February 11, 2017 by Driftwood

WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 1, 2017

THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS Volume: 60 Issue: 13

FEBRUARY 1, 2017

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With new provost, University continues image makeover BY JAMIE LLOYD News Editor

The University of New Orleans has appointed Mahyar Amouzegar as the new provost and senior vice president of academic affairs to succeed John Nicklow, who stepped out of the provost position and into the office of president last spring. Provost Amouzegar’s track record includes over two decades of experience in academia and government, both domestically and internationally. He served as dean of the College of Engineering at the California Polytechnic Institute at Pomona, where he implemented programs to promote research and development, expand the graduate program, and increase diversity in STEM fields on the campus. Amouzengar is a first-gemeration student with a master’s degree in electrical engineering and a doctorate degree in operations research, both received from the University of California at Los Angeles. Additionally, Amouzegar is a published author of a number of academic journals and profes-

of the academic units sional magazines, includreport to the provost and ing, most recently, a novel. vice president of acaAmouzegar explained demic affairs,” former his initial draw to the Interim Provost Norm University of New Orleans Whitley explained. as an academic institution Whitley served as interfor higher learning and im provost from April of development: 2016 until Amouzegar’s “UNO sits in one of the appointment began in most unique and elegant the ﬁrst week of Janucities in the world, so the ary. city by itself would have The provost’s job is been enough of an attracessentially to answer tion, but after speaking to one progress-driven the search committee and question: How can meeting the faculty, staff the university move and students of UNO, I forward? saw unparalleled enthu“Our number-one siasm and sincere commitment. And I wanted priority must be enrollment, and we should to be part of this group of effectively apply various amazing people.” strategies to achieve this The provost works goal. Clearly, the faculclosely with many aspects ty, staff and students are of university life, which also paramount, and we includes departments in should use every tool the library, the division of New university Provost, Dr. Mahyar Amouzegar joins university administartion. available to provide a international education, Photo courtesy of Brennan Probst welcoming, warm and information technology, rewarding environment student affairs, service challenging position. for all of our constituents,” Amoulearning and online instruction, “The provost is the chief acaamong other academic units, mak- demic ofﬁcer of the university. All zegar said. “UNO has a huge ing the role a dynamic and often

impact on our local and state economy, and our graduates rank amongst the best of the best. We need to tell our story better so we can be recognized nationally and internationally as well.” “Dr. Nicklow wanted someone that had a broad background … [Amouzegar] has had experience being a dean in an academic setting,” said Whitley. “Each institution is unique and [comes] with its own potentials and constraints,” said Amouzegar. “Although I will use my experiences and expertise, we, as a campus, must design a new model that would fit the needs of UNO.” “He’s been innovative, progressive—interested in doing new things as an academic institution—and he works hard,” Whitley added. “That’s one of the qualities that John Nicklow really likes, that he works hard.” Whitley is confident that Amouzegar is the right fit for the university at this present time in its championed history and will bring the necessary changes needed at UNO to fruition in the coming years. “I have high expectations. He’s

Muslim students anxious over targeted immigration halt during an interview with CNN ing away on the boat, according said, “I would like to believe to him. He needs to be more that race relations amongst felearly last year. Managing Editor informed because I don’t think Freshman Ilein Monge dislow Americans will continue to President Donald Trump was be as civil as they are currently, agrees with Trump’s statement. he knows what Islam really is.” “I think America is a great Monge and Alkhafaf point to even if they are disappointsworn into office less than a country. This country always Trump’s unending insistence ing, but I anticipate it getting week before making good on on the use of the term “radical had its hands open to help. worse. ” one of his keystone promises: “With a to ban Muslim immigrants. We live in a world where we are judged and want Islam” as proof of his In an executive order, he gave leader that to be banished by the greater majority because of ignorance of pushes racist details of the planned restrichow our nation’s leader sees us. And we are trying the religion. tion, including provisions such rhetoric in Alkhafaf his speeches, as blocking refugee admissions to escape the persecution and harshness that cloaks said, “These it has made from the war-torn country of society back home. If I returned to my motherland, two words it seem Syria indefinitely, suspending acceptable visa issuances to countries of Iraq, ISIS would target me before any other Ameri- should never be associat“particular concern,” and giving for citizens can because of the sect of Islam I follow. ” ed together to follow his priority to Christian refugees. because example. With over 3.3 million Mus-Farah Alkhafaf, President of UNO’s Muslim The silent it gives lims in the United States (acStudent Association clearance racists now cording to a 2015 Pew Research have an for unedCenter study), the realization ucated Americans to use it avenue to speak their inner, Trump is very wrong [in his of the seriousness of Trump’s deepest thoughts without hesviews on Muslims], and in my on hard-working Ameriexecutive order leaves many can-Muslim citizens. This itation.” case, it’s even worse because American citizens uncertain term is severely isolating. “So Th is executive order is the he doesn’t like Spanish people about the next four years. receiving blatant racist terms President of the University of fruition of the seeds Trump has either, and I’m in both boats. Since I’m Muslim and Spanish, from other American citizens sown throughout his campaign. New Orleans’ Muslim Student “I think Islam hates us,” he said I’ll be one of the first ones goand constantly thinking about Association Farah Alkhafaf

BY ANJANAE CRUMP

the safety of my family back in the Middle East leaves me and most first-generation Americans like me wondering where is home? Where do I go? Where will I be accepted? Where will I be valued and appreciated and safe from harm?” Some have tried to answer such questions with reassurance and friendship. Alkhafaf said, “My peers are very supportive. After the election, many friends reached out to me and wanted to make sure that I knew I had people that would stand up for me if an unfortunate incident occurs.” “Some of my peers, I found, were Trump supporters, and it left me wondering what they really thought about me and members of my faith. But life continues, and I try not to create a divide because this is what adds fuel to the fire that Trump’s campaign started.” Continued to page 5....

WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 1, 2017

NEWS

UNO to make a major push to improve brand value BY JAMIE LLOYD News Editor

The University of New Orleans is reinventing its brand in an effort to redefine the current image and to change the perceptions of how prospective students and members of academia view the university.

“I think it is best if we explain how we are viewing the brand. We see it as the lived experience of the people of the university. We aren’t looking to change it as much as we are looking to define it,” explained Sarah Bergez, director of marketing for the university. Bergez stated the move is not necessarily a part to change

the actual visuals associated with the brand (i.e. the logo, colors, etc.), so much as it is an effort to change the local and national perception of the university. The process has proved easier said than done. University Marketing has collaborated extensively with researching best-practices, reviewing the brand with focus groups and online surveys, both internally and externally, to figure out what is the best fit for the university. This research assists internal members of the UNO community to gather qualitative and quantitative information that analyzes the perceptions of UNO, from prospective students, to faculty, and even the

likes of alumni. “University Marketing is working with an enrollment management and marketing company that specializes in higher education. This company conducted significant research with on- and off-campus participants and crafted messages vetted through our office. These messages are then tested,” said Bergez. So far, University Marketing is in the earliest stages of the development process. The brand is expected to launch periodically over the next several months. Students may not notice any concrete changes until the fall semester. While the brand may primarily appear to serve the needs of attracting prospec-

Jazz legends mentor jazz studies students

Contributor

Pianist Marcus Roberts performing with his group, “The Modern Jazz Generation” in the PAC recital hall on Friday January 26, 2016. -Photo courtesy of Nick Blanchard

tremely good jazz musician in the realest sense. Which means that yes, of course he’s good at his scales and the technicalities of his instrument, but he’s even better at improvising and elevating the improvised piece to a new level.” Pianist and synthesizer guru Jason Linder taught a masterclass covering sound design and sound physics on Jan. 24. Linder went over concepts such as sound waves and how to create different synthesizer sounds by manipulating the shape of a sound wave. “I heard from those in attendance at that class it would super intricate and interesting, especially practical is the student was interested in electronic music,” Salahuddin said. Linder also spoke briefly about how a group that he plays in, the Donny McCaslin quartet, caught the ear of contemporary music icon David Bowie at 55 Bar in New York City. Linder, along with McCaslin’s quartet, would later record with Bowie on his

last record before his death, “Blackstar.” Preeminent pianist Marcus Roberts will visit campus on Jan. 26 to perform and conduct a clinic with student musicians. “Roberts is another artist who possesses the gift of a self-exclusive style of playing that is achieved by only a small minority of musicians.” Along with numerous critically-acclaimed albums to his name, Roberts has won many awards. He was also featured on a segment of CBS’s “60 Minutes” entitled “The Virtuoso: Marcus Roberts.” Roberts has deep ties to New Orleans musicians that go back to the beginning of his career. He has toured and recorded many albums with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, who said that Roberts is “the greatest American musician most people have never heard of.” Roberts also works with Marsalis’ younger brother, Jason Marsalis, who plays the drums in his trio.

the UNO brand gets down to the element of storytelling. “The university has a full, interesting story to be told. That story will only be heard if we are all saying similar things. This brand platform and new messages are the framework through which people can tell their stories.” “We want to be able to recruit students by telling them a cohesive story about who we are. This will help our alumni, our campus community and our external audiences to better understand the full UNO story,” said Bergez. “What we want is a platform that we can all reference and say –this is it. This is who we are. This is the University of New Orleans.”

Library renovations completed BY MICHAEL HABERMANN

BY NICK BLANCHARD The University of New Orleans’ jazz program is often regarded as world-class, keeping the music birthed in the city alive and well, partly by inviting jazz musicians to visit and present masterclasses, hold open rehearsals, or perform with students at on-campus events like “Jazz at the Sandbar.” Guest artists who come to UNO are regarded as some of the biggest names on the local and national jazz scenes. On Jan. 19, the legendary New Orleans-based modern-jazz group Astral Project hosted an open rehearsal on campus with Grammy-Award-winning drummer Brian Blade, who sat in for the group’s regular drummer, Johnny Vidacovich. Blade, a former student of Vidacovich, moved to New Orleans from his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana in 1988 to attend Loyola University. After moving to New Orleans, he started playing with local musicians. Since his college days, Blade has gone on to play with legendary jazz and folk musicians, including Chick Corea, Joni Mitchell, Wayne Shorter, Bob Dylan, Steve Masakowski, Herbie Hancock and Norah Jones. He also leads his own ensemble, The Fellowship Band. Senior music major Mikal Salahuddin said, “Blade is just an all around amazing player. He’s known for being an ex-

tive students to the campus, university administration said it could help give current students a sense of academic purpose and define the reason why they chose UNO to continue their education. “Ultimately, it has the potential to affect all constituents,” said Bergez. “If many members of the UNO community are talking about UNO in a unified and persuasive way, we can begin to change the conversation around the university.” A new brand could be encouraging for the university, from increasing enrollment to getting UNO on the map in a city with a number of other four-year universities. For Bergez, re-establishing

