February 8, 2017

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

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THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS Volume: 60 Issue: 14

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

unodriftwood.com

University ‘lets the good times roll’ at homecoming week celebrations

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-in-Chief Last week, the University of New Orleans held its annual homecoming festivities with a week-long celebration leading up to the big game against Nicholls State University. UNO managed to pull off a victory in both the women’s and men’s games.

The homecoming king and queen were revealed at halftime during the men’s game; senior engineering major Muhammed Farooq was crowned king, and queen, also a senior engineering major, was Ana Muños.

The king and queen were picked from a court of five males and five females who were nominated by different organizations on campus.

“I was honored to be nominated at all by Theta Xi fraternity, and then I was very honored to be on the final court,” said Muhammed Farooq and Ana Muños were elected Homecoming Royalty. sophomore accounting major and ed against one another to win population notifying them to vote homecoming court member Arirecognition at the game. For every for the homecoming king and ana Longoria. member of a team that signed in at homecoming queen.

Muhammed Farooq said “I At noon on Monday, homecomthink everyone who was on home- events, points were awarded.

Homecoming unofficially ing officially kicked off with a coming court really deserved to be kicked off the last weekend in celebration in the quad. The festhere, some of the most genuine, January, with this year’s theme tivities continued that night, where smart people at our university being “Laissez les bons temps the University hired a hypnotist to where nominated.” rouler.” Organizations willing to come perform in the UC ballroom.

“I feel honored to be homeparticipate in homecoming were Homecoming court member coming king, but I really did not Nora Bloemer said, “I really liked expect it. I was happy to represent assigned different buildings on campus to decorate and could the hypnotist, it was my favorite my fraternity for the court, and color the sidewalks with chalk in part of the week other than the now I’m happy to represent the the quad if they wished. game. Before that event, I did not university for the next year.”

Monday morning, an email believe hypnotism worked. But he In addition to king and queen, was sent out to the entire student really hypnotized people; two of campus organizations compet-

-Photo by Brennan Probst my sorority sisters went under his spell.”

“I know they would never do that, my sisters would never put on a show like that. It was crazy, I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

On Tuesday, the celebrations continued with free funnel cakes and fried Oreos given out at the library. At the same time, students could bring an old t-shirt from another university in and exchange it for a brand-new UNO shirt.

On Wednesday, a student showcase was presented in the

UC, with artwork from different students on display. That night, there was a trivia competition where the theme was Louisiana and New Orleans history.

On Thursday, the university showed the recent blockbuster “Deepwater Horizon” on the Maestri Baseball Field, and allowed students to relax on the baseball outfield and bring snacks and drinks.

On Friday, in the UC, a pep rally was held. Homecoming court member Hayley Herbert said, “My favorite event was the pep rally for sure. The cheerleaders, dancers, everyone was there supporting our team. It was nice to see that.”

On Saturday, the day of the homecoming game, a tailgate started at noon and lasted until the start of the women’s game at 4:00 p.m. There was a cotton candy machine, free food and drinks, and a collection of carnival games with toy prizes.

In a well-attended arena, students and fans watched the women’s basketball game narrowly edge out their opponents to win the game, ranking up 81 points to Nicholl’s 77.

The men’s basketball game continued, and UNO once again took home the prize, beating their opponents 78-69.

Theta Xi fraternity and Delta Zeta sorority took home the prizes given out to organizations.

Herbert said, “Homecoming is about bringing the UNO community together, past and present. It really does matter bringing everyone together.”

SAC’s Cultural Conversations Series wins national diversity award

BY JAMIE LLOYD News Editor The University of New Orleans’ Cultural Conversations Series, hosted by the Student Activities Council, is known on campus for providing content to students that is educational, intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking, and now—award-winning.

The series has won the coveted Outstanding Diversity Achievement Award, administered by the National Association for Campus Activities. The cultural conversations occur roughly once a month during the semester and are a means to open discussion and foster awareness about hard-hitting topics that are relevant to the student climate.

The goal of these conversations is not only to enlighten people on specific topics pertaining to university life, but also have different opinions or arguments heard in order to educate and create dialogue about these complex issues that are faced every day on college campuses across the country.

“There are three parts that are the main components of the series: we start with sharing information,” said LeeAnne Sipe, Assistant Director of Student Involvement & Leadership at UNO. “From there we launch into reactions and conversations. We end with action items: ‘What do we do from here?’ ‘How do we keep this conversation going outside this room?’”

“That’s kind of our drive: educate, process and do something.”

The series has evolved over the years from a few different approaches, from casual discussions to a more formal debate session.

Eventually, the SAC settled on the award-winning formula they have now—to not only discuss, but “unpack” the topic as well.

“We have to engage with that diversity and talk about it. It doesn’t mean anything to be a diverse campus if you’re not engaging,” Sipe explained, adding that a goal of these open-forum discussions is to have students become more cognizant of their role on such a diverse campus. “The Cultural Conversations is a way to unpack that.”

“It’s just our way of helping people engage in a deeper level, if they’re interested.”

In 2012, the series tentatively

began as a response to social injustice displayed in the news, sparked by the Trayvon Martin case. However, Sipe said “the response had been so positive” from the students in attendance that it has blossomed into a series of topics now nationally recognized for its commitment to diverse thought.

“To be selected amongst 900 schools as having an outstanding commitment for diversity is really affirming—particularly working with our students—they put in so much effort with being thoughtful and intentional behind these conversations. It just means a lot to be recognized nationally for the work they do.”

“I’m hoping through this [award] we can expand the program even more,” Sipe said.

Sipe said the SAC is potentially

looking to expand the program, following the national recognition and increased student and faculty interest.

