The Daily Reveille - Dec. 1, 2011

Women’s basketball: Caldwell says Forthan could dunk by season’s end, p. 11

Entertainment: 2012 Grammy nominees revealed, p. 15

Reveille The Daily

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Seeing red

Thursday, December 1, 2011 • Volume 116, Issue 68

Organizations raise awareness on World AIDS Day Lauren Duhon

Contributing Writer

With red ribbons pinned to their shirts, students and members of the community will raise awareness today for HIV/AIDS in honor of World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day, celebrated Dec. 1 every year, began in 1998 to show support for those living with HIV/AIDS and to commemorate those who have lost their lives to the virus.

Each year, 2.7 million people worldwide contract the virus, according to a recent study released

by UNAIDS, the United Nations agency fighting the disease. In Louisiana, 8,458 people live with HIV, and 10,075 live with AIDS, according to the HIV/AIDS Alliance Region Two, known as HAART. The city of Baton Rouge ranks second for AIDS case rates in the country, just behind Miami, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With the threat close to home, local organizations are spreading awareness.

ResLife Pride, the Residential Hall Association’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization, and HAART hosted an educational presentation and panel discussion Tuesday in West Campus Apartments for students to learn more about HIV/AIDS. AIDS, see page 8

Louisiana:

Former employee responds to audit claims Andrea Gallo Staff Writer

A former University employee claims he has been unfairly accused of damaging a University piano and channeling University funds to himself.

Bradley Snook, former University piano technician, was accused in last year’s legislative audit — costing the School of Music $11,500 for damaging a piano, conducting non-University business for personal payment and using his position as a University employee to direct funds to himself. The audit reports the University paid an outside vendor $105,074, of which Snook took $85,295.

But Snook, who now resides in Europe, said in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille that the accusation that he took this money stemmed from a communication gap between the administration

Baton Rouge:

• Ranked 2nd in the U.S. in AIDS case rates • In 2010, 26% of new HIV cases in La. were in B.R. • In 2010, 30% of new AIDS cases in La. were in B.R.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Bradley Snook says accusations unfair

HIV/AIDS in Louisiana

• Ranked 4th in the U.S. with the highest rate of AIDS • 8,458 people living with HIV • 10,075 people living with AIDS • 805 new AIDS cases in 2010

Football: How this year’s team compares to 2007 national championship squad, p. 9

graphic by STEPHANIE GIGLIO / The Daily Reveille

SNOOK, see page 7

BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY

Shopping sale focuses on small businesses, holiday cheer Josh Naquin Staff Writer

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have left shoppers fatigued, but local stores are asking consumers to hop on over to their seasonal sales today.

The Perkins Historic Merchants District Association is holding its second annual “Shop Hop at the Overpass” to start holiday shopping in the small-business neighborhood of Baton Rouge. It will take place today from 5 to 9 p.m.

“It’s a way for local residents to start their holiday shopping by visiting local shops,” said Christine Caluag, president and chairperson of the Perkins Historic Merchants

District Association.

Caluag said the event will be modeled like an open house for the 25 local businesses participating, which are offering a variety of specials.

“Everything in our store will be 10 percent off for the event tomorrow, and we will have food and refreshments for shoppers,” said Pam Lawson, an employee at The Royal Standard, an interior furnishings store.

Caluag said there will be strolling carolers and street artists as well as a food truck roundup to provide consumers with a festive environment for holiday shopping.

According to Caluag, the hop will be an opportunity for shoppers

to experience “fun holiday spirit and purchase unique Louisiana products.”

Caluag said the event was reincarnated last year after previously being hosted under the title “Night of the Stars.” She said Shop Hop is the fourth event the neighborhood association has put on this year.

The event’s focus on small businesses echoes the sentiments of a newly fashioned national shopping holiday, Small Business Saturday.

The event was held for the second time on Saturday, Nov. 26, to give small businesses’ sales a boost.

Contact Josh Naquin at jnaquin@lsureveille.com

photo courtesy of CHRISTINE CALUAG

Shoppers participate in last year’s Shop Hop, scoring deals and enjoying holiday spirit.

The Daily Reveille

page 2

INTERNATIONAL

Nation & World

Thursday, December 1, 2011

NATIONAL

STATE/LOCAL

Jamaica chairman resigns amid accusations of mismanagement

Residents of Nome, Alaska, could get $9-a-gallon gasoline

Broussard mayor disputes $825,000 utility bill for water consumed

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — The chairman of Jamaica’s governing party has resigned from the Cabinet over allegations that his ministry has mismanaged a sprawling $400 million road program financed by China.

Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry announced his resignation in a late Tuesday statement, citing “ongoing attacks” on the management of the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Program, a fiveyear initiative launched in 2010 with loans from China.

Pope voices support for eliminating death penalty

BROUSSARD (AP) — Broussard Mayor Charles Langlinais is disputing the $825,000 bill Lafayette Utilities System sent his municipality for water the city has consumed, but not purchased, for several years.

The Advertiser reports Langlinais disagrees with the method LUS officials use to calculate the bill’s amount, and he’s hired an outside consultant to re-calculate what the price tag should be.

Public sector employees take to streets to protest government cuts

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The residents of Nome, Alaska, could be looking at a very costly winter with $9-a-gallon gasoline.

The coastal city of more than 3,500 residents that is known for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is iced-in, and a massive winter storm this month prevented a barge that usually carries fuel from getting to shore.

The most likely plan is to fly it in, but it would be costly and could be a logistical nightmare.

Dog steps on gun, shoots Utah duck hunter in buttocks

LONDON (AP) — Paramedics, emergency crews, teachers and even some employees from the prime minister’s office took to the streets of Britain for the country’s largest strike in decades — drawing attention to government cuts but failing to bring the nation to a standstill.

Public sector employees staged the one-day walkout Wednesday over government demands that they work longer before receiving a pension and pay more in monthly contributions, part of austerity measures to tackle Britain’s 967 billionpound ($1.5 trillion) debt.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah bird hunter was shot in the buttocks after his dog stepped on a shotgun laid across the bow of a boat.

Box Elder County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Potter says the 46-year-old Brigham City man was duck hunting with a friend when he climbed out of the boat, to move decoys.

Potter said the man left his 12-gauge shotgun in the boat and the dog stepped on it, causing it to fire.

It wasn’t clear whether the safety on the gun was on at the time. Potter also said the man was hit from about 10 feet away with 27 pellets.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI voiced support Wednesday for political actions around the world aimed at eliminating the death penalty, reflecting his stance as an opponent of capital punishment.

He made the comments during his weekly public audience to participants at a meeting being promoted by the Catholic Sant’Egidio Community on the theme “No Justice without Life.”

He said he hopes “your deliberations will encourage the political and legislative initiatives being promoted.”

LEFTERIS PITARAKIS / The Associated Press

British police walk in front of protesters Wednesday in Central London. They are upset about recent cuts.

Campus News Direct From the Source

Demolition of 60-year-old Canal Street hotel delayed NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The planned demolition of the empty Pallas Hotel on New Orleans’ Canal Street has been postponed after the state Department of Environmental Quality found hazardous materials inside.

“The inspection of the 60-yearold structure revealed additional amounts of hazardous material, which in the interest of public safety must be removed and abated prior to the implosion,” state officials said in a news release.

The demolition originally was scheduled for Nov. 20, but that date was rescheduled to complete the permitting and planning process.

Which LSU football player wants his dog taken care of during the SEC championship? Find out on the Tiger Feed blog.

Tune into 91.1 KLSU at noon to get all the details on finals week.

Check out the final edition of Conquering the Kitchen on the LMFAO entertainment blog.

Get the latest news by downloading the LSU Reveille app in the iTunes Store and Android Market

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The Daily Reveille

Thursday, December 1, 2011

page 3

STUDENT TRENDS

Students participate in ‘zombie war’ with Nerf guns across campus

Austen Krantz

Contributing Writer

gun.

Walk softly and carry a big Nerf

The motto resonates with dorm residents participating in LSU Humans vs Zombies, a Facebook group that organizes participants into two teams — zombies, who wear bandanas on their heads to signify their allegiance, and humans, who wear bandanas on their arms or legs and often carry Nerf guns to fend off the sneaky undead.

“It’s like an extreme game of tag,” said mass communication freshman Marylee Williams.

The game began earlier this semester in Evangeline Hall and gradually took in more players, now boasting 229 members on Facebook.

Zombie players must tag a human player to take their place as a human and turn that person into a zombie, explained mass communication freshman Megan Dunbar. If a zombie fails to tag a human after 48 hours, he or she dies out of the game.

