The Daily Reveille - March 29, 2010

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Protest higher education budget cuts today from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Capitol.

Read more in “Students to protest at Capitol today” below, and in Our View, page 12.

Chimay Blue faces Rogue Chocolate and Abita Light faces Sam Adams in Malt Madness. Vote for your favorite at lsureveille.com.

THE DAILY REVEILLE WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM

Volume 114, Issue 118

Monday, March 29, 2010

BUDGET CUTS

There’s nothing wrong with a little

Students to protest at Capitol today

Friendly Competition

By Catherine Threlkeld Staff Writer

Quarterbacks shaky in spring game, running backs rack up 340 yards

By Rachel Whittaker Chief Sports Writer

The LSU spring game was not one for the highlight reels for junior quarterbacks Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee. Jefferson finished 8-of-23 for 94 yards, Lee was 10-of-20 for 114 yards and both quarterbacks threw an interception in the White team’s 24-9 victory against the Purple team in front of 22,710 fans Saturday in Tiger Stadium.

LSU coach Les Miles said Jefferson still needs to spend time working on his mechanics and accuracy to lead the offense more effectively.

“There were some throws that were not ideal,” Miles said. “I like our guys to throw perfectly. I don’t know that anybody does that though. I see a lot of quarterbacks who throw a ball a little off.”

Lee threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Chris Tolliver in the second half for the day’s only passing touchdown.

GAME, see page 15

See spring game highlights in photos and video at

lsureveille.com

photos by J.J. ALCANTARA / The Daily Reveille

[Top] LSU sophomore wide receiver Russell Shepard catches the ball Saturday during LSU’s National L Club Spring Game in Tiger Stadium. [Bottom] LSU junior cornerback Brandon Taylor tackles junior tight end Deangelo Peterson during the spring game. The White team defeated the Purple team, 24-9, in front of 22,710 fans.

Students will have the chance to protest budget cuts against higher education today by attending Student Government’s “Fund our Future.”

SG is providing buses to transport students to and from the State Capitol between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The buses will pick students up and drop them off continually in front of Memorial Tower on Tower Drive.

SG Vice President Martina Scheuermann said it’s important for students to participate because they will be acting as a student body, and budget cuts will impact every student attending the University.

“This is so important because far too often the legislators have said they haven’t heard from their constituents, and today SG is providing an opportunity for every student that is able to go downtown,” Scheuermann said.

Students can fill out cards with their names and hometowns at the State Capitol and request to see their representatives.

Today is the first day of the Louisiana State Legislature spring session, so all representatives and senators will be present.

Students can then give their representatives copies of the SG budget proposal, created by SG Chief Economic Adviser Greg Upton and his six economic advisers. The budget proposal puts every part of the PROPOSAL, see page 15

POLITICS

Higher education prepares for the worst in cuts Legislative session commences today

By Xerxes A. Wilson Senior Staff Writer

The futures of colleges, programs, faculty and salaries hang in the balance as the legislative

session begins today.

With a $1 billion dollar deficit looming, University administrators say the stakes have not been higher in decades for higher education in the state.

Legislators will debate 1,907 bills in the next three months.

Many have direct effects on higher education, ranging from tuition prices to TOPS awards to

administrative salaries.

“More is at stake than any session in the last 10 years,” said Jason Droddy, assistant vice chancellor of Legislative and External Affairs. “We are looking at program elimination, consolidation.

There could be some job reduction. There could be furloughs affecting people’s pay, and it could have real effects on students.”

BALANCING THE BUDGET Balancing a $1 billion dollar deficit is the largest obstacle legislators face and will dictate other measures in the coming session.

Higher education faced a $219 million reduction in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposed budget going into the last legislative session. The governor has proposed no new cuts to higher education

this year.

The proposed budget relies heavily on one-time funds to cover the deficit, so legislators and administrators expect some cut to higher education before the legislature approves the final budget.

“It would be difficult to imagine we would escape some cuts,” DEFICIT, see page 15

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Nation & World

INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL

In suprise visit to war zone, Obama says US won’t quit

NY archbishop defends Pope Benedict XVI against abuse furor

KABUL (AP) — President Obama has told American forces during his surprise visit to Afghanistan that U.S. lives would be at risk if the Taliban retake control of the country.

Obama says difficult days lie ahead in the 8-year-old war and he says there will be setbacks. But he says the U.S. doesn’t quit and will prevail.

NEW YORK (AP) — Archbishop Timothy Dolan was greeted with applause after finishing Palm Sunday Mass by defending Pope Benedict XVI against suggestions he aided cover-ups of reports of child abuse.

The standing-room-only crowd at St. Patrick’s Cathedral applauded for 20 seconds after Dolan read a statement calling the pope the “leader in purification, reform and renewal that the church so very much needs.”

Russia eliminates two time zones in attempt to increase efficiency MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s president thought the country had too much time on its hands, so on Sunday he eliminated two of its 11 time zones. The changes mean that Chukotka — Russia’s eastern extreme, just across the Bering Strait from Alaska — is now nine hours ahead of Russia’s westernmost area, the Kaliningrad exclave sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland.

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Barbara Bush undergoes tests in Texas hospital, no diagnosis yet HOUSTON (AP) — Former first lady Barbara Bush remains hospitalized in Houston, where she’s undergoing what a family spokeswoman describes as routine tests.

Spokeswoman Jean Becker said Sunday that Bush has not been diagnosed with anything and

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Free LSAT Strategy Workshop Monday, March 29 6-7:30pm Sponsored by LSU Test Prep Register online: www.outreach.lsu/edu/test

doctors aren’t looking for anything specific.

Former President George H.W. Bush drove his wife to Methodist Hospital on Saturday morning. Becker said earlier that the former first lady hadn’t been feeling well for about a week, and doctors suggested she “undergo a battery of tests.”

New York officials to search again for Sept. 11 victim remains NEW YORK (AP) — New York City officials are planning to search through material excavated from around the World Trade Center site for any remains of Sept. 11 victims. The three-month endeavor is scheduled to start Friday at the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island. The material being searched was taken from the area around ground zero in the last two years.

If there are any possible remains found, the material will undergo testing at the city medical examiner’s office.

PAGE 2

STATE/LOCAL

Mission Impazible wins Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on Saturday

Public officials ask Gov. Bobby Jindal for money to finish I-49

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A spot in the Kentucky Derby now looks quite possible for Mission Impazible. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt pulled ahead just past the sixteenth pole to win his first race as a 3-year-old in the $750,000 Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds on Saturday. Ridden by Rajiv Maragh and starting from the second post at 7-1 odds, he covered the 1 1/8 mile course in 1:50.32 on a dry and fast track.

Pletcher credited Maragh for executing “exactly the trip we were hoping for.”

“That was kind of the way we had talked about it,” Pletcher said.

“We wanted to secure a little bit of position from the inside and hopefully come away stalking the leaders. ... Then he was able to find a little more down the lane.”

Mission Impazible’s first race of the year was a second-place finish in a six furlong allowance.

SHREVEPORT (AP) — A group of public officials and civic leaders are asking Gov. Bobby Jindal to fund the remaining $44 million needed to complete a portion of Interstate 49 north.

The Shreveport Times reported Saturday the piece of roadway in question is a three-mile stretch in Section E of the proposed interstate.

@ lsureveille, @TDR_news, @TDR_sports

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TODAY

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

Court says decline of inmate’s request for sex books was right (AP) — A Baton Rouge appeals court says Louisiana death row inmate was properly denied access to five books containing depictions of nudity and sexually explicit conduct.

According to Saturday’s Advocate, 1st Circuit Court of Appeal ruled Friday, reversing a lower court judge. The nine-page decision did not identify the books.

