Check Inside For:
DANCE OFF
GOING PR0
an interview with local cover See a database of former Tigers who have played professionally in multiple sports at band The Tricky Dickies, lsureveille.com. page 6.
Prospective Tiger Girls can attend audition clinic, page 10.
THE DAILY REVEILLE Volume 114, Issue 124
WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
SG
Professional athletes in Men’s Pro Tennis Classic are
Serving Up Service Tournament benefits local cancer research By Grace Montgomery
MELANIE SCOTT / The Daily Reveille
Professional tennis player Tim Smyczek participates in the tennis tournament held Tuesday at the Paula G. Manship YMCA. The tournament was put on by LSU grad students to raise money for cancer research.
Trial Court rules in favor of appealers
Staff Writer
By Catherine Threlkeld
Top-ranked men’s professional tennis players from around the world are battling for rankings in Baton Rouge with the help of University graduate students. A class of graduate students spent this semester helping organize the Baton Rouge Pro Tennis Classic from April 10 to 18, which benefits Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge at the Paula G. Manship YMCA. The tournament is one of 22 United States Tennis Association Men’s Pro Circuit Challenger events in the country, according to graduate student and media group member Timothy Rodrigue. “Challenger events are one step below Grand Slam events like Wimbledon and the U.S. Open,” Rodrigue said. The Baton Rouge Pro Tennis Classic is the only tournament working with a university, Rodrigue said. University graduate students were assigned to public relations for the tournament as part of mass communication professor Danny Shipka’s public relations class. “I’ve always been a fan of service learning,” Shipka said, “We can teach a lot of things at LSU, but the best way is through hands-on experience.” The class divided into groups to manage fundraising, media relations, event planning and
Student Government Trial Court Judge Daniel Marsh ruled in favor of the StudentsFIRST ticket in all three cases concerning Election Code violations Monday and Tuesday. Marsh said he couldn’t hear much of the evidence because it was publicly available more than two days before the complaint was filed, which violates election code. “It was not an easy decision to come to,” Marsh said. “I have tried to step back from this as much as possible. This was a very difficult decision to make because a lot about it seems unfair.” Leading the Way candidates Brooksie Bonvillain and Chris Sellers filed a complaint Monday against StudentsFIRST candidates J Hudson and Dani Borel for breaches of the election code. The complaint accused StudentsFIRST candidates of breaching rules prohibiting candidates from being cross-listed on multiple tickets and operating on an unrecognized ticket.
FUNDRAISER, see page 15
COMPLAINT, see page 15
Staff Writer
COMPETITION
Cheerleading captain wins FOX Sports contest Senior earns most votes ever in tournament By Joanna Zimmerman Contributing Writer
LSU cheerleader Jessica Spitale was named Cheerleader of the Year by FOX Sports’ “The College Experiment” on April 7. Spitale, a communication studies senior and cheerleading captain, won the finals with an overwhelming majority against Mackenzie Weeks from Florida State. She also defeated Brooke Robertson from the University of Texas and Katelynn Johnson from the University of Oregon in
the Semifinals. The eight contestants for the semifinals were chosen by the contestant officials, but the winner was chosen by online votes. At the beginning of the tournament, each contestant filmed an interview, which was posted on the tournament’s Web site. Spitale said she had support from friends from grammar school, old teachers, LSU alumni, members of the military and fans of other SEC schools. “I got a hundred e-mails from people congratulating me,” Spitale said. “I’ve had so much support from friends and people I don’t know.” Spitale said her boyfriend started a Facebook group called “Vote LSU’s JESSICA for Cheerleader of the Year.”
It had more than 1,800 members by the end of the contest. Spitale said the contest officials said no contestant had ever had as many votes as she did. She said the spokesperson for Cheerleader of the Year told her LSU must have a really great fan base. Spitale said she was on spring break at the beach with about 20 other LSU cheerleaders when she found out she won. But, she said she knew when the polls closed because they showed her ahead by about 30 percent. Other contestants were from the University of Southern California, the University of Florida, Arizona State University and Oregon State. CONTEST, see page 15
photo courtesy of JESSICA SPITALE
Jessica Spitale, communication studies senior, was voted Cheerleader of the Year by FOX Sports on April 7.
THE DAILY REVEILLE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010
Nation & World
INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
French general gets unusually light sentence for child porn
Man driving lawnmower charged with DUI, fishing pole theft
PARIS (AP) — A French general who served as top military spokesman in the 1990s was convicted Tuesday of downloading thousands of images of pornography involving children, some as young as six months old. The general was given an unusally light sentence.
ATHENS, Tenn. (AP) — An East Tennessee man driving a lawn mower in the road has been charged with DUI. Athens police said 30-yearold Jimmy Graham Jr. smelled like alcohol and failed a sobriety test Monday. He told the officer he had consumed a beer and taken a stress reliever prescribed to him. A jailer said Graham was in custody Tuesday, and there was no record of him having a lawyer. The Daily Post-Athenian in Athens reported Graham was also charged with aggravated burglary and theft.
Israel tells its citizens to get out of Sinai immediately JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel issued an “urgent” warning Tuesday to its citizens to leave Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula immediately, citing “concrete evidence of an expected terrorist attempt to kidnap Israelis in Sinai.” The statement from the Israeli prime minister’s anti-terror office took the unusual step of calling on families of Israelis visiting the Sinai to establish contact with them.
Oregon man awarded $1.4 million in Boy Scouts sex case PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A jury delivered an embarrassing rebuke to the Boy Scouts of America on Tuesday when it found that the organization failed to protect a man who was molested by an assistant Scoutmaster in the early 1980s.
Jurors awarded $1.4 million to the former Portland man and decided that the Irving, Texas-based organization was liable for up to $25 million in damages that will be decided in a separate phase of the trial. Over the first three weeks of testimony, secret Scout “perversion files” — records of known sex offenders — were used as evidence. Officer suspended after beating of University of Maryland student COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — A police chief in suburban Washington said he is outraged by a video that shows three police officers in riot gear beating a University of Maryland student during a rowdy basketball victory celebration. One police officer has been suspended and Police Chief Roberto Hylton said two others will be as soon as they are identified. Attorney Christopher Griffiths released video of the March 3 incident Monday after charges were dropped against his client, 21-year-old John McKenna.
PAGE 2
STATE/LOCAL
Louisiana senator drops ‘firearms freedom’ bill
HBO’s New Orleans drama ‘Treme’ renewed for 2nd season
(AP) — A challenge to federal gun regulations in Louisiana was scrapped Tuesday by a state senator before any debate. Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton, told a Senate judiciary committee that he’s dropping the proposed Louisiana Firearms Freedom Act, which sought to exempt weapons made and owned in-state from federal restrictions, because of budgetary concerns. At least a half-dozen states have passed similar “firearms freedom” laws, arguing guns made in a state that remain in that state aren’t subject to interstate commerce laws and can’t be regulated by Congress. Other states are considering the idea. Montana’s law is the subject of a federal court lawsuit. Adley said he filed the legislation to support other states that have already passed the law. But he told the Senate Judiciary B Committee the implications could be costly.
NEW YORK (AP) — HBO said its new drama “Treme” has been picked up for a second season just days after its series premiere. The show is set in New Orleans in fall 2005, three months after Hurricane Katrina. “Treme” tracks the lives of a diverse group of residents as they rebuild their lives and the neighborhood. Activists’ lawyers seek delay for hearing in Landrieu office case NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Lawyers for four conservative activists who were accused of trying to tamper with the phones in Sen. Mary Landrieu’s New Orleans office are seeking to postpone their arraignments on reduced charges. James O’Keefe, Stan Dai, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan are scheduled to be arraigned April 21 on misdemeanor charges of entering a federal building under false pretenses.
