Daily Reveille — February 12, 2009 by Reveille

SNAPSHOT

lsureveille com Lon on to see views around campus benches.

PURR-FECTLY MADE

SPORTS: Mitchell’s 40-point game puts Tigers in division’s driver’s seat, page 7.

Organic food gaining popularity among local pet owners, page 13.

THE DAILY REVEILLE WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM

Volume 113, Issue 90

Thursday, February 12, 2009

ECONOMY

Budget cuts may affect deferred maintenance By Nate Monroe Contributing Writer

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The University has a backlog of deferred maintenance projects totaling $220 million — an amount likely to balloon even higher with the Log on to impending bud- see Nate get cuts for next Monroe discuss year. The $220 the million total deferred only includes maintedeferred main- nance. tenance for academic buildings, the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, the Paul DEFERRED, see page 18

graphic by STEPHANIE CLARK

/ The Daily Reveille

RELIGION

ON THE WAY DOWN

Economic downturn causes $20 million decline in University’s endowment fund

Index

The nation’s economic downturn has caused the University’s endowment to decline — a similar dilemma many universities are facing. LSU’s 2007-08 endowment was reported at $319 million — down by $20 million from the previous year, according to Scott

Sports ......................... 7 Entertainment .......... 13 Opinion .................... 20

7:20 a.m. 8:20 a.m. Noon 3:20 p.m. 4:20 p.m. 5:20 p.m.

The University’s endowment is a fund in which people can invest. According to the LSU Foundation’s Web site, their goal is to earn at least 9 percent annually on an endowment’s principal. About half the earnings are used to support the program for which the endowed gift is designated, while the remainder

Weather

Chief Staff Writer

Broadcasts

By Kyle Bove

Madere, LSU Foundation public relations director. “No one who invests with regularity in the current market environment is experiencing record returns,” Madere said. “This is a down period for investors, and LSU’s endowment depends on investment to grow in size. However, the LSU Foundation will be at LSU as long as there is an LSU to support.”

ENDOWMENT, see page 19

TODAY PARTLY CLOUDY

Michael Martin chancellor

‘The economy is so soft that donors are much more reluctant to give us money ... to put into an endowment which is shrinking.’ FRIDAY SCATTERED STORMS

Poll: La. fifth most religious state By Xerxes A. Wilson Contributing Writer

As a tribute to years gone by, many churches are continuing old-time religion featuring vintage hymns, established traditions and composition of mostly elderly people. While these customs have stood the test of time, many of these churches are missing the key to continuing their traditions — the youth. RELIGION, see page 19

SATURDAY PARTLY CLOUDY

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Nation & World

PAGE 2

WORLD NEWS

on the web

LSUREVEILLE.COM

WEDNESDAY’S POLL RESULTS Have any of your family or friends had a heart attack?

56 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE POLL.

TODAY’S QUESTION:

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

Millions of animals dead in Australia fires

SYDNEY (AP) — Kangaroo corpses lay scattered by the roadsides while wombats that survived the wildfire’s onslaught emerged from their underground burrows to find blackened earth and nothing to eat. Wildlife rescue officials on Wednesday worked frantically to help the animals that made it through Australia’s worst-ever wildfires but they said millions of animals likely perished in the inferno. Scores of kangaroos have been found around roads, where they were overwhelmed by flames and smoke while attempting to flee, said Jon Rowdon, president of the rescue group Wildlife Victoria.

Mugabe rival takes oath as Zimbabwe prime minister

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — President Robert Mugabe swore in his longtime rival as prime minister Wednesday, cracking his nearly three-decade stranglehold on power and conceding they must work together to rescue Zimbabwe from economic and humanitarian disaster. The image of Mugabe administering the oath of office to Morgan Tsvangirai was extraordinary given the history of state-sponsored violence against opponents. The opposition leader has been beaten and was once nearly thrown from a 10th floor window by suspected government thugs.

Do you consider yourself a religious person? GO TO LSUREVEILLE.COM TO CAST YOUR VOTE

NATION, STATE AND CITY BRIEFS

Congress, Obama clear way for huge stimulus

TODAY

THURSday, february 12, 2009 sankofa poetry night LSU Student Union Magnolia Room 6:30pm, February 12

upcoming events bcm dinner & tnt worship Every Thursday night. Dinner (free) at 7:15pm. TNT Worship Service at 8:00pm. The BCM is at the corner of Highland & Chimes. All LSU students invited! lsubcm.org 2009 springfest team leader applications Due Wednesday, February 18th Pick up an application in 326A Student Union or www.lsu.edu/oma For more info call 578.4339

WASHINGTON (AP) — Moving with lightning speed, Congress and the White House agreed Wednesday on a compromise $790 billion economic stimulus bill designed to create million jobs in a nation reeling from recession. President Barack Obama could sign the measure within days. “More than one-third of this bill is dedicated to providing tax relief for middle-class families, cutting taxes for 95 percent of American workers,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a Capitol news conference where he was joined by moderates from both parties whose support is essential for the legislation’s final passage. Obama estimated 3.5 million in his own celebration of the agreement. He said it would “get our economy back on track.”

SCOTT APPLEWHITE/ The Associated Press

Led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, center, lawmakers announce agreement on the $789 billion economic stimulus.

La. governor to give GOP Two big satellites collide response to Obama speech 500 miles over Siberia (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will get another prominent GOP role later this month when he delivers the national Republican response to President Barack Obama’s first speech to Congress. Obama plans to speak to a joint session of the House and Senate on Feb. 24 about the problems facing the nation. The speech will be similar to a State of the Union address. Jindal will give the Republican response in a nationally televised address from Baton Rouge after Obama’s speech, U.S. House and Senate Republican leaders announced Wednesday.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

In the Feb. 11 article “University undergoes e-mail transition,” The Daily Reveille misidentified public relations junior Ashley Lopez.

scholarship opportunities for university college students Apply online @ uc.lsu.edu or pick up an application in 150 Allen Hall Application deadline: February 27th

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-16 Hodges Hall. The Daily Reveille is published daily during the fall and spring semesters and semiweekly during the summer semester, except during holidays and final exams. Second-class copies postage paid at Baton Rouge, La., 70803. Annual mail subscriptions are $115. 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-16 Hodges Hall, LSU, Baton Rouge, La.,70803.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Two big communications satellites collided in the first-ever crash of two intact spacecraft in orbit, shooting out a pair of massive debris clouds and posing a slight risk to the international space station. NASA said it will take weeks to determine the full magnitude of the crash, which occurred nearly 500 miles over Siberia on Tuesday. “We knew this was going to happen eventually,” said Mark Matney, an orbital debris scientist at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

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PAGE 3

ECONOMY

Students cut back on Valentine’s Day spending Spending down 4.8 percent from 2008

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Log on to see students discuss thier spending plans for Valentine’s Day.

By Leslie Presnall Staff Writer

Lovebirds are being forced to celebrate Valentine’s Day on a tight budget this year thanks to the loveless economy. The romantic holiday is being hit by tough times this year, and spending is expected to drop to $28.6 billion — down 4.8 percent from 2008, according to IBIS World, an industry market research provider. Todd Heroman, manager of Billy Heroman’s Flowerland on Perkins Road, said people will still buy their special someone a gift, but at a lower price. “Instead of a dozen roses, with chocolates and a teddy bear attached, it may just be roses,” he said. “They’re still going to send [gifts]. It’s just a matter of what they’re going to send.” Heroman said Valentine’s Day is their busiest day of the year, and the ﬂower shop expects to make between 1,800 and 2,000 deliveries Friday and Saturday. Heroman said the average

GRANT GUTIERREZ / The Daily Reveille

Billy Herman of Billy Herman’s Flowerland on Highland Road arranges ﬂowers in preparation for Saturday’s Valentine’s Day.

customer usually spends $55 to $75 on ﬂowers for the holiday. The average U.S. consumer is expected to spend $102.50 on Valentine’s Day gifts and merchandise, according to an annual U.S.

National Retail Federation survey — down from $122.98 in 2008. Thomas Colosino, architecture senior, said he and his girlfriend decided to split the cost this year. “I’m pretty close to broke,” he

said. “She’s buying dinner. I’m buying ﬂowers, and we are splitting the movie.” More consumers are opting to save money by sending more greeting cards this year. Consumers are

TECHNOLOGY

Professors placing restrictions on laptops University has no campus-wide rules By Kyle Whitfield Editor

University professor William Rowe was like any other student in his 375-person class when, a few years ago, he invited a guest speaker to one of his freshmanlevel geography classes. He found an open seat in back of the classroom and sat down to listen to the 30-minute presentation. While taking in the lecture, Rowe saw most of his students paying attention. Some were even

taking notes on their laptop computers. But one student’s activity on a laptop immediately caught his eye. “One guy was perusing pornography, which was causing a bit of a disturbance around him,” Rowe said. Professors around campus are dealing more these days with the distractions laptops cause in classrooms. The result is a trend of more restrictions on laptop use. The problem raises many issues, including how far restrictions should go and students’ thoughts about some of the rules. Erin Phillips has been on campus for two years and has never used a laptop in class to take

notes. The accounting sophomore said computers easily distract her during lectures. “When people are checking Facebook or chatting with friends, it could be a little more interesting than what’s going on with class,” she said. Students like Phillips say they appreciate professors’ growing bans on laptops. Some regulations range from no-tolerance policies to requiring laptop users sit in the ﬁrst few rows of a class. The University has no campus-wide regulation on laptop usage in classrooms. Tracy Rizzuto, assistant psychology professor, recently instituted a “laptops in ﬁrst row” rule.

KIM FOSTER / The Daily Reveille

Some University professors are starting to enforce rules concern laptop use during class periods. The University currently does not have any campus-wide regulations on laptop use in classrooms.

She’s been teaching at the University for four years. “I don’t have an attendance policy — I don’t require people to come. But if they’re one of those people who are surﬁng the Internet or doing distracting things while taking notes, I want to be able to keep an eye on that behavior,” she said. “It’s easier to monitor what people are doing on their laptops if they’re sitting in the front row.” LAPTOPS, see page 18

expected to purchase more than 190 million Valentine’s Day cards — the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas, according to the Greeting Card Association. J.P. Picard, business management sophomore, said he plans to spend about $30 on ﬂowers and a card for his girlfriend this year. “We are keeping it simple because I’m on a budget,” he said. Juban’s Restaurant on Perkins Road is offering its a special Valentine’s Day menu Saturday. A ﬁvecourse meal will only cost $45 compared to the regular price of $75. “This is a little bit less than we’ve done in the past,” said Michael Plauche, Juban’s manager. “We’re still very luxurious in people’s minds, but our menu is a little more affordable than it was last year.” Contact Leslie Presnall at lpresnall@lsureveille.com

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PAGE 4

thursday, february 12, 2009

STUDENT GOVERNMENT UNION

University offers 14 leisure dance classes Senate receive opposes Students discounted rates new class schedules Contributing Writer

By Adam Duvernay Staff Writer

During the fifth legislative session of the semester, the SG Senate debated two bills which reflected opposing sides regarding the potential change in the start of class time proposed by the Faculty Senate before deciding not to support the changes. Before the resolutions passed to the floor, SG Senate Statistician Joshua Moulton read the results of the survey he had conducted among 195 University students concerning the proposed changes. The results of the survey, which graded agreement with the Faculty Senate’s resolution on a five-point scale, suggested most students had a neutral opinion about the proposed changes. There was a slight tendency toward negative opinions with the surveyed students, but the margin was small. “To sum it up, there is a slight bend towards opposition, but an even split is within my margin of error,” Moulton said. Moulton calculated a six percent margin of error with 90 percent confidence. SG Resolution No. 12, authored by Speaker Pro-Tempore Drew Prestridge, went to the floor to offer support to the Faculty Senate’s resolution to adopt a new policy for beginning class time. Prestridge said he supported the resolution to put the University on a time schedule more akin to the way people operate in the real world — on the hour and half hour. “It may be a bit chaotic at first, but once all the kinks are worked out, it could be really beneficial to all students,” Prestridge said. Other members of the SG Senate were less inclined to follow when the statistics showed student opinion to be, at the very least, mixed. “The whole premise of this Faculty Senate resolution really bothers me,” said SG Speaker Ben Clark. “I wish they would recognize they are teachers first, and LSU always puts its students first.” Sen. Amanda Gammon, College of Arts and Sciences, who coauthored the resolution opposing the Faculty Senate, said she had spoken to her constituents who were outspokenly against the change. After nearly 45 minutes of debate, the SG Senate voted against the resolution agreeing with the changes. SGR No. 10, which urged the faculty to abandon their changes, was then brought to the floor following the vote. No time was allotted for debate, and the resolution passed without amendment. Contact Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@lsureveille.com

