March 29, 2017 by Driftwood

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS Volume: 60 Issue: 20

MARCH 29, 2017

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International Night a world-class event Most attended annual event continues history of unifying campus

Students from all over the world gather to celebrate “International Night.” On left, Gaurav Gyawali plays an indiginous ﬂute from Nepal. Top right, native Palestinians share their culture. Bottom right, students perform a traditional dance number. -Photos by Brennan Probst

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-in-Chief The University of New Orleans hosted a cultural melting pot the night of March 25 as students, faculty and members of the New Orleans community piled into the Human Performance Center for International Night, an event sponsored by the International

Student Organization. During International Night, citizens from various countries represented their homelands in both table displays open to the public and song and/or dance performances. Rajan Poudel, the public relations officer for ISO said, “International night is the biggest student-run event on campus, by number of people, investment and

advertising. Students, faculty, and people from around the city come to this event, and it’s important to establish a cultural harmony between nations.” One side of the HPC was dedicated purely to cultural exhibitions from the countries that signed up for the events. Tables from India, Pakistan, Norway and Vietnam were just some of the cultural displays.

Some tables had relics from their countries of origin, others had pamphlets with information, and some had food and several featured a combination. “International night is important because it gives everyone a chance to see where we’re from,” said Nada Van Kempen, an international student who represented her heritage at the Australian table. “Australia and America

have many similarities, but also many differences. On the surface, our cultures look very similar, but we have a very rich indigenous culture. I think Australia has a very quintessential culture based around our connection to the land many Americans do not know about.” Although the environment at the cultural exhibitions was relaxed, there was a competition going on. At the end of the night, the ISO declared a winner from the displays. Ramadhi Briyadham, an Indian student at his country’s table said, “This is not about competition; it’s about displaying your culture from home for the student of UNO. Everything you see here is what we have back home. This event helps with UNO’s representation in the community as a diverse place.” While the cultural exhibits were going on, food was served on the other side of the HPC. Student volunteers served dishes donated from various restaurants around New Orleans, including orange chicken, plantains from Cuba and lo mein from Vietnam. Gage Cochrane, a sophomore interdisciplinary studies major, said, “I volunteered for this event because I feel like ISO and international students, in general, are a huge part of the campus and the campus life. I wanted to pay it back and volunteer.” Continued on page 6 ...

Diversity Engagement Center seeks to support marginalized students BY ANNA GOWIN Features & Entertainment Editor According to the “U.S. News and World Report,” the University New Orleans is ranked among the most diverse in the country. The university’s newly opened Diversity Engagement Center will further embrace and engage with its diverse communities by providing a physical space for students to meet. Peggy Gaffney, director of Diversity Affairs, said that the main goal of the center is to promote and empower the university’s groups and individuals. “The Diversity Cabinet has been around since before Katrina,” Gaffney said, “but it has also been one of the best-kept secrets on

campus.” The Diversity Engagement Center began as an idea generated during a recruitment retreat in 2015. The retreat itself was the idea of then-university Provost John Nicklow, who created a task force from the retreat group. Gaffney was a member of the original task force, which eventually evolved into the Diversity Engagement Center. The process included student involvement in naming the center – originally the Diversity and Inclusion Center. “I think that’s what our goal is,” Farley said, “is to engage the student body, to engage the community. And, personally, through talking with students, that’s what resonated…and when we brought it up to the [Diversity] cabinet, overall, that is the name that we

all liked the best,” said Gaffney’s co-worker, Matt Farley. While center’s the main priorities, right now, are to make sure students are aware of the presence of the Diversity Engagement Center as a resource, Gaffney said its future goals are still growing and evolving. She also said she hopes to hire additional staff so that someone can be in the office all day; currently, Gaffney and Farley are the only employees in the center. Continued on page 3 ...

President John Nicklow cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of the Diversity Employment Center. -Photo by Brennan Probst

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Greek week promotes panhellenic comraderie

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-in-Chief From March 20-24, the University of New Orleans’ Greek system participated in its annual Greek Week, a five-day-long event that teamed up different chapters on campus. The goal of Greek Week is to encourage mingling among fraternities and sororities outside of more traditional planned mixers

ics. Every day brought a different competition: relay racing on Monday, a lip-synching competition on Tuesday, trivia night on Wednesday, an alumni social on Thursday, and on Friday, the winners were announced. “I feel like the events of this week brought the Greek system, as a whole, together,” said Ariana Longoria of Sigma Kappa. “Of course it was competitive, and things got heated, but at the end of the day, we’re all Greeks, and we want what’s best for all of us. -Photo by Christopher Walker Joseph said his second-favorite and socials. event of the week was “watching “It was a lot of fun,” said my brothers go on stage in hula Jeremiah Joseph, a member of the skirts and sing a song from the winning team consisting of Alpha Hawaiian-themed Disney movie, Xi Delta sorority and Theta Xi ‘Moana.’” fraternity. “My favorite event of After the event was over, Jothe week was the relay race we seph said he felt closer to the girls participated in on Monday. That on his winning team. was a lot of fun. We had to carry Longoria said, “That’s what eggs back-and-forth across the Greek Week is about: putting our quad, and it got pretty heated and heads down and competing savintense.” agely with each other, and then as This year’s superheroes theme soon as it’s over, laugh it off and involved capes, villains and comgo about our day.”

