The Daily Reveille - November 29, 2012

SPORTS: Can LSU field a men’s soccer program under current Title IX laws?, p. 5

MONEY: Local businesses offer student discounts, p. 11

Reveille The Daily

DEPARTURE

Admins: Monday will be missed Ben Wallace Senior Contributing Writer

If it hasn’t already been made clear, LSU will soon lose one of its most valuable assets in administration.

“Personally and professionally, that’s a great loss for LSU,” said Associate Vice Chancellor of Budget and Planning Bob Kuhn, following the announcement that Vice Chancellor and CFO for Finance and Administrative Services Eric Monday will MONDAY leave LSU for a similar position at the University of Kentucky.

“I’ve known him since he was SG President [at LSU],” said Kuhn, who has more than 35 years of administrative service at LSU. “Hopefully he comes back one day.”

Monday’s departure only fuels the fire of instability among top University administrators. It began in May with the firing of LSU System President John Lombardi, and continued when former Chancellor Michael Martin left and former Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Jack Hamilton’s two-year fixed term ended, which he took because his predecessor had stepped down in 2010.

Interim System President and Chancellor William “Bill” Jenkins will have the ultimate authority on who fills Monday’s soon-to-be empty position.

But until Monday leaves for the bluer grass and a nearly $100,000 salary increase at the University of Kentucky — on which Kuhn commented, “he’s worth the increase” — Monday will continue to serve as LSU’s chief financial officer, overseeing its roughly $800 million annual budget.

“Today he’s still making decisions,” Kuhn said.

Both Kuhn and Jason Droddy, director of external affairs in the Chancellor’s Office, look to Monday for feedback on every major MONDAY, see page 4

Thursday, November 29, 2012 • Volume 117, Issue 66

www.lsureveille.com

It’s a Deal

Miles, LSU agree to contract extension

Alex Cassara Sports Writer

Just like that, LSU fans will have seven more years of the Hat. Faster than speculation of LSU coach Les Miles’ potential move to Arkansas ramped up, it screeched to a halt. While there was a bit of breath-holding when the Athletic Department pushed Miles’ scheduled news conference back an hour, Tiger faithfuls could exhale before he ever hit the podium.

Earlier in the day, 104.5 ESPN reported that he’d agreed to a contract extension and a pay raise. Just 10 minutes before Miles’ news conference was scheduled to begin, LSU issued a news release with a quote from LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva that said the University would extend its coach’s contract to 2019.

Like nothing ever happened, Miles walked into the team room and stepped up to explain the situation to an extent of his liking.

“Good afternoon,” Miles opened. “The Arkansas issue was a sincere one.”

It wasn’t totally sincere, if Miles’ following comments were to be believed. He denied reports saying he’d received a five-year, $27.5 million offer from the Razorbacks

and said there was no contact between him and Arkansas alumnus and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who Miles befriended during a short stint in Dallas.

His respect for Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long, who Miles worked with at Michigan, led him to field the now-unspecified offer, but their “conversations were very preliminary and fell short of any major interest.”

LSU’s deal is still in the negotiation process, but Miles probably wouldn’t have divulged the terms anyway, as he repeatedly shot down questions regarding his inevitable monetary gain.

Miles said he is expecting socks and underwear again for Christmas, even with some extra change in his family’s collective pocket.

“It’s embarrassing for me to talk about money, so I don’t,” Miles said.

DEAL, see page 4

Are you happy with LSU’s decision to extend Les Miles’ contract for another seven years?

Vote at lsureveille.com.

CATHERINE THRELKELD / The Daily Reveille

LSU head coach Les Miles speaks Wednesday about his seven year contract renewal at the Football Operations Building.

ADMINISTRATION

Town Hall to address system reorganization could be the merger of the positions of chancellor and system president. Faculty Senate PresiWilliam “Bill” Jenkins, Uni- dent Kevin Cope voiced strong versity interim sysopinions against the tem president and merger, due to a surchancellor, will host Town Hall meeting: prise vote conducted a Town Hall-style Who: William Jenkins, at the end of an Oct. discussion about the University interim system 26 meeting. reorganization of the president and chancellor Cope said he felt University System When: 3:30 p.m. today the surprising nature at 3:30 p.m. today in left no room for Unithe Bo Campbell Au- Where: Cox versity faculty and ditorium of the Cox Communications staff to weigh in and C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Academic Center for believed the vote was Academic Center for Student Athletes, Bo predetermined.

Campbell Auditorium Student Athletes.

Leaders of the In an email sent Southern Association last Monday, Jenkins invited stu- of Colleges and Schools emailed dents and professors to attend and and sent a letter to University voice their opinions.

A topic under discussion SYSTEM, see page 19 Megan Dunbar Staff Writer

AUSTIN BENNETT / The Daily Reveille

William Jenkins, University interim president and chancellor, will host a Town Hall-style meeting about the University System at 3:30 p.m. today in the Cox Auditorium.

The Daily Reveille

page 2

INTERNATIONAL Wal-Mart, Disney and Sears clothes found in Bangladesh fire DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — The garment factory in Bangladesh where 112 people were killed in a fire had been making clothes for Wal-Mart, Disney, Sears and other major global retailers — some of whom say they thought they had stopped doing business with the place.

Amid the blackened tables and melted sewing machines at Tazreen Fashions Ltd., an Associated Press reporter discovered clothes and account books Wednesday that indicated the factory was used by a host of U.S. and European retailers.

Spat with neighbors sours Albanian century of independence party TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania celebrated 100 years of independence Wednesday with a military parade, festive cavalcades and an 18-ton cake.

But the celebrations were soured by spats with two of the small Balkan nation’s four neighbors, whose officials canceled plans to attend.

Prime Minister Sali Berisha had spoken Tuesday of “Albanian lands” stretching from Preveza in Greece to Presevo in Serbia, and from the Macedonian capital of Skopje to the Montenegrin capital of Podgorica.

Nation & World

ASHRAFUL ALAM TITO / The Associated Press

Boxes of garments lay Wednesday near equipment charred in the fire that killed 112 workers at the Tazreen Fashions Ltd. factory in Dhaha, Bangladesh.

UN: Arctic sea ice larger than United States melts due to climate change DOHA, Qatar (AP) — An area of Arctic sea ice bigger than the United States melted this year, according the U.N. weather agency, which said the dramatic decline illustrates that climate change is happening “before our eyes.”

In a report released at U.N. climate talks in the Qatari capital of Doha, the World Meteorological Organization said the Arctic ice melt was one of a myriad of extreme and record-breaking weather events to hit the planet in 2012.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

NATIONAL

STATE/LOCAL

Ten-ton New Jersey spruce will light up as Rockefeller Center tree

Man accused of sexually assaulting an LSU fan will be sentenced today

NEW YORK (AP) — An 80-foot Norway spruce that made it through Superstorm Sandy is getting a chance to shine when it’s set to be lit as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

The tree, which will be lit Wednesday night, comes from the Mount Olive, N.J., home of Joe Balku. Balku lost power and other trees during the storm at his residence about an hour outside of Manhattan.

The tree was taken from his home in November. It had been there for years, measuring about 22 feet tall in 1973 when Balku bought the house. It’s now 50 feet in diameter.

Pot legalization not a free ride to smoke on university campuses

The man who was initially accused of sexually assaulting an LSU fan after the BCS Championship game last January will be sentenced today.

Brian Downing, 33-year-old Alabama fan, pleaded guilty last month to obscenity charges and a two-year sentence, according to Nola.com Downing was filmed rubbing his genitals on and sexually thrusting against a passed out man clad in LSU attire inside a Krystal Burger on Bourbon Street.

The victim, who has filed a lawsuit against Downing, was not named by Nola.com.

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Young voters helped pass laws legalizing marijuana in Washington and Colorado, but many still won’t be able to light up.

Most universities have codes of conduct banning marijuana use, and they get millions of dollars in funding from the federal government, which still considers pot illegal.

With the money comes a requirement for a drugfree campus and the threat of expulsion for students using pot in the dorms.

RICHARD DREW / The Associated Press

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is suspended by a crane Nov. 14 in preparation to be raised at Rockefeller Center in New York.

Texas out to seize Warren Jeffs’ 1,700-acre polygamist ranch

Three British Petroleum employees arraigned on Gulf oil spill charges

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas wants ownership of Warren Jeffs’ massive ranch where prosecutors say the convicted polygamist sect leader and his followers sexually assaulted dozens of children, the state attorney general’s office said Wednesday.

A judge will determine whether to grant the state control of the nearly 1,700-acre property owned by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

According to local tax records, the total value of the land is appraised at more than $33 million.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Two BP rig supervisors and a former BP executive pleaded not guilty Wednesday to criminal charges stemming from the deadly Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and the company’s response to the massive 2010 spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP well site leaders Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine, along with former BP vice president of exploration for the Gulf David Rainey, remained free on bond following their arraignments in federal court.

Weather

PHOTO OF THE DAY

TODAY Mostly Sunny

69 47 FRIDAY

73 52 SUNDAY CATHERINE THRELKELD / The Daily Reveille

LSU head coach Les Miles and LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva shake hands Wednesday. Submit your photo of the day to photo@lsureveille.com.