Getting away from long lecture classes while learning useful social skills is something all students could enjoy with the multitude of dance courses offered at the University. Jennifer Lum, biology senior, said she looks forward to taking Latin dance, one of two kinesiology dance classes. “I like that it’s a class where I’m learning something, but I’m not stuck sitting in a desk,” Lum said. There are 14 leisure dance classes offered at the University. The dance courses are offered at the beginner and intermediate level to accommodate all level of dancers. Most of the beginner leisure classes were offered in the beginning of spring 2009, and all classes except belly dancing are being held in the Student Union. While the first group of classes is already in session, students are encouraged to sign up for classes that will begin either in February or in early March. Belly dancing and beginners Cajun dance classes will be offered in February. The dance classes offered in March include intermediate ballroom dance, hip hop, intermediate salsa, intermediate tango and intermediate swing and jitterbug. Registration is accepted up until the day the class starts, but signing up early is encouraged because of limited space. “Registration is first come, first serve until the class is full,” said leisure class coordinator Lynne Maxwell. “As long as we meet the minimum enrollment, we’ll continue taking registration up until the time the class starts.” Though the classes are not free, students get a discounted

lsureveille.com

By Alice Womble

price. Classes vary in price from $48-$51 for students, instead of the $69-$72 full price. Ric Seeling, owner of Ric Seeling Club Dance, instructs or has instructors from his studio teach all of the courses except belly and Cajun dancing. In addition to the leisure class, Seeling offers students the opportunity to practice what they learn in class in a series of dances during the weekends at his dance studio. “A lot of people think you have to be a dancer to Log on to dance,” Seelsee Ric ing said. “But in my class Seeling it’s just regutalk about lar people tryhis dance ing to learn to class. dance.” Seeling said learning to dance is all about great communication. “You have to learn the words before you do the sentences,” Seeling said. “It’s an investment.” Gail Breaux, Baton Rouge resident, said she’s taking a dance class to determine whether to make an investment in the classes. “My husband and I cruise extensively where they always have dances and we don’t want to be left out,” Breaux said. “We want to learn the basic steps so we can move on to intermediate.” In addition to leisure classes, two dance classes — beginner ballroom and beginner Latin dance classes — are offered for credit through the kinesiology department. The classes fill up quickly, only accepting 36 students into the ballroom class and 45 into the Latin. Contact Alice Womble at awomble@lsureveille.com

JARED P.L. NORMAND / The Daily Reveille

Dance instructor Ric Seeling demonstrates dance steps during his class Feb. 1. The University offers 14 leisure dance classes in the Student Union.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 5

CONSTRUCTION

University parking garage plans being finalized Construction could start by year’s end By Brianna Paciorka Contributing Writer

Plans for the University’s first parking garage are being finalized, and construction could start by the end of the year. Gary Graham, director of the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation, said a meeting was held last week to discuss the cost of the parking garage and to finalize its design. The parking garage could be completed as early as the end of 2010 and will cost around $24 million, Graham said.

Plans currently call for the parking garage to be built on Raphael Semmes Road where Highland Dining Hall, the African American Cultural Center, the Women’s Center and Morris House are located. These four buildings will be torn down to make space for the garage, and the AACC and the Women’s Center will be relocated to a facility adjacent to the parking garage. “We hadn’t planned on touching those buildings, but a designer wanted to take them down for better efﬁciency,” Graham said. “So we met with the groups to talk about demolishing their buildings and promised them better plans and space for their programs [in the parking garage].” The LSU Bookstore will also

move from its current location to the The LSU Board of Supervisors facility built adjacent to the parking needs to approve the final plan and garage. design for the parking garage, and Ashley Citizen, elementary ed- construction on the parking garage ucation junior, said she likes that the is not expected to start until at least centers will be givNovember. en better facilities “The thing but doesn’t think a ‘I don’t think there’s a that will drive it is parking garage is bonds,” Graham parking problem. necessary. said. “The bond “I don’t think People just fight over market is tight. there’s a parking We’re not looking problem,” Citizen more convenient spots.’ to sell the bonds said. “People just until November, so Ashley Citizen fight over more hopefully it’ll come elementary education junior convenient spots.” down by then.” About half of Emmett Dathe spots in the parking garage will vid, director of the Office of Facilbe for resident and faculty parking. ity Development, said the parking Spots will also be available for com- garage will be designed to blend in muters and campus visitors. with the Italian Renaissance style of

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many of the campus’s buildings. “The University’s design standards will be used,” David said. The University’s Master Plan calls for eight parking garages, Graham said. A primary site for the second garage is the soon-to-be-demolished Tiger Park. Rayne Jarrell, construction management sophomore, said a parking garage on campus would be beneﬁcial. “I went to Southeastern University, where they had a lot of parking problems,” Jarrell said. “They built a garage, and parking got much better. I think it would be good here, too.” Contact Brianna Paciorka at bpaciorka@lsureveille.com

TECHNOLOGY

Local switch to digital signals delayed until June 12 Stations concerned with preparedness By Joy Lukachick Staff Writer

When the U.S. House of Representatives voted to delay the shutdown of analog television signals, local Baton Rouge networks decided Monday to delay making the switch to digital broadcasts. Television stations have the option of making the switch at the original Feb. 17 date or waiting until the June deadline. WBRZ originally said they were going to make the switch in February, but Rocky Daboval, WBRZ general manager, said the station will continue to broadcast analog because of concerns that users are not ready for the switch. According to the Nielsen Co. research, 5.1 percent of American households are still not ready to make the necessary changes for digital signals. The study was broken down by major U.S. cities, and New Orleans statistics show 84.3 percent of households are completely ready for the change. The majority of television viewers in Baton Rouge already have cable or satellite or are familiar with the changes. But the station is concerned about rural areas, Daboval said. “The station feels a responsibility to make sure as many people as possible are ready for the switch to digital television,” Daboval said. Louisiana Public Broadcasting is waiting to make the switch until at least March, said Steve Graziano, LPB deputy director. LPB viewers have between nine and 30 percent of viewers using only antennas to access the broadcast, Graziano said. The other major Baton Rouge networks are also waiting to make the switch. WAFB general manager Sandy Breland

said in an e-mail the station is NTIA ran out of funds. waiting to make the switch. “We have more money,” Currently televisions receive Forbes said. “We’ve started a analog signals the same as AM waiting list.” and FM radio by using an antenPeople on the waiting list, na. When the switch is made, a which started at the beginning of converter must be used to switch 2009, will receive coupons after the signal to digimore coupons are tal on the televiused, Forbes said sion. Henry Aleer‘Most of my Last year, nan, owner of when the anBaton Rouge nouncement was customers don’t want electronic store, made about the a converter, they want Alterman Audio, switch, National said he does not a new [digital] TV.’ sell converters in Telecommunications and Inforhis store because Henry Aleernan mation Adminhe doesn’t think istration started it’s worth it for Alterman Audio owner offering $40 couthe consumers. pons for the conThe convertverters, said Bart Forbes, NTIA ers are expensive and complicatspokesman. ed to hook up, Aleernan said. So far, the government fund“Most of my consumers ed coupons have used $22.6 mil- don’t want a converter, they want lion of the $33.5 million funding, a new [digital] TV,” he said. Forbes said. He said about 35 percent The Advocate along with of his costumers buying a new other media outlets reported television are making the switch

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from an older television to a digital one. Analog signals for televisions are outdated, said Shuangqing Wei, electrical and computer engineering professor. From the technology point of view the switch is necessary, but it is a costly change, he said. The digital signals can be compressed to free up some of the crowded airwaves, Wei said. “Digital can be more efﬁcient,” he said. “[The airwaves] can be used for more emergency services.” Cox C o m m u n i c a t i o n s already receives both analog and

digital signals, and consumers won’t notice the difference when the switch is made, said Will Hinson, Louisiana Cox Communications spokesman. Any satellite or cable consumers will not notice the change, he said. “We know that there are customers who’ve started receiving our service because of the transition,” he said, explaining the company is in the process of calculating the numbers.

Contact Joy Lukachick at jlukachick@lsureveille.com

PAGE 6

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

DESIGN

Architecture students to revamp, beautify Old South area Five businesses get grants worth up to $5K By Joy Lukachick Staff Writer

A small team of students in the School of Architecture will began planning to beautify businesses between the University and downtown Baton Rouge in the next week. The Center for Planning Excellence announced last week five businesses in Old South Baton Rouge are receiving matching

grants to improve the buildings and landscape in the area. The Office of Community Design and Development within the School of Architecture is helping the area through selecting architect and design students to assist the business owners. “Our students will work with [businesses] as a client,” said Marsha Cuddeback, Office of Community Design and Development director. “Then students will take a few weeks to make some drawings.” The group of about five students selected by Cuddeback will

work with four of the businesses from March 1 until the middle of the summer, she said. After students present proposals to the businesses, they will begin making improvements including painting, replacing old windows and looking at landscaping along the street, Cuddeback said. “I’ll be a part of something that is continuing, and I’ll see it from its birth stage,” said Jay Latiolais, architecture senior. The experience will give architecture students the opportunity to apply course materials in real

life, he said. Latiolais said the project is special for him because he will be a part of creating an environment to improve the image of the area. The businesses Odell S. Williams Now & Then Museum African American History, B&B Copier Sales & Service, Cheap-O-Mart, Culture Inc., and Iron Stone will receive grants worth up to $5,000. The businesses are in the Old South area and must match dollar for dollar the CPEX grant, said Susan Ludwig, CPEX director of redevelopment, in an e-mail. “This one-on-one assistance

will be provided to help the building and business owner determine the most effective changes for the building,” Ludwig said. Some students are paid for the project, and others are earning class credit through the Office of Development and Design, Cuddeback said. But all the grant funds were earned through CPEX and aren’t related to the University, she said.

Contact Joy Lukachick at jlukachick@lsureveille.com

ECONOMY

Cell phone sales down 20 percent in the past year By Nichole Oden Staff Writer

With the economy slumping, cell phone sales are starting to stay stagnant, and critics are questioning whether there is room for the cell phone industry to grow. According to the NPD group, a technology based survey group, cell phone sales are down about 20 percent during the last year. AT&T and Verizon are currently the leading mobile phone companies. Sue Sperry, spokesperson for

Louisiana AT&T, said this is because they both offer smart phones. “People love the blackberry and the iPhone because they’re like having a mini computer,” Sperry said. The NPD group reported 17 percent of cell phone sales were smart phones, a 10 percent rise in one year. One shift Sperry said she notices is people are changing their plans to have unlimited texting and less minutes. At AT&T the price to add unlimited texting to your plan is $30.