QUESTION OF THE WEEK How would you improve gun safety from its current state? There should be at least stricter regulations in legal channels like at gun shows and gun shops. With those things there should be stricter background checks. It’s like driving, if you want to drive a car, you take a safe driving course and then a driving test until you get your driver’s license. If you want to own a gun, you should have to take gun safety courses and a test until you get your firearm’s license.

RUTH CARTER Senior, Biological Sciences If we educated people about guns, it’s a better solution than taking guns away. If all schools had mandatory firearm safety classes that basically said “don’t point firearms at yourself or other people” and taught people how to safely operate firearms, that would be better than trying to get firearms off the street.

UNO developed storytelling A.I. ready for testing BY BRANDON MELERINE Contributor Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a branch of computer science that is growing rapidly in our technologically driven world. The University of New Orleans offers an introductory course to AI, taught by assistant professor Stephen Ware. Ware said he sees AI as an ever-growing field of cognitive research inside and outside of academia. “AI, in general, is a machine that makes decisions in a way that humans would make them; or rather, it’s a machine that makes decisions intelligently – because sometimes the most intelligent thing is not necessarily the most human,” said Ware. While working at UNO, Ware has focused his attention on computer storytelling, “an interactive training simulation for police

officers” that allows them to simulate difficult experiences. It is being used to help train and refine the difficult decisions police make daily. “We’re building an interactive narrative-training simulation using virtual-reality technology,” said Ware. “One of the hardest things that police have to do is make decisions about use of force, dealing with a potentially dangerous suspect who’s not cooperating.” Currently, the project is early in development; Ware said he hopes to partner with a local police force for testing. “We have built an early prototype of that teaches one very specific lesson in a very specific way. Now that the prototype is finally ready, we’re going to have NOPD come in to take a look at it.” The system will place a police officer in a situation faced with another character, controlled by AI.

“The intelligence system does not adapt; instead, it works by being programmed with knowledge of each different situation,” Ware explained. “There are thousands of possible ways this story could unfold, depending on what decision the human makes. We want to make sure that no matter what they do, the other characters behave in a realistic and believable way.” The system’s data is coded in by computer scientists to accumulate the knowledge necessary to allow for the computer to make human-like decisions. “The hope is that we can encode that knowledge into the system, and it can make those decisions automatically the same way a human would make them.” In 2014, Ware was the recipient of a National Science Foundation grant for $138,000 to help study artificial intelligence and develop new AI systems.

JUSTIN BOUDUIN Freshman, English I think that better background checks and psychological health tests should be done. I know that you go get a gun on your lunch break and that’s just not okay. I think you should be properly screens to make sure you’re not a danger to yourself or others. You have the right to bear arms, sure, but there are teachers and students that won’t go to school because they’re afraid of someone walking into the school with a gun. It should just be harder for people to get guns.

NATASHA BOURGEOIS Senior, Biology I feel like I’m okay with where it is already. You see places like Chicago where they try to implement a lot of gun safety laws and it actually increases their crime rate. So it seems like the stricter they get, the more they restrict law-abiding citizens, but the criminals still have and use their weapons.

UNO CALENDAR Wednesday, March 29, noon: UNO SGA Senate meeting. Room 208, University Center

BRADLY MAGGIO Sophomore, Earth and Environmental Science

Wednesday, March 29, noon-1 p.m.: UNO Career Services presents an interviewing and networking workshop. Room 208, University Center

I feel like there should be more thorough background checks. If you have a more thorough background check, it’ll go further into people’s health and mental health histories. This would decrease the chances of giving a gun to a mentally unstable person. JIMMY MCINERNEY Freshman, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

Wednesday, March 29, 7-9 p.m.: Jazz at the Sandbar featuring guitarist Mahmoud Chouki. The Cove Thursday, March 30-Sunday, April 1, 7:30 p.m.: Theatre UNO presents Shakespeare’s “12th Night,” directed by David W. Hoover. Nims Theatre, Performing Arts Center Tuesday, April 4, 12:30-1:30 p.m.: LRC Learning Series presents, “Alcohol and Academics” workshop. Room 206, University Center Photos by Nathan Nguyen

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Friends of the Library to host book and brownie fundrasier

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-in-chief The University of New Orleans’ Friends of the Library will

