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Volume: 58 Issue: 25 What’s Inside:
Driftwood
UNO Driftwood @unodriftwood
The community newspaper of the University of New Orleans
@unodriftwood
driftwood.uno.edu
April 29, 2015
Graduating in four years?
UNO librarian wins Career Achievement Award
Connie Phelps recognized by the Women and Gender Studies Section of ACRL page 2
Invasive species taking over Louisiana’s bayous
UNO students research Rio Grande Cichlids and apple snails at the Nekton Lab page 3
Rebekah Bell Driftwood Staff Driftwood’s graduating editors say goodbye
Seniors share their experiences with the newspaper’s future leaders page 4 & 5
International student perspective
International students share what it’s like to acclimate to student life in a new country page 10
Athletics wrap up
The year in sports: volleyball, tennis, golf and basketball page 14
Faced with potentially devastating budget cuts to the education system, many University of New Orleans students are rightfully concerned for their college careers. Tuition expenses, class availability and quality education are all subject to change drastically in the next few years if the budget cuts pass. While state legislators hash out our school’s future, the question on many students’ minds is whether they will be able to graduate on time. UNO junior Kelli Cross said, “If the state’s budget cut passes I think it will definitely hurt, even devastate, students trying to complete their studies in four years. Classes will continue to be cut along with faculty and resources.” Senior Bernell Elzey shares Cross’ concern. “It will impact the students tremendously as it would take them longer to complete a degree and cost more money,” Elzey said, “basically you will be paying more for less.” According to a new report from Complete College America, a nonprofit group based in Indianapolis, IN, the majority of students at American public colleges do not graduate on time. Nationwide, only 50 of roughly 580 public four-year institutions graduate a majority of their fulltime students on time. Statistics available from Complete College America agree that it now takes six years to earn a bachelor’s degree and three years for an associate’s
degree. Dubbed the “Four-Year Myth,” bachelor degree seeking students wanting to make the most of their time and money should assess their academic career with four simple questions: Is it affordable? The expense of higher education impacts a student’s ability to complete his or her degree on time. 69.9 percent of UNO’s full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid, and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $5,438. Taking out loans can be a risky financial burden that leaves students with debt well after graduation. Louisiana ranks among the bottom 10 states with the lowest debt ,where students incur an average of $23,358 in loans. Every extra year tacked on at a public four-year college makes earning a degree even more expensive. Is it worth it to work while in school? Many students work through college for various reasons, but the most common reason is to pay for college tuition. Rather than relying solely on loans, most students prefer to bridge the financial gap by applying for scholarships and earning an income. While employment helps cut down college costs, juggling classes, personal commitments and working long hours off-campus can result in lower grades and inflexibility to taking the right classes when they are offered, as well as delaying higher earnings. Working students should consider that their jobs can
delay careers and cause them to lose out on wages. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average starting salary for a bachelor’s degree recipient in the class of 2013 was more than $45,000. The American Institutes for Research found that associate degree earners could expect to earn a starting salary of about $35,000. It makes sense to work less if it will help a student graduate faster. How can I ensure I benefit the most from my class scheduling? Many students prefer to arrange class schedules to fall on certain days or take fewer credits at a time. Classes that meet too early or too late are also commonly avoided. But as universities become forced to reduce classes, class availability is becoming more limited. At UNO, class arrangements are valid concerns for students who commute to school. Cutting down on travel costs and time spent on the road allows students to balance their weeks accordingly. Cross, a commuter from Covington, tries to avoid scheduling classes everyday. “Due to the commute, I try to schedule classes that end before 3 in the afternoon, to avoid rush hour traffic. I also plan my classes this way in order to have as much time possible to devote to homework,” Cross said, “Recently, I’ve noticed there aren’t as many classes being offered, and those that are seem to only offer one section on one day at a certain time. The more classes and sections that are cut, the harder it will be on students like myself to schedule enough courses not
only to keep the minimum 12 hours per semester required by TOPS, but also to graduate on time.” Elzey, who works while attending school, said “I scheduled my classes to fit my job schedule, which was a hassle my final semester. I had to take my Spanish class at another institution because the course did not fit my schedule and it was the only one.” How can I ensure I don’t lose my credits? A common issue at colleges involves students exceeding the amount of credits to graduate with not enough of them counting towards their degree. This is generally a result from changing majors too much (or too late) or from pursuing multiple majors. While multiple majors can be beneficial, they do not necessarily determine a career. A safer plan is to choose a major by the end of the sophomore year, have one reasonable minor, and stick with it. Grad school also allows the opportunity for a shift in focus. Transfer students also face a burden of losing credits. Complete College America reports that 60 percent of bachelor’s degree recipients change colleges, with almost half of them losing some of their credits when they transfer. While some situations such as relocation are unavoidable, many students opt to complete their first two years at a community college in order to lessen tuition expenses. To ensure every credit counts, students should pay attention to which classes will transfer to which four year schools. Illustration by Asia-Vinae Palmer
2
NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
UNO librarian recognized for 35 years of dedicated service Krystal Dumas Driftwood Staff UNO librarian Connie Phelps was recently awarded the Career Achievement Award for her work at the university since 1985. The award was given by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) in the Women and Gender Studies Section (WGSS). Phelps views this award as one of the highlights of her career, and is pleased to be considered a mentor to other librarians. Phelps thinks her work with UNO students and faculty has been important, and hopes to continue working with WGSS and UNO students and faculty for years to come. “A major part of my job as a liaison librarian is to meet with students and faculty or correspond with them via email and assist them with research questions. When faculty members ask me to, I also meet with classes to talk about resources for library and other research,” said Phelps. Currently Phelps is the liaison librarian for Anthropology, Geography, History, Planning & Urban Studies, Political Science, and Sociology. ACRL, the professional association for academic (university and college) librarians, is a division of the American Library Association (ALA). WGSS is one of many divisions of the association. Phelps said, “I’m unbelievably honored and thrilled to receive this award from my peers in WGSS.” Phelps has been a very active mem-
ber of WGSS since 1995 serving as chair of numerous committees. The committee service that Phelps has done with WGSS over the years has included helping to plan the WGSS for the ALA Annual Conference, finding people for section officer positions, reviewing section publications, encouraging membership participation and planning socials. As part of her service, she has attended other ACRL and ALA group meetings to represent WGSS. “Heather Tompkins, from WGSS, in the press release about the award, described me as an ambassador to the Feminist Task Force and to NOW [National Organization for Women]. It’s not an official position, she was just referring to the fact that I bring the WGSS perspective to these other groups. I’ve been involved with NOW for many years... I try to bring an academic perspective, a library perspective, and a woman’s, yes, even a feminist perspective to all that I do, so it’s just natural for me to be an ‘ambassador’ for WGSS to other organizations,” said Phelps. In addition to WGSS, Phelps is involved with the Louisiana Library Association and faculty governance at UNO, and has held offices in both of these organizations. UNO has never had a Women’s and Gender Studies Department, but it did have an interdisciplinary women’s studies major for several years. Phelps said, “It took years to get the LSU System to approve the major, and then it was terminated as a low completer program several years later.”