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WEDNESDAY 75 52 FRIDAY 84 64

Women’s History Month Keynote Address Dr. Jean Kilbourne “the Naked Truth-Advertsing’s Image of Women” Esprit de Femme Awards Presentation Monday, March 29th, 6:00pm Holiday Forum for more information visit: www.lsu.edu/wc Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Making the Pay Grade Tuesday, March 20th, 7:13 pm in 205 Tureaud Hall for more information, contact Samantha White, swhit37@tigers.lsu.edu REZ Week 2010 Celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Hosted by 11 Campus Ministries Monday- Prayer @ 8pm @ the Clock Tower Wednesday- Worship Service @ 7pm in Howe Russell 130 DO YOU HAVE AN OCCURRENCE? Call Isaiah at the Student Media Office 578-6090, 9AM- 5PM or E-mail: officemanager@lsureveille.com

SARAH HUNT / The Daily Reveille

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) 5784811 or e-mail editor@lsureveille.com.

POLICIES AND 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. 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. Secondclass 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

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

PAGE 3

ENVIRONMENT

Energy conservation competition saves more than $10,000

WCA wins annual Unplug contest

By Sabrina Trahan Contributing Writer

Campus housing saved more than $10,000 in energy consumption last month because of the second annual Unplug competition.

West Campus Apartments reduced its energy by 26 percent and won the month-long competition.

Students from the Environmental Conservation Organization, Students In Free Enterprise and Freshman Leadership Council read the meters in each community to determine the winner.

The Blake/McVoy and Acadian/ Laville Honors communities trailed WCA with a 23 percent reduction, and the Horseshoe area finished third with 21 percent.

The 14 percent average reduction could power 181 homes, 12,000

light bulbs and 4,000 computers for one month, said Catherine David, ResLife Communications Director.

But last year’s competition produced better results in several facets.

The participating communities reduced their energy by an estimated 18 percent, and East Campus Apartments, the winning community, finished with a 35 percent reduction.

The grand total of energy conserved amounted to more than $13,000.

Less money was saved this year, but students conserved more kilowatt hours this year, said ECO co-president Matt Wyatt.

“People are sometimes quick to say it wasn’t successful, but so many variables contribute to it,” Wyatt said. “We used a different time frame, and factors like weather can also affect energy usage.”

Participation in residence halls increased this year, despite the numbers. The top five communities were much closer than last year, Wyatt said.

Students compared the meter

readings to readings from the same time period during the last three years, unlike the 2009 competition when they only compared them to the 2008 readings.

And the program accomplished its goal of reducing energy and educating students about energy consumption.

“The competition was a success because of the money saved,” said Anna Cockfield, pre-nursing freshman. “Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money that could go toward something this University needs.”

The money saved will be used to fund future improvements to campus housing and offset rent inreases, David said.

“The simple steps of turning off lights, unplugging chargers and taking shorter showers made a big difference with so many residents’ participation,” David said.

Three Greek organizations participated in Unplug this year. Phi Mu Sorority clinched first place with a 45 percent reduction.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Voter turnout less than last year

By Catherine Threlkeld Staff Writer

It’s been an intense three weeks for the Student Government candidates and a time when many students avoided Free Speech Alley and persistent pushcard handoffs.

The runoff vote between “Leading the Way” and “StudentsFIRST” will be Tuesday on PAWS. Theo Williams, presidential candidate for the “Geauxing the Distance” campaign, said his campaign is now supporting the “StudentsFIRST” ticket.

“We are also going to help in whatever way we can because we feel strongly that they’ll be the right people to be in the position,” Williams said.

All “Geauxing the Distance” candidates are backing “StudentsFIRST,” and Williams said his issues were most similar to those of the Hudson-Borel ticket.

“Leading the Way” candidates Brooksie Bonvillain and Chris Sellers won 40.9 percent (2,194 votes) of the student vote in last Tuesday’s election, and J Hudson and Dani Borel of “StudentsFIRST,” took 27.9 percent (1,493 votes).

A total of 5,315 students voted in the election — only 19 percent of the University’s nearly 28,000 students — according to election results and numbers from the Office of

Did you vote in the SG election?

Shaina Benoit

biological sciences junior

‘Yes. As a student, I know what goes on around campus.’

Budget and Planning.

Voter turnout decreased from last year’s 30 percent.

SG Vice President Martina Scheuermann said she dealt with student apathy to SG elections last year when she was campaigning.

“When you’re trying to campaign with students, I think the No. 1 thing is to engage students and not just give them a pushcard,” Scheuermann said. “We were explaining why it’s important to vote.”

Many students said they forgot to vote, didn’t know how to vote or didn’t care.

“I didn’t have any time,” said Matt Foval, general studies sophomore. “And I didn’t really know where to go.”

Natasha Bingham, political science graduate student, said she

Matt Foval

general studies sophomore

‘No. I didn’t have any time, and I didn’t really know where to go.’

didn’t vote because she didn’t know enough about the candidates to make an educated decision.

“I’m in graduate school, and I didn’t take the time to figure out who was running,” Bingham said.

But some students, like biological sciences junior Shaina Benoit, read the initiatives for each candidate.

Abigail Schumacher-Benoit, international studies freshman, said she understands the importance of voting in SG elections.

“I have a few friends involved in SG, and they’re always talking about the issues and how important they are,” Schumacher-Benoit said.

Contact Catherine Threlkeld at cthrelkeld@lsureveille.com

Students in Phi Mu regularly dim the lights in their living area, said Andrea Wesner, communication disorders sophomore.

“There is no reason to leave lights on when no one is in there,” Wesner said. “Energy conservation is good practice, and obviously the results proved it was well worth it.”

graphic by STEPHANIE GIGLIO / The Daily Reveille

Organizers were pleased with the inclusion of Greek organizations.

Wyatt said he hopes next year’s competition will include more Greek involvement.

Contact Sabrina Trahan at strahan@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 4

ENTERTAINMENT

FESTIVAL

Event encourages interest in science Physics students volunteer for demos

By Rachel Warren Contributing Writer

J.J. ALCANTARA/ The Daily Reveille

Megan Dupré, kinesiology junior, left, and Jean Marie Maraist, communication studies junior, discuss “Top Yam” on TLC, in which the two were featured, Friday.

‘Top Yam’ TV show depicts La. pageant 2 students featured on TLC reality show

By Mary Walker Baus Contributing Writer

The University doesn’t just have sports stars anymore — it has reality television stars as well.

Jeanne Marie Maraist and Megan Dupré appeared on TLC’s new reality show “Top Yam: The Louisiana Yambilee Queen Pageant.”

Dupré, kinesiology junior, was one of three girls competing for the crown in the 64th annual Yambilee Pageant in Opelousas.

Maraist, communication studies junior, is featured as Dupré’s best friend.

“When you’re on TV, you analyze everything about your experience,” Dupré said. “It was better than I had expected it to be.

I was portrayed accurately.”

Maraist and Dupré held a viewing party for family and friends at Dupré’s residence Friday.

“I didn’t know what they were going to use and how they were going to portray us,” Maraist said. “We were worried they were going to make us look bad.

We wanted to make sure we could clear up anything.”

This is Dupré’s second time to appear on a reality show. She appeared in 2008 as a contestant on the CW’s “Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious,” where she competed for a spot in a new allgirl singing and dancing group.

Dupré said filming with TLC was more personal than “Girlicious” production because she had her own camera crew, and the atmosphere was more relaxed.

She said TLC approached the pageant directors about filming the Louisiana Yambilee Queen Pageant because it is one of the oldest and most prestigious pageants in the state, held since 1946.

“Top Yam” followed the pageant process of Dupré and two other girls, Imani Guillory and Alyssa Glover, who were both first-timers in the pageant circle.

Dupré said she participated and

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

won titles in the Yambilee festival when she was younger.

Maraist said the show portrayed Dupré as an overly confident pageant veteran, Guillory as a diva and Glover as a Cinderella story.

The show highlighted Dupré’s lack of interest, Guillory’s $18,000 budget and Glover’s makeshift pageant techniques.

Guillory took the crown in the end and became the first black queen of the Yambilee Festival.

Dupré finished as the first runnerup.

Dupré said the show’s main plot revolved around their rivalry because she and Guillory went to high school together and weren’t good friends. On the show, Dupré called Guillory’s winning the Yambilee crown “sketchy” while Guillory said Dupré was “not a racious loser.”