Diversity Engagement continued from page 1... Gaffney and Farley said they both hope the center can provide an additional layer of support, individually, for students “because not all students who

hundred CDs, vinyl records, and used books of various genres. Past sales have also traditionally sold brownies outside of the library in conjunction with the sale, for any bookworm with a sweet -Photo by Christopher Walker tooth. “The conduct its semesterly Books and books we sell Brownies sale on Tuesday, April are all donated,” said Friends of 4 and Wednesday, April 5 on the the Library President Mary Hoge. fourth floor of the Earl K. Long “How we get them varies on a Library. case to case basis. Sometimes The sale will feature several faculty and staff will leave or

pass away.” Hoge said, “We raise the money to support the library. They can use it for professional development, supplies, equipment, whatever they need. Sometimes it’s for routine costs of staying open, and other times it’s for a special project.” Friends of the Library recently raised $10,000 for a server with one of their book sales. Hoge said, “They have the Supreme Court records of Louisiana here, dating back to 1813. The library needed a dedicated server for worldwide access to that material, and the money we raised was enough to cover it.” Along with the book sale, the library will sponsor various raffles with gift cards donated from well over a dozen companies, including Amazon, Atomic Burger, Chateau Cafe, Commander’s Palace and Perlis clothing store.

“Every now and then, an elderly person will pass away, and their family will want to clean out the house, and they donate their books to us. We have had some very, very nice donations come to us that way.” Over the year, between the two book sales held each semester, Friends of the Library plans to raise around $12,000. Hoge said she anticipates the upcoming sale to be larger than those held in previous semesters, due to the fact that last semester’s book sale was truncated due to incomplete renovations. “We do a lot of publicity, and we want as many people to come as possible. We market both within campus and with the marketing department of UNO. We get a pretty good turnout, but we’re always looking for more.”turnout, but we’re always looking for more.”

belong to a community belong are part of the student groups who represent that community,” Gaffney said. Farley said that he hopes the center can become a “one-stop shop,” similar to other on-campus student leadership organizations. “If students have questions related to funding or creating groups, we can help them or

be.” Moving forward, Farley said, is about “continuing to create campus partnerships.” This includes reaching out to student groups that haven’t been represented as well in the past and working to increase the center’s visibility to those students. Farley said, “This is the hope: that student groups who have

been sort of marginalized or haven’t had the same access to resources will be able to benefit from the center, either by having a place to come in and vent, to congregate, or to be assisted and supported.” The center is located in Room 201B of the University Center next to the Interfaith Prayer Room.

assist in letting them know these opportunities exist.” “Even if a student just wants to talk about something on campus, we’re here. Obviously, we’ll direct students to counseling services if they need it, but sometimes students just want to vent and talk through a situation. We’re here to listen. We’re here to see what the next step will

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

SPORTS

International student applies “dedication” and “talent” to UNO tennis BY ANGELLE CLEANEY Social Media Mangaer

Nicolas Kramer brings his talent from Germany to UNO after playing since he was seven years old. -Photo courtesy of Nicolas Kramer

Nicolas Kramer, an international student at the University of New Orleans, has played tennis since he was seven years old after his father introduced him to the sport. Kramer’s father fell in love with the game after moving to Germany at 17 and ending his professional skiing career. Kramer journeyed to New Orleans after being recruited by Coach Kanga after the coach saw a YouTube recruiting video Kramer uploaded in his senior year. He was highly ranked in Germany and was “impressed by [the] opportunity” of being able to play college tennis and obtain

an undergraduate degree. After evaluating his options at other universities but decided that “in the end UNO seemed to be the best choice.” He is currently a double major in finance and accounting in the College of Business. Kramer said he loves tennis because of its individuality. “You can always work on something it never gets boring. I was pretty good at it [so it made] competing in [the sport] fun.” Kramer said he enjoys team sports but he really appreciates the fact that tennis allows you to be liable for your own faults. Kramer’s joking but loving way of explaining his love for tennis is, “I love to eat and when you play tennis you burn a lot of calories so

you can eat a lot”. “It’s just a nice sport and enjoy waiting it as well, it takes talent, it takes dedication, it takes everything,” said Kramer. A match that stands out to Kramer is last year when UNO played and won against University of Texas at Rio Grande where Kramer was responsible for clinching the match. Kramer has been responsible for clenching many team matches but this match is important to him because, “they were a really good university so it was a really big win for us ... I always hope there are moments where I can clench for our team”. Kramer has decided going professional after playing in

college isn’t his plan and that school is most important for him. “I enjoy the opportunity to play and finance my schooling as well as being in the states, but being a professional player is no longer my dream.” “I love the weather and the food of the south, but most importantly the open-mindedness and friendliness of the people of New Orleans.” He plans on finishing his undergraduate degree, pursuing his career and possibly furthering his studies with a masters in the states. Kramer has a promising career here in New Orleans and wishes to have a great two years here as he finishes his degree and his tennis career.

