The Daily Reveille - March 12, 2012

Night Life: Rugby team auctions themselves at bar for fundraiser, p. 4

Baseball: Tigers drop first game of Notre Dame series, finale tonight, p. 9

Reveille The Daily

CRIME

Man beaten near Bob Pettit dies

Lauren Duhon

THE

www.lsureveille.com

Photo Story: Race for the Cure supports breast cancer awareness, p. 7 Monday, March 12, 2012 • Volume 116, Issue 107

STATE

GIVING TREE

Lawmakers convene, higher ed. at stake

LSU alumnus and ‘Project Runway’ contestant supports cancer awareness Ferris McDaniel

Contributing Writer

Staff Writer

Gunnar Williamson, the 22-year-old found beaten near Tigerland last week, died at a local hospital Saturday.

Investigators are still uncertain about what led to Williamson’s death, according to Baton Rouge Police Department spokesman Sgt. Don Kelly. An autopsy is scheduled for this morning.

BRPD officers found Williamson at approximately 2:15 a.m. on March 8 on the 1300 block of Bob Pettit Boulevard.

Kelly said he did not appear to have any visible traumatic injuries, but he was unresponsive at the time and transported by EMS to a local hospital in critical condition.

Reports about the incident claimed Williamson was attacked, beaten and robbed after walking to get a soft drink at a store near his apartment.

Contact Lauren Duhon at lduhon@lsureveille.com

A University apparel design alumnus and reality TV contestant is helping to dress cancer victims with a cloak of positivity.

“Project Runway” competitor Anthony Ryan Auld, who graduated from the University in 2010, now works on a project that hits close to home.

Auld was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2008, but he fought back and beat the illness in 2009.

Since the experience, Auld has created a movement called Rock One, which originally focused on testicular cancer but now encompasses all types of the ailment.

Auld took the name from his philosophy that no one who suffers from testicular or any type of cancer should be ashamed of the struggle.

ROCK ONE, see page 8

SNOOP DOGG RAPS IN N.O.

[ABOVE] photos courtesy of LIFETIME; [LEFT] photo by ALYSSA SIRISOPHON /

The Daily Reveille

[Top right] Anthony Ryan Auld talks to mentor Tim Gunn and [bottom right] fits a dress to a mannequin on “Project Runway.” [Left] Auld attends an Oscar party Feb. 26 at the Manship Theater.

Local filming boom leads to increase in tourism popularity Staff Writer

AUSTEN KRANTZ / The Daily Reveille

Staff Writer

STATE

Kate Mabry

A smoky haze surrounds Snoop Dogg as he performs Saturday at the House of Blues in New Orleans. Read a review of the concert, p. 4.

Brian Sibille

Some tourists have decided to ditch their traditional beach vacations and travel to the Deep South to experience the unique culture of Louisiana as popular new television series have led to an increase in tourism in Baton Rouge and around the state.

Paul Arrigo, president and CEO of Visit Baton Rouge, said information specialists at Visit Baton Rouge noted that interest in swamp tours — which have always been popular tourist attractions — has been rising with increasing enthusiasm about in “Swamp People,” a

reality show depicting the lives of several men living in the Atchafalaya River Basin swamp.

“Swamp tours have always been high on the list, but many people have indicated to our specialists that they watch and enjoy the show,” he said.

Since the show’s premiere, Arrigo said tourists’ interest in swamps has generated increasing tourism to the area.

In addition, Arrigo said the Baton Rouge Film Commission reported 28 productions were filmed in the Baton Rouge area in 2011.

During that year, more than 21,000 hotel FILM, see page 8

The 2012 Regular Legislative Session begins today at noon at the State Capitol Building, and changes for students, faculty and staff at the University hang in the balance.

But it will be a while until the University’s financial future is clear. The status of the 2013 fiscal year budget will not be known until April, after the annual state appropriations bill, HB1, is voted on in the House of Representatives.

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposed budget left higher education off the chopping block, but that fate won’t be certain until the regular session adjourns in June.

Several higher education issues will face debate during the session, including a potential change in TOPS that would allow student veterans more time to use the aid.

Legislators will also discuss the possibility of merging LSU Shreveport and Louisiana Tech.

The merge was recommended by a consulting firm that studied the issue, but LSU System President John Lombardi has publicly questioned the suggestion.

Retirement could see an overhaul as legislators vote on bills proposing higher retirement ages for faculty and staff, who could also end up paying more for their retirement than in the past.

Lawmakers will also debate a proposal to conduct mandatory random drug testing for welfare recipients. Those who fail the drug test would have 90 days to pass a new test and regain their benefits.

The Daily Reveille hopes the LSU System encourages transparency this legislative session, see p. 16.

Contact Brian Sibille at bsibille@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille

page 2

INTERNATIONAL

Nation & World

Monday, March 12, 2012

NATIONAL

STATE/LOCAL

Remains of 167 people found in Mexico, believed to be 50 years old

San Diego woman gives birth to baby boy weighing nearly 14 pounds

Two sentences trimmed for testimony in New Orleans double execution

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities have found the remains of 167 people in a southern Mexican cave, and forensic experts believe the remains are at least 50 years old, according to a statement from Chiapas state prosecutors.

The statement released Saturday said the remains were found Friday on the Nuevo Ojo de Agua ranch in an area frequently used by Central American migrants traveling north. The statement said there were no visible signs of violence on the remains, which “break easily.”

Egypt acquits ‘virginity test’ military doctor, angers youth movement group

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A Southern California woman says doctors predicted she would give birth to a big baby boy, but nobody was prepared for just how big.

Jayden Sigler weighed in at 13 pounds, 14 ounces, when the healthy boy was delivered Thursday by cesarean section, the North County Times reported Saturday.

His mother, Cynthia Sigler of Vista, said that her immediate reaction was: “How’d he fit?”

Doctors initially estimated that Jayden would weigh about 9 pounds.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Men sentenced to 50 years for a double execution got their sentences shaved to 35 years each for testimony that helped convict the ringleader in what started as a kidnapfor-ransom scheme.

Gregory Vincent and Layman Foster Jr. both had pleaded guilty to manslaughter of Calyisse Perkins and Fitzgerald Phillips, two 19-year-olds killed in an abandoned house after $10,000 ransom was demanded in April 2009.

The Times-Picayune reports that Criminal District Judge Lynda Van Davis resentenced them Friday to 35 years.

Lafayette celebrates Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day on March 31

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian military tribunal on Sunday acquitted an army doctor of a charge of public obscenity filed by a protester who claimed she was forced to undergo a virginity test while in detention.

The court denied the tests even took place, despite a ruling by another court and admissions by generals quoted by a leading rights group.

The ruling further infuriated the country’s revolutionary youth movements, who said claims of the tests were the first sign that the generals were still carrying on Hosni Mubarak’s repressive practices.

The Associated Press

Human skulls and other bones that were found in a cave sit on a table at the Chiapas state attorney general’s office Saturday in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico.

U.S. soldier kills 16 Afghan civilians, including nine children, three women BALANDI, Afghanistan (AP) — An American soldier opened fire on villagers near his base in southern Afghanistan Sunday and killed 16 civilians, according to President Hamid Karzai, who furiously demanded an explanation from Washington.

Nine children and three women were among the dead.

The killing spree deepened a crisis between U.S. forces and their Afghan hosts over Americans burning Muslim holy books on a base in Afghanistan last month.

MEET YOUR KLSU DJ Plays the Native American flute.

Live music is her sanity.

Wants to travel the world and live in different countries.

Artist’s 340-ton boulder travels to LA museum, draws tens of thousands LOS ANGELES (AP) — The big rock is on a roll.

The 340-ton boulder that has been lumbering across Southern California for the past week and a half is scheduled to arrive at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art before dawn Saturday, cheered on by what has become an audience of tens of thousands. There it will become the centerpiece of acclaimed earth artist Michael Heizer’s latest creation, “Levitated Mass.”

The big rock, accompanied by an entourage of about 100 people, started rolling Feb. 28.

LAFAYETTE (AP) — A belated welcome home with food and live music is planned for Acadiana’s Vietnam veterans.

The Advertiser reports that it will start at 10 a.m. on March 31 at Comeaux Recreation Center.

The U.S. Senate adopted a resolution a year ago declaring March 30 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. March 30, 1973, was the day U.S. combat troops withdrew from South Vietnam.

Today on lsureveille.com Read about the men’s basketball team’s postseason chances on the Tiger Feed sports blog.

Check out a list of freshman mistakes by “Full Monty” on the LMFAO entertainment blog.

Get the latest news by downloading the LSU Reveille app in the iTunes Store and Android Market

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THURSDAY

FRIDAY

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AUSTIN BENNETT / The Daily Reveille

The sun sets Friday behind the Mississippi River Bridge in downtown Baton Rouge. Submit your photo of the day to photo@lsureveille.com.

Yesterday was National Ninja Awareness Day, and I wasn’t even aware.

Well played, Ninja, well played.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS The Daily Reveille holds accuracy and objectivity at the highest priority and wants to reassure the reporting and content of the paper meets these standards. This space is reserved to recognize and correct any mistakes which may have been printed in The Daily Reveille. If you would like something corrected or clarified please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or email editor@lsureveille.com.

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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 within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Daily Reveille is free. To purchase additional copies for 25 cents, please contact the Office of Student Media in B-34 Hodges Hall. The Daily Reveille is published daily during the fall and spring semesters and semi-weekly during the summer semester, except during holidays and final exams. Second-class copies postage paid at Baton Rouge, La., 70803. Annual weekly mailed subscriptions are $125, semester weekly mailed subscriptions are $75. Non-mailed student rates are $4 each regular semester, $2 during the summer; one copy per person, additional copies 25 cents each. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Daily Reveille, B-39 Hodges Hall, LSU, Baton Rouge, La.,70803.