“Right now we do the cultural conversations once a month, but this may be an opportunity to do them more often and find other ways to engage in these conversations, because we’re doing a good thing, and people are interested in it.”

The next topic in the series centers on the theme of love, which is slated for Wednesday, Feb. 15.

For more information on past conversations in the series or for other SAC events, connect with the council online or attend a weekly general meeting. General meetings are every Monday at 4:30 pm in the University Center (Room 208).

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

NEWS

Upcoming InnovateUNO awards showcase the best of UNO’s talent

BY ANJANAE CRUMP Managing Editor Every February since 2013, the University of New Orleans’ Undergraduate Research Council has organized InnovateUNO, a showcase of student projects involving creativity, research and/or scholarly work. Undergraduates in all academic disciplines are invited to submit work, and the entire UNO community and public is invited to the showcase.

Presentations can vary from posters, oral, film, visual art and performances. Winners in each category are selected by judges comprised of faculty, staff and fellow students and are subsequently invited to present their work at the University of Louisiana System Academic Summit.

Michelle Lepori, an interdisciplinary studies graduate student with a focus on language and culture said, “I showed one piece of artwork, a square 2’x2’ painting done with encaustic, hot wax. I won first place, which was a shock, because there were so many stunning visual art entries.”

She continued, “I spent a month on that painting, hours every day, and it was nice to be able to share my work with so many people and to talk about the process. In turn, I got to hear a lot of people’s own experiences with art and their life stories.

That was a really cool and unexpected element to the experience.”

Coordinator of Undergraduate Research Elizabeth Sigler said, “This is such an important event for the university. It allows both students and faculty to share their work with the campus community. So

often, we are caught up in our own work that we rarely get a chance to see what is happening in other departments on campus.”

Professor Kyeong Sam Min continually encourages his students to participate each year.

Sam Min said, “Research skills are often considered to be one of the key evaluation criteria in the graduate program admission process or job application process.

Students’ research presentation at the InnovateUNO Research Showcase definitely helps them not only sharpen their communication skills, but also significantly improves their marketability for future career opportunities.”

He mentioned the obstacles some students have faced when it comes to InnovateUNO. “Three years ago, I had a group of students in my marketing research class examining why consumers are attracted to Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte that is available only for the fall…they hesitated to participate in the InnovateUNO research showcase even though they had very interesting findings … It was their first time to conduct their own research so they had no idea how good their work was. In addition, they were afraid of going against students in other research intensive disciplines, including psychology, biology, chemistry, physics and other science areas.”

Despite the challenge, two of those students won the best poster prize among 25 poster presenters.

Sigler said, “The ability to present your work is no easy task.

It is daunting to stand in front of your peers and discuss your work, but those students that have been

involved with InnovateUNO come away with such a great experience, that further prepares them for life after graduation.”

She continued, “InnovateUNO is a critical piece for recruitment and retention, as well. Studies have shown that students who engage in undergraduate research efforts and participate in programs like InnovateUNO have a much higher retention and graduation rate.”

Lepori said, “I plan on applying to a competitive M.F.A. program, having InnovateUNO participation and a first place award on my application gives me a sense of confidence and accomplishment.”

“The program has benefited me in terms of well-being and comradery. I loved seeing all the different projects that students are working so hard on. There are a lot of passionate and inspired minds at UNO,” she continued.

This year’s InnovateUNO will be held Friday, Feb. 17 on the second floor of the University Center. Oral/film presentations will be held from 9 a.m. to around 12 p.m. After that, lunch will be provided to presenters, mentors and volunteers in the UC ballroom. Then poster and art presentations will be from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a reception and awards.

Any students planning to attend should be sure to go to the check-in table and vote for their favorite presentation, as a Privateer Choice Award and trophy will be awarded to the winner.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK What are you looking forward to this year, 2017?

I’m looking forward to Bounce Night, because last Bounce Night was the best night of my life. If they do not bring it back, I am dropping out of college ZÖE BARVECHIO Senior, Film

I am looking forward to managing my time better to get better grades. I want to be more focused in what I’m doing.

VIVIANA URIBE Frshman, Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism

I am looking forward to getting a 4.0 [GPA]. It would help me get my degree a little smoother and it would be nice to have a good GPA when I graduate.

Stipends create point of contention at recent faculty senate meeting

BY MICHAEL HABERMANN Contributor At its Jan. 31 meeting, the University of New Orleans’ Faculty Senate addressed a number of topics, from financial matters to admission requirements.

One issue under consideration was the representation of the faculty senate itself.

Senate President Cherie Trumbach explained, “The current state bylaws we are under say the quorum is 25 percent of full-time faculty members. The new bylaws are proposing that we lower that to 20 percent.”

The necessary number of faculty members did not attend the meeting, and lowering the requirements would not take absentee pointsof-view into account. In order to account for absentee points-ofview, electronic participation was suggested.

Because UNO is a state school, the state’s budget was also mentioned. “The state is still left with a $304-million budget deficit for the current year. The governor, last week, had announced his plans for a special session that will begin Feb. thirteenth. He did make a

statement that indicated he would minimize cuts to higher education,” said University President John Nicklow.

Nicklow also spoke of future partnerships with local entities, including “a lease agreement for the athletic center. And we’d like to lease that to a charter school.”

In order to attract more students, Nicklow addressed tuition proposals, stating the possibility of “eliminating the nonresident fee for fully online programs” as well as “a reduction in the out-of-state tuition [by 40 percent].”

Another initiative to boost enrollment was a proposal to lower the TOEFL score requirement for undergraduates from 79 to 70. The test is an assessment of English skills for international students.

The required score varies from institution to institution, with many questioning the accuracy of the test itself.

