The Daily Reveille 11-29-2017

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The Daily Reveille Est. 1887

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Volume 125 · No. 14

lsunow.com

ART

on the road to

CHANGE

among Renaming of Raphael Semmes Roadat LSU initiatives to modernize roadways

BY KATIE GAGLIANO @katie_gagliano

le

BY TAYLOR DELPIDIO | @TD_Reveil

The University renamed the road in front of the LSU African American Cultural Center from one remembering Confederate admiral Raphael Semmes to Veterans Drive.

The renaming is one of two major changes coming to campus on Nov. 27 as part of the Comprehensive and Strategic Campus Master Plan that was approved at the Oct. 13 Board of Supervisors meeting. Buildings on campus are having physical addresses added, and streets around campus will be renamed, according to a University press release.

The renaming of Raphael Semmes is part of the University’s commitment to honoring the armed forces, said LSU Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard.

“Raphael Semmes Road will be named Veterans Drive,” Ballard said in a statement.

“The street will be home to LSU’s new Veter-

Arts Council launches creative sessions

ans Center, and is consistent with other military memorials in the area, such as Memorial Tower, Memorial Oak Grove [and] Veterans’ Memorial on the Parade Ground. LSU continues to pay homage to those who risked their lives [for] our nation.”

The addresses and street name changes are the result of the Master Plan’s Roadway Naming Modernization Plan, according to the press release. The goal of this plan is to cohesively improve way-finding on campus and help the University move toward a GPS-based address numbering system, which includes coordinates to main entrances and service entrances to make navigation easier for emergency services, deliveries and directions for those on campus.

The criteria for the street renaming is laid out in the Roadway Naming Modernization Plan.

The plan was designed by the Office of Planning,

Opportunities are brewing in the local arts community, and the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge is working to ensure creative entrepreneurs have the business acumen to succeed.

Last week the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge and Arts Council New Orleans partnered to launch the first-ever creative entrepreneurship sessions at Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week. The four artist-targeted sessions covered self-promotion, writing and communicating a personal narrative, and identifying financial opportunities in the community.

Liz Goad, grants and community development coordinator for the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, said arts and culture are cornerstones of economic development and are a major contributor to quality of place.

“It’s part of a cohesive whole that makes a city more attractive and more vibrant for visitors

see STREET NAMES, page 5

see BREW, page 5

FOOTBALL

Arden Key expected to play in bowl after pinky surgery

BY HANNAH MARTIN @hmartin_

For the last two months, junior outside linebacker Arden Key has been playing with a broken pinky finger on his right hand. Key underwent surgery on Monday to repair the finger, and he posted via Snapchat that the surgery was a success.

On Sunday, Key posted a picture of his crooked pinky finger on Snapchat stating that

he would be getting surgery.

However, Key is expected to recover by the time of the bowl game in either late December or early January, as reported in The Advocate.

LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette said that the school cannot provide further details on his surgery.

While the All-American is still projected to go high in this year’s NFL Draft, it wasn’t the way Key was expected to go out.

HIRING NIGHT

Key missed the Tigers’ final two regular season games with a knee injury that he sustained against Arkansas and also missed the first two games of the season recovering from shoulder surgery in May. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound edge rusher’s transition back into the lineup was slow, as he put on a significant amount of weight in the offseason. Key shed about 15 pounds before

HASKELL WHITTINGTON /

see KEY, page 5

SPORTS NEWS

LSU junior linebacker Arden Key (49) tackles Alabama junior running back Bo Scarbrough (9) during the Tigers’ 24-10 loss against Alabama on Nov. 4 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The Daily Reveille

OPINION

ENTERTAINMENT

PHOTO COPY EDITING & DESIGN

page 2

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

The Daily Reveille B-16 Hodges Hall Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803 Newsroom (225) 578-4811

in this

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ISSUE

LSU Quidditch

WILLIAM TAYLOR POTTER Managing Editor

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NATALIE ANDERSON

4

Harry Potter-inspired club brings together athletes and fans

Advertising (225) 578-6090

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EVAN SAACKS Sports Editor page 9

HASKELL WHITTINGTON / The Daily Reveille

HANNAH MARTIN Entertainment Editor

LAUREN HEFFKER

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Fresh Waters

Opinion Editor

LSU freshman Tremont Waters shines in Maui invitational

LYNNE BUNCH Production Editor

HA-VY NGUYEN

Holiday Guide

Photo Editor

11

HASKELL WHITTINGTON

Check out this holiday guide for ways to make this holiday season the best yet

Friday Night Lights

Deputy Photo Editor WHITNEY WILLISTON

18

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS

Witness White Light Night’s yearly celebration of local art and music in Baton Rouge

Tough Gum

20

page 18

KATE ROY / The Daily Reveille

LSU alumna brings local talent through blog and event

Meme Mania

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News

page 3 RESEARCH

LSU discovers more about early earth

BY HAILEY AUGLAIR @haileyauglair1

Recurring thefts, stalkings among reasons for security concerns at LSU Studio Arts building

BY HAILEY AUGLAIR | @haileyauglair1 photo by ALYSSA BERRY/ The Daily Reveille

T

he LSU Studio Arts building is left unlocked 24 hours a day to allow students to work on their projects. This, however, has also left the door open for danger.

There have been thefts, flashings and stalkings reported recently, according to ceramics senior Phil Blackwell.

Blackwell said she started noticing things shift around in her studio.

She soon realized that someone had been living in it at night, along with a cat that has damaged her artwork.

Before Blackwell had a key to her studio, she would lock it and climb out the window, until she came in one day to find the door kicked in, she said.

She also tried to set up a webcam, but the University’s Wi-Fi does not support the device.

It took three months before the door was fixed by a graduate student, Blackwell said. She still did not have a key to her studio even though the students were promised keys at the beginning of the semester.

“In the middle of the night, there

was a guy who would wait until everyone but one female student had left the building, [then] he would flash them,” Blackwell said.

One student said she was followed by a man who eventually learned her class schedule and made several advances toward her. One night, while working alone the in art building, the man made an aggressive advance.

About three weeks ago, Blackwell said she found a note in her studio

see SECURITY, page 8

University researchers recently made a discovery that gives scientists a better understanding of the early days of earth after studying the Barberton Greenstone Belt for more than 30 years.

University geology professors Gary Byerly and Huiming Bao, geology PhD graduate Keena Kareem and University researcher Benjamin Byerly have been working on the project.

Benjamin began working with his father Gary Byerly over 10 years ago on various projects related to the decadeslong study of the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa.

About a year ago, Benjamin said he began working in the geology department as a research associate. He began looking at the data collected and conducted chemical analysis of some of the rocks sampled from Barberton Greenstone Belt.

“It was such an extraordinary finding,” Benjamin said.

“This is really a very unexpected result when we first discovered that these minerals had such low oxygen isotope composition.”

Benjamin spent the past year confirming the results by conducting isotopic analysis of the samples and going through scientific literature to make sense of the findings.

see GEOLOGY, page 8

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Student Government layout plans for 2018 spring semester

BY CJ CARVER @CWCarver_ As the fall 2017 semester comes to a close, the executive board of LSU Student Government already has its sights set on accomplishing initiatives in the final semester of its term.

Many of the initiatives were part of the “Affect” ticket’s platform in spring 2017, while others are continued work from former SG president Zack Faircloth’s term. One major initiative, however, was just recently developed this fall.

A new initiative will allow any organization on campus to shop around for the best

price when selecting a caterer for an event held in the LSU Student Union. “[There] was a problem because the Union was the only place on campus where you couldn’t cater through any LSU-approved [catering service,]” said SG president Jason Badeaux. “You had to cater through LSU Dining in the Union.”

The idea for this initiative originally stemmed when questions arose within SG about why Free Speech Plaza was tied to the Union and, therefore, could not provide any food from the University-approved list of

caterers, Badeaux said.

“We got that changed, and once that changed, they started the discussion of shifting the whole Union over to any LSU caterers,” Badeaux said.

Badeaux specified that organizations will only be able to cater through Universityapproved caterers. A list of those can be found on the LSU Auxiliary Services website.

One of the large initiatives SG ran on was titled LSU Local. This partnership between the University and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber would give students opportunities to find internships, career

see INITIATIVES, page 8

KELLY MCDUFF / The Daily Reveille

A new SG initiative will allow on-campus organizations to choose caterers from a University-approved list.

The Daily Reveille

page 4

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

STUDENT LIFE

LSU Quidditch team brings together fans, athletes

BY HAILEY AUGLAIR @haileyauglair1

LSU Quidditch has brought together Harry Potter fans and athletes through a unique sport.

Based on the Harry Potter series, Quidditch is a sport that has been around since 2005, according to U.S. Quidditch. The University’s team has been around for about 10 years.

Some of the universities LSU plays include Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, Texas A&M, Texas State University, University of Southern Mississippi and Harvard University.

Club president and horticulture and French senior Celine Richard said she started going to practices with a friend her freshman year, but really got involved her sophomore year.

“Because it’s such a unique sport, it’s different than anything I had ever played for sure, that no one’s expected to know anything before they get there which is what drew me to it,” Richard said.

“I’ve played soccer my whole life and it’s kind of neat to just try something different.”

The team often travels to Texas, Hattiesburg and New Orleans for tournaments. A school or community team usually hosts tournaments lasting one or two days where many teams travel to one location to compete.

The team has two tryout sessions each semester, which are usually held during the first or second week of school. Practices are held Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 5 to 7 p.m. at the UREC field complex.

“It’s a sport that really no one

has played before, so that’s what tryouts are: an opportunity to try it out,” Richard said.

During tryouts, the team practices drills so each player can try the three different positions: seeker, beater and chaser.

“There are a lot of hardcore Harry Potter fans who get into the sport because they like the books, the movies and the whole enterprise, but there’s also others who just really like athletics, and it’s just a different way to get involved,” Richard said.

The team has a Marauder’s club for those interested in Quidditch, but not interested in actually playing. The Marauder’s club plans various Harry Potter themed events outside of Quidditch games, like a Yule Ball Christmas party and a sorting hat ceremony.

ISABELLA ALLEN / The Daily Reveille

The LSU Quidditch club team poses beside the hoops on Nov. 11 at the UREC Field Complex.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Student Senate passes resolution in support of AED installation

BY CJ CARVER @CWCarver_

A resolution to urge and request the LSU Student Union to put automated external defibrillators in easily accessible locations throughout the building passed the LSU Student Senate on Nov. 15.

SGR No. 24’s author, College of Science senator Sarah Oliver, said though the bill passed through Student Senate, she has had trouble reaching an answer about

why there are not more AEDs on campus.

“It was an idea [speaker of the Senate] James Mickler had, and he called me and asked me if I wanted to work on it,” Oliver said.

“When I looked into other schools with him, every other [Southeastern Conference] school has extensive programs with [AEDs.]” Oliver’s research looked at how AED programs at other schools in the SEC compared to what LSU offers.

“I was jumping through hoops just to find out if [LSU] had any at all,” Oliver said.

Her research found that LSUPD vehicles are equipped with defibrillators but, after being told there were three stationary AEDs on campus, Oliver found out there were only two. The two existing AEDs are housed in the University Recreation center and the University’s Student Health Center.

The AED, which Oliver figured

out does not exist, was supposedly in the LSU Student Union.

“When I met with [SHC Executive Director] D’ann Morris, I also met with Jason LeJeune from [the Office of] Environmental Health and Safety,” Oliver said. “Basically they said we don’t have them because physicians have to check them every year. Somebody has to replace the pads and batteries every so many years … so they were against it.”

Oliver said Morris informed her the addition of AEDs in the Union was not an interest of the SHC. The SHC declined to comment and LeJeune did not return a request for comment.

While the only laws in Louisiana pertaining to AEDs refer to physical fitness facilities and the athletic departments of any institution of higher education that compete in intercollegiate athletics, according to AED Brands, many other SEC institutions had campus-wide programs involving AEDs. “[The University doesn’t] really have a program laid out,” Oliver said. “Any of the SEC schools, if you type in ‘defibrillators for [any school,]’ it pulls up their policy and their regulations.”

According to Oliver’s research, the University of Alabama has 143

AEDs on their campus, Texas A&M University and Auburn University each have more than 50 AEDs on their campus as well as an interactive map of the locations on their website and Vanderbilt University has a company which manages their AEDs. In addition, a majority of these schools offer affordable CPR/AED training to all student and have a detailed program on their website, according to Oliver’s research. “[Assistant Vice President of Auxiliary Services] Margot Carroll was very interested in it,” Oliver said. “It’s something that she has been working on herself, so we wrote [SGR No. 24] in support since we had been working on it, too.”

Oliver said it has still been a struggle to get in touch with Carroll, so she is not sure of what lies ahead for the future of installing AEDs in the Union. Her hope is that once installed in the Union, AEDs will become commonplace among buildings across campus.

Carroll did not return a request for comment.

“I’ve talked to a lot of administrators who are totally against it,” Oliver said. “But every other school is doing that, so that’s what I hope [SGR No. 24] will do … alleviate some of the pushback I’m getting on it.”

CHRISTA MORAN / The Daily Reveille

The LSU Student Senate passed the resolution on Nov. 15 to install automated external defibrillators in more easily accessible locations.

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, November 29, 2017 STREET NAMES, from page 1 Design and Construction, and evaluates the names of all roadways to develop a systematic approach to more appropriate, long-term street names. According to the plan’s documents, in many cases, the current roadway names were determined without appropriate input and thoughtfulness from the University. Some roads are named for people, while others are named for surrounding geography or buildings. The plan also notes terms like “street,” “road,” “lane,” “drive” and “avenue” were not used with any systematic approach or criteria.

The plan establishes new criteria for naming streets, with the term “road” given to primary roads through campus, and “drive” given to secondary roadways with multiple intersections. “Lane” refers to generally straight tertiary roads that begin and end at an intersection.

