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The Daily Reveille Est. 1887
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Volume 125 · No. 11
lsunow.com
FILM
LSU student forms production company
that’s not my name
BY BOBBY CRANE @b_crane22
LSUID: 89XXXXXXX 62XXXXXXXXXXXXXX-X
Student Issued Date 11/01/2017
SG senator aims to bring preferred names option to Tiger Cards BY CJ CARVER | @CWCarver_ University students may soon have the opportunity to use their preferred name on their Tiger Card, but it will come at the cost of using the card as a legal form of identification. The change could come as a result from SGR No. 18 written by College of Humanities and Social Sciences senator Monét LaCour. The resolution went through the Student Auxiliaries and Services Committee on Oct. 31 and was passed
unanimously. It will move to the Student Senate floor on Nov. 1, according to LaCour. “I went to [Washington, D.C.] a month ago,” LaCour said. “I spoke with [SG] presidents of [University of Alabama] and [Texas A&M University.] I talked with them about their different routes of doing things.” LaCour said Alabama currently allows students to choose their desired pronouns that are listed on class rosters, and Texas A&M is working to develop a resolution similar to the one
see TIGER CARD, page 5
LaCour is currently working on. Though not effective until 2019, the idea behind the resolution stemmed from a law passed in 2016 requiring public universities in Louisiana to include various new features, allowing for student ID cards to be used as a legal form of identification when voting. “Last year [Tiger Cards were] made a legal form of ID,” LaCour said. “The problem with that is, if your biological name is something different than what you go as, you can’t use [your Tiger Card] as a legal
John McCoy is chasing after his dreams, and by doing so, he wants you to do the same. The film and media arts senior is one-third of the film production company Le Krewe Productions. In addition to McCoy, the business is composed of Ole Miss seniors James Farris and Garrett Shearman. Farris and McCoy were childhood friends since they met in kindergarten at Our Lady of the Lake Roman Catholic School in Mandeville. The two met Shearman when he moved to the North Shore after Hurricane Katrina. Attending high school together, the trio started taking film and theatre classes and found themselves loving it, they said. The three of them started making films in high school and continued to produce them in college. During their sophomore year, they started thinking about opening a company, and Le Krewe Productions was born in 2016. As far as specialties within the company, McCoy is the producer and the editor. Farris is the director, and
see LE KREWE, page 5 photos by KELLY MCDUFF / The Daily Reveille
Check out more photos and our coverage of the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience at lsunow.com/voodoofest
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in this
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
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Disappearing Deltas
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Mississippi River delta disappearing as a result of rising sea levels
News Editor page 12
Breakthrough
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NATALIE ANDERSON Deputy News Editor
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EVAN SAACKS
Lady Tigers plan big season for sophomore forward Ayana Mitchell
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HANNAH MARTIN Deputy Sports Editor
Voodoo Fest 2017
BRANDON ADAM
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Entertainment Editor
Relive the best moments from Voodoo Fest 2017
LAUREN HEFFKER Opinion Editor
LYNNE BUNCH
Living Color
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page 15
DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille
How one woman built a nonprofit in her home from the ground up
Back to the basics
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HASKELL WHITTINGTON Deputy Photo Editor WHITNEY WILLISTON
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Rotolo’s new concept looks back to restaurant’s former culture, paving way for future
Women’s Health
CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS
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A columnist’s take on the lack of knowledge about reproductive health
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News
page 3 STUDENT GOVERNMENT
lending a paw LSU launches Tiger Conservation Fund to help support saving tigers photo by WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille
BY CJ CARVER | @CWCarver_
T
igers in the wild will now have a helping hand from those in the LSU Tiger community. The University announced the new Tiger Conservation Fund on Oct. 13, which aims to support University students’ efforts to save tigers in the wild, according to a press release. “Out of love for our great mascot, we have developed the LSU Tiger Conservation Fund to make sure that tigers not only survive, but will one day thrive in their natural habitats,” said LSU President F. King Alexander in a press release. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, tigers are an endangered species,
with only around 3,890 left in the world. The University has come under fire from organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in the past for this reason, among others. In 2016, PETA released their most recent statement denouncing the University’s choice to use a live tiger, following the death of Mike VI. “This sad day could mark a kind new beginning for LSU, where sensitive, intelligent tigers have been reduced to game-day props for decades,” PETA said in a statement. “PETA is calling on the university to honor Mike VI’s legacy by making him the last live mascot to be locked up in captivity and paraded around an
see CONSERVATION, page 7
SG holds fall election for Student Senate
BY CJ CARVER @CWCarver_
University students cast their votes on the 2017 LSU Student Government fall election ballot, consisting of major tickets like Connect 2017 and Unite 2017, and Referendum 1, via Moodle on Oct. 30. The fall election dictates positions in the SG Student Senate, as well as amendments to the LSU Student Government Constitution. While fall elections focus strictly on Senate and amendments, spring elections are focused on the presidential election, said SG commissioner of elections Luke Fruge’. For the Unite 2017 ticket, the initiatives stem from involving student feedback on various aspects of the University from technology to the new library. “It’s that we get some student feedback in those new renovations,” said campaign manager of the Unite 2017 ticket and current chair of academic affairs Senate committee Erica Borne. “Whether it be how we use our Student Technology Fee or how [the new University website] can be more useful to students.” The Connect 2017 ticket similarly plans to focus on initiatives involving student feedback. Their focus with the feedback, though, is on the initiatives which are passed through
see ELECTION, page 7
ENVIRONMENT
LSU seeks to ‘3-peat’ in annual GameDay Recycling Challenge BY TAYLOR DELPIDIO @TD_Reveille The University is looking to join exclusive company. Only legends of sports, like the Michael Jordan-era Bulls, the 1998-2000 Yankees or the 194649 Cleveland Browns, have accomplished a three-peat. This November, the University seeks to join this three-peat company by winning their third consecutive National GameDay Recycling Challenge. “That would be quite the feat if we could win a third year in a row,” said Campus Sustainability Manager Sarah Temple. The University has taken the previous two titles in total recycling, recycling a total of 164,600 pounds of waste on selected game days in 2015 and 2016. The program awards
two schools annually, one for diversion rate and another for total recycling. Numbers are calculated based on the amount of recycling and trash collected before, during and after the game on a specified gameday. “Before, during and after the game, recycle anything recyclable. That’s the big thing,” Temple said. Waste is collected from both the stadium and tailgate grounds, though schools can choose to only report stadium numbers. Schools track weights on recyclables, organic food waste and trash, but can only be ranked for categories in which they have weight data. For the 2017 Recycling Challenge, the University has HASKELL WHITTINGTON / The Daily Reveille
see RECYCLING, page 7
A recycling bin sits in Hodges Hall on Aug. 21 on LSU campus.
The Daily Reveille
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017
ENVIRONMENT
Campus Sustainability to open Litterati Campaign BY TAYLOR DELPIDIO @TD_Reveille LSU Campus Sustainability is opening a new awareness campaign focusing on issues around litter and recycling to the public. This month, a campaign called Litterati will begin on campus. Litterati is a global campaign started in 2012 by Jeff Kirschner as an Instagram hashtag. Campus Sustainability Manager Sarah Temple said when Kirschner was out walking with his children, his daughter pointed to a piece of trash in a creek on their walk and said that it did not belong there. This got him thinking about getting people to pick up trash, and Litterati was born. The campaign encourages participants to use the Litterati app to pick up trash in a fun way. “They have started a movement where people pick up litter, take a picture and upload it to their app,” Temple said. “It goes into what they call a ‘digital landfill.’” The University has taken cue from Litterati in their campaign, and is asking students to take pictures of litter around campus and tag LSU Campus Sustainability on Face-
book, Twitter or Instagram. Campus Sustainability ran a similar campaign in 2015 and received over 300 entries. The campaign also includes a photo contest, and the winning photo will be displayed in the LSU Art Gallery in the LSU Student Union. Though the University campaign does not upload the photos to the official Litterati app, the University has received the company’s blessing. Temple said that they emailed Litterati when they opened the 2015 campaign. “They know we’re doing it, they’re happy we’re doing it,” Temple said. As of Oct. 31, the global Litterati campaign has recorded a live count of more than 909,559 pieces of litter, with 467,116 coming from the United States, at the time of publication. The campaign has also identified 227,331 pieces of plastic, making it the most commonly tagged item, according to the Litterati website. The University’s campaign has a wider focus than just trash, however. “We’re trying to bring about awareness, not just about litter on campus, but recycling,” Temple said. “A lot of what people throw on the ground is recyclable, so we’re asking that participants recycle as well.”
DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille
The University hopes to inspire students to keep the campus clean through its new anti-litter campaign.
TECHNOLOGY
LSU researchers work to apply technology to public issues BY HAILEY AUGLAIR @haileyauglair1 A team of University professors is working with city officials to apply technology to public issues in crime and transportation. Associate Director for Cyber infrastructure at the LSU Center for Computation & Technology Seung-Jong Jay Park is the principal investigator for this project. “This is an interdisciplinary research project spanning computer science, electrical and computer engineering, social work and civil engineering,” Park said. The National Science Foundation awarded the team a $99,932 grant through its Smart and Connected Communities Program, according to a news release. Other researchers include, director in the Office of Social Service Research and Development Cecile Guin; professor in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Chester Wilmot; Assistant professor of computer science Kisung Lee; and professor of electrical and computer engineering Jagannathan Ramanujam. Civil research groups led by Wilmot are focusing on building research questions
based on transportation, while social work is building research questions based on crime. “For transportation, we can analyze live video streams to monitor traffic and some kind of abnormal event detection suggests a car accident or crime event,” Park said. In addition to collecting information from video streams, the team also collects from social network data through applications like Waze and Twitter about Baton Rouge. “At LSU, we do not have explicit research groups that can solve smart city yet,” Park said. “We’re using this grant to form the team and within one year we try to communicate with Baton Rouge to connect and hear their problems.” Last year, Baton Rouge proposed a multi-million dollar smart city project. They did not receive the grant, but the city is still working toward this project by working with the University . “We try to make use of our supercomputing resources at our centers to build a large-scale research platform to help with software development and data collection,” Park said. Park and his team are working closely with city officials to make Baton Rouge a smart city. “I expect that if we
DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille
Fred C. Frey Computing Services Center operates during normal business hours at the corner of Tower Drive and South Stadium Drive on Tuesday Oct. 10. successfully develop these technologies, we can expect new things in cities like video analysis software that can really help not only the transportation bureau, but also the police department to detect crime- or traffic-related issues,” Park said. Park said he hopes to continue working with the
East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President’s office to follow cities like Austin and Chicago to develop a smart city. “We did not have much work on crime and transportation yet, but until now, we have worked on more biomedical research,” Park said. “I thought that if we apply those
developing technologies to crime and transportation I thought it would be really helpful for Baton Rouge to reach the level of smart city.” East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome did not respond to The Daily Reveille’s request for comment.
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, November 1, 2017 TIGER CARD, from page 1 form of ID.” In her communication with Texas A&M, LaCour learned students wishing to change their names on their Universityassociated ID cards were only required to sign a form waiving the legality of their Universityassociated ID cards in turn for having their preferred name listed. This change makes the cards only usable at the University as identification, and no longer an official method of identification. According to the resolution, LaCour identifies “LGBTQIA+ students who have different names rather than that of their birth names” and “undergraduate international students who are recognized by a preferred name rather than their birth name” as two major groups of students affected by the current policy. “It’s not just [LGBTQIA+ or international] students’ problems,” LaCour said. “I would rather work on everyday problems that students face than just trying to work on something that one person faces.” As the resolution is going through SG, LaCour said that, if passed, its only use is showing administrators that students are in favor of this change. The problem LaCour is facing is an initial lack of response from administration.
