkansas for a Thursday night conference game.

Freshman Blessing Dunn soars above her teammates as she prepares to send a spike across the net. Photo courtesy of Ron O’Rourke | UNO Athletics

SGA MEETINGS 2015

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