Spotlight: Meet the man behind LSU’s Facebook page, p. 3
Crime: Man strips on Nicholson after being denied Pro Day tryout, p. 4
Reveille The Daily
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 • Volume 116, Issue 119
www.lsureveille.com
Shaved to Save
Baseball: Tigers to take on Ragin’ Cajuns tonight, p. 7
LSU HEALTH SCIENCES
Medical students staying in state
Rachel Warren Staff Writer
the extinction of endangered species such as the Sumatran tiger. Tigers have been classified by the International Union for Conservation of
About 63 percent of students graduating from the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans will remain in the state to complete their medical training, a 3-percent increase from last year, according to Steve Nelson, dean of the School of Medicine at LSUHSC-New Orleans. Nelson said it’s important for Health Sciences Center schools to motivate students to stay in Louisiana after they graduate because most of the physicians in the area were trained at an LSUHSC school. Nelson said 45 percent of students from LSUHSC-Shreveport will also stay in Louisiana for their
OPERATION TIGER, see page 6
MED. STUDENTS, see page 6
photos by MARIAH POSTLETHWAITE / The Daily Reveille
[Above] Natural resource ecology senior Lauren Hull shaves accounting freshman Brad Cook’s head Tuesday in Free Speech Plaza to raise awareness for deforestation. [Right] An orangutan promotes new sustainable forest policy.
Lauren Duhon
Students shave heads to raise awareness for deforestation, endangered animals
Staff Writer
Students monkeyed around in Free Speech Plaza on Tuesday by shaving their heads in an effort to
prevent deforestation. The student-led group Operation Tiger protested the Asia Pulp and Paper company, which is clearcutting, or stripping forests of their trees, and speeding up
HEALTH
Locals weigh in as Supreme Court revisits Affordable Care Act Emily Herrington Staff Writer
As the Supreme Court concludes its hearings on the Affordable Care Act today, local business owners and students are weighing in on the decision-making. “The big fight is whether or not Congress exceeded its authority when it passed the ACA — that’s a question of constitutional law,” said Paul M. Hebert Law Center professor Paul Baier. Douglas Meek, civil engineering sophomore, said he hopes the Supreme Court makes a fair decision, but he’s opposed to the health-care reform. “It’s unconstitutional to make people pay a penalty for not purchasing something,” Meek said. Mary Black, owner of the UPS Store at Citiplace, said her business hasn’t been heavily affected by the
health care law since her employees Valera said she experiences a are all college students working part- peace of mind knowing she won’t time. be discriminated against based on Before the act, she said she of- her pre-existing conditions when she fered a health is able to afford care plan to What is the Affordable Care Act? health insurance. her employ- Enacted in March 2010, the In a prepared ees, but no one Affordable Care Act, commonly referred statement, Robin could afford it. to as “Obamacare,” would extend Mayhall, corpoNow her sturate communicahealth-care coverage to all Americans. dent employtions senior writer ees are able to The individual mandate of the ACA imfor Blue Cross stay covered poses a financial penalty against those and Blue Shield by their par- who do not buy the coverage. A decision of Louisiana, said ents’ insurance on the bill will likely come in June at the organization’s the end of the Supreme Court’s term, plans. analysts are payM a u d e although justices could postpone the ing close attention Valera, owner decision since the ACA doesn’t go into to the Supreme of child care effect until January 2014. The Supreme Court hearings. service KidU- Court has been hearing arguments about Mayhall topia in New the contentious bill for three days. said although Orleans, said the organization she’s at risk because she doesn’t doesn’t agree with every provision of have health insurance, but she is in AFFORDABLE CARE, see page 6 favor of health-care reform.
J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / The Associated Press
Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas (left), holds up a copy of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on March 21 on Capitol Hill.