@lsureveille
The Daily Reveille Est. 1887
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Volume 125 · No. 1
lsunow.com
FACULTY
FROM
Former Senator Breaux begins class
VI TO
VII
How Harvey became LSU’s new mascot
BY TAYLOR DELPIDIO @TD_Reveille
STORY BY TAYLOR DELPIDIO @TD_Reveille
PHOTO BY ISABELLA ALLEN
It is said that when Louis XIII was on his deathbed, he was visited by his then five-year-old son. When he asked the boy if he knew who he was, the future king said, “Louis the Fourteenth, father.” The dying king responded, “You are not the fourteenth, yet.” When an 11-month-old predominantly Bengal tiger named Harvey moved into the tiger habitat on Aug. 15, he was not Mike VII yet. On Aug. 21, “yet” came to pass, and Harvey began his reign as Mike VII. Here’s a look at how we got here:
MAY 23, 2016
JUNE 1, 2016
On June 1, LSU Media Relations announced Mike VI had been anesthetized and brought to the Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center for stereotactic radiation therapy, or SRT. The treatment was carried out using an Elekta Versa HD dosing system, one of the most advanced radiotherapy systems, delivering one dose of radiation that was expected to allow Mike to live comfortably for 1-2 years. Additionally, support for Mike was pouring in from universities and fans from around the country. photo by HASKELL WHITTINGTON / The Daily Reveille
On May 23, The Daily Reveille reported that Mike VI was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Without radiation, Mike VI would have had an estimated 1-2 months, but radiation could have extended that to 1-2 high-quality years. Mike’s veterinarian David Baker said his students noticed a swelling under Mike’s right eye on May 1, and on May 12, he was sedated and brought to the vet school for tests. After a CT scan, specialists at the University and other institutions determined Mike had a lemonsized tumor near his nose. It was also announced Mike would be brought to Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center for treatment. “The tumor is inoperable,” Baker said. “The condition is incurable.”
Former Sen. John Breaux convened the first meeting of his new class, How Washington Works, on Aug. 21 in the Curet Conference Room of Campbell B. Hodges Hall. The 4000 level political communications elective focuses on the inner workings of Washington politics. With 34 years combined experience representing Louisiana in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, Breaux is an expert for the class, said Martin Johnson, associate dean for graduate studies in the Manship School. “The good thing about teaching a class like this is, it’s basically current events,” Breaux said. “We could do a class every day on the day’s headlines.” The former LSU Law School graduate started off his class with an explanation of his history in politics, starting in 1972 with his election to the U.S. House of Representatives. The election featured the then 28-year-old lawyer against what Breaux described as 10 men each old enough to be his father. He explained that he was able to use his experience working for Congress and his profession as a lawyer to win the seat. Breaux also explained some of the circumstances around his 1986 election to the U.S. Senate,
see BREAUX, page 6
OCTOBER 5, 2016 On Oct. 5, Baker announced Mike VI had 1-2 months to live. Mike’s cancer had resumed growth and spread to his lungs and legs. Baker said Mike would be euthanized and not allowed to suffer. “We will not allow Mike to suffer,” Baker said. “We will monitor him closely every day and will humanely euthanize him when the time comes. This is about treating Mike with dignity, compassion and respect.” The University said they would create an in-house hospice so the LSU community could say its goodbyes. It was also announced that the search for Mike VII had begun. The University had planned to obtain a tiger from a rescue facility.
see MIKE VII, page 6
ISABELLA ALLEN / The Daily Reveille
Senator Breaux teaches his first class on Aug. 21 in the Curet Conference room of Hodges Hall.