“Circle” denotes tertiary roadways beginning and ending at intersections, but follow a generally curved path.

The Office of Planning, Design and Construction also conducted research on the backgrounds of individuals who have campus roadways named after them to determine their

connection to the University and its mission. After discovering the vast majority had little to no direct connection or significance to the University, it was recommended that the streets be renamed to something more generic to allow for something more appropriate in the future, according to the Renaming Plan document. The one exception to these findings is Skip Bertman Drive, because it is the most recent road to be renamed with appropriate consideration. Additional changes being made include renaming Ceba Lane to Engineering Lane and Nicholson Drive Extension to South Quad Lane.

The Renaming plan will work in conjunction with the addressing effort to allow for a one-time campus mapping and signage update. This allows building occupants to only need one update to their address, and provides a future naming structure relating to the Comprehensive Mobility Plan included in the Comprehensive and Strategic Master Plan.

Ballard said the changes are already occurring, so the change should be noticeable soon.

“Changing the signs only takes a few days, so students should see the changes in the next week or so,” Ballard said.

BREW, from page 1 and the residents that live there,” Goad said. “It’s not just about attracting talent, but keeping people here.”

The idea for the Creative Development Lab sessions stemmed from similar financial literacy and business training seminars at the organization’s June Regional Arts Summit. After the summit’s success, Goad said the Arts Council saw an opportunity to establish continuing business education programs for artists within the group’s 11-parish region.

The BREW sessions are the first in an ongoing series that will focus on everything from fundraising and grant writing to marketing. There will be at least two more workshops in the spring and early summer, though dates are still to be determined, Goad said.

Arts Council New Orleans president Nick Stillman, who led the BREW sessions, said there’s a fictitious idea that artists are bad with money, communication and working in group settings, but that’s not the case.

Many artists are capable problem solvers, Stillman and Goad said, and bring open-mindedness, social awareness and a fresh perspective to business and civic issues.

The stereotype stems from a perception among artists that

page 5

It’s not just about attracting talent, but keeping people here.

LIZ GOAD

Coordinator, Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge self-promotion and financial literacy are antithetical to their mission, Goad said. The goal of the business education sessions is to overcome these biases while maintaining artistic integrity.

“When you have a truly excellent creative output you want to be unfettered by any kind of financial or legal restrictions, but those things exist in the real world for everyone in every sector,” Goad said. “It’s important for artists to be just as aware of the tax consequences of selling their art as, say, a tech startup.”

Programs like BREW and the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’s training programs help establish stronger relationships between artists and the community, and open the door for crosssector collaboration, Stillman said. Working across different regions in the state also raises awareness of opportunities in new areas, he said.

There’s been a noted

resurgence of arts entrepreneurship in Baton Rouge in the last several years, especially in the Mid-City area along Government Street. The talent has always been present, Goad said, but now visual artists, craftspeople, dancers and musicians are benefiting from increased visibility through social media.

Young entrepreneurs can use these new communication outlets to gain a business advantage early in their careers, she said.

Aside from self-promotion, social media is a great platform to identify potential mentors and gather information on how fruitful artists successfully manage their businesses.

Young creatives should also maintain an open mind about their career path. Opportunities arise in diverse fields and it’s possible to learn and find mentorship even if you find yourself on a career path that diverges from your initial plans, Goad said.

ARTIST-TARGETED CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP SESSIONS self-promotion writing and communicating a personal narrative identifying financial opportunities in the community THE DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES CHRISTA MORAN / The Daily Reveille

The University changed the name of Raphael Semmes Road to Veterans Drive on Nov. 27 as part of the Comprehensive and Strategic Campus Master Plan.

KEY, from page 1 he was starting to look the like 2016 version of himself.

In the eight games that Key did play with the Tigers, he recorded five sacks and 33 total tackles while dealing with the broken pinky and knee injury. “[What] Arden went through — I’m very proud of him,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “As you know, I recruited Arden.

I’m close to him. I’m close to his parents. So Arden is like family to me, like all the guys.

But he had some personal problems that went — we gave him some help, got it fixed and I was proud of him. Then he comes back, and he’s about ready to go and then he has to get a shoulder operation.

“He says, ‘Coach, I am going to get that shoulder fixed,

I’m going to come back.’ And his momma guaranteed me we’re going to have a great season for the LSU Tigers,” Orgeron said.

Key finally bounced back into game shape against Ole Miss where he recorded two sacks. The following game against Alabama, Key continued to rise as he recorded eight tackles, .5 sack and two quarterback hurries.

Evident in pictures, Key’s right hand was wrapped up for the first time on Oct. 14 against Auburn. Eventually, Key wore a cast binding his pinky finger and ring finger against Alabama, where he played arguably his most dominant of the season.

Key was completely absent for the team’s regular season finale against Texas A&M. He did not walk down the

The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge and Arts Council New Orleans partnered to launch four artist-targeted creative entrepreneurship sessions.

Tiger Walk and was not seen on the sidelines which raised questions.

At the press conference following the win, Orgeron said that Key’s status is ‘questionable.’

Key is four sacks shy of tying LSU’s all-time record of 25. In 2016, Key set a school-record with 12 sacks in a season.

“Other people would think, ‘well, I don’t know, he’s getting that shoulder operated, he’s going in,’” Orgeron said. “That was not the case. That was not his family. That was not his mindset. I think Arden felt that he could play in the heavier weight. It wasn’t the right thing and so he lost weight. And now he’s playing some of his best football. So I’m proud of him.

LSU has given him the tools to go out and be successful for life on and off the field.”

HASKELL WHITTINGTON / The Daily Reveille

LSU junior linebacker Arden Key (49) rushes after Alabama sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) during the Tigers’ loss to Alabama Nov. 4 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, November 29, 2017 page 6

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ADMINISTRATION

Disney College Program recognizes LSU achievement

BY HAILEY AUGLAIR @ haileyauglair1 The University has been selected as a distinguished Disney College Program institution because of the high number of applicants, according to Disney Campus Recruitment Manager Jeff Hickman.

The Disney College Program has been giving students an opportunity to gain magical experiences for more than 35 years.

“We’ve always seen tremendous interest in the program from LSU students, which is a ‘win-win’ situation because they bring such professionalism and a ‘guest service first’ attitude to their work locations,” Hickman said.

“The Disney College Program provides students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in the Disney culture while placing them in the position of ‘magic makers’ for our guests, Hickman said.

“The work experience on the program alone can be a differentiator on a resume,” Hickman said. “Plus, students get to network and better positions themselves for a potential future

career with Disney.” to visit friends she met through Mass Communication senior the program in New Jersey and Katie Gaffrey participated in the Australia.

Gaffrey said the program has program last spring.

“I used to always tell [my made her more adventurous and family] I was going to be a outgoing. princess,” Gaffrey said.

“I used to be really shy and Gaffrey said never really wanted to talk to people she applied to the program because “It was hard work, but unless they talked she has always I was having so much to me, but when you’re working in wanted to work fun while doing it a really fast-paced in Disney World.

Last spring, she that I didn’t really e n v i r o n m e n t , ” Gaffrey said. “I worked at a shop notice it,” opened up a lot out in Fantasyland of my shell.” selling princess Gaffrey said dresses. Her cosKATIE GAFFREY tume included LSU Disney College Program Student she plans to move a giant purple to Florida in January with her dress, pixie dust and a wand. They often had pa- friends who she convinced to do rades around the store, she said. the program. She plans to partici“It was hard work, but I was pate in the program next spring having so much fun while doing it working attractions. Her goal is that I didn’t really notice it,” Gaf- to stay with Disney and work her frey said. “Plus you’re in Disney way up.

World, and you get to go to all the “[My managers] started all as parks in your free time, so any college program kids and worked negatives it outweighs it.” their way up to be managers in Gaffrey said her favorite part charge of each land,” Gaffrey was interacting with people from said. “I like the idea of everyone’s all over the world. She is still on the same level and you get to in contact with her former co- work your way up. It doesn’t matworker from Shanghai, and plans ter who has the most internships.”

courtesy of KATIE GAFFREY

BUSINESS

LSU announces speakers for 2018 TEDxLSU

BY TAYLOR DELPIDIO @TD_Reveille

The University announced the speaker lineup for its sixth annual TEDxLSU event during the recent Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week on Nov. 15.

The theme for the 2018 event is “Refract,” and it will be held on March 3. Registration is open for the event.

Featured among the speakers is local businessman Richard Lipsey, who will be interviewed by political

scientist and College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Stacia Haynie.

“I am honored to be a part of TEDxLSU this year, and especially excited to interview Richard Lipsey for the program,” Haynie said. “Mr. Lipsey is a business giant not only in Louisiana, but globally. Mr. Lipsey’s story is a fascinating one that you won’t want to miss.”

Lipsey served in the U.S. Army and was present at the autopsy of John F. Kennedy following his assassination,

Haynie said. He serves on the Louisiana Board of Regents as its chair, as well.

Other speakers and performers on the lineup include biological anthropologist and “lover of teeth” Juliet Brophy; infectious disease researcher and “mosquito whisperer” Rebecca Christofferson; and media innovator and “civic hacker” Rebekah Monson, according to the press release.

University pathobiological sciences assistant professor Christofferson received a $1.2 million grant to study

the Zika and chikungunya viruses from the National Institutes of Health, according to a press release from the School of Veterinary Medicine. University assistant professor Brophy studies the dental characteristics of early humans.

The theme of the event, “Refract”, focuses on how one engages with their senses and how that engagement can change things for the better, according to the TEDxLSU website.

The TEDxLSU event is

not politically or financially motivated, nor is it organized for personal gain, according to the release. The participants agree to do so because they believe in the power of ideas to ignite progress.

TED is a non-profit organization dedicated to “ideas worth spreading.” Two annual conferences challenge speakers to give “the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less.” TEDx events are officially licensed, locally produced events like TED conferences.

THE DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES

TEDxLSU had a booth setup during the opening night of BREW (Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week) on Nov. 14, 2016, at the Louisiana Emerging Technology Center located on LSU campus.

The Daily Reveille

page 8 SECURITY, from page 3 that said, “A dollar for your thoughts, keep the window clear makes better to see through, BTW we are watching.”

“I checked with all my friends, everyone that has ever been in [her studio], and everyone that I know and is allowed to come in here without me in it, said it wasn’t them and that’s when I started to get concerned,” Blackwell said.

Blackwell said she also checked with the students who have class in the room across the courtyard from her studio. They said they can not see into her studio from their room because the windows are too dirty.

Two weeks later, in the same spot where the first note was found, was another note that said there are 20 notes in total.

Most of the notes were very well hidden, Blackwell said.

“Outside of taking down reports, and occasionally coming by the building, [LSUPD is] not doing anything preventative,” Blackwell said.

“These things keep happening more and more often, and people I think are realizing that this building is open and vulnerable to that kind of stuff.

It’s just inviting people to come in.”

The same day the 20 notes were hidden in Blackwell’s studio, one of the girls’ bathroom stalls were covered

in sticky notes with drawings of eyes, Blackwell said.

“A lot of us, especially the grad students or people in advanced classes, work very late at night. I’m here overnight at least two to three times a week,” Blackwell said.

“I started carrying a taser around with me and pepper spray anytime I’m here or walk out the door.

It’s very concerning. A lot of people are starting to get scared they can’t work here when they need to.”

After the second time the notes were left, Blackwell said she enlisted the help of an administrator to get a key so she could make a copy of it on her own.

“I pay tuition here and I want to be protected. I want to know that there’s at least some sort of security whether that’s a locked door, I don’t understand why that can’t be a thing,” said ceramics senior Catherine Mills. “I just don’t understand what it’s going to take to get the University’s attention and for them to actually do something.”

Not all of the above incidents were reported, according to LSUPD. Painting and ceramics senior Jacob Lagasse said he had a bucket of paint poured on his car and into the engine, over the summer.

“I can’t pull every single student in this building aside and say ‘Hey, you need to

watch out, this is going on,’ so there’s a lot of students who don’t know that they need to be taking extra steps to protect themselves,” Blackwell said.

Last year, Mills said she was working in the studio late at night when her friend, Adam, saw a man roaming the halls and confronted him.

After the man refused to leave, Adam stayed with Mills so she would not be in the studio alone.

“That was great of him, but what would’ve happened if he’d just gone,” Mills said.

“If Adam couldn’t get him to leave, there’s no way I could have.”

The University has promoted the “See Something, Say Something” campaign, according to Media Relations director Ernie Ballard.

“We ask that people report anything suspicious to the police. The safety of all members of the LSU community is of utmost importance to us, and for that reason we ask everyone to come together and look out for each other,” Ballard said. “Even if someone is unsure, please contact LSU Police — a false alarm is always better than a crime that could have been prevented.”

“Ballard said students should utilize the LSU Shield app on their smart phones, where they can use the iReport function to text and chat with LSU Police,” Ballard said.

ALYSSA BERRY / The Daily Reveille

The culprit leaves drawings of eyes on sticky notes placed on a bathroom stall door to let LSU students know they are being watched on Nov. 16 in the Studio Arts Building.

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GEOLOGY, from page 3 “They were somewhat unprecedented, so we really needed to spend a lot of time both validating things and making sure the measurements we made were correct, but also comparing them with the current understanding of earth’s evolution,” Benjamin said. “By bringing those two things together, we were able to put together what came to be a plausible explanation for these chemical signatures we see in these rocks.”

Scientists have been studying both volcanic and sedimentary rocks over 3 billion years old in an attempt to understand both the evolution of the Barber-

ton Greenstone Belt and early earth for over 30 years, Benjamin said.

There are continuous records of samples of earth’s mantle that go back to almost four billion years ago that indicate it’s composition has remained relatively fixed over time, Benjamin said.