Zombies also become inactive for 15 minutes if a human shoots them with a Nerf gun or hits them with a sock.

The game is constantly in play, enabling zombies to sneak up on humans throughout the day. In addition, the zombie team benefits from a nonbandana-wearing alpha zombie, who can sneak up on unknowing prey.

“People get really paranoid,” Williams said. “You don’t know who it is. They can just be walking around.”

The game began on campus when biological sciences freshman Hanna Lemoine heard about the game from a friend.

“My friend from Nicholls [State University] told me about it, and I looked it up,” Lemoine said. “It was supposed to be only in Evangeline, but a bunch of people joined in.”

The group’s growth caused gameplay to extend across campus.

ZACH BREAUX / The Daily Reveille

Biochemistry freshmen Grant Raphael and Trent Davidge show off the Nerf guns they use to play the Humans vs Zombies game on campus.

“In the first game it seemed like it was focused mainly between the Horseshoe and Acadian,” Williams said. “Now some people who live off campus play when they’re on campus a lot.”

But Lemoine doesn’t mind the growth.

“It’s fun to watch people take a hold of the game,” she said.

Despite the size, the organization still keeps the game in line, Dunbar said. Bathrooms and dining halls are non-hostile, while battles must also stop before students enter their classes.

Lemoine said the game continues to grow in complexity as well as size. Some human players have amassed large arsenals for defense, as would any post-apocalyptic zombie survivor.

“There’s so much science behind what Nerf gun you use and how you modify it and how you’re going to paint it,” Dunbar said.

Nerf guns span from revolver pistols to automatic rifles with extended ammo magazines.

“One time I saw these people with these mechanical, 6-round, $40

Nerf guns, and I have a pair of wool socks in my pocket,” Williams joked.

Lemoine said she prefers the zombie life because walking around with Nerf guns can be a hassle.

“I usually like being a zombie,” she said. “Sometimes people fuss at you for having a Nerf gun.”

Along with Nerf guns, players have created missions to supplement the everyday game. Biochemistry freshmen Grant Raphael and Trent Davidge have Nerf weapons to effectively combat zombies on these missions. Even the missions have grown in size, they said.

“The second [mission] spanned all the way across campus,” Davidge said. “It was basically like an all-out war.”

Lemoine and other players are open to even more growth, which would allow bigger games.

“Anyone can join, if you live on campus,” said Williams. “It’s open to everybody. It would be funny if a professor would play.”

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The Daily Reveille

page 4

Thursday, December 1, 2011

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The Daily Reveille

Thursday, December 1, 2011

ACADEMICS

page 5

ACADEMICS

SEC foreign language Business school to collaborate with programs differ in size Taiwan management university

Andrea Gallo

including China, Brazil and India.

“We consider Taiwan a very important place in the emergThe University is working ing markets,” Chen said. “The with the College of Management National Taiwan University is a top univerof the National sity in terms Taiwan University of research to create research and learning. and exchange proWhat we do grams for the fuis engage in ture. the research The two uniactivity with versities signed a them and enletter of intent in gage in stuSeptember and Ocdent exchange tober, which may in some way.” lead to joint work, C h e n guest lectures and said it’s taken the exchange of about a year students, faculty to develop a and educational relationship material. with the NaThe letter is tional Taiwan valid for five years Ye-Sho Chen U n i v e r s i t y, and was signed by and both uniChancellor MiISDS professor and Emerging versities still chael Martin and Markets Initiative director need to iron Eli Jones, dean out final deof the E. J. Ourso College of Business, and by re- tails before student exchange can take place. spective parties in Taiwan.

“It has been a long journey, Ye-Sho Chen, ISDS professor and Emerging Markets Initia- which is very typical. That’s tive director, said the University the way it is,” Chen said. “We has already established relation- are already in discussion about ships with important internation- how to do the research front on al communities and markets, both sides. In terms of student Morgan Searles

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

After multiple rounds of budget cuts severed the University’s foreign language programs, LSU has fallen behind its SEC peers in language offerings.

Last year’s cuts eliminated Japanese, Portugese, Swahili and Russian programs at the University, along with 14 instructors.

Instructors in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, which houses foreign languages, were recently told they would no longer be receiving termination notices each semester, a decision that gives these instructors more job security in the wake of the University’s financial woes.

The breakdown of language offerings at SEC universities is as follows: University of Alabama Alabama: Chinese, Classics, Critical Languages (20 less commonly taught languages), French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish Arkansas: AraUniversity of Arkansas bic, Chinese, Classics, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili Auburn University: Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish University of Florida: Akan, Amharic, Arabic, Classics, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, French/ Francophone studies, German, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi-Urdu, Italian, Japanese, Lingala, Polish, Russian, Scandinavian/Swedish, Swahili, Vietnamese, Wolof, Yoruba, Xhosa Georgia: University of Georgia French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Romance Languages Kentucky: AraUniversity of Kentucky bic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian

LSU: Arabic, Chinese, Classics, German, Hebrew, Italian, Spanish, French, Cajun French University of Mississippi: Mississippi Arabic, Classics, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese Mississippi State: State Classics, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish University of South Carolina: Arabic, Chinese, Classics, Comparative Literature, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili University of Tennessee: Tennessee Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish Vanderbilt University: Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, Classical Greek, English as a second language, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, K’iche’, Latin, Maya Glyph, Portuguese, Russian, Semitic Languages, Spanish Contact Andrea Gallo at agallo@lsureveille.com

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‘‘

‘We are already in discussion about how to do the research front on both sides. ... We intend to move forward, but we have to follow what would be acceptable to both sides.’

exchange, LSU has its own rules and the National Taiwan University has it’s own rules. We intend to move forward, but we have to follow what would be acceptable to both sides.”

The Emerging Markets Initiative aims to help students with cultural and academic exchanges, relations and economic growth.

The initiative gives undergraduates and LSU Flores MBA program students the opportunity to travel abroad.

“We want students to be more involved so they could become future leaders in business in emerging markets,” Chen said.

Contact Morgan Searles at msearles@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille

page 6

ADMINISTRATION

Thursday, December 1, 2011

New purchasing power could leave local businesses in dust Clayton Crockett Staff Writer

While the passage of the LA GRAD Act granted the University autonomies like the authority to increase tuition, the new authority of independent purchasing power has left many skeptical of the University’s position as a public institution.

These changes in purchasing power apply to the University’s procurement code, or the method by which it purchases the goods it needs to run, from pencils and paper to computers and transit systems.

Chief Procurement Officer Marie Frank said the red tape involved with the current procurement code is irrational.

Rather than being able to look for the best deal, “we had to think, ‘How can we purchase this within the confines of an antiquated law?’” she said.

With the help of the GRAD Act, Frank said the University can behave as business and industry do by making purchases based on the best deal rather than restricting criteria in the

procurement code.

Under the GRAD Act, universities fall into three separate categories that determine their authority to act independently. The levels reached are judged by the improvement each university displays, comprising basic, intermediate and high-level autonomies.

Frank explained one of the most effective powers will be the ability to purchase through cooperative purchasing organizations, or CPOs, which are national groups that use large institutions as clients in order to sign discounted deals with production companies.

“We’ve never had the opportunity to enter one of these as a higher education institution,” she said.

“We’re now able to find ways to do business in a way that is better for LSU.” Brian Landry, small business council staff director for the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, said he fears these changes will snub local businesses by avoiding the low-bid process, by which an institution shows intent to purchase

goods and allows businesses to bid for the best price.

“The thing that struck me was the cooperative purchasing,” he said.

“The original piece [of legislation] gave total access for the use of [cooperative purchasing agreements].”

Landry said the CPOs don’t necessarily use the fair methods small businesses rely on, such as the lowbid process. And they sometimes require fees to participate, which some businesses may not be able to afford.

“The level playing field is the public bid process,” he said. “When you deal with cooperative purchasing groups, it changes.”

Landry contended that even if he produced the lowest bid in a cooperative purchasing group, he wouldn’t necessarily be picked to do business, and he would have to pay a fee.

“We’re looking for the lowest price. If you lose out with that, you lose out with that — it’s part of the market economy,” Landry said.

“We’re worried that our folks would be cut out of that process.”

Renee Baker, Louisiana state

EDUCATION

Higher ed suffers across the nation

Clayton Crockett Staff Writer

United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan highlighted the tribulations of the nation’s higher education system Tuesday at the annual Federal Student Aid Conference in Las Vegas. Duncan also offered some words of advice to higher education officials across the country.

• From 1995 to 2007, the net price of college for full-time undergraduates rose 48 percent at for-profit schools, 26 percent at public two-year institutions and 20 percent at public four-year institutions — all after being adjusted for inflation.