Bob Varrettoni, finance spokesman for Verizon, said people are crazy about smart phones. “In the first month the new Blackberry Storm was on the market we sold over 500,000,” Varrettoni said. Overall Varrettoni said he has not seen a truly damaging drop in sales. Not all companies are so lucky though. Motorola plans to cut 4,000 employees to offset their bad sales in 2008. Sprint has also discussed laying off employees but they

have not yet released how many employees. The NPD group thinks the economy may not be the only reason why sales are down. They believe since more than half the people in the world own cell phones, companies are finding it harder to find new customers and are therefore selling less phones. Sperry agrees the lack of customers is probably more of a problem than people not buying cell phones. “Cell phones are something that

people are not giving up,” Sperry said. Sperry said rather than laying off employees to offset any fall in sales, they offer constant promotions on phones. She said people will upgrade their phones if they can get a phone with more features at a good price. “People, especially students and young people, are attracted to gadgets,” Sperry said. Contact Nichole Oden at noden@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Sports

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

EXTRA

EFFICIENT Mitchell’s career-high 41 points on 12-of-15 shooting leads Tigers to victory in double OT

Athlete couples share more than sport

By Rachel Whittaker Sports Writer

LSU men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson struggled to ﬁnd words to describe LSU junior Tasmin Mitchell’s performance after the Tigers’ game against Mississippi State on Wednesday. “My goodness,” Johnson said in a postgame radio interview. “He was unbelievable down the stretch. [He hit] every big basket we needed.” Mitchell’s career-high 41 points helped muscle the Tigers to a 97-94 double overtime victory against the Bulldogs. “I couldn’t be more proud of the LSU Tigers,” Johnson said. “Just from the standpoint where there were so many ups and downs, so many emotional swings, but we kept battling.” Mitchell is the ﬁrst Tiger to score more than 40 points since Ronnie Henderson scored 40 against Alabama on Feb. 11, 1995. The Tigers blew out the Bulldogs, 81-57, the last time the teams met because of a second-half run, but that wasn’t the case Wednesday night. MITCHELL, see page 17

VALENTINE’S, see page 17

Sports Contributor

photos by JIM LYTLE / The Associated Press

HOLIDAY

It can be a challenge for college students to balance academic commitments and dating. Try being a student athlete — dealing with practice, traveling and school work. But for rising senior soccer player Michelle Makasini and ‘It makes former LSU it easier linebacker Darwhen ry Beckwith, who have been you’re dating for two seeing years, it can another make things more com- athlete.’ fortable when you’re dating Michael Venus another athlete. senior tennis player “When I was at LSU, it was an easy process,” Beckwith said. “We both had our goals set high, and we helped push one another to achieve our goals.” Beckwith is in Pensacola, Fla., training for the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine, but Makasini plans to drive to see him for Valentine’s Day. “We’ve always been together on Valentine’s Day,” Beckwith said. “Soccer and football run around the same time, and we’re both off, so it’s never been a conﬂict.”

By Amos Morale

(Above) LSU junior forward Tasmin Mitchell gets his shot blocked Wednesday in Starkville. (Right) Mitchell leaps over Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado during his 41-point outing.

PAGE 7

SOFTBALL

Tigers open new stadium with shutout victory 2,172 fans see first game in Tiger Park By David Helman Sports Writer

The LSU softball team’s 2009 home opener wasn’t quite as beautiful as the stadium it was played in, but the Tigers will take it. No. 21 LSU (4-2) debuted the newly ﬁnished Tiger Park in front of an announced 2,172 fans, defeating McNeese State (0-6), 6-0. “Now we can breathe,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “Everybody was very nervous trying to get acclimated. The kids were in awe with the crowd, and they were just so happy.”

LSU capitalized on a sloppy The pair etched themselves fifth inning by McNeese State on into Tiger Park lore in the third the way to the shutout. The Ti- inning. Shortridge reached first gers scored five runs on no hits, on an infield single, providing the as the Cowboys committed two park’s first hit, and Jackson’s suberrors and advanced runners on sequent left-field double scored six separate wild Shortridge for the pitches. first run in Tiger “They defiPark’s history. nitely helped us “I just wanted Log on to see a out — we’re goto score. I wanted slideshow of photos to win,” Jackson ing to have to hit from the opening the ball a whole said. “I wanted game in the new park. our first game to lot better than this through the year,” be memorable. I Girouard said. didn’t really think “We made some adjustments. We about scoring the first RBI, I just have some young kids that have wanted to win.” to breathe and play.” Shortridge, a Baylor transJunior leftfielder Jazz Jack- fer, reintroduced herself to the son and junior centerfielder LSU faithful in McNeese’s injuryKirsten Shortridge provided the OPENER, see page 17 little offense the Tigers needed.

lsureveille.com

GRANT GUTIERREZ / The Daily Reveille

Junior outﬁelder Kristen Shortridge slides into third base Wednesday after a passed ball in the Tigers’ 6-0 win Wednesday.

PAGE 8

THE DAILY REVEILLE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

HOLIDAY

Coaches trade roses for clipboards on Valentine’s Day Some coaches will compete on Feb. 14 By Casey Gisclair Chief Sports Writer

MAGGIE BOWLES / The Daily Reveille

LSU coach Trent Johnson looks on Sunday during the Tigers’ 76-62 win against Alabama. Johnson and several other coaches will be working on Valentine’s Day.

LSU men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson has many reasons to be in love with his first season in Baton Rouge. The Tigers have won eight of their past nine games and have positioned themselves on the brink of being in the national top 25 for the first time since early 2007. And with a win against Mississippi State on Wednesday, the Tigers have a two-game lead in the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division and hold the tie-breaker against the Bulldogs with seven games to play in the regular season. But despite the Tigers’ success under their first-year coach, Johnson said the last thing on his mind is Valentine’s Day. “If we don’t play well against Mississippi State, you can kiss Valentine’s Day out of the window,” he said. “You can ask Mrs. Johnson that. After 28 years, I’m not worried about Valentine’s — I’m worried about winning games, trust me.” LSU will host Ole Miss at 6 p.m. in the PMAC on Saturday. Johnson is 2-2 on Valentine’s Day in his career with his most recent game coming last season in a 72-68 loss to Arizona State when Johnson was at

Stanford. event on Valentine’s Day, we schedJohnson is one of several ule it for another day.” coaches who have been asked to One LSU coach who has the trade roses and luxury of being free chocolate throughon Feb. 14 nearly out their careers every year is soccer for the stresses of coach Brian Lee. coaching during the Soccer’s reguholiday of love. lar season comes Another coach to a close each year whose team is comin November, and peting on Valenthe spring season tine’s Day is LSU begins in late Febwomen’s golf coach ruary. Trent Johnson Karen Bahnsen. The downtime LSU men’s basketball coach B a h n s e n ’s allows Lee to treat Lady Tigers open his wife Nancy to a their spring season this weekend in full Valentine’s Day each year. Parrish, Fla., at the Central District “[We had] a three-day weekInvitational. end in Nashville last year,” he said. Bahnsen said she doesn’t mind “[And] dinner, tennis and Seinfeld the busy weekend because she and tickets this year.” her husband, LSU associate athletic director Bo Bahnsen, don’t go overboard to celebrate the holiday. Contact Casey Gisclair at “He sometimes surprises me cgisclair@lsureveille.com with a nice outﬁt, and we go out to dinner with another couple,” she ™ said. “Other than that, we don’t do a lot. We don’t make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day.” Senior associate athletic director Herb Vincent said he takes his wife to dinner with friends on Valentine’s Day. But this year, Vincent said dinner will have to be rescheduled because of work obligations. “Sometimes, like this year, that dinner doesn’t fall on Valentine’s Exclusive R.A.S.E.R.Technology™ Day,” he said. “If there is an athletic

‘‘

‘I’m not worried about Valentine’s — I’m worried about winning games, trust me.’

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NBA has the best all-star weekend in sports This weekend is going to be awesome. It’s not all the Valentine’s Day extracurricular activities arousing my interests. It’s the greatest all-star weekend in professional sports. The NBA will be holding its 57th All-Star Game live from Phoenix on Sunday night and will have skills competitions the weekend leading up JOHANATHAN BROOKS to it. Sports Columnist Ballin’. It is without a doubt the best showcase of any sport’s top stars. Major League Baseball — which I now realize was probably overwhelmingly dirty — is the only organization that even comes close. The home run derby alone puts baseball up there with basketball. Who could forget the Texas Rangers’ Josh Hamilton blasting 28 home runs in the ﬁrst round of the competition last summer? It was something magical. But other than that, baseball has nothing. The games themselves are boring and often last far too long. Last year I had to sit through nearly an hour’s worth of introduc-

tions before the game started, and the actual game lasted ﬁve hours. I live on the East Coast, and I can’t stay up until 2 a.m. to watch a game that doesn’t matter. The NFL’s all-star festivities are a ﬂat-out joke. They don’t have any sort of skills competitions — and haven’t since 2007.

The game is played a week after the regular season, and most of the players look as if they don’t give two bits about playing it. They’re probably just out there for the cool Hawaiian vacation. And the NHL All-Star Game matters even less — probably because I’ve never had the opportuni-

ty to play hockey or learn anything about it. The NBA is just on another level. The Rookie Challenge and Celebrity All-Star Game on Friday night starts off the festivities. ALL-STAR, see page 12

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THURSday, february 12, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 9

NBA

Celtics spoil Paul’s return to starting lineup, 89-77 By Brett Martel The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Not even the return of the Hornets’ Chris Paul or the departure of Boston’s Ray Allen could stop the Celtics from winning yet again on the road. Paul Pierce scored 30 points and the Celtics won their eighth straight away from home, 89-77 over New Orleans on Wednesday night. The victory was even sweeter for the Celtics in light of recent losses at home to two other top Western Conference teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. “I guess we learned from our mistakes,” Pierce said. “It was all about execution, especially in the fourth quarter and we defended at a higher level there in the fourth. Those are two things we’ve got to do, especially on the road.” Kevin Garnett added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Eddie House scored eight of his 12 points in the final period to help Boston pull away despite the absence of Allen, who hyperextended his right thumb in the first half. “It was a good, gutty win for us,” said Boston coach Doc Rivers, whose team shot 47 percent in the final quarter while holding New Orleans to 33 percent. Paul, who’d missed four games with a right groin strain, finished

with 13 points and five assists in 32 minutes. He was disappointed with the loss but satisfied with how he felt physically after the game. “I was a little nervous about what I could do, whether I could cut. It’s one thing in practice, playing two-on-two, but it’s another thing playing at game speed. But I’m excited because now I feel good to go.” Allen, who was wearing a wrap on his right hand in the locker room, is expected to be ready to go Thursday night in Dallas. David West had 15 points and Hilton Armstrong 14 for New Orleans. With Paul, West and Armstrong leading the way, New Orleans played Boston to a 64-64 tie through three quarters. Paul then rested during the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, when House made two 3-pointers and scored eight points to help the Celtics surge to a 79-67 lead. Rajon Rondo added a difficult floater in the lane and fed a bounce pass to Leon Powe for a dunk during the spurt. “We stuck with one play we saw was working and we just milked it,” Pierce said, referring to the high pick-and-roll that normally works so well for Paul and the Hornets. “Rondo does a great job finding open guys and when he wasn’t finding open guys he was finishing at the

rim.” Paul returned with about seven minutes to go, but it was too late. Rasual Butler’s 3-pointer got New Orleans within eight points with a little over six minutes left, but Pierce fed Powe for another dunk to get Boston’s lead back to 10, Garnett added a jumper and the Celtics led by double-digits the rest of the way. Powe finished with 11 points for Boston and Rondo had 11 assists. Peja Stojakovic had an off-night for New Orleans, going 3-of-12 from the field and injuring his left shoulder in the third quarter. He returned to the game late in the fourth quarter but was not a factor and finished with eight points. “We got real good looks, we got points in the paint, we got to the basket, we got to the free throw line, we just could not make enough open shots on a consistent basis,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “It just came down to who was going to make the most shots, and obviously they did.” New Orleans was 2-of-11 on 3-point attempts, but Boston did not shoot well from long range either, missing its first 10 3s before House hit Boston’s only two. Paul’s introduction with the starters brought thunderous applause, but he played only four minutes in the first quarter, checking out with two quick fouls before he had a point or assist.

BILL HABER / The Associated Press

New Orleans Hornets forward David West, right, battles Boston Celtics forward Glen Davis, left, in the first half of their game in New Orleans on Wednesday. The Hornets lost 89-77.

Paul looked more like himself shortly after his return early in the second quarter. He tossed in a floater over a crowd of defenders as he was being knocked down. He added a midrange jumper and his fast-break layup after a steal by Stojakovic put New Orleans ahead 41-38 late in the half. West, who had 10 points in the

first half, put New Orleans up 43-38 on baseline jumper, but Boston cut it to 44-42 by halftime after Pierce’s layup on a spinning drive through the lane.

