The Daily Reveille — June 4, 2009

OWLS ON THE PROWL

Visit lsureveille com Log on to see the Web site’s new design and check out the special features for the summer.

Tigers face Rice in Super Regionals beginning on Friday, page 5.

See lsureveille.com for an in-depth look at both teams.

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Volume 113, Issue 139

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Bill would give colleges power to increase own tuition

Legislative approval not required if passed

By Kyle Bove Senior Writer

Chancellor Michael Martin said while the University has made significant strides with the Legislature during the past month, its budget crisis is far from finished.

The controversial gun bill was shot down last week, and Senate Bill 85, which proposed putting a cap on TOPS scholarships, was defeated soundly — victories for LSU in Martin’s view. But the University is still facing budget cuts of about $45 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1, and Martin is hopeful that some alternative

said the University’s current tuition is well forms of revenue will help fill the gaps.

One of those forms — a bill that would below its regional peers, even with the legallow colleges to increase tuition up to 5 islature-approved 5 percent annual increase through 2011. percent annually without leg“I hope students are islative approval — was apsmart enough to underproved Tuesday in the House stand that ... the quality and Governmental Affairs Log on to see of the education they’re Committee. SB 183, by Sen. Chancellor going to get is embedConrad Appel, R-Metairie, Martin discuss ded in their willingness was amended to include the budget cuts. to pay for it,” Martin 5 percent limit. The bill origisaid. nally had no limit.

The bill would propose to voters a conRequiring colleges to seek approval from their governing boards before raising stitutional amendment, and would be on the tuition, the bill also requires legislative ap- Nov. 2, 2010 ballot.

Martin said many view an increase proval for hikes of more than 5 percent.

Appel’s bill passed in the Senate, 26-8, in tuition as a tax increase, a concept he feels is “tautologically impossible” because and now heads to the House for debate.

Martin said the bill gives colleges TUITION, see page 4 greater control over their own finances. He

lsureveille.com

Daily Reveille file photo

Chancellor Michael Martin reflects on his time in his position on his 100th day at the University on Nov. 13.

Ready or Not...

Baton Rouge officials prepare for hurricane season; some residents not taking necessary precautions

By Joy Lukachick Contributing Writer

ALEX BOND / The Daily Reveille

A group of students play football in the Pentagon on Sept. 2 after Hurricane Gustav hit campus.

As houses were boarded and shops closed, Jessica Johnston kissed her husband goodbye and left their home behind for higher ground before Hurricane Gustav made landfall in Louisiana last year.

But even with the University law school graduate’s recent experience, she said stocking up on this year’s hurricane supplies didn’t cross her mind during the hurricane supply tax free holiday last weekend.

The number of forecasted storms is slightly below average for this season, which began Monday. But climatologists say it should still be a busy time in the Atlantic Ocean, worrying public officials about the community’s preparedness.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness is sending a message to the community to prepare for the worst, and incentives from the state include a hurricane supply tax-free weekend to encourage residents to stock up on necessary items.

“We want to encourage the public that they have a personal responsibility to be ready,” said JonAnne Moreau director of the EBR Office of Emergency Preparedness.

The seasonal forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting between nine and 14 named storms, four to seven hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes — category three or higher, Louisiana State climatologist Barry Keim said.

This year is predicted to be a return to an average season after the last two years of highly active hurricane seasons, Keim said.

University climatologist and WAFB chief meteorologist Jay Grymes said the lower predictions are not a reason to think this year will be a quiet season. Benchmark hurricanes in Louisiana including hurricanes Betsy and Andrew occurred in years

with storm counts below average, he said.

“Storm counts don’t tell us anything about our threats,” Grymes said. “Look at the last eight years ... already the most active decade in the history of Louisiana.”

THE CITY’S PREPAREDNESS Moreau said the preparation for a hurricane is extensive with the Emergency Preparedness Office working with more than 60 agencies throughout the year to be ready to respond to hurricanes.

This year the office plans to back up their building’s power more efficiently with HURRICANES, see page 4

Daily Reveille file photo

An oak in the quad was uprooted down during the high winds and rain from Hurricane Gustav.

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 2

INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL

Air France jet Bond sought for likely broke apart suspect in abortion above ocean provider killing FERNANDO DE NORONHA, Brazil (AP) — Military planes located new debris from Air France Flight 447 Wednesday while investigators focused on a nightmarish ordeal in which the jetliner broke up over the Atlantic as it flew through a violent storm.

Heavy weather delayed until next week the arrival of deep-water submersibles considered key to finding the black box voice and data recorders that will help answer the question of what happened to the airliner, which disappeared Sunday with 228 people on board. But even with the equipment, the lead French investigator questioned whether the recorders would ever be found in such a deep and rugged part of the ocean.

As the first Brazilian military ships neared the search area, investigators were relying heavily on the plane’s automated messages to help reconstruct what happened to the jet.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The man charged in the killing of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller wants a judge to set bail, even though court records show the suspect has little money and checkered employment.

Scott Roeder, 51, is charged with first-degree murder in Sunday’s fatal shooting of Tiller at a Wichita church. He has been held without bail.

In a motion filed Wednesday in Sedgwick County District Court, public defender Steve Osburn cited Kansas law saying bond should be granted for defendants charged with non-capital crimes.

Kansas law requires that special circumstances exist for a defendant to be eligible for the death penalty.

Such circumstances include the killing of a law officer, more than one person or a victim kidnapped for ransom or rape, or killed in murder for hire. Prosecutors said the Tiller murder case doesn’t qualify.