LaCour’s work on this resolution dates back to September, but she said the last time she heard back from any administrators on the resolution was a month ago. “Honestly, I haven’t really gotten a response [from administrators,]” LaCour said. “I emailed some administrators and they [replied] things like, ‘Oh well we’ll get back to you,’ … so I’ve been hounding them about it, and it’s just one-sided.” This prompted LaCour’s creation of the resolution. Her hope is that if the resolution passes the SG Student Senate, administrators will be more likely to pay attention. While LaCour predicts a lot of debate over the resolution on the SG Student Senate floor, a survey she collected stated that 192 out of 336 have a preferred name that is not listed on their Tiger Card. In addition, the resolution includes that upwards of 108 universities allow students and employees to list their preferred name on their University-associated ID card. “Seventy-seven percent of people were in favor of getting it where you could have a preferred name [on your Tiger Card] and only 34 percent of people used their Tiger Card as a legal form of ID,” LaCour said. “Right now, you just have to have what it says on … your LSU registration, but I feel like they should be separate entities.”
LE KREWE, from page 1 Shearman is the composer and the cinematographer. After the inception of their company, they immediately started planning their first short film “Expedition Saffron,” an adventure story about the strength of the underdog. “Expedition Saffron” was written as a feature but was condensed into a short film due to budgetary reasons. Their goal with the short film is to obtain the attention of potential investors to make the full-length film in the future, they said. Utilizing a theme that will be present in all of their films, “Expedition Saffron” is meant to encourage underdogs and show that what seems to be unattainable is often attainable, McCoy said. As direct symbolism for the tripod’s humble beginnings as underdogs themselves, McCoy hopes the theme will be resonant in inspiring people to achieve their goals. “We want our films to be the fuel on the fire to inspire people and get them moving towards their dreams,” McCoy said. McCoy said they owe a lot to the greats that came before them — namedropping influences like Walt Disney, Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg. McCoy wants to play a role in the reciprocal cycle of inspiration by making art the younger generation will feel inspired by, just like they have been. “If there were no other
page 5 artists, I would just be a blank slate, and I would have nothing to go off of,” McCoy said. “All these other artists have written me… and now I’m writing.” The plot of “Expedition Saffron” follows a group of adventurers in search of a philosopher’s stone — a mystical object many people don’t think exists. By the end of the film, they attain it with the help of some supernatural characters directly based off of Greek mythological archetypes, a witch doctor in particular. The witch doctor is where their New Orleans roots are put on display, as the character is an attempt to honor the Voodoo traditions of the city, McCoy said. The scene with the witch doctor was their biggest scene and took from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. to film. Filmed between Kentwood, Louisiana and the jungles of Mexico, the making of “Expedition Saffron” was not an easy process, but the boys loved every minute of it. Shearman composed the score for the film and University musicians played his compositions. McCoy stressed the importance of a film’s music, as it can often make or break a film. Just recently, “Expedition Saffron” was accepted into its first film festival, Mandeville’s Pontchartrain Film Festival. A huge milestone for the company, the trio hopes this is just the first of many, as they’ve submitted their film into major festivals like Tribeca Film Festival and
Sundance Film Festival. Moving forward, Le Krewe Productions has a few plans for the near future. Their next large project is currently in development and will take place in a Venetian Carnival setting, again dealing with a character of a lower socioeconomic status attempting to achieve a lofty goal. In addition to their large projects, Le Krewe hopes to release multiple shorter films around holidays to keep their fans happy. Their Halloween short film, “Mystery Manor” is just days from release, and they already have Thanksgiving and Christmas films in mind. Since the boys graduate this coming May, they’ve had to quickly decide what their game plan is from here. McCoy said they will all reconvene in the Mandeville/ New Orleans area and start from there. “We’re starting with New Orleans; see if we can’t conquer that city,” McCoy said. “Eventually we’re going to want to gravitate towards the king poles of film either New York or Hollywood. We don’t know in which we’ll end up.” Regardless of where they end up, McCoy reinforces that he just hopes to inspire the next generation of creators with his art. “Inspiring people and giving other people the same fire that inspires us is what we would die trying to do,” McCoy said. “We’re ready to take on the world.”
LSU BIKE MONTH
NOVEMBER 2017
Win prizes for logging the most miles and rides in November! Bike Talk: Safety, Maintenance and General Info 11/7 & 11/29, 10:00 am Cranksgiving: Bike Ride to Benefit Greater BR Food Bank 11/12 @ City Park Bicycle Scavenger Hunt with Prizes Nov. 13th – 17th Bike Sale & Auction 11/15, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm, Tower Drive
Visit www.lsu.edu/bikes for details! KATE ROY / The Daily Reveille
Film and media arts senior John McCoy discusses his student-run film production company, Le Krewe Productions, outside of Insomnia Cookies on Oct. 26.
The Daily Reveille
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017
ENVIRONMENT
Deltas slowly collapsing due to rise in sea level, research shows BY ASHLON LUSK @shlinie Frequently rising sea levels have resulted in the danger of losing deltas across the world, according to new research published in the Journal of Coastal Research. LSU College of the Coast and Environment Boyd Professor R. Eugene Turner said deltas formed eight thousand years ago, and they laid a peat layer, which is the accumulation of partially decayed vegetation and organic matter. People have examined that layer and discovered they are all around the same age. The deltas did not form until the sea level was about 5 millimeters or less. The sea level has slowed until recently, and now the acceleration rate is at 3.9 millimeters per year. “If you’re in a car, it’s no longer 10 miles an hour, it’s 20 miles an hour,” Turner said. “We’re worried about it being at 30 miles an hour.” More than 500 million people, or nearly 7 percent of the human population, live on a delta, according to the research. One in particular, the Mississippi River Delta, located at the tip of the “boot” of Louisiana, is collapsing, Turner said. The Mississippi River del-
tas are at around 60-100 miles out south of New Orleans, which means there is less buffering from storms, creating added difficulty for ships. The mineral and organic matter is at an increasing threat.
GET
T H G U A C
GREEN-HANDED AT THE
LSU VS. ARKANSAS GAME NOVEMBER 11
Take a selfie while recycling before, during, or after the game and tag us for a chance to win a football signed by Coach Ed Orgeron! @sustainable_lsu @lsu_sustainability @lsusustainability
Volunteer to help clean up on Sunday, Nov. 12. Campus organizations volunteering ten or more members will receive a stipend of $250! If interested in volunteering, email sustainability@lsu.edu
“The city itself is going further and further below sea level and the levees have to be filled up to contain them,” Turner said. “Half the people in the U.S. live on the coast, and roads are already being
flooded more frequently.” Turner said it is a fact that these things are happening and they cannot be denied. People need a more long term perspective about these consequences and how
to deal with them, he said. “We have to recognize that these large changes are happening, and it is not something that is going away, and it also has a momentum behind it,” Turner said. “Even if we stopped climate change right now, oceans are still going to warm continually and sea levels are going to rise for the next 100 years. We have to recognize what we’ve done and stop what we’re doing and reverse it.” Turner said it is not going to be a very comfortable scenario because there is so much based on a growth economy and our society has to go into something other than that. The U.S. is a more exploitive economy, as opposed to a steady-state economy. Turner said some people think they want more proof of climate change, which is a wait-and-see. He warns the effects of climate change must be addressed before the impacts become irreversible. “We have to look ahead at what’s happening now and in the future, not wait until something worse is happening,” Turner said. “If you saw somebody taking money out of your checking account every week, would you wait until it’s zero or would you try and do something right away?”
RESEARCH
LSU veterinary assistant wins award BY HAILEY AUGLAIR @ haileyauglair1
Associate clinical specialist Darla Garon, of the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, is one of two recipients of the Champions of the Cause Award, Boehringer Ingelheim and EquiManagement magazine has announced. The Champions of the Cause Award is an annual award that highlights the importance of the work of equine veterinary technicians and assistants. The program was founded in 2015 by BI in partnership with EquiManagement and the American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians and Assistants (AAEVT). The winners receive all-expenses-paid trips to the 2017 AAEVT Annual Conference during the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Annual Conference during the Convention in San Antonio, Texas, according to Equimanagement. Dr. Rebecca McConnico, former University professor and veterinarian at Louisiana Tech University nominated Garon. “She has advanced the critical care of equine patients and the veterinary teaching hospital of LSU more significantly than anyone I’ve worked with there,” McConnico said. “She’s been a tremendous role model and teacher and a huge support to the equine internal medicine service. She’s just a team player.” Garon has worked for the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospi-
KATE ROY / The Daily Reveille
LSU veterinary technician Darla Garon talks about “Champions of the Cause,” an equine health care award she received, at the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital on Friday, Oct. 27, 2017. tal for six years. She is an equine medicine and ambulatory technician and coordinator of the Equine Critical Care Team, which trains 20 to 30 student workers each year to help with critical patients during foaling season. Garon grew up in the Baton Rouge area and began working in barns at the age of 15. “I would wake up at 5 a.m. to clean stalls to pay for my horse’s board then got involved in training aspect. It’s always been a part of my life,” Garon said. “Always I was that child that would pick up anything and bring it home, dogs, cats, turtles, lizards, always had a fascination with horses.” Garon has managed barns at Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana, and she started an equine assisted psychotherapy business with her mother. “I really love teaching the students and watching them
succeed, like when they place their first catheter, seeing the excitement on their faces keeps it fresh,” Garon said. As a technician, Garon is responsible for patient care and assists with labs, allowing students to help if it is safe and they are confident. “I have a real love of neonates and foals, but the ones we get are usually pretty bad off,” Garon said. Foals, horses under one year of age, sometimes forget everything from how to nurse or stand. Many believe this is due to a lack of oxygen in the brain during birth, Garon said. “Those are the most rewarding cases because you get something that can’t fend for itself and would not make it unless you do something,”Garon said. “We teach them how to nurse and stand again and usually within a couple of days they turn around and are normal.”
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, November 1, 2017 CONSERVATION, from page 3 unruly stadium. The last thing LSU should do is condemn yet another tiger to a lifetime of exploitation.” In an interview with NPR on Sept. 1, director of PETA’s Captive Animals Law Enforcement Brittany Peet said, “It’s up to the facilities at LSU to ensure that they are providing the best care for the animals in their possession and the best care equals accreditation.” Before the University became owners of Mike VII, the School of Veterinary Medicine staff and Tiger Athletic Foundation worked to upgrade the previous tiger habitat to a Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries accredited sanctuary. Part of the accreditation process meant Mike will no longer be brought onto the field during home football games. “What [people] do is they get cubs, they breed cubs so people give them $100 to get their picture taken with them. Then when they grow out of being cubs they disband them and
send them to places that aren’t licensed … there’s evidence they put them on the black market,” Alexander said in an interview with The Daily Reveille. The University officially welcomed Mike VII to campus and his Animal Welfare Act and United States Department of Agriculture-approved habitat on Aug. 21. Mike VII was donated to the University from Wild at Heart Wildlife Center, a sanctuary in Okeechobee, Florida, according to a press release. The introduction of the Tiger Conservation Fund comes as a part of the University’s association with the U.S. Tiger University Consortium. The Consortium partners the University with Auburn University, Clemson University and University of Missouri, all of which have tigers as their mascots. The Consortium is a piece of the Global Tiger Forum, which is under the World Bank’s Global Tiger Initiative. “Mike really is a rescue,” Alexander said. “He is a load of fun.”
