Les Miles, LSU take the stage at SEC Media Days, page 3 OPINION: HBCU versus PWI debate irrelevant, page 5 lsunow.com/daily
THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016
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Volume 121 · No. 74
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BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY
LSU community at the center of Sterling demonstrations STAFF REPORTS @lsureveille
The past week was marked by several protests, rallies and prayer circles – each in response to the death of Alton Sterling at the hands of two Baton Rouge Police Department officers. Baton Rouge residents and University students took part in many of these events, several of which resulted in arrests. Tyrus Thomas, a former LSU basketball star and the co-owner of Everything Philly, attended some of the events over the weekend, though he was not sure of the exact number. Thomas said he joined in the protests to “help control as much
of the situation” as he could. He said he wanted to make sure the people were represented by someone “who had a cool head at the time.” “I think that I’m better equipped to handle my emotions better than most people,” Thomas said. “My message to them was, ‘I’m here for us and for the people.’ It was more to keep everyone safe.” Thomas said he did not think any of the protesters attempted to make the demonstrations violent or non peaceful. He also said he had been in contact with several other community leaders, such as Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council member LaMont
Pokémon Geaux New mobile game takes over campus BY SARAH WHITECOTTON | @snwhitecotton The ‘90s are back and so is Pokémon, and University students are reveling in the nostalgia. At any given time, people can be seen walking around campus hunting for Pokémon on the new Pokémon Go app. From bathroom stalls in the LSU Student Union to inside Mike the Tiger’s Habitat, the little animated creatures can be found all around campus. Nintendo, in partnership with Niantic, Inc., released the IOS and Android game last week, and it has since taken the world — and students — by storm. With 7.5 million downloads as of Monday, the app was already more popular than Tinder and may soon surpass Twitter in the number of daily users.
Cole and Louisiana State Sen. Sharon Weston Broome, D-Baton Rouge, about the issues. “We’re just trying to figure out what can we do. We’re just trying to figure out what can we do to bring these people together to unite and also make some realistic solutions and some change,” Thomas said. “Not just buffing their heads up with promises.” Several students and community members gathered at the LSU Memorial Tower on Monday evening for a Unity Prayer. Mass communication graduate student Myron Smothers organized the event to ease the stress and confusion that followed Sterling’s death.
Mike’s Habitat
During the event, several people stepped in the middle of the prayer circle to share their thoughts and feelings about Sterling’s death and the protests. “I wanted to do this to, also, be therapeutic for people because people need to get those emotions out,” Smothers said. “I’m sure some people got some help with some of the things they heard, as well.” Bianca Webb, the University’s 2015 homecoming queen and a mass communication graduate student, said she came to help with the events in any way she could. She said she passed out water during the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition’s “Wave March for Justice”
Memorial Tower The Quad Parade Ground
Tiger Stadium
Dairy Store Student Union
on Sunday. The youth-led march began at Wesley United Methodist Church and ended at the Louisiana State Capitol. “From my personal belief, prayer outweighs everything,” Webb said. “Pray about everything, fear nothing, is what I was taught. I do know when more than one comes together, then change happens.” The LSU African American Cultural Center will host “...And Justice for All” today from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. where attendees will discuss and reflect on Sterling’s killing.
Josh Thornton and Jourdan Riley contributed to this report.