New Orleans baseball defeats Central Arkansas 11-4 for first-ever victory at Bears Stadium Courtesy of UNO Athletics The University of New Orleans baseball team continued its Southland Conference series against the University of Central Arkansas on Saturday afternoon, besting the hosts 11-4 for the program’s first-ever victory at Bears Stadium. New Orleans (14-10, 4-4 Southland Conference) hit four home runs in the victory, the third time the Privateers have hit four home runs in a game this season and just the second time ever in a Southland Conference contest. Junior outfielder Tristan Clarke paced the attack with three hits and two homers, with junior catcher John Cable and sopho-

more outfielder Orynn Veillon each chipping in home runs. “We played with a more competitive attitude today,” Clarke said. “We knew the importance of rebounding from yesterday’s loss so we came out with a purpose. From the first pitch until the last our team was energized and we got the win.” Clarke opened up the home run floodgates in the second frame, hitting a solo bomb to put UNO up 1-0. Central Arkansas (1114, 2-6 Southland Conference) responded with three runs in the bottom half to take the 3-1 lead, adding a run in the fourth to create a three-run lead. The Privateers took the lead in the sixth inning with five runs,

loading the bases to open the frame with a single from senior infielder Dakota Dean and back-toback hit batters for junior infielder Owen Magee and Cable. Clarke cut the deficit to two with a single through the right side to score Dean, with junior outfielder Chase Crump making it a one-run affair with a sacrifice fly to bring Magee home. Veillon gave New Orleans the lead with a three-run blast to score him, Clarke and Cable. UNO’s offense carried over to the seventh stanza with four more runs, highlighted by a two-run homer from Cable followed by a second bomb from Clarke in backto-back at bats. The Privateers ended the scoring in the eighth inning, with Palmer bringing Veil-

lon home. On the mound for UNO, sophomore Bryan Warzek went 5.2 innings, allowing four runs, two earned, with six strikeouts to pick up his fourth victory of the season. Freshman right handed pitcher Reeves Martin finished the final three and a third innings, allowing no runs while striking out three Bears for his first collegiate save. For Central Arkansas, Jansen McCurdy, William Hancock and Brooks Balisterri all contributed two hits, with Keaton Presley providing both of the Bears’ RBI. Jacob Murray got the start for UCA, going five innings with four runs allowed and three strikeouts. “We have to keep up the inten-

sity and consistency,” Clarke said. “Not just through this weekend but for the rest of the season. When we play up to our potential we can compete with any team in the country, and we have shown it this season.” The series rubber match between the Privateers and Central Arkansas is scheduled for Sunday, Mar. 26 at 1 p.m. New Orleans is back at Maestri Field on Friday, Mar. 31 when UNO hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 6:30 to start a Southland Conference series. For tickets to future Privateers athletic events, contact the UNO Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 280-GAME (4263). -Information courtesy of UNO athletics

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Citizen volunteer group offers free firearm safety lessons for students BY MINDY JARRETT Copy Editor Mike Weinberger, founder of Home Defense Foundation, a New Orleans-based organization that teaches safety defense mechanisms, said he aims to educate college students on proper methods of firearm safety. Gun control has been a major debate across the country, and Weinberger attributes much of the firearm apprehension to ignorance. “I think that a lot of people do not have knowledge on safe use of firearms, and so therefore, they’re scared.” The murder of 27 students and five faculty Students from univiersities in the New Orleans area visit Mike Weineberger, founder of Home Defense Foundation, to recieve free firearm safety lessons members at Virginia which include defense mechanisms and tactics with firearms and safe firearm handling and practices. -Courtesy of Home Defense Foundation Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2007 be allowed to carry matches on use matches or you intentionally know how to safely use match“I had time to read the newssparked change in some campus.” misuse the matches, you can set a es?’” paper in the morning,” Weinbergstates’ legislations, allowing cerWeinberger uses the matches building on fire.” “If someone has been trained er said. “You know what happens, tain licensed individuals – those analogy to explain gun safety in Currently, eight states allow properly in safety, and they right? This mugging, this raping, with concealed carry permits – to terms of something familiar on concealed carry on college campractice safety rules, well then by this shooting.” carry guns on college campuses. school campuses across the US: puses, while 24 leave the decidefinition, it’s gonna be safe. If “I … tried to learn more and This particular aspect of the fire safety. sion to the individual university. someone has not been trained in more about what is the best type gun debate – the allowance of “It all comes down to training Tennessee allows concealed carry safety and they are not a follower of firearm to defend your home weapons on campus – has debatand education, just like matches. by licensed faculty members but of safety rules, then it will not be and yourself and your spouse.” ers questioning what it means to If you don’t know how to propnot to students or the general safe.” Weinberger began taking classbe safe. According to Weinberger, erly strike a wooden match and public. Louisiana falls among the When Weinberger moved to es, and eventually, he became a however, they’re not asking the the head breaks off and lands on remaining 17 states, which forbid New Orleans ten years ago, he licensed instructor. right questions. your clothing, you could be very concealed carry on campus. did not own a firearm. After he “A lot of the stuff, you have to “The question is what safety seriously burned.” “The question is not the completed construction on his teach yourself unless taught by an procedures you’re following, “If you don’t know how to matches. The question is, ‘Do you new house, that changed. instructor.” not whether or not you should