Maraist said the pageant was rigged because Guillory’s father, Democratic Sen. Elbert Guillory, is a prominent figure in Louisiana and was recognized as the pageant’s grand marshal.

Dupré said she plans to win next year’s Yambilee Pageant and have Guillory crown her.

“I’m a competitor — I always have been,” she said. “If I do it next year, she will crown me.”

Clare Svendson, business management junior, said seeing her friends on TV was surreal.

Maraist and Dupré were satisfied with the show’s final cut, but some of their friends disagree.

“It was blown out of proportion,” said Jacob Simmons, general studies senior. “[Dupré] is not like that. They took it over the top, but that’s just TV.” Jacob Watkins, business graduate student, said the show made the pageant look more exciting than it actually was.

“It was boring, and the show made it more interesting,” Watkins said. “Knowing Megan, she was portrayed differently, but that twist is expected.”

Contact Mary Walker Baus at mbaus@lsureveille.com

About 125 people enjoyed an afternoon of kid-friendly activities Saturday at the Highland Road Park Observatory as part of NanoDays, a nationwide festival of educational programs.

The events are organized by participants in the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network and will take place in more than 200 museums, research centers and universities this year, according to the NanoDays Web site.

The event in Baton Rouge was hosted by the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Center for Computation and Technology.

Juana Moreno, physics assistant professor, said the event was organized to inform the general public, not just children, about nanotechnology — the science of manipulating materials on an atomic or molecular scale.

She said she organized the event at the University of North Dakota when she taught there, and this is the first time she has put the event together at LSU. The event hosted two speakers, Jayne Garno — a

University chemistry assistant pro- she said. fessor — and Kristen Buchanan A child’s interest in science is from Colorado State University. strongly influenced by the enthusiGarno showed the audience im- asm of the teacher, Ringuette said. ages of nano-objects captured in Will Heitman, a 9-year-old her lab, and Buchanan discussed student at Bernard Terrace El“nanomagnetism” and its applica- ementary, discovered at the event tion to hard drives. he was 490 billion nanometers tall.

University students also vol- His favorite demonstration was of unteered in demonstrations of na- the liquid crystals, which respond noscience at tables to temperature set up throughout change by changthe observatory. ing color.

The interacHeitman said tive displays alhe attended the lowed children to event because he play with liquid loves science. He crystals, dissolve is especially intereffervescent tabested in robotics lets to learn about and wants to be a surface area and roboticist when he pour liquid onto is older.

Rebecca Ringuette fabric to show Christopher how nanotechnol- physics graduate student Kersey, manager ogy can be used of the observatory, to protect clothes said it’s important from stains. children be introduced to physiRebecca Ringuette, phys- cal science as soon as possible. ics graduate student, said she and He said the events of the day were the other students volunteered for geared toward children, but adults the Society of Physics Students. learned as well.

She said the group is dedicated to “Adults are interested bepublic outreach and getting people cause these kinds of things weren’t excited about science, and it puts around when they were in school,” on as many events like NanoDays he said. as it can.

“The next generation of scienContact Rachel Warren at tists will not be there if we don’t rwarren@lsureveille.com get them interested in science,”

‘‘

‘The next generation of scientists will not be there if we don’t get them interested in science.’

Monday, March 29, 2010

THE DAILY REVEILLE

CHARITY

5K achieves goal of $10,000 Funds to help fight sex trafficking

By Grace Montgomery Staff Writer

About 500 students and community members ran a 5K race Saturday afternoon to raise awareness and funds for the millions of women and children sold into a life of sex trafficking each year.

Tigers Against Trafficking reached its goal of raising $10,000 from the second annual run.

All proceeds raised from the 5K benefitted the A-21 Campaign — a nonprofit shelter based out of Thessaloniki, Greece, which works directly with victims rescued from sex trafficking.

“Due to corporate sponsors, 100 percent of donations go to the A-21 Campaign,” said Sarah Kaiser, TAT co-founder and University graduate.

Co-founder Natalie Laborde said students taking responsibility is vital.

“The leaders of the next generation are here on campus, and we want to help empower students to learn about this issue,” she said.

“Everyone has a part to play.”

Elizabeth Callender, accounting junior, said she heard about the run and TAT from a neighbor and is interested in learning more about

GRANT GUTIERREZ / The Daily Reveille

Runners assemble at the starting line Saturday afternoon for the Tigers Against Trafficking 5K Run/Walk event at the Parade Ground.

the organization.

“It’s a good way to get the word out about the cause and be involved in something new on campus,” Callender said.

Alexis Blackwell, pre-dental freshman, said she learned about TAT through friends and by attending the benefit concert at the Varsity Theatre last fall.

TAT began in the spring of 2009 when the co-founders originally planned to organize a single event to benefit the A-21 campaign.

But student interest prompted them to create an entire organization, Laborde said.

“I couldn’t sit back and not do something to help,” TAT officer Jennie Armstrong said about the first time she learned about sex trafficking.

TAT is also working to expand its programs to other universities across the country. Similar organizations are being developed at Southeastern Louisiana University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Kansas.

Contact Grace Montgomery at gmontgomery@lsureveille.com

WORLD

Haitian twins find home in La. Shreveport couple tried 7 years to adopt

By The Associated Press SHREVEPORT (AP) — Fear and uncertainty sometimes keeps Bruny and Brunel Civil awake at night.

Memories of the devastating earthquake and anguish widespread in their native Haiti are enough to bring tears to their eyes.

But the 11-year-old twins know their mommy and daddy are no longer far away.

“The bond is building; the trust is building,” said Rebecca Erickson, whom the boys call mommy.

For seven years, Rebecca and her husband, David, worked to bring the twin boys from a Christian orphanage near Port-auPrince to their Shreveport home.

Unfilled promises from Haitian lawyers drained them emotionally and financially. At one point, they doubted they would ever bring the brothers home.

But last month they received an e-mail from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security telling them the boys were on a flight to Miami.

“It was hard to realize that it was real because it was such a long time that we had waited for them,” Rebecca said.

The Erickson’s biological

children — Isaac, 6, Isabelle, 3, and Arielle, 1 ­— were also waiting for the twins.

A week before getting the email, Rebecca and David were told the boys would be in Miami. Those plans never materialized. They had driven to Miami once before in hopes of reuniting with the twins.

But this time they would be leaving Miami with Bruny and Brunel.

“David and I both had been crying that morning, and we couldn’t believe it was actually happening,” Rebecca said. “We were so close. Other parents were crying. It was a precious time.”

It was the first time in seven years she had hugged the boys and said “I love you” while looking into their eyes. Exhilarating, overwhelming and unbelievable, is how she describes that moment.

Staff with Christian Haitian Outreach, where Bruny and Brunel lived in Haiti, said nine children have come to the United States temporarily and have united with families under the humanitarian parole policy. As of Friday, a total of 877 children have come to the U.S. under the policy, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

For the Ericksons, the next step is legal adoption.

All 134 children in their orphanage survived the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the island on Jan. 12.

“The children are still having issues because of the earthquake” but “they are back in the orphanage,” said Sara Jones, sponsorship coordinator for the orphanage, headquartered in Miami.

Rebecca says the twins haven’t forgotten the friends they left behind. They ask if mom and dad can bring four friends from the orphanage, or if the family can visit Haiti.

They are quickly embracing the change from sleeping in tents and eating one or two meals a day to a room with bunk beds and a refrigerator full of choices.

They like car rides, hot showers and bananas, and they treasure the Nintendo Wii. Brunel is fascinated with watches, and Bruny mustered the courage to lead a worship song in English during a Wednesday children’s service at Shreveport Community Church.

“They just have joy,” David said.

With the help of students and teachers at Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, the boys are learning more English and developing their writing and math skills. The school created a program that lets the twins attend third-grade classes in the morning and fourth-grade classes in the afternoon.