The Lakes
Greek Row
Best places on campus to find Pokémon
To play the augmented reality game, players use their phone’s GPS to move around on an interactive map. The goal is to find and catch Pokémon as you walk, bike or skate around. When you get near a Pokémon, you can use your phone’s camera to see the monsters in real time and catch them by throwing Pokéballs at them. Like many students, electrical engineering sophomore William Payne downloaded the game for nostalgia. He has been playing it since he was a child. “All my friends are playing it,” Payne said. “I’ve never played a game like this where everyone I know is playing the game and we’re all talking about it and sharing information. It’s pretty fun.” What makes the game unique, and also
contributes to its popularity, is its use of augmented reality. In Pokémon Go, technology meets the real world. Unlike the previous games, Pokémon Go forces users to leave their house in order to catch Pokémon. The game also brings groups of strangers together with a shared experience. Besides hunting for Pokémon, players can go to locations called Pokéstops to collect items such as Pokéballs and potions. Pokéstops are located at important spots, such as memorials and buildings. Pokéstops can be found all over campus from tree endowments, to the LSU Museum of Natural Science, to the Shaquille O’Neal statue. Lures can be set up at these Pokéstops. The lures attract Pokémon to the
Pokéstops. The abundance of available Pokémon also draws users to these locations. “I think my favorite thing so far is that it’s just encouraging me to talk to a lot of different people,” said natural resource management junior Amber Croffitt. “I have already met some really great people, and I’ve been hanging out with them every day and it’s great.” Despite the fun the app provides, no shortage of weird stories have popped up. In Wyoming, a player found a dead body floating in a river while searching for water-type pokemon. In Missouri, lures were used by four men to attract users to a certain Pokéstop and rob them. And of course there are those
see POKEMON, page 7
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Thursday, July 14, 2016
ART
Mississippi River inspiration for gallery exhibition BY KATIE GAGLIANO @katie_gagliano The LSU School of Art Alfred C. Glassell Jr. Exhibition Gallery at the Shaw Center for the Arts has been flooded with works by local artists for its 15th annual Summer Invitational Art Exhibition, “How High’s the Water, Mama?” More than 50 Baton Rouge artists used clay, metal, wood, yarn and a number of other mediums to bring to life the power of the Mississippi River and water’s influence on life in Louisiana. School of Art Galleries director Malia Krolak said inspiration for the theme came from the series of floods that have impacted the state in recent months. Given the importance of the Mississippi River to the city, Krolak said she felt the theme was timely. Krolak said the goal of the exhibition is to celebrate local artists and the growing arts culture in the city. The supportive and fun network of artists who participate in the invitational each year have become like a family, she said. Each member of the family has a unique voice that is represented in their style and interpretation of the exhibition’s theme. When inviting new artists to the exhibit, Krolak said she looks for artists who bring personality and a strong point of view to the space. The goal is for each voice to unite into a larger presence, she said. “We’re trying to build this chorus, and so we want a lot of really strong, good voices in it,” Krolak said. “We sure have a lot of trouble going on in our city, but one of the
strengths is that there are a lot of very creative people and that’s something that we can use to kind of build some unity. It’s exciting that there’s so much talent and so many voices.” One of this year’s fresh voices is Heather Hogg-Berrios, a ceramicist and art teacher at Baton Rouge Magnet High School. For the exhibition, Hogg-Berrios said she created a series of glazed cups inspired by the melting pot of cultures in south Louisiana. She created four cups: a coffee mug for the Irish, a wine goblet representing the Italians, a brandy snifter for the French and a margarita glass representing the Spanish. The mugs were then glazed with images inspired by life on the water and lyrics from Johnny Cash’s “Five Feet High and Rising.” The cups’ imagery includes a sunset on the bayou and a family canoeing to their home with groceries, a scene inspired by HoggBerrios’ own life growing up on the Amite River. She said her pieces were inspired by the camaraderie that exists during times of weather-related hardship. “In Louisiana when we’re faced with this kind of crazy weather, what we do is really kind of come together as a community and a people,” Hogg-Berrios said. The diversity in Hogg-Berrios’ cups is mirrored in the diversity of the exhibition. Each artist’s perspective is represented through a different media or imagery, and the variety adds texture and vivaciousness to the scene, Krolak said.
The artists also approached the theme through different emotional lenses, with some depicting the destructive power of the river while others embraced the joy and frivolous side of water, she said. Despite the range of work, the show is unified by similar color schemes and arranged to bring the viewer on a journey through the gallery. On Saturday, the public will have the opportunity to attend a reception for the show and view the exhibition with the featured artists, Krolak said. The reception is a celebration of the talent featured in the gallery, as well as of Ramona Carpenter, the wife of featured artist Rob Carpenter, who recently passed away, she said.
In a play on the theme, refreshments will be served out of a pirogue and a local band who’ve dubbed themselves the High Water Boys will entertain visitors. Food will include goldfish, popsicles and catfish donated by Capital City Grill, among other treats, she said. To cap off the evening, LSU Museum of Art executive director Daniel Stetson and his wife, photographer Catherine Stetson, will announce the winner of the Michael Crespo Award for Excellence. The award honors former University professor Michael Crespo, whose wife Libby Johnson began the monetary award in his memory.