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

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 10

RECRUITING

thursday, february 12, 2009

GYMNASTICS

Dickson’s Tigers starting to hit stride on uneven bars LSU ranked No. 13 brother in nation in routine garnering attention By Andy Schwehm Sports Contributor

By Tyler Harvey Sports Contributor

By the time his college career ends, rising senior Richard Dickson will have set new heights for future tight ends at LSU. And if coach Les Miles and his staff have their way, they’ll get his replacement from the same gene pool. Richard’s brother and 2010 tight end prospect, Travis Dickson, is making a name for himself on the recruiting trail. “I’ve got offers from LSU and Mississippi State,” Travis Dickson said. “I am getting a lot of interest from Ole Miss, Florida State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Clemson and UCLA.” The Ocean Springs, Miss., native also received a scholarship offer from Tennessee on Monday. The 6-foot-3-inch, 235 pounder has seen LSU many times because his brother is a major contributor. He admits there may be a little pressure on him to choose LSU, but he said he will still enjoy the recruiting process. “I’m going to wait it out to sometime during the season, but I’m not going to drag it out too long and make anything dramatic out of it,” Travis Dickson said. “I’m having fun with it. It’s definitely something new.” Richard Dickson said his younger brother may have more potential than he had. “He’s faster than I was when I was in high school,” he said. “He’s got the frame to hold more weight and be stronger than I am.” Richard Dickson said he does not try to recruit his younger brother because he doesn’t want to mix family ties with the process. “Recruiting is just a hassle,” he said. “It’s kind of a dangerous thing. Mentally it’s tough on high school kids, and you don’t really want to mix family with that. I tell him positive things, but it’s also an experience you have to get through on your own terms.” The younger Dickson said he is being recruited as both a tight end and defensive end prospect after his successful junior campaign. Travis Dickson’s coach, Todd Mangum, described the big tight end as an intense football player. “He plays with a high motor, fast and physical,” Mangum said. “He’s a player that uses his hands real well, very good technique. There have been several schools to call and want film on him. He’ll be one of the more highly recruited players in our division.” The rising senior prospect was named to the Rivals 250 watch list for the 2010 recruiting class. Contact Tyler Harvey at tharvey@lsureveille.com

The uneven bars in gymnastics has been one of the toughest apparatuses for LSU gymnasts to perform well on — there are only two perfect scores in the event in school history. But sometimes, it’s all mental. “The hardest thing is mentally understanding the event,” said LSU junior Summer Hubbard. “It’s a very tedious event. Beam is just you get up and do the same skills you would do on the floor. Bars is a little more intricate. You can’t be scared. It’s hard for a lot of girls to overcome fear, but once you overcome that, you can do it.” LSU assistant coach Philip Ogletree, the team’s bar coach, is there to help the gymnasts with their routines and deal with the mental hump. “Phil is really encouraging,” Hubbard said. “He’s really patient, and he’s always eager to help.” Eleven of the top 13 team bar scores in school history have come since Ogletree’s arrival in 2001, including a school record 49.650 in 2002. Ogletree also coached Sharene Mamby to a 10.0 in 2001 – only the second perfect score on the apparatus in school history, the fewest of the four events. Ten Tigers have been named All-Americans on bars under Ogletree, including three in 2005. “He does a good job of methodically planning what he wants to accomplish each day,” said LSU head coach D-D Breaux. “He’s very meticulous about the drills and the core strength work that goes along with it.” LSU is currently ranked No. 13 in the nation with a team average of 48.908 on the bars, which is a tenth of a point higher than where they stood last week.

Three Tigers are in the top 100 in the nation in bars season average: Senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney is ranked No. 6 with a 9.875, sophomore Staci Schwitkis is No. 63 with a 9.771 average and junior Susan Jackson is No. 91 with a 9.746 average. The Tigers had five gymnasts with season highs on the apparatus last season. Ogletree said he was “absolutely pleased” with the team’s season-high 49.425 against Florida. “We’ve been working on trying to make our lowest score be at least a 9.8,” Ogletree said. “We did more quality routines in practice [last week], and it showed. We threw out Summer’s routine and all the other scores were 9.8 or above, so if we can do that and be consistent then we will be able to compete against anyone.” Ogletree, who was a gymnast for the University of Georgia from 1980-82, said he didn’t start his gymnastics career until he was a teenager. He said his late start in gymnastics helps him with his coaching. “It made me know that the kids I coached, I would have to really work on the basics with them because I could see how important it was because I didn’t have that good of basics training,” Ogletree said. Ogletree was named NCAA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004. He said the toughest part of his job is often the most rewarding. “The hardest part is going into competition and hoping they do as well in competition as they do in practice,” he said. “That can be the most frustrating and the most rewarding. You forget the victories a lot quicker than you forget the pain of not doing as well. My biggest thing is I don’t want to look back and have anyone regret.” Contact Andy Schwehm at aschwehm@lsureveille.com

BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille

Bars coach Philip Ogletree spots sophomore Samantha Engle during her bars routine Feb. 6 in the PMAC against Florida.

thursday, february 12, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

THE DAILY REVEILLE

THURSday, february 12, 2009

NFL

Favre announces retirement after 18 seasons in NFL By Dennis Waszak Jr. The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Favre swears this is the real deal — no more last-minute comebacks. The 39-year-old quarterback retired again Wednesday and insisted he won’t look back. Well, at least for now. “I have no reason to wonder why you would be so skeptical,” Favre said Wednesday with a slight chuckle after announcing he was leaving the game after 18 record-setting seasons. Favre, who retired last March only to return a few months later, kept this goodbye simple — no tearful farewell or jam-packed news conference. He spoke to the New York Jets on Wednesday morning, telling owner Woody Johnson, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and coach Rex Ryan that he was calling it a career. “I have family and friends who are like, ‘All right, Brett. Is this the real deal?’” Favre said during a conference call. “To me, it is. It is. Believe me. It’s been a wonderful career, I couldn’t ask for anything more. It was worth a shot for me to go to New York. I wish I could’ve played better down the stretch. I didn’t. “It’s time to leave.” The Jets placed Favre on the reserve-retired list, meaning the quarterback’s retirement paperwork had been filed with the NFL — something he didn’t do last winter with the Packers. “Emotionally, I’m OK with it,” said Favre, who spent the day

ALL-STAR, from page 8

Terrell Owens, Master P., Chris Tucker and Reggie Bush all shared the court last year for the celebrity event. That’s pretty cool. Nowhere else do you get to see people from all walks of life play a pick-up game on such a large scale. Saturday is where the real fun starts. You get the Shooting Stars Competition, the Skills Challenge, the Three-Point Shootout the Slam Dunk Contest and a new event that I’m pretty excited for. I am J-A-C-K-E-D for H-OR-S-E. Joe Johnson — who should be an all-star starter — O.J. Mayo and Kevin Durant — the biggest allstar snub this season — will take the floor for the most intriguing event of the weekend. The guys in the H-O-R-S-E competition are all supremely talented, and I can’t wait to see what kind of tomfoolery they get themselves into. The dunk contest, like always, will please. Since they put in a time limit, we don’t have to see ex-junkies like Chris “Birdman” Andersen and the vertically challenged Nate Robinson miss dozens of attempts. Instead we get to see Gerald Green blow out candles on the rim

on his bulldozer and doing yard work on the grounds at his home in Kiln, Miss. “I really felt like it was time. Obviously, the circumstances last year were a lot different. Physically, if I felt better, we may not be having this conversation, but I think that’s more than anything the writing on the wall.” His decision came six weeks after his only season with the Jets ended in disappointment as New York went 1-4 down the stretch and failed to make the playoffs. A major reason for the collapse was Favre, who threw nine interceptions in those five games. He said he played with a torn biceps tendon in his right shoulder that got worse later in the season and needed a cortisone injec-

tion after the team’s game at San Francisco in Week 14. “It’s something that obviously I was able to play with,” he said. “I don’t think I was nearly as productive as the season progressed, but it very well could be fine next year. I’m well aware of that. But then again, it could linger and bother me throughout the year and I just felt like it was time. I think that, to me more than anything, was a wakeup call.” Favre insisted that even if his shoulder felt better next season, he’s still done with playing. “It’s nothing I would secondguess, no,” he said. If this is indeed it for Favre, he leaves the game with a slew of records, including career touchdown passes (464), completions

ELAINE THOMPSON / The Associated Press

Former New York Jets quarterback Brett Farve walks along the sideline Dec. 21 in the first half against the Seahawks in Seattle. Farve retired Wednesday.

and Dwight Howard put on a Superman cape and take flight from the free-throw line. The other contests are enough to keep my attention as well. But nothing can match the awesomeness of the actual game. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming and Chris Paul are all on the starting

roster for the West. Though Paul may not play, this is still a basketball fan’s dream. The game will be so much fun to watch — way more fun than any of those other sports. Contact Johanathan Brooks at jbrooks@lsureveille.com

(5,720), yards passing (65,127), regular-season victories (169) and interceptions (310). “With Brett, there was always the possibility that he wouldn’t play the second year,” Johnson said. “We were hoping to get one good year out of Brett Favre. We picked him based on, in our opinion, his giving us the best chance to win last season. We were disappointed not to have made the Super Bowl, but we did some very good things with Brett.” The team improved from 4-12 in 2007 to 9-7, but the lateseason woes cost Eric Mangini his job — and perhaps tarnished Favre’s legacy a bit. “I honestly believe I did everything I could do,” he said. “I’m proud of everything I’ve done.” New York hired Ryan to replace Mangini, and he, along with Johnson and Tannenbaum, repeatedly said they wanted Favre

to return. Instead, Favre spent several weeks after the season at home — at the suggestion of Tannenbaum — away from football before deciding to retire. “It would’ve been fantastic to be coaching Brett,” Ryan said. “It’s a sad day to see him leave, to see him retiring.” New York now will move forward with a new quarterback, whether that will be Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff or Erik Ainge. “I think it’s going to be a great competition between those three,” Ryan said. “And if something else comes along, so be it.”

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

THE DAILY REVEILLE

thursday, february 12, 2009

Entertainment

Nature meets Nurture

Organic food craze makes its way into pet stores with natural foods, toys By Minh Dang Entertainment Writer

“You are what you eat,” the old saying says, but is the same true for man’s furry friends? Pet stores nationwide have succumbed to the environmental craze with green products like pet foods, green chew toys, bedding, collars and leashes. “This movement is probably in parallel to the movement that we are seeing in people and the way they feed themselves,” said Frédéric Gaschen, professor of companion animal medicine at the University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. The production of natural and organic pet foods is increasing as more pet owners are becoming more aware of what goes

photos by MEGAN J. WILLIAMS / The Daily Reveille

Kate Harbour, general studies senior, checks out a bag of dog food for Roy Scott on Saturday afternoon at Noah’s Quality Pets and Supplies on Jefferson Highway.

into their pets’ food bowls. Pet foods labeled “natural” don’t contain any chemical synthetic processing aids and chemically synthetic additives like artificial flavors, coloring or preservatives. Instead, natural preservatives like vitamin C and E are used. They’re also made from whole ingredients like chicken, beef, vegetables and fruits instead of “meals” or ground skeletal meats, connective tissue or organs. While natural pet foods focus on what goes into the bag, organic pet foods focus primarily on the way ingredients were raised or grown. Organic foods are grown or raised without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, toxic ORGANIC, see page 16

PAGE 13

MY OPINION

Stumble Upon causes insomnia I haven’t slept much during the past month. I discovered Stumble Upon. Stumble Upon is a downloadable toolbar compatible with Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. A short survey of interests is prompted before “stumbling” can occur. Then, the “Stumble!” button can be Ashley Norsworthy clicked for im- Entertainment Writer mediate access to Web sites stumblers didn’t know they didn’t know. The Internet is full of useless — and interesting — information. However, the plethora of Web sites make it hard for Internet surfers to find the good stuff. And because Google can only do so much, Stumble Upon was created in 2002 to aid those in pursuit of random knowledge. For example, Stumblers can easily find satiric remakes of the “Snuggie” infomercial, read one-minute movie summaries and learn, step-bystep, how to properly meditate. Cute pictures of koalas taking baths and wet hamsters are also included. It depends on your selected choices in your “interests profile.” Stumble Upon puts users in touch with many sites that offer virtual drawing and crafting activities. Stumblers fortunate to come across STUMBLE, see page 15

MUSIC

Branan takes tunes to Chelsea’s Memphis artist stays humble, likes touring By Jack LeBlanc Entertainment Writer

When a New Orleans show fell through last year, Memphis-based musician Cory Branan played an unusual, last-minute house show in Baton Rouge. “I looked over the fence into the neighbor’s yard and saw like six dogs passed out on each other,” Branan said. Some of his fans liked his music so much they fed their dogs Benadryl wrapped in pieces of cheese to keep them from barking all night. “That’s awful sweet and a little bit psychotic — and probably

illegal,” Branan said with a chuckle. “I’ll take that, I guess.” Branan won’t have to deal with barking dogs this year, as he will be playing a double-headliner show at Chelsea’s tonight with Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights. Branan has been praised by publications from Playboy to Blender, but the Memphis-based singer/ songwriter hasn’t let his success get to his head. He talks like he sings, in a slow, deliberate drawl with plenty of humor and a hint of sarcasm. “[Branan] is, in my opinion, one of the best singer-songwriters, of my generation,” said Jonathan Tillman, one of Branan’s fans. “He has a very distinct way of telling a story — sometimes sad, sometimes very quirky and funny.” Branan didn’t start writing songs until he was 25 and heard

country-folk singer/songwriter John Prine for the first time. He was impressed by the work of Prine, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. Like his idols, a lot of his songs deal with women, love and loss. “I take a lot of time with my writing,” Branan said. “I don’t like to put filler out there.” Branan hasn’t signed a new label deal since recording his 2006 release “12 Songs” but plans to record a new record in San Francisco in March and April with a tentative release for late summer. “I’ve got the next two albums in my head down to the track order,” Branan said. “It just takes so long to get an album out there.” Branan said he enjoys touring and playing in the South. “Aesthetics don’t matter as BRANAN, see page 15

photo courtesy of Brian Mann

Memphis-based singer/songwriter Cody Branan will perform tonight at Chelsea’s with Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights.