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

PAGE 5

PAGE 6

Revelry

THE DAILY REVEILLE Today’s KLSU Specialty Shows: 9 p.m. Valley Girl Intelligencia 11 p.m. Bars and Ballads with L.A. Tre’

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

Week in Review

JAMES WEST / The Daily Reveille

Southern University nursing senior David Lane takes a breather after finishing the Capital Area Start! Heart Walk on Saturday on LSU’s Old Front Nine.

See Matt and Mal’s Spring Break Survival Guide by checking out lsureveille.com!

[Top] GRANT GUTIERREZ / The Daily Reveille

Runners sprint from the starting line at the Tigers Aginst Trafficking 5k event held at the Parade Ground on Saturday.

[Above left] JAMES WEST / The Daily Reveille

Mass communication senior Ben West, left, and biology senior Jackie Dolan, make their way down CEBA Lane during the Capital Area Start! Heart Walk on Saturday on LSU’s campus.

[Above right]

MELLOW MUSHROOM $9.99 1 Topping Larges Dine-In, Take-Out & Delivery

MELANIE SCOTT / The Daily Reveille

Jennifer Kim, apparel design junior, performs for students in the Live Oak Lounge during Open Mic Night on Friday.

7:20 a.m., 8:20 a.m.

Noon, 3:20 p.m.

4:20 p.m., 5:20 p.m.

8:30-9:00AM Your Source 9-10:30 AM Saw VI 11:30-12:00PM Your Source 12-1:30PM Paranormal Activites 4:00-5:30 PM 2012 8:00- 9:30 PM Love Happens

Sports T he Talented

Monday, March 29, 2010

Mr. Ridley

PAGE 7

GYMNASTICS

Tigers finish fourth at SEC meet

By Rob Landry Sports Contributor

photos by J.J. ALCANTARA / The Daily Reveille

[Left] LSU junior running back Stevan Ridley runs the ball during LSU’s National L Club Spring Game on Saturday in Tiger Stadium. [Right] Ridley leaps into the end zone for a touchdown. Ridley’s White team led a 29-4 victory against the Purple team.

Junior running back rushes for 104 yards in spring game on Saturday

By Rob Landry

T

Sports Contributor

he prototypical running back relies on speed and agility to elude defenders.

But don’t tell that to LSU junior running back Stevan Ridley.

Ridley used his bruising style of running Saturday to bolster the White team to a 24-9 victory against the Purple team in the annual National L Club Spring Game.

The Natchez, Miss., native ran for 104 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown

in the game.

Ridley’s best drive came on the first possession of the game when he rushed for 70 yards on seven carries and the touchdown.

“I like the way we run the football — we’re physical,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “I thought Stevan Ridley started the day off with a nice drive in the early going, and I felt like we executed extremely well there.”

Ridley passed off most of the credit to his teammates.

“I can’t ask for anything more from my offensive line and fullback

Dominique Allen,” Ridley said. “They’re working hard for us up from with the blocking.”

Miles said Ridley is leaps and bounds ahead of where he was last season.

“The thing that Stevan has done is, he’s really studied what makes him better,” Miles said. “He’s making cleaner cuts. He’s always been tough, and he’s always been a north-south runner. He’s just seeing it better.”

The Tigers’ two leading rushers, RIDLEY, see page 11

“We did pretty well on the ground, so I’m satisfied. But we still have to work.”

Stevan Ridley, LSU junior running back

Saturday was just not the LSU gymnastics team’s day.

The Tigers (11-7-1) entered the 2010 Southeastern Conference Championship meet with aspirations of bringing home its first conference title since 1981 but left with a fourth-place finish.

Florida won the meet, posting a 197.050. The Gators were followed

by Alabama, Georgia and LSU. “Overall I think we were a little disappointed that we got fourth,” said senior Sabrina Franceschelli.

“But we have to keep staying in the process. Like [Coach D-D Breaux] says, ‘It’s not where you start — it’s where you finish,’ so we’re hoping to finish up a little bit better than we did.”

The Tigers started the meet on the uneven bars, where they posted a 48.850. Seniors Summer Hubbard and Susan Jackson were the leading scorers on the apparatus, each scoring a 9.85, and Franceschelli went 9.75.

LSU posted a solid score on its second apparatus, the balance beam.

Jackson again led the way, scoring a 9.90. Freshman Ericka Garcia posted a career-high 9.85, and freshman Shelby Prunty tied her career-high 9.80 on the beam.

Third on the lineup for the Tigers was the floor exercise, which was the team’s downfall. The Tigers SEC, see page 11

BASEBALL

Tigers sweep past Tennessee to revenge last season’s losses Ranaudo pitches two innings in return

By Andy Schwehm Sports Contributor

If there was any leftover business from last season for LSU’s baseball team, it was its sole Southeastern Conference series loss to Tennessee.

The No. 4 Tigers (20-3, 5-1) got their chance for revenge in their first road games of the season during the weekend in Knoxville, Tenn., and they took care of business, sweeping the Volunteers (11-13, 0-6). It was the Tigers’ first road SEC sweep since the end of the 2008 season when LSU swept past Auburn.

But the victories came faster than expected as inclement weather in the Knoxville area pushed Sunday’s game to Saturday to make for an afternoon doubleheader.

The weather also pushed up the much-anticipated start of junior pitcher Anthony Ranaudo to the second game of the series, a 10-6 LSU victory.

Ranaudo fired two perfect innings with a strikeout, and sophomore southpaw Chris Matulis (4-0) earned the win in relief, allowing three earned runs on five hits in five innings.

“Ranaudo was awesome,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri.

“He couldn’t have done better.

He was throwing hard, hitting 93 miles per hour consistently, and he had great command of his fastball

… He actually wanted to continue pitching, but we decided the right thing to do was to shut him down.”

LSU also saw their offense wake up, as the team knocked around 15 hits and scored 10 runs for the first time since a 10-3 victory against Nicholls State on March 17.

Junior catcher Micah Gibbs and sophomore shortstop Austin Nola each went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI for the Tigers.

Senior designated hitter Matt Gaudet hit his eighth home run of the season in the top of the sixth to tie the game at three. The Tigers then used a four-run seventh inning to take the lead.

“Matt Gaudet was great,” Mainieri said. “He had a couple BASEBALL, see page 11

MELANIE SCOTT / The Daily Reveille

LSU junior pitcher Austin Ross (12) pitches the ball March 13 in Alex Box Stadium during the Tigers’ game against Kansas. LSU beat Kansas, 4-2.

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 8

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

TRACK AND FIELD

Windy day leads to LSU success at Bernie Moore Lady Tigers sweep home tournament

with a 17-foot, 7 1/4-inch vault that won the event.

“The conditions were really very good for the pole vault,” said LSU coach Dennis Shaver.

By Luke Johnson “He had a little tail wind where Sports Contributor they could get a little help on the Several LSU track and field runway, but he handled the speed athletes posted new personal well and jumped well.” bests at their home field in the Dominguez actually set two LSU Tiger Relays held Friday personal bests on the day. His and Saturday. previous best was a 17 feet, 5 The winds swirling around inches, set during his sophomore LSU’s campus then were evi- year. He cleared 17 feet, 5 1/2 dent both in Tiger Stadium, inches before reaching 17 feet, 7 where Josh Jasper 1/4-inches on his nailed a 57-yard final jump. field goal, and in “The wind neighboring Berwas a little nie Moore Track tricky,” DominStadium where guez said in a times were greatnews release. ly improved by a “Sometimes you tailwind. catch a good Dennis Shaver The wind disstraight tail wind, LSU track and field coach counted some athand others you letes’ efforts­, like catch a tough senior All-American Samantha crosswind. I just waited for it to Henry’s blistering 11.14-second calm down. I wanted a small tail 100-meter run. That run won’t be wind, and I got it. It’s a great sign used as an official time because for the rest of the season that I of a 4.2 meters-per-second tail was able to jump this well today. wind that is over the allowable I’m happy with it.” limit.