TODAY ON lsureveille.com
@ lsureveille, @TDR_news, @TDR_sports
TODAY
Weather 82 57
Free Street Painting Workshop with Internationally Renowned Street Painter Lori Escalera 1p.m.-4p.m., Wednesday, April 21 on LSU Parade Ground Visit Foster Hall Art Gallery or www.lsu.edu/union for an application and details
IN BLOOM
Mostly Sunny
THURSDAY LSU 2010 Chalk Art Competition 8a.m.-12p.m., Saturday, April 24 on LSU Parade Ground Visit Foster Hall Art Gallery or www.lsu.edu/union for application and guidelines
81 57 SATURDAY 82 58
FRIDAY 84 58 SUNDAY 80 60
AACC Robing Ceremony Sign-Up & Kente Purchase TODAY! Stop by AACC or email us at aacc@lsu.edu Student Real Estate Association is hosting an open Softball Tournament April 18th from 11:00AM-4PM at UREC Softball Complex, $10 per person Crawfish and drinks will be served. DJ to provide music. BYOB: Bring Your Own Bat! To sign up contact: lsu.srea@gmail.com NAACP at LSU: Showtime at the Cotillion 2010 Celebrating Diversity at LSU Come enjoy student talent, food and fun! Thursday April 22, 2010 7:30-10:30pm in the Cotillion Ballroom contact kdufau1@lsu.edu BSU General Body Meeting Wednesday, April 14, 2010 5:30p.m. in the PMAC DO YOU HAVE AN OCCURRENCE? Call Isaiha at the Student Media Office 578-6090, 9AM- 5PM or E-mail: officemanager@lsureveille.com
Keep up to date at facebook.com/TheDailyReveille.
EMILY SLACK / The Daily Reveille
Log on to see a photo slide show of the azaleas around campus.
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
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010
Campus Crime Briefs Man arrested for DWI, reckless operation of vehicle in church lot A 25-year-old man unaffiliated with the University was arrested and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison for driving while intoxicated and for reckless operation on March 30. LSU Police were called to the parking lot of the University Presbyterian Church To pinpoint for reports of a where these vehicle driving crimes occured, Posee the crime recklessly. lice made conmap at lsureveille.com. tact with Thomas Beall, 4703 West Garden Blvd., and identified him as the reckless driver, said LSUPD spokesperson Sgt. Blake Tabor. Tabor said police smelled alcohol on Beall, who failed a field sobriety test. Beall later registered a .326 blood alcohol content and was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. Police find Schedule IV narcotics in swerving car, arrest driver Police arrested Glenn Schittone, a 19-year-old man unaffiliated with the University of 16616 Lilly Valley Drive, for possession of a Schedule IV narcotic and careless operation of a vehicle. On March 31, police saw Schittone driving faster than the speed limit and weaving across lanes, Tabor said. Police conducted a stop where Schittone told police he was in possession of several knives, Tabor said. After a search, police found four clonazepan and a alprazolam pill, Tabor said. Schittone was arrested and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. Traffic stop leads to woman’s arrest for felony possesion of narcotics Danielle Thomas, a 27-yearold woman unaffiliated with the University, was arrested for felony possession of Schedule I narcotic. Tabor said a search during a routine traffic stop led the police to find one ecstasy pill on Thomas. Thomas was booked at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. Man arrested for stealing student’s purse near Hatcher Hall Kevin Muhammed, a 37-yearold man unaffiliated with the University of 14254 Glynn Road, was arrested for attempting to steal a student’s purse April 1, Tabor said. Police received a complaint about an attempted purse snatching near Hatcher Hall. Police identified Muhammed as the suspect described by the victim, Tabor said. Muhammed was arrested and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.
THE DAILY REVEILLE Facility services staff member arrested on 10 counts of forgery
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
A University staff member was arrested and charged with unauthorized use of an access card and 10 counts of forgery. Police received a report of a lost credit card and determined more than $700 in charges were applied to the card at the Cortana Mall. Joseph Jermaine Sanders, a 19-year-old Facility Services staff member of 408 East McKinley St., was arrested after police used security camera footage to identify Sanders as the forger. Sanders was arrested and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.
Members adjourn debate to 6:20 today
Student arrested for DWI, hit and run involving bridge by Miller Hall A University student was arrested for driving under the influence and a hit and run. Police observed a vehicle driven by Nicholas Vandervoorde, a 21-year-old student of 9773 Snyder Road in Shreveport, La., strike the bridge on South Campus Drive behind the Miller parking lot on April 2. Police performed a traffic stop and found Vandervoorde disoriented, Tabor said. Vandervoorde failed a field sobriety test before refusing to be tested by the police department’s Intoxilyzer 5000 meter. Vandervoorde was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, Tabor said. Student arrested for misdemeanor possession of marijuana Police arrested Charles Edward Stevens, a 19-year-old University student of 2450 Brightside Drive, for misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Officers performing a traffic stop because of expired registration smelled marijuana in the car in which Stevens was a passenger, Tabor said. Upon search, officers found approximately 6.3 grams of marijuana, Tabor said. Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com
PAGE 3
Special Senate session votes to overturn Watkins’ veto By Catherine Threlkeld Staff Writer
The Student Government Senate overturned SG President Stuart Watkins’ veto on a bill which Senate Read the passed two weeks ago bill being debated and and gave Dean the concurrent- of Students KC resolution at White the authorlsureveille.com. ity to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie in University Court. Watkins said he vetoed the bill because he didn’t think SG “should give that kind of power to an administrator.” “I don’t feel it’s appropriate,” Watkins said. “Students should be able to take care of business within the body of Student GovERIN ARLEDGE / The Daily Reveille ernment.” SG Speaker of the Senate Andy Palermo, right, counts the standing vote Tuesday Basic Sciences Sen. Ben Clark authored the bill and said about who should be the University Court tie-breaker vote. it anticipated the the students when because the session was adjourned election conflicts we give away until 6:20 p.m. today. ‘I don’t feel it’s happening this Watkins said he vetoed this power that we appropriate. Students have in SG,” Wat- because he felt like it was too far week. “Whatever out of the line to impeach Judicial said. should be able to kins Since side loses in the the SG Branch members. Trial Court case take care of business Senate overruled “Slow down. Think about it should be able to Watkins’ veto just a little bit,” Watkins said. within the body of by the necessary appeal their deciClark said a lot is riding on sion,” Clark said. Student Government.’ two-thirds vote, the Trial Court and University College of the bill goes into Court, and he wants SG to make Business Sen. effect immedi- sure the judicial process is fair and Stuart Watkins Emily Landry said equitable. ately. SG president there wouldn’t College of Basic Sciences The SG Senbe another person to decide tie- ate also debated a concurrent res- Sen. Jared Bourgeois said he breaks besides the Dean of Stu- olution by Clark, which “requests thinks any justices who have supdents. the recusal of all members of the ported a candidate will publicly “The Dean of Students is the Judicial Branch who have made recuse themselves anyway. next level of appeal,” Landry said. any public endorsement or who “This is a threat,” Bourgeois “There is no person in the student have offered counsel to any ticket, said. “I think it’s unnecessary and body that would be unbiased.” candidates or campaign in any slightly rude.” Watkins said he doesn’t subsequent appeal cases.” have an alternate solution of who Watkins also vetoed the conContact Catherine Threlkeld at should decide tie-breaks. current resolution, but the SG cthrelkeld@lsureveille.com “But I will say it’s a loss for Senate didn’t override his veto
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THE DAILY REVEILLE
PAGE 4
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
FACULTY SENATE
MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
Awareness committee shows films Nyman voices concern about LA GRAD act By Sarah Eddington Staff Writer
The Multicultural Awareness Committee kicked off their 10th-annual film festival Tuesday in the Live Oak Lounge. The Committee screened “Bride and Prejudice” — an Indian adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel “Pride and Prejudice.” The Multicultural Awareness Committee is a division of the Student Activities Board aiming to promote cultural differences. “This is the first time we are having it in the Union,” said Hind Elsanousy, the committee’s associate chair of membership. “We usually have a good turn out of about 50 to 70 people.” Only about 15 students, most who happened to be in the lounge, were at Tuesday’s screening. “I was actually just about to do some homework, but when I saw this movie was on, I figured the homework could wait,” said Ryan Pontiff, kinesiology senior. Elsanousy said the goal is for people to learn something new about other cultures. “We hope to obliterate stereotypes,” she said. “It’s a great event.” Syndney Jenkins, event liaison and civil engineering freshman, said the festival is one of the committee’s most exciting events. “We hope people can enjoy
Professors’ rights to give grades discussed By Jacob Most Contributing Writer
NICOLE KARAMICHAEL / The Daily Reveille
Finance junior Stephanie Brewer watches “Bride and Prejudice,” an Indian film based on “Pride and Prejudice,” on Tuesday in the Live Oak Lounge.