Alea Cot, assistant provost for international education, noted, “The 79 is a higher score than perhaps we need for a student to be successful. But what our approach is, [is] that if we lower the score, we want to give the students the tools to be successful.”

She was clear that the change

would take into account the needs of the student. “When a student comes in with a 70, they will be enrolled in English 1157 as a freshman and this co-curricular course in order to help them with their writing.”

There was also a disagreement over the school’s stipend policy for faculty, specifically the inclusion of stipends in base pay.

A few thought that the compensation of endowed chairs, primarily in the engineering school, was not sufficient.

Professor of Electrical Engineering Edit Bourgeois stated, “I think there is a pretty fierce opposition in the College of Engineering. We have several endowed chairs that were hired years ago as endowed chairs, offered a salary, and part of that salary is coming from the endowment.

But the salary that we’re offered should be the salary.”

Nicklow’s responded, “Because they [the stipends] are temporary, they cannot be base pay. I’m not necessarily opposed to the principle, personally.”

The next faculty senate meeting will continue to address some of the aforementioned proposals.

MOHAMMAD MOHAMMAD Freshman, Civil Engineering

I’m excited for Bounce Night 2017. I’ve heard great things about it and I’d like to experience it before I graduate. I like dancing; I like music and the both of them together seem like a wonderful combo.

MEGAN MCGRAW Senior, Chemistry

I am looking forward to improving my education, to see what UNO has to offer me and better myself. It’s my first semester here and I want to see what UNO can provide for me to further my education and career.

BRIAN OFOSU Sophomore, Electrical Engineering

Photos by Nathan Nguyen

NEWS

Boy Scouts of America welcome transgender boys to their ranks

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-in-Chief On Jan. 31, the Boy Scouts of America officially acknowledged their organization would, effective immediately, allow transgender boys into their ranks. The Boy Scouts of America will now accept registration into their scouting programs based on the gender identity provided on the application.

University of New Orleans student and Eagle Scout Brandon Miller said, “I’m really happy they made this decision. I think this will help bring scouting to more young men and help transgender boys find a place they really fit in.”

Clarke Drake, a 31-year-old member of the law enforcement who was involved with the scouts from eight years old until he was 14, said he was proud of his organization. “I was happy the scouts were timely on this, considering how late to the game they were with allowing openly gay troop leaders.”

Drake had a gay scout leader when he was a young man, and he said it always troubled him

that his leader could never openly come out and admit it. “[His sexuality] never bothered me or my fellow scouts; he wasn’t a pedophile or a creep. He was just a guy who enjoyed his scouting experience in his youth and he wanted to help out young guys looking for the same experience.”

Drake said, “I have nothing against letting these transgender boys into the scouts and no one should be against it. Scouts teaches you to be a good person; you’re going to learn so many important things when you’re a scout: survival skills, training skills, personality skills, knowledge of humanitarian efforts, helping wildlife and learning about conservation.”

The official video announcing the decision said, “The Boy Scouts of America and others have recently been challenged by a very complex topic involving gender identity. For more than 100 years, [schools, clubs and sporting organizations] deferred to the information on an individual’s birth certificate to determine eligibility for and participation in many programs.”

The video continued, “We realize referring to one’s birth certificate as the reference point is no longer sufficient.”

SWEAP offers engineering students jump-start on work experience

BY ANJANAE CRUMP Managing Editor The result of the University of New Orleans’ partnership with GE Digital, the Software Engineering Apprenticeship Program, has given computer science students an academic and professional advantage.

Created in 2014, the program begins recruiting students as early as sophomore year, and typically accommodates 12-18 students beginning in the summertime.

Students involved in the program work under the conditions of the real-world tech industry.

Computer Science Department Industry Liaison Edward Holmberg said, “They do something like a boot-camp … They bring in their senior level developers and give them [the students] a crash course in basically everything you need developed in the professional world.”

“Then each student over at GE, at the tech center, is grouped into their own pod … essentially a group of developers who work on a project … and they’re assigned to work on a real application. So they’re doing real work and they have to build their applications using the same methodologies that are used inside of industry.”

He said, “We want this to be an opportunity for the students not only to move up in professional experience, but to do it in a way that really benefits them. Unlike an internship where you go and maybe get coffee for a developer or just sit and watch them do work.”

This is why the word “apprentice-

ship” is used in the name of the program. Students are partnered with a senior-level software engineer who acts as a mentor that works very closely with them. After participating in this close-knit program, many students end up getting hired.

“They use this [SWEAP] as an extended interview, in a way. They hope the student embraces the company culture, meshes well with the team and just never wants to leave.

But they’ve had such success with that,” said Holmberg.

To date, 24 UNO students who’ve completed the program have been hired as full-time software engineers with GE. While many new college graduates struggle to make enough money, or to find a job at all, the hired SWEAP students not only earn 25-30 dollars per hour during the internship, but go on to make a salary reflective of what any junior level developer with years of experience would make.

Holmberg said, “One problem that this field has and I think it’s a lot of other fields too…is that students go through this very rigorous and difficult curriculum. They go through all of these academic endeavors. It’s a lot of work. And when they graduate, a lot of the junior or even entry level positions are asking for two, three years of experience in addition to having the degree.

“So that kind of creates this riddle.

How do you get experience if no one wants to hire you initially? So one of the motivating factors about starting the SWEAP program was to solve that problem…to make them (students) as employable as possible.”

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

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UNO CALENDAR Saturday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m.: Theatre UNO presents “Broadway Nights 2,” a fundraiser.

Lab Theater, Performing Arts Center Saturday, Feb. 11, 7-11 p.m.: “Hope of Home” CD release party featuring UNO’s Davy Mooney. Old US Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave. Saturday, Feb. 11, 7:30-9:30 p.m.: New Orleans Children’s Chorus concert. Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center Thursday, Feb. 16, 5-6:30 p.m.: “Sexual Boorishness,” a seminar by Arkansas State Professor of Philosophy Eric Cave. To participate, please email Chris Surprenant at tocqueville@uno.edu.