PAGE 14

THE DAILY REVEILLE

thursday, february 12, 2009

FILM

All-night ‘French Cinema’ festival to last until daybreak Four Francophone films to be shown

By Minh Dang Entertainment Writer

Can’t afford that expensive plane ticket to France? Don’t fret because for one night, France is coming to Baton Rouge. The Center of French and Francophone Studies will hold its fourth annual “Night of French Cinema: une nuit blanche à Baton Rouge”

on Friday at the Shaw Center for the Arts. The festival will last from 6 p.m. until dawn. “It’s kind of based on a Parisian tradition of ‘une blanche,’ meaning white night, when sections of the city were open the entire night,” Todd Jacob, assistant director of the Center for French and Francophone Studies said. “That’s where the idea came from, a French film festival with a twist.” The festival will showcase four Francophone films: “Karmen,” “Good Cop Bad Cop,” “The Valet” and “Priceless.”

“Francophone literally means the French-speaking world, not just France but other countries where French is a major language,” Jacob said. “The festival is a good way to promote French and Francophone culture in an entertaining, fun way.” In between each screening, refreshments will be provided free of charge starting with charcuterie, a French culinary meat specialty, followed by French wine and cheese, pastries and ending with a breakfast of croissants, baguettes and coffee. “I would definitely go and

bring a date,” Adel Alizadeh, civil engineering junior, said. “I would probably stay most of the time depending on how much wine I drink and how much fun I have.” Jacob said at least 50 people have stayed the entire night each year but noted guests can come and go as they please. Three special guests will attend this year’s festival: Roland AdjoLessing from the Permanent Representation of the Francophonie at the United Nations, Senegalese filmmaker Joseph Gaï Ramak and University Chancellor Michael Martin.

Tickets can be purchased from the Manship Theatre Ticket Desk either in advance or the night of the event. Students will be charged $10, and general admission is $20. “It is possible to get a ticket the night of the event, but you would probably want to get it ahead of time,” Jacob said. “Historically, the event has sold out every year with the exception of last year.”

Contact Minh Dang at mdang@lsureveille.com

THEATRE

Dance troupe incorporates variety of artistic aspects Performers portray Picasso, Williams

By Lindsay Nunez Entertainment Writer

The curtains slowly opened to show two elegant dancers mirroring one another in a piece inspired by Pablo Picasso’s “Girl Before a Mirror.” Twelve more dancers then drifted on to a stage that held a collection of crystal trinkets to perform a new

version of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.” Of Moving Colors Productions, a contemporary dance theatre based in Baton Rouge, performed their show, “Looking Glass” on Sunday at the Manship Theatre. Garland Goodwin Wilson, University alumnus and artistic director of the company, choreographed the piece. The company prides itself on being able to incorporate many forms of art into its performances to create a unified concept.

SHELBY SANDLIN / The Daily Reveille

Of Moving Colors members dance Sunday at the Manship Theatre. Their new show, “Looking Glass,” incorporates elements of famous works of art.

Throughout the performance, the light wisps of brush strokes could be heard from a painter stationed on the side of the stage. Audience members could watch the painting transform in front of their eyes. The show also incorporated acting, props, on-stage costume changes and voiceovers into the performance. “The variety of so many artistic aspects made this show a real performance,” said Alexandra Barbier, former University student and threeyear company dancer. “That it told a story is really cool.” Of Moving Colors began working on “Looking Glass” last August. The dancers train a minimum of three days a week at the Powell Moise School of Dance. Wilson explained the group does three main shows a year, along with as many as 60 small events at various schools, libraries, churches and outreach programs. The company strives to bring the arts out of theatres and into the community. “It’s my passion to further establish dance as a valid profession in Louisiana,” Wilson said. “It’s fulfilling to give contemporary dance an

outlet.” Of Moving Colors hosts master classes and dance residency. They also incorporate world-class guest artists into their performances. The group has been asked to train and perform at many esteemed events, including Vienna’s Impulse Tanz International Dance Festival. In 2005, the company was selected to present its work at the prestigious Dance New Amsterdam in New York City. The group has also

participated in collaborations with the Baton Rouge Symphony. Upcoming events include “Longitude: A State of Faith and Time” in April and potentially another collaboration with the Baton Rouge Symphony. “People need to hold on to art,” Wilson said. “It brings beauty to people’s lives.” Contact Lindsay Nunez at lnunez@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

thursday, february 12, 2009

PAGE 15

BEST IN SHOW MARY ALTAFFER/ The Associated Press Stump, the Sussex spaniel who won the Best in Show title Wednesday at the 133rd annual Westminster Dog Show, is seen with his trophy during a television interview in New York.

Pluckers wing bar $4 34oz Mother Plucker mugs. $3 Margaritas and PluckersLemonades. $15.99 All you can Eat wings. If you don’t like our wings, we’ll give you the bird! Bogie’s bar $4 Beam and Stoli Travis Matte 2/13 Mellow Mushroom pizza bakers No Cover! 5-10pm: 2 for 1 drafts. 10pm til: $2.50 Mexican Bottles,$3 Calls, $6 22oz Souviner Cup Shroom Teas

STUMBLE, from page 13

ShaveMyYeti.com get to release creative juices by shaving Yeti hair. WorldClubs.net is a database where “you can come to look for nightclubs or clubbing venues in cities all over the world,” according to the Web site. Finding a karaoke bar in Peru has never been easier. Thousands of drink recipes alongside a Family Guy power hour. Exercise positions followed by a picture of Punxsutawney Phil. An article on ravens attacking dogs trailing meteor shower images. All thanks to Stumble Upon. The possibilities are endless. You can stumble upon free ebooks that can be easily downloaded, including common reads such as

BRANAN, from page 13

much in the South,” Branan said. “In some places, it’s more about the container than the content.” Currently, Branan is playing a short run of gigs in Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee and Louisiana, including shows at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and the Folk Alliance in Memphis, Tenn. “I dig traveling. It’s just been me and a van for the past six years,” Branan said. “It’s just a luxury seeing the country.” Branan said he does miss his girl while on the road, but meeting good, genuine people while on tour makes up for it. “I got a futon in half the major cities,” Branan said. “There are a lot of nice folks out there.” Brian Mann, Branan’s booking agent, said they have neglected Baton Rouge in the past few years. “We are hoping to change that with this show and a subsequent show to follow when Cory puts out his next record,” Mann said in an email to The Daily Reveille. Mann said he thinks Branan’s music is growing in Baton Rouge, and now that he is living in Austin, it will be easier for him to play shows here. The show starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $7 at the door.

Contact Jack LeBlanc at aleblanc@lsureveille.com

“Oliver Twist” and “1984.” Though these books can also be found in used book stores for $0.60, nothing beats “free.” But imperfections can arise. If Stumblers come across the same beer-brewing page several times, a “thumbs down” button can be clicked and additional sites can be arbitrarily viewed once more. And this toolbar can be harmful. It can lead users to experience selfinflicted insomnia and rattle off useless information. “The King of Hearts is the only king without a moustache,” you say with bloodshot eyes and a cup of coffee after a long night of stumbling. There are a few good reasons to stay up an entire evening. A good book, reading CraigsList personal

ads and Daniel Craig easily make the list. But absorbing random material strewn across the colossal, elaborate Internet isn’t a good reason to lose shut-eye. So why have I refused much needed sleep during the past month? Because cats reading books, intricate tattoos and a calorie counter keep me more interested than dreams of Bret Michaels’ glossy lips. I’ve discovered my inner Buddhist, kept track of my future running schedule and learned how to bake a rainbow cake. These aren’t good reasons. But I’m having a good time doing it. Stumble Upon rehab, anyone? Contact Ashley Norsworthy at anorsworthy@lsureveille.com

fred’s bar 8-Close, Ladie’s Night FREE DRINKS from 8-10 No cover for girls til midnight. Drink Responsibly.

Rave motion pictures 02/07-02/13

Baton Rouge 15 (Mall of La) Coraline 3D PG Push PG-13 12:45pm, 3:45pm, 6:30pm, 9:00pm 12:25pm, 4:00pm, 7:35pm, 10:25pm Friday the 13th R Confessions of a Shopaholic PG 12:00pm, 1:30pm, 4:30pm, 7:30pm 11:15am, 4:00pm, 7:00pm, 9:45pm 8:30pm, 10:15pm, 11:15pm The International R Gran Torino R 10:55am, 4:15pm, 7:15pm, 10:20pm 12:35pm, 4:55pm, 7:55pm Taken PG-13 He’s Just Not That Into You 11:45pm, 2:30pm, 5:15pm, 8:15pm PG-13 12:30pm, 4:25pm, 7:25pm, 10:30 My Bloody Valentine R 11:30pm Hotel For Dogs PG 12:40pm, 3:50pm, 6:50pm Underworld: Rise of the Lycans R 12:10pm, 3:00pm, 8:20pm, 10:55pm New In Town PG 11:05am The Uninvited PG-13 11:40pm, 2:10pm, 7:50pm, 1-:1-pm Paul Bart: Mall Cop PG 11:20pm, 1:55pm, 7:10pm, 9:30pm Bride Wars PG 12:50pm The Pink Panther 2 PG 11:30pm, 2:25pm, 7:15pm, 10pm

9-10:30pm Shaun of the Dead 12-1:30pm Dead Alive 3:00-3:30pm Newsbeat Live 3:30-4pm The Rundown Taped 4:30-5pm Sports Showtime Live 7-8:30pm Diary of the Dead

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 16

REVEILLE Ranks MUSIC MOVIES BOOKS TELEVISION

Busta Rhymes

Dan Auerbach

Mos Def

Universal Motown Records

Nonesuch Records

Downtown Records

Destroy every record. Burn every book. Because you straight-up don’t need them anymore. Busta Rhymes’ latest release “Back on My B.S.” proves, if anything, that he is in fact back on his bullshit. The momentous album opener “Arab Money,” which is about being as rich as an Arabic person, boasts lyrical gems such as “Sitting in casinos while I’m gambling with Arafat/ Money long, watch me purchase pieces of the Almanac.” The song’s Auto-Tuned hook isn’t technically in Arabic, but it doesn’t have to be when it’s this good.

The Black Keys singer and guitarist’s ﬁrst solo album is a bit tamer than the Keys’ 2008 offering, “Attack and Release,” but delivers with a variety of songs touched with hints of psychedelia, gospel, country and of course blues. The layered guitar riffs seem as easy as breathing for Auerbach, as he is able to tone down the Keys’ nastiness without sacriﬁcing his signature analog sound. The result is a complete and coherent album that sounds more like something recorded in 1966 than 2009. “Keep It Hid” will be anything but hidden.

Lately it seems as if Mos Def was focusing more on his acting career than music. But with his new album “The Ecstatic,” Mos Def returns to his longtime Brooklyn rap roots. Featuring guest appearances by Slick Rick and Black Star partner Talib Kweli, “The Ecstatic” features Mos Def blending his sociopolitical rhymes using beats by producers J Dilla and brothers Madlib and Oh No. Along with Q-Tip’s release of “The Renaissance” late last year, Mos Def is helping to bring real hip-hop back into the mainstream. And it couldn’t come at a better time.