“There have been small deviations in the earth’s mantle composition, but for the most part, it’s such a large reservoir that it’s hard to change,” Benjamin said. “We’ve found rocks that are approximately 3.3 billion years old, which are derived from deep within earth’s mantle, have an oxygen isotope composition very different from

Wednesday, November 29, 2017 go to LSU Procurement and a request for proposal will be career opportunities and learn made. The RFP can take about events going on in the several months, Badeaux said. area.

In addition, SG will be “The website is built out, partnering with the LSU but it’s not molded with BRAC’s Alumni Association to form a website yet,” Badeaux said. Senior Traditions committee “Our people are to review acmeeting with tivities that take “This is hopefully place the week BRAC, hopefully by the end of this going to be one of before seniors month, to bring graduate.

The our biggest spring initiative would the two websites together.” allow for new initiatives” Badeaux said ideas and tradihe plans for LSU tions to be impleLocal to launch mented during JASON BADEAUX at the beginning that week, beginSG President of the 2018 spring ning the end of the semester.

2017 fall semester, Another large initiative in- Badeaux said. cluded in the “Affect” ticket’s One of the previously original platform is the ride scheduled initiatives for this share program, offering dis- year has been tentatively counted rides to students on pushed until fall 2018, acapps like Uber or Lyft during cording to SG vice presispecified hours. dent Leah Sanders.

“This is hopefully going This initiative involves the to be one of our biggest spring implementation of a singuinitiatives,” Badeaux said. “It’s lar clicker that would be used in the final stage of hammer- across campus for all classes ing out the specifications of the to alleviate students’ need to program.” purchase different types of LSU Parking & Transpor- clickers. tation Services is looking over SG executive press the proposal and making deci- secretary Beth Carter said sions about where to draw out that each of the senior colleges the geo-fence within which have initiatives they are students would qualify for the working on, including the discount, Badeaux said.

College of Music & Dramatic The final specifications Arts obtaining new furnicould be made as soon as the ture and the College of Art & end of this week, at which Design creating a portfolio time all the information will review panel.

INITIATIVES, from page 3

THE DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES

An SG initiative set to launch in fall 2018 will implement the use of singular clickers. the known composition of the mantle and in modern volcanic rocks that are derived from earth’s mantle.”

Much of the research was conducted at the University’s world-class oxygen isotopes lab headed by Bao. “Oxygen isotopes are used for both in modern times and going back in geologic record is for understanding how the earth’s climate is changed,” Benjamin said. “They are very sensitive to variations in the earth’s surface temperature and by looking at oxygen isotopes and rocks that were both at earth’s surface billions of years ago, we can get an idea of what the earth’s climate was like.”

courtesy of WIKIMEDIA

The study of rocks provides a vital link between the Barberton Greenstone Belt and early earth.

Sports

page 9 OPINION

Making sense out of CFP rankings CAL’D UP CHRIS CALDARERA Columnist

effort to Marquette.

Waters always had a basketball in his hands when he was younger, and that continued in Maui when he borrowed a ball from the local high school because he wasn’t used to that particular brand.

“I just used it for the night so I could get a better feel for it,” Waters said. “I slept with it and played with it all night. It was like my girlfriend.”

Since the dawn of time, humanity has been faced with unanswerable questions.

Do you pour cereal before milk? Should ketchup be stored in the refrigerator or the pantry? If pizzas are round, why are they delivered in square boxes?

Every year, the benevolent elders of the College Football Playoff Committee are faced with a similar philosophical conundrum: Which four teams deserve a playoff berth?

To narrow their search for worthy teams, the committee exclusively focuses on college football’s power-five conferences.

These conferences are the Southeastern, Pacific-12, Atlantic Coastal, Big Ten and Big 12.

Fortunately, the Pac-12 did everyone a favor this year and remained irrelevant. No. 12 Stanford (9-3) and No. 10 Southern California (10-2) will meet in the Pac-12 championship game, but neither team boasts a worthwhile resumé, so the committee can scrap both from playoff consideration.

see WATERS, page 17

see PLAYOFF, page 17

FRESH WATERS LSU basketball freshman off to historic start for Tigers

BY GLEN WEST @glenwest21 If you’ve watched any of LSU’s first five games this season, you have probably noticed freshman point guard Tremont Waters as one of the Tigers brightest stars.

Through five games Waters is averaging 20 points and five assists per game, while shooting 55 percent from the field.

A statistic posted by college basketball expert Ken Pomeroy has

Waters listed second nationally in offensive rating with a 130.9 score.

But it’s his off the court leadership that has impressed coach Will Wade the most. “He is very mature,” Wade said. “I was really proud of the way he responded in the Marquette game.”

Over Thanksgiving week, LSU participated in the Maui Invitational where Waters was named to the AllTournament team. Waters scored 21 points against Michigan and followed that up two nights later by scoring a career-high 39 points in a losing

GYMNASTICS

LSU Gymnastics breaks season ticket record ahead of 2018 season

BY KENNEDI LANDRY @ landryyy14 Two months before the season begins, LSU gymnastics is already breaking records.

The Tigers shattered the school record for season tickets sold for the 2018 season at just over 5,000 tickets.

“This is an incredible milestone for our program, and it’s exciting to reach this goal,” LSU coach D-D Breaux said in a press release. “The passion our fans have for this team is on display at every meet and every time we are out in the community. We are excited for our fan base and to get the season started.”

LSU sold 4,532 season tickets in the 2017 season and 3,871 season tickets in 2016. Season ticket sales have seen a significant rise over the past four season, with Super Six appearances in

2014, 2016 and 2017 and a NCAA tournament appearance in 2015.

The reigning national runners-up are traditionally dominate in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, boasting a 28-0 record over the last four seasons and 273-55-3 record overall record.

LSU fans have consistently packed the PMAC. The Tigers have set new average attendance records every year for the last five seasons. In 2017, they averaged more than 10,000 fans a meet for the first time in school history.

In 2016, LSU broke the home attendance record for the fourth year in a row with 13,296 fans in the PMAC in a 197.925-196.225 win over Alabama.

LSU has had at least 10,000 fans eight times in school history.

All of the top 10 most attended meets have come within the past four years as well as three of

the top five coming in the 2016 season.

In 2017, the Tigers set a new home opener attendance record with 7,602 fans in the PMAC in a 197.825-193.600 win over Georgia.

Breaux emphasizes the importance of fan experience and the fans’ effect on the team.

“Being able to have a big, rowdy crowd at home that is a distraction, is huge to the success of a team as they move toward a championship effort,” Breaux said. “We train with a certain amount of intensity and pressure to reach our goals, and the fans help us in those aspects.”

Fans will get their first look at the team in a “gymnastics showcase” as LSU debuts its 2018 gymnastics team at Gym 101 at 6:30 p.m. on December 11. The regu-

see SEASON TICKETS, page 17

WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille

The LSU gymnastics team celebrates during the Tigers’ 198.150-196.600 victory against Florida on March 5 in the PMAC.

The Daily Reveille

page 10

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Freshman guard Khayla Pointer finds strength with Lady Tigers

BY JARRETT MAJOR @jarrett_tdr The Lady Tigers have been no stranger to adversity over the years with injuries and illnesses impacting the team during coach Nikki Fargas’ tenure.

The Lady Tigers are facing adversity once again. Freshman guard Khayla Pointer lost her father Kirk Pointer to a heart attack on Nov. 5, the day of the Lady Tigers’ exhibition game.

The death also affects Fargas, who’s sister was Kirk’s wife.

“She has been a strong young lady,” Fargas said. “She handles it as well as anyone could. She has been playing for her father.

We were fully supportive of her.

We have made sure that she has all the resources she needs – love, support, a shoulder to cry on.”

Kirk was a former NFL player for the Miami Dolphins and was Khayla’s AAU coach.

Still, Khayla continued to play for LSU because it is what she thought her father would have wanted.

In LSU’s opener at South

Florida on Nov. 10, Khayla played despite her father’s funeral the next day in Memphis.

The day after she returned for LSU’s home opener against Southeastern on Nov. 12, she put up a thencareer-high 9 points.

“She was so strong about it,” said junior guard Chloe Jackson.

“Each day she came into practice and made no excuses. She has been so strong and showed us we were her family. We embraced her.”

Prior to the South Florida and Southeastern games, there was a moment of silence in Kirk’s honor.

“We have tried to be very supportive of her,” said senior guard Raigyne Louis.

“I have never had a teammate go through something like this.

So to see how strong she has been, she has made it easy on us.

She has so much strength, I don’t think I would have been able to do that.”

Khayla has taken her strength and brought it to the court.

After coming off the bench for the first three games, Pointer has started the last three games as a freshman for

LSU. “I am very thankful,” Khayla said. “Not many people come in and start as a freshman. I am still learning and adjusting to the game, it is not the same as high school. I will keep learning and getting better as the season goes on.”

She is currently tied for third in assists for the Lady Tigers and fifth on the team in points.

On top of everything, Khayla has had to adjust to the intensity of playing D-1 basketball.

“I think she has done pretty well transitioning from high school to college,” said Louis.

“It took me awhile to get used to playing and college, so I think she will adjust well. I think she is adjusting quicker than I actually did.”

In LSU’s trip to Las Vegas, Khayla celebrated her birthday with her teammates as they knocked off St. Louis 71-59 on Nov. 25.

“It was pretty fun for me to spend my birthday with my team,” Khayla said. “It was a nice present to win. We went out and celebrated after, so that was pretty fun.”

KELLY MCDUFF / The Daily Reveille

LSU freshman guard Khayla Pointer (3) moves through opposing players during the Tigers’ 96-34 victory against Mississippi College on Nov. 5 in the PMAC

VOLLEYBALL

Tigers’ turnaround season leads to postseason berth

BY JBRIAAN JOHNSON @JBriaan_Johnson

LSU has had a great deal of success throughout this season compared to its recent years.

After winning only 18 games throughout the last two seasons, the Tigers finished with 20 wins and 9 losses this regular season, accumulating more than double the amount of wins they had in the previous two seasons.

“We finally got healthy and grew up enough to compete at the level we are expected to compete on,” coach Fran Flory said. “We have been able to reestablish a culture of what our program is about. I believe this is a really big turning point for our future as well.”

LSU started the season as good as anyone in the country, delivering dominant performances consistently and rolling to an eight game win streak.

Over the course of the streak, the Tigers won all of its sets by an average of 8.5 points.

Flory explained how other teams’ approach towards the Tigers has changed compared to last season and how it affects the team’s mindset towards teams playing even harder against them.

“There are times when we still revert a little bit,” Flory said. “Certainly, we started with a lot of insecurities with climbing up from where we once were. We are still in the process of learning and truly believing

ALYSSA BERRY / The Daily Reveille

LSU senior outside hitter Gina Tillis (12) spikes during the Lady Tigers’ 3-1 victory over Auburn University on Nov. 15, in the PMAC that we belong. The process is working and they are getting to where we want them to be.

Hopefully, the process will continue to work and we will be able to extend our season.”

LSU’s undeniable chemistry on the court earned the team the BASF Team Chemistry Award in September. The team used chemistry as the mantra, which led to the dominance to start the year.

With this also came the individual accolades that stood out as specific players have led LSU’s miraculous turnaround season.

Freshman outside hitter Taylor Bannister stands out among the others. Bannister made a huge splash on the scene that uplifted the Tigers in ways they have not had.

She’s managed to find success immediately as a first-year player, receiving the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year two times throughout the season. Bannister was also named to the All-SEC team and the SEC All-Freshman team.

Another marque contributor to LSU’s prosperity was senior outside hitter Gina Tillis.

Tillis held a prominent

leadership role, being the model player to the younger players and setting the example on and off of the court. Tillis produced staggering numbers this season.

She is second on the team in total kills with 269, and eclipsed 1,000 career kills in the team’s victory over Ole Miss on Oct. 18.

“We certainly will miss our seniors,” Flory said. “We won’t just miss the ones everyone knows about on the court. The behind-the-scenes work from Khourtni [Fears] and Cheyenne [Wood] does not get much credit because no one really knows.

Our seniors did a great job of

being true to our program, to each other, and to their teammates.”

LSU’s home crowd has also been a boost to this season’s turnaround. Flory has raved multiple times throughout the season about the fan support and how big of an influence that the fans have on the success of the team.

“The crowd made us,” Flory said. “The fan support from the University and from the community makes you feel like what you’re doing is worth it, and it makes you want to be even better. Them being there is what I am most appreciative of because they created energy, certainly helping us succeed this year.”

Moving forward, LSU will be welcoming a strong recruiting class for 2018 and a new, higher set of expectations for the team to exceed. Flory looks forward to the challenges in the future, but has confidence her program will remain steered in the right direction.

“The expectation is in the next couple of years, we will be hosting (first weekend of NCAA Tournament)”, Flory said. “We have an opportunity to be one of those top 16 teams to get to host. With a great home-court advantage that will be worth a couple points per set, hopefully we could work to be one of those teams playing at home in a couple of years on this weekend rather than traveling.”

THE HOLIDAY GUIDE

Make your

winter break

the best it can be!

for a tight budget

by Bobby Crane

c

hristmas doesn’t

stop just because we’re broke college students. That being said, we shouldn’t feel obliged to buy costly items for everyone on our list. Instead, there are a plethora of DIY gifts to make on a limited college budget. Here’s a list of some ideas that don’t take too long to make and won’t break the bank.

Picture gifts You know what they say: a picture’s worth a thousand words.

If you don’t want to use a thousand words to say how much your friend means to you, just print one of your favorite pictures of the two of you. It’s easy to do; you can do it online from Walgreens, Rite Aid or CVS for a modest fee. From there, you have a variety of options to make the gift extra special.

You can buy a cheap wooden picture frame from the dollar store and decorate it however you choose. Paint it with a fun pattern, cover it with stick-

ers or spray paint the frame; you can’t go wrong putting a personalized touch on a plain frame. Insert the picture inside the frame, and you’ve made a gift perfect for your best friend, significant other or one of your parents.

coffee mug from the Dollar Store and some Sharpie paint markers to use to decorate it.