Friday, Feb. 17, 2-3 p.m.: UNO music students’ concert. Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center Monday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m.: Special encore performance of “The Aliens.” Lab Theater, Performing Arts Center Tuesday, Feb. 21 6:30-9 p.m.: UNO vs. LSU baseball game. Maestri Field, First NBC Ballpark Tuesday, Feb. 21 12:30-2 p.m.: Center Austria presents “Surrealist Women Artists in Exile: Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo in Mexico.” Room 118, International Center Wednesday, Feb. 22, 12-1 p.m.: UNO Career Services presents “Job Search Strategies – A Smarter Way To Job Search.” Room 208, University Center Thursday, Feb. 23, 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Free king cake and q&a with local bartenders. Room 208, University Center Thursday, Feb. 23, 1-2 p.m.: Contemporary American composer and multi-instrumentalist Elliot Sharp presents a master class. Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center Monday, Feb. 27-Tuesday, Feb. 28: University closed for Lundi Gras & Mardi Gras holidays.

Even if students don’t go on to work with the RTA and public transwork at GE, many local tech compa- port. There is also Lucid, which is nies have been open to hiring UNO actually a tech company that grew computer science graduates. out of New Orleans.”

Holmberg said, “There’s a number In 2011, Forbes named New of different industries … since Orleans as the number one city for we’re the only accredited computer information technology job growth. science program in the city many of Like the growing film industry in the software developers in the area Louisiana, the tech industry is being tap us for either internships or for drawn here for one of the same trying to hire out positions.” reasons: tax incentives.

“We have a number of students Holmberg said, “New Orleans in who do the software development particular has really shown to be a at SPAWAR [in the Research and place where you can make a career Technology Park across the street] and there are government contractors that also service them like Aventure or Geocent. We also have this company who deals a lot with aviation equipment, embedded systems, called Performance Software, that we send a lot of students to.”

“There’s one that’s called Force Multiplier that does UNO students enjoy new ICEE machine in the UC.

of software development and it’s a very lucrative career.”

“It such a versatile field too … very future-proof ... We’re becoming increasingly more software-driven as a society and we’re not going to be moving backward.”

The SWEAP program is helping to secure such futures. To learn more, visit http://www.uno.edu/ cos/computer-science/internships. aspx. To keep up with Louisiana tech news, visit www.siliconbayounews.com.

WILD PHOTO

-Photo by Brennan Probst

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

SPORTS

Men’s basketball celebrates homecoming with 78-69 win over Nicholls Courtesy of UNO Athletics It was a day of celebration as the University of New Orleans capped its week-long Homecoming 2017 with a pair of basketball games in Lakefront Arena, and the men’s basketball team sent the crowd home happy as the Privateers defeated Southland Conference foe Nicholls, 78-69, on Saturday evening.

The two teams sat deadlocked at 37-37 at the end of the first half and were tied 39-all 2:20 in the second stanza, but the Privateers got back-to-back baskets by both Thomas and senior guard Nate Frye to go ahead by eight and never looked back. The win snapped a two-game skid for UNO, which improves to 13-9 overall and 8-3 in league play. The victory, combined with Abilene Christian’s 71-64 win over Sam Houston State earlier in the day, put the Privateers into a tie atop the SLC standing with seven regular-season games remaining. Nicholls, meanwhile, fell to 11-13 on the year and 4-7 in conference action.

“We came out [in the second half] with a lot more intensity and focus,” UNO head coach Mark Slessinger said. “We knew that we had played pretty hard in the first half, but the guys weren’t satisfied at halftime. They knew that they had to turn it up and they did a good job of that. I was very, very proud of the team’s effort. They played very hard and very unselfishly again. It got back to where we were prior to these two losses that we just went through.

“It was a good Homecoming night and a great game. Our women pulled off an incredible game

as well, so it was double wins for everybody. It was a good night.”

As a team, New Orleans shot 50.9 percent from the field (27-of53), including a.417 clip from beyond the 3-point arc (5-of-12).

The Privateers out-rebounded the Colonels, 33-22, and turned 10 offensive rebounds into a dozen second-chance points. Defensively, UNO allowed Nicholls to shoot 47.2 percent for the game (25-of53), including 11 3-pointers on 28 tries from downtown (.393), but held the Colonels to 39.3 percent overall in the second half (11-of28). New Orleans forced 20 turnovers, 11 of which came over the final 20 minutes, and turned the Nicholls miscues into 23 points.

Senior forward Erik Thomas tallied a double-double with gamehigh marks of 26 points and 11 rebounds while chipping in with three assists and a pair of steals.

He was one of four Privateers to post double figure scoring totals as senior guards Tevin Broyles, Christavious Gill and Nate Frye had 12, 10 and 10, respectively.

Gill led UNO with four assists and junior forward Travin Thibodeaux, who was second to Thomas with nine rebounds, headlined the New Orleans defense with four steals.

Junior forward Makur Puou paced the Privateers with four blocked shots.

“Erik continues to be a really efficient scorer and staying within the framework of what we’re doing,” Slessinger said. “The guys are finding him in the right places and the right times. Across the board – between Thomas, Thibodeaux, Makur and [Michael] Zeno – we’ve got as good a group of forwards as there is in this league. They play together. They

play well. They’re skilled. They’re tough to deal with defensively.

There are a lot of fun. And then we got some great contributions tonight off the bench from Zeno and [Jorge] Rosa. Nate Frye was tremendous again tonight and gave us some huge sparks. It was a great team effort.”

