The Daily Reveille — December 2, 2009

WANT TO WORK FOR THE DAILY REVEILLE?

Come to the Journalism Building’s Holliday Forum tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. to apply to work for The Daily Reveille for the spring semester. The newspaper is hiring for all sections. For details about job descriptions, check lsureveille.com, call the newsroom at 578-4810 or visit the newsroom in B-16 Hodges Hall.

THE DAILY REVEILLE WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM

Volume 114, Issue 68

LSU looks to head to Capital One Bowl Staff Reports

The LSU football team is apparently going to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla., though Tiger fans have speculated about the team’s placement there for weeks.

“We are just basically planning on it being the Capital One Bowl because it just looks like that is going to happen,” Tiger Band drum major Rob Dowie said late Tuesday.

Florida Citrus Sports’ Web site says it will announce Sunday the teams in the 2010 bowl, but some media outlets expected the announcement to be as early as Tuesday.

The LSU Ticket Office gives students a chance to request postseason tickets and listed the Capital One, Cotton and Outback bowls as possibilities. The deadline to request student tickets is Dec. 4 at 5 p.m.

The Capital One Bowl gets first pick of Southeastern Conference teams after those picked for BCS bowls, and with the loser of the SEC championship game Saturday being the near-certain pick for the Sugar Bowl, LSU is left as the team with the next best record at 9-3 and is the only other SEC team ranked in the BCS standings.

Several media outlets reported Tuesday that Ole Miss and Oklahoma State have agreed to face each other in the Cotton Bowl.

The Capital One Bowl is Jan. 1 at noon, and student tickets are $80, according to the LSU Ticket Office’s Web site. Greg Creese, Capital One BOWL, see page 11

Wednesday, December 3, 2009

OLD SCHOOL Adults pursue degrees after decades away from school

By Olga Kourilova Contributing Writer

LaDawn Jones said she’s waited 22 years to be readmitted into the University.

“LSU’s been a scary but rewarding experience,” the 47-year-old mother of two said.

This semester is the first time in the last eight years the enrollment of students older than 35 at the University has increased, according to the Office of Budget and Planning.

Difficulties that older students may face can include finding time to manage class and extra responsibilities or learning new technology, said Melissa Brocato, Center for Academic Success director.

But nontraditional students are often more focused because they’re attending school to accomplish a goal, she said.

Out of high school, Jones attended the University of Louisiana-Monroe and majored in interior construction but did not do as well as she hoped.

“I had a lot of fun the first time around,” she said.

Jones, a theater design and technology junior, credits her daughters and husband for encouraging her to pursue higher education, and she said the best thing is being at LSU with her two girls.

Jones has a full schedule with 19 hours this semester and 19 hours scheduled for the spring.

She also teaches two classes per week in a dance studio in Baker.

Jones said her life experiences have made school easier, and she doesn’t see many disadvantages for being an older student on campus.

“Only maybe the fear of acceptance,” she added.

Jones and her daughters attending college does put a strain on the family budget, she said.

She received a Sallie Mae loan this semester, but Jones said the family tries to pay for tuition and fees out of pocket and stay out of debt.

RE-EDUCATION, see page 15

ACADEMICS

Library extends hours to 2 a.m.

By Xerxes A. Wilson Staff Writer

Students will have more time to cram for final exams as the library extends its hours for the rest of the semester.

Middleton Library will extend its hours on the first floor until 2 a.m. during the concentrated study period — also known as dead week — beginning tonight until Saturday. The concentrated study period runs from Wednesday until the Sunday when finals week begins.

The first and second floors of the library will remain open 24 hours starting Sunday at noon before finals week and continue until Dec. 12 at 2 a.m.

During the 2008-09 school year, the library was open until 2 a.m. following Student Government’s efforts to extend its hours. At the beginning of this semester, however, the library began closing at midnight on normal weekdays partly because of budget cuts.

SG President Stuart Watkins said he approached library administrators about having the hours continually extended to 2 a.m. again but said it was not possible because of a large budget cut inflicted on the library coupled with a lack student usage during late-night hours.

KRISTEN M’LISSA ROWLETT / The Daily Reveille

Carol Scott, general studies freshman, studies Nov. 24 for a marketing exam in Patrick F. Taylor Hall. Scott is one of many students who returned to college to continue their education in their later years.

Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at xwilson@lsureveille.com

HOLIDAY

LSU athletes give children gifts

By Lindsey Meaux Contributing Writer

JASON BORDELON / The Daily Reveille

The LSU men’s golf team poses for a picture after giving a child a present Tuesday night at “Christmas with the Tigers.”

With the Bo Campbell Auditorium transformed into a Christmas wonderland with decorated trees and a stage full of presents, representatives from more than 20 athletic organizations came together to distribute gifts to underprivileged children.

Led by Mike Mallet, Academic Center for Student-Athletes director, athletes from football, baseball, softball and gymnastics and representatives from the men’s

and women’s basketball among others distributed 25 gifts Tuesday night to children selected by the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

About 14 children were present at the event, and the additional children will be contacted Wednesday to arrange for the delivery of the gifts, Mallet said.

“We like to spread the love throughout the community, and [the participants] have done just that,” Mallet said. “You did some things that you didn’t have to do.”

Each year, “Christmas with the Tigers”

partners with a different Baton Rouge organization, Mallet said. Once the partner is chosen, they are responsible for selecting children and gathering Christmas wish lists.

Each child is then partnered with a sports team, who is then responsible for purchasing the gifts on the list. According to Mallet, the teams make every effort to purchase every gift on the list.

The holiday celebration is organized CELEBRATION, see page 15

THE DAILY REVEILLE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009

Nation & World

INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL

Latin America’s first gay marriage thwarted in Argentina

Obama: 30,000 more troops to go to Afghanistan by summer

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — An Argentine couple’s bid to unite Tuesday in Latin America’s first gay marriage was thwarted when city officials blocked the wedding because of conflicting judicial rulings. Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre showed up to get married despite a judge’s ruling Monday overruling gay marriage.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama is dispatching 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, accelerating a risky and expensive war buildup, even as he assures the nation that U.S. forces will begin coming home in July 2011. The first new Marines will join the fight by Christmas.

The escalation — to be completed by next summer — is designed to reverse significant Taliban advances since Obama took office and to fasttrack the training of Afghan soldiers and police toward the goal of hastening an eventual U.S. pullout.

Iran considering reducing ties to UN nuclear body after criticism TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Tehran is reviewing the option of decreasing cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog after it issued a resolution critical of Iran last week.

Speaking in a live television interview late Tuesday, Ahmadinejad also criticized Russia’s support for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s resolution, calling it a mistake.

Seattle police kill suspect in four officers’ slayings SEATTLE (AP) — A lone officer on patrol Tuesday night spotted a stolen car, its hood up and engine running, and pulled over to check it out. As the patrolman sat in his cruiser, a burly man with a large mole on his cheek came up from behind.

The officer turned and instantly recognized the most wanted man in the Pacific Northwest — the ex-con accused of gunning down four cops at a coffee shop.

Moments later, Maurice Clemmons, 37, lay dead in the street, shot by the patrolman after Clemmons moved for a gun he had taken from one of the slain officers, police said.

Dying man robbed in Philadelphia ER waiting room PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A school counselor suffering an apparent heart attack died in a Philadelphia emergency room after waiting nearly 80 minutes for help. A trio of homeless drug addicts stole his watch instead of seeking aid, police said.

Joaquin Rivera, 63, died before seeing a triage nurse at Atria Health’s Frankford Campus over the weekend, police said. Rivera, a musician and activist in the city’s Latino community, had spent more than 30 years working as a bilingual counselor at an inner-city high school.

STATE/LOCAL

Jindal asks president for disaster declaration to get federal aid

Louisiana awarded $1.7 million broadband mapping grant

(AP) — Gov. Bobby Jindal on Tuesday asked President Obama to declare a major disaster in Louisiana because of October and November storms, tornadoes and flooding.

Jindal’s office released the letter sent to the White House with the request.

In the letter, the governor said the storms from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3 caused damage to roads, bridges, buildings, homes and government structures and destroyed crops. He said the storms, in north and west Louisiana, dropped up to six inches of rain in some areas and spawned 12 tornadoes.

Jindal asked for a presidential disaster declaration to allow public assistance — like debris removal — from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 11 parishes: Beauregard, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, DeSoto, Jefferson Davis, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Union and Webster parishes.

(AP) — Louisiana is getting a $1.7 million federal grant intended to spread high-speed Internet connections to rural communities and other areas with lesser online access.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the state’s grant amount Monday. It comes from a $7 billion pot of federal stimulus money.

TODAY ON

lsureveille com

GET READY FOR FINALS WITH GENESIS TUTORING-FREE Monday- Thursday, 5pm-9pm 578-4339 Office of Multicultural Affairs 326A Student Union DO YOU HAVE AN OCCURRENCE? Call Andrew at the Student Media Office 578-6090, 9AM- 5PM or E-mail: officemanager@lsureveille.com

Weather 58 41

TODAY

ONGOING IN NOVEMBER

55 40 SATURDAY 52 36

Panel rejects propsal to cut 15,000 state jobs over three years (AP) — A government cost-cutting panel rejected a proposal Tuesday to slash the state’s work force by 15,000 employees over three years.