You can go simplistic and sleek or outrageous and colorful; use your best judgment depending on whom you’re going to give the gift to.

Another option is to print out a selection of photographs to cut and paste onto a piece of poster board, making a fun friendship collage. To increase the sentimentality of your collage, you can give it a fun shape, like a heart, circle or letter. Who doesn’t want a collection of all their best moments plastered on their wall?

To top it off, put a printout of your favorite hot drink recipe, like hot chocolate, inside the mug. If you have a little extra money to spend, Walgreens will even place a picture on your mug. Regardless of what you do, you’ll never hear the end of your coffee-savvy friend’s gratitude.

custom Mug College students love their caffeine, whether that’s from Starbucks or from your kitchen Mr. Coffee. For those days where you might have a little bit more time in the morning and want to leisurely read the newspaper while sipping a hot cup of java, you need a reliable and attractive coffee mug.

For the caffeine-addict in your life, buy a plain white ceramic

scrapBook If you really want to pull on the heartstrings of a valued loved one, here’s a foolproof way.

Gather a few key supplies like poster board, glitter, printed photos, stickers, cutouts from magazines and colored markers. Punch a hole somewhere in every piece of the poster board, and run a string through each hole connecting the pieces like a book. Fill the pages with pictures, words and other person-

alized touches to tell the story of your relationship.

This is a great gift for a mom or a best friend; it’s the perfect mixture of meaningful and creative.

Bottle Stoppers It’s the classic dilemma of a struggling college student: what do I do with the half-full opened bottle of White Zinfandel in my fridge? Help end a generations-old problem by making all of your friends beautiful DIY bottle stoppers.

All you need is some glue, a cork and a geode. Luckily, you can pick from an extensive selection of crystals, minerals and geodes at Baton Rouge landmark Coyote Moon.

Then, just glue the geode to the top of the cork, let it dry and place the stopper in the open bottle.

It’s the best gift your best friend never knew they needed, and it’ll make the perfect addition to anyone’s otherwise drab bar cart.

The Holiday Guide

page 12 2

Christmas

A LOUISIANA

BY ABBY SHULL

While you’re not likely to see snowflakes on the ground in Louisiana this holiday season, the people of “The Boot” know how to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

The most famous Christmas tradition in Louisiana has got to be the lighting of the bonfires on Christmas Eve night. Head out to the levee to see these

spectacular structures light the night sky for Papa Noel. This event happens on the river at a number of locations, so just find the one that is closest to your other Christmas celebrations.

One popular bonfire event is the Festival of the Bonfires at Lutcher Recreational Park in Lutcher, Louisiana. Tickets are $25 and include food, crafts, carnival rides, a visit from Santa and live entertainment. The festival runs Dec. 7-10, rain or shine. Each night of the festival a different bonfire will be lit.

On Dec. 9, you can attend the Cortana Kiwanis Christmas Parade in downtown Baton Rouge. This annual celebration brings more than 80,000 people to the Red Stick to watch over 80 floats, marching bands, dance troupes and business treck through the downtown area.

This year the parade will start

Wednesday, Friday,November December29, 2, 2016 2017

on River Road and end near Capitol City park.

Before the parade, be sure to catch the Battle of the Bands on River Road between the River Center and the Levee.

Marching bands from around the state will compete for cash prizes, the event is also sponsored by Cortana Kiwanis.

Also on Dec. 9, you can participate in the 6th annual Santa Fun Run. The fun run is also hosted by Cortana Kiwanis and benefits children and families who are in need this holiday season. Your registration fee will include a Santa costume consisting of a red jacket, black belt, red pants and Santa Hat. For adults, the Santa Hat includes a beard. Everyone who finishes the 1.25 mile fun run will receive a commemorative medal.

On Dec. 9, New Orleans hosts their own Running of the Santas in the Warehouse District. This event is boozier than the Baton Rouge fun run, and includes drink specials at bars throughout the area.

Starting at 5:45pm the Santas “run” from Mannings to

Generation Hall, the proceeds from this run benefit the “That Others May Live” foundation.

There is a costume contest at the end of the run as well as live music by Top Cats and Flow Tribe at Generation Hall.

On Dec. 17, head to Jackson Square in New Orleans for a truly unique and moving holiday experience. Each year, thousands of people visit the square to sing carols in the heart of the Big Easy. Candles are passed around to all who attend, as well as song sheets so everyone can sing the carols in unison. The event is also where the winners of the Patio Planters contest for best Christmas Decorations in the French Quarter are announced.

The gates will open at 6:30pm and caroling begins promptly at 7pm.

If you’re headed up north for the holidays be sure to check out the Natchitoches Christmas festival which will be open Nov. 18 thru Jan. 6.

More than 300,000 Christmas lights and set pieces are on display in Downtown Natchitoches and on the riverbank of Cane River Lake. There are special events throughout the festival including an arts and crafts show, a fireworks show, live entertainment and special visits from Santa.

As the holidays near, it becomes apparent there are two types of people: those that love scouring every store until they find the perfect gift, and those who wait until the last possible second. Finding a gift for a loved one can be difficult -- you have to evaluate how well you know them, an item within your means that they would benefit from.

in her shop, from her simple diffuser necklaces to the ornate pelican cuff. My favorites: the “Bee Happy” necklace, crescent city cuff and knuckle rings.

Luckily, Baton Rouge has plenty of options for one-of-a-kind gifts, from jewelry to apparel to sweet treats. Check out these ideas for unique, locallysourced gifts to give this season.

crafted WIT

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by L au

C AR

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Heff ke r

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Mimosa Handcrafted Easily the most well-known maker in Baton Rouge, Madeline Ellis of Mimosa Handcrafted makes it hard to pass up any of her handmade bronze jewelry. Ellis’ designs are inspired

by Southern Louisiana, and you can find rings, cuffs, necklaces, earrings and even belt buckles

Tip: Shop Mimosa at festivals or markets when you can; it’ll be less expensive than ordering online. Sign up for her newsletter or like her Facebook page, and you’ll get 10 percent off.

Pottery by Osa While she’s only been a potter for a few years, Osa Atoe’s clay works appear to be anything but amateur. Any mother is sure to love the New Orleansbased artist’s terracotta pottery -- usually simple, modern pieces featuring geometric black, white or turquoise designs, Atoe makes mugs, plates, bowls, planters and even wine glasses. Snag a pretty pot for your succulent or a mug set to make you smile every morning.

Find her work on Instagram @ potterybyosa or on etsy.com/ PotterybyOsa

The Holiday Guide

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

in poor lighting. The string lights contribute to the warm and cozy mood you’re inevitably going for.

Fire

To further that mood, it’s necessary to have a fire going. I know that sometimes Christmas in Louisiana doesn’t mean snow-capped landscapes, so if the temperature isn’t conducive to a traditional wood-burning fire, just play Netflix’s “Fireplace For Your Home” on your TV. It may not be as good as the real thing, but your guests will appreciate the effort.

Snow

Undoubtedly, one of the best parts of the holiday season is the multitude of holiday-themed parties and celebrations. While attending one of these is fun in itself, it’s even more satisfying to throw a holiday party of your own. There are a few components to a foolproof holiday party, and I’ve compiled them all here in a convenient list. Follow my suggestions, and your holiday party will be a holiday hit.

Lighting

Beneath the Bark

ies with sea salt are to die for.

The Baton Rouge baker also specializes in sugar cookies, oreos, snickerdoodles and pretty much any other dessert. Find her on Instagram @counterspaceBR to see where she’ll be selling her cookies next.

You can’t talk about makers in Baton Rouge and not look to Molly Taylor. The artist has been gaining recognition in the Capital City for her trademark wooden jewelry made from stainless steel and reclaimed wood. The distinct pieces are made from woods such as pecan, cedar, walnut, cherry, live oak, spalted maple, and Louisiana sinker cypress and refinished to become beautiful necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

Her extensive process from raw material to finished product attracts local and regional clients for the craftsmanship of her wares.

Find her at beneaththebarkjewelry.com or on Instagram @beneaththebarkjewelry.

Counterspace BR Bringing home these sweet treats from Sarah Hays will leave your family unable to be satisfied with store-bought cookies ever again. Her massive dark chocolate chip cook-

The most essential component to a good holiday party is the lighting. To get your guests into a festive mood, hang up multiple strands of string lights all over the room. In addition to traditional white string lights, make sure also to grab a few strands of the multicolored string lights.

Whatever you do, just make sure you don’t use fluorescent lights; you can’t generate holiday spirit

Decorating your house should be fairly simplistic since you should already have an appropriately decorated tree and ample lights. To give your home that extra holiday feeling, buy a few packs of fake snow to place around the room where you’ll be hosting guests.

It creates the illusion of a winter wonderland inside, and it makes for great photo-ops.

Dress Code

One of the hardest parts of throwing a regular party is picking a theme. With throwing a holiday party, the theme is already a given. Since you don’t have to think about a theme, give your party a fitting holiday title.

Based on that, give your guests a strict dress code and make sure everyone adheres to it. If you want your party to honor Santa

page 13

and all that comes with him, make everyone dress in variations of Santa costumes. If you’re going for more of a white Christmas feel, tell guests to come in their iciest outfits. What your guests wear can make or break the party, so stress the importance of the dress code. Worst comes to worst, just tell all of your guests to wear ugly Christmas sweaters; that’s always a sure fire way to fe ster up festive feelings.

Food and Drinks

wiches and any kind of warm dips. After all, is a party without food really a party?

Activities

Before your party, plan out activities and make a playlist of your favorite Christmas music.

Dirty Santa is always fun, and a Christmas party isn’t complete without a sing-a-long of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” It’s important that everyone isn’t just standing around with nothing to do. With the right selection of music and fun holiday-themed events, your party will be the hit of the season.

As with any party, food and drinks are one of the most fundamental factors. People love any excuse for free food or free drinks, so make sure you give the people what they want. Create a selection of a few pre-made holiday-themed drinks that you serve in a punch bowl for the guests who want to do minimal work, but also keep a fully stocked bar for guests who want to choose their own libations.

An especially essential holiday drink is a Hot Toddie, which will warm everyone up and cure their winter blues.

Having a large selection of holiday finger foods is also important. Some simple suggestions are meatballs, finger sand-

Give the gift of greens.

Purchase a $25 gift card and recieve an additional $5 gift card.*

Tim’s Garage Get your streetwear brand clothing from Tim’s Garage, the new home of Baton Rouge’s own Bricks and Bombs.

Your go-to for t-shirts, hats, pins, accessories and posters, owner Brad Jensen is expanding his inventory to include LSU and Louisiana-themed apparel. The former Government Street storefront next to The Radio Bar is transforming into an art gallery/event venue, but you can still grab all your alternative wears down the road at Jensen’s new shop.

Find him on Instagram @bricksandbombs1 or online at bricksandbombs.com.

aton Rouge B in s n o ti a c Two Lo ian/Perkins & Coursey Blvd.

Acad

Visit THINKSALADSHOP.COM for a menu + more info. *Valid through 2/01/18

The Holiday Guide

page 14

Holiday

EVENts

by Ysabella Ramirez

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Winter break is the light at the end of the tunnel for many University students.

After spending months tirelessly cramming fowr tests and poring over notes, winter break offers a chance to enjoy life with your family and friends minus the stresses of school.

Of Montreal

For students spending a portion or all of their break in Baton Rouge, here’s a list of things to occupy free time and explore the entertainment options the city has to offer.

Nutcracker: A Tale from the Bayou

The Wood Brothers

Dec. 11 The Varsity Theater $17 The charismatic band of brothers is coming to the Varsity to jazz up your Monday night.

Take a well-deserved break after finals and go enjoy the sounds of The Wood Brothers.

Tickets can be bought through the band’s website as well as The Varsity’s website.

Dec 15 Spanish Moon $17-$20 Electronic dance band ‘Of Montreal’ will play at the Spanish Moon. The band recently released their EP “Rune Husk”.

Tickets can be bought on Spanish Moon’s website.

Raising Cane’s River Center Dec. 16 & 17 Cost: $22-$55 The “Nutcracker: A Tale from the Bayou” has become a holiday tradition in Baton Rouge.

The Baton Rouge Ballet Theater puts on the show for two days in december complete with worldclass guest composers and live music from the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets are avliable on the Baton Rouge Ballet’s website as well as Raising Cane’s River Center’s website.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Smoothie King Center,

New Orleans Dec 20 $90-$180 As a part of its 2017 Winter Tour, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is stopping in New Orleans to dazzle listeners and viewers with their dynamic lights and sounds. Purchase your tickets online at ticketmaster.com; prices vary based on seating.

Meriwether

Dec 23 The Varsity Theater $15 This Baton Rouge based rock band is bringing all original members together for the show.

Meriwether hasn’t played live much in the past few years, so this is an unique opportunity.

Tickets can be bought on The Varsity’s website or through the band’s Facebook page.

Dr. John and the GrisGris Krewe

Dec 27 Tipitina’s - New Orleans $44 The New Orleans born Grammy winning artist is performing at the music club Tipitina’s. Buy

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The Holiday Guide

Wednesday, November 29, 2017 your tickets on eventsfy.com

thejoytheater.ticketfly.com.

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic + DJ Soul Sister

Galactic New YearS

Dec 29-30 Tipitina’s - New Orleans $38 After hosting Dr. John and the Gris-Gris Krewe, Tipitina’s opens its doors to revolutionary R&B artist George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic.

The group’s groovy sounds will be on display for two nights.

Tickets can be eventsfy.com.

bought

on

Tank and the Bangas

Dec 31 Joy Theater - New Orleans $30-$50 If Galactic isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps jump on over to the Joy Theater to experience Tank and the Bangas.

The New Orleans R&B group is performing at The Joy Theater to ring in 2018 on a rhythmic note.

