March 22, 2017

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

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THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS Volume: 60 Issue: 19

MARCH 22, 2017

unodriftwood.com

The ruling is in: the monuments are out Court of Appeals decides in favor of removing city’s Confederate statues

BY MINDY JARRETT Copy Editor It was a little over a year ago that New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu signed an ordinance calling for the relocation of four city monuments: Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, PGT Beauregard, and the Battle of Liberty Place.

The ordinance declared the monuments “nuisances,” and in violation of City Code Section 146-611, which calls for their removal if they “honor, praise, or foster ideologies” conflicting with citizens’ equal rights or city laws.

The statues were deemed to “give honor or praise to those who participated in the killing of public employees of the city or the state or suggests the supremacy of one ethnic, religious, or racial group over any other, or gives honor or praise to any violent actions taken wrongfully against citizens of the city to promote ethnic, religious, or racial supremacy of any group over another.”

The law allows for the nuisances to be “displayed indoors,” “donated,” or “disposed of.”

However, the debate over the future of the monuments did not go quietly into the night; instead, it went to court. The plaintiffs, the Monumental Task Committee, the Louisiana Landmarks Society, the Foundation for Historical Louisiana, and Beauregard Camp No. 130, argued that the removal would bring “irreparable harm,” an argument the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled, on March 6, was not supported.

“By failing to show a constitutionally or otherwise legally protected interest in the monuments, they have also failed to show that any irreparable harm to the monuments—even assuming such evidence—would constitute harm to Appellants.”

The court also failed to find evidence to support the plaintiffs’ second argument, which “call[s] into question who owns the monument[s].”

“We have exhaustively reviewed the record and can find no evidence in the record suggesting that any party other than the City has ownership.”

The debate over ownership of the monuments and the preservation of history in the public space is not a battle that New Orleans faces alone; following the 2015 Charleston massacre that left nine African-American churchgoers dead by the hand of a white supremacist, many questioned the state’s decision to continue

flying the Confederate flag.

It was after the controversy in Charleston that Landrieu sought to remove the Lee, Davis, and Beauregard monuments in New Orleans.

“Even though I made the call after the Charleston shootings, we began thinking about this sometime significantly before that because, as we’ve rebuilt the city post-Katrina, we decided that we were going to build the city back the way it should have always been and not the way that it had been developed over time,” said Landrieu.

While the flag was eventually moved from the South Carolina Statehouse, the state’s Heritage Act, which requires a two-thirds vote to permit any changes to public monuments, has assured the flags won’t be going anywhere soon.

On Thursday,March 9, Alabama passed the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act, which prohibits any changes to public monuments standing for more than 20 years.

Landrieu said, “On the issue of race, you can’t go around it, you can’t go over it, you can’t go

under it; you just have to go through it. And we’ve taken the very difficult path of trying to get from a bad place to a better place.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to get there.”

“We do not pass on the wisdom of this local legislature’s policy determination, nor do we suggest how states and their respective political subdivisions should or

should not memorialize, preserve, and acknowledge their distinct histories,” said the court.

As for the future of the monuments, the city said, “The monuments will be stored in a city-owned warehouse until further plans can be developed for a park or museum site where the monuments can be put in a fuller context.”

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

Female entrepreneur panel empowers students

BY ANJANAE CRUMP Managing Editor On March 16, a group of local female business owners gathered before students in Kirschman hall and shared their entrepreneurial journeys, including how they overcame obstacles and reached success.

On the panel were previous UNO students and small-business owners Sherri Hansen of Culinary Kids, Becky Wasden of Two Girls One Shuck and Katie Bellerino of Glo Hair & Beauty Bar. Hansen said, “I walked into a field trip with my child on the Northshore to a cooking place that was franchised and it was great … but I sat back and I found myself after 20 years of education and curriculum development, looking at it going, [I can make this even better].’”

A few months after the field trip, Hansen received a phone call from the shopkeeper, who offered to sell the business to Hansen.

After some research, Hansen said she decided against it, but about a month later said, “I was now 16 weeks pregnant and even more hormonal and insane and crazy enough to actually say yes, so I talked to my husband into it and he had faith in me and said ‘let’s do it.’”

The business she took over, Culinary Kids, has been in business for five years now, offering cooking classes, parties, field trips, camps, date nights, corporate team building, etc. Hansen said she prides herself on serving her community.

Unlike Hansen who had over 20 years’ experience, Wasden’s business was a complete surprise to her.

She said, “I accidentally started an oyster business. … I took [my friend] to her first crawfish boil four years ago. She had never had crawfish before … The boys got drunk and left a sack of oysters with a huge chainmail glove, one

tea light candle and a knife. At 10 p.m. in the pitch black, she shucked the whole sack.”

She said after that, her friends joked at how hot it was and asked them to bring oysters for every crawfish boil, party and event they had. “It took me nine months to actually say to myself, this is a viable business.”

She continued, “I started the business with 500 bucks left over from my student loan after finishing my master’s and I went to a restaurant discount store.”

Two Girls One Shuck is fully mobile now with 12 women on staff traveling throughout areas including Baton Rouge, Mandeville, Covington and New Orleans.

Bellerino’s Glo Hair and Beauty Bar “just worked out.” Bellerino said instead of focusing on books, she went to beauty school and started working at different salons.

After having a baby and being stuck inside for several months she decided to open up a salon.

She partnered with a friend from beauty school; after a few months, the duo opened their first location on Metairie Road. They now have a second, much larger location across the street.