Damar Forbes also jumped Senior pole vaulter Josh his way into the spotlight. The Dominguez, who redshirted dur- highly-touted freshman eclipsed ing the indoor season because his previous triple jump personal of a hamstring injury, set a new record by nearly 4 feet Saturday personal record in the pole vault with a 52-foot jump.

‘‘

‘I just thought this was a great meet overall.’

“[Forbes] is really a good competitor,” Shaver said. “We’re excited about what the future is going to bring for Damar. He’s one that is constantly trying to get better.”

The Tiger relay teams enjoyed great success at the meet, with the exception of the 4x100meter relay team, which did not finish after dropping the baton during the final.

The 4x400-meter relay team had the best time of the day for the Tigers, posting an NCAA season-best 3 minutes, 5.80 seconds despite running the event without two of their top runners, freshman Caleb Williams and senior Richard Jones.

The 4x200-meter relay team and the 1,600-meter sprint medley relay team also captured titles, totaling three relay titles for the Tigers at the LSU Tiger Relays.

The Lady Tigers’ relay teams were even more dominant than the men’s teams. Led by 12-time All-American Henry, the Lady Tigers’ 4x100 relay team cruised to an easy victory in the finals Saturday. The team circled the track with the baton in 44.01 seconds, beating the runner-up Louisiana Tech team by more than a second.

The Lady Tigers won every relay event they participated in,

ERIN ARLEDGE / The Daily Reveille

Samantha Henry, senior third leg of the sprint relay, hands off the baton to Kenyanna Wilson, junior final leg of the relay. The Lady Tigers finished their 4x100-meter relay in 43.68 seconds, earning the No. 1-rank in the NCAA.

winning the 4x200-meter relay and the 4x400-meter relay by four seconds, and the 1,600-meter sprint medley by nine seconds.

The Lady Tiger jumpers also completed a clean sweep. Junior Melissa Ogbourne won both the triple jump and long jump, and All-Americans sophomore Rachel Laurent and junior Brittani Carter won the pole vault and the

high jump competitions, respectively.

“I just thought this was a great meet overall,” Shaver said.

“We had a chance to put many of our athletes in a competitive situation that is going to pay dividends as we head to Texas next weekend.”

Contact Luke Johnson at ljohnson@lsureveille.com

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 9

TENNIS

Tigers display ‘immaturity’ in 5-2 loss to Bulldogs hit a Georgia player with the ball, instead of hitting the easy winner.

“It was a lack of following instruction,” Brown said. “They need to know better it’s more important for the team than it is

By Sean Isabella for them individually to get back Sports Contributor at somebody in a personal situaThe No. 41 LSU men’s ten- tion.”

Bowtell and Anderson mannis team’s season can best be described by two words: missed op- aged to force a tiebreaker but fell short, 9-8 (7-5), giving Georgia portunities.

The Tigers failed to capital- the doubles point.

After a pair of singles ize on several key points Sunday losses by Bowafternoon for the tell and junior second straight Cody Loup, LSU match, falling climbed back to No. 7 Georinto the match in gia, 5-2, at W.T. singles to cut the “Dub” Robinson deficit to 3-2 after Stadium. victories by No. “We had 46 sophomore missed opportuJeff Brown Neal Skupski nities today, more LSU men’s tennis coach and junior Julien than anything,” Gauthier. said LSU men’s Junior Sebastian Carlsson coach Jeff Brown. “We have some young guys that maybe need to do had an early set lead against No. a better job of understanding, and 18 Garrapiz, as did freshman Stefan Szacinski, but both dropped they will.”

One key moment came on the ensuing two sets to give the court two in doubles when LSU Bulldogs the match.

“These last two matches sophomore Mark Bowtell and freshman Roger Anderson had [against Ohio State and Geora chance to go up, 8-7, against gia] are just missed opportuniGeorgia’s Drake Bernstein and ties and immaturity that has to get taken care of,” Brown said.

Javier Garrapiz.

The Tigers missed wide on a “They are still playing as if their overhand smash in an attempt to heads are up in the clouds a bit on

Lady Tigers drop pair of matches

‘‘

‘We had missed opportunities today, more than anything.’

occasion.”

The loss to Georgia marked the third-straight top-10 opponent and fifth-straight top-25 opponent for the Tigers.

Brown remains optimistic his team can bounce back despite LSU going 0-3 against teams in the top 10.

“These top teams will expose your weaknesses, and that’s what’s been done,” he said. “The guys can either accept it or hide from it.”

LADY TIGERS DROP PAIR The LSU women’s tennis team dropped two Southeastern Conference matches during the weekend — a 5-2 decision against No. 15 Tennessee on Friday and a 6-1 loss to No. 14 Georgia on Sunday.

The Lady Tigers (6-12, 1-5) couldn’t cash in on several points in doubles against the Lady Volunteers (10-5, 4-1) and were overpowered in singles.

“We put ourselves in a position to win the doubles point and the overall match, but we didn’t execute,” LSU women’s coach Tony Minnis said in a news release.

The two points came in singles from freshmen Keri Frankenberger and Ebie Wilson.

LSU wasn’t any better off Sunday against Georgia, with its

only point coming when freshman Kaitlin Burns won by default after No. 25 Nadja Gilchrist retired with a 6-5 lead in the first set.

The match was moved indoors during singles play because of inclement weather.

The Lady Tigers return home next weekend to host Alabama on Friday and Auburn on Sunday.

Contact Sean Isabella at sisabella@lsureveille.com

PAGE 10

THE DAILY REVEILLE

RUGBY

Tigers earn bid to nationals Club falls to No. 10 Texas A&M

By Cory Boudreaux Sports Contributor

Sunday was bittersweet for the LSU rugby club.

The Tigers earned a bid to the Round of 16 in the USA Rugby National Guard College Club Championships but fell short of claiming the Western Rugby Union championship after a 20-14 defeat against Texas A&M. The Tigers (8-2), No. 11 in the American Rugby News collegiate rankings, couldn’t overcome injuries and mistakes in a highly contested matchup with the No. 10 Aggies (72).

In a clash of styles, the Aggies controlled the pace of the game, utilizing their size advantage to slow down the Tigers’ breakneck attack and transform the game into a defensive standstill.

The Tigers earned an automatic bid into the Round of 16 with their finals appearance after they defeated Colorado, 17-10, on Saturday in a semifinal match.

Cody Cadella, senior forward and LSU rugby club president, said he was impressed with the Tigers’ effort despite the loss.

“It was a tough game. But in the end, we’re happy with the way we played,” Cadella said. “We’re going to the [Round of 16] either way, so it was a good day for us.”

The Tigers took the field missing two of their starters, senior center Nick Raziano and senior fullback Adam Davis. Senior fullback Sidney Blakemore suffered a shoulder injury during the game as well. Cadella said the extent of Blakemore’s injury is still unknown.

The Aggies got a 6-0 head start in the first half when senior forward Matt Graves capitalized on two drop goal kick attempts in the first 26 minutes. Both drop goal attempts came courtesy of LSU penalties.

The Aggies were able to dictate the pace for the rest of the first half, forcing the Tigers to defend their own half of the field for much of the first 40 minutes.

“We knew they were going to try to play a slow game,” Cadella said. “They have some bigger forwards than us, so we knew they were going to try to push us around a little bit.”

The Tigers were unable to cash in on two scoring chances in the first half. A drop goal attempt in the 13th minute hit the crossbar, and senior Robert Johns’ try was called back for an offside penalty in the 35th minute.

The second half looked much different as the Tigers were able to

accelerate the pace of the game. LSU took a 7-6 lead when sophomore winger Jeffrey Levasseur scored a try in the 46th minute.

“We came out in the second half firing. We were all over the field,” Cadella said. “[The Aggies] were pretty much on defense for the rest of the game.”

The Tigers’ lead was brief as the Aggies responded with 14 unanswered points to make the score 20-7.

The Tigers launched a tremendous comeback effort in the final 15 minutes of the match, culminating in a score by sophomore scrumhalf Michael Bordes that reduced the Aggies’ lead to 20-14. The Tigers earned one last scoring chance in stoppage time, but a turnover of possession secured the win for the Aggies.

