The Daily Reveille 4-04-18

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The Daily Reveille Est. 1887

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Volume 126 · No. 12

lsunow.com/daily

CALLING IN

SICK

Despite offering numerous services, students say the Student Health Center is not sufficiently meeting their needs, page 2

NEWS

SPORTS Campus community continues to smoke despite LSU’s tobacco-free policy, page 3 Horticulture Club at LSU holds spring edition of plant sale, page 4

ENTERTAINMENT Sophomore infielder Josh Smith works his way back into lineup following back injury, page 7

LSU showcases print exhibit celebrating history of New Orleans, page 11

OPINION “We may be dead and gone when Louisiana finally decides to close its ongoing wage gap between men and women,” page 18

page 2

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

COVER STORY

Students feel SHC fails to meet their needs

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BY HAILEY AUGLAIR @HaileyAuglair1

Is the Student Health Center doing everything they can to meet the needs of students?

From the mental health department to the women’s health center to the now closed pharmacy, students are questioning whether the Student Health Center is addressing students concerns.

One student tried to seek help at the mental health center during a time of crisis only to be told to come back in four weeks.

Sarah*, a University student from Florida was depressed and had a hard time getting out of bed.

Sarah’s mother told her to go to the Student Health Center for an emergency appointment. She was able to see an intern who asked if she was suicidal.

“She said no, but said she has thought about how she would kill herself,” Sarah’s mother said.

“They said they’ll see her in four weeks. I was really genuinely afraid we were going to have to withdraw her from school. Four weeks is just not acceptable.”

The director of mental health services John Otzenberger said the department has 14 therapists for roughly 42,000 students.

“Yes, we can always add more therapists, and that would help

Editor in Chief

RAMSINA ODISHO Managing Editor

NATALIE ANDERSON News Editor

EVAN SAACKS Deputy News Editor

ABBIE SHULL Sports Editor

HANNAH MARTIN HASKELL WHITTINGTON / The Daily Reveille

Undergraduate and graduate students question the Student Health Center’s ability to meet mental and physical health needs. to some degree, and we have added therapists in the past, but there’s a space issue, as well,” Otzenberger said.

The mental health center provides group therapy and seminars in addition to individual therapy. They also can provide a case manager to help students find treatment off campus if necessary.

Otzenberger said the health

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center has a licensed professional on call on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. if immediate attention is needed.

“We will handle the situation pretty efficiently,” Otzenberger said. “We’re not just going to turn you loose and see you once and say good luck.”

Otzenberger said they have 19 different group therapy programs that can help students while they are waiting for an individual appointment. The current wait time for an appointment is about four to five weeks.

The department recently started a mental health information group that provides information on the services offered and other options for those waiting for an appointment.

Sarah’s mother said her daughter could not have gotten through it on her own, so she sent her to a therapist off campus.

“I would’ve done that anyway,” Sarah’s mother said. “I just thought there should have been somebody she could talk to in a much shorter time frame.

When someone goes in for a crisis appointment, four weeks does not handle a crisis.”

Graduate student Rachel Howatt said she had to make three appointments at the Student Health Center before being able to talk about birth control options.

Howatt went to the main medical clinic for a check-up in December and was told she had to attend a one-hour class before discussing birth control options. As a graduate student who teaches undergraduate students, Howatt said she felt uncomfortable taking the class.

“It kind of makes my health public if any of them had been in the room with me, which I think is really inappropriate,” Howatt said.

Howatt said the class provided good information about what to expect when visiting a gynecologist for the first time and her options for birth control, but it was stuff she already knew.

After taking the class, she was able to schedule an appointment

to discuss her options in March.

“The whole process is really annoying,” Howatt said. “Requiring people to go to a onehour class really slows down the process.”

Nurse Practitioner Michaelyn Brabham, who teaches the class, said it became their policy for patients to attend the class before prescribing birth control about 10 years ago.

Brabham said the class helps them see more patients because it shortens appointment times. The women’s health clinic waiting period is about two weeks.

“Most of the girls have never been on birth control before,” Brabham said. “They don’t even know what it’s about or how it’s working in your body.”

The class provides information about annual exams, how birth control works and different birth control options.

Brabham said they continue doing the class because they have gotten good feedback.

“I think it’s good they get to see a face and know it’s not scary,” Brabham said. “It helps people feel a little more comfortable coming into things.”

The pharmacy in the health center has recently closed after being open for one year. The pharmacy at LSU was a full-service pharmacy that offered over-thecounter drugs, flu and cold kits, vaccines and much more.

Graduate student Sydney Epps has been collecting postcards with student opinions about the University’s pharmacy closing.

Graduate student Michaela Stone said she was always able to walk in and get what she needed from the pharmacy on campus.

“It’s really frustrating for me because the pharmacy that they’ve transferred prescriptions to is routinely out of stock of the medication I need,” said Stone. *Editor’s Note: The subject of this story asked to remain anonymous.

The Daily Reveille elected to use a fictitious name, “Sarah,” to preserve her identity.

Deputy Sports Editor

KENNEDI LANDRY Entertainment Editor

LYNNE BUNCH Opinion Editor

HANNAH KLEINPETER Production Editor

HA-VY NGUYEN Co-Photo Editor

HASKELL WHITTINGTON Co-Photo Editor

WHITNEY WILLISTON

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS In an article published in The Daily Reveille on March 21 titled “$900,000 tech upgrade approved by SG committee,” The Daily Reveille incorrectly stated that the Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee is affiliated with Student Government.

A new version of the story will be posted online at LSUnow.com/daily for clarity.

The Daily Reveille regrets this error.

ABOUT THE DAILY REVEILLE 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 of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Daily Reveille is free. To purchase additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall. The Daily Reveille is published weekly during the fall, spring, and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. Second-class copies postage paid at Baton Rouge, LA, 70803. Annual weekly mailed subscriptions are $125, semester weekly mailed subscriptions are $75. Non-mailed student rates are $4 each regular semester, $2 during the summer; one copy per person, additional copies 25 cents each.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Reveille, B-39 Hodges Hall, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA 70803.

News

page 3 FACULTY

LSU music professor, bassist to retire

SMOKE

BY CODY THURBER @official_THURB

SCREEN HASKELL WHITTINGTON / The Daily Reveille

Signs across campus boast ‘smoke-free living,’ but community feels tobacco use still prevalent

BY CODY THURBER @official_THURB

“We’re Tobacco Free,” the signs across the University read.

The University advertises a tobacco-free campus — a ban including cigarettes and tobacco free e-cigs, or vape pens.

To outsiders looking in, the campus has taken a big step improving the health of its faculty, staff and students. For people who frequent the University’s campus, however, it is apparent that smoking is a common occurrence.

On Aug. 1, 2014, LSU enacted its tobacco-free campus policy. The policy was part of former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s “Well Ahead” program.

“This includes every tobacco product that is not approved by the FDA, including cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, smokeless tobacco products, such as vaping pens,” said Susan Bareis, assistant director of the health and wellness program.“We encourage peer enforcement, individuals turning in those that are violating the policy through student advocacy and accountability.”

Students caught smoking have had to complete Moodle modules on community commitment, write essays on the tobacco-free policy or meet with Bareis to

see SMOKING, page 6

check out resources if they are interested in quitting.

For accounting sophomore Brady Calcote, the current state of campus smoking is out of control.

“The lack of enforcement on the smoking policy has spiraled out of control to the point that the policy may not even be noticed anymore,” Calcote said. “I just think this policy needs to be enforced better than it is for the students and faculty that are secondhand to this.”

According to the “We’re Tobacco Free” website, the University spends $36,000 every

For one University professor, the end goal is for all of his students to find a job and career that embraces their passion.

After a lengthy career at the University, E. & D. White Professor of Jazz Studies and bassist Bill Grimes has decided to retire at the end of the school year.

Grimes has been with the LSU School of Music since 1984. Outside of his career at the University, Grimes has had an extensive career in music, teaching, performing and composing.

“I started studying the piano in 1960, and immediately found an intense curiosity for music,” Grimes said.

Around the time that he started playing the piano, Grimes’ parents gave him a guitar. Grimes enjoyed playing his guitar, but not in the way most guitarists do.

“Much to my mother’s surprise, she noticed that I was playing along with my records, but I was only playing the bass lines on the bottom strings of the guitar,” Grimes said. “I was destined to be a bass player.”

Grimes’ career as a performer has seen him recording music and working with people such as Joe Pass, Bobby Shew,Terrance Blanchard and Bill Dobbins. Grimes said that the key to working alongside well-known musicians is the connections he’s made along the way.

“Attending the Eastman

see GRIMES, page 6

ALUMNI

LSU alumna, ‘Pitch Perfect’ star makes name for herself

BY HAILEY AUGLAIR @haileyauglair1

Jessica or Ashley? “Pitch Perfect” star and University alumna Shelley Regner is making a name for herself.

Regner graduated in 2011 from the University’s theater program. As a freshman at the University, Regner said she was not sure what path she wanted to pursue. After taking a year off of theater, she knew she could not live without acting, and decided to pursue a degree in theater performance.

She has performed on stage since she was 6 years old while dancing at Jeffie Jean Studio in Baton Rouge.

Shortly after she graduated, there were open auditions for the movie “Pitch Perfect” at the University.

“It was just one of those experiences where I just tried not to blink as much as I could, so I wouldn’t miss anything,” Regner said.

Regner said she originally thought she was auditioning to be an extra.

Regner received a call on a Friday night that asked her to be cast

as one of the girls in the lead girl group, she said. She said filming in her hometown was bizarre at first as she didn’t have to be away from anybody, as acting so often requires.

Regner said one of her most memorable moments on set was when she invited some of the cast and crew to her house for Thanksgiving dinner.

“It was a huge hodgepodge of wine and food,” Regner said. “It was just a good time being home and trying to provide a home for

courtesy of SHELLEY REGNER

see REGNER, page 6

The main cast of “Pitch Perfect 3” poses for a picture while filming in Atlanta, Ga.

The Daily Reveille

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Wednesday, April 4, 2018

TECHNOLOGY

LSU students spend year making beach-ready wheelchair

BY RACHEL MIPRO @remroc15 A team of five, engineering seniors at the University have spent almost 300 hours making a beach-ready wheelchair for a woman with a neuromuscular disorder.

The team, consisting of electrical engineer majors Blaize Vansickel and Julian Bordelon, and mechanical engineer majors Kyle Jordan, Qusai Al Lawati and Brian Tanh, began the project in January, choosing the idea from a list of Senior Capstone Design program choices.

The idea was integrated as a program choice after Cheslyn Simpson, wrote an essay to the engineering students requesting help in the form of a beach-ready wheelchair. Since choosing the project, the team has become dedicated to making sure the wheelchair is suited for Simpson.

“From the beginning, all the

way up to now, everything we do, we show it to her,” Vansickel said. “We get her feedback, her input, and we adjust and make changes as necessary,” Vansickel said. “We actually designed three chairs for the initial concept, so we let her choose the one she liked the most, and that’s the one we’re actually doing.”

For the past year, the team has been using trial and error to create the best model. Since this is the first wheelchair design ever to be done as a Senior Capstone project at the University, and the first designed for a sandy environment, they’ve had to teach themselves a lot along the way.

“You have to use the skills that they give you in the engineering department to come up with solutions, and teach yourself all these different things so that you can actually manage to make these things, which are just not at all in your wheelhouse,”

Vansickel said. “It’s not something you’d normally do in school.”

To hone their design, the team tried to fix the flaws they saw in other similar products.

Vansickel said most of the available beach wheelchairs were hard to use, heavy and somewhat ridiculous looking. They had a vision: a sleek, easy-touse motorized wheelchair, with smaller wheels than the current available beach wheelchairs.

“We’re basically making her a motorized wheelchair-golf cart,” Vansickel said.

Now their year-long process is finally coming to a close. In about three weeks, the team will present their project before the College of Engineering. As they move into the final stages, multiple safety tests with test dummies will be performed before the wheelchair is used by Simpson.

The team wants future

courtesy of ANDREW FRANZELLA

LSU students create beach-friendly wheelchair as their Senior Capstone project.

University engineering teams to continue working with Simpson on modifications and improvements to their design, to try and perfect it.

“It’s very important that

we do this as well as we can, because we’re giving her something that she otherwise wouldn’t have the capability of doing, and that’s really awesome,” Vansickel said.

ENVIRONMENT

Horticulture Club at LSU prepares for annual spring plant sale

BY RACHEL MIPRO @remroc15 University students with unfulfilled gardening dreams are in luck. The Horticulture Club at LSU will be holding massive plant sales on April 5 and 6, open to the general public.