Bellerino said, “A lot of it has to do with the fact that the girls I have are just great. They do amazing hair and [therefore] we have a great product.”

When it comes to running a successful business, Bellerino said, “You can charge a lot more when your service is good and the customer feels like they’re getting something out of it.”

All speakers warned that before you can open up shop, to remember to choose a business name, get an LLC form, a federal tax ID number, an occupational license, state board inspections and other necessities like internet and phone service.

“It’s actually a whole lot easier than you guys may think it is to get started up. It’s very daunting to consider it, but if you find the

right people who can help mentor you and guide you through, it gets easier,” said Hansen.

Some of the places they mentioned going to for free business help were their local Chamber of Commerce, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center and Score.com.

Wasden said, “I would have never come this far as fast as I have without the LSBDC. I didn’t know how to do any accounting, so I just took classes. They offer classes all over the city, all the time. And I have some amazing mentors that have helped me get grants. It’s critical to go there, meet them [and] know who they are. They will help you.”

Hansen said, “Stuff’s going to happen. You’re going to screw up, you’re going to lose it, you’re going to cry when you’re trying to get your business up and running and things aren’t working right …

Put your feet in gently at first …

You get out of it what you put into it … You need to put yourself out there and be ready.”

Though all of these women have managed to maintain successful businesses, Hansen acknowledged one of the biggest challenges unique to being a female entrepreneur: motherhood.

She said, “My rule was to always be completely honest with myself, strangers, anybody. And when I start feeling that pull from my kids and I start seeing them whine to me and act out towards me, I know I haven’t been home and I need to just stop because my culinary kids can wait; the business can wait. Nothing’s burning down, just leave it … Mom first, business second.”

Bellerino said, “Not only do I have to run a business, but I have to take care of my kids and run the house … But if I just take it one step at a time and just keep going, then it all eventually works out …

I think as women we just do it. I don’t really think much about it, I just get it done.”

QUESTION OF THE WEEK Do you agree or disagree with the removal of New Orleans’ monuments?

I think that they should be taken down and put in one common space. I also believe that they should not be revered or seen as incredibly important. I see the monuments as a blemish in history and should not be observed the way they are now.

I do think that they should be put away, buried and forgotten about.

LISA HENRY Senior, Chemistry

I disagree with the monuments coming down, because they are such a rich part of New Orleans’ history. Even though they are a shady part of our history, they still made New Orleans the diverse place that it is today. Also, taking them away will take away the icons of New Orleans.

KRYSTIN LECOMPTE Sophomore, Biology

I wouldn’t really have a problem with the monuments staying up as they are a part of history. It seems like if they take the monuments down, people will forget any of the things the monuments represent will have ever happened. I understand where the negative feelings about the monuments come from, but history did happen.

UNO CALENDAR

JOSHUA WASHINGTON Freshman, Mechnical Engineering

Wednesday, March 22, 12:45-1:45 p.m.: Counseling Services & Footprints to Fitness present: Healthy to Happy Hour, featuring fitness expert April Dupre. Workout followed with refreshments by Eat Fit NOLA and Big Easy Bucha. University Center Wednesday, March 22, 7-9 p.m.: Jazz at the Sandbar featuring drummer Johnny Vidacovich. The Cove Friday, March 24, 7-9 p.m.: Free concert by contemporary horn player Sam Stoll. Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center Saturday, March 25, 6-9:30 p.m.: SAC and ISO present: International Night, featuring diverse foods, choreographed dances, cultural exhibitions, and a fashion show. Human Performance Center Sunday, March 26, 2-3 p.m.: Senior recital by vocalist Virginia Borne.

Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center Sunday, March 26, 3-4 p.m.: Senior recital by vocalist Grant Hebert. Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center Tuesday, March 28, 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Career Services presents a resume and cover letter workshop. Room 208, University Center Tuesday, March 28, 7-9 p.m.: Musical Excursions Concert Series: Ritz Chamber Players. Free to all UNO students. Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center

Strictly from the perspective of art, I think that the monuments are really nice to look at.

JUSTIN FAXING Sophomore, Film

I disagree with the monuments being taken down. The monuments represent New Orleans’ story, what we have been through to how we got to where we are now. People visit and the monuments make the history and culture of the city more iconic.

ADRIANNA BENNETT Sophomore, Urban Studies and Planning

Photos by Nathan Nguyen

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

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UNO College of Business holds first spring Management Week

BY JAMIE LLOYD News Editor The University of New Orleans’ Department of Management and Marketing celebrated its first Management Week from March 13-17. The week kicked off with a number of events geared towards workplace leadership, including professionals around the city visiting to impart their valuable business expertise to prospective entrepreneurs.

One of the highlights from the inaugural week was a panel discussion entitled “Everything You Want to Know About the Job Search but Were Afraid to Ask,” last Thursday, March 16, which invited some of the city’s most knowledgeable business minds to speak of their own personal experience with job hunting.

“In the fall, we always do Marketing Week, [whereas] in the spring we have now started to do Management Week,” said Pamela Kennett-Hensel, Chair of the Department. “This panel discussion is an opportunity for students to ask people that do a lot of interviewing, people who can share their advice when it comes to [going] about searching for a job.”

The panel featured 504ward executive director Mary Matthews, Humana Marketpoint community

sales and marketing liaison Joe Ewell, and Rare Insight speaker Jessica Rareshide.

The three entrepreneurs tackled the importance of goal-setting in the job hunting process, interview tips, résumé-building and creating relationships through networking.