While the women’s studies major was being approved, Phelps took classes to better understand women’s studies and assist students with their research. She credits several faculty members who are still on campus today with getting the major approved by LSU. Phelps said that while she wasn’t involved with getting the program approved, her job was only cheering from the sidelines and reporting the programs progress, she was sad when she had to deliver the news of the discontinuance of the major at a WGSS meeting. Even though the women’s studies major was discontinued, UNO still offers a women’s and gender studies minor. Phelps sets up consultations with students who have questions regarding women and gender-related research topics. “I’ve always tried to do as much as I can to assist our students and faculty members with their research.” The Earl K Long Library had a bigger budget in the past, which allowed them to purchase more books to support student and faculty research. Phelps used that to her advantage to learn more about what books and assistance women’s studies students and faculty needed for their courses. In 2005 Phelps wrote and received a grant from the UNO Diversity Advisory Committee to pur-
photo by Grant Campbell
chase 50 women-themed popular DVDs for the library’s collection. “I’d hoped that some faculty members might use them in class [and I know that some have], but
Student Self-Assessed Fees vote postponed until further notice The vote on Student Government’s proposal for the Student Self-Assessed Fee has been postponed. The voting period was originally scheduled for April 28-29 via student email. SG President David Teagle said, “I was informed on Friday April 17 that Dr. Fos had removed the SSAF plan from the agenda due to a concern raised by the UL system staff. The UL system prefers to have fees passed by students in either a general election or a homecoming election.” Driftwood covered information and student opinions
regarding the SSAF in issues 23 and 24. SG plans to reassess the fee structure in order to take student feedback into account. Teagle said, “this will help guarantee that the plan we are putting before the students best represents the difficult compromise of what students want and can afford to invest in their university and what is in the best interest of a more student driven solution to our university’s difficult future.” Students are encouraged to attend forums to stay informed and/or voice concerns and questions.
SPECIAL - SHOW YOUR UNO ID
they also turned out to be very popular for entertainment. Boys Don’t Cry from the UNO Library DVD collection, you’ve seen one of them.”
NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 3
Students research invasive species in Louisiana at the Nekton Lab John Molaison Contributing Reporter Louisiana’s bayous are home to numerous invasive species that disrupt the food chain and threaten wildlife, but professors and students at the University of New Orleans are conducting research to better understand their populations and behavior. Invasive species are plants or animals that have been removed from their native habitat (often through human intervention) and settled into locations where they have little-to-no competition for food. When a species begins to reproduce in an environment where they have no predators or natural controls on population growth, their populations expand to unmanageable levels, threatening local wildlife and ecosystems. The Nekton Lab, directed by Dr. Martin O’Connell, is a research organization at UNO that studies changes in local aquatic environments and environmental disturbances that threaten them. Nekton Lab’s mission statement is: “To advance knowledge and learning in estuarine, coastal and wetland ecosystems through research, education, student training and community outreach programs and to disseminate such knowledge to the scientific community, government agencies and the general public.” Graduate students and volunteers
participating in the Nekton Lab have been researching invasive species in Louisiana since 2012. The research is related primarily to Rio Grande Cichlids and apple snails, two invasive species currently taking over Louisiana’s bayous. Participants in the Nekton Lab, such as student Sierra Riccobono, have gone out into the bayou to collect, observe and document these species. “[Students] first go to the bayous to collect water and fish samples, and then we bring them back to study them in the lab,” said Riccobono. The researchers at the Nekton Lab use water samples to document any changes to salinity and other properties. Researchers use seine nets to collect large amounts of fish in the water and then count them to get data about changes in population. The cichlids brought back to the lab are used in various tests. One experiment observed the cichlids’ behavior in waters with differing amounts of salt in order to determine whether or not there is a threat of cichlids invading new habitats with higher salinity. The tests concluded that cichlids have the potential to easily acclimate to even the saltiest waters of Louisiana, confirming suspicions that the cichlid could soon threaten other habitats previously free of the pest. Riccobono has accompanied Dr. O’Connell to conventions where
their research is shared with other institutions to further scientific understanding of these marine pests. Riccobono has also worked on the research papers produced by the Nekton Lab. The Nekton Lab is not the only group of UNO students leaving campus to observe Louisiana’s invasive species. The Intro to Environmental Sciences Lab, a requirement for environmental science majors, takes its students to observe invasive species in locations such as Lake Pontchartrain and Metairie Bayou. Chris Vedros, an environmental science student and participant in the lab, said his class observed the water hyacenth, an invasive plant, in Lake Pontchartrain in March. The students also observed apple snails in Bayou Metairie last semester. “The cichlids are out competing with the native fish, and that disturbs the ecosystem,” Vedros said, “apple snails are detrimental to agriculture and they also carry parasites...I believe at least one person died from eating the snails.” A parasite, known as rat lungworm, usually feeds on rats, but ingestion of snails infected with the parasite by a human can cause meningitis, which causes damage to the central nervous system. According to both Vedros and the Nekton Lab, apple snails were originally brought to Louisiana as aquarium pets, but they were somehow released into the wild where
Invasive species can alter and disrupt local ecosystems.
they flourished. The presence of cichlids and water hyacinths can also be attributed to the release of decorative and aquarium wildlife into Louisiana’s bodies of water. As invasive species begin to spread and multiply, research con-
photo by Christy Lorio
ducted by the Nekton Lab intends to aid governmental policy, scientists and the public in making informed decisions about our bayous. The Nekton Lab’s research allows UNO to contribute to the control of invasive species through education.
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OPINIONS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Editor-in-Chief urges new staff to continue pushing boundaries The senior editors and illustrator of the Driftwood staff comment on their experience with community paper of UNO, feelings on graduating and hope for the paper’s future. Christy Lorio Editor-in-Chief This is my last issue as Editor-in-Chief and it’s bittersweet. No more staying on campus until 11 p.m. on press night! No more twice weekly meetings! No more panic attacks when reporters miss deadlines! Despite this, I feel like my time is up just a smidge too early. I only scratched the surface of what I wanted to achieve with the Driftwood, but I’m graduating in December and must hand over my keys to the newsroom after final exams. Being the editor of a college newspaper is a great responsibility and not one to take lightly. The Driftwood is “the community newspaper of the University of New Orleans” and it is our job to cover as much of the campus as we can. I am proud of the strides that my team has taken these past two semesters. Given our scant resources and limited staff, I have to say we did a pretty good job. In his article “The Making of a Real Student Newspaper” on InsideHigherEd.com, Ron Feem-
ster, Assistant Professor of Journalism at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, said, “Good student journalists, like the ones I advised, will uncover facts that make a college administration squirm. But if a strong press is sometimes a nuisance for administrators, a timid, self-censoring student paper is an educational fraud.” Driftwood certainly made students and faculty uncomfortable at times this semester, but it was not without purpose. We affected change and shed light on important issues that students needed to know about. Some of my favorite articles that I wrote included the abandoned car that got towed after being on campus for years (issue two), reporting on the
faculty’s vote of no confidence in President Peter Fos (issue 14), pointing out the flaws of the emergency system after the campus lockdown (issue 15) and running a controversial opinion piece on SG’s proposed Student Self-Assessed Fees (issue 23). Exposing students to topics that they may not even know that they need to know about was not only satisfying, it was my job. At the time of writing this I don’t know who the next Editor-in-Chief will be, but I suggest
to my successor to continue on the Driftwood’s current trajectory and don’t be afraid to tackle big issues on campus. We aren’t the public relations department; we’re the record keepers of the university. There is never a lack of news on this campus. Story ideas are everywhere; some are glaringly obvious, such as the Privateer Bucks (issue 2), while others
might go unnoticed if no one is on the lookout for them. Some stories are worth covering and some are not. Some weeks there just won’t be the space nor the manpower to report on everything that goes on around campus. I hope next year’s staff continues to work on building up the Driftwood website and utilizes social media even more. I found so many interesting students just by perusing the UNO Proud hashtag on Instagram and Twitter. Some of them were featured in our student spotlights, others were recruited to volunteer as reporters and photographers. I also suggest strengthening contacts within UNO: build relationships with even more faculty, staff and students and make sure to never give up. The task of putting out a weekly paper may feel insurmountable, but you get through it week by week. And for the love
of God, don’t call me crying on press night when the Wi-fi goes out.