CAMPUS OCCURANCES 50%":

NATIONAL

Gay marriage legalized in New Hampshire CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The bill making New Hampshire the sixth state to allow gays to marry followed a torturous path this spring — dying and rising to life twice and facing a veto threat — that ended in a room filled with cheering, clapping supporters Wednesday who witnessed

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2009

the governor’s historic signing.

In its final version, the legislation passed in the House by its biggest margin yet — 22 votes. Gov. John Lynch, who personally opposes the unions, said the legislation struck the right balance.

“Today is a day to celebrate in New Hampshire. Today should not be considered a victory for some and a loss for others,” Lynch said before signing the law. “Today is a victory for all the people of New Hampshire, who I believe, in our own independent way, want tolerance for all.”

JIM COLE / The Associated Press

Supporters of gay marriage cheer on Wednesday in the gallery of representatives hall in the State house after lawmakers voted in favor of gay marriage in Concord, N.H.

TODAY ON

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See a slideshow of the summer editors.

Read about the Board of Supervisors meeting today to discuss merging two LSU System institutions.

Read the new opinion blog to find out columnists’ views on current events.

SNAPSHOT

STATE/LOCAL

La. Senate: No tax credits for pornographic films (AP) — Makers of pornographic movies should not be eligible for Louisiana’s economic incentive system for the film industry, the Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday.

Sen. A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell, said no porn producers have so far taken advantage of the incentive program, but he wants to make sure none do. The measure would make ineligible any movie company whose work falls under a federal law requiring certain record-keeping for depiction of “actual sexually explicit conduct.”

For makers of “family friendly films,” Crowe wants to sweeten the existing tax credit system. For makers of G-rated movies, his bill would raise from 25 percent to 27 percent the tax credit now available for film production investments greater than $300,000.

Senators agreed with a unanimous vote, sending the bill to the House.

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MEGAN J. WILLIAMS / The Daily Reveille

Editor Jerit Roser walks through the Enchanted Forest behind Kirby Smith on Wednesday as part of The Daily Reveille’s 50 things to do at LSU.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

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THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 3

UREC

Committee approves first fee increase in seven years Money needed to maintain facility

By Natalie Roy Contributing Writer

While Baton Rouge remains lively with students working and enjoying summer vacation, one popular student spot, the University Student Recreational Complex, may be a little less crowded since its newly implemented fee increase.

On April 22, the Student Required Fee Advisory Committee notified University Recreation of the recommended fee increases, which start with an $11 increase for the summer — from $20 to $31 — and a $22 increase for fall 2009 and spring 2010.

“We need [the fees] to run this facility,” said Melissa Longino, University Recreation Associate Director of Recreational Services. “[The fees] are not for capital expenditures, which is new facilities, additions and renovations. That is presented to the student body at large ... and they say if they want to make that happen.”

Student fees only pay for operational expenses, which include labor and repairs like the outdoor basketball posts, which were recently restored after storm damages, Longino said. Bigger projects like the indoor basketball gym construction are paid for entirely by insurance and the state of Louisiana.

But because there is no mechanism for inflation and the cost of living is constantly rising, it has still been very difficult for University Recreation to maintain the facility and equipment. University Recreation has worked hard to stretch the previous fee of $45 per student — a fee that has been stagnant since 2002 — as far as possible, Longino said.

University Recreation now faces a discrepancy of $980,594 between UREC’s revenues and expenses. Without these fee increases, UREC would be looking at a net loss of almost $1.5 million at the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year.

“We’ve done a lot over the past years to really try to control all expenses and bring in as much self-generated revenue as much as possible,” Longino said. “We’ve had student wages go up since the minimum wage jumped from $5.25 to ... $7.25, and we employ around 200 student employees a year. Without our student staff, we wouldn’t be able to operate ... but it makes [UREC’s] expenditures go way up.”

Jayson DeLeaumont, kinesiology junior, is a regular UREC user who plans to pay the higher student fee despite the increase this summer.

“I’d rather go to [UREC] because it’s still cheaper than any other gym,” DeLeaumont said. “But of course I’d rather it be cheaper.”

And while DeLeaumont believes the increase to $67 in the fall is reasonable, he said University Recreation could have implemented the fee increase in a slower, less

severe way, and Longino agrees.

“Things just got backed up,” Longino said. “But we took away some a la carte fees to kind of compensate. We don’t charge for group fitness anymore, and this upcoming fall there will no longer be a fee for climbing. We were also able to invest in online classes. So there were things we are able to do that ... enhance the offerings to the students.”

A properly operating, diverse facility will also reflect positively on the University, Longino said.

With students having many reasons to attend a certain university, Longino believes a wide range of extra-curricular activities and opportunities is vital.

“A huge a role that we play on this campus as a part of student life is the recruitment and retention of students,” Longino said. “It’s about those other experiences you get in life, and that’s one of our major roles here. It does make a

difference.”

The University’s student UREC fee of $134 annually is lower compared to in-state peers like Tulane University and Louisiana Tech with fees of $240 and $315, respectively, and national peers like Ohio State University with a $228 fee.

And while the University’s facility is, comparatively, “dead last” in space with only four square feet per student, some students don’t seem to mind.

“I’m happy with the way [UREC] is right now,” DeLeaumont said. “Overcrowding is the biggest problem, but there’s not much they can do about that unless they get a new facility, which would be a long and costly project.

