ONE YEAR LATER
SPORTS Miles expects Jefferson to be only QB to see playing time in For a pullout of photos and stories about Gustav, see page 10. Washington, page 5.
THE DAILY REVEILLE Volume 114, Issue 7
WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Piecing it all together
By Lindsey Meaux University still Senior Staff Writer working through Gustav aftermath one year later
Hurricane Gustav made landfall in Louisiana one year ago today, wreaking havoc on the University and leaving its picturesque campus in shambles. After 12 months of work, the University continues recovery efforts from the $10 million worth of damages the storm dealt. Ten buildings — including the International Cultural Center, School of Music facilities, Kirby-Smith Hall and the Chemical Engineering Building — RECOVERY, see page 14
Daily Reveille file photo
TECHNOLOGY
Coffee shops struggle with free wireless access Students use Wi-Fi but don’t support business By Ryan Buxton Staff Writer
Quiet chatter, the inviting smell of roasting coffee and students’ faces lit by the glow of laptops are all things sure to be found in one of the many coffee shops on or around college campuses. But with many coffee shops offering free wireless Internet access, businesses could be suffering from lingering students who log on but never check out. The coffee shop atmosphere appeals
to many University students as an ideal place to camp out and study. Erin Douget, English sophomore, said she enjoys both having people around and the “organized chaos” that goes on in a coffee shop. But customers sit- Log on to see ting inside a cafe and us- a coffee shop ing the Internet without owner discuss buying anything has be- free Wi-Fi. come a problem for coffee shop owners. Some shops in larger areas like New York City have begun to reevaluate their WiFi policies, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. One Baton Rouge establishment
found a unique way to deal with customers who linger — by charging for coffee by the minute. Insomkneeacks, located on Florida Boulevard, prices its coffee based on how much time a customer spends drinking it. Patrons can buy coffee by the half hour, hour, evening, day, week, month or year. “If you want a half hour’s worth of coffee, you pay when you come in, and a half hour later, your time expires,” said Peter Excho, owner of Insomkneeacks.
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COFFEE, see page 14
KRISTEN M’LISSA ROWLETT / The Daily Reveille
Environmental science and coastal studies freshman Rachel Kearns uses the free wireless at Highland Coffees on Aug. 25.
THE DAILY REVEILLE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
Nation & World
INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
UK police to review Rolling Stones guitarist death after 40 years
Two major US cigarette makers file suit over new tobacco law
LONDON (AP) — Forty years after the body of Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones was found floating in his swimming pool following a binge of drugs and drinking, police said Monday they are reviewing the case in light of new evidence turned over by a journalist.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Two of the three largest U.S. tobacco companies filed suit Monday to block marketing restrictions in a law that gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco, claiming the provisions violate their right to free speech. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., maker of Camel cigarettes, and Lorillard Inc., which sells the Newport menthol brand, filed the federal lawsuit with several other tobacco companies. It is the first major challenge of the legislation passed and enacted in June.
Hurricane stronger, heads for Mexico’s Los Cabos LOS CABOS, Mexico (AP) — Extremely dangerous Hurricane Jimena roared toward Mexico’s resortstudded Baja California Peninsula on Monday, prompting emergency workers to set up makeshift shelters and chasing away an international finance conference. Jimena is just short of Category 5 status and could rake the harsh desert region fringed with picturesque beaches and fishing villages as a major storm by Tuesday evening, forecasters said.
Construction for Flight 93 National Memorial to start in Nov. PITTSBURGH (AP) — The federal government will pay about $9.5 million to acquire land so the Flight 93 National Memorial can be built by the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Monday. With
the National Park Service reaching agreements with eight landowners, construction is expected to start in November, Salazar said. Salazar called the site where the plane crashed, near Shanksville in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, hallowed ground and said the nation was “eternally grateful for the heroes of Flight 93.” Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean sues over firing in June LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean sued pageant officials Monday for libel, slander and religious discrimination, accusing them of telling her to stop mentioning God even before her controversial remarks against gay marriage. Prejean sued California pageant executive director Keith Lewis and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler, who served as a co-director before resigning in protest of Prejean. Prejean was fired in June by pageant officials who said she missed several scheduled appearances.
STATE/LOCAL
La. insurance commissioner seeks immunity against certain lawsuits
Former HANO official accused of embezzling about $900K
(AP) — Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said Monday that he’ll support legislation to give the state’s “insurer of last resort” immunity against certain lawsuits, a proposal that could retroactively negate the firm’s payout if it loses its appeal of a $95 million class-action. Donelon said he’ll back such a bill in 2010 to protect Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. against lawsuits — past and present — that seek financial damages for failure to pay claims on time. Donelon said the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association, a state body that pays claims of failed insurers, enjoys a similar immunity. If passed and deemed constitutional, Donelon said such a measure could nix payouts in an existing lawsuit filed in Jefferson Parish. In it, Citizens is appealing a ruling that the state-backed firm must pay $95 million to 18,573 policyholders because their Hurricane Katrina claims were not settled quickly enough.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A former chief financial officer for the Housing Authority of New Orleans has been charged with embezzling around $900,000 from the agency that oversees the city’s public housing. A bill of information filed Monday charges Elias Castellanos with theft.
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New DWI law issues harsher fines, takes effect Tuesday (AP) — Drivers who refuse to submit to a breathalyzer test when they are stopped on suspicion of drunken driving face stiffer penalties for the refusal starting Tuesday. Louisiana lawmakers approved changes to the law earlier this year. Under the new law, a suspect who refuses to take the test loses his driver’s license for one year, up from the previous six month penalty. If a person refuses the test more than once in a five-year period, the driver’s license will be suspended for two years.
Find The Daily Reveille on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lsureveille See a look back at the damage Follow The Daily Reveille on Twitter for news and Hurricane Gustav sports updates and breaking news at: TDR_news, caused on campus. TDR_sports, lsureveille.
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CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
In the photo cutline for the story entitled, “Tigers look to overcome ’08 negative turnover margins to succeed on the field,” the day of the Florida football game was incorrect. The game was played on Oct. 11. If you would like something corrected or clarified please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or e-mail editor@lsureveille.com.
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THE DAILY REVEILLE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
CAMPUS LIFE
Hurricane parties help students cope By Mary Walker Baus Staff Writer
While some people boarded up their windows and evacuated before Gustav’s wrath last fall, some students rode out the storm in Baton Rouge, inviting anyone around to hurricane parties with no power, no water and a whole bunch of beer. Mary Lou Kelley, psychology professor, said hurricane parties can act as a coping mechanism and social support system for people amid the potential danger of a hurricane. “[People] are powerless in a sense [when it comes to hurricanes],” Kelley said. “[A hurricane] is somewhat of a random event. People use [hurricane] parties to distract themselves and reduce their anxiety.” Kelley said substance abuse increases when natural disasters pull people out of their routines. Jason Collins, biology junior, attended a hurricane party after Gustav tore through Baton Rouge, leaving a breadcrumb trail of fallen trees and tangled power lines. “Hurricanes are a major event, and [students] might as well have some fun and get their minds off the bad stuff,” Collins said. Collins said 15 to 20 people attended the hurricane party in Southgate Towers. He said police did not break up this party, but other parties his friends had were raided once the curfew was implemented. Collins said he never felt unsafe partying during Gustav. He said no students at the party he attended were out of control. Students are encouraged to follow public advisories issued by the Emergency Operations Center during hurricanes, University spokesman Herb Vincent said in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille. Vincent said choosing to stay in the path of the storm and party instead of following evacuation advisories is a bad idea. The front-end manager at the Winn-Dixie on Burbank Drive said her store always sees an increase in alcohol sales when a hurricane approaches. She said people of all ages contibute to this increase. While some students who rode out the storm with parties in Baton Rouge, Brittany Maywalt and her friends threw their own hurricane party far from Gustav’s grasp. “There was a mandatory evacuation from the Kappa house,” said Maywalt, mass communication junior. “We wanted to go on a road trip. It was either go with our parents to Destin or go with our friends.” Maywalt and her friends first travelled 11 hours to the University of South Carolina and College of Charleston. Maywalt flew to Colorado College when another hurricane threatened South Carolina. “We went to South Carolina because we have friends who go to school there,” Maywalt said. “We went to Charleston just to see it. I made my friends throw a hurricane party. It was like a fun pregame, and then we went out.” Maywalt said 30 or 40 people came to their hurricane party and she and her friends partied almost every
night of their travels. “You get drunk, then you’re hung over and laughing about the night and not thinking about what’s going on in Baton Rouge,” she said. “You’re always doing something to keep yourself entertained.” Kelley received a grant of $378,000 from the National Institute of Mental Health shortly after Hurricane Katrina to study the psychological impact of hurricanes on Louisiana youth. Now, the Department of Homeland Security will fund her research for the next five years. She said she will be conducting focus groups with college students who experienced Hurricane Katrina. “When I taught during Katrina ... the students had all their family members living with them,” Kelley said. “They lost their homes. Their lives were disrupted. It did affect their being able to focus on just being a student ... It was disruptive ... when you start having to worry about your parents and not yourself.” Kelley said the focus groups will look at resiliency of adults, adolescents and college students. She wants to research what helped people overcome the devastating effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita and continue her research on the psychological damage brought by hurricanes. “In general, for children and adults ... the amount of psychological symptoms is based on the threat of the hurricane to that person, their loss and the destruction,” Kelley said. “The more exposure, the greater chance you’ll have psychological symptoms. Most people get better in a short period of time.” Kelley said women usually have more symptoms than men, but men have more substance abuse after a disaster. “If people are having beers together ... it’s used as a coping technique,” she said. “It’s better to use other coping mechanisms.” Maywalt said she partied during Gustav as a way to get support during the hurricane. And she plans to evacuate to other universities again if another hurricane heads toward Baton Rouge. “It’s another reason to throw a party,” Maywalt said. Contact Mary Walker Baus at mwbaus@lsureveille.com
Campus Crime Briefs 51 YEAR OLD STEALS SQUID SALAD The LSU Police Department arrested a 51-year-old woman unaffiliated with the University around 4:30 p.m. Friday for shoplifting a squid salad sushi plate from Tiger Lair in the Student Union. LSUPD spokesman Capt. Russell Rogé said officers arrested Sheila Cannon, a Baton Rouge resident with no permanent address, after searching Cannon’s bag and finding a crack pipe and 11 oxycodone pills for which Cannon did not have a prescription. Once questioned, Cannon admitted to stealing an Almond Joy candy bar and a bag of Lay’s potato chips from the Mini-Mart before shoplifting from the Union. Cannon was booked in East Baton Rouge Parish prison for shoplifting, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of Schedule II drugs. DRUNK STUDENT FLEES LSUPD, FALLS DOWN LSUPD responded to a medical emergency Aug. 25 at Herget Hall around 1 a.m. and were informed a student had been drinking in the lobby. Officers confronted 18-year-old Andrew Jolibois, of 190 N. Berryline Circle, The Woodlands, Texas, outside the dorm. Jolibois shouted obscenities at the officers before fleeing the scene and falling in the parking lot, Rogé said. He later admitted he had been drinking and was booked in EBR Parish Prison for resisting an officer and underage drinking, Rogé said. TWO STUDENTS INVOLVED WITH MARIJUANA, CODEINE LSUPD arrested two students for smoking marijuana in a car after following the pair to an East Campus Apartment. LSUPD arrested Vincent Brown Jr., 20, of 1020 N. Seventh Street, Monroe, and Sarita Robinson, 18, of 1200 Hendrix Street, Little Rock, Ark., after an officer saw Brown and Robinson smoking in a black Chevy Coblt and returned to 1204 East Campus Apartments, where the officer smelt marijuana.