THE DRIFTWOOD UNODriftwood
Staff
The Driftwood is the student run newspaper of the University of New Orleans. We publish every Wednesday with the exception of mid-term and finals weeks and official holiday breaks.
Christy Lorio Editor-in-Chief
All submissions are subject to editing by Driftwood Staff. The Driftwood office is located in room 252 of the University Center, 2000 Lakeshore Drive University Center 252 New Orleans, LA 70148
Nigel Washington Sports Editor
Staff may be reached by phone at 504-280-6377 or email driftwoodeditor@uno.edu or online at.driftwood.uno.edu. Ad sales inquiries should be directed to driftwoodads@uno.edu
Aviayna Thomas Managing Editor Veronica Mansell Features Editor Anna Gowin News Editor
Ave Maria Bordenave Web Editor Willie Marsalis Photography Editor Distribution Manager Traven Stout Photographer Kerry Leigh Pittenger Business Manager Pawan Aryal Layout Editor Ashley deBaroncelli Cartoonist Vickie Kennedy Faculty Adviser
Campus Calendar Right Now! Nepal just witnessed a tragedy that has shaken the nation and international community with a 7.9 Richter Scale earthquake followed by numerous major/minor aftershocks. More than 4,500 people are dead, and several thousands are left injured. To help the victims of the diasaster you can donate at gofundme.com/nepalreliefnow and visit facebook.com/NsanoUNO for updates.
Blood Drive: UNO and Ochsner Health System will host a blood drive 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the UC Gallery Lounge on the second floor. Those who donate will receive a free T-shirt. The drive will close down briefly from 12:45-1:30 p.m. for lunch. Participants can also take part in the #HealthyHomerun contest for a chance to win the ultimate Privateer baseball experience presented by Ochsner Health Systems.
April 29 Denim Day: Sponsored by the Office of Student Accountability, Advocacy & Disability Services, the UNO community is asked to wear denim to raise awareness about sexual assault misconceptions and to support sexual assault survivors. Learn more at ddusa.peaceoverviolence.org.
The 2015 Honors Program Convocation will be held at the Homer L. Hitt Alumni Center. It’s an opportunity for honors students and members of the UNO community to get together and celebrate students’ academic achievements. Student inspired entertainment and dinner will precede the award ceremony. Seating is limited. Please
RSVP by e-mail, or call 504280-7008. Please indicate how many guests will be accompanying you. April 30 Study-A-Thon: First Year Advising will host Study-AThon as a fun way to encourage students to study for finals in a productive manner. This event includes 50 minutes of quiet study time each hour, followed by 10 minutes of break time in which food and activities will be provided. The event will take place from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in the UC Gallery Lounge. For more information visit fye.uno.edu or email fya@uno.edu.
OPINIONS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 5
Driftwood challenges provide opportunity to abandon comfort zone Aviayna Thomas Managing Editor There’s a famous saying that I usually disagree with that claims “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” but in the context of my experience on the Driftwood staff, I think I have to agree. I joined the Driftwood in the fall of 2014 as copy editor. I had never held a position on any type of publication, so I was a little intimidated by all of the journalism jargon that people were using, and when I found out I was one of the only staff members who hadn’t taken a journalism class, I questioned if I had taken on a job I would not be able to handle. After studying the AP Style Manual and receiving some coaching from Editor-in-Chief Christy Lorio and Faculty Adviser Vickie Kennedy, I felt much more comfortable in my position and continued to learn as I edited more and more articles. As the fall semester came to a close, I was asked to fill the managing editor position in the spring. I was hesitant to accept because I knew this job would require me to step outside my comfort zone and into a leadership position. I had never managed a group of people before, but as a senior going into my last semester, I figured it was time for me to do something to push my boundaries. Spring semester rolled around, and some of the staff from the fall semester rolled right along with it. New interns, photographers, illustrators and volunteers also joined the Driftwood, and I must credit all
of them for making my experience as managing editor a pleasurable one. Our staff worked tirelessly to meet deadlines, turn in quality work and expose relevant issues in the UNO community. Just when I thought I was going to end my time at the Driftwood not having to do anything too uncomfortable, we were faced with an important decision regarding a new fee (the Student Government Student Self-Assessed Fees) that was being proposed to the student body in an effort to close the gap that budget cuts have created. We noticed a few issues with the proposal and had to decide if we should write an editorial outlining these concerns. While everyone agreed that we should, I caught myself supposedly being the voice of reason saying that maybe we didn’t want to bring these issues to light because it might rub people the wrong way. Deep down inside I knew I was just afraid of the possible confrontation and conflict our editorial might lead to. After much discussion, we all agreed that it was our duty as the newspaper to inform students about issues that would affect them. As human and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta once said, “When you have a conflict, that means that there are truths that have to be addressed on each side of the conflict. And when you have a conflict, then it’s an educational process to try to resolve the conflict. And to resolve that, you have to get people on both sides of the conflict involved so that they can dialogue.”
We wrote the editorial, and we were confronted just as we suspected. When I heard the accusations that the Driftwood had succumbed to bias, I’m pretty sure I had a mini heart attack. But the past few weeks as we worked to respond to the situation,
I have learned how to remain calm and professional in times when our ethics are questioned. By responding to the concerns of students, I have been pushed further outside my comfort zone than I’ve ever been. Facing the conflict head on has helped build my character in
ways I could never have imagined, and I am so happy I got to share that experience with the Driftwood staff. It has been nothing but an honor to work with the Driftwood, and as I say my final farewell, I would like to wish the best of luck to next year’s staff!