Now Hiring: 2017-18 Driftwood Editor-in-Chief Please submit a cover letter, resume, at least two published writing samples and one reference letter by noon by April 10. May be submitted via electronically or dropped off in the Office of Student Affairs (University Center 248). Applicants must meet the following qualifications: Be a UNO student (undergraduate or graduate), have a GPA of at least 2.5 for all the fall 2016 semester, be a student in good standing and have worked at least one semester for Driftwood or have equivalent publication experience. Questions, please email: studentaffairs@uno.edu. The editorship is a paid position.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

International Night showcases students

Many of the diverse cultures on UNO’s campus were represented at International Night, especially during the talent performances. Counter -lockwise from left: Tina Vo sang to represent Vietnam; Nepalese student Cynthia Shrestha represents Nepal -Photos by Brennan Probst

International night continued from page 1... “It’s important to have this event to show respect for other cultures not our own. Are we an uncultured nation, or are we a country that truly cares about other people on the planet?” Later in the evening, the audience settled into the bleachers on the left side of the HPC, and the organizers of the event were introduced and President Nicklow gave a brief speech. Following the speeches, the cul-

tural performances started. Some of the acts were energetic group dances set to pre-recorded music, and some were intimate singing numbers while others were live instrumental performances. Christine Stebralia, a general advisor at the Office of International Students who had a major role in making sure the night went smoothly said, “We had a huge number of people sign up this year for performances: Fifteen in total, definitely more than last year. We actually had to turn a few people down since we had so many, but they were all amazing.” Seven of the acts went on before an intermission was declared,

during which a cultural fashion show went on. After the fashion show concluded, Palestine was announced as the winner of the cultural exhibition. Halima Jaber, a senior studying psychology, worked the Palestine table. “When you go to a table, you get to ask people questions faceto-face, and you’re able to learn things you didn’t before. I think it’s important we represent Palestine, because my culture, so often, gets a bad reputation.” “I want people to know we’re more than what the media sees. We’re not bad people. Our food is amazing; I’m proud of my culture. People should be proud of where

they came from, not wary of showing what makes their home special.” Stebralia said, “I think people have this misconception other cultures are so different, and there are so many differences between people from foreign countries. I think when you actually meet people from other countries, you realize everybody has the same basic human needs: friendship, food, music.” “I think the only way we will evolve as a species is if we understand we are all the same. I love seeing people come together like this.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Holi, Festival of Colors: Hindu celebration brings technicolor spring

On Sunday, March 26, Chakra Indian Student Association celebrated Holi, a traditional Hindu Festival of Colors. Every year, the festivities include food, music and the signature throwing of colored rice ďŹ&#x201A;our. For a $5 admission, students were able to experience the arrival of spring with vibrant colors. -Photos by Brennan Probst

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

Driftwood’s unoﬃcial guide to 2017 memes (so far)

Salt Bae Memes arrived to the 2017 party with none other than the appropriately titled Salt Bae. Turkish chef Nusret Gökçe, or more formally dubbed by the internet as Salt Bae, arrived on the meme scene in an Instagram video where he is seen preparing a steak and sprinkling salt over the food with the same amount of drama and attention to detail as if he were a fairy godmother anointing his potential meal. To add even more context here—Salt Bae looks pretty darn good doing it—and naturally the Internet ate it up, creating crossover memes, spinoff hashtags, and even garnering Salt Bae press in online media outlets. Although his time in the limelight may have faded since January, Salt Bae still remains in the hearts and minds of those who are easily entertained by sodium-sprinkling chefs in tight-fitting shirts.

What in Tarnation Often a humorous and rather hyperbolic statement associated with rural America, the phrase “What in tarnation?” had an image makeover in 2017 when Tumblr user banjirou posted a photograph of a cowboy hat onto a Shiba Inu (the official dog breed and unofficial mascot of the Internet), captioned “what in tarnation.” As if this weren’t enough, the

Internet took it a step further (shocking, I know) and created another meme set that photoshopped the actual cowboy hat over other images with an appropriate caption (i.e. a cowboy hat-wearing water bottle with the caption “wot n’ hydration”), which added to the meme’s longevity and endearment in the strange world of internet culture.

of mock advice and all-around devil’s advocate appeal. With captions like “I leave all assignments to the last minute, because the older, and therefore the wiser, I will be” and “Due tomorrow... do tomorrow” it’s no wonder why Roll Safe sits so well with procrastinating college students.

Roll Safe “Roll Safe” appeared on the radar of many internet users through Facebook and Twitter. Conceived in 2016, the imageturned-meme derived from a screenshot from the web series Hood Documentary of actor Kayode Ewumi pointing to his temple in humorous contemplation with a cheeky smile. Since then, his image has been captioned with sage-like advice on how to handle everyday nuisances and situations. The execution of this meme, when done right, brings back the philosophical charm of veteran memes “Philoceraptor,” “Advice Dog,” and “Unpopular Opinion Puffin” due to its ridiculous nature

Definitely a highlight in 2017 meme culture.