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.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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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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The Daily Reveille

Thursday, November 29, 2012

EDUCATION

page 3

HEALTH

Voucher program brought to court How students can

survive finals week

Most teachers oppose proposition

Contributing Writer

Staff Writer

Educators have been up in arms against La. Gov. Bobby Jindal’s voucher program since day one. They’re now going as far as bringing the legislation to court.

A court case concerning Louisiana’s K-12 schools’ statefunded voucher program began Wednesday, and District Judge Tim Kelley expects it to last until Friday.

The case will determine whether funding private schools with taxpayer dollars is legal, and the ruling could affect University students looking into teaching after college.

Education junior Shelby Strong said the bill was part of her consideration when choosing a major.

“Everyone told me not to do it because if I got students with bad test scores, I’d get fired, but this is where I’m from, and I want to give back,” Strong said.

Strong said every student should have equal opportunities, but she doesn’t think the teachers should be punished.

While this is a main aspect of the bill, it also allows any child in a family of four or more whose income is less than $57,000 to apply for a seat in a school outside of their district — if his or her local school holds a rating of C or below.

Louisiana K-12 students began taking advantage of the state’s new voucher program this August after Jindal rushed the bill through legislation in the spring.

The problem, as seen by teacher unions and school boards across the state, is that the money slated for under-funded public schools will now go to private schools, which have separate funding, according to

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Vincent’s ways to reduce stress:

Juliann Allen

Megan Dunbar

The number of students seeking mental health services from the Student Health Center increases significantly after midterm exams and stays at a constant rate throughout the semester, according to Mental Health Service Director Drayton Vincent.

Although the University organizes no specific mental health awareness programs during finals week, the Health Promotion Department and the Mental Health Service Department promote awareness through programs like Tiger Games, which was based on student wellness and health.

To schedule an appointment at the Student Health Center, call (225) 578-6271, or call (225) 578-8774 for mental health services.

Reveille Radio

91.1 KLSU

DANNY JOHNSTON / The Associated Press

La. Gov. Bobby Jindal speaks in Hot Springs, Ark., on July 27. Republicans who talked after the GOP’s electoral defeat say the Grand Old Party needs to get with the times.

various educators.

Private schools also exist outside of governmental jurisdiction and do not require the same evaluations and criteria for courses as public schools.

Jindal and State Superintendent of Education John White’s argument is that the voucher program has helped and should continue to help students who previously had no options to earn a better education.

White said in a statement that the middle of the school year is not the best time to make this decision, as students will be in the middle of a grade.

Teachers protested this measure from the start, with demonstrations at the Capitol building as legislators drafted and passed

the bill.

Two organizations, Louisiana Federation of Teachers and Louisiana Association of Educators, officially filed suits against the bill’s passing in June.

The argument against the bill includes a statement that the bill’s passing was unconstitutional.

Lower courts have refused to define the bill as unconstitutional because of the budget deficit this action would cause, forcing the case to make its way to the state court.

Currently, 4,900 students are enrolled in 117 private schools using the state’s vouchers.

Contact Megan Dunbar at mdunbar@lsureveille.com

Tune in at 4:20 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. to learn how to deal with test anxiety.

- Maintain a regular routine as much as possible.

- Eat healthy foods.

- Get a sufficient amount of sleep.

- Exercise can be used as a distraction and increases endorphins, which decrease stress.

- Develop a study plan.

- Limit alcohol and drug use during finals week to keep a clear mind.

- Engage in Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercises.

Ways to get help:

- Visit the Student Health Center to visit with counselors, who also make themselves available for crisis and emergency situations.

- Chat with counselors in academic colleges and in Center for Academic Success, Student Life and Residential Life staff and staff from religious programs.

- Rely on parents and relatives to provide support.

Contact Juliann Allen at jallen@lsureveille.com

Tonight on Tiger TV Newsbeat 6PM Sports Showtime 6:15PM The Big Show 6:30PM Campus Channel 75 DO YOU HAVE AN OCCURRENCE? Call Joe at the Student Media Office 578-6090, 9AM- 5PM or E-mail: oncampus@lsureveille.com

page 4

TECHNOLOGY

MONDAY, from page 1

decision, and agree he’s one of the best at evaluating financial projects from all angles.

“Eric is really good about doing a lot of ‘what if’ scenarios,” Droddy said, a staple characteristic of a valuable financial decision-maker. “The ability to have that conversation is invaluable, and it’ll be missing for a while.”

Droddy said it will be hard to find a replacement with as much personal investment in LSU as Monday, who has already received two degrees from the University and is nearing the finish line on a third.

Kuhn has seen many administrators leave during his nearly fourdecade tenure, and he’s confident LSU will find the right person to fill Monday’s position.

Still, he’ll be sad to see him go.

“Eric is probably one of the best minds on campus,” Kuhn said, referring to his forward-looking nature and problem-solving abilities. “His leaving is really a loss.”

Kuhn said the University has not seen merit increases in the University’s performance in four years.

“What you start losing is that human capital, which is the most valuable asset LSU has,” he said.

Kuhn then posed a question: “Is the current budget situation an environment that a person is going to want to come into?”

He answered using current Vice Chancellor and Provost Stuart Bell as an example of someone who sees the budget situation as an opportunity.

Bell was not available for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Contact Ben Wallace at bwallace@lsureveille.com

DEAL, from page 1

Now that he’s a Tiger for the foreseeable future, Miles’ assistant coaches were next in line for job scrutinization. While he said his defensive coordinator, John Chavis, would be a good fit for the Tennessee vacancy, he doesn’t expect any attrition. Miles said no one’s even asked about any members of his staff.

If a team does request an interview? “[They] can, but it won’t be

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Tech fee may help fund Career Center

The forthcoming Olinde Career Center in the Student Union may receive student tech fee funds.

At a Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee meeting Wednesday, Vice Chancellor of Student Life and Enrollment Kurt Keppler said the center has “significant technology needs.”

He said purchases may include projectors, screens, customized video kiosks that display employer information and eight to 12 computer stations for a résumé writing lab.

Eric Monday, who chairs the oversight committee and is vice chancellor and CFO for Finance and Administrative Services, said $190,635 of unallocated tech fee funds remain. Members can vote to use this money toward expenses like additional charging stations or Gear to Geaux computers.

Wednesday’s meeting was Monday’s last, as he accepted a position at the University of Kentucky earlier this week. “[The kiosks] can run videos about the company, there can be a touchscreen at the bottom where you can touch and learn what are the starting salaries of these employers, what jobs are available, how many employees, where are they located — so you can learn about the companies,” Keppler said.

The Career Center hopes to move into the Union by January 2014, Keppler said.

Keppler asked the committee to review the center’s technology needs and to consider funding them. The center will provide a proposal to the tech fee committee in early 2013, when it begins planning next year’s budget, he said.

Mike Smith, director of Technical Services, also reported at the meeting that University ITS has been in talks with Adobe regarding a campus-wide software license agreement. Right now, the license would have a price tag of about $500,000, he said.

“We’re going to keep talking with them to see if there’s some way we can make this work,” Smith said.

Student Government Academic Affairs Director Thomas Rodgers pointed out incoming Manship School of Mass Communication freshmen will be required to purchase Adobe software beginning next fall.

“At least 500 students are going to be purchasing this software,” Rodgers said.

Smith said ITS could ask Adobe about making an agreement based on the University guaranteeing a minimum number of students who would buy the software.

ITS recently installed a mobile charging station in a lab in Patrick F. Taylor Hall, he said.

The purchase of five new charging

granted,” Miles said with a smile.

Miles can now look forward to the final game of the season, despite not knowing who his team will face or where it’ll face them.

When asked about the Chickfil-A Bowl, Miles answered listlessly, “That would be fine.” He seemed more keen to the mention of the Cotton Bowl and because of LSU fans’ track record when traveling to Dallas.

“That’d be a great place to play for us,” Miles said.

Regarding a possible matchup with his alma mater Michigan in the Capitol One Bowl, Miles said, “It’d absolutely be difficult because those helmets are helmets I’ve worn.”

No matter where the Tigers play, they will welcome back senior offensive lineman Josh Williford and freshman linebacker Kwon Alexander.

While they didn’t play for a championship game this season, Alleva said it’s about being in the hunt, which is the reason he’s ponying up

Olivia McClure Contributing Writer

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TAYLOR BALKOM / The Daily Reveille

LSU Vice Chancellor and CFO Eric Monday speaks Wednesday at his last Tech Fee Committee meeting.

stations was approved at last month’s tech fee committee meeting.

Smith said the new charging stations cost $300 each. The older stations already in use cost $1,000 each.

“We could buy new ones on a regular basis and get a lot more of them,” Smith said.

He also said ITS is in the process of buying 50 laptops to add to the Gear to Geaux checkout pool. The purchase was authorized by the Tech Fee Committee last year. for Miles. But that’s not enough for the man that, if he meets the terms of his contract extension, would become the second-longest tenured coach in LSU history and almost assuredly the winningest.

“I’ll be honest with you, I want to win championships here, and do it again,” Miles said. “Then, do it again.”

Contact Alex Cassara at acassara@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @cassaraTDR

Smith said the current Gear to Geaux program includes 70 laptops. Most of the computers being purchased now are MacBooks that cost about $1,600 each, he said.

Contact Olivia McClure at omcclure@lsureveille.com

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Sports

TITLE

page 5

Antiquated Title IX laws keeping LSU from a men’s soccer program Trey Labat Sports Contributor

photos by THE DAILY REVEILLE

Game a barometer for LSU hoops

The LSU men’s soccer program has been stuck in neutral for a few years now, and top coaches around the area think they know why.