ing up vomit, listening to drunk banter all night and having sore feet. However ecstatic I am about graduating in a couple weeks, it’s still a little tough to say goodbye to the Driftwood. A part of me wishes I had gotten involved before my senior year. I was so caught up in earning my degree that I almost forgot the importance of experiencing college. Like many UNO students, I would just come to class, take notes, and then immediately rush home or to work to study in the stock room before my shift. The only way to complete the journalism concentration that I had started my first semester at UNO was through an internship, so I turned to the student newspaper. Fall 2014 was an exciting and challenging time to come on as an intern. With an almost entirely new staff of talented, experienced and motivated people, the expectation for the paper was high and tolerance for BS was low. I’ve never been a
shy person, but I’ve always been relatively private about my writing. This was a new style of writing for me that was both thrilling and kind of scary (knocking on doors, setting up the right interviews, hoping for great quotes, getting published every week whether you like it or not). The same mix of excitement and fear continued even as the Features Editor this semester. A constant eye on emails, group messages, our Google Drive account, all while worrying about filling pages, fact checking and deadlines upon deadlines. But the spirit of the paper is infectious with the
hard-working people involved, great interviews, late nights, good and bad articles, learning about the campus and the interesting students, staff and faculty that make up UNO. Before signing off from the paper, I would encourage anyone who is passionate (and maybe even a little crazy) about their writing or UNO to get involved with the Driftwood. It’s a challenge that will thicken your skin, make you laugh and sometimes cry, while gaining exposure and experience with your writing. Good luck to next year’s staff and keep raking
Gaining experience and exposure with the Driftwood Veronica Mansell Features Editor I came to UNO with a onetrack mind, “get through it as soon as physically possible.” College was not a priority or even an expectation in my family. The word was barely mentioned growing up. I didn’t think of education as a form of existential enlightenment that really prepares you for the future, but more as a piece of paper that proves you can commit to something for several years and maybe learn a thing or two. I haven’t had a reg-
ular semester at UNO with less than 15 credit hours and I’ve spent the last three summers plugging away with nine credit hours, all while working full-time. To say the least, I have been rushing my college experience in hopes of getting back to the “real world” sooner rather than later. The Driftwood was the first thing that made me want to slow down and really get to know the university. Now you won’t catch me saying “Wow, I wish I had another year left” or “I’m sad that it’s over,” because I am ready to move into a career that doesn’t involve slinging drinks, changing kegs, clean-
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OPINION
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Open Letter to President Fos addresses gender inequality at UNO
Dear University President Peter J. Fos, My name is Kristen. You may have seen me around campus within the past few years with a pregnant belly or books in the stroller storage compartment beneath an infant. You may have seen my name on that fancy card you sent in the mail when I made straight A’s that I am to presume you signed. You may have seen my name printed in local publications, and even the Driftwood; maybe you heard about my impatience for nonsense with some of your staff; and maybe you saw it when I emailed you last week (without answer, of course). Maybe not What you might want to know about me is that I am a powerful person. I am not powerful because of wealthy connections, or my own vast amount of money-- not the type of powerful you are probably the most familiar with. My power comes from my experience, my intelligence, my education on things practical as well as academic in nature. It comes from a quarter of a decade filled with struggle; birthing three children in four years, building a business between writing papers and every-other-hour feedings, and generally making sure that my family need fear no threat. This is something you’ll have
to understand while I act like I’m not afraid to discuss my issues with you. The fact is that I’m simply not afraid of anything (unlike the wise folks whose paychecks and/or futures depend in some way on you). I am not afraid, but I am disappointed. I watch the stunning and heart-dropping crises with the state unfold, and I wonder, how could this be allowed to happen? Do the lawmakers in question see the countless lives that would be burst into chaos for their missteps? Certainly, you do. Of course you see how the fabric of our beloved city would unravel if education were to become inaccessible. You keep writing us long emails about your heartache. So tell me, please: why are the women in your university being shrugged off your campus? -Why was the child care center cut? Why did you not reach out to local resources: Delgado’s Care and Development of Young Children program, YMCA of Greater New Orleans, Agenda for Children, LOCAL NANNY AGENCIES (hey, I know of one!), in addition to your own education program, to provide volunteer staff for the center? Why did you not appoint a committee to brainstorm and figure SOMETHING out? The child care center was ESSENTIAL to many students completing their degrees. If the center had been open, I would have graduated this semester- in time for my sick grandfather to see a member of his family FINALLY graduate college. Instead, I was defeated (at least in
part) by inaccessible nearby child care and haughty staff members who were never informed of the federally protected rights a parent has to their education. -Do you know about those federally protected rights? I ask, because when I gave birth to my second child in 2012, not even the person who was appointed coordinator of Title IX in relation to those rights, knew they existed! Amazing! Not only did we have to talk about excused absenc-
torium full of freshmen listened to a lecture backed by “research” on how women sometimes say “no” to sexual advances when they actually mean “yes”? Did you feel like a bandaid lecture that said “no means no!” really corrected that in the minds of these young students? Did you ever think to talk to me about this yourself, after the dean of sciences refused to see me, and the Psychology Department was so slow in responding that it was all for nothing?
es related to pregnancy and breastfeeding, but we had to talk about getting your school up to federal standards with the lactation room business. Let me repeat that: your school was not in compliance with federal law regarding a women’s health issue until the lactation room was built. Did you know? -Where were you last semester, when a graduate student taught about “token resistance” from a textbook that had been approved for the most popular course on campus for at least a decade? Where were you when an audi-
Back to money, now. At Data. chronicle.com, there is some pretty interesting information on how male professors at UNO earn an average of $10,000 more than female professors. Male associate professors earn about $7,000 more than females. Male assistant professors earn almost $4,000 more than females. Oh, look at this! Female instructors earn over $1,000 more on average! Oh… no… that’s actually due in part to the female instructors being paid these amounts for working three months longer than any of the other instructors. Bum-
mer. So Nola.com wrote a nice little article about this happening all across Louisiana. Did you see it? You didn’t comment on it at all, as far as I know. We may have never even met, President Fos, but our relationship is a troubled one. I believe this stems from the fact that I am a woman. It’s quite simple: how can you fight for interests with which you do not identify? If you would talk to us, sir, it might be a little easier. I can only imagine the level of fear and rage that you must be feeling at this time, with the unbelievable budget cuts that are being proposed. Do you feel abandoned by your state government? Do you feel like you have to shout at the top of your lungs the justification for your very existence? Do you know you’re worth so much more attention and engagement than you are being given? I can relate. I didn’t set out to write this to berate you (maybe just a little… but I’m hurt). I also want to plead with you: please don’t leave us behind. Please don’t run off to Baton Rouge and get caught up in the belief that your battleground is the legislature. Your power doesn’t have to ALL be in wealth. Talk to us. Think with us. Work with us. Get to know us. Ask us for what we have, so we can become more. Sincerely yours, Kristen Crain P.S. I can still staff a child care center with volunteers. Hit me up.
Student voices opinion on Jindal’s “economic terrorism” There is an elephant in the room: a monstrous presence too intimidating for the UNO faculty and administration to address in their courteous editorials, and too devious for most students to even comprehend. Our state government has been hijacked by economic terrorists. The chieftain of these economic terrorists is our governor, Bobby Jindal, a proud bigot and a conservative boot-licker who has been pillaging Louisiana since he took office. Did you know that Kathleen Blanco left Louisiana a 1.1 billion surplus? Jindal gave it all away to the business lobby buddies whose pockets he inhabits. We pay taxes, so the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (not to mention Hollywood) doesn’t have to. Now Louisiana faces upwards of a 1.6 billion budget gap. Instead of raising taxes on the rich, Jindal and his cowering legislature are prepared to sacrifice higher education upon the altar of corporate welfare. Again. Or, did you not know that Bobby and our esteemed legislators in Baton Rouge (who get paid to represent us) have already slashed UNO’s budget by 40 million, since 2008-09? What solutions are being offered? So far, the only mewling, desperate, milquetoast solution
on the table is to raise fees and tuition for students—which is like allowing both your legs to be amputated, and then punching yourself in the face to stop the pain. So, who is this strongman, this charismatic leader who imposes his iron will without the slightest opposition? However callous he might be, he must also be a brilliant leader, calculating and visionary insight, n’est-ce pas? The funny thing is, Bobby Jindal is nothing but a walking, talking, sad clown nightmare. This is the guy who thinks he has a shot at winning the presidency, by running on a platform that consists of hating gay people more than any of the other protozoan slimeballs throwing their hats in the ring. Do you remember Bobby’s world tour? He wanted to get all those foreign nations jazzed about his impending victory. Yo u r tax dollars paid f o r that trip, where Bobby’s foot-in-mouth disease led him to echo faux-spe- cialist Stephen Emerson’s statement that there are whole cities in England that are, “No-go zones for non-Muslims,”
a statement that is so obviously reeking of race-baiting mendacity that even Fox News hastily retracted their story and apologized. Instead of following Fox’s humiliated lead, Bobby doubled down on Emerson’s lies. The baffled Prime Minister David Cameron called Emerson, “a complete idiot,” and didn’t even bother to describe what Bobby is. Our whole nation, and the entire world, knows that Bobby Jindal is nothing but a talking lizard in a suit and tie. Why can’t Louisiana figure it out? Our legislature needs a 2/3 majority to override his anti-tax veto threats, but so far no one is talking about it seriously. But in just a few months, this schmuck who pretends to hold so much power over us, is about to be laughed off the national stage. He will be swept into the rubbish bin of history and the forgotten. That’s the thing, Bobby Jindal doesn’t actually have any power at all. He has to answer to the legislature and the legislature has to answer to us. We have the power. Let’s use it. Our state government needs to quintuple our budget. That’s what the conversation needs to be about. Instead, they’re talking about decimating it by another 82%. Did you know that LSU is planning for ‘exigency,’ i.e. bank-
ruptcy? This isn’t a budget cut, it’s not austerity, it’s not ‘tightening our belts’ – it’s the destruction of higher education, and it sets a terrifying precedent for the rest of the country. Conservative extremists like Jindal are just puppets for the richest one percent of the population, and an educated populace is not in their best interest. They want to keep you dumb, so you’ll vote more sinister clowns into the government, so they can keep transferring all the wealth into the hands of corporations and the super rich. They don’t want you to get a diploma. What they need is a vast pool of uneducated labor who will beg to be paid $6 an hour, and who won’t raise a fuss when their public services are disemboweled before their very eyes. Merde. Talk is cheap. Bobby Jindal and anyone who supports his bigoted destruction of our state’s future should be dragged from the Capitol building by their toupées. Down with Jindal and his army of clowns! Tax the rich! Save Louisiana! Ben Aleshire Freshman English major
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JAZZ FESTIVAL
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 9
photo by Veronica Mansell
Jazz Festers enjoy Tony Hall & the New Orleans Souls Stars’ “Tribute to James Brown” at the Congo Square Stage on Saturday, April 25.