themselves, but also take away something they didn’t come with before,” Jenkins said. “It’s informative while still being entertaining, and people are learning about different types of people and the similarities between them.” Elsanousy said last year’s screening sparked a debate after students watched “Rabbit-Proof Fence” — an Australian film about the true story of three aboriginal girls who escape from an internment camp to return to their families. “It was a controversial and hard-hitting film,” she said. “People overall were pretty ecstatic, and they even recommended other movies for us to show.” The committee will screen their second film, “The Motorcycle Diaries,” tonight at 6 p.m. in the Cotil-
lion Ballroom. On Thursday night, the committee will have a second screening of “Bride and Prejudice” at 9 p.m. in the UREC Student Recreation Complex. The event is free and open to all University members. “We hope people get to see a movie they might not have ever seen otherwise,” said Alicia Myrick, the committee’s graduate advisor. Myrick said a Bollywood dance lesson will be held April 28 at 6 p.m. in the Cotillion Ballroom. “If after seeing this movie, people are interested in learning traditional Bollywood dancing, they can come to our dance lesson,” she said. Contact Sarah Eddington at seddington@lsureveille.com
Tania Nyman, English instructor and administrator of the “Save LSU” Facebook campaign, spoke to the Faculty Senate about the LA GRAD Act on Tuesday. Gov. Bobby Jindal proposed the act in February, which would allow state colleges and universities to raise tuition if they meet specific academic standards. “Increasing tuition is not necessarily good for LSU, and it is certainly bad for students,” Nyman said. Nyman said having a comparatively low tuition isn’t necessarily an indication of cheap education because the average income of Louisiana families is still not enough to afford a higher university tuition. “Education is a basic social good and should be affordable,” Nyman said. Nyman said public education isn’t fulfilling its mission if education is not accessible to the public. She said tuition increases won’t offset the loss of state funds
incurred as a result of budget cuts. Rebecca Owens, faculty senator from the Curriculum and Instruction Department of the College of Education, said the market will make other state universities affordable if those universities have the autonomy to set tuition themselves. “Students will choose to come here if they have the ability to come here,” said Joseph Legoria, faculty senator from the Department of Accounting in the E.J. Ourso College of Business. The Faculty Senate also discussed a proposed amendment about a faculty member’s right to assign grades. The amendment was partially related to the removal of biology professor and researcher Dominique Homberger from Biology 1001, according to Charles Delzell, faculty senator from the Mathematics Department. The amendment would prohibit University administration from suspending any instructor from teaching any course or otherwise punishing or disciplining any instructor on the basis of the grades the instructor administers. Contact Jacob Most at jmost@lsureveille.com
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010
THE DAILY REVEILLE
PAGE 5
TRANSPORTATION
New transit buses make appearance, start operation Models can seat at least 20 more people By Sumit Kumar Contributing Writer
The much-awaited new transit buses have arrived on campus and will be operating throughout the day. Thirteen new buses, which replaced the older temporary ones, will be available on heavy routes like Highland-Burbank, Tigerland and the Purple and Gold Routes and are each able to accommodate at least 20 more passengers than the older models, according to Gary Graham, director of the Office of Parking and Transportation. The final cost of each of the new buses is $348,976, according to Graham. The newer models are larger and suited for heavy-duty purposes. Four are charter buses with more seating space, and the rest will have
more standing space, Graham said. by the end of the month. The floor will be at a lower level, The new buses were made in which will provide easier access for California, similar to the older trandisabled passengers. sit buses, which were manufactured They also meet the standards out-of-state. of environmental Alexis Kallett, and fuel efficiency, textiles, apparel de‘The buses use as requested by and merchanlow-sulphur fuel and sign students, Graham dising junior, said have less emission the buses are faster said. “The buses than anything on the and have more use low-sulphur seats. She also road right now.’ fuel and have less said the University emission than anyshould have more Gary Graham thing on the road buses, especially right now,” he said. Parking, Traffic and Transportation for the Greek route. director The new buses Graham said were introduced as students were he has received positive feedback dissatisfied with the CATS bus ser- from students about the new buses, vice, and as part of the master plan and Parking is always ready to adfor the Office of Parking, Traffic and dress their grievances. Transportation. The first bus arrived “Students asked for them, and three weeks ago. they’re finally here,” Graham said. First Transit hired the driv- “I’m sure they’ll be pleased with ers and trained them during spring them.” break. The buses could not be immediately put into effect until the Contact Sumit Kumar at drivers completed training. All the skumar@lsureveille.com buses are expected to be available
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MELANIE SCOTT / The Daily Reveille
Thirteen new buses, such as the one above, are replacing older, temporary models on campus. The new buses cost $348,976 each and can seat more students.
TECHNOLOGY
$3M federal grant to help fund river turbine project Center would bring jobs to Louisiana By Alan Sayre The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A $3 million federal economic stimulus grant will be used to establish a center for commercial development for turbines that can be placed in the Mississippi River and other powerful rivers to generate electricity. Officials with Tulane University, which is guiding the River Sphere project, said the center could mark a big step forward in the science of hydrokinetics — using flowing water without a dam for generating electricity. Calling the river one of Louisiana’s best potential assets in alternative forms of power, Douglas Meffert, executive director of the project, said hydrokinetic power “is the sleeping giant of energy.” Using the river to generate power is well beyond the thinking stage. Several companies have received preliminary permits from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to place turbines in the Mississippi and other rivers that would be turned by flowing water. Several different technologies are emerging to do that, such as totally underwater generation and turbines connected to barges on the surface that would do the generation. Plans call for the turbines to be mounted on pylons below shipping lanes and attached to bridge abutments. Meffert said the idea for River Sphere was a decade old, but technologies are now emerging to make
hydrokinetics a reality. “The time is now for New Orleans to take advantage of this,” he said. Developers of hydrokinetics often point to the diminishing role of water-generated power in the United States despite decades of skyrocketing energy demand. In 1940, power generated through dams made up 40 percent of U.S. generation, a figure that has dropped to about 7 percent, said Jon Guidroz, project development director for turbine developer Free Flow Power Corp., in a recent inter-
view. Free Flow has 80 preliminary federal permits for turbine sites on the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Plaquemines Parish in southern Louisiana. The 22,000-square-foot center would be developed in an existing building at the Port of New Orleans. Plans call for laboratories, a barge where turbines can be rivertested and administrative space needed to attract new business involved in hydrokinetics to New Orleans — and create jobs, Meffert said.
Assistant U.S. Commerce Secretary John Fernandez said the project fit the Obama administration’s “huge national priority” to bring commercial technologies for alternative power into the marketplace. Tulane said five companies and property owners have expressed interest in using River Sphere to test and deploy turbines — Free Flow Power, MARMC Enterprises LLC, Gulfstream Technologies Inc., Leviathan LLC and the huge Federal City development in New Orleans, which will house federal military
and civilian agencies. Solar technology also will be tested on the building’s rooftop, Meffert said. Meffert said the center hoped to have a testing barge in place within a year and the center fully operational in about two years. The university also has an option on property to eventually expand the operation to 90,000 square feet, he said. Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com
PAGE 6
Revelry
THE DAILY REVEILLE Today’s KLSU Specialty Shows: Beat Street (Trip Hop) 9 - 11 p.m. Underground Sounds (Underground Hip-Hop) 11 p.m. - 1 a.m. ——————
Tricky Dickies
The Tricky Dickies are one of Baton Rouge’s hottest and most raucous cover bands. The band is renowned for its party style and different takes on old favorites, busting out everything from ’80s classics to rap medleys. The Dickies are rooted in a heavy rock sound and always bring high energy, playing like the soundtrack to your favorite house party or night at the bar. The band will play their de-facto home venue Friday at 10 p.m. at Puncher’s Bar. Vocalist Meagan McKelroy and guitarist Jason Kraeuter recently talked with entertainment writer Chris Abshire about the band’s unique style, which includes a microphone onstage that allows people to join the band in singing classic hits.
Q: What style of songs does the band tend to cover?
Q:What separates The Tricky Dickies from a lot of cover bands?
MM: “We usually tend to cover a lot of ’80s and ’90s rock, but we will also throw in some new stuff like Kings of Leon, too.”
JK:“We play a lot of messed up versions of normal songs. We’ll play something like “Sweet Home Alabama” and do the first verse of it, but then after that, we’ll make a medley out of it with “In Da Club” by 50 Cent and “Jump Around” by House of Pain. And that’s usually very popular.”