The officer then followed the two back to the vehicle and got permission to search the car, Rogé said. Officers found four codeine pills inside, Rogé said. Neither Brown nor Robinson had a prescription for the painkillers. Officers also found a small bag of marijuana and half a joint, weighing a total of approximately two grams in the apartment, Rogé said. Rogé said the two admitted to possession of both drugs. Brown was issued a misdemeanor summons, Rogé said. Robinson, who claimed the codeine, was charged with possession of a Schedule II drug and booked in EBR Parish Prison. DRUNK DRIVER GOES TO JAIL A University student was arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving after swerving his vehicle on Nicholson Drive near Gourrier Lane around 12:30 a.m. Aug. 22. Jeffrey Thompson Jr., 22, of 6715 Goodwood Ave, Baton Rouge, was stopped on River Road where he failed a field sobriety test and was brought back to the Public Safety building, Rogé said. An LSUPD officer saw him moving between lanes and off the road before running a stop sign, Rogé said. Thompson refused a chemical test and was booked in EBR Parish Prison for driving while intoxicated, careless operation of a vehicle and having an open container in his vehicle. STUDENTS PARTY IN CAR, GET CAUGHT University students Joel Catalinotto, 18, of 6 Caribbean Court, Mandeville, and Casey Conner, 18, of 1419 Sweet Bay Court, Covington, were found drinking beer in a car Thursday outside Kirby Smith
PAGE 3 Hall. They were spotted by an LSUPD officer on a mountain bike, Rogé said. Both were charged with minor in possession of alcohol. STUDENT REFUSES TEST LSUPD officers patrolling Fieldhouse Drive around 3 a.m. Friday saw a vehicle with its brake lights on parked in the road. University student Sara Godwin, 18, of 617 Sherman Street, failed a field sobriety test administered after officers smelled alcohol, Rogé said. Godwin refused a chemical test once she was brought to the Public Safety Building and was booked in EBR Parish Prison for driving while intoxicated, careless operation and driving without a license. UNDERAGE DRIVER BOOKED After being seen driving in the wrong lane on East Campus Drive around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, an underage man unaffiliated with the University was pulled over for running a stop sign. Johnathan Persac, 20, of 17403 Thelm Dr., Prairieville, was arrested for DWI and brought to the public safety building for a chemical test, Rogé said. Persac tested with a blood alcohol content level of .04 grams percent, less than what is illegal for an adult, but more than is legal for a minor. Persac was booked in EBR Parish Prison and charged with underage driving under the influence, careless operation and disregarding a stop sign.
Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com
PAGE 4
THE DAILY REVEILLE
tuesday, September 1, 2009
ECONOMY
Job offerings in the legal field in steep decline Louisiana economy better than nation’s By Olga Kourilova Contributing Writer
The job market for graduating law students in Louisiana is in better shape than much of the rest of the country. Although recent law center graduates have noticed a decrease in job offers, many are still getting hired within six months of graduation, according to Law Center Career Services Director Tracy Evans. Currently, 66 percent of 2009 graduates are employed. Although this figure is 10 percent below average for this time, Evans said employment percentages generally increase once students receive their Bar Exam scores in September. Evans speculates 10 to 12 percent of students will accept positions with government agencies once scores are released.
“I’m confident we’re going to have 90 percent [of the students] employed,” said Evans, who added this is not the first recession she’s experienced at the University. The state’s hiring freeze has also reduced the number of jobs available to students, Evans said. Although several firms are hiring fewer people than they did last year, an examination of the past several years shows a pattern of light and heavy hiring, Evans explained. “So far, things are not as grim as they are in the Northeast,” Evans said. A recent New York Times article wrote that half as many openings would be available to law students this year compared to last. Even fewer offers would be made because some firms are conducting interviews for positions they may not fill, according to the article. Louisiana is in a better economic situation than the nation as a whole, said Loren Scott, professor emeritus of economics. The state began layoffs in April 2009, while the
nation has been experiencing layoffs since January 2008, he said. And while the state has seen a 0.6 percent decline in jobs, the nationwide statistic is 4.7 percent, he said. “We’re at the turning point of the recession,” Scott said. “But people don’t know how fast we’ll come out.” They will also wait to see how the Obama administration’s policies will affect their businesses before they begin hiring in earnest again, he said. If students choose to attend graduate school, more jobs will be available once they enter into the workforce, Scott said. Applications for graduate programs go up anytime the job market slows, said Lynell Cadray, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment services and director of admissions at LSU Law Center. She said this same trend is true for LSU and law schools nationwide. Third-year law student Kilburn Landry said he’s noticed a definite decline in the amount of jobs
available. “We’re pretty hopeful things will turn around before we graduate,” Landry said. Landry predicts the market will be more competitive for 2010 graduates because they may have to compete against 2009 graduates as well, Landry said. Tory Nieset, director of legal personnel and recruiting for Phelps Dunbar LLP, said numbers of hires at Phelps Dunbar have been pretty steady. The firm hired 19 new attorneys for its seven offices across the South, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The firm currently employs 256 associates across the South, Nieset said. Phelps Dunbar law firm was founded in 1853 in New Orleans and handles civil cases at the state and federal level across the Southeast. “We’re staying conservative,” Nieset said, although the firm has not had to rescind any offers. Law students and recent graduates who haven’t received offers yet should remain diligent, Nieset said.
“Don’t just wait on the phone call,” Nieset said. She also advised graduates to look into other areas such as government and corporate advising positions. Andy Dupre, 2009 LSU Law graduate, said he sent out at least 20 resumes, talked to people he knew were well connected and spent a lot of time preparing for the interview. “You don’t want to leave anything to chance,” said Dupre, who is clerking for an attorney based in New Orleans. More work because of hurricane-related litigation and smaller salaries may act in the favor of new graduates, Evans said. Starting salaries for associates in the Northeast are around $160,000, while they are closer to $95,000 in the South, Evans said.
Contact Olga Kouilova at okourilova@lsureveille.com
CITY
Newly proposed tax plan to affect Baton Rouge area Thousands of new jobs to be offered By Adam Duvernay Senior Staff Writer
A new tax plan proposed by East Baton Rouge Parish MayorPresident Kip Holden has raised concerns among officials in the cities surrounding Baton Rouge. Holden’s proposed parishwide, half-cent sales tax and 9.9 mils property tax is designed to fund $989 million worth of projects. Though $357 million is marked for parish-wide spending, almost $550 million would be spent on Baton Rouge projects alone. While the cities of Baker, Central and Zachary have largely agreed to support the tax increase where parish-wide spending is concerned, the cities’ elected officials opposed what they see as taxation without representation. The tax proposal sets aside $178 million for parish-wide drainage improvements and $135 million for a new parish prison. About 38 substandard bridges are also set to be replaced throughout East Baton Rouge Parish. Though the entire parish will be affected by the roughly $20 per person monthly tax, the proposal earmarks the remaining $550 million for the capital city alone. A new public safety complex, estimated to cost $92 million, will include the Baton Rouge Police Department Headquarters, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff Headquarters and a shared training structure. The plan also calls for the emptying of five floors of City
Hall and the consolidation of other government offices into the newly empty space. The process is expected to cost $38 million. The replacement and synchronization of approximately 260 traffic signals will require another $45 million, and the construction of two parking garages will cost $68 million. The “Alive” Riverfront development plan, juvenile services facilities and further development of the Baton Rouge River Center will eat up the remainder of the funds. “All these costs should be borne by the people who live there,” said Melvin Riley, Zachary city councilman. “If they’re parish-wide programs,
everybody should pay –if they’re not, everyone should share.” Riley said the problem was a question of fairness. He said he didn’t understand why residents in his city should be required to pay for projects they won’t use. Mike Futrell, chief administrative officer for the city of Baton Rouge, said the outlying cities are not looking at the big picture when they oppose the tax. “As a parish, we have to think more broadly than our own backyards,” Futrell said. “We’re all in this together; we can’t just say, ‘If this isn’t on my own street, then I don’t want it.’” Officials from Zachary and Baker tried to get Holden to split the tax issue on the ballot in
November, but Holden refused. Riley said Holden was playing politics by forcing people to vote on important parish-wide taxes and Baton Rouge infrastructure issues together. “The Baton Rouge part of the tax proposal wouldn’t pass on its own without the other stuff,” Riley said. “If it was split up, only the parish-wide programs would pass.” Futrell said the investments in the Capital City will benefit the growing parish as a whole by providing 4,300 construction jobs a year for the next seven years and 10,000 permanent jobs by 2015. Riley disagreed and said years of increased property
taxes will put a serious burden on Zachary, which already has one of the highest property taxes in the state. “I just hope people realize there is a requirement for governments to be fair to each other,” Riley said. The Baton Rouge city council will meet Wednesday to put the issue on a special ballot for November 14. The tax-election will be held parish-wide.
Contact Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@lsureveille.com
THE DAILY REVEILLE
Sports
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
PAGE 5
FOOTBALL
Miles preparing team for opener Jefferson named starter for Saturday By Jarred LeBlanc Sports Contributor
BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille
LSU football coach Les Miles speaks at a press conference Aug. 4, 2009. Miles holds press conferences on Mondays druing the season.
Sophomore quarterback Jordan Jefferson will start in the Tigers’ season opener against Washington in Seattle on Saturday, coach Les Miles said Monday. Miles said he doesn’t expect sophomore quarterback
lsureveille.com
Log on to see Les Miles discuss the season opener.
Jarrett Lee to see any playing time against the Huskies. “There’s not any plans right now to play any quarterback other than Jordan Jefferson,” Miles said. “Only specific situations would call for other play.” Miles said Jefferson
improved throughout the offseason, and during the team’s 40play mock game Aug. 29, Jefferson showed he can handle leading the team at quarterback. “For a guy that’s very talented for us, we can ask him to do a lot,” Miles said. “It’s going to be something he’ll be able to handle very comfortably.” Jefferson finished the LSU preseason camp on a high note after going 11-of-14 for 150 yards and one touchdown during the MILES, see page 13
Braving the Storm LSU teams reflect on experiences during Hurricane Gustav, ranging from schedule changes to parties By David Helman Sports Writer
LSU football coach Les Miles addressed a dingy cinderblock room full of reporters in the bowels of Tiger Stadium on Aug. 30 last year. The reason for the gathering was a football game, but the lone thought on most minds was a storm — Hurricane Gustav, churning toward land just a day’s time from landing on Louisiana’s coast. “I know that this storm is bearing down on us. I know that there are some serious considerations given in the state of Louisiana,” Miles said that day. “I can only tell you that we’re with you ... Our guys are looking, like the rest of the state, to see how bad this storm will be.” The process was nothing new to Miles, who had to handle hurricanes Katrina and Rita in his first year in Baton Rouge while balancing the rigors of a Southeastern Conference schedule. “I was proud of the Katrina and Rita team. They went to the community, they brought things from their closets to donate and spent time in the PMAC,” he said at a news conference Friday. “There are a lot of fond memories from a team that handled change and adjustment as well as they did.” Gustav made landfall Sept. 1, delaying the Tigers’ second game against Troy until November, but football wasn’t the only sport slowed by Gustav. While the football team worried about when it could next play at home, LSU’s soccer and volleyball teams wondered when they could come home at all. “It was surreal to be going
courtesy LSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The volleyball team waits in a Nebraska airport. They could not get a flight to New Orleans because of Hurricane Gustav. Instead they flew to Tennessee to wait out the hurricane.