The sale will last from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, and will be held on the corner of South Stadium and Highland. A wide range of produce will be available, including ferns, garden vegetables, limes, fruit trees and more than a hundred succulents.

Supervising the sale will be Hor-

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ticulture Club president Emily Schenk.

The club has been holding semi-annual sales since it began in 1946. While their profit has encountered drastic fluctuations, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand, they have many repeat buyers who swear by their

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produce. Usually it sees around 200 to 300 people at these sales.

“We want to be able to provide the LSU community with stuff that’s going to be able to be grown in our greenhouse, so any kind of plants,” Schenk said. “We mainly do ornamentals or vegetables. Sometimes we do fruit, like the fruit trees. But most of that, we want to focus on and say ‘Here’s our students learning how to do this,’ and we’re also learning how to provide it to our LSU community, faculty, staff, whoever wants it.”

Apparently, what the people really want are succulents. Succulents have been especially popular with students, as they thrive in low-light conditions, such as dorm rooms. This year, the Horticulture Club really branched out in succulent selection, featuring specialized plants like the string of pearls succulent and the pencil cactus.

Tomatoes have also been a big ticket item in the past. Five or six different tomatoes species will be available, thanks to customer demands. The club takes their plants very seriously—most of the items for sale have been hand-raised by club members since January.

Most vegetables are also put through a process called hardening, in which club members make the plants hardier and likely to survive in hot temperatures, so that they have a higher success rate in home gardens.

The club has professional horticulturists as mentors, who advise them on the best species to plant and how to keep produce disease-free.

Edward Bush, associate professor in the AgCenter, praised the quality of the vegetables

for sale.

“Their plants are some of the best, from the best people recommendations, the best cultivars.

So it kinda makes them special,” Bush said.

Students in the club are allowed to advocate for the plants they’re passionate about, as well. One of the members last year deeply loved artichokes, and the last remnants of his bumper crop are still available, should any customers request artichoke.

“It’s a chance for them to do some great things, and if they fail, it’s okay,” Bush said. “It’s a time to spread your wings, take your chances. Some things, like fern spores, are very difficult.”

However, things haven’t been all sunshine and roses for the club after losing 10 percent of their crop in a damaging January freeze. Luckily for them, plants in the greenhouse remained undamaged. Club members also have plans to expand. The club currently occupies approximately one acre of land in Hill Farm, but will probably use more land when their shade house is completed.

The club hopes to eventually grow ground cover in the shade house, which would be used by facility services, in areas around oak trees in place of mulch. This ground cover would reduce drain blockage, as well as preventing runoff. It would most likely be more eco-friendly and cost-effective.

“For our club, it’s about getting out there, doing things hands- on, so they can understand how it works, and functions,” Schenk said. “It’s a teaching tool for real-world application.”

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

page 5

FACULTY

LSU professor observes brightness dips from star named for her

BY LUKE JEANFREAU @LukeJeanfreau The discovery of light fluctuations coming from KIC 8462852, colloquially known as Tabby’s star, caused quite a stir in the astronomy community.

One theory for the cause of the dimming involved an alien megastructure known as a Dyson sphere. However, when the Kepler Space Telescope, which had previously observed the star, changed directions, astronomers lost their main resource for studying the star.

LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy assistant professor Tabetha Boyajian created a Kickstarter campaign in May 2016 to fund the Las Cumbres Observatory in Goleta, California to observe the star.

By the end of the campaign, Boyajian raised over $100,000 from over 1,700 backers. Boyajian said the success of the campaign was particularly surprising as this crowdfunding of science hadn’t really been attempted before.

“I attribute it to luck,” Boyajian said. “This is kind of the first one of its kind to do something like that. This was a way for people who had a couple extra

courtesy of LSU MEDIA RELATIONS

Tabby’s star was named after LSU Professor Tabetha Boyajian after creating campaign that helps observe star. bucks to contribute to science, which we thought was pretty cool.”

Using the funds, the Las Cumbres Observatory observed the star from March 2016 to December 2017. The observatory gifted the program 200 hours of observing time before the Kickstarter began.

However, when astronomers received data from the Las

Cumbres Observatory, they realized that the dimming could not be caused by an alien megastructure. The dimming events were more likely caused by a cloud of dust.

While the severity of the dimming events ruled out the possibility of them being caused by a planet, another detail ruled out the alien megastructure theory.

Boyajian and other astronomers

noticed different wavelengths of light were being blocked by varying degrees. Since an opaque object like an alien megastructure blocks all light equally, this theory would not work.

For the first few months of 2018, Tabby’s star was not visible due to the Earth’s revolution around the sun. In March, Las Cumbres Observatory continued its observation of the

star and has now observed two new instances of dimming, the largest since the star was observed by Kepler. However, these dips were still somewhat small in comparison to the largest dip observed by Kepler of 20 percent.

Going forward, Boyajian said the project will focus on the wavelengths of light being blocked to determine what the dust cloud comprises.

“We’re viewing it in a few different colors,” Boyajian said.

“How much the star’s light is blocked in a certain color can tell us the kind of composition and the particle size of whatever it is that’s doing the blocking.”

Although astronomers still do not know a lot about what is causing the dimming, Boyajian said these things take time.

“We can’t really predict anything the star is doing, and that’s what makes it so interesting,” Boyajian said. “We don’t know when these things are going to happen, what they are going to look like and how long they last.

We’re waiting on one of those big 20-percenters, but it may never come. Next month we may get five of them in a row.”

ACADEMICS

HSE to host lecture series to improve "quality of life"

BY LUKE JEANFREAU @LukeJeanfreau

For the first time, every school in the College of Human Sciences & Education is coming together to host the Quality of Life Lecture Series, with the mission to educate those who are dedicated to improving quality of life across the lifespan.

The main goal of the program is to show a link between all of the schools in the College of HSE, and to educate people about how they can use skills from all of them to live better lives.

“The main thing is that, each of our programs, while unique, all, in some way, educate and provide services for people throughout their entire lifespan,” said Assistant Professor at the School of Library & Information Science Edward Benoit III. “It is a way of us trying to bridge the divide and show common themes throughout all of our individual programs.”

Benoit said people are often confused by the grouping of schools contained in the College of HSE. The lecture series aims to allow each school to show how their teachings can

contribute to increased quality of life.

“The idea was that the college would sponsor each school to invite a speaker, provide the funding to bring in a nationally- or internationally -recognized speaker to discuss an issue that addresses one of these topics looking at the quality of life across the lifespan,” Benoit said.

According to Benoit, the School of Library & Information Science looked at current events to choose a topic for their lecture, eventually settling on the topic of information literacy.

“We began looking at information literacy, particularly in the, as we call it, ‘post-truth world,’ and the importance of not just students, but society in general becoming more aware of and more useful with information,” Benoit said.

The School of Library & Information Science chose Head of the Information Literacy Department at the State University of New York at Albany Trudi Jacobson and Professor of Humanities and Arts in the Department of Literature, Communication and Cultural Studies at SUNY Empire State College Thomas P.

Mackey to give their lecture on April 13.

Jacobson and Mackey worked together to develop the metaliteracy model, which, according to their Massive Open Online Course on the subject, promotes critical thinking and collaboration in the digital age. Metaliteracy asserts that standard definitions of information literacy are insufficient for our modern media landscape.

Jacobson said metaliteracy speaks to the range of abilities, dispositions, awareness and knowledge needed to interact with, contribute to and learn from today’s collaborative, participatory information environment.

“Most people not only consume information, but also create it, both individually and collaboratively, and need to do so in an ethical manner," Jacobson added. "Metaliteracy highlights the need to find and evaluate information from a range of viewpoints, recognizing and pushing back against one’s own biases while doing so.”

Jacobson and Mackey’s lecture will take place on Friday, April 13 at 10 a.m. in the LSU Center for Computation and Technology’s Theatre.

The Daily Reveille

page 6

The high point of my orchestral career was

SMOKING, from page 3 to clean up cigarette butts that litter the grounds of campus.

For students interested in quitting smoking, there is a program. Bareis is a tobacco treatment specialist who is available for individual counseling. Students who have gone through the program in the past used mobile apps to track tobacco use, which send them positive messages along the way.

To schedule a consultation, contact the office of wellness and health promotion at 225-578-5718.

REGNER, from page 3 some people when they’re away from home. We still talk about that night to this day.”

Regner said her favorite role was Amy in Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Company.”

His songs were probably the hardest for musicians to play, and

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

when I conducted members of the Boston Symphony at the Tanglewood Music Festival.

BILL GRIMES

E. & D. White Professor of Jazz Studies

GRIMES, from page 3 HASKELL WHITTINGTON / The Daily Reveille

Despite the University’s tabacco-free campus policy, students feel that smoking is still prevalent on campus. the hardest for singers to sing, she said.

Regner is currently working on “Jennifer’s Body: The Unauthorized Musical from Hell,” where she plays the lead role of Jennifer in Los Angeles. She is also traveling to New York to film the series “New Dogs, Old Tricks.”

“I get really homesick during football season and Mardi

Gras season,” Regner said. “No one else in America celebrates like they do in the south during those times, and especially in Louisiana.”

In her next project, she said she will be working with the music producer from “Pitch Perfect” in a live-touring a cappella show for Disney called “D Cappella” in 2019.

courtesy of SHELLEY REGNER

The main cast of “Pitch Perfect 3” poses for pictures at the movie’s world premiere in Los Angeles, California.

School put me in touch with many famous people and others who could steer me to other performers, agents and managers,” Grimes said. “After you build a network, other people will start calling.”

Grimes has worked with musicians Frank Vincent and Rich Thompson. Together they released an album titled Dream Dancing.

Although retiring from LSU, Grimes is not giving up music, as he will soon be recording another album with Thompson and Grimes’ former teacher, Dobbins. The trio will hold a performance on April 27, consisting of jazz standards from the 1980s. Another aspect of Grimes’ career has been his time as a composer and a conductor.

“The high point of my orchestral career was in 2008 when I conducted members of the Boston Symphony at the Tanglewood Music Festival,”Grimes said. “I was working with jazz trumpeter Terrance Blanchard, performing his film score to the Spike Lee film When The Levees Broke. It was an overwhelming experience.”

Grimes was first offered a job in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but turned it down to come to LSU in 1984, a decision that he said he is proud he made.

“I was brought here to build the jazz program, but as it turned out, I also was asked to teach classical bass, which divided my time somewhat,” Grimes said.

During his time at LSU, Grimes has had a wide variety of responsibilities, including conducting the Baton Rouge Youth Symphony, serving as the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and serving as the Orchestrator for the Beach Boys.

At the end of the semester, Grimes will be stepping down from his professorship for three reasons. The first is to spend more time with his wife, Jan. The second is to pursue his desire to spend more time composing, arranging and practicing the bass. Grimes also believes that it is time for fresh blood to come into the LSU Jazz Program.

The final reason, as Grimes puts it, “I’m convinced that there are young jazz artists out there who have a more current outlook and knowledge than I do. The program needs some new energy.”

DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille

Professor of Jazz Studies Bill Grimes plays his bass in his office in the School of Music building on March 22.

Sports

page 7

DOUBLE TEAM Coaches Jay Clark and Bob Moore bring consistent coaching to LSU’s success

BY KENNEDI LANDRY @landryyy14

courtesy of LSU ATHLETICS

LSU coach D-D Breaux says the longevity and consistency of a staff is crucial to the team’s success.

The Tiger coaching staff includes Breaux, coaches Jay Clark and Bob Moore, volunteer coach Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and graduate assistant Ashleigh Gnat.

Clark and Moore in particular have been vital to LSU’s success in the last 18 years, combining for six national champions and 54 All-American honors in their respective events.

“Both of our assistants are both national champions so they both have that ‘been there, done that’ feeling,” Breaux said. “Jay and Bob have coached national champions, coached Super Six teams and, for Jay, national championship teams. So there’s so much experience as a coaching staff and we have a very consistent coaching message.”

“The longevity of a staff and the experience of our staff and our ability to be able to compete with the market

see COACHES, page 9

and keep our staff has been critical,” Breaux said.

But how do two men become some of the most successful coaches in the history of women’s college gymnastics? Both Clark and Moore describe their entrance into the world of gymnastics as “accidental.”