According to the University’s Tiger Conservation Fund website, “these four universities are working to save tigers by raising awareness of the issue and by raising funds that will help the cause in various ways.” The funds donated will go to causes including advancing science for the preservation of wild tigers in tiger range countries, creating a fellowship program for undergraduate, graduate and veterinary students interested in conducting research on tiger management and conservation and preparing University students for careers in wildlife management, conservation and ecosystem health, according to the fund’s website. “As Louisiana’s flagship university, research is a key part of our mission,” Alexander said in a press release. “And this fund will allow our students to engage in work that will have a real impact on the wild tiger population.” Dena Winegeart contributed to this report.
page 7 ELECTION, from page 3 Student Senate and impact students’ lives on campus, said co-campaign manager of the Connect 2017 ticket and current Center for Advising and Counseling senator Cassidy Riley. “Our main initiative with this ticket is to bridge that gap that’s between Student Government and the student body,” Riley said. “Oftentimes the students have no idea [about] the legislation we’re passing in Senate, even though a lot of it affects their everyday life.” Currently, according to the LSU Student Government Constitution, reapportionment of the Student Senate seats happen at the end of the fall semester. Contesting of the fall election results, which happens soon after results are announced, must use the previous year’s apportionment, should a senator need to contest the results. Referendum 1 would allow the opportunity to amend the Constitution so that reapportionment would happen concurrent to the fall election
held that semester. Borne said she thinks that utilizing tickets in fall elections is important because it allows students to find ways to get involved with SG, without such elections students would not normally know how to get involved. “I think the tickets are useful because it helps with outreach and to get more people involved,” Borne said. “[Being able to] pull people from all different aspects of campus instead of just the same people running over and over again.” Riley said she believes the use of tickets are useful in getting the word out about various initiatives. “It’s a lot easier to promote different initiatives through a ticket as opposed to just individually,” Riley said. “When you have two or three different tickets, they each have their own name [and] their own platform, it’s a lot easier to separate it for the general public.” The results of the fall election will be announced on Nov. 1 in the Live Oak Lounge located in the LSU Student Union at 4 p.m.
FALL STUDENT GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS: WHAT TO KNOW UNITE 2017 Focusing on using student feedback about the use of technology
CONNECT 2017 Focusing on connecting the student body to Student Government
REFERENDUM 1 Allowing the opportunity to amend the Constitution so that reapportionment would happen concurrent to the fall election WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille
Mike the Tiger perches in his habitat on Sept. 6 on LSU’s campus.
RECYCLING, from page 3 chosen the Nov. 11 game against Arkansas as the gameday to be reported, Temple said. Students can participate in the challenge by simply recycling on gameday. The University is doing some new things for the challenge this year. Students and visitors can take pictures of themselves recycling and tag LSU Campus Sustainability on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for a chance to win a football signed by LSU coach Ed Orgeron, Temple said. The University is also partnering with BASF in a new green team initiative. “We are assembling a team with the help of BASF. They are trying to recruit people with us, to form a go-green team to
Before, during and after the game, recycle anything recyclable. That’s the big thing.” SARAH TEMPLE
Campus Sustainability Manager educate tailgaters on gameday,” Temple said. There is also a $250 stipend being offered for LSU organizations who provide volunteers for the campus cleanup efforts on Sunday, Temple said. Temple said wood pallets were particularly important to
the recycling effort because they weigh 30 to 35 pounds each. “This year, we’re trying to include every wood pallet we can find associated with the game,” Temple said. “If there’s a wood pallet in Tiger Stadium associated with the game, we’re going to recycle it.”
WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille
A student recycles her water bottle on Oct. 31 outside Hodges Hall on LSU Campus.
The Daily Reveille
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Sports
page 9
building BLOCKS J.D. Moore excels on the field and in the classroom in final year BY KENNEDI LANDRY @ landryyy14 Few things hold more importance in J.D. Moore’s life than football and architecture. Architecture had always been an interest for Moore as a kid, but he never thought he could make a career out of it. He never expected his interest to last that long. As the time came to pick a college and a major, he explored different areas like business or engineering, but still nothing sparked his interest quite like
architecture did. The problem then became, who would let him take on such a rigorous and time consuming major on top of being a student-athlete. “As I was looking at universities, LSU was one of the only schools that would let me do both architecture and football,” Moore said. “So I was able to get into the architecture program and the more I was involved in it, the more I really enjoyed it. It kind of started as an
see J.D. MOORE, page 14
WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille
OPINION
Why it’s not yet time for Coach O to go CAL’D UP CHRIS CALDARERA Columnist There’s a famous idiom about the nature of opinions that circulates whenever someone throws rational thought to the wind and speaks atop the fickle soapbox of emotion. Minus a crass word here and there, the point of the colloquial I mentioned is to convey the message that everyone has an opinion and they all stink. Last week, Miles Jordan, an opinion writer for The Daily Reveille, gave his take on why it’s already time for the Tigers to part ways with LSU coach Ed Orgeron and Matt Canada. While Jordan is completely entitled to his opinion, I think it’s an important article to address in order to maintain the credibility of the sports staff while also pointing out the egregious flaws in his piece. For starters, Jordan does not work for the sports section, his views do not represent those of the sports staff and he is certainly not the sports columnist.
see COACH O, page 14
FOOTBALL
LSU-Bama game has far more implications off field BY BRANDON ADAM @ badam_TDR
For LSU, a win against Alabama can do more than break a six-year losing streak — but start to turn the tide in recruiting. Since the 2011 recruiting class, Alabama has signed 12 recruits that were ranked as a top 10 prospect in Louisiana by 247sports. com. Three of those players — Landon Collins, Cam Robinson and Tim Williams — were drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. One of the biggest selling points to Louisiana recruits is winning, especially against LSU. “[Alabama] Coach [Nick] Saban said ‘If you go there, we are just going to have to beat you every year,’” said LSU sophomore linebacker Devin White. “I’m like, ‘Wow, he really said that.’” No current LSU player has beaten Alabama, and the only player with a connection to LSU’s last win against Alabama is sixthyear senior linebacker Corey
Thompson, who was a part of the 2012 recruiting class. “To me, I wasn’t a Tiger so I didn’t really care,” White said regarding Saban’s comment. “He was speaking facts at the time, and he was telling me like it was. But now that I’m here, and I remember this in the back of my head and that happened like two or three years ago. It really stuck with me.” With the chasm between LSU and Alabama seeming bigger than ever, the Tigers need a win, more so when considering that current recruits were in middle school the last time LSU defeated the Tide. And in recruiting, anything goes. The Tigers and the Tide have battled for the same recruits for as long as recruiting as existed, but the battles have become more prominent with the emphasis Saban has placed on Louisiana. “For a lot of guys it comes down to LSU-Alabama,” said LSU sophomore defensive end Rashard Lawrence.
Lawrence, a five-star recruit in the class of 2016, is from North Louisiana — an area that has been very favorable to the Tide under Saban. Alabama has 10 Louisiana natives on its current roster, four are from the MonroeRuston area, and two of the four are from the same high school as Lawrence. “It was harder for Rashard because you had guys like Cam Robinson, Hootie Jones and Cam Sims all from the Monroe area all that went to Bama and had success,” White said. “Me and him were at Bama together and we roomed together. We were just talking and talking, and I’m telling him ‘Man, I’m thinking about going to LSU. I need you to come with me because you’re big player on your end in Louisiana, in the Monroe area, and I’m a big on my end and we can get a lot of people to come.’” While Lawrence was considering Alabama, his decision came down to LSU and Ohio State. However, his visit to
WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille
LSU sophomore linebacker Devin White (40) watches the play during the Tigers’ 3526 win against Syracuse on Sept. 23 in Tiger Stadium. Alabama for an LSU game provided some clarity for Lawrence. “I feel like when I took a visit
over there and I was rooting for LSU, I knew this is where I wanted to be,” Lawrence said. “It was
see DEVIN, page 14
The Daily Reveille
page 10
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Transfers Bigby-Williams, Combs add experience, size to Tigers BY GLEN WEST @glenwest21 College basketball is a revolving door of players from year-to-year. This season LSU will introduce eight new players to the roster, including four transfer players. Senior forwards Kavell Bigby-Williams and Jeremy Combs are players that may not contribute right away on the court, but will provide a veteran presence off the court. Bigby-Williams was born and raised in London and spent much of his childhood playing soccer as a goalkeeper. Bigby-Williams described basketball as not being a big sport in England with the focus mainly on soccer. “As I got older I started growing and basketball became the sport I played,” Bigby-Williams said. “Not a lot of people know players from England and now I’m just playing for my country and help put them on the basketball map.” After high school in England, Williams had the opportunity to play in the United States at Gillette College where he played two seasons before transferring to the University of Oregon. At this time last year, Bigby-Williams was preparing
for a season with the Oregon Ducks, who eventually played in the Final Four and lost to North Carolina by one point. Bigby-Williams said that experience was vital for his growth as a player and wants to bring that to this LSU squad. Last season with the Ducks, Bigby-Williams averaged three points, three rebounds and a block per game, in ten minutes a game. “There was a lot of people there,” Bigby-Williams said. “I would watch the NCAA Championship on TV so for me to actually be a part of that, it was a great experience.” Although Bigby-Williams isn’t eligible to play this season for the Tigers his goal is to provide a big man presence in practice for guys to go against. Seniors Duop Reath and Aaron Epps along with freshman Mayan Kiir are the only big men on the active roster this season. Coach Will Wade said Bigby-Williams will be a major factor next season for LSU, but has been great for Reath in particular. “Kavell is a presence down there,” Wade said. “I mean he is 6’ 11”, he can block shots, he runs the rim, he is developing some offensive skill,
and he has worked really hard. He has been diligently working, and he challenges Duop. I think the more Duop is challenged, the more prepared he will be when we open the season.” Combs on the other hand will be able to help the Tigers this season, but just not right away. The North Texas transfer has been nursing a ligament injury in his ankle since the start of camp, and is starting non-contact basketball activities. Last season for North Texas, Combs posted numbers of ten points and six rebounds per game while playing 26 minutes a game. As of Oct. 24, Combs has slowly been working his way back on to the court. “He’s been on the court,” Wade said. “He’s been running and doing some five on zero stuff. It’s good to have him back running.” Combs is still not sure what is role will represent beyond being a veteran leader for this team, but should know in a few weeks when he returns to practice. The relationships Combs has built with his teammates has been a focus of his while injured.
“We spend a lot of time together,” Combs said. “We eat and play games together.
I had a real smooth transition and I didn’t expect it to be this good so I’m happy with that.”
WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille
LSU graduate transfer forward Jeremy Combs (13) speaks to the press Oct. 24 at the basketball media day.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Sophomore Ayana Mitchell prepares for breakthrough season BY JARRETT MAJOR @jarrett_tdr The LSU Lady Tigers made a surprising turn from the bottom of the Southeastern Conference to the top half last season in large part due to improved play by senior guard Raigyne Louis and junior guard Chloe Jackson. This season the Lady Tigers plan on taking another step up in the SEC, and a large part of that will be if they can get improvement in the paint by sophomore forward Ayana Mitchell. “Points in the paint will definitely come from her,” said LSU coach Nikki Fargas. “She is somebody that can score the basketball, but her ability to get to the offensive glass, makes her someone we can look to.” “That is a lot of pressure on me,” Mitchell laughingly said when asked about that. “I try to stick to the basics – offensive boards, finishing shots, and getting to the free throw line.” In the SEC, that often meant Mitchell, who is 6’2”, was guarding players a couple of inches taller than her. Mitchell started the first 18 games for the Lady Tigers before getting benched for the final 14, during those first games she had the task of guarding the opposing centers. Part of the reason for her
WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille
LSU sophomore forward Ayana Mitchell (5) speaks to the press on Oct. 24 at the basketball media day. benching was consistency Mitchell was recovering from a season ending back injury which caused her to medically redshirt in her first year. “Everything is good on this end, as far as my body, where I’m mentally and emotionally, so I think I am ready,” she said. “I’m definitely excited about our freshmen, they are definitely going to have a tremendous impact. As long
as I stay healthy, and they do what they are supposed to do, we are going to have a great season.” Mitchell’s consistency will be important for the Lady Tigers who even with her struggles last season, managed to be the third leading rebounder with 5.4 rebounds per game and fourth leading scorer at 8.1 points per game. Mitchell has already showed
what she is capable of for this season in the Lady Tiger’s preseason exhibition trek to Italy. Mitchell averaged a double with 16.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game, leading LSU in both categories. Mitchell was one of two Lady Tigers taller than six feet to play more than 12 games. This year LSU will be able to get meaningful minutes by two more six footers in
freshmen Raven Farley and Faustine Aifuwa. “It’s definitely great that we have a lot of depth, especially in the post,” Mitchell said. “So, we are able to rotate into the post and get a different feel in the paint.” The Lady Tigers have already set high expectations for Mitchell this season. She was one of three players that Fargas said are candidates to start for LSU this season, along with Louis and Jackson. Mitchell, along with Louis was one of two players that the Lady Tigers sent to SEC Tipoff in Nashville as a leader of the team. “She is a person to look out for,” Louis said. “She is a tweener. She can dribble, penetrate, make plays, and pass the ball. She can do it all. I think she is somebody that everybody needs to look out for this season.” Mitchell said that the SEC Tipoff, along with both missing the 2015-16 season with injury, has brought her in Louis close together this season. “We were together at rehab (for the injury),” Mitchell said. “We were together at her wedding. We were together at SEC Media Days. She is my best friend. It just feels really good to go out there, in her senior year, and play together.”
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Game on! New Gen Ed class offered for sports fans BY MANSHIP SCHOOL manship.lsu.edu In search of a new general education social science of Mass Communication kicks Communication in spring 2018. “Our new Gen Ed explores sports through the lens of our mass communication program: sports and advertising, sports and public relations, sports and journalism, and sports and political communication,” Assistant Professor Steve Bien-Aimé, who will teach the class, said. guest lectures, scholarly research and current events, MC 2002 will tackle how sports and mass media unify/divide people locally, nationally and internationally in terms of economics, politics, culture, class will also detail the history
of sports and mass media and where their relationship will head in the future. Prior to receiving his doctorate from the College of Communications at Penn State and coming to the Manship School, Bien-Aimé served in a variety of functions at FOXSports.com in Los Angeles, departing as deputy NFL editor. its mass communication degree can take you anywhere. You know what else you can en-Aimé said. Louisiana to explore sports and no better place than the Manship School to explore mass communication. Sports events are mostly experienced only through the mass media. Experience the new class spring 2018. Regardless of area a social science general education requirement. Seats are limited, so register now.
A Manship 2010 graduate, Hobie Artigue (left) is a sports reporter in Minneapolis, where he also hosts KMSP Fox 9’s Vikings Game Day Live.
2018
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Open to LSU Juniors, Seniors and Graduate Students, Leadership LSU is a campus tradition during which students explore the concepts of adaptive leadership. Completed application and recommendation letters are due by Fri., Dec. 1 at 11:59 PM via Tigerlink at lsu.edu/tigerlink.
Questions? Visit lsu.edu/campuslife or call 578.5160. Attendees requiring accommodations for a disability or medical condition: contact Campus Life at 225.578.5160 at least 7 days prior to event.
page 12
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
The Daily Reveille
page 13
THE VOODOO EXPERIENCE Voodoo Music + Arts Experience brings good music, loud artists and festival lovers back to City Park for three days of non-stop music Oct. 28-30 in New Orleans. PHOTOS BY KELLY MCDUFF
The Daily Reveille
page 14
interest as a young kid and it happened to be the passion that I’ve chosen to follow.” Architecture, LSU’s only fiveyear undergraduate program, is likely one of the most time consuming as well. Because of the hands-on nature of architecture, Moore’s school work involves a lot more than studying and memorization. Moore has spent many late nights and early mornings perfecting models and diagrams. “Things normally take more time than you think,” Moore said. “I’d be like, ‘Oh yeah I can finish that in 30 minutes and then it ends up taking two and a half hours, so you really have to plan. Although Moore has become a pro at balancing his school work with his football schedule, it wasn’t always that easy. He has learned some serious time management skills since his freshman year. He quickly realized that he had to structure his social life and down time to make time for studying and football. “You make time for the things that are important to you,” Moore said. “For me, football and architecture are important, so I choose to make time. My mindset isn’t that if I stumble upon time to study I will. You have to make that time to study.”
Moore is constantly going 100 miles per hour, with workouts and practice and school work, so he has to step back and tell himself to take a break. He, like many collegiate athletes, often has to sacrifice things that “normal” college students would do. His weekends are busy enough during the season, but weekdays are just as tough. There’s not a lot of time to watch Netflix or hangout with friends when a night in the architecture studio awaits him. With a 4.0 GPA, and only one B in his time at LSU, Moore has easily balanced the pace of LSU’s football and architecture programs. His 4.0 is the highest GPA on the football team and the tenth highest in the entire LSU athletic department. “He’s going to be the CEO of a company one day — running it,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “Tremendous character, tremendous leader. I’m so happy for him.” Moore attributes his dedication to architecture to the principles he has learned as he grew from being a scout team walk-on to an undeniable leader on LSU’s football team. “The discipline you learn in football sets you up for success in this field because you learn to discipline yourself, you learn to manage your time well,” Moore said. “You learn to do hard things,
to be uncomfortable and to be OK with it.” Moore’s success and dedication on and off the field made it a no-brainer when he was named one of two players to wear the No. 18 this season. The No. 18 jersey symbolizes a player being a team leader and a selfless player. Moore shares LSU’s signature jersey with senior defensive end Christian LaCouture. They became the first pair to share the number since the tradition started in 2003 with quarterback Matt Mauck leading LSU to its first national championships since 1958. Moore has primarily been used as a blocker in LSU’s offensive plan, paving the way for the likes of former running back Leonard Fournette and junior Derrius Guice. In LSU’s 40-24 win over Ole Miss, he finally scored his first career touchdown on a shovel pass from quarterback Danny Etling. “It was a little surreal,” Moore said. “I wasn’t really expecting it. I just made the right move, saw the opportunity was right there, and went for it and dove in.” The former walk-on has pushed relentlessly in everything he does throughout his career at LSU. Even though these five years have been difficult, he was always motivated to continuously be better.
DEVIN, from page 9
COACH O, from page 9
in my heart, I knew this is where I wanted to be.” White remembers Lawrence’s commitment to LSU quite well. The running back turned linebacker enrolled early at LSU, and became a key member of LSU’s recruiting staff. “I knew the night before National Signing Day [Lawrence] was coming,” White said. “We talked on the phone, and he said I’m going to be a Tiger.” Lawrence is one of several Tigers that White claimed to have recruited to LSU. “It was him, Kris Fulton, we had a bunch of guys committed, but it was because of me, because I recruited those guys,” White said. “I did that. I texted all those guys, got all those guys to come.” “In my class we had like 15 people in the top 300. We just kept it in state, which was a good thing because Louisiana has the best talent. We don’t need to go no where else to get them.”
That position is occupied by yours truly. Secondly, and as a few Facebook commenters pointed out, the basis of Jordan’s piece was built on a foundation of misleading statistics. In his article, Jordan makes a false comparison between LSU’s offensive rank at the end of last year and LSU’s offensive rank presumably after the Troy game. This is not a fair comparison due to the simple fact that it predicates one looking at LSU’s offenses at different points in their respective seasons. However, if we compare the 2016 and 2017 Tiger offenses at
equivalent moments in time — we’ll use the measurement of five games in order to be fair to Jordan — something interesting happens. After five games into the 2016 season, LSU’s offense averaged 25.2 points per game, 398.4 yards of total offense, 1.2 turnovers a game and had a thirddown efficiency rating of 42.6 percent. Match that with a Tiger offense that averaged 27 points per game, 409 yards of total offense, one turnover a game and had a third-down efficiency rating of 35.1 percent, and maybe you’ll see that these offenses are not that far apart. Granted, an athletic program hires a new coach with the expectation that the team makes
J.D. MOORE, from page 9
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
KIM NGUYEN / The Daily Reveille
LSU senior fullback John David Moore (18) prepares for a play during the Tigers’ 45-10 victory over Chattanooga on Sept. 9 in Tiger Stadium. “I don’t think I could’ve imagined I would have the success I have in either architecture or football,” Moore said. “It’s very tough but very rewarding at the
same time. I’m just extremely grateful for LSU to give me the opportunity to come here and do both. [This degree] is very valuable to me.”
noticeable improvements, but LSU has certainly not regressed at the helm of Orgeron the way Jordan implied in his article. It’s true that LSU’s performances this season against Mississippi State and Troy were horrendous and left much to be desired, but to disregard the improvements made against Florida, Auburn and Ole Miss is sure to lead one to fallacious conclusions. If any division one athletic department hit the panic button as fast as spectators like Jordan would like them to, the stability of blue-chip programs would suffer and the overall product of prime-time college football would be truly disappointing. Don’t believe me? I’m old enough to remember
a 2007 Alabama football team that had just hired a brand new football coach by the name of Nick Saban. That football team finished with a record of 7-6 and went on a four game skid that included losses to rivals LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn along with an embarrassing defeat to Louisiana-Monroe. By Jordan’s logic, Saban should have been fired that year and Alabama football’s dynasty would have never come to fruition. I certainly have my fair share of critiques of Orgeron and Canada, but it would behoove everyone associated with LSU athletics to give this coaching staff a fair shake before jumping to rash conclusions.
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WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille
LSU coach Ed Orgeron cheers for his team on Sep. 2 during the Tigers’ 27-0 win against the BYU Cougars in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille
LSU coach Ed Orgeron walks down Victory Hill on Sept. 23 before the Syracuse game at Tiger Stadium.