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Matthew Jacobs • Editor-in-Chief Chris Branch • Associate Managing Editor Ryan Buxton • Associate Managing Editor Bryan Stewart • Managing Editor, External Media Andrea Gallo • News Editor Morgan Searles • Deputy News Editor & Entertainment Editor Katherine Terrell • Sports Editor Mark Clements • Deputy Sports Editor Kirsten Romaguera • Production Editor Clayton Crockett • Opinion Editor Brianna Paciorka • Photo Editor Tyler Daniel • Multimedia Editor Steven Powell • Radio Director Annabel Mellon • Advertising Sales Manager Newsroom (225)578-4810 • Advertising (225)578-6090

The Daily Reveille

Monday, March 12, 2012

CAMPUS

page 3

Festive “no mail” mailbox serves little-known purpose Ferris McDaniel

Contributing Writer

It has watched droves of students pass without giving a notice. It has endured Louisiana’s scorching summers and devastating hurricanes. It has seen Saban go and Miles arrive.

A mailbox near the side entrance to the Journalism Building stands at attention like a British foot guard wearing the purple and gold colors of the University and bearing the contradictory words “no mail.”

It’s resided on the sidewalk for a decade and a half, but what purpose does a mailbox that shuns its sole calling serve?

Before the mailbox became a fixture on campus in 1997, newspapers that were delivered for the Manship School of Mass Communication often were scattered throughout bushes, soaked from rain or stolen, said Sandra

Donaldson, who was the assistant to former Manship School of Mass Communication Dean Jack Hamilton at the time.

“We came up with the bright idea of seeing if we could find a mailbox,” Donaldson said.

Donaldson questioned the University’s postmaster about acquiring a mailbox, and soon it was nestled near the journalism school. Students adorned it with their school’s colors and tiger paw prints.

The mailbox is still a receptacle for newspapers for mass communication students, according to Angela Fleming, executive assistant to current Manship Dean Jerry Ceppos.

Fleming and Manship School administrative coordinator Elizabeth Cadarette are the “guardians” of the mailbox. They retrieve The New York Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal each morning after a

courier drops them in the box.

But newspapers aren’t the only items that keep company in the mailbox’s walls.

“We’ve had some interesting things thrown in there,” Fleming said. “Especially after game days.”

Some careless tailgaters have mistaken the mailbox for a trashcan and used it to discard their garbage, half-eaten food and alcoholic containers, Fleming said.

One student on campus continues to put mail in the box despite the “no mail” message, Fleming said. The Manship School courteously dispatches the girl’s packages, though there have been times when the parcels were coated in filth from the tailgaters.

The mailbox also acts as a nest for an array of insects, including wasps and ants. Cadarette once peculiarly retrieved two toy trucks from the mail holder.

AUSTIN BENNETT / The Daily Reveille

A purple and gold mailbox painted with “LSU Tigers; No Mail!” sits at the top of Victory Hill by the Journalism Building.

Fleming said the mailbox, the only of its kind on campus, has never been vandalized and nobody has ever attempted to steal it. It once wore a padlock, but it was removed because it has

never been disturbed by students.

Contact Ferris McDaniel at fmcdaniel@lsureveille.com

ADMINISTRATION

Bell optimistic about LSU’s potential

Provost candidate forum held Friday Brian Sibille Staff Writer

Stuart Bell, the fourth candidate for executive vice chancellor and provost, spoke at the final candidate forum Friday, noting the value of the University and a need to continue building a better institution despite financial trouble.

Bell reflected on the FlagBELL ship 2020 initiative, highlighting the importance of improving the University through increased discovery and engagement.

He spoke of the many accomplishments he’s had as the former dean of engineering at the University of Alabama and current engineering dean at the University of Kansas.

Bell helped craft the Building on Excellence Initiative at Kansas, a $500 million “strategic plan” that aims to improve the School of Engineering’s graduation rates, facilities and number of faculty over many years.

The program relied on revenue from a number of resources, including private donations, more student tuition and some state support, he said.

But the “economic crisis” in Louisiana is no different than in Kansas.

“The budget challenge is certainly not just here,” Bell said.

He said it’s important for the University to show its worth to the state legislature.

“The relevance and impact of the University must be made clear,” Bell said.

Like other candidates, Bell stressed the necessity of improved diversity and research across disciplines to stimulate growth at the University. Expanding research beyond boarders is also essential, he said.

Bell said it’s important for students to be exposed to a

“global perspective” in college with experiences like studying abroad.

“Our ability to prepare them for that is paramount,” he said.

“We have to bring the world to them.”

Bell was more optimistic about the future for University faculty, saying there was “never a greater time to be faculty than right now.”

The biggest challenges facing faculty are engaging students who belong to an “incredibly connected” generation, he said.

Unlike his fellow candidates, Bell did not speak much on issues like lack of faculty pay increases or threats to the tenure system.

Instead he expressed optimism for the University’s current status and potential future, noting evident passion among students, faculty and staff.

“We have to make sure to move forward and in the most positive fashion,” Bell said.

Contact Brian Sibille at bsibille@lsureveille.com

Monday: $14.99 All You Can Eat Wings and $3 Specialty Drinks Tuesday: $3 Margaritas and Mexican Beers....Kids Eat Free Wed: $4.50 34oz Mother Plucker Mugs....Live Trivia at 8pm Thursday: $12.99 All You Can Eat Boneless Wings... $4.50 34oz Mother Plucker Mugs and $5.50 Patron Margaritas.

Sunday: $3 Specialty Shots, Specialty Drinks and Margaritas.

Everyday: $4 Goose, Crown, Jack and Patron. $3 Jager.

Did you attend the Living Expo in the Union March 7th?

We want to hear what you thought about it! What was your favorite part about it?

Least favorite? Tell us via email: events@lsulegacymag.com Thanks for coming to our event!

Student Media Board is Hiring!

The Daily Reveille Editor Legacy Editor Gumbo Editor KLSU Station Manager Tiger TV Station Manager Interested Applicants stop by B39 Hodges Hall and fill out an application by March 16.

DO YOU HAVE AN OCCURRENCE? Call Becky at the Student Media Office 578-6090, 9AM- 5PM or E-mail: oncampus@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille

page 4

Monday, March 12, 2012

Snoop Dogg brings a smoky good time to the House of Blues KRANTZ KRANTZ REVOLUTION AUSTEN KRANTZ Entertainment Writer Editor’s note: This column contains language that may be offensive to some readers.

Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus professed his love for all things and all people at a soldout concert at the House of Blues New Orleans on Friday night that continued into the early hours of Saturday morning.

But two of Snoop’s passions were especially apparent: His love for ganja and his love for his admirers.

Just ask the fans.

Dank odors permeated a packed crowd of hazy devotees awaiting the famed emcee.

The award-winning and Grammy-nominated rapper’s belated arrival suited the lazy climate that gripped the audience.

As time dragged past Snoop’s scheduled midnight entrance, the squared standing room continued to fill with smoke, lulling the crowd into lethargic eagerness.

Around 1:30 a.m., Snoop stormed the stage with a troop of backup singers, dancers and his stage mascot Nasty Dogg, who wielded a giant fake joint.

Fans immediately ditched any sluggishness to bellow cheers and throw their hands toward the stage.

After three songs, Snoop broke from the performance to casually express his affinity for the fine cannabis of his home state of California, producing a large cigarillo seemingly out of thin air.

“As a matter of fact, I got some wit’ me right now,” he said.

Lighting his blunt and letting billowy smoke snake out of his mouth, Snoop gestured toward one of his outreaching lady fans.

“Hit this two times,” he said.

This custom continued throughout the entirety of the show, with some fans indulging more than others.

“Come on momma, goddamn,” Snoop said to one ironlunged fan. “That muthafucka got marathon lungs.”

But fans didn’t need to partake to appreciate the show. What Snoop lacked in punctuality, he

made up for with an engaging stage presence, lauding classics like “The Next Episode,” “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?” and “Gin and Juice,” as well as a few crowd-pleasing covers of renowned artists like Tupac and House of Pain. Snoop transitioned between songs smoothly, and each one presented a unique production with fitting lighting to play off its vibe.

Despite his notoriously relaxed demeanor, the rapper kicked the scene into high energy at times with dance-provoking anthems like the back-to-back combination of “Jump Around” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” But Snoop did manage some lounging during his performance.

The Doggfather relaxed in a chair during one song as his dancers promiscuously caressed and danced around him.

Snoop also worked some family time into his show.

He shared the stage with his two uncles, the 72-year-old dance master Junebug, and the elegantly-voiced, silk-jacketed Reo, both of whom elicited excitement from the audience throughout the show.

AUSTEN KRANTZ / The Daily Reveille

Snoop Dogg performs Friday night at the House of Blues in New Orleans.

Snoop closed the performance with his recent hit single “Young Wild & Free,” expressing his love for his fans and urging the audience to sing along.

“I want y’all to sing this like you’re in church,” he shouted.

He soon casually retired

from the stage, letting several fans follow him to continue a still early night of partying.

Contact Austen Krantz at akrantz@lsureveille.com

NIGHT LIFE

Rugby Players sell themselves in hot and heavy auction

Danielle Kelley Staff Writer

Baton Rouge rugby players stripped down to the bare minimum Saturday night as screaming women outbid one another for a day with one of the athletes.

It was all part of the annual Baton Rouge Rugby Auction. With standing room only at Mellow Mushroom, more than 20 rugby players strutted across the stage, performing choreographed dances to songs like “Hot in Herre,” “Candy Shop” and “Sexy and I Know It.” The men arrived in different outfits ranging from cutoff camouflage shorts and wife beater tank tops to pressed slacks and collared shirts with bowties. But by the end of each performance, the men flexed their oiled, chiseled bodies in only their underwear — specifically, boxers or G-strings.

The event’s emcee, history junior Jared Quinn, said the auction has been taking place for more than 10 years.

“We really emphasize them having a routine,” he said. “Depending on how into it the audience gets, it can get highly competitive.”

Though Quinn said he’s seen bids as high as $420 in the past, the highest bids Saturday night soared to just more than $100.

The profits are split among the LSU Rugby Club and other Baton Rouge rugby organizations, according to Quinn.

“We can’t go with the typical car wash,” he said.

What the buyers do with their men for 24 hours is up to them, but Quinn said the rugby players mostly clean houses or wash cars.

“The majority of the time, it’s a

group of sorority girls who get them to clean their house,” he said, adding that the buyers sometimes make the rugby player dress ridiculously.

Throughout the show, Quinn made remarks about each man’s body or abilities, noting that one player had “just turned 18.”