New Orleans found itself in trouble early on as Nicholls came out of the gate on fire and racing out to an early 8-2 lead. The Privateers answered with 9-2 run to go ahead 11-10 with 13:48 to go in the opening half and the two teams traded blows over the next threeplus minutes. Trailing 18-17 with 10:48 remaining before the break, UNO rattled off nine unanswered points to take an eight-point lead and later led by five at 37-32 with 2:09 on the clock. The Colonels rallied in both instances to tie the game and ledge was dead even at halftime.

The two teams managed a combined four points over the first 2:40 of the final frame before Thomas hit consecutive layups and Frye followed with two baskets of his own to stake the Privateers to a 47-39 lead. The Colonels answered with a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to three only to see UNO come right back with a layup by junior guard Jorge Rosa, a Frye 3-pointer and a Thibodeaux dunk to go up double figures at 56-46 with 8:42 to play.

New Orleans’ leads welled to as many as 14 at 63-49 just over two minutes later, but Nicholls refused to go away quietly and came right back with a 14-4 run over the next 4:56 to make it a four-point affair at 67-63. On the very next possession, Broyles drove the lane from the top of the key to convert

UNO’s Tevin Broyles shoots over Nicholls’ Ja’Dante’ Frye at the homcoming game.

Photo by Brennan Probst

a layup and the Privateers hit 9-of10 free throws in the final minute to put the game away.

“We knew that this was a very tough, explosive offensive team to deal with,” Slessinger said of the Colonels. “They shoot a ton of 3s. They’ve got multiple people that can shoot it and stretch the defense, put it off the bounce and take you. Liam Thomas is a skilled, big shot blocker that can do a lot of things and JáDanté Frye is one of the most versatile players in our league. We knew it was going to be a tough night.

We were able to get some good

UNO played homecoming game against Nicholls at the Lakefront Arena.

runs in the second half to be able to stretch it out a bit, and we were able to make some clutch free throws down the stretch in the last two minutes. That was a big moment for us.”

Jahvaughn Powell led Nicholls with 25 points and a game-high nine assists. Lafayette Rutledge was the only other Colonel to score in double figures, finishing with 17 points thanks in large part to five 3-point baskets. Liam Thomas paced the squad with seven rebounds and four blocks while Johnathan Bell led the way defensively with three steals.

Photo by Brennan Probst

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

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UNO graduate opens collaborative art space in Bywater Carly Zimmerman Contributor If you have been involved in any recent conversation about New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood, you have probably heard a slew of comments about how the eclectic neighborhood is changing for the worse. Airbnb is moving in, and artists are moving out. Home prices are skyrocketing, and the creative and working-class people who have energized the area for decades are struggling to afford the increase.

Though some of these observations may be discouraging for the city’s long-standing creative sector, University of New Orleans graduate student Nick Huster said that he believes there is plenty of art left to be made in the area.

Last month, Huster opened Feedback, a multi-functional collaborative art space in the Bywater’s London Clayworks building on Royal Street, with two fellow artists.

“Right now, the space is a blank canvas,” Huster said. “We look forward to using the space to … work on our own artwork and to curate community events focusing on recognizing underrepresented talent, creating collaborative dialogue and providing a safe space where all feel welcome.”

Huster is a singer-songwriter who has been making music from the Ninth Ward since his arrival in the city to study arts administration at UNO a year-and-a-half ago. He and his bandmate, Jake Ryan, make up the dynamic duo, Mighty Brother, and they can be

found performing at local haunts like Neutral Ground Coffeehouse, Circle Bar and Apple Barrel.

The band is known for their collaborations, most recently with the homegrown film production company, Worklight Pictures.

Worklight currently films many of Mighty Brother’s music videos, one of which was featured at the 2016 New Orleans Film Festival.

Opening a space where artists of all disciplines are encouraged to feed off of one another (hence the organization’s name) was a natural extension of Huster’s musical work.

“In my ‘arts, artists, and administrators’ course with Tony Micocci, we talked directly to a lot of artists about what they most need from arts administrators, and one common theme in their responses was

that they needed space to experiment and feel free and unlimited … [and] space to fail … we are attempting to provide that space to artists.”

Huster also emphasizes the impact of knowledge gained from all of his UNO coursework in his decision to open Feedback, including classes in marketing, community engagement, event planning and fundraising.

The group’s vision for Feed-

back is currently open-ended. Its founding members are receptive to ideas for community events, performances and other projects.

Feedback’s opening event, which occurred last week, was well-attended and featured a mix of improvised and planned music, food and canvas for free public expression.

Huster encourages anyone looking to get involved with the space to contact him: 317-437-3713.

Tour guide gives an inside look at New Orleans sight-seeing

BY JAMIE LLOYD News Editor Here in New Orleans, a bustling city booming with tourism, there is certainly no shortage of city tours—and to that extent, tour guides. During peak times in the tourism season, it would almost seem that for every tourist there is a tour guide, routinely making their rounds in the central business district and the French Quarter.

Yet one question begs to be answered: Who are these individuals that drive the horse-drawn carriages around, who captain the boats on swamp tours, who spill out the city’s ghoulish history on ghost tours? And, perhaps even more curiously, how did such interesting (and often eccentric) individuals find solace in being tour guides?

“Everybody that does it, they have wildly different backgrounds,” veteran tour guide David Waguespack explained. “I was the

youngest one out of [the guides] by—at least—fifteen years. One of them, a retired guy, another guy had odd jobs here and there with offshore drilling, another with a flooring business, real estate agents, part-time teachers, you name it.”