As of right now, overall, I’m satisfied.”

Contact Natalie Roy at nroy@lsureveille.com

Source: University Recreation

graphic by ELLEN ZIELINSKI /

The Daily Reveille

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 4 TUITION, from page 1

private institutions have tuitions and don’t use tax revenue.

Martin said the University will not increase tuition past what TOPS covers, and a measure like this will make coping with budget reductions easier.

The Senate also approved SB 335, sponsored by Sen. Lydia Jackson, D-Shreveport, and Senate President Joel Chaisson II, D-Destrehan, on Wednesday, 29-9. It would postpone a planned tax break for three years in order to lessen the proposed $219 million funding reduction expected for higher education.

The bill would delay an increase in the amount of federal excess itemized deductions a filer can claim on his state income tax returns. The deduction amount would remain at its current level — 65 percent — through the end of 2011, and the

HURRICANES, from page 1

generators, Moreau said. Her office, which houses the 911 center, lost power after Gustav.

The City-Parish Department of Public Works has already begun preliminary plans for hurricane season.

The division responsible for cleaning up trees and debris after a hurricane has checked all equipment to ensure every machine is ready for a disaster, officials said.

But most of the responsibility before a storm is up to homeowners, Public Works Superintendent Randy Harris said. Residents should check to ensure trees near power lines and roofs are stable, he said.

Other residents are also concerned that the community is not stocking up properly for a storm.

The annual state tax break on hurricane items including portable radios, flashlights, candles, tarps, gas tanks and generators issued by the Louisiana Department of Revenue was noted as unsuccessful in reaching the public by a few stores.

At Ace Hardware on Millerville Road, the busiest sales occur on the weekend, but only two customers took advantage of the tax-free holiday, said manager Hank Huetas.

“People don’t [prepare] until they have to,” Huetas said.

Winn Dixie on Burbank Drive was no different, according to a worker who was at the store all weekend.

The sales worker could not reveal his name because of company policies but said the store did not sell many of the hurricane supplies in stock.

But one Walmart worker on College Drive said dozens of Baton Rouge residents used the sale and the most popular items sold were flashlights, fans and ice chests.

A group of public officials from both Louisiana and Mississippi met May 26 to discuss plans to improve both states’ preparedness after learning from mistakes made before and after Hurricane Gustav made landfall, Louisiana State Police Sgt. Markus Smith said.

Preparations to improve contraflow if Louisiana is in a hurricane’s path were planned in a meeting with the State Department of Public Safety, Smith said.

THE UNIVERSITY’S PREPAREDNESS The University’s Emergency

$118 million generated would be used to lessen the planned cuts for higher education, the bill states. The deduction amount would become 100 percent after the three-year period, an increase originally planned for this year.

The bill now moves to the House, where there is expected to be large opposition.

Jindal doesn’t support the bill, but said he will approve a state operating budget that uses $50 million from the state’s rainy day fund to help ease higher education cuts — a move he was originally against.

Martin said the University is planning for the worst and looking at the possibility of furloughs, layoffs and elimination of several programs.

The session ends June 25.

Contact Kyle Bove at kbove@lsureveille.com Operations Center monitors the National Weather Service and receives any kind of alert if there is a change in weather during hurricane season, EOC Director D’Ann Morris said.

The EOC coordinates support with external agencies and internal LSU departments for medical triage, staging and medical special needs sheltering, Morris said. The University also provides medical relief to the state with both the medical special needs shelter in the PMAC and the federal medical station in the Huey P. Long Fieldhouse.

The EOC works closely with Residential Life and Facility Services in preparation for a hurricane, Morris said. “[We’ve used] the same plan for the last 15 years,” said Waller. “It worked very well during Gustav.”

About 72 hours before the storm, the University will begin preparing each department and the staff, Director of ResLife Steve Waller said. The students will be informed and given instructions if they need to evacuate, he said.

“You prepare for everything you can, [and] then you go with the flow,” Morris said.

Contact Joy Lukachick at jlukachick@lsureveille.com

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Visit lsureveille.com to listen to a podcast on the game and see a video of baseball coach Paul Mainieri talking about the Super Regional.

Sports

Thursday, June 4, 2009

PAGE 5

History Lesson MAGGIE BOWLES / The Daily Reveille

photo courtesy of Rice Athletic Department

BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille

[Left] Rice freshman Anthony Rendon makes a throw during a recent Rice game. [Middle] LSU freshman Tyler Hanover slides into third base during the Tigers’ 10-2 victory Friday against Southern. [Right] LSU sophomore second baseman DJ LeMahieu attempts to throw out a Louisiana-Lafayette runner April 22 during the Tigers’ 10-6 victory in Zephyr Stadium. LSU hosts Rice in the Super Regionals this weekend.

Tigers, Owls have much recent postseason drama

By Andy Schwehm Contributing Writer

While LSU was paired with Rice in postseason play this decade largely due to geographical reasons, the history between the teams provides the spice to this year’s matchup.

The most recent match between the teams may have contained the most drama. In last season’s College World Series, the Tigers defeated the Owls in a ninth inning rally, 6-5, in an elimination game on a walk-off double by then-sophomore Blake Dean.

“It was one of those things where the whole year and in the postseason somehow I ended up in the right place at the right time,” Dean said. “It happened to be me up there with the bases loaded.”

The rest of the history between the teams is just as compelling.

Rice swept the Tigers in the 2002 NCAA

Super Regional in Houston, 6-0 and 3-0.