While at Samford University, Moore took a gymnastics class as his physical education and found out he had an aptitude for the sport. He often worked as a spotter at gyms close by

OPINION

Offensive consistency key for Tigers CAL’D UP CHRIS CALDARERA @caldarera11 Midterm examinations are one of the most dreaded parts of the academic calendar. These exams come at the halfway point of the semester and carry the same stress of a typical finals week.

Although there are a host of reasons for students to hate midterm exams, they can also be extremely useful. After all, it is often said that self-evaluation is the genesis of improvement, and the best means of evaluation is to take a physical test.

Self-evaluation in the present is crucial to success in the future, and there is no place this is better understood than in the world of sports.

Unlike tests replete with multiple choice questions and short-answer essays, the tests used for evaluating a sports team are the games that team plays.

As of the beginning of this week, the LSU baseball team

see OFFENSE, page 9

BASEBALL

Smith eyes return against Tennessee, will not play this weekend

BY GLEN WEST @glenwest21 Injuries have rippled through the LSU baseball roster all season long, but the Tigers could be getting one of their heavy hitters back soon.

LSU sophomore shortstop Josh Smith went down after the Notre Dame series when it was discovered he had a stress reaction in his back that would require four to six weeks of rest followed by rehab.

Smith felt pain in his back before the Notre Dame series, but gutted it out and hit a gamewinning home run in game one of the series against the Irish.

The sophomore shortstop never thought it would be as serious as the diagnosis would later show.

“I thought it was a little muscle thing at first,” Smith said.

“I went and got the X-ray and it was what we didn’t want it to be so it definitely wasn’t a good sign.”

It has now been six weeks,

but Smith has already begun the rehab process for his injury.

Smith has been fielding simulated ground balls and taking dry hacks with the bat while gradually doing some rotational drills with the back injury.

Smith said he felt well enough to begin rehab about a week ago ,and put together a plan with associate athletic director Cory Couture. While resting his back, Smith was limited to light hamstring and hip stretching.

“It was really just about resting it up,” Smith said. “Not really overdoing it.”

Smith is still in a wait-and-see mode of a potential return, but LSU coach Paul Mainieri said the Tennessee series in two weeks isn’t off the table at this point.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” Mainieri said. “Starting to gradually do some some baseball activities. He will not play this week but the target now moves to next week.”

see SMITH, page 9

WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille

LSU sophomore shortstop Josh Smith (4) attempts to tag out a Notre Dame player during the Tigers’ 7-6 victory against Notre Dame on Feb. 16 at Alex Box Stadium.

The Daily Reveille

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Wednesday, April 4, 2018

VOLLEYBALL

Indoor volleyball standout Gina Tillis joins beach volleyball team

BY JARRETT MAJOR @jarrett_tdr Senior outside hitter Gina Tillis is not the typical first year player for the LSU beach volleyball team.

As a four-year letterwinner for the LSU indoor volleyball team, she brings history as one of the most successful players in the history of LSU volleyball and a level of experience needed for the LSU beach volleyball team (16-9).

Tillis totaled 1,114 kills and 851 digs in her four years on the indoor team along with starting in all 108 matches she played in her career.

“Looking back now, I am really going to miss playing indoor,” Tillis said. “I learned things about myself and how to do things with other people. I learned things in life and character.”

Tillis closed her career on the indoor volleyball team the same way that she started it, with an

NCAA tournament appearance.

Despite starting her career with an NCAA tournament appearance and a 20-9 record, LSU volleyball hit a rough patch in her sophomore and junior years with back to back 9-20 seasons.

Tillis and LSU had a breakout season in her senior year as LSU won 20 games and made it to the NCAA tournament again.

“I had not been since my freshman year,” Tillis said. “So, going back was a goal for us. We barely got it, but when we saw our name called on the TV, it was a really great feeling.”

The tournament appearance encouraged Tillis to continue volleyball at LSU and join the beach volleyball team, which already included several indoor players.

LSU senior Cheyenne Wood, who has played on both the indoor and beach volleyball teams, wanted Tillis to join the team for a while.

“It is really cool going over to a different sport,” Tillis said. “With me and Cheyenne being seniors, it is really cool to have another season together.”

Wood feels like that the tournament appearance in indoor volleyball allowed her and Tillis to grow close and hopes to make another tournament run in beach volleyball.

“She has been a joy to play with,” Wood said. “Just seeing her grow as a player, has been so fun.

Going to the tournament was just a perfect way to end a senior year.”

Tillis’ transition from indoor to beach volleyball has been difficult because of the differences between playing indoors and outdoors.

“She is doing great,” said LSU coach Russell Brock. “Any time you make that transition indoor to outdoor, there is a learning curve.

It takes a while to figure out, but once you do there is a steep

improvement. She is in that steep improvement phase right now.

She is going to help us this year.”

She has handled it well and has started in all 16 games beach volleyball has played this year, and has a 6-10 record on the fifth court.

Tillis said it has been easier to get used to beach volleyball with the players on the team.

“It is a different atmosphere and a different sport,” she said.

“It feels good to keep playing the game with another group of girls, so far it is going pretty well.”

With the indoor tournament appearance and 1,114 kills, Tillis’ profile on campus has grown.

She felt that in beach volleyball’s purple and gold scrimmage, when LSU fans that showed up in the PMAC came over to Mango’s Beach Volleyball Club to watch her and her team play.

“I saw some of the girls that

WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille

Senior Gina Tillis (35) practices on March 8 at Mango’s Beach Volleyball Club. used to go to our signings at the end of the scrimmage,” Tillis said.

“It was really cool seeing them at our game and loving it. Our fanbase just comes together as one volleyball program.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Forward Ayana Mitchell’s stylish hair brings energy on court

BY JARRETT MAJOR @jarrett_tdr What powered the Lady Tigers’ basketball team to a fourth place finish in the SEC, a top-25 ranking, and 11 conference wins?

Was it a coaching staff that included Hall of Famer Mickie DeMoss? Was it two all-SEC guards? Or was it the stingy

matchup zone defense that pressured opponents?

While all of these things helped lead the Lady Tigers to a tournament bid, LSU attributes its success to something entirely different: redshirt sophomore forward Ayana Mitchell’s hair and her hobby of styling it.

“I had this curly long hair and the coaches did not want me to

change it,” Mitchell said. “That is when I started getting double doubles like back to back to back.

I changed it into a long blonde, and I still did pretty good with it, but it was not a double double, so I switched back and got a double double.”

“Her teammates wanted her to change it back,” LSU coach Nikki Fargas said. “When she has red hair, blond hair, long hair, any

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hair, she is going to come out and compete for us. She is doing that consistently for us and we are going to continue to count on that.”

Mitchell first started doing her hair in her redshirt freshman season at LSU and has since gained national attention, including being featured by ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo.

“It is a hobby of mine,” Mitchell said. “I like to change my hair a lot, instead of going and paying somebody else to do it.

I just figured out a way to do it myself. It is something I enjoy doing and that I am good at. I switch it from time to time, it is a part of my identity.”

Mitchell, one of three Lady Tigers to start all 29 games this season, has been a warrior for the Lady Tigers in the paint this season, averaging 11 points per game and 8.2 rebounds.

“It is great to see her growth,” said senior guard Raigyne Louis.

“As her best friend, I knew that she had it in her. She just had to bring it out. I had confidence in her, I knew what she could do.

She had to gain confidence in herself. It nice to see her gain that confidence in herself and you can see it every game.”

Along with establishing a presence for herself on the court, Mitchell has become well-known for her fashionable hair amongst LSU fans.

Mitchell has switched up her style wearing her hair in many different lengths, colors and styles during the season.

At the Lady Tigers’ selection show party, Mitchell gave eager LSU fans a preview of her hair for the NCAA tournament.

“It is not going to be any crazy color,” Mitchell said. “It is going to be either really, really long or really, really short. It depends on how I feel.”

Along with a knack for doing her own hair, Mitchell has become a go-to source for hair expertise on the team.

She has even styled the hair of some of her teammates during the season.

“It gives her peace,” Louis said. “It calms her down.

She just loves doing it. She does my hair sometimes, too. She matches it with her personality and the different things she brings to the table.”

Mitchell’s effort to help her teammates off-the-court pairs with her efforts on the court.

While she helped lead the Lady Tigers to a tournament berth a season ago, Mitchell improved this season as she was able to accept her position on the team.

“I have just owned up to my role on this team,” Mitchell said.

“Of course, my teammates have found me and I have been in the right places to get boards on offense and defense. I have just run the floor and stay balanced.

It helps that I am able to play more minutes than before.”

Along with her teammates, Mitchell has put in extra effort in practice to get better.

Fargas believes that Mitchell can excel in anything she puts effort in.

“I just leave her hair alone, but she is very talented,” Fargas said. “She probably could go into cosmetology and own her own hair salon and make pieces for stars. It is something about it that she correlates her to her play and if that gets us a double double, then I am all for it.”

In both basketball and hair, the expectations for Mitchell are even higher next season.

“I still think that y’all have not seen her best abilities yet,” Louis said. “She is going to surprise a lot of people next year.”

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, April 4, 2018 SMITH, from page 7

OFFENSE, from page 7

While observing from the bench, Smith has had the opportunity to watch the team grow through three weeks into Southeastern Conference play.

The pitching rotation has stuck out after being tested the first few outings of the season.

“Our pitchers were getting questioned early,” Smith said.

“Then those guys came out and you’ve seen what they’ve done.

Ma’Khail [Hilliard] has been outstanding and the hitters are really coming around.”

Freshman shortstop Hal Hughes has been standing in for Smith since his injury. Hughes is currently batting .233 with 13 RBI, but Smith said maturing as a hitter in the SEC is just something that comes with being a freshman.

“He’s still adjusting to SEC pitching,” Smith said. “But he’s playing shortstop better than most people have in the country, so that’s good to see.”

Hughes said Smith is a great resource to utilize as he adjusts to SEC baseball as a freshman and is eager for his teammate to get back on the field.

“Josh has been working real hard in his rehab,” Hughes said.

“He’s been helping me out a lot telling me to believe in myself, especially when I’m experiencing some failures, he tells me to stay confident so it’s great having him around.”

is 29 games into its 56-game regular season, which means the Tigers are one game past the halfway point.

Since it’s midterm time for the baseball team, let’s see where they stand.

LSU is currently 18-11 (5-4 Southeastern Conference.)

That record may seem extremely mediocre on the surface, but many fans have probably forgotten that the Tigers were 19-10 (5-4 SEC) halfway through the 2017 season.

As we all know, the 2017 team went on a postseason tear that included a trip to the College World Series where the Tigers captured national

COACHES, from page 7 in order to pay his way through college.

Clark, on the other hand, went to college hoping to walk on the University of Georgia’s football team. He didn’t end up on the team, but he became acquainted with multiple gymnasts that opened doors for him.

He, similar to Moore, started as a student assistant, working camps across the country and getting help from wherever he could.

Before joining the Tigers, both Moore and Clark came up in the ranks at other Southeastern Conference schools.

Moore spent six years at the University of Florida and six at Auburn University as an assistant, while Clark spent time as assistant coach, head coach and recruiting coordinator at Georgia, his alma mater.

“Jay is a tremendous recruiter,” Breaux said. “He was a head coach and an assistant coach with a tremendous amount of experience and wisdom about what it takes to compete at this level. It’s not like we have anybody on our staff that we’re trying to bring along or coach up.”

Managing the psychological and emotional aspects of coaching gymnastics is where the maturity of the staff really begins

runner-up honors.

I’m not saying the 2018 team will replicate last year’s success, but I am saying this year’s goals are still well within reach.

To attain those goals, LSU needs to overhaul several aspects of its play to stay alive in the dog days of summer.

When the season began, many fans thought the Tigers’ biggest obstacle would be pitching, especially since the weekend rotation was going to feature three new starters.

Stellar performances from closing-pitcher-turned-ace Zack Hess, dependence on the reliable arm of Caleb Gilbert and the emergence of freshman phenom Ma’Khail Hilliard has proven to be LSU’s bread to matter.

The scenarios that they have encountered as a staff, from girls dealing with social life to academic struggles, Clark says they know how to nip things in the bud before they become problems.

“The experience of our staff really lends itself well to stability and a calmness under fire,” Clark said. “We’ve seen so many things happen over the years that I’ve been through that and we can say that to our kids when they experience it.”

While LSU’s coaching staff has largely contributed to its success in recent years, the consistency of its gymnasts and the recruiting of elite gymnasts has changed the way LSU competes in the SEC. Moore has coached LSU’s elite vault lineup that finished in the top-10 in 13 of his 18 seasons and No. 1 in the country in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Clark took LSU’s bars lineup to new heights with his arrival in 2013. Since then, LSU has finished third in the nation every season.