Trump’s ﬁrst order of business The internet has a field day with pretty much anything Donald Trump does, and a photo of our current president’s first executive order was no different. When Trump signed his first order into law and showed the

document to the world, the internet took it upon itself to photoshop various sayings and objects onto the paper. Rarely delving into true vulgarity, the Trump Executive Order was fun for all ages and all political beliefs. Certainly one of the better memes so far this year, the Trump Executive Order may very well be re-incarnated multiple times throughout the Trump presidency. By the end of these four years, there’s a good chance the internet will be sick of different iterations of this. Staff favorites here at Driftwood include “I will fund the production of Paul Blart Mall Cop 3” and the Pokemon card collection seen in the image provided.

Meryl Streep yelling One of the worst and most cliche-ridden, disappointing memes of the year. What started off as a blank template for greatness quickly devolved into just another cliche and yawn-inducing “anyone

else remember this throwback” garbage. Although the meme is currently having its moment in the sun, rest assured few will remember this meme fondly. This is not the next Dat Boi, and should not be treated as such. Do we remember that Juvenile lyric from our middle school dances? Yes we do, asshole. However, we had better things to do than spend several minutes making a lame meme about it.

Oh no baby! What is you doing? This meme comes from the catchphrase of Instagram and Twitter user Nick Joseph, who goes by the handle nicknpattiwhack_ For those of you who are unhip AF, the duo pretends to break into or trespass on celebrities in Louisiana and tape the events. This meme gets extra points for starting with local Louisiana Instagram stars, who “break into” the home of Pelicans star Anthony Davis. The meme has been used well and often with clever results, usually dealing with regret about what happened a night before, or what is about to happen. Usually involves drinking or sexual conduct. Can this meme trend be over already? Please! We’ll wait...

ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

“Beauty and the Beast” remake full of fantasy, joy

BY ANNA GOWIN Features & Entertainment Editor

From square one, Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast” seemed primed to be an enormous success. With huge, recognizable names and the latest effects, the remake promised to be a smash hit even before it hit theaters. But, in the back of everyone’s mind seemed to be the same question: Could a reimagining of such a Disney classic do justice to the original while also providing enough of a new experience to justify today’s ticket prices? The answer is complicated. There are so many things about this film that can be talked about, especially considering its over two-hour runtime. In fact, length is one of the moments where director Bill Condon seemed to miss the mark. The amount of exposition and backstory that were added to both Belle (Emma Watson) and the

Beast’s (Dan Stevens) characters was a great addition, answering many audience questions about why the story’s events unfolded the way they did. Yet, with all of these additions (not to mention several new songs), the pacing of the movie felt rushed at parts and dragged at others. Some of the additions felt completely unnecessary as well. For those of you who’ve seen the film, this is especially true for a certain attic scene. There are times when Condon could have let the audience’s imagination fill in the gaps for themselves but denied them that opportunity. And while both Watson and Stevens are kind of picture-perfect in their roles, with a much more believable chemistry than could have ever been portrayed in the original, there are moments of obvious shortcoming for both. Watson is not a singer, and there are times when it is easy to tell that her voice has been auto-tuned. There are so many more things

that could be singled out and criticized about this film, but to be perfectly honest, I don’t want to. At the end of the day, I found the film to be incredibly fun, which is all I can really ask for in a Disney movie. Condon’s remake was emotional and often incredibly beautiful. “Beauty and the Beast,” for a Disney fan (even one who isn’t totally die-hard, like myself), is a

wonderful experience. The visuals are stunning, with moments that deliver even more magic than the film’s animated predecessor. Not to mention some of the songs Alan Menken wrote for the film shine as much as some of the originals, “Evermore” specifically. I laughed, and to be perfectly honest, I cried. I’m admittedly the kind of person who can cry pretty easily in movies, but the weight of

the remake’s realism (while sometimes detracting from the magic earlier in the movie) resulted in an ending that’s utterly gutting to watch. If you love the original, you’ll likely like, if not love, this new riff on “Beauty and the Beast” which is likely good news for Disney, as the live-action train sets its sights on film after film in the studio’s arsenal.

One of 2016’s most-recommended books lives up to the hype

Photo courtesy of Grand Cental Publishing

BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER Editor-in-Chief Noah Hawley’s mystery book, “Before the Fall”, is a rare exam-

ple of a new and exciting take on the typically predictable, paint-bynumber, John-Grisham-copycat snooze of a mystery/whodunit novel. “Before the Fall” chronicles the lives of the passengers onboard the ill-fated private plane of a conservative media billionaire, telling the story of each passenger’s life right up until the moment the plane takes off. Although we are not witness to the actual events during the flight, the plane goes down in the middle of the ocean leaving only two survivors; a failed artist who was having an affair with the billionaire’s wife (also on board) and a young boy. Upon further research into the crash, it’s determined there was no mechanical failure, and human interference must have been the culprit. Due to the high-profile status of the billionaire on board