To buy your tickets today, visit

page 15

Dec 31 Tipitina’s - New Orleans $76 Hot spot Tipitina’s offers up a chance to close out 2017 and ring in 2018 with New Orleans band Galactic.

Tickets to join in the fun can be bought on Tipitina’s website.

Bricks in the Wall

Jan 6 The Varsity $12 Take in the sights and sounds of Pink Floyd with this tribute band on a Saturday night.

Tickets can be bought on ticketmaster.com.

Tango Fire

Manship Theater Jan. 9 $50 The Tango Fire Company of Buenos Aries is coming to the Manship Theater to show off the passion and flare of ballroom dancing. Buy your tickets today at tango-fire.com.

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The Holiday Guide

page 16

Holiday Parties,

College Budgets

F

rom “friendsgiving” to “Ugly Christmas Sweater” parties, students are preparing for the holidays with a variety of celebrations. Here are a few ways to throw a memorable holiday party on a college student’s budget.

Dollar and thrift stores also sell low-priced cutlery, decorations, cups, plates, food and items for crafting. Many of the ideas on Pinterest can be re-created from items purchased at Dollar Tree or Walmart.

find inspiration

Students often can find particular items they need from friends, family or associates, using social media, text messaging and word of mouth.

Foldable tables, chairs, cooking appliances or stands are a few party necessities students can often borrow from on-campus organizations or other students.

If those methods fail, garage sales are another option. Keep an eye out for “Garage Sale” signs and browse their items for potential party decorations.

Before making any purchases, search through Pinterest for inspiration.

Searching for keywords such as “Friendsgiving,” “Holiday Party” or “DIY Thanksgiving” reveals everything from recipes and drink concoctions to game ideas and step-by-step instructions for crafts.

By downloading the Pinterest app on a smartphone, students can “pin” the idea to their board and refer to the app while they shop. Convienient!

shopping savvy

by Cynthea Corfah

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

For students on a budget, Dollar General, Walmart and other discount stores are the best places to start looking.

Walmart features a large clearance section with out-of-season holiday items that are marked down. Students can find table cloths for under $3, along with centerpieces for under $5.

buy used

Paper or Plastic Instead of providing more than 10-20 dishes, sets of eating utensils and cups, purchase paper or plastic eating and drinking wear.

Not only can students purchase paper plates, plastic cups and cutlery in bulk without breaking their bank, but they will also save time at the end of the night by not washing dishes.

host a Potluck Arranging a potluck event is one of the easiest ways to avoid high food costs. Have all guests RSVP at least a few days before the event. Share a Google Sheet or Doc with the guests, and have each person write their name along with what food item they plan to bring.

The live Google Sheet or Doc allows guests to see which food items are already taken and the names of other guests coming.

D.I.Y. Decor Decorations don’t have to be expensive.

After browsing ideas on Pinterest, students can imitate or recreate decor ideas. Eliminate the cost of tablecloths by creating your own.

Using Kraft Paper, the party host can decorate the table or allow the guests to doodle and draw by leaving Sharpies on the table.

Picture backdrops are another party addition that can be created using craft paper, a bed sheet or streamers. Make signs and props out of cardboard, cardstock paper or a poster.

Students can put hats, scarves or other costume pieces in a bin for guests to grab from while taking photos.

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The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, November 29, 2017 WATERS, from page 9 Waters set an LSU Maui record with the 39-point effort against Marquette and was just four points shy of tying Adam Morrison’s 43 point tournament record back in 2005 for Gonzaga.

“It was a great feeling,” Waters said. “I feel like I played pretty well, and it gives the coaches more of a trust in me because I guess I’m breaking records.”

After the Michigan game, Wade said he didn’t know if he had ever been a part of a locker room that happy after a regular season win. Waters echoed those sentiments and said that game will be forever implanted in his mind.

“It felt surreal,” Waters said.

“Everyone had goosebumps going into the game. We played hard and it felt different, and I had never been a part of something that big.”

Despite having the top two plays on SportsCenter after the 77-75 win over Michigan, Waters was unable to see them right away because Wade took the player’s phones after the game.

“He didn’t want us to be on social media looking at everything,” Waters said. “We got to see the SportsCenter stuff the next day but he wanted us to stay

PLAYOFF, from page 9 That leaves us with nine teams in the remaining four conferences that have a legitimate claim at one of the coveted playoff spots.

Let’s start with what we know.

No. 2 Auburn (10-2) and No. 6 Georgia (11-1) will be playing for the SEC crown, while No. 1 Clemson (11-1) and No. 7 Miami (10-1) will play for the ACC title.

To put it simply, the winners will have a seat at the table, while the losers will be watching the playoffs from their living room couches.

Two playoff spots down, two to go.

No. 4 Wisconsin (12-0) and No. 8 Ohio State (10-2) will play for the Big 10 championship, while No. 3 Oklahoma (11-1) and No. 11 Texas Christian (102) will compete for the Big 12 championship.

Any one of those four teams will have an argument to be included in the College Football Playoff should they win their conference championship, but the pecking order isn’t as clear as you may think.

page 17

focused.”

Before the season began, sophomore guard Skylar Mays was confident Waters would be a fan favorite in the Bayou and he has certainly delivered on that statement.

In the loss against Notre Dame, Waters was matched up with senior point guard Matt Farrell for most of the game. It was a good experience for Waters because he got to see how a more experienced college player performed differently.

“He sees the game five plays ahead from what I saw,” Waters said. “He’s very confident and poised, while not letting the defense stir up and make him do things he doesn’t want to do.”

“Tre is awesome,” Mays said.

“He’s just doing a great job, playing with a lot of confidence so we’re trying to keep him going because he’s playing so well.”

Waters biggest takeaway from the Maui tournament was he learned how to be more of a leader.

“I feel like my teammates have more confidence in me,” Waters said. “I also have a lot more confidence in myself playing the way I did. It was a teaching experience in the losses because I couldn’t show my teammates that I was upset.”

LSU freshman guard Tremont Waters (3) goes up against Alcorn freshman guard Troymain Crosby (23) during LSU’s 99-59 win over Alcorn on Nov. 10 in the PMAC.

If Wisconsin and Oklahoma take care of business in their championship games, they will fill in the final two playoff spots.

However, if Ohio State and/or TCU win their respective conference titles, our good friends in Tuscaloosa will not only find themselves back in the playoff conversation, they’d find themselves favored ahead of the conference champions.

There’s little doubt in anyone’s mind that No. 5, 11-1 Alabama team without an SEC title is more deserving of a playoff spot than an 11-2 TCU team with a Big 12 title, but is that same Alabama team more deserving than an 11-2 Ohio State team with a Big 10 title?

I’d say absolutely.

Alabama boasts a better record than Ohio State against power five conference teams with a .500 or better winning percentage. It should also be noted that the Buckeyes have an ugly 31 point loss against a lackluster Iowa team, while the Crimson Tide’s only blemish is a 12-point blunder against Auburn.

But shouldn’t conference champions receive favor over

teams that lack a conference title?

I wrote a column making that case last year, but it seems that members of the College Football Playoff Committee don’t read The Daily Reveille.

The committee chose an 11-1 Ohio State team to fill the last playoff spot rather than an 11-2 Penn State team, despite the fact that Penn State won the Big 10 and had a head-to-head victory against the rival Buckeyes.

By that same logic, Alabama should receive a playoff bid instead of Ohio State despite the Tide’s lack of an SEC championship.

That’s what I call poetic justice.

Of the remaining nine teams, the Buckeyes are really last on the totem pole.

If both TCU and Ohio State win their games, I expect the committee to pick the Horned Frogs instead of the Buckeyes since TCU will have beaten an Oklahoma team that beat Ohio State earlier this year.

This might all seem a little confusing, but rest assured. College football always seems to work itself out in the end.

HASKELL WHITTINGTON / The Daily Reveille

SEASON TICKETS, from page 9 lar season begins in the PMAC on Friday January 5 against Arkansas.

LSU returns 16 of 24 routines from the 2017 season, including NCAA champions Sarah Finnegan and Kennedi Edney and All-Americans Myia Hambrick, Erin Macadaeg and Lexie Priessman.

However, the freshman class has the depth and talent to replace the loss seniors of Ashleigh Gnat, Shae Zamardi and Sydney Ewing and the injured McKenna Kelley.

“I really anticipate Sami Durante to be a force to be

reckoned with on bars,” Breaux said. “Reagan Campbell is highimpact. She’ll be a great beam worker for us. Christiana Desiderio will also be a high-impact player.”

Breaux and the rest of the 2018 team is excited to get back into the PMAC and perform for thousands of fans.

“The team says it at every practice, ‘the pride and tradition of the LSU Tigers will not be entrusted to the weak or the timid,’” Breaux said. “They really believe that and hold that very true to their hearts. They can’t wait to show everyone what we have this year.”

courtesy of WIKIMEDIA courtesy of FLICKR

WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille

Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta, Ga. Site of 2018 National Championship Game.

The Rose Bowl and The Sugar Bowl, semifinal games, will take place on New Year’s Day.

LSU all-around sophomore Lexie Priessman performs her uneven bar routine during the Tigers’ 198.150-196.600 victory against Florida on March 5.

page 18

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

friday night

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

lights Mid City Merchants host their annual art hop, White Light Night, on Nov. 17.

PHOTOS BY ISABELLA ALLEN & KATE ROY

The Daily Reveille

page 19

Entertainment

page 20

tough gum

LITERATURE

Annual Drag Ball fundraises, encourages community

BY MYIA HAMBRICK @MyiaChristine

a knife as saying “Tough Gum” when it actually said “Tough Guy.” What Labat thought would be her first band name became her long-awaited online project.

Labat hopes to help transform the Baton Rouge arts scene into a tight-knit coalition through publishing Tough Gum and putting on events that encourage connection, such as music festivals and pop-ups.

Labat and her boyfriend Ryan Welsh wanted to start a fun, music-based event in Baton Rouge, leading to the first annual “Warfair”

Every fall around Halloween, posters advertising the New Delta Review’s annual Drag Ball line the hallways in Allen Hall.

The event has become a tradition for the University’s master of fine arts students, who put on the ball every year as a fundraiser for the Delta Literary Festival and funding for the New Delta Review. It’s a chance for students and the Baton Rouge community to come together to have a good time and celebrate their differences in a safe place, said festival co-chair Raquel Thompson.

“It is important that we do fundraisers so we can put on the Delta Literary Festival free of charge for attendees,” Thompson said.

The Delta Literary Festival is a festival put on by the MFA program where fiction and nonfiction writers, as well as poets, come to Baton Rouge to read and share their work. The event is free to the public as a result of fundraisers put on throughout the year, like the Drag Ball.

The festival took a break last spring because of the impact of the August 2016 floods. In April it will return in full force, thanks to events like the Drag Ball.

In addition to the tangible benefits from the Ball, the Ball is an indescribable night of self-expression, said New Delta Review

see RAEGAN, page 24

see DRAG BALL, page 24

photos courtesy of RAEGAN LABAT

LSU alumna, local photographer strengthens creative community through collaboration, events

BY YSABELLA RAMIREZ @ysaram97

Local photographer and University alumna Raegan Labat is aiming to enhance Baton Rouge’s creative community through her most recent project, Tough Gum, along with a variety of events that spotlight local talent.

The 22-year-old started Tough Gum as a platform for artists, musicians and other creatives to curate and share their work, as well as to continue sharing her own in a more accessible way. Labat strives for all of the content to be original and in-depth, which will include features, Q&A’s, DJ mixes, photo diaries,

show recaps and other event coverage.

Tough Gum is rooted in the idea of collaboration. Labat wanted a platform others could be a part of. The project’s goal is to produce content people want to look at, listen to or read, Labat said.

“I can see [Tough Gum] taking on a lot of forms …

I’m trying not to think too hard about it and just focus on curating good items for it,” Labat said. “I just want it to be a community.”

The name came to her when she was at a beach souvenir shop while on vacation, where she misread

LIFESTYLE

The Pink Elephant Antiques a funky, bright respite in Mid City

BY CORRINE PRITCHETT @corinneellen Driving through Mid City, The Pink Elephant Antiques sticks out. The soft blush-colored exterior is immediately welcoming. Plants grow out of painted tires, and the often-Instagrammed mural that frames the store’s doors depicts a vibrant elephant. Keeping with the theme, a large wooden elephant greets visitors outside the front door of the Government Street building.

The cool, funky vibe and wide variety of colorful vintage items is apparent from your first step in the door.

“We’ve always been located

here, and we love it,” store owner Lisa Pellissier said. “There’s a lot of artsy people here, people who are interested in antiques.”

University alumna Pellissier, 49, opened The Pink Elephant in April 2016 after purchasing the property with her husband. Before opening her antique store, Pellissier was a dealer at Aladdin’s Lamp Antiques, another store located on Government Street.

“I remember when Mid City had tons of antique shops, and I wanted to bring that back,” Pellissier said. “I wanted it to be a place where other dealers and shoppers like me could find treasures.”

The store carries items from a plethora of eras, like furniture, knick-knacks, jewelry and, of course, an array of elephants from a plethora of eras.

Though the store appears small from the street, the multidealer shop is larger than it looks. Perusing the winding showrooms feels like wandering through a maze — when you think you’re at the end of a booth, three more paths pop up around the next corner.

It’s no wonder the shop has so much space — its inventory is massive. The Pink Elephant has 30 dealers who venture across DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille

see PINK ELEPHANT, page 24

Antiques sit on display at The Pink Elephant Antiques on Nov. 20.

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

page 21

ART

Local photographer documents travels, curates social brand

BY CORRINE PRITCHETT @corrineellen Local photographer Preston Salassi affords traveling the country at just 24 years old and has awe-inspiring photos to show for it.

Since 2015, Salassi has ventured to destinations across the East and West Coast, including California, New York and Arizona.

Through photography, Salassi shares his experiences sightseeing and visiting historic monuments and landmarks.