“The more time you have with any athlete, theoretically, the better they’re going to get if you’re doing your job and I’m enjoying the ride,” Clark said.

“People want to give credit to a coach sometimes but really it’s about the kids and what they do.”

As he recruits, Clark often

page 9 and butter as of late.

Surprisingly, the starting rotation hasn’t been the only consistent part of the pitching staff. The Tiger bullpen has not allowed a run in seven consecutive games.

Now would be a good time to knock on wood.

Unfortunately, LSU’s offense has been anything but consistent recently. The Tigers struggled to plate runs in the Vanderbilt series and the midweek game against UL-Lafayette but scored 10 runs in the first game of the Mississippi State series.

Productivity at the plate has been a burden for LSU all season. The Tigers’ .295 team batting average is good for fourth

in the SEC, but LSU is only 12th in the league in runs scored.

It should go without saying that the Tigers will need to greatly improve at the plate when runners are in scoring position if they plan on having a competitive postseason.

The good news is LSU should get an offensive boost when infielders Josh Smith and Brandt Broussard return from injury.

In fact, I think it would be warranted for fans to raise their expectations for the Tigers in the remainder of the season. This young team is gaining experience with each passing game, and I have a feeling the purple and gold faithful will be in for a treat as we inch closer to the summer.

I think we have a good system here. I think we have a great culture and environment.

JAY CLARK

Associate head coach reminds recruits that he was in their place just five years ago, after resigning as head coach at Georgia. When Breaux was looking for another coach to join herself and Moore, who arrived at LSU in 2000, Clark was the only person she thought of calling.

“I came because I felt like it was a place where the same kinds of things could happen that I had seen over the course of 22 years over there [at Georgia],” Clark said. “What convinced me to take the job was that I really believed that it could happen for us here.”

Those same things that drew Clark to the position are what draw potential gymnasts to LSU. From the academics to athletic facilities and the exposure the University gets, not many places can rival LSU in the recruiting process, Clark said.

LSU itself presents a special overall experience that goes fur-

ther than gymnastics.

“Honestly, I am so honored to be a part of all this because I’ve been around for 40-something years,” Moore said. “I get this message. I get what we do with the girls. I like what we do. We do more things than just gymnastics. It’s life lessons, prioritizing and all that stuff.”

It’s not just about the talents an athlete has when they come to LSU. It has to be the group of them together to make an impact, Moore explained.

LSU and its coaching staff present an environment that allows athletes to come in and succeed.

“I think we have a good system here,” Clark said. “I think we have a great culture and environment. We’ve got kids that have bought in and that’s the single most important thing.

Coaches are not any good if they don’t have the right kids in their program.”

WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille

LSU sophomore shortstop Josh Smith (4) hits the ball during the Tigers’ 7-6 victory against Notre Dame on Feb. 16.

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University coaches Jay Clark [left] and Bob Moore [right] bring experience and leadership to LSU’s coaching staff.

The Daily Reveille

page 10

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Wednesday, April 4, 2018

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Entertainment past is prologue

Book documents dying cemeteries

BY ASHLEI GOSHA @yungjemisin

on the history of New Orleans.

Leah Wood Jewett, the exhibit coordinator for special exhibits, curated the “Made in New Orleans” exhibit with Melissa Smith, the Assistant Curator of Manuscripts, and Hans Rasmussen, Coordinator of Special Collections Technical Services.

“This year is the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Orleans and we wanted to participate in that commemoration,” Jewett said. “We wanted to do something a little different than just a straight historical overview so we narrowed our focus to materials in our collection that were printed or published in New Orleans.”

see PRINT, page 17

see CEMETERIES, page 17

photos by LAUREN WATSON

The Crescent City is known for its culture, food and incredible ability to throw a good party.

However, the history of the city spans way past any of its cultural elements. The LSU Hill Memorial Library lays the history of the great city of New Orleans out for all to see.

“Made in New Orleans: The Past in Print” is an exhibit made to celebrate the intricate history that created the city many of the University’s students call home. The public is welcome to stop by until the exhibit closes on June 8. The curators are also open to any donations that would be appropriate to add to the exhibit and expands

LITERATURE

The last thing most people think of when they enter cemeteries is that one day they will disappear. It’s hard to imagine hundreds of final resting places being submerged or washed out to sea, but this is exactly what’s happening in Louisiana’s coastal zone. The Louisiana Endangered Cemetery Project seeks to raise awareness of this growing issue.

Former University student Jessica Schexnayder started the Louisiana Endangered Cemetery Project after becoming privy to the state of Louisiana cemeteries while writing an essay for retired FACES lab director Mary Manhein, coauthor of their book, “Fragile Grounds: Louisiana’s Endangered Cemeteries.” They are currently focused on promoting the book.

“We’re losing land at the rate of an acre every 30 minutes to the Gulf of Mexico, and 80 percent of the nation’s coastal land loss occurs in south Louisiana,” Schexnayder said. “So I was putting two and two together, and I thought, ‘Well, what’s going to happen to the cemeteries that are on our coastline?’”

Schexnayder approached then-director of Louisiana Sea Grant Chuck Wilson with the idea to document the cemeteries

‘New Orleans: Past in Print’ shows colorful history of Cresent City

BY AMAYA LYNCH @maya09172

page 11

MUSIC

The Nocturnal Broadcast gets head-start to music career

BY MADS REINEKE @mrein39

Though they have been together less than a year, the atmosphere surrounding local indie band The Nocturnal Broadcast is full of the comfort and camaraderie that only comes from a deep friendship.

“I’ve been in bands where the members weren’t really tight, and it kind of sucks,” said Taylor Stoma, the group’s drummer and vocalist. “It’s that shared musical experience, like a conversation, that you share together and then there’s no actual conversation after.”

Bassist Annie Carlson and lead vocalist/guitarist Connor LaCour have been playing together since 2013, with Stoma and Carlson’s boyfriend Drew Brunson joining in later on.

The Nocturnal Broadcast released their first full-length album “A Pendulum Ache” in February 2018. LaCour said he still felt like he was dreaming and that the ideas behind the album had been forming in his mind for years.

“The idea was that there was a narrative that represented through character interactions different iterations of myself that sometimes reflected more unpleasant times,” LaCour said.

“Inadvertently, it took on a sort of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ kind of vibe of me going in and out of periods of depression, this trajectory down and trying to climb back up and out.”

LaCour and his bandmates said they utilized deep emotion to feel connection to their music.

That kind of emotion seemed to bleed out from LaCour into

his bandmates, who each felt their own deep connection to their music, and to LaCour’s music especially.

“Lyrically, I hadn’t really been able to focus on [the songs] much,” Brunson said. “We practice [at Brunson and Carlson’s house] and we don’t have a microphone, so I couldn’t really hear what Connor was saying. And when I’m playing I’m usually drowned in my own stuff, so I’m not really paying attention.”

Brunson said he realized the importance of the band at one of The Nocturnal Broadcast’s shows at Baton Rouge’s 524 Studios when someone in the audience approached the group afterward to tell them that one of their songs nearly brought him

see NOCTURNAL, page 17

LAUREN WATSON / The Daily Reveille

Members of The Nocturnal Broadcast (left to right) Annie Carlson, Drew Brunson, Taylor Stoma and Connor LaCour sit with their instruments on March 11.

The Daily Reveille

page 12

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

FOOD AND DRINK

Student encourages healthy dorm eating through Instagram assumption that she’d be more inclined to unhealthy eating.

There’s a conception that eating Everything changed when unhealthy is a part of Southern mass communication fresh- culture, but McCraw said that man Erin McCraw came danc- it’s not quite accurate.

“Growing up, we didn’t necesing from her final year in high school into her first year at the sarily eat unhealthy, but health University. Alone and a state was not a priority in our home,” away from home in Birmingham, McCraw said. “I think it was one Alabama, McCraw didn’t let of those things that, especially the stress of her new surround- as I’ve come to college I’ve takings unsettle her. Instead, she en my health, it’s my own now. I focused on something she could make the decisions now [about] what I’m putting into my body.” control: her diet.

McCraw, like many McCraw’s hobby is health.

She said she grew up dancing first-year students, lives in a and loves to hike, practice yoga dorm. She said the easiest way and travel. She was inspired by to resist giving in to unhealthy habits in college is health and wellto not even allow ness social media “I do eat pizza and them to take root. to start Erin Eats, “Just because an Instagram accheeseburgers or you live in a dorm count where she posts pictures and whatever, but I think doesn’t mean you how-tos for the that life is all about can’t eat healthy,” McCraw said. “If food she prepares balance...” you keep those unright in her dorm healthy things in room. your dorm you’re “Food is kind ERIN MCCRAW definitely going to of a creative outMass communication freshman reach for them — let for me,” Mcthe chips and the Craw said. “I can create recipes and try out new cookies, late at night when you’re things. It was interesting to see studying, you’re gonna reach for a recipe for so-and-so online and those.”

While the dining halls don’t I’m like ‘oh that looks good’ and then I get to try it out for myself, always offer the healthiest of then share it with my family and choices, McCraw said she still pays them visits. She said she loved ones.”

Since McCraw originates incorporates things offered at from Alabama, there is an the dining halls into dishes she

BY ASHLEI GOSHA @yungjemisin

SOPHIE GRANZOW / The Daily Reveille

Mass communication freshman Erin McCraw talks about her healthy food Instagram page at Hill Memorial Library on LSU campus on March 22. prepares in her room.

“I only have a microwave and a fridge, so I make a lot of things that don’t have to be cooked,” McCraw said. “I have a Keurig, too, so I can get hot water and make oatmeal, and I’ll get wraps and meat and stuff. I try to be inventive about it, and

use the things that I have available to me.”

McCraw said running the Erin Eats account and focusing on eating healthy has given her something to focus on during her first year at the University, which has been tough to navigate.

“It makes me feel like the best version of myself — not to say that I eat healthy 100 percent of the time,” McCraw said. “I do eat pizza and cheeseburgers or whatever, but I think that life is all about balance in every aspect of your life.”

BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY

Haunted Ghost Tours shows tourists spirit of Baton Rouge

BY CASSIDY MARTZ @cassemartz Contrary to popular belief, haunted ghost tours are not just for Halloween. Susan and Scott Miles, co-owners of Red Stick Adventure Tours, offer year-round ghost tours through some of the most historically haunted sights Baton Rouge has to offer.

The tours run weekly Monday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tour guests will hear the urban legends and ghost stories of the area as they ride and walk through the city’s most macabre destinations.

The two-hour bus ride ferries guests up and down the streets of Baton Rouge, stopping in three distinctly haunted areas for passengers to walk around, including grounds that date back to 4500 B.C. Toward the end of the tour, guests will join in a ghost hunt using professional paranormal investigation equipment.

“We have a tremendous amount of interest outside the month of October rather than in the month of October because people are involved in other Halloween events like trunk or treats with churches

It’s going to be different than anything else you do in Baton Rouge.

SUSAN MILES

Red Stick Adventure Tours co-owner or costume parties with their friends,” Susan said.

Red Stick Adventure Tours also offers other tours such as swamp tours, city tours and plantation tours.

“Right now the ghost tour is the most popular — second is the swamp tour,” Susan said.

The tours operate rain or shine unless there is severe weather. Susan said the tours are more popular during months when the weather is not too hot.

“I would say in the spring it’s been busier because we haven’t had too hot of a spring yet, but we had people out when it was 20 degrees and practically snowing, too,” Susan said.

Guests can reserve their tour online or over the phone. Guests are recommended to be 18 and

over, but all ages are welcome.

Passengers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

“I would say our biggest group of people are in their early to mid-twenties to early thirties; that’s our ticket population,” Susan said. “I’ve had as young as 10 and as old as 60.”

Susan said their tours are popular because of the safer, engaging aspect of the attractions.

“One thing that sets us apart from other tours is that guests are safe to walk around in Baton Rouge with me and I can’t say that for other tours like the ones in New Orleans,” Susan said. “We also involve equipment to actually engage and talk to the spirits, and I don’t know of any other tours that do that either.”

courtesy of RED STICK ADVENTURE TOURS

Red Stick Adventure Tours offers year-round tours weekly Monday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Red Stick Adventure Tours allows tourists to travel down the same roads that civil war soldiers, notorious politicians and serial killers once walked. It shows Baton Rouge in a different light, and it gives tourists a historical outlook on the city.

“It’s going to be different

than anything else you do in Baton Rouge,” Susan said.