Louisiana’s coastal erosion, the state’s biggest ecological concern, now has a human narrative through a project by one University student. Madelyn Smith is the creator of “Louisiana Gone,” a project that documents the lives of Louisiana residents living near some of the state’s most vulnerable wetlands. Smith, a renewable natural resource sophomore concentrating in wildlife habitat conservation, worked with photographer and mechanical engineering junior Trent Andrus to develop a project that would humanize one of the state’s largest political and environmental challenges. According to the United States Geological Survey, the state of Louisiana loses approximately 17 square miles of wetlands every year, or a football field’s worth of land every hour. Since 1932, an area of the coast roughly the size of Delaware has been completely submerged. Smith said she first became interested in coastal conservation while taking a class in the Louisiana Service and Leadership
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The 15th Annual Summer Invitational Art Exhibit at the Glassell Gallery within the Shaw Center features the exhibit, “How High’s the Water Mama?,” a collective gallery from local Baton Rouge artists.
Students document Louisiana coastal communities program through the Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College. “We are uniquely tied to our environment, both culturally and economically,” she said. “There’s not much discussion about coastal erosion [around the state], but the locals know what’s happening.” The Honors College’s Leader Scholarship, which gives students a $5,000 stipend to develop their own project significant to Louisiana, provided Smith with the opportunity to work on something that would look at the state’s wetland loss through a new lens. Smith found out about the scholarship through Granger Babcock, one of her Honors College professors. Babcock also helped her initially structure her project and wrote her a letter of recommendation for the program. “As a LASAL Scholar, Madelyn is committed to improving Louisiana, especially in the area of coastal sustainability,” Babcock said in an email. “We are very proud that she has received an Ogden Leaders Award so that she can document the effects of land loss in Louisiana, which is a significant problem that continues to challenge the leadership of the state.” For the project, Smith began
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travelling to South Louisiana to speak with locals about experiencing coastal erosion first-hand. She noticed that while these residents have serious worries about the land loss, their concerns are rarely received by state officials. Smith thinks this happens for two reasons. One has to do with the state’s economic dependence on the oil and gas industry. “Oil and gas donate a lot of money to political campaigns and they have a huge influence,” she said. “A big reason why we’re not seeing action is because a comprehensive plan to fighting coastal erosion includes cracking down on oil and gas.” Secondly, Smith said residents of these communities already have an unfavorable opinion of the government, and the state’s ties with big oil and gas businesses strain that relationship even more. Smith and Andrus have already met with residents in Houma and Morgan City, and plan on visiting towns even further south like Cutoff and Leeville. Smith said hearing the stories first-hand has had a lasting impact on her. “One of the people we talked to ... took us out on his boat and all we could see for miles was a
dead cypress tree forest in the bayou,” she said. “It looked like a bunch of black toothpicks sticking out of the water, but you know there’s supposed to be huge trees there.” For more information on Smith and Andrus’s project, follow the Louisiana Gone project on its website and Facebook page.
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University students are profiling Louisiana coastal towns.
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Sports
page 3
Talking Points
Officers should’ve listened to Lynx’s message
What to watch for during SEC Media Days finale
JUST JOSHIN’ JOSHUA THORNTON
@JoshTDR
EMILY BRAUNER / The Daily Reveille
COURTESY OF LSUSPORTS.NET
LSU coach Les Miles, junior running back Leonard Fournette, senior center Ethan Pocic and senior cornerback Tre’Davious White will represent LSU during SEC Media Days on Thursday, July 14 in Hoover, Alabama. BY JOSHUA THORNTON | @JoshTDR
(9-3, 5-3 SEC) LSU Key players returning: Leonard Fournette, Brandon Harris, Tre’Davious White Scheduled to speak: Les Miles, Leonard Fournette, Ethan Pocic, Tre’Davious White What to watch for: Les Miles’ job security
The past two years LSU coach Les Miles fielded questions about who would be starting under center for the Tigers. But now junior quarterback Brandon Harris is the returning starter, to go along with 18 starters returning. So what is there to talk about? After the Tigers’ three-game skid Miles almost lost his job and with a heap of talent returning he
could be in the dreaded hot seat again if LSU doesn’t produce at least a playoff berth. LSU also has one of the top Heisman Trophy contenders in the country in junior Leonard Fournette, but the big question is “will the passing game deliver next season?” Expectations are always sky high, but this year there could be little room for error.
