Check Inside For: Legal issues surround unpaid internships, trainees, page 4.
MUSIC
Students look forward to summer festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, page 12.
DON’T CALL THEM LARPERS Medieval-inspired fighting groups feature warriors, weaponry, page 11.
THE DAILY REVEILLE Volume 114, Issue 140
WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM
Seafood industry prepares for worst
Shortages, increased prices could affect consumers for years
Thursday, May 6, 2010
By Grace Montgomery Staff Writer
Louisiana is all about seafood. But with the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, consumers may see a rise in seafood prices or a shortage in shrimp and oysters — possibly for years to come. The magnitude of the spill’s effects are yet to be seen, but many are preparing for a worst case scenario. The outcome of the oil spill will be based on what happens “from now on,” said Department of Oceanography and Coastal Science associate professor James Cowan. Officials won’t know the full extent of the damage until fish are being collected again, said biology assistant professor Prosanta Chakrabarty.
“Everything we pull out of the Gulf will have to go through oil at the surface,” Chakrabarty said. “Oil is likely being mixed under water as well, and that is really problematic.” RESTAURANTS Many area restaurants are waiting to see the full extent of damage from the spill, but some are already seeing its effects. J.K. Lockhart, manager of Sammy’s Grill on Highland Road, said he’s already seen the price of larger shrimp increase by $1.50 per pound. Austin Duszinski, general manager at Tsunami downtown, said the restaurant is stocking up before supplies become harder to find. “This will be a problem that will SEAFOOD, see page 19
Keep up-to-date with the oil spill at lsureveille.com’s oil spill coverage page: http://www.lsureveille.com/oil-spill-recovery.
OYSTER HARVEST AREA CLOSURE
JOE CAVARETTA / The Associated Press
Oysters from a Louisiana supplier are seen Monday at North Star Seafood plant in Pompano Beach, Fla. The April 20 BP oil spill may affect the quality and quantity of seafood caught in the Gulf of Mexico for years to come.
SAFETY
graphic courtesy of LA. DEPT. OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
STUDY
New emergency text Americans tend to distrust gov. shows provider Rave tested Research trust at record low 98 percent received trial text in 6 min. By Ryan Buxton Senior Staff Writer
Students’ cell phones collectively buzzed Wednesday at 9 a.m. when Information Technology Services tested a new provider for the University’s emergency text messaging system. The message tested the procedures of Rave Mobile Safety, said John Borne, chief information security officer. Rave is a candidate to replace FirstCall, the service provider the University has used for several years.
The University currently uses FirstCall because the Board of Regents provides the service free to Louisiana higher education institutions, Borne said. But each university will be responsible for its own system when the Board discontinues that policy in July because of budget cuts, Borne said. The University has the option to either pick up the subsidy of FirstCall’s contract or find a new system to use. Rave was tested because of its reputation for being fast, Borne said. “Rave is well-known as one of the leading providers, so we wanted to see what they had to offer,” Borne said. Borne said Rave’s performance TRIAL, see page 19
By Sarah Eddington Staff Writer
Americans’ trust in the national government is at an all-time low, as are favorable ratings for Congress and both major political parties, according to a study released by the Pew Research Center. The study, released in April, showed 22 percent of Americans said they can trust the government in Washington almost always or most of the time, among the lowest measures in half a century. Favorable ratings for Congress have declined during the last year from 50 percent to 25 percent, and favorable ratings for the Democratic Party have fallen from 59 percent
to 38 percent and now stand at their lowest point in the Pew Research survey’s history. Republican Party’s ratings, which increased from 40 percent last August to 46 percent in February, have fallen back to 37 percent. “Variations in people’s trust in the government are affected dramatically by economic conditions,” said Robert Hogan, political science professor. “But it’s interesting that it’s not focused on one party.” Extreme partisanship is a large part of the problem, Hogan said. “There have been some changes in the political landscape,” he said. “Parties in congress are more polarized than any time in recent history. Voters don’t like partisan bickering.” Johanna Dunaway, assistant political communications professor, said the media also plays a factor in trust ratings.
“You always see Congress arguing and debating on the news. All the deliberations are public,” Dunaway said. “People see how hard it is to pass anything, and with the recent health care bill, people have just seen the ugliest deliberation process of all time.” Hogan said the constant exposure could sway people’s perception of government. “You start to question your desire to eat sausage after you’ve been to a sausage factory,” he said. “It’s a messy process.” Levels are at record lows because trust has been declining for the past few decades, Hogan said. “It’s been at a lower starting point than in the past, so it makes sense that it would be even lower than before,” he said. “That, and all these factors are coming together in FRUSTRATION, see page 19