• Three in four Americans say college is too expensive for most people to afford, and threefourths of young adults believe graduates have more debt than they can manage.

• College seniors with student loans now graduate with an

average of more than $25,000 in debt.

• Students with bachelor’s degrees are projected to earn an average of about $1 million more in their lifetimes than students with only high school diplomas.

• Containing costs at a postsecondary institution involves balancing three things: quality, access and cost, all of which affect the other. With more quality and access come higher costs.

• Higher productivity and better accountability will help balance improved quality while constraining costs.

• The urgency of controlling college costs is not at odds with the urgency of increasing college attainment.

• Shifts in state spending on higher education are among the biggest drivers of tuition growth at public institutions.

• Financial pressures pose a grave challenge to the promise of equal opportunity in America.

Contact Clayton Crockett at ccrockett@lsureveille.com

director for the National Federation of Independent Businesses, shared Landry’s concerns.

“Obviously we understand that the bid should go to the lowest bidder, but when you start getting involved with cooperatives, there’s a possibility that the [bidding] process will be circumvented,” she argued.

Baker traced her discord with the bill to the function of higher education institutions.

“I don’t think that universities should have absolute authority to not abide by the procurement code, which is the concern that I had going into the process with the GRAD Act,” she explained. “[The universities] didn’t want to have to adhere to the guidelines in the procurement codes.”

Baker said she thinks using CPOs creates an unfair playing field.

“They don’t understand,” Frank said, adding that the University currently doesn’t purchase from Louisiana companies.

For example, Frank said there is no supplier of scientific supplies in Louisiana.

With the help of purchasing autonomies, the University will no longer be forcing itself into purchases, she said.

Another example is the transit bus system.

Under state law, Frank said the University could not sign contracts that extend longer than five years, which stifles negotiations from the start.

“We would’ve gotten a better deal,” she said, if they had the ability to sign on for perhaps 10 years, which would have saved money.

Seeing as any information technology purchases more than $100,000 currently must go through the Office of State Purchasing, a Procurement Support Team, a bidding process, back to the support team and then back to the Office of State Purchasing for finalization, Frank deemed this shift “huge.” The above process could easily last four months, she said.

Contact Clayton Crockett at ccrockett@lsureveille.com

Thursday, December 1, 2011

page 7

UNIVERSITY

School of Social Work applies for routine reaccreditation Dean doesn’t expect difficulties in process Catherine Parsiola Contributing Writer

The School of Social Work submits its application for reaffirmation to the Council on Social Work Education today, a process that requires about two years of work.

The Council on Social Work Education, the only accrediting agency in the country, requires all schools of social work reevaluate their programs every eight years to analyze performance and verify that students’ expectations are being met.

According to Daphne Cain, dean of the University’s School of Social Work, the faculty rewrote the School’s mission and goals last year and worked to revise the entire curriculum as preparation for the affirmation process.

The Council identified 10 educational policies in 2008 that

SNOOK, from page 1 and himself.

“I spoke with the administration and indicated that I would be willing [to] pay the upfront costs so that the school would have access to the full amount of work that we were expecting,” Snook said. “After the work was completed, the dealer would then reimburse me for the expenses that were paid out. Everyone was agreeable and happy with this solution, and it is what allowed the school to get the maximum assistance.”

Snook said he was never given the opportunity to respond to the charges that he damaged a piano, resulting in costly alterations, and he said an “independent evaluation” of the piano’s condition never took place.

“Throughout this entire process, I was never, even once, asked to respond to or advise the administration as to what was going on with this piano,” Snook said. “Had the dean bothered to ask me, or any of the other piano technicians at the school, we could have advised him that we could have easily done this work in-house and at no additional cost to the school.”

Snook said redirecting University funds to himself was improbable because as a piano technician, he lacked the authority to fill out, sign or approve the paperwork that would be involved in any purchasing at the University.

“My contract with the School of Music was such that I was to remain an independent piano technician, and that I would continue to conduct my professional activities,” he said. “It is standard practice for university piano technicians to do outside work.

This was a significant topic that my search committee spoke with me about during my interview. It was explained to me that the LSU

should be covered in a social work education and named specific practice behaviors within each of the policies that students should be performing, totaling 41 behaviors for all 10 policies.

Behaviors include such skills as demonstrating professional demeanor, applying strategies of ethical reasoning and engaging in just practices. The council reviews its educational policies and accreditation standards about every eight years, Cain said in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille.

Faculty members then determined which courses are designed to allow students opportunities to perform each practice behavior. Catherine Lemieux, Margaret Champagne Womack associate professor in addictive disorders, said the school revised its curriculum before the last cycle of reaffirmation in 2003, so only a few minor changes in wording were needed for the current cycle.

Lemieux said the recent minor curriculum changes will not have a significant impact on current students.

Students had the opportunity to become involved with the reaccreditation process by serving on one of the school’s committees designed to review the program, Cain said.

The school hosted a site visitor from March to May who evaluated the program by talking to students and faculty, Cain said.

The school worked on a selfstudy this semester, which is due to the Council of Social Work Education today, along with the new mission, goals and curriculum for a decision.

Cain said the school has been continuously accredited for 74 years.

The Council on Social Work Education has certain procedures for schools that do not meet its standards, including probation, a reconsideration process and eventual loss of accreditation, Cain said.

The Executive Committee of the Council on Social Work Education handles programs found to be out of compliance with accreditation standards, according to

technician normally takes over all of the important concert venues in the city and is the main technician that serves the piano service needs of the Baton Rouge community.”

College of Music and Dramatic Arts Dean Laurence Kaptain said he could not comment on Snook’s rebuttals because it is a pending legal matter. Ernie Ballard from LSU Media Relations also said he could not comment.

“My resignation was not connected to the School of Music audit,” Snook said. “I chose to separate myself from the school after the new dean aligned himself, and the school, with a vendor that was actively trying to discredit my reputation and the work that we were doing at the school.”

Contact Andrea Gallo at agallo@lsureveille.com

the council’s website. The website states that such programs may be required to host additional campus visits, granted conditional accreditation or have their accreditation terminated.

Cain added the School has never faced this issue and shouldn’t have any difficulties with reaccreditation this year.

“I fully expect that we will

celebrate our diamond anniversary with a new affirmation,” Cain said.

Cain said the University’s School of Social Work is one of the first to move forward with the new standards set by the Council on Social Work Education.

Contact Catherine Parsiola at cparsiola@lsureveille.com

page 8

Thursday, December 1, 2011

AIDS, from page 1

The event also sponsored an all-day testing center for students in both West and East Campus Apartments. More than 70 students were tested, and none were positive, according to HAART. The presentation focused on how the virus works, how it is treated and how it can be prevented. Chad Freeman, graduate residence director for Broussard Hall and the Pentagon, said he believes the event will get people talking about the virus.

“There is a large stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS,” Freeman said.

“People with the virus look like anybody else.”

He hopes students leave with the knowledge that there are leaders in the community who deal with the virus and still live life to the fullest.

HAART employee Meta Smith said she was diagnosed with HIV in 2001. Smith said when she found out she had HIV, she thought her life was over.

“It took time to get used to my diagnosis and relax,” Smith said. “I learned to live and live proudly in

LAUREN DUHON / The Daily Reveille

Sharon Decuir, Meta Smith and Ronnie Buford, all HIV-positive, share their stories Tuesday at a panel to educate students about HIV at West Campus Apartments.

time. It did not take away my pride or beauty.”

The panel strongly advocated safe sex and educating youth in order to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Spectrum, the University’s LGBTQ organization, and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority hosted a similar panel discussion on Monday to raise awareness for the virus in partnership with the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative. The groups also sponsored free testing.

Capital Area Phoenix Initiative, an HIV/AIDS organization focused on reducing the stigma associated with the virus and providing

resources and counseling, will host a benefit concert for World AIDS Day tonight at Club Culture on Oklahoma Street beginning at 9 p.m.

The LSU Mid City Clinic on North Foster Drive will also host an event honoring the day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Speakers will share thoughts on the issue, and 250 red balloons will be released shortly after. The clinic will also offer free testing at the event.

Karien Laurent, University alumna and CAPI volunteer, said the event, titled (W)rap It Up, will include hip-hop and spoken-word artists. In addition to music, there

will be free condoms, informational pamphlets, red bracelets, free testing and discussion about the growing AIDS epidemic in Baton Rouge.

“There are lots of resources available,” Laurent said. “I want AIDS to be an open conversation. It is OK to talk about it.”

Laurent said the goal of the event is to get the word out, no matter how many people attend. She said people shouldn’t feel ashamed to discuss these issues.