Instead, the Commission on Streamlining Government favored a recommendation that agencies “target” a 5 percent cut in their staffing each year for three years. If they can’t reach the target figure, they must explain why to lawmakers and the governor’s administration.

Find The Daily Reveille on Facebook at www.facebook. com/lsureveille.

Follow The Daily Reveille on @TDR_news, @TDR_sports and @lsureveille.

Log on to see Spotlight on the Famous with Amos bloopers.

Log on to see video of the Candlelight Celebration.

IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

Partly Cloudy

THURSDAY

PAGE 2

FRIDAY 53 33 SUNDAY 60 47

MAGGIE BOWLES / The Daily Reveille

Log on to lsureveille.com to see what’s green on the scene around campus.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

The Daily Reveille holds accuracy and objectivity at the highest priority and wants to reassure the reporting and content of the paper meets these standards. This space is reserved to recognize and correct any mistakes which may have been printed in The Daily Reveille. If you would like something corrected or clarified please contact the editor at (225) 5784811 or e-mail editor@lsureveille.com.

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 within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Daily Reveille is free. To purchase additional copies for 25 cents, please contact the Office of Student Media in B-34 Hodges Hall. The Daily Reveille is published daily during the fall and spring semesters and semi-weekly during the summer semester, except during holidays and final exams. Secondclass copies postage paid at Baton Rouge, La., 70803. Annual weekly mailed subscriptions are $125, semester weekly mailed subscriptions are $75. Non-mailed student rates are $4 each regular semester, $2 during the summer; one copy per person, additional copies 25 cents each. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Daily Reveille, B-39 Hodges Hall, LSU, Baton Rouge, La.,70803.

THE DAILY REVEILLE B-16 Hodges Hall • Baton Rouge, La. 70803

NICHOLAS PERSAC Editor JERIT ROSER Managing Editor, Content GERRI SAX Managing Editor, External Media ELLEN ZIELINSKI Managing Editor, Production J.J ALCANTARA Production Editor LESLIE PRESNALL News Editor ROBERT STEWART Sports Editor CASEY GISCLAIR Deputy Sports Editor MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Opinion Editor MEGAN WILLIAMS Photo Editor JAMES HARALSON Reveille Radio Director LAUREN ROBERTS Advertising Sales Manager

Newsroom (225)578-4810 • Advertising (225)578-6090

THE DAILY REVEILLE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009

PAGE 3

FASHION

Human ecology students design window displays for class

By Brianna Paciorka Contributing Writer

Dressed mannequins and props representing different fashion messages stood inside 18 window displays at the Parker Coliseum for a class project in the visual merchandising and promotion course.

The project — designing a store window display to convey a fashion message — allows students to use concepts learned about visual merchandising in class, said Yvonne Leak, course instructor.

“Store window displays are a widely used medium to communiBRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille cate fashion ideas to consumers,” Mannequins stand in the window of one of the 18 displays designed for Leak said. “Students have to come Yvonne Leak’s HUEC 3045 course, visual merchandising and promotion. up with a design that looks profesFinding a venue that allows sional, and the intention is to be able students can use, which helps a lot,” to look at the display and know what Leak said. “I do prefer when things window displays is the most chalare handmade than bought ... just be lenging part for a project like this the fashion message is right away.”

Once students developed a creative in using the things [students] one, Leak said. have.”

“We feel very lucky to be able to theme and a design Leak said stu- use the windows in the Parker Colipromoting a mesdents have about seum for this project,” Leak said. sage, the students four weeks to work Leak said businesses contacted selected and coordion the display in her in the past looking for students nated merchandise Log on to see a matching the messlideshow of pictures of and out of the class. to help design window displays for “It’s a lot of stores, and earlier in the semester, sage and promoted the fashion displays. work, but students her students participated in a design it in a visually interseem to like it be- competition held by a local busiesting setting, Leak cause they rate it highly in evalua- ness. said.

“Some businesses are too busy “We have an extensive col- tions,” Leak said. “The displays get to keep up with and change displays lection of mannequins and props that better and better every year.”

lsureveille.com

ACADEMICS

Survey: Med school prosperous

By Kyle Bove Senior Staff Writer

Fewer students are opting not to apply for medical school because of financial reasons than those deciding not to apply for law schools and business schools because of money strains in a troubled economy, according to a recent Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions survey.

The survey, released Nov. 18, also found medical school applicants are the most “reserved” group of students on Facebook and other social networking sites.

Dr. Jeff Koetje, assistant director of pre-health programs at Kaplan, worked on compiling the survey, which asked admissions officers at all 131 Association of American Medical Schools-approved U.S. medical schools about financial aid and other factors that may have been affected by the recession.

Based on survey results from the 82 medical schools that responded, only 20 percent of medical school admissions officers reported more applicants declined admissions for financial reasons in 2009 compared to 2008. This number compares to 28 percent of applicants to MBA programs, according to business school admissions officers, and 39 percent of law school applicants, according to law school admissions officers.

Cost of tuition for medical schools at private universities like Harvard can total more than $40,000, Koetje said. And that’s not including other fees like room and board, books and equipment.

“Cost is a very important issue for students,” Koetje said.

Tuition for the LSU School of Medicine at New Orleans is about $13,000 per year.

He said fewer students may not apply for medical school during the recession for financial reasons because, a lot of the time, students have been planning medical school careers years in advance.

“Pre-med students have oftentimes been pre-med since they were young,” Koetje said. “There is a deeply-ingrained commitment level.”

And it’s not that students applying to law school and business school don’t have that level of commitment, he said, it’s just that those programs are more flexible. He said many students choose to wait a few years before entering an MBA or law program because of the economy.

Medical schools have much stricter time limits for admissions.

Koetje said the University has one of the highest number of undergraduates who apply to medical school every year in the U.S. Last year, 311 students applied, he said.

Luke Verret, biology junior, said he decided he wanted to go to medical school when he was in high school. He said the economy hasn’t affected his decision.

“I was planning to take out student loans anyway,” Verret said. “[Medical school] is expensive for most people, so I imagine that people would need help through loans regardless of the economy.”

The Kaplan survey asked admissions officers about the role social networking sites play in the admissions process as well.

Only 30 percent of medical school

admissions officers or a colleague had received a friend request on Facebook or MySpace from potential students, according to the survey results. This number compared with 48 percent of law school admissions officers, 50 percent of business school admissions officers and 71 percent of college admissions officers.

Verret said he wouldn’t want to friend request an admissions officer, but he understands some do look at Facebook during the admissions process.

According to the Kaplan survey, 13 percent of admissions officers said they have visited a student’s social networking site to help evaluate that applicant.

Contact Kyle Bove at kbove@lsureveille.com

with fresh ideas, which many students have,” Leak said. “It’s a good opportunity for students with talent and interest in visual merchandising, and I hope it’s a growing field.”

Barrett Hutchinson, apparel design junior, said his group chose a color-contrast theme for the display, which consisted of a white background, white furniture and an emerald green evening gown.

“I work at BCBG at Perkins Rowe, so we picked out a dress there and let it dictate room design because we didn’t want to pick out the background color and then have to find a dress to match it,” Hutchinson said.

“Our display came out exactly like the sketch. The chair in the display even looks exactly like the one in the sketch, which was exciting.”

Lauren Haag, apparel design junior, has worked for Leak during the past two years and said this year’s displays look more professional and realistic than displays from previous years.

“Seeing all the groups work on the project and seeing my group’s window and creativity ... it was a great experience,” Haag said. “I learned about all of the hard work that it takes to come up with an effective window display.”

Contact Brianna Paciorka at bpaciorka@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 4

MAKIN’ BANANA PANCAKES

ALUMNI

Grad to attend conference and German graduate. “I am supposed to represent our generation from the U.S. and try to make sure the negotiations are actually productive and fair globally.”

With the 1997 Kyoto ProtoBy Mary Walker Baus col, which set carbon emissions Staff Writer targets for industrialized counThe hot topic of climate tries, about to expire in 2012, change will get hotter at the Unit- global leaders will meet at this ed Nations Climate Change Con- year’s conference in Denmark to ference in Copenhagen, Denmark, discuss implementing a binding global climate change treaty. from Dec. 7 through Dec. 18.

“This is the 15th time all the World leaders have met annuleaders from alally at the Confermost every counences of Parties try in the world since 1995 to discuss the climate ‘I am a youth delegate have gotten together to address change issue. This representing ... the the environmental year, on Dec. 5 and 6, there will youth of the country.’ issue of climate change, how it also be a Conferaffects the world ence of Youth, Rachel Guillory and how we’ll where more than international studies and work together to 500 youths from German graduate mitigate the efacross the world fects,” Guillory will gather at the University of Copenhagen to talk said. “It’s time for [the United about the issue and what their gen- States] to step up because we’re such a huge part of the problem eration can do.