WEDNESDAY’s Q&A
with The
——————
JK: “We’ve got a rock vibe for sure, so we usually work that style in regardless of the cover.”
Q: The band is relatively new. What’s next for The Tricky Dickies?
Q: Which covers inspire the most passionate reactions when you start to play them?
JK: “We’ve only had about seven shows so far as a complete band, but we’re doing well enough that the band is ready to take the next step up.”
MM: “’Sweet Child O’ Mine’ [by Guns N’ Roses] and “Don’t Stop Believin’” [by Journey] always get everybody excited. It’s really amazing how many people know every word of those tracks and can sing along with us.”
MM: “There are a lot of possibilities for us. We’d love to play at a lot more places around Baton Rouge.”
Q: The band has been praised for interacting well with the crowd. What is the band’s attitude about playing in front of lots of people?? MM: “We’re definitely a party band, and we love to bring people a good time.” JK: “It’s really one big party when we play. And we’re just part of it. The point is to include the crowd. There’s a mic on stage that’s always free for anybody who wants to join in. It’s all about making the crowd feel included in the music.”
7:20 a.m., 8:20 a.m. Noon, 3:20 p.m. 4:20 p.m., 5:20 p.m.
MELLOW MUSHROOM Team Trivia @ 8pm & Karaoke @ 10pm $6 Pitchers & $10 Buckets
8-8:30 AM 9-10:30 AM 11:30-12 PM 12-1:30 PM 4-5:30 PM
Your Source Carriers Your Source Across the Hall The Fourth Kind
6-6:30PM 6:30-7PM 8-9:30 PM 11-11:30PM 11:30-12PM
Your Source SketchMo The Box Your Source Sketch Mo
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010
Today in sports: Baseball at 6:30 p.m.
Sports
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
PAGE 7
Braving the Wave LSU to face Tulane in midweek matchup
By Johanathan Brooks Sports Writer
The No. 8 LSU baseball team finds itself in an unfamiliar position going into tonight’s matchup against Tulane in Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers (26-6, 8-4) lost their first Southeastern Conference series last weekend when they dropped back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday against Auburn at Plainsman Park. It was the first time LSU lost a conference series since April 2009 and the first time the Tigers did not win on Sunday in 11 SEC road series. “We won all five series last year plus Tennessee this year, which we swept, which means we won on Sunday,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “In 2008, even in the two series that we lost at Florida and Ole Miss, we lost the first two games, but won on Sunday. This was the first time in a long time where we had to board transportation back to Baton Rouge
HILARY SCHEINUK / The Daily Reveille
LSU sophomore outfielder Mikie Mahtook attempts to catch a fly ball March 31 in the Tigers’ game against Binghamton. The Tigers will face Tulane tonight at 6:30.
without having won on Sunday.” LSU’s lack of timely hitting may be one of the reasons for the Tigers’ recent struggles. The Tigers left 20 runners on base in the losses, but senior first baseman Blake Dean said the team isn’t panicking because of their recent lack of success in that department. “We’ve just got to figure it out a little bit more,” he said. “Maybe lock in a little bit more or be a little more relaxed. I don’t know what the situation is or what the problem is with it, but something does need to occur. But like I said, there’s no panic or anything to that effect.” LSU has left 271 runners on base this season — ranking them No. 10 in the SEC in that category. “It’s just the way the game goes,” Dean said. “You can’t push, and you can’t press. People just have to relax and let it happen.” The Tigers won’t have a lot of time to relax as Tulane (21-12, 5-4) will be making the short trip TULANE, see page 11
“Certainly, having lost two games in a row is a very distasteful feeling, and we want to get that taste out of our mouths as quickly as we can.” Paul Mainieri, LSU baseball coach
SOFTBALL
LSU moves past losing streak, faces Nicholls By Chris Branch Sports Writer
LSU softball coach Yvette Girouard is tired of hearing about losing streaks. Her No. 15 Tigers suffered through a five-game losing streak to Florida and Alabama, respectively. LSU rebounded with a sweep of Mississippi State this past weekend. “I think it was important for our psyche to have some success,” Girouard said. “Those losses will sting for a while. We’ve moved on. We want to stop talking about that and get to Nicholls.” The Tigers (32-9, 11-5) will travel Wednesday to Thibodaux to face Nicholls State (20-11) at the Colonel Softball Complex. The same Nicholls squad made an appearance in Tiger Park on March 23, only to be sent home with a 7-0 loss. But things could be different in Thibodaux. Last season, LSU narrowly escaped with a 2-1 victory on the road against the Colonels. The Tigers expect much of the same effort from Nicholls. “In-state schools are always tough,” said LSU senior pitcher Cody Trahan. “It’s always a big game for them at home. There’s always a big crowd. If we just stay concentrated on the game itself and not worry about that, we’ll be fine.” Girouard agreed. She said the SOFTBALL, see page 11
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Tigers have storied past in NBA 34 LSU alumni have played in pros Editor’s Note: This story is the second in a five-part series involving former LSU athletes competing in the professional ranks. By Michael Lambert Sports Contributor
The New Orleans Hornets played one game in the PMAC after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. That game against the Phoenix Suns wasn’t the first time fans saw professional-level talent on the floor of the PMAC.
Many former LSU basketball players played on the same floor before starting careers as NBA journeymen, starters, superstars and Hall of Famers. Thirty-four former Tigers played in the NBA or ABA after donning purple and gold, according to DatabaseBasketball.com. Bob Pettit and Pete Maravich are in the NBA Hall of Fame after extending their success at LSU to the NBA. Shaquille O’Neal and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, formerly known as Chris Jackson, are still playing but have already secured their legacies at the professional level. LSU coach Trent Johnson said those four players stack up against the best pros from any college.
“I challenge See the you to find any database of other college former Tigers with those caliber of players,” who later played Johnson said. in the pros on “That’s a pretty lsureveille.com. good team right there.” Former LSU coach Dale Brown said most people never guess that LSU is one of two schools with three players on the list of the league’s 50 greatest players announced in 1996. “Everyone gets that one wrong,” Brown said. “Nobody guesses that it’s LSU.” Pettit was the first NBA player NBA, see page 11
GERALD HERBERT / The Associated Press
Former Tiger and current New Orleans Hornets guard Marcus Thornton drives to the basket Sunday past Minnesota Timberwolves’ Ryan Hollins, right, in New Orleans.