the crash, the media has a field day with conspiracy theories and loose ends. Slowly and surely over the course of the novel, the characters’ lives are revealed to be intertwined in ways the reader (and the novel’s public) never realized possible. “Before the Fall” is a page turner, and the characters Hawley presents are at once real and exaggerated, their personalities clashing with each other page by page. The conservative media tycoon is an obvious fictional stand-in for Rupert Murdoch, and the rightwing empire he controls is a sendup of Fox News. The pervading themes of the novel deal with the media, the truth and the hazy relationship between the two. Hawley uses “Before the Fall” to criticize the media on a variety of topics, including the business’ obsession to fill every waking

moment of our lives with information, and how it increasingly matters little whether the information is true or not. The primary mouthpiece for this theme is a character named Bill Cunningham, the crown jewel of the billionaire’s most popular talk show, an obvious stand-in for Bill O’Reilly. His mannerisms, speech diction, and described appearance all match the controversial talk-show host.. Another major theme of the novel is the dangerous habit of media to latch onto an incomplete story and paint a wildly incomplete picture (Hawley takes special care to mock right-wing media). Again, Bill Cunningham is used to illustrate this point, using his talk show to suit various conspiracy theories about what he believed happened with total impunity. Do not mistake “Before the

Fall” for a satirical work. The humor is lacking and the media’s reaction to the crash is not exaggerated enough to constitute satire. The novel’s events are a truthful reflection of a potential real-life event, not like the funhouse mirror reflection of satire. Noah Hawley’s prose is lean, mean, and to the point. Rarely is there a dull moment, and the novel flies by quickly. Dark and deeply memorable, “Before the Fall’ is shining example of quality work in the mystery genre. The ending could be considered disappointing, but a strong argument can be made it’s the culmination of the nihilistic tone pervading every corner of the novel. “Before the Fall” is a hell of a ride, and one would be hard pressed to find a better mystery novel these days.

Driftwood is looking for: literary and visual submissions Do you want your original creative work displayed in our paper? Driftwood is looking for poems, excerpts from longer works of fiction, short stories, flash-fiction, or any other similair works. We are also looking for graphics, cartoons, drawings, or paintings. Send submissions to dirftwoodart@uno.edu. The deadline is April 5 at midnight.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

COMICS & PUZZLES

“Privateer Poop” - by Barrington Hebert

“new dog, old tricks” by peter hoffpauir

SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

ARTIFICIAL BOOKS BROWNIES DISNEY DIVERSITY FIREWORKS FUNDING GREEK

HOLI INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY MEMES MYSGYNOIR SAFETY TENNIS

OPINION

EDITORIAL

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Cutting national arts funding hurts more than just Elmo There’s a video going around on Facebook and other social media platforms of a curious parody featuring Elmo. In the video, Elmo is called into a meeting and is laid off from Sesame Street. What starts off as an almost-lighthearted encounter turns dark as Elmo is subsequently let go because “his services are no longer needed.” The video went so far as to remove the Elmo puppet from the puppeteering hand, returning him to the department, ending with a shot lingering on Elmo’s lifeless body on the conference table. Some may go into the video expecting a few laughs, initially, then surprised when it becomes gutting to watch. The video leaves viewers suddenly feeling like they’ve lost a

childhood friend. This could, unfortunately, become an unsettling trend if the Trump administration has its way. The current administration is proposing to cut the “unnecessary” programming that has been deemed the arts and arts education, a move with intentions to end all federal funding for public broadcasting. It’s no big deal, right? I mean, it’s only art, after all. Isn’t it? Wrong. Not only does that sound like a nightmarish prophecy for artists, actors, musicians, and liberal arts majors everywhere, but just imagine the sort of impact such a proposal could have on so many facets of ordinary American life.

Think of childhood without PBS, or Sesame Street, or Mr. Rogers’ cardigan. Imagining childhood in America without Big Bird and Kermit the Frog is imagining childhood without milk and cookies, or coloring books, or the unusual yet nostalgic scent of Crayola markers. While Sesame Street may have a deal with HBO that would sustain them in spite of public broadcasting cuts, other programs wouldn’t be so lucky. Imagine your favorite public radio station that gets you through the day suddenly becoming a thing of the past. Imagine tuning into your favorite syndicated NPR program (the one that got you into the smash-hit musical Hamilton or showed you that book series you’ve

been raving about) only to find out that there’s nothing but dead air on the other end. Instead of waking up to a familiar voice on the other side of the airwaves, there is nothing more than silence now. Not to mention the further economic impact of these suggested cuts. Those in creative outfits are tax-paying citizens, too. They’re music educators, curators, graphic designers. More cuts to the arts translates to more than just Elmo getting laid off. The Bureau of Economic Analysis found that arts and cultural production contributed more than $700 billion to the U.S. economy in 2015, more than the construction, transportation and warehousing industries. Trump wants to put “America

First.” What he fails to realize is that cutting public broadcasting and the arts in a country that champions diversity and serves as a global melting pot for people of all walks of life is fundamentally un-American. There is no point to having that diversity if we do not acknowledge it, engage it, accept it, understand it. How do we do this? Through artistic expression. The Trump administration may want to take a page out of Winston Churchill’s famous playbook. Churchill was asked to cut arts funding in favor of the military effort. A man whose words still hold reverence today, it was said Churchill simply replied: “Then what are we fighting for?”