“I promise he’ll do whatever you want him to,” he said while trying to raise the price of a player who did pushups in purple animal print boxer-briefs.

Animal, dairy and poultry science sophomore Jordan Braswell said she and her roommates had their eyes on their next-door neighbor. She said she brought $60 to the event.

If Braswell won him, she said she planned on getting his nipple pierced.

“I wanted more interaction with the models,” she said.

By the end of the night, her wish was granted.

During an act set to “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” four dancers sprayed whipped cream into the mouths of the crowd, and other acts pulled audience members on stage with them.

Women rushed the stage for

the final show to dance with the performers, who were by then all half-naked. The audience members tripped in their high heels over the articles of clothing and beer bottles that littered the stage.

David Brownlee, political science sophomore, was auctioned off for $100 after his performance to “Wop.” He said though he has a girlfriend back home, she isn’t mad at him.

“This is the best night of the year for us,” he said.

Contact Danielle Kelley at dkelley@lsureveille.com

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The Daily Reveille

Monday, March 12, 2012

PHILANTHROPY

Group vows to fight sweatshops Marylee Williams Contributing Writer

Courtney George went to the Student Union on Friday night prepared for a rally with markers, cardboard and scissors in hand.

The international studies senior and one of the founders of the University’s affiliate of United Students Against Sweatshops may have had the supplies to demonstrate against sweatshops, but that was never actually the plan.

“We didn’t really intend on a rally, but when Courtney brought up the issue, then we brought the supplies to demonstrate if attendees wanted to,” said Lynn Williams, a political science junior and another founder of the anti-sweatshop group.

Instead of a rally, the small group of students who attended brainstormed campaign tactics with United Students Against Sweatshops National Coordinator Teresa Cheng and Regional Coordinator Billy Yates.

Williams said the organization’s goal is to excite students and

create escalated plans that will get the University to re-affiliate with the Workers Rights Consortium, the only labor rights organization that investigates factories for labor abuses and reports back to affiliate universities.

Before the meeting began, Williams choked up while telling attendees the story of a woman from Honduras who was harassed because she tried to unionize her workplace.

She said even though she has never been in that woman’s situation, she “can empathize and make a change.”

George said she believes the common person shouldn’t want to purchase merchandise made from sweatshop labor.

Bianca Hinc-Foley, a delegate for the national United Students Against Sweatshops, said she and the coordinators came to the University because it’s one of the largest collegiate apparel providers in the South.

Students decided they needed awareness, people and pressure to get the University to sign on with

the Workers Rights Consortium.

Yates informed students about recruiting tactics like class raps and panels. A class rap is when one student goes into a class and encourages other students to get involved or attend a meeting.

To put pressure on the University, coordinators encouraged attendees to communicate with other affiliate organizations, like the University of Texas’ chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops.

Hinc-Foley said the more University affiliates connect and coordinate, the more administration will notice student demands.

The national and regional coordinators told students they have the power to change the University.

Williams said in the future, the University’s United Students Against Sweatshops plans to have an educational panel and protest.

Contact Marylee Williams at mwilliams@lsureveille.com

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Sustainability Week kicks off today Danielle Kelley Staff Writer

Students can learn different, everyday ways to protect the earth through Student Government’s first Sustainability Week.

Each day this week will focus on a different subject. Today, the spotlight is on energy, and students can go to the Live Oak Lounge in the Student Union to pledge to save energy.

Solar panels provided by Gulf South Solar will be set up in Free Speech Plaza, where an alternative energy car from Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition will demonstrate alternative energy strategies.

Tuesday’s events promoting

alternative transportation will include a bike maintenance workshop at Free Speech Plaza from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and a bike safety talk by the LSU Police Department.

SG Director of Sustainability Mili Reyes said Tuesday will be similar to the bike week held in the fall.

“We’re trying to do what we did for bike week in the fall ... pretty much condensed in one day,” Reyes said.

On Wednesday, farmers and a University dietician will advocate buying food locally and explain how to eat healthy.

On Thursday, students can view the film “Dirt! The Movie” at the Energy, Coast & Environment

Building from 6 to 8 p.m. to learn about soil.

“The film explores the social and economic impact soil has on the earth,” Reyes said.

The last day of sustainability week focuses on recycling. Students can drop off Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day beads at the SG offices Friday through Monday, March 19. The beads will be sent to a reuse program in New Orleans.

Reyes said she hopes the week will become an annual event.

“The main importance is to promote and create awareness of Contact Danielle Kelley at dkelley@lsureveille.com

page 5

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-Henry Ford

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The Daily Reveille

page 6

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, March 12, 2012

NIGERIAN FASHION WEEK

‘Emo’ killings raise alarms in Iraq The Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — Young people who identify themselves as “Emos” are being brutally killed at an alarming rate in Iraq, where militias have distributed hit lists of victims and security forces say they are unable to stop crimes against the subculture that is widely perceived in Iraq as homosexuality.

Officials and human rights groups estimated as many as 58 Iraqis who are either gay or believed to be gay have been killed in the last six weeks alone — forecasting what experts fear is a return to the rampant hate crimes against homosexuals in 2009.

This year, eyewitnesses and human rights groups say some of the victims have been bludgeoned to death by militiamen smashing in their skulls with heavy cement blocks.

Emo is short for “emotional” and in the West generally identifies teens or young adults who listen to alternative music, dress in black and have radical hairstyles. Emos are not necessarily gay, but they are sometimes stereotyped as such.

To Iraqis, “Emo” is widely synonymous with “gay.” John Drake, an Iraq specialist for the British-based AKE security consulting firm, said Iraqi Emos are getting their hair cut so they aren’t immediately identified, and therefore targeted, in the wake of the new threats.

A recent list distributed by militants in Baghdad’s Shiite Sadr City neighborhood gives the names or nicknames of 33 people

and their home addresses. At the top of the paper are a drawing of two handguns flanking a Quranic greeting that extolls God as merciful and compassionate.

Then follows a chilling warning.

“We warn in the strongest terms to every male and female debauchee,” the Shiite militia hit list says. “If you do not stop this dirty act within four days, then the punishment of God will fall on you at the hands of Mujahideen.”

All but one of the targets are men.

It’s not clear why the killings have stepped up in recent months.

Many Iraqis are religiously conservative and have struggled against the western influence that has infiltrated their once-closed society in the wake of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Like many places in the Muslim world, homosexuality is extremely taboo in Iraq. Anyone perceived to be gay is considered a fair target, and the perpetrators of the violence often go free. The militants likely behind the violence intimidate the local police and residents so there is even less incentive to investigate the crimes.

In the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, a mostlySunni area, 35-year-old Hassan is afraid to leave his home. He plans on cutting his shoulder-length hair soon, but fears that his hormoneinjected breast enhancements will be detected if he is stopped and patted down at one of the ubiquitous security checkpoints across the city.

“Today I went out of my house

with a friend but we were severely harassed — some people told us that we need the double blocks,” said Hassan, referring to the cement blocks that attackers use to beat people. “I was scared so we returned home to hide.”

Hassan’s friend, a man who identified himself as 26-year-old Mustafa, called the recent hate crimes “the strongest and deadliest campaign against us.”

Hassan said he is gay but does not consider himself an Emo. He and Mustafa agreed to talk on condition that only their first names be used for fear they would be attacked if identified.

One of Hassan’s friends, Saif Raad Asmar Abboudi, was beaten to death with concrete blocks in mid-February in a case that terrified gay Iraqis and panicked human rights watchdogs. “I feel very sorry for him,” Hassan said.

A Feb. 18 police report all but closes the case on Saif’s killing. It shows an initial investigation was completed and “the reason for the incident is unknown at the moment because the criminal is unknown.”

An Interior Ministry official said 58 young people have been killed across Iraq in recent weeks by unidentified gangs who accused them of being, as he described it, Emo. Sixteen were killed in Sadr City alone, security and political officials there said. Nine of the men were killed by bludgeoning, and seven were shot. No arrests have been made.

photos by SUNDAY ALAMBA / The Associated Press

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The Daily Reveille

Monday, March 12, 2012

PHOTO STORY

page 7

16th annual Race for the Cure draws legions of supporters Runners and walkers from around the state participated in a 5k race Saturday morning as part of the 16th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The event raises money for breast cancer research and awareness and honors those who lost their lives to the disease.

Funds raised at this year’s event will finance education and treatment programs at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Women’s Hospital and Oschner, according to a news release. Donations will also fund breast screenings for local women in need.

2

1

!

G IN

S S I

M

Your Senior Portrait

from the LSU Yearbook!

3

OPTION ONE

We can publish a high quality head shot taken by a professional, as long as the studio is willing to give us the publishing rights.

4

photos by MARIAH POSTLETHWAITE /

The Daily Reveille

5

[1] Runners kick off the race, [2] children don matching outfits with the pink breast cancer ribbon to show their support for breast cancer awareness, [3] members of Zeta Tau Alpha lead the breast cancer survivor walk and [4, 5] survivors march Saturday at the Race for the Cure on Nicholson Extension.

Contact Brianna at bpaciorka@gmail.com.

OPTION TWO

Contact Brianna at bpaciorka@gmail.com to set up a time to take a photo in Hodges Hall on campus!

Be Sure to include full name, major, and concentration

by March 31st INCOMPLETE INFORMATION WILL NOT BE SUBMITTED TO THE YEARBOOK

page 8 Hitting a local note, Rock One is partnering with Scene “Because I rock one doesn’t Magazine to hold Mode Fashion mean anything,” he said. “Think Week, Baton Rouge’s premiere about it as a trophy in the end.” fashion week event, at the end of Rock One’s goal is to raise April. awareness and spread positivity Though Auld couldn’t reveal to people affected by cancer. many details about the event yet, “It’s a movehe said it will be ment to bring a ‘It’s a movement to bring something special positive mentalfor the state and ity to cancer vic- a positive mentality to will feature coltims and just give cancer victims and just lections of other them a day that’s Rungive them a day that’s “Project taking away from way” participants. the negative en“I’ve got a taking away from the ergy that cancer couple of surnegative energy that prises in store for brings,” Auld said. just Louisiana,” cancer brings.’