Until last season, the teams had not met in the postseason since 2005. Three then-redshirts on that team are now seniors on this year’s team — pitchers Ryan Byrd and Nolan Cain and outfielder Nicholas Pontiff.

In 2005, the Tigers beat the Owls in regular season play, 8-2, in New Orleans. But Rice got the last laugh, defeating LSU twice, 9-7 then 5-4, to knock them out of regional play in Alex Box Stadium.

Cain remembers the 2005 Rice team well, as he was on the radar gun as a redshirted freshman under then-head coach Smoke Laval.

“They came in there, and they were a young team that played hungry all week,” Cain said. “They really put it to us.”

But LSU coach Paul Mainieri has only been a part of two games against Rice as a HISTORY, see page 6

New Alex Box continues mystique of old park

By David Helman Contributing Writer

After just one weekend of postseason play, the new Alex Box Stadium has a postseason aura all its own.

Last weekend the No. 1 LSU baseball team unleashed the late-game heroics fans are accustomed to. The Tigers blasted seven runs in the seventh inning against Southern to overcome a 2-1 deficit Friday, and 24 hours later the team rallied to a 3-2 extrainnings victory against Baylor.

The Tigers’ 3-0 weekend record lifted them to an NCAA Super Regional for the second consecutive year, an accomplishment befitting the now-empty Alex Box Stadium 300 hundred yards down Nicholson Drive.

“Alex Box magic carries over — it moved down the street,” said Chris Elkins, LSU alumnus.

Elkins’ confidence is commonplace amongst fans — though it took a weekend to convince the players.

Several LSU players were concerned the new stadium couldn’t make as much noise as the old Box, despite its larger capacity of 9,200.

“We were all a little worried that the stands were too spread out, but the fans showed us what they got,” said sophomore pitcher Anthony Ranaudo. “This weekend we know what to expect.”

Ranaudo started the Tigers’ 10-inning thriller against Baylor — a victory many fans are willing to credit to themselves.

“When Ranaudo is on the mound in the ninth inning throwing his 130th pitch, the only thing that’s getting him through is everybody clapping,” said Mike Neely. “He STADIUM, see page 6

FOOTBALL

Athletic department plans freshman ticket allocation Incoming students may get package deal

By Xerxes A. Wilson Contributing Writer

Saturday night in Tiger Stadium is one of the most anticipated experiences for incoming University freshmen, but they may only be able to attend half of the upcoming season’s home games.

That’s because if upperclassmen — who get priority for reserving tickets — reserve more than 14,000 of the 15,000 tickets allocated to students, incoming freshmen will have to choose between two separate three-game packages with the option of adding the game

against Arkansas played the day after Thanksgiving, said Hunter Geisman student ticket coordinator.

One package would include the game against Florida. The other would include the game against Auburn.

There is also a possibility that more than 1,000 tickets will remain after upperclassmen reserve, allowing the ticket office to offer the full eight-game home package to incoming freshmen, Geisman said.

“Last year and 2003 were fluke years because we were coming off national championships,” Geisman said. “Both of those years we had less than 1,000 tickets remaining for the incoming freshman. Every year other than those two, we have been able to fulfill full [seven-game]

packages for incoming freshmen.

Coming off an 8-5 year, I would say it is more likely than last year that they would get the full game package, but it just depends on what the upperclassmen do.”

Offering split packages will allow a larger amount of freshmen to experience Tiger Stadium instead of having only half of those students go to every home game, said Student Government President Stuart Watkins.

Student Government has been working with the athletic department to avoid a situation like last year where freshmen were expecting to get full season packages until their time to reserve in August, said TICKETS, see page 6

Daily Reveille file photo

LSU fans cheer Sept. 27 during LSU’s 34-24 victory against Miss. St. Freshmen may have to choose one of two three game packages for tickets.

PAGE 6

THE DAILY REVEILLE

HISTORY, from page 5

STADIUM, from page 5

head coach — the game last season and one win against Rice as a coach at Notre Dame.

That leads Mainieri to not be too concerned about the history between the clubs (LSU is 12-11 against Rice all time with the first matchups being two Tiger losses, 5-3 and 9-6, in 1914).

“If you told me that Rice had beaten [pitchers] Anthony Ranaudo and Louis Coleman before, then I would be a little worried,” Mainieri said.

Ranaudo will take the mound for the Tigers in game one. The rest of the weekend’s lineup should be Coleman, then sophomore Austin Ross if necessary in game three, but Mainieri said that will be determined after game one.

“I may decide to use [Coleman or Ross] if it takes them to win Friday night,” Mainieri said. “In a best two out of three, it doesn’t matter which games you win, as long as you win two.”

Mainieri added every team the Tigers play from here on out has a chance at the national championship, so the Tigers will have to take each game separately and win one at a time.

The Owls will be no exception, as they come to Alex Box Stadium with one of the best pitching staffs in the nation with a 4.07 ERA led by junior starters Mike Ojala (1.73 ERA) and Ryan Berry (2.00 ERA) and freshman Taylor Wall (3.45 ERA).

Rice also boasts a .322 batting average, led by Collegiate Baseball Freshman of the Year Anthony Rendon, who enters the series batting .384 with 19 home runs and 70 RBI.

had nothing left, and he still managed to strike out the side. That’s pure adrenaline, and he gets it from the crowd.”

It’s an assertion that Ranaudo and others will back up.

“As soon as the fans stand up you feel like, ‘I’ve got six, seven, eight more miles an hour,’” said senior pitcher Louis Coleman.