Waguespack embraced the lifestyle of being a tour guide when a family member recommended him to a mom-and-pop company that specialized in swamp tours around Barataria in Lafitte. Since then, he has branched out into city tours as well, delving into obscure and often-neglected forms of New Orleans history to bring out a more memorable and worthwhile experience to locals and tourists alike.

“You do have to learn about the city,” Waguespack said. This sounds easy enough for a local like Waguespack, however, this knowledge goes beyond the glamor of carnival season and the French Quarter, also involving the

grittier side of the city—crime, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, even the city’s infrastructure.

As far as tour guides are concerned, Waguespack could be called a man of many talents, having adopted a jack-of-all-trades mentality in more than one situation. However, this experience came at the price of some necessary training, including a number of licenses and permits. For the more illustrious guide positions, competency tests and even history exams on relevant material are also common.

“If you’re working for a company that works strictly with touring, tests are involved. If you’re a tour guide, [as in] a sightseeing guide, you will have to take a test. Some companies have the employees do a more in-depth test.”

Even though the training may appear to seem arduous at times, Waguespack said the job can be very rewarding if the right attitude is adopted about it.

Tour Guide David Waguespack outside one of his usual haunts in downtown New Orleans.

Photo by David Waguespack “After a year into my job, I

WILD PHOTO

President John Nicklow cuts ribbon at Library’s 4th floor reopening.

-Photo by Brennan Probst

would start to get really creative...I tried to learn about all of the restaurants, all of the bars, all of the buildings,” Waguespack added that he used to familiarize himself with antiquated New Orleans history in his own time to spice up his tours while on the clock. “Towards the end of it, I started having personal tours.”

Whether it was finding creative ways of getting tips, to sharing with visitors his own personal stories of the Crescent City, Waguespack explained that a lively and personable attitude is the key to success as a tour guide during the on-and-off season.

“If you want to make yourself successful doing something like this, the key is to project a good time onto people. If you’re doing tours for a living, you’re not just talking about [the city] because you have a passion—you’re trying to make money.”

“You also do want to have a bit of a passion for it. You have to talk, be entertaining and get people to ask questions and listen to the tour. You have to know a good bit about New Orleans if you’re going to do it here, that’s for sure.”

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

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The 2017 homecoming festivities included a UC pep rally (bottom, opposite page) and a mid-week celebration outside the library (top right, opposite page). The Privateers rounded off the week with a victory against Nicholls State University; homecoming king and queen were also crowned (top left).

All photos by Brennan Probst

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

NEWS

The Vegetarian: horror novel with a rare staying power

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-in-Chief The South Korean novel, “The Vegetarian,” written by Han Kang, chronicles the devastating effects on the family of housewife Yeong-hye when she decides to give up meat after she has an incredibly

disturbing nightmare. After her dream, which exposes the darkest aspects of humanity to her, Yeong-hye begins to act strangely, almost as if she is possessed by a demon and in a trance.

The story is told in three parts in order to show Yeong-hye’s life from three different viewpoints: her husband’s, her brother-in-

law’s, and her sister’s.

The book’s cover art, plot summary, reviews and the entire marketing campaign painted the novel as a disturbing work of horror, chronicling this woman’s descent into madness (and possibly into demonic possession).

Those expecting a fast-paced horror novel, ready to be scared and on the edge of their seats, may come out very disappointed by Kang’s complete lack of traditional horror elements in the second and third parts of the book.

Although the first section of this book reads like a traditional descent-into-madness piece, the final two parts deviate from this template and veer into bizarre,

disturbing, and erotic areas (oftentimes simultaneously).

The second part of the novel, which is told from her brotherin-law’s point of view, details his bizarre sexual obsession with Yeong-hye from the time she became withdrawn and his attempts to trick her into having sex on-camera with an actor in a faux-art film his is directing.

Bizarre? Certainly. Scary? Not so much.

This second act takes up most of the work, and it will almost certainly be what the reader remembers from Kang’s work. The careful and delicate balancing of desire and shame, and an eloquent combination of beauty and disgust deeply permeates this section. It is genuinely disturbing.

The third section of the novel is extremely brief, detailing Yeong-hye’s husband’s suicide attempt.

Horror seems to be running out of tricks. “The Vegetarian” is one of the most original works of

horror in recent memory, perhaps ever. The images the work paints need time to fester, but once they set in, they are hard to forget.

Kudos to Kang, proving that not every scary work needs a ghost or a home invasion.

It’s difficult to call “The Vegetarian” a good piece of work, at least in the traditional sense. It does not have likeable characters, the plot does not move forward quickly and it’s firmly outside of the mainstream style.

However, what makes a written work of fiction good? A common criteria for judging a work’s merit when reviewing is to ask: Did the author accomplish his or her goal?

Han Kang did exactly what she set out to do. She plants a seed in the reader’s mind that will continue to grow and linger long after they have put her book down.

This book deals with the most shameful appetites of humans and the lengths we go to satisfy them. “The Vegetarian” is a horror masterpiece.

Albums you’ve probably never heard of (but should have) graphed dance sequence, as well self-written songs.

With viewer and listener discretion rightfully advised, “EP2” sealed twigs’ fate as one of the most innovative and alluring female artists of our time.

Bones: “Powder”

BY EMMA LANDSOM Contributor

FKA twigs: “EP2” Twigs’ 2013 release, “EP2,” is home to only four tracks, and each song remains distinctly her sound.

She is coy and feminine with “How’s That,” yet jarringly edgy with my personal favorite, “Papi Pacify.”

While “EP2” is labeled as indietronica and trip-hop (a subgroup of electronic music, conceived in the UK), twigs has, time and time again, been referred to, primarily as a genre-bending artist.

With this second twigs’ masterpiece, each of the four songs are accompanied with a music video that could have only originated in the mind of FKA. Her commitment to being personally in command of all artistic direction makes “EP2” not simply an album, but an experience.