The Sierra Student Coalition [of carbon emissions].”

Robert Friedman, environselected LSU graduate Rachel Guillory to serve as a youth del- mental studies junior at Bates College in Maine and SSC member, egate at both conferences.

“I am a youth delegate rep- said U.S. negotiators went and resenting the youth of the Sierra agreed upon the Kyoto Protocol in Club and the youth of the country,” 1997, but the U.S. Senate did not said Guillory, international studies ratify the treaty, so the U.S. did

Climate change, effects to be discussed

‘‘

GRANT GUTIERREZ / The Daily Reveille

Sports administration freshman Rueben Randle, who is also a wide receiver for the football team, devours pancakes Tuesday night at 459 Commons for the Chancellor’s Late Night Pancake Breakfast. Log on to lsureveille.com to see more photos.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009

not have to meet the protocol’s emissions targets.

“This is the fear,” Friedman said. “It could happen again in Copenhagen because the [U.S.] Senate has yet to pass a climate change bill.”

Friedman said the U.S. will have negotiators at the conference.

President Obama will also attend but not sign anything, he said.

Guillory said the Sierra Student Coalition is the student-run national branch of the Sierra Club, which is the oldest and largest environmental organization. She said she’s been involved with the SSC for four years and has served on the executive committee and as the campus contact for the Environmental Conservation Organization at LSU. Guillory said she will speak at open forums at the conference, participate in rallies, attend plenary sessions and workshops and do everything she can to ask Obama to “keep his word and continue to be a progressive world leader.”

Friedman said he is attending the conference as part of the SSC’s media team.

Contact Mary Walker Baus at mwbaus@lsureveille.com

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 5

FACULTY

Godshall recognized as 2009 La. Filmmaker of the Year Award beneficial to English department

By Ryan Buxton Staff Writer

A University faculty member was recently given statewide recognition with the 2009 Louisiana Filmmaker of the Year award.

Zack Godshall, the University’s screenwriter-in-residence, received the award at the New Orleans Film Festival, where he screened his latest film, a documentary called “God’s Architects.”

The film chronicles five men who claim to be divinely inspired to create architectural monuments to God without funding or blueprints.

Godshall said there are parallels between those builders and the career of a young filmmaker.

“I don’t really work in the film industry, per se — I work in film, and I’m trying to get my film released in some form or fashion,” he said. “I’m definitely independent, and I related to [the builders] because of how independent and self-reliant they are.”

KRISTEN M’LISSA ROWLETT / The Daily Reveille

Professor Zack Godshall teaches his class on writing screenplays on Nov. 24.

Godshall is the recipient of the 2009 Louisiana Filmmaker of the Year award.

Godshall said he is grateful for the Filmmaker of the Year award because of the benefits it will have for his film.

“Anything like that helps to build a reputation for the film,” Godshall said. “It helps the film have a life outside of me.”

In addition to buzz for the film, the award also comes with a prize.

Godshall received a $2,500 gift certificate to Swelltone Labs, a soundediting lab in New Orleans.

The University also reaps the benefits of Godshall’s award, said Anna Nardo, English department chair. Students in the department’s creative writing program who are taught by an award-winning filmmaker will have an advantage when applying to film school, Nardo said.

“Everybody wants to be a screenwriter, and the competition is fierce,” she said. “If our students can come with a recommendation from someone like Zack, with the

credentials he is amassing, that’s a real leg-up for them.”

Nardo said faculty members like Godshall keep the University’s English department at a high quality, which has been recognized nationally.

“Our MFA program in creative writing has already been ranked in the top 50 in the country,” Nardo said. “Zack is one of the writers that joins all our other writing faculty to bring that kind of national recognition.”

Students who learn the filmmaking craft from someone like Godshall is important in the state’s current economic climate, Nardo said.

“Sometimes people don’t think an English department can participate in workforce development,” Nardo said. “With the film industry in Louisiana taking off, [teaching screenwriting] is a big workforce development issue across the state. It’s about the cultural economy.”

Balancing filmmaking and teaching a class can be difficult, Godshall said, but it is made easier by his love for both jobs. Godshall said time management is important to doing both, as is allowing his

students to drive large portions of his classes.

“I try to incorporate a lot of discussion because that’s the best thing about film or art,” he said. “That’s how I like to teach anyway, but it also helps with the time because it doesn’t require me making a PowerPoint every week.”

Godshall is contracted as the University’s screenwriter-in-residence until spring 2012. He said he hopes to continue teaching as well as making films after then.

He is currently shooting his next project, a “comic adventure” about a man dealing with a midlife crisis. The project had an interesting start — he set out to make a film with no budget. The actors are volunteers, and the crew consists of Godshall and a friend who works in sound recording.

Godshall plans to screen “God’s Architects” for the first time in Baton Rouge in January. He is also independently distributing DVDs of the film on its Web site, godsarchitects. com.

Contact Ryan Buxton at rbuxton@lsureveille.com

ENVIRONMENT

Engineering students attempt to build Tiger Truck Project to construct hybrid vehicle

By Kristen M’lissa Rowlett Contributing Writer

Some University students are buying blue books and scantrons in preparation for finals, but 12 engineering students are drawing up plans to create the first mobile hybrid bio-diesel demonstrator.

The Tiger Truck is the final project for these engineering students’ 2009-2010 senior capstone design course, said Mike Murphy, mechanical engineering professor and adviser for the project.

The 12 students will deconstruct a fire truck and convert it into a mobile lab that will travel to local schools and public events to fry food and use the use waste vegetable oil as bio-diesel to run the truck, said Blake Andermann, mechanical engineering senior.

Mechanical engineering and biological engineering students will work together on the project in hopes of building a truck that will draw attention and promote environmentally conscience behavior, he said.

“We wanted to do something that would be beneficial not only to the University but also to people in general to really make an impact,” Andermann said.

The truck, which was a fully functional fire truck, was donated by the Dularge Fire Department in Dularge, La., said Scotty Verret, mechanical engineering senior.

The fire truck is a perfect match because the frame was made for heavy-duty application, Andermann said.

The team removed the firefighting equipment to install a fryer in the back, Andermann said.

The truck will be able to drive to public events to demonstrate the

use of waste vegetable oil as a fuel.

“It is a completely contained unit that’s self-supporting,” he said.

“All you have to do is fry some food, and you’re on your way.”

The team will also convert the truck into a hybrid.

“It’s not going to run just off the bio-diesel,” Andermann said.

“It’s also going to generate its own electricity ... almost like a Prius.”

The estimated budget for the Tiger Truck is between $25,000 and $35,000, but the team is hoping to receive donations for the project, Andermann said.

There are 14 groups of engineering students working on projects for this year’s course, Murphy

said.

Murphy said 12 of the 14 senior projects this year are funded externally.

Companies have patented 14 final engineering projects in the last 10 years, he said.

“The truck is probably the most complicated [project] anyone is trying to do,” Murphy said. “A biodiesel hybrid for a student team is going to be a challenge.”

The team will present its plans for the project at the beginning of December, and construction on the truck will start during the spring semester, Andermann said.

The final project is due May 20, but the team would like to finish the

truck for Earth Day demonstrations on April 22, he said.

“It’s something everyone can learn from,” he said. “Bio-diesel isn’t science fiction. It’s a reality you can actually use in everyday life to get away from petroleum-based products.”

The projects will be graded on quality of presentation and design by a panel of local engineers, Verret said.

“If it doesn’t work, neither do our degrees,” Andermann said.

Contact Kristen M’lissa Rowlett at krowlett@lsureveille.com

PAGE 6

THE DAILY REVEILLE

HEALTH

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

NATIONAL

LCAC studies successful aging Cowboy motorist

helps lasso 2 cows

Older population increasing quickly

By The Associated Press

By Sarah Eddington

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — When two Connecticut-bound cows escaped onto a busy Massachusetts highway, a cowboy stuck in the traffic jam came to the rescue.

State police say the man, wearing a Western hat and boots, lassoed each of the 500-pound heifers who were wandering on Interstate 91 South in Springfield Tuesday morning.

Troopers shut down the highway for about 30 minutes as the

Contributing Writer

Advancements in medical care, technology and life-saving operations are allowing people today to live longer than in the past. That’s why LSU’s Life Course and Aging Center is committed to identifying the keys to successful aging and educating the public about these issues.

This field of study is particularly relevant today because the older population is increasing at a profound rate, said Priscilla Allen, social work associate professor and LCAC associate director.

“One-fifth of us will be 65 or over by 2020, and the fastestgrowing population are those 85 and above,” Allen said. “It’s an interesting demographic reality.”

Katie Cherry, psychology professor and executive director of the LCAC, said 2011 marks the year when the Baby Boomers, the largest segment of the population, turn 65 years old.

“With people living longer and having fewer children, the birth rate is right around replacement,” Cherry said. “We need more programs for older people.”