Ole Miss Key returning players: QB Chad Kelly, CB Tony Bridges, Evan Ingram Scheduled to speak: Hugh Freeze, Chad Kelly, Evan Ingram, D.J. Jones What to watch for: How does Hugh Freeze plan on replacing
players from his 2013 class? Laquon Treadwell, Laremy Tunsil and Robert Nkemdiche were cornerstones of the Rebels 2013 recruiting class, but they all departed for the NFL. Ole Miss is also coming off a year where they beat SEC rival Alabama in back-to-back years for the first
time ever. Senior quarterback Chad Kelly was one of, if not the, best quarterback in the SEC last season and could put his hat in the ring for the heisman race, but just how productive can the Rebels star be with a handful of new faces around him?
(3-9, 1-7 SEC) South Carolina Key players returning: Lorenzo Nunez, Skai Moore, T.J. Holloman Scheduled to speak: Marquavius Lewis, Deebo Samuel, Mason Zandi What to watch for: Can Will Muschamp keep the program alive?
Last season for South Carolina was one Gamecock faithful surely want to forget. A losing season, the retirement of legendary coach Steve Spurrier and the unfortunate flooding that ravaged South Carolina and forced them to have an home game at Tiger Stadium. Under Spurrier, the Game-
cocks were always a tough out and enjoyed three straight 10 plus win seasons with the “Ol ball coach” at the helm. But now the Will Muschamp era takes over after his one-year stint as Auburn’s defensive coordinator. Muschamp will have big shoes to fill again, just like he had to Florida. Can he deliver this year?
(10-3, 6-2 SEC)
Sports often intersect with social issues in our world, as was the case in Minnesota on July 9. The recent shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile compelled four Minnesota Lynx players to take a stand against racial profiling and brutality from police. The players wore warm-up shirts that said, “Change starts with us. Justice and accountability” on the front. On the back of the shirts, the players honored Castile and Sterling by having their names and “Black Lives Matter” written on the bottom. At a pregame news conference the players also said they wanted to denounce racial profiling by police officers. “We are highlighting a longtime problem of racial profiling,” said forward Maya Moore, who was the 2014 WNBA MVP. Four off-duty Minnesota cops who normally work security for the Lynx games took offense and decided to leave their posts and stop working the game. By leaving the game, they continued the trend of certain cops in America not doing their job correctly or at all. Castile was shot by a cop because he fit the description of a suspect in that area, but so does just about every black man. According to a story by FOX61 in Minnesota, more than half of arrests made in the St. Anthony area were of black people. Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the Minneapolis Police Federation, told the Minneapolis-Star Tribune that he commended the officers for quitting Saturday. When asked why only four officers were working the game, he said, “They only have four officers working the event because the Lynx have such a pathetic draw.” However, that game drew 7,613 fans, which is a little the WNBA’s league average for the 2015 season. Instead of going on a serious power trip maybe those officers should sit back and take
see LYNX, page 7
Entertainment Fresh Flicks
This summer still has great movies to offer
page 4
BY DILLON LOWE @d_lowe96
I don’t think I stand alone in stating that “Suicide Squad” is my most anticipated movie of 2016. No other superhero movie has ever offered so much personality, and their new take on classic villains is refreshing. Jared Leto will be portraying a truly psychotic take on The Joker, Margot Robbie will be his Harley Quinn, Will Smith will take up the role of Deadshot, Ben Affleck will return as Batman — the list goes on and on. If you haven’t already, check out the trailers. There’s a reason the world’s mouth has been watering ever since this movie was announced.
The silver screen has been kind to us so far this summer. Whether it be the action-packed “Captain America: Civil War” or the nostalgia-fueled “Finding Dory,” there has been a great deal of fun to be had in theatres — but the summer’s not over yet. There are still a handful of stellar summer flicks that haven’t hit the box office just yet. Here’s our top five picks that you won’t want to miss.
Courtesy of IMDB
Courtesy of IMDB
Courtesy of IMDB
Justin Lin’s reboot of the classic sci-fi franchise is back with its third installment, “Star Trek Beyond.” This new iteration of the Star Trek saga has yet to fall short, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from the newest chapter of Captain Kirk’s adventures. Of course, the release of “Star Trek Beyond” will be bittersweet following the recent tragic death of actor Anton Yelchin. This will be Yelchin’s final appearance on the silver screen, and because his portrayal of Chekov has been rock solid over the course of the last two films, I wouldn’t expect anything different this time around. Here’s to hoping this will be a fitting send-off for a true talent, gone too soon.