On a global scale, one University student decided to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Larry Robins, biochemistry sophomore, book drive leader and Care for AIDS intern, encouraged students to donate their books during finals week to give back to the cause.

The drive goes toward Care for AIDS, an organization that partners with 14 different churches in Kenya to provide men and women with spiritual support, medication and proper food to maintain their health.

“HIV is such an epidemic in Africa,” Robins said. “Communities and families are ripped apart because of this virus.”

Robins believes local churches should get involved. He said the community has the means to give back to those who are less fortunate, and the book drive is a simple effort to help.

“We as a student body can help other individuals,” Robins said.

“Through this program, it helps the country as a whole.”

During the 2011 spring book drive, the University raised $4,000 worth of books to donate for the program in Africa. This semester’s book drive will be from Dec. 5 to 9 in Free Speech Plaza and will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Victoria Stephens, mathematics secondary education freshman, said her love for helping others was the deciding factor for volunteering.

“We don’t think of it affecting us directly, but it affects many others,” Stephens said. “It is so simple to help and give back. Simple acts of kindness go a long way.“

Contact Lauren Duhon at lduhon@lsureveille.com

Sports

Thursday, December 1, 2011

page 9

Seven-Eleven

2011 Tigers look to 2007 team for inspiration Hunter Paniagua Sports Writer

File photo

Former quarterback Matt Flynn kisses the crystal ball after LSU’s Jan. 7, 2008, BCS National Championship victory against Ohio State.

2007

Record 10-2 Points Earned 482 Against 241 Rushing yards Gained 2,634 Against 1,246 Passing yards Gained 2,728 Against 2,101

Sacks 32 Average margin of victory 19.75 Punt return average yards against 5.9

Former LSU football coach Nick Saban hoisted a crystal football on Jan. 4, 2004, in the Superdome to represent his team’s BCS National Championship. Four years later, Saban’s successor Les Miles held up the same trophy in the same stadium.

Four more years have passed, and Miles has the No. 1 team in the country poised for another championship run in the same venue.

Though no players who saw the field during the 2007 championship are currently on the team, similarities between the two teams exist, and senior offensive guard Will Blackwell said he and his teammates frequently look to the 2007 team for inspiration.

“When you want to pick a team from your school to compare yourself to, it has to be the most recent champion,” said Blackwell, who redshirted in 2007. “We’ve still got a little bit of work to compare ourselves to them, but we’ll see how it goes after this week.”

Some players on this year’s team credit the 2007 championship as the reason they chose LSU. “That’s what made me come here,” said sophomore running back Michael Ford, a Leesville native who was a high school junior in 2007. “They had just won a national championship. Living off all the hype, it was exciting.”

Led by former quarterback Matt Flynn and running back Jacob Hester, the 2007 Tigers held a No. 2 ranking for most of their roller coaster season. LSU rose to No. 1 before losing in triple overtime to then-No. 17 Kentucky.

LSU fell to No. 5 after the loss but fought its way back to the top spot after a 58-10 rout of Louisiana Tech on Nov. 10. Two weeks later, LSU dropped another triple overtime thriller, this time to Arkansas, and its national championship INSPIRATION, see page 13

FOOTBALL

Mathieu finalist for Player of the Year Honey Badger only defensive player

Hunter Paniagua Sports Writer

CHRISTOPHER LEH / The Daily Reveille

The Tigers sing the Alma Mater after their Nov. 25 victory against Arkansas, clinching the SEC West Championship.

2011

Record 12-0 Points Earned 458 Against 127 Rushing yards Gained 2,590 Against 1,033 Passing yards Gained 2,052 Against 1,948

Sacks 33 Average margin of victory 27.5 Punt return average yards against 0.5

Sophomore cornerback Tyrann Mathieu was named Wednesday one of five finalists for the Walter Camp National Player of the Year Award.

Mathieu is the only defensive player among the finalists. He joins Baylor junior quarterback Robert Griffin III, Houston senior quarterback Case Keenum, Stanford junior Mathieu quarterback Andrew Luck and Alabama junior running back Trent Richardson.

The New Orleans native has earned Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors twice this season and leads LSU in tackles with 66. He ranks second in the nation with six forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

Mathieu has also intercepted two passes and recorded 1.5 sacks. He has scored three touchdowns this year — a 92-yard punt return against Arkansas, a 3-yard fumble return against Oregon and a 23-yard fumble return against Kentucky. Both fumble returns were results of his forced fumbles.

The Walter Camp Player of the Year will be announced Dec. 8 at 6 p.m.

Contact Hunter Paniagua at hpaniagua@lsureveille.com

FOOTBALL

SEC West possibly strongest ever LSU, Alabama, Arkansas top BCS Albert Burford

Sports Contributor

The West may be the best of all time.

The Southeastern Conference Western Division has let its talent speak for itself during the past few years. Three of the last four and the last two BCS National Champions hailed from the division.

This year, the West may be even more stacked than it was the past few years ­— and perhaps ever.

When LSU, Alabama and Arkansas were ranked first, second and third, respectively, LSU coach Les Miles downplayed the division’s strength.

“It is a compliment to the member institutions in the West,” he said. “We have a very talented group of teams.”

Miles may have made an understatement with “very talented.”

The only conference that has

ever shown the dominance this season’s SEC West has shown is the 1971 Big Eight.

At that time, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado ranked Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively.

While LSU’s win against Arkansas took the Razorbacks out of the No. 3 spot, LSU and Alabama are still the nation’s top two teams, and Arkansas has only fallen to No. 8.

Senior offensive guard Will Blackwell said the rankings speak SEC WEST, see page 13

CHRISTOPHER LEH / The Daily Reveille

LSU sophomore cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (7) makes a tackle Nov. 25 during the Tigers’ 41-17 victory against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Tiger Stadium.

The Daily Reveille

page 10

FOOTBALL

Thursday, December 1, 2011

No players have been ruled ineligible for postseason Reid practices for second day straight Hunter Paniagua Sports Writer

LSU Vice Chancellor and Athletic Director Joe Alleva issued a statement Wednesday extinguishing any rumors that several LSU players, including senior quarterback Jarrett Lee, would be ruled academically ineligible for the postsesason.

“Despite media and message board speculation, no LSU student-athletes have been declared ineligible for postseason competition,” Alleva said in a news release. “The current semester is

not complete and finals are still ahead, so it is grossly unfair to our student-athletes, and it is both premature and irresponsible to speculate on [their] final grades and postseason eligibility.”

LSU coach Les Miles echoed Alleva’s statements and questioned the validity of the reports.

“Ever since I’ve been here, guys are in different positions academically as we go into the end of the season,” Miles said.

“Guys rebound, and they make it. Whoever reported it didn’t do any real investigative work. What was said could have been said every year I’ve been here.”

With a No. 1 ranking and an impressive resume, many have speculated LSU will rest players against Georgia in anticipation of

the national championship. Miles dismissed that idea, saying he’s only focused on the Bulldogs.

“There is no view of another game, not in my mind’s eye,” Miles said. “We’re looking to play for victory in this one, period. …The opportunity to be a SEC championship team is what we’re after. I have no view of what’s coming after that.”

REID PRACTICES, MAGEE UNLIKELY TO PLAY Sophomore safety Eric Reid practiced fully for the second- straight day. Reid missed the game against Arkansas, and Miles said Reid’s return is still questionable.

“He practiced all day, and it appeared to me that he ran

pretty well,” Miles said. “I still think there’s some question, but he practiced.”

The news wasn’t as positive for freshman running back Terrance Magee, whom Miles said is doubtful to play against Georgia in the Southeastern Conference Championship.

MILES UNFAZED BY BULLDOG BANTER Georgia players have started talking about their upcoming matchup with LSU. Bulldogs linebacker Jarvis Jones wrote on Twitter he believes Georgia’s defense is as good, if not better, than the Tigers’.

Miles said his team doesn’t buy into trash talk.

“We’ve never won any

games talking,” Miles said. “It’s never done us any good. We’ve refrained from doing that.”

PORTER FIRED Former LSU assistant Larry Porter was fired as the Memphis head coach Monday. Porter spent five seasons as the LSU running backs coach, and Miles said he would welcome Porter back to Baton Rouge.

“I think Coach Porter will have a lot of opportunities,” Miles said. “Absolutely, we would love to have him back. ... He’s doing fine. He can handle that adversity. He’s a quality man.”

Contact Hunter Paniagua at hpaniagua@lsureveille.com

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Tigers add talent, depth to next season’s roster with 10 recruits

Scott Branson Sports Contributor

The LSU swimming and diving squad signed seven swimmers and three divers in the first of two recruiting periods, which ended Nov. 16.

