The Daily Reveille - November 30, 2012

FOOTBALL: Sports editor says LSU fans should support Miles, p. 5

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COURTS

Alabama ‘teabagger’ sentenced to 2 years

Friday, November 30, 2012 • Volume 117, Issue 67

INJURY

U High student recovering from coma Controversy swirls around incident

Staff Reports The man infamous for rubbing his genitals on an unconscious LSU fan after January’s BCS Championship game was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison on two counts of obscenity.

Brian Downing, the 33-year-old Alabama fan, pleaded guilty to the charges in November, avoiding more serious accusations of sexual battery, according to nola.com.

The incident occurred after the Alabama Crimson Tide beat the LSU Tigers for the national title Jan. 9.

Garrison Stamp, who was enrolled at the University at the time of the incident, was passed out in a Krystal Burger on Bourbon Street when Downing rubbed his exposed genitals and sexually thrusted on him.

A video of the incident quickly made its way around the Internet, eventually leading to Downing’s arrest.

Stamp was present at Thursday’s trial, but neither he nor Downing spoke, nola.com said.

Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_news

Chandler Rome

Peers celebrate life of former student Friends, family honor what would have been Drake’s 22nd birthday

Flowers hang in the LSU Sculpture Garden in memory of Nathan Drake, an LSU architecture and ceramics student, who died in March from cancer.

Friends and family gathered Monday for a ceremony to celebrate his Nov. 27 birthday.

Catherine Threlkeld

Special to The Daily Reveille

Architecture and ceramics junior Nathan Drake was only 21 years old when he died from cancer in March.

Eight months later, his mark still present on campus.

CATHERINE THRELKELD /

MEMORIAL, see page 11

The Daily Reveille

DRAKE

ADMINISTRATION

Jenkins replies to concerns about system restructuring Megan Dunbar Staff Writer

William “Bill” Jenkins, University interim system president and chancellor, addressed faculty concerns about the restructuring of the LSU System on Thursday on the University’s campus, telling professors and deans his first priority was listening to them.

Student Government President Taylor Cox asked

Jenkins whether students would have input in the LSU System reorganization, and Jenkins assured him the advisory board would assemble a student team.

“Nobody recognizes a University’s greatness because of the provost or faculty; it’s always the students,” Jenkins said.

Dean of Students K.C. White seconded this opinion, and added that faculty needs to stay committed to

student success despite low resources.

Some faculty members expressed their discontent with the consolidation process, saying the University needs to make sure to stay in touch with faculty.

The hiring process for the new CEO of the system includes requiring academic accomplishment, and the University has resources to implement whatever they RESTRUCTURING, see page 4

MORGAN SEARLES / The Daily Reveille

LSU Interim System President and Interim Chancellor William Jenkins hosts a town hall discussion Thursday in the Bo Campbell Auditorium, Cox Communications Academic Center for Student Athletes, on the reorganization and realignment of the LSU System.

Sports Writer

A 16-year-old University High School football player is recovering after an ambiguous incident late Friday night at the BREC Perkins Road Community Skate Park left him in a medically induced coma.

Though the Baton Rouge Police Department said the investigation is ongoing, one fact has been confirmed – D’Vante Dotson had alcohol in his system. But speculation has run rampant on Twitter and Facebook about Dotson meeting teammates who possibly beat him into a comatose state.

“We’re still investigating, but at this point we have no evidence to believe he was assaulted,” said Baton Rouge Police Spokesman Lt. Don Kelly. “All signs point to he voluntarily consumed a mass amount of alcohol and fell on his head on the concrete, and that was the cause of his injuries.”

Carolyn Dotson, the high schooler’s grandmother, told nola.com her grandson was “doing a lot better, and he’s able to get up and walk around with the help of his mother.”

Dotson was supposed to have a CT scan Wednesday morning.

A Facebook page created Tuesday and numerous tweets support the rumor that teammates beat up Dotson, with a group of tweets compiled on neverjaded.com chronicling the evening.

Tweets on the website indicate that Dotson arrived at the skate park after being called to meet “three of his white teammates.”

“When he arrived he was attacked in the bathroom and beaten with bottles and a bat,” @Fresh_Logic tweeted.

Kelly said that while the department cannot comment on specific cases involving specific juveniles, the investigation is ongoing.

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

The Daily Reveille

page 2

INTERNATIONAL Palestinians celebrate a U.N. vote 65 years after partition plan JERUSALEM (AP) — The blackand-white photos show masses of people yearning for independence, celebrating a vote recognizing a state in Palestine. It was a day that generations of pupils would be taught to remember with reverence: Nov. 29.

The jubilant revelers were Jews, the year was 1947, and the vote was held in the United Nations General Assembly. The Palestinians rejected the partition plan, which called for Jewish and Arab states to be established after the imminent expiration of the British rule over Palestine.

United Kingdom judge issues verdict increasing state control of the press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s unruly newspapers should be regulated by an independent body dominated by non-journalists with the power to levy steep fines, a judge said Thursday in a report that pleased victims of tabloid intrusion but left editors worrying about creeping state control of the country’s fiercely independent press.

Prime Minister David Cameron echoed concerns about government interference, expressing misgivings about a key recommendation of the report — that the new regulator be enshrined in law.

Nation & World

MAJDI MOHAMMED / The Associated Press

Palestinians celebrate Thursday as the U.N. votes on a resolution to upgrade the status of the Palestinian Authority, in the west bank city of Ramallah.

Botswana to ban big game hunting by 2014 to save country’s wildlife GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — Botswana says it will ban hunting by 2014 because of fears that the nation is losing its wildlife.