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THE DAILY REVEILLE
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
FOOTBALL
Recruiting stakes to rise during 2010 spring evaluations Coaches have chance to impress prospects By Cory Boudreaux Sports Contributor
Another edition of LSU spring football is complete, but the offseason itinerary for the LSU coaching staff has only just begun. The LSU coaching staff will hit the recruiting trail from April 15 to May 31 during the spring evaluation period where assistant coaches can visit the high schools of prospective student-athletes in the class of 2011. A recruiter is allowed two visits to a high school campus in order to assess the athletic ability and academic standing of any
particular student-athlete, according to NCAA regulations. During the academic evaluation, recruiters are allowed to conduct both an athletic and academic assessments, leaving the opportunity for a second athletic evaluation. But recruiters are prohibited from communicating with a student-athlete during an evaluation visit. Mike Scarborough, recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, said the evaluation period is significant for LSU because it allows coaches to make a lasting impression on uncommitted recruits and get a sneak peek at potential candidates for the class of 2012. “In LSU’s case, there are so many commitments and only so many spots,” Scarborough said. “So a real emphasis for them this
year is to be seen on the high school campuses and further develop relationships with the high school coaches.” Scarborough expects LSU to focus on the top remaining uncommitted players in Louisiana during the evaluation period. Headlining that list is five-star defensive end Jermauria Rasco from Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport. Scout.com ranks Rasco as the No. 2 defensive end in the country. Scarborough also said another recruiting priority for LSU is Greg Robinson, an offensive lineman from Thibodaux High School. Robinson, a four-star prospect, ranks fifth among offensive guards in Scout.com’s national rankings. Robinson said the idea of playing in front of his hometown fans is
very attractive, but he doesn’t want to rush his decision. “I’m trying not to feel the pressure with all of it now,” Robinson said. “I will make the call as soon as I know the timing is right.” Robinson said LSU is among 14 other schools that have offered him a scholarship, and that he will consider all of his options despite LSU’s proximity to his hometown. “It is in my heart that LSU is where I want to play,” Robinson said. “I am only worried about deciding early and then not giving myself the opportunity to look at everyone and give each school a chance.” Scarborough said Robinson reminds him of La’el Collins, the five-star offensive tackle from Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge who committed to LSU last
September. LSU enters the evaluation period with 10 commitments in its 2011 recruiting class, but Scarborough said he does not expect LSU to sign a full class of 25 commitments because only 14 seniors are currently listed on the LSU roster. He also said LSU has recently experienced an atypical amount of attrition — transfers, potential NCAA violations and significant medical issues — in comparison to other football programs. “[LSU] would need an abnormally large amount of attrition to get a full class,” Scarborough said. “After 22 [signees], they’ll have to start looking at greyshirts.” Contact Cory Boudreaux at cboudreaux@lsureveille.com
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Iowa State center Hamilton transferring to LSU By Chris Branch Sports Writer
LSU men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson continues to add new pieces. Iowa State sophomore center Justin Hamilton, listed at 6 feet 11 inches and 260 pounds, announced Tuesday he plans on
transferring to LSU next season. Hamilton will have to sit out a season, per NCAA rules. The Alpine, Utah native started 31 games for the Cyclones this past season, averaging 6.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He also led the team in field goal percentage at 61.7 percent. Hamilton originally said in an
Iowa State news release published March 12 he needed “to be closer to home where my family will have a better opportunity to watch me play.” Things didn’t exactly work out that way. “It’s just worked out the schools that are looking at me the most seriously aren’t
closer to home,” Hamilton told the Des Moines Register two weeks ago. “I might not have any other choice.” The sophomore is not officially on scholarship at LSU yet. Hamilton will finish the academic year at Iowa State. Hamilton will likely have a similar experience to current
LSU sophomore forward Malcolm White, an Ole Miss transfer. White sat out this past season because of transfer rules. Hamilton chose LSU over Virginia, according to reports. Contact Chris Branch at cbranch@lsureveille.com
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
THE DAILY REVEILLE
MEN’S TENNIS
Tigers win against Bulls, 4-3 Team breaks sevenmatch losing streak By Sean Isabella Sports Contributor
The LSU men’s tennis team ended a seven-match losing streak Tuesday afternoon dramatically with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory against South Florida at W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium. After LSU blew a 2-0 lead, junior Julien Gauthier rallied from an early deficit in his match to clinch the overall match for the Tigers with a 6-7, 7-5, 7-5, victory against the Bulls’ Romain Derrider. “It was a nerve-racking situation because it was a match we really needed,” Gauthier said of the Tigers’ win in their final home match of the season. “It was probably one of the biggest matches of the year to keep ourselves with a chance of getting into the tournament.” Gauthier battled back from an early 5-3 deficit in the second set and rattled off four straight games to win the set 7-5. He blew a 5-2 lead in following set, before holding on for the Tigers’ first win since a March 19 win against then-No. 21 Wake Forest. “That level out of Julien, I haven’t seen in a while,” said LSU coach Jeff Brown. LSU started the match strongly. Junior Sebastian Carlsson and sophomore Neal Skupski, the No. 43 doubles tandem in the country, recorded an 8-4 victory against Thomas Estrada and Jamal Adderly, and Gauthier and sophomore Mark Bowtell secured the doubles point when Bowtell ripped a forehand winner for an 8-6 victory against USF’s Mark Oljaca and Juan Carlos Gerard. Bowtell’s hard first-serve and powerful forehand were no match for Adderly, as Bowtell cruised to a 6-1, 7-5, victory to give LSU the early 2-0 lead. USF countered with a pair of singles victories, including a 7-6 (7-6), 6-3 victory by Wael Kilani against Skupski to tie the match at 2-2. Skupski led 6-2 in the firstset tiebreaker but gave away four match points to drop the set. Skupski’s misfortune rubbed off on junior Cody Loup, who was up a set and a break with a 4-2 advantage against Yannick Yoshizawa in the second set. But Yoshizawa forced a second-set tiebreaker and took the third set 6-3, giving the Bulls a 3-2 lead. Carlsson came to the rescue by grinding out a three-set, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, win against Peter Frank to tie the match at 3-3. “I felt good with Sebastian out there,” Brown said. “He’s probably going to win most of the matches he’s in that go that long.” LSU has yet to lose a match to USF, improving to 9-0 in the alltime series.
SARAH HUNT / The Daily Reveille
LSU sophomore Neal Skupski stretches for a forehand during the Tigers’ victory Tuesday against South Florida that ended the Tigers’ seven-match losing streak.
The win against USF puts LSU one step closer in its quest to qualify for the NCAA tournament. LSU has its final match of the season Friday at Arkansas before taking part in the Southeastern Conference tournament next week. “The guys need to use this as a pick me up from a bunch of losses
and use the confidence to the best we can,” Brown said. “It doesn’t take much to realize we’re still in a tough situation and fortunate to still have an opportunity.” Contact Sean Isabella at sisabella@lsureveille.com
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THE DAILY REVEILLE
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
DANCE
Final Tiger Girls audition clinic to be hosted Sunday Tryouts will be held April 30 to May 2 By Rachel Whittaker Chief Sports Writer
Auditions for the LSU Tiger Girls are just more than two weeks away, and prospective team members have one more chance to gain hands-on preparation for tryouts. The Tiger Girls and LSU cheerleading staff will host their final audition clinic Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the main floor of the PMAC. Tiger Girls coach Denise Galjour said the clinic is open to more than just high school seniors who plan to audition for the 2010-11 team. Tryouts will be held from April 30 to May 2. “Anyone in high school is more than welcome to come, even if they don’t plan on trying out for Tiger Girls,” Galjour said. “If they want to try out for another college team or they just want to dance, it’s still a great chance to come and learn from the Tiger Girls.” While the clinics are not mandatory, Tiger Girls captain Kristen Davis said attending Sunday’s clinic will give dancers valuable insight into how tryouts
will be run. “Pre-audition clinics give you a better idea of what to expect, especially for the younger ones,” Davis said. “It’s very competitive because we have a lot of incoming talent this year. It’s important to focus on yourself and standing out from the others.” Galjour said the format of the clinic will include stretching, jazz and hip-hop combinations and dancing to LSU fight songs. “It’s the best of everything condensed into three short hours to give the girls a taste of what [auditions are] like,” Galjour said. “We stretch the girls out, do techniques across the floor and give feedback on how girls can better themselves as dancers.” Davis said there has been a surge in interest in the Tiger Girls from women outside Louisiana. “We had girls at the first [clinic] from Washington, D.C., Memphis, Colorado, all over the place,” Davis said. The Tiger Girls won the Hip Hop National Championship in the Universal Cheerleading Association’s national championship at the 2010 College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships in Orlando, Fla., a title Galjour said increased the team’s marketability. “We just won the national championship … and girls from
all over the place are coming in town,” Galjour said. “It serves as a great recruitment tool for LSU because there are girls applying and attending the University based solely on whether they make our team or not, which is fantastic.” Though the Tiger Girls’ hiphop dancing has gained a great deal of recognition with its national championship, Galjour said the upcoming tryouts will not be too hip-hop heavy. “We’ve always prided ourselves on being a well-rounded team,” Galjour said. “Nationals is extremely rewarding, and we love to be a competitive team. But our foundation lies solely in supporting athletics, so we need to pick great cheerleaders who will support the basketball team and gymnastics team and volleyball team since we dance at all those different events.” Davis said every member of Tiger Girls must try out each year along with incoming applicants. “We usually have about 6070 girls trying out, and typically, we’ll take 18-20 total,” Davis said. “We don’t just want a great dancer. We want a great performer.” Contact Rachel Whittaker at rwhittaker@lsureveille.com
J.J. ALCANTARA / The Daily Reveille
The LSU Tiger Girls perform during a timeout Feb. 20 at the LSU-Mississippi State men’s basketball game in the PMAC.