“Job-searching is a full-time job … a full-time commitment” explained Jessica Rareshide.

Rareshide did not shy away from giving students some advice.

“You get to decide where you’re going to work. That’s the first step.

Research and find certain companies that interest you.”

“Everyone wants to be in meaningful work,” said Rareshide, pointing out that active job seekers should search for a company with “a mission statement that aligns with your life.”

Sophomore in business administration, Jackie Le Vvintre, had a few notable takeaways from the panel discussion. Le Vvintre said she attended the event for extra credit in her business classes but stayed after for the expert advice presented at the hour-long panel discussion.

“Besides [attending for] extra credit, I like learning about what other people have to say, leadership-wise,” said Le Vvintre.

Le Vvintre went to another event hosted by the department focusing on the career of Pat Warner, Vice President of Culture for the Waffle

House Corporation, last month.

“Last time I came, I wasn’t sure if it would be worth it or not, but it was,” she said.

As of now, Le Vvintre is in the ROTC program at Tulane and is

joining the marine corps, but her future plans include opening businesses of her own.

“I want to open my own business for home staging, and I want to open my own gym.”

Le Vvintre said she values the message from the panel and plans to attend other events put on by the department, which she sees as “free opportunities to learn more about the business world.”

High School students from all over the state competed in the Science bowl hosted at Kirschmann hall.

-Photo by Brennan Probst

New Orleans hosts Junior Achievement entrepreneurial finals

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-In-Chief Junior Achievement, a national organization implemented in many middle and high schools around the country, has a mission to “inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy,” per their website.

One of the New Orleans branches signature events is a program called “Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge”, a competition held on March 16 allowing high schoolers to share their business ideas and compete for first place.

Vice President of Administration at the New Orleans Junior Achievement Center Colleen Pinero said, “We have this event every year. Students present their business ideas to a panel of judges, and there’s a huge variety of ideas we hear. They’re always interesting.”

“Judges will rate our students’ ideas and presentations based on the strength of the business model, the presentation they give to the audience, and how well the student thought out the competition from other businesses in the market they are attempting to enter.”

This year, 17 business were introduced. One of them was “Lonely Lambs,” an app designed to connect various lonely people around the city to other users by allowing them to coordinate events together.

“Gas on the Go” was an audience favorite; it centered on the concept of a large gas tanker

The winners of the Junior Achievement “Trust your crazy ideas challenge” went to “Effortless activewear”, a sports bra designed with traditional bra elements.

-Photo courtesy of Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans delivering gas to customers’ cars at night for a $30-per-month subscription fee.

“Effortless Activewear” garnered the most attention, though.

Its creators designed a bra able to be worn during high-level sport activity. The design combined traditional elements of bras while

also incorporating several athletic aspects of sports bras.

“The winning team will receive a $5,000 scholarship to any school of their choice, and their high school will win $2,500. The first-place winners will go on to next week’s state competition in an effort to win $10,000 in award

money,” said Colleen Pinero.

Pinero said that each of the second and third place winners will also receive a scholarship of $2500.

The winner of Thursday’s event will be announced at the Pelicans game March 22 at halftime. That Friday, in conjunction with New

Orleans entrepreneur week, the New Orleans Junior Achievement will have a state-wide competition with the winners from the three Junior Achievement centers in Louisiana on the Orleans Avenue location.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

SPORTS

Men’s Basketball Drops 67-66 Decision In 2017 NCAA First Four On Tuesday afternoon, the clock struck midnight on the University of New Orleans men’s basketball team as the Privateers dropped a 67-66 contest to Mount St. Mary’s in the 2017 NCAA First Four in University of Dayton Arena.

It all came to a head in 2016-17 as the Privateers, despite being picked to finish ninth in the SLC by a vote of league coaches and predicted to come in tenth by the conference’s sports information directors, won the regular-season Southland title and punched their ticket to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship with a 68-65 overtime victory against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last Saturday in the SLC Tournament championship game.

The Privateers may have come one point shy of writing the next chapter in their success story, but the overall attitude of the team after the game was somber yet hopeful as a foundation has been laid that will no doubt allow bigger and better to be built upon it.

“I can’t be more proud of where our program has come in a short time,” Slessinger said. “To be able to go through the adversity we’ve been through is 100 percent credit to our student-athletes, to their commitment to the university, their commitment to our city and their commitment to each other.

“And it’s been a blessing to coach these guys and for us to move our program forward to a level that many didn’t envision outside of our locker room. And so for that, my gratitude and my sincere thanks goes to our student-athletes.”

UNO trailed for more than 30 minutes, but rallied from a ninepoint deficit early in the second half to battle back and take a 64-63 lead with 1:48 to play. From there, however, the Mountaineers got a jumper from Junior Robinson and a pair of free throws by Miles Wilson before senior guard Nate Frye sank a pair of opportunities from the charity stripe with 34 seconds to play to provide what

proved to be the final points of the game.

The Privateer defense forced a miss the next time down the court and called timeout after senior forward Erik Thomas secured the rebound with 2.9 seconds remaining. The inbound pass, however, was stolen by The Mount’s Chris Wray and the Mountaineers were able to run out the clock.

In defeat, New Orleans concludes the year 20-12 overall.

Mount Saint Mary’s, meanwhile, improved to 20-15 and advances to take on top-seeded and defending national champion Villanova on Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y. “We started the engine on the car, now the car is moving,” Frye said. “We’ve got to pick up speed and keep building off what we did this year and I, personally, would say I’m proud of what we accomplished as well. We established the building blocks of what was broken down from Katrina and I know Coach Slessinger will do everything to keep it going, keep it building and the guys will be eager to step up.