The nation’s Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism made the announcement Thursday, saying the decision comes after President Ian Khama said hunting must be stopped to save the nation’s big game animals.

The ministry said that, left unchecked, rampant hunting would be a “genuine threat” to the country’s wildlife.

Make it a NOT-SO-SILENT NIGHT this holiday season.

Friday, November 30, 2012

NATIONAL

STATE/LOCAL

Missouri Powerball winner verified; Arizona’s winner still a mystery

Testimony wraps up in lawsuit against Jindal’s voucher program

DEARBORN, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Lottery officials on Thursday verified one of two tickets that matched all six numbers to split a record $588 million Powerball jackpot, but that ticket holder — and another in Arizona — remained a mystery, even as neighbors and co-workers lamented their losses and gossiped about who may have won.

The tickets were sold at a convenience store in suburban Phoenix and a gas station in Dearborn, Mo., just off Interstate 29, the highway linking Kansas City to the Canadian border.

Newark, N.J. mayor to live on food stamps for a week starting Tuesday

(AP) — Testimony in a Baton Rouge trial challenging Gov. Bobby Jindal’s statewide voucher program has ended.

The last witness in the case was Valerie Evans, whose 11-year-old son has been in the New Orleans voucher program that was the predecessor to the newly-created statewide program. Evans talked of her inability to afford private school tuition without the state covering its cost.

Judge Tim Kelley heard testimony over Wednesday and Thursday and asked lawyers to give him their final pitches Friday.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Mayor Cory Booker said he will live on food stamps for a week starting Tuesday.

Booker told The Associated Press on Thursday that he will honor the challenge he made to a Twitter follower earlier this month and try living on the monetary equivalent of food stamps for at least a week.

“December 4 to 11. Seven days,” Booker said after the ribbon cutting for new loft apartments in Newark. He said he will be limited to $1.40 for each meal.

ROSS D. FRANKLIN / The Associated Press

Anita Ganatra and Keith Ganatra, owners of the Del Monte Market, help the long line of customers waiting to buy Powerball lottery tickets Wednesday in Phoenix.

Suspect in string of ecoterrorism fires surrenders after hiding in Canada

New Orleans official sentenced to prison in Katrina grant plot

(AP) One of the three remaining fugitives in a string of high-profile fires across the West that focused national attention on a group of environmental radicals surrendered to authorities Thursday.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Portland, Ore., said Rebecca Jeanette Rubin, 39, a Canadian citizen, turned herself in to the FBI at the Canadian border in Blaine, Wash.

Rubin was arrested after spending a decade as an international fugitive from the largest ecoterrorism investigation in U.S. history.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A former New Orleans city councilman was sentenced Thursday to six months in prison for plotting to misuse federal money intended to help a nonprofit organization after Hurricane Katrina.

U.S. District Judge Lance Africk also on Thursday sentenced Jon Johnson to six months of home detention after he gets out of prison, fined him $5,000 and ordered him to pay nearly $79,700 in restitution to the federal government.

Weather

PHOTO OF THE DAY

TODAY Mostly Sunny

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72 54 MONDAY BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille

Mike the Tiger and the LSU Tiger Girls sing Thursday before LSU’s game against Seton Hall in the PMAC. Submit your photo 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.

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Friday, November 30, 2012

EVENTS

The Daily Reveille

page 3

University to observe World AIDS Day with Geaux RED Free testing to be offered for students Alyson Gaharan

Contributing Writer

The University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs is partnering with LSU Health Promotions for the LSU Geaux RED event to raise awareness about the HIV/ AIDS epidemic in Baton Rouge in the Student Union and Free Speech Alley from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 5.

Baton Rouge is No. 1 in the U.S. for new HIV cases, a statistic that makes HIV and AIDS education relevant to University students, said LGBTQ Project Coordinator Chad Freeman.

The event’s themes are While World AIDS Day is obGreater Visibility, Educate Your- served internationally this Saturself, Know Your Status and Get day, the University is marking the Involved, and they are embodied anniversary on a weekday to bring through the day’s opportunities, greater attention to the issue. which are avail“This year ‘We want to bring as marks 31 years able to all students. the U.S. has much attention to the that “Wear red. been living with Get tested,” FreeAIDS,” Freeman issue as we can.’ man said. “We said. want to bring as The free HIV Chad Freeman much attention tests, consisting LGBTQ Project Coordinator to the issue as we of a simple oral can.” swab, will be available from 10 Last year, LSU Health Promo- a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Union’s Ortions held HIV testing at the East leans and Ouachita Rooms. and West Campus Apartments and “We want to increase the serviced approximately 70 stu- number of students tested this dents, but this year’s event will be year,” Freeman said. at the Student Union to bring testA panel discussion with ing and other free activities to the speakers from the Baton Rouge center of campus, Freeman said. community will inform students

about what living and working with HIV is like.

Organizations like Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and Volunteers of America will be represented on the panel.

University volunteers from LSU VOX, Spectrum and Sigma Lambda Gamma will man tables in Free Speech Alley all day to distribute handouts promoting awareness and information about how to keep the University HIV free.

Additional information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

THE DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES

Contact Alyson Gaharan at agaharan@lsureveille.com

CONSTRUCTION

Gymnastics, tennis facility plans on horizon

Ben Wallace Senior Contributing Writer

Gymnastics’ head coach D-D Breaux has waited almost 40 years for a stand-alone gymnastics training building. Relatively soon, her wait will be over.