LSU diving coach Doug Shaffer said the recruiting class garnishes excitement for the future of LSU swimming and diving.

“I couldn’t be happier with this women’s diving recruiting class,” Shaffer said. “Absolutely the best class in my career at LSU and arguably one of the best women’s diving recruiting classes in the nation.”

Cassie Weil, a Hillsboro, Ore., native and USA Diving Olympic trial qualifier, highlights the diving class for the Tigers.

“Cassie is the top female diving recruit in the country this year,” Shaffer said. “She is extremely talented, versatile

and a fierce competitor. She has the 400-meter individual medley. enjoyed tremendous success “We are excited to have Sothroughout her career at the junior phie as a Tiger,” said LSU swimand senior national levels and is ming coach Dave Geyer. “She capable of being a SEC cham- comes from a great swimming pion and NCAA program and has All-American her proven she can freshman year.” compete and race Weil will be in just about evjoined in the divery event. With ing well by Allie her diversity, she Alter of New Alwill be great to bany, Ohio, and use in dual meets, Isabelle Choqueand I expect her Doug Shaffer huanca of Laguna to develop even LSU diving coach Niguel, Calif. further before she Alter is an even gets to camOlympic trials qualifier in the pus.” synchronized platform dive, and LSU will also add a secondChoquehuanca comes to LSU generation Lady Tiger swimwith the experience of diving in mer next season with the arrival nine junior national champion- of Caley Oquist, a Monticello, ships.

Minn., native.

Of the future Lady Tiger “With her mom, the late swimmers, Sophie Weber of Heidi Raasch, being a swimming Folsom, Calif., is the most ac- alum, Caley has had purple and complished, coming in with an gold running through her blood Olympic trial qualifying time in since birth,” Geyer said. “We

‘‘

‘Cassie [Weil] is the top female diving recruit in the country.’

look forward to having her develop in the individual medley, backstroke and freestyle events.”

Future Tiger swimmer Gabe Rocker of Portland, Ore., comes to LSU with an Olympic trial qualifying time in the 200-meter breaststroke.

“Gabe is not only a solid breaststroker, but he has also shown he can train and compete in freestyle events,” Geyer said.

“Gabe’s background will help the adjustment to college be an easy one for him.”

Also on the men’s team, the Tigers add Baton Rouge native

and Catholic High School student Greg Grenfell.

“Being a local product, it has been fun to watch Grant grow over the past few years,” Geyer said. “His best swims are still ahead of him, and we always want to keep as much in-state talent in swimming here at LSU.” The second swimming and diving recruiting period begins April 11 and continues into August.

Contact Scott Branson at sbranson@lsureveille.com

Thursday, December 1, 2011

FOOTBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Daily Reveille

page 11

Kentucky Dunks becoming more common in ladies’ game fined for storming field Adrian Wintz

Sports Contributor

Staff Reports

Kentucky will be fined $50,000 by the Southeastern Conference for violating the league’s access to competition area policy after fans stormed the field Nov. 26 following the Wildcat football team’s 10-7 win against Tennessee at Commonwealth Stadium.

The win marked the first home victory for Kentucky against Tennessee since 1981.

The policy went into effect Dec. 1, 2004, and states that “access to competition areas shall be limited to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly-credentialed individuals at all times.”

It further states that no spectators can enter the field before, during or after a contest.

The financial penalties for the violations are at Commissioner Mike Slive’s discretion and can range from $5,000 for a first offense as much as $25,000 for a second offense and $50,000 for further offenses.

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

The slam dunk is among the most exciting plays in basketball, and when done by stars, it sells tickets.

This may be one of the reasons men’s basketball gains more national focus than women’s basketball.

While it’s still rare to see, dunks in women’s basketball have increased in the past 15 years, and the flashy shot could occur soon in Baton Rouge.

In the Lady Tigers’ Nov. 21 thrashing of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, freshman forward Krystal Forthan went up for a dunk on a breakaway in the waning seconds of the first half, but she couldn’t quite put it in. The ball bounced off the rim and rolled away from the basket. “[Forthan] can [dunk], and she has tried,” said LSU women’s coach Nikki Caldwell. “I know that she probably will. I don’t know what game, or when in her career, but she will probably get that dunk down.”

The first slam dunk in the history of women’s basketball came in 1984 when West Virginia forward Georgeann Wells threw down the most exciting 2-pointer in the sport.

Since then, there have been several players in NCAA women’s basketball who have recorded dunks.

Former Tennessee star Candace Parker and Baylor junior

Brittney Griner have dunked in their NCAA careers. Parker has also slammed two dunks in her WNBA tenure, to go along with Lisa Leslie, Michelle Snow and former LSU Lady Tiger Sylvia Fowles as the only members of the WNBA to register at least one dunk.

Forthan tried to throw her name into that conversation earlier this season.

The freshman standout has dunked successfully in her basketball career but hasn’t done it in a while.

“The last time I dunked was seventh grade,” Forthan said. “I haven’t [dunked] since then, so I’ve got to work on it now. I just want to be able to just get up that high, and once I’ll be able to do that, I’ll be good.”

It takes an amazing amount of athletic ability to be able to jump high enough to dunk a basketball on a 10-foot goal. Sophomore guard Jeanne Kenney said she won’t be one of the Lady Tigers to try any time soon.

“I wish [I could dunk],” Kenney said. “I wish I could touch the

MARIAH POSTLETHWAITE / The Daily Reveille

Contact Adrian Wintz at awintz@lsureveille.com

Krystal Forthan (12) attempts a dunk Nov. 21 against Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Dunks have become more common during the past 15 years in women’s basketball.

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The Daily Reveille

page 12

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Thursday, December 1, 2011

FOOTBALL

Lady Tigers work for fewer turnovers Leach agrees to coach

Washington State

Players assigned to carry around balls

The Associated Press

Mark Clements Sports Writer

After a turnover-filled start to the season, LSU coach Nikki Caldwell gave her players a new, rather strange, responsibility.

The first-year coach gave each player a ball baby to take with them everywhere they go.

All 13 players were given their own signed, miniature basketball, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish until they can fix issues taking care of the ball. They must dribble the ball everywhere they go.

“If you go to a football game, the ball goes with you. If you go to class, the ball goes with you. If you go to the bathroom, the ball goes with you,” said sophomore guard Jeanne Kenney. “We’re instructed not to carry the ball. One can guess it’s for turnovers.”

As strange of an assignment as it may seem, Kenney said the team has made the most of the exotic task.

“I’ve had weird looks,” Kenney laughed. “I’ve just embraced it.”

It seems to be paying off.

LSU had 18 or more turnovers in each of its first five games, but in arguably its biggest matchup of the year Sunday against No. 18 Ohio State, the Lady Tigers finished with 14 turnovers, the team’s lowest mark of the season.

Although LSU came out on the wrong end of the back-andforth battle, Caldwell said she was pleased with her team’s progress.

“I felt like in our last game we did a much better job of being patient and not necessarily trying to make the home run pass right out the gate,” Caldwell said. “We

BLAIR LOCKHART / The Daily Reveille

LSU forward Swayze Black (center) loses control of the ball Nov. 22 during the Lady Tigers’ 44-43 loss to Northwestern in the PMAC.

gave our teammates great looks because we were making the extra pass which gave us an easier path to make to our teammates.”

Kenney said the increased speed of the game is often a major contributor to a team’s turnovers.

While the Lady Tigers may still be adjusting to Caldwell’s new, fast-paced style of play, the former Pac-10 coach of the year said it’s the off-court conditioning that needs the most work.

“Turnovers come from mental fatigue,” Caldwell said. “They come from different players at different points in the game and not being focused and in-tune. Sometimes you turn the ball over when you’re trying to force the action as opposed to let the game come to you.”

LSU now gets a two-week break to fine-tune its play before returning to action Dec. 11 against Alabama State.

After a 3-3 start, freshman forward Krystal Forthan, who had the best outing of her young career Sunday with 15 points, 3 blocks and 2 steals, said the Lady Tigers are using the break to focus on their turnover troubles in preparation for

the second half of the non-conference slate.

“We have been slowing down our offense and playing within ourselves and being more patient on the floor,” Forthan said.

“We’re going to be able to control all the turnovers and convert them into points.”

Contact Mark Clements at mclements@lsureveille.com

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is the new head coach at Washington State.

The school said Wednesday that Leach had agreed in principle to a five-year contract. He will be introduced next Tuesday at a news conference in Pullman.

Terms of the contract were not immediately available.