The University of New Orleans' Earl K. Long Library used to be shorter - two stories to be exact. In the 1980s, state funding was secured for the construction of the third and fourth floors that exist today. At a certain point, a decision was made to extend the fourth floor outward, resulting in an overhang. While the extra space created more storage, it depleted the budget. The money for the extension stalled the completion of the rest of the floor, and part of the space was dubbed "the donut hole" because there were walls without a roof. Fast forward some 30 years later, and the state funding for the project's completion has now arrived. One of the main resources located on the floor is the Louisiana and Special Collections Department. These archives document the history of New Orleans with documents from the Louisiana Supreme Court, New Orleans Public Schools, archival footage from news stations such as WDSU and WVUE, and materials relating to WWIIera Higgins boats. These examples are just a few of the more than 450 special collections the library houses. Even the city's funeral records and records of local businesses - like the defunct drug store, K&B are housed there as well.

Much of this owes itself to the school's relatively recent birth in 1958, but also to its role in serving the immediate community. Students have access to the collections and may scan documents, but due to the delicate nature of the materials, most cannot be checked out. The fourth floor also features multiple study rooms equipped with monitors, whiteboards and tables specifically wired for laptops and phones. It also hosts a display case of works by UNO authors. Among the study rooms is an extension of the fine arts department’s digital animation studio. Department Manager Jeffrey Rinehart obtained a grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents to fund it. It serves as a step for the expansion of the arts at UNO as well as a space for creativity. Another area aimed at fostering new ideas is the Center for Teaching Innovation, a faculty workspace for the exploration of effective teaching methods. Finally, the Exhibits Gallery is a showcase that aims to make the school’s collection and other local work more accessible. After years of renovation, the grand opening of the fourth floor will be held Feb. 2nd from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. There will be refreshments, a ribbon cutting, and tours of the new space. A separate opening for the Exhibits Gallery will take place in the near future.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 1, 2017

New VP of Research seeks early engagement with students

BY ANNA GOWIN

Features & Entertainment Editor Between being recently appointed vice president of research and economic development for the University of New Orleans and being chosen for an endowed professorship through Eurofins, a bionanalytical company currently housed in the UNO Research and Technology Park, late last year, Matthew Tarr is a man with a lot on his plate. “The Eurofins professorship doesn’t take away time,” Tarr said, regarding maintaining close relationships with students. “However, the vice

president of research position is a big-time commitment.” Tarr splits his time between working with his research group and performing his new administrative duties, in addition to teaching one class every semester. Tarr’s commitment to maintaining student connections is directly related to his larger goals as vice president. He stressed what he calls “early engagement” with students as a way of maintaining involvement with undergraduates. “When you get undergraduate students on campus involved with whatever it is they choose to be involved with, they tend to graduate much

more reliably,” Tarr said. The Office of Research offers two different programs for undergraduate engagement: the Mentor Matching Program, which provides students with faculty profiles in order to connect them to faculty who might be doing work they’re interested in, and Privateer Undergraduate Research and Scholarly UNO Experience, or P.U.R.S.U.E., which funds student-worker positions in addition to connecting students to faculty members who may share similar interests. Early engagement is just half of what Tarr hopes to do in his new position; the other half focuses largely on

UNO CAMPUS EVENTS Wednesday, Feb. 1, 6:00 p.m.: Faculty Spotlight Reading Series presents UNO poetry readings by faculty members John Gery and Carolyn Hembree. Room 197, Liberal Arts Building Wednesday, Feb. 1, 12:30-1:30 p.m.: UNO Counseling Services presents “Mindfulness Meet Up,” the first of four, monthly 60-minute sessions that teach students to reduce stress. Room 206, University Center Thursday, Feb. 2, 1:30-3:30 p.m.: Grand opening of the newly renovated fourth floor of the library. Earl K. Long Library Thursday, Feb. 2, 5:00 p.m.: Book signing and lecture by Jack McGuire, author of “Win the Race or Die Trying: Uncle Earl’s Last Hurrah,” a biography of Earl K. Long. Room 407, Earl K. Long Library Thursday, Feb. 2: NO/AIDS caravan will be parked on campus, offering free HIV testing for students. UC Horseshoe Friday, Feb. 3, 2:00-3:00 p.m.: Pitsiokos & White concert. Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center Saturday Feb. 4, 5:00-6:00 p.m.: Piano concert featuring Emily Fransen and Kaitlyn Tholen. Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center Tuesday, Feb. 7, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: UNO campus-wide photoshoot for Dear World’s storytelling project. University Center Atrium Tuesday, Feb. 7, 6:00-7:00 p.m.: Dear World will present five stories gathered from UNO students earlier in the day. Ted Hickey Ballroom, University Center Friday, Feb. 10, 7:30-9:30 p.m.: New Orleans Gay Men's Chorus concert. Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center

expanding internship and partnership opportunities for students. “We have a wide range of expertise on this campus,” said Tarr, “and there are a lot of businesses and government entities…that could benefit through internships.” Tarr also mentioned that the partnership with Eurofins is “one example of how we can continue to grow our research efforts, and as vice president of research, I plan to build additional partnerships.” The local branch of Eurofins is dedicated toward analyzing agricultural and food products. Tarr will be working with Eurofins to develop new methods of testing

as different needs arise in the field, as well as figuring out where those developing methods can be used. The program donates funds that allow for sponsoring a student over the summer or helping to get equipment for research. Tarr mentioned Eurofins also offers internships to three students. Tarr said he really wants students to be willing to seek the opportunities provided by the university. “A lack of fear and some persistence really go a long way.” Especially because, according to Tarr, the earlier students get engaged with these experiences, the better.