“If you are looking for a unique experience that can combine both history and spooky stories and the actual ability to engage spirits, then that’s not something you’re going to find in any other tour here in Baton Rouge.”

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

page 13

ART

Student uses nostalgic items as artistic inspiration

BY MADS REINEKE @mrein39

The umbrella you always keep by your door, the fake potted plant on your kitchen counter and your butter dish all may not drive inspiration for everyone, but ceramics graduate student Jodie Masterman has based her entire thesis show on the deep significance these items have in your life.

“I’m making a series of still lives using objects as placeholders for certain people and certain memories,” Masterman said. “In the past, I’ve done a lot of functional work, [this collection] demonstrates how memories change over time and how that changes your perception of the objects you remember using.”

Masterman’s exhibition — showing alongside her friend and fellow graduate painter Eli Casiano — will be open April 17-21, with a special reception on April 21 from 6-8 p.m. The exhibition will showcase the impact family has had on Masterman and Casiano’s lives and their art, in two very different styles.

Masterman’s inspirations don’t end with just memories, however. The concept of memory baking itself into an object’s essence may seem an unconscious choice on one end, but Masterman sees a strong connection between these mental triggers and the owner’s conscious choice to have these objects in their lives.

THE DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES

Graduate student Jodie Masterman showcases her ceramics piece “Larking: The Complete Beginner’s Tool Kit” for the LARK exhibit on Jan. 25, 2016, in the Student Union Art Gallery. “[It also demonstrates] how the way in which the objects people choose to surround themselves with says so much about who they are, but also how they display and arrange their objects and curate their interior landscape,” Masterman said. “It says so much not only about who they are as a person, but also how they function within that space and how they interact with others there.”

Though she has her own studio section, Masterman said she is constantly surrounded by the sounds of her fellow ceramics students. She said while she had always wanted to do something with art as well as

teaching, it was the community surrounding ceramics that took her down her current path.

“It’s [a combination of] the diversity, the people that are involved in ceramics and the energy in the ceramics building,” Masterman said. “And the collaborative approach to this art as opposed to others — just getting to use my hands to build something.”

Masterman – though she has lived in America for many years – said she has found the most inspiration for her work in the memories of her childhood in Wales. She said her time with her family in the U.K. taught her to pay attention to the little things

9-11

APRIL 10

Join us for LSU’s annual undergraduate research and creativity symposium!

PRESENTATION SCHEDULE: 9-11 am POSTER PRESENTATIONS Royal Cotillion Ballroom

ART DISPLAYS

Union Art Gallery

1-4 pm ORAL PRESENTATIONS

All EVENTS ARE FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, & HELD IN THE LSU STUDENT UNION TO LEARN MORE, GO TO lsu.edu/discover/discoverday

Feliciana, Red River, Capital Chamber, Castilian, & Vieux Carré Rooms

4-5 pm AWARDS & KEYNOTE SPEECH

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jesse Allison Atchafalaya Room

It feels important to put my fingerprints on this work.

It makes me feel like I’m in control of these memories.

JODIE MASTERMAN

Ceramics graduate student

and everyday household items.

“My grandparents still live in Wales, and I spent a lot of time in my childhood at their house,” Masterman said. “When I think of their house, I always think about the kitchen, because my Nan would always be cooking in there. [Little things like] how the light would enter the room and going down to the kitchen in the morning for this beautiful breakfast with all the toast in the toast rack and a butter dish for the butter, and the big bowl full of fruit…”

Masterman said the butter dish, in particular, was one of the symbolic pieces that made it into her collection. The objects range widely in variety, but they all hold a connecting tie: memories.

“I made an umbrella to symbolize my grandma because for me, she is much a Mary Poppins figure,” Masterman said. “[This project was a way] for me to figure out my relationships with different family members through objects.”

Connections of family and community have proved to be a strong driving force behind Masterman’s work, as well as one of the reasons she began to love ceramics. She said she got her true start to sculpting while studying drawing at the Art Institute in Chicago.

“I decided over the summer to take a ceramics throwing class, and it was really challenging for me,” Masterman said. “Going through the new challenges of trying to center and make all of the walls even height and

working with all these people at the same time. I loved getting to find and create new surfaces for my drawings.”

Masterman lets all the emotion behind her work show as prominently as she can, right down to the most intimate artistic details.

“I use porcelain, and I pinch all of my work,” she said. “It feels important to put my fingerprints on this work. It makes me feel like I’m in control of these memories. All of the importance behind these memories, these people and these objects could’ve been so different from any other perspective.”

Masterman said her personal brand of style also contains, in some capacity, the color yellow, since it has such a lightness behind it.

“People will tell me that my work is kind of fun and silly, which is great,” she said. “I love making people happy and I love the idea of my work making someone happy, but sometimes the memories aren’t as happy as some of the objects. It makes the work approachable in a way that it might not be if I’d used other colors.”

Masterman said her curiosity with the bonds that hold people and their memories together is truly what brings her works to life.

“I don’t want to live in a sterile environment that doesn’t show life-occupancy,” she said.

“When you enter a home you can see a clear passage to the hearth of the home.”

page 14

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

FESTIVE FASHION

After a study of some of my favorite looks festival looks – along with my own experiences – I’ve compiled a list of popular outfit staples to keep you festival-ready no matter what the weather may bring.

BY MADS REINEKE | @mrein39

FANNY PACKS

INDUSTRIAL BOOTS

Tacky as they may seem, fanny packs are probably my top-ranked festival accessory. They come in a variety of fun patterns and colors and are easily customizable. On my list of pros, fanny packs meet most of my requirements. They’re not cumbersome, still have room to hold your necessities and don’t restrict your movement – always a plus when you’re trying to jam in the middle of a crowd full of people.

Granted, wearing Doc Martens to a music festival isn’t a new idea, but I’ve found big industrial boots have a greater purpose than simple trendiness. In places with fickle weather conditions, Doc Martens and other types of industrial-strength boots are a great solution to keeping the mud off if it rains. The dust off if it’s sunny and the spills off when things get sloppy. Also, paired with the right socks, they’ll keep you warm and comfortable in all kinds of weather.

SNEAKERS

SCARVES & SHAWLS

The final, ultimate staple festival look is a pair of comfy sneakers. Some classic Converse All-Stars or Vans will go with practically everything — even if you have a pair with a fun design or bright color. However, what’s most important when picking out sneakers is to make sure they are a pair you’ve worn before. Breaking in a pair of new shoes, no matter the socks, is a recipe for blisters. More importantly, there’s something so satisfying about getting your already ratty sneakers just that much more beat up.

Scarves and shawls were probably the most wide-spread outfit addition, and with good reason. You can shift a scarf to a new position, easily store it if the weather changes and use it on a suddenly-cold evening. While it’s important to make sure you’re not culturally insensitive with your scarf choice – I found a few girls who were distinctly not South Asian wearing traditional sarees – there are plenty of available options to complete just about any outfit you come up with.

COSTUMES

LAYERED TOPS OR BOTTOMS

Festivals are perfect for trying out the unicorn onesie you’ve been hiding away or any number of glittery leotards. These may seem impractical, but both ends of this costume-covered spectrum have benefits that can keep your festival experience from going south. Leotards, for example, are incredibly versatile. You can layer them to create a variety of styles, and with the right kind of pieces, a bright pink glittery leotard can be both comfortable and crowd-stopping.

Layering up is one of the best ways to create a look that’s easily convertible in all kinds of weather. While it’s important, of course, that you look good, it’s more important that your layered pieces are both easy to remove and easy to store. Something like a pair of tights for under jeans or shorts or a flannel in any thickness that can be tied around your waist are both comfy, portable options that’ll help you keep as warm or cool as you need.

TIE-DYE

BACKPACKS

While it might not always go with the vibes of whatever festival you attend, tie-dye is a classic way to be comfortable without being boring. If you don’t have any tie-dye to start your festival weekend with, I’ve always seen at least one stand selling tie-dye in all kinds of variations. Tie-dye clothing can come in practically any form, making it a versatile style for all kinds of weather. What’s more, each piece of tie-dye is distinguishable, since it’s most always handmade.

Backpacks are the ultimate festival accessory, no matter which setting you’re in. Make sure that you read the guidelines on what you’re allowed to bring in, so you don’t have to throw anything away or make anybody extra time in the long entrance line. Once that’s out of the way, your backpack can be a lifesaver. It’ll hold all kinds of little things you need, as well as any extra rain gear, water bottles or sunscreen you might need.

When you’re surrounded by positive vibes from all angles, it’s not hard to feel happy wearing things you’d never sport on a day-to-day basis. It’s important to remember that you can still stand out without the elements and the crowds cramping your style.

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

page 15

REV R ANKS LOVE, SIMON 20th Century Fox “Love, Simon” is the film we didn’t know we needed but is way past due. It’s a new take on the coming-of-age story. The world is changing, and it makes sense that teen films are changing along with it. For one of the first times ever, the main character in the film is a closeted gay teenage boy just looking for a way to live his life to the fullest.

Amaya Lynch @maya09172

GIRLS INCARCERATED Netflix Ladies, imagine you get your period for the first time, but instead of crying to your mom, dad, sibling or dog, you are forced to cry to the correctional officer in prison. That just about perfectly sums up Netflix’s new show, “Girls Incarcerated: Young and Locked Up.”

Kelly Swift @kellbell237

OBSIDIO Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff The book demonstrates the two prominent elements of the series: the beauty of life and space and how insignificant they become when money gets involved. This book is the finale of an anti-capitalist space opera, and I loved almost every second of it.

Ashlei Gosha @yungjemisin

A WRINKLE IN TIME

Walt Disney Pictures

Though I was an avid reader in middle school, Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time” didn’t do much for me. Now, around 11 years later, I remember little to nothing about the book itself, only the fact that I loathed it. However, I can say that Ava DuVernay’s adaptation truly surprised me – and not just because I actually enjoyed it.

Mads Reineke @twittername

Read the full reviews online at lsunow.com/daily/entertainment

‘Ready Player One’ connects nerds from every generation

BY ASHLEI GOSHA @yungjemisin “Ready Player One” was fun.

It wasn’t life-changing, and I didn’t come out of the movie feeling different, but it was fun. The film mercifully pulled back from the book’s “ode to the middle-aged poindexter” info-dumping to deliver a story which avoids alienating the average moviegoer while leaving in a few references that the target audience of the book may be pleasantly surprised to unearth.

The effects shown in the first scene may have been my favorite part of the whole movie. It immediately set up the whimsical world of the OASIS virtual reality platform as full of potential in the most dazzling way possible. This scene is what people envision when they hear about advancements in virtual reality.

The film succeeded in capturing the fun in the absurdity of video games. It did this best during the race toward the beginning where we first begin to get to know our characters through their play styles. Throughout the race, the stakes get more and more ridiculous until they reach an insurmountable apex, and in the process the challenges we seek when we play games are revealed.

Less fun is the “nerd culture” things the characters do, like egg hunters or “gunters” testing each other on their knowledge of the creator of the OASIS before deeming them worth each other’s time. However, it’s definitely in the spirit of the book, and it does reflect a thing that happens in real life.

This is where the praise ends.

The animation and effects in “Ready Player One” were undoubtedly spectacular, but I hated looking at main character Wade Watts’ (Tye Sheridan) avatar, Parzival. His white hair made him look like a less interesting version of Raiden from “Metal Gear Solid,” and his huge, wet eyes on an otherwise fairly normal face were unsettling.

That being said, after a certain point scenes in the real world started to seem sillier than what went on in the OASIS. Sure, the characters might have been in bodily danger, but I didn’t really care about them and had a mecha

courtesy of WARNER BROS.

battle to watch. The added drama of a cheap version of “Altered Carbon’s” Tamara Taylor and her villain squad didn’t worry me.

There was also a huge romantic jump that didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Wade and Samantha (Olivia Cooke), or “Art3mis” in the OASIS, go from having a casual flirtation at best to being deeply in love in the blink of an eye. I can’t help but think I must have missed something, but I watched the whole movie and their romance hit me like a most unwelcome brick to the face.

There was a speech. It was one of the movie’s rougher moments.

The formation of this romance wasn’t readily obvious, though much of the dialogue was. The characters pointed out things so glaringly obvious that it was a little insulting to hear. Also present was a heavy handed call to action to unplug and value your real life.

While their hearts were in the right place, it’s hard to take seriously because the film spends so little time in the real world and the characters’ lives suck until they aren’t dirt poor anymore. Their world has gone into the trash and only Samantha is particularly inclined to fix it. Also, the OASIS

has mecha fights. Come on.