“Some had to wait their time.

But now they’ve seen and hopefully they’ve learned from what we’ve done, throw out the bad and kept the good, and can keep this program going in the direction that it should go. I’m upset about the loss. I wanted to play Villanova so, so, so bad. Things happen for a reason and I think New Orleans is going to be good. Just watch out for us.”

As a team, the Privateers shot 53.7 percent from the field (29-of54), including a 16-of-24 showing in the second half (.667), and led in virtually every statistical category. UNO had 29 field goals to Mount St. Mary’s 25, held a 28-25 rebounding advantage and posted 10 steals to the Mountaineers’ six. In addition, New Orleans outscored Mount St. Mary’s in the paint 42-22, scored 24 points off 16 turnovers to its opponent’s 19 off 14 miscues, held an 18-3 edge in fast-break points and the

reserves outscored their counterparts 27-12.

The difference in the game came from beyond the 3-point arc as The Mount connected on 10-of19 shots from downtown (.526) to UNO’s 1-of-9 showing (.111).

Mount St. Mary’s 14 assists were two more than the Privateers’ tally and committed five fewer personal fouls than New Orleans’ 18.

Frye led three Privateers in double figures offensively with 18 points – all but one of which came in the second half – while Thomas had 12 and junior forward Travin Thibodeaux added 11. Thomas and senior guard Tevin Broyles shared team-high rebounding honors with eight each, Broyles led the squad with three assists and junior forward Makur Puou had both of UNO’s blocked shots.

Senior guard Christavious Gill, who scored eight points to go with two assists and a rebound, led all players with four steals.

“The big difference in the game was we had a slow start and that really hurt us,” Thomas said. “We dug a little hole for ourselves. But we just slowly came back into the game. We got our groove back.

We just weren’t able to finish the game out. Congrats to Mount Saint Mary’s. They played hard and it was a great game.”

The Privateers scored the first four points of the game on buckets

by Thomas and Gill and led by as many as five at 10-5 just over four minutes into the contest. The Mountaineers answered with a 10-0 run and, following a free throw by Frye, got a 3-pointer

by Miles Wilson to go up 18-11.

UNO scored the next four to get to within three at the 9:50 mark, and it remained a three-point affair at 22-19 with 6:16 to go in the opening stanza. Mount St. Mary’s swung momentum with nine unanswered points to go up 30-19, but the Privateers scored 10 of the final 12 points of the frame to go into the locker room down 32-29.

The Mountaineers opened the second half with a 7-2 run to go up by nine only to see New Orleans storm back with eight in a row to make it 40-39 with 14:57 to play.

After falling behind by six 2:18 later, the Privateers rallied to tie the score at 49-49 and again at 51all but could not take the lead until Gill’s free throws inside of two

UNO goes 2-0 against No.7 LSU

BY ANGELLE CLEANEY Social Media Manager On March 15, the University of New Orleans’ boys in royal blue and white overtook the Louisiana State University Tigers in a freezing, 15-inning showdown deep in

the heart of Death Valley ending in a 7–4 victory.

The game began with a 1-0 lead due to a single hit by senior Samuel Capielano and then a double by Junior Tristan Clarke to bring him home. The Tigers responded with a homerun causing them to score

three runs creating pressure for the Privateers.

Coach Dean commented on Capielano’s big hitting status this season. “When he gets going, he’s one of those guys who hits and hits and hits. He’s feeling himself, he looks like he did his freshman year.” Capielano came out of the victory with 4 hits, a game high for him.

Both teams remained scoreless from then on until the top of the fifth inning, when Capielano had another big hit resulting in a run along with a double from senior Dakota Dean to tie the game 3-3.

The game went on for another five scoreless innings until junior Owen Magee hit a single to bring in junior Jared McKay. The Tigers responded with their own score at the bottom of the inning.

Finally, after three more scoreless innings, the Tigers gave up three more runs to end the game 7-4. LSU had four errors to

UNO’s two along with 10 hits to UNO’s 13.

Coach Dean said the errors were not costly errors for LSU though.

“Their biggest problem was that they couldn’t get the big hit, they had plenty of opportunity, they just couldn’t get that one hit to kind of push the game and end the game.”

“They let us hang around and they ran out of pitching while we were at our last couple of guys, so it was at the point where someone needed to win.”

The Privateers pitching staff played a great game overall; the standout of the game for Coach Dean was junior left-handed pitcher John Michael Stephens.

“John Michael threw a little longer than he usually does, kept us out there and got himself a win out of it”.

Coach Dean said it was a big win for him and his team. “When you go back and can win against

minutes to set up the late-game dramatics.

“We’ve seen about every style of play you could have,” Slessinger said. “The biggest issues was we never got into a groove defensively where we could keep them in what I feel like is our main fundamental areas. We didn’t ball pressure well to the second half.

There were a lot of things that we did that were outside of us and outside of what made us a really good championship team out of the Southland.

“It’s unfortunate because I think that everybody didn’t get to see our best game tonight. I sure would have loved to have an opportunity to take it to the next round to see if we could play that perfect game.”

Robinson led all Mount Saint Mary’s with a game-high 23 points while Wilson was next with 17 and complete a double-double with 11 rebounds. Wilson shared game-high assist honors with four assists, and the Mountaineer duo also share team-high steal honors with two a piece.