“You’re throwing your fastball as hard as you can, and it’s still going 92, but it feels like 102. The fans are bearing down on the hitter ... It doesn’t make you throw any harder, but it’ll carry you.”

A weekend’s worth of magic is a drop in the bucket compared to the old Box, which helped 13 teams to the College World Series and was home to five national champions.

“We’ve opened a brand new stadium as the No. 1 team in the country,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “Wouldn’t it be great to start off a new era in the most appropriate way?”

The new stadium has the opportunity to prove its playoff mojo

TICKETS, from page 5 Student Government Vice President Martina Scheuermann.

“Our biggest concern is education, because last year [the athletic department] didn’t get the word out early enough and freshmen came through orientation thinking they were going to get a full package, but they get online and only get half the package,” Scheuermann said. “I think that is where a lot of the negative feelings about it came up, because they were not informed.”

Student Government is also working with the athletic department to implement a plan that will help allocate more tickets to those who actively attend every game.

Under this plan, any student who does not attend at least three home games or earn a total of 60 priority points will be demoted to freshman level when reserving tickets the following season, Watkins said.

“We want to reward the people who are actively going to all the games with the hope of being able to offer more freshman tickets in years to come,” Watkins said.

Watkins is also working with the athletic department on the possibility of students getting discounted concessions in the student section when using their Tiger Card.

Watkins also said the annual Student Government away game bus trip will be going to the game at Mississippi State the weekend of September 26.

Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at xwilson@lsureveille.com

MAGGIE BOWLES / The Daily Reveille

The Tigers take batting practice before a Feb. 25 game against Southern, which LSU won, 11-5. LSU will place Rice this weekend in Alex Box Stadium.

Dean said he knows this year’s Rice team is going to be just as good as the team the Tigers faced last season, so he would rather face them now in the super regionals.

“We wouldn’t want a different team in the super regional,” Dean said. “We would have to play them eventually, so I don’t see why not just play them now so we don’t have to worry about them later.”

Matty Ott — who followed LSU’s postseason run during summer ball after his senior year in high

school — said he’s excited about the chance to pitch against Rice in the postseason, as it has been a dream of his to play in the postseason for LSU. “That’s what you play for all season,” Ott said. “You don’t play just to play 56 games and then hang it up to go to summer ball ... You want to go to Omaha.”

Contact Andy Schwehm at aschwehm@lsureveille.com

Thursday, June 4, 2009 this weekend against No. 7 Rice, as a startling winning streak hangs in the balance.

The Tigers have never failed to advance to the College World Series when hosting a Super Regional in Alex Box Stadium since the Super Regional round was introduced in 1999, but have failed to reach Omaha, Neb., all three times they’ve traveled for the second round of the postseason.

“I can’t speak for any of the others and neither can anyone on this team,” said junior outfielder Jared Mitchell. “All we can really worry about is what we do.”

The Tigers need not worry about the road this summer — unless they make another trip to Omaha.

In order to do that, they’ll need the power of the Box. “We know how well we play here, and that has a lot to do with the fans,” Ranaudo said. “They get you into it.”

Contact David Helman at dhelman@lsureveille.com

Thursday, June 4, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 7

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Baton Rouge 16 (O’Neal) 225-769-5176

**ANGELS & DEMONS PG13 11:10, 3:55, 7:10, 10:25 **DANCE FLICK PG13 10:05, 1:05, 4:35, 7:05, 9:55 **DRAG ME TO HELL PG13 10:10, 10:40, 1:10, 4:10, 4:40,7:25, 8:15, 10:10 **GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST 10:35, 7:35 PG13 **THE HANGOVER R 12:01 **NIGHT AT THE MUSEM:BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN PG 10:15, 10:45, 11:!5, 1:15, 1:45, 2:15, 4:15, 4:45, 6:45, 7:15, 8:05, 9:45, 10:15 **OBSESSED PG13 4:25, 10:05 **STAR TREK PG13 10:55, 3:50, 6:55, 10:35 ** TERMINATOR SALVATION PG13 10:20, 10:50, 1:20, 1:40, 1:50, 4:20, 4:50, 7:20, 7:50, 10:20 **UP PG 11:00, 2:00, 5:00. 8:10 **UP IN DISNEY DIGITAL 3D PG 10:00, 10:30, 1:00, 1:30, 4:00,4:30, 7:00, 7:30, 10:00, 10:30 **X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE PG13 10:25, 4:05, 6:50, 9:50

**ANGELS & DEMONS PG13 11:10, 12:10, 4:10, 7:25, 10:30 **DANCE FLICK PG13 11:25, 2:10, 4:40, 8:0, 10:20 **DRAG ME TO HELL PG13 10:55, 11:45, 2:45, 4:20, 5:30,7:10, 7:55, 10:35,11:10 **GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST PG13 2:25, 5:10, 8:15, 10:45 **THE HANGOVER R 11:59 **NIGHT AT THE MUSEM:BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN PG 10:45, 11:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:15, 3:45, 4:30, 5:00, 6:30, 7:15, 8:05, 9:15, 10:00, 10:55 **OBSESSED PG13 1:40 **STAR TREK PG13 10:45, 1:35, 4:35, 7:35, 10:25 ** TERMINATOR SALVATION PG13 11:15, 12:15, 1:15, 2:00, 3:00, 4:15, 5:05, 6:45, 7:20, 8:20, 9:30, 11:00 **UP PG 11:00, 1:45, 4:45, 7:30, 10:10 **UP IN DISNEY DIGITAL 3D PG 12:00, 12:45, 2:30, 4:00, 5:15, 7:00, 7:45, 9:45, 10:40 **X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE PG13 1:10, 4:05, 7:05, 9:50

Mall of Lousiana 15

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Opinion

PAGE 8

OUR VIEW

Thursday, June 4, 2009

La. residents, prepare for the worst, hope for the best Louisiana residents have suffered their share of hurricane tragedy.