“It’s got to be Title IX,” said Liam Rennie, technical director for the Storm program at Mandeville Soccer Club. “It’s holding back programs all throughout the Southeastern Conference.”

The answer, however, seems to be more complicated than that.

Title IX was created in 1972 to give women the same participation opportunities that men received.

Most of the focus is given to the athletic funding side of Title IX, but the law ensures women are not excluded from receiving benefits in any form.

Title IX requirements are met through one of three prongs: participation, continued history of expansion, or judging the level of interests and abilities through monitoring processes such as surveys and group studies.

LSU chooses to comply with the Title IX law through the latter method, monitoring interests and abilities.

LSU does not meet either of the first two prongs because the University’s participation rate for women’s sports is below 50 percent and a fully funded women’s sport has not been added since 1996.

“Statistically speaking, more men walk onto teams than women

Measuring a college basketball team in the early season isn’t an exact science.

Some schools utilize tournaments and conference showcase games before conference play begins to compete against upperechelon programs. Other coaches prefer to have their squads take on lesser opponents to work out the kinks before taking on the big boys.

LSU falls into the latter category. And I can’t blame coach Johnny Jones for playing it safe, although it makes it hard to gauge if LSU is as good as its 4-0 record suggests.

When the 2011-12 season concluded, optimism abounded that if the Tigers’ nucleus stayed intact, the immediate future of the program was bright. Then center Justin Hamilton declared early for the NBA Draft, coach Trent Johnson bolted to TCU and swingman Ralston Turner transferred to North Carolina State.

Consider any optimism for an NCAA Tournament berth from LSU men’s hoops fans flushed down the toilet.

With a short-list of returning

TITLE IX, see page 10

BAROMETER, see page 9

MIC’D UP MICAH BEDARD Sports Columnist

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Coleman looks to continue strong performance in upcoming Challenge Sixth man leads Tigers against Seton Hall Marcus Rodrigue Sports Contributor

When LSU takes on Seton Hall in the Big East-SEC Challenge on Thursday night in the PMAC, junior forward Shavon Coleman will be facing a challenge of his own.

Coleman, who stands at 6-foot-5, is relatively undersized for a post player, and he will be battling a handful of Seton Hall (5-1) forwards who top 6-foot-9.

“It’s kind of tough because everybody is bigger and stronger,” Coleman said. “I try to use all my might to try to push them off the block. If I can’t do that,

I just try to front and use my arms and be selfish on,” Coleman said. “… When length.” you see the ball, you want to go get the But being undersized rebound and get up and hasn’t stopped Coleman down the court.”

Next up for from leading the Tigers Coleman’s path to sucthe Tigers: (4-0) in scoring with 17.3 cess at LSU didn’t play out points per game this season, Who: LSU (4-0) vs. as easily as his reboundeven as the Tigers’ sixth Seton Hall (5-1) ing. He was a prized recruit man. While his post moves When: 8:30 p.m. tonight coming out of Thibodaux stand out, Coleman has also High in Thibodaux, La., but Where: PMAC shot better than 57 percent grades forced him to take from behind the arc, knock- Watch or listen at home: a two-year detour to Howing down 4-of-7 3-pointers. ESPNU, 98.1 FM ard College in Big Spring, Though Coleman isn’t Texas. the biggest player on the floor, he shows Former LSU coach Trent Johnson a knack for securing tough rebounds, pursued Coleman to sign with the Tigers averaging 8.0 per game. He said his de- during his time in junior college, but sire to rebound comes naturally, and he Coleman was still considering a handcredited his mentality as the key for his ful of other schools such as Texas Tech dominance on the boards. “[Rebounds are] something you can COLEMAN, see page 10

CATHERINE THRELKELD / The Daily Reveille

LSU forward Shavon Coleman fights for a rebound from McNeese State guard Kevin Hardy (left) and forward Austin Lewis (right) on Nov. 13 during the Tigers’ 73-48 win against McNeese State in the PMAC.

page 6

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, November 29, 2012

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

page 7

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Caldwell, staff use fashion Potent LSU offense to ref lect personal values led by several players Bria Turner Sports Contributor

LSU coach Nikki Caldwell and her coaching staff are always dressed to the nines on the sidelines, but their style has a deeper meaning than what most see.

Wearing nice clothing doesn’t define the staff, but it represents what the coaches stand for.

Good first impressions, a nice appearance and proper self-representation are principles the coaches were taught at a young age and continue to live by.

Caldwell, whose mother was a model, said she grew up as a tomboy. She wasn’t a fan of fashion at a young age, but now appreciates her exposure.

Caldwell credits her style and dress not only to her upbringing, but to her position as a coach. She said most people never get a second chance to make a great impression.

“When you are in a position of influence, someone seeing you on the bench or walking down the street … that’s important to show that you’re always on and always ready for that interview,” Caldwell said. “You never know who you will meet.”

Caldwell and assistant coach Tasha Butts share a personal stylist, Shyra Ely of Tennessee, who sends the coaches looks and orders their clothes.

The coaches said they’re professionals, so they dress for the job.

“I don’t know why people make it a big deal because men coach in suits,” Butts said. “People wear heels to church, people wear heels to work when they’re teachers.

We just happen to coach women’s basketball.”

The coaches said they love to be stylish but will also work in sweats and tennis shoes at team practices.

They even jump into practice when it’s needed.

“We’re all about rolling our sleeves up and practicing [with] our girls if we have to,” Butts said.

CATHERINE THRELKELD / The Daily Reveille

LSU sophomore guard Anthony Hickey drives the ball Nov. 9 during the LSU vs.

UC Santa Barbara game in the PMAC. The Tigers won 77-63.

Chandler Rome Sports Writer

TAYLOR BALKOM / The Daily Reveille

LSU women’s basketball coach Nikki Caldwell speaks to a referee Nov. 11 during the Lady Tigers’ 72-70 win against Wichita State.

Butts said fashion doesn’t define her as a person — character does. She said she is a “fireball,” and most people can see that when she’s “up screaming and stomping” her heels.

“Whatever I do is passionate,” Butts said. “I’m passionate about recruiting, I’m passionate about my girls’ academics and I’m passionate about my heels. That’s the type of person I am; that’s the type of coach I am.”

Assistant coach Tony Perotti said the male staff members try to keep up with the women, but

he knows the men can’t match the female coaches’ style. Perotti said the men enjoy dressing up on game day because style represents a person’s direction.

“You always want to look the part that you’re in,” Perotti said. “If you want to move up in the world, you need to dress the part you want to move to.”

Contact Bria Turner at bturner@lsureveille.com

The mantra Johnny Jones has brought to LSU with his high-octane offense is simple — find the open man.

The Tigers (4-0) have shown new wrinkles with the up-tempo game, sacrificing individual highscoring games for an easy bucket, whether it comes from starting point guard Anthony Hickey or former walk-on center Andrew Del Piero.

“There’s a lot of unselfishness going on through the team,” Hickey said. “Everyone is willing to pass the ball and find the open man. It’s going to be a great year.”

Led by four players averaging 10 or more points per game, the Tigers have broken out of the slower, half-court offense they became accustomed to under former coach Trent Johnson.

Hickey, who is third on the team with 10.3 points per game, said the more free-flowing style has been favorably received. “[Jones] gives us more freedom and leeway to just play,” Hickey said. “He just lets us play basketball and have fun.”

Junior forward Shavon Coleman has only cracked the starting lineup once, but averages a teamleading 17.3 points per game.

Playing out of his natural wing position, Coleman has impressed with his ability to handle the bigger bodies on the inside while looking to spread the scoring around.

and

“A lot of the time, it is Shavon who is the leading scorer for us,” said freshman forward Shane Hammink. “But we always stress to find the open man.”

Coleman teams with junior guard Andre Stringer off the bench to give the Tigers an average of 26.8 points per game from the sideline — something that doesn’t concern Jones.

Jones even likened Stringer’s outside shooting to that of former Tiger legend Chris Jackson.

“Both of them are very capable of being starters, and they’ve been playing starter type minutes,” Jones said. “Both of them are impact players and are difference makers.”

Hickey praised Del Piero, who he said has improved markedly since last season and brings the PMAC crowd to its feet with his contributions.

Del Piero logged 15 minutes in the Tigers’ 75-50 win against Mississippi Valley State, chipping in eight points. Two of them came on a two-hand slam dunk that punctuated a run that sent the Tigers into the locker room with a 10-point lead.

“We need that excitement whenever he’s in the game,” Hickey said.

“He’s like an energy guy for us.”

Sophomore forward Johnny O’Bryant III, second on the team with 12.3 points per game, said the new offense is a stark contrast from last season, but has helped the young team to gel under its new coach.

“No one guy is really searching for their shot,” O’Bryant said. “It helps build team chemistry that you can get the ball to your teammate.”

Contact Chandler Rome at crome@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @Rome_TDR

Then you will

hiring

The Daily Reveille

page 8

NFL

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Falcons look to end skid in series against Saints The Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — On the verge of clinching their division before December, the Atlanta Falcons don’t look so dominant when their longest, most intense rival is on the field with them.

The New Orleans Saints have won four straight and 11 of 13 in the series, including a 31-27 home win against Atlanta on Nov. 11. It remains the only loss for the Falcons (10-1), who otherwise have dominated the NFC South race.