“Once we put the shovel in the ground, I’ll feel real good about it,” Breaux said. She was referring to the Tiger Athletic Foundation’s plans to build a gymnastics training facility in the next few years, but only after construction gets going on the new tennis complex.

Both projects are tied to the Tiger Stadium south end zone expansion, for which construction began midway through the football season. A $100 million TAF bond is funding all three projects, in addition to private donations aiding both tennis and gymnastics.

Each sport has major facility upgrade needs. For tennis, it’s

indoor courts—since both teams Field House. compete year-round in one of the The new facility will serve nation’s wettest cities. as a valuable recruiting tool, she Gymnastics’ biggest need, said. according to Breaux, is space.

The gymnastics team will Overlapping dismount areas continue hosting home meets at for nearly every the Pete Maraevent has created ‘Once we put the shovel vich Assembly a crowded and in the ground, I’ll feel Center, since the somewhat dannew building will real good about it.’ gerous practice serve only as a area, Breaux said, training complex.

D-D Breaux while pointing to The tennis the two cut-outs complex will likeLSU head gymnastics coach on the far side of ly be built across the gym that used to be a track the street from Alex Box Stadium and field storage room and rac- on Gourrier Avenue, pending a quetball courts, respectively. land lease approval by the Board Now, her gymnasts train in of Supervisors in December that those rooms. Breaux can hardly would allow TAF to build on see what goes on inside each cut- University property, said Senior out, unless she leaves the main Associate Athletic Director Edroom where balance beam, floor die Nunez. routines and uneven bar perforIt will feature 12 outdoor mances all happen in different courts, six indoor courts and “evareas of the large but crowded erything [the team] needs to be gymnasium practically hidden able to compete at the highest in a corner of the Carl Maddox level,” Nunez said, adding that

construction should begin sometime during summer 2013, with an expected construction period of six to eight months.

As for gymnastics, TAF is looking to hire an architect sometime in January.

Employees of the LSU Mid City Clinic release red ballons in honor of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, 2011. This year, the University is holding its event on Dec. 5.

and

Then you will

hiring

Contact Ben Wallace at bwallace@lsureveille.com

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

STAY AWARE. SAVE A LIFE.

The Daily Reveille

page 4 RESTRUCTURING, from page 1

put into place.

Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope called the movements of the Board of Supervisors, who conducted the recent vote to bring the position of chancellor and LSU system president into one, “capricious,” and expressed concern about a lack of transparency.

Jenkins assured the mostly faculty crowd of all boards’ commitment to community input, and paraphrased Benjamin Franklin at the end of the meeting, saying, “If we do not hang together, we will hang separately.”

The realignment will have its main points in place in six months and should be completed in 18 months, Jenkins estimated.

He addressed the potential cost of reorganization, saying the benefits will “not be in the tens of millions…but will be substantial.”

He also said it is his dream for the University to be the premier research university in the southern region, and believes the future holds many mergers for the 14 four-year colleges in the state.

These reorganizations, and others across the nation, could possibly be modeled on the University’s example as it moves into the future, Jenkins said.

Before giving their input, attendees received bullet points summarizing the planned changes.

The main ideas are: single accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

MORGAN SEARLES / The Daily Reveille

LSU Interim System President and Interim Chancellor William Jenkins told the crowd — mostly composed of faculty — gathered Thursday in the Bo Campbell Auditorium, Cox Communications Academic Center for Student Athletes, that the system reorganization’s cost will “not be in the tens of milllions ... but will be substantial.”

across LSU System campuses, common course numbering, faculty research, the elimination of unnecessary administrative positions and to do so “as expeditiously as prudently possible.”

Jenkins said he plans to stay

at the University until the key components of restructuring are in place.

Contact Megan Dunbar at mdunbar@lsureveille.com

Library extends hours for study time Middleton Library will offer extended hours today and over the weekend, and will be open 24 hours next week.

Nov. 30 7:15 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Dec. 1 10 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Dec. 2 10 a.m. - midnight Finals week Open 24 hours a day The Student Union will maintain normal operating hours, 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.

11-29 ANSWERS

Friday, November 30, 2012

Sports

Friday, November 30, 2012

FOOTBALL

Mathieu to enter 2013 NFL draft

page 5

Leading the Wave

COOL HAND LUKE

Cornerback was Female leads male dismissed in August teammates to victory Staff Reports

Former LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu announced Thursday that he will enter the 2013 NFL Draft.

“I am sorry that I was not able to complete my journey at LSU, but I will always support LSU in any way I can,” Mathieu said in a statement. “To my teammates, you are my brothers. You have kept me going. I will do my best to make you all proud of me.”

Mathieu was dismissed from the football program on Aug. 10 for what the University said was a violation of team policy.

He re-enrolled at LSU later in the semester, but left the school after being arrested for possession of marijuana on Oct. 25.

Mathieu was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy last season and won the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given to the best defensive player in the nation each season.

Mathieu finished his career at LSU with six interceptions, two punts returned for touchdowns and a school-record 11 forced fumbles.

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

LUKE JOHNSON Sports Editor

in state regatta

Alex Cassara

W

Sports Writer

hile slicing through turbulent waters, the males of LSU’s rowing club need all the motivation they can get.

That’s exactly what Danielle LeBlanc seeks to provide. And no, she’s not a cheerleader.

As the only female member on the men’s varsity boats, LeBlanc serves as the on-water mother, coach and drill sergeant of her vessel and led her four-seater to defeat in-state rival Tulane on Nov. 10 at the Louisiana State Championship Regatta at New Orleans City Park.