The beauty of “EP2” and every other byproduct of FKA twigs’ is

derived from that tangible intent and dedication translated to her fans through every self-directed music video, erotic self-choreo-

Bones is not for those easily influenced by first impressions.

With more than 40 mixtapes under his belt since 2011, it’s difficult to pick a favorite from his expansive discography.

One of his larger productions, “Powder,” was released in 2015 with a tracklist of 28 songs. As expected, Bones’ monotone voice is front and center on every track except the handful of songs with features from his close circle of dark-rap comrades.

Bones’ myriad of almost frenetically released music is an acquired taste, one easier to stomach once you look past the artistically

morose procession of beats, long, jet-black hair and songs with titles like “Till The Vultures Come.”

While his music can be reminiscent of something you may have heard on Halloween, he advocates for “BPA-free bottles on the counter” among other songs nuanced with environmentally friendly themes.

His talent to embody a brooding teenager, halloween-esque rhythm and blues singer and archetypal money, women and drug pursuing rapper was confirmed with 2015’s “Powder.” Bones has a style yet to be replicated, a style reaping its rewards only if you’re willing to look past that first impression, however scary it may be.

Spooky Black: “Black Silk” All Minnesota-native bias thought to be attributing to my recommendation of Spooky Black’s 2014 mixtape, “Black Silk,” will be rectified after a first-hand Spooky Black experience.

As the apparent R&B side of the hip-hop/R&B group

The Stand4rd, a lonely night-drive spent listening to Black Silk will be emotionally tumultuous in the best of ways. “Black Silk” is the second of Spooky Black’s only two non-collaborative albums, released by a then-sixteen-year-old Lil Spook.

If you have gotten a taste of Spooky Black, it was most likely his achingly soft “Without U” that went viral after the “Black Silk” release. While his first 2013 release of “Forest” was stylistically hip-hop with Spooky rapping on every song, it was with “Black Silk” that he found his niche in cloud-rap (a dreamy, hypnotic subgenre of hip-hop).

Stopping at the discovery of “Without You” is only a detriment to both you and Spooky Black; the 11 tracks on “Black Silk” have equally chopped-andscrewed-like production along with treacherously relatable confessions of love both lost and found. Spooky Black’s ability to captivate is not something to underestimate. That song that plays on shuffle, the one you haven’t heard in two years, that somehow still sends you into the most enrapturing bittersweet nostalgia?

Here is an album full of it.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

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King cake gets royal treatment at local restaurants

BY ANNA GOWIN Features & Entertainment Editor There is a graph circulating on social media that jokingly states that a Mardi Gras diet consists solely of king cake and Popeye’s chicken. Odds are that you are like other New Orleanians (myself included) in the sense that from Twelfth Night onward, by the time Fat Tuesday actually rolls around, your body is 50 percent king cake.

This isn’t meant to be a complaint. King cake is one of the city’s proudest traditions: if the approximately 30,000 king cakes shipped out of New Orleans annually (according to Federal Express) are any indication. But even the most devout Carnival-goer can get sick of the pastry after several weeks of parades and office parties.

But several spots throughout the city are taking the tried-and-true and flipping it on its head. Any riff on the classic can come as a welcome detour from a straight-forward slice.

Poof Cotton Candy This New Orleans-based gourmet cotton candy company spins a wide variety of interesting flavors (think salted watermelon or zesty coconut with jalapeno). This in-

cludes a king the spotlight in the cake flavor past couple of years now being for its unlikely featured on combination: the their seasonking cake burger. ally rotated The burger features menu. You an angus beef patty can count on on a frosted king the flavor to cake bun, and it feature the has people lining fun colors up. The sweet and and textures savory sandwich of a tradiis offered with or tional king without bacon. Find cake in the the truck’s location nostalgic on their Twitter: @ package fooddrunknola. of a quart of cotton Atomic Burger candy. Their product can Before you run be found away, this isn’t in various another king cake boutiques burger, Frankenthroughstein. In fact, the out the local burger place The King Cake donut at District Donuts is only sold between Twelfth Night and Carnival . city (while -Photo by Audrey Strength is famous for its supplies last), custard-based treats. With an orange frosting and found in Lakeview at 525 Harribut it’s likely milkshakes, which are frozen son Ave., or in the Lower Garden better to catch them on Instagram: a citrus-and-cardamom infused with liquid nitrogen. Not only is it cream-cheese filling, it’s no wonDistrict at 2209 Magazine St. An @poofcottoncandy or through captivating to watch, it results in der these guys fly off the rack fast- Elmwood location is expected to their website: poofcottoncandy. perfectly smooth, creamy shakes. er than bakers can keep up with. open before the end of February. com.

The sprinkle-topped, almond Not to mention every donut comes and cinnamon king cake flavor is with its own plastic baby. The Food Drunk District Donuts no exception. Plus it comes in a store only has the donut once a collectible, color-changing go-cup. week leading up until Mardi Gras, This food truck, famous for serv- It doesn’t get more New Orleans This local donut shop has so make sure you keep up with ing what it calls “Chef inspired, quickly become a cult classic for than that. 3934 Veterans Memorial them on social media.

They can be alcohol influenced cuisine,” hit their unique flavors and enormous Blvd.

Rap group Atmosphere perform great show at Republic

BY ROXANNE ARDEKANI Contributor Slug, a 44-year-old rapper from Minnesota and one-half of the music duo, Atmosphere, performed at Republic New Orleans on Jan. 24. The performance was the band’s first appearance in the city since 2001, and it featured two Minnesota rap artists, Brother Ali and Dem Atlas.