The LCAC originated for that exact purpose. The multi-disciplinary group of faculty members started meeting in 1999, but officially achieved a center status in 2003 from the LSU Board of Supervisors and Louisiana Board of Regents. Both entities renewed the LCAC on Aug. 26 and granted it a five-year continuation which runs through 2014.

Cherry said the continuation is a mark of statewide legitimacy.

“It’s a huge mark of recognition not only by the University, but by the brain trust of the state,” Cherry said.

Todd Pourciau, LCAC director of research, said the LCAC is not an actual building but more of a virtual center.

“This is the standard concept for this type of research enterprise,” Pourciau said. “It allows faculty to move in and out of the group as they take on different projects.”

Cherry said the group communicates electronically and meets once a month while smaller groups collaborate on research and projects of mutual interests.

The LCAC is a multi-disciplinary entity that includes 51 University professors from a wide spectrum of fields like psychology, education, sociology, social work, kinesiology, nutrition and others, Pourciau said.

Cherry said professors worked alone in their labs prior to the center, but the LCAC provides a mechanism to facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations to enhance their research goals.

“What makes the LCAC unique is that we all have a

man helped load the animals back into the trailer that was carrying them to nearby Enfield, Conn.

The cows had escaped into slow-moving traffic near Exit 8 after a latch opened on the trailer.

Police say the cowboy did not want to be publicly identified.

Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com

SHAINA HUNTSBERRY / The Daily Reveille

Whitney Hebert, student therapist, and Neila Donovan, principal investigator and communication disorders professor, conduct Parkinson’s research at Pennington.

common denominator of life span and development as the thread that pulls us all together,” Cherry said.

Cherry is conducting research as part of the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study with the program’s project director, Michal Jazwinski.

“We are looking at determinants of longevity and healthy aging from a genetic, biological and psychosocial perspective,” Cherry said.

The LCAC has tested 869 people at Pennington Biomedical Research Center since 2002, using a battery of tests to study everything from genetics to metabolism, retention of cognitive function and physical function.

Cherry said the studies suggest both biological and psychosocial factors are important for healthy aging.

Neila Donovan, communication disorders professor and LCAC researcher, said her research goal is looking at how the elderly define communicative effectiveness.

In her study, she matches

people with Parkinson’s disease with healthy participants of the same age without neurological or speech problems and compares answers about effective communicating.

Donovan said the result was both groups define communicative effectiveness in the same way.

“People recognize problems with finding the words they want, even when they don’t have cognitive difficulty,” she said. “We are trying to develop a screening instrument we can use to identify with people who may be having enough communication problems that it’s starting to affect their independence.”

Allen said the average life expectancy is currently around 81 and is expected to increase, and the LCAC’s research efforts aim to make this journey a smooth one.

Contact Sarah Eddington at seddington@lsureveille.com

Mellow Mushroom Team Trivia @ 8pm; $5 Pitchers Karaoke @ 10pm Plucker’s Wing Bar Monday: $14.99 All you can eat wings and $3 Plucker’s Lemonades Tuesday: $2.50 Mexican Beers and Margaritas Wednesday: Trivia at 8PM. $4 Mother Plucker Mugs Thursday: $15.99 All you can eat wings. $4 Mother Plucker Mugs. $3 Margaritas and Plucker’s Lemonades

9-10:30 AM 12-1:30 PM 4:00-5:30 PM 8:00- 9:30 PM

Underworld Blade Van Helsing The Forsaken

THE DAILY REVEILLE Wednesday, December 2, 2009

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Lady Tigers remain unbeaten

Hightower scores career-high 32 points

Sports

Squeaking By

PAGE 7

Mitchell, Warren power Tigers to an ugly win past ULL

By David Helman Sports Writer

By Rachel Whittaker The LSU women’s basketball team built a 15-point halftime lead against Louisiana Tech on Tuesday night.

But the Lady Tigers allowed the Lady Techsters to bounce back in the second half, and they scored 46 points and came within a 3-point attempt as time expired of sending the game to overtime.

But Louisiana Tech’s desperation shot failed, and No. 7 LSU held on for a 77-74 victory in Ruston and ran its record to 6-0 for the first time since the 2005-2006 season.

LSU coach Van Chancellor said after the game the Lady Tigers were lucky to come out with a win — their 31st straight against in-state opponents and fifth straight against Louisiana Tech (3-1).

“LSU had a 15-point lead, a 13-point lead, an 11-point lead, a 9-point lead, and it goes down, but we found a way to win,” Chancellor said in his postgame radio show. “I thought when [Louisiana Tech forward Adrienne Johnson] shot it, ‘Oh, my God, it’s going in,’ but then I saw it went right, and we won the game.”

After leaving LSU’s game against Tulane with cramps, LSU senior guard Allison Hightower looked like her usual self when she returned to the court Tuesday.

Hightower lit up Louisiana

That was ugly.

Although LSU senior forward Tasmin Mitchell notched a season-high 26 points and sophomore forward Storm Warren earned his fourth double-double, the LSU men’s basketball team didn’t provide many other highlights in a sloppy 66-58 win against Louisiana-Lafayette (1-4) on Tuesday night.

“Whether you’re in New York for a week or you have guys that are banged up ... don’t make excuses for playing bad basketball,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson.

LSU (4-2) got the all-important win after a disappointing showing at the NIT Season Tip-Off in New York City, but Johnson could hardly be happy with an effort that saw the Tigers finish with 13 turnovers and a bevy of missed opportunities on the offensive end.

“We were sluggish,” Johnson said. “Our inability to take care of the ball at times was just mind-boggling. But the good thing about it is we were able to win.”

Mitchell showed flashes of the player who helped carry the Tigers to last season’s Southeastern Conference championship and earned a first-team All-SEC selection. His versatility in the post helped him to 10 rebounds in addition to his point total, earning him his first double-double of the season.

Mitchell struggled to a slow start early this season.

“It just was me all along,” Mitchell said. “I was just playing with too much pressure on me. I just have to go out there, relax and play within myself no matter what the defense does.”

But the strong performance did not prevent Mitchell from echoing his coach’s disappointment in the sloppy performance.

“I’m glad we got the victory today, coming back from a two-game losing streak out there in New York,” he said.

“I don’t think we played great basketball tonight. There’s no excuse.”

Mitchell and Johnson might consider it an excuse, but some of the Tigers’ struggles could be attributed to junior point guard Bo Spencer’s ankle, which he sprained last week. Spencer did not get the start but played 32 minutes and contributed 14 points.

HIGHTOWER, see page 11

SPENCER, see page 11

Chief Sports Writer

GRANT GUTIERREZ / The Daily Reveille

LSU sophomore forward Storm Warren dunks past ULL senior forward Lamar Roberson on Tuesday.

VOLLEYBALL

Dabbs proves invaluable to team Senior setter wins AVCA scholarship

By Andy Schwehm Sports Writer

GRANT GUTIERREZ / The Daily Reveille

LSU senior setter Sam Dabbs sets the ball Nov. 20 in the PMAC during the Tigers’ 3-0 win against Mississippi State.

Sometimes things have a funny way of working out.

When LSU senior setter Sam Dabbs came out of high school as the No. 22 recruit in the nation in PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces, she was set on going to Louisville.

As a two-year starter, she led the Cardinals to No. 17 in the American Volleyball

Coaches Association polls in 2007, but she wasn’t happy with her coach or the offense she was in, and begun to lose her confidence.

“He’s a foreign coach, so it’s a different style,” Dabbs said of her former coach at Louisville, Leonid Yelin. “We didn’t see eye-to-eye. Being miserable and losing all confidence when you play is not how you want to go out.”

Dale Dabbs, Sam’s father, said Sam had basically made up her mind to transfer after her first season. But she decided to stick it out for another year to see if things would improve because she liked the school and she was majoring in equine management, a major LSU doesn’t offer.

But she didn’t feel like her second year improved, so the San Antonio native turned her eyes toward Baton Rouge.

LSU coach Fran Flory said the program hasn’t been the same since Dabbs joined.

“Things don’t always end up the way you think they will,” Flory said. “She called us and said she wasn’t happy, so she asked us to get her released ... We would not be the same team without Sam Dabbs, no doubt.”

It didn’t take long for Dabbs to make her mark once she got on the court donning the purple and gold.

In her first match, she recorded a tripledouble and didn’t stop all season en route to DABBS, see page 11

PAGE 8

THE DAILY REVEILLE

FOOTBALL

Running backs Seastrunk, Gore, Blue consider signing with LSU Four-star back commited to Tigers

By Michael Lambert Sports Contributor

The depth of the LSU football team’s running backs will be lacking next season after losing senior running backs Charles Scott, Keiland Williams and Trindon Holliday.

Freshman tailback Michael Ford has been the only running back to sign with the Tigers since 2006, but the promising prospects in the 2010 class may make up for lost time.

LSU has gained a commitment from Scout.com four-star running back Spencer Ware and have three more tailbacks on the radar — Scout five-star recruit Lache Seastrunk and three-star running backs Jakhari Gore and Alfred Blue .

“LSU needs another one or two running backs,” said Rene Nadeau, college football analyst for ESPN and TigerVision.