LeBlanc grew up listening to her stepfather tell stories of his time as a collegiate rower, so when she arrived at LSU, she decided to study the sport along with petroleum engineering. She wanted to follow in his footsteps but her doctor disagreed, pointing to her scoliosis; her 5-foot2, 120-pound stature wasn’t conducive to the position, anyway.

It made her the perfect coxswain, however.

“A lot of people see the commercial, where the fat ole hamster sits in the boat and says, ‘Row! Row!’” LeBlanc said, referring to REGATTA, see page 7

LSU should approve of Miles’ contract

photos by BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille

LSU Rowing coxswain Danielle LeBlanc guides her team’s boat back to the dock Nov. 8 after morning practice on the LSU Lakes. LeBlanc led her team to defeat Tulane on Nov. 10 at the Louisiana State Championship Regatta in New Orleans City Park.

Assuming the world doesn’t end in a couple of weeks, as the Mayans would have you believe, LSU locked in one of the premier coaches in college football for a long time — and you can bet Les Miles is worth every penny.

But for whatever reason, there are a couple of sects out there that wished the reported mega offer from Arkansas would have been enough to woo the Mad Hatter out of Baton Rouge.

To those of you taking that side, I must ask — do you care about winning the game, or do you care about the manner in which one does so? If you chose the latter, please carefully remove your head from your you-know-where.

In about a month, Miles will finish his eighth season as the jovial and sometimes incomprehensible face of the University.

In that short time frame, Miles has stamped his name all over the LSU record book.

Miles moved to No. 2 on LSU’s all-time wins list for a head coach earlier this season when LSU beat Ole Miss in a wild game at Tiger Stadium, passing Bernie Moore.

If he stays at his current pace — an LSU-best .809 career MILES, see page 7

MEN’S BASKETBALL

LSU bests Seton Hall 72-67 30 seconds of the second half as Seton Hall buried two consecutive threes after an LSU turnover LSU took advantage of 26 Se- to stretch its lead to 41-27.

Led by Hickey’s six steals ton Hall turnovers and overcame a 16-point second-half deficit to and senior guard Charles Cartake a thrilling 72-67 win against mouche’s four swipes, the Tigers the Pirates in the Big East-SEC chipped away at the Pirate lead throughout the second half with Challenge on Thursday.

The Tigers (5-0) switched to a press Hickey said the Tigers a full-court press in the second- hadn’t practiced in quite some half, forcing the Pirates (5-2) into time. “[The press] created some enerrant passes and sloppy ballhanergy, not only in our team but the dling.

“We had a big defender on fans were able to get into the game the front end and he was able to as well,” said LSU coach Johnny get [his] hands on ball,” said LSU Jones. “That really spurred us on.”

Fighting off double teams all sophomore guard Anthony Hickevening, LSU sophomore forward ey. “It was a great win for us.”

Trailing by 8 at halftime, LSU Johnny O’Bryant III was able to dug itself in a deep hole in the first power his way to a double-double,

Chandler Rome Sports Writer

scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

Junior forward Shavon Coleman paced the Tigers for the third straight game, scoring 18 off the bench as one of four Tigers in double figures.

“We were trying to force [offense] out of them,” Coleman said. “I tried to always make a play for another player. I just came out there in the second half and executed well.”

The Tigers rectified their much maligned free throw shooting late in the game, hitting seven of eight in the final 2:16 to ice the game and complete the comeback.

O’Bryant likened Thursday’s SETON HALL, see page 7

BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille

LSU junior forward Shavon Coleman (5) jumps past Seton Hall forward Brandon Mobley (2) to make a shot Thursday during the Tigers’ victory against the Pirates in the PMAC.

The Daily Reveille

page 6

NFL

Friday, November 30, 2012

Falcons pick off Brees five times, beat Saints 23-13 The Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons raced to a 17-0 lead and the defense made it stand up, picking off five of Drew Brees’ passes and ending his NFL-record touchdown streak with a 2313 victory Thursday night.

The Falcons moved to the brink of clinching the NFC South and dealt a big blow to the Saints (5-7) and their fading playoff hopes. William Moore had two of the five interceptions, which were the most of Brees’ career and came four days after he had two passes picked off and returned for touchdowns in a loss to San Francisco.

Brees had thrown a touchdown pass in 54 consecutive games. He had an apparent scoring pass to Darren Sproles late in the first half, but it was nullified by a penalty.

Michael Turner scored on Atlanta’s opening possession, Tony Gonzalez hauled in a touchdown pass from Matt Ryan and Matt Bryant booted three field goals, including a 55-yarder.

The Falcons defense did the rest.

Thomas DeCoud, Sean Weatherspoon and Jonathan Babineaux also had interceptions for Atlanta, which will clinch the NFC South with a month to go in the regular season if Tampa Bay loses to Denver on Sunday.

Brees had a couple of games with four picks, but nothing like this. He finished 28 of 50 for 341 yards.

The defending NFC South champion Saints lost their second in a row and will likely have to win out to have even a faint hope of making the postseason during a tumultuous year that was marred by a bounty scandal and a season-long suspension for coach Sean Payton.

After winning so many close games, the Falcons started this one as if they were intent on a rout.

Ryan completed a pass on the first play from scrimmage, then turned it over to a running game that has struggled most of

RICH ADDICKS / The Associated Press

Saints wide receiver Lance Moore makes a catch during the first half of a game against the Falcons on Thursday in Atlanta.

the season. Turner burst around right end for a 35-yard gain.

Jacquizz Rodgers broke off two straight 14-yard gains. Finally, it was Turner going in standing from 3 yards out, giving Atlanta a quick 7-0 lead.