SGA lays out Spring plans; Torres advocates for UNO students created a bill, [and] pushed it through the senate,” Torres Contributor said. The topic of massive cuts to Like the United States’ Louisiana’s TOPS program also government, the University came up. This current semesof New Orleans’ Student ter, the TOPS budget is funded Government Association at only 41.8 percent. As the uses each of its branches to student body’s representatives, best represent the students SGA aggressively advocates of the university, changing against cuts to higher educaas their needs do. tion. As of this semester, there Torres said, “I partner with are 26 members distributed other schools to bring awarein three branches: 17 senness to some of the legislaate members, five judicial tures who make decisions members and four executive on that. As the voice of the branch members. For the first student body here at UNO, time, there is also a graduI advocate strongly to legisate council to help legislate latures not to cut the TOPS issues facing UNO’s graduate program anymore.” student community. Awareness of the organizaSGA President Antonio tion itself is another main goal Torres indicated the main of the student government this legislative objectives he would semester. like to take on this semester, Torres said, “Our big mission including the recently passed is to be able to help the most sidewalk bill. amount of students possible, Torres said, “We have a and a lot of that goes to just sidewalk that [the] Student creating awareness of what Government is paying for student government offers. that is going to go from the So as always, we are always dorms, all the way to the pushing programs the univerengineering building.” The bill sity offers, like our free lawyer only needed a majority vote on campus, available to all for senate approval. students.” “This was a project that The student government was brought about by some works on behalf of students of our engineering students to help with many problems who always complained they face. Torres said he hopes about [the] safety of walking more students take advantage to the engineering building of the resources offered by because they used to have to SGA. walk along the road. But they

BY BRANDON MELERINE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 1, 2017

SPORTS

UNO Privateers beat McNeese Cowboys Senior forward Erik Thomas led four players in double figures offensively with 17 points and the Privateers connected on 53.6 percent of its field goals as the University of New Orleans men’s basketball team rolled past Southland Conference foe McNeese, 75-56, on Thursday evening in Lakefront Arena. UNO gave up the game’s first two points and trailed 5-4 at the first media timeout, but went ahead on a layup by junior swing man Michael Zeno with 15:18 to play in the opening stanza and never trailed again. The win was the third in a row and the eighth in the last nine games as the Privateers improved to 12-7 overall while maintaining their lead in the SLC regular-season standings at 7-1. McNeese, meanwhile, dropped its second-straight contest to fall to 6-13 on the year and 3-5 in conference action. “We’re so pleased with not only the team’s attitude and effort, but the atmosphere,” UNO head coach Mark Slessinger said. “We had a great student section tonight that brought a ton of energy. Our administration did a great job of getting guys out here and helping grow the crowd. The energy was good and the guys feed off of it. It’s always good to play in this building and with that kind

of energy, it’s a great building. “We guarded at a high rate for most of the night. We had very good voices defensively and did a good job of playing together. To hold that team to 2-for-18 from 3 is tough. They’ve got an array of shooters that can make shots from a lot of places and we were lucky tonight that they didn’t make shots. We know they’re going to shoot it very, very well back at their place and we’re going to have our work cut out for us at Burton Coliseum.” As a team, New Orleans sank 15-of-28 field goals in both halves and finished the night 4-of-8 from beyond the 3-point arc. Defensively, the Privateers held the Cowboys to a .370 clip (20-of-54), including an 11-of-33 showing in the second half (.333), while limiting McNeese to just two 3-pointers on 18 attempts (.111). UNO held a 37-31 rebounding advantage, outscored McNeese 40-26 in the paint and had 12 fastbreak points to the Cowboys’ four. Thomas finished 7-of-11 from the field and sank half of his six free throw tries to go with seven rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Zeno was second on the team with 11 points while senior guard Nate Fryeand junior forward Travin Thibodeaux added 10 each.

Photo courtesy of UNO Athletics reps but he’s been arguably minutes into the second half. Thibodeaux tied Thomas our most dynamic defendUNO’s lead in the second for game-high assist honors er. It’s 100 percent because half dipped below 20 for just and paced the Privateers of his work ethic and his 3:49 and the Privateers led with nine rebounds. Frye attitude. ” by as many as 28 twice in the and Zeno shared the lead After going ahead for good final four minutes. New Orin steals with three thefts on Zeno’s bucket 4:42 into leans emptied its bench with apiece, and junior forward the contest, the Privateers 3:10 to go and McNeese used Makur Puou posted two traded the next four points an 11-2 run over the final of the team’s three blocked with the Cowboys before 2:11 to make the score look shots. going on a 7-0 run to create closer than the game actually “Erik scored it well earsome separation at 14-7. played out. ly and really catapulted Following a jumper by McStephen Ugochukwu led us ahead,” Slessinger said. Neese’s Howard Thompson McNeese with 12 points and “Thibodeaux had a solid with 11:02 to play before the a game-high 12 rebounds back end of the second half, break, New Orleans went on and added a pair of steals really passed the ball well another 7-0 run to go ahead and a blocked shot to his and got a bunch of assists. by 12 and the lead never double-double effort. Jacob He helped us move the ball dipped below double digits Ledoux came off the bench and make open shots. Zeno the rest of the way. to added 10 points and led has been great over the last The Privateers’ first-half the Cowboy defense with two weeks. I can’t say enough three steals. Jamaya Burr and about Michael and how hard advantage swelled to as Jarren Greenwood shared he’s worked. He’s really been many as 22 at 38-16 with 2:20 on the clock and the team-high assists honors working and studying hard closest the Cowboys would with three each. to find out what his niche is get the rest of the night was -Information sourced and then master it. He’s not from UNO Athletics only giving us great offensive 17 at 45-28 just under four