“They need to be at least four or five backs deep.”

Gore comes from Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. Some sources say Gore was considering Miami, the alma mater of his cousin, San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore, but he has shifted his focus to out-of-state schools.

“Miami was never really in the picture,” said Christopher Columbus coach Chris Merritt.

“It was created by everyone else besides [Jakhari] Gore and Miami.”

The 5-foot-8-inch, 175-pound running back came to Baton Rouge for the Florida game and declared LSU his No. 1 choice after the visit.

“Gore has LSU at No. 1,” Merritt said. “LSU is a proven program that he really respects.”

Merritt said California, Florida and North Carolina have reared their head lately, but the Tigers remain on top for Gore.

“He’s still strongly leaning to LSU,” Merritt said. “He wants to stay on this part of the country where he can see his family.”

Gore had 1,800 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns in addition to 300 yards receiving this season.

Merritt said LSU and Gore would be a perfect fit because of how the Tigers use running backs. Merritt compared Gore to Holliday.

Nadeau said Gore can be physical when he needs to be.

“He runs between the tackles pretty well,” Nadeau said. “He’s not a pounder, but he can get out of a traffic area pretty well.”

Blue, a 6-foot-2-inch, 205-pound running back from Hahnville High School, is slightly bigger than Gore, but LSU still has some work to do on the instate product.

Blue has narrowed his choic- “It’s going to come down to vises to LSU and Ole Miss, but the its.”

Rebels have a slight edge, acSeastrunk is the highest rated cording to Nadeau. of the three running backs, but “Ole Miss is the team to he may be the hardest for LSU to beat,” Nadeau said. “LSU is up lock up. there though.”

The Scout five-star back Nadeau said Blue’s suitor from Temple, Texas, is considwill be deterering many schools, mined late in including LSU, Authe recruiting burn, USC and Orseason. egon.

Blue has Nadeau said Aurecently burst burn and USC are into the scene the most likely desas a premier tinations for Seastrunning back. runk.

Rene Nadeau He had 769 Seastrunk was rushing yards recruited by LSU ESPN and TigerVision and 16 touchrunning back coach college football analyst downs through Larry Porter, who his first seven games of 2009. recently accepted a head coach“Blue has gotten better as ing job in Memphis. the years have gone on,” Nadeau But Shipp said Porter’s desaid. “He has moved up from parture shouldn’t have too much where he was.” of an effect on recruiting.

Sonny Shipp, recruiting analyst for Scout.com, said visits will determine where Blue will ultimately land.

Contact Michael Lambert at “He still wants to see LSU and Ole Miss again,” Shipp said. mlambert@lsureveille.com

‘‘

‘LSU needs another one or two running backs.’

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

FOOTBALL

Florida DE Dunlap arrested for DUI

PAGE 9

STRIKE A POSE

By The Associated Press GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP)—Topranked Florida will be without one of its best pass rushers against No. 2 Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Defensive end Carlos Dunlap was arrested early Tuesday and charged with driving under the influence, just days before the biggest game of the season.

Florida coach Urban Meyer said Tuesday after practice that Dunlap won’t play Saturday, adding that there is no timetable for his return.

Meyer called Dunlap’s actions “stunning.”

“Carlos obviously made a very poor decision,” Meyer said. “I have not spoke to him or his family yet.

He’s not going to play. But I want to visit with him and his family first and go from there.”

Meyer acknowledged that the situation was a distraction as his team prepares for a matchup that has national championship implications.

But he also said his players might be able to overcome it, much like they did flulike symptoms and linebacker Brandon Spikes’ suspension for dirty play.

“We’ve had distraction after distraction,” Meyer said. “This is a rather serious one, obviously, so it is a distraction. Sometimes this team’s found ways to get a little tighter in distractions. We’ve had a few of them this year.”

Dunlap, a 20-year-old junior from North Charleston, S.C., was arrested at 3:25 a.m. He was released on his own recognizance about six hours later during his initial appearance at the Alachua County Jail.

Judge Mary Day Coker admonished Dunlap for underage drinking, and said he cannot possess alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription drugs that are not prescribed for him.

He was told not to drive without a license, and if caught driving with-

ED REINKE / The Associated Press

Florida junior defensive end Carlos Dunlap celebrates after a play Sept. 26 in the Gators’ win against Kentucky. Dunlap was arrested for a DUI on Tuesday.

out a license, he would violate the terms of his release. The judge released Dunlap without bond because he has no prior adjudications and no failures to appear in court.

Wearing a jail-issued, greenand-white striped jumpsuit, Dunlap spoke softly when asked questions and always replied “Yes, ma’am,” to the judge.

According to Gainesville Police spokesman Keith Kameg, an officer was dispatched to check out reports of a reckless driver near campus.

When the officer spotted the car stopped at an intersection, he noticed the red 2000 Chrysler was not moving through several green lights.

The officer found Dunlap slumped over and asleep at the wheel.

The officer woke up Dunlap through a cracked window, but he “would only open his eyes momentarily and then fall back asleep,” Kameg said.

The officer unlocked the door, put the car in park and turned off the ignition. Dunlap got out and “was very groggy and had difficulty speaking and listening to instructions,” Kameg said.

According to police, Dunlap

had watery and bloodshot eyes, and there was a smell of alcohol. Dunlap failed a field sobriety test, refused a breath test and was booked.

Dunlap, the defensive MVP of the Bowl Championship Series national title game in January, has started every game this season for the defending champs. He has 35 tackles and is tied for the team lead with seven sacks.

Without him, the Gators will turn to Justin Trattou, Jaye Howard and William Green to pick up the slack opposite Jermaine Cunningham.

Meyer declined to talk about Dunlap’s future, including if he would play in the team’s bowl game.

Dunlap had been considered a top10 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and many expect him to leave school early in January.

“I haven’t thought about anything other than the word — stunning’s probably appropriate,” Meyer said.

Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com

LORI SHEPLER / The Associated Press

Los Angeles guard Kobe Bryant (24) looks to pass as New Orleans guard Devin Brown (23) defends him Tuesday night in the Hornets game against the Lakers in Los Angeles. For more information on the game, visit lsureveille.com.

PAGE 10

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 HIGHTOWER, from page 7

Tech for a career-high 32 points — 25 in the first half — and Chancellor said Hightower never ceases to amaze him.

“Allison Hightower played like an All-American today,” Chancellor said. “That first half was as good as I’ve seen her.”

Hightower attributed her performance to her teammates getting her involved.

“I just felt good shooting the ball,” she said. “It was one of those nights where almost everything went in. The game was intense the whole 40 minutes.”

LSU converted 50 percent of its shots from the field and 79.2 percent, 19-of-24, from the free throw line.

Hightower was the only LSU player to miss a free throw, as

SPENCER, from page 7

It was quite clear that Spencer was still suffering the effects of the sprain, as he also committed four turnovers and appeared to be in pain throughout the game.

“It’s not all the way 100 percent, but I felt like I could help my team if I got out there,” Spencer said. “It’s hurting pretty bad.”

ULL kept the game close with an impressive team effort from 3-point range. The Ragin’ Cajuns shot a paltry 38 percent from the field, but that number increased to 46 percent from behind the line. ULL notched 18 of its 58-total points from 3-point range.

“I was happy with how we played for the most part because we took care of the ball,” said ULL senior forward Tyren Johnson. “We cut down on a lot of turnovers, which we need first and foremost.”

The Cajuns never led but did not allow the lead to extend beyond 10 points. Junior guard Travis Bu-

DABBS, from page 7

becoming the 2008 Louisiana Newcomer of the Year, dishing out 9.22 assists per set (No. 5 in the league) to go along with 1.91 digs per set and 1.10 kills per set.

This season, Dabbs has picked up right where she left off last season. Her 11.23 assists per match (No. 2 in the SEC), 1.25 kills per match and 2.26 digs per match have helped fuel No. 15-seeded LSU toward hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. She was also recently named to the All-SEC First Team.

To top it off, the senior setter won SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 12 along with becoming the first Tiger to win AVCA National Player of the Week after distributing 49 assists during a 3-0 victory over then-No. 6 Florida.

“I always admire a great setter, and she is one,” said Mississippi State volleyball coach and former setter Jenny Hazelwood. “She gets the ball to her hitters in good oneon-one situations. She knows what’s happening on the other side of the net where the blockers are, and she does a great job of going the other way.”

Sophomore libero Lauren Waclawczyk, one of Dabbs’ closest friends both on and off the court, wasn’t hesitant to say how important Dabbs is to the Tigers’ success this season.

she went 9-of-14 from the charity stripe.

“Everybody made their free throws except Hightower,” Chancellor said. “She got a little tired there in the second half, but I wasn’t going to take her off.”

With 52 seconds left, Louisiana Tech guard Jasmine Bendolph cut LSU’s lead to one point, 7372.

LSU sophomore forward Taylor Turnbow and junior guard Latear Eason each made two free throws, and sophomore forward LaSondra Barrett clinched a key offensive rebound before Johnson missed a tying 3-pointer.