-Information courtesy of UNO Athletics

a coach that coached you and who you look up to … it was pretty special” Dean said it was an amazing feeling to gain a sweep against his alma mater, the first time the Privateers have done this against the tigers since 2008. Perhaps coincidentally, 2008 was also the last time the Privateers advanced to the NCAA tournament.

Dean said, “It’s a good win, but if we don’t win our conference none of this matters … hopefully, this win will give us our momentum back so this weekend we can put together a couple of wins.”

Sure enough, the Privateers went on to sweep their second conference series against Abilene Christian University. The Privateers will move to the road this weekend to continue conference play against the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, AR. The first game is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, March 24.

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

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Alumna’s book offers humorous meditation on age and regret

BY ROXANNE ARDEKANNI Contributor Kara Bachman, a member of

University of New Orleans graduating class of 1992 and writer for “The Times-Picayune” among other magazines and newspapers, shared the details of her journey as

an author.

She published her first book, “Kissing the Crisis: Field Notes on Foul-Mouthed Babies, Disenchanted Women, & Careening into Middle Age,” this year.

Bachman said her book consists of “21 mostly humorous, but sometimes quite serious as well, essays that explore issues of family, relationships, parenting, work, and the pros and cons of reaching middle age. It’s primarily set in New Orleans and will appeal most to gen-x-aged women.”

Susan Langenhenning, home and garden section editor of “The Times-Picayune,” said, “I’m a big fan of field guides: those tidy manuals that lead us into unknown experiences with confidence. And that’s what Kara Bachman has written in this hilarious new book about the most scary adventure of all: straddling that imaginary, hard-to-spot, but you’ll-know-itwhen-you’ve-crossed-it line from youth to middle age.”

Bachman said she used her personal, comical, middle-age experience as her own guide when she was writing “Kissing the Crisis.”

“As with most people, reaching that crossroads of middle age sometimes causes us to look back

and re-evaluate our choices and ask questions that might lead us down a different path for the second half of our lives.”

“I found so much comical about that process happening in myself, so wanted to explore it through a series of essays. It started with a few essays around the time I turned 40. I’m 46 now. Soon, I found I’d written so many that I had the makings of a book on my hands.”

Bachman did not start out as an English/professional writing major, instead she said she choose to focus her studies on marketing. “I always wanted to write, but many people scared me off from choosing a major in the humanities.”

After enjoying a year of classes with humanities professors such as her journalism teacher, Will Peneguy, Peter Schock, Carl Malmgren, and Kay Murphy, Bachman said she decided to change her major. “I’m so glad I did. I never looked back with regret because I studied what I loved.”

While attending UNO, Bachman was involved with “Ellipsis,” the university’s literary journal, and the International Studies Department’s Innsbruck program. “Those

travel abroad experiences shared with me by a group of wonderful people, such as Dr. William Savage in the history department and Alea Cot, who today still runs the international programs, really expanded my worldview,” said Bachman.

Bachman discussed the pros and the cons of choosing a career as a writer. While she said that the major benefit is pursuing what she loves, the downside is her inability to find continuous, paid work. “It is difficult to carve out a niche as a writer, even if strictly in the commercial realm,” said Bachman.

Although Bachman admitted to the hardship of being a writer, she recommended following through with passion rather than money.

“There are so many reasons we pursue higher education, and finding a job is only one of them.

Most of us who studied the humanities know some things in life are important to pursue, regardless [of] the job outlook.”

“I always hope people will pursue the fields that get them most excited about life. The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to feed the soul sometimes instead of always feeding the pocketbook.”

Americans increasingly consume biased, tailored news

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-In-Chief

Technology and the internet have allowed those alive today to have access to an unprecedented amount of information and resources. The information age we are currently living in and the technology behind it have influenced every aspect of our lives, including how we consume our news.

The American political divide is growing; the graph provided shows Americans on the political right and left are increasingly alienated, disagreeing more and more over the current sitting president’s job performance.

Many believe this increasing divide comes in large part to the relatively new ability to only be exposed to news fitting the individual’s political preference, a change brought about by the overabundance of media available on the internet.

“People definitely have a preference when they’re reading news sites to check out whatever outlets fit their worldview. You read what makes you feel good, you watch what reaffirms your beliefs,” said Nicholas Duvernys, a doctoral student in financial economics.

Duvernys said, “News companies pander to their reader base because they’re trying to sell more newspapers or get more views.

Journalism is a business.”

All major news outlets have been moved online and are subsequently easier to access and consume. In addition to the old staples of journalism, giant social media behemoths (Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat) and technology companies (Apple, Google) are now relevant sources of information.

According to data compiled people still get their news from is through Google News, which like Google News and Apple News by the Pew Research Center, 62 more traditional media sources aggregates news pieces from all might be the cure for this growing percent of adults consume news which have since moved online, different sources,” said Duvernys. divide,” said Duvernys. on social media. These technolosuch as “The Wall Street Journal” “When picking which pieces I “If we can’t find a way to aggy companies not only give their and “The New York Times.” want to read on Google News, I gregate news sources like that in users the ability to find and read “What I read is still mostly the don’t look at the site it’s coming one cohesive place, one platform, I the type of news that fits their well-known papers, but the way from. I look at the title, I look at don’t know how else we can solve worldview, but actually tailor the I get those articles and columns the issue at hand. I think platforms it.” news they read to where they fall on the political spectrum.

“A lot of what I read about the news or about politics comes from Facebook,” said sophomore interdisciplinary studies major Gage Cochrane. “It’s not necessarily where I get the majority of my information from, but it does influence my perception of the news and what’s going on in the world.”