FEATURES

Muslim ban .....Continued from page 1 Despite being subjected to such stereotypes and restrictions, some believe there is room for positivity to come out of Trump’s presidency. “There are a few points he touched that I think can truly make the American economy go up and be like the great

America it used to be. I mean, he’s a great businessman at the end of the day,” said Monge. Alkhafaf said, “After 9/11, many people began to research about Islam to learn about the religion. So with increased fear and intolerance, there is also open-mindedness and support. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” “I spoke with University President John Nicklow after the elections to see what advice

he could give me as the leader of the Muslim Student Association on campus. We both agreed to pacify the situation and calm the fears of the Muslim students while also keeping a watchful eye of the environment around us.” “I take this trajectory in everyday life. But my faith also taught me that I must never stay silent in the face of an oppressor because in turn, I become an oppressor by sitting

WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 1, 2017 back and allowing wrongdoings to occur.” Nicklow addressed the issue in a mass email in which he pledged the university’s continued support for international students, faculty and staff. He urged students from the blocked countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) to work with a qualified immigration attorney before traveling outside of the U.S.

As discussed with Alkhafaf, he said, “The university will continue to monitor the situation closely and relay additional information and guidance when it is pertinent.” For any questions or concerns regarding the executive order, contact the Office of International Students and Scholars at (504) 280-6021 or oiss@uno.edu.

Sociologist speaks at UNO about Louisiana’s far-right political base human emotion as the underlying force behind social decisions. “Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right,” explores the mind frame of everyday right-wing conservatives in Louisiana, and the book goes far beyond the stereotypical image of southerners that east- and west-coast liberals hold. Hochschild’s book is based on a series of interPhoto courtesy of New Press views she conducted over a five-year period as she BY ANJANAE CRUMP immersed herself with LouiManaging Editor siana tea party enthusiasts. “If you want to underOn Jan. 18, University stand the tea party, you of New Orleans students, come to Lake Charles, Louisiana,” Hochschild said, staff and community sending laughter throughout members alike packed the crowd. into the Innsbruck room Senior Allison Hunt was in the University Center in attendance at the talk. to hear renown sociol“I have kind of a rift with ogist, Arlie Hochschild, my parents, actually, where speak about her latest they’re huge Trump supbook, “Strangers in Their porters, and I couldn’t really Own Land.” grasp why they would be Hochschild is the author when he’s such a misogynist of nine books total, as well … I really just couldn’t unas professor emerita (retired derstand why they like him professor) of sociology at so much, but I feel like I the University of California got some good explanations at Berkeley, with a focus on there from Hochschild.”

Christopher Walker, Editor-in-Chief Mindy Jarrett, Copy Editor Jamie Lloyd, News Editor Anna Gowin, Features & Entertainment Editor Sanjiv Pradhanang, Visuals Director

Hochschild started off her presentation by saying, “I realized if I really wanted to understand … I would have to get out of my enclave.” A resident of California, a heavily democratic state, Hochschild sought out the place furthest away on the political spectrum, striving to find out why the people who would benefit the most from a liberal government rejected it. Louisiana is among the top ten states that receive the highest percentage of federal government assistance, including amenities like food stamps, Medicare and disability aid. Paradoxically, however, Louisiana is a red state, meaning the majority of its residents vote for republican officials who are often against such programs. Hochschild said, “I try to scale an ‘empathy wall’ to learn how to see, think and feel as they do.” Putting her own political views aside, she built an understanding and a connection to the people she interviewed. She went on to tell the crowd stories of certain individuals she encountered over her

five-year residency. Though the majority of the people she met, including more than half of all tea party members, made over $50,000 annually, Hochschild said many expressed fear that it could be lost at any moment. Hochschild spoke of a man she’d once interviewed: “He’s feeling good about himself, like he’s done things right, and then he sees people cutting ahead of him in line. Who would that be? That would be blacks through affirmative action programs … then there would be women … then there would be immigrants.” This paradigm, along with her own feelings that the government seems “more to the North,” and that Louisiana itself seems like “a complex oil machine,” doing the dirty work for the oil industry, is what Hochschild set out to untangle. In the end, Hochschild said that she found the answer to the paradox was much more complex than the stereotypical tea partyers simply being callous

Staff

Brennan Probst, Head Photographer

and not wanting their tax dollars going to something they don’t need. “A feeling of gratitude is what I felt throughout this,” said Hochschild of her five-year journey and all of the people who welcomed her into their lives. Some students in attendance felt gratitude toward her as well. Senior Benaiah Harvey said, “I think it’s very important. The matter she took up was something that people had been studying and thinking about for a while now: the paradox that people seem to vote against what you think would be the right interest for them. I think that it was very much so needed, and she did a great job of delving into it and trying to figure out why these things are happening.” Hunt said, “I think it’s really courageous and it shows that she really cares about understanding the other side and that’s the kind of academic I would like to be, someone who actually tries to understand.”