Barrett led the team with seven rebounds, including two on the offensive side, and scored 14 points.

“Barrett made some kind of rebound there at the end,” Chancellor said. “She did a great job of

reau cut the margin to as few as two points with two minutes to play.

That’s when Mitchell and Warren picked up the slack left by their hobbled signal-caller.

Mitchell shot 57 percent from the field and was 3-of-4 from 3-point range, surpassing his season total from behind the arc.

His 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining gave the Tigers a 58-52 lead and ended any chance of an upset.

“He internalizes so much,” Johnson said. “It was good to see him relax .”

Warren stormed to his best overall performance of the season, notching 18 points and 16 boards without getting himself into foul trouble — a problem that hindered him in New York.

“Storm has improved so much from a year ago,” said ULL coach Robert Lee. “Inside, he’s really difficult for our basketball team.”

Contact David Helman at dhelman@lsureveille.com “She brings our character,” Waclawczyk said. “If she’s fired up, we’re fired up. She’s our quarterback, and she’s done a great job all year.”

To top it all off, Dabbs may have found her future occupation in collegiate coaching thanks to the help of Flory and assistant coaches Jill Lytle Wilson and Steve Loeswick.

Lytle Wilson encouraged Dabbs to apply for an AVCA scholarship given to only six people across the nation. The scholarship gives recipients the chance to attend the 2009 Final Four along with the coaching conferences and conventions.

While Dabbs said she fully expects to be making a trip to Tampa, Fla., to play in the Final Four, she said she is looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about becoming a coach, especially after not being sure about her future occupation before arriving to Baton Rouge.

Sometimes things just have a certain way of working out for the best.

“These coaches all told me one day I … have the qualities to become a great coach,” Dabbs said. “I thought about it, and once Jill gave me this opportunity to apply and I got it, I felt like it must be meant to be.”

Contact Andy Schwehm at aschwehm@lsureveille.com

jumping out and guarding and then jumping back over and guarding her man.”

Both Chancellor and Louisiana Tech coach Teresa Weatherspoon were issued technical fouls Tuesday, which reflected the intensity of the rivals’ showdown, Chancellor said.

“We thought Barrett got hammered on the arm at the high post when she was getting ready to pass it,” Chancellor said. “I deserve a lot of [technical fouls], but I didn’t think I deserved this one.”

LSU will have a break from basketball for the next 11 days, as the Lady Tigers will next take on the University of New Orleans on Dec. 13 in the PMAC. Contact Rachel Whittaker at rwhittaker@lsureveille.com

BOWL, from page 1

Bowl Director of Communications, told the Times Picayune on Tuesday the bowl participants may be announced the same day, though no announcement came by press time. He added his organization is “very excited about the possibility of a school like LSU coming here.”

If LSU goes to Orlando this season, the Tigers will likely face either Penn State or Iowa, both of the Big 10 conference.

The Tigers have played Penn State and Iowa only once each, losing both times — 16-9 to the Nittany Lions in the 1974 Orange Bowl and 30-25 to the Hawkeyes in the 2005 Capital One Bowl.

The loss to Iowa was former LSU coach Nick Saban’s final game with the program.

PAGE 11 Dowie added, though, the band has started planning the trip to Orlando, its preparations were made in vain in 2006 when the Tigers expected a bid to the Rose Bowl but landed in the Sugar Bowl.

LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette told The Daily Reveille late Tuesday that LSU doesn’t know its postseason fate for certain yet, but he added that the Tigers feel good about where they might end up.

“We feel good about our chances to go to the Capital One Bowl, but we won’t really know anything until the BCS bids are handed out Sunday,” Bonnette said.

Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Opinion

PAGE 12

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

SHOW ALL COMMENTS

Defining health care as right, privilege at core of debate While students finish up finals and return home for Christmas break, the U.S. Senate will be engaged in a heated debate over health care reform. In a debate that has raged across America for months, politicians and pundits have thrown out a staggering array of propositions, accusations and figures. But fundamental to the health care debate is a question that neatly draws a line in the ideological sand: Is health care a right or a privilege? Two Reveille columnists, Mark Macmurdo and Daniel Morgan, both economics majors, sound off on the ideals and realities of health care as a fundamental right.

Mark Macmurdo: Health care is currently center stage. We’ve all been watching the drama unfold in Washington, with a thousandpage-plus bill now on the floor of the Senate. While it’s easy to get lost in the details, we should begin by examining one fundamental question: Is health care a right or a privilege? Undoubtedly, this is where the health care debate should begin.

Daniel Morgan: I’m not comfortable with the word “privilege,” because it implies only an elite few can have access to it. We don’t have to treat health care like a right in order for access to be plentiful.

In fact, I think calling health care a right has disastrous consequences.

Calling something a “right” implies it’s absolutely necessary no matter what the cost. Some people can rationally decide their resources are better spent elsewhere. If you say something must be done at any cost, you’re acting irrationally.

all states mandate what insurance has to cover. I don’t think a nonsmoker should be forced to insure against lung cancer. If President Obama mandates that premiums can’t reflect risk, then the younger and healthier have to pay for the older people Mark Macmurdo Columnist who are more likely to get sick. This seems even more unjust when you remember that the older generations of Americans are significantly wealthier than the average unemployed twenty-somethings.

If I were only one paying for my health risks, then buying health care might be a rational decision.

In an insurance market as dysfunctional as America’s, it’s not only rational for young people to not get health insurance, it will even be rational for many people to pay Obama’s penalty instead of taking his health insurance.

Macmurdo: I feel any time you want premiums to reflect risk, you

have to consider fairness. There is a difference between Type I Diabetes (which is genetic) and Type II Diabetes (which can come from drinking too much Kool-Aid). We need premiums to reflect risk, but only from poor health care decisions. I don’t want to pay for someone else’s health care if they consider going with the McChicken sandwich over the double quarter-pounder a nutritious meal.

It seems inefficient though, if we have a goal of universal coverage, to penalize individuals for ailments they could not avoid.

Morgan: You’ve switched from talking about health insurance as a right people are entitled to and started talking about health insurance as an obligation healthy people owe sick people. I have a right to free speech, but I don’t get penalized not using it, right?

Really, you’re not talking about health care reform, you’re talking about health care redistribution.

And as I said earlier, that’s a redistribution from healthier, younger and poorer Americans to sicker, older and richer Americans.

Macmurdo: You’ve brought up a good point. We need to make sure we use precise language in these discussions.

Health care is not a typical “inalienable” right like those guaranteed in our Constitution. But guarDaniel Morgan anteeing “life, liberty, and the Columnist pursuit of happiness ” was a goal of our country’s founders. Because we now have the ability as an advanced society to take care of everyone, I think it is reasonable that members of our society should be guaranteed health care.

Morgan: I agree it’s not fair the genetically unhealthy have to pay higher health bills, but is it more fair for the state to force people to make their neighbors pay? I’m skeptical of these moral obligations that supposedly come bundled with an “advanced society.”

If we had a moral obligation to care for anyone, I suspect it would be the malnourished children

overseas. Buying one dollar malaria nets would do a lot more good for the world than buying hundredthousand-dollar MRI machines. I guess I’m just unreasonable.

Macmurdo: Well now you’re talking about utilitarianism, which is a different can of worms. To speak to your reform vs. redistribution point, the proposed legislation won’t just be “redistribution.”

It will also include fundamental reforms which change the way health care is administered — such as changes in information sharing and collective bargaining.

Morgan: I’m willing to make a $10 bet inflation-adjusted health care premiums will be higher three years after the legislation passes.

Deal?

Macmurdo: Given that we’re all going to die in 2012 according to the Mayan calendar, I’ll take that bet.

Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at opinion@lsureveille.com

BEST AND WITTIEST

Macmurdo: When we talk about human behavior, we make assumptions. For example, in economics, we assume individuals are rational capitalists who want to maximize profits. With health care, there’s a much easier assumption — everyone wants to live. If everyone in America wants to live, they should take the rational step of having insurance. I don’t accept your basic premise that a rational person can allocate their resources in a way which doesn’t address their health by having some form of insurance.

Morgan: Even if that’s true, the very nature of insurance is to spread risk around. When I purchase health insurance, I’m also subsidizing other people’s health care. Almost

THE DAILY REVEILLE Editorial Board NICHOLAS PERSAC JERIT ROSER ELLEN ZIELINSKI MATTHEW ALBRIGHT

Editor Managing Editor, Content Managing Editor, Production Opinion Editor

ERIC FREEMAN JR.

Columnist

MARK MACMURDO

Columnist

cartoon courtesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

EDITORIAL POLICIES & 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 within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, paper or University. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to opinion@lsureveille.com or delivered to B-26 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must have a contact phone number so the opinion editor can verify the author. The phone number won’t be printed. The Daily Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration without changing 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 Louisiana State University Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.

QUOTE OF THE DAY “Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.”