Some of us who grew up in Louisiana probably heard “Betsy” and “Camille” from grandparents more than we heard our own names.

But we hadn’t seen the storms our grandparents or even parents had, and it was easy to hold up the “it won’t happen to me” mentality.

Now we’ve been through Katrina and even Gustav, but some residents still seem to think “it won’t

happen to them.”

And that’s a quick ticket to a worst case scenario.

The National Weather Service projects this hurricane season to be less active than the last couple years, but that’s no reason to shrug off preparing for the worst.

This season is still projected to be “average” — and even if it wasn’t, why go into even a less active hurricane season unprepared?

Dealing with yearly hurricanes is an unfortunate by-product of life in Louisiana. Hurricane season lasts

half the year.

We know they’re coming. Why not be ready?

Obviously, not everyone is going into hurricane season unprepared.

Some people have already trimmed potentially hazardous trees and taken advantage of the tax-free weekend for hurricane supplies.

This preparation doesn’t mean they’re invincible, but it does mean they’ll be braving potential storms more safely and comfortably.

And maybe some residents will

stock up on radios, water, generators and flash lights and trim their trees and board their houses and will have little to no damage and no need for the supplies they’ve bought.

But it doesn’t hurt to trim a tree, and the unused supplies can just wait for the next hurricane season or emergency — there will be one.

These are the supplies we rely on when all else — particularly electricity — fails. They’ll be fine in a closet or garage for six months.

The local government provided things like hurricane supply tax-free

weekends and easy-to-find advice — and it’s done so for a reason.

Because as much as some people may be prepared and eventually have nothing to worry about, think of the opposite — someone completely unprepared who receives the worst.

That story ends a lot worse than a closet full of useful supplies and a trimmed tree.

Contact the Editorial Board at editor@lsureveille.com

METAIRIE’S FINEST

Those who smoke weed for taste, your day has come

There is something inherently funny about marijuana (see: Jon Stewart’s wonderful performance in “Half Baked”).

There is something even more inherently funny about a company growing a secret underground lair full of cannabis — akin to Dr. No’s secret hideout — for the sole purpose of creating a marijuana that doesn’t have the terrible effects of giving the user a euphoric high.

Talk about the beginning of the most boring espionage thriller ever.

As amusing and ridiculous as it sounds, it’s happening. Right now. Perhaps the secret lair isn’t underground or mysterious. It exists somewhere in Southern England, but “for clear security reasons we do not divulge the precise location.”

The “we” in question is GW Pharmaceuticals, the creators of the new cannabinoid pharmaceutical product Sativex which is “administered as an oral spray which is absorbed by the patient’s mouth,” according to the company’s Web site.

There are probably a lot of

important things to say about this, but I just can’t shake the image of a couple of men, dressed head to toe in black, puffing out clouds of baby powder then dancing around a dazzling system of lasers that, if touched, would alert the head of security of GW Pharmaceuticals, whose evil (and bald, of course) leader would rush in to stop the spies from stealing their stash.

Nor can I lose the image of a bunch of college kids passing a spray around a cheap apartment with “Dark Side of the Moon” slipping from speakers while “The Wizard of Oz” silently flashes from the TV. The obvious question: Why did this company want to create a new form of marijuana, essentially, for medicinal purposes? It seems overly controversial for something that has already been done (in some form, see Cesamet and Marinol — both synthetic, both cause laughter and euphoria) in the past.

According to Slate, GW Pharmaceuticals thinks that smoking

marijuana as a medicine is somewhat counter-productive and, anyway, creating a spray to get the job done without the munchies, giggling and an insatiable desire for distorted guitars “makes more sense than letting everybody grow and smoke the herb, Travis Andrews with all the resulting variabilColumnist ity, fraud, and side effects.”

The spray, a derivative of the cannabis plant, is not ready for the States and the UK quite yet. Rather, “Sativex is currently undergoing late-stage clinical development in Europe and the United States.”

But it’s been used in Canada for at least four years. In April 2005, it began being used as “symptomatic relief of neuropathic pain in Multiple Sclerosis,” and in August 2007, it began usage “as adjunctive analgesic treatment in patients

with advanced cancer who experience moderate to severe pain during the highest tolerated dose of strong opioid therapy for persistent background pain.”

At the moment, Sativex is making headlines because GW Pharmaceuticals has requested European approval for the product.

There isn’t much information on how users will react to things like drug tests, though it sounds as if passing them might be a problem.

Like that classic “Seinfeld” episode in which Elaine can’t pass drug tests because she’s been eating poppy-seed muffins, a couple of good sprays might be enough to come up positive and lose a job.

But Americans shouldn’t worry about that quite yet. Bayer Healthcare is the product’s marketer in Canada, but Americans will have to take a trip north to get a spray. The drug is currently only being used in FDA tests in the States and pending approval for general usage.

Interestingly, some of the side effects of the drug are “somnolence

(sleepiness), nausea, and dizziness.”