Anjanae Crump, Managing Editor Nathan Nguyen, Assistant Layout Editor Kimberly Williams, Business Manager Angelle Cleneay, Social Media Manager Matthew Stennis, Distribution Manager Milan Holman, Driftwood Video Producer

Driftwood is produced solely by students of the University of New Orleans. Driftwood publishes every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters with the exception of holiday breaks and midterms/finals week. Editorials are the opinions of the Driftwood editorial staff and do not reflect the opinions of the University of New Orleans, its administration or staff. Letters to the Editor and columns are the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinion of the Driftwood editorial board. All letters to the Editor are subject to editing for length, style and grammar. Please limit letters to 500 words. Submissions can be emailed to driftwoodeditor@uno.edu and must be sent no later than 5p.m. on the Monday before publication. 2000 Lakeshore Drive, UC 252, New Orleans, LA 70148 (504) 280-6377

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 1, 2017

An entire gender protests BY ANNA GOWIN

Features and Entertainment Editor According to Erica Chenowith, a researcher from the University of Denver, the women’s march held on Jan. 21 was likely the largest day of demonstration in U.S. history, with approximately 3.3 million marchers in more than 500 cities across the country. Locally, the New Orleans women’s march is estimated by NOPD to have had between 10,000 and 15,000 participants. The march sought to address the concerns of many women following the previous day’s inauguration of President

Trump. Reproductive rights, equal pay and awareness for sexual assault victims were just some of the things being brought up by protesters. Political science major Courtney Davies, a junior at the University of New Orleans, was in attendance on Saturday. She said that overall, the march was joyful and peaceful. “I think everyone was happy to be there, but angry that they had to be,” said Davies. The variety of signs from the march served as a testament to the frustration of people participating over the current climate for women in America. Many featured a response to President Trump’s infamous “pussy-grabbing” comment.

Marchers nationwide also sported pink ‘Pussyhats’ knitted pink caps with cat ears. Davies’ own sign is one she feared was “a little vulgar.” “I was afraid people wouldn’t take it well,” she said. But her sign, which bore the words, “Trickle Down Doesn’t Work,” along with a drawing of male ejaculation, was a crowd-pleaser at the march. “People would stop to take pictures of my sign,” Davies said. While Davies said that the march didn’t necessarily heal her feelings, post-inauguration, or rid her of her concerns, she said, “I did gain hope for our country

after seeing how passionate others are about Donald [Trump]’s inauguration.” She also said that by participating, she felt like she and those around her were really making an impact on their community. In addition to all the women who participated in marches around the country, the official women’s march fundraiser (featuring celebrities like notoriously feminist punk group Sleater-Kinney) raised over $130,000 for Planned Parenthood. The women’s health organization is the focus of a lot of current effort from women who marched, in light of current efforts to federally defund them. The march also intersect-

ed with other liberal-social movements currently in the spotlight, like Black Lives Matter activists, native women marching in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline, and LGBTQ+ women fighting for their own specific rights. The march in New Orleans took place in conjunction with Millennials for Revolution, a group sponsored by former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. “I loved the march,” Davies said. “It was so empowering.” And the number of marchers who, like Davies, seem politically motivated, ready to engage that empowerment is a powerful tool, one that women in this country are prepared to use.

Photo at left by Courtney Davies

Photos at right by Ariana Longoria

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NEWS

A Series of Unfortunate Events: A not-so-unfortunate Netflix series BY EMILY MACK Contributor

Lemony Snicket’s children’s books, “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” have been created into a Netflix series starring Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf. The series follows the three Baudelaire orphans, 14-year old Violet, an avid inventor (Malina Wiessman); 12-year-old Klaus, a bookworm (Louis Hynes); and their baby sister Sunny, who is great at biting stuff (Presley Smith). The first season follows the first four books of the series, and each episode is 45 minutes long. To follow along with the story as an omnipresent narrator is Lemony Snicket himself, played by Patrick Warburton, who frequently breaks the fourthwall with a deadpan tonality to his voice that balances out the mood.

After their parents die in a fire, the Baudelaire children are placed with the mean-spirited Count Olaf as their guardian. Most of the children’s time is spent trying to dissolve tasks given to them by Count Olaf by using their respected skills. “A Series of Unfortunate Events” is not about happy endings. The misfortunes that the Baudelaire children face involve leeches, hurricanes, snake bites and chores. Director Barry Sonnenfeld (“The Addams Family”) is quick to include these gruesome details. A notable part of this series is the subtle jokes and references, the production design and the costume design. Some amusing cultural references include Sonic Youth, Haruki Murakami and Uber. The series also includes smartphones and the Internet to slightly modernize the

story from its original state. The production design includes bright, vibrant colors juxtaposed to blacks and greys, making them truly stand out. The same goes for the costume design, which is heavily influenced by steampunk, yet the Baudelaires are always dressed nice and tidy, despite their situation with Count Olaf. Although the show’s theme song tells viewers to “look away, look away,” its catchy, ominous tune tempts the viewer to do just the opposite. Unlike the 2004 movie starring Jim Carrey, the series stays true to the books, while also including several musical numbers, creating a somewhat whimsical feel and making it well worth binge-watching. The universe is filled with odd places that the Baudelaires explore: a country road that reeks of horseradish, a

Photo courtesy of Netflix lake that experiences hurricanes, and a ton of weird reptiles. The show does have a weird sense of humor and lot of mystery that will en-

capsulate children’s attention, as well as adults, and, like to “Stranger Things,” is one of Netflix’s better adaptations.