That was Turner’s 58th touchdown in five seasons with the Falcons, breaking the team record he had shared with Terance Mathis.

Atlanta struck again in the opening minute of the second period. Julio Jones hauled in an 18-yard throw from Ryan, setting up a 17-yard touchdown pass to Gonzalez in the back of the end zone. He beat former teammate Curtis Lofton, then just flipped the ball over the goalposts instead of his customary basketball dunk.

Brees’ second interception, this one a sloppy pass behind running Chris Ivory that deflected into the arms of Sean Weatherspoon, set up Bryant’s 45-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead.

Then, suddenly, the game completely changed.

For the rest of the second

quarter and most of the third, the Saints dominated. Mark Ingram scored on a 1-yard run, capping an 11-play, 80-yard drive, and New Orleans should have tacked on more points at the end of the half. But Brees made a

rookie-like mistake with 12 seconds remaining, dumping a pass over the middle to Sproles with no timeouts. He was wrapped up at the Atlanta 3 and the clock ran out before the Saints could spike the ball.

But New Orleans got the ball to start the second half, and Brees went back to work. This time, he made a couple of nifty moves to avoid sacks, completing six passes on an 83-yard drive consuming 15 plays and more than six and a half minutes. But the Falcons defense held again, forcing Garrett Hartley to boot a 21-yard field goal that cut it to 17-10.

Hartley connected again from much farther out on the Saints’ next possession, a 52-yarder that brought New Orleans even closer.

The Falcons, meanwhile, couldn’t do anything offensively.

They failed to pick up a first down on five straight possessions, a stretch in which the Saints had a 289-30 lead in total yards and a staggering 18 first downs.

Finally, it was the Atlanta defense that turned things around late in the third.

Brees rolled to his right and threw over the middle, but Moore picked off the pass and returned it to the New Orleans 16. Ryan connected on first-down throws to Gonzalez and Roddy White to set up Bryant’s field goal.

Contact the Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_sports

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Friday, November 30, 2012 REGATTA, from page 5

last year’s Geico spot. “But it’s so much more than that.”

Sitting in the stern of the boat facing the rowers, the coxswain doesn’t row but acts as navigator, steering the boat while assessing the competition around it.

For that reason, coxswains tend to be lighter, so as to not make it harder for the ones propelling the boat anywhere from 2,000 to 6,000 meters.

The coxswain is also tasked with correcting and motivating his or her rowers for the duration of that exertion. Whether a rower is doing something right or wrong, he or she should hear it from the coxswain.

The coxswain must know the crew well to say the right things so they can push through the pain.

It took her a while, but this

MILES, from page 5

winning percentage — Miles would pass LSU’s all-time wins leader Charles McClendon in the sixth year of his new extension.

LSU has won 85-of-105 with its grass-eating, superstructure hat-wearing eccentric coach on the sideline. He’s led the Tigers to double-digit wins in six of his eight seasons.

Here’s what makes that last statistic pop out: In the 112 years of LSU football before Miles’ arrival, the Tigers had 10-win seasons just seven times.

“But he’s using Nick Saban’s talent!” say the anti-Les-ites.

“All he did was build on someone else’s success.”

Valid points, sure. Saban rescued LSU from football purgatory and set it on its current trajectory. But Miles sustained that success and built on it, propelling the program to previously unseen heights.

“Have you ever watched LSU’s offensive gameplan?”

position is where LeBlanc shines.

She said her personality didn’t fit when she joined the women’s novice team last fall, but as she learned, she quickly improved.

“So much so, that when the varsity guys’ coxswain decided not to come back (this year), we agreed that she was the one we wanted as coxswain of our boat,” said Marc Kemp, captain of LSU’s men’s varsity.

LeBlanc had to shift from the endless encouragement LSU coach Roxanne Coffey said females tend to prefer, but her level-headedness made it a smooth transition. “[Males] need to be supported but also kind of yelled at at the same time, and she’s able to do that in a calm and controlled manner,” Coffey said. “She doesn’t fly off the handle at them. She stays relaxed during an entire race, that’s difficult countered the Miles haters. “J.C. Copeland is an actual go-to threat.”

OK, Miles doesn’t win flashy. Yes, he has become famous for his penchant for the peculiar-yet-perfectly-timed fakes and gutsy fourth-down conversions, but his regular game plan is bland.

The Les Miles brand of football is pound the rock left and right, then suddenly remember you have a quarterback for three or four plays, then resume rock pounding. Boring? Yep. Will LSU ever lead the country in yards per game? Nope.

You know who might? West Virginia, which allowed 49 or more points four times in a recent five-game skid. Ask Mountaineer fans if they’re happy with the season.

All this, and I haven’t mentioned the real reason why fans should be hanging banners that proclaim, “Seven More Years!”

Miles will keep winning

The Daily Reveille to do because it can get really exciting for a coxswain.”

As the stroke, or pace setter who sits directly before the coxswain, for the men’s varsity, Kevin Benoit’s interaction with LeBlanc is frequent and crucial. Benoit said her quiet demeanor helps walk that fine line, demanding respect.

She showed her commitment outside of the water by practicing for and competing in a half-marathon with some of her burlier teammates.

“I want to try as hard as they do,” LeBlanc said.

Her team hit the water every day of the week leading up to the championship. It got off to a rough start in its first regatta, competing against some NCAA-sanctioned crews, but won four medals through the next two. The New Orleans race though was about pride, with because of his infectious personality that’s made him a star in the college football world.