through it again just a few years after Katrina,” said LSU soccer coach Brian Lee. “There were those of us who couldn’t get to our families while we waited it out.” Lee and his then-No. 17 team, fresh off a win against Northwestern, watched Gustav make landfall from a Chicago hotel. That night, while Baton Rouge faced the storm, the Tigers defeated Loyola-Chicago, 2-1. “It put things in perspective,”
Lee said. “In terms of athletics, the next time you play, you really get the sense of playing for school and state.” Soccer’s stay in Chicago lasted roughly five days, but it was an entirely different experience than the odyssey of the LSU volleyball team. The volleyball team spent more than a week on the road, taking two trips to Nebraska and playing two road games in Lake Charles after staying in
Tennessee for the storm’s arrival. “There was a lot of fatigue and mental fatigue, and we were just trying to salvage that portion of the season,” said LSU volleyball coach Fran Flory. The volleyball team played the Creighton Tournament in Omaha, Neb., on Aug. 29 and 30 and could not get a flight into New Orleans. “We flew to Memphis, where we went to Graceland because we didn’t have much else to do,”
Flory said. LSU assistant volleyball coach Steve Loeswick’s father owns a house in Lexington, Tenn., two hours east of Memphis, where the 20-plus members of LSU’s volleyball program waited out Gustav. “I was really scared at first. I cried one night,” said sophomore libero Lauren Waclawczyk. “I’m from San Antonio, Texas, where EXPERIENCE, see page 13
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THE DAILY REVEILLE
tuesday, September 1, 2009
FOOTBALL
Craig Loston to make debut as safety on Saturday H.S. coach says hand injury is “old” By Chris Branch Sports Contributor
Freshman safety Craig Loston is expected to make his debut in an LSU uniform less than two weeks after his delayed arrival in Baton Rouge. LSU coach Les Miles said Loston will see the field on Saturday against Washington — just maybe not in the defensive backfield. “We might get him some special team snaps this Saturday,” Miles said. Loston, a 6-foot-2-inch, 193pound safety prospect, signed with LSU in February as the nation’s top-ranked player at his
position. The heralded safety is the final piece of the Tigers’ highly-touted 2009 recruiting class to arrive in Baton Rouge. The Aldine, Texas native was a surprise addition for Les Miles and company. Loston committed to Tommy Bowden at Clemson during his junior year of high school, only to renege on his pledge when Bowden was fired. Loston then followed the recruiting trail to College Station, Texas, where he committed to Mike Sherman at Texas A&M. But Loston changed his mind again, fell to the powerful wooing of Tiger coaches and committed to LSU in January. Miles said Loston impressed in his limited practice time. “Craig Loston may have been a little closer to the two-deep had he come in early enough,” Miles said. “He has come in and shown
great speed and shown the ability to hit. He has a very natural understanding of the football.” Miles also mentioned a hand injury Loston suffered, but Loston’s high school coach, Ray Evans, said the injury won’t affect Loston’s first season in Baton Rouge. “It’s old,” Evans said. Evans believes Loston’s presence in Baton Rouge will be felt sooner than most think. “He’s an impact player,” Evans said. “He’s the type of guy who can come in at a program like that and play as a freshman. Once he picks the system up, he’ll be able to help them this year.” Loston’s arrival was later than expected because the NCAA cleared Loston to play Aug. 24. The NCAA Clearinghouse rendered Loston ineligible because of a class discrepancy. ESPN
reported Loston had to take a class during the summer. Evans declined to discuss the situation. LSU is no stranger to the Clearinghouse. Fellow 2009 recruits Tahj Jones and Akiem Hicks also had eligibility struggles with the NCAA, but have since been cleared. LSU players are noticing Loston’s abilities as well. They were a little more cautious than Evans with their early evaluations. LSU sophomore cornerback Patrick Peterson said although Loston’s talent has been evident, his absence this summer had some negative effects. “I think it set him back a little bit,” Peterson said. “We have a lot of schemes we’re throwing at him. But I think he’s a good enough player to understand
the scheme. I don’t think he’ll be ready for the first game, but eventually he’ll be ready for the season.” Peterson said Loston’s impact might be felt more next season. “He’s a pretty good safety,” Peterson said. “I can’t wait to see him back there next year. He might be backing me up.” Miles echoed that sentiment. He said Loston’s delayed arrival might have cost him a higher spot on the depth chart. “Craig Loston may have been a little closer to the [second string] had he come in early enough,” Miles said.
Contact Chris Branch at cbranch@lsureveille.com
FOOTBALL
H.S. prospects continue trend of early commitment Tigers have more pledges than last year By Michael Lambert Sports Contributor
Freshmen defensive lineman Josh Downs and wide receiver Rueben Randle were both stars in the 2009 recruiting class, but the former Bastrop High School teammates took two different paths on their way to becoming Tigers. Downs’ recruiting strategy has become more popular across the country, as he committed a year before National Signing Day in 2009, while Randle’s last-minute decision is fading out among recruits. High school prospects across the nation are committing earlier than past years. LSU’s 2010 recruiting class already has 22 commitments before the opening game, nine more than the hallowed 2009 class had at the same time. The 2008, 2007 and 2006 classes had just 15, 12 and nine players locked up at the same date, according to Scout.com. The Tigers are not the only school to jump early on recruits. Texas has gotten an early start on their 2010 class as well, landing 22 prospects before the end of March 2009. “Recruiting is becoming earlier and earlier,” said Don Yanowsky, LSU’s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. “It’s like that across the nation. It’s an ongoing process that we continue working on.” Instead of strategically evaluating colleges and choosing a school after many visits, high school recruits are increasingly taking advantage of opportunities and committing before they even step on the field for their high school senior seasons.
Coaches and recruiters are inviting high school players to visit their campus as early as their sophomore year of high school. The increased emphasis on camps and Junior Days have sped up the recruiting process. “The camps are a big part of why there are so many early commitments,” said Rene Nadeau, college football analyst for ESPN and TigerVision. “Camps now give a lot of exposure to the schools, and the coaches are able to see these kids up close a lot sooner. You can get [the commitment] over with.” Emphasis has switched from highlight tapes to one-on-one interactions with the coaches themselves. Nadeau said Scout three-star defensive tackle Elliot Porter got his scholarship to LSU based on what he did at a summer camp.
Number of commitments in each recruiting class before the opening game of the preceding season, according to Scout.com: • 2006: 9 • 2007: 12 • 2008: 15 • 2009: 13 • 2010: 22
If a scholarship is offered, recruits are advised to take it in order to hold their spot. Numbers are even more limited, as a new Southeastern Conference rule this year states schools can only sign 28 players, allowing 25 to enroll. “I try to get them to visit the schools they are interested in as a junior so they are not pushed into a five week window,” said
Bastrop coach Brad Bradshaw. “It comes down to a numbers game. They know the numbers [schools] can take, and if [recruits] get in, you get in.” Things changed for recruiting the past few years. Instead of taking their time and committing after taking official visits their senior season, recruits are increasingly committing early and then visiting colleges. But pledging before National Signing Day is only a verbal commitment, and recruits still have months to change their minds. “You play the percentages,” Nadeau said. “If a better opportunity comes along, a kid may switch. It’s not right, but it happens.” The cutthroat nature of recruiting is a two-way street between the prospects and schools. “There could be a couple
of players that could back out,” Nadeau said. “Either the player could back out or LSU could back out.” Last year LSU was on the negative side when Tennessee cornerback Janzen Jackson altered on his commitment. Jackson was committed to the Tigers until he signed with the Volunteers right before National Signing Day. “Janzen Jackson did not indicate at all he was going to Tennessee,” Nadeau said. “He left a void there. Had he told LSU, they would have got another cornerback.”
Contact Michael Lambert at mlambert@lsureveille.com
tuesday, September 1, 2009
THE DAILY REVEILLE
PAGE 7
THE DAILY REVEILLE
PAGE 8
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
GOLF
Woods suffers defeat at The Barclays tournament stars. The group one shot behind featured Woods, Stricker, Ernie JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Els and Padraig Harrington, who Much to his chagrin, Tiger Woods have combined to win 20 majors. has put some suspense back into All of them have been at least No. golf. 3 in the world at some point. Give him the lead going into The common thread in both the final round of the major, and tournaments was Woods having a victory is no longer as certain as chance to win, and Woods finishdeath, taxes and Woods wearing ing second. a red shirt on Sunday. Watch him “That’s the way it goes somehit a clutch shot to the 18th green, times,” he said. and there is no guarantee he’ll Along with his 81 victories make the putt. worldwide, he has finished secY.E. Yang delivered a shock- ond 32 times in tournaments recer two weeks ago at the PGA ognized by the world golf rankChampionship when he became ings. the first player to come from beEven so, this was only the hind to beat golf’s best closer, fifth time in his career that Woods rallying from two shots behind has finished runner-up in consecWoods for a three-shot victory at utive tournaments. The last time Hazeltine. it happened was at the end of his Woods has rarely looked so 2006 season, when he was second human. And then on Sunday at to Yang at the HSBC Champions Liberty National, he bled a little in Shanghai, then surrendered more. a lead on the back nine to HarHe was on the cusp of con- rington and lost to him in a playtention for most of off at the Dunthe final round at ‘Not too many golf lop Phoenix in The Barclays until Japan. courses that you the bell rang for Go back to the final lap. Then, 2005 to find the misread putts that Woods made a 10last time it hapfoot birdie on the badly. This golf course pened in Amer14th to move closer ica. Woods was is one.’ to the lead, a 15runner-up to foot par putt on the Michael CampTiger Woods next hole to stay bell in the U.S. professional golfer there, and a deft Open, then tied chip-and-run to 3 feet for birdie for second at the Western Open on the 16th that pulled him within in Chicago. one shot. Unlike the other four ocNeeding a birdie on the final casions, Woods had a realistic hole to post the clubhouse lead chance of winning both times as — at least force a playoff, maybe he stood on the 18th tee. enough win — he drilled a 6-iron And the reason failure stands from 189 yards to the back pin at out so much is that it rarely hapthe 18th and listened to those fa- pened before. miliar roars as the ball settled 7 No other greens confounded feet from the cup. Woods quite like the ones at LibHeath Slocum and Steve erty National. It was only fitting Stricker, tied for the lead, were that he missed a 7-foot putt at the on the 18th tee as Woods stood end because he had done that all over his birdie putt. Even from week. On his first hole of the tour467 yards away, it was not diffi- nament, Woods hit a pure 5-iron cult to figure out what was going to 10 feet behind the hole at No. on. If the cheers weren’t enough, 10 and looked perplexed when it that red shirt is hard to miss. broke away from the cup. “Usually he makes it,” Even as he tried to make a Slocum said. “Ho-hum for him.” move Saturday, his 67 was slowed Surprise! by missing an 8-foot eagle putt at The ball slid by on the left No. 6 that stunned even one his side of the cup, and they could playing partners, Zach Johnson. hear the groans — twice. Be- He missed from 5 feet later in the cause the large video boards and third round on No. 15 and was TVs in corporate chalets had spewing expletives all the way to about a 10-second delay, the big the next tee. news reached some people later “It happens,” Woods said than others. Sunday. “Not too many golf “It’s kind of funny, actually,” courses that you misread putts Slocum said, referring to the dou- that badly. This golf course is ble dose of reaction. “But I knew one.” that he had missed it.” Another course he mentioned That wasn’t the case for was Fancourt in South Africa for Slocum. Despite hitting a fair- the Presidents Cup in 2003. But way bunker, playing short of the that’s where Woods made a putt green and hitting a wedge to 20 he called one of the most nervefeet, he rolled in the best par putt racking of his career. He was on of his life for a one-shot victory. the third playoff hole against Els, Stricker had a chance to tie, but in near darkness, facing a 15-foot missed from 10 feet. par putt that broke both ways, “I guess you can’t make ‘em right up the ridge, then left as it all,” Slocum said. moved down toward the hole. Yang was the first to see for The most famous putt was himself when he took down the his 6-foot birdie on the 72nd hole biggest name in golf. of the 2000 PGA Championship Slocum beat a bunch of which he made to force a playoff By The Associated Press
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that he won against Bob May on his way to four consecutive majors. This year, Woods won his first PGA Tour event since returning from reconstructive knee surgery by making a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole at Bay Hill. It was the same green where he made a 25-foot birdie putt a year earlier to win by one shot, where he made a 15-footer to beat Phil Mickelson in 2001. The list is long. It will take more than two tournaments to put a dent in Woods’ mystique. Besides, his loss is golf’s gain, for it now puts some doubt into the outcome — if not in Woods’ head, then the people watching, and even those trying to beat him.