“Places like New York City, San Francisco and Grand Canyon National Park are some of my favorite places I’ve visited,” Salassi said.

The Baton Rouge native graduated with a fine arts degree from Baton Rouge Community College.

To afford his travels, Salassi works full-time at Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar

shucking oysters and puts every penny toward his next expedition, he said. Currently, Salassi is saving up for: England and France.

Salassi budgets carefully to fund his trips. Instead of eating out, he buys groceries and cooks at home. While most 20-somethings go out on weekends, Salassi keeps his money in his pockets.

“I am very OCD about trying to save my money,” Salassi said.

“I usually take one big trip a year for a week and take smaller trips when the opportunity arises.”

Though he might miss out on escapades to Tigerland, taking trips to see the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island makes up for it.

Salassi’s love of photography developed when he began experimenting with different styles in college. Specifically, his work is a collection of urban and outdoor explorations.

Judging from his Instagram, Salassi clearly has a knack for architecture photography, specifically old buildings. He’s always been interested in historic landmarks, and photographing them is a way to show off their beauty, he said.

His shots of the Golden Gate Bridge have colorful, vibrant tones, which are also evident in his photo of the Arizona State Border.

“I’m interested in what men before me built and how they managed to do so in ancient times,” Salassi said.

Salassi hopes his artistic eye takes him far, he said. He aims to cover sports around the world, work for National Geographic or become a film director in the future. “[I have] big dreams, but why limit yourself?” Salassi said.

You can find Salassi’s work on his Instagram @preston.salassi.

KATE ROY / The Daily Reveille

Baton Rouge photographer Preston Salassi discusses his travels outside of Highland Coffees on Nov. 14.

SHOP SHOP SHOP

BY KATIE GAGLIANO | @katie_gagliano

Whether you’re looking for a cool graphic t-shirt, a piece of locally-made jewelry or a new figurine to design for your favorite roleplaying game, Baton Rouge has something for you.

Finding the perfect holiday gift can be a challenge. Finding something unique, personal and different from the repetitive big-box store offerings can be even harder.

LITTLE WARS 7517 Jefferson Hwy

HASKELL WHITTINGTON / The Daily Reveille

WANDERLUST BY ABBY 4263 Perkins Rd Tucked into the Southdowns Shopping Center several doors down from The Bulldog, Wanderlust by Abby is a warm and inviting lifestyle boutique. Mirroring owner Abby Bullock’s joie de vivre, the store is packed with sassy printed t-shirts, knit beanies and sequined mini skirts.

All the clothes in Bullock’s store are made in the United States, and each handmade accessory, cosmetic or piece of jewelry is designed and made by a southern artisan. Current brands carried include Mimosa Handcrafted jewelry, Lionheart Prints, Kismet Cosmetics and Smoke artisan perfume, among others.

Heading into her first holiday season, the store will include fillable “All I want for Christmas” lists both online and in-store, so friends, spouses and family members can pop in and reference loved one’s wish lists to find the perfect gift.

While not a new face in the Baton Rouge retail scene, stalwart gamer outpost Little Wars continues to bring a sense of wonder and fun to the gaming experience.

Since taking over in June, 28-year-old owner Van Ho, a ballroom dance teacher and gaming enthusiast, is investing in the face-toface experience that makes gaming special. Expanding into new events, including a young gamers’ day next year, Ho is looking to increase the store’s name recognition and build the brand.

Upon entering the Jefferson Plaza shop, clients can find shelves lined with Warhammer miniature figurines, Dungeons and Dragons guide books, magic cards and classic board games, among other items. Though the store’s selection is impressive, the real magic stems from the shop’s weekly gaming nights and one-on-one service, Ho said.

“Gaming can appeal to such a wide variety of users that everyone can find something to be passionate about,” Ho said.

KATIE GAGLIANO / The Daily Reveille

KATIE GAGLIANO / The Daily Reveille

TIM’S GARAGE 4556 Government St A great inside joke can be the foundation of a lasting friendship. For Brad Jensen, it was the foundation for his new arts and clothing focused brand, Tim’s Garage.

Opened in September, Tim’s Garage is an eclectic hodge-podge of BMX, ‘90s punk rock and sporting influences that come together to create a savvy, skater-cool aesthetic.

The store developed as an evolution of Bricks and Bombs, Jensen’s art gallery and event space near Mid-City. While Bricks and Bombs leaned more toward a minimalist aesthetic, Jensen knew he wanted Tim’s Garage to evoke the feeling of hanging in your high school buddy’s garage. The store is a fun mix of found textures, framed posters, vintage BMX trophies and blaring ‘80s and ‘90s jams.

The shop focuses largely on t-shirts, but also includes original flat bill hats, stickers and lapel pins, sweatshirts, neighborhood inspired sports pennants and posters.

The Daily Reveille

page 22

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

WHAT’S SPINNING AT @KLSURadio

KLSUradio

klsufm

NEW MUSIC “Wizard Bloody Wizard”

by Electric Wizard

6/10

REVIEW BY DJ LEVIATHAN HOST OF THE HEAVIEST MATTER IN THE UNIVERSE, TUESDAYS 11 P.M. - 1 A.M. (METAL) English doom and stoner metal legends Electric Wizard return with their ninth studio LP entitled “Wizard Bloody Wizard.”

If the album’s title doesn’t give away the band’s evident and career-long homage to Black Sabbath, then the sound will be sure to do so. Founding member Jus Oborn and longtime guitarist Liz Buckingham, who is also Oborn’s wife, return with a revamped supporting cast for their 2017 release. For the third straight record, Electric Wizard has a new bassist and drummer cutting studio tracks. Simon Poole returns on drums after a brief stint with the band in 2012, and Clayton Burgess lends his talent as the group’s fifth bassist since 2003.

“Wizard Bloody Wizard” kicks off hard and heavy with the album’s only single thus far, “See You in Hell.” The Black Sabbath worship is strong on this track. Even the aesthetics of the music video are dripping with ‘70s nostalgia -- a cheesy green screen featuring a revolving display of ghoulish, sexual, and psychedelic imagery, bell-bottom pants, and denim jackets. Additionally, Buckingham sports an inverted cross necklace while playing her ’67 Gibson SG -- two features that Black Sabbath fans should associate with riff lord Tony Iommi.

Like most doom metal tracks, “See You in Hell” features a massively crushing riff that is exaggerated by its mid-tempo pace. However, here the fuzzy guitars are less distorted than the band’s “Dopethrone” days nearly two decades ago. Consequently, the clearer mix allows each instrument to stand out much more prominently. Nothing is buried in

this mix. Burgess and Poole’s driving rhythm support is as clear as either guitar. Therefore, the track sounds much richer than previous compositions.

The third track, “Hear the Sirens Scream,” is another standout number. The four-piece opens up with another crushing guitar riff. If there’s one thing Electric Wizard almost always delivers on, it’s overwhelming riffage.

Oborn proves once more he is one of the best riff writers in modern metal. Just when it seems like the band has run out of ways to adapt or alter a classic Black Sabbath guitar sound, Oborn delivers something perfectly suitable for traditional doom metal. And whenever the Dorest native meanders into an occasional guitar solo, Buckingham maintains the band’s crushing sound with some powerful support on rhythm guitar.

At nearly nine minutes long, “Hear the Sirens Scream” is yet another quality composition that only furthers Electric Wizard’s legacy in modern doom metal. “The Reaper” follows immediately after with an interesting organ accompaniment that, once again, reeks of nostalgia, but in a pleasant sense.

However, the song never really opens up and remains more of a subtle, ambient filler wedged between two heavier and more compelling tracks.

“Mourning of the Magicians” closes out the album and clocks in at over 11minutes.

Unlike some of the aforementioned tracks, this concluding piece acts as more of a slow burn. Or, to keep in line with the album’s artwork, like a knife slowly piercing one’s skin. It plods along without the initial

energy or density of the prior track, “Wicked Caressess.” But shortly after the eight-minute mark, the song finally opens with a noticeable surge in tempo and note density. Oborn cries out “I’ll see you in hell” as both guitars proceed to attack with spiraling, distortionsoaked intensity. The band’s sound swells and swells for the final two minutes before Oborn laments “But at last, the light has come/As you die.” With that final lyric, the furious sound halts almost immediately.

“Wizard Bloody Wizard’s” lyrics are steeped in matters of the occult, the macabre, mental anguish, and torment. In other words, it’s a classic Black Sabbath record made by Electric Wizard. As previously mentioned, the Godfathers of Metal have clearly left an unrelenting mark on Electric Wizard’s artistic direction, both sonically and visually.

However, Electric Wizard seems to have succumbed to the same pitfalls of other contemporary metal acts striving for a “classic” sound. Though their musicianship and collective talent is enough to make quality music, the lack of artistic risk taken by bands such as Electric Wizard fails to create anything particularly novel or interesting. As the band ventures further into a traditional doom metal sound, they are destined to be viewed as nothing more than a nostalgic act. Specifically, they are sure to be regarded as a group that is content with duplicating a sound that has already been done ad nauseam.

For fans of: Black Sabbath, Pentagram, and Trouble

klsuradio.fm

225 578 5578

UPCOMING SHOWS THURSDAY

30 nov

NICE DOG, GOOLS, _THESMOOTHCAT, GREEN GAS SPANISH MOON 8 P.M.

SATURDAY

02 dec

GWAR VARSITY THEATRE 7 P.M.

FRIDAY

08

WHAT WE’RE PLAYING

dec

WUMBO EP RELEASE PARTY 858 GERMANIUM ST. 8 P.M.

SATURDAY

Mocean Worker is an electronic DJ/singer/songwriter who got his start in ‘98. With a discography spanning across electro-R&B, drum & bass, jazz, and swing, Mocean Worker has the talent to touch on many different electronic styles. His best work is by far his electro-jazz, and within the particularly small electro-swing genre, he is one of the larger names. His work mostly samples old jazz and reimagines it into something electronic, jazzy and danceable.

Originally hailing from Memphis, the San Francisco-based band Useless Eaters is one my favorite garage punk groups of the 21st century. Before forming the band in 2008, frontman Seth Sutton worked closely and played with Memphis punk legend Jay Reatard. Today, Useless Eaters makes use of genuine punk guitar and ‘80s-inspired synth to create a sound self-described as “unique noise.” By any name, the band’s discography boasts all the grit of lo-fi garage and the rebellious spirit of classic punk. Tune in and discover some of their best cuts, including tracks from Useless Eaters’ most recent album “Relaxing Death” issued by Castle Face Records.

Mr. Soirée

Taxi

HEAR IT ON THE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR WEDNESDAY NOV. 29, 8 P.M.

HEAR IT ON MORE THAN NOISE WEDNESDAY NOV. 29, 11 P.M. - 1 A.M. (PUNK)

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DJ Leviathan HEAR IT ON THE HEAVIEST MATTER IN THE UNIVERSE TUESDAY, DEC. 5, 9 - 11 P.M.

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The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

REV R ANKS TEN YEARS Aly and AJ

They say good things come to those who wait, and such is the case with Aly & AJ’s new EP “Ten Years.” In the four song offering, the sisters break from their teen idol status to become full-fledged pop competitors. The EP offers listeners a peek into the duo’s slick, sensual sound, mature vocals and new indie-pop cool.

Katie Gagliano @katie_gagliano

EVERYDAY IS CHRISTMAS Sia

“Everyday is Christmas” is the holiday album the world needs. It’s fun, inviting and gives the audience original songs — a nice departure from the old and worn-out songs that usually play this time of year.

Myia Hambrick @MyiaChristine

GODLESS Netflix

Even if you thought you’d never be one to like Westerns, Netflix’s “Godless” is a fast-paced series that utilizes a simple yet multi-layered plot line that will grab and keep viewers’ attention for all seven episodes.

Mackenzie Treadwell @mackenzieeliza

Read the full reviews online at lsunow.com/entertainment

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Call 927-7156 for an appointment.

page 23

‘Lady Bird’ 2017’s best film, portrays relatable storytelling

BY BOBBY CRANE @b_crane22 Although it’s often easy to forget due to the excess of unoriginal and drab examples that come to mind, there’s good reason that the coming-of-age story is one of the most overdone genres in film.

Every year a movie comes along so original, joyous and humane that we remember why we love watching other people experience the same highs, lows and pains we all have. In 2017, Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut “Lady Bird” is that film.

Described by Gerwig as one person’s coming of age being another person’s letting go, “Lady Bird” is a love story between a mother and high school senior Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) as she navigates through first loves, the tribulations of friendship, financial struggles and an overbearing hypercritical mother (Laurie Metcalf). It’s also so much more as it tackles class, sexuality, happiness, family and life with a dual sense of normalcy and eloquence. Put simply, “Lady Bird” is the best film of 2017.

The tone is set from the opening: Lady Bird and her mother are barreling down an endless California highway post college visit.

They’re listening to the last few sentences of an audio recording of “The Grapes of Wrath,” both in tears, sharing a quintessential mother-daughter moment. One thing leads to another and two minutes later, Lady Bird jumps out of the moving vehicle, breaking her arm. With this, we’re immediately thrown into the beautifully absurd lives of a mother and daughter both on the verge of a new life: college for Lady Bird and a (somewhat) empty nest for her mother.

Lady Bird is ready to leave her quiet hometown of Sacramento in exchange for a place where she can “live through something,” like New York, while her mother, Marion, wants her to stay close to home.

Marion says it’s because her family — whose patriarch just lost his job — can’t afford out-of-state tuition, but it’s in her subtle nuances and gazes that it becomes obvious she’s afraid to let go.

Depictions of mothers and children grappling with the onset of college are nothing new, but it’s never been handled quite like this. That’s because as

courtesy of IMDB.COM

humans, we often feel complex and contradictory emotions in moments of high importance, and in “Lady Bird” Gerwig perfectly captures that sensation, as well as the difficulty of handling those feelings.

