Football: Quarterbacks Randall, Rivers waiting to see action, p. 9
Technology: Students’ website ranks nightlife in real time, p. 5
Reveille The Daily
LSU earns No. 2 spot on Newsweek’s list
Brian Sibille Staff Writer
Whether it’s jogging the lakes or bench pressing at the UREC Student Recreation Complex, students’ healthy habits have landed the University the No. 2 spot on Newsweek magazine’s Healthiest Colleges list. The publication’s annual list of rankings has been split into 25 different categories for the past two years, and the University’s only appearance this year was on the health list. Newsweek collected data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the College Board and other sources to formulate the rankings. Criteria used to rank schools included many different areas of health. The University’s athletic facilities ranked high with 96 percent of students polled saying facilities are “top-notch.” Tori Brens, pre-physical therapy freshman, is one of many students who takes advantage of the variety of activities the UREC offers. “The first time I went, I played racquetball, volleyball, ping pong and climbed the rock wall,” Brens said. The UREC aims to offer programs that fit different students’ preferences and lifestyles, said Lacee Breeden, healthy lifestyles coordinator at the UREC. “Anybody who comes through [the UREC] notices the large amount of participation,” said Scott Belanger, assistant director of marketing at the UREC. “That number shows how much students care about their health.” Belanger said one of the UREC’s most successful programs is its intramural sports leagues. Students can play HEALTH, see page 15
University ranked one of nation’s healthiest
Contributing Writer
A newly created non-profit organization will unify lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer groups across the state. Equality Louisiana was designed to create a collective voice among LGBTQ organizations on statewide issues and serve as a medium to share information. Matthew Patterson, Education and Advocacy committee chair for
Capital City Alliance, said the idea behind EQLA came from the experience of trying to pass the Safe Schools Bill, which failed to pass the Legislature last spring. CCA Political Director Tucker Barry realized what the problem was when working on the bill. “While the scope of the bill was statewide, there was no communication between groups across the state, making it difficult to establish a statewide backing for our issues,” Barry said. A group of figures in the LGBTQ community, including many members of CCA, decided there was a need for an inclusive group.
Southern board axes exigency request
Andrea Gallo Staff Writer
The Southern University Board of Supervisors denied its chancellor’s request to declare financial exigency Tuesday after the vote was repeatedly postponed in past weeks. While James Llorens, Southern chancellor, supported declaring the state of financial emergency as the university dodges budget cuts, some Southern faculty members and students stood against the measure. Several spoke Tuesday in hopes of persuading the board, and the request failed on a 6-6 standoff. One of the opponents of declaring exigency was Southern University’s Faculty Senate President Sudhir Trivedi, who said the chancellor was not using exigency as a “last resort.” Before the vote, he said he did not anticipate the board sending the university into exigency. Llorens previously said Southern could sidestep exigency only if 90 percent of its faculty agreed to furloughs and shorter termination notices.
Top 10 healthiest schools, according to Newsweek: 1. Harvard University 2. Louisiana State University 3. Mississippi State University 4. Princeton University 5. Middle Tennessee State University 6. Kansas State University 7. Oregon State University 8. The University of Texas-Pan American 9. University of Nebraska-Lincoln 10. University of Georgia
photo illustration by AMY BROUSSARD / The Daily Reveille
New group to unify LGBTQ organizations across Louisiana
Lauren Duhon
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 • Volume 116, Issue 12
www.lsureveille.com
LGBTQ
EQLA to stress transgender rights
Football: Mathieu’s stature belies presence on field, p. 7
“We came to realize we needed a new way of organizing for LGBTQ rights in Louisiana,” Patterson said. Over the summer, they developed a proposal for Equality Louisiana. EQLA was formed on three principles: prioritize each coalition partner, a transparent and democratic process and transgender inclusion. Groups that support EQLA must abide by these ideals. In particular, EQLA plans to stress transgender inclusion. LGBTQ Project Coordinator Bruce Parker said many organizations are EQLA, see page 15
Contact Andrea Gallo at agallo@lsureveille.com
DELICIOUS AUTUMN
BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille
RJ Marse, LSU law student, catches a frisbee Tuesday afternoon on the Parade Ground, enjoying the crisp cool front moving through the region.