Entertainment LIVING
page 15
ART
photos by DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille
Chez Fab Arts and Community Project provides for creative collaboration, networking
O
n the corner of Iroquois and Delaware Street in North Baton Rouge, an unassuming vermilion house is the home to nonprofit Chez Fab Arts and Community Project, an organization dedicated to connecting local residents through art. Upon opening her front door, homeowner Cindy Wonderful welcomes guests into her home
that doubles a creative space for members of the Baton Rouge community. The house’s open living room is used for film showings, video production, and as an art gallery and music venue. The house itself is a work of art, as it’s been remodeled and decorated by Wonderful. As you move through the home, you arrive at a kitchen where the walls and floors
are painted in a black and white entangled vine and snake pattern. The cabinets are covered in chalkboard paint that invite a quick, whimsical expression. “I’d like it feel like a fun house, and when you step inside you’re transported immediately,” Wonderful said. The house’s three bedrooms, including its
BY MACKENZIE TREADWELL @mackenzieelizaa
see CHEZ FAB, page 20 ART
LSU alumna brightens Baton Rouge with murals, installations BY KAYLEE POCHE @kaylee_poche Whether she’s helping create a rooftop installation or spontaneously painting a mural on the side of a building with a friend, University alumna Stephanie Landry is brightening up Baton Rouge one project at a time. By the time she was 8 years old and making collages, the Baton Rouge native knew she wanted to be in artist. Landry was introduced to art at an early age when she spent time woodworking with her father, a carpenter. “My dad was really supportive of me just being like a weird little creative kid,” Landry said. “He would just stick me in a corner and give me a hammer, nails, a little handsaw and some wood and would be like, ‘Here, entertain yourself.’” This proposition thrilled her, she said, and still does. Since graduating in 2012, Landry has
worked on a myriad of projects around the community. Landry departed from her previous phase of painting landscapes with her current series, entitled “Are You Broken?” In the series, Landry photographs anyone who is willing to participate and asks them if they are broken, using their response as the caption for the piece. She then transfers the photograph to wood and makes a colorful wooden sculpture of their face. Through the series, she hopes to capture different reactions to events in people’s lives and learn more about other people, she said. She developed the idea months prior to the series’s first piece. First, she started experimenting on Photoshop with an image she took of herself in early 2016. Then after a hectic summer last year, she wanted her work to concentrate on other people instead of herself, she said. After a rough year personally and a volatile cycle of current events, she
noticed talking to people helped both parties. “You feel better. I feel better,” she said. “Hopefully someone will see this and be like, ‘Oh, OK.’” To create these sculptures, which are typically a few feet tall, Landry adds different colors to the original photograph via Photoshop and transfers it onto wood with ink. Next, she cuts the wood with a specialty saw, takes everything apart, paints the wood and puts the pieces back together. The process is complicated and time-consuming, but Landry doesn’t seem to mind, she said. “I like it,” Landry said. “I like to make really complicated stuff.” Landry also worked with Casey Phillips of The Walls Project and several other artists to design a rooftop installation outside the Neonatal
see LANDRY, page 20
DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille
LSU alumna Stephanie Landry stands in front of her mural at Mid City Redevelopment Alliance on the corner of Laurel Street and North 19th Street.
The Daily Reveille
page 16
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
ART
Civil engineer doubles as local artist to create abstract work BY CORRINE PRITCHETT @corrineellen
Bliss Bernard may be a civil engineer in her day-to-day, but the 26-year-old lets her creative side run free with abstract art on the side. “You know how some people are left-brained and some are right-brained?” Bernard said. “Well I’m still trying to determine which one I fall under.” Growing up, Bernard was naturally creative. Her passion for beautifying her world through art only blossomed from there, with her interests narrowing to graffiti, stencils and painting on shoes by the time she was in high school. She liked the idea of repurposing old items into art, she said. “While in college, I started my first artistic business venture,” said Bernard. “My roommate asked me to paint a party cup for her as a gift for a friend and it took off after that. I painted … any kind of themed cup you can think of.” Other than her cup business, Bernard’s focus in college was on becoming a civil engineer. She didn’t know she wanted to pursue engineering upon enrolling at
the University, but knew she wanted to make things, specifically design sneakers, she said. She realized quickly that moving away from her family was going to be a necessity as a designer, and for her, relocating wasn’t an option. She wanted a job in which she would excel, but would keep her near her hometown of Addis, Louisiana. “I started to think of what I was good at besides art,” Bernard said. “I chose civil engineering because I could still make things and study subjects that I was good at.” Bernard graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. After her college career and landing a successful job, Bernard would discover her personal artistic style. “Art is my escape from everyday life,” Bernard said. “I’m a busy engineer and wife by day, but when I paint, I lose my career identity because I’m allowed to creatively be in control. Life has to be balanced.” Her abstract work with acrylic paint gives each of her canvases an individual, contemporary look. Bernard likes to add texture to each of her
courtesy of BLISS BERNARD
Bliss Bernard is a civil engineer by day and abstract artist in her free time. paintings, she said, and has used a variety of mediums like newspaper, salt, pepper, dish soap, paint chips and even pollen to give it the consistency she’s looking for. It didn’t take long for her work to be noticed, either. One of her works entitled “Panels” is hanging in SoSis Boutique, and it’s the first establishment that’s not a gallery to ask her to
display a painting, she said. Bernardevencreatedamural inspired by the Baton Rouge Red Stick Snapchat filter for Stick Game Baton Rouge. “It was like a large-scale cup painting, so I knew I could do it, and I knew it would be a fun venture,” Bernard said. “I would really like to do more of those.” Bernard’s balance between
work and her art career takes practice, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. As she says in her Instagram bio, “Fully committed to daydreaming about making beautiful artwork while at my full-time job, and sometimes my imagination comes to life.” How blissful.
FASHION
Marketing senior, jewelry designer looks to expand blog presence BY MYIA HAMBRICK @MyiaHambrick Marissa Wehrer’s jewelry is more sophisticated than a simple friendship bracelet. Her pieces include long, beaded necklaces adorned with various gems and large beads as well as trendy, leather chokers and simple, stackable bracelets. Her business, Geo by Riss, has gained a few fans who consistently follow her work since its inception three years ago. The 21-year-old marketing senior turned heads her sophomore year by handmaking beaded necklaces and bracelets and marketing them to fellow students. She launched her blog, Jewelry and Journey, where she talks about new jewelry trends and traveling, and the rest is history. “My mom got me into it my freshman year of college and we bonded over it,” Wehrer said. “It was my creative outlet.” Most of her customers find her through word-of-mouth or Instagram. Running her jewelry company helped her learn more about marketing and brand identity, she said. Making custom pieces and connecting with customers are her favorite parts of her work, and she even credits her sophistication in style preferences to the shop. Although her venture has
courtesy of MARISSA WEHRER
Marketing senior Marissa Wehrer designs jewelry for her business Geo by Riss and runs a blog named Jewelry and Journey. been a success thus far, Wehrer is putting Geo by Riss on hold. Wehrer landed a marketing job in Alicante, Spain and will move there after she graduates in December. She sees the job and the move as a way to market herself to her following in a new way: Travel blogging.
“I feature my travels on my blog, so I will be creating tons of content abroad as I travel around Europe,” Wehrer said. “Geo by Riss is on a hiatus until further notice.” The blog is accompanied by an Instagram account of the same name and currently has
around 800 followers. “Geo by Riss is on hiatus until further notice,” Wehrer said. “But there are exciting things to come with the blog, ‘Jewelry and Journey.’” Though she is pursuing this new opportunity, Wehrer admits her jewelry business is far
from complete. Once she returns from Spain next August, Wehrer is open to the possibility of being in the jewelry business full time. Until then, what is left of her stock can be purchased online through her site, jewelryandjourney.com.
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
REV R ANKS 1922
Netflix
“1922” is a properly advertised dud that leaves little to the imagination — what little redemption it has is found in its music and shooting style. Your refrigerator’s ice machine in the middle of the night is more frightening than Netflix’s second Stephen King adaptation.
Mackenzie Treadwell @mackenzieeliza
STRANGER THINGS
Netflix
The second season of the hit Netflix show avoids the sophomore slump with an equal sense of urgency and even better character development. Technically, the show has never been better with expert performances, cinematography and a killer score ripped straight from the ‘80s.
Bobby Crane @b_crane22
page 17
Kelly Clarkson’s eighth studio venture a vocal triumph BY MYIA HAMBRICK @MyiaHambrick From its album cover to the roaring lyrics of nearly every track on her eighth album, “Meaning Of Life,” Kelly Clarkson makes it known that she’s in one of the best moments of her career. The 35-year-old singer brings her signature vocal power to the forefront throughout the Aretha Franklin-style 14-track record. “Meaning Of Life” kicks off with a minute-long intro appropriately titled, “A Minute.” The intro sets the tone of the album with an unapologetic Clarkson crooning, “Sometimes I need a minute just to breathe,” showing listeners how she’s feeling. The next few tracks, “Love So Soft,” “Heat” and “Meaning of Life” are upbeat tracks speaking to the type of relationship the singer means to have. Despite being happily married, the lyrics humanize her. Singing “I need more heat from you, baby. Make me feel weak for you, baby,”
she pleads for more out of the relationship, a feeling many can relate to. In the titular track, Clarkson’s vocals overshadow the band for the first time on the album since “A Minute.”Her happiness exudes through the lyrics as she sings about finding love and happiness that gives her life meaning. The pace changes for a moment with “Move You” but picks up steadily again with the roaring sixth track “Whole Lotta Woman.” The singer collaborated with Earth, Wind and Fire for the song — with her whooping in the background lyrics like, “ I ain’t no girl, I’m a boss with orders,” the sometimes seemingly unconfident Clarkson of the past is gone, and it is more than evident in this track. The second half of the album kicks off with pop-infused “Medicine” and changes pace again with “Cruel,” highlighting Clarkson’s vocals. “Didn’t I,” “Would You Call That Love” and “I Don’t Think About You” bring heartache into the power-packed project.
Clarkson sings about how she’s been burned in previous relationships, taking a moment to once more connect with the audience through dynamic vocals singing about love and loss. Track 12 brings a slow vibe appropriately fitting the title of “Slow Dance.” “Don’t You Pretend” is another smooth song featuring her vocal prowess, but is admittedly close to more of the same after hearing her other tracks in a similar style on this album. Clarkson ends the fiercely vocal package with “Go High.” A pop beat with confident lyrics, Clarkson leaves the audience with a sense of hope as she sings about not giving up in times of struggle. “Meaning Of Life” brings Clarkson back the minds of listeners. The wife and mother of two has clearly turned a new leaf in her confidence as a singer and as a person. The album reflects her growth with a massive punch — although it can sometimes seem repetitive, listeners just can’t get enough of her vocal power and soulful songs.
I LOVE YOU LIKE A BROTHER Alex Lahey Australian singer-songwriter Alex Lahey’s full-length debut, “I Love You Like a Brother,” is a boisterous pop-punk album exploring the rollercoaster of love, family and self-discovery typical of our early 20s. Lahey’s witty and earnest lyrics breathe fresh air into the universal themes, while her guitar-driven instrumentals beg you to shout along.