Leach, 50, posted an 84-43 record at Texas Tech, leading the Red Raiders to 10 bowl appearances in 10 seasons. He was fired in 2009 amid allegations he mistreated a player with a concussion.

He replaces Paul Wulff, who was fired after four losing seasons.

“I have always admired the tradition of Washington State,” Leach said in a statement. “It’s a university on the move that is experiencing growth. I’m excited

about what they are doing with the facilities and it’s a team that has battled through some hard times and shows great promise in the future. I’m proud to be a part of this team.”

He was hired by athletic director Bill Moos.

“I have spoken about the need to re-energize our fan base and take Cougar football to the next level,” Moos said in a statement. “I believe the hiring of Mike Leach accomplishes both of those goals.”

Leach was at the top of Moos’ list of candidates, in part because Moos wants a high-powered offense at WSU. While at Texas Tech, Leach’s Air Raid offense routinely led the nation in passing and set numerous records.

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

Thursday, December 1, 2011 INSPIRATION, from page 9

aspirations at the time looked bleak.

The Tigers needed an upsetfilled final weekend, but rode a victory in the 2007 Southeastern Conference championship into the BCS title game. Blackwell said this season has been more comfortable, as LSU holds a No. 1 ranking in advance of the SEC Championship against Georgia. “[2007] was a stressful time,” Blackwell said. “We weren’t really counting on getting into [the national championship game]. We needed a lot of help. It’s nice to be on the other side of things and know if we [beat Georgia], we’re in no matter what.”

The similarities between the two teams start in the backfield.

Only 44 rushing yards separate the two teams’ rushing totals through

SEC WEST, from page 9

for themselves.

“We’ve got three teams in the top 10 right now,” Blackwell said.

“That says a lot about this conference and division.”

The West hasn’t always reigned supreme in the country or even in the SEC. Junior center P.J. Lonergan said he grew up when the SEC East was the stronger division with Tennessee, Florida and Georgia all dominating the national

12 games, with the edge going to the 2007 team led by Hester, who ran for 1,103 yards in LSU’s championship season.

This season’s team, which ranks second in the SEC with 2,590 rushing yards, has reached that total behind a multitude of backs. LSU has three different running backs on pace to eclipse 500 rushing yards this season, whereas the second leading rusher in 2007, Keiland Williams, finished the year with 478 rushing yards.

The 2007 Tigers also found more success through the air. Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux, who mostly saw time in running situations, combined to throw for 2,728 yards during the regular season.

Senior quarterbacks Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee have combined for 2,052 passing yards in 2011 but have thrown seven fewer

‘‘

The Daily Reveille interceptions than the 2007 quarterbacks did in the regular season.

On defense, the 2011 Tigers outshine their 2007 counterparts.

LSU has held its opponents to 366 fewer yards than in 2007, which has helped the Tigers defeat opponents by an average margin of 27.5 points — about seven more points than in 2007.

Though the 2007 team finished with two more losses than this year’s team, Blackwell isn’t ready to say who would win if the two sides met on the field.

“It would be a good game,” Blackwell said. “It depends on which day of the week we caught them on, but I don’t know which one I’d pick.”

File photo

Contact Hunter Paniagua at hpaniagua@lsureveille.com

football scene.

Ford said he saw LSU’s oppo“Now it just seems like all nents from the East present just as the teams from much of a probthe West are at lem as the Tigers’ the top,” he said. opponents from “This is the best the West this year. that I, in my short “The SEC 20 years of lookhas always been ing at the SEC, the powerhouse. can say the West They’ve won the Michael Ford has been.” last couple naLSU sophomore running back Despite the tional championSEC West’s domiships,” he said. nance at the top of the rankings, “All the guys we’ve played are sophomore running back Michael great, on the West or the East.”

‘You know you’re in the best conference.

You can say you’ve beat the best guys.’

Want to play spin the dreidel?

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page 13

Les Miles holds up the Coach’s Trophy after LSU’s Jan. 7, 2008, victory against Ohio State, 38-24, in the BCS National Championship game at the Louisiana Superdome.

The West is a bit top-heavy, but Auburn has proven to be a formidable opponent for most teams, with wins over Mississippi State, South Carolina and Florida.

The Plainsmen have been lurking around the top-25 perimeter all season, although they lost by a combined 87 points to LSU, Alabama and Arkansas.

While the SEC West is practically a minefield of competition, Ford said he enjoys playing in such a difficult division because teams that make it out with stellar

records don’t need to prove anything more.

“You know you’re in the best conference,” he said. “You can say you’ve beat the best guys and you know you can leave no questions to ask at the end of the season.”

Contact Albert Burford at aburford@lsureveille.com

page 14

The Daily Reveille

Don’t have a house party during exam week.

Come out & party!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

DiCK

Entertainment

Thursday, December 1, 2011

page 15

And the Grammy goes to?

RED STICK ROUNDUP Today: Creole Christmas Celebration This monthlong exhibit showcases foreign influences on Southern Christmas celebrations and customs. Magnolia Mound Plantation, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Free.

photos by MATT SAYLES / The Associated Press

In a special telecast Wednesday night, the 2012 Grammy nominees were announced photo courtesy of MAGNOLIA MOUND PLANTATION

Home for the Holidays Enjoy an evening of holiday music filled with orchestral renditions of classics and popular tunes performed by the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra. Baton Rouge River Center, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. $25-$55.

Red Fang at Spanish Moon The heavy metal rock band from Portland, Ore., will perform in Baton Rouge to promote its latest album “Murder the Mountains.” Spanish Moon, 9 p.m. $10.

Record of the Year

Song of the Year

Album of the Year

Bon Iver - “Holocene”

Foo Fighters - “Wasting Light”

Bruno Mars - “Grenade”

Lady Gaga - “Born the Way”

Kanye West, Rihanna, Fergie and

Bruno Mars - “Doo-Wops &

Mumford and Sons - “The Cave”

Kid Cudi - “All of the Lights”

Hooligans”

Katy Perry - “Firework”

Mumford and Sons - “The Cave”

Rihanna - “Loud”

Best New Artist

Best Alt. Rock Album

Best Rap Album

Adele - “Rolling in the Deep” Bon Iver - “Holocene” Bruno Mars - “Grenade”

The Band Perry Bon Iver J. Cole Nicki Minaj Skrillex

Adele - “Rolling in the Deep”

Adele - “21”

Bon Iver - “Bon Iver”

Jay-Z & Kanye West - “Watch the

Death Cab for Cutie - “Codes and

Throne”

Keys” Foster the People - “Torches”

Lil Wayne - “The Carter IV” Lupe Fiasco - “Lasers” Nicki Minaj - “Pink Friday”

My Morning Jacket - “Circuital”

Kanye West - “My Beautiful Dark

Radiohead - “The King of Limbs”

Twisted Fantasy”

PERFORMING ARTS photo courtesy of RED FANG

Cangelosi Holiday Mix Get into the holiday spirit and enjoy classical and contemporary performers dancing to Christmas music.

Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St., 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. $10-$25.

Friday: A Rural Life Christmas Experience a traditional 19th-century Louisiana celebration where musical groups, storytellers, costumed re-enactors and Papa Noel come together to make the season bright.

Rural Life Museum, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Adults: $7. Children under 12 years old: Free.

Ballet adds Cajun twist to ‘The Nutcracker’ University professor and students perform Kittu Pannu Entertainment Writer

The Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre will debut its holiday classic, “The Nutcracker: A Tale from the Bayou,” on Dec. 17 and 18 at the River Center Theatre, and some University students may spot a familiar face on stage.

Craig Freeman, mass communication associate professor, will be joining the cast as a “party dad.”

“I’ve been twirling in the minor leagues for years, and when they finally give you your call up, you don’t expect it at age 40,” Freeman said. “But when they call you, you have to be ready.”

Freeman will begin the festivities in the first act.

“Star is probably a little bit of

an understatement, but I can’t give away all the plot details,” Freeman said. “I’m at the party at the beginning of ‘The Nutcracker’ where all of the fantasy begins. I am in the scene from which all the great things in the performance sprout.”

The actual Nutcracker is danced by sociology doctoral student Le’Brian Patrick. The cast has been working hard for this production, said Nicole Naquin, director of development and communication at the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre.

This production is different from the traditional “Nutcracker” production through its incorporation of Southern tradition, Naquin said.

“It’s the same music and the same classical ‘Nutcracker’ dancing, except just to honor Baton Rouge and our South Louisiana heritage, we’ve had the opportunity to play with the scenery a little BALLET, see page 19

photo courtesy of the BATON ROUGE BALLET THEATRE

A Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre ballerina leaps during the snow scene in a rehearsal for the theater’s production of “The Nutcracker: A Tale from the Bayou.”