Recruits take notice when Les jokingly taste-tests grass, or strips LSU’s mascot of his jersey in commercials. They see him passionately defending his players in postgame press conferences. They notice the pictures that show Miles holding back a football-starved team moments before it storms the field.

Miles is a winner through and through. Rather than wishing for him to take the next plane out of town, enjoy what you’ve got while it lasts. Lucky for you, it’s for at least another seven years.

page 7 Kemp citing LSU and Tulane’s storied history.

Tulane’s club is better resourced than LSU’s. As a private school, it attracts more experienced rowers and more money. With LeBlanc at the helm, that didn’t matter.

“We’re becoming more and more competitive in each of these regattas,” LeBlanc said. “People are starting to view us as a force to be reckoned with, which is great. We have even more improvement in the months and years to come.”

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

SETON HALL, from page 5

Luke Johnson is a 26-year-old mass communication senior from Lake Mills, Wis.

win to last season’s 67-59 home win against No. 10 Marquette, where the Tigers had to overcome a similar deficit early in the game.

“No one was giving us a shot,” O’Bryant said. “It was the same tonight. We fought hard.

Coach Jones coached us great and all the guys responded.”

Jones praised the spirited PMAC crowd of 7,295 as the impetus to the team’s resiliency and had a request for the Tigers’ next home contest against Chattanooga.

“I hope they liked our style of play and what they saw tonight,” Jones said. “The ones that were here tonight need to make sure they bring someone with them the next game. The fans make a difference.”

Contact Luke Johnson at ljohnson@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @lukejohnson44

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

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Reveille

The Daily Reveille

Opinion

page 8

Friday, November 30, 2012

Where is LSU’s gold?

Screw conscience — let Michigan be our guide

SCUM OF THE GIRTH PARKER CRAMER Chief Columnist Michigan made cars, they weren’t quite up to par, the Japanese did better, the market got wetter — that’s the recession and there you are.

Well, that may not be the whole story.

Unlike the rest of the country, which entered a recession in 2008 or perhaps never, like some parts of the South, Michigan has been in a recession since 2001, according to its state website.

“After a decade of almost continuous recession, many residents of Michigan have stopped expecting to hear any good economic news about their state,” said the site.

Despite this mess, the University of Michigan has remained one of the premier public universities in the nation. U.S. News ranked the Ann Arbor school 29th in the nation overall.

Michigan is similar to LSU. Both schools have enrollments between 20,000 and 30,000 undergrads.

Somehow, despite the economic mess, the University of Michigan was insulated from it all.

It remained arguably the best university in the state while facing a substantial loss in the tax base.

Here might be the

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Les Miles and the question of priorities I was stunned. The news that Les Miles was offered a coaching job at the University of Arkansas hit me in the gut. Good thing LSU could give the coach a raise and extend his contract. The Hogs brought home the bacon with a 27.5 million dollar offer, but the Tigers must have really roared in

CARLOS OSORIO / The Associated Press

The modern Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum shows Michigan State University’s wealth. Michigan’s endownment is far more than LSU’s and its rankings haven’t changed despite budget problems.

answer — endowments.

Endowments are essentially trust funds for colleges. They are the total value of an institution’s investments.

LSU’s endowment for 2011 was $443 million; Michigan’s endowment was $7.7 billion, according to U.S. News.

Big difference. So, why the discrepancy? Wouldn’t we expect two roughly equal universities to share a similar endowment?

Not necessarily. There are many reasons why Michigan has

more cash than us. An unlikely reason is rich alumni, who only donate a fraction of a University’s operating budget.

Another scenario is bailout money from the federal government. If this were the case, it would be a testament to Keynesian economics, proof that intervention can work.

I think the most likely answer is Michigan is better at managing money than us (I know, sounds crazy, recession state).

Michigan was able to

consolidate its cash through taxes, donations, grants and put all of it into solid investments.

Even when the national recession was expected to end and life to return to normal, Michigan residents feared they could be perpetually stuck in a one-state recession.

Why? Because Michigan makes a lot of stuff, unlike the South, where we find a lot of oil.

Michigan is a manufacturingheavy state, especially when it comes to the auto industry. In a nutshell, well, the poem says it all.

the big bucks.

I was actually daydreaming that Coach Miles was headed to Arkansas. Leaving the LSU Tigers would be the canary in the coal mine, and it would have shown just how far the mighty had fallen. Had Les Miles departed Baton Rouge, it would have been the zombie apocalypse all across Louisiana. Finally, the “lapdog” legislators and business elite would take note.

Though the Tigers appear safe for now, please get to know some facts about Louisiana higher education under Gov. Bobby Jindal. Since 2008, $450 million

dollars have been axed from college budgets, there have been no raises for most faculty in five years, several universities are in a death spiral, and the LSU Board of Supervisors is nothing more than an adjunct of the Governor’s Office. The outmigration of faculty and administrators is staggering and a national embarrassment that grows worse by the day. Several university administrations are on the AAUP censure list and more are under investigation. Faculty and staff are demoralized and fearful. Students are paying a lot more for an inferior education. The medical schools aren’t far from losing

accreditation due to the ongoing Charity hospital fiasco, and LSU merger shenanigans have the Southern Association of Colleges questioning potential conflicts of interest in Baton Rouge.

Tiger fans, without SACS accreditation, LSU is nothing more than a diploma mill with some pretty oak trees, and the NCAA won’t let an unaccredited school field a football team.

I could go on and on, but no one seems to care.

Some people have questioned LSU’s priorities giving Coach Miles an obscene pay

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

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.