Katie Gagliano @katie_gagliano
Read the full reviews online at lsunow.com/entertainment
HELP WANTED Gino's is seeking part time evening hostesses. Call 927-7156 for an appointment.
courtesy of BREATHHEAVY.COM
The Daily Reveille
page 18
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
WHAT’S SPINNING AT @KLSURadio
KLSUradio
klsufm
NEW MUSIC “Losing” by Bully
8/10
“We Were Babies & We Were Dirtbags” by Beach Slang
5.5/10
Bognanno’s lyrics are vulnerable and personal, and the layered harmonies make listeners feel as if they’re right with her, both emotionally and physically. The album opens with “Feel the Same,” letting you sneak into Bognanno’s thoughts after a rough breakup. She lists all of her distractions before crying out “Spoke with you last night (Do you still hate me?).” On “Kills To Be Resistant,” Bognanno addresses the struggles of unrequited love. “When I’m around you, I try and keep my distance/I swallow the instance, but the feeling’s persistent.” The idea of suffocating feelings for someone is something almost everyone can relate to, which is what makes this album different from the past. Many songs
are focused on a breakup. Others are angry callouts of misogyny towards women. “Hate and Control” closes the album with built-up anger, calling out an unknown audience. “What is it about me/That makes you so uncomfortable?/Can we just exist without your hate and control?” “Losing” shows that Bully is back and better than ever with emotional lyrics and pure rage. At times throughout the album, tastes of “Feels Like” make fans think nothing has changed, but then Bognanno hits us with something we’ve never heard, and all doubt is gone. Bully is a band like many others, and completely individual all at once. For fans of: Diet Cig, Chastity Belt, and Hop Along
REVIEW BY MR. SOIRÉE HOST OF THE ELECTRIC CARNIVAL, SUNDAYS 11 P.M. - 1 A.M. (ELECTRO SWING) Beach Slang’s newest EP, alternatively titled “Quiet Slang”, is much more emotional and feels very personal compared to past work. The group’s decision to focus on a quieter version of its typical “slang” brings out more of the emotional powerlessness of adolescence. None of the EP’s four songs, composed primarily of James Alex’s harsh vocals and consistent piano, are very rhythmic. It is the subtle influence of violins and rhythm changes that creates the mood. The music really drives through Alex’s voice, carrying feeling in the lyrics from the start to the end of each song. In an almost whisper, the
raw scratches of his naturally punk vocal bring intensity, toned down by the emotion at hand. The lyrics give the album character, covering different ideas in each song. “Future Mixtape for the Art Kids” runs with a motto of powering through pain and broken hearts using every ounce of grit and vigor. “Bad Art and Weirdo Ideas” encourages small fragments of love that lie underneath all the attack and weather of life. “Androgynous,” a remake of The Replacements’ star hit, uses the same lyrics written in 1984 to imply today’s ever-pertinent theme of equalized love, regardless of how
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UPCOMING SHOWS
REVIEW BY HISSYFIT HOST OF FEMME FM, FRIDAYS 9 - 11 P.M. (FEMALE ARTISTS) Take the angsty sound of punk and ‘90s grunge, mix in emotionally personal lyrics, and top it with powerful instruments and vocals, and you get Bully. This Nashville band is fronted by the raw and howling vocals of Alicia Bognanno, a power woman who has her hands in every aspect of the album-making process. Bully released their debut album “Feels Like” in 2015 and slowly but surely grew to fame. Fast forward two years, and we’re gifted “Losing,” an older, angrier, and more personal version of “Feels Like.” Gone are the catchy choruses, and here is Bognanno’s raspy scream revealing all her inner thoughts. “Losing” is Bully’s first album released on Sub Pop Records. The album goes through breakups, mental illness, and misogyny all within 12 songs.
klsuradio.fm
anyone defines themselves. Lastly, “Thirteen” tells the tale of love under constraint, and how unconditional that love can feel in one’s heart. Ultimately, the band’s lyrics are themed in punk, but presented through a poetic window to draw out the latent soul underneath. Musically, Alex’s vocals carry most of the weight, supported by the warm mood present in most sad indie. For Beach Slang, this is a very meaningful release. Otherwise, it’s just a nice set of songs from the heart.
THURSDAY
02 nov
TRANCE FARMERS, LONG LIVE THE GOAT, DRUIDS POOR BOYS BAR (NOLA) 8 P.M.
THURSDAY
02 nov
SPAFFORD SPANISH MOON 7 P.M.
For fans of: Bleached, Bully, White Lung
FRIDAY
03
WHAT WE’RE PLAYING
nov
KADABRA, DECOY, DREXAL FLOWERS 524 STUDIOS 8 P.M.
SATURDAY
Parquet Courts is an art punk/anti-reverb band from Brooklyn, New York. The self-proclaimed “Americana punk” group is centered around frontman and songwriter Andrew Savage. The last day job Savage had was delivering weed, which gave him inspiration for the band’s breakout album, “Light Up Gold.” Parquet Courts’s roots are doubtlessly nestled in post-punk and indie garage rock. Panic and anxiety are written all over the band’s discography, but with clever technique.
Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders quickly became a dynamic duo within the jam band scene of the 70s. With nine albums featuring collaborations between the two, hear a performance from the latest release, Garcia Live Volume Nine. In a beautiful blues inspired performance, feel the essence of the time with free spirited improvisation featuring an exceptional saxophone feature from Martin Fierro.
Sibyl
Elemental
HEAR IT ON THE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR WEDNESDAY NOV. 1, 8 P.M.
HEAR IT ON THE JAMBOREE SATURDAY NOV. 4, 5 - 7 P.M.
After a ghastly Halloween special dedicated to the macabre, supernatural entities, monsters, and ghouls, we return with another theme that is sure to frighten you. From 9-10 p.m, THMITU will feature some of the best alternative and nu metal acts of the ‘90s and early ‘00s. Break out your Ozzfest concert T-shirts, baggy pants or cargo shorts, and add some gel to that spiked hair, because your angst-riddled host is feeling nostalgic. Special appearances by Alice in Chains, Deftones, Korn, Slipknot, Godsmack, Staind, and Primus are sure to make you search your closet for VHS copies of “The Crow” and “Queen of the Damned.”
DJ Leviathan HEAR IT ON THE HEAVIEST MATTER IN THE UNIVERSE, TUESDAY NOV. 7, 9 - 11 P.M.
04 nov
DEADCENTERED, THE ANGRY 88, MISLED THE WOODSHOP 7 P.M.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
The Daily Reveille
page 19
FOOD AND DRINK
New Rotolo’s location honors past, pushes for future BY MACKENZIE TREADWELL @mackenzieelizaa
For the Rotolo’s, a sense of family has been a critical part of the restaurant’s experience and success. The family has been serving up delectable pizzas since 1996, and their new Ben Hur location focuses on preserving the past while pioneering for the future. After nearly two years of collaborative work, Rotolo’s has taken on the subtitle Craft and Crust, elevating its ingredients and décor to create a concept location that hopes to breathe new life into the Baton Rouge food scene. Approaching the restaurant, one can immediately notice the intentional style change in this Rotolo’s location. A bright, open patio with wooden high-top tables greets potential patrons, and floor-to-ceiling retractable windows open to a restaurant that still says, “Welcome home,” said Vice President of Operations and Branding Mitchell Rotolo, Jr. said. The invocation of browns, yellows, and soft blues in its color scheme and wooden and iron tables cultivates a semi-rustic, comforting feel. The walls are covered with muted, yet vividly designed images and sayings to accentuate the casual, fun atmosphere Rotolo’s strives to provide its customers with, Rotolo Jr. said. An accent wall is adorned with certificates,
awards, news clippings and other winning the Pizza World Champimerits to showcase the family’s onship for fastest pizza dough. As he travelled, he noticed prowess while inviting customers pizzerias around the world were into their lives. “There’s something about using ingredients such as proa brand that’s family-built that sciutto, burrata, and balsamic seems to resonate with people,” reductions, ultimately deciding to use this restaurant to implement Rotolo Jr. said. Originally opening in Tiger- them into the Rotolo’s franchise land, Rotolo’s flourished, and to elevate their pizza’s flavors. while the family didn’t know “We wanted to show people any different, the made-from- what pizza could be,” Rotolo Jr. scratch dough and marinara said. “It doesn’t have to be cheap family recipe resonated with and easy.” customers. The pub style spread The new location’s use of cold to all their future restaurants ingredients like arugula, tomaas the family name became a toes and white truffle oil allow the franchise. pizzas to grow as a lunch item as The game-changer for the well. While much of their produce brand would come in 2009 when is locally sourced, items like proRotolo’s partnered with the New sciutto are imported from Italy for Orleans Saints, and for three authenticity. The Ben Hur location also proyears the company would serve pizzas at all games and events, vides 36 beers on draft, many of which were intenmaking a name for themselves “There’s something tionally selected from lesser-known and gaining recogabout a brand that’s breweries across nition. The restaurant family-built that seems the country. showcases finer The Rotolo’s to resonate with details that highslice bar which people.” light the family provides customers with off-thegrounding of RotoMITCHELL ROTOLO JR. lo’s, including permenu options by Vice President of Operations and sonally designed the slice, allowing Branding cans with the them to explore names of each of new creations the Rotolo children as its “brand.” the kitchen puts out and pay by Rotolo Jr. visited the Inter- weight. national School of Pizza in San Rotolo’s Craft and Crust is Francisco in 2016, and competed open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. from in various pizza competitions in Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. Las Vegas and Italy, ultimately to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
GEAUX PRE-LAW WEEK OCT. 30-NOV. 3 For the full list of #GeauxPreLaw events visit lsu.edu/prelaw. Sponsored by the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences, LSU Law Center, and Manship School of Mass Communication. All LSU students are welcome.
ISABELLA ALLEN / The Daily Reveille
Mitchell Rotolo Jr. prepares food on Oct. 26 at the newly opened Rotolo’s at 411 Ben Hur Road.
The Daily Reveille
page 20 CHEZ FAB, from page 15 windows, are individually coated with a solid color — one is a deep red, the other a vibrant turquoise and another is pitch black that immerses those who enter. Two of the bedrooms are accentuated by a wall of shattered mirror shards Wonderful collected. The floors and windows of her personal bedroom are covered with pages from inspirational texts, she said. “I’m just scratching the surface, and it will only grow more intense,” Wonderful said. Wonderful obtained the house in 2013 after returning to Baton Rouge to “completely reinvent [herself],” she said. Growing up, Wonderful lived across the U.S. including Colorado and Washington state. Wonderful found herself in Europe, specifically Berlin, working as a rapper, DJ and artist. The 42-year-old eventually returned to the U.S. to be closer to family and discover “how [she] could flourish and carve out [her] own path,” she said. After accumulating savings, she purchased what was to become Chez Fab for a mere $1,000. Wonderful remodeled the abandoned house, eventually deciding to welcome members of the community into her home in the name of creativity, she said. Chez Fab Arts and Community Project has flourished by allowing people from all walks of life to experience various forms of art through free events. Whether it’s through traditional art, music, video or performance art, Chez Fab gives people an
LANDRY, from page 15 Intensive Care Unit in Women’s Hospital. They stuck with the hospital’s water theme but gave it a Louisiana spin, featuring swamp estuary animals. Landry designed the animals and the backdrop behind the installation. The project took about six months to complete and was the biggest project Landry had worked on, she said. The experience was intensive but rewarding. “To get onto the rooftop we had to walk into the NICU
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
I’m just scratching the surface, and it will only grow more intense. CINDY WONDERFUL
Chez Fab Arts and Community Project founder opportunity to experience art outside of commerce, Wonderful said. A driving force for Chez Fab, Wonderful said she felt there were limited spaces in Baton Rouge that granted artists exploration and growth. With Chez Fab, artists can grow as performers or showcase their work in addition to making career connections, she said. “There’s a lot of people who want to get into the art world and simply don’t know people yet,” Wonderful said “They might see a lot of closed doors, but this house provides a nontraditional avenue [for them].” When scheduling shows, Wonderful purposefully mixes established artists and upand-coming groups to create a network, she said. Ultimately, Wonderful’s free events open doors for dialogue and understanding among different sectors of the local community. Those who typically don’t come to North Baton Rouge now have a reason to invest and plug in, Wonderful said. In addition, those who don’t attend art shows now have an accessible way to
enter into the Baton Rouge arts culture, she said. Hosting the event inside a house establishes a powerful sense of trust among all attendees, and “[is welcoming] to people even if they aren’t cognitively thinking about it,” Wonderful said. Chez Fab Arts and Community Project gained its non-profit status in 2015, and since has proactively looked to aid an area of the city that too often goes unseen or forgotten, she said. Wonderful said she uses Chez Fab’s status to aid those who have a vision for change but need help to make it happen. Her organization can be a conduit for others to invoke change. One project the organization completed was fixing the leaking roof of one Chez Fab neighbor who was elderly and disabled. From labors of love to empowerment, Chez Fab can inspire others to be proactive in their community. “[I want Chez Fab] to play a bigger role in showing people they don’t need to wait for outside help, we, as a community can do it ourselves — together,” she said.