The Daily Reveille

page 16

Reveille Ranks

Gorillaz, “The Singles Collection 2001- 2011”

HOLIDAY

Zoo shines with animal light sculptures

Parlophone

Since 1998, the English rock/hip-hop/electronic/pop/whateverthey-want-to-be group Gorillaz has put out great song after great song. Real-world band members Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett and their cartoon counterparts have four criticallyacclaimed albums under their belt, so it was only a matter of time until the band released a greatest hits record that doesn’t disappoint. Listening to chart-topping singles like “Clint Eastwood,” “19-2000” and “Superfast Jellyfish” in one run-through reminds listeners of how good this band is. “Feel Good Inc.” still sounds as great as it did in 2005. Collaboration with artists like De La Soul, Gruff Rhys and countless others have made Gorillaz one of the most recognizable names in music. After four albums, a compilation like this feels great and, most importantly, it sounds amazing.

[A]

TAYLOR BALKOM

Trey Songz, “Inevitable”

Atlantic Records

Trey Songz gives fans a taste of what’s to come in his five-track R&B EP “Inevitable.” The short EP allowed Songz to weed out the boring and offer a diverse mix of slow ballads and upbeat club hits. The artist’s faithful fans will adore “Inevitable” and play it on repeat while eagerly awaiting the full-length release. Songz keeps the album sexy with no regard to subtlety. For example, the song “Outside (Part 1)” is an outright ode to outdoor smush sessions. Judging by the fact that almost every song on the album is about sex, it appears that Songz had nothing else to croon and melodically “ooh” about. “Inevitable” is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Trey Songz — you’ll either love it or hate it.

[C]

EMILY HERRINGTON

Rihanna, “Talk That Talk”

Def Jam

After an explosive year following her last LP, “Loud,” Rihanna has turned in another stellar album combining electro-R&B, elements of dancehall and even hip-hop with “Talk That Talk.” The album is full of sexuality and attitude, two things Rihanna never ceases to exude. While she usually excels on her collaborations, as witnessed through the Calvin Harris-produced first single, “We Found Love,” the album’s title track featuring Jay-Z does no justice to either artist. On an LP that oozes sex, Rihanna reveals a dirty secret — beyond enjoying her occasional whipping, she just wants to be loved, she croons on “Roc Me Out.” With thumping beats filling the majority of the record, Rihanna slows things down with standout ballads “We All Want Love” and “Farewell.” All in all, the album proves to be a great addition to her now expansive discography.

[A-]

KITTU PANNU

The Roots, “undun”

Def Jam

The house band on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” has taken full advantage of its artistic freedom. The Roots will release its first-ever concept album next week, titled “undun.” Front man Questlove said it’s about a guy who makes a decision that ultimately “undoes” his life. It was influenced by true stories of friends and family, and the emotion-infused lyrics show the gravity of each word. “Calico kisses, cold blood and crime tape/ flirt with death every night it’s a blind date,” from “Stomp” illustrates the dangerous situations in the lives in the album’s muses. “undun” ends with four instrumental tracks based on a Sufjan Stevens song. The dynamic tracks flow together seamlessly, but the concept may be too large to grasp on just one listen, and the heavy theme takes away from the beautifully-composed music.

[B]

HAYLIE NAVARRE

Victoria Secret Fashion Show

CBS

The 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show may have showcased some of the world’s most beautiful women with perfectly tanned and toned bodies, but this year’s didn’t hold a candle to previous performances. The lingerie was stunning, but not as breathtaking as it has been in the past, and nothing really stood out. The new themes for the show were good but nothing the audience hasn’t seen before.

The music performances by Nicki Minaj and Kanye West lacked energy, and most of the models lacked the sultry strut of famed angels Heidi Klum and Marisa Miller. Despite its beautiful lades, this year’s Victoria Secret Fashion Show proved that being EASTAN CROSON drop dead gorgeous isn’t enough.

[C-]

EDITOR’S PICK: “My Week with Marilyn”

Entertainment Film Distributors

Michelle Williams proves she’s one of today’s best working actresses with her virtuoso transformation into Marilyn Monroe in “My Week With Marilyn,” a film that’s all about the iconic bombshell’s roller coaster mood swings and unpredictable demeanor. It’s a tall order to play arguably the most famous actress of all time, but Williams transcends imitation and finds the humanity beneath Monroe’s glamorous exterior. Williams steals the show, but there’s plenty more to enjoy, including fantastic costume design and great performances from Kenneth Branagh as Sir Laurence Olivier and Julia Ormond as Vivien Leigh. It’s set in 1956, but the themes of fascination with celebrity and the trappings of fame are as relevant as ever today. Viewers won’t get a complete understanding of the woman behind the Marilyn Monroe mystique, but they will leave wanting more than only a week with her.

[A-]

Thursday, December 1, 2011

RYAN BUXTON Associate managing editor

ZooLights open all month Kevin Thibodeaux Entertainment Writer

A moonlit stroll around the zoo beneath lighted monkeys hanging from trees isn’t a typical way to celebrate the holidays.

The Baton Rouge Zoo is hoping to change that.

ZooLights, an event held at the zoo that boasts between 50 and 60 lighted sculptures, will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday until Dec. 18, and nightly from Dec. 19 to 23 and Dec. 26 to 30.

Marketing and development director for the Baton Rouge Zoo Mary Woods said bigger displays like the giraffe and elephant displays can contain more than 1,000 lights, while smaller displays contain 300 to 500.

Woods said although the ZooLights event is held at zoos across the country, it’s only the second time Baton Rouge has hosted the event. It is a way to draw crowds to the zoo during the slower months of the year, according to Woods.

“December is typically a slow month because of the weather, and people aren’t really thinking about the zoo,” Woods said.

She hopes people will attend the event and return during the zoo’s normal business hours.

“People can come to see the lights and hopefully they’ll come back during the warmer weather or during the day to see the animals,” Woods said.

The event also offers special activities each Friday and Saturday, with different activities each

BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS/ The Daily Reveille

The second annual ZooLights features glowing animal structures throughout the zoo.

weekend that include events like pictures with Safari Santa, an art show and a reindeer ring toss.

Woods said the event is a “new holiday tradition,” and the zoo hopes to continue ZooLights in the future, adding displays, lights and activities.

Biology sophomore Kelly Dille said she attended a similar event downtown with her parents as a child, but she wouldn’t go now.

“It’s kind of a little kid thing,” Dille said.

Business management junior Erica Lupinski said she attended a similar event last year in her hometown.

Lupinski said these Christmas light displays are fun for

anyone and offer something out of the ordinary to do.

Baton Rouge resident Audra Johnston attended ZooLights last week because she had a coupon for it and said it was a good deal.

Johnston said the lights were pretty and it offered a good family experience.

“We like to do things outside — anything for the kids besides watching TV,” Johnston said.

Tickets for the zoo are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for children ages two to 12 and free for children $2 and under.

Contact Kevin Thibodeaux at kthibodeaux@lsureveille.com

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Walk the Walk The Victoria’s Secret Angels brought heaven to the runway Tuesday night on CBS for the lingerie retailer’s annual fashion show.

Doutzen Kroes

Miranda Kerr

Alessandra Ambrosio photos courtesy of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Daily Reveille

page 17

TECHNOLOGY

Children’s books battle with e-readers Jeanne Lyons Copy Editor

“Once upon a time” evokes memories of parents reading storybooks festooned with colorful pictures of dashing princes and distressing damsels, transporting their children from boring bedrooms to exotic far-away lands.

But have paper children’s books become the exception rather than the rule, with popular electronic readers reigning over bedtime?

Statistics suggest that tangible books are dueling with e-book readers. Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Nobles’ Nook doubled in sales from 6 percent in November 2010 to 12 percent in May 2011, according to a study by the Pew Research Center.

The study further explained that 6 percent of parents and non-parents were equally likely to own e-readers in November 2011, but six-months later, 16 percent of parents owned devices while only 10 percent of non-parents had e-readers.

Danny Plaisance, owner of Cottonwood Books in Baton Rouge, said most bookstores are not flourishing because of the economy, downloadable books and online book sellers like Amazon.

Last Christmas, HarperCollins Publishers reported 6 percent of children’s book revenue came

from digital sales, Plaisance said.

Since then, the sales have risen to a staggering 20 percent of the department’s revenue.

Despite the numbers, Plaisance remains optimistic about the future of children’s literature in print.

“A Kindle doesn’t have the same effect on a child as an actual book,” Plaisance said. “Children need to see the pictures and feel the pages to engage in the story.”