THE DAILY REVEILLE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010 TULANE, from page 7
to Baton Rouge for a midweek game. “Certainly, having lost two games in a row is a very distasteful feeling, and we want to get that taste out of our mouths as quickly as we can,” Mainieri said. The Green Wave are coming off a series loss to Rice in Conference USA action where they were outscored, 30-9, in their two losses. “We know there’s going to be a huge crowd here, and they’ve been a big rival for LSU for many years, and they have an excellent program,” Mainieri said. “I’m not going to have any trouble getting my kids’ attention that there’s a big game on Wednesday night.” Sophomore Joey Bourgeois will get the start on the mound for LSU tonight. Bourgeois (3-1) has started eight games on the season — most recently Sunday against Auburn. In that appearance, he went 2 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on three hits while striking out two and walking one.
NBA, from page 7
to eclipse the 20,000-point mark and is 30th on the all-time NBA list with 20,880 points. “You’ve got to say Bob Pettit was one of the best,” said former LSU guard Garrett Temple. “You also got guys like Pistol and Chris Jackson, who led Denver for a couple years.” Maravich, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer, also excelled in the NBA. “Pistol Pete” made the All-NBA first team in 1967 and 1977 and is 89th all-time with 15,948 career points. Abdul-Rauf made his mark in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets and is playing overseas after leaving the NBA in 1994. Abdul-Rauf now plays for Kyoto Hannaryz in the Basketball Japan League. “He’s truly a miracle,” Brown said. “What he accomplished with Tourette’s [syndrome] is totally unique.” O’Neal has secured a Hall of Fame spot with a lofty resume since joining the professional ranks in 1992. O’Neal won three titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, another with the Miami Heat and is currently playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers and is in contention for another title. “When you start talking about Shaquille O’Neal — he’s one of the top two big men to ever play basketball,” Johnson said. O’Neal is fifth all-time in scoring and 14th in rebounding in the NBA. “Obviously, Shaq has been great
“He’s just going to throw one inning,” Mainieri said. “We’re going to chop it up with a bunch of pitchers. He only threw 50 pitches on Sunday.” Wednesday was Bourgeois’ scheduled bullpen day, but Mainieri said he would use him Wednesday night to get him re-acclimated to pitching at night since the current plan is to pitch him Saturday night against Alabama. “It’s been a while since he’s pitched in that environment under the lights and with a big crowd and so forth,” Mainieri said. “We said, ‘Let’s run him out there and start the game and go through a starter’s routine, pitch an inning in this environment and that would be good for his preparation.’” Freshman Alex Byo will be on the mound for the Green Wave. Byo (1-0) has five appearances with two starts and has amassed a 5.94 ERA in 16 2/3 innings of work.
Contact Johanathan Brooks at jbrooks@lsureveille.com
‘‘
‘You’re talking about the elite ... The SEC has some of the best professional players ever.’ Trent Johnson
LSU basketball coach
with what he’s done in his career,” Temple said. Six former LSU stars are on NBA rosters this season — Tyrus Thomas (Charlotte), Brandon Bass (Orlando), Marcus Thornton (New Orleans), Glen Davis (Boston) and Temple (San Antonio). Recruiting the best players has helped LSU produce pros, Johnson said. “It has more to do with that the kids want to come here,” Johnson
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SOFTBALL, from page 7
Tigers see it often. “The crowd will be fabulous, and we’ll get their best shot,” Girouard said. “It’s always like that when we go on the road.” Girouard also said the Tigers will use multiple pitchers on Wednesday, much like they have in the past. These types of games haven’t bothered the Tigers yet this season. LSU has outscored in-state foes, 18-2, on the road, against Southeastern Louisiana and McNeese State, respectively. Senior outfielder Rachel Mitchell’s play at the plate has been a big part of LSU’s success against in-state and out-of-state opponents alike. Mitchell hit .462 during the weekend series against Mississippi State with one home run and five RBIs. Her play earned her Louisiana Sportswriters Association Softball Hitter of the Week honors. Mitchell said the team’s performance against the Bulldogs was critical coming off five consecutive losses. said. “The life blood of your program is being able to keep the best players in the state.” Brown said LSU lacked facilities and name recognition before he was hired in 1972. “LSU’s got a pretty good reputation now,” Brown said. “It was a very tough school for basketball back in the day. Football overpowered basketball. Now things are different.” Former Tigers still talk about their time at LSU years after leaving Baton Rouge, Temple said. “Whenever we see each other, we do reminisce a little bit,” Temple said. “I talked to Glen and Shaq. When we played against New Orleans I got to talk to Marcus.” Johnson said the competition in the Southeastern Conference is part of the success of LSU players. “You’re talking about the elite
AMANDA TAGGETT / The Daily Reveille
LSU junior Ashley Applegate (10) takes a lead off first base March 21 during the Tigers’ 4-0 win against Auburn. LSU will face Nicholls on Wednesday in Thibodaux.
“It was really big that we were able to bounce back from the long road trip away,” Mitchell said. “It was good and helped boost our confidence and get us back on track.” While the Tigers are trying to move past the losing streak, Trahan said the team needs to use the experience as a catalyst for the remainder of the regular season slate. — the SEC Conference,” Johnson said. “The SEC has some of the best professional players ever.” Temple said he regularly faces old foes from the SEC. The Spurs guard also said the defense he learned at LSU was the most valuable tool at the next level. “The biggest thing was the defense they taught us,” Temple said. “A lot of guys going to the NBA don’t have the defense.”
Contact Michael Lambert at mlambert@lsureveille.com
“It kind of helps us a little bit,” Trahan said. “We don’t want to cling to those and dwell on them, but we definitely need to have them in the back of our minds. They will push us and motivate us to finish out the rest of the season strong.” Contact Chris Branch at cbranch@lsureveille.com
THE DAILY REVEILLE
Opinion
PAGE 12
WEB COMMENTS
Monday’s complaint by the American Association of University Professors against the University has stirred a lot of controversy on campus. The debate centers on administrators’ decision to suddenly remove Dominique Homberger from teaching a BIOL 1001 class after she posted unusually low midterm grades for the students enrolled — a decision the AAUP says infringes on her academic freedom. Here is a sample of the comments on the matter from our Web site, lsureveille.com: “Ridiculous. Leave it to LSU to punish a professor who actually holds her students to a standard! As a former grad assistant, I know that most undergrads expect their grades to be given to them for the
least amount of effort on their part. Good for this professor who actually showed her students that sometimes you have to actually work for a good grade! This is why LSU will never be able to compete nationally — they support their students doing the least possible to just get them a degree and get their graduation rates up. Shame on you, LSU!” -Anonymous “I have been lucky to never have a professor like this. In a class that large, to have so few students with a grade of C or higher is absurd. There’s no way that many people ‘want their grades given to them.’ With averages that low, it reflects back onto teacher performance. She either did not present the material or do a good job AT ALL presenting it. Good riddance.