The first and last make sense, but nausea is one of the symptoms of chemotherapy that marijuana helps keep down, allowing the patients to eat when they would otherwise be fairly unable.

Though the drug probably won’t cause much outrage either way in the United States, assuming it passes FDA regulations, it is an interesting neutrality in the war on drugs. Like Switzerland, it’s right in the thick of the things — I mean, it’s made from pot that’s hidden in perhaps a dungeon in Southern England! — but it doesn’t actually have any reason to be looked down on from any side. Two similar drugs are already in usage here, and if it works, everyone will benefit.

‘Cept maybe those darn kids who’ll start drinking bottles and wondering why their ding-dongs are tasting better.

Contact Travis Andrews at tandrews@lsureveille.com

SNAPSHOT

Welcome to LSU, get out there and do something

New freshmen and transfer students, let me welcome you to the University and to The Daily Reveille and lsureveille.com This summer we’ve decided to take you through a list of places and activities to enjoy on campus in both our print and online editions.

Each day, you’ll find a column like this briefly describing a few of these experiences as well as a “Snapshot” on our Web site of photos of the people, places and activities.

So, here’s the first of 17 columns by myself, Managing Editor Ellen Zielinski and Online Media Editor Zac Lemoine, and be sure to

check out the accompanying Snapshot on lsureveille.com.

Mike the Tiger is as well-known a symbol of the University as any.

There’s an actual living, breathing carnivore next to the PMAC — unfortunately he’s been sleeping in a corner of his habitat when we’ve tried to get his picture recently, but expect new pictures to come soon.

There’s a student in a cat costume — you can try to get him or her to break character, but you’d better pack a lunch for that sure-tofail mission.

Then there’s the three bronze Tiger statues motionlessly prowling

THE DAILY REVEILLE Editorial Board

JERIT ROSER ELLEN ZIELINSKI

Editor

Managing Editor

MATTHEW ALBRIGHT

Columnist

TRAVIS ANDREWS

Columnist

SCOTT BURNS

Columnist

SKLYAR GREMILLION

Columnist

the campus.

They’re pretty nice, and you or someone you know will take a picture with at least one of them.

It will likely be a ridiculous picture.

You may, with a little effort, ride it.

You may pretend like the bronze beast is attack- Jerit Roser Editor ing you. It’s all gold, or I guess bronze.

Heck, do it today before the returning students come back and give

you disapproving head shakes.

One thing fewer of you may do — although it’d be a better use of your time — is meet the chancellor, Dr. Michael Martin.

He’s the head of the campus, and he’s a character.

This was the first opportunity I had to meet him, and he was friendly and joking right of the bat.

Also, pay at least mild attention to what he’s up to. There’ll eventually be some pancakes in it for you.

Finally, I went to an interesting campus location — one I grew fond of when I lived at The Venue.

The “Enchanted Forest” is the

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.

spooky set of trees near Kirby Smith and The Pentagon.

I’m told it’s supposed to be good luck to walk through the forest with a girlfriend or boyfriend, but it’s basically just a cool place to pass through from time to time.

In any event, these are just three ways to get the most of your LSU experience. Keep picking up the paper and checking the Web site for more to come.

Contact Jerit Roser at jroser@lsureveille.com

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The law is the law, and I do not believe it’s going to be changed, and it’s not going to be changed by me.”

John McCain Arizona senator Aug. 29, 1936 — present

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Opinion

Thursday, June 4, 2009

BURNS AFTER READING

PAGE 9

Trust me: actions speak louder than words, grades Welcome to college, incoming freshman class of 2013.

Please allow me be the first to congratulate you on your admission to this great pinnacle of higher education.

I’m sure by now you’ve been barraged with friendly advice from your elders regarding how to get the most out of your collegiate experience. Don’t listen to them.

As we all know, college is about questioning authority and not relying on others to make decisions for you.

That said, I highly encourage you to blindly accept everything I am about to say as absolute fact.

If you really want to make the most out of college, here are some suggestions: 1. Demand respect. If you want people to pay attention to you around here, you have to act like you own the place. Don’t be a campussy.

2. One of the best ways to gain the aforementioned respect is by gloating about your high school “accomplishments.” Exaggerate.

Who will know that you were re-

ally second string, not second team all-state? Which leads me to my next point: 3. Be sure to wear your high school letter jacket. Don’t let the fact that the University is home to one of the nations best athletic programs intimidate you. All people really care about is the success you had in high school athletics. Russell Shepard has nothing on you.

4. If bravado isn’t your motto, there are other ways to fit in. You can, for instance, invest your entire identity in something that’s completely superficial. The University has plenty of clubs and Greek organizations that would be more than willing to take your tiny ball of insecurity and mold you into matching replicas of themselves.

5. If activism is your forte, you can try fixing the government by joining a political action group.

Don’t be deceived by logic or history, you actually can change the State with a few picket signs and some cool bumper stickers. Yes you can!

6. Skip class frequently. Attending class requires an unneces-

sary level of dedication. Trust me — It’s better to be an “A” sleeper than an “A” student. Besides, your future can wait through a few years of snoozes and a few thousand dollars in tuition expenses.

7. Wear your high school class ring. Nothing says maturity Scott Burns like clinging to Columnist the past like a wet security blanket.

8. Buy a house. No one has ever lost on real estate. Anywhere.

Ever. Besides, if your parents really love you, they should be more than happy to subsidize your luxurious living standards out of their retirement savings.