A green wall typically used for video projects and a bedroom floor covered with pages sit in the home of Cindy Wonderful.
every single day,” Landry said. “Even just walking through it — it’s tense.” She hopes the installation can bring a moment of peace for parents and families in a time of extreme stress, she said. After the installation, Landry partnered with University alumnus Clark Derbes and used leftover paint to create a new mark on the city. Driving around, they found a white garage door on the side of Mid City Redevelopment and painted a vibrant geometric mural on it.
“I’m usually super meticulous so it was nice to have no plans and just do what feels right,” Landry said. Apart from the “Are You Broken?” series, Landry is working on a side series called “Remember Their Names” where she creates digital art of “people that were basically just killed for either being who they are or standing up for something they really truly believed in,” she said. Through the project, she wants to highlight the victims of violence rather than the perpetrators,
she said. She had the idea after hearing about the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August and feeling like the coverage was more on the marchers at the rally than people who were hurt or killed, she said. Landry also designed heels for one of the participants in Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response’s Hunks and Heels benefit at the Varsity Theatre — a project she was particularly excited about because the man was dressing up as Freddie Mercury, who she loves “more than anything.”
DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille
The heels she designed have a style similar to her “Are You Broken?” series with painted wooden triangles and stamped images of Mercury and his guitars. “I was like, ‘What’s the most ridiculous thing I could do? Maybe make his heels look like a stage,” Landry said. While her projects vary vastly in scope, most of them focus on exploring human nature and learning about other people. “I just want people to think of things outside of themselves,” Landry said.
Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
Lean Greenbelt Certification Class
Contact Travis Daly at lsuiisetreasurer@gmail.com for registration details.
November 17th & 18th: 8:30 am - 5 pm November 19th: 8:30 am - 12 pm DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille
LSU alumna Stephanie Landry showcases some of her artwork on Oct. 22 at French Truck Coffee on Government Street.
Opinion
Head
Halloween a fun holiday for both children, adults POP, LOX AND DROP IT JORDAN MILLER @jmiller101696 Halloween isn’t just one day celebrated at the end of October. It’s a month long build up of excitement and planning, finally manifesting on Oct. 31. It’s great for candy sales, costume makers and of course children and families. You get to bond over sugary goodness, and whether it’s in the form of traditional candies or homemade spooktacular baked goods, food always brings everyone together. Halloween is a holiday for everyone. It’s casual unlike Christmas or Thanksgiving when you’re expected to put on your finer clothes and socialize. Costumes are encouraged and people get to show off their creative skills through costumes or makeup while others get a chuckle out the intelligent costumes they’ve come up with using puns. Some religions, like Jehovah’s Witnesses, don’t celebrate Halloween for religious reasons, some Christians who believe it’s a holiday associated with the devil choose not to partake in this juvenile holiday filled with frights also. Everyone is allowed to make their own choices, but when you assess Halloween without really thinking much about it, it can be broken down into a simple holiday that allows children to spend time with their friends, goof off in silly costumes and discover new candies they like.
If parents monitor their children’s safety and regularly check through the bags of candy, there’s no reason Halloween should feel unsafe or not fun. Candy in excessive amounts is bad for any human body, but this is just one night of the year and many parents make their kids pace themselves on treats. Or if you’re a parent who needs an excuse to binge on candy, you can eat most of your child’s candy when they go to bed so they don’t have to reap the unhealthy side effects of all the sugar. There are so many cheerful holidays filled with fun songs, bright colors and messages telling everyone to be good. Halloween is a time when all of those things go out the window. People get to express their creepiness, watch all the dark, scary movies they want and make up silly rhymes telling people to smell their feet. No holiday centers around healthy food. Excessive candy consumption shouldn’t be a reason to turn away from Halloween. This is a time of year when good grace is replaced with gore. Family pictures aren’t pretty, but the costume coordination in them is still flawless and children get to bond with friends and family while they trade their loot from the night. It normalizes terrifying things for children, teaching them it’s OK to be a little weird or abnormal. Jordan Miller is a 21-year-old elementary education junior from New Orleans, Louisiana.
to
Head
page 21
People unnecessarily overspend on Halloween STAY THIRSTY, MY FRIENDS. JACOB MARANTO @Jacob_Maranto Nothing screams America like collectively spending $8.4 billion on candy and costumes in a few short weeks. According to a National Retail Federation survey, this is exactly what we did during the Halloween 2016 season. This was a new record for Halloween spending and there’s no indication this type of reckless holiday spending is going to stop. According to the aforementioned survey, people say they are willing to spend an average of $86 on Halloween festivities. Depending on who you ask, this may or may not be a significant amount of money. Regardless, this number pales in comparison to the insane amount of money being spent on other holidays. I am just shocked at what Americans spend on some of the less meaningful holidays. According to the NRF, people say they are willing to spend about $37 on St. Patrick’s Day attire. St. Patrick’s Day — really? A holiday we Americanized for the sole purpose of having an excuse to drink. It’s really cool of us, but there doesn’t seem to be a need to spend close to $40 on it. Other money wasters are Fourth of July where people will spend around $74 and the Super Bowl where people spend around $75. The Super Bowl isn’t even
a national holiday and we spend more money on it than on the day celebrating American independence. We really need to get our priorities straight. This is not to say holidays aren’t fun or worthwhile because they absolutely are. However, it seems many people have bought into the idea that the items surrounding a holiday are what make it important. The meaning of holidays such as Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day have been so forgotten and disregarded it seems like we’re just celebrating holidays to make corporations richer. Holidays sometimes just seem flat out pointless. If you’ve ever found yourself at a costume party wondering what choices led you to such a moment, you probably have thought it seemed pointless as well. Let’s keep celebrating these holidays but make an attempt to learn more about why we’re celebrating them. As we appreciate their symbolic or historic value, the less money we will need to spend on stuff to make up for the lack of meaning. This logic can be applied to all holidays, even religious and traditionally gift-oriented ones. Putting more emphasis on the actual value of the holidays and not the superfluous junk around them seems almost un-American. But, if we don’t take small steps of appreciation, our holidays are going to get more and more watered down. Jacob Maranto is 21-year-old mass communication senior from Plaquemine, Louisiana.
cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI / The Daily Reveille
The Daily Reveille
page 22
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Costumes should never include offensive stereotypes MY BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL
CLARKE PERKINS @ClarkePerkins You’re more than capable of dressing up as Beyoncé without painting your face black. Even if you’re looking for a lastminute costume, don’t throw on some brown makeup and draw on some face tattoos and call yourself Lil Wayne. Don’t do it. “We’re a Culture, Not a Costume” is the name of a campaign created by Ohio State University students. Those university students, like many students and minorities nationwide, despise seeing these blackface costumes — especially when they’re portraying “thugs” or other negative minority stereotypes. “During Halloween, we see offensive costumes. We don’t like it, we don’t appreciate it,” said Sarah Williams, former president of Students Teaching About Racism in Society. “The best way to get rid of stereotypes and racism is to have a discussion and raise awareness, which is what we want to do with this campaign.” Most of the blackface we see during Halloween can be accredited to uneducated or misinformed mindsets of people. There’s an extensive
history behind why blackface is incredibly offensive. Unfortunately, the act is something that’s usually skimmed over in textbooks for grammar and high schools. Nonetheless, it’s 2017, and most information can be found on the internet. In medieval Europe, black masked figures would perform acts of violence as forms of entertainment. The idea of blackface in American minstrel shows came in the 19th century. People would put on blackface and mock AfricanAmericans for their features such as their big lips and noses; these shows, entrenched in a dreadful past, continued until the 1970s. These accounts all led to the negative connotation that black and brown skin is substandard and dangerous. Last week, The Daily Show’s correspondent Roy Wood Jr. dressed as a vampire to explain the history of why blackface is always a terrible idea. He says minstrel shows “got people thinking that slavery was a damn booze cruise.” Aside from the continuous mocking and ridicule as forms of entertainment, minorities were constantly treated as less than human throughout history. We saw this during slavery and times of segregation. Even now, people would argue minorities
courtesy of WIKIMEDIA
Bert Williams, a black entertainer, dressed in blackface to show the stereotypes that come with the style. are treated as inferior by way of the education and justice systems. So, mocking other marginalized groups and cultures for your own personal enjoyment is despicable. Now, if you’re putting on blackface and dressing as a prisoner or criminal, then that brief history lesson won’t be beneficial. I can’t think of a reason why any person would need to paint their face black to
portray a wrongdoer. Any person who does is nothing more than foolish and insensitive — something education can’t fix. BuzzFeed’s former Indigenous Affairs reporter Allan Clarke once said, “Let the people of color define what’s racist. Let them define what’s offensive to them.” Clarke is absolutely right. After centuries of discrimination and hate minorities have been forced to deal with, the
least people can do is allow us to choose what’s offensive to us. Be thoughtful and respectful with your Halloween costumes this year. If you want to dress as Leonard Fournette, go for it. Grab the Tiger football jersey and helmet — just avoid the blackface. Clarke Perkins is a 21-year-old political science senior from New Orleans, Louisiana.
Candy corn shouldn’t be a holiday go-to for trick-or-treaters WELL, SHE TRIED. CHANTELLE BAKER @deannayukari USA Today estimates $2.7 billion worth of candy to be bought specifically for Halloween this year. Parents all over America go loading their shopping carts with bags full of candy all for one night of festivities. Americans spending this surplus of money on candy is a wonderful thing, however, it’s distasteful that some of these people are spending it on candy corn. I remember my days as a youth when I would have my pumpkin-shaped bucket filled to the limit with an array of different candy. My mom would sort through it, and she’d then create a pile of “good candy” that I would immediately attack once she gave me the word. Every year I would open a bag of candy corn, hoping maybe I would finally enjoy it, resulting in me grimacing as I spit the yelloworange mush back into the bag. There went a good eighth of my candy in the trash. It’s unfortunate trick-ortreaters can end up with a bag filled with treats and knickknacks they don’t enjoy. Many would say “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit” but it’s pointless to spend so much money on candy that may just
end up in a dump. Candy corn doesn’t have much to vouch for itself. Not only is it terrible in taste, but its nutritional value is close to none. According to health website “Eat This, Not That!” Brach’s candy corn is proudly “made with real honey” — an ingredient that’s unfortunately wedged right between four other types of sugar, gelatin, sesame oil and artificial flavors and colors. The point of candy isn’t to be nutritionally filling, but it seems sprinkling cane sugar on a child’s tongue is even better than candy corn. What should candy corn be replaced with? There are many options, though chocolate is the easiest go-to. It has been scientifically proven that eating chocolate in moderation can possibly prolong someone’s life by reducing the risk of blood clots and fighting bad cholesterol. Considering lactose-intolerant individuals, there are also many types of dark chocolate that are both savory and lactose-free. The New York Post stated over 3,000 pounds of Dylan’s Candy Bar candy corn is sold each year. In comparison, 90 million pounds of chocolate is sold just in the week preceding Halloween. Most Americans enjoy chocolate and shouldn’t be subjected to receiving candy corn on Halloween. There will always be people who love candy corn. Clearly,
courtesy of WIKIMEDIA
Manufacturers produce more than 35 million pounds of candy corn a year. candy corn is still being sold regularly and consumed by many. However, it’s important to keep the candy corn as a
choice for children to eat, not automatically thrown into their bags and buckets to be later thrown into their trash cans.
