Check Inside & Online For: an interview with band Cowboy Mouth, page 8. Download their song “Tell the Girl” at lsureveille.com.
FOOTBALL
Want to work for The Daily Reveille?
High school hype doesn’t always translate to NFL draft success for LSU players, page 7.
Come to testing Tuesday, May 4 to apply for open positions. Visit lsureveille.com for job descriptions.
THE DAILY REVEILLE WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM
Volume 114, Issue 134
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Senioritis kicks in before graduation, affects those with and without jobs
Scientist to speak at May graduation By Rachel Warren Contributing Writer
communication studies professor. “Seniors get lethargic,” Honeycutt said. “They’ve been in school for four years and are making a life change, whether it’s going on to graduate school or getting a job. This is a way of acting out against the uncertainty of their life change.” Phillip Sheridan, general studies senior, said his senioritis started after getting accepted into the Atlantic Acting School in New York. “You get to this point when you realize none of this will mean anything in four months,” Sheridan said. Honeycutt said senioritis can affect any senior, regardless of GPA. “It’s related to a large change in lifestyle and the stress that comes with that,” he said. “It doesn’t necessarily reflect their GPA.” Seniors had an average GPA of 3.015 for fall 2009, which was higher than any other
The University announced Tuesday that Kristina Johnson, Under Secretary of Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy, will speak at the University’s spring commencement ceremony. Johnson’s job is to promote America’s energy security through reliable, clean and affordable energy, according to the Department of Energy Web site. Chancellor Michael Martin said he’s excited to have Johnson give the commencement address because of the encouragement she can offer students, particularly women. “She’s a very famous woman scientist,” Martin said. “That sends a message to young women out there.” Martin said a faculty senate executive committee makes a list of people it would like to invite to speak, and he picks from the list. The final decision is based on whether a potential speaker is available and what message they’ll send to students. Martin said he picked the fall commencement speaker on his own and wanted a variety of opinions involved in the decision this year. He also said he hopes to involve students
MOTIVATION, see page 19
SPEAKER, see page 19
SLACKING SENIORS
photo illustration by J.J. ALCANTARA / The Daily Reveille
Stephen Eckholdt, construction management senior, Krista Allen, history senior, Lauren Ellerman, mass communication senior, and Matthew Mick, finance senior, have secured jobs for after their graduations in May. Graduating seniors, whether they already have jobs or not, often suffer from Senioritis, an increasing difficulty to focus on academics.
By Sarah Eddington Staff Writer
There’s a long-running phenomenon that sweeps every University graduating class. Senioritis — the increasing difficulty to focus on one’s academics in light of impending graduation — affects most seniors, but students respond differently to the condition. The effort to stay committed to schoolwork can be grueling for students who already have jobs lined up after graduation. Lauren Ellermann, mass communication senior, said she’ll be working as an investigative assistant with an agency under the Department of Homeland Security in May. Ellermann said she has been working for the department since her junior year but will work full-time after graduation. “Life is hectic as a senior,” she said. “There are definitely nights when I just want to go home, drink a beer and not do anything, but I
resist the temptation.” Ellermann said it’s been harder to focus on school since she got the job. “I’ve definitely been slacking a little bit because I see the graduation line, and I know I just need the minimum grade to graduate and that I have a job,” she said. “It takes some of the pressure off, but I still want to make good grades.” Matthew Mick, finance senior, said his initial plan was to attend law school, but he changed his mind after receiving a job offer from Texas Memory Systems. “As soon as I knew I had somewhere I could go after graduation, it was a big weight off my shoulders,” he said. “Especially now that I have a job, it’s harder to focus, and it’s easier to cram and worry about things later.” WHY SENIORITIS SETS IN Senioritis is a natural occurrence that typically sets in during the fall semester of a student’s senior year, said James Honeycutt,
ENVIRONMENT
ECO at LSU hosts fifth Earth Day By Ryan Buxton Senior Staff Writer
Sustainability was the word Tuesday as students gathered on the Parade Ground to celebrate the environment at ECO at LSU’s fifth annual Earth Day festival. The event, hosted by the Environmental Conservation Organization and sponsored by Student Government, focused on the message of individual sustainability. “We’re trying to elaborate on the individual role in conserving resources,” said Matt Wyatt, ECO co-president. Though Earth Day was April 22, the event was held Tuesday because the Parade Ground was booked during the previous week for LSU Day setup, Wyatt said. The Earth Day event featured various
booths giving away items like free plants and bike tune-ups, and the LSU AgCenter was also on hand with animals like pigs and goats for students to interact with. The various booths and attractions were all meant to be fun and informational reminders about how students’ actions affect the environment, said Katherine Boy Skipsey, ECO co-president. “People don’t pay attention to things that surround us every day,” she said. ECO member Valeria Socorro said having the event outdoors on the Parade Ground is important to remind people what the festival is about. “If people were outside more, they could appreciate the Earth more,” Socorro said. Meredith Hunt, coastal and
environmental studies senior, said the wide variety of booths and activities at the event contributes to its appeal. “Diversity is probably the best thing they have going,” Hunt said. “They can attract animal enthusiasts, people who are interested in solar energy and who want information about programs.” Students were able to partake in a photo petition to promote legislation allowing local apartment complexes to offer their residents solar energy. A representative from the company Lite Solar, University alumnus Justin Runnels, was at the event to educate students about solar energy and collect photos and signatures for the petition. ENERGY, see page 19
J.J. ALCANTARA / The Daily Reveille
Lauren Hull, conservation biology sophomore, left, gives Kathleen Brannen, geology and biology senior, a henna tattoo Tuesday during ECO Earth Day on the Parade Ground.