RICH SCHULTZ / The Associated Press
Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com
Tiger Woods looks on during the final round of The Barclays golf tournament Sunday at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J.
THE DAILY REVEILLE
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
PAGE 9
TENNIS
Federer, Serena Williams begin US Open title defenses
By The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Roger Federer and Serena Williams began their U.S. Open title defenses Monday with easy wins in matches that will probably stick only in the memories of the players they beat. Federer defeated NCAA champion Devin Britton 6-1, 6-3, 7-5, and Williams rolled over wild card Alexa Glatch 6-4, 6-1 to fashion a predictable start to the last major championship of 2009. “My goal was to not get crushed,” Britton conceded, “and make it interesting for a little while.” He did, even breaking Federer’s serve in the second and third sets, though he was unable to follow either by winning his own serve in the next game. With his coach from Ole Miss in the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Britton lost three straight games at love after going up 3-1 in the second. “I was thinking, ‘I’m up a break. This is awesome,’” Britton said. “Then it only lasted about 30 seconds.” Glatch was in the same boat, pushing the second-seeded Williams in the first set before losing quickly in the second. One of America’s top juniors earlier in the decade, Glatch received a wild card for the U.S. Open, only to find she was playing one of the best Grand Slam players in history. Williams, who has won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, is going for her second straight and fourth U.S. Open title. “You just try not to think about the occasion,” Glatch said. “You try to pretend it’s any other court and you’re playing against any other opponent. But it’s very hard to do, especially when it’s your first time out there in the biggest stadium there is.” Other winners in the first round included eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka, 12th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, 17th-seeded Amelie Mauresmo and 26th-seeded Francesca Schiavone. Paul-Henri Mathieu, No. 26 on the men’s side, was the first seeded player to lose, beaten by Mikhail Youzhny 2-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2. American John Isner won a 1614 second-set tiebreaker, the highlight of a 6-1, 7-6 (14), 7-6 (5) upset over 28th-seeded Victor Hanescu. Isner has missed a good part of the year with mononucleosis. “It might have been a blessing in disguise,” Isner said. “I’ve felt fresh ever since I started playing in the States.” Kim Clijsters, 2005 champion, opened the day in Ashe Stadium. Clijsters returned to competitive tennis this summer after taking two years off to start a family. She had a baby girl in May 2008. Clijsters defeated Viktoriya Kutuzova 6-1, 6-1 and didn’t show much rust. “Now it’s a matter of trying to keep this going,” the Belgian said. She won the first seven and last 11 points of the match and grinded through her few hiccups, including three double-faults in the third game of the opening set, which extended to seven deuces before she pulled it out.
The win guaranteed she’ll be ranked at least 148th after the Open, when she’ll have played the three required tournaments she needs to return to the list. “I still feel like I can improve,”
she said. “But I’m definitely comfortable where I am right now.” As is Federer, who overcame a “slump” last year when he lost to Rafael Nadal in the French and Wimbledon finals, and has returned to the
top of his game. He won both those titles this year, holds the record with 15 Grand Slam championships and isn’t showing signs of tiring. He is looking for his sixth straight U.S. Open title. Win or lose,
KATHY WILLENS/ The Associated Press
Roger Federer returns the ball during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament Monday in New York.
the paycheck guaranteed by the opening-round victory made him the first player in tennis history to reach $50 million in prize money. “I know tennis is not everything, so it’s not a problem,” said Federer, the father of 5-week-old twin girls. “But if I enjoy playing tennis, why should I stop just because I’ve beaten the all-time Grand Slam record? That’s not what tennis is all about.” Easy for him to say. While he moves on, Britton plans to hang around and see if he can pull one of the wild-card invites for the mixed doubles. He’s signed up with the women’s NCAA champion, Mallory Cecil, and is hoping the pairing of two college champions will interest the tournament organizers. Either way, he’s had about as good a U.S. Open experience as a young player can get. Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com
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THE DAILY REVEILLE
PAGE 10
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
Daily Reveille file photo
University students play football in the Pentagon courtyard Sept. 2, 2008, after Hurricane Gustav left many in Baton Rouge without power.
Students reflect on first experience with hurricane By Xerxes A. Wilson Staff Writer
Instead of spending his last days in America packing and preparing to return home after six months studying at the University, Benoit Laveau ended his career as a University student fighting to save the interior of the International Cultural Center from the wind, rain and wrath of Hurricane Gustav. “Due to the proximity with the lake, the ICC was not protected from the wind coming from that direction, so we started hearing glass breaking, and suddenly the roof started to leak,” the former University mechanical engineering graduate student said via e-mail from his native France. “So we did our best to save the ICC — save the mattress, sheets, electrical stuff. We tried to put different buckets to contain the water flowing from the ceiling.” Students who hail from locations throughout the Gulf Coastal Region are typically used to hurricanes, according to Maureen Hewitt, manager of the International Cultural Center, but the storms leave international students concerned — especially in the wake of
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Hurricane Katrina. “[International students] have a theory when they come that a hurricane is going to hit them on the head at any minute,” Hewitt said. “It is not something that keeps them away though. In their own perspective, the reports of hurricanes are not so much different than their own versions of catastrophic events that happen in different parts of the world, and they are anxious to at least learn about it.” Hewitt said most of the concern comes from international students’ parents. “During Katrina, after seeing the dark news reports, one of our students’ mother literally thought Louisiana was falling into the ocean,” Hewitt said. “After Gustav, something odd happened; we got more damage in the Baton Rouge area than [during Katrina], but it was under-reported, and people didn’t understand we were without electricity for a very long time. We had terrible tree damage and immobility.” Despite Laveau’s and other students’ efforts, the ICC suffered an estimated $295,000 dollars in damages, said Facility Development FIRST TIME, see page 15
THEN
[Left] A tree was uprooted behind the Wilson Laboratories on Tower Drive after Hurricane Gustav came through Bato
‘We started hearing glass breaking, and suddenly the roof started to leak.’ Benoit Laveau
former University graduate student, France native
Daily Reveille file photo
[From left] Emergency Operations Center members Gary Durham, Eric Monday, D’Ann Morris, Maj. Lawrence Rabalais and Chancellor Michael Martin meet Sept. 2, 2008, in the Public Safety Building after the storm.
J.J. ALCANTARA / The Daily Reveille
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal meets with University student volunteers Sept. 1, 2008, in the PMAC. The PMAC was used as one of the state’s triage centers during Hurricane Gustav.
Est. Damage Cost (Nov. ’08) $2,731,726 $875,000 $671,455 $469,160 $457,075 $456,845 $370,000 $291,500 $250,000 $206,000 $157,000 $88,525 $74,150 $51,580 $38,531 $30,000 $30,000 $22,000 $20,000 $15,000
CAM BUILD Student Recre Chemical Engin School of Mu International C LSU Press Lakeshor Kirby Life Scienc Rural Life Carl Maddox Natat Facility Ser Nuclear Scie Sturgis Agron Manship Res Swine Equine Infect Design B Bernie Mo Patrick F. Tay
THE DAILY REVEILLE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
PAGE 11
Athletic facilities still need repairs a year after Gustav By Andy Schwehm Sports Writer
If there is one thing a hurricane can prove, it’s that even the most seemingly invincible structures are susceptible to damage. One year ago today, Hurricane Gustav ripped through Louisiana and Texas, attacking Baton Rouge in what many experts call the worst hurricane to come through the city. The effects of the hurricane are still being felt today. The LSU Natatorium still has a blue tarp on its roof as the repairs on the structure just got under way last week, and repairs to the Carl Maddox Field House were recently completed. The hurricane powered through campus with the force of a safety blitzing an unexpecting quarterback from the blind side, leaving LSU athletic facilities with more than $540,000 in damage, according to senior associate athletic director Mark Ewing. And just as many big hits have been seen in Tiger Stadium’s history, the massive structure was the one to take the biggest hit in the storm, taking in around $153,000 worth of damage. Both the state and FEMA will be paying for the damages to the facilities.
NOW photo illustration by J.J. ALCANTARA / The Daily Reveille
on Rouge on Sept. 1, 2008. [Right] The fallen tree was removed from the lot, which remains open Aug. 22, 2009.
MPUS DING eation Center neering Building usic Building Cultural Center s Building re House Smith ce Building e Building x Field House torium rvices Shop ence Building nomy Building search Center Palace tion Building Building oore Track ylor Building
Progress as of Aug. 31, 2009 Construction Under contract Construction Construction Complete Complete Construction Complete Complete Construction Construction Complete Complete Complete Complete In design Complete Complete Complete Complete
Source: Paul Favaloro, Office of Facility Resources
That money does not include the awnings of Tiger Stadium because they belong to the Tiger Athletic Foundation who paid to fix them. “The awnings were completely destroyed, and because they came down, they destroyed a lot of the seats,” said senior associate athletic director Herb Vincent. The seat repairs cost about $36,000, but Ewing said the majority of the damage to Tiger Stadium was water damage to elevators and escalators, which cost around $64,000 in repairs. Some of the seats are still being replaced in the stadium before next Saturday’s home opener, and that work will continue throughout the season, according to Eddie Nunez, associate athletic director of operations and project development. Nunez said the metal bleachers currently in place are not the bleachers that were in place before the storm, but they fit perfectly for the time being. “We had seat parts to replace ... but the company that makes the seats is around a six to eight week time frame to make and ship them,” Nunez said. “But we had to wait for the insurance to pay for it.” Football took another blow across the ATHLETICS, see page 15
KIM FOSTER / The Daily Reveille
A construction worker lays down roofing insulation Sept. 7, 2008, to protect the bare roof of the Carl Maddox Field House. Repairs to the Field House remain under construction.
UREC renovations held until roof repairs finished By Steven Powell Contributing Writer
A year after Hurricane Gustav ravaged parts of the University Student Recreational Complex, students can expect to see some parts returning to normal in the next two months. But the locker rooms will not be completed until Jan. 2, as renovations have yet to begin. Michael Giles, associate director for operations and project management, said major renovations on the gym’s roof — torn off by Hurricane Gustav’s winds — started July 6. Giles, who said construction on the roof is halfway complete, expects the gym to be fully complete by late October or mid-November. Gustav’s winds ripped off parts of the gym roof, and rainwater ruined the gym floor. Giles said workers removed the gym floor and are now replacing roof tiles and painting parts of the gym, but renovations to the gym floor will not start until the roof is complete.
In addition to the gym damage, the high humidity because of a four-day loss of electricity rusted the metal lockers. Giles said they plan to start renovating the lockers Nov. 18 — a project he expects will take about two months — and he expects to have locker rooms open by Jan. 2. Melissa Longino, University Recreation associate director, said UREC users will not be able to access the locker rooms — which include showers and saunas — during the conDaily Reveille file photo struction period. UREC officials are looking into accom- Pipes were run through the School of Music Building to help remove modations for users during that time period, moisture Sept. 4, 2008, after Gustav damaged the building’s roof. such as temporary hoses on the outdoor patio for pool users and temporary shelving to store belongings, she said. Longino said shelves are already available in the cardio theater area, though more will be needed to keep belongings out the way of foot traffic.
‘‘
‘[Repairing the UREC] is not something that can be done overnight.’