Are you the rule or the exception? That’s what every person wants to know when looking for his or her significant other. “He’s Just Not That Into You” follows nine people trying to answer that question as they figure out what love really is. Based on the selfhelp book of the same name, it is a witty, comedic, thoughtprovoking and touching movie featuring an exceptionally believable cast and plot line that make you feel good about yourself without being a “chick flick.”

B. BOURGEOIS

J. LEBLANC

J. CHENIER

C. VOGELS

Back on My B.S.

Keep It Hid

[A+] [A]

‘‘

Flower Films

[A]

organic or not. It’s not the other way around.” pesticides or fertilizers, according Even though the debate is to the Organic Trade Association. still out on whether green pet They’re minifoods are better mally processed than regular pet without artificial ‘Does organic make foods, many coningredients, pre- a difference? Maybe sumers swear by servatives or irrahealth bennot, but ... I’m will- the diation. efits of green pet For a product ing to spend money foods. Some conto receive one of sumers still aren’t four organic la- ... if it’s reasonable.’ convinced of the Kendall Womack bels, it must meet benefits of these certain standards pet foods. French senior set by the Nation“I don’t beal Organic Standards Board to be lieve in the benefits of organic labeled “100 percent organic,” food,” said Giang Nguyen, “organic,” “made with organic,” and “made with organic ingredients.” Products labeled “100 percent organic” must have 100 percent organic ingredients and additives, including processing aids. Products labeled “organic” must have 95 percent organic agricultural ingredients, and the remainder may be approved nonsynthetic substances or synthetic substances. Products labeled “made with organic” must have 70 percent organic agricultural ingredients, non-synthetic substances or synthetic substances. But Gaschen warned although eating organic might be one of the best habits for humans, it’s more important to make sure pets’ nutritional requirements are met before considering any sort of organic or natural food product. “When you feed an animal, the first thing you need to pay attention to is that you meet the requirements of this particular animal,” Gaschen said. “After that, you can decide whether to go

ORGANIC, from page 13

He’s Just Not That Into You

The Ecstatic

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

Pink Panther 2 Columbia Pictures

This sci-ﬁ action movie stars Dakota Fanning as a psychic, Chris Evans as a telekinetic and Camilla Belle as a mind controller. The three have spent their lives hiding from Division, a U.S. government agency that captures the supernaturally gifted and tries to harness their powers. Fanning has a plan to bring down Division and recruits the others to help. The special effects are impressive, and the plot keeps the audience in suspense. But viewers are in a constant state of confusion and are left with many unanswered questions.

A. NORSWORTHY

L. NUNEZ

[C+]

Editor’s Pick Focus Features

chemical engineering sophomore. “I wouldn’t particularly look for it.” Others would like to buy green pet foods if the prices weren’t too expensive. “Does organic make a difference? Maybe not but it’s something I’m willing to spend money on if it’s reasonable,” said Kendall Womack, French senior. “I love my dog very much, but at the same time you need to be realistic.” Contact Minh Dang at mdang@lsureveille.com

Summit Entertainment

Steve Martin returns as bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau in “The Pink Panther 2.” When renowned treasures are stolen, Inspector Clouseau is on the case. While the first installment in the series received worldwide success, the second film did not deliver as expected. Martin is charming, but the outrageous accent and poor plot do little for the actor. The script is predictable and fluffy. There are some funny moments, but audiences may not laugh out loud.

Coraline

[A]

Push

FOR FANS OF:

“The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Alice in Wonderland”

[C+]

“Coraline,” the 3-D animated ﬁlm based on the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name, tells the tale of a young girl who walks through a mysterious door in her house and discovers a world eerily similar to the one in which she lives. Coraline is fascinated with the new world at ﬁrst but then learns something is amiss. She must escape and get back to her real life. Shot in stop motion, the movie is an incredible undertaking and well worth the effort of everyone involved. The visuals are fascinating, and director Henry Selick does an amazing job of creating Coraline’s alternate universe. This movie is a must-see.

S. AYCOCK

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Samantha Engle, who have been dating for 10 months, also make a One of their favorite things habit of cheering each other on at to do together is go to the movies. matches and meets. “Whenever I’m in town I try Beckwith said they will definitely to go see her,” Venus said. “I mando that Saturday in Pensacola. aged to get the whole team there “We problast weekend, ably go to the ‘We both and she brought movies every had our her parents and single weekend [to — no joke,” he goals set grandparents my match].” said. Engle said high, and Makasini while and said Beckwith we helped Venus she are not also likes a good push one always home on trip to the mall, another the same weekparticularly they make to his favorite to achieve ends, time for each store, Buckle. our goals.’ other when they “ D a r r y Michelle Makasini Darry Beckwith both in Badrags me. He’s -Beckwith are ton Rouge. soccer, football the shopper,” “Our schedMakasini said ules are similar. with a chuckle. ‘We We both have Beckwith understand practice at 2, said he has been we might and we travel on to almost every the weekends,” soccer game, esbe in good Engle said. “We pecially games moods or both understand on Sundays, we have since he started bad moods that tough schedules, dating Makasifrom days of so we know ni, but he didn’t to make big Nolan Cain practice.’ not know much plans much durKristen Hobbs about soccer at -Hobbs ing the season. baseball, softball first. If he’s here and “When I first started going, I didn’t know I’m here, then we’ll do something.” Venus said it is important he what was going on,” Beckwith said. and Engle realize the time and en“I thought when she said somebody goal-kicked, somebody would kick ergy they each put into practice and the ball at the goal, but that’s totally games every day. “It makes it easier when you’re not what it is. I didn’t know the difseeing another athlete because she ference, but I got used to it.” Another couple who enjoys understands what it takes to be dedtheir chemistry as dating athletes is icated to your sport,” he said. “We senior pitcher Nolan Cain and for- both know we spend almost all the mer softball catcher Kristen Hobbs. day doing our sport or in class and “To me it’s a lot easier dating studying, so there’s not that much somebody who knows what’s go- time.” Venus and Engle said they met ing on and understands I have long days, and I might not be able to do in class last spring, and they do not something until 8:30 or 9 at night,” have any specific plans for their first Valentine’s Day together. Cain said. “I have to work on that one,” Hobbs, who is pursuing a masVenus said. “I’ve been thinking, but ter’s degree in sports management at LSU, said it isn’t too difficult to I’m just not sure yet. It’s a work in date with a higher profile around progress.” campus. “It’s kind of cool being athletes — we understand we might be Contact Rachel Whittaker at in good moods or bad moods from rwhittaker@lsureveille.com days of practice,” Hobbs said. “A lot of people don’t necessarily associate [dating] with us except for people who know us. They think it’s cool, a softball and baseball player dating.” Hobbs and Cain have been dating for four years, and their plans for Valentine’s Day are usually “pretty simple,” like one of their favorite things to do as a couple — relax over dinner and a movie. Cain said he doesn’t have anything specific planned yet for Saturday. “I’ll have to kind of wing a little bit because ... I don’t know what my schedule will be like,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll try to go out to dinner somewhere and exchange cards and chocolate and stuff like that.” Hobbs and Cain said they go to each other’s games whenever they can. “It’s easier for me now [to go to baseball games],” Hobbs said. “I remember last year on Valentine’s Day they had a game, so I went to the game.” Senior tennis player Michael Venus and sophomore gymnast

VALENTINE’S, from page 7

OPENER, from page 7

plagued fifth inning. Jackson stole second with Shortridge on third, and the throw out went wide to give Shortridge and unearned run. “To walk out and strike out my first at bat sets a negative tone, and I take that very personally,” Shortridge said. “As long as I can cross home plate for my team — that’s the ultimate goal.” Sophomore pitcher Cody Trahan — still recovering from off-season surgery — got her second start of the season, treating LSU fans to a welcome surprise. Trahan struck out five batters and allowed no runs and no hits in

MITCHELL, from page 7

LSU committed 21 turnovers but still managed to outshoot Mississippi State 44 percent to 31 percent. “It speaks volumes to our ability to defend,” Johnson said. The Tigers also outshot the Bulldogs from behind the arc. “Their strength was the 3-point line,” Johnson said. “I thought we did an excellent job of closing out on shooters.” The Bulldogs were just over 20 percent from 3-point range, while the Tigers were 10-of-21 from long range. “We knew we were about to pick our poison, and we thought if their post guys were going to score that was going to be OK.” Mississippi State junior center Jarvis Varnado led the Bulldogs with 31 points before becoming one of seven combined players to foul out. The fouls, injuries, and struggles created an opportunity for other Tigers to make contributions. Both seniors Chris Johnson and Quintin Thornton fouled out, forcing freshman Storm Warren into action down the stretch. Warren ﬁnished with 7 points and just two rebounds but converted a 3-point play in the second overtime that sparked a 7-0 run that allowed the Tigers to pull away slightly. “Storm comes in the game, has the free-throw line violation

PAGE 17

just three innings of work. Trahan learned she would get the first start in the new stadium “around noon” on Wednesday. “This afternoon, coach called our trainer and let her know, and she relayed the news to me,” she said. “Obviously I wish [senior pitcher] Dani [Hofer] could have had the first pitch but I’ll take it.” Sophomore pitcher Casey Faile (2-1) got the win, pitching three innings with two strikeouts. Freshman Brittany Mack pitched the game’s final inning, striking out two batters and allowing no hits. The win capped a starstudded night for LSU athletics.

Dozens of former LSU players were on hand for the stadium’s opening, including former softball players from the past three decades. Current LSU celebrities also made an appearance at Tiger Park, highlighted by members of LSU’s preseason No. 1 baseball team and LSU football coach Les Miles. “We worked our butts off to get them here,” Jackson said. “I was on my Facebook book telling people ‘Come to our game, come to our game.’ I wanted our ﬁrst game to be huge, and it was.”

and misses the open jump shot, but he just stayed the course,” Johnson said. Sophomore guard Bo Spencer suffered an ankle injury after scoring 15 points for the Tigers, and senior guards Marcus Thornton and Garret Temple both struggled offensively. Thornton ﬁnished with 19 despite hitting only 6-of-19 shots, and Temple was just 1-of-8 from

the ﬁeld. But senior guard Terry Martin came up big for the Tigers, scoring 11 points and sinking both of his 3-point attempts. “Terry Martin was incredible,” Johnson said.

Contact David Helman at dhelman@lsureveille.com

Contact Amos Morale at amorale@lsureveille.com

PAGE 18 DEFERRED, from page 1 M. Hebert Law Center and the LSU Laboratory School. Buildings that generate their own revenue like the residence halls, Tiger Stadium and the Student Union have separate deferred maintenance lists. But add in the repair costs of streets, sidewalks, underground utilities and roofs, and the total cost jumps to $307 million, according to Kenneth Courtade, Office of Facility Services physical plant operation manager. Because of inflation, aging and carried-over projects, the total cost of deferred maintenance has risen steadily every year — reaching its current $220 million total. “Every year you have aging in buildings,” Courtade said. “As we repair some problems, others get worse, and some new ones arise.” Funding for deferred maintenance is generally lower than the total needed to prevent the total cost from rising every year — a trend the budget cuts are likely to exacerbate. Budget cuts in general, Courtade said, affect deferred maintenance because cuts mean less money will be available for

LAPTOPS, from page 3 Rizzuto said she mainly notices freshmen using laptops for things other than taking notes. “Freshman-level courses probably should take a harder line in discouraging multi-tasking until students really have the responsibility to use those tools correctly,” she said. Meanwhile, college campuses across the country are becoming more Internet-friendly. Campus Computing Project, which studies information technology’s role in U.S. colleges and universities, reported nearly 67 percent of college classrooms have Wi-Fi access. That number is up from about 60 percent in 2007 and much higher than the 2004 rate of 31 percent. More Wi-Fi has given students more ways to ignore lectures in favor of reading the news or playing games online. That increase is also forcing professors to make some changes. Jonathon Morgan, a communication studies junior, said he sometimes browses the Internet on his laptop in class, but said he pays attention most of the time. “I’ve never had a problem with it, but I’ve noticed not everybody is taking notes,” he said. LSU has 1,500 wireless access points on campus, meaning nearly every classroom provides a wireless signal. In his department, Rowe said graduate assistants who teach large lecture classes are noticing more laptop problems, especially since most classrooms have Wi-Fi. Rowe pointed out many professors will have to teach entrylevel courses next fall for the first time in a few years because of budget restrictions. The return to a large lecture format will likely cause professors to implement some laptop restrictions, he said.