Hillbilly Elegy:A key to understanding Trump’s win

Photo courtesy of Harper Press

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-in-Chief

It is an inescapable commandment of mankind that

there must constantly exist conflict: the belief that there is a constant battle between good and evil is a fact most of us take as immovable. J.D. Vance, a Yale Law

School graduate, has written a memoir unmasking a childhood springing from a culture many have written off after this past election cycle as “deplorable.” Vance grew up in a dirt-poor, white, Rust-Belt town; his family would be considered by most to be “hillbillies.” “Hillbilly Elegy,” an uncommonly politically relevant memoir, is a personal and fascinating account of a culture the average reader is never given a peek into. The Rust-Belt culture that delivered Trump a clear path to the White House is one with decisive political power, and it is important to understand. A major theme throughout the book, perhaps the defining one, is that we are products of our environment, circumstances outside of our control. So much of who we are and who we will always be is dictated by our childhood. In the poor, predominantly white Rust Belt, screaming families is the norm, drug addiction is at an all-time high, good

grades are seen as effeminate, and domestic violence is not uncommon. For the average child, the chances of escape from this life are slim. These circumstances, when thought of by the child as normal, will only beget this kind of learned behavior down the road. Just as violence begets violence, ignorance begets more ignorance. Vance acknowledges his saviors in this toxic environment: his eternally devoted paternal grandparents, and he is aware his that his Ivy League credentials are a near miracle considering where he came from. However, for all of Vance’s reminiscing and criticism of the environment that created him, never does he sound like he is making an excuse for his current behavior. A constant theme throughout the work is personal responsibility, and Vance walks a delicate line between placing blame on circumstance and acknowl-

edging there is still personal accountability for decisions within our control; it is a truly inspiring tightrope walk. Throughout the memoir, Vance makes it crystal clear he believes in conservative ideology. His memoir addresses the issues of upward class mobility and his own personal struggles trying to escape a culture that would almost surely drag him down to mediocrity. “You can leave Appalachia, but Appalachia will never leave you,” he writes. Many in shock over Trump’s victory immediately wrote off his victory to hate and fear, primitive emotions catered to uneducated whites. In “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance acknowledges that his people do have hate and fear in their hearts, but there is also hope, shame, desire, frustration and love. “Hillbilly Elegy” is at once inspiring and sobering, a testament to the American dream and an acknowledgement of a culture in crisis.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 1, 2017

“Split” opinions on new Shyamalan film escape before a feared twenty-fourth personality makes Contributor an appearance. M. Night Shyamalan does “Split,” the latest feature from once-great director M. his best to make the audiNight Shyamalan, is another ence feel for the main characters, and he does a great solid entry in his comeback job at creating suspense repertoire. when it comes to the feeling James McAvoy stars as of life-or-death scenarios Kevin Wendell, a man with However, it seemed as if 23 personalities, whose supesome of the cast wasn’t up to rior personality is Barry, an par with his vision to realamateur fashion designer who speaks for the other 22. ly make these scenes come alive. Anya Taylor-Joy plays While the relationship Casey Cooke, a troubled between the three girls is teen rejected by her peers for her antisocial tendencies mesmerizing to watch and experience, dialogue and and behavioral outbursts in reactions seem unrealistic. class. Cooke, as well as two McAvoy seemed to know other girls, Claire (Haley each of Shyamalan’s personLu Richardson) and Marcia ality creations like his own (Jessica Sula), get taken to a best friends. McAvoy realbasement by Dennis, one of ly became Kevin, Dennis, Kevin’s personalities. Patricia, and Hedwig, and The three girls struggle to cooperate as they attempt to he was phenomenal in his

BY MATTHEW RAMOS

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures personification of the shown eight-to-ten personalities. Each one had their own accent, voice and even posture. McAvoy and Taylor-Joy were superior in their acting abilities, and the few scenes with just the two of them really escalated the entire ambience of the film.

The audience was not sure who to support: the mentally-ill man who just wants to be understood, or the trapped, quiet but intelligent girl who has her own demons to sort out. The fact there was such sympathy for the villain is a testament to the movie’s power.

Overall, the movie was riveting, but there were major pitfalls in execution, with the beginning being quite slow in terms of jumpstarting the actual storyline. Still, the audience can't help but be tangled up in Wendell's and Cooke's dynamic.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 1, 2017

COMICS & PUZZLES

Privateer Poop by Barrington Hebert

Sour Notes by Peter Hoffpauir

Man on the bridge by Brennan Probst

Artist's redition of the events on January 27, see column on next page.