Inclement weather provided a muddy playground for these two young Jazz Festers.
photo by Veronica Mansell
photo by Veronica Mansell A second-line marches through the crowd encouraging people to dance.
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10 Wednesday, April 29, 2015
FEATURES
UNO students share why they chose to come to UNO Matthew Bravender Contributing Reporter
The international body at the University of New Orleans is a diverse, dynamic and intelligent group with various talents, ambitions, perspectives and motivations. Currently, there are about eight hundred international students at UNO, coming from about ninety countries with students from every continent except Antarctica. Their varying perspectives of UNO, New Orleans and the United States often come from the unique situations in each country. Like many American students, international students come to UNO because of generous financial aid and scholarship opportunities, among other factors. Without these scholarships and financial aid packages, many international students couldn’t afford to go to school in the U.S. Pradip Adhikari, a sophomore political science major from Nepal, said that scholarships are crucial for Nepali students because many of them would not be able to afford tuition at an American university. Financial aid opportunities and scholarships played a significant role in Susie Diaz’s, a freshman mechanical engineering major from Honduras and Farah Elaboudy’s, a student from Egypt, decision to attend UNO. The culture of New Orleans also attracted Diaz and Elaboudy to
UNO. “I wanted to travel and seek independence [in the U.S.] there are several cultures within the country itself. It feels like I am not just visiting one place, but several at a time.” The chance to get a degree from an American university also attracted students to UNO. “A degree from an American university will help anywhere you go. Universities in the U.S. have more access [to] technology, making it great for someone studying mechanical engineering like me,” said Diaz. Adhikari agreed with this statement. He participated in the British education system in Nepal. Many students in this system decide to study abroad. After arriving in the U.S., many international students have to adjust to their new environment. These adjustments include adapting to new ways of greeting, different socioeconomic conditions and sadly, some discrimination. Photo courtesy of International Student Organization For Diaz, learning how to greet More than 800 international UNO students represent over 90 countries. people took some time. “In Latin America, you always say hello and financial resources that many Ne- ginia, Elaboudy experienced dis- mend UNO because of its small crimination against her country, class sizes where you “do not feel goodbye with a kiss on the cheek, pali students have to cope with. For Elaboudy, speaking English culture and religion. She dealt with like a number and I get to talk to but in the U.S. there is a lot of reall the time was a big adjustment this situation by choosing to edu- my teachers” and also because “you spect when it comes to personal cate people about Egypt, her culture feel embraced and it’s easy to feel when adapting to American society. space. It took a while to get used to and Islam, which seemed to work. “U.S. society is very individualistic, like home.” just giving a handshake or waving Fortunately, Elaboudy, Diaz and “I enjoy most of my classes and my hand every time I met someone while in Egypt it’s quite the contrary,” said Elaboudy. Adhikari have not experienced any the people are very friendly,” said new,” said Diaz. Elaboudy visited the U.S. prior to discrimination in New Orleans and Elaboudy on recommending UNO. For Adhikari, the biggest adjustAdhikari would recommend ment was the socioeconomic condi- attending UNO. In 2011, she par- given their experiences, all three tions in the U.S. These adjustments ticipated in an exchange program students would recommend UNO UNO to prospective students especially those considering majoring in include dealing with how expensive where she went to a small town in to prospective students. Diaz said that she would recom computer engineering. things were and the lack of personal West Virginia. While in West Vir
FEATURES
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 11
Small club experiences big success with “GenshiGameOn!” Raphael Mariano Contributing Reporter Gamers joined together on Friday to sling spells and fight monsters at the UNO Education Building. “GenshiGameOn!,” an event previously hosted solely by the UNO Genshiken Anime Club, pulled out all the stops by collaborating with the Dead Pixel Squad (DPS) and Smash! Club. Its third year, the event was opened to the public and attracted visitors from all over New Orleans. Designed as a stress relief for students, the event coordinators diversified the game selection this year. Easily accessible games such as “Super Smash! Brothers: Melee” and “HALO: Reach” were well received. The event coordinators reached out to the developers of the popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game “League of Legends” to hold a game of attrition amongst attendees. Tabletop gamers even had a small tournament for the well-known card game, Magic: The Gathering. Justin Allen, who had been to last year’s event, appreciated the change in line-up. “I am not that big of a video gamer. I appreciated that they added games I actually enjoyed playing,” said Allen. This kind of reaction was the goal of the event coordinators. As a representative of UNO Genshiken, I knew we wanted to help the community see the event, and hopefully UNO, in a new light. Gaming competitions are everywhere in this city. It’s always so constricting- just one game, one set of rules, then everybody else just watches. I’ve also noticed that gamers tend to separate themselves into different circles that hardly intersect: console versus console, tabletop versus elec-
tronic, retro versus next-gen, casual versus hardcore. We wanted an event that helps everyone interact in a positive way, right here on campus. This was a gaming event for all gamers. Everyone was welcome. And hopefully, they saw that UNO welcomes students from the gaming community with open arms. With all this ambition, the event coordinators reached out to the city to make sure that the event was worth attending. A free-play room was stocked with gaming consoles and projector screens for those not interested in competing. Quality board games were laid out for demonstration and casual play. A mock ring was set up for foam sword battles- a staple of the annual event. Free refreshments and a bake sale of cookies and homemade pizza muffins were present at the event. Beforehand, representatives posted fliers at small venues from the West Bank to Kenner. They reached out to local bloggers to promote the event and sought the help of local podcasts and radio stations for any possible opportunities. Representatives also secured sponsors for the event and garnered over $350 worth of prizes for all three competitions. Local businesses, namely Go4Games, PhoHoa, GameStop, Dibbz, +1Gaming, ThinkPrint3D and Tubby&Coo’s donated posters, gift certificates, books, figurines, playmats and board games to the event. Carlos Sotres, the current president of the DPS, was pleasantly surprised with all this support. He expressed that they were hoping for a few posters here and there. “A few weeks in, we were overwhelmed with the response,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong- it took a lot of work. But, our hard work definitely paid off. Literally.” One of the sponsors, Go4Games
Photo by Amy Nguyen “Some clubs on campus think they’re small and dream small. We dreamed larger than life, kind of like the games we play. I mean, if we can do it, anyone can do it. Large successful events are a piece of cake. And this time: the cake is not a lie.” -Carlos Sotres (pictured left)
even set up a small booth for game demonstrations and sales. Throughout the event, attendees could sample a round of Krosmaster Arena, a prominent PvP tactical card game with anime-style figurines. They played with actual workers from the establishment who took the time to be present at the event. The games were demonstrated in a personable and professional manner, which added to the already exceptional quality of the game pieces themselves. Jacob Cunningham, a representative of Go4Games said there were a number of reasons for pushing the event. “The go-to answer is the publicity,” he said. Hobby stores have a wide tar-
get demographic, most common at schools and universities. Any opportunity to put a brand above competitors is well sought after. “But what clinched the deal was the fact that they asked, they responded, and they were adamant for our support,” Cunningham said, “They would not let go until they received an answer. You got to admire that kind of persistence. So we decided to return the favor.” The event coordinators were grateful for that very sentiment. Proceeds will fund future events the organizations have in store for the campus, such as UNO Genshiken’s Test of Courage in the fall, and another Cosplay Café next spring.