The organihe said. “I’m gozation will send ing to officially Anthony Ryan Auld sunshine through launch the Rock founder of Rock One the gloom of canOne movement cer by hosting fashion events, de- with the first ever recipient for signing custom garments and tak- the foundation.” ing survivors on shopping trips, While Rock One has sevhe said. If the movement can also eral major contributors like the lessen the financial burden of Krewe of Apollo, Scene Magathose affected by cancer, then it’s zine, Hello Sushi and others working, Auld said. that provide financial support, He developed Rock One Auld is piloting the movement prior to “Project Runway,” but solo. the show sparked inspiration and He said he’s involved in gave him a platform to spread the every aspect of the upcoming movement’s message. fashion event, from choosing the

ROCK ONE, from page 1

FILM, from page 1

rooms were occupied, greatly exceeding the number of rooms in 2009 and 2010.

Butch Guchereau, owner of Cajun Country Swamp Tours in Breaux Bridge, said he has seen an increase in business since the tour opened about five years ago, and many visitors are from other states.

“A lot of people take a weekend trip from Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, Washington,” he said. “They’re scattered all over the U.S. About three-fourths of the people who do tours are from out of state or out of the country.”

The majority of non-U.S. visitors are from Western Europe and Canada, but Guchereau said he has also given tours to people from Mongolia, Australia, India and Japan.

Guchereau said visitors are often “nature-oriented people” who are interested in the local ecosystem, while others want to see alligators in their natural surroundings.

Several visitors expressed interest in Louisiana culture and swamps after the airing of “Swamp People” and similar series, he said.

While Guchereau said he hasn’t watched all the shows, he believes many of them are dramatized.

“They’re an accurate depiction of what people want to perceive,” he said. “Those aren’t the people I grew up with. Some of the characters like [‘Swamp People’ star Troy] Landry are, but the majority isn’t.”

Jack Sessions, tour guide captain at Honey Island Swamp Tours in Slidell, agreed that “Swamp People” and other shows that depict rural life in Louisiana appeal to many visitors.

“A lot of people talk about them and ask about them,” he said.

As filming has boomed in the state, many University students

are becoming increasingly interested in learning the art of film.

While the University does not offer a formal film program, Joseph Watson, film and media arts instructor and digital media coordinator at the College of Music and Dramatic Arts, said several colleges and departments started offering opportunities that allow students to gain experience in film.

Watson said the AVATAR program offers students a minor in digital humanities, which focuses on several concentrations including digital animation, filmmaking and video game design.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences offers a minor in film and media arts, and the English Department offers three writing courses with a concentration on writing for film, he said.

Watson said the College of Music and Dramatic Arts is also considering offering a minor in film in the future.

“Obviously there’s been an explosion of production in the area, and it appears to be here to stay,” he said.

Watson said the recent boom in television programs filmed in the state has generated an interest in the area among television viewers.

“The explosion of filmmaking has helped the tourist industry in Louisiana,” he said. “It started with ‘True Blood’ and has taken off from there. ‘Swamp People’ and other shows have just piggybacked off it.”

Watson said he’s not surprised that Louisiana has seen the boom in filming.

“Louisiana is an interesting place,” Watson said. “We offer so much culturally as well as aesthetically. We have a beautiful state, and there is so much that is unique about it that you can’t get elsewhere.”

Contact Kate Mabry at kmabry@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille models to handpicking the garments that will adorn them.

The designer still maintains a relationship with the University, and he will likely judge an upcoming fashion show for student fashion organization Hemline, he said.

Human ecology professor Lisa McRoberts was Auld’s instructor for multiple design classes and still maintains a close relationship with him. She said Rock One is instrumental in helping to raise self-esteem for cancer patients, and she is proud of her former student.

“I’m very grateful that Anthony’s found a positive way to touch people’s lives and make the world a better place,” she said.

Monday, March 12, 2012 “As designers, it’s what we set out for.”

Auld said McRoberts fought for him when he suffered a tough time in school. She provided the most help with arranging his school schedule around his chemotherapy treatments, he said.

But McRoberts said she never questioned helping Auld, calling him an exceptional person and student with talent and commitment.

“I was very supportive when he was sick. He needed extra time, and I gave it to him,” McRoberts said. “He never took advantage of it.”

Auld is in the process of launching a Rock One website, but more information about the

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movement is available on Facebook or Twitter.

“Right now it’s one day at a time,” Auld said.

Auld said his cancer experience was eye-opening for him as a college student who wanted to do more, be more and have a family. He encouraged people, especially students, to be more aware about the subject.

Men, especially 18- to 26-year-olds, should have their testicles checked, and those affected by testicular cancer shouldn’t be ashamed of it, Auld said.

Contact Ferris McDaniel at fmcdaniel@lsureveille.com

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Sports

Monday, March 12, 2012

The

page 9

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Hitting Plague

Tigers to face No. 3 Oregon in NIT

After shutting out Michigan on Friday and Saturday, Tigers end eight-game winning streak against Notre Dame

Mark Clements Deputy Sports Editor TAYLOR BALKOM / The Daily Reveille

CONNOR TARTER / The Daily Reveille

Hunter Paniagua Sports Writer

LSU coach Paul Mainieri wasn’t satisfied with his team’s offensive performance in a 6-4 victory against Michigan on Saturday, and Sunday was more of the same.

This time, it resulted in a loss.

LOSS, see page 15

CONNOR TARTER / The Daily Reveille

[Top left] Infield players meet with coach Paul Mainieri on the mound Friday. [Top right] Sophomore JaCoby Jones swings the bat Friday. [Bottom] Michigan head coach Rich Maloney yells at an umpire Saturday after being ejected from the game. The Tigers beat Michigan, 6-4. [Bottom left] LSU sophomore pitcher Kevin Gausman strides into his release Friday.

Next up for the Tigers: Who: No. 13 LSU (13-2) vs. Notre Dame (7-5) When: 6:30 p.m. tonight Where: Alex Box Stadium Listen at home: 98.1 FM TAYLOR BALKOM / The Daily Reveille

The LSU men’s basketball team’s season isn’t over quite yet.

The Tigers (18-14, 7-9 Southeastern Conference) were selected as a No. 6 seed to play in the 2012 National Invitation Tournament, with a first-round matchup against No. 3-seeded Oregon (22-9, 13-5 PAC-12) in Eugene, Ore., on Tuesday.

“We are excited about receiving the invitation to play in this event,” said LSU Coach Trent Johnson in a news release. “The NIT is a very prestigious tournament and has a long history of outstanding teams and players taking part. For us to have an opportunity to still continue to play … is going to be very exciting for both the coaching staff and the players.”

The Ducks finished in a tie for second place in the Pac-12 this season and faced two common opponents with LSU — Virginia and Vanderbilt.

Oregon lost to Virginia by 13 on Dec. 18, while LSU fell to the Cavaliers by five on Jan. 2.

Vanderbilt downed the Ducks in their season opener by 14 and topped the Tigers by 15 on Feb. 8.

The winner of the first-round contest will face the winner of No. 2-seed Dayton and No. 7-seed Iowa.

This will be LSU’s sixth appearance in the postseason NIT. Contact Mark Clements at mclements@lsureveille.com

SOFTBALL

LSU victorious against MVSU, Troy SEC play begins Wednesday Scott Branson Sports Contributor

The LSU softball team swept the Purple and Gold Challenge this weekend, taking two games apiece from Troy and Mississippi Valley State at Tiger Park.

“Today was exactly how we should have come out,” said LSU coach Beth Torina after the Tigers’ fourth victory of the weekend. “We came out and did

everything we needed to do.”

LSU (15-7) began the weekend with a 2-0 victory over the Mississippi Valley State Devilettes (10-12).

The Tigers opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning when freshman third baseman Kailey McCasland ripped a two-out single up the middle, plating senior left fielder Ashley Langoni from second base.

LSU added its second and final run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI pop-up from sophomore designated player Allison Falcon.

Sophomore pitcher Meghan

Patterson earned her second complete-game shutout victory in as many starts, striking out nine and allowing just three hits.

In Friday’s nightcap, LSU handed the Troy Trojans (16-5) their third loss of the season in a 6-3 victory.

The Tigers got on the board early against the Trojans, scoring two runs in the game’s opening frame.

Senior shortstop Juliana Santos stole second with Langoni at third base, who scored when the throw to second sailed into SOFTBALL, see page 15

CONNOR TARTER / The Daily Reveille

LSU senior outfielder Ashley Applegate slides into third base Saturday during the Tigers’ 1-0 victory against Troy in Tiger Park.

The Daily Reveille

page 10

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Monday, March 12, 2012

Valiant LSU effort falls short in SEC quarterfinals No. 1 Kentucky beats Tigers, 60-51 Chris Abshire Sports Writer

NEW ORLEANS — Big Blue left the LSU men’s basketball team feeling blue Friday afternoon.

The Tigers (18-14) gave a valiant effort but couldn’t overcome a relentless No. 1 Kentucky (31-1) squad, falling 60-51 in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament in the New Orleans Arena.

The Wildcats’ win against LSU propelled them toward the finals of the tournament, where Vanderbilt snapped their 24-game win streak.

Kentucky beat No. 3-seeded Florida in the SEC semifinals and still earned a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

In front of a raucous pro-Wildcats crowd, LSU saved one of its best performances for what was potentially its last game.

The Tigers jumped out to a 12-7 lead, trailed by just one at halftime and charged out of the locker room to a 35-30 advantage with 16 minutes remaining.

GYMNASTICS

No. 9 LSU bests Iowa despite falls on beam

Tigers host West Virginia on Friday Rowan Kavner

Sports Contributor

Vaulting on the road meant vaulting in the standings for the No. 9 LSU gymnastics team.

The Tigers tied their secondhighest score on the vault with a 49.375 against Iowa on Friday, propelling LSU to its secondstraight victory in a 196.30-195.70 win.

LSU also scored a 49.375 in its previous road meet Feb. 17 against Washington and posted a season-high 49.50 at Arkansas on Jan. 20.

Despite not winning the individual all-around event for the first time since facing Florida on Feb. 10, the Tigers’ team victory raised LSU’s regional qualifying score to a 196.440.