Despite popular belief, Michigan did not experience as massive of an exodus as the news media would have us to believe. The state’s population peaked in 2005 at roughly 10.1 million and currently stands at 9.8 million.

Louisiana lost enough people after Katrina to necessitate combining two congressional districts.

However, we have oil and Michigan doesn’t. To put it simply, there is no reason LSU, this state’s flagship university, should ever be in financial peril.

But somehow, we are.

I encourage LSU to work with the state government to find some sort of solution to this financial mess. They don’t call it black gold for nothing, and we have tons of it.

Proper allocation of tax dollars is just as important as taxation itself. The highest grossing and highest taxed industry in this country is oil and gas. However, for the sake of higher education, I think they could do a little more.

You don’t see poor oil men.

That’s a taxable industry, and it’s about time we started looking at taxes as investments in our future and not some satanic ritual invented by Democrats and Europeans.

Parker Cramer is a 21-year-old political science senior from Houston.

Contact Parker Cramer at pcramer@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_pcramer

raise when we’re closing hospitals and placing the entire higher education structure at risk.

Indeed, we should question the priorities of the state as a whole for letting the governor sink our ship while he pines away for 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Louisiana higher education and even football will be better off after Jindal’s departure. Les Miles would be sorely missed.

Our current governor, not so much.

Dayne Sherman Writer & Speaker Author of “Welcome to the Fallen Paradise: A Novel”

Quote of the Day

“I learned law so well. The day I graduated, I sued the college, won the case and got my tuition back.”

Fred Allen American comedian May 31, 1894 — March 17, 1966

The Daily Reveille

Friday, November 30, 2012

Opinion

page 9

Baton Rouge crime not as horrific as Walker says IN-LOOKING OUTSIDER TESALON FELICIEN Columnist Find a social issue, pump money into ads distorting facts about the issue, give your solution, scare voters — this is the political cake-mix recipe to unseat an incumbent.

During the recent mayoral debate, Republican hopeful Mike Walker criticized Mayor-President Kip Holden’s response to increased crime in Baton Rouge, labeling the issue a “crime emergency.”

Walker called for additional police units and attacked Holden in a recent ad dubbed “limoing Louie.”

Is the city in need of a crime fighting superhero? I don’t think so.

The crime rate is the ratio of crimes in an area to the population, expressed per 1,000 inhabitants per year. Neighborhoodscouts.com, a real estate and neighborhood grading

website, gave Baton Rouge a 67 per 1,000 crime rating. This number includes data from violent crimes, including robbery, aggravated assaults and rape. More alarming is the city’s murder rate.

According to a 2011 WAFB report, the city is ranked seventh in the nation with 30 people per 100,000 murdered. New Orleans was ranked first with 49 per 100,000.

Some attribute this spike in violence to the effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which displaced many residents from New Orleans —including sending criminals to Baton Rouge. The city’s crime has increased dramatically since Katrina, and the University has felt its effect.

In 2007, two international students were murdered in their apartment off campus. Earlier this year, 22-year-old Gunnar Williamson was robbed, beaten and found unconscious in Tigerland. He later died from his injuries.

“It definitely scares me,” said mass communication junior Desiree

Maduro about the crime increase in the city.

Maduro mentioned both the campus lighting and police presence could be better at night and said she only feels safe when walking with companions.

Though the numbers are high, there are a few factors to take into consideration when reading into crime statistics.

It is common for crime to be highly concentrated in certain parts of a city where the inhabitants are as economically disadvantaged. Sadly, in Baton Rouge many of these areas are black communities where poverty and unemployment is high. Statistics show a majority of homicides in Baton Rouge occur in the 70805 area code, or North Baton Rouge, consisting of areas between Airline Highway and the Mississippi River levee.

Crime statistics do not differentiate between areas of low crime and high crime. Areas of low crime receive the same number as areas of

high. Crime, however, is contagious, and it often spreads to safer communities.

A resident in an affluent neighborhood watching the nightly news might react to crime reports by heading to the local gun store to purchase a firearm for protection. As witnessed in the Treyvon Martin case, guns and fear should not mix.

Walker’s solution to increase the size of the police force is great if you want Baton Rouge to be in similar situation as the military occupation of Afghanistan. Though beneficial to the police department, it is not sufficient to address the problem of crime in Baton Rouge.

Cooperation between the police and residents is crucial. By using neighborhood policing methods, police should build relationships with the residents they protect. However, this strategy is easier said than done.

There is a cultural stigma in the African American community against cooperating with police. Some would rather see street

justice occur than relay important crime-solving information to police. Hence the phrase “Snitches get stitches.”

The city also needs to address the problem of blighted property, which is known to attract crime.

Holden has worked to battle the problem with the BRAVE program which targets crime hotspots around Baton Rouge, but more can be done.

Thanks to Mike Walker, local voters will certainly have the issue of crime in mind as they head to the polls this election season. Unfortunately, many will fall victim to his scare tactic and vote for him.

Tesalon is a 22-year-old mass communication junior from the island of St. Lucia.

Contact Tesalon Felicien at tfelicien@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @Tessfel

All Christmas gifts are not created equal; pick wisely but if you’re confident that your gift will be liked, go for it.

LA SEULE FEMME

3. Think back to your purchases from last year.

In every family, there’s always one predictable relative. Why are they so predictable? Because they give the same presents every year.

Obviously, accept the annual hand-knit sweater from your grandmother. Although you only wear the kitten clad sweater for one day before stashing it in the back of your closet, it would be rude to refuse the gift.

But maybe you’re the re-gifter.