Cadella said the Tigers will have no time to dwell on the loss, and the team must heal in coming weeks before play in the Round of 16 begins.

“Once you get to this point, every week you’re going to play a tough team,” Cadella said. “So you have to deal with that adversity. If the ball doesn’t bounce your way, you have to get right back up and keep playing.”

Contact Cory Boudreaux at cboudreaux@lsureveille.com

BASKETBALL

Mich. State returns to Final Four

By The Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — Don’t bet against Tom Izzo and Michigan State this time of year.

Raymar Morgan’s free throw with less than 2 seconds gave the Spartans a 70-69 victory over Tennessee in the Midwest Regional final Sunday, sending Michigan State to its sixth Final Four in 12 years and second in a row.

No team in the country — not North Carolina, not Kentucky, not UCLA — has done it better during that span. And all six trips have come under Izzo, the hard-nosed coach who preaches defense, rebounding and physical play.

“I like it more than I used to,” Izzo said of playing in March. “It’s even better than I thought.”

Oh, and how’s this for some symmetry? This happens to be the 10th anniversary of the “Flintstones,” the team that gave Michigan State its second national title. Highlights from that run were included in the video montage of past championships that played on the Edward Jones Dome’s massive JumboTron during halftime.

The Spartans, last year’s national runner-up, will be looking for championship No. 3 next weekend in Indianapolis. They play Butler, sure to be the hometown favorite, in the semifinals Saturday night.

The fifth-seeded Spartans (288) led by as many as eight in the second half, but Brian Williams pulled Tennessee within 69-68 on a putback with 2:10 left. Korie Lucious, who

took over as point guard after 2009 Big Ten player of the year Kalin Lucas ruptured his Achilles’ tendon last weekend, missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 29 seconds left and Scotty Hopson got the rebound.

Hopson was fouled at the other end, and made the first. But after a Michigan State timeout, he missed the second and Lucious — generously listed at 5-foot-11 — ended up with the rebound.

Draymond Green fed the ball inside to Morgan, who got hacked by J.P. Prince with 1.8 seconds left. Morgan made the first and, after timeouts by both teams, missed the second — on purpose. Williams came up with the rebound, but Prince fumbled the inbounds pass and had to heave up a prayer just before the buzzer.

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

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010 RIDLEY, from page 7

Ridley and freshman running back Michael Ford, rushed for a combined 244 yards on the day.

Their performance was pleasing to Ridley, but he is not ready to rest on his laurels just yet.

“We did pretty well on the ground, so I’m satisfied,” Ridley said. “But we still have to work.”

Junior quarterback Jarrett Lee said Ridley is a physical back who would just as soon run through a defender than run

SEC, from page 7

scored a 48.450, well below their season average of 49.025 on the apparatus. Franceschelli led the team on the apparatus with a 9.85, and sophomore Ashley Lee followed

THE DAILY REVEILLE

around him.

“He’ll hit the hole, and he’ll hit you. So you better watch out when he’s coming through,” Lee said.

Ridley said he tries to limit his lateral movements and keep moving constantly upfield.

“If I’m going to make a move, I need to make a move and be confident in my decision,” Ridley said. “I’m weighing in at 235 [pounds] right now, so I have to use my size to my advantage.”

Lee credited Ridley’s work

ethic to the success he’s had in the spring.

“Stevan’s been here three years,” Lee said. “I came in here with Stevan and just like Michael [Ford], he works hard.

He’s a great athlete, and even just watching film during spring, he just wants to get better.”

Ridley, who rushed for 180 yards on 45 carries in 2009, was the focus of the White team’s offense in the first half, especially the first quarter, where he tallied 11 carries for 94 yards and

a touchdown. But Miles admitted the offense displayed Saturday was not what the Tigers will show on the field in the fall.

“We put a premium on running the football,” Miles said. “I felt like we improved there. We played a vanilla style of offense and a vanilla style of defense.

So when you divide teams up, I don’t know exactly how good or how bad we played.”

But for now, Ridley is enjoying the spotlight as the Tigers’ feature running back.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Ridley said. “I’ve been playing ball since pee-wee football, and now every kid wants to play at the college level. And this is a lifetime opportunity, and I’m just trying to make the most of it, and I want this team to be able to depend on me in the fall.”

with a 9.75.

But the day ended on a positive note for LSU as it posted a 49.300 on vault. The score gave LSU a share of the team vault title with Alabama, its first team event title at the SEC Championships since an

uneven bars title in 2004.

Breaux said the long season has taken a toll on her team, but she was surprised by its performance on the floor exercise.

“We have used the same nine kids all season long, and they are tired and dinged up,” Breaux said.

“But that is not an excuse we can use to explain why we fell short on an event we should do very well on.”

Jackson’s score of a 9.90 on the vault gave her a share of the vault title along with Alabama’s Morgan Dennis and Georgia’s Hilary Mauro. The title was Jackson’s third SEC event championship. She won the vault title in 2008 and the balance beam title in 2009.

She also garnered First Team All-SEC honors for the third consecutive year.

But the greatest accolade was still to come for Jackson. She was named the 2010 SEC Gymnast of the Year at the meet.

Jackson joins former LSU gymnasts April Burkholder and

Ashleigh Clare-Kearney as the only Tigers to achieve that honor.

“This is a huge honor for me,” Jackson said. “To be the athlete of the year in such a tough conference is huge.”

Franceschelli said the team will use the fourth-place finish at the SEC meet as a driving force to perform well in the upcoming NCAA Regional meet.

“We’re going to use this as motivation, and we’re going to work harder on the little things,” Franceschelli said.

Breaux is optimistic the Tigers can advance to their third consecutive Super Six. “I believe with all my heart this team is good enough to qualify for the national championships and be in the Super Six,” Breaux said. “It is going to take working hard every day, knowing every time we go in the gym we are going to be closer and closer to that goal.”

J.J. ALCANTARA / The Daily Reveille

LSU senior Susan Jackson leaps on the beam Friday during the Tigers’ meet against Iowa in the PMAC. The Tigers placed fourth in Saturday’s SEC meet.

BASEBALL, from page7

of clutch home runs for us that helped spark us when Tennessee kept trying to climb back into the game.”

The Tigers nabbed an 8-6 victory in the second game of the doubleheader.

Sophomore right-hander Joey Bourgeois got the unexpected start because of the doubleheader and went 5 1/3 innings, giving up five earned runs on seven hits to earn the victory. Four Tiger pitchers finished the game, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up one earned run.

Gaudet hit his ninth home run of the season in the top of the fourth, a two-run shot, that gave LSU a 2-1 lead after Tennessee took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Landry would add a solo shot to lead off the top of the fifth in what would end up being a four-run fifth inning.

The Tigers ended the game with 12 hits.

“There were times when I felt like we could have broken those games open,” Mainieri said. “But we did what we had to do.”

Saturday’s doubleheader came on the heels of a 6-2 LSU victory on a chilly Friday night.

LSU sophomore second baseman Tyler Hanover went 3-for-4 in the game with four RBIs, including two on a two-out double in the top of the ninth to give LSU a 6-2 lead.

Junior Austin Ross went six innings for the Tigers, giving up two earned runs while

PAGE 11

striking out four and walking two on 91 pitches.

Tennessee starter Bryan Morgado went seven innings, giving up three runs on five hits while striking out a season-high 11 and walking four.

He got the loss, but Morgado’s success against the Tigers is nothing new, as he got the save in the Vols’ 7-5 victory on April 18, 2009, in game two of a three-game series last season. He pitched two innings in the game, giving up two

hits while striking out four.

“He’s one of the best pitchers in our conference, for sure, if not the country,” Mainieri said. “Last year when he came out of the bullpen, he was throwing 97 miles per hour … Even though he had the 10 strikeouts against us, I thought our guys did a pretty good job.”

Contact Andy Schwehm at aschwehm@lsureveille.com

Contact Rob Landry at rlandry@lsureveille.com

Contact Rob Landry at rlandry@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Opinion

PAGE 12

OUR VIEW

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

Students should attend today’s protest at the Capitol Budget cuts are bad news.