Courtesy of IMDB
Courtesy of IMDB
Matt Damon is finally back to reclaim his role as action star and all-around badass Jason Bourne as he attempts to uncover the hidden truths about his past. While “Jason Bourne” likely won’t be groundbreaking in any respects, it’s sure to be a wild, action-packed thrill ride that won’t leave viewers disappointed.
Although “Sausage Party” may look like a family-friendly animated adventure, looks can be deceiving – this definitely won’t be one to take the kids to. The film follows a group of anthropomorphized sausages trekking through a supermarket on a quest back to the store’s shelves while also searching for the truth about their existence. The star-studded cast, which includes Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera and many, many more, promises to deliver a raunchy, hilarious and sometimes thought-provoking experience for movie-goers.
There has been a fair amount of skepticism leading up to the release of this new “Ghostbusters” film, as fans felt that the universally loved classic did not need to be rebooted. However, as early reviews are pouring in, it’s becoming apparent that this new take on the beloved franchise doesn’t deserve the backlash it’s been receiving. This is largely due to the considerable chemistry between the members of the film’s all-star cast, with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon occupying the leading roles. “Ghostbusters” also sports an impressive undercard cast, including Liam Hemsworth and the legendary Charles Dance.
Swine Palace presents contemporary production of “Julius Caesar” BY KATIE GAGLIANO @katie_gagliano Swine Palace is bringing Shakespeare’s classic tale of power and betrayal to the Reilly Theatre for a five-day run of “Julius Caesar” beginning July 20. In this modernized production, directed by University of California, Irvine professor Jane Page, the cast brings the tale into the “near now,” incorporating contemporary set pieces, military-style costumes and digital technology into the plot line. The juxtaposition of the contemporary scenic elements and the traditional Shakespearean English reflects the timelessness of the themes of justice, power, honor and ambition. For Page, the idea of exploring the media as a tool of manipulation was especially intriguing in today’s media environment and presidential cycle, she said. Actors utilize iPhones and live streaming-style video throughout
the show, and many of the play’s key off-stage developments are relayed via a CNN-style broadcast on an overhead screen. Theatre performance junior Glenn Underwood said he hopes incorporating technology leads the audience to reflect on the influential power of information and rhetoric. “It’s a really nice scope, a glimpse, into how media and how people in power can influence the masses,” Underwood said. “In this digital age, whenever we have all information available to us at all times, we really have to, as a culture, as a people, and as a world, recognize how people are able to sway our minds. It’s our duty.” Both Page and Underwood said the play perfectly parallels current events and the nation’s political climate. Theatre performance senior Maja Dupas said the conflict between Caesar and the senators reminded her of the national
conversation surrounding police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. Both situations involved miscommunication and the need for deeper analysis, she said. Dupas said the play is an opportunity to see all perspectives of a complicated issue. She said the material can serve as an opportunity for self-reflection, and audience members can contemplate the ideas of right and wrong, justice and power, and assess how their personal views compare to the characters’. Another contemporary issue addressed in the production is gender equality. Page said she chose to change the roles of Cassius and Casca, both conspiratorial senators, from men to women to better explore gender politics and the position of women in society. Hollis McCarthy, an Equity actress from New Jersey, portrays Cassius with an emotional and fiery, yet guarded take on the character. She said she
often thought about her sister-inlaw’s experiences as a prominent naval officer as she approached the struggle of being a woman in a man’s world. McCarthy said it’s exciting to play a strong female politician at a time when women are rising to the top and breaking the glass ceiling. “For Cassius to be one among equals, and to lead in many instances, it’s an exciting time to be a woman and it’s an exciting play that way I think, more than it would be if it were old guys in togas,” McCarthy said. The lack of a traditional set and costuming also helps to democratize the play and open it to a broader audience, she said. Underwood said the use of contemporary scenery and costumes increases the audience’s sense of the play’s reality and helps the play’s message transcend time and space. The idea of accessibility and bringing Shakespeare’s message
to the people was important to both Page and the actors. Page said the contemporary setting allows audience members to cut directly to the heart of the story, instead of unpacking both Shakespeare’s heightened language and an Elizabethan setting. To further the play’s accessibility, Page also trimmed the production down to an 85-minute run time. University Master of Fine Arts graduate Colt Neidhardt, the production’s Julius Caesar, said that interpreting Shakespeare’s work and bringing fresh ideas to the forefront is the key to art’s longevity. “Art doesn’t exist in a museum,” Neidhardt said. “It can’t be dusty. It can’t just sit there. We have to continue its relevance and keep bringing Shakespeare’s work forward. We have to take these new takes on it and I hope that they see their own community in it even though we are placed thousands of miles away.”