Just like how “Lady Bird” handles the treatment of the setting, Gerwig’s own hometown, Sacramento, Lady Bird and Marion’s feelings toward this new chapter of their lives are clothed in ambivalence. And even though Lady Bird consistently complains about Sacramento, the scenery is bathed in golden-hour sunlight, making “the Midwest of California” seem poetic at every turn.

It’s not just in the humane portrayal of major life events that “Lady Bird” is a winner, but also in Gerwig’s sophisticated and hilarious script. Exchanges between characters excite us as we wait for the next quip or 2003 pop culture reference to appear. Her script plays out like the best conversations — those that make us feel valued and important. The normalcy of it all makes it easy to follow and to enjoy, but there’s enough profundity to satisfy even the worst of film snobs.

The two main performances are revolutionary turns from extremely talented actresses, Ronan

on one end and Metcalf on the other. Ronan, with her pink hair and acne-ridden skin, brings warmth and electricity to Lady Bird. Metcalf steals scene after scene with her combination of hard and soft, and in her last appearance it’s obvious she’s destined for an Oscar.

The likability of the film only increases with each new supporting character, all impeccably played by the respective cast members. Lady Bird’s best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) is the best of these, putting on a happy-go-lucky shell to hide her deep-rooted insecurities and her search for validation. In one heartbreaking scene, she tells Lady Bird, “Some people aren’t built happy,” a quiet dedication to teenagers struggling with bouts of depression and other mental disorders — a topic addressed in other aspects of the film as well.

Ultimately, what’s so special about “Lady Bird” isn’t that it tells a revolutionary story, but that it finds the sublimity in day-to-day life. It makes us look at the places and the people that made us, and it gives us eternal gratitude for these places and people. Watching the film is a cathartic and joyous experience that isn’t just for mothers or for daughters; it’s for humans. And us, as humans, are lucky to have a film like this.

The Daily Reveille

page 24 RAEGAN, from page 20 festival last year — the name stemming from Welsh’s band, Loudness War. The lineup included multiple local acts who performed on a backyard homemade stage in front of a banner Labat and Welsh designed themselves.

This year, the duo wanted to make the event bigger and better. Partnering with local venue Mid City Ballroom and selling tickets are two changes for “Warfair 2,” which will come to life Dec. 9. Tough Gum is presenting the festival and helping promote the stacked lineup, which includes Loudness War and other local groups.

Another one of Labat’s upcoming projects is to use her apartment for a pop-up. She plans to invite local musicians and artists to sign up for fun, affordable headshots and portraits with their creative peers.

Labat’s interest in photography started “forever ago.” Her first real camera was a video camera, which she used to make slideshows of images. When she was a student at St. Amant High School, Labat started using a digital camera. Upon graduation, she attended a precollege digital photography course at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and was inspired to seriously pursue photography.

“I started to learn about real photographers and how to actually make good photographs, and from there it spiraled,” Labat said.

A common theme in Labat’s work is music. When she began

taking pictures as a teenager, she would go to music festivals, concerts and any local shows she could get into and take photos, developing a passion for concert photography.

“I was kind of trying to be the press,” Labat said. “For a lot of shows I was too young to even get in, but I knew this was the type of photography I wanted to do.”

Besides photographing the gamut of local bands in Baton Rouge, Labat also travels near and far for shows.

Labat frequents venues in New Orleans like One Eyed Jack’s and Gasa Gasa and has traveled across the country to shoot different music festivals and shows. Desert Daze, a psychedelic garage rock-themed festival, was the backdrop for a plethora of Labat’s recent music photos that you can probably stumble upon on your Instagram Discover page.

Beyond her personal projects on her website, Labat is a freelance photographer for a few local publications. She shoots community-oriented events for The Advocate. For 225 Magazine, she shoots with more editorial style.

Ultimately, Labat’s main goal is to become a music photographer full-time and to go on tour one day.

“I just want to be able to do what I want to do. I want to make [my work] fun for people, and to produce good photos,” Labat said.

PINK ELEPHANT, from page 20 the state, country and every bit of Earth they can get their hands on in search for specific collector items ranging from dressers to vintage clothing, Pellissier said.

“We look for antiques all over,” Lisa Pellissier said. “I drag my family with me to antique shops on vacation or we’ll sometimes take a road trip to find some antiques; it’s fun.”

The mixture of styles is a key

Wednesday, November 29, 2017 to the shop’s success, she said.

The wider variety of dealers, the more items will resonate among customers.

“Each dealer has their own style,” Pellissier said. “Midcentury style is my personal favorite, and natural materials like coral, antlers and cowhide sell well.”

Each vendor has their own and is responsible for stocking and pricing inventory, Pellissier said.

Whether it’s a dresser, old books, vintage clothing or jewelry that one is searching for, The Pink Elephant Antiques is likely to have it, and Pellissier advises against following the trends.

“Trends come and go,” Pellissier said. ““I think everyone should buy what strikes them, regardless of what’s trendy.”

The Pink Elephant Antiques is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Editor’s note: Raegan Labat is a former employee of The Daily Reveille.

DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille

Store owner and University alumna Lisa Pellissier opened The Pink Elephant to emulate old Mid City antique shops with larger-than-life antiques and vibrant vintage pieces.

DRAG BALL, from page 20

courtesy of RAEGAN LABAT

Raegan Labat, photographer and University alumna, is specifically interested in concert photography and hopes to eventually go on tour as a full-time photographer.

editor in chief Justin Green.

“The queens come and put on a great show,” Green said. “Then we just let the music play and people have a good time in a safe space to be themselves.”

This year, three drag queens participated and put on a show to the theme of “Apocalypse.”

Other forms of entertainment, like a tarot card booth and poetry booth, proved to be successful as well, Green said.

Guests are welcome to come to the Ball in drag, and that contributes to the fun atmosphere. For the latest ball, Green dressed in what he calls “garbage bag drag”

— a trash bag with solo cups and various items glued on.

“It was a trashcan meets a frat lawn after a party,” Green said.

A New York City native, the second year MFA student said he felt the effects of culture shock when he arrived in the South for the first time about a year ago.

Being a part of the New Delta Review last year inspired him to lead the journal this year as editor in chief.

People who aren’t part of the MFA program or the New Delta Review circle should take the chance and attend the next Drag Ball to experience it in full swing, Green said.

“It’s the first thing they talk

about when you enter the MFA program,” he said. “Everyone is so excited for the Ballm and that’s all they can talk about, so as a new person you don’t get it until you go.”

Students and community members should attend regardless of their level of involvement and familiarity with the MFA program, Thompson said.

“It is a safe space for people to branch out and do something different for a night,” Thompson said. “It’s a chance for the queer community to be able to express themselves in a safe and fun environment and a chance to raise money for the Delta Literary Festival in the spring.”

Opinion

page 25

Happiness overrated, oversimplified in American society pressure on people to live up to this unattainable goal. More often than not, these unrealistic expectations lead to a false HANNAH KLEINPETER sense of failure and a de@0728hannah crease in self-worth over Only one in three Americans not being able to achieve say they are happy, according so-called “happiness.”

The “fake it until you make to a 2013 Harris Poll. Despite popular culture’s obsession it” mentality is far too popular with the pursuit of happiness, and is more psychologically there is no set definition. Some damaging than helpful. Forced may say happiness is about happiness is not the answer achieving goals, while others to life’s problems and strifes. say its financial stability or fa- When bad things happen, the milial harmony. The answer is solution is not to force happiso ambiguous because there ness on yourself or others but to is no one set definition. Happi- accept honest emotions as they ness, according to traditional come. Faking happy and smilsocietal standards, is overrated ing through the pain are coping methods that are suppresand oversimplified.

“Happiness is the spiritual sive, unrealistic and all-around experience of living every min- damaging to one’s mental ute with love, grace and grati- health.

In the same way someone tude,” writer and motivational speaker Denis Waitley said. who has never experienced No offense to Denis Waitley, major strife is not guaranteed but this philosophy is deeply happiness, someone who expeflawed. No person can live ev- riences tragedy is not doomed ery moment in happiness nor to a life of sadness. The popushould they. Society constant- lar idea that happiness is only ly forces the appearance of possible when a person’s life is happiness upon us, telling us free from tragedy or sadness is happiness is a constant state simply untrue.

“It’s often negative experiof calm and collected as we glide through life’s experienc- ences that help us grow and es with a positive attitude and learn, which is vital for being happy” said Sonja Lyubomiran effortless smile.

Society’s placement of hap- sky, an author and psycholpiness on such an unreach- ogy professor at University able pedestal only puts more of California.

STOP! HANNAH TIME

Each person is unique in what makes them happy or unhappy. There is no blanket cause for happiness and there is no band-aid cure for unhappiness. People can be unhappy financially or romantically or within their career or home life. There are also millions of people suffering from mental illnesses like depression or anxiety which can lead to unhappiness. To oversimplify the causes of unhappiness is to willingly misunderstand the complexity of life and mental wellness.

Expecting every decision a person makes to lead to instant satisfaction is counterproductive to achieving genuine happiness. Happiness can often mean doing something that may not bring happiness in the moment but will have a positive effect in the long-term. Ending toxic relationships, going out of the way to help someone and letting go of grudges can all be painful in the moment but greatly beneficial in the end.

Society puts tremendous pressure on people to be happy and leads many to lose sight of the things that bring lasting contentment. It is more popular to substitute the appearance of happiness for actual happiness. True happiness is not as

cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI / The Daily Reveille

glamorous as clichéd sayings or television ads like to portray.

Happiness often means realizing where we are in life, acknowledging it for what it is and accepting the parts

we are unable to change.

Hannah Kleinpeter is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Proposed tax bill may devastate graduate students with tax increase JAY TALKING JAY CRANFORD @hjcranford On Nov. 16, the House of Representatives passed the “Tax Cut and Jobs Act,” the largest overhaul of our tax code in decades. The Republican-sponsored bill contains 440 pages of legislation affecting every corner of our economy and households.

If you are a graduate student or plan to attend graduate school in the future, the proposed tax bill should scare you. Tucked away in the bill is the repeal of a provision which exempts tuition waivers from taxation.

If you are unfamiliar with tuition waivers, they are a type of financial award that many graduate and Ph.D. students rely on to afford their education. Colleges waiver full or partial tuition expenses for students, and in return the students provide benefits to universities by teaching and performing research, among other merit-based waivers.

By not taxing tuition waivers, students don’t have to pay taxes on income they never really received, since the waivers only relinquish expected tuition payments.

MICHAEL PALMER / The Daily Reveille

David F. Boyd Hall houses the LSU Graduate School on Nov. 21, 2016, at 114 West David Boyd Hall.

However, under the new tax plan, this will not be the case.

Let’s look at a hypothetical student who receives a tuition waiver of $30,000 along with a stipend of $20,000. Under our current tax code, the student would be taxed only on the $20,000 for an estimated taxes of $2,533. Under the new tax plan, the same student would be taxed on the full $50,000 for estimated taxes of $8,238.

This means our student would have to pay over 200 percent more

in taxes, despite the same amount of spendable income. This would be the norm across the country, with some students saying their taxes would increase more than 300 percent.

This increase in taxes will make attending school nearly financially impossible for many of the 172,000 students who receive these benefits, according to the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources.

Samantha Hernandez, director of legislative affairs of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students, simply stated “it would be devastating.”

However, there is some good news. The next step in this tax code overhaul is for the Senate to pass their own version of the tax bill — the good news being the repeal of tuition waiver tax exemptions is not included in their current proposal.

However, if the Senate passes

its tax bill, both the Senate and the House will have to jointly reach an agreement on one piece of legislation, which means there is a high chance the tuition waiver repeal will make its way into final law.

The Senate plans to vote on its tax bill shortly after they return from Thanksgiving holiday, which gives you plenty of time to express your concern to your senators.

The best way for you to be heard is to call the offices of Republican senators on the Senate Committee on Finance, which includes Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy.

This committee will play a large part in reconciling the differences between the Senate and House’s tax bills and writing the final legislation.

When speaking or writing to any lawmakers, tell them about your concern for the repeal of Section 117(d) of the current tax code, the provision that allows tax waivers to be excluded from taxable income.

This repeal is one of thousands of proposed changes to our tax code. Unless students speak up, it will be drowned out and forgotten.

Jay Cranford is a 23-year-old finance senior from St. Simons Island, Georgia.

The Daily Reveille

page 26

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Memes, technology an unhealthy past-time, should be stopped POP, LOX AND DROP IT JORDAN MILLER @jmiller101696 Members of Generation Y and Generation Z have a fascination and addiction to all things technology. We love our cell phones, tablets, computers and small little bots that can talk to us and make phone calls.

Besides the abhorrent fact that all these devices are enabling laziness and a lack of responsibility in most of our generation, all these things are also encouraging lame hobbies.

People who sit around and make memes are mildly pathetic. Captioning pictures of strangers, clips of old television shows or just pictures of random objects is pitiful and an immense waste of time. The validation from strangers on the internet is not something that anyone should need. They shouldn’t need the retweets or shared posts to validate themselves or their self worth.

It’s great they want to bring a smile to someone’s day or make people on the internet

chuckle, but there’s so many more ways to do that. They can tell a funny joke, come up with a witty riddle or create a work of art that brings light into someone’s day.

Most people, myself included, have either received or sent a meme, and they are so fun and usually lighthearted.

Sometimes they do help lift a spirit or maybe they’ve helped create an inside joke between unlikely pals, but that doesn’t negate the fact that people behind the memes aren’t getting much credit. What’s their motivation for creating them in the first place?

If they want to feel fulfilled by making others happy, then perhaps they should invest their time more productively through community service, comedy shows where they’ll get paid or any other form of in-person interaction. If they can make people laugh through original captions on unoriginal pictures, then they should broaden their comedic horizons and contribute to art in-person and less on the internet.

It just seems pitiful and sad to be the creator of these

pictures. It shows a slight obsession with technology if you’re familiar enough with the technology to be able to photoshop the pictures and video clips, as well as make them go viral on the internet. We shouldn’t be enabling obsessions or addictions to screen time.