You’re tired of hearing it. We’re tired of saying it. And everybody on campus should be willing to stand up and protest the way higher education in Louisiana is getting gutted, while other parts of the budget escape with mere scrapes.

Today is the day you can do just that.

Starting at 10:30 this

morning, buses will continuously run between the gravel parking lot across from the School of Veterinary Medicine (on Skip Bertman Drive) to the State Capitol. It’s all part of Student Government’s “Fund Our Future March,” and it’s an unparalled opportunity for students to let their voices be heard.

The protests coincide with the opening of this year’s legislative ses-

sion. All of our state representatives will be gathering to start their work, and it’s essential they see a seething crowd of purple and gold when they arrive.

It’s no secret state legislators have little need to pay attention to college students because we don’t have our parents’ money, nor do we turn out to vote on election days in as great numbers. And let’s be hon-

est — no matter how often our SG leaders and tiny groups of professors and administrators try to lobby for the University, there hasn’t been a grass-roots movement to show the state government just how many of us are fed up with the short end of the budgetary stick.

We strongly encourage everybody who cares about the value of his or her education to take an hour

or two of the day to join the march.

SG has given us an opportunity to publicly and dramatically demonstrate that we aren’t going to take these cuts lying down.

This is in every student’s best interest. And it’s high time we stood Contact the Editorial Board at editor@lsureveille.com

NIETZSCHE IS DEAD

Keep my tax return: My education is important I got my tax return last week.

I went back home for the weekend after a long, hard week of school and work.

I’d just read the 100th article about how budget cuts were going to ruin my education, play havoc with my scheduling, slash my instructors, balloon my classes and lessen the value of my degree audit.

And there it was, in that bewildering little maze of perforations that is a government check-by-mail. My tax return. I couldn’t help but think of the irony as I opened it. The government that was so strapped for cash that it couldn’t continue to pay for my education was giving me — just straight-up handing me — $82.

I realize it’s not that much in the grand scheme of things. But it was just enough for me to wonder what my $82 would have gone to if it had gone to LSU instead of going into my pocket.

We’ve heard all about how it happened. We’ve heard all about how Gov. Bobby Jindal and his Hard Tea Partying Legislature slashed taxes with glee in the post-Katrina construction boom and good economic times early in his administration. We’ve heard about how they refused to — and continue to refuse to — reinstate those taxes. Government can’t solve problems, they say.

The government needs pruning, they say. They say the government is full of fat and waste, and lean economic times are the perfect time to trim it.

It’s true government is sometimes wasteful, and they could in theory be right about all this. But if they are, apparently most of that fat and waste is here at the University.

Maybe the fat is those little whiny instructors with their fancy-pants edumacation. Maybe the waste is those unimportant classes seniors are going to need to take to graduate.

No? Then why is all of that getting cut?

It could be I’m just a naive, starry-eyed college student, but I’ve seen the practical benefits of a state education. Yes, I’ve struggled with the bureaucracy before — I’ve been a student worker, my salary still comes from the state and I’ve had to go through the nightmare of red tape that is hiring paperwork so many times I’m numb to the inanity of it all.

But I’ve also reaped the mindexpanding benefits of state-paid professors. And now I’ve personally heard those same professors’ anxiety about whether they’re even going to have a job next semester.

That said, it’s all well and good

THE DAILY REVEILLE Editorial Board NICHOLAS PERSAC JERIT ROSER GERRI SAX ELLEN ZIELINSKI MATTHEW ALBRIGHT

Editor Managing Editor, Content Managing Editor, External Media Managing Editor, Production Opinion Editor

for us to moan about it, but it’s high time somebody got up and did something about it.

To put it plainly: It’s time to nut up or shut up. Today SG has given every student the chance to show up in force and Matthew Albright make sure legislators Opinion Editor are perfectly aware of exactly who the “fat” they’re trimming from government is feeding. Everybody who cares

— and that should be most of us — should get up, get on a bus and get a little yelling done.

Of course, there’s always the chance our representatives won’t listen. So I’d like to propose something radical to that end. The University should start a program that would allow the general public, including — or especially — students to donate their tax return to saving our higher education. It should definitely be temporary, and it should absolutely be voluntary, but it should be publicly pitched.

Such a fund would allow those of us who complain about how unyielding, blindly followed small-

government philosophy damages our society to quite literally put our money where our mouths are.

It would be an important symbolic gesture even if it doesn’t solve the crisis. I would do it in a heartbeat. My $82 may not be a lot, but it would be my own little contribution to a worthy enterprise. And there’s no more worthy expense than that.

Matthew Albright is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_malbright.

Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@lsureveille.com

BEST AND WITTIEST

cartoon courtesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

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.

QUOTE OF THE DAY “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain — and most fools do.”

Dale Carnegie American writer and lecturer Nov. 24, 1888 — Nov. 1, 1955

THE DAILY REVEILLE

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

CAMPUS RESIDENT ALIEN

Opinion

PAGE 13

Healthy reflections on ‘sick insurance reform’ needed OK. You may be thinking “enough with the health care debate!” And I understand and agree.

I know there’s a general fedup feeling about the debate itself and its frequent ideological distortions and implications — not to mention the fact the muchneeded reform took too long to be concluded, if it’s even been concluded at all.

But let me try to shed some light on a couple of points from my perspective.

The first one comes from my personal background as a foreigner and international student living in the United States. I’m able to compare differences and similarities between health care systems here and there (“there” means Brazil, by the way).

The second one would be a deeper question I propose about health care itself: Why do we need medical care so much? Why are we almost constantly sick,

whether that sickness is a simple cold or a more severe condition?

We have all kinds of private health insurance plans in Brazil in addition to a public option.

It’s risky to say the public option is better or that a private plan is better than the public service.

You can get good service from the public option depending on where you are (a big central city or an inner-state small town).

You can also get a good coverage plan from the most common private companies, depending on your budget — some of them founded and run by doctors and health care professionals.

In any case, what you get depends mostly on the doctor you’re seeing, and there’s generally not an issue about whether the government or the private company is going to interfere in the care you’ll get.

Of course, different plans can limit the coverage you get. A

more complicated exam or procedure can also be delayed by an overloaded system in the public option.

Nothing smells like roses when it comes to solving bureaucratic issues before actually giving someone proper health treatMarcelo Vieira ment.

Columnist But, of course, the economic side of the matter brings us to the delicate part of the debate, past misguided political and vicious ideological attempts to distract people from what the discussion is really about.

No, I’m not going to speculate about the budgeting issues of reform.

Nor will I defend or support the creation of a new public option.

I instead want to offer some reflections on why we spend so much money and effort on trying to keep our fragile health intact through our crazy and hectic lives.

“Health insurance” is a term that would be better called “sick insurance.” We need it because we are constantly sick.

It seems you’re not a normal person if you’re not suffering from some kind of cold, flu or allergy.

Of course no one likes to have a serious condition, but confess it: You like to say you have a cold you’re trying to beat for weeks, but you are living a hectic crazy life, running on caffeine and Tylenol.

How odd would it be to remain in good health, with no flu or colds for more than a month?

Taking pills is as common as eating a burger with fries in the middle of the day as an excuse for a meal.

Oops! There’s the real reason why we are in need of (self) health care measures to keep running.

Our bodies have lost the ability to heal without “crutches.”

Medicines — the more we take them, the more we need them.

I believe the health care system and its proposed reform are such a big issue because we are subject to a market that knows how critical our need to feel healthy is.

And good health care reform can only start with honest reflection on how we take care of ourselves.

Marcelo Vieira is a jazz cello graduate student from Brazil.

Follow him on twitter @TDR_mvieira

Contact Marcelo Vieira at mvieira@lsureveille.com

GUEST COLUMNIST

Painting nude models interesting, a little awkward

By Kali Babineaux Guest Columnist

Shock hits me first, then the inevitable embarrassment. Standing before my very eyes is the girl who fixes my coffee — and she is completely nude.