THE DAILY REVEILLE operation and maintenance of facilities, meaning more maintenance gets deferred. Chancellor Michael Martin said while deferred maintenance is a big problem, there has been “just enough to distract us from a full-court press” on deferred maintenance in the past. Funding for deferred maintenance projects for all state-owned buildings is appropriated every fiscal year by the Legislature in House Bill 2, and the funds marked for higher education are distributed to universities across the state by the Louisiana Board of Regents. Funds for deferred maintenance for 2009 won’t be appropriated until the end of the upcoming Legislative session in June. Martin said he was taking the local legislative delegation around campus today to show them “some of the long-term” deferred maintenance. It’s critical, Martin said, the Legislature understands how large a problem deferred maintenance is so they appropriate enough money to begin taking chunks of it out — otherwise, the Legislature can hold the University back. “It’s going to get worse,” Martin said. Courtade said the top

priorities when allocating money for maintenance projects on campus are ensuring the safety and compliance of the buildings — the last is aesthetics. “We develop a list and work through it until we run out of money,” Courtade said. And despite the large price tag and impending budget cuts, Courtade said the University as a whole will continue to operate in the future. “As in the past during tough economic times,” Courtade said, “deferred maintenance funds generally get prioritized for emergencies, mission critical repairs, life safety/building code repairs and general repairs to keep the University operational.” There are 40 individual maintenance projects, totaling more than $2 million, in Lockett Hall alone, according to a building assessment done by Vanderweil Facility Advisors Inc., a consulting firm hired by the state to conduct state-wide building assessments. Deferred maintenance projects range from worn restroom fixture valves to non-compliant access ladders, and VFA building assessments prioritize the projects as “currently critical,” “potentially critical,” “not yet critical,” “recommended” and “does not

“This is going to be something of a rude awakening to some of them,” Rowe said. “They’re not used to this idea of 300 people and have 10 percent who think what you’re saying just isn’t worth their time.” Julie Greathouse, elementary education freshman, takes notes on her laptop in every class. She uses her professors’ PowerPoint presentations during lecture to follow along, adding notes at relevant points. “I’m pretty focused,” she said. Greathouse’s strategy is one Diane Mohler, a learning strategies consultant at the University’s Center for Academic Success, recommends to students to balance note-taking and laptop usage. Mohler meets with students

during semesters to give notetaking and studying advice. She said she usually tells students that laptop usage is different for everyone. “My ideal would be to use the laptop to get all the information the professor gives you — Power Point, whatever — to give you a framework and a location to put everything,” she said. “If you feel that you’re distracted in a classroom, then print it off and leave the laptop aside.” Mohler said the University has no plans of implementing a blanket rule and believes that’s the right idea. She said the issue is based totally on students. Contact Kyle Whitfield at kwhitfield@lsureveille.com

meet current codes.” Courtade said funds are concentrated on projects that are “currently critical,” “potentially critical” and “does not meet current codes.” In Lockett Hall there are 21 such projects with a total repair cost of $865,648, according to the assessment. “Not yet critical” and “recommended” projects will generally take more than five years to begin repairing, Courtade said — at which time, because of aging, those projects may have a higher priority anyway. Other buildings have more projects, higher repair costs and can take as long as 20 years to fully repair, Courtade said. Atkinson Hall has a facility condition index of 64 percent, according to the VFA building assessment — meaning the deferred maintenance cost of the facility equals 64 percent of the current replacement value of the entire facility. A “fair to good facility” has an FCI rating of less than 15 percent, according to the International Facility Management Association, an association for professional facility managers. Courtade said some historic state-owned facilities like

thursday, february 12, 2009 Atkinson Hall and the French House accumulate maintenance problems and become particularly expensive to fully repair. The average FCI for all academic buildings on the University’s main campus and the Vet School is 20.2 percent — markedly higher than the average public research university FCI of 7.5 percent, according to the VFA assessment. Courtade said the Office of Facility Services received $14 million last year and appropriated that money to 57 projects campus-wide. “The current level of deferred maintenance represents a daunting challenge to the University,” Courtade said. “But it is not one LSU faces alone. All state-owned facilities face the same problem with deferred maintenance totaling an estimated $1 billion statewide.” Only with “all the money in the world,” Courtade said, would the Office of Facility Services be able to fully repair all the deferred maintenance on campus. Martin said right now the University is trying to “hang on.” Contact Nate Monroe at nmonroe@lsureveille.com

thursday, february 12, 2009 RELIGION, from page 1

Louisiana was ranked in the top five most religious states in the country by a recent Gallup poll. This highlights religious influence in politics and a youth movement shifting toward more modern forms of worship. Seventy-eight percent of Louisiana residents polled said religion was an important part of their life. Louisiana ranks fifth behind Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee, according to the poll. The national rankings were determined by phoning 335,334 adults, aged 18 and older, selected to be an accurate demographic representation in each state. The large contingent of Catholics in south Louisiana and Baptists in north Louisiana are the principal reasons for Louisiana’s highranking religiosity, said Rev. Chris Andrews, Pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge. “I think those two are like bookends that somehow have pressed themselves upon the psyche and spirit of our people to bring us to a religious consciousness that may be higher than is reflected nationally,” Andrews said. The tradition and culture of religion has dulled down people’s conception of their own religiosity, said Vicki Rodger, accounting senior. “I think we have kind of tamed Christianity, and it made it very cultural. And people just kind of go along with the rituals and habits of Christianity without really knowing what it really means,” Rodger said.

THE DAILY REVEILLE

“A lot of people say they are Catholic or they are Christian, but they don’t know what they believe.” Though the religious nature of the state is debatable, religious influence on Louisiana politics in the past decade is traceable. In the past decade, the biggest change in Louisiana politics is Catholics moving toward an alliance with the Republican agenda, said Wayne Parent, political science professor. “Southern politics in general were affected by religion in the form of cultural conservatism and a form of cultural issues including abortion and prayer in public schools and that has really helped the Republican party gain a real foothold in the south,” Parent said.

NEW GENERATION Loud guitars and the pounding of drums blares from the nondenominational Chapel on Campus at 7:37 p.m. every Sunday. A departure from traditional worship services of older generations, this popular service hosted by The Refuge, the chapel’s college ministry, could represent the future of worship in Louisiana. “Just as modern culture changes, churches need to be aware that they need to change too,” said Rodger, who attends the service on campus. “I think churches are stuck on ‘We have always done this, this is the habit.’ I think if their focus is on that, then they are losing the heart of what Christ has taught us to do.” To mend the disconnect with the younger generations, some

ministries including The Refuge at the Chapel on the Campus are modernizing. The Refuge targets young people by conducting services and creating atmospheres that appeals to students and their needs, said Josh LaRavia, College Pastor for the Refuge. “Students love music that expresses their heart and soul, we are not afraid of it being loud,” LaRavia said. “With our music, we represent this generation. With our cafe, we represent [teen’s] need to connect.” Campus churches are not the only ones modernizing to appeal more to youth. The First United Methodist Church downtown is seeing a growth in youth attendance because of their efforts to connect with younger people, Andrews said. “We try to speak their [teens] language, therefore we have the youth center,” Andrews said. “We have the video games and all the kinds of things that today’s youth seem to enjoy and relate to and connect with in terms of recreation.” While modernization appears to be a new trend, it is actually a cycle every generation, Gueno said. “The concept of traditional religious practice is something that is manufactured by recent generations,” Gueno said. “Every generation has a religion that they modify to adjust to their particular needs.”

Contact Xerxes A. Wilson xwilson@lsureveille.com

ENDOWMENT, from page 1 of the earnings are applied to the principal to keep it growing. A strong endowment can enable a university to attract and retain quality faculty, recruit students and help facilitate campus improvements. Forever LSU, the fundraising campaign for the LSU Foundation, has set a fundraising goal of $750 million by 2010. So far, Forever LSU has raised about $582 million through donations made to the LSU Foundation, TAF and the Alumni Association. Not all donations are made as endowments. A recent study by the Commonfund Institute, a financial management organization for educational institutions, measured endowments for the 2008 fiscal year, in which the 796 institutions polled saw a 0.5 percent increase in their endowment values. But another study found the value of university endowments fell by about 23 percent between July 1 and Nov. 30 of 2008. There were 435 universities polled for the second study. The recent drop in university endowment values is the largest since the 1970s, John S. Griswold Jr., executive director of the Commonfound Institute, told The New York Times on Jan. 27. Chancellor Michael Martin said the University’s endowment is negatively affected by the recession — which translates into less-thanstellar returns, a declining corpus value of the endowment and donors’ hesitation to invest. “The economy is so soft that donors are much more reluctant to

PAGE 19 give us money ... to put into an endowment which is shrinking,” Martin said. Facing possibly large budget cuts of up to $71.9 million next year, the University may have to consider using some of the endowment money to supplement the reductions, Martin said. The endowment’s decrease, along with the possible budget cuts, could mean layoffs and a decrease in program offerings. “The support that the LSU Foundation provides to the University each year is important in LSU’s planning and budgetary process, but it is not intended to be a primary method of emergency funding to offset state budget cuts,” Madere said. The University can take money out of the corpus of the endowment down to the donor’s original amount. For example, if someone donated $100,000 to the LSU Foundation and $25,000 in interest was generated, only $25,000 can be spent. Beverly Major, Forever LSU director, said the University will continue its fundraising efforts, being extra sensitive to donors. “We treat donors as individuals on a case-by-case basis,” Major said. “Some people are doing great; some people are not doing so great. We’re very cognizant of the economy right now.” Martin said the extent of the cuts won’t be known until an estimated state budget is proposed by Gov. Bobby Jindal in mid-March. Contact Kyle Bove at kbove@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Opinion

PAGE 20

Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

LOUISIANIMAL

State leads nation in prison population, fails at reform

Louisiana has the highest rate of imprisonment of every state in the U.S., which is currently the global leader in the number (2.3 million nationwide), rate (737 per 100,000 people) and percentage (3.1 percent) of incarcerated people. One in every 32 American adults are under supervision — which includes probation, jail, prison and parole — according to the American Correctional Association. Louisiana holds more than 100,000 of these adults. This rate is 21 percent higher than the national average and amounts to a population roughly equivalent to the city of Marrero. The increase in the prison population is obvious. But has this increase been linked to an increase in public safety, and is there a causal relationship there? For more than three decades, there has been a continuous rise in the number of U.S. inmates, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. But the Sentencing Project claims this growth has been coupled with a sustained decline in national crime rates. However, many of the aforementioned numbers can be deceiving because all prisoners and sentences are different. For example, 55 percent of federal prisoners are drug offenders while only 11 percent are violent

offenders. Of the other 89 percent — the non-violent portion — repeat offenders in this category make up more than half of the incarcerated population. The nation also houses an aging prison population because today’s prisoners carry longer sentences. So how much of the decrease in national crime rates can be attributed to prison expansion? The increase in sentences reflects the failure of America’s War on Drugs. As drug arrests and mandatory minimum sentences increase, so do the lengths of prison terms. This population growth has been attributed largely to tougher sentencing since the 1980s, according to The Washington Post. The general assumption here is more imprisonment translates into more crime reduction. But The Post suggests this effect may have little to do with tougher sentencing. The nation must search for solutions that don’t jeopardize public safety or induce a dystopian Foucaltian nightmare upon the world. Basing her assumption on a 2005 report from the Corrections Corporation of America, AlterNet’s Liliana Segura noted the adverse effect incurred by those who profit from the prison industry. Segura then implied the prison boom produced strong incentives to sustain the growing prison popula-

tion.