Chantelle Baker is a 20-year-old communication studies senior from Waipahu, Hawaii.
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
page 23
Public should look to professionals on scientific matters ANNARIGIONAL TAKE ANNA COLEMAN @_annacoleman_ A 2016 global attitudes study by the Pew Research Center found the U.S. “has the highest carbon emissions per capita, but it is among the least concerned about climate change and its potential impact.” A later Pew Research Center study went on to find roughly one in three Americans believe climate scientists should not have a major role in shaping policies concerning climate change. Instead, they believe politicians and the voting public should have the most say over said policies even though they have no expert knowledge on the subject. This is not surprising based on the way the general American public treats scientific debate. Instead of being respected as something to learn from, science is used as a pawn in the political process. In the case of important scientific matters, people oftentimes get their information on these issues from politicians. The problem with this is politicians on every part of the political spectrum manipulate data to fit their specific agenda.
cartoon by WILL HARDY / The Daily Reveille
People should look to unbiased, peer-reviewed scientific data to get the real information on these issues. The debate over the legitimacy of climate change is not the only scientifically centered issue to come to the forefront of the political arena in recent years. Intense debates about the link, or lack thereof, between vaccines and autism,
genetically modified organisms and stem cell research have been key debate issues in local, state and national politics. In all of these cases, scientists’ factually based opinions get shoved to the back while the voices of boisterous politicians and lobbyists get pushed to the front. Ask any average person on the street why they do not support the use of GMOs, and
they will likely struggle to give an argument based on scientific fact. However, they will likely be able to rattle off rhetoric from their favorite politician’s speeches or tweets. This kind of thinking creates an ignorant society where people only know what they believe, not why they believe it. When a politician makes a statement on a scientific
matter, think about why the politician is saying it. How can the person benefit from taking that position? How can donors benefit from the politician’s position? Does the politician cite scientific evidence? Many times you will find a position is simply being taken because it is advantageous to the politicians, their party and their donors. The general public trusts scientists as a group more than they trust politicians as a group, but they are still reluctant to accept their findings. Though people recognize the intelligence and value of scientists, they are more likely to believe politicians who are willing to confirm people’s world view and tell them what they want to hear. Scientific discovery makes people uncomfortable. It frequently challenges what people know and want to be true which can be scary. Ultimately, this discomfort is a necessary component of progress. Developing an unbiased opinion based on well-researched, peer reviewed scientific data is the way to ensure the best progress possible for everyone, regardless of party affiliation. Anna Coleman is a 19-year-old mass communication junior from Kennesaw, Georgia.
Art, social sciences majors work just as hard as STEM majors JUST A WRYTER ETHAN GILBERTI @EthanGilberti Humanities degrees have declined since 2012 according to a study by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Many now see the humanities, or “coffee shop degrees,” as elementary and useless fields. This fallacy is perpetuated by the stereotypes and derogatory opinions of elitist STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors who believe memorizing long, esoteric names like “Penguinone” make them more intelligent. While humanities majors are not doctors, mathematicians or astronauts, they are just as vital to society as a whole. Those who obtain degrees in the humanities create jobs to help explain and understand the world we live in. They explain the meaning of the world, not the chemical makeup of it. Without artists, writers and musicians, the world would be
nothing but meaningless numbers. Without teachers, the world would crumble into chaos. The humanities may not be essential to a large paycheck, but they are indispensable to the progress of society. Science majors may claim their classes are the hardest, but the humanities are no walk in the park. English majors have to write ground-breaking papers; mass communication majors must remember and apply every single rule of journalism; history majors are forced to recount obscure dates of random events. These fields require just as much hard work and dedication as any technology major. While STEM students complain about labs, art students take studio courses that require six hours of class a week. In addition, many require extra hours in the studio outside of class. The amount of hard work put into a class relies on the student, not the field. There are dedicated, intelligent workers in both the sciences as well as humanities.
The Daily Reveille EDITORIAL BOARD William Taylor Potter Ramsina Odisho Natalie Anderson Evan Saacks Lynne Bunch
Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor Deputy News Editor Opinion Editor
Being in a certain major does not make one student smarter than the other. Many students who claim to be in a better field cite higher salaries as their primary reason. However, the average salary of humanities majors is only seven thousand dollars a year less than those of other fields. While this pay gap makes a difference, the satisfaction humanities majors receive from their jobs is more than worth the lesser pay. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 74 percent of STEM degrees eventually switch to nonSTEM related careers. Humanities students are not lazy – they are simply brave enough to follow a career that genuinely interests them rather than an appealing salary. While the saying “follow your heart” may sound cliché, it is not errant advice. Students who are in a field they enjoy are far more likely to create satisfying work and excel in both class and future careers. There are those who enjoy the fields of sci-
KATE ROY / The Daily Reveille
A wall entitled “Bonjour Max Ernst Portfolio” is on display as part of LSU Museum of Art’s exhibit Bonjour | Au Revoir Surréalisme at the Shaw Center for the Arts on Oct. 11. ence and technology. However, no one should feel forced to aspire to those professions, and no one should look down on others who decide to follow different careers. Both sides are necessary for the
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The Daily Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Daily Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Daily Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to opinion@lsureveille.com or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Daily Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Daily Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Daily Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
future of our society and should be respected as such. Ethan Gilberti is a 19-year-old English sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana.
Quote of the Week “Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Indian Civil Rights Leader Oct. 2, 1869 — Jan. 30, 1948
The Daily Reveille
page 24
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Service industry needs more protection against sexual harassment IT B THAT WAY SOMETIMES BREANNA SMITH @Bthejournalist In college, if you don’t work in the restaurant or bar industry, you probably know someone who does. For many college students, working nights at a bar is how rent gets paid each month. Working in the bar industry has a lot of perks like the latenight schedule that goes around classes, sometimes easy money and the fun you can have working behind the bar. However, those big tips usually don’t come because you’re especially good at pouring drinks. Bartenders are asked for their number, gawked at, or groped far more often than other professions. When working for tips pays the rent, it can be easy to let things slide. Sexual harassment is never okay and the harasser’s blood alcohol content is an unacceptable excuse. It is especially not okay when the creep on the other side of the bar asking your bra size and staring at your butt is the same person that signs your paycheck. Seven percent of American women work in the restaurant industry, yet 37 percent of all sexual harassment claims to
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission come from the restaurant industry, according to a report by the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and Forward Together. John Besh and the Besh Restaurant Group are under fire after accusations of sexual harassment and hostile work environments were made by current and former employees. Unfortunately, this type of work environment is neither rare nor hard to find. While many feel it’s just the way the bar and restaurant industries run, I’ll remind you that sexual harassment is never OK. It’s no secret that many bars hire and fire bartenders based on their looks. And while you might say that sexual harassment is just a part of a bartending job for a good-looking female, there is no instance in which sexual harassment is deemed acceptable. If you wouldn’t demean and sexualize a man at his job you shouldn’t demean and sexualize a woman at hers. Imposing a uniform of short, tight black tops and shorts with fishnets in a casual bar setting is using power as a boss to sexually harass female employees when male employees wear black pants and a loosely fitting collared polo. Someone could
cartoon by WILL HARDY / The Daily Reveille
always just go work somewhere else without that uniform, but that does not make the sexual harassment okay and offers no solution to an uncomfortable work environment. Supervisors have a free pass to make lewd comments, grope employees, impose sexist uniform policies and generally be creeps as long as no tangible action is taken. If an employee
quits under these circumstances they are out of a job and cannot file a lawsuit to recover lost wages. Lawsuits are not the answer to everything, but luckily the key to avoiding sexual harassment lawsuits is easy: don’t sexually harass people. There should be no confusion on what steps an employee can take to report sexual harassment
in the workplace, even if it is the person who signs your paycheck making the lewd comments. Sexual harassment should never just be part of a job. It should be taken seriously by customers, employees, supervisors and owners alike. Breanna Smith is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Sexual, reproductive health problems deserve attention HOUSTON, WE HAVE A COLUMN CASEY PIMENTAL @Casey_Pimentel Roughly 20,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, according to the Center for Disease and Prevention Control. In the U.S, one in 10 girls will be diagnosed with Endometriosis, a disease that affects approximately 176 million women around the world. About 5 to 10 percent of women in their childbearing years struggle with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS. Women’s health issues are becoming increasingly important as more women are being treated for life threatening issues, complex or diagnosable rarities and other health problems. Women are often very quick to dismiss pain, discomfort and other symptoms as “cramps” or “hormones.” Many times, the symptoms being ignored are warning signs for a bigger problem. Even the smallest changes in a woman’s body can mean the body is enduring a health issue that needs medical attention. Changes in weight, difficult urination, back or pelvis pain, nausea, painful intercourse, headaches, bleeding and many more symptoms can foreshadow a diagnosable problem. The U.S. needs more reproductive and sexual health
KIM NGUYEN/ The Daily Reveille
Hordes of people gather for the Women’s March on Jan. 21 at Duncan Plaza in New Orleans. awareness and education. Many are not educated about the health concerns that can arise from ovarian, vaginal and abdominal pains. It is a serious issue that is overlooked as unimportant or minor. Being in tune with your body is important in order to catch issues quickly and treat them as soon as possible. Painful sex is not normal. Extremely painful periods are not normal. Rapid changes in your body are not normal. It is important that we refrain from letting the pain or
dealing with discomfort become so normalized that we don’t give the proper attention or focus on helping our bodies. Time after time, women are told “it’s just your hormones,” “every body is different,” “some people just have bad periods” and “sex can be painful.” While some of these may be true in a few circumstances, a majority of the time these issues require medical attention. Ignoring your body can lead to devastating effects. Many reproductive health issues
such as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Endometriosis, uterine fibroids and many more can lead to infertility. If caught early, the chance to conceive when a woman desires is much higher, but if issues like these go untreated for prolonged amounts of time, they will cause fertility chances to decrease dramatically. If she desires, a woman’s body will one day become a home for a child. Therefore, it is incredibly important to take care of and nurture the growth of a healthy environment
for a child that may one day grow inside. Besides reproductive purposes, having these health issues are painful and affect every day of your life. Sex obviously isn’t just for reproductive purposes, and having health issues that cause painful sex is damaging. Asking for medical help to extinguish pain or discomfort could change your life if it’s something you’ve been struggling with. I have dealt with extremely painful ovarian and pelvic pain for almost a year before I realized it wasn’t normal. Sometimes we can become so desensitized to our own pain, we forget it isn’t something we should be feeling. After finally making a doctor appointment, I was diagnosed with an ovarian condition as well as persistent ovarian cysts. Though it is something I still struggle with, the comfort that comes with knowing why my body was in distress and being able to treat those symptoms has helped so much. Women should not be embarrassed, ashamed or afraid of talking about reproductive and sexual health. It can save your life. Pay attention to your body, your pains and your gut. It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your health. Casey Pimentel is a 19-yearold mass communication sophomore from The Woodlands, Texas.