The Falcons, four games ahead of second-place Tampa Bay, can clinch the division if they beat the Saints on Thursday night and Denver beats the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Coach Mike Smith obviously hasn’t been talking about the division race to his players.

“I didn’t know that,” running back Michael Turner said when asked about the possibility the team could clinch the division. “You just focus on this week. We know nothing is guaranteed.”

The Saints (5-6) are playing to remain in the NFC wild-card race.

New Orleans’ resurgence from its 0-4 start was derailed a bit with last week’s loss to San Francisco.

The game is a matchup of two of the NFL’s most productive quarterbacks.

Atlanta’s Matt Ryan is 31-4 in five seasons as a starter at the Georgia Dome. He set a career high with 411 yards passing with three touchdowns and one interception in the first game against the Saints this month, and will try to extend a streak of four straight games with at least 300 yards through the air.

The Saints’ recent dominance of the series began when Drew Brees joined them in 2006. He is 11-2 against the Falcons, averaging 302.8 yards passing.

Jimmy Graham had 146 yards receiving with two touchdowns in this season’s first game against Atlanta. Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez also had two touchdown catches in the matchup of elite tight ends.

Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud said the secondary must play tighter coverage on Graham and the Saints’ receivers.

“We feel we can have guys draped on him and make it hard for Drew to put the ball in there,” DeCoud said. “Granted, he’s a very, very accurate quarterback, but if we’re draped on receivers we can make those passes even more difficult than they already are.”

The good news for the Saints is they are only one game back in the wild-card race. Brees wouldn’t say this is a must-win game.

“Every game is important,” Brees said. “We’re still in November. Listen, that doesn’t lessen the sense of urgency. We understand how important this game is, but we’re not labeling it as anything other than the next game on a short week against arguably, according to records, the top team in the NFC, and we have our work cut out for us.”

The Saints would have moved into the last wild-card spot by beating the 49ers last week.

“I know there are about six or seven teams sitting there fighting for a spot or two,” Brees said. “It seems like all of those teams play each other, for the most part, whether they’re within the division or outside the division. If we take care of our business, we’re in. That’s the way we all feel.”

The Falcons couldn’t score after having a second down at the Saints 1-yard line late in the game.

Ryan said it was a missed opportunity the team can’t have in its second chance against the Saints.

“The last time we played them, we fell short a little bit in the red zone,” Ryan said. “Playing against New Orleans, it’s imperative when you have opportunities in that part of the field, you have to take advantage of them and score touchdowns.

I think that’s something I can do better and we can do better as a team.”

The missed opportunity prompted Falcons receiver Roddy White to say after the game, “It’s not like they came out here and won a game. I think we kind of gave it to them.”

Saints defensive end Will Smith didn’t take kindly to those words, saying this week that White “has a problem with just saying things without thinking before he

BILL FEIG / The Associated Press

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (88) pulls in a touchdown reception over New Orleans Saints middle linebacker Curtis Lofton (50) and strong safety Roman Harper (41) Nov. 11 in the second half of an NFL game in New Orleans. The Saints won 31-27.

says things.”

White didn’t speak with reporters this week.

Injuries are a concern for each team, especially with little time for recovery after Sunday’s games.

The Falcons could have gametime decisions on as many as three defensive starters. Cornerbacks Asante Samuel (right shoulder) and Dunta Robinson (illness) and defensive tackle Peria Jerry (quadriceps) missed Tuesday’s practice.

The good news for Atlanta’s defense was last week’s return of linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who missed three games, including the loss at New Orleans, with a right sprained ankle. Weatherspoon, one of the defense’s top playmakers, helped the Falcons limit Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin to 50 yards rushing on 21 carries last week.

New Orleans placed rookie right tackle Bryce Harris on injured reserve with a broken bone

in his right leg on Tuesday. Harris started last week as a fill-in for Zach Strief (left groin). Strief’s backup, Charles Brown, was out with a right knee injury.

Assistant head coach Joe Vitt said the possibility of Strief playing against the Falcons “looks good.”

Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDRsports

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, November 29, 2012

JAZZ 96, HORNETS 84

GERALD HERBERT / The Associated Press

New Orleans Hornets center Robin Lopez (15) drives to the basket Wednesday against Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap (24) during the Hornets’ 96-84 loss in New Orleans.

Check out today’s Tiger Feed sports blog at lsureveille.com/sports:

A news writer tackles a sports topic: Big East realignment is an exercise in lunacy.

page 9 LSU head coach Johnny Jones watches his players Nov. 9 during the LSU vs. UC Santa Barbara game in the PMAC. Jones took the precautionary route and filled his team’s 2012-13 preconference schedule with lesser teams to work out its kinks before conference play begins.

BAROMETER, from page 5

contributors available in his first season at the helm, Jones has gone the precautionary route and loaded up LSU’s non-conference schedule with a bunch of cupcakes.

But fear not, LSU fans; you’ll finally get a chance to see a quality Division I college basketball contest as Seton Hall comes to town tonight to take on the Tigers in the annual SEC-Big East Challenge in the PMAC. After four wins against overmatched teams, LSU will finally get its chance to prove its seasonopening win streak isn’t just a stroke of good luck. More importantly, facing a quality opponent will allow fans to determine what to expect from the Tigers in the rest of the 2012-13 campaign.

Last season, LSU was able to take down Rutgers 55-50 on the road in the competition between the SEC and Big East in typical Trent Johnson fashion — stout defense complemented by putrid offense.

This year’s LSU team has a completely different vibe.

There are many reasons fans are optimistic they might be better than the 11th-place finish the media picked them to complete in the SEC with the Tigers’ fast start.

Offensively, LSU has progressed from the Johnson era by leaps and bounds.

Of the four games LSU has played, 73 is the lowest point total the Tigers have been held to so far. In the 2011-12 campaign, LSU scored 73 points or more in only five regular-season contests.

Jones has gotten his roster of newcomers and returnees to all buy into his up-tempo style of play.

But that’s not to say the defensive determination has lessened

CATHERINE THRELKELD /

any during the transition from Johnson to Jones. Apart from their 101-95 shootout victory against Northwestern State, the Tigers are limiting their opponents to 54 points a game.

Newcomers have also been big early on for LSU. Junior forward Shavon Coleman is the team’s leading scorer with an average of 17.3 points and rebounder with an average of 8 per game. He has been a big surprise after playing in junior college ranks this time last season. Fifthyear senior Charles Carmouche has been a steadying force both in the backcourt and in the locker room.

Yes, the Jones era of LSU men’s basketball has started off with a bang. But the quick success might not translate into more wins than the Tigers were projected for before the season tipped off.

Seton Hall isn’t a Big East power, but it’s a big step up from Mississippi Valley State and

The Daily Reveille

McNeese State.

The Pirates are 5-1 and feature size in the frontcourt, something LSU hasn’t had to worry about yet this year. Six-foot-9, 290-pound center Gene Teague poured in 20 points and 11 rebounds in their 7661 win against St. Peter’s on Sunday.

Coleman has been great so far but hasn’t had to play against bigger bodies in the post. The Pirates have also had a chance to test themselves against Washington in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament last week.

So just what kind of team is LSU this year? We’ll get a good idea tonight in the PMAC. Micah Bedard is a 22-year-old history senior from Houma.

Contact Micah Bedard at mbedard@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @DardDog

page 10 TITLE IX, from page 5

do through a four-year period,” said Associate Athletics Director and Senior Women’s Administrator Miriam Segar. “We constantly monitor sports to see if the interest and ability on campus will allow us to add more women’s sports.”

The monitoring process at LSU includes surveys to gauge interest in sports throughout the area, looking at other SEC schools’ women’s programs and keeping tabs on several NCAA emerging sports.

If LSU added another men’s sport, it would widen the gap in participation between male and female student-athletes.

The addition of a men’s sport is handicapped by the Title IX requirements. If LSU added a men’s program, it would limit its options of significant interest in another women’s sport developed at the University.

Solutions to the Title IX “problem” do exist, though.

“There are aspects of Title IX that I think could be re-written,” Segar said. “I don’t think it helps increase participation to limit a man’s [participation].”

Segar said by reviewing Title IX with a modern perspective, the law could keep its core principles — promoting and developing women’s sports — and also take out the negative aspects of the law such as limiting men’s participation.

The football team at LSU makes up a majority of the men’s participation, fielding more than 85 scholarship players. With the exception of football, every men’s sport at LSU has a female counterpart.

If football was taken out of the Title IX equation, participation levels in universities across the SEC would balance out.

Football is not treated differently than other sports at LSU. Title IX has a provision that ensures every sport is given the same benefits, including travel and equipment.

“It used to be that the men’s basketball team would be flown to their game and the women’s team would travel by bus,” Segar said.

“With Title IX, that can’t happen anymore.”

LSU could offer a competitive men’s soccer team with just a few revisions to the Title IX legislation.

Men’s soccer programs throughout the country are allowed a maximum of 9.9 scholarships per team, though many teams use fewer.

“Most programs around the country only use four or five full scholarships,” Rennie said. “With the appeal of LSU in combination with TOPS scholarships, LSU could use less than that and field a competitive team.”

“One of the big problems is funding,” said Bo Cassidy, marketing director for the Baton Rouge Soccer Association. “All those costs make it difficult for LSU to justify adding two sports to an already successful program.”