Figure drawing can lead to a pretty uncomfortable three hours.

Fumbling with my charcoal, I try to maintain a certain level of professionalism. Unfortunately, the only thing that is running through my mind is, I know her, and her breasts are way bigger than I would have expected.

Then I blush even harder, hoping I did not say any of that out loud.

There is more to visual art then merely seeing an object and replicating its likeness. One must really understand and study the subject in order to create the most successful piece.

In order to do this, I felt like I would be in some way violating this girl’s privacy. It feels wrong, especially because I see her almost daily.

Eventually, I made myself overcome this uncomfortable mindset by telling myself over and over again that I am an artist, and this is part of the job. I start to wonder how she feels.

I observe the way she holds herself, head held high and not a hint of shame.

She must have a high self-esteem to publicly display her body like this.

My hand glides from one side of the paper to the next, and I seem to lose myself. I forget

about everything and focus only on her.

Every curve on her body suddenly has more depth, and the lighting turns her into something surreal. I follow each muscle on her body, studying the way it works like a machine.

Everything is connected and helps the function of something else. It is incredible how complex human beings are.

The human body truly is one of the most beautiful subjects one can possibly draw. This may be because we are all humans, and generally speaking, consider ourselves the highest form of creation. So why not celebrate that ideal?

The vanity behind the artwork itself is what makes it so beautiful. It is this self-loving aspect of our culture that we seem to thrive upon, because the glorification of the human body is the highest form of flattery we can award to ourselves.

I snap back to the moment, and I realize that I have been staring at her bare body for the past hour or so.

I probably know more details about her figure then her boyfriend does. In any other circumstance, that statement would come off as rather disturbing.

Why is that? Shouldn’t it be completely normal for one human being to study another, in order to grasp what we truly are?

Why has the initial idea of nudity become so controversial? After all, this is how humans came into the world, naked.

My eyes trail up to her face.

A few strands of hair have fallen over her eyes, creating long vertical shadows on her face. Shadows are always really tricky to work with, it can easily turn disastrous.

One moment I have control, the next it looks like I drew a dark line for no reason. Luckily, my blending techniques prevail, and her face is perfect.

Before I realize it, time is up.

I see the coffee shop girl pulling the fig-leafed robe over her exposed body.

Her head is no longer held high, and a faint pinkish tint spreads over her cheeks. Like Eve, she finally realizes that everyone in the class has thoroughly examined her voluptuous figure.

I look back at my paper, and it is beautiful.

I firmly believe that the success of my drawing is due to my removal of the awkward ideas of nudity.

Contact the Opinion Staff at opinion@lsureveille.com

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cartoon courtesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

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Monday, March 29, 2010 PROPOSAL, from page 1

budget on the table for long-term flexibility, changes the funding formula and keeps TOPS merit-based.

“This is about the people who

GAME, from page 1

Lee said he has matured on the field this spring, but he was noncommittal when asked if he made a case to be the starting quarterback this season.

“I can’t really answer that,” Lee said. “I’m just proud of the work I did this spring. I’m trusting in the coaches and listening to them. That’s all I can do.”

Junior running back Stevan Ridley opened the scoring for the White team on a 4-yard run to culminate a 10-play, 80-yard drive. It was the only offensive touchdown in the first half.

Ridley carried the ball 13 times

DEFICIT, from page 1

Droddy said. “If the state were to reward us for our performance, then they could find a way not to cut us.”

Multiple bills seek to amend the constitution to help protect higher education and health care as legislators balance the budget.

A $200 million to $400 million shortage in revenue in the last four months of the current fiscal year will be an issue the University must face before the end of June as lawmakers balance the budget for the coming fiscal year.

State revenues are drastically

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PAGE 15

teach in the classroom,” Scheuermann said. “This is about the administration that serves us, and this is about every student who walks across this campus and one day expects to be alumni. It’s so much

greater than just tomorrow.”

More than 300 students have responded “attending” on the Facebook event, and more than 160 have signed the petition on the SG Web site.

Gov. Bobby Jindal will not speak until 2 p.m., so students who want to stay at the Capitol can take the Vet Med bus from downtown back to campus.

Scheuermann said students are

encouraged to wear purple and gold.

SG will provide lunch for students.

for 104 yards — 94 in the first half — and a touchdown Saturday, and he credited the offensive line for opening up holes for him to run.

“You can’t ask anymore from the offensive line,” Ridley said. “The first drive they came out and made some gaping holes, and all I had to do was what came naturally to me, which is run the ball.”

Purple team redshirt freshman Michael Ford had 19 carries for 139 yards but was stuffed short of the goal line in the second quarter by the White team defense after four straight rushing attempts from inside the 5 -yard line.

“Michael Ford had some nice runs, the kind of runs where you use

your eyes and make cuts and make people miss,” Miles said. “He is much more comfortable on our campus, better in the classroom and better in the meeting room. He’s always been tough, and he’s more confident with a year extra under his belt.”

The White team defense kept the Purple team out of the end zone all day, with redshirt freshman safety Craig Loston providing the spark in the second quarter. Loston intercepted a pass by Lee and ran it back 22 yards for a touchdown.

“It was a high ball,” Lee said.

“I have to bring that ball down and make that play.”

Sophomore Russell Shepard appeared as wide receiver, running

back and quarterback in the game.

Shepard moved to full-time wide receiver in the spring, and he said he does not regret making the switch.

“Receiver and running back position fit my skill set a little more than the quarterback position,” Shepard said. “I love it, and I thank God every day that I made this choice.”

The offensive line had one absence on the day, as junior center TBob Hebert did not play after breaking his leg this spring. Miles praised the performances of sophomore tackle Alex Hurst and junior guard Will Blackwell as well.

“Alex Hurst being a full-time player on the right side now is going to make a heck of a difference for

us,” Miles said. “Will Blackwell has taken the time to mature, and now he’s much more ambitious and wants to play big in big games.”

On special teams, senior kicker Josh Jasper booted all three of his field goal attempts, including a 57-yarder into the wind to close the first half. Miles said the goal was for Jasper to hit a 55-yarder in the spring game.

“He hit a 57-yarder just because he showed up,” Miles said. “Very few times next year will we pooch punt.”

less than expected for the first month of this calendar year, said James Richardson, University economics professor and a member of the panel that forecasts state revenue.

It’s unclear what the shortfall in funding will be for this fiscal year until the Revenue Estimating Conference meets in April to review revenue figures from March, Richardson said.

State officials instructed the University System to prepare for another midyear cut because of the shortfall, Droddy said.

“Whatever the deficit is this year, it will likely be certified too

late to actually take it this year,” said System President John Lombardi. “But it will have to be forwarded to next year. That will just make the next year worse. So its not a salvation; it’s just a delay.”

The budget is currently being debated in the House Appropriations Committee.

the state to give the University the authority to raise $12 million to $15 million to help cover the gap.

Currently, the legislature must approve increases in fees, but multiple bills would give the University the authority to increase tuition without legislative approval.

These include the governorsponsored LA GRAD Act — or House Bill 1171 — which would give the University the ability to raise tuition and fees 10 percent for consecutive years if certain graduation goals are met.

The LSU Board of Supervisors increased tuition by 5 percent earlier this month.

Passage of a bill like the LA GRAD Act would allow tuition to be raised by 5 percent more for next year at a cost of about $444 for full-time undergraduate students.

RAISING TUITION The idea of increased tuition to help mend the damage caused by the state budget is gaining more traction with lawmakers and administrators.

Chancellor Michael Martin made it clear last month he wants

Contact Catherine Threlkeld at cthrelkeld@lsureveille.com

Contact Rachel Whittaker at rwhittaker@lsureveille.com

CAPPING TOPS Lawmakers are again attempting to lessen TOPS awards.

Multiple bills seek to place caps on the TOPS program while another would force students to repay TOPS awards if the award is not retained for the first two years.

Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at xwilson@lsureveille.com

Monday, March 29, 2010

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