LOCKERS, see page 15
Michael Giles
UREC associate director for operations and project management
PAGE 12
THE DAILY REVEILLE
tuesday, September 1, 2009
FOOTBALL
Michigan coach denies claims of NCAA violations By The Associated Press ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said Monday his football program has abided by NCAA rules, despite allegations from anonymous players and former players who say the team has practiced far beyond the time allowed. “We know the rules,” Rodriguez said, “and we follow the rules.” At a news conference in Ann Arbor, Rodriguez became emotional
and had to gather himself several times with glassy eyes as he denied any wrongdoing. “I guess I’m here to tell you that whatever you’ve heard or want to believe, the trust is that this coaching staff cares very deeply about the young men in our program,” he said. The school on Sunday launched an investigation into allegations that the football program regularly violates NCAA rules limiting how much time players can spend on training
and practice. The announcement came after a Detroit Free Press article in which players from the 2008 and 2009 teams said the amount of time they spend on football during the season and in the offseason greatly exceeds NCAA limits. The players spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity because they feared repercussions from coaches. Big Ten compliance officials arrived on campus Sunday to assist
ANDRE J. JACKSON / The Associated Press
Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez addresses the media Monday in Ann Arbor, Mich. Rodriguez said his football program has abided by NCAA rules, despite allegations from anonymous players and former players.
with the investigation, according to two people at the school. One person, who spends a lot of time with the team, said the school’s compliance office often makes unannounced visits to make sure the program is following the rules. Both people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the school will not publicly discuss the case until the probe is completed. Rodriguez suggested the complaints were an attempt to “tear up” the effort to rebuild a program that stumbled to a 3-9 record last season, including a dismal 2-6 in the Big Ten. It was Michigan’s first losing season since 1967 and its first without a bowl in 34 years. “Nobody on my staff would ever tell a player to miss a class ... never have, never will,” Rodriguez said. Michigan athletic director Bill Martin announced the school investigation, saying the allegations were taken seriously. “We believe we have been compliant with NCAA rules, but nonetheless we have launched a full investigation,” Martin said in a statement released by the school Sunday night. Martin’s statement also indicated the school had reached out to both the Big Ten and the NCAA about the allegations, adding the university would have more to say after its inquiry was done. Like Rodriguez, the university’s
compliance director, Judy Van Horn, has denied that the football program violated NCAA rules. Those regulations allow players to spend eight hours a week on mandatory workouts during the offseason. Players told the Free Press that they have spent two to three times that amount on required workouts. The players said the amount of time they spent on football activities during the season exceeded the weekly limit of 20 hours and often exceeded the daily limit of four hours. They also said quality-control staff often watched seven-on-seven offseason scrimmages that are supposed to be voluntary and that only training staff are allowed to attend. Rodriguez said what has bothered him the most is the perception that he and his staff do not care about their players. “That is disheartening,” he said. Rodriguez, who is guiding college football’s winningest program after a successful stint as West Virginia’s head coach, opens the season Saturday at home against Western Michigan. He said he is not worried about the allegations becoming a distraction. “Nothing is going to change their focus,” Rodriguez said.
Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com
tuesday, September 1, 2009
THE DAILY REVEILLE
PAGE 13 offensive coaching jobs at USC. “Nick Holt, the defensive coordinator, and coach Sarkisian will prepare that team extremely well,” Miles said. Miles expects the game to be competitive, and he expects he’ll need his starters for all four quarters. “This game will end sometime before 1 o’clock in the morning, and I suspect that it will be some time after that that I think about substituting,” Miles said. But Miles has a feeling his team will be ready for the season opener. “Everyone is looking very ambitiously toward Saturday,” Miles said.
LSU sophomore quarterback Jordan Jefferson runs passing drills Aug. 13. Jefferson is preparing for the starting position Saturday against the Huskies.
Tigers’ final scrimmage Aug. 25 in Tiger Stadium. Lee was 6-of-12 for 50 yards in the same game. The Tigers began preparations for their weekend matchup against the Huskies during the middle of last week. Miles said his team needs to recover from last season’s 8-5 finish and play the type of football LSU has grown accustomed to playing in the past decade. “That’s what we need to accomplish to start the season, and that’s what we need to accomplish early, from week one on out,” Miles said. Miles said no player will miss the game because of injury, and the Tiger faithful might see some freshman faces on the field Saturday. Miles said defensive back Craig Loston, wide receiver
Rueben Randle and quarterback Russell Shepard might earn some playing time. Miles said Shepard would be used in a variety of positions this season. “We’ll play him at quarterback. We’ll play him at wide receiver, possibly at running back,” Miles said. Miles is expecting to see a “much improved” Pac-10 team in Washington, who went winless in 12 games last season. The Huskies return starting junior quarterback Jake Locker. After being named a secondteam Freshman All-American by Rivals.com in 2007, Locker ended his 2008 season during the team’s fourth game after he broke his thumb against Stanford. Washington coach Steve Sarkisian is starting his first season as Huskies head coach, after seven seasons of various
set their eyes on them again.” Flory said her team’s biggest challenge was keeping a routine despite the circumstances. Union University, located just 27 minutes away in Jackson, Tenn., took the team in and volunteered their gym for LSU practices. “The only normal thing I could provide was we were going to practice,” Flory said. “I can’t say enough about Union. That really boosted our spirit and our faith in humanitarianism.” The scene back at home was a “hurricane party,” according to senior wide receiver Brandon
LaFell. “Whenever it wasn’t raining, everybody was outside joking around ... We had a barbeque pit outside, so we grilled,” he said. “When it got dark outside, everyone said it looked like ‘I Am Legend’ because you couldn’t see 2 feet in front of you.” LaFell watched movies on a laptop with senior linebacker Harry Coleman and senior running back Trindon Holliday, at least until the battery ran out. Junior kicker Josh Jasper and other members of the Tigers’ kicking unit took a parachute — made
from a car tarp — out into the windy conditions. But it wasn’t all fun and games, as LaFell, a Houston native, experienced firsthand a problem many Louisianians can relate to. “It was kind of bad back home. My house got flooded,” he said. “Usually when there’s a bad storm, we all go to my grandma’s house. But it was a last-minute thing, and everyone couldn’t get there, so she ended up there by herself. The rest of my family got flooded too, so it was pretty bad.” After sustaining damage to
his home, Miles evacuated to LSU’s Football Operations Facility, where he and his family spent most of the week with members of his coaching staff and their families. “I’ll never forget that,” Miles said. “It was a very sad time for all of us, but there [were] some positives derived from having your family in a meeting room that you slept in that night.”
MILES, from page 5
MAGGIE BOWLES / The Daily Reveille
EXPERIENCE, from page 5
where it rains once a month. I’ve never had to deal with hurricanes, and it was just a mind-changing experience.” Waclawczyk’s experience is one Lee can identify with. With 20 players from all over the continent sharing a hotel in Chicago, Lee said he had to find a balance between Louisiana natives and out-of-state players. “It’s best to approach that individually within your team,” Lee said. “Some kids just needed to go spend a few days with family and
Contact Jarred LeBlanc at jleblanc@lsureveille.com
Contact David Helman at dhelman@lsureveille.com
PAGE 14 RECOVERY, from page 1
had damages to an extent that required the state to manage repair efforts, said Facility Services Director Paul Favaloro. Those 10 buildings are classified as “pending” — they are recently repaired or in the process of being repaired, Favaloro said. “Funding has nothing to do with this; funding has been allocated from day one,” Favaloro said, explaining $4.4 million in repairs remain. The process for making University repairs begins with a visit from insurance adjusters to assess the damages and approve the necessary repairs. FEMA reimburses the state for the cost of construction after repairs are made, Favaloro said. Elahe Russell, Accounting Services associate director, is responsible for submitting the paperwork that will be turned in to FEMA. The University has not yet received all reimbursements, mainly because reimbursements for repairs cannot be made until construction is complete, Russell said. “They’re handling statewide claims — we still have not received all our reimbursements from [Hurricane Katrina],” Russell said. “On a statewide basis, Katrina was much more devastating than Gustav. In sheer volume and dollars, Gustav wasn’t as big of a storm.” Though reimbursements may come before then, all clues indicate FEMA will definitely be done issuing reimbursements for Katrina by 2015, Russell said. UNIVERSITY REFLECTIONS University administrators, volunteers and staff were left managing the special needs shel-
COFFEE, from page 1
“The funny thing is, people go, ‘How much time is left in my half hour?’ And they try to drink a lot before time runs out.” A half hour of coffee costs $2. One day is $8, and one year runs for $1,942. That may seem pricy, but customers can actually save almost a grand, he said. At the price of $8 per day, one year would cost $2,920, so buying by the year one saves $978. Excho says his shop is still feeling the recession despite the innovative pricing system at Insomkneeacks. Lately, most of the profits come from the tattoo parlor in the building. “The coffee side has been eerily quiet,” Excho said. “People say we are too far away from [LSU]. We would be closed already if we relied only on coffee. Tattoo business is how we pay the bills.” Other Baton Rouge coffee shops haven’t resorted to timed pricing, but cafes like Highland Coffees still feel the effects of the problem. Clarke Cadzow, owner of Highland Coffees, said the issue seems to be people forgetting that a coffee shop is also a business. “If you go inside and enjoy a space, you should show etiquette and buy something,” Cadzow
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ter, keeping the University operating and securing facilities in Gustav’s wake. D’Ann Morris, interim director of the Emergency Operations Center and executive assistant to the chancellor, said communications with the students, faculty and staff who resided on campus proved to be the most difficult to navigate. Information released by the EOC would be more forceful, Morris said. “It doesn’t matter how well you communicate, some people are just not going to listen,” Morris said. “We’ve got to provide better and stronger guidelines for the safety and welfare of the people we are responsible for ... We had several students who chose not to heed any advice.” One major judgement call for Morris came when the EOC became aware of students who tied themselves to a stake shoved in the ground on the levee at the edge of the Mississippi River, donned lifejackets and jumped into the river in the midst of Gustav. “It becomes a question of prioritization,” Morris said. “Do we put those employees [whose responsibility it would be to stop them] in danger? Those are judgment calls that need to be made; those are the kinds of things that you have to be willing to do in that role.” The EOC chose to wait until the waters had calmed before sending employees out to retrieve the students, Morris said. Facility Services learned to navigate FEMA requirements while working to secure facilities in the last year, Favaloro said. “We learned how to better synchronize our efforts with FEMA requirements,” Favaloro said. Since Highland Coffees began offering free wireless service about five years ago, laptops have become a common sight. Cadzow said approximately 75 percent of customers use the Internet at the shop. Cadzow said he is pleased when people choose to visit his shop, but is peeved by customers who don’t buy anything or bring in outside products. He said about 5 percent of customers he sees at the shop don’t make a purchase. Regular customers typically are not the problem. Douget, who frequents Highland, says she always buys something and thinks it is important to do so. “There’s free Wi-Fi, but it’s still someone’s business,” Douget said. “[Not buying anything] is kind of stealing. It’s not fair to the business owner.” Cadzow said the affordable prices and casual environment make coffee shops an ideal place for college students. “All people are welcome,” he said. “They can pay $2 and stay as long as they want.” Some establishments in Baton Rouge charge for Internet access. Starbucks, for example, charges $3.99 for two consecutive hours of Internet use. Usage time is limited “to make our stores welcome places for all custom-
said. “[Through] our responses, we certainly learned a lot of valuable lessons ... I would like to think that we’re better prepared.” Morris said the University would not have been able to continue operations without the aid of Chancellor Michael Martin and volunteer efforts coordinated by Campus Life, Volunteer LSU and the Louisiana Volunteers in Action. “Fortunately, the campus fully embraced the concept of the EOC becoming a clearinghouse for information,” Morris said. “Had we not had a chancellor like Michael Martin who allowed people [in the field] to make decisions, I don’t think we would have recovered as quickly as we did.” Colorado Robertson, Student Government president when Gustav made landfall, said he is proud of both the University’s efforts and the volunteer turnout. “The biggest thing I remember is just having so many volunteers — just so many stories about people helping out on campus and off,” Robertson said. “Helping coordinate and recruit volunteers, that’s not hard at LSU.”