COLUMN

Ricardo Agnant’s comments display fundamental misundertanding of black women BY ANJANAE CRUMP Mnaging Editor

Recently, outrage broke out on social media over the answer that one man (Ricardo Agnant) gave to the question of why black athletes marry white women. He said, “The answer is simple, brother: Most of the sisters were raised in broken homes and they don’t have the proper guidance [as] to how they should treat a man.” He proceeded to call black women stubborn, closed-minded, argumentative and bossy. Perhaps raising the most eyebrows is that he declared black women as “un-coachable.” The responses poured in, mainly from black women, showing pure disgust for his crass comments. They were appalled that a black man, who was birthed by a black mother, could so blatantly disrespect and denounce the very race of women who have stood on the

front line loving and protecting black men. They were livid that a black man, who should be able to understand their plight, could stereotype them and expect them to be a man’s pet. Black women, feminists and many other people were simply outraged. At first glance, I was one of them. The boldness of his ignorance and ego pissed me off. His comfortability in excluding an entire race of women, especially his own, hurt me. His selfish and apathetic mindset disappointed me. But beneath the terrible word choices and unrefined thoughts was a deeper issue to focus on. Jumbled within his highly untasteful answer was a certain matter of truth that often goes unspoken of in the black community. He said, “You can never get better at anything unless you can admit your fears and mistakes.” As much as I wanted to hate every-

thing he said, I would only be ignoring the problem and hindering growth if I simply glossed over the root of where such a comment came from. He may not be the best example, but beneath the hard shell of many black men is pain. Since our arrival in America on slave ships, our families have been torn apart, our men emasculated and our women abandoned and taken advantage of. After the white man stopped doing it systematically, it had already been ingrained in the minds of black men to run, unequipped with the skills of how to sustain a successful family. And when they didn’t run from it on their own, prison or death met them halfway. Subsequently, black women have been forced to step up and take on the role of both woman and man, generation after generation. Because of this, many black women have a quiet resentment toward black men and reluctance

to trust them. And who can blame them? I can’t. I was raised in a home with a single mother. I watched black men misuse, abuse and consistently not choose my mother. Unfortunately, I’ve seen it happen to plenty other women too. But I also watched some gain the mentality of a “strong independent black woman who don’t need no man,” and lose good men because of it. They refused to trust because of all the times in the past they had been lied to. They refused to compromise because of all the sacrifices they had to make on their own. They refused to support because of the lack of success they saw for black men. They refused to talk like adults because of all the men they dealt with who acted like children. When a man comes into the picture who wants to help, hold and love them, so many black women have already been so hurt that they

don’t know how to accept it. They are afraid to get too comfortable, too dependent, too attached – and for good reason. But everyone in a relationship needs to feel loved, supported, trusted, heard, needed, important. No matter how independent someone truly is, when they choose to become one with another person, they have to make room, literally and figuratively. This is a vicious cycle in the black community that has to end. This can only happen with a deeper look beneath the surface and a contribution to the solution instead of blindly ranting about the problem on social media or deciding to further abandon each other over continued misunderstanding. Not just black women, but everybody, should be malleable enough to reshape themselves slightly in order to comfortably accommodate another person. Being “coachable,” is for sports, not for girlfriends, sir.

2000 Lakeshore Drive, UC 252, New Orleans, LA 70148 (504) 280-6377 Christopher Walker, Editor-in-Chief.......................................................................................................driftwoodeditor@uno.edu Anjanae Crump, Managing Editor....................................................................................................................driftwood@uno.edu Mindy Jarrett.....................................................Copy Editor Matthew Ramos............................................................Staff Writer Jamie Lloyd.......................................................News Editor Kimberly Williams.............................................Business Manager Anna Gowin.......................Features & Entertainment Editor Angelle Cleneay............................................Social Media Manager Sanjiv Pradhanang.......................................Visual Director Matthew Stennis............................................Distribution Manager Nathan Nguyen............................................ Layout Editor Milan Holman........................................Driftwood Video Producer Brennan Probst......................................Head Photographer Vickie Kennedy....................................................................Adviser

Driftwood is produced solely by students of the University of New Orleans. Driftwood publishes every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters with the exception of holiday breaks and midterms/ finals week. Letters to the Editor and columns are the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinion of the Driftwood editorial board. All letters to the Editor are subject to editing for length, style and grammar.

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. Please limit letters to 500 words. Submissions can be emailed to driftwoodeditor@uno.edu and must be sent no later than 5p.m. on the Monday before publication.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017