Of course, it’s a treat to receive a gift basket with your favorite lotions and soaps from Bath & Body Works. But when the gift is repeated year after year, the present loses meaning.

So here’s where you can change your shopping behavior.

Stop giving your friends and family the same presents and think outside the box.

All it takes is a little thought and effort to select your gifts to make the holidays a little sweeter for your family and friends. Hopefully, you’ll also receive some great gifts in return.

Good luck with finals, and happy holiday shopping!

KATE MABRY Columnist As the winter break quickly approaches, students will soon set down their textbooks and begin Christmas shopping.

While the exchange of presents tends to be the highlight of the season, many view Christmas shopping as a tedious chore. But with a little effort and the right set of rules, Christmas shopping can prove to be a painless, and even fun-filled, experience.

Here are three rules for Christmas shopping that you may not have considered: 1. Don’t select your gift purely based on sales.

The stresses of Christmas shopping are further intensified when you aren’t sure which gifts to purchase. What should you get for the cousin who you only see once each year? Or the relative who already seems to have everything?

While it’s tempting to stroll down the “half off everything aisle” and start throwing generic items in your buggy, remember the times you’ve received random gifts.

“Thanks, Aunt Carol, for the… potted lily.”

As a cheap skate, I have no problem with shopping during sales as long as there is a little thought behind each gift.

For the aunt who enjoys cooking, buy a creative apron.

For the mother who is constantly curled on the couch

with a book, buy a Kindle.

For the brother who plays video games 24/7, buy a gift card to Game Stop — but beware of rule No. 2!

2. Gift cards are safe but can seem lazy.

If you aren’t familiar with the

gaming world, the example above would be the ideal route to take.

Gifts based on personal taste, such as clothes and jewelry, can be tricky. I can recall several accounts when I was given a purse or wallet that was absolutely hideous. For example, the hot pink, studded purse from the

TIM MORGAN / The Daily Reveille

ex-boyfriend’s mom. Ugh. In that case, I wish that I would have received a gift card to pick out a purse that fits my personality, rather than that of a 5-year-old.

But gift cards are also the easy way out.

It should appear that you put effort into selecting the perfect gift,

Kate Mabry is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from New Orleans.

Contact Kate Mabry at kmabry@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @KateMabry1

The Daily Reveille

page 10

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Friday, November 30, 2012 MEMORIAL, from page 1

On his birthday Tuesday, family, friends and teachers gathered in the Sculpture Garden to write notes of remembrance to Drake. They attached mementos to flowers and hung them on fishing line from trees around the garden.

Some notes shared stories.

Others wished him “happy birthday.” Most were attached to sunflowers — his favorite flower.

The Sculpture Garden is nestled between the architecture school and the studio arts building, the two places where Drake split much of his time at the University. A dual major in ceramic arts and architecture, he was a creator.

“Everything he did in architecture was amazing,” said Austin Sandel, architecture junior and Drake’s former classmate.

Sandel said the architecture students would make lists of who they thought would be accepted into the school’s elite third-year group. Drake was always at the top of everyone’s list.

“It was mind-boggling that he was in two majors that were timedemanding,” ‘[Drake] was Sandel said.

Drake dea modern-day veloped a close Renaissance friendship with man.’ his ceramics professor, Andy Austin Sandel Shaw, after takarchitecture junior ing his introduction to wheel throwing class.

Shaw marveled at Drake’s natural ability to pick up skills easily.

“I don’t think he saw barriers where other people saw barriers,” Shaw said. “He was someone at 21 years old that I really looked up to.”

It wasn’t just at the University where Nathan showed his creativity. He and older brother Darren remodeled his parents’ kitchen and bathroom at their home in Houston. When he was 8 years old, he wanted a bird. He built his own birdhouse out of recycled materials. He created a waterfall, pond and barbecue pit in their backyard. He distilled his own alcohol. Occasionally, he would cut his own hair.

“He was a modern-day Renaissance man,” Sandel joked.

To top a talented mind, Drake had the personality to match. His former classmates called him “humble,” an “encyclopedia” and a “beautiful soul.”

Catherine Drake, Nathan’s younger sister, said she, Nathan and Darren were home-schooled for several of their elementary school years. She did everything with her brothers, and they would protect her. In high school, they would take the same classes and sit together.

“We never really fought as kids like normal siblings do,” Catherine Drake said.

His standout personality and talent brought dozens to the Sculpture Garden to share stories.

His parents — Deborah and Ernie — drove from Houston to see the impact their son had on people.

“It was so very touching and comforting to do this, especially on Nathan’s birthday,” Deborah said. “I don’t know how they did

it but they did it beautifully.”

Those gathered remembered the whirlwind week that was Nathan’s transformation from a seemingly fine student into an immobile man on life support.

Nathan had complained of back pain before, but nothing too serious, perhaps a result of bending over his ceramics and

The Daily Reveille architecture projects. He checked himself into Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge after experiencing intense pain. Doctors first diagnosed him with appendicitis.

Doctors gave him a second diagnosis March 11, and this one suggested something much worse — cancer. It had already metasta-

page 11 sized throughout his body. He was transferred to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston to be with his family. Five days after he walked into Our Lady of the Lake, he fell, hit his head and never woke up.

Two days later, his family decided to remove life support.

Drake waited until 11:27 a.m., the same numbers as his

birthday, to die.

“Nathan did things on his own terms,” his mother said. “I mean, how do you die like that?

That was Nathan.”

Contact Catherine Threlkeld at cthrelkeld@lsureveille.com

page 12

The Daily Reveille

Friday, November 30, 2012