ALMOST IN THE CLEAR Sept. 10 — one year and nine days after Gustav made landfall — will mark the midway point for the 2009 hurricane season, according to Louisiana State Climatologist Barry Keim. An average hurricane season sees 10 storms of the intensity to merit naming, but Keim said the 2009 season has seen four thus far, including Tropical Storm Claudette — the only storm to pose a direct threat to the coast along the Gulf of Mexico. Gustav was the seventh of 16 named storms in the 2008 seaers,” according to the Starbucks Web site. Cadzow says charging for Internet access or limiting time of use is not something he wants to do. His goal is to create an accommodating environment — something he doesn’t want to spoil by imposing restrictions or posting signs in his shop. “There’s not a sign on the wall that says, ‘You can’t use the Internet if you don’t buy something,’” Cadzow said. “Some things are left to common courtesy. Businesses can only stay in place if you buy something.” People who come into the shop without buying anything have been a problem for a long time, Cadzow said, but he has seen “a definite increase” since he began offering Wi-Fi. Cadzow has never kicked anyone out of his shop for not buying something or bringing in outside products and said he never intends to. He also has no plans to start charging for Internet access. But he said the problem must be monitored, and he is always considering a possible solution. “You can’t ignore the issue,” he said. Contact Ryan Buxton at rbuxton@lsureveille.com
son. “We’re pretty much on track for an average season,” Keim said. “[But] some of these things can pop up pretty quick.” Louisiana residents can breathe a collective sigh of relief in the second week of October, Keim said. A small area located about 600 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, a cluster of islands in the Caribbean Sea, is the only threat currently being monitored by meteorologists, Keim said. It has the potential to become a tropical depression, but he said it is still impossible to know how it will develop or the path it will take if it does develop. While Keim said Louisiana has fared well this season, he noted the state is “not immune from getting storms this year” and Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Hur-
tuesday, September 1, 2009 ricane Betsy in 1965 and Hurricane Audrey in 1957 all occurred during previouslyquiet seasons. He also noted that Hurricane Juan threatened the Gulf Coast for three days in 1985. A major factor in the destination of any developing storm is the location of the Bermuda High complex — a very large dome of high pressure located in the North Atlantic Ocean — Keim said. “Part of [the reason for the lack of storms in the Gulf] is the location of the Bermuda High complex,” Keim said, explaining the location of the Beruda High complex influences the direction a storm will move.
Contact Lindsey Meaux at lmeaux@lsureveille.com
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tuesday, September 1, 2009 LOCKERS, from page 11
Giles said security of personal property will be an issue during construction because users will not have lockers available to lock up their belongings. “No matter what we do, storage areas will not be secure,” he said. “We’ll really encourage users not to bring valuables with them, as there is no way to ensure security.” Longino said students purchasing locker plans will receive a reduced rate because of the construction. She said users renting on a semester basis will get a 25 percent discount, while users on a yearly plan will have two months added to their rental time. “Fortunately the locker room construction falls on two holidays — Thanksgiving and winter break — so it minimizes time the facilities will be in use,” Longino said. Giles said UREC officials are looking at renovations to the locker rooms as well as the actual lockers. “During that two-month time period, we will be ripping out lockers and installing new ones,” he said. “We also hope to be able to paint, install new light fixtures and give the rooms an overall renovated feel.” Giles said they plan to replace the outdoor canopy, also damaged in the storm, within the next couple of
ATHLETICS, from page 11
street from the stadium, as nearly $115,000 of damage was left from Gustav to the team’s Football Operations Center, most of which was to the fence surrounding the outside fields. But football wasn’t the only team hit, as a few facilities on the north side of campus took considerable roof and siding damage. The Natatorium’s temporary roof cost about $22,000, while the permanent roof is estimated to cost nearly $50,000 upon completion. The Maddox Field House also had extensive damage, as the roof cost more than $100,000 dollars to be replaced, and no estimates were available for the siding that was damaged, which was recently fixed, according to Ewing. In addition, Ewing said the Bernie Moore Track Stadium took about $22,000 of damage to the press box roof and around $16,000 worth of repairs to the track and field because of helicopters landing to bring people into the PMAC, which was being used as an emergency shelter. Nunez said one of the main reasons the track is going to be replaced next summer is the wear and tear emergency operations vehicles put on the surface. “That put a real stress on the track,” Nunez said. “We had some concerns heading into that year about replacing the track, but after the storm and all the activities centering around it — landing helicopters and driving ambulances — we decided it would be best to resurface it.” With all these repairs done or in the process of being completed, the Athletic Department is left to hope for the best in the future. “You repair it to full capacity, and then you just have to hope that you don’t have another hurricane come through,” Vincent said. Contact Andy Schwehm at aschwehm@lsureveille.com
photos by J.J. ALCANTARA and JASON BORDELON / The Daily Reveille
[Left] Metal shingles were torn off the roof of the UREC after Hurricane Gustav on Sept. 1, 2008. [Right] Repairs to the roof have begun, and debris has begun to be cleared from the facility’s roof, as of Aug. 31, 2009.
weeks. He said the new canopy will “lighten up” the entrance. “The replacement will have little impact on users,” he said. “It will take about a week to complete.”
can be done overnight,” he said. “This is not the only building on campus or in the state that was damaged. We’re very pleased at the speed of this project.”
COSTS The overall cost of the renovations is $2 million, Giles said. He said the money comes from insurance and state recovery funds given to the University. State officials must approve all aspects of the project because the UREC renovations qualify as a state project. Giles said the project is moving fast for a state project, despite having a year gap between the storm and the time renovations began. “This is not something that
OPERATIONS Construction is ahead of schedule and has experienced few problems, Giles said. He said he is happy with the contractor and architect’s time schedule. Giles said UREC users should not expect to see any variations on the old design compared to before the storm because the project is funded through insurance money. “When it’s completed, it’s going to look exactly like it did Aug. 31, 2008,” he said. But he said the gym, roof and
locker rooms will be new, unlike the previous 17-year-old facilities. “We were getting close to having to replace the roof and renovate the locker rooms anyway, since they were so old,” he said. “Now we’ll have a chance to replace everything — it will all be new.” Longino said dealing with damaged facilities has been tough, especially with users growing anxious with little progress in renovations. She said UREC has worked hard to keep all services fully functional the past year. “People wonder why renovations didn’t happen sooner,” she said. “It’s been just as hard on us to operate without a third of our facility. We’re just as excited to be able to reopen.”
While Bharad and Gabrielyan weathered the storm in the safe confines of the PMAC, some international students had a much more frightening experience. “I was actually not prepared at all and didn’t know what to expect,” said Merie Ham, University alumna. Ham, originally from China, said she had never experienced weather so powerful until Hurricane Gustav hit. “At that time, I had a child that
was 5 months old,” Ham said. “I was very scared for my child that it would get hurt. The wind was very scary, it made such a [loud] noise.” Gabrielyan said Armenia is no stranger to its own natural disasters. “[People in Louisiana and people in Armenia] are mentally alike,” Gabrielyan said. “People are aware that earthquakes can happen at anytime like people in Louisiana are always prepared and aware of the risk of hurricanes.” Although the ICC kept
FIRST TIME, from page 10
Director Emmett David. Gnel Gabrielyan had only been in America for two weeks when Hurricane Gustav hit Baton Rouge. “It was a big surprise,” said Gabrielyan, agricultural economics graduate student from the southwestern-Asia country Armenia. “I came to LSU on August 13 last year, and in two weeks, Gustav came.” Gabrielyan weathered the storm volunteering in the PMAC. “I was more excited than scared,” Gabrielyan said. “I wanted to see what was going on everywhere. We had a lot of patients that really needed help, so it was a good experience helping other people.” Gabrielyan volunteered more than 90 hours in the PMAC after the storm and said the experience helped him become acclimated with life in America. “At first, I had no idea what I was doing,” Gabrielyan said. “But I ended up making a lot of friends that I am still friends with today.” Abhishek Bharad, an agricultural engineering graduate student from India, was also new to America and volunteered with Gabrielyan during the hurricane. “All the patients were warm and happy and taught me a lot of things about English accents because they are different here,” Bharad said. “It was helpful to find people who had the same attitude and wanted to help.”
PAGE 15 TEMPORARY FACILITIES UREC officials found ways to continue all of their services for the last year despite damaged facilities. Longino said they moved the basketball courts outside, taking up three of the nine tennis courts. She said not everyone was happy with the transition at first, but users have gotten used to the change. Giles said most users were cooperative with the changes, causing little conflict. “Most patrons understood the process and cooperated,” he said. “Obviously tennis players would say they’d like more courts, and basketball players would like to be indoors, but they’re managing.” Giles said the outdoor courts are the same length as the indoor ones — the only major difference is the floor, changing from wood to concrete. However, he said concrete basketball courts are common in outdoor courts. Because of the increased popularity of the outdoor basketball courts, Giles said UREC officials are discussing making the change permanent.
Contact Steven Powell at spowell@lsureveille.com international students updated with e-mail reports about the impending hurricane, most students said they had no idea what to expect. “I was not actually prepared,” Bharad said. “I was not expecting that it would be as big as it was, and after the hurricane, I was a bit scared. Before I was really taking it lightly.” Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at xwilson@lsureveille.com
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Opinion
PAGE 16
ANALOG AVENGER
tuesday, September 1, 2009
‘District 9’ reviews show inability to face foreign ideas If aliens came to your hometown, how would you handle your surprise? “District 9,” the sci-fi action drama, asks that question – and the people have spoken. The public either loved or hated the movie, according to reader reviews. Such a polarized reception is worth further examination. The opposing nature of the reviews may actually teach us a lot about the film’s message. Are humans ready to accept a different type of alien life that defies our Hollywood-shaped preconceptions? Professional critics gave “District 9” overwhelmingly positive reviews, garnering the status of “universal acclaim” on Metacritic. com. But a look at the reader reviews tells a different story. You’ll find many users awarding perfect 10s and hailing it as groundbreakingly original. A few posts down, though, is a perfect 0. “Joe Al,” for example,
says, “Damn liberals ruined what could have been a good thing.” Moviefone.com follows a similar trend: 5 stars from film critics. And what did the man on the street give it? Zero or 5 stars, with little in between. Three common negative responses are: “Worst movie ever made,” “We walked out xx minutes into it” and “Don’t waste your money.” These reviewers tend to offer little else in the way of thoughtful appraisal. This is a fascinating mixed bag of reactions, but it doesn’t stop there. A poll on Facebook sponsored by “District 9” was posted four times leading up to and during the film’s release. The question was: “Do non-humans deserve equal rights?” Combining the results: 207,853 votes were cast — 52 percent said yes, 48 percent no. The Facebook poll is virtually in keeping with the 50/50 split
found on Moviefone.com (average of 3/5 stars). Is it a stretch to assume those who voted “no” may have also hated the movie? Metacritic. com’s “LilWe a p o n 8 2 9 ” expected an “actionpacked, alienJack Johnson killing blockbuster” but was Columnist “disappointed.” It’s possible LilWeapon829 captured in his or her stirring critique the angst of most who didn’t like “District 9”— unfulfilled expectations. Some reviewers were beaten down by what they felt were the film’s attempt to “moralize” them about the atrocities of South Africa’s apartheid. If that were the entire point of the movie, wouldn’t the director have just left the aliens out?