The movie often refers to Japanese media that has become classical American deep nerd property, like “Akira” and “Gundam.” It’s easy to miss if you’re not thinking about it, but once you know other things become noticeable. The overly large eyes of Art3mis and Parzival are reminiscent of eyes in Japanese animation, for instance. It’s one of the weirder ways a cyberpunk movie has expressed the genre and the American nerd’s fixation with Asia.

As someone who read the book long ago, I had abysmal expectations for “Ready Player One.” I’m pleased to say that though the nerd explanations were grating at times they didn’t manage to take over, and I was treated to an action-packed romp where I only felt a little silly for all of the references I got. Not life-changing, but incredibly fun in spite of some cringeworthy moments.

Your grandma won’t like this one, but your cool uncle who works at Nintendo might. And, unless you’re from a family of video game aficionados, your child sibling is going enjoy “Sherlock Gnomes” way more than this.

The Daily Reveille

16 page 18

Wednesday, April 4, Wednesday, November 8, 2018 2017

WHAT’S SPINNING AT @KLSURadio

KLSUradio

klsufm

NEW MUSIC

NEW MUSIC “The OOZ”

by King Krule “Glass”

by Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto

8/10

7/10

“Nation of Two” “Urn” Vance Joy

by NebyObliviscaris

4.5/10 7/10

225 578 5578

UPCOMING SHOWS

REVIEW BY DJ DRAGONFLY HOST OF PANGEA, SATURDAYS 9-11 AM (WORLD MUSIC) King Krule is a 23-year-old, red-headed, misanthropic singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and poet hailing from London. His newest album, “The OOZ,” shows us that sometimes, lifeNoto hurts.and Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva King is the primary creative outlet bothKrule impressive and important musiof thecians mysterious Archy Marshall, in their own right, who havehasbeen also released musicon under his real name,basis as collaborating a semi-frequent well as Zoo the Kid. release Marshallofhas a particularly since their 2002 album strong“Vrioon”. and distinctive working-class English accent and uses Britishtheir slangfirst that breaks “Glass” marks output tothrough heavily in his music. KingonKrule’s gether since collaborating the muchsoundacclaimed is unique insoundtrack its blending oftopunk, jazz, Alejandro hip hop, and indie musical stylings.

González Iñárritu’s 2015 film, His “Themusic Revis inspired by artists like Elvis Presley, Fela enant.”

Kuti, J Dilla, and The Orchestra.

“Glass” is aPenguin single, Café 37-minute long, His full-lengthpiece debutofalbum “6 Feet Be-and improvised electroacoustic neathambient the Moon,” released August 2013, music.

It wasinperformed live as attracted a lot of attention and earned him aof a site-specific art installation inside comfortable space in the indie music Philip Johnson’s famous Glassscene.

House.

His anger, cuts through to That grit littleand bit despair of contextual information the bones listeners, but is softened by provesof to be rather significant, for not beautiful -- a contrast that worksfor only jazz waschords the home the inspiration in his favor. The words he yells are often profane or vulgar and shock listeners; however, we cling and want more. King Krule is bold

klsuradio.fm

sidewalks to screaming car crashes. In the and violent in his language as he pushes fourth line he shouts, “Skunk and onion boundaries in what is usually a clean-cut gravy, as my brain’s potato mash,” displaying indie scene. his quirky, unusual wit.

“The OOZ” packs an attitude that is “Cadet Limbo” is a heart-dropping more sophisticated thancomposition, Marshall’s previous the title, cover art, and but of this foundation, various bright and numpoints, the performance works beautiwork.

His sound is mature andarchitecture developed. abstracted ber in which Marshall singsprocessed about a woman, the physical structure and electronically fully.

The songs more polished technically comparing her mesmerizing itself wasare directly involved and in the pro- sounds float around in the mix. beauty to the My chief problem with this album is impressive.

The guitar sounds arerecord. cleaner deepness outer space.

This basicofdynamic givesHe therepeats, music “Has how the performance is concluded. Put duction of sounds found on the and less messy, but his temper has stayed it been this long since I’ve hadquality. this bond?” and impulsive bluntly; it just suddenly fades out. NothContact microphones placed onto an unpredictable the these in common isis a ing really feels resolved or finished, and makes thissongs efforthave so successful thesame. surface of the walls picked up and WhatWhat In his career, Krule has maintained deep-seated intensity. that His songs sprout from and chemistry Noto and transformed theKing sound waves as they the history it is all wrapped up without fanfare or and managed a visceral that never Sakamoto feeling and else. have.nothing You can tell that these sense of finality. bounced around the blueness room, creating goes away, about revisitingthe two have“The OOZ” is a beautiful, emotionallybeen working together for over a type of singing feedback loopandbetween Sakamoto and Noto are titans in emotionally sensitive subjectThese matter.

We draining, in which fifteen years.nineteen-track Rarely do thealbum actions of the room and the performers. effects their field, and for ARIEL good reason. rePINK,This TRANCE absorb his moods and textures, feeling what one roots of love, loss,clash and with angerthe areconexplored. inappropriately are increased considerably when Sakalease proves the two have great chemFARMERS, BITE MARX he feels, whether is anger, self-loathing, This album is an essential for ispeople moto traces the itglass panes with small tributions of the other.

This listen aspect istry and work incredibly well together. disorientation, isolation,creating or anxiety. modern ajazz and punk TIPITINA’S mallet-like objects, a large veryinterested importantinbecause healthy work-sounds Although I understand this is (NOLA) a comIn “Logos,”noise the sixth frompierces “The and the melting together the two.ofThis pletely is shimmering that track sharply ing relationship is key for theof dynamic improvised piece, I 9 stillP.M. wish the OOZ,” Marshall sings about the torment he improvised the soundtrack the mix. music. to loneliness, staying inside performance and composition resolved experienced in hisischildhood recounting your on a Friday night, or obsesThe music patient byand slowFor apartment this to work, the musicians itself in a more satisfactory manner. the care ofThe hisbasic drunken mother.ofHe“Glass” sings, a pastpromote lover. It ais real, it moving. structure needsively to bethinking able toabout effectively “She drawscomprised me in and of swallows whole.” is raw, and itand is honest. is largely these deep and sense of unity, the listener needs to For Fans Of: Brian Eno and Haruomi These wordssynthesized are paired with somber sustained, drones.

Onguitar top be able to believe it. And on all of these Hosono THURSDAY and distant keyboard sounds.

For Fans of: Mount Kimbie, Cosmo Sykes, The second track, “Dum Surfer,” evokes BADBADNOTGOOD dark and gritty imagery from vomiting on

REVIEW BY DOCTAH JONES HOST OF DELINQUENCY FREQUENCY, SATURDAYS 11 P.M. - 1 A.M. (AVANT-GARDE) WEDNESDAY

08 nov

09

REVIEW BY MR. SOIRÉE HOST OF THE ELECTRIC CARNIVAL, SUNDAY 11 P.M. - 1 A.M. (ELECTRO SWING)

REVIEW BY DJ LEVIATHAN HOST OF THE HEAVIEST MATTER IN THE UNIVERSE, TUESDAY 11PM-1AM (METAL)

Vanceoutfit Joy,Nethe summer returns sensation Australian Obliviscaris to and singer-songwriter, perhaps the forefront of extreme metaliswith one ofmost the for his admittingly delightful most well-known anticipated album releases of the year.

2013the single, “Riptide.”

But despite the “Urn,” band’s third record, continues culturalprevious impact of “Riptide” on amateur the group’s blending of both harsh ukulele players thefeature rest of and clean vocals.

The everywhere, formerly radical Vancefrom Joy’s of slips into an the stemming thework ‘90s sort has now become almostshadows. exhaustive trope within the genre.

“Nation of does Two” display is Vance However, Xenoyr someJoy’s of sophomore album.inMuch thescene. sound the finest harsh vocals the like entire of his previous album, theagain musician has Xenoyr’s performance is once extraorwith his and dinary.returned His guttural, yetsignature coherent ukulele growls are summertime vibe. peers. worthyanofunwinding the adoration of his musical Meanwhile, his shriller sounds represent a beautiful blend of black and death metal vocals.

10

WHAT WE’RE PLAYING

nov

UPCOMING SHOWS THURSDAY

april

05

Darren Korb is an American video game composer and songwriter best known for his work with Supergiant Games, the developers of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre. Korb worked on Bastion with childhood friend and Supergiant Games co-founder Amir Rao. A well-received game, Bastion’s soundtrack was described by Korb to be “acoustic frontier hip-hop”. He returned 3 years later to work on Transistor where he described the music as “old-world electronic post-rock.” Korb worked with vocalist Ashley Barret on both projects to rave reviews.

ASTRAGAL, WUMBO, MAGIC CRAWFISH 524 STUDIOS 7:00 PM DJ Quicksave

HEAR IT ON THE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR WEDNESDAY NOV. 8, 8 P.M.

nov

In full honesty, most of thisTim album a statement is onasfour highlight Charles’ growing role both a vocalist his andmusic.

Violinist and clean vocalist Charlesmakes feels merely is notrole tracks that you cantheadd to your roadinstrumentalist, album signifies a less“Lay im- it On Me” is probably the best take appears to playaverage, a much and morethere prominent toothis much to enjoy beyond some vocals gener- are trip pressive playlist. retread “One ofofthese on particular record.

Charles’ “PortalDays” of I” and (2012) from and the whole album. Unless you have areThe almost like diaan infatuation with Vance Joy’s warm ic indieand folk.melodic While as his usual, voice and and his ukusoaring violin“Saturday “Citadel”Sun” (2014). compositions are extenquiver (in which lele areisunique to his sound, in the rough, outbutthe playing much improved from the the better two previ- monds sive and given roombringing to develop, there voice isn’t and delicate CADDYWHOMPUS, POPE, moments seem comeare outtimes with when more the kickanything and lending themselves to win- case “Nation of Two” provides handfuls groundbreaking to witness. ous releases.

But,tothere LIGHT & PARTICLE excitement),TRASH this album is no more exuberant down on that carband ride. that failsof to A progressive metal album windssongwriting. up bogged down by these sooth- dows rolled than decent when all the best tracks Almost every track on the album “Like Gold” and “Lay it On Me” DEVOTION “progress” inevitably betrays the very appeal ing interludes and clean passages. ambiguously melts into one soft, singles far asareitshandpicked from the pile. theirtwo act.fun Though notreleased as intriguing “Urn’s” standout tracks, the warm blistering wereof the SPANISH MOON haze. It’s very sometimes effectively “Urn” giving remains better musical predecessors, an album that “Libera (Part I) –calming, Saturnineand Spheres,” the well- earlier, 8 P.M.Hozier, For Fans Of: Vampire Weekend, pretty romantic, likeI) –with withVoid character. songwriting has impresshould Vance conjureJoy’s up many favorable developed “Urn (Part And“Alone Within the Mumford & Sons Me” and “I’m with You.” really stepped up its game in this little We Are Breathless” and “Urn (Part II) – As Em- sions by those unfamiliar with Ne Obliviscaris’ The only place Vance Joy actually bers Dance in Our Eyes),” bookend the album sector, work.and it’s the best way to define quite well.

Still, there appears to be a stall in the For fans of: Opeth, Amorphis, and Enslaved.

FRIDAY band’s previous sonic evolution. Other than

SATURDAY

FRIDAY

april

april

06

Even fair-weather fans of punk know the huge influence left on the genre by hardcore legends Black Flag. This week on More Than Noise, hear rare recordings from the band’s early compilation “Everything Went Black,” released in 1982.

The album captures the essence of Black Flag’s early sound before Henry Rollins signed on to the project in ‘81. Keith Morris’s vocal is raw, messy, and half-drunk -- three words that encapsulate the advent of SoCal hardcore.

MANGATA, SHIP OF FOOLS, TINA FADED, WISEBIRDS 524 STUDIOS 8:00 PM

GIRLPOOL WITH PALM & LALA LALA THURSDAY SPANISH MOON 8 P.M.

Taxi

HEAR IT ON MORE THAN NOISE WEDNESDAY NOV. 8, 11 P.M. - 1 A.M. (PUNK)

07

april

“Geodesy” is the debut EP by live mathtronica duo Ssighborggg. A joint venture between South Korea and the United States, the two members of Ssighborggg bridge their geographic boundary by mashing together synth fueled IDM beats with polyrhythmic math rock goodness. “Geodesy” clocks in at just four songs, but each track is filled with enough progressive energy to take up an entire album by itself. The duo constantly changes gears and engages radically different compositional styles seamlessly. “Geodesy” is the perfect album to compromise the artificial anger of IDM with the unhinged carefreeness of math rock.