LSU coach D-D Breaux said a few individuals didn’t do as well as they could have, but as a team, the Tigers stuck together and performed well.

“We didn’t get the score we wanted,” Breaux said. “But in the

But foul trouble, the partisan crowd and Kentucky’s first-round talent sent LSU back to reality.

The Wildcats exploded to a 9-0 run on a trio of acrobatic lay-ins and held LSU without a basket for more than five minutes to snatch the momentum for good.

“That’s not a good team we lost to, that’s a great one,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson. “With that much talent, you know a run is coming. I thought we withstood it pretty well, but [we] couldn’t match them shooting the ball.”

Kentucky freshman forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist exploited numerous mismatches to finish with 19 points, while sophomore Terrance Jones bludgeoned through the Tigers’ interior for 15 points.

Freshman sensation Anthony Davis altered LSU’s shots all afternoon, forcing a 29.4-percent Tiger shooting effort, accumulating six blocks and tallying 12 points.

For LSU, freshman point guard Anthony Hickey led the quest early for the upset bid.

The Kentucky native recorded four first-half steals to help limit the Wildcats to just 25 points through 20 minutes.

“Defense was how we had to do it,” said Hickey, who finished with

10 points, five steals and four assists. “The first time we played them didn’t matter. We couldn’t be scared — just had to get after them.”

Kentucky routed LSU, 74-50, in the PMAC on Jan. 28, but the Tigers forced 18 Wildcat turnovers and held UK to just one 3-pointer this time around. Kentucky never led by more than nine points, marking only the fourth time all season the Wildcats failed to open up a double-digit advantage.

With a small surge to take a onepoint lead into halftime, the Wildcats seemed on the verge of a gameclinching run at a moment’s notice.

But it was LSU that burst out of the locker room, using four Andre Stringer points and a Ralston Turner 3-ball to take a stunning 35-30 lead.

That was about as much offense as the Tigers would muster the rest of the way.

LSU managed just 16 points during the final 16 minutes and scored on only 24 of its 70 possessions in the game.

Senior forward Storm Warren — playing in possibly his final collegiate game — kept LSU within reasonable striking distance in the second half, scoring 10 late points to finish with 14 points.

Stringer added 11 points, but he

final analysis we certainly got a score that’s going to make us very competitive and keep us in the hunt.”

The Tigers posted at least a 49.00 on beam in its past four meets entering Iowa and needed a 49.20 to tie LSU’s season-high team score of 196.85, but freshmen Randi Lau and Rheagan Courville both slipped from the beam, and LSU posted a 48.650, its lowest score in the event since Jan. 13 against Auburn.

Breaux said she isn’t content with the performance, but the team did well considering the low score to end the meet.

“I really can’t find fault with the mistakes we made and having to count a fall on beam, which we haven’t had to count since our first meet,” Breaux said.

Sophomore Sarie Morrison won her second-consecutive title on bars with her second straight 9.90, and freshman Lloimincia Hall earned her first career vault title with a season-high 9.95.

Junior Shelby Prunty and sophomore Kaleigh Dickson each posted a season-high 9.825 to aid the Tigers on beam, and freshman Jessie Jordan led LSU in the event with a 9.85.

Jordan posted the highest all-around score for LSU with a 39.350, finishing behind Iowa’s Jessa Hansen, who won the allaround with a 39.425.

Breaux said she was proud of the depth LSU displayed, and she

BILL HABER / The Associated Press

LSU guard Anthony Hickey (1) falls out of bounds Friday during LSU’s 60-51 loss to Kentucky in New Orleans. Vanderbilt went on to upset the Wildcats, 71-64, on Sunday.

shot just 4-of-15 from the field.

The Tigers missed sophomore guard Ralston Turner and Johnny O’Bryant III down the stretch, as both fouled out before the final official timeout.

LSU’s performance, coupled with its resume, was enough to earn an NIT bid. The Tigers will travel to Eugene, Ore., to play Oregon on Tuesday.

“With our performance all year long, I think this team proved worthy of [an NIT] bid,” Johnson said after

the game. “They competed so hard out there [Friday]. If we’re fortunate enough to get a bid in the postseason, it’s going to take a good effort by a fine team to beat us, the way we’ve played the last two days.”

LSU defeated Arkansas, 70-54, on Thursday in the tournament’s opening round.

wouldn’t be surprised if the Tigers scored their highest team score in the regular season finale next week against West Virginia.

“We had some real inconsistencies tonight that cost us the 197, and maybe next week at home will

be the time we get it,” she said.

LSU and West Virginia will face off Friday at 7 p.m. in the PMAC.

Contact Chris Abshire at cabshire@lsureveille.com

Contact Rowan Kavner at rkavner@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille

Monday, March 12, 2012

TENNIS

page 11

Tigers, Lady Tigers split results for weekend matches

Ian Fontenot

Sports Contributor

The LSU men’s tennis team traveled to the state of Alabama this weekend for a pair of matches against two Western division rivals, No. 27 Auburn and Alabama.

The Tigers started their road trip with a dominating 5-0 victory against the Crimson Tide.

No. 25 LSU (8-4, 2-2) continued its solid play in doubles by grabbing the doubles point.

The No. 39 duo of senior Neal Skupski and sophomore James Turbervill gave LSU the early advantage in the match with an 8-3 win over Alabama’s Vikram Reddy and Carlos Taborga on court two.

Alabama evened the scores on the top court when the Tide’s Jarryd Botha and Ricky Doverspike upset the No. 38-ranked duo of LSU junior Olivier Borsos and freshman Chris Simpson, 8-5.

The Tigers clinched the doubles point on court three when juniors Roger Anderson and Stefan Szacinski defeated the Tide’s David Vieyra and Michael Thompson, 9-8.

Szacinski started the Tigers off in singles play with a quick 6-3, 6-2 win against Reddy on court four, followed by Skupski taking down Botha on court two in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6.

Turbervill and senior Tom Knights clinched the match for LSU, completing the Tigers’ 5-0 sweep of the Crimson Tide.

No. 61 Borsos and doubles partner Simpson left their singles matches unfinished.

LSU traveled to Auburn on Sunday but couldn’t pick up its third consecutive Southeastern Conference victory, falling 5-2.

Auburn took the doubles point quickly before rain caused a delay in singles action.

Up 1-0, Auburn came out of the rain delay on fire as it took three consecutive matches from LSU to put the score at 4-0.

The Tigers saw singles victories from Knights, who won both of his matches over the weekend, and Simpson. “[Against Auburn], we didn’t have as good of a day in doubles,” said LSU coach Jeff Brown. “In singles, we did pretty well, but not as well as it takes all the way through.”

The LSU women’s tennis team hosted No. 17 Alabama and No. 75 Auburn over the weekend.

The Lady Tigers struggled in the weekend’s opening match against Alabama, suffering their second consecutive shutout in SEC play in a 4-0 loss.

After a two-and-a-half-hour weather delay, the match began

with singles play, leaving doubles action to only be played if necessary.

The Crimson Tide would make the match a short one, sweeping the Lady Tigers in singles play.

LSU (7-4, 2-2) would have to turn things around quickly as it faced Auburn on Sunday. The Lady Tigers did just that with a 4-3 victory.

Senior Whitney Wolf and junior Keri Frankenberger took their match on court one, while senior Olivia Howlett and sophomore Yvette Vlaar clinched the doubles point, giving LSU a 1-0 lead.

Howlett closed out her weekend on a high note, defeating Auburn’s Jen Pfeifler on the top court, 6-2, 6-4.

Auburn tied the match at 2-2 with Emily Flickinger’s 6-4, 6-2 victory over Wolf on court two and Plamena Kurteva’s win against LSU’s Kaitlin Burns on court four.

But Vlaar gave LSU the lead again after taking down Taylor Schreimann, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, on court six.

With LSU up 3-2, Frankenberger put Auburn away with a 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 win against Jackie Kasler on court five.

Contact Ian Fontenot at ifontenot@lsureveille.com

XERXES A. WILSON / The Daily Reveille

Junior Kaitlin Burns strikes a serve in her singles match Sunday against Auburn.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Diving qualifies two for NCAA Championships Chandler Rome Sports Contributor

The LSU diving team will send two athletes to the NCAA Championship meet after competing in the NCAA Zone “D” Regional meet in Iowa City over the weekend.

Freshman Alex Bettridge will represent the Lady Tigers and sophomore Daniel Helm will compete for the Tigers, both qualifying on the one-meter springboard.

“It’s phenomenal for LSU swimming and diving to be represented in both the men’s and the women’s NCAA championships,” said diving coach Doug Shaffer. “It speaks to the level of expertise that Alex and Daniel have.”

Bettridge wasted no time to qualify, scoring a 12-dive total of 578.20 on the first day of competition. The score was good enough for a fourth-place finish, assuring her spot in the NCAA Championship meet.

Both Bettridge and junior Elle Schmidt cracked the top 18 in the three-meter springboard in the first career Zone Championship final for Schmidt. Bettridge finished 10th with a 12-dive score of 585.05, with Schmidt close behind in 14th with a 563.80.

Helm qualified with a 12-dive total of 676.25, placing sixth in the one-meter. The Beaverton, Ore., native followed his one-meter outing

with an 11th-place finish in the threemeter springboard.

Sophomore Kevin Leong led the Tigers with a ninth-place finish in the three-meter with a 12-dive score of 707.40. Senior Matt Vieke paced the Tigers on the platform with an eighth-place finish, setting a personal best with his final round total of 318.20.

Shaffer lauded Vieke, who was the lone senior competing in his final collegiate meet. He pointed to Vieke’s passion for the sport, citing the fact that Vieke did not have to compete in the platform, but did for fun.

“He’s a role model, a model student-athlete who had an excellent career,” Shaffer said. “Then he sets a personal best [in the platform]. …

What a way to go out.”

Shaffer said the outlook for Bettridge and Helm is bright at both the NCAA Championships and beyond because the level of expertise both possess far outweigh their youth.

As for the NCAA Championship meet, Shaffer said the goal is simple — score.

“We set different goals at the beginning of the season,” Shaffer said. “And for the NCAA meet it’s to score, to place top 16 and achieve All-American status.”