Short of heralding the advent of some disguised panopticon in the making, notice must be given to “the veritable elephant in the room,” as Segura put it. Pew Center research estimates the prison system costs the states $50 billion per year and $5 billion at the federal level. The ACLU estimates Louisiana spends up to $20,000 per year per prisoner. The need for prison reform comes just as the nation Daniel Lumetta faces a daunting Opinion Editor economic crisis and, more specifically, as Louisiana faces enormous budget challenges. What’s worse — the Senate just cut $1 billion headed for Louisiana from the $838 billion economic stimulus package. Earlier this month, the forecasted budget announced for Louisiana’s corrections services in Fiscal Year 08-09 totalled $490 million — a $90 million increase in spending in just more than 2 years, according to Gambit Weekly. But the financial winds have changed since the February forecast. The Pelican State now faces a

$341 million deficit and a $2 billion shortfall this year. The enormous cost of maintaining the state prison system hampers spending in other areas — including hurricane and economic recovery, education, health care and coastal restoration. Modern prisons may offer punishment and protection, but fail at one significant objective — rehabilitation. Given that today’s most popular prison reform proposal involves extending voting rights to felons but ignores human rights, one must question where prison reform will begin. The question remains as to how public officials can reform prison spending without risking public safety. Alternatives to current methods include contracting prison services to private businesses, easing sentencing laws, transferring mentally ill prisoners to mental health facilities, changing drug laws and implementing less expensive punishments. This doesn’t even begin to address recidivism or Louisiana’s prison capacity, much less the treatment of prisoners specifically. In his book “Comeback,” conservative author David Frum called for a nonpartisan approach to prison reform. Frum suggested because Republican policies are mostly responsible

for the growth in America’s prison population, they bear a larger share of responsibility in ensuring prisons meet standards of basic decency. To sustain the political support and moral justification for tough prison policies, “... we must accept the obligation to ameliorate that harshness and ugliness to the extent we can,” Frum wrote. Despite Republican claims to be the party of law and order and the Democratic claim as the party of human rights and progress, there has been virtually no bipartisan response. As a result, politicians want to appear tough on crime but rarely fight for quality policies. If the measure of American society were determined by the treatment of its prisoners, the states would be in for a rude awakening. The nation must meet these standards according to its basic principles — which give us the moral authority to deliver justice to all. We cannot stand true to our principles while violating human rights. Because if we don’t stand by our principles, we are hypocrites. And if we don’t stand by our principles, then we stand for nothing. Contact Daniel Lumetta at dlumetta@lsureveille.com

COMMON CENTS

Econ for idiots: ‘Buying American’ is like racism Economists fall on the left and right of the political spectrum, but often they tend to unite on conclusions that are unpalatable to the political mainstream. In “The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies,” Bryan Caplan examines differences between the way economists and non-economists view the world. He argues there are four biases that filter the thinking of economic laymen. In last week’s column, we looked at the “make-work” bias. This week, let’s look at an increasingly relevant distortion: the “antiforeign” bias — something Caplan describes as “a tendency to underestimate the economic benefits of interaction with foreigners.” In American history, the antiforeign bias appears most frequently during downturns. During the early years of the depression, Hoover signed the Smoot-Hawley tariffs and

the Buy American Act, which dramatically raised taxes on imported goods and required government construction projects to use steel made in the U.S. Many foreign countries immediately responded with similar protectionist measures and international trade fell, deepening the depression. In the midst of the current economic disaster, arguments for protectionism are again surfacing. Section 1604 of President Barack Obama’s stimulus bill says its construction projects must use “iron, steel, and manufactured goods … produced in the United States.” Several European and Asian countries have already threatened retaliatory tariffs, and history looks ready to repeat itself. The anti-foreign outlook that drives policies such as these conflict with basic economics and are morally repugnant to any consistent ethical code.

THE DAILY REVEILLE Editorial Board

KYLE WHITFIELD TYLER BATISTE GERRI SAX DANIEL LUMETTA MATTHEW ALBRIGHT TRAVIS ANDREWS ERIC FREEMAN JR.

Editor Managing Editor, Content Managing Editor, External Media Opinion Editor Columnist Columnist Columnist

Tremendous benefits come from specialization. If doctors specialize in medicine, lawyers specialize in law, and Stormy Daniels specializes in more dirty endeavors, then all will benefit when their unique skills are brought to the marketplace. Since no one person would be able Daniel Morgan to single-handColumnist edly produce all the comforts of modern life, all stand to gain tremendously from trading with others. This is why Adam Smith — the father of modern economics — began his magnum opus by calling the division of labor the “greatest improvement in the productive power of labor.” And this benefit does not go away when one of the trading part-

ners is in another country. The “Buy American” impulse should be attacked not only for its economic inaccuracy but also for its moral repugnancy. The border separating the U.S. from Mexico is not unlike the border between Louisiana and Mississippi or Baton Rouge and Denham Springs. These borders are nothing more than arbitrary lines in the sand. If one wants to consistently apply the principle “trade with others is bad when it crosses an arbitrary border,” then there is no reason to limit that to national borders. If you plan to discriminate against certain types of steel merely because it is produced overseas, then consistently apply this principle and only trade with people that live in the same house as you. To say U.S. companies deserve our business more than foreign companies is as arbitrary a moral judgment as the pronouncement that

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.

white people deserve our business more than black people, or protestant people, or any other distinction unrelated to the quality of the work. The next time you hear a radio ad telling you to “Buy American,” think of the 19th century signs that read “Help Wanted — Irish need not apply.” Because of the power of specialization, we all stand to gain when new people enter the marketplace. When the forces of feminism brought women into the workforce for the first time, the result was massive increases in the American standard of living. If the protectionists in Congress don’t get in the way, then globalization can continue giving us the same blessing.

Contact Daniel Morgan at dmorgan@lsureveille.com

QUOTE OF THE DAY “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”

Mark Twain American humorist and writer Nov. 30, 1835 - April 21, 1910

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

MURDA, HE WROTE

Opinion

PAGE 21

Relative to US, French culture far more ‘striking’

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FRANCE — Preparing for my trip abroad, I found it curious that one section of our French textbook was dedicated to protests and demonstrations. Words like banderole (banner) and manifestation (sit-in) were apparently high priority words for an inexperienced French speaker’s lexicon. This, of course, seemed a little bizarre — until I arrived in France. I then got personal experience with one such word because of its frequent recurrence: “grève,” or strike. In mid January, I was visiting Marseille, France’s second largest city. After hitting several of the city’s sights, I decided to take the bus back to the center of town. After waiting nearly 20 minutes someone finally asked me, “You know there’s a strike, don’t you?” After a string of assaults on transportation workers, they decided to prove a point by putting the brakes on the city’s mass transit.

Just last month, there was a sweeping national government strike which went beyond transportation to include the postal service, telecom company and other government services. While I had no problem walking in Marseille, and the strike last month was largely voluntary (and didn’t affect me), yet another strike has been far more serious for me. Across the country professors are acting out against new reforms concerning university research. Like education in the U.S., French professors are expected to engage in both research and teaching. But a new policy would allow school administrators to punish professors who don’t engage in quality research — forcing them to teach more hours. Some professors are simply withholding grades. Some agreed to suspend class for one day, while others have been on strike indefinitely. Professors at my university recently agreed to extend the

demonstration for an additional week. Most professors seem to recognize there is a time to strike and prove a point and a time to return to class. The act is mostly a message of disapproval rather than an all-out war against the state. In fact, it seems this is not even a seMark Macmardo rious strike, as there appears to Columnist be little consequence to crossing the picket line. Many professors have returned to their classes while others declined participation at the onset. France is notorious for its frequent strikes, and engaging in them seems almost like a cultural celebration. While the current situation lacks the fortitude of some strikes in the past — including the Protests of 1968 or the weeks of mayhem

in 2006 denouncing labor reforms — the spirit seems to engage everyone. Student’s even hung banners with dramatic phrases in support of professors. Without question, the threat of disrupting daily business is relatively absent in the U.S. While there was much ado on campuses across the country voicing opposition to the Vietnam War, even with a hugely unpopular War in Iraq the number of dissidents was not reflected in any kind of wide scale civil disobedience. As for occupations in the U.S., we have relatively weaker unions as well as laws restricting strikes for many occupations, including all federal employees. In 1981 Ronald Reagan famously fired more than 11,000 air traffic controllers after they went on strike. And more recently there was the MTA strike in New York in 2005. Still it seems we are missing a part of the culture that leads to

the frequent demonstrations and strikes in France. Perhaps there are less things to complain about. Fat chance. Our “Flagship university” is currently facing budget cuts. The result of a similar research policy being enacted might elicit colorful language, but certainly no stoppage of work. Then again, it seems necessary — though unpopular — changes that go through uneventfully in the U.S. could drag France’s reactionary populace to quit work. There seems to be a fine line between when a strike should be used and when you should just complain without disrupting business as usual. Both countries should move toward the middle on the essential question: To grève or not to grève?

Contact Mark Macmardo at mmacmardo@lsureveille.com

SOCIALLY SIGNIFICANT

Volunteer work is a viable means to escape drudgery It’s safe to say most Americans are feeling the economic crunch. But a lack of consumer spending is not the end of the recession’s effects, and these times of relative hardship are often harbingers of other concerns. Many of the factors that lead to an economic depression — job cuts and decreased incomes for example — can also lead to psychological depression. In attempting to shed this malaise many will attempt escapism. But instead of looking toward the movies and TV, we should look towards volunteer work as way to escape from the drudgery of life. Many people see depression in extremes but it isn’t always the hermit that won’t leave their house or the person that breaks down into tears at seemingly random times.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

After 150 years, La. needs to deal with Darwin Recently, Senate Bill 733 was passed in the Louisiana State Legislature, allowing teachers to bring any supplemental materials they wish into science classes with no oversight from the State Board of Education.

No, depression comes in many forms. It affects both the young and the old, and it can also be augmented by social conditions. Times of economic hardship often bring extreme stress and, as a result, depression. This recession will no doubt create deep veins of depression in this country. In particular though, I wonder about the way it will affect the younger age groups. As a generation, their lives have been filled with excess since their youths. Their parents — and in some cases grandparents — were often told stories of the old days when their grandmother’s had to make gumbo Z’herbes on a weekday because there was no meat. The 20- and 30-somethings of today lack that recognition of history and for the most part, that

generation knows little of sacrifice. These trying economic times may come at a higher price for the working-young because for many, this will be the first taste of true frugality and economic hardship. Stressful times call for escapism. Nationally there is a Skylar Gremillion strong histori- Guest Columnist cal precedent for seeking out means of escape during harsh economic times. During the Great Depression the movie industry boomed as Americans left their homes to go out and take their mind off of their troubles. I have no doubts many financially strapped Americans will do

the same. But the world is a bit different these days, and in today’s society the escapist means of years past are now daily time-wasters. The working-young mentioned earlier have grown up with television, movies and video games. That creates an issue, as some of the shine may have worn off of the old means of escape and this generation will need to look towards newer forms of consolation. It seems like a bit of a stretch, but volunteering could offer a new form of escapism. By donating our time to helping others — be it at a soup kitchen or with a local church outreach group — we help both ourselves and others. Social scientific research can corroborate this idea. In his 2005 doctoral

dissertation, the University of Kansas’ Jamie Ryder found college students in particular had increased levels of psychological well-being brought about through the social connections made through volunteering. It’s those social connections one makes by volunteering that can help with these harsh times. Inevitably, some people will turn to watching more TV, going to more movies and playing more video games. But those aren’t quite the escapes they used to be. Ultimately, volunteering allows us to connect with others, escape from our daily lives and provide others with some help in the process — I can’t think of many TV shows that can do that.

Last month, BESE voted to remove wording that specifically prohibited allowing Intelligent Design/Creationist materials from being among those used by teachers. By allowing an unscientific idea to be taught to the children of Louisiana as science, we are needlessly sending them into the free market with a severe handicap, one not shared by their peers from other states and nations. Scientific hypotheses are, among other things, testable and

practical. Evolution is quite testable and there are many researchers here at the University who use this theory in their daily work. Evolution is also practical. Many modern advances in various fields that benefit humanity rely in part on this theory. Advanced, genetically engineered crops developed through the application of evolutionary principles feed literally billions. Vaccines for diseases that once killed millions are now optimized for effectiveness annually based on

evolutionary predictions. Comparatively, ID/Creationism is neither testable nor practical and offers no framework within which scientists may make any such advancements. Teaching evolution alongside ID/Creationism is a problem that cannot be ignored. When students are taught this unscientific framework alongside good science, they will easily become confused and lose the ability to discern between science and pseudoscience. This will confer on them a

competitive disadvantage with all 49 other states that prohibit the teaching of Creationism as science. In this year that is Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Origin of Species, Louisiana need no longer pretend this is a real scientific debate. It’s time we moved forward with the rest of the world and gave our children the future they deserve.

Contact Skylar Gremillion at sgremillion@lsureveille.com

Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics Organization at LSU

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SEEKING TICKETS FREE EVENT -$1 0 P A R K I N G Thrilling day of motorcycle drag races, 2/15. only 1 Student Id required per vehicle. WWW. HARACES. COM

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THE DAILY REVEILLE

thursday, february 12, 2009