Sure, the similarities are apparent, but the flick doesn’t pretend to hide them. I find the setting only illustrates how we tend to meet foreign concepts (like this film) with crossed arms, even in the most socially reformed areas of our “advanced culture.” As bad as apartheid was, earthlings always knew the black race existed. The aliens’ unannounced arrival in “District 9” creates a new wrinkle in race relations. “District 9” depicts human protesting, spitting venom in their knee-jerk reactions. On a smaller scale, users who vacantly, proudly walked out, then wrote a less-thanlucid review displayed similarly impulsive behavior. How quickly they might judge in the face of misunderstanding. It’s OK to dislike a movie, but what does it say when your distaste is met by an equally positive opposition from those in the
public and professional fields alike? If “District 9” didn’t jive with some viewers’ ideas of how aliens should look or act, what did they expect? This is not to say everybody has to like it, but some reviewers may have been complicit in the film’s underlying theme in their rash misgivings about otherworldly oddities. When I walked out of the theatre, a woman in front of me said to her friends, “Anyone who likes this movie should have their head examined.” If you’ll pardon me, I’ve got a date with a shrink.
served in Europe while the Korean War was being waged — truly a Fortunate Son. And I can’t leave off the Chappaquiddick incident. In 1969, Kennedy left a party with Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy drove off a bridge into a channel, where he escaped. Kopechne’s body was not found until sometime later. Kennedy reported the incident after the body was discovered. This was the next morning, after he had returned to the party and gotten another ride home. Once again, the Kennedy family connections helped to delay the investigation and make it as quiet as possible. It is widely suspected that the Senator was intoxicated at the time, which could be the reason he waited so late to report the accident. While the medical examiner determined cause of death to be accidental drowning, bloodstains on Kopechne’s clothes discovered by authorities after the funeral point to other possibilities, which were never investigated. During a 1991 family gettogether in Palm Beach, Fla., Kennedy became involved with his nephew’s alleged rape case, involving a woman taken home from a bar to the Kennedy vacation home. Once again, the investigation was delayed.
Time Magazine called him a “Palm Beach boozer, lout and tabloid grotesque” while Newsweek described him as “the living symbol of family flaws”
So yes, this state needs someone who will fight for our beloved state. But I hope whoever steps up to this task will not have an out
of office reputation comparable to that of Senator Ted Kennedy. Trey Bacon finance junior
Jack Johnson is a 23-year-old mass communication junior from Fort Worth, Texas. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_jjohnson. Contact Jack Johnson at jjohnson@lsureveille.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Ted Kennedy not the leader Louisiana needs In Stephen Schmitz’s Aug. 31 article, “Louisiana needs leadership like Ted Kennedy,” the columnist points out some of Ted Kennedy’s positive accomplishments in the national legislation while calling out David Vitter for a matter going on in his personal life. Let’s turn it around. David Vitter led a group of senators that effectively blocked the passing of a bill granting amnesty to 12 million illegal immigrants and co-sponsored 10 bills that would bolster immigration enforcement. Vitter, along with the rest of the Louisiana congressional delegation, has worked to get as much relief and support for the victims of hurricanes as possible. Also, Vitter is pro-life, a supporter of gun rights, has pushed for ethics reform and was one of 35 Senators to vote against the Big 3 Bailout. Ted Kennedy was expelled from Harvard for cheating, joined the military and used his family’s connections to make sure he
THE DAILY REVEILLE Editorial Board NICHOLAS PERSAC JERIT ROSER MATTHEW ALBRIGHT ELLEN ZIELINSKI
Editor Managing Editor, Content Opinion Editor Production Editor
ERIC FREEMAN JR.
Columnist
MARK MACMURDO
Columnist
BEST AND WITTIEST
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EDITORIAL POLICIES & PROCEDURES
QUOTE OF THE DAY
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.
“Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.”
Nelson Mandela
first post-apartheid president of South Africa July 18, 1918 - present
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tuesday, September 1, 2009
FREEMAN OF SPEECH
Opinion
PAGE 17
We already have ‘death panels’ — called HMOs
“The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their ‘level of productivity in society,’ whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.” It also doesn’t and will never exist. These were the words of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on her Facebook page Aug. 7. A false information firestorm erupted since then, spreading now widely debunked myths and outright lies about health care reform. Had she merely said this at a town hall or a speaking event, her comments wouldn’t have gained so much traction. However, because of the widespread connectivity and popularity of the Internet — specifically, social networking sites — any false rumor or uninformed grumbling can turn into a legitimate news story within
minutes. Palin’s idea of the “death panel” came from Section 1233 of H.R. 3200, the health care bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, which would allow Medicare to pay doctors for providing end-of-life counseling to seniors, discussing sensitive matters like living wills and hospice care. Her original point was widely debunked and mocked. The most notable of her critics was Washington Post columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner Eugene Robinson, who blasted Palin in a July 7 Op-Ed. “You can say,” Robinson wrote, “that all of us who ever took Sarah Palin seriously — or pretended to take her seriously — should be deeply ashamed.” Robinson’s words were so hurtful to the governor, she expressed her disgust by cherry-picking a statement he made to make it look like he supported her views on death panels. In a follow-up post on Facebook, where her massive constituency can
soak up her twisted perspective, Palin noted Robinson agreed with her on end-of-life care. “Even columnist Eugene Robinson, a self-described ‘true believer’ who ‘will almost certainly support’ ‘whatever reform package finally emerges,’ agrees that ‘If the government says it has to control health-care costs Eric Freeman Jr. and then offers Columnist to pay doctors to give advice about hospice care, citizens are not delusional to conclude that the goal is to reduce end-of-life spending,’” Palin wrote Aug. 12. On this post, she provided links to her sources, including Robinson’s column, where — I kid you not — the very next sentence reads, “It’s irresponsible for politicians, such as Sarah Palin, to claim — outlandishly and falsely — that there’s going to be some kind of ‘death panel’ to decide when to pull the plug on Aunt
Sylvia.” He then distinguishes the need to separate two debates we should be having — the moral imperative of providing affordable care to over 46 million Americans without health care, and the concern of reducing the amount of end-of-life counseling seniors would receive. The bottom line folks need to absorb about health care reform involves both the disinformation spread on the Internet and the utter failure of the status quo. Death panels largely spread from the irrational fear of rationed care which is what we have now, despite the best wishes of those wanting to “kill the bill.” More than 46 million Americans don’t have health insurance, most because of pre-existing conditions. For those that do, they live in fear of being dropped from their policy when they get sick for an unrelated condition. That’s rationed care. Only the super-wealthy are happy with their health insurance,
providing them with the best quality of care in the world. Health insurance should have nothing to do with a person’s income. There shouldn’t be any talk about free-market solutions or competition between HMO’s earning billions off our illnesses. It should be a fundamental right for every citizen of “the greatest country on Earth,” as Palin considers us to be. Do you love America? Do you want us to be the greatest country on the planet? Then stop talking about how “great” we’ve been, and start imagining how great we could be. Eric Freeman Jr. is a 22-year-old political science senior from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter at TDR_efreeman.
Contact Eric Freeman Jr. at efreeman@lsureveille.com
JUXTAPOSED NOTIONS
Vague wording makes grim chance of ‘death panel’ of.
Sarah Palin is right. Well, sort
Before I explain any further, bear in mind I’ve long borne witness to Palin’s gaffes. And though she and I share nearly identical ideologies, her political missteps have soured her to me. But regardless of my distaste for her as a politician, I have to admit she has managed to aim roughly in the correct direction with her “death panel” dialogue, even though her delivery was botched. The crux of the argument is that the provision for federally funding end-of-life consultations is worded vaguely, which could result in a situation where patients may be counseled to end their life. Here is where I believe she is wrong. The provision she cited was vague and not suggestive enough to be threatening. Those provisions didn’t explicitly provide us with a “death panel.” They didn’t need to, because one already exists. It was authorized in the stimulus bill passed Feb. 13, granted $1.1 billion and titled the “Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research” at the bid of former senator Tom Daschle, D-S.D. Betsey McCaughey, former lieutenant governor of New York, first criticized the council in February. She wrote an article in the Washington Times expressing her concern about the council, emphasizing the vague nature of its power as the main danger.
Here is where Sarah Palin’s general thesis comes back into play. Her concern is similar to McCaughey’s: loose wording will result in details being filled in by regulatory czars and stimulus-funded boards. Meaning there is no possible way to Linnie Leavines verify details, Columnist and the general public is left to frustrating speculation, which could result in widespread confusion. This lack of detail is exactly what’s causing the mass confusion concerning the health care bill. Sarah Palin made the mistake of speaking of “death panels” as if they were absolute fact and furthered this oversight by using the wrong provisions to back up her position. The truth is speaking in absolutes is not necessary – the only necessity is to be honest about the ambiguity of the provisions in the bill and to speak of this in conjunction with the truth about Daschle’s Council. This is especially significant because the elasticity of the syntax in the health care bill is directly correlated to the council’s empowerment. The next logical step is to investigate the persuasions of council members. Careful examination unearths disturbing philosophies which, empowered by loose legislative wording, could easily turn Daschle’s council into a “death panel”
equivalent. Daschle has outlined a formula for the board to follow. It is designed to divide the cost of treatment by the number of years the patient is likely to benefit to “slow costly medical advancement and consumption.” Considering this, it should come as no surprise he also encourages patients to accept a “hopeless diagnosis” because we need to accept the reality that reform “will not be pain free.” Another alarming ideology is espoused by council member
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, who has stated that prioritizing the health of younger people is sensible, because “every person lives through different life stages rather than being a single age.” He also has the audacity to claim his philosophy is by some stretch of absurdity “not ageist” because age is a changeable characteristic. Given the vague power bestowed to men with such philosophies, is it really improbable to consider a “death panel” equivalent is a reality? Without details,
it’s impossible to say with certainty either way. Remember, the devil lies in the details. Which is why the details are often absent. Linnie Leavines is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from Central City. Follow her on Twitter @TDR_lleavines.