Contact Chandler Rome at crome@lsureveille.com

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The Daily Reveille

page 12

TRACK AND FIELD

Monday, March 12, 2012

LSU places in top five at NCAA meet Michael Gegenheimer Sports Contributor

When the dust settled Saturday night on the Jacksons Indoor Track at the Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho, two teams stood above the rest.

Neither hailed from Baton Rouge.

Florida and Arkansas took ďŹ rst and second place at the NCAA Indoor National Championships on the men’s side, while Oregon and Kansas ďŹ nished ahead of LSU for the women. “Not everything went our way, but I’m proud for the way our athletes competed all the way to the end to come away with two top ďŹ nishes,â€? said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver in a news release. “I can’t say that we ďŹ red all of our bullets [Saturday]. We left some points out there that I think would have improved our position.â€?

Both the men’s and women’s sides had eight athletes qualify for the meet, with each team scoring 27 points at the meet.

The Lady Tigers claimed their third consecutive third-place ďŹ nish that included two individual national champions, while the Tigers had no individual winners in their ďŹ fth-place ďŹ nish.

Senior sprinter Kimberlyn Duncan defended her 200-meter crown by setting the world’s fastest time for the 2012 season, clocking in at 22.74 seconds. “It feels great to come out here and win it again and score those 10 points for my team,�

Duncan said in a news release. “I’ve been using the 60 all season to work on my start for the 200.

Coach Shaver always tells me

SPORTS BRIEFS Women’s basketball team gets ready for NCAA tourney, tickets on sale After a second-place run in the Southeastern Conference tournament a week ago, the LSU women’s basketball team is preparing to make some noise on the national level in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, beginning in a week.

The Lady Tigers will likely be playing in the comforts of home, as LSU plays host to the tournament’s ďŹ rst and second rounds in the PMAC on March 18 and 20.

LSU (22-10) is expected to receive an at-large bid into the tournament when the ďŹ eld of 64 is announced today at 6 p.m.

The University has begun selling tickets for the ďŹ rst two rounds. Adult all-session ticket books, which includes admission to all three games of the tournament, cost $25. Youth ticket books are $15, and group tickets for parties of 10 or more cost $5 per ticket per game.

LSU offers scholarship to four-star quarterback recruit Connor Mitch LSU

football

coach

Les

I need to get out hard so I don’t have to work as hard in the last part of the race.�

The Bowerman Award hopeful took her ďŹ fth 200-meter title of the season when she beat out fellow Bowerman contender Kamaria Brown, a Texas A&M freshman who held the season’s best time before Duncan broke it in the meet. The Bowerman Award is given to the nation’s top athlete.

LSU’s only other individual title came from the women’s 1,600-meter relay team comprised of seniors Rebecca Alexander, Cassandra Tate, Jonique Day and junior Siedda Herbert.

The team posted a facilityrecord time of 3:31.89, ďŹ nishing almost a half second ahead of Texas.

Junior long jumper Damar Forbes was the Tigers’ highest ďŹ nisher with a 26-foot, 2 3/4 inch jump that landed him in second place. “I feel like I’m the silver king right now,â€? Forbes said in a news release. “My goal is to always win it. I’m disappointed, but [New Mexico sophomore Kendall Spencer] had the jump of his life today. I’m glad that I’m here at NCAAs and able to compete, but now I’m even more motivated to win it outdoors.â€?

Senior Barrett Nugent ďŹ nished out his collegiate indoor career with a third-place ďŹ nish in the 60-meter hurdles, breaking his own school record in the process.

Nugent hit the ďŹ rst hurdle in the race, but he was able to ďŹ ght back to a photo ďŹ nish with Miami senior Devon Hill for second place. It was determined that

Miles has extended a scholarship offer to four-star pro-style quarterback recruit Connor Mitch, according to Mitch’s Twitter account.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder is a natural left-hander who throws right and passed for 3,832 yards with 48 touchdowns and just nine interception last season, leading WakeďŹ eld High to a 9-3 record and a trip to the state playoffs.

Mitch, who tossed for 300 or more yards passing in six games last season, visited Baton Rouge this past weekend. “Coach Miles is an awesome man! Sat down with my family and just talked for an hour and a half,� Mitch tweeted Sunday.

The Raleigh, N.C., native is being recruited by quarterbacks coach Steve Kragthorpe and has accumulated a plethora of offers from schools across the country, including North Carolina, North Carolina State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and West Virginia, among others.

Nugent ďŹ nished .007 seconds behind Hill. “I made some mistakes. If I didn’t make those mistakes, I would have won the race,â€? Nugent said in a news release. “I kind of fell out of the blocks and hit the ďŹ rst hurdle, and I think I hit the last hurdle, too. I think if I had just one more step, I would have caught them. You can’t make mistakes like that and win at 60 meters.â€?

MATT CILLEY / The Associated Press

Contact Michael Gegenheimer at mgegenheimer@lsureveille.com

Senior sprinter Jonique Day crosses the finish line to win the 1,600-meter relay during the NCAA Indoor National Championships on Saturday in Nampa, Idaho.

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Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille

Monday, March 12, 2012

page 13

MEETING IN THE MIDDLE

CATHERINE THRELKELD / The Daily Reveille

LSU sophomore golfer Austin Ernst tees off on a hole Saturday during the LSU Tiger Golf Classic at the University Club golf course.

XERXES A. WILSON / The Daily Reveille

LSU football players go toe-to-toe in the “Big Cat” drill Saturday during spring football practice.

WOMEN’S GOLF

Lady Tigers finish 2nd at LSU Golf Classic Morgan Wampold Sports Contributor

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The LSU Golf Classic found No. 14 Tennessee’s and No. 5 LSU’s women’s golf squads neck-and-neck for three straight rounds before the Lady Volunteers emerged victorious in the final holes.

The Lady Tigers finished in second place Sunday with a team score of 18-over-par 882 after holding first place for the first two days. Tennessee bested LSU by two strokes in the final holes of the tournament, earning a 16-over-par 880.

Freshman Madelene Sagstrom said she was satisfied with the results of the competition despite coming up short of first place.

“I’m happy for our team,” Sagstrom said. “We did everything we could, but in the end, we just got beaten by a team who played better than us.”

Three of the five starters for the Lady Tigers garnered top-10 spots on the individual leaderboard for the weekend, with Sagstrom leading the pack.

Sagstrom finished in third place with an even-par 216, and sophomore Austin Ernst earned fourth-place honors with a 2-overpar 218 three-day total. Senior Tessa Teachman was among a four-way tie for tenth with an 8-over-par.

Senior Jacqueline Hedwall kept pace with the rest of the team, placing No. 18 with an 11-over-par 227. Sophomore Lindsay Gahm completed the five-player roster, landing just out of the top 20 with a 13-over-par.

Sagstrom said she was happy with her and the rest of the team’s overall performance, but weather conditions and parts of the course at the University Club proved to be a challenge.

“We played well, but the wind and the greens made it hard,” Sagstrom said. “The greens were very hard to read, so I had a hard time

sinking the putts once I got it up there.”

Sagstrom said Tennessee, on the other hand, was dominating the short game.

Junior Lady Vol Erica Popson posted seven birdies in the final round of competition, lifting her two strokes ahead of Sagstrom and into a tie for first place.

The first round of the competition Friday found LSU in a favorable position, thanks to Sagstrom’s one-under-par 71 performance, nabbing her the second-place spot on the individual leaderboard.

Teachman and Ernst tied for seventh in the first round with a one-over-par 73. Their scores, combined with Sagstrom’s, allowed the Lady Tigers to pull ahead for first place on the day, with Tennessee three strokes behind in second.

The Lady Volunteers improved on their first-round score Saturday, managing to tie LSU with a two-day, 11-over-par 587.

Sagstrom also jumped up on the leaderboard, moving to first with a 2-under-par.

Ernst ended the second round in sixth place, while Teachman and Hedwall rounded out the top 20 for the Lady Tigers, finishing No. 14 and No. 18, respectively.

While LSU didn’t finish exactly where they wanted to, Sagstrom said playing at home and facing a good level of competition made it worthwhile.

“It’s a lot of fun having the support of a home crowd,” she said. “I also feel like this was a good setup for learning about the teams we will face in the SEC championship.”

Besides Tennessee, other SEC competitors included No. 6 Vanderbilt, who placed No. 4 overall, and Kentucky, who came in at No. 8.

The Lady Tigers now have a short hiatus before returning to action March 30 in Tempe, Ariz., for the PING/Arizona State Invitational.

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The Daily Reveille

page 14

Monday, March 12, 2012

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Vanderbilt beats Kentucky in SEC championship game The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — John Calipari said from the time he arrived in the Big Easy that he didn’t like conference tournaments.

After top-ranked Kentucky endured three tough games in as many days with no league title to show for it, his opinion wasn’t bound to change any time soon.

“I wish this would have happened yesterday so we got home a day earlier,” Calipari said Sunday after the Wildcats collapsed late in a 71-64 loss to Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference tournament final.

The Wildcats (32-2) won two of their three games in New Orleans but never led any by more than single digits, and they trailed in the second half of all three.

Still, they were on the cusp of extending their winning streak to 25 games when Anthony Davis’ free throw gave them a 6255 lead with 5:23 left. Then Kentucky suddenly started settling for jump shots, taking nine from that point and missing all of them, including five from 3-point range.

“We just went ice cold. There was like a lid on the basket.

Nothing was falling for us,” said freshman point guard Marquis Teague, who went scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting.

Jeffery Taylor scored 18 points, John Jenkins added 17 and Vanderbilt rallied with a 16-2 run over the final 5 minutes to end the Wildcats’ winning streak that lasted more than three months.

“Their 24-game winning streak, their name on the front of their jersey doesn’t matter to us,” Vanderbilt’s Lance Goulbourne said. “Whoever was in our way, we were going to play as hard as

we could to try to win that championship.”

Festus Ezeli had 17 points for Vanderbilt (24-10), which was playing in its first SEC tournament final since 1951, the year of its only other championship.

The Commodores pushed ahead in the final minutes with a few timely shots, but mostly with suffocating defense.