With all this support, the event was counted a success. Students from Chalmette and Baton Rouge attended the event and the anime club from Dillard University showed up too. Carlos Sotres said, “Some clubs on campus think they’re small and dream small. We dreamed larger than life, kind of like the games we play. I mean, if we can do it, anyone can do it. Large successful events are a piece of cake. And this time: the cake is not a lie.” You can reach UNO Smash, the Dead Pixel Squad and UNO Genshiken Anime Club by liking their Facebook pages. PhoHoa is located on 1308 Manhattan Blvd Harvey, LA.
NPHC organizations: The history and future of Black Greek life Asia-Vinae Palmer Driftwood Staff When people join an organization, often times there isn’t much to consider outside of either believing or not believing in what they stand for, but when people join a fraternity or sorority they are joining a family, and all families have histories with deeply set roots. Black Greek life began with the idea that African Americans have the right to celebrate their culture and uplift their people. This idea showed its first signs of growth in 1901 at Cornell University. Alpha Phi Alpha, the first Black intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity, sprouted from the desire to uplift the African American male and to remind him that despite the odds stacked against him and the blatant racism of the predominantly white institution (PWI) he attended, he was still a man and should strive to attain the highest and most noble position he could. Sydney Lockett, UNO alumna, decided to join Delta Sigma Theta Sorority because of her aunt. Lockett said that seeing the strength of her aunt, who was also a Delta, gave her the foundation necessary for the decision. “I want to be like that,” she said, referring to her aunt’s poise
and elegance. The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Incorporated (NPHC) was formed in 1930 on the campus of Howard University in Washington D.C. The council initially only included Omega Psi Phi and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternities, and Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta and Zeta Phi Beta Sororities but was joined by Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternities in 1931. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity completed the list in 1937 and 1997. This binding was established to remind the members that the struggles of African American men and women should be fought together. The “Divine Nine” did not grow overnight but according to Lockett, it is dying. “I don’t feel like our ideas are outdated. We want to do more for OUR brothers and OUR sisters, but people don’t know their history and don’t value our foundation.” Sherrill Harrell, junior at Tulane University, decided not to join a sorority of the Divine Nine, rather the multicultural sorority Gamma Rho Lambda. She went to high school in Alabama where she said the Divine Nine was a prominent backdrop for students considering college, but
she was never interested in joining. As a queer woman of color, she is used to being marginalized, and although she connects with Black Greek sororities and their struggles as women of color, Harrell said, “I didn’t want to be a Divine Nine member if I couldn’t be myself.”
Harrell said that one of the things that deterred her from joining one of the Divine Nine sororities was because they seemed more interested in reputation than philanthropy. She said she knew more about what a Delta Sigma Theta or an Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority sister looked or acted like than what they stood for. “I definitely support [NPHC So-
rorities], we live in a society that rips black women apart and turns us against each other, but they have strayed away from their original purpose, the push the sisterhood.” The emphasis on black excellence is what watered the growing pride of the African American which had been cut down throughout American history. But the issue of intersectionality and the pursuit of emphasizing the importance of it, is something that seems to, at least visibly, sit on the back burner of the NPHC. Harrell said that the presence of the Divine Nine on Tulane’s campus, no matter how few, makes a difference for the students of color. “The demonstrations in the quad are a lot different than the PanHellenic celebrations where they only drink, and if those were our only demonstrations a lot more of the students of color would feel much more uncomfortable on the day-to-day,” said Harrell. Similar to Tulane, the Black Greek numbers are few on UNO’s campus. “A lot of people don’t know there are Deltas or Sigmas on campus,” said Lockett as she compared the 20-30 member intakes that PanHellenic organizations have while the NPHC organizations have so few.
Lockett explained the naivety of modern African American students and their lack of knowledge about the past. “Nothing is wrong with joining a PanHellenic Organization, but this was made for us. I’d rather be a part of something that I know was started for me. Take for example, the SAE hate video, or even here at UNO, a white fraternity had a black doll with a noose around its neck hanging out of a car window as they rode around on Halloween,” said Lockett. Lockett compared the complacency of students who are okay with being a token minority, the member who is a person of color for the organization’s quota, with the complacency of being okay with being the only person of color in the class. “It’s not fair to me and it’s not fair to my history,” said Lockett. The NPHC will be marking its 100th year in 2030 but the absence of an intersectionality in the agendas of Black Greek life and the overwhelming ignorance of history are causing the numbers of chapter members to dwindle down. Lockett expressed that she still has hope for her organization and that the only people that should be finalized in the history books are the founders. Certainly, Black Greek organizations have room to grow.