LSU’s club soccer team has proved that even without scholarships it can be competitive with the top teams in the nation. It traveled to compete at the National Championship for club teams after winning the regional competition.

The club team has achieved success primarily through the talents of in-state players.

“Of the 24 players on our team, 18 of them are from Louisiana,” said June No, LSU club soccer captain.

Even without college soccer

The Daily Reveille programs in Louisiana, the state has produced some of the best talent at the college level throughout the nation.

“Jason Garey and Joseph Lapira both won the Hermann Award [National Player of the Year in men’s Division 1 soccer] in 2005 and 2006, respectively,” Cassidy said. “They’re both from the local area and could obviously make a difference at the college level.”

By instituting a men’s soccer program, LSU could recruit the immense talent base in the state while taking advantage of the growing fan base within Louisiana.

“LSU is a very attractive option for high school players,” Cassidy said. “You can get a great education while attending a nationally known university that keeps you close to your family.”

By modernizing the law, schools would be able to field competitive men’s and women’s sports based on interest level at the university. The law would change at its core, but the development of sports — both men’s and women’s — would be allowed to continually grow.

“By changing the law to become more flexible, we could add programs purely based on interest,” Segar said. “The law is good at its core, but there have been unintentional effects on the growth of men’s sports.”

Thursday, November 29, 2012 COLEMAN, from page 5

and Oregon State. Coleman said he chose LSU because of current coach Johnny Jones’ persistence coupled with his family’s urging for him to play close to home.

“I always wanted to play at LSU,” Coleman said. “When coach Johnny Jones gave me a call, I was surprised. He just kept calling me.”

Jones acknowledged that signing Coleman was one of his top priorities when he was hired

by LSU. When sophomore forward Johnny O’Bryant III went down with a lower left leg injury this season, Jones gave Coleman the nod to start in his place against McNeese State. Coleman responded with a resounding 25 points and 10 rebounds, and his big play continued with a 22-point outing against Northwestern State and another double-double against Mississippi Valley State.

Since O’Bryant’s return,

Coleman has settled into his role as the Tigers’ sixth man. Coleman and the rest of the bench have done some damage this season, recently tallying 46 of the Tigers’ 75 points in their win against Mississippi Valley State.

“I think any time guys come off [the bench], you want to look for some type of spark, and those guys have been able to give us that night in and night out,” Jones said.

The Seton Hall game will be aired on ESPNU, and Jones said he’s hopeful that he’s prepared his players for the pressure of playing on national television.

“It means a lot to me,” Coleman said. “… It’s a real big thing to play [in] a Big East and SEC challenge. It’s something I’m looking forward to.”

Contact Marcus Rodrigue at mrodrigue@lsureveille.com

Contact Trey Labat at tlabat@lsureveille.com

{ 4350 HIGHLAND (AT LSU AVENUE) 763.5889 }

Entertainment

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Keeping it in Town Business owners stress the need to shop local

David Jones

T

Entertainment Writer

he perfect sweater, the signature piece of jewelry and the rare, vintage wall art may be just around the corner.

In a time when many consumers readily flock to retail chains, local business owners are urging them to look closer to home.

For Amy Strother, owner of local boutique Noelie Harmon, the decision to shop locally means building a thriving community.

Strother said typically $68 of every $100 spent at a local business re-enters the community, compared to $43 from national businesses. She said the amount of money spent at local stores heavily affects roads, schools and other community necessities.

Strother said college students, in particular, buy products based on trendiness and cost effectiveness without being fully aware of other important factors.

“The younger generation is not being taught the importance of buying consciously,” she said.

All products sold at Noelie Harmon meet at least one of four criteria: being eco-friendly, socially responsible, made by a local artisan or sold at a fair trade price. Strother said each item is labeled with an icon such as “Local Artisan” to add sentiment to a patron’s purchase.

Like many local stores, Strother said her boutique has taken on a specific look catered to the typical Baton Rouge consumer. Louisiana-made crafts and artistry gives the store a Southern flair, she said.

Kellye Bond, owner of Gallery

photos by TAYLOR BALKOM /

The Daily Reveille

[Above] Clothing and accessories are displayed on a mannequin in Gallery Bohemia, a local boutique on Government Street.

[Left] Leather boots rest on a high display in Gallery Bohemia.

LOCAL, see page 15

page 11

The

itting Room

The Daily Reveille talks fashion

Choose the perfect gift for a fashionista As the year comes to a close and the holidays draw near, the bliss of holiday cheer can quickly turn to panic as you frantically search for the perfect gift for friends and family. To make the process a bit SHAMIYAH easier, whether KELLEY you’re on a bud- Fashion Columnist get or looking to splurge, here are a few gift ideas for the fashionista in your life.

Watches are a staple in everyone’s wardrobe. These make an excellent and versatile gift, and they can be worn for many seasons to come. The ubiquitous Michael Kors “Runway” watch retails for $250 at Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s. Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade also offer similar watches in the same price range.

However, Betsey Johnson has a line of more affordable watches at Macy’s. Most watches come packaged in a lovely gift box, so all you have to do is wrap the box and place it under the tree.

For the fashionable GIFTS, see page 15

MONEY

Students can save with a number of businesses David Jones Entertainment Writer

Cash-strapped students are in luck.

With the flash of a University ID card, students can claim a variety of discounts offered by national franchises and local businesses. These studious savings reach every interest — from $5 off yoga classes to halfoff burgers.

The Daily Reveille compiled a list of some of the popular student discounts in the area.

Retail • •

Ann Taylor – 15 percent off purchases StoryVille Apparel – 15 percent off purchases

• • • • •

Check out lsureveille.com for an interactive database on Baton Rouge businesses that offer student discounts.

J. Crew – 15 percent off purchases Banana Republic – 15 percent off full-priced purchases Juicy Couture – 15 percent off purchase Steve Madden – 10 percent off full-priced shoes Sunglass Hut – 30 percent off purchases Dec. 2 through 9

Food • •

Hungry Howie’s – $1 off medium pizza Voodoo BBQ & Grill – 10 percent off entire meal, 15 percent off for members of the Tiger Band

• • • •

Fat Cow – Half-off burgers with the purchase of fries and drink on Mondays Sam’s Club – $40 Collegiate Membership Marble Slab Creamery at Mall of Louisiana – 10 percent off purchase Smoothie King on Highland – $1 off smoothies on “Tiger Tuesdays”

Entertainment • •

Cinemark Perkins Rowe — $1 off after 6 p.m.

Rave Motion Pictures — $1 off DISCOUNTS, see page 15

THE DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES

J. Crew in Perkins Rowe is one of many businesses in Baton Rouge that offers student discounts. Students can get 15 percent taken off their purchases at the retail store.

The Daily Reveille

page 12

Reveille Ranks

Alicia Keys, “Girl on Fire”

NIGHTLIFE

RCA

R&B songstress Alicia Keys is back with a soulful, impassioned sound in her fifth studio album, “Girl On Fire.” Keys opens the album with an intro that shows listeners know she can still tickle the ivories with the same elevated proficiency as a concert pianist. Despite commendable piano play, Keys’ voice is the main instrument on display in this album. She conveys a vulnerable and embattled tone in some songs, yet transitions to brazen power vocals in others.

Nicki Minaj is featured in the title track and provides an aggressive, fast-paced yin that complements Keys’ measured, elegant yang. It seems Keys’ transformation into the roles of wife and mother are reflected in the album’s sentimental and empowering feel. While most of the album is slow in pace, as is Keys’ preference, “New Day” is a rare up-tempo gem.

JOSH NAQUIN

Wu-Block, “Wu-Block”

[ A- ] Entertainment One Music

Wu-Block, the debut hybrid project of Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah and D-Block’s Sheek Louch, stays true to the roots of Wu-Tang and delivers a retro, ‘90s hip-hop experience. As with most of its work, the duo tackles the struggles of living on dangerous streets and the problems that come with it — guns, drugs and violence. Clever wordplay is sprinkled throughout the album, along with well-produced beats and guest vocals from hip-hop’s finest such as Method Man, Jadakiss, Raekwon and Styles P. This isn’t radio hip-hop. The songs aren’t catchy, per se. The beats are more soulful than poppy and certain songs’ subject matter are far more serious than mainstream fodder. Top tracks to check out that exemplify the old school vibe are “Stick Up Kids” and “Pour Tha Martini.”

[ B+ ] TAYLOR SCHOEN

“Hitchcock”

Fox Searchlight Studios

Boasting a cast of Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren and Toni Collette, “Hitchcock” should dazzle. The heavily stylized biopic has received unfair criticism from movie buffs who wanted more focus on the making of “Psycho” and less on Hitchcock’s personal life. But the director has been historically celebrated without reservation for his work in cinema — an unflattering exposé in a biopic will hardly hurt his status as a film legend, and that status doesn’t mean he’s untouchable. While the movie does deserve credit for having the nerve to take on such a beloved figure, it ultimately fails to move anyone — except to the concession stand for a popcorn refill to make it through the whole thing. Perhaps if they weren’t so caught up in trying to marry a psychoanalysis to a love story, the writers could have given their stellar cast more substance to work with.