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SPLIT STRANGERS TOPS UNFORTUNATE WOMEN

EDITORIAL

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 1, 2017

Why would anyone ever want to reach across the aisle? Last year, America was witness to one of the greatest political phenomenons in history; across the nation, a wave of hard-right populist political power rocked this country. Spurred on by a rejection of the concept of globalization, frustrations over immigration, (and some would say the rise of attempted racial equality), a group of far-right conservatives have flexed their political muscles in America these last eight

COLUMN

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-in-Chief

For many bleeding heart liberals in New Orleans like myself, Jan. 20, was a very dark day. Not only was Donald Trump inaugurated as president of our great nation, but we saw a very dark underbelly

years, vehemently opposing anything and everything President Obama did. Now that Donald Trump is in office, there is little doubt there will be a group of hard-left liberals who will blindly and instinctively oppose anything and everything Donald Trump does, the same political strategy they condemned from their foes. How do these two parties, on opposite ends of the spectrum, come together? Truth-

fully, there is little hope. The constituents of these political powers are, politically speaking, coming no closer together any time soon. Increasingly, as the internet evolves, we are subject to news that only fits our worldview. The prevalence and power of “fake news” is overstated; “tailored news” is more accurate and far more prevalent. Which liberal consistently watches “Fox News” or reads the opinion columns

of “The Wall Street Journal?” What conservative obsessively reads over “The New York Times” or is a frequent MSNBC viewer? There have been steps recently to correct this, most notably with Mark Zuckerberg (who recently seems to be preparing for a presidential run) looking into how to make Facebook’s feed a more politically balanced arena. However, there is nothing Zuckerberg can do to force citizens from visiting news

websites of their choice. Unlike many political issues, the problem will not go away when the nation’s youth take power; they’ve grown up in this technologically divided world, they will be able to find websites and news feeds tailored even more aggressively toward them. We may each become more and more absorbed in our little worlds as time passes, never knowing the truth. Maybe not even caring.

Suicide broadcasted live on the internet of our city emerge. 32-year-old Sylvester Holt shot his wife and subsequently went on to take the life of a New Orleans police officer. Holt panicked, then climbed on top of the Crescent City Connection preparing to take his own life, but found he could not hurl himself into the Mississippi River. Unable to make the jump but still not able to accept the consequences of his actions, Holt reached a stalemate, remaining on top of the bridge debating whether or not to take his own life for hours. Police tried to talk him down and traffic was

backed up for hours around the city Holt ended up taking his own life via a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the belly, while the city watched him do so in real-time using Facebook Live. Of course, the event was broadcasted and recapped on local news stations, but the majority of people heard of the event and kept track of it using Facebook’s relatively new technology. Although Facebook Live undoubtedly has its benefits, like uninterrupted live coverage and ease of access, there are dark elements to it as well.

Unlike a traditional news site, like The Times-Picayune’s, where a news story’s comments are an afterthought, with Facebook Live, the public’s reaction is part of the story, making it an integral part of the point of social media. What we were witness to with this event, for the first time, was a major news story and an immediate representation of the entire city’s reaction to it. We saw a man preparing to take his own life and a city egging him on to do it in real-time. Young Americans are cut-

ting the cable more and more, seeing little need for traditional news stations like CNN, Fox or MSNBC, let alone for local news stations. While I am not defending the man’s actions prior to taking his own life, the public’s bloodlust was disturbing. The public has most likely always been bloodthirsty, but now we are witnessing this real, undeniable evidence. I find it interesting that technology’s continuing advancement proves, time and time again, how primitive we really are.

COLUMN A reflection on the New Orleans March for Women

BY ADAM POYNER Contributer

Last weekend, a few friends and I got together, told a few jokes, listened to music, ate some spaghetti and made protest signs. The next day, we hopped on the bus to participate in the New Orleans Women’s March, one of many that took place across the United States and the world. I love going to protests for a number of reasons and I had a fantastic time. People came

together; some dressed in costumes, there were hundreds of handmade signs and everyone was in an upbeat mood. We gave a few excess signs away to strangers who stopped to compliment them and talked to other protesters while we were waiting to get started. Before the march began, I ran into a woman I knew from church who was there with her teenage daughter; my friend saw his middle-school math teacher, and we bumped into several fellow and former UNO students. Protesting gives me a chance to fuel my creative side; it brings together people from all walks of life, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or religion. It’s one of the purest ways to exercise constitutional rights and

it’s one of the few ways to grab the attention of the community and focus it on the issues at hand. In the age of 24-hour cable news, where dozens of channels paid for by dozens of corporations with different agendas, are spewing competing opinions, we need to have protests. Marches like this bring people out from behind their screens into the real world. The magnitude of this march speaks to the magnitude of opposition to President Trump and his administration. Despite the mammoth crowd that snaked its way through the city’s French Quarter and central business district (the New Orleans Police Department reports about 10,000 participants), there were no reported

incidents of violence. It doesn’t matter if you disagree with the stances of the protesters. There is absolutely no reason to decry protesters as rioters, looters, or criminals. The truth is that everyone I came into contact with was courteous and kind. Some brought their young children along. No one showed up with revenge in mind, with the intention of harming other people or trying to destroy buildings. We’re preparing to work together to oppose every single atrocious act he and the current Congress are planning to commit. Protests are the best way to show the community and the nation that we are united in opposition to this man and we will fight for the equality for

people of color, immigrants, women and LGBT+ individuals. By viewing a protester as just an angry, violent looter, the bystander loses the ability to empathize with the protester. This is dangerous, because at the end of the day, both are just people who want equal opportunities to live peacefully with their families and loved ones. It’s never a good idea to alienate people with different views, but that is what I see happening constantly on Facebook. I strongly encourage anyone who is curious as to why all those people made such a big deal about these issues, or who doesn’t understand the point of protesting, to come and watch us at the next one. There will certainly be many more to come.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 1, 2017