I’M FINE, SCISSOR DICKS, SCREAMING UNDERWATER, WIMPSVILLE 524 STUDIOS 7:00 PM

HEAR IT ON THE MATH LAB SUNDAY NOV. 12, 7 - 9 P.M.

0513 MONDAY

nov

BABY IN THE ‘90S, LITTLE SHEEP, LOOZY SPANISH MOON 9:00 PMPRIMUS DJ 5/4

CIVIC THEATRE (NOLA) 8 P.M.

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

page 17

CEMETERIES, from page 11 because it tied to their mission of coastal sustainability. When the project was approved, she recruited her mentor Manhein to the cause, and the Louisiana Endangered Cemetery Project was born.

They decided to use GPS to determine the positions of the cemeteries and map the shape of the cemeteries, instead of using the single-point location method used by the United States Geological Survey.

“You don’t know what you’ve lost,” Schexnayder said. “So what we did was we employed a method of creating points around the polygons of each site, so that it created a geometric shape that will always be there when the land is gone or eroded. You don’t just have that one point. You have the whole shape of the site.”

Schexnayder and Manhein emphasized the importance of cemeteries to understand the immigration patterns of southern Louisiana and the cultures and histories of the individuals who still visit them. The pair collected oral histories and anecdotes from people they encountered during their cemetery surveys.

Both women also have a long-standing personal interest in cemeteries stemming from their childhoods. For Schexnayder, it comes from frequent

SOPHIE GRANZOW / The Daily Reveille

Local writers Jessica Schexnayder (left) and Mary Manhein (right) answer questions about their work “Fragile Grounds: Louisiana’s Endangered Cemeteries” in the Main Library at Goodwood in Baton Rouge on Sunday, March 18, 2018. visits to a family cemetery near her great-grandmother’s house.

“My cousin and I would walk down [to the cemetery], and I was fascinated by the names on the headstones,” Schexnayder said. “They were my relatives, and I wanted to know who they are, about what their life stories were, and I loved looking at the dates trying to figure out how old were they, and what did they do in their life.”

Manhein said her interest stems from the bygone practice of grave cleanings, an annual event common when she was younger during which families would return to cemeteries and tend to the graves of loved ones.

“When we went down there to record what was and still is the cemetery that is left there, it was a very eerie feeling because you know so many souls had been lost there,” Manhein said.

“There’s a blank area out in the front of the cemetery that allegedly is a mass grave for people they could find, but hundreds of them were never found.”

The loss of coastal land in Louisiana is not a new phenomenon. Schexnayder and Manhein faced evidence of land loss during their travels. Schexnayder said they saw areas which were permanently inundated, had tombstones partially underwater or were already gone completely.

“It’s not if it’s going to be lost, it’s when it will be gone,” Schexnayder said. “We’re creating a digital record of that which can’t be physically saved.”

The goal of the Louisiana Endangered Cemetery Project is to preserve people’s connection to the past through GPS mapping, photography, oral tradition and cultural artifact documentation.

“I’d like to make this a call for other people to get out there and document,” Schexnayder said. “If they have a family cemetery, or if they’re interested in contacting us to put their cemetery in the list, we’d be willing to do that. I’d be willing to speak with them.”

NOCTURNAL, from page 11

cians have been playing since their middle school years, and they each have experience playing multiple instruments. The group shared the importance of not just their own personal development, but also of their development in each of their musical skill sets.

“I think we have a pretty interesting take on melody, and I think that’s been really cool to see us doing this kind of countermelody,” Stoma said, “with Connor’s writing and [Annie’s] playing and the two guitars melding together … it gets a syncopated action going on. It’s fun to try to

fit into that.”

The four group members said how important it was for them to make music that not only brought them together, but also gave back to everyone who listens and their seemingly bottomless well of motivation.

“The idea that anyone could emotionally connect with what I’m saying is pretty wild to think about,” LaCour said. “In many ways, I feel a lot less lost than I have in the past five years; this has been a lofty dream I’ve had, finding three other people who want to make the music that I want to make.”

to have an original copy of each newspaper that is on display.

“There is still so much that isn’t on display,” Jewett said. “This also enabled us to pull out materials that are referred to as ephemera. They could be concert tickets or flyers. They’re objects created just for that moment on that date.”

Jewett said the exhibit is a perfect example of ephemera, or things we may not think are important at the time but could possibly hold great importance to someone later on. She said many of the items on display show the true day-to-day life of New Orleans residents and showcase the diversity of the city throughout history.

One section of the exhibit encases items from the 1984 World’s Fair. Jewett and Smith said this particular section hold a special place in their hearts, with each of them having their own fond memories of the historic event.

“I have this distinct memory of picking up certain print and putting it up in my room,” Smith said.

“I remember going almost every weekend, and even though it lost a ton of money, it was so much fun.

It was a great experience for children to be exposed to the world in their own backyard.”

Find the time to stop by the “Made in New Orleans: The Past in Print” exhibit in Hill Memorial Library to see the history of one of the state’s most cultural cities.

On its 300th anniversary, New Orleans is offered the opportunity to be represented at the University.

“We’re looking beyond our bubble of LSU or even Baton Rouge,” Smith said. “We are actively going out and collecting these items that may have been thrown away. There will come a day where something that one of us brings in might have a tremendous amount of value 100 years down the road and we can all be doing that.”

to tears.

“I never really thought about it, but when I read the words, I realized why he was so moved by this,” Brunson said. “It’s got some really deep, nice lines in there that are comforting. The way I come off that song is you can be all these different people, and it’s okay if you shift around from different personalities.

You can hear it in the music, how it has different levels of energy.”

The group’s sound consists of a myriad of backgrounds and inspirations. All four musi-

DAY

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APRIL 19, 2018 10:30AM – 2:00PM VOLUNTEER TO PLANT AND GREEN THE CAMPUS

“It gave people the opportunity to share with others and their family — and maybe not in their family — about what had happened that year or two that they had not seen each other,” Manhein said. “It was a way of uniting communities together, keeping communities together, and you just don’t really see that much anymore.”

There are many things to be seen in Louisiana’s cemeteries, and much history lies entombed above and below ground.

Schexnayder and Manhein visited the Chenière Caminada cemetery, which marks a part of Louisiana’s history before hurricanes were better understood.

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The exhibit consists of documents organized to outline the history of the city, including excerpts from newspapers, documents on law, politics, military, tourism and education, all from different time periods. The oldest piece on display is located at the start of the exhibit, which is a newspaper that was published in the year 1805. Jewett said the collection consists of materials they already had in the library’s collection.

“Everything that you see here was in our collection already,” Jewett said. “They come from family papers, subscriptions and some of them were purchased. It all depends on the items themselves.”

Smith said the Hill Memorial Library is home to one of the more significant newspaper collections in the state. Jewett said she made an unspoken rule saying they had

Opinion

page 18

La. lags behind in raising minimum wage, closing gender pay gap THE NIEMAN NOISE SETH NIEMAN @seth_nieman We may be dead and gone when Louisiana finally decides to close its ongoing wage gap between men and women.

I wish that was hyperbole, but after the state Senate voted down two bills that would have extended equal pay protections in Louisiana, it appears to be a realistic possibility. A new study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research claims the Bayou State will not achieve pay equity until 2115. To spare some time for those who are attempting the math, that would be 97 years from now.

One of the snubbed bills would have extended an existing equal pay law that bans state agencies from paying unequal wages on the basis of gender to also apply to any business that receives a state contract. The other bill would have prohibited employers from taking action against employees who discuss or disclose their pay with fellow employees.

On top of that, state lawmakers also failed to pass a raise of the state’s minimum wage from the $7.25-per-hour federal level to $8 in 2019 and $8.50 in 2020.

It’s the third year in a row Gov. John Bel Edwards has advocated for such issues in the state’s legislature, and his growing frustration is understandable due to the overwhelming support the proposals have received from the public. The 2017 Louisiana Survey found that 91 percent of Louisiana residents support the state requiring employers to pay men and women the same amount for the same work.

The survey also stated that 71 percent of Louisiana residents believe the country needs to continue making changes to give men and women equality in the workplace. The 2016 Louisiana Survey found 76 percent of Louisiana residents favor raising the minimum wage to $8.50 an hour.

I suspect that number has risen due to the transition of minimum wage into a hot-button issue within Louisiana.

Eighteen states raised their minimum wage at the beginning of 2018, and the minimum wage is currently set higher than the federal standard of $7.25 in 29 states and D.C. Louisiana’s neighboring state, Arkansas, set its minimum wage at $8.50 in the beginning of 2017. Women in Louisiana, West Virginia, Utah, Montana and Indiana each earn less than 75 percent of what men earn in those states. Louisiana is ranked as the worst state, where

women earn less than 70 percent of what men earn.

A study conducted by the National Partnership for Women and Families found that if the state’s wage gap were to be eliminated, working women in Louisiana would have enough money for 39 more months of child care, 20 more months of rent, 125 weeks of food and nearly two additional years of education at a four-year public university.

For the third year in a row, Louisiana’s state legislature, which is controlled by a Republican-led Senate and House, denied Louisiana a chance at making progress. Louisiana lawmakers won’t flinch to provide corporations with tax breaks, but repetitively refuse to provide the people of Louisiana with an extra dollar.

As the cost of living rises in Louisiana, the state’s minimum wage remains unaltered and creates an environment where several families fall near or well below the poverty line. A study conducted by the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that Louisiana employees that are paid minimum wage must work at least 89 hours each week to afford a two-bedroom rental home.

“Thousands of Louisianians are struggling to live off of $7.25 an hour, and unfortunately while

DILYN STEWART/ The Daily Reveille

Gov. John Bel Edwards has advocated for a raise in minimum wage and closure of the gender wage gap. the cost of living has increased over the years, their wages have not,” Edwards said. “This is a problem we can do something about, and it’s clear that is exactly what a majority of people across our state, regardless of their party affiliation, want us to do.”

There appears to be an organized blockade to the success of Edwards’ first term as governor of Louisiana. Given the benefits these proposals would

provide, and the growing support they are receiving from the citizens of the state, it seems to be the only reason these measures continuously fail in the state Senate. Maybe someday Louisiana’s lawmakers will listen to the voices of their constituents instead of choosing to play political games.

Hopefully, we’ll be alive to see it.

Seth Nieman is a 22-year-old mass communication senior from McComb, Mississippi.

E-cigarettes dangerous, unhealthy smoking alternative WELL, SHE TRIED CHANTELLE BAKER @deannayukari It makes no sense to believe a cigarette alternative would be risk-free. E-cigarettes expose the body to cancer-causing chemicals, and common fruity flavors are the most potent, according to research reported by NBC News. Although these findings are a recent development, they are not unexpected.

There is still nicotine and other man-made chemicals involved. Though there’s the possibility of eventually having a completely harm-free alternative to cigarette use, anything still involving the inhalation of unnatural products has to have some repercussions.

We all know the harms of smoking cigarettes. Campaigns like the #FinishIt campaign air commercials giving statistics about smoking cigarettes in hopes that it will convince people to quit smoking. However, it took years of cigarette smoking and publicizing before changes really began to happen. In this

cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI / The Daily Reveille

“current time, most advertisements still allude to The idea that vape pens the safety of vape will pull people away from pens.” smoking cigarettes is Many people erroneous and assumptive. are unaware of this reality because these chemicals aren’t clearly listed on vape liquid packaging. formation has

Companies are getting away with the lack of disclosure by including the harmful chemicals in the description of “flavoring.”

This misleading inpeople believing

“flavoring” might be similar to something found in foods.

A lot of people may choose vape pens believing it’s the lesser of the two evils when going against traditional cigarettes.

But, at least 69 chemicals in cigarettes are known to cause cancer while there are only nine known chemicals in vape pens.

However, even the idea of nine

cancer-causing chemicals is more than people originally believed. Vape pens have long been marketed as harmless nicotine deliverers and a good method to quit smoking traditional cigarettes. It seems as though the alternative isn’t as great as we hoped.

According to Science News for Students, smoking vape pens will actually increase the chances of smoking cigarettes.

Research performed in Los Angeles public schools showed teens who use a vape pen are almost three times as likely to begin smoking traditional tobacco products compared to teens who don’t vape. The idea that vape pens will pull people away from smoking cigarettes is erroneous and assumptive.