Albert Camus French author and philosopher Nov. 7, 1913 — Jan. 4, 1960

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE

Opinion

PAGE 13

Political participation overrated, apathy justified Reasons to be involved with politics: 1. You get to make a difference — The average person greatly overestimates how much of a difference his or her vote makes. Yes, every vote counts, but every vote only counts for one. The chance of an election being a tie without your vote is negligible. The first (and last) election I participated in was the 2008 Presidential Primary.

With my help, Ron Paul had 8,590 votes. Without my vote, he would have had 8,589 — still just more than 61,000 short of Mike Huckabee. We wield no political power and will never make a difference.

2. You can feel like you’re a part of something — It’s fun to wear hope and change stickers, duct tape your mouth and blog about the r3volution in the same way it’s fun to wear purple and gold to a cochon de lait. Politics is an extremely loud way to deal with loneliness.

3. Politics is interesting — This point is fair. Learning about politics has the same merit as learning about the Roman Empire. There’s nothing wrong with acquiring knowledge, but there’s something unhealthy about falsely believing you wield any influence where you don’t.

4. You have a moral obligation to vote — I don’t think this point is fair. If there is an argument mandating voting that doesn’t simply appeal to consequences, I’d be curious to hear it. But I have a sneaking suspicion such moral bullying is nothing more than the hobgoblin of defeated minds.

5. Signaling — Politics is an efficient way to signal your values and personality traits to others. Want to show the world you’re compassionate? Talk about “free” health care. Want to show you’re loyal to your tribe? Rant about illegal immigrants. Want to show you’re intelligent? Write a treatise

on monetary policy. We tend to be rather prudish about signaling. People don’t like to admit they’re doing something for the sake of appearances.

What a shame.

We should be able to honestly admit personacreation is one Daniel Morgan of the greatest benefits politiColumnist cal participation has to give you.

Reasons not to be involved with politics: 1. Corruption — Politicians and political parties are notoriously corrupt. We like to pretend this sign is of the times, but corruption is necessary. Political parties win by adapting to the shifting sands of public opinion. Having ideals, principles and morality is a careerlimiting decision. With trilliondollar bailouts at stake, there’s a

tremendous market for corruption.

2. Discord — Science is about finding truth. Business is about finding win-win relationships. Politics is about our side winning and their side losing, truth be damned.

The world gets better when we focus on win-win relationships. Politics drags us into us vs. them-ism.

3. Time Suck — Time, energy and emotion spent on politics are precious resources not spent on your schoolwork, your career or your relationships. You have zero political influence, but you do have the power to make your life better.

Spending effort where it will have no impact is a misallocation of resources.

This isn’t to say you should be indifferent to political outcomes.

I’m not advocating an emotional deadening. Your soul should shudder in shock at the suffering wrought by the political process.

That’s as healthy as it is justified.

But the path to happiness isn’t

a denial of reality. The truth of the matter is you wield no political influence. Your vote only counts if elections are tied without you.

Thousands of letters to congressmen didn’t have an impact on the bailout vote. Even if millions of protesters can affect foreign policy, abortion or any other issue they might care about, the power of one additional protester is zero.

As always, my goal is not to destroy your idealism but to save it. Idealism spent on the petty pyrrhic victories of politics is idealism squandered on a destructive delusion.

Daniel Morgan is a 21-year-old economics senior from Baton Rouge, LA. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_dmorgan.

Contact Daniel Morgan at dmorgan@lsureveille.com

BURNS AFTER READING

Blagojevich scandal sheds light on white-collar crime Remember the Blagojevich scandal?

For those who don’t, the story goes a little something like this: Rod Blagojevich was the notorious “prostitute” who unwillingly voted for a self-described “disastrous” health reform bill in exchange for $100 million in Medicaid funding for his state.

No, wait. My mistake. That was Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu.

Rod Blagojevich was actually the cold-blooded snake that secretly collaborated with and essentially bailed out his former firm, Goldmann Sachs, during the financial meltdown of 2008.

No, wait. I’m sorry. That was former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Now I remember: Rod Blagojevich is the warmonger who encouraged the unpopular and unjustified invasion of Iraq in an apparent effort to benefit his former oil company.

Wait, scratch that. I’m thinking of former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Hold up, now I got it: Rod Blagojevich is the guy who gained corporate support for his health care proposal by promising Big Pharma that any White House health care legislation will bar the government from negotiating lower drug prices.

No, wait. My bad. That was President Obama.

Kidding aside, Rod Blagojevich was the former Illinois governor arrested last December for allegedly auctioning off Obama’s vacated senate seat.

But based on the aforementioned list of criminals, Blagojavich’s crime evidently wasn’t fraud or

racketeering. It was getting caught in the act of being a politician.

Sure, the former governor probably shouldn’t have dropped a load of potty language on what was already an oven-baked crap sandwich of political corruption.

Scott Burns But when Columnist you toss “Blago” in a line-up with these lessmaligned super-crooks, he suddenly doesn’t seem so bad.

This scandal shouldn’t just raise eyebrows. It should open people’s eyes to the inherent “fraud” of politics.

And maybe — just maybe — the former governor deserves a big hug and a warm shoulder on which to cry.

While petty thieves like Bernie Madoff are portrayed as scapegoats to divert public outrage from political swindlers, Chicago elites have mercilessly offered “Blago” as a sacrificial lamb set aside for public slaughter.

But Blagojevich isn’t an aberration. If anything, he’s the exemplar of modern politics. He’s just one example of how crooked politicians use political prowess to broker deals that would otherwise be considered illegitimate or unethical. And he’s not alone.

Normally we’d expect this sort of rampant criminal activity to take place in the basement of an old Sicilian pizzeria or in the shadows of some dark alley.

But it doesn’t. It takes place on Capitol Hill. And it’s so pervasive

it’s impossible to decide where to effectively channel our outrage.

In the real world, we’d call this sort of institutionalized fraud corrupt and immoral. In politics, it’s heralded by another name: diplomacy.

In Washington, D.C., extorting people’s money and gambling it away on self-inflicted wars, debt reimbursement and crony corporatism isn’t just “business as usual” — it’s the name of the game.

And if you play your cards right, who knows? You might end up playing for big stakes in the Oval Office someday.

In the end, Washington politics has the same ominous effect on the human psyche as an ill-lit torture chamber. The more light gets shed on it, the more horrified and disgusted Americans inevitably become.

Luckily, for this particular gang, many Americans are perfectly content sitting in the dark, imagining they’re insulated from such criminal activity.

But it’s hard to control organized crime in a political system run like a legalized criminal agency.

Ignorance may be bliss. But it’s hardly something to boast about.

Especially for a society that prides

itself on democracy and government for and by the people.

Who knows?

Maybe Blagojevich really does deserve to go to prison.

If so, he should definitely have a lot more company.

Scott Burns is a 20-year-old economics junior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @ TDR_sburns.

Contact Scott Burns at sburns@lsureveille.com

BEST AND WITTIEST

cartoon courtesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Classifieds

PAGE 14

1302 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, 70806

Help Wanted The Country Club Of Louisiana P/T job available in Tennis Pro Shop W/Th 4-8; Sun 12-5. Call for more info. 504.439.3699 we want you! *Hard Workers* *Awesome People Skills* *Looking for “real world” business experience* Work on campus for LSU Student Media! Sales experience a plus but not required. Apply in B39 Hodges Hall or send resumes to salesmanager@ lsureveille.com parrain’s seafood restaurant Accepting applications for servers. Apply in person Mon-Fri between 2:00 and 5:00 225.381.9922 STUDENTPAYOUTS. COM Paid Survey Takers Needed In Baton Rogue.

100% Free To Join! Click On Surveys.

LSU bookstore now hiring We are hiring for immediate positions to help with textbook buyback during finals week. Call or come in to pick up an application. 225.578.5137 Survey Takers Needed: Make $5-25 per survey. www. GetPaidToThink.com If you love young children and like to sing and play musical instruments, we have the perfect pt job for you. Approx. 4 hrs per week 225.766.1159 Iccessorize Energetic and dependable workers needed to work at a kiosk in the Mall of Louisiana. Call Eddie for more details. 225.572.2127

For Sale

Tiger Manor Condominiums. UNITS READY FOR SPRING 2009!! Reserve now! Brand new 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units for sale starting at $124,900.

Ask about our Guaranteed Buy-Back Program!!

3000 July St. 225-346-5055 www.tigermanor.com Location. Location. Location... Start Living.

3BD/2BA HOME OFF BRIGHTSIDE @ 5037 AMBERLYNN DR $1550.00/ MONTH 5 MIN TO CAMPUS 225.276.0393

Great Investment! For Sale, 2 BR 2 BA, house, 1,400 sf. 10 minutes from LSU. Nice yard, quiet neighborhood. Separate workshop. $124,900 225.302.5957 House 4 Sale $132,500 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage, 7 min. from LSU located off Burbank on Pecan Tree Drive 225-803-537

For Rent 3BR/2.5BA 1500sqft $1125/Month South Brightside View Drive: On-Site Manager, Flexible Leasing Terms, Washer & Dryer, Ceiling Fans, Central A/ C, Near Bus Stop, Small Pets Allowed, Master Bedroom has it’s own Bathroom and WalkIn Closet 225.978.7400 WalK To Campus 1Br, 2Br, and Townhomes.