How anyone is trying to refute that grade distribution is beyond me. It speaks for itself. Bill Wischusen is also a stickler for not curving, and here he curved more than 25 points. See a problem?” -Anonymous “I think the university has set a great example and has come to the valiant defense of students’ rights! We should never be expected to perform well on exams and papers; and I applaud Dr. Wischusen’s choice to award us students for our hard work (regardless of its productivity). And I second that comment made by Jason. Us dumb Southern folk should never be held to the standards of Ivy League universities. All and all, I’m looking forward to my 4.0 and have high hopes in my pursuit of medical
school. Although I fear their standards may be a bit more rigorous (hopefully for your sake). For my current professors, WATCH OUT!” -Proud Student “I am a student in this BIOL 1001 section, and all I have to say is that Wischusen taking over was a godsend. Everyone was failing this class, and it was not because we did not “work for our grades.” Dr. Homberger’s exams were impossible. They were all multiple choice with at least 6 choices a question, always with the last three being “both a & b,” “a, c, d,” “a, c, f, g,” etc., mostly based on Wikipedia articles we were assigned to read. The same goes for the daily clicker questions that followed the exact same format. While it is obvious that Dr. Homberger is an extremely intelligent individual,
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 she was a poor instructor for this course. Personally, I think she is overqualified to teach introductory biology, and it shows. I am NOT a science major, and I have learned more since Wischusen has taken over than I have all semester from Dr. Homberger. For my grade’s sake ... replacing Dr. Homberger as professor for this course was the best thing the University could have ever done.” -Anonymous What do you think? Read more about the situation on our Web site, lsureveille.com. All the articles are open to comments — let your voice be heard! Contact the Editorial Board at editor@lsureveille.com
NIETZSCHE IS DEAD
Media’s coverage of potential justices misses mark With the passage of health care reform last month, political pundits have been hungry for more news to feed the gaping maw of speculation. Right on cue, Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens announced he was planning to retire from the nation’s highest court. Before his letter hit the president’s desk, the media machine began chattering loudly. “Who is he going to appoint?” “Just how liberal a judge is he going appoint?” Republicans immediately began publicly gearing up for a vicious fight about
confirming the new judge — who, by the way, hadn’t even been announced. Who, by the way, still hasn’t been announced as of the time of this writing. Y o u wouldn’t know it from the Matthew Albright c o v e r a g e . Opinion Editor Right-wing pundits already started decrying the radical, activist, baby-killing lunatic
President Obama was sure to appoint. CNN started advertising the impending “Drama of the confirmation battle,” as if they were advertising for a boxing match. To be fair to the beleaguered media elites, it seems like this is how it’s always been. Supreme Court confirmation hearings are classic political slugfests. To a certain extent, it really is a dramatic mix — seminal decisions on important issues are made by the Court, and there’s that alluring mix
BEST AND WITTIEST
cartoon courtesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE
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
of bravado, strategy and blind luck that makes the fight seem almost like a sporting event. After all, it’s only so often a president gets the chance to do this. And, given their age, there’s always a real chance a justice will die during the tenure of one lucky party. But the process for determining who is appointed to the court was designed — with good reason — to be a solemn, slow-paced one. And the justices have lifetime appointments for another good reason — to be insulated from the winds of popular opinion. So it’s perhaps understandable and even justifiable that the confirmation process is bitterly fought. But we, as a country, are starting to go overboard. Yes, the stakes are high in a confirmation — but media probably shouldn’t be hyping the confirmation weeks before those hearings actually happen. Yes, there is room for debate on the classic battle between a judiciary that strictly interprets the constitution and one that takes a more involved approach — but Republicans should probably wait until Obama announces someone before they start assaulting him or her. Remember the vast majority of decisions the Supreme Court hears are about matters that, while not the sexy, controversial stuff that earns headlines, are important and widereaching. These issues are a maze of legal lingo and require a seasoned, brilliant jurist. This is the real problem with the current system: Amid all the discussion of activism and personal
political stances, the qualifications of jurists are often reserved to the end of every discussion. Republicans and Democrats should certainly have to fight about who gets to make it to the Court — and discussion on how the prospective justice interprets his or her role should be vigorously discussed. But contemporary debate about confirmation hearings is increasingly dominated by discussions of the activism question to the detriment of everything else. Take, for example, Obama’s confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor. Discussion of her nomination was dedicated largely to controversial quotes and accusations of radical revisionism — but how many of us can name her qualifications? Sadly, this is just another example of a flawed media and political culture. It’s probably overly idealistic to hope the boring but important stuff, such as where a justice went to school and how fine a legal mind he or she possesses, gets brought up. Like so many other important issues, the real healthy meat of the debate is lean, bland and unsatisfying — so our politicians and pressmen feed us the fatty but deliciously dramatic parts instead. Matthew Albright is a 21-yearold mass communication junior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_malbright. Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at opinion@lsureveille.com
EDITORIAL POLICIES & PROCEDURES
QUOTE OF THE DAY
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.
“The function of socialism is to raise suffering to a higher level.”
Norman Mailer American novelist and screenwriter Jan. 31, 1923 — Nov. 10, 2007
THE DAILY REVEILLE
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE
Opinion
PAGE 13
Slaughter of innocent Iraqi journalists not unique
War isn’t a purgatory where sins are perfectly judged in the convenience of eternity. War is hell. Decisions are made quickly, and indiscriminate bullets rip through the flesh of saints and sinners alike. This uncomfortable fact was recently illustrated by anonymous whistleblowers who released a video recording from the crosshairs of an Army helicopter. In July 2007, two Apache helicopters “surged” into one of the most dangerous sections of eastern Baghdad. In the video, the pilots see a handful of men gathering in a courtyard. The soldiers see what they believe to be an RPG being aimed at them and open fire on the unaware group. Perhaps the Apache screens aren’t as detailed as the YouTube video I watched from my armchair, but, to my eyes, the alleged RPG looked exactly like what it really was — a camera. Two of the victims, Namir Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh, were journalists employed by Reuters.
Noor-Eldeen and several other targets instantly exploded in a rain of .50 cal machine gun fire. Chmagh fell to the ground wounded and tried to crawl to safety. Shortly after, an unnamed civilian pulled up to the scene and tried to help the wounded Chmagh into his van. “We have individuals going to the scene, looks like possibly picking up bodies and weapons,” one of the soldiers reported. After seeking permission to fire, the Americans destroyed the good Samaritan’s van. “Look at that,” A proud gunner exclaimed. “Right through the windshield!” Turns out the good Samaritan had been taking his two daughters to a tutoring session. They were sitting in the passenger seat. In the soldiers’ defense, weapons were found on some of the bodies, but it’s common for Iraqi civilians to be armed. None of the individuals took aggressive stances, and we’ll probably never know how many, if any, were enemy combatants.
But the journalists were certainly not the enemy. They were just journalists doing what journalists do — taking the extra step to ensure the truth is told. Innocent blood was spilled, and ink has since been Daniel Morgan spilled criticizing the engageColumnist ment. But to blame the Apaches’ gunmen is to dangerously miss the point. The soldiers weren’t acting out of line when they gunned down the helpless journalists and children. They were just soldiers doing what soldiers do — using lethal force on those they’re ordered to kill. Every action taken had the full support of their superiors. The pilots were completely justified, according to the military’s formal investigation. The only reason this story got any attention was because two of the victims happened to be
journalists. If not for that coincidence, the dead would have been filed under “insurgents killed,” and not a single American would have seen the infamous video. This wasn’t the frenzied, riotous accident of the Boston Massacre. This was well executed by the numbers operation — another all too common data point in our empire’s bloody history. General Stanley McChrystal, the current commander of our troops in Afghanistan, holds virtual town hall meetings every two weeks with soldiers in Afghanistan. Last month he responded to a question about increasing violence at the checkpoints by saying: “To my knowledge, in the nine-plus months I’ve been here, not a single case where we have engaged in an escalation of force incident and hurt someone has it turned out that the vehicle had a suicide bomb or weapons in it and, in many cases, had families in it.” By all means, watch the leaked video at http://collateralmurder. com, but don’t look for American soldiers committing war crimes.
Watch the video of U.S. soldiers doing their job in the country we invaded funded by the taxes you just reluctantly filed. Watch the video to see the callous disregard for innocent life found in young boys high on testosterone, adrenaline and patriotism. Watch the video to witness a handful of civilian deaths in a war that has snuffed hundreds of thousands of innocent souls out of existence. Watch the video to see why they hate us. And maybe, once we really understand the human costs of war, we won’t start them so carelessly. Daniel Morgan is a 22-year-old economics major from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_dmorgan.
Contact Daniel Morgan at dmorgan@lsureveille.com
SHOW ALL COMMENTS
Obama called socialist – what does it even mean?
Burns: The word “socialism” has been tossed around quite a bit ever since the election of President Obama. Many conservatives have gone so far as to use the “s-word” to discredit the president’s agenda and to instill fear and uncertainty into the minds of American voters. I’m not sure if President Obama perfectly fits the “socialist” label. But many of the president’s policies certainly do seem like a progressive’s wet dream come true. Because you hail from a region more heavily influenced by socialism, I’m curious to find out precisely where you believe Obama’s “progressive” ideology ends and “socialism” begins?
Vieira: Talk of President Obama’s “progressive” ideology never ends, and the concept of socialism in America is well put between quotes. Socialism is something totally different from what Obama proposes. In a time of economic crisis, some of Obama’s less free market-centered ideas boosted his campaign and subsequent rise to presidency. But not even a shadow of socialism is present in the choices the government and this nation make. It seems to me the fear that part of the American people have of socialism in Obama comes from prejudice and an outdated notion that government-run social policies are evil.