It is important that people, “especially adolescents, are aware of what they’re consuming. The current trend of smoking vape pens may not be going anywhere anytime soon, but companies should be more open about the harms of their products.

Chantelle Baker is a 21-year-old communication studies senior from Waipahu, Hawaii.

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

page 19

LSU bicyclists deserve infrastructure improvements THE NIEMAN NOISE SETH NIEMAN @seth_nieman A quick walk around LSU will enlighten anyone of the ongoing infrastructure crisis that needs to be addressed. The only existing bike lanes on campus runs along Field House Drive and South Stadium Drive, and they are in need of renovations.

The University plans to implement a bike-share program in Spring 2019, but lacks the infrastructure needed for the program to be fully functional.

In 2016, the University was recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a silver Bicycle Friendly University.

Based on the criteria for the award, it’s questionable how the University was deemed worthy.

The honor is awarded to campuses that have “made a significant investment in its bicycle facilities and has invested in making the streets around the campus bicycle friendly.”

Skip Bertman Drive, South Campus Drive and Highland

Road are just a few of the highly trafficked areas at the University’s campus that lack infrastructure to be recognized as safe for cyclists.

The University’s website for “Campus Sustainability” provides an “LSU Bicycle Routes” map for cyclists looking for routes to campus. However, several of the routes are also marked with instances of “pedestrian/vehicular conflicts” in LSU’s 2017 Master Plan. Six of the conflicts are found on the Highland Road portion of campus alone. The University is suggesting student cyclists use routes that are potentially dangerous, instead of resurfacing and widening campus sidewalks, or working with city officials to create bike lanes on highly trafficked streets.

Only 12 percent of Baton Rouge residents do not own a car, with many of these people opting for bicycle or transit system transportation. Approximately 0.78 percent of Baton Rouge residents ride a bike to work and 2.3 percent of Baton Rouge residents make use of the transit system. Baton Rouge ranks 15th and 14th in the state among

bicycle and public transportation categories respectively. Those low numbers can discourage the creation of bike lanes by the University and the city government, but that discouragement eliminates the possibility of seeing those numbers rise.

Identifying sidewalks as the solution for cyclists does not solve the problem. In certain areas on campus, cyclists are required by law to ride in the street instead of the sidewalk.

Riding a bike on the sidewalk also creates unsafe conditions for pedestrians, who often do not hear cyclists approaching and are likely to step out in front of one.

A study conducted at Western Michigan University 2012 found that infrastructure improvements can often be found costly, and in some cases, impractical.

The study concluded that it may be more ideal to adopt and implement a standardized signage program that alerts cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. The sign recommendations include the shared use of pathways for cyclists and pedestrians, shared lane markings to alert motor-

THE DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES

The University plans to implement a bike-share program in Spring 2019. ists of the presence of cyclists and pedestrian priority zones to avoid any collisions between cyclists and pedestrians. The implementation of such a program at LSU would be a huge step in the right direction.

The University should move quickly to address this crisis before it gets worse. Next year, all freshmen will be required to live on campus, which will

likely increase the amount of pedestrians and cyclists on campus. This policy, along with the implementation of the bikeshare program next spring, should motivate the University to live up to the status it claims to have earned.

Seth Nieman is a 22-year-old mass communication senior from McComb, Mississippi.

Herbal remedies healthy, natural alternative to pharmaceuticals CHATTING WITH ABI ABIGAIL VARNADO @abi_varn For many people, modern medicine is a saving grace. People can use it for grave illnesses, pain after surgery, hormones or just the common cold. Modern medicine even prolongs the lifespan of humans in the developed countries it’s used in.

However, what many don’t consider is the amount of people who misuse pharmaceutical medication, or the amount who are misdiagnosed and have adverse reactions.

At the American Academy of Physician Assistants in 2017, Tatsiana Singh, Master of Physician Assistant Studies, mentioned a study that used direct observation from healthcare workers. It stated one in five medicine dosages in the ICU suffered from error.

Singh also explained diagnosis-related errors are quite high, but are difficult to detect in research. This is quite the dilemma, especially for ICU patients, and

courtesy of WIKIMEDIA

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, there are 75 to 100 kinds of flowers and herbs in the NLM herb garden. should be reported more.

Similarly, each year the U.S. has more than one million visits to the hospital emergency departments for adverse drug events, according to the CDC. These events classify as harm resulting from medication use. This can range from side effects, drug abuse to misdiagnoses.

If people are going to consume pharmaceutical medication, then

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they need to fully understand what they are taking. Ask your medical professional what all of the side-effects are, and ask them how the medication will interact with other medications or items you are consuming. It will behoove one to know everything about the medication they are taking. If you don’t, then it can end in hospitalization or worse.

An alternative to pharma-

ceutical medication is herbal medication, which can be a viable option despite the lack of funds for research. Herbal remedies may seem like a “hippie” thing or a folk tradition, but they don’t have to be. These remedies are natural from the earth, and can actually help people if administered properly.

Herbal remedies have been around for thousands of years, and have helped those it was administered to regularly. There’s not a change in the effectiveness of natural remedies in our modern day, or in countries that don’t have access to modern medicine.

Some argue countries that don’t have access to modern medicine are still dying and suffering with herbal remedies. However, many people may not have the access or the knowledge for administering herbal medicine, which leads to death and illness. It depends on the area and the economic status. This means herbal remedies can definitely still be effective.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, there are 75 to 100 kinds of flowers and herbs in the NLM herb garden. An

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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 of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Daily Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to opinion@lsureveille.com or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Daily Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving 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 LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.

example from the list is chamomile, which helps take away weariness and pain and inflammation of the bowels. The oil can be used against aches and pains, including joint cramps, menstrual cramps and migraines.

Another example on the list is vervain, which is known to help coughs and colds. It can be used against wheezing and shortness of breath that comes with fevers.

Herbal remedies can be helpful for various health issues. Just be sure to test if you are allergic to any plants, or if the remedy will have a reaction to any medications you’re already taking. If you are pregnant, then you should definitely consult your doctor before you consume herbal medication and pharmaceutical medication alike.

People need to be more educated and concerned with what medications or remedies they are taking, and what is out there.

It could make the difference between effectiveness, a side effect and a trip to the emergency room.

Abigail Varnado is a 21-yearold English senior from Amite, Louisiana.

Quote of the Week “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”

John F. Kennedy 35th U.S. President May 29, 1917 – Nov. 22, 1963

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

page 20

Organized religion utilized as polarizing, divisive political tactic FRANKLY SPEAKING JUSTIN FRANKLIN @justinifranklin Today, as secularism rises and the nation becomes more tolerable, the role of religion in American life is becoming less clear. This is not because people are becoming less religious; it is because religion has become a political weapon.

The forefathers of America founded the country on the premise that every man should have the right to freedom of religion. The Establishment Clause in the First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Thomas Jefferson, one of the most prolific founding fathers, did not believe there was an omniscient God in control of the Earth. Jefferson did believe a God or gods did exist, but these beings did not interfere with human society or civilization. It was up to humankind to shape society and govern themselves as they saw fit.

Jefferson was a firm believer

in strict separation of church and state. He is perhaps the reason we have the distinction explicitly stated in law. Clearly his deist practices did not prevent him from being elected the third president of the United States. He devoted much of his life to creating an incredible nation for the generations to walk after him. Jefferson will forever be revered as one of the greatest American patriots.

Every American has the right to practice or not practice any religion they want.

Throughout history, the majority of Americans chose some form of Christianity.

The greatest example of religion-turned-political weapon is how prayer being taken out of schools and abortion resulted in a rise of political participation specifically by white evangelicals. The fusion of stances on social issues, biblical interpretations and political ideology formed what is known as the “Christian right.”

As a result, a great number of conservative evangelicals have left religion behind for political power. Belief in God began to be used by politicians

to gain support from certain groups, no matter his or her true morals or ethical behaviors.

Could the forefathers have had this misuse in mind with the Establishment Clause? The notion that the core beliefs of some Americans display what is right for all Americans is a direct infringement of the Constitution. Yet, it is the creation of this religion-based partisanship that prevents progress on many fronts.

Radical politicians today have brainwashed believers into thinking their faith is attached to their party affiliation. A number of politicians only become religious to energize groups of Americans to become separatists and vote along certain party lines. The word “evangelical” has been made more political than religious.

The Washington Post reports, “Discomfort with the term ‘evangelical’ began in some quarters with the Moral Majority in the Reagan years, which helped make ‘evangelical’ synonymous with the Republican Party.

Ever since, evangelicals have disagreed with each other about mixing faith and politics.”

To be totally clear, I was born

courtesy of WIKIMEDIA

President Trump met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on May 24. and raised a believer of Christ, and would trade nothing for my relationship with God and my freedom to worship. I believe my God does not approve of a number of everyday practices of many people. However, as long as I’m American, the voices of those who believe or live differently than me matter just as much as mine does.

Frankly speaking, be proud

of your religion, but don’t let divisive rhetoric from politicians make you partisan because of it. Live a life based on the values you believe in. Share your faith through love-don’t force it through hate.

Justin Franklin is a 19-yearold political communication freshman from Memphis, Tennessee.

Disabled people misrepresented, extorted for gain OH, NOT AGAIN! KYLE RICHOUX @KYLERICHOUX Approximately 48.9 million people around the United States have a disability of some sort, according to the National Service Inclusion Project. Even those without disabilities aren’t free from its influence. Twentynine percent of U.S. families have at least one member with a disability. Louisiana alone is home to 880,047 disabled people, according to East Baton Rouge Parish Health Profile.

Government and private businesses alike make concessions for disabled people. Ramps are built for those in wheelchairs, braille is offered on most signs and important documents for the visually impaired and interpreters learn sign language for the hearing impaired.

Policy makers show a concerted effort to give aid to those in need, but the media prefers to point its attention elsewhere.

As fans criticize media for poor representation, filmmakers and storytellers adapt.

There is outcry over poor black representation, so more blockbuster movies feature black people. People complain about homosexuality’s vilification, so filmmakers write stories normalizing homosexuality.

Many contemporary film critics gripe about the oversaturation of female characters made for the purpose of

being perfect women. The term “Mary Sue” describes fictional characters with no flaws who are liked by everyone. These characters are wish fulfillment and are most often female characters.

Male variants of the Mary Sue exist, but the stereotype is dominated by women.

According to fans, simply getting representation isn’t enough. The negative reception of the female-led “Ghostbusters” film in 2016 remake shows making a character female for the sake of being female alienates audiences more than encouraging them.

Disabled people have it worse they rarely get representation at all. When they are represented, it’s often as pitiful victims, insensitive parodies or irrelevant roles.

Sitcoms champion the idea of disabled people making good punchlines. It’s all too easy to accidentally knock a person out of his wheelchair, or have someone yell at a deaf person.

More serious media prefer to paint disabled people overzealously, as heroes finding a way to adapt to their situations.

Action media-most notoriously comic books-often portray people with disabilities with enhanced abilities to counter their disabilities.

“Daredevil” was one of Marvel comics’ earliest heroes.

Debuting in 1964, the hero was blinded at a young age, but the rest of his senses were enhanced to superhuman lengths.

The irony

cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI/ The Daily Reveille

is the blind hero could essentially see better than anyone else.

The popular 1994 film “Forrest Gump” shows a young boy who can’t walk properly simply move past his disability in a comic moment.

The original “Star Trek” series’ first season finale features first mate Mister Spock sacrificing his sight for the good of the team, only to remember his physiology allowed him a swift, full recovery.

Media provides disabled representation in a bare-bones and unhelpful form.

Some media representation goes above and beyond, however, to provide a more sensitive

and accurate representation of disabilities.

“Hawkeye” is another Marvel superhero, often portrayed as the everyman heart of “The Avengers.” In 2012, Hawkeye became deafened in battle, and the next issue dealt with the character struggle with his newfound disability in a domestic setting.

The issue features sign language, as opposed to written word, to give the reader an idea of the path Hawkeye had been thrust upon.

Other examples of wellrepresented disabled people exist, but they are far and few in between. Their more shameful relatives sully the status

of disabled people by posing them as pity cases or mundane heroes.

Contemporary media does a good job in representing traditionally underrepresented peoples. It isn’t perfect so far, and we have a long way to go.

Sitcoms may make fools out of disabled people, but comics like “Hawkeye” push the boundaries. Comic creators give those with disabilities something to relate to, while giving everyone else a solid insight into the realities of living with a disability.

Kyle Richoux is a 20-year-old sociology sophomore from LaPlace, Louisiana.