Barbara Aldrich, an East Baton Rouge Parish library aide, said bookshelves in the children and youngadult fiction sections seemed close to empty this summer, but many of the young readers also read library e-books for free on Tumble Books.

“With Tumble Books, children can read a picturebook with added animation, music and narration on a very children-friendly, navigable website,” Aldrich said.

While the fate of actual books being read by children remains uncertain, one thing is still true — ebooks are expensive.

Amazon’s Kindle starts at $115, while a new Barnes and Nobles’ Nook costs $135. Other tablets, like the Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy skirt around the $500 mark, depending on model and memory capability. And these prices don’t include content.

Laura David, a librarian for the Jeff Davis Parish School system,

said e-readers will never fully replace books for children.

“In my school, more than half of the students receive free lunch.

Most won’t receive a Kindle for Christmas, but they can always get a library book for free,” David said.

Contact Jeanne Lyons at jlyons@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille

page 18

ART

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Baton Rouge Gallery’s new exhibit features local artists Eastan Croson Entertainment Writer

The Baton Rouge Gallery’s new exhibit gives locals the opportunity to set their sights on contemporary art from talented artists who have their roots in southern Louisiana.

“We are an artist-cooperative gallery, which is a fancy way of saying that the artists who are members of the gallery get to determine the artistic direction of the gallery,” said Jason Andreasen, executive director.

New exhibits are put together at the gallery each month from the works of the artist members that complement and highlight talent, Andreasen said.

The diversity of the pieces being featured makes the December exhibition stand out, Andreasen said.

“There is a black and white landscape photographer, an artist who works in textiles and quilts, an artist who created a woodcarving and there is an artist who works in colored pencil,” he said.

Jenny Authement, Mary Lee Eggart, Elizabeth Cherry Owen and Eleanor Owen Kerr are the four artists being spotlighted this month.

Authement’s wooden relief

intricately depicts a biblical parable from the Book of Matthew and is the only sculpture featured this month.

“It is really something that had to have taken a lot of time, and it is really kind of a departure for the artist,” Andreasen said. “I’ve been with the gallery four years now, and this is the first time I have ever seen [Authement] do anything with a woodcarving. The detail and the size of the piece are really something special.”

University alumna Eggart’s “White Bird” colored pencil and watercolor series is a part of this month’s exhibition and depicts local Louisiana wildlife through detailed drawings.

The exhibit also includes the most recent work of Owen. Several unique multimedia textiles are featured that resemble intricately embellished pieces of a quilt.

A series of dramatic black and white photographs of the Mississippi Levee, “On the Batture” by Kerr, will also be shown.

“We want to show as much quality work as we can, especially from our artist members,” Andreasen said. “We want to highlight the high level of quality and excellence that is going on here in Baton Rouge.”

TECHNOLOGY

Students still unaware of Google+ capabilities

Cook said the reason it isn’t successful is because it isn’t fun.

He said the website could appeal When Google+ launched this to businesses or institutions like summer, it seemed poised to chal- colleges because they would have lenge Facebook as the more practical uses for Internet’s premiere so- BY THE NUMBERS: Google’s circles. cial networking site.

“If they had marFollowers of celebrities’ Five months later, social media accounts: keted toward businesses the service is losing Britney Spears: it would have been a steam by the day. smarter thing,” Cook 803,351 - Google+ The website is failsaid. “Like if they had 15, 430, 354 Facebook ing because it offers a gone after LinkedIn.” service that isn’t ap- 11,460,503 - Twitter Cook said Facepealing to most people, Kim Kardashian: book is too entrenched said Alex V. Cook, mass 235,674 - Google+ in people’s lives today communication adjunct 6,849,295 - Facebook and he doesn’t think professor and IT coor- 11,625,479 - Twitter Google+ ever had a real dinator for Continuing Ashton Kutcher: chance of taking over the Education. market.

107,182 - Google+ “They want to of- 10,995,282 - Facebook Cook envisions sofer what they believe is a 8,578,935 - Twitter cial media moving more simpler, more clear solutoward check-ins and tion to social media,” he Snoop Dogg: integration. He thinks said. “But the problem 679,585 - Google+ Facebook will evenis, it just never caught 12,686,445 - Facebook tually offer deals for 5,140,705 - Twitter on.” checking-in at certain Cook said he isn’t locations, similar to Livsure if individuals know of a clear ingSocial. Cook also said services use for Google+ and its “circles,” like Spotify that are integrated with groups of different people who can Facebook will become more popular only see what is posted in each because society has become more “circle,” but businesses could use involved in others’ lives. the feature to broadcast information Read the rest of the story similar to e-mails.

“I don’t know anyone on online at lsureveille.com.

Google+ who really uses [the circles],” Cook said. “I use it. When I Contact Kevin Thibodeaux at post to one [circle], I usually post to all three.” kthibodeaux@lsureveille.com

Kevin Thibodeaux

Entertainment Writer

An opening reception is hosted for each new exhibit, and Andreasen said there are typically 150 to 200 people in attendance. This month’s reception is Dec. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m.

“The opening is just an opportunity for the public to come out and view the works,” Andreasen said. “They will get to talk with the artists a little bit, and we will have plenty of refreshments for people.”

The exhibition began Sunday and will continue until Dec. 29.

Contact Eastan Croson at ecroson@lsureveille.com

LAUREN DUHON / The Daily Reveille

A new art gallery is on display at the Baton Rouge Gallery. See more photos from the exhibit online at lsureveille.com.

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, December 1, 2011

BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille

A dancer stretches April 1 before the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre’s 50th Anniversary performance in the River Center.

BALLET, from page 15 bit,” Naquin said. “It incorporates some of our local landmarks and the things we appreciate being down South.”

The production features other University students, including biology junior Kelly Breaux, biology and kinesiology freshman Natalie Knight, accounting graduate student Laura Catalanello and biology junior Marlon Grisby.

While Freeman appears only in the beginning of the production, he advises patrons to stay through the consecutive acts since he “will be captivating in the number of dances I do.”

This is Freeman’s first foray into the dramatic arts on a professional scale.

“I went to the Houston Ballet when it was in town, and I talked to some of the Baton Rouge Ballet people there,” Freeman said.

“There was an opening for a spot

in the party scene, so I leapt at the opportunity to be on stage with that fantastic troupe.”

Naquin said Freeman’s exciting personality meshes well with the rest of the cast.

“He has a really fun, outgoing spirit, which is what we were looking for,” Naquin said. “I remember when we asked him, he was like, ‘Absolutely!’ But then he paused and asked if he had to wear tights.

But his costume does not require tights.”

The practices have been grueling, but it’ll all be worth it in the end, Freeman said.

“We started practicing in early November. I think I’m the only novice in the performance this year. It’s daunting,” Freeman said. “My partner actually grew up in the Baton Rouge Ballet, so she’s been dancing with them for years, so I feel bad for her bruised shins and black and blue toes, but we’re working out a lot of the kinks.”

Getting University faculty and students involved in the production is a great way to attract students to the production, said advertising sophomore Kelsey Loux.

“I took Freeman for Intro to Mass Media, and he was really outgoing and cool. I can see him fitting in well in the production,” Loux said. “I’d definitely see it because you’d never know what to expect in his class, so you’ll never know what he’s going to do next on stage.”

Tickets for the show are on sale now, ranging from $20 to $42.

They can be purchased at the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre Office, through Ticketmaster or the Baton Rouge River Center Box Office.

Contact Kittu Pannu at kpannu@lsureveille.com

page 19

The Daily Reveille

Opinion

page 20

THE BOTTOM LINE

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Europe’s economic woes could have lasting effects on US

All has not been well for our neighbors across the Atlantic. Europe’s economy has been showing warning signs for several years now, and we may be only days from witnessing the collapse of the Euro.

Far from a distant concern, the collapse of the Euro could have a dramatic and long-lasting effect on the American economy.

In fact, countries around the world are so concerned about the global fallout from a European sovereign debt crisis that the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, the Bank of Canada and the Swiss National Bank

announced Wednesday their “coordinated actions to enhance their capacity to provide liquidity support to the global financial system.”

Ty p i c a l l y, governments “sell” their debt to other countries to finance government spending. Others Devin Graham Opinion Editor buy government bonds because they typically give a fairly secure, low-interest rate return. Easy money.

But when it looks like a

country, say Italy, can’t pay back its debt, the investment gets riskier and investors expect a little more money back, for the extra risk. On Oct. 8, 2010, Italy’s 10-year bond yield was 3.744 percent. The same bond closed Wednesday at 7.021 percent.

This effect makes debt increasingly expensive for governments to finance their spending and can wreck an economy in a hurry.