KACI YODER

[ C] “Red Dawn”

United Artists

When the original “Red Dawn” was released in 1984, American fears of the Soviet Union were at their peak — a fear the film smartly picked up on. As stupid and blindly nationalistic as the original film may be, it’s still a staple of the action genre. The film defines “so bad, it’s good.” But the film’s unnecessary 2012 remake cannot stake that same claim. Using North Koreans in place of Russians, the film’s plot is essentially the same as the original, giving no one a reason to see it. With a performance that’s completely phoned-in, star Chris Hemsworth further proves that playing Thor is all he should be doing. But the film’s biggest issue is that it refuses to push any buttons. The original never let its ideology take a backseat to the action, and its ideology is so blindly militaristic that it’s fun. The remake is only concerned with shooting at things and blowing them up, leaving it completely bereft JOEY GRONER of any of the fun of the original.

[ D- ]

“Liz & Dick”

Lifetime

A miscast Lindsay Lohan took a headfirst dive into a project that was doomed from the beginning. “Liz & Dick,” a dull, melodramatic Elizabeth Taylor biopic, featured the once-troubled actress grasping for any inkling of her childhood career amid cheap dialogue, laughable costumes and forced chemistry. With a valiant but mostly subpar effort, Lohan fails to capture any essence of Taylor’s persona or even an ounce of passion from her widely publicized love affair with Richard Burton. After hours of fast-paced bottle throwing, drinking, crying, sex and more bottle throwing, viewers are left confused, bored and detached. The Lifetime creation dawdles aimlessly until its close and embarrasses all those involved. To no one’s surprise, Lohan and Lifetime delivered exactly what was expected – an abysmal failure.

DAVID JONES

EDITOR’S PICK: Solange, “True”

[ F] Terrible Records

Though, like her sister, Solange may have opted to drop the last name Knowles, the similarities between the musically talented sisters don’t go much further. With her third album (but her first EP), “True,” the younger sibling displays considerable talent, showing off vocal and lyrical skills alluded to in her previous work. But after years of waiting for new material, fans of the smooth songstress are treated to a well-developed sound. Through the seven tracks of the collection, Solange delivers thoughtful material that’s upbeat, relatable and a little edgy — though some songs are more effective in capturing the listener than others. Opening track “Losing You” features layered keyboarding, beats and unconventional noises, which sounds a little strange at first listen.

But it works. The experimental textures can sometimes rub the wrong way, but overall, the album is a successful venture.

MORGAN SEARLES

[ A]

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Entertainment Editor

North Gate Tavern hosts Mario Kart drinking game Josh Naquin Entertainment Writer

Tonight Yoshi, Peach, Toad and the rest of the Mario Kart crew of racers are only three laps – and a frosty beer – away from victory.

Prove Yourself, a once-a-month competition organized by Funny As Buck Comedy’s Jeff Buck, will hold a “Beer Kart” edition of the challenge at North Gate Tavern tonight.

Beer Kart adds a drinking twist on the classic Nintendo 64 Mario Kart game.

“It’s like drowning nostalgia in alcohol,” Buck said.

The University alumnus said he first encountered the game over the summer at a friend’s house. After several popular Beer Kart tournaments at houses, Buck decided the inebriating competition had generated enough interest to be the focus of his latest Prove Yourself competition.

To play Beer Kart, also known as Mario Kart DUI, participants compete to finish a previously unopened beer and the three-lap race in first place. Buck said the bracket of 16 racers will compete in one-on-one elimination races and the difficulty of the course maps will increase with the advancement of tournament rounds.

Exploiting glitches in the game is fair play, but competitors are not allowed to drink their beer and drive at the same time. This rule prompts players to put down the controller mid-race to drink.

Shane Fields’ motivation for competing in the tournament is to defend his reputation and redeem himself. Fields reluctantly shared his strategy for emerging victorious from the competition.

“I chug half of the beer at the beginning and finish the rest throughout the race or if I fall off the map,” Fields said.

Fields plans on racing as the diminutive mushroom Toad, but Buck favors the green speed of the Yoshi character.

“It’s all about the drifting,” Buck said, insisting the strategy is pertinent

photo courtesy of JEFFREY BUCK

North Gate Tavern will hold a “Beer Kart” tournament at 9 p.m. tonight.

to success.

If grainy Nintendo graphics and alcohol don’t get competitors in a gaming spirit, the musical entertainment for the night may do the trick.

Godric Johnson will be on hand playing his brand of “Game-Hop” music, which is basically rapping over video game beats and soundtracks.

Prove Yourself: Beer Kart begins at 9 p.m. tonight with a $5 cover.

The host will provide the beers for

gaming and there will be a sign-up sheet for those not entered in the tournament who wish to play. The tournament competitor most adept at beer-chugging and video game racing will walk away as champion with a to-be-determined cash prize.

Contact Josh Naquin at jnaquin@lsureveille.com

PURVEYOR OF FINE SANDWICHES, SOUPS, AND SALADS

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The Daily Reveille

Thursday, November 29, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

page 13

Whisper app lets users anonymously post secrets Taylor Schoen Entertainment Writer

Whisper is a relatively new smart phone app that’s piqued the interest of college students across the nation, and LSU is no exception.

Confessions, cries for help, regrets, rants, revelations, humor and hookup requests are often the subject matter of users’ “Whispers.” Whispers typically run the spectrum from light-hearted movie quotes to mundane complaints to suicide notes.

Sarah Attman, head of public relations for Whisper, said the app is a place where users are invited to be themselves and can say what they want without having to hide.

“The Whisper app is a space where people go to have authentic, unique experience on social networking,” Attman said.

A Whisper is a post a user can anonymously submit to be viewed by other Whisperers around the world. The user selects a background image, fills the text box with whatever message he or she desires and then picks a nearby location. Other users can then “heart” the post or reply to it with their own Whisper.

The app is similar to the nowdefunct PostSecret app, with a few differences. The app is free, unlike the $1.99 PostSecret app. Also, a user must choose a screen name, but he or she can change it later. The

ability to view Whispers from nearby areas, about a 10-mile radius, is also a new feature.

Attman said the app released in May and has exploded in popularity in the past few months.

Whisper’s popularity has spread to other forms of social media, namely Facebook. College-specific Whisper pages have been popping up recently, like the “Whisper on LSU” page.

The page posts Universityrelated Whispers and ones from the Baton Rouge area from the app, such as, “I’ve accidently come across a couple having sex on the fourth floor of Middleton… I watched.”

Robert James, Whisper area

manager for the campus community and one of the administrators of the page, explained the allure of the app.

“This is a way of having an outlet, and maybe people can get into the habit of saying how they feel without having to deal with repercussions or potential judgment,” James said.

However, James said some people post Whispers with the intention of receiving feedback from other users, such as posing questions or asking for replies.

Some common Whisper themes James has noticed are people reaching out in hopes of finding a hookup buddy, LGBTQ issues and self-acceptance or lack thereof.

James said the Whisper app

attracts college students because they have become intertwined and accustomed to expressing thoughts through social media.

James recognizes both the benefits and the drawbacks that an anonymous app can harbor.

“Even if you don’t know who’s struggling with the same thing you’re struggling with, maybe just to know that there are people struggling with the same thing, it might ignite a motivational fire in you,” James said.

More information about the app can be found at blogs.whisper.sh.

Contact Taylor Schoen at tschoen@lsureveille.com

COMMUNITY

Christmas in Baton Rouge: A preview of events Compiled by Kaci Yoder, Entertainment Writer

Season of Light

When: Nov. 23 to Dec. 30 Where: Louisiana Art & Science Museum Cost: $4 to $9 LASM planetarium’s newest sky show depicts seasonal traditions from all over the world.

Downtown Festival of Lights

When: Nov. 30, 5 to 8 p.m.

Where: Downtown Baton Rouge

and Louisiana Art & Science Museum Cost: free for the festival, free admission to LASM with a donation to Toys for Tots One of Baton Rouge’s oldest Christmas traditions, downtown will light up the trees and LASM will offer holiday events and refreshments.

A Rural Life Christmas

When: Dec. 2, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: LSU Rural Life Museum Cost: $7 LSU’s slice of history offers

handmade crafts, games, storytelling, caroling and a bonfire.

Baton Rouge Little Theater’s “A Christmas Carol”

When: Dec. 7 to 16 Where: Baton Rouge Little Theater Cost: $25 BRLT’s annual holiday show will run Thursday through Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. with additional matinee performances at 2 p.m. on weekends.

Twin Living Christmas Trees

When: Dec. 7 to 9 Where: Jefferson Baptist Church Cost: $12 Jefferson Baptist Church will put on four performances of its 16th annual Twin Living Christmas Trees pageant, with 7 p.m. shows on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. shows on Saturday and Sunday.

62nd Annual Cortana Kiwanis Christmas Parade

When: Dec. 8, 5:30 p.m.

Where: Downtown, starting at the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial

Cost: Free In addition to the main event, the Baton Rouge tradition will also feature a Santa Run at 5 p.m.

A Tale From the Bayou: The Nutcracker

When: Dec. 15 to 16 Where: Baton Rouge River Center Theater Cost: $20 to $42 The classic Christmas ballet with a local flair is accompanied by the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra for 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. performances.

The Daily Reveille

page 14

MOVIES

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Louisiana a prime site for blockbuster movie filming Kaci Yoder Entertainment Writer

The spotlight is on south Louisiana. Baton Rouge may not be Los Angeles or New York City, but it’s far from a sleepy suburb. Between sci-fi epics and show-stopping musical numbers, the booming local film industry has earned Baton Rouge and surrounding areas the nickname “Hollywood of the South.” This semester has seen the release of some major blockbusters filmed in the University’s backyard, and there are more to come.