Contact Linnie Leavines at lleavines@lsureveille.com
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Help Wanted DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY! Now hiring for all positions at the following locations: JEFFERSON 7615 Jefferson Hwy Baton Rouge 70809 PERKINS ROWE 7707 Bluebonnet Blvd. Baton Rouge 70810 “Flexible schedules & Benefits for Full Time Associates” Please apply in person during regular restaurant hours. Equal Opportunity Employer SURVEY TAKERS NEEDED: Make $5-$25 per survey. GetPaidToThink.com. PART TIME STUDENT WORKER Lewis Computer Services, Inc. is seeking a PT Student Worker. Will be responsible for business errands, basic clerical work, and answering multi-line phone. Must have clean driving record, excellent communication skills, and basic computer skills. Previous office experience preferred. No nights or weekends. Please e-mail resume and class schedule to jobs@lewis.com. NURSERY STAFF - YMCA KIDS ZONE Great opportunity! Flex schedule, morning and/ or evenings, 20 hrs/wk. Must be 18+ years of age, child care experience, and have a passion for caring for children. Apply in person: Paula G. Manship YMCA, 8100 YMCA Plaza Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA (225) 767-9622 - Lindsay ISDS MAJORS wanted for HelpDesk and Programming positions. Email resume to hr@bankers-bank.com DEARMANS Waitresses needed especially for MWF 10:30-3 Dearmans 924.1391 Casey (Mgr.) 288.6641 TJ RIBS IS NOW HIRING SERVERS AND HOSTS. APPLY IN PERSON AT 2324 S. ACADIAN THRUWAY, BATON ROUGE, LA. **EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER** MOORE CONSTRUCTION, Inc. is hiring construction/engineer students. Email resume to Ed Stock at estock@mooreconstructioninc.com to set up interview. PARRAIN’S SEAFOOD Now hiring servers, hostess, and bar backs with oyster shucking experience 225.381.9922 FULL/PART TIME POSITION Website design and maintenance, small office IT work, design/edit annual publications (Adobe InDesign), blog/newsletter editing, pay based on ability/experience. Must be hardworking and creative with computer skills. 225.336.4143
Cost: 35 cents per word a day Personals Free for students
Employment PAUL MITCHELL signature salon looking for motivated, enthusiastic part-time receptionists. Apply in person at I-Catcher’s Hair & Body Spa, 5454 Bluebonnet, Suite I. LOOKING FOR A FUN JOB? Counter Culture Frozen Yogurt is accepting applications for cashiers and kitchen workers! Now hiring for our existing Perkins Rd. location, and our new 14241 Airline Hwy location (opening soon!). Please apply in person at 7711 Perkins Rd. 225.767.9977 SEEKING ENTHUSIASTIC STUDENTS who love working with children for local after school program. Tues & Th 1:30-5:30 Now hiring! Call 975-0131 Please leave a message. OFFICE ASSISTANT Psychology Private Practice Work MWF mornings in a private psychologists’ office. Answer the phone, schedule appointments, file insurance claims, post payments, etc. Must have excellent communication skills and the ability to assist clients. Some business/ accounting knowledge is useful, but not required. Please email or fax resume. omanager@bellsouth.net Fax- 225.763.9358 NINFA’S IS NOW HIRING SERVERS. APPLY IN PERSON AT 4738 CONSTITUTION AVE., BATON ROUGE, LA. **EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER** INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE Looking for an intern to assist with financial & tax related projects. Computer/ General Office Skills/ Strong MS Office & Excel Skills Email resume to: jobs@advantous.com INTERNET WORK! $6.75-$139+/ Hr. Flexible Hours. Use any computer. $25 Starting Bonus. http://tinyurl.com/LSUWork VETERINARY HOSPITAL. Garden District Animal Hospital seeking part time help. Apply 1302 Perkins Rd. RECEPTIONIST NEEDED A statewide radio network and sports publication is seeking a responsible and organized individual to handle answering phones, greeting guests and various office duties. Must have an outgoing personality and ability to multi-task. $9.50 per hour. E-mail resume` to dawn@la-net.net or fax: 225-297-7539. $$$ENTRY LEVEL ADMIN NEEDED!!! Fast Paced, Contracting company is looking for hard working graduates who want to join an organization to grow with into the future. Must be highly organized, energetic and have great attitude. No exp necessary, will train. Microsoft Office a MUST! Please email resume to Employment@jasperinc.org IT/E-COMMERCE ASSISTANT Flexible 15-25hr wk schedule, relaxed atmosphere, training provided. Knowledge of
Housing
Deadlines: 12 noon two school days prior to the print publication date
Merchandise
Microsoft Office and graphic design a plus. Send resumes to jobs@varsityvests.com. www.varsityvests.com / www.fanthefire.com 225.753.7299 225.709.6153 MAKE QUICK CASH THIS WEEKEND Local Market Research firm is conducting a door-to-door survey this Saturday & Sunday in Baton Rouge [Sept 5 & 6]. 20 students needed. You don’t have to administer survey, just drop off & retrieve. 9AM-5PM, $100 cash per day. If interested, email info@percyandcompany.com and I’ll be in touch. Visit percyandcompany.com for company info. STUDENTPAYOUTS. COM Paid Survey Takers Needed In Baton Rogue. 100% Free To Join! Click On Surveys. N ACTORS, MODELS, MAKEUP ARTISTS and concession workers wanted for THE 13TH GATE Haunted House. No Exp. needed. Good Pay. Flexible Hours. Apply in Person at 832 St. Phillip St. downtown BR. September 5th,6th,12th, 13th. 9am-5pm 225-9218006. HANCOCK BANK Currently seeking PT Tellers in the Baton Rouge area. Cash handling & cust serv exp reqd. Hancock Bank offers competitive wages and benefits as well as opportunities for professional growth. For a complete job description or to apply visit www.hancockbank.com/careers. EOE M/F/DV Hancock Bank is a drug free workplace PLUCKERS WING BAR Now Hiring All Positions. Come Join a winning team. Apply at 4225 Nicholson ►►BARTENDING UP TO NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. TRAINING PROVIDED. AGE 18+ OK 1-800-965-6520 ext127 WWW.LOUIESCAFE.COM THE UNIVERSITY CLUB Golf Course is now hiring servers and beverage cart attendants. Fun atmosphere and flexible schedule! Call 225.819.0311 NOW HIRING FOR FALL! Child Care Center near LSU now hiring for Fall Semester. Afternoon Teachers needed 2:30-5:30 Mon-Fri. 225.766.1159 NOW HIRING Hampton Inn & Suites I/10Reiger Rd. Front Desk clerks needed. Dependable individuals may apply in person. Address is 11271 Reiger Rd. Baton Rouge, La 70809 225.751.4600 LSU GUMBO YEARBOOK & DVD is looking for a managing editor, layout designers, photographers, video editor, videographers and writers. All majors and all years accepted. Please fill out an application (not online) and bring it to B39 Hodges. Any questions email Sheila at editor@lsugumbo. com. ESL AIDE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
Transportation
ESL Aide-Office work-5:00. P. M.--9::15 P. M. Mon.., Tues., Wed. Must be organized, detail-oriented, computer knowledge. Send resume.
For Sale TIGER MANOR CONDOMINIUMS. UNITS READY FALL 2009!! Brand new 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units for sale starting at $124,900. Ask about our Guaranteed Buy-Back Program!! 3000 July St. 225-346-5055 www. tigermanor.com Location. Location. Location... Start Living.
For Rent 2B/2.5BA PLEASANT Ridge Townhome. Updated. Appliances Remain.5mi from campus. 225.303.8779 225.303.8779 225.303.8779 CHATEAU DU COUR In Tigerland small gated complex with large updated 1 & 2 bedroom flats. Pool, courtyards, laundry rooms and on site management. $595-700. 767-3935 or 772-2429. mckproperties.com NEAR LSU ON BUS ROUTE 3 /2 Ω condo. Utilities Paid. Heatherstone. $1200 832.465.9203 TIGERTOWN 1BRUNF $425 AC stove fridge 9275495/7660579
Services
washer & dryer. Central heat, window A/ C. $960 per month. Pets OK. Deposit and lease. Available now. 225.766.2963 MOVE IN SPECIAL 2BR 2.5 Bath. Brightside Park Townhomes. W/D, Pool. 955-6480 southlandpropertiesinc.com TIGER MANOR CONDOMINIUMS. UNITS READY FOR FALL 2009! Brand new 1, 2, & 3 bedrooms available. Reserve your unit today! Walk to class! 3000 July St. 225-3465055. www.tigermanor.com Location. Location. Location... Start Living. YOU WILL LOVE WILLIAMSBURG 4065 Burbank Drive. $475. No Pets. www. lsubr.com for picture and floorplan. 9781649. LSU WALK TO Campus. New Orleans Courtyard/ POOL 1001 Aster 1 br $495. Very Nice. No Pets.766-2115 HOUSE FOR RENT Walk to LSU. 4br/1.5. 1485 W. Chimes St. Huge yard. $1000/ mo 225.603.4805 ATTN SERIOUS STUDENTS Want quiet? Want space? Large 1 and 2 br apts in small complex within walking distance of LSU. reserved parking, private patio or balcony. No children or pets. 1-br, $500; 2-br, $700. 757-8175 or 924-1934. http//riverroadapartments.tripod.com. NICE NEIGHBORHOOD-2 Story House-3BR/2BA--W/ D and D/ W--367 Stoney Creek--$1400--Call Rusty 225.892.8702 LAKE BEAU PRE TOWNHOUSE 2 BED 2.5 BATH NEW FURNITURE. FULLY FURNISHED KITCHEN! CAN BE UNFURNISHED IF DESIRED. $1000.00 A MONTH. 504.455.679 TWO-BED TOWNHOUSE, Nicholson Dr. near LSU, w / D, $650/ month, Call (225)2786621
NEAR SOUTH GATES OF LSU 2 BR 1 1/2 Bath condo 755 East Boyd completely updated ready immediately $1,000/ mo. year lease Call Geri today 225.806.2727
2 & 3 BEDROOM CONDOS Nice 2br condo in Brightside Manor $950. Half off 1st mths rent. Spacious 3br $1050 at 5252 Brightside View 955-6480
3 BEDROOM, 3 1/2 bath $1525/ Month Arlington Trace Condo 2405 Brightside on LSU Bus Route Parking for 3 Cars, All Appliances Included, Nice! hollisleech@yahoo.com 310.989.4453
FOR LEASE Houses, Apartments, Condos & Townhomes FOR LEASE in all areas and all price ranges!!! Call KEYFINDERS Realty for more info 225-293-3000. www.keyfindersbr.com
DREX GOMES PROPERTIES 1 and 2 BR Apartments & Condos 3 BR Houses www.drexgomesproperties.com
FOR LEASE 1BR/1BA $650/mo off Brightside, gated community. Call Keyfinders Realty, Inc. for more info 225-293-3000 www.keyfindersbr.com
WALK TO LSU 2BRUNF $575 3313 Iowa, central AC washateria 9275495 7660579
3BR/2BA HOUSE W/ EXTRA ROOM in MeadowBend. 1300/mo 1300dep. fencedin yard w/ small shed 225.931.8107
WALK TO CAMPUS 1Br, 2Br, and Townhomes. Starting as low as $400.00. www. lsuwestchimesplace.com 225.346.4789 FOR RENT 3 BR 1 1/2 BA house next to campus. Fenced yard. Range, refrig.,
2 BED 2 BATH FLAT off South Brightside View on bus line ready to move in immediatley. $675mt Call Monica or Ashley 225.930.9996 2BD/1 BTH www.geauxluxury.com
tuesday, September 1, 2009 Big loft in house. W&D, phone. Safe. No lease needed. $285 (incl. TV/Internet). Shared util. 225.921.12.09
Roommate Wanted roomate To share newly renovated 2 BR condo, S. Acadian. $500 plus share utilities. 225-8101417;225-485-2683. 225.344.4553 225.344.4553
Personals unicyclist seeks balance Been “single” too long. Need to find the one. Must be willing to ride (bike or uni) and have adventure. Call or text: 662.341.0856 I saw you riding your bike today, using the bike to tone your ass. Last friday of the month @ 5:30 is the day, to bring your ass to Critical Mass!!!! ibikefast@gmail.com for info The cute petite girl in econ 2030 with the red VW Jetta has a secret admirer :) I’m too shy to say hi, but if you are curious to find out who your admirer is email me at dc17h21o4n@yahoo.com No summer love? Hopeless romantic looking for a cute girl who knows what she wants and likes to be treated well. If your idea of a nice night is a movie on the big screen and a bottle of wine, let me know. 504tigerguy@gmail.com looking for my match to fill the little opening in the jumbeled sock drawer of my heart. White female who is into snake charming, chainsaws & sealing envelopes with hot wax. Seeking male companion with high ACT score, high cheekbones and high self esteem. No Weirdos PLEASE! allthegoodonesweretaken666@yahoo.com SEARCHING 4 SOULMATE 20yo Asian guy seeking masculine guy 18-23 to date. Races open. I’m a sweetheart! tigerboy1988@ gmail.com
Tickets Wanted
Florida Tickets I would like to purchase tickets to the LSU/ Florida game 239.994.6494
Miscellaneous 5 Minutes from LSU FREE LESSONS Sewing, Beading & Knitting Contact: fbcbrcrafts@gmail.com First Baptist Church Econ tutoring $20/hr. I’m clear + concise and know how to break it down. Don’t fall behind! cpeter9@gmail.com
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tuesday, September 1, 2009
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