Darius Miller scored 16 points in a surprise start for Kentucky while Terrence Jones and Davis both added 12. Davis had 10 rebounds and three blocked shots, but he got into some rare early foul trouble that limited his effectiveness.

Kentucky missed its last 14 field goals in all, not hitting one over the final 8:04. The Wildcats shot just 35.9 percent from the field (23-of-64).

“Maybe now everybody realizes we’re not invincible,” Calipari said. “We’re like everybody else out there. We’re going to have to execute, play hard and with some aggressiveness and intensity, or we will get beat.”

Kentucky moves on to NCAA tournament games that will mean a lot more to them, but it remains to be seen whether LSU and Florida, which both gave the Wildcats tough games, and Vanderbilt, which beat them, provided UK’s future opponents with a strategic blueprint.

“We really wanted to be physical with them because we saw the success that LSU had and Florida had,” Vanderbilt forward Steve Tchiengang said. “It was just being physical and try[ing] to box them out as much as we can to try to limit their second chance stuff.”

Vanderbilt also attacked the basket offensively rather than relying on jump shots. In the

BILL HABER / The Associated Press

Vanderbilt forward Jeffery Taylor (44) celebrates a 71-64 win over Kentucky on Sunday in the championship game of the 2012 Southeastern Conference Tournament in the New Orleans Arena.

process, the Commodores got Kentucky forward Michael KiddGilchrist in foul trouble, and he fouled out with 2:51 to go.

Kentucky appeared to be taking control when Jones’ successive powerful dunks put the Wildcats up 54-49 and worked the heavily-pro Kentucky crowd into a frenzy.

Vanderbilt worked its way back to tie the game at 62 on Ezeli’s tip-in with 1:56 left and took the lead for good when freshman Kedren Johnson converted a

three-point play on a drive to the hoop.

The loss spoiled the Wildcats’ perfect season against SEC competition. Kentucky is now 18-1 against league foes. Afterward, Calipari assured his team that they would be fine and might even be better off not carrying a long winning streak into the NCAA tournament.

Several Kentucky players said they may have been guilty of getting a little arrogant and expecting to win as the streak grew,

but now should have little trouble pushing themselves a little harder when they get back in the gym.

“It’ll get us more focused now,” sophomore guard Doron Lamb said. “We didn’t lose in a long time. Now we know how it feels, and we don’t like this feeling, so we’re going to try to win these next six games.”

Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com

Monday, March 12, 2012 LOSS, from page 9

Mainieri had hoped an early-morning practice before the Sunday contest with Notre Dame would cure the Tigers’ hitting woes, but that wasn’t the case as No. 13 LSU (13-3) stumbled to a 7-1 defeat at the hands of the Fighting Irish (7-5), snapping an eight-game winning streak. LSU only managed eight hits, one more than they managed against Michigan, but with far less run production.

“We had a few balls that we hit hard, but I don’t think we had a lot of great swings,” Mainieri said. “When we did hit a ball hard, it seemed it was right at somebody. But it was just a very poor offensive day for us overall.”

The duo of junior outfielders

Mason Katz and Raph Rhymes came into Sunday’s contest hitting .423 and .492, respectively, but neither ‘We had a few found his stride balls that we at the plate as combined hit hard, but they to go 0-for-8.

I don’t think After earning we had a lot of National Playgreat swings.’ er of the Week honors last Paul Mainieri Monday, Katz LSU baseball coach has struggled, going hitless in his last 11 plate appearances.

“It’s the way the game goes sometimes,” Katz said. “Sometimes you just don’t have it that certain day, and today was really one of those days.”

The offensive struggles plagued the entire team as two players, sophomore catcher Ty

The Daily Reveille Ross and freshman centerfielder Chris Sciambra, accounted for five of the team’s eight hits. LSU didn’t record multiple hits in an inning until the eighth, when the Tigers already trailed by six runs.

LSU didn’t have an answer to Notre Dame starting pitcher Sean Fitzgerald, who entered the game with a 9.82 ERA in his three starts this season. Fitzgerald threw eight innings of one-run ball with four strike outs and one walk.

The only LSU run came on a double by freshman left fielder Jared Foster in the eighth inning that scored Ross from third.

“He was throwing every pitch for a strike,” Rhymes said.

“He had great control of his off-speed [pitches]. When you can throw your off-speed for a strike, it makes your fastball that much tougher.”

page 15 It was the opposite story for LSU starting pitcher Kurt McCune. After cruising through the first two innings and retiring all six batters he faced, Notre Dame jumped all over him in the third.

McCune surrendered three runs in the inning on four hits.

McCune exited the game after allowing back-to-back hits to open the fourth inning. Both of those runners eventually scored, inflating McCune’s ERA to 5.40 in 16.2 innings of work this season.

McCune could be in danger of losing his spot in the weekend rotation once Southeastern Conference play begins Friday. Freshman Aaron Nola, who threw eight scoreless innings against Tulane last Tuesday, will start for LSU today when the team faces Notre Dame at 6:30 p.m.

CONNOR TARTER / The Daily Reveille

LSU junior pitcher Rachele Fico winds up to pitch Saturday during the Tigers’ 1-0 victory against Troy in Tiger Park.

SOFTBALL, from page 9

center field.

The next batter, freshman infielder Dylan Supak, belted a liner over the pitcher’s head to score Santos from second base, pushing the Tigers’ lead to two.

After Troy cut the deficit to one in the top of the fifth, the Tigers answered back in the bottom of the fifth on an opposite-field, two-run home run by Falcon.

The home run — Falcon’s first at LSU — extended the Tigers’ lead to three.

“I had seen that outside pitch before, and I was expecting it,” Falcon said. “I just did what needed to be done.”

After yielding two unearned runs in the seventh, Mack finished off the Trojans for her fifth win of the season.

In Saturday afternoon’s contest against Troy, LSU broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the seventh on a game-winning, pinch-hit RBI single by sophomore first baseman Ashleigh Kuhn.

“She, in my head, is the first one off the bench in a pinch-hitting role if she’s not already in the lineup,” Torina said.

Junior pitcher Rachele Fico earned her seventh win on a complete-game, one-hit shutout.

“We were keeping a pretty healthy mix with pitch calling,” Fico said. “We really kept them off balance today.”

Fico struck out 10, including her 400th career punch-out, which came in the first inning.

“When she’s on, she’s really on,” Torina said. “There wasn’t a moment where anyone had doubt in that game.”

In the weekend finale against Mississippi Valley State, the Tigers put 11 runs on the board in the first inning, en route to a 16-0 victory in five innings.

The 11-run inning is the most runs LSU has put up in an inning since scoring 12 in a single frame against Texas Southern on Feb. 26, 2006.

Mack and Patterson split the duty in the circle, with Mack earning her sixth win.

“We just need to keep rolling with this momentum we have right now,” Fico said.

The Tigers open Southeastern Conference play Wednesday with a doubleheader against No. 19 Auburn (20-3) at Tiger Park, starting at 5 p.m.

Contact Scott Branson at sbranson@lsureveille.com

thursday april 5

Zeds Dead

Tuesday May 8

Chevelle

Nola has started and earned the win in two mid-week games this season, in addition to some work out of the bullpen. He has a 2.00 ERA in 18 innings of work.

Mainieri said he had hoped to use Nola in relief Sunday, but McCune’s struggles on the mound forced him to reassess his starting rotation.

“It’s going to have to wait until after [Monday] night to figure out what we’re going to do,” Mainieri said. “We just have to get McCune straightened out.

Whether he’s starting on the weekend for us, or pitching in some other capacity, he’s still going to be an important pitcher to us.”

Contact Hunter Panoagua at hpaniagua@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille

Opinion

page 16

OUR VIEW

Monday, March 12, 2012

LSU System’s controlling grip impedes candid discourse The Daily Reveille Editorial Board

Smoke and mirrors.

That’s what University students can expect during this legislative session, which begins today, unless the LSU System and University administrators reconcile their differences and tell the truth about higher education funding.

Free speech on campus is a pleasure, not a right, that University leaders don’t have anymore.

Last month, LSU System President John Lombardi sent a letter to administrators that was published by The Times-Picayune. It referenced Gov. Bobby Jindal’s budget, which relies on tuition hikes to make up for the funding gap that higher education is experiencing.

The letter tells all

administrators they should provide “coordinated responses from our PR offices so that all units of higher education respond in the same generally positive and supportive way to the Administration’s efforts to avoid significant loss of funding from the all-funds budgets of higher education institutions.”

A few weeks ago, Lombardi sent a broadcast e-mail to LSU students that once again exerted the System’s power over individual campuses by emphasizing that only the System, not universities alone, has the power to make final decisions and can decide how administrators should perform their duties.

“This applies to all state/ LSU employees as well as to others who perform ‘governmental functions,’” Lombardi’s

letter reads.

A pattern has emerged that lets one voice — the voice of the LSU System — ring louder than all others combined. Students, who are the primary constituents of the University and the LSU System, are the ones being left in the dark.

The Daily Reveille can attest to that. When we asked the LSU System to further explain one of its letters, Charles Zewe, the LSU System’s vice president for communication and external affairs, called our reporter “too simple” to understand their inner workings.

University administrators can’t give us their real stories without fearing for their jobs.

Whispers echo among them about the bureaucracy, but fear of their superiors keeps them quiet

on the record.

No longer can students get honest, public answers from administrators, who must now swear allegiance to the LSU System or risk losing school funding or their own jobs. How can anyone expect students to protest budget cuts if they aren’t allowed to know the truth about what’s happening?

Today’s beginning of the legislative session finds bills looming that propose increasing tuition, changing TOPS awards, restructuring the authority of the Board of Regents and the controversial merger of LSU Shreveport and Louisiana Tech University.

It’s time for the policymakers to put aside their differences and remember that the goal of higher education is not to argue about college

funding, but to inspire students to learn voraciously, think critically and realize that sometimes there aren’t answers to every question.

Instead, this closed-door administrative hoopla inhibits the free speech that college campuses are known for and reinforces the mindset that students can’t make a difference once policymakers have made up their minds.

Here’s to hoping politics and egos don’t obstruct real solutions about higher education this spring.