Facebook, in particular, got a lot of bad press after having been perceived as having an integral role in the surprising results of 2016’s election night. The company and its CEO were harshly criticized for doing too little to stop the spread of “fake” news, information either completely fabricated or grossly exaggerated.

Facebook has now recently endowed its users with the ability to TICKETS filter out fake news by alUNOMusicalExcursions.eventbrite.com lowing the community to Advance reservations encouraged vote on whether a news or stop by the UNO Music Office at PAC 331 story is real or not, but weekdays 8:30-4:30 many wonder if the steps taken are enough.

Sponsored by: Although social media The Musical is a growing hub of inforExcursions Series mation resources, many Presented in association with:

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

The Italian-Irish parade in metairie on Sunday, March 19 celebrated Italian and Irish heritage in New Orleans with costumes, alcohol and floats.

-Photos by Brennan Probst

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

“Logan:” a fitting conclusion to a superhero’s cinematic legacy

BY MICHAEL HAVERMANN Contributor “Logan” is the latest installment in Marvel’s X-Men series, this film following the final journey of Wolverine and a pugnacious young mutant, Laura. To sum

“Logan” up, this is an entertaining action-packed flick with a lot of heart to boot.

Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine who is a shell of his former self, attempting to live life as a civilian named Logan.

His best days appear to be behind

him; he is ill and has a drinking problem.

Things seem to turn around for Logan when he is entrusted with the task of taking 11 year old Laura (played by up-and-coming talent Dafne Keen) to a safe haven in North Dakota called Eden.

Laura is affected with the same mutation as Logan; sharp metal claws spring from her knuckles at will.

Needless to say, the two sharp-fisted main characters make for quite the dyad. The fight scenes are well-done and entertaining, and Keen’s performance as the vulnerable yet tough Laura makes the action all the more compelling.

She projects a confidence and intelligence beyond her years, and her ability to let loose after intense brooding is impressive. Her acting is amazing for a pre-teen.

When the feral child aesthetic is in full effect during “Logan,” it’s mesmerizing.

Jackson tests the outer limits of his drama chops as he externalizes the depressive and destructive nature of Logan; the character mirrors Laura with his outbursts of wildness and rage. Their chemistry is terse and estranged, and the

film never takes the easy route of fast friendship.

The journey to Eden is the primary plot of the film - it’s almost like an apocalyptic road trip buddy movie. The long rides through the desert and the small-town Americana stops along the way lend “Logan” whispers of an old Western film’s aesthetic.

While the villains are mean, they are not particularly vile. Good and evil are at odds, but are displayed in shades of grey rather than the stark black-and-white “heroes and villains” mantra cinemagoers should be weary of by now.

In conclusion, the film is genuine. Even at nearly two and a half hours, “Logan” does not overstay its welcome. The fight scenes are thrilling and it has a few twists to keep the viewer engaged. It’s a fitting swan song for the American icon Wolverine, and a new beginning for the young mutant Laura.

Coming Soon Twin Peaks returns for spring nostalgia bomb

BY EMILY MACK Contributor

David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Television series, “Twin Peaks,” is returning for another season on May 21 with a two-hour premiere at 9 p.m. on Showtime.

The serial drama, now a cult classic, first aired on April 8, 1990 on ABC. The second season premiered on June 10, 1991. Although lasting only two seasons, the show

has been massively influential on other television programs and is often considered among the best television to ever air.

The show surrounds the murder of Laura Palmer, the most popular and beautiful girl in Twin Peaks.

David Lynch has an incredibly quirky and unique style that makes the show feel like a surrealist horror film with a strange sense of humor and melodramatic characters.

Many of the original cast

members are returning for the new season. The revamped series will have 18 episodes total. Showtime CEO David Nevins said, “It’s the pure heroin version of David Lynch.”

The new season was first announced in October of 2014 with episodes expecting to air in early 2016, but it was put off until 2017.

The Showtime network and David Lynch had disagreements about how many episodes should be in the season, which put off

airing the show in April 2015. Six weeks later, David Lynch returned to the project despite the feud with Showtime.

He insisted there be more than nine episodes in this season of “Twin Peaks,” and he should direct each and every one of them.

There were rumors that the new series of “Twin Peaks” would have its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, but co-creator Mark Frost denied the rumors in a January tweet.

If this followup season is anything like its predecessor, be prepared to get a little uncomfortable and to travel out of your comfort zone when watching this show, but in the best possible way. The show is reminiscent of a moving painting, and it has the best kind of acting. David Lynch is one of the best filmmakers in the world right now, and the premiere of the new season of “Twin Peaks” should be something special.

ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

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Nike founder’s memoir a testament to American dream

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-In-Chief Phil Knight, founder of iconic American athletic corporation Nike Inc., has written his memoir, “Shoe Dog,” chronicling the founding and early days of his company.

Deeply inspiring and thoroughly fascinating, “Shoe Dog” is a testament to the power of perseverance and the conviction to stay true to one’s calling through the most daunting of odds.

Many Americans and others around the world were not alive at a point in time when Nike was not the undisputed king of athletics.

For the American youth, Nike has always existed; its global dominance has been taken for granted.

That is why this memoir is so fascinating: It paints a picture of a time when Nike was not the powerhouse it is today, when it was just another small company run out of a misfit college kid’s car trunk.

Nike could have failed for a mil-

lion different reasons at countless moments; bankruptcy, lawsuits, and internal struggles could have doomed the corporation during its infancy, and “Shoe Dog” tells this important story.