Opinion
page 5
HBCU vs. PWI debate destroys progress THE GREAT GIBSON
ARI’YANA GIBSON @Gibstionary In the aftermath of the tragic losses of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and five Dallas Police officers, there was an unnecessary debate about Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions on Twitter. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this debate, but it was extremely saddening to see that this was a topic of conversation when people – black people especially – should be unifying. Black students who attend PWIs were ridiculed by many HBCU students. They argue that black PWI students don’t get a “full cultural experience,” and
in the wake of racially charged events, they don’t have the “right” to say anything because they are “sell-outs” to the white man. Being a black student at a PWI, I took offense to these messages. Not only did people work hard for African Americans to attend white universities, but they are trying to discredit my college experience because of a color. Black students at PWIs usually claim that their degree will hold more value. In some cases this could be true, only because colleges are ranked by their prestige. No doubt an Ivy League degree will hold more value than my own, but they are both PWIs. This debate not only discredited us, but it showed the world, or at least Twitter, that we continue to find ways to separate ourselves. Seeing Black Twitter, a platform
that I’m a part of, start this debate was disappointing. We can’t be unified if we continue to classify ourselves. It’s the same with colorism. Light skin versus dark skin is a constant debate that only charges popular ideas that one skin tone is more beautiful than the other, something that reminds me of how slaves were ranked by their owners. We as black people have to do a better job of including each other, no matter our differences, especially something like the institution that will be handing us our degrees. How about next time we start a better hashtag like #YoungBlackAndEducated. That’s empowering. This argument fueled the constantly used remark that blacks kill each other more than anyone kills them.
Some users quickly shut the debate down, and I am proud to know that students from both types of schools see the irrelevance in the debate. Ultimately students from both schools will be first identified by the color of their skin, until the rèsumè is opened and the college is revealed, skill and qualifications will be the determining factor of who is the better candidate. Let’s transform the narrative and empower each other. Remember we have to be twice as good to get half of what they have, and tearing each other down to prove how good we are individually based on our choice of university isn’t the way. Ari’yana Gibson is a 21-year-old English secondary education senior from Slidell, Louisiana.
Idris Elba underrated, should be household name LACED IN CYN CYNTHEA CORFAH @lacedincyn After playing Krall in the “Star Trek Beyond” movie scheduled to release on July 22, along with his handful of roles in recently released movies including “Jungle Book,” “Zootopia” and “Finding Dory,” award-winning British actor Idris Elba should be a household name. Elba’s acting has ranged from historical figures such as Nelson Mandela to mythological characters such as Heimdall, the gatekeeper of Asgard in the “Thor” series. However, despite his list of roles and accomplishments Elba isn’t hardly as recognized as many of the actors in the limelight. Since 2002, Elba has been climbing his way to the top of the nominations charts for his powerful performances. From 2002 to 2004, Elba had his breakthrough performance in “The Wire,” when he played a drug kingpin. Since then, he has won 21 awards, including a Golden Globe. Elba’s awards and nominations aren’t the only reasons he should be more recognized. His ability to act isn’t affected by which accent he uses. Elba originates from East London and
is able to speak in both his natural and American accents on and off set. During his performances in “Daddy’s Little Girls” and “Obsession,” Elba spoke in an American accent, while in the television series “Luther” he speaks in his natural voice, blending in with the other British actors. Elba showed audiences his ability to speak in different accents wasn’t limited to American when he played in “Beasts of No Nation” and used a highly impressive West African accent. Along with his ability to speak in different accents, Elba is an overall versatile figure. His roles, whether leading or supportive, American or British, big- (“Finding Dory”) or low-budget (“No Good Deed”) are always played with a 100 percent effort. Elba takes his work seriously, and it’s apparent in his performances. While most of his roles use his size and demeanor to help create his character, in nearly every role he plays his sincerity shows through his eyes and his occasional smile. His versatility is also displayed in his occupation. Elba is an actor, musician and disc jockey. He began DJ-ing before he started acting and goes by the name of “DJ Big Dris.” He performs internationally and also co-produced and performed the introduction of Jay Z’s 2007 album, “American Gangster.”