We need to get back to encouraging academia, athletics or art. All of those fields can involve technology because everything is healthy in moderation, and technology does have its benefits, but there absolutely has to be a balance.

Generation Y and Z love to joke that they sit around all day creating memes and tagging others in them, but it’s really not funny. Instead, it has created a bad stereotype of millennials sitting in their parents’ basement on the internet all night and sleeping, not contributing in any positive way to society. It’s an unhealthy habit that should be worked on and corrected, or at the very least, not encouraged or normalized.

Jordan Miller is a 21-year-old elementary education junior from New Orleans, Louisiana.

cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI / The Daily Reveille

Public schools should prioritize in society, government funding ANNARIGIONAL TAKE ANNA COLEMAN @_annacoleman_ According to a Time Money article, one in four students in New Orleans and one in five students in Baton Rouge attend a private school, giving the cities the first and fourth highest rate of private school enrollment in the United States, respectively.

Private schools are not the only alternative school choice widely used in Louisiana. According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, 80,100 students in Louisiana were enrolled in a charter school for the 2015-2016 school year, meaning 11.25 percent of all students enrolled in Louisiana were enrolled in a charter school. More and more parents are choosing to forgo sending their children to public school in favor of other school types.

Public schools are one of the most valuable resources the U.S. has to offer, and more parents should choose to utilize them.

Just because a school is private does not automatically mean it is of a higher quality than its public counterparts. There are many excellent public schools just as there are many private schools that struggle to produce well-educated students. A quality education does not have to come with a huge price tag.

An obvious reason that parents would send their children to private or charter schools instead of public schools is if their local public school is low

courtesy of WIKIMEDIA

Woodlawn High School, a public high school in East Baton Rouge Parish, has a 17:1 student-teacher ratio. achieving. However, even if you have the knowledge and resources to send your child to private schools and choose to do so, you should still care about what goes on at your local public school.

Many children have no other option. Their parents do not have the economic resources to afford private school tuition and were never taught how to seek out scholarships or

charter school admission. These students still matter and will still grow up to be adults who are the future of our cities, states and nations. Why wouldn’t we want them to be as well educated as possible?

Growing up, I took for granted the excellent education I received in public school.

It wasn’t until recent years that I realized how fortunate I

was to have the public school experience I did and how many other graduates of public school could not say the same. Now I know many public schools offer a far less than acceptable education. However, I still have faith and pride in the institution of public school. The system can be fixed if we take the time and effort to fix it instead of abandoning public schools

altogether in favor of other types of schools.

The general public should be more aware of what is going on at their local public schools. For an institution responsible for educating the future, arguably the most important job in all of society, people pay little regard to how they operate. The apathetic mentality that the quality of a local school does not matter unless your child is a student there is the mentality that got American schools to their current state in the first place. The quality of a child’s education should not depend on whether or not their parents can afford to write a tuition check.

A better public school means a better society. A better public school means that in the future you will no longer have to send your children to an expensive private school to guarantee they are getting a good education. Everyone always wants America to be the greatest country on Earth, and ensuring all our children receive a quality education is a great way to start.

We need to know who our school board members are, what kids are being taught in local schools, where they allocated money is going and who is teaching them. Then we need to demand more when their needs are not being met. We all need to do better. America’s children deserve it, and it will make for a better tomorrow for all of us.

Anna Coleman is a 19-year-old mass communication junior from Kennesaw, Georgia.

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

page 27

Masturbation a healthy way to discover, explore individual sexuality WELL, SHE TRIED. CHANTELLE BAKER @deannayukari Masturbation has always had a bad reputation. From causing you to go blind to making you crazy, there are many myths that surround the act. The truth of the matter is masturbation is a simple and amusing way to explore your own sexuality.

Masturbation was long ago thought to cause many illnesses, but it has since been proven that not only is it untrue, it’s a normal part of the development of human sexuality. According to the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, 78 percent of Americans aged 14 and older have masturbated at some point in their lives. This is to say there’s no reason to be ashamed or feel like an outlier for masturbating. Many people around you are doing it too.

Research shows masturbation benefits a person’s mind and body by reducing stress, improving self-esteem and strengthening the muscles in the pelvic and

WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille

Seventy-eight percent of Americans aged 14 and older have masturbated at some point in their lives. anal area. When a person has an orgasm, endorphins — the feelgood hormones — are released throughout the body. It gives a person a natural and healthy high. It’s a much better alternative to some other endorphinincreasing activities.

Masturbation is not only good for certain health benefits – it’s a method of sexual exploration much less risky than engaging in sexual activity with partners.

There is no risk of pregnancy or obtaining an STD because it’s all done solo. Not to mention it’s

always good to know what you like during sex. Masturbation allows you to determine what you believe feels best to you, opening doors to better communication with current or future partners.

There have been scientific theories for why masturbation

occurs. Evolutionary biologists discovered the longer a male goes without masturbating, the higher the number of sperm is rejected from the female body, according to Scientific American. This has allowed them to conclude that masturbation helps get rid of older sperm that is less likely for a female to take and allows for newer, more fit sperm to be released instead. They have also determined that masturbation helps women orgasm more, an act that contributes to higher sperm retention. Knowing masturbation adds to an evolutionary advantage, there are even fewer reasons to not masturbate.

Masturbation will always be available to humans as a safe and easy method of enjoyment.

It isn’t “naughty,” and it is your own personal business. It’s not up to anyone else to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do behind closed doors. As long as it does not interfere with daily activities, it can and should be done as often as one likes.

Chantelle Baker is a 20-yearold communication studies senior from Waipahu, Hawaii.

Scheduling restrictions impede right to explorative education JUST A WRYTER ETHAN GILBERTI @EthanGilberti An average of 80 percent of college students switch majors at least once, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This indecision can often postpone graduation and increase student debt. Students often enter college with little idea of their true interests and passions. They can only explore these interests through certain general education classes or accepted electives.

If students wish to venture into a specialized course, they must decide beforehand to minor in the program and jump through hoops to enroll in the class. The simple solution would be to remove the major restrictions and allow students to choose any classes that pique their interests.

Many college students have loose ideas as to their future goals, and people often believe your future is based solely on your major. In reality, majors rarely define a student’s future.

However, the individual classes you take can have a lasting

THE DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES

A marketing class awaits for their professor on Sept. 5 in the Bo Campbell Auditorium. impression on your future career choice. Even an odd elective can spark a new idea for a niche job that not many think about. While a major’s courses are focused on a certain field, electives are offered to broaden a student’s mind to other areas of interest. Unfortunately, many electives are simply general survey courses that offer basic knowledge instead of deep insight.

The Daily Reveille EDITORIAL BOARD William Taylor Potter Ramsina Odisho Natalie Anderson Evan Saacks Lynne Bunch

Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor Deputy News Editor Opinion Editor

As classes progress in level, they shrink in size and availability. This demand would certainly lead to more competition for enrollment, but the higher demand would also later lead to more classes being offered.

With the University’s current system, a student outside of the major must minor in the field, schedule a meeting with the college’s adviser and personally

ask them to add the student to the class manually. This drawn out process can take days. With the large number of students already competing for admission, this prolonged process can often prevent a student from taking the course. For students nearing graduation, this hindrance can be detrimental to their plans.

Furthermore, many upper level courses require prerequisites

Editorial Policies and Procedures

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.

that prevent just anyone from taking the class, so only the early courses would have competition for enrollment.

While minors are an effective way to expand an education, they are often restrictive and take away any other options for elective courses. For a student who wishes to dabble in various fields of study, the requirement of a minor is a large impediment.

The amount of red tape dissuades many for experimenting.

College is usually the final level of education, meaning it is a student’s last chance to take classes.

The University should promote taking random classes to create well-rounded students instead of making the process more difficult than it’s worth.

We pay an egregious amount of money each year for an education, and we deserve to take any class we would wish to be educated in. It is the University’s responsibility to facilitate the process, not impede it. Education should not be restricted by our majors the but the limit of our interests.

Ethan Gilberti is a 19-year-old English sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Quote of the Week “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did.”

Mark Twain

American Writer Nov. 30, 1835 — April 21, 1910

The Daily Reveille

page 28

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Baton Rouge needs to improve nightlife for college students WELL, SHE TRIED. CHANTELLE BAKER @deannayukari Imagine your last weekend out on the town: chances are you did the same thing you did the previous time you went out.

Nightlife in Baton Rouge is mediocre at best. As someone who has lived in Baton Rouge for more than three years, nightlife activities haven’t changed very much. In a way, they’ve actually gotten worse.

Tigerland has been a major staple for partying at LSU. However, over the years there have been multiple scandals, specifically racial, that have caused them to lose a lot of business. People have noted the dress code at Reggie’s bar targets African-American males, and there was also the occasion where they put “Reggin” stamps on students’ hands, failing to acknowledge what the word spells backwards.

Tigerland has had many other issues unrelated to racism as well.

There has been a large issue with crime in the Tigerland area. Crime rates increased 25 percent from 2014 to 2015, according to Baton Rouge police statistics. Not long ago, previous LSU tight end, Dillon Gordon, was stabbed at Reggie’s

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LSU students frequent bars on Feb. 11 in Tigerland. bar, according to The Advocate. This resulted in former head coach Les Miles insisting his players were banned from the bars. Tigerland went from being the go-to for a night out to a place where some people were scared for their lives.

Baton Rouge is No. 22 on the list of the top 25 murder capitals of the U.S. this year.

Places like downtown and the

outskirts of colleges are prime repetitive from week to week. areas for crimes Many collegeto happen. Unfor- As someone who has lived aged kids go to tunately, almost in Baton Rouge for more the clubs and all of the bars and than three years, nightlife drink excesnightclubs are lo- activities haven’t changed sively resulting cated in those exin drunk driving very much. In a way, act areas. and occasional they’ve actually gotten fights. Not only The clubs worse. downtown are is it unsafe, it certainly a difisn’t fun. Nobody ferent kind wants to end their of fun, but it ends up being night feeling like their life is on

the line.

There are rarely any places where people don’t feel they must drink to enjoy themselves. It could be that some of us simply aren’t creative during the night. It could also be that these locations don’t offer much to do other than drink.

Underage drinking is always an issue in college towns, but no matter how hard they try to crack down on the issue, it’s still incredibly simple to gain access to drinks in these establishments.

People sometimes choose house parties as an alternative to the redundant nightlife.

However, almost every house party I’ve seen has been shut down by the police. I understand disturbing the peace at 2:00 a.m. is a good reason for police to shut down a party, but we’re college students. If we’re able to have a party without being a nuisance, we should be allowed to do so. It shouldn’t always result in police officers outside.

In the future, there may be better options for college students in Baton Rouge. Hopefully a new type of nightlife activity is approaching. Until then, we’re left with the same things we’ve always done.

Chantelle Baker is a 20-yearold communication studies senior from Waipahu, Hawaii.

Tax credit crucial to adoption, deserves congressional protection STOP! HANNAH TIME HANNAH KLEINPETER @0728hannah President Donald Trump released a statement Oct. 31 declaring November 2017 National Adoption Month. According to Trump’s statement, the month is meant to celebrate families who have chosen to adopt and acknowledge those children still waiting for adoption. There are over 1.5 million adopted children living in the U.S., making up 2.5 percent of all American children as of 2001. Approximately 135,000 children are adopted in the U.S. each year.

The Republicans’ recent tax proposal originally contained a clause that revoked federal funding for the adoption tax credit.

This segment of the bill received heavy backlash on both sides of the aisle and was promptly removed only days after its addition and before it was passed through the House. Removal of the adoption tax credit would have threatened potential adoptive parents’ ability to finance the steep costs of adoption in the U.S. Nearly 64,000 U.S. families used the adoption tax credit in 2015, according to USA Today.

The credit is worth a maximum of $13,570 for qualified adoption

courtesy of WIKIMEDIA

House Speaker Paul Ryan supports the repeal of the adoption tax credit in the GOP’s current tax reform bill. expenses including lawyer fees, travel expenses and “reasonable and necessary adoption fees” according to the IRS. A study conducted by Adoptive Families Magazine found the average total cost of adoption through an agency to be $39,966, well over the federal tax credit offered and much steeper than most American families can finance.

The irony of a proposed tax plan revoking the adoption

credit while being supported by Republican pro-life congressman like Speaker Paul Ryan was not lost on many opponents of the bill. Democrats, pro-lifers and non-partisan adoption advocates alike criticized the bill for its potential harmful effects on adoption rates with good reason.

Thousands of families have relied on this tax credit throughout the years and without it, many may not have been able to fund

their adoption.

“It’s stunning to me that this package that is supposed to be pro-family eliminates the adoption tax credit, which is definitely not pro-family,” said Michaela Sims, spokesperson for Save the Adoption Tax Credit, before the proposal was reversed. “At the minimum, it’s a tax increase for families who choose to adopt.

But at maximum, it could have a chilling effect on adoption.”

Proponents of the bill defended the cuts to adoption funding on behalf of the bigger financial picture. “The call is this: Do we want a tax code that has special provisions that you may need once in your life, or do we want a tax code that lowers rates every year of your life?” asked Rep. Kevin Brady, a Texas Republican and head of the House tax-writing committee.

The bigger picture of removing the adoption tax credit would, in reality, be a counterproductive means of lowering taxes while slashing critical funding for adoptions. Though the cut may have provided a minimal tax break for American taxpayers, the long-term effects on children in need of adoption would greatly offset any benefit.

The adoption system has a wide set of complicated preexisting difficulties, and revoking funding would only intensify them. Fighting to protect the adoption tax credit, along with removing excessive red tape and reducing sky-high adoption costs, is necessary to better American adoptions. Legislators should not rely on using tax reduction as a crutch for harming vulnerable groups.

Hannah Kleinpeter is a 20-yearold mass communication junior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.