The book reads less like a memoir and instead feels more along the lines of a first-person pointof-view novel. Riveting, exciting and inspiring, it is a testament to the quality of the prose how the reader goes through this emotional rollercoaster when the ending is known to every man woman or child who has seen the globally iconic swoosh logo.

The memoir starts in Oregon, where oddball and hardheaded recent college graduate Phil Knight is unsure what to do with his life.

A college track athlete, Knight envisions a future for himself in athletics, and he decides to try and become the sole American distributor of Japanese shoe company Onitsuka’s iconic “Tiger” shoes.

Knight forms Blue Ribbon Company to secure the deal, and is able to sell the Tiger shoes in America for several years. He lives at home

and earns a scrappy living, barely being able to make ends meet. He recruits a small sales team who goes to college track events and sells the shoes.

However, several years into their contract, Onitsuka betrays Blue Ribbon, and makes deals with multiple other American distributors to sell “Tiger” shoes.

Knight gets wind of the betrayal several months before it is supposed to take place, and Blue Ribbon decide they have the groundwork and resources to make their own footwear.

They make a name change, design a logo and the rest is history.

The novel follows Nike from this point until its initial public offering, when the company becomes available for the public to buy stocks in and increases the founding member’s wealth immeasurably. “Shoe Dog” is one of the best books I have ever read, and it deserves to be read by any businessmen, aspiring entrepreneurs, or casual reader.

This book will make you believe in the American dream again.

“Big Little Lies” hits UNO alumni band releases debut EP all drama sweet spots

BY LONES GAGNARD Contributor

BY ANNA GOWIN Features & Entertainment Editor The world of nannies, private schools and extravagantly themed fundraisers hardly feels like the typical setting for a murder. But that is exactly what HBO’s new series, “Big Little Lies,” sets out to do. The show structures around the retelling of events leading up to a murder in the wealthy community of Monterey, California.

Except the show doesn’t tell you who’s been murdered. It leaves you trying to piece it together through vignettes of interviews conducted by police, mostly centering around three high-powered families at the center of the conflict. Madeline (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste (Nicole Kidman) and Jane (Shailene Woodley) all seem to be moms at the center of controversy in their kids’ school, a fact echoed time and time again from the other parents in their interviews.

Take the lingering suspense of an unsolved murder, mix in a feud with fellow power-mom Renata (Laura Dern), new-age arm candy (Zoe Kravitz) and a production of “Avenue Q” on the chopping block of the community theatre— and stir. What results is a surprisingly successful drama that sparks with tension at every turn.

Every performance works on two levels, the social interactions that must maintain a forced decorum, and the deeper private moments where you realize that any character is capable of anything. Even the cast of child actors is believable, a real feat honestly. The main trio of women are electric, Witherspoon especially,

and the result of their interactions is an uncertainty that transfers to the viewer.

Not knowing what lies around the bend actually results in an experience that is unexpectedly scary. That fear makes the heartfelt moments in the show that much more of release. The audience winds up as grateful for the break in action as the characters caught in it.

Not to mention, “Big Little Lies” is undeniably beautiful. The color palettes have a warmth and intimacy that ends up enhancing the drama. And the soundtrack is well curated (propelled by a first grader with impeccable taste, played by Darby Camp). Any piece of media that can expertly use Leon Bridges’ “River” is alright in my book.

However it can be easy to feel like the show’s writing is exploiting the mystery of the big “whodunit”. With a mini-series sized season of only 7 episodes, it’s hard to believe that anything can feel dragged out. But it’s undeniable that the lack of resolution gets a little…annoying, even with only two episodes left to premier. And in 2017 the show’s overwhelming whiteness is hard to ignore, even in a show about out-of-touch rich people.

But overall, “Big Little Lies” is overwhelmingly successful in what it sets out to do, following a trend of recently impressive HBO shows. Every week it manages to keep me so engrossed I don’t look at my phone for a full hour, which in this day and age says a lot.

UNO alums Brandon Meyer and Jeff Ledet have just released their first EP “Pink Aliens” under the moniker Druidian Pink.

Lead guitarist and singer Brandon Meyer, drummer Jeff Ledet and bassist Eric Sie make up the band formerly known as Druids. The band wanted a name that stood out, and the “Pink Aliens” album cover is inhabited by a smiling neon pink alien standing in front of a dripping technicolor rainbow.

“Pink Aliens” is a psychedelic punk nightmare of sorts, complete with heavy chugging guitar riffs and head-banging drum beats. For Druidian Pink, the instruments always take center stage with chanting lyrics occupying the background of tracks, serving as another layer of instrumentation. The album grooves and moves, often going off on band jam sessions such as in the song “Endless Maze”.

Druidian Pink melds several subgenres of rock and metal together to make a sound that is all their own. Pulling inspirations from bands such as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Ty Segall, Black Sabbath, Thee Oh Sees and Wand, their sound has become an amalgam of modern day psychedelic rock and the deep riffing power chords of rock legends past while still keeping a sound all their own. “People tell me we sound like ‘Thee Oh Sees’ or

‘King Gizzard’ which makes me happy because I love those bands, but I don’t really want to sound like a carbon copy, I like creativity and individualism,” said Meyer.

“Pink Aliens” is free-flowing pedal to the metal punk power which allows Druidian Pink to experiment with their song structures at live shows; “‘Cult of the Pink Aliens,’ ‘Black Magic,’ and ‘The Hex’ all have sections where we go off on tangents and improvise,” said Meyer. The ever changing rhythms are rooted in the studio versions of each track with most of the songs having a wall of noise constantly churning in the background, allowing band members to have a consistent sound to derive from.