Atlas began with a lackluster song, but this significantly picked up when Ali, who resembled Santa Claus, stepped onto the stage.

Ali, a community activist, endorsed positivity between every song by giving inspiring speeches in between. His performance was just as good as his recorded tracks, if not better.

He gave thanks to two of his big inspirations: Muhammad Ali, from whom he gets his name, and Forest Whitaker. “Ali is an inspiration to me because he never let fame and money get to him. He stayed humble and gave back to people,” said Ali. Preceding his song, “Forest Whitaker,” Ali discussed the actor’s struggle with his “notso-great” appearance to become the great actor he is today. Ali, himself, suffers from albinism.

The interaction between the crowd and the performer was the

best part of the show. Early in his performance, Ali asked the crowd to put away their phones and enjoy the moment with him.

Following his performance, Ali told the crowd he’d be in the back of the room waiting for Slug to perform.

Slug, while not known for his great rap skills, is better known for his clown personality, which was on full display through his vulgar jokes and his ability to turn a bad situation into a light-feeling, humorous experience.

Surprisingly, Slug focused more on his older songs, rather than his new album “Fishing Blues.” He closed his performance with one of his most famous songs, “Sunshine,” then called Ali and Atlas to the stage to end it all with a freestyle battle between the three artists.

With a last big bang, the beat dropped to one of Slug’s most moving songs, “Trying to Find a Balance,” speaking on social issues and the personal battle with it, which made the crowd go crazy. The show exceeded all expectations.

Atmosphere performed at Republic for their first New Orleans appearance since 2001.

Photos by Roxanne Ardekani

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

COMICS & PUZZLES

Privateer Poop by Barrington Hebert

Sour Notes by Peter Hoffpauir

SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

ACTIVITIES ATMOSPHERE BURGER CARNIVAL CHALLENGE

CULTURAL DONUT EXHIBIT HEALTHY HOMECOMING

INNOVATE PRESIDENTIAL ROBOTICS TOURS VEGETARIAN

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

11

EDITORIAL

America’s political system tested with Trump’s Muslim ban This past week the nation was witness to a prime example of the American political system’s structure, a shining example our founding fathers’ wisdom.

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s recent ban on Muslim immigrants from countries considered to pose a terrorist threat, allowing travel once again.

Many Americans were surprised a relatively low-positioned federal judge had the power to halt an executive order from the commander-in-chief, but it is a responsibility that comes with the position.

One thing should be noted: this is not a bug in our system.

This is exactly how it should work, with checks and balances.

Those who oppose Trump should still sleep relatively easily the next few years because our political system was designed to prevent one man from obtaining complete and total power, even

with both houses of Congress behind him.

Those on the right were placated several times during the Obama administration when federal judg-

es occasionally stopped executive orders. Most notably, a judge ruled that allowing sanctuary to children of illegal immigrants was unconstitutional.

Our nation did not become the definitive world power by accident. The political system put in place hundreds of years ago, refined over time, is endowed with

a certain kind of genius.

As a people, we can become caught up in the hype and hysteria of the media and the deafening noise coming from both sides of the aisle.

When Obama was elected, the political right nearly had a catastrophic meltdown. They thought America had just elected the next Stalin, a communist, mad for power, who would stop at nothing until we had given the government every last dime we earned.

As it turns out, our political system stopped Obama from doing much of what he wanted.

Now that Trump is in charge, the left is having a similar meltdown, and they are convinced Trump will be able to do whatever he wants since he has both houses of Congress on his side.

America will be fine; our system will continue to protect us like it has these past three hundred years and for many more to come.

COLUMN

Jazz Fest brings most eclectic lineup in years

BY LEO CASTELL Contributor The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival will be upon us once again at the end of April and through the beginning of May. This year’s lineup consists largely of nostalgic favorites from as far back as the 70’s along with a couple more recent movers and shakers in music.

Stevie Wonder seems to be the headliner most people are talking about and for good reason, the man’s a legend. That said, his legendary material is far, far behind him with his best stuff being over forty years old (which means the man behind that music is also that much older). He’s past his prime and his ability as a performer will be tested on the last Saturday of Jazz Fest by the undoubtedly rambunctious New Orleans crowd.

For me personally, the big act I’ll be looking for at Jazz Fest is Wilco. Though not as well known as many of the other major acts playing this year,

Wilco are still juggernauts in the indie music scene that have more than maintained relevancy in the over twenty years they’ve been around. That said, their last album, Schmilco, was underwhelming at best and, in my opinion, the band’s worst record.

The songs on Schmilco are also the band’s most low-key and don’t sound like they’d translate well into the live setting of Jazz Fest.

Still, the band is known for defying expectations with their live performances and are worth seeing the last Friday of Jazz Fest just to hear them play their older stuff.

Other artists I’m looking forward to seeing are Alabama Shakes, Lorde, and Usher & The Roots, though mostly just The Roots. Kings of Leon and Earth, Wind & Fire are also worth looking out for, but really the best thing about the lineup this year is that everyone will have at least one day worth going with such an eclectic variety of musicians.

With that said, unless you just love the atmosphere of Jazz Fest itself or genuinely love all or most of the artists playing, this year’s lineup doesn’t justify going every day.

Both Saturdays, the first Sunday and the second Friday of Jazz Fest seem to be the best days to attend since those will have the densest concentration of interesting acts. It’s usually a good idea to pick and choose during Jazz Fest, but this year seems to emphasize that more than ever.

STAFF Christopher Walker, Editor-in-Chief Mindy Jarrett, Copy Editor Jamie Lloyd, News Editor Anna Gowin, Features & Entertainment Editor Sanjiv Pradhanang, Visual Director Brennan Probst, Head Photographer 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 Brandon Melerine, Staff Writer

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.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017