FALL SEMESTER RELEASES

“Pitch Perfect” Released Oct. 4 The smash-hit a capella comedy took over LSU’s campus to shoot most of its scenes last year, enrolling University students as extras and giving many buildings on campus the Hollywood makeover. With a People’s Choice Award nomination and a domestic gross of more than $62 million according to BoxOffice.com, rumors of a sequel could mean a return to Baton Rouge.

“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2” Released Nov. 16 The last two installments of the popular saga were filmed back-to-back in Baton Rouge, with the city’s Celtic Media Centre providing a location for most of the film’s indoor and green screen scenes. Cast members stayed in The Terraces at Perkins Rowe during filming.

COMING SOON “Django Unchained” To be released Dec. 25 Samuel L. Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx and company traveled to New Orleans to film Quentin Tarantino’s latest blockbuster, a story of a slaveturned-bounty hunter on a mission to save his wife from a plantation owner. Many scenes were shot at Second Line Stages in the lower

Garden District, while others took place outside of the city at Evergreen Plantation in Edgard, La. “The Host” To be released March 29, 2013 Like “Breaking Dawn,” this Stephenie Meyer-helmed sci-fi thriller shot some of its scenes at the Celtic Media Centre in Baton Rouge. As listed on IMDb, the estimated $44 million project also filmed in New Orleans and on the Bonnet Carré Spillway.

Thursday Nov 29

“Oblivion” To be released April 19, 2013 Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman caused a stir in Baton Rouge when they came to South Louisiana to shoot this effectsheavy, high-budget alien movie.

Because most of the movie is set in space, the Celtic Media Centre once again fit the bill, and the “Oblivion” team even tapped local businesses to help with special effects.

“Now You See Me” To be released June 7, 2013 The upcoming star-studded heist movie filmed several scenes on the streets of New Orleans, from Canal and Rampart to Race and St. Peters, according to onlocationvacations.com. One clip in the recently released trailer shows some high-speed stunts on the Crescent City Connection, which was shut down multiple times for shooting. Stars like Jesse Eisenberg stayed in the Warehouse District during production.

Contact Kaci Yoder at kyoder@lsureveille.com

Check out today’s LMFAO entertainment blogs at lsureveille.com:

Read “Tech with Taylor” blogger’s take on the Wii Mini.

images courtesy of OPEN ROAD FILMS, SONY PICTURES and SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT

Check out a new post from “Conquering the Kitchen” on Christmas desserts.

Saints vs Falcons Thirst and $10

Friday Nov 30

“Looper” Released Sept. 28 Critics raved about this sci-fi action flick, which brought stars Bruce Willis and Joseph GordonLevitt to New Orleans. One iconic scene from the movie also features an abandoned diner located in cane fields near Napoleonville.

ARCHNEMESIS with

Perry Gaffney Jr.

SAturday DEC 1

Salsa Merengue Bachata Reggaeton

Sunday DEC 2

NFL

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The Daily Reveille

Thursday, November 29, 2012 GIFTS, from page 11

bookworm, consider a coffee table book about fashion. This is a great budget-friendly option that can be enjoyed for years. Scour Barnes & Noble and Amazon. com for some great titles.

My favorite fashion books are “Bringing Home the Birkin” and “Fashion: 150 Years of Couturiers, Designers, and Labels.”

Anything with a fun, catchy title and lots of photos will do the trick.

A luxury passport holder is a gift that is both thoughtful and useful for the jet-setter.

Seek out a rich leather for a gift that can last a lifetime. Vivienne Westwood has a beautiful leather passport holder in a soft lavender color. Any fashion aficionado will bask in the glory of being able to flash this lovely gift at the airport check-in counter.

Lastly, never underestimate the power of a monogrammed item. People are egocentric by nature and love seeing their names or initials. Any average household item can become an extra-special, personalized gift by embossing it with a monogram. K&J Monogram at the Mall of Louisiana offers monogram services to make your gift one to remember.

LOCAL, from page 11

Bohemia, shared similar sentiments about her art, vintage furniture and jewelry store.

Bond said a surge in local sales would not only help the community, but it could also strengthen the local arts scene. Often times, Bond said some of the local artists featured in her gallery store have to relocate to flourish.

“To buy local is keeping people here in the community,” she said.

The price gap for items bought at local businesses and national chains vary. Bond said depending on the individual item and business, either type of store could sell a pricier product.

However, Bond said local novelties offer uniqueness and variation while most department store products only provide one repetitive look.

“Department store merchandise is mass produced – it’s not an artist putting their time, energy, blood, sweat and tears into it.”

Time Warp owner Josh Holder and his team coined the term “Mall Dolls,” a playful moniker for those who only follow trends and shop at national chains.

“We’re not saying that shopping

at the mall is a crime, we are just saying that mixing it up a bit isn’t one either,” he said in an email.

While items at Time Warp are procured from across the country, Holder said the vintage boutique actively participates in the community. He said the store’s era-specific garments are picked based on “rarity and trend,” but the local consumer is always in mind.

Holder said one goal of the boutique is to encourage consumers to venture from the norm and find an individual style, a service that many local businesses can provide.

Holder and Strother often collaborate through store discounts and events, but Strother said camaraderie among local business owners is lacking statewide. She said it’s important for businesses to support and work off of one another to prosper.

Strother said Small Business Saturday, the equivalent of Black Friday for small businesses, is a step in the right direction for local shopping efforts. She said last Saturday’s installment of the collective shopping day was a success.

Contact David Jones at djones@lsureveille.com

Now hiring Marketing, Social Media, get class credit Film, & Events interns.

We’ve got what you’re looking for, gain real-world experience do you have what it takes?

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DISCOUNTS, from page 11 • • •

movie tickets after 7 p.m.

Don Carter All Star Lanes — $0.99 bowling games from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Wednesday Metro Bowl - $2.50 games Amazon – “Amazon Student” offers six months of free twoday shipping and access to various discounts on Amazon products

Local • • • •

Noelie Harmon – 15 percent off on Wednesdays Time Warp – 15 percent off on Wednesdays Here Today Gone Tomorrow – 50 percent off entire purchase on Wednesdays Effum Body Works Tattoo Parlor — $5 off piercings everyday except Wednesdays

Fitness • •

• •

Snap Fitness on Coursey – 5 percent off all memberships Anytime Fitness in Towne Center on Corporate Boulevard – 10 percent off membership prices, free tanning and one free consultation Agame Yoga & Meditation Center — $5 off regular classes, $3 off BiKram “hot yoga” classes Spectrum Fitness – 10 percent off membership purchases

Miscellaneous • •

Apple, Dell, Hecklewitt – 10 percent off laptop purchases Sony – 10 percent off various products, including digital cameras Contact David Jones at djones@lsureveille.com

page 15

11-28 ANSWERS

Stop by B34 Hodges Hall or send your resume to marketing@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille

Opinion

page 16

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Oil For Education BLUE-EYED DEVIL

Louisiana oil fracking could support the University, decrease tuition

NICHOLAS PIERCE Columnist Louisiana isn’t the only state having trouble funding higher education.

Public universities across the country are cash-strapped and money-hungry, and like LSU, they have also had to slash departments and raise tuition. And most schools don’t have organizations like the Tiger Athletic Foundation to serve as the proverbial spoonful of sugar to help the legislature’s medicine go down.

We’ve all seen firsthand that putting an institution’s feet to the fiscal fire doesn’t exactly set the stage for continued growth, but is there a magic bullet that can keep our universities above water?

Exxon Mobil thinks there is — and it could be right under our feet.

Black gold: That’s right, oil, sunken deep beneath the campuses of hundreds of colleges and universities just waiting to be fracked up to the surface and carefully processed into petroleum-based tuition waivers.

More than a dozen schools across the country have already gotten into the oil fracking business.

The process of hydraulic fracturing, a.k.a. fracking, is an oil and natural gas extraction technique in which streams of highly pressurized chemicals are forced into shale rock or derelict wellbores, pushing the previously-thought un-exploitable resources to the surface.

The University of Texas at Arlington has been experimenting with on-campus fracking to the tune of a $10 million profit.

According to NPR, Indiana State University is projecting its newfound petro-dollars will allow it to immediately fund projects and student services it didn’t expect to have up and running for years.

If we want to get our national economy bubbling again, we’re going to need some creative financing, and who better to manage ethically ambiguous sources of alternative income than big oil?

Now, I can already predict what many of you are thinking: This doesn’t seem like much more

KEITH SRAKOCIC / The Associated Press

Hydraulic fracturing extracts oil and natural gas by forcing chemicals into shale rock or derelict wellbores. This process pushes the assets to the ground’s surface.

than a land grab, with private business stepping into the public sphere and exploiting our natural resources to the detriment of the natives — in this case, students.

And I’m not much for venture capitalism, myself.

But Pennsylvania has just passed a law which, should it be adopted in the other places where fracking is viable, could make the payoff worth the risk.

Pennsylvania is letting oil companies drill discretely on its campuses, but the costs of leasing the lands will be split up for state purposes: 50 percent for the

The Daily Reveille Editorial Board

Andrea Gallo Emily Herrington Bryan Stewart Brian Sibille Clayton Crockett

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

university leasing the land, 35 percent for the state system and 15 percent specifically set aside for tuition subsidies.