9. Introduce yourself to your favorite sports stars as “their biggest fan.” Nothing says cool like asking for autographs from people that are virtually the same age as you. And athletes love the constant intrusion.

10. Objectify everything. Es-

pecially the opposite sex. Dignity and self-respect are for people who can’t get laid. Which leads to my next suggestion.

11. Never use protection.

Condoms, after all, are a sign of weakness. Don’t let that dirty slip of rubber get in the way of making all your wet dreams come true.

12. If objectifying people isn’t your bag of beans, that’s fine.

Just fall madly in love with the first person you meet at college.

As they say, 60 percent of the time freshman relationships end up in a happy marriage every time.

13. Take advantage of the University’s great on-campus parking. Thanks to our University’s fantastic traffic system, you’ll never have to worry about being late to class.

14. Schedule as many 7:30 a.m. classes as possible. That way if you actually do decide to go to class, you can stay up all night, go to class, and then sleep all day. It works everytime.

15. Apply for easy credit. By the time you graduate, the economy will be so robust that you

won’t have any trouble paying off your student debt. If you tap your toes together three times and make a wish, your debt magically disappears. Just ask the class of 2009.

To recap: Enjoy the moment.

Never think. Just do. Don’t be tricked into believing that college has anything to do with demonstrating initiative, personal responsibly, intelligent effort or expanding your boundaries. In reality, it has everything to do with enjoying yourself in spite of your better judgment.

And if you somehow fail, make excuses. Play the victim.

It’s what mature people do when things don’t go their way.

In conclusion, the most important thing you need to realize about your college experience is that the less you put into it, the more you get out of it.

Welcome to college, boys and girls. Enjoy it at your own expense.

Contact Scott Burns at sburns@lsureveille.com

VIEW FROM ANOTHER SCHOOL

Cutting aid is an assault on affordable education

By Claire Viall, Ian Magruder and Nik Dixit UC Berkley

BERKLEY, Calif. (U-WIRE) — “If you’re ready to attend the University of California, money shouldn’t stand in your way.”

This simple statement, affirming equality of opportunity, features prominently on the UC’s Web site. It guides our University System, which is tasked with providing not only a quality education, but also one that is affordable and accessible as well.

Yet its egalitarian spirit is under fierce attack. Affordability has been abandoned by our governor, who has regrettably chosen short-term political expedience over long-term investment in the future of our great state.

In response to California’s fiscal crisis, Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed the elimination of Cal Grants, a program which provides aid to hundreds of thousands of lowincome college students. Around 6,500 benefit from Cal Grants at UC Berkeley and many will be forced to leave if their aid is revoked.

Among their ranks is Paula Villescaz, a third-year student who hopes to be the first in her family to graduate from college. She has maintained good grades, worked on congressional campaigns and served on the boards of both the Cal Berkeley Democrats and California Young Democrats. Although Paula receives $7,788 from Cal Grants, she would not qualify for private loans. Discussing the prospect of losing her grant, she told us, “I’d probably have to quit school.”

While our budget must face cuts, they should be carefully chosen. Eliminating Cal Grants, which hold immense value as both an investment and a moral imperative, would be a huge mistake.

Sacramento’s short-changing of students is nothing new. Over the past 30 years, California has reduced its share of our school’s budget from over half to barely a quarter. While the UC used to receive 7 percent of the general fund, it now hardly gets three.

About half of recent state spending cuts have been in education, depriving our school of around $155 million over two years. More are on the way; in the coming weeks, additional cuts will take away about another $30 million.

Unsurprisingly, students have been greatly hurt by this reckless abandon. Just this month, the UC Board of Regents approved a 9.3 percent fee increase. This was not an isolated occurrence.

Fees have more than doubled in the past seven years, outpacing incomes fourfold. Nationwide, the average student graduates with $22,000 in student debt, leaving many in dire financial straits. However, the most brazen attack on affordability is the governor’s plan to eliminate Cal Grants. Doing so would slam the doors of opportunity on those who need it most and leave low-income students at the mercy of ever-rising costs.

The UC remains a meritocracy, not a plutocracy, and the governor’s plan runs contrary to its established mission. By attacking Cal Grants, Schwarzenegger is systematically

excluding thousands of low-income students. He is turning off the engines of mobility and threatening the American Dream itself. Even if you do not receive a Cal Grant, this issue should still arouse your passions. California has benefitted from its great diversity, and excluding the poor, who are far too often racial minorities, hurts us all. The idea that only the rich contribute to society, and therefore only they are worthy of intellectual development, has been repeatedly and thoroughly discredited.

Andrew Carnegie, one of history’s wealthiest men and perhaps its

most famous philanthropist, was as a child a penniless immigrant. However, this issue is foremost a moral onein a state that prides its inclusion, we should protect the disadvantaged, not sacrifice them when their needs are greatest.

While we hope the governor changes his mind, we know better than to depend on such hope. If we want change, we must be its agents.

We do not have to be passive observers in this process; our elected officials are not beyond our reach.

For your fellow students, if not for yourself, please take a few minutes to call the governor and express your

disapproval.

Ask him why he is sacrificing the needy while refusing to raise a cent in their defense. Ask him why he is abandoning them after signing a $750 million corporate tax break. Tell him that education is not expendable-that if our state is to be successful, it must invest in its people. Finally, tell him that affordable education, and the Cal Grants which protect it, must be preserved if we wish to retain any semblance of the American Dream.

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

BEST AND WITTIEST

cartoon courtesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 10

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Thursday, June 4, 2009

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Thursday, June 4, 2009