The Daily Reveille EDITORIAL BOARD
William Taylor Potter Editor in Chief, The Daily Reveille Carrie Grace Henderson Editor in Chief, LSUNow.com
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Actor Idris Elba signs autographs upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘Star Trek Beyond’ in London on Tuesday. More recently, Elba’s name has been frequently mentioned in relation to the next “007” movie. Elba has been the “people’s choice” to play the iconic role of James Bond. However there has been a stir of controversy around Elba being the first black James Bond and being too “street” for the character. If casted for James Bond, Elba would provide the perfect combination of cool, calm and collected. His commanding yet comforting voice, tall stature and self-confidence reek James Bond. In 2013 Elba was named “Sexiest Man of the Year” by “Essence” magazine, so he has proven to have the sexy persona of the suave James Bond.
Letter to the editor: SG HERC falls short Recently, the LSU Student Government released its second annual Higher Education Report Card. The HERC “graded” our state legislators based on certain bills they authored and voted for or against, but the inclusion of some bills and exclusion of others call LSU Student Government’s true motive into question. This is not a partisan issue. It is a student issue. We elect our Student Government officials to lobby for us, yet it seems they’re lobbying for Governor Edwards instead. The HERC makes University students appear uninformed. The report was assembled by Student Government members, but their actions reflect the student body as a whole. This would be fine if the majority of the student body leaned Democrat and wished to punish legislators who did not vote for tax increases, but we do not believe this is the case. This is a higher education report card, not a tax increase or tuition increase report card, and yet, of 28 pieces of “legislation that mattered,” 22 bills (yes, 79 percent of the legislation considered) were tax bills that in no way directly related to funding the University. Of the six remaining bills considered, one proposed allowing college management boards to dictate tuition rates independent of the state legislature. This would certainly guarantee a tuition increase at LSU. Would that really conform to “the needs of the students in the state”? Where are the revenue allocation bills in this report? Certain aspects of legislation, including committee votes, were conspicuously omitted. For example, why was HB 69 — the bill with an amendment to fully fund TOPS — deemed too “cumbersome” to be included in the report by the LSU Student Government Director of Policy?
Despite his lack of recognition from the public, Elba provides unforgettable performances for his international audience to enjoy. Elba doesn’t just act but he becomes and fully embodies his characters while speaking in whatever accent he is challenged with. Exploring the arts, Elba showHannah Butler cases his talents in many forms LSU College Republicans that aren’t acting. With all of the President and Treasurer projects Elba has in store for this year and the following, TV and movie screens everywhere will be seeing a lot more of him. Cynthea Corfah is a 21-year-old mass communications senior from Washington, D.C.
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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.
Read the rest of the letter online at lsunow.com/opinion
Quote of the Day “Every single film I’ve done, it’s about the character.”
Idris Elba
actor Sept. 6, 1972 — present
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Theater group aims to continue conversation about race in America BY SARAH WHITECOTTON @snwhitecotton After a weekend full of protests throughout Baton Rouge and with tensions between police and the black community rising, New Venture Theatre is hoping to spark a conversation about racism and racial profiling with their production of “Hands Up! Seven Playwrights, Seven Testaments,” this Saturday at the Claude L. Shaver Theatre. The play features a diverse group of seven African-American playwrights from all walks of life who share their experiences of being black in America and discuss the Black Lives Matter movement. “It actually started off as just a workshop piece to see what could come from it, but what they ended up with is this very well told story from all these very different perspectives on how we view Black Lives Matter and where our place is in their world,” said Greg Williams Jr., one of the production’s playwrights. Williams’ monologue is called “Walking Next to Michael
POKEMON, from page 1 who are using the app while driving. Many police departments put out warnings against playing and driving shortly after the game’s release. Despite the negatives, the game’s popularity continues to grow. One thing that makes
LYNX, from page 3 a second to think about what the Lynx players were saying. Saying the words “black lives matter” doesn’t mean they hate police officers. Just like the Lynx players, the movement is trying to bring attention to a system that doesn’t treat black people the same
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson greets a fellow player on Saturday at the Target Center.