12 Wednesday, April 29, 2015
FEATURES
University students see both sides to controversial app Garrett Piglia
Contributing Reporter Since September, Yik Yak, a free app that allows users to post and read anonymous messages within a ten-mile radius of their current location (and now establish a “basecamp” of their most frequent location), has gained popularity around nationwide campuses, including UNO. Yik Yak founders Brooks Buffington and Tyler Droll, while attending Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, created the popular app as a way for college students to message one another while in the same classroom. The app was officially launched on Nov. 6, 2013, and a short time later became a hot topic amongst college campuses across the nation with both positive and negative effects. The app proved to be a vital source in alerting other UNO students, like Kavon Clayton, who failed to receive an emergency text from the campus’ E2Campus text system when the campus went on lockdown on Jan. 22. “I wasn’t signed up to receive the emergency texts so I used [Yik Yak] to stay updated about what was go-
ing on,” Clayton said. “I was sitting alone in the hallway of the Biology Building so it provided me with a lot of laughs and distracted me from worrying so much.” While jokes and grievances are commonly posted on the app’s feed, UNO students and organizations have also used the app to post information about upcoming events, such as bake sales, movie screenings, basketball games and more. Susan Ruff, while visiting her friend at UNO on March 8, noticed that someone had posted on Yik Yak about the annual Holi event that was being held that day. “[My friend] didn’t catch word of the event on campus, so it was a surprise to both of us and it gave us something to do,” Ruff said. Although a majority of UNO students find the app to be useful, the ability to post anonymous messages has allowed bullies to be given a voice. Last March, 18-year-old Elizabeth Long of Atlanta, GA became a victim of cyberbullying via the app after attempting suicide. In an article on Business Insider, Long recited a few of the hurtful posts that emerged from her high school, including: “‘Elizabeth Long needs to stop bitching about how she almost killed herself and go
ahead and do it.’” In that same month, Long started a petition on Change.org that asked for the app to be shut down and removed from the public. In her mission statement on the petition, Long said, “Teens, teachers and school administrators are ridiculed on this app everyday. Kids are telling other kids to kill them-
selves. This is beyond unacceptable, and it is time that we stand up and do something about it before a life is senselessly lost because of this app.” Since January, the petition reached over 78,000 signatures, and Long has since claimed victory to her cause after meeting with Droll and Buffington in person. “The founders explained that be-
ginning in February of 2014, they had made several changes to the app to reduce misuse,” Long wrote on her petition page. She continued to list such changes, such as raising the user age requirement from 12 to 17, adding moderators to remove offensive content that is flagged by users and “geofencing” schools that are below college level. Geofencing refers to a virtual fence that prevents users from accessing Yik Yak in certain locations such as high schools. According to Business Insider, “The founders first geofenced the entire city of Chicago, which had become particularly problematic on Yik Yak” before moving on to geofence about 100,000 schools nationwide. Any user trying to use Yik Yak in these “geofenced” zones are met with a message that says: “It looks like you are using this at a high school or middle school which is not allowed. Sending and reading messages is disabled.” Schools and other institutions not geofenced can fill out a geofence request form on Yik Yak’s website. Even in a non-geofenced area, such as a college campus, users can still experience bullying. Earlier this month, The Huffington Post Teach Blogger, Larry Magid wrote
that Utica College in New York blocked the app from its wireless networks in November 2014. Utica’s president, Todd Hutton, explained the decision in an open letter: “Some Utica College students have been employing uncivil, intolerant and bigoted language in postings,” on the app. Other than having the app banned, or geofenced, Yik Yak depends on users to report or “down vote” any offensive postings. Users can “up vote” or “down vote” any post in their area. Up voting a post allows it to gain popularity, similar to Facebook’s “like” feature, but if a post reaches a score of negative five, it is removed from the live feed. UNO students like Clayton are confident that, despite having to read a few offensive posts every now and then, these precautions empower the users to stop cyberbulling while allowing the app to thrive and provide students a way to exercise their free speech. “People have the right to voice their opinions about certain issues,” Clayton said, “but I’m happy to see that if a line is crossed someone always speaks up and ends up down voting the yak.”
Lack of gender-neutral bathrooms isolates part of student population Anna Gowin News Editor
Four weeks ago, the Annual NASPA Conference for student affairs administrators in higher education was held on UNO’s campus, and allowed transgender and non-binary students to experience what campus life could potentially be like by turning the UC bathrooms into gender-neutral ones. This left some students, like sophomore theatre major Moe Labbe, wondering why this could not become a permanent reality. “[Using the bathroom as a transgender person] is a terrifying experience,” said Labbe, “It’s always a gamble as to whether someone will be in there or not.” Currently, on campus, there is one gender-neutral restroom located in the Science Building. This leaves the option for most trans individuals, like Labbe, to use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity or expression. Labbe said that as a transgender male, he will always opt to use the men’s restroom, if he uses the restroom at all. “Honestly, I try to avoid using the bathroom for as long as possible,” Labbe said. In a study conducted by UCLA Law, about 70 percent of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals had been subject to discrimination via “denial of access to facilities, verbal harassment and physical assault.” With statistics like that, it is no surprise that trans and non-binary individuals face some level of fear when confronted with the choice of restroom. For some students, it can be even more complicated than that. Shelby White-Maddox, a freshman and genderqueer identified individual,
Photo Illustration by Willie Marsalis says for him it’s a tricky game. “I don’t feel feminine enough to use the women’s and not masculine enough for the men’s…I’m in a weird stalemate so I try to avoid bathrooms all together.” Both Labbe and White-Maddox agree that a lot of problems could be solved with the introduction of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus. According to a Huffington Post article from July of last year, there are currently more than 150 schools nationwide that feature gender-neutral or “all-gender” bathrooms. Sasha Buchert, staff attorney for the Transgender Law Center, has said that “Trans and gender nonconforming students should be focusing on their education, or get-
ting their job well done, not what bathroom they should use.” One of the biggest arguments against the creation of “all-gender” public restrooms has been the possibility for violence and sexual predators. Several states, including Kentucky, Texas and Florida, have all considered (or are currently considering) enacting what are called “bathroom bills” as a form of preventative measure against any possibility for violence. However, an article in the Advocate, in reaction to the proposal of such a bill in Texas, stated that “there has never been a verifiable, reported incidence of a trans person harassing a cisgender person, nor have there been any confirmed re-
ports of male predators ‘pretending’ to be transgender to gain access to women’s spaces.” White-Maddox and Labbe both stated that they will try to avoid contact with people altogether when using public bathrooms on campus. “I try to avoid [other people] at all costs, or I go out of my way to the least used restrooms, like the fourth floor of the library,” White-Maddox said. “I do think that [gender-neutral bathrooms] would make my experience on campus better,” said Labbe. “It would just take such a load off and make my day that much less uncomfortable.” In reaction to those individuals who might feel uncomfortable with
the idea of designated gender-neutral restrooms on campus, Labbe had this to say: “I promise that I am more uncomfortable on a day-today basis than you would be using the bathrooms on campus once or twice a day.” Labbe also said that he felt creating gender-neutral bathrooms on campus is a good first step towards creating a college campus that is more welcoming for transgender and non-binary students, faculty and staff. “It just shows that this is a very inclusive campus, and one that takes the needs of its students into consideration when making decisions.”
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Wednesday, April 29, 2015 13
SPORTS
14 Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Sports Wrap-up
Privateers still growing in second year of Southland play Nigel Washington Sports Editor
The UNO athletics teams are wrapping up their second year of contention in the Southland Conference, and with another year of competition, teams can measure their improvement in the conference. While it is still way too early to expect championships from a program that is still trying to get its feet wet in the new setting, progression is the important thing, and there has been enough improvement to eventually expect big things from the Privateers. Men’s Basketball Head basketball coach Mark Slessinger and company had quite the ending to an up-anddown season. The team weathered the highs and lows of the season and were able to find themselves in the Southland Conference Championship for the first time as the seventh seed. After a 83-72 victory against Nicholls State, the Privateers played a tough match against the third seeded Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders. Victory evaded them as the team left Katy, Texas with a 58-61 loss, but also took a lot of optimism back home to the Lakefront with them. Many don’t expect a low seeded team to compete with a top competitor in the conference. The Privateers did that with a group of young guys that were able to shine from the tournament experience and take those important minutes into next season. Freshman Travin Thibodeaux really showed up and recorded career highs in points (15) and rebounds (12) in the first and second tournament games respectively. His efforts late in the season should provide him with an opportunity to have a big role next year with senior forward Terrance Syon, who was second in the team in rebounds, graduating in a few weeks. Even with the optimism for next year, the Privateers still have some work to do for the next season. The team must play better away from the Lakefront as they were only able to win two games on the road this season. A middle of the pack offense and below-average defense will need to improve next year to see the Privateers become more of a threat in the Southland.
Women’s Basketball It isn’t hard to see the progression for the Lady Privateers over the past two years. Last year the team was unable to earn a win for the entire season and finished 0-29 record. This year the group finished with an 8-19 record and ended the season with a four game winning streak. Just about every statistic across the board grew from last year. The most important improvement was the offensive efficiency. Last years abysmal 48 points per game (ppg) for the team improved to 58.6 and the team dropped their average scoring margin against opponents from -31.9 points to
only -9.2. A big reason for the spark in the offense was in
the form of freshman guard Randi Brown, who led the team in scoring with 12.9 ppg. Brown’s efforts were noticed by the Southland as she was named the “Freshman of the Year” and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association gave her a spot on the All-Louisiana third-team. Defensively the Lady Privateers found themselves an identity as well. The team was effective at creating turnovers and finished sixth in the Southland in average steals per game. Junior Yasmin Taylor was a big reason for those numbers as she earned 59 steals for the season, which is also sixth best in the Southland. All the improvements weren’t enough; UNO couldn’t earn a trip to the Southland tournament. There should be even more growth next year with Brown establishing herself as an offensive threat and the defense continuing to establish itself with Taylor causing havoc for opposing offenses.