Starting as low as $400.00. www.lsuwestchimesplace.com 225.346.4789

Sales Associate needed for local gift and home interiors store/PT/apply in person at The Royal Standard 16016 Perkins Road or email at trs16016@yahoo.com 225.751.0009

WALK TO LSU 2BR UNF stove, fridge, cent A/ C Washateria $550 Les Petites Apts 3313 Iowa St 225-927-5495 AM or 225-766-0579 PM

Now Hiring!!

Child Care Center near LSU hiring Afternoon Teachers for Spring Semester. 2:30-5:30 Mon.-Fri. 766-1159 Don’t Miss This Opportunity!

Now hiring for all positions at the following locations: JEFFERSON 7615 Jefferson Hwy Baton Rouge 70809 PERKINS ROWE 7707 Bluebonnet Blvd. Baton Rouge 70810 “Flexible schedules & Benefits for Full Time Associates” Please apply in person during regular restaurant hours.

Equal Opportunity Employer veterinary clinic Seeking part time help.

Apply Garden District Animal Hospital.

HOUSE 3BR 2BA W/D fenced yard. In quiet nbrhd near Highland & Staring. $900/mo. Available 1/1. 225.769.9106 225.769.9106 1BR apartment 175 Burgin Ave, $545$589rent/$400 deposit, located Highland and Lee. 225.252.3163

BRIGHTSIDE PARK TOWNHOMES 2 br 2.5 bath on S. Brightside View. $850-$900. $500 dep. All appliances plus w/d, pool. now/spring.southlandpropertiesinc.com. 225-955-6480

►►BARTENDING UP TO NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. TRAINING PROVIDED. AGE 18+ OK 1-800-965-6520 ext127

APT, near LSU, $500 per month, hot water included. Call Wang at 225-278-6621 225.278.6622

Laptops $199 and up. Computers $99 and up.

Repair desktops/laptops. Computer Exchange, 10120 Florida Blvd. 225.274.1400

Help wanted - Dempsey’s PoBoys Now hiring at both Jefferson and Coursey locations. Wait and Kitchen staff positions available.

Flexible scheduling and friendly atmosphere!

Come in to apply M-F after 1pm at 7327 Jefferson Hwy. 225.229.8686

www.louiescafe.com

769-7757 / 266-8666 / 978-3123

3br/2ba house 5min from campus in MeadowBend with office. 1150/ mo 1150dep. pet friendly 225.931.8107 Tiger Manor Condominiums. UNITS READY FOR SPRING 2009! Reserve Now! Brand new 1, 2, & 3 bedrooms available. Reserve your unit today!

Walk to class! 3000 July St. 225-346-5055. www. tigermanor.com Location. Location. Location... Start Living.

ROOMATE NEEDED LAKE BEAU PRE TOWNHOMES 550/mo + util. 3br/3ba. Close to campus. Trey 337.349.0376 5252 Brightside View 3BR 2 BATH W/D $950 avail now/spring 955-6480southlandpropertiesinc.com Quiet 1 bdr Cottage Walk/bike to LSU. Furn, w/d, util/cable included. $600/month.

225.907.2105 Camelot Apts. Large 1BR water & sewer pd.

Swimming pool $465-$300 Deposit 766-3047 GREAT 1 BR APT. WALK TO LSU! 6 MO. OR 1 YR

Roommate Wanted Female roommate needed $375/mo plus 1/3 utilities.

House 4 blocks from LSU. We are girls who don’t cook, but there’s always beer in the fridge! cwils45@lsu.edu Roomate Needed Partially furnished garden district house, biking distance to LSU, 3bed/2bath. $550/mo. everything included! akilpa1@lsu.edu 903.746.0393 male roommate needed 3BR/1BA House on College Dr. $500/mo including utilities. $400 security deposit 225-281-2535 Free Room & Board Extra hand needed for everyday family tasks for an easy-going, yet, busy family. View more at: http:// batonrouge.craigslist.org/ hss/1487152625.html<---or--email--at--> r_edwards@cox. net(**for**more**information**)(JonesCreekGeorgeOneal-Area) Roomate(s) needed Bedroom Avail. (1 or 2 roomates), furnished or unfurn. in 2Br/2B University View complex (E. Boyd x burbank), biking dist. to campus and on bus route, $550/ m plus electric (~$70 total) at least 6 mo. lease. eogden1, 225.205.9820 no texts.

Personals Cute Fashion Major with an engineer’s mind looking for a nice, clean cut guy to hang out with. Let’s catch a movie or coffee sometime. fashionistadiaries61@yahoo. com She’s a Keeper, are you? My lovely BFF needs a man that is sure to sweep her off her feet! If you possess one or more of the criteria below email gazin4devotion@gmail.com ASAP or FOREVER hold you peace.

A. Handsome/cute/Attractive/good looking B. Hopeless Romantic C. Funny What Are You Waiting For????????

Big fish nice frat guy looking for a sweet girl to hang out with. Must be into wearing oversized shirts with fish on the back, running shorts with tights, and not brushing your hair. If you’re out there come find me, i’ll be at the lakes with my

dog on Friday afternoon. Look for my boat shoes and khakis! fratboyneedslovin@gmail.com Try Band Kids, So Worth It Mildly attractive band geek looking for a special lady. Communication Studies major who loves music, books, people and humor. Wants a girl that must like Tiger Band, tubas, enjoys hearing funny accents, LOVES Disney and watching Disney movies, and will tolerate crude humor, highpitched giggles, and random bursts of off-pitch singing. contact: cougarboy15@gmail.com Let’s Play! Fit/very active male, 22. Looking for a Female to run around with! (running the lakes, tennis, basketball, etc) No need to be a super athlete, willing to teach, but must have a positive attitude, good sense of humor, and be comfortable getting a little sweaty. Email: ilikerunaroundmuch@gmail.com when you’re ready to play Are you a redhead girl? A guy looking for a

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

cute / sexy redhead to spend time with. Email NeedARedhead@live.com Freakishly Tall Guy wanted : Well endowed 20 yr old is tired of wearing flats. Facial hair is awesome but not necessary. Must like football.

Send a message to blueeyedsaintsfan@yahoo. com

Miscellaneous Don’t Settle For B’s Grad Schools & Employers Look at Transcripts. Visit www.mmwritingconsultants.com.

ADOPTION IS AN OPTION! Loving, secure family hoping to be blessed with a baby. Visit www.bradandjennaadoption.com OR call 225-305-5482

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 15 CELEBRATION, from page 1

7E HAVE THE +EY

through the Champs/Life Skills program in the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes. Each year, the program hosts a golf tournament to provide funding for the majority of Champs programs, including Christmas with the Tigers, Mallet said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is something that the kids look forward to [every year] â&#x20AC;&#x201D; especially the athletes,â&#x20AC;? Mallet said. Gifts presented at the program ranged from bicycles to toy cars, and Mallet said larger gift bags with the majority of wish list items waited for each child after the event.

Contact Lindsey Meaux at lmeaux@lsureveille.com

RE-EDUCATION, from page 1

ÂŤÂŤÂ?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;ÂŤiĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160; Ă&#x17D;Â&#x2122;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;`}iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x160; >Â?Â? Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;>VĂ&#x152;Ă&#x160; >Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;>Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;7>Â?Â&#x17D;iĂ&#x20AC; 0

EMAIL NWALKE TIGERS LSU EDU

Jones said upon entering LSU, she was tested for ADHD and dyslexia, conditions sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s learned to deal with but didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize she had.

People then didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know these were legitimate disabilities, she said. Jones said she was told she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care enough.

Her daughters â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Kacee, English senior, and Stacee, studio art freshman â&#x20AC;&#x201D; said theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re both proud of their mom for going back to college.

At first, Kacee Jones said she felt like her mom was invading her territory. But after taking two classes together at Baton Rouge Community College, her fears quickly faded.

Stacee Jones said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to have her mom taking classes because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a mutual understanding about stress when it comes to exams and finals.

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never felt awkward with her mother on the same campus, Stacee Jones said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s done a really good job at letting us grow up,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Carol Scott, Hexion Specialty Chemicals product coordinator, earned her associateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree from BRCC in 2007 and is now pursuing a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in general studies at LSU in hopes of running her own non-profit organization after she retires.

Like LaDawn Jones, Scott initially attended BRCC with her daughter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It sure would have been a lot easier if I was younger,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Scott said she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the chance to attend college sooner because she married and had children right after high school. She decided to pursue a degree after her children grew up.

Scott said she could never cram for an exam and has to concentrate a lot more on studying.

But being an older college student also has benefits, Scott said.

Life experiences and a greater desire to learn make classes more important, she said. But having to juggle a full-time job and volunteer work leaves considerably less time for studying, Scott said.

Scott said sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big promoter in higher education because todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society requires a college degree.

Jones said her company has been very supportive of her decision to go back to school.

Contact Olga Kourilova at okourilova@lsureveille.com

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 16