Contact The Daily Reveille Editorial Board at editor@lsureveille.com

Government medical micromanagement has gone too far POSITIVELY CARNAL

KRISTI CARNAHAN Columnist There’s a never-ending stream of stories regarding the government’s attempts to intrude into people’s lives without their consent, from Guantanamo Bay detentions to “legal” wiretapping.

One of the biggest headlines today is the government’s attempt to take over the right to choose what we do with our bodies.

I’d be lying if I told you the fight for control of our bodies — especially women’s bodies — is a new one.

But I haven’t seen a fight this vicious in a long time.

The fight has started getting more media coverage since the March 2010 healthcare reform.

Since then, lawmakers have gone insane trying to legislate reproductive health.

The reform set off a dramatic uprising among the legislators, mostly Republican. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 49 states introduced more than 900 measures related to reproductive health and rights just in the first quarter of 2011.

These measures pertain to women’s reproductive actions almost exclusively.

One legislator submitted

SUE OGROCKI / The Associated Press

Protesters rally Feb. 28 in opposition to the Oklahoma Senate’s passage of a bill that grants the rights of personhood to fertilized human eggs at the state Capitol.

an amendment for male provisions to Oklahoma’s personhood amendment, which was laughed at and berated. Constance Johnson, D-Oklahoma City, introduced the amendment stating ejaculation anywhere other than a vagina is action against unborn children.

You think the amendment is preposterous?

Masturbation, anal sex and oral sex are acts couples engage in to avoid pregnancy. Birth control pills and implants are also

The Daily Reveille Editorial Board

Matthew Jacobs Chris Branch Ryan Buxton Bryan Stewart Andrea Gallo Clayton Crockett

Editor-in-Chief Associate Managing Editor Associate Managing Editor Managing Editor, External Media News Editor Opinion Editor

used to avoid conception, among other medical uses.

If the government is so concerned about what women do with their eggs, shouldn’t they be equally concerned with men’s sperm? It’s necessary to make that fetus they’re trying so hard to protect.

If they can’t be concerned with both, they shouldn’t be concerned with either.

Counter-legislation proposed in Ohio by Sen. Nina Turner, DCleveland, would require men to

undergo thorough physical and psychological testing in order to get erectile dysfunction medication.

Stacey Newman, D-St. Louis County, proposed counter-legislation to abortion measures in Missouri requiring that a vasectomy only be performed in the case of potential loss of life or limb (or testicle).

Virginia recently passed a bill requiring an ultrasound prior to consenting to and completing an abortion. That means every woman has to undergo this procedure — possibly more than once — in order to abort the pregnancy, whether medically necessary or not.

How would those men feel if they were required to have a transrectal ultrasound before they had a vasectomy, to ensure all the pipes are in full working order before someone goes snipping? I doubt legislators would be jumping to pass that bill.

Arizona’s Senate passed a bill last Tuesday that would allow a doctor to withhold information regarding birth defects from their patient if the information given may lead to them aborting the pregnancy — without a medical malpractice repercussion.

While I pray no medical professional would ever be so unethical, the fact that a legislature finds this acceptable says plenty about its personal ethics.

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It’s equivalent to a person going in for open-heart surgery and the doctor not mentioning the possibility of death on the table.

Politicians are obviously quite horrific medical professionals — in medical competence and ethical situations.

I support contraception — pills, implants, and procedures — being covered by insurance, the same as I support vasectomies and Viagra coverage. Medical decisions made between a person and their doctor should be covered as long as they are legal, without religious or insurance interference.

It’s time the government steps out of medical decisions for all citizens. If the government can legalize micromanagement regarding medical decisions like abortion, ultrasounds and contraception, we can’t expect them to stop with reproductive rights.

I won’t even speculate on other personal decisions may try to legislate away from us if this trend continues, but it doesn’t look pretty.

Kristi Carnahan is a 25-year-old anthropology senior from West Monroe. Follow her on Twitter @TDR_KCarnahan.

Contact Kristi Carnahan at kcarnahan@lsureveille.com

Quote of the Day

“The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river.”

Ross Perot American businessman June 27, 1930 — present

The Daily Reveille

Monday, March 12, 2012

Opinion

page 17

HEAD to HEAD

Is the KONY 2012 campaign an easy way out of real activism?

No. Online activism helps appeal directly to users. Yes. Viral trends overshadow domestic problems.

MANUFACTURING DISCONTENT DAVID SCHEUERMANN Columnist “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”

Victor Hugo’s famous words precede footage of social actions and child soldiers in a viral video that has made its rounds on social networking sites in the past week.

The video is the driving force behind nonprofit Invisible Children’s KONY 2012 campaign, which seeks to arrest Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony for his record of kidnapping children to use as soldiers in his army.

The quote implies that an idea has blossomed into action, and a cursory glance of the video may reveal what that idea is: awareness of Kony’s crimes and a call for his arrest.

But if one looks at the video and its response with a different perspective, then maybe the idea that is really coming to fruition is the impact social media has on inciting civic participation.

It’s a trend that persisted through 2011.

Social networking helped organize and record the Arab Spring and the Occupy Wall Street movement. With the KONY 2012 campaign, the same tools are being implemented not only to facilitate a movement but also to spread awareness of its core issues.

Movements like the KONY 2012 campaign are the future of grassroots activism.

By using Internet tools to appeal directly to people and spread by word-of-mouth, activists can easily entice people’s motivation to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

There is something satisfyingly democratic about the Internet. It is the one medium where publishing control is flipflopped, and the average user can produce content just as easily as he or she consumes it. Information can be easily shared, and every individual can engage and participate with their chosen communities.

This has brought about a subtle shift in temperament. People are less willing to be herded around by leaders, and they react more positively to interacting and engaging with their environment.

It’s telling that a technology that relies on its users to generate content has had a positive effect on building movements which advocate change from the bottom up.

In fact, harnessing the power of civic participation is what the KONY 2012 campaign does right.

The campaign calls for its sympathizers to reach out to policy makers and celebrities in order to spread the word about Kony and his crimes. These efforts culminate on April 20, when the KONY 2012 campaign participants will “cover the night” by plastering posters and stickers throughout cities all over the world.

Their methods may seem superficial compared to other tactics pursued by activists today, but they allow the campaign’s supporters to feel empowered by directly acting to bring about change. By organizing

tangible actions for people to participate in, the KONY 2012 campaign keeps its advocates interested and involved in its efforts.

Of course, critical thought should not be dispensed when one comes across an appealing activist movement. It is entirely healthy to be critical of many of the campaign’s goals.

For example, the campaign calls for the United States to assist the Ugandan government to help capture Kony. However, the Ugandan government is not exactly a beacon of equality and human rights.

It’s also curious that the campaign looks to reach out to United States policy makers instead of African leaders. Maybe it’s because of the last decade of war and foreign intervention, but I don’t trust our government to intervene in another country without looking to get something out of it.

Nonetheless, the campaign’s goals can be modified by the very people it is reaching out to. The entire point of a civilian movement is that it promotes the average person from being a simple spectator to actively participating in the movement and affecting its goals and strategies.

As long as it can keep its supporters participating in the movement and allow them to have a say, the KONY 2012 campaign has a good chance of achieving its goals.

David Scheuermann is a 20-year-old mass communication and computer science sophomore from Kenner. Follow him on Twitter at @TDR_dscheu.

Contact David Scheuermann at dscheuermann@lsureveille.com

NEVER EMPTY THOUGHTS MARIE-THERESE YOKUM Columnist I have to applaud the creative efforts of Invisible Children. The organization has proven success when it comes to creating awareness.

My generation has never cared so strongly about any movement that doesn’t directly affect us.

Why aren’t we reposting and retweeting this much about our own problems on this campus, in this city or in this country?

I am not against the KONY 2012 movement or its mission. I acknowledge Invisible Children has struggled for Ugandan children since before last week.

Instead, I’m serving as the annoying critic who doesn’t feel that this country is in any position to be so proactive about another place while our own still needs that attention.

It’s mind-boggling that we are ready to sign the KONY 2012 petition and put up posters on April 20, but will not give a dollar to the homeless man at the gas station and will carelessly throw away lunch that we don’t feel like finishing.

Are we so content with our own national debt, poverty level, health care and military that we can channel all our efforts to helping out another country? How are we able to stand behind a mission for somewhere else so intensely without possessing that drive for our own country?

In less than two days, more than 50 million people took a side to an issue they that met them on their Facebook feed.

They were shown a problem and solution in less than 30 minutes on a social site.

This organization presented a clear plan, added the necessary elements to grab the attention of its audience and displayed the message through a non-traditional channel — which proved some success.

However, the World Wide Web is a vast medium, and I’m sure Invisible Children was not expecting such a response.

Yet the viral success isn’t surprising when the message is displayed on sites that are accessed by millions on a daily basis.

Invisible Children created so much of an impact with its one video that the organization recently added a critiques section to its website. In the section, they respond to misconceptions and provide details and sources for those against its mission.

The Internet has websites other than YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. At any time, one can look up information about Invisible Children, the statistics provided by the ISS or the domestic issues we currently face here in America.

What I’m saying is we shouldn’t need a video to go viral to be informed about such an important problem, especially since America has been using social media in every way possible to get citizens involved in domestic issues.

I am curious as to what type of video we need to create a similar response against human trafficking, lowering our poverty levels or ending pollution.

Invisible Children is using the “2012” concept it created by getting 20 of America’s culture makers and 12 of America’s policy makers to get involved through donation and social media, which is a great idea. But these are the same influential people in our society pushing consistently for other cause — yet America has never responded so well.

Invisible Children has brought many things to our attention apart from Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army.

The organization has shown the world that social media can be used effectively for awareness and education purposes in a short time span when done correctly.

Invisible Children has also shown us that the youth in America do believe in equality and justice, as long as they can make it in time for “American Idol.”

I’d just mandate all history lessons through YouTube.

Marie-Therese Yokum is a 19-year-old mass communications and finance sophomore from Lafayette. Follow her on Twitter @TDR_myokum.

Contact Marie-Therese Yokum at myokum@lsureveille.com

ROLAND PARKER / The Daily Reveille

Which columnist echoes your beliefs? Vote online at lsureveille.com/opinion.

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page 18

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The Daily Reveille

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