“I think the album’s first listen never latches on very well, I think it takes multiple listens and you’ll find yourself humming ‘Black Magic’; I find the best music does

that though,” said Meyer.

On repeated listens, Druidian Pink’s tempo changes really start to jump out at you as you begin bouncing to the rhythmic thrashing. Meyer’s lyrics, focusing on themes of anxiety and time, begin to step to the foreground of the band’s violent instrumentals.

As listeners traverse this six song EP, they will find themselves absorbed into the middle of crashing cymbals and fuzzy guitar tones, exactly the place Druidian Pink wants them to be.

For fans of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard rhythm sections, mixed with a garage rock guitar sound, and with Ty Segall-esque vocals sprinkled on top, Druidian Pink’s next show will be at Siberia on Tuesday March 21; take a chance and see if there is a place for you inside the cult of the Pink Aliens.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

COMICS & PUZZLES

“Privateer Poop” - by Barrington Hebert

“” by peter hoffpauir

SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

ACHIEVEMENT CONFEDERATE ENTERPRENEURS GUIDE LIES MANAGEMENT

MONUMENTS NEWS NIKE PINK WOLVERINE WOMEN

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

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EDITORIAL Feminists must unite and conquer, not divide and be defeated One of the great divides between feminists is whether or not they are for abortion or anti-abortion.

The solution shouldn’t be to say which decision is right or which is wrong, but rather to defend the basis of what feminism stands for.

Feminism is defined as the policy, practice or advocacy of political, economic and social equality for women. One of the key components of equality is a woman’s right to make her own decisions, especially in the thirdwave feminist world.

For a large portion of American history, women were told what to do and had their choices made by men, hence the need for the rise of a movement advocating for equal rights. Today, however, many women who call themselves feminists are trying to tell other women what do with their bodies.

A statement on Feministsfor-

life.org said, “Pro-life feminists demand that society support the unique life-giving capacity of women, so that no woman feels driven to abortion. Women deserve better.”

Just because a woman has the capacity to do something does not mean she should be forced to do it, and when anti-abortion movements take the stance of disowning and shaming women who have abortions (for whatever reasons they may have) they divide the cause and deprive women of their right to choose.

When your purpose is to stand up for the rights of women, you must support all rights, not only those that fit a specific agenda or personal belief system. This is feminism, not moralism.

Being in favor of access to abortion means believing all choices should remain available, which

directly supports the freedom of women, the core of feminism. Even if a feminist who is for abortion isn’t enthusiastic about abortion, they make the conscious choice to put their personal feelings aside in order to support women’s right to choose.

With an issue so controversial, no entire group of people will ever share the same opinions. But reasonable adults must simply agree to disagree and continue to coexist.

Every feminist is in the same ring, fighting the same fight, and just because the feminist next to you throws their punches differently doesn’t mean you should turn your back and let them be defeated. You’ll cause a loss for your own team, and women can no longer afford to lose.

COLUMN Safe spaces protect, not stifle, diversity in opinions

BY ANNA GOWIN Feature & Entertainment Editor It is easy to say that the idea of a “safe space” violates principles of free speech, or that they shelter people from opposing opinions.

But, often, the people who feel that way are the population who would never need a safe space.

As a queer woman in the state of Louisiana, I am constantly aware of how much disdain other people have for my existence and my relationship. Trust me, they are not afraid to say as much, even if it is from behind the anonymity of a keyboard.

For people like me, members of the LGBTQ+ community (not to mention immigrants, people of color or neurodivergent and disabled populations), it can be exhausting never knowing what the person next to you may say. There is a level of constant awareness, and sometimes even fear, when you’re a member of a marginalized group existing in the world.

This is a feeling that can be almost impossible to identify with if you’ve never experienced it. And if you haven’t, then maybe people saying they need shelter from those people sounds like a silencing of opinion or free speech. But for me, when I hear that, I hear the voices of people who are tired and

afraid.

No one is telling you you can’t have your own opinions, and no one is saying that we need safe spaces for innocuous opinions like those on healthcare, the economy or climate change. Safe spaces almost exclusively exist on the plane of protecting marginalized groups.

And even as a member of those marginalized groups, I’m not going to tell you that you can’t feel that way. You are protected in your rights to your opinion. But there is no protection for backlash and resistance to your opinion, and when your opinion actively disrespects someone’s existence, you have to be prepared for the forms that resistance will take.

Sometimes, the resistance is silence, and safety.

And if you feel as though that is disrespectful, then maybe you’re the one who needs to thicken your skin.

Christopher Walker, Editor-in-Chief....................driftwoodeditor@uno.edu Anjanae Crump, Managing Editor.................................driftwood@uno.edu Mindy Jarrett...............................................................................Copy Editor Jamie Lloyd..................................................................................News Editor Anna Gowin.................................................Features & Entertainment Editor Sanjiv Pradhanang.................................................................Visual Director Nathan Nguyen......................................................................... Layout Editor Brennan Probst.................................................................Head Photographer Matthew Ramos............................................................................Staff Writer Kimberly Williams..............Business Manager, driftwoodbusiness@uno.edu Angelle Cleneay...........................................................Social Media Manager Matthew Stennis............................................................Distribution Manager Milan Holman........................................................Driftwood Video Producer Vickie Kennedy....................................................................................Adviser

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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, MARCH 22, 2017