Golf The UNO golf team recently wrapped up their season with a tenth place performance at the
Nigel Washington Sports Editor
Southland Championships. While it may be a small improvement, it is better than the last place finish from a year ago. Individually the team placed better as well. The highest placed Privateer for this year’s championship was sophomore Markus Krieger who tied for 17th place. Fellow sophomore Erik Dege led the team last year with a 28th place finish. There were three Privateers who cracked the top-40 in 2015, and only one player could do the same last year. With no seniors on the team it looks to be an identical squad next year. Led by Dege and Krieger, the Privateers should continue rising through the Southland with coach Chris McCarter guiding the way. Tennis The men and women’s tennis teams improved drastically. Last year both squads finished below .500 for the year with a 6-11 record for the men and a 6-12 record for the women. Both teams finished this regular season with records at .500 and an appearance at the Southland Conference Championship . It was a short showing for the men as they loss 4-1 in the first round to Lamar. Five players will be graduating this semester and it will be a very different team heading into next year. The women’s team entered the Southland tournament as the sev-
enth seed and knocked off the second seed Northwestern State in a 4-3 victory. A 4-2 loss against the eventual conference champions Northwestern State would end the season. With the exception of senior Marta Sans, the team will have the same players back next year to have an opportunity to go even further in the Southland. Volleyball It was another tough season for the UNO volleyball team this season. The team finished near the bottom among conference opponents in almost every stat except service aces and are still searching for their first win against a Southland opponent since joining the conference. The squad were able to double their three wins from a year ago to earn six wins in 2015 with two of them coming on their own home court at the UNO Invitational. Finishing the season on a 13 game losing streak can’t leave room for much optimism next season, but if the team could double up on wins like they did in 2014 then there will definitely be some excitement brewing from the Human Performance Center. Sand Volleyball It’s impossible to gauge how much the Sand Volleyball team developed compared to last year because they did not exist a year ago. Head Coach Millicent Van Norton and her team were unable to pick up a win for the season and it remains to be seen if this years team learned enough this to show improvement and pick up its first win for the new teams history. Photos courtesy of UNO Athletics
Baseball The Privateers (14-29, 3-18 SLC) were swept in their weekend series against Central Arkansas State. UNO dropped the final game of the series 5-0 and was only able to score one run through the three-game series. The team will be on the road for both of their midweek games with matchups against Jackson State (2817) and Louisiana-Lafayette (28-15). UNO won their previous game against Jackson State 9-3 last week. Track and Field The Track and Field team traveled to Natchitoches to compete in the Leon Johnson Invitational on Saturday. Sophomore Alexia Fortenberry has been no stranger to top-5 finishes in the women’s 100-meter hurdles and that didn’t stop on Saturday. Fortenberry placed second in the event with fellow sophomore Farydah Inoussa not to far behind finishing in seventh. UNO controlled the topthree in the women’s high jump with sophomore Fadeka Adeola and junior Lakayla LaFrance both tying for second place with 1.66-meter jumps. In the 100-meter dash sophomore Chelise Brown came in tenth. Junior Rebecca Calloway and Ariel Scioneax finished sixth and seventh respectively in the 800-meter run, while junior Callie Wilcox earned eighth in the 1500-meter run and seventh in the 5000-meter run. The 4x100 relay team finished the day for the Lady Privateers with a fourth place finish. For the men it was sophomore Edmund Pine who earned seventh in the 800-meter run and Jared Robertson place sixth in the 1500-meter run. Sophomore Dario Scantlebury also earned sixth place in the 200-meter run with a 22.06 time. Junior Constant Pretorious capped off the men’s team with a fourth place finish in the 400-meter hurdles. Up next the squad will finish the regular season with their third trip to Baton Rouge to participate in the LSU Invitational on Saturday (May 2).
LAGNIAPPE
Attention dorms, don’t order delivery if you plan on not tipping a single penny. I’m already planning which movies I’m going to watch during my 18 hour Netflix marathon after finals. I have muscle spasms in my eyes. Must be time for finals.
Yik Yak is an anonymous messaging app for college students. Please pray for the people of Nepal. Terrible earthquake there.
My mom grew up when sex ed was controversial. I didn’t notice how bad it was until she tried explaining periods today. It saddens me that a 60 y/o woman has no clue what’s happening in her own body.
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Does the five second rule count for soup? HURRY!
The wind is whining more than a college student during finals. Damn.
Couple on the fourth floor PHS... Your blinds are open like we can all see you.
I invented the piano key neck tie! I INVENTED IT! What have you done? YOU’VE DONE NOTHING!!! NOTHING!!!
When you’ve succumbed to the fact that you’ll have a $%*##! GPA and don’t have to stress anymore. I feel like Buddha. I like Nickelback. Yet so many people say it’s terrible. Why do you hate it so much? Have you actually listened to more than 3 of their songs?
I never thought I’d relate to the lyrics of “I will survive” so much. …………...Cram, Cram, Cram. Still up studying for my exam... zombie status achieved. Just saw two giraffes. Two tigers. And two monkeys walking towards
the lake...it is time. The engineering students should make a boat and save us all...even the squirrels! Anyone with a big truck want to go wakeboarding down the street in front the Cove? The water there was knee high. UNO: seek shelter. UNO again: *locks doors to every building* Did the librarians really try and kick everyone out in this weather? Thanks UNO police for having our backs!
STAFF PICKS by Christy Lorio Listen to this:
This isn’t your grandmother’s chamber music. Brooklyn Rider is a New York based string quartet that injects 21st Century hipness to classical music without veering into dreaded hipster territory. The band tapped 13 composers from different musical backgrounds for their latest album “The Brooklyn Rider Almanac,” released Sept. 2014. The album showcases the quartet’s full range of sound, bouncing from influences as diverse as Igor Stravinsky and James Brown. “The Brooklyn Rider Almanac” is available via iTunes and Amazon.com. Laugh at this :
photo by Aviayna Thomas This week, the USS Wasp Landing Helicopter Dock-1 is docked at the Port of New Orleans to help celebrate New Orleans Navy Week (April 23-29). The USS WASP (LHD-1) is the lead ship of the Navy’s amphibious assault ships. It is designed to allow troops to quickly move from ship to beach and also provide air support for jets and helicopters.
If laughter is the best form of medicine then consider Magna Carta your weekly therapy session. This improv comedy troupe performs at Playhouse NOLA (3214 Burgundy Street)
every Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. (showtimes subject to change.) Stand up comedians, sketch comedy, funny videos and guest hosts give patrons something new to look forward to every week in addition to the improve set. Shows are free but donations are accepted. Keep up with them on Twitter at @MagnaCarta504 and www.facebook.com/magnacartacomedy. Download this:
RefMe makes research paper citations a cinch. This app is a must for any student looking to shave time off of creating a works cited page. Download the app (available for iOS and Android) or go to RefMe.com, both of which utilize cloud technology allowing for synchronization across multiple devices. Scan any book’s barcode with a camera phone and the app will create a reference for MLA, APA and other common formats. RefMe.com allows users to cut and paste everything from website URLs and academic journals to movies and YouTube videos. Students can save multiple projects then export the document into Microsoft Word, Evernote, or cut and paste it into Apple’s Pages program.
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