Furthermore, on-campus oil extraction locations provide for a unique educational boom as well.

If we want our economy to recover — so we can actually find jobs when we graduate — we’ll need a highly-skilled workforce tailored to the 21st century, and if we expect that to happen, we’ll need to find some way to dig, or drill, our colleges out of the mess they’re in.

Universities like ours, with large engineering and petroleum

programs, would get the added bonus of having a functioning oil derrick within walking distance.

Are there risks involved? Certainly, but progress is always an affair of chance.

A study conducted by the University of Texas at Austin states the fracking process itself has little negative environmental impact, but also that most of the health and environmental risks associated with fracking come predominantly from negligence and equipment failure.

With proper oversight, fracking on campus could be no more risky than operating, say, a small

Editorial Policies & Procedures

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. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, paper or University. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to opinion@lsureveille.com or delivered to B-26 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must have a contact phone number so the opinion editor can verify the author. The phone number won’t be printed. The Daily Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration without changing the original intent. The Daily Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Daily Reveille’s editor-in-chief, hired every semester by the Louisiana State University Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.

nuclear power plant – something our university already does.

And if a purple-and-gold oil derrick pumping away on the Parade Ground means we can get our German professors back and our tuition decreased, I say let the oil flow.

Nicholas Pierce is a 22-year-old history senior from Baton Rouge.

Contact Nicholas Pierce at npierce@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_nabdulpierc

Quote of the Day

“If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library.”

Frank Zappa American singer-songwriter Dec. 21, 1940 - Dec. 4, 1993

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Opinion

page 17

Current GPA system pointless, needs nullification THE DAMN HAMM TAYLOR HAMMONS Columnist If you’re like me, you’re quite bitter this week.

You’re bitter because you don’t understand how a two-digit number is supposed to represent the extent of your knowledge.

For four years, we subject ourselves to the tortures of managing a respectable grade-point average.

But why?

After we graduate, a meal from the Student Union will have more value than our GPA. That doesn’t mean you should stop studying for finals. It means a change to the current grading system is in order.

But first, let’s give thanks to the person responsible for this week’s anxiety — William Farish,

once a British tutor at the University of Cambridge.

You can put down your pitchforks and sundry weapons; we can’t chase him down like Frankenstein.

He’s dead.

But while alive, Farish developed the GPA system we’re all too familiar with. His purpose was to quickly evaluate student performance so he could increase the number of students he taught, according to the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management.

Do not be fooled — he did not overly enjoy teaching.

He only wished to increase the size of his paycheck, and teaching more students was the way to do it.

For his efforts, he was coined the reputation of “laziest teacher” in the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management article.

So you see, we’re not the lazy ones. We’re the ones manipulated by a lazy system. Maybe that’s how we studious college kids achieved

the lazy reputation.

The longer this goes on, the more pointless our GPA becomes.

A meager 1 percent of employers believe grade-point average is the most important piece of information on an application, according to a 2007 Collegegrad.com survey.

That was five years ago. I can’t imagine how much more worthless it’s become.

That same survey featured the “Other” option, which 10 percent of employers chose as a more qualifying piece of information than the applicants’ GPA. Let’s say I had purple eyes, which we all know is not a regular option, so I’d be forced to select “Other.” According to employers, knowing that I have purple eyes is more important than knowing what my GPA was after four years of college.

If that’s not astounding, then you should know it’s rare to see the “Other” option on a job

application, anyway.

On the contrary, you will almost certainly find the line to submit your GPA. Employers want to know whether you will be able to perform what is asked, and experience determines that best.

My high school economics teacher Andrew Jones said it best: “It’s not the grades you make, but the hands you shake.”

Like they say, actions speak louder than words. And in the eyes of an employer, your GPA is merely a word.

Our population is growing and the competition for jobs is stiffening. A new system that is not heavily dependent on grade-point average will put LSU students at an advantage.

Think about it. If we didn’t have to worry over our GPAs, we wouldn’t elude the tougher, more valuable courses. Instead, we’re given the incentive to schedule

easy, pointless classes to pad our GPAs. This has created a rift in the system, since we all know those are the classes we don’t have to attend.

Thus, teachers are pushing for mandatory attendance, as if this were high school all over again.

This is why I propose a compromise.

When teachers stop adding and dividing numbers no greater than four, students will start caring more about school and less about alcohol.

Until then, I’ll see the rest of you at the bars when hell week is over.

Taylor Hammons is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from Atlanta.

Contact Taylor Hammons at thammons@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_thammons

Congress should focus on jobs, ditch tackling deficit SHARE THE WEALTH JAY MEYERS Columnist The trouble at this moment in history is that irresponsible men who deem themselves exempt from both history and academic influences are dominating the policy discussion regarding America’s fiscal future.

Indeed, it seems possible that the President and Republican leaders will strike a deal at the end of the year to raise taxes and cut spending in order to avert the socalled “fiscal cliff.”

While the fiscal cliff certainly needs to be dealt with, our longrun deficit crisis is diverting attention from the nation’s more serious problem.

And the unfortunate reality is that the U.S. economy still remains deeply depressed from the crisis with catastrophically high unemployment significantly impeding growth.

Despite grim economic conditions, Republicans want to instill draconian cuts toward entitlement spending, while Democrats, namely President Barack Obama, are calling on the wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes.

But Democrats and Republicans are equally wrong. They are ignoring a fundamental truth embodied in both economic theory and current events: Slashing spending and raising tax rates while our economy remains in a slump is a self-defeating policy — because it just deepens the recession.

If you don’t believe me, look toward the similarly depressed economies of Greece, Spain

and Portugal.

The European governments have each responded with austerity, a term for savagely cutting government spending. They argued balancing the budget would instill confidence in the markets, restoring economic prosperity.

The austerity policies proved to be an abject failure, plunging their national economies deeper into depression, further increasing unemployment and virtually eliminating economic growth.

Government spending directly affects economic growth, and a reduction in federal expenditures will consequently lower growth.

Put simply, our income is derived from selling things to one another.

“Your spending is my income, and my income is your spending,” as the Nobel Prize-winning American economist Paul Krugman has declared.

So what will happen if everyone rolls back spending in an effort to pay back debt?

Everyone’s income will decrease.

My income decreases because you’re spending less, and your income decreases because I’m spending less. Overall, our debt troubles become worse, not better.

This should present a central insight for economic policy. When the private sector halts spending in an attempt to pay back debt, the government must actively launch spending initiatives and lower taxes to spur growth and employment.

That said, policymakers in the U.S. urgently need to employ a strong policy of fiscal stimulus. Democrats need to allow for significant decreases in tax rates, including those on the wealthiest individuals.

PETROS GIANNAKOURIS / The Associated Press

Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras arrives in Athens on Wednesday for a news conference. Stournaras says a program whereby the country will buy back some of its bonds from private investors “must work” if the country’s excessive debt load is to be reduced.

Republicans need to temporarily subdue their hatred for “big government” and allow for the public sector to increase aggregate demand by engaging in massive expansionary spending programs.

For example, a large-scale rebuilding of our nation’s bridges, roads and water systems would provide a boost to our economic recovery and stimulate job creation.

As previously unemployed individuals begin working, they will spend their wages on goods and services, which will — because of an increase in demand — prompt private industry to start hiring again and take on more workers.

Yes, both of the

above-mentioned fiscal policies would further add to our ever-increasing deficit. Indeed, it will be a temporary price the U.S. will have to pay.

But why not pay the price?

The U.S. is in no danger of an imminent debt crisis and even with the extraordinary amount of debt already accumulated, investors continue to buy U.S. bonds, clearly demonstrating that such a crisis will not happen.

To be sure, it is imperative that once our economy recovers and both unemployment and spending are back at their normal levels, we focus on balancing the budget.

However, at the present

moment, Congress needs to quit talking about the deficit and start addressing the real problems facing our country.

America’s future well-being will undoubtedly depend on how effectively the government responds to the challenges brought on by the country’s current economic situation.

Jay Meyers is a 20-year-old economics sophomore from Shreveport.

Contact Jay Meyers at jmeyers@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_jmeyers

The Daily Reveille

page 18

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Thursday, November 29, 2012 SYSTEM, from page 1 officials asking about the consolidation, according to The Associated Press.

“The news reports point out that you are not only the CEO of LSU A&M College but also CEO of LSU System, which raises questions about compliance,” wrote Barry Goldstein, vice president of SACS Commission on

Colleges, in an Oct. 19 letter obtained by The Associated Press.

The idea behind the reorganization is to create a single entity across Louisiana’s various University-controlled branches, such as LSU-Eunice, the LSU Law School and the LSU Health Care Services Division.

Classes would have common numbers, accreditation would come either for the entire system

The Daily Reveille or none and faculty research between schools would be encouraged, according to the LSU Media Relations website.

The University is currently undergoing reaccreditation and failed to inform SACS of the changes to the LSU System, as well as the departure of former Chancellor Michael Martin, according to The Associated Press.

Lack of accreditation could

page 19 make University degree-holders less valuable in the eyes of employers. Other unaccredited universities include long-distance learning and religious schools across the nation.

Contact Megan Dunbar at mdunbar@lsureveille.com

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page 20

The Daily Reveille

Reveille

Thursday, November 29, 2012