Burns: First off, whether President Obama perfectly fits the “socialist” stigma is, in my opinion, pretty irrelevant. Arbitrary political designations like “democrat” or “republican” or even “soand Scott Burns cialist” “fascist” don’t Columnist mean much to me. From my perspective, today’s prominent political philosophies all share the same mystical philosophy that a small group of people (aka the government) can solve complex problems using legalized force. Maybe the president isn’t a “socialist,” but more a progressive. I just don’t see the point in lecturing people on what I consider arbitrary political “distinctions.” Vieira: So, you are actually saying President Obama is progressive, and not socialist. I also think the political/ideological denomination doesn’t mean much. But it seems to me there’s a lot of resentment in the American people when it comes to changing economic policy. As progressive as Obama’s proposals are, this resentment will never allow real socialist ideas to thrive because socialism indicates government regulation and ownership of the means of production.
If the government is not supposed to work on solving societal problems, why bother to have a government? I don’t see any coercion here. I see a government elected by the people taking measures to contain the economic crisis. I see American government using force to solve other countries’ “societal” problems, for sure. Obama’s “progressive” proposals are an attempt to regulate an economic crisis that probably came from the lack of it. I’m not saying it will work or that I think it’s right. But that’s my perception of what is happening now.
Burns: I highly doubt Americans would willingly pay taxes to fund wars and other unpopular government initiatives unless there was some implicit coercion (see: IRS agents). But putting that aside, I find it interesting you cite the financial crisis as evidence of the need for more government intervention. There’s pretty convincing evidence that central bank mismanagement and bad government policies were the two biggest players in our financial collapse. Regulations might have proven ineffective, but it was certainly not from a lack of effort. It’s just hard for the government to regulate the problems it itself helps create. I don’t deny the need for regulatory reform. I just don’t see your logic behind using government intervention to solve the problems created by government
interventions. America already has one of the most highly regulated economies in the world. If progressives truly believe the best way to prevent economic downturns is through massive governMarcelo Vieira ment controls, they have a lot Columnist of explaining to do regarding our current crisis. Vieira: I don’t say government expansion is the solution, but I understand the government is for and by the people. Anyway, what do you think would be a good solution for the current situation?
Burns: An actual change in direction would be a nice start. The president promised, “change” during his campaign. But so far, I haven’t seen anything but a continuation of the failed government policies that have strangled the free market and hurt the people they were intended to help. If the president believes in real “change,” he should first end the wars and then rethink his economic initiatives. Price controls, government mandates and forced redistribution (aka “social justice”) aren’t new or revolutionary proposals. They’re just “newspeak” for the same old
“progressive” economic fallacies that have been cleverly recycled, repackaged and resold to the easily cajoled American public. Vieira: I can’t argue with you on the actuality of the proposed “change,” but I can assure you the way the world sees the United States with Obama as president has definitely changed. Free market may not be the solution, but socialism certainly isn’t either. Seeing the government’s attempts to solve the nation’s problems as politically oriented attacks is unproductive. And whoever ends up president will have a hard time making people happy. Burns: Agreed. I might not be a huge fan of the president’s policies, but at least we can agree on one thing: Thank God John McCain isn’t president.
Scott Burns is a 20-year-old economics junior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_sburns. Marcelo Vieira is a 32 year-old jazz cello graduate student from Brazil. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_mvieira. Contact Scott Burns at sburns@lsureveille.com Contact Marcelo Vieira at mvieira@lsureveille.com
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010 COMPLAINT, from page 1
Sellers presented information including receipts, expenditure reports, Facebook statuses and both an opinion piece and an advertisement published in The Daily Reveille as evidence of Geauxing the Distance and StudentsFIRST working together. “StudentsFIRST and Geauxing the Distance essentially merged into one ticket and were able to derive all the benefits of being a ticket without following any of the rules for the organization of one,” Sellers said. He also said the two campaigns should have maintained their individual ticket affiliations rather than mutually trying to beat Leading the Way. Borel, Hudson and co-counsel Chris Cummings argued against
FUNDRAISER, from page 1
technology for the event. “It is a graduate class, so I expected more from them,” Shipka said. “Some already had real world experience.” Students had roughly three months to raise $30,000 in funds and to plan events for the week. “It was a difficult but rewarding experience,” said graduate student and fundraising group member Crystal Jackson. “I was one of the few students who didn’t have real world experience.” Students also must complete a final paper on how they would organize and plan the tournament differently based on their experiences this semester. Jackson said classes often felt like business meetings as each group updated progress each week. Students helped plan events like a Player’s Party for competitors, and several in-tournament events like
THE DAILY REVEILLE
Sellers, Bonvillain and co-counsel Drew Prestridge’s claims. Borel cited several parts of the election code supporting their claims of running independent campaigns. “Basically we followed the rules,” Hudson said. “Everything that was in the election code, we did not violate. That’s one of the major misconceptions.” He said the only piece of evidence Sellers, Bonvillain and Prestridge could officially use were the expenditure reports, and Hudson said they proved they did not overspend or work with Geauxing the Distance. Marsh also previously heard the second case, which was between Hudson and Borel and Speaker of the Senate Tyler Martin and College of Arts and Sciences Sen. Drew Prestridge on Monday night. Marsh continued the case
Tuesday morning, but adjourned until Tuesday night because of class conflicts. Borel said the mistakes were made because she and Hudson followed specific instructions on how to fill out expenditure reports from Commissioner of Elections Alexis Sarver. “No ticket would specifically go against the instructions of the commissioner of elections,” Borel said. “We didn’t gain any advantages.” Trial Court previously heard the second case Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. Marsh ruled with Hudson and Borel, saying Martin’s argument “has no bearing.” The accusations Martin brought against Hudson were interpreted through general application rather than being explicitly stated, according to Marsh.
The first case on Monday involved Hudson challenging the Election Board’s disqualification of StudentsFIRST candidates. Trial Court ruled to instate candidates who had been formerly disqualified from the StudentsFIRST campaign Monday in the first case, Election Board vs. StudentsFIRST candidates. In the next few days, the University Court will decide whether or not to hear the Election Board’s case because they appealed Marsh’s decision in the case. Both parties from Hudson vs. Martin and Hudson vs. Bonvillain reserve the right to appeal to University Court 24 hours after Marsh’s decision.
Kid’s Day. “On Kid’s Day, kids who don’t usually have the opportunity to play tennis get to learn from the pros,” said tournament director Kay Willson. Students also helped organize Balls on the Bayou Exhibition where local tennis professionals competed against tournament pros. The tournament originally started as a Future event, the tournament below Challenger events, in 2002 and moved to a Challenger event three years ago, according to Willson. “It’s a rare opportunity to see professional sports in Baton Rouge,” Rodrigue said. Thirty-two athletes will compete for the main singles draw, and 16 teams will compete in doubles throughout the week. Twenty-one pros in the 2010 Australian Open played in past Baton Rouge Pro Tennis Classics, according to Willson.
“The best aspect of this tournament is the community feel,” said professional tennis player David Martin. “Volunteers have gone out of their way to help provide anything players need.” For the first time, community members are housing players in the tournament to provide a community connection, Willson said. “It allows players to learn about Baton Rouge culture,” Shipka said. All proceeds from the tournament benefit Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge, which provides nutrition and prescription assistance, medical equipment and information to adults and children throughout 10 area parishes. “Any admission paid at the door goes directly to Cancer Services,” Willson said. Admission to the tournament costs $10 per day throughout the week, $20 for the championship rounds Saturday and Sunday and $15 for a week-long pass.
A Student’s Day will take place Wednesday, April 14, where any person with a student ID will be admitted to the tournament for free. Willson said she is looking for volunteers to help with the event throughout the week. More information about the Baton Rouge Pro Tennis Classic can be found at www. brprotennisclassic.com.
Contact Catherine Threlkeld at cthrelkeld@lsureveille.com
Contact Grace Montgomery at gmontgomery@lsureveille.com
PAGE 15 CONTEST, from page 1
Contestants began the tournament divided into four geographical brackets: North, South, East and West, and the two cheerleaders in each bracket competed against each other to advance to the semifinals. Spitale said she was the only actual cheerleader in the contest, and the others were dancers. Contestants were chosen based on photographs submitted from universities all over the country. Of all submissions, only eight were chosen to compete. Spitale said she didn’t know anything about the contest until a few weeks ago, and she didn’t know her photos had been submitted. Spitale said she has been cheering since she was in grade school, and she also did gymnastics and diving. Spitale has cheered for LSU football, men’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics during the past four years. She will continue to cheer for a fifth year. She currently writes for American Cheerleader Magazine. Contact Joanna Zimmerman at jzimmerman@lsureveille.com
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
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