Brown.” Brown was an unarmed black male fatally shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, igniting civil unrest in the community. As a light-skinned African American, Williams said he has never experienced having the police called on him because of his skin color or been the target of racial profiling. In his monologue, Williams says he wishes he could go back and be with Brown the day he was fatally shot. “I want to go back just to help and protect him, but what I end up doing is realizing that I have issues that I need to deal with myself and my color throughout the process,” Williams said. The timing of the production with what is happening in the Baton Rouge community was purely coincidental, Williams said. The group received word of the Alton Sterling shooting during their first rehearsal. “In the middle of our first rehearsal with the director, our stage manager had come in and told us what happened and we instantly knew then that piece had
turned into much more and there was a responsibility attached to it,” Williams said. “And all of a sudden all of these monologues became very personal.” The cast hopes this production will start a healthy discourse about the Black Lives Matter movement and
Pokémon Go unique is the presence of teams and gyms, which can create unity between players. Once a player reaches level five, they choose a team. The three teams are Valor, Mystic and Instinct. Once players join a team, they can go to gyms and compete against other users.
Like Pokéstops, gyms are located at real world locations and require users to walk to find them. Gyms are either rival or friendly. Rival gyms belong to either of the two teams a player is not a part of. Once the battle has started, players choose from the Pokémon they have
because of their color, among other issues. Athletes have a large platform and the right to voice their opinions. Saying “black lives matter” shouldn’t offend anyone, let alone someone who was trained to serve and protect the public. Who knows what offended
racial profiling. “One of my favorite lines is that ‘we’re all human,’ and I want people to get past issues and see that Black Lives Matter is really about a group of human beings in this country,” Williams said. “It’s not just a group of black people that want to protest.
There are reasons for all of these things and this is our chance to tell those in a safe space.” “Hands Up! Seven Playwrights, Seven Testaments” is coming to LSU Claude L. Shaver Theatre Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22.
COURTESY OF GREG WILLIAMS
Rosha Washington [left] and Romeraux Allen [right] are two of the production’s seven playwrights. The theater company hopes to use the production as a means to start a conversation with the community about racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.
those officers, but the Lynx players didn’t denounce police officers or say anything disrespectful. They were only speaking the truth by shedding light to a problem in our country. The truth hurts. But if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
collected to defeat the opponent and claim the gym for their own. Some gyms around campus are Tiger Stadium, Bernie Moore Track Stadium, and St. Alban’s Episcopal Chapel.
“I like the social aspect just like how many people are playing,” petroleum engineering senior Patrick Kiburz said. “My friends saying like ‘hey what’s up man I’m playing Pokémon Go’ and it’s just fun.”
FOR RELEASE JULY 11, 2016
THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Skateboarders’ inclines 6 West or Wylie 10 “__ Small World” 14 On top of things 15 City in Texas 16 Housekeeper 17 __ to; before 18 Crawling bugs 19 Obey 20 Summary 22 Sudden slight stab of pain 24 Brave deed 25 Biased; unfair 26 “Alice __ Live Here Anymore” 29 Do a beautician’s job 30 Bermuda’s official lang. 31 Forbidden 33 Gin player’s announcement 37 Weaver’s frame 39 Least desirable chicken pieces 41 Lofty 42 Burros 44 Ball of yarn 46 Mai tai liquor 47 Puts in order 49 Reduce 51 Contagious viral disease 54 Newborn horse 55 __ Forces; Axis enemies 56 Celebration 60 Nat King __ 61 Valley 63 Film about Sra. Perón 64 Primates 65 Open-__; observant 66 Mexican mister 67 __ away; left 68 Break the __ to; inform 69 Fashion __; current style DOWN 1 Knocks
2 Twisted; askew 3 Primary 4 Scans a text for errors 5 Snake 6 Look for with expectation 7 Quayle and Aykroyd 8 Play a role 9 On the whole 10 About to occur 11 Contaminate 12 Burn slightly 13 __ up; tallied 21 Hell’s ruler 23 __ off with; steal 25 Feed a furnace 26 Oscar __ Hoya 27 Yoko & others 28 Senses of selfesteem 29 Punches 32 Outperforms 34 Crew members 35 Helpful hint 36 J’s followers 38 Most cluttered
by Jacqueline E. Mathews
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
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40 Cylindrical storage towers 43 White fish 45 Most orderly 48 Begin to blush 50 Dieter’s piece of pie 51 Colorful parrot 52 Wed on the run
53 54 56 57 58
Funt or Ludden Nourishes Piloted Grape bearer “Well, that went over like __ of bricks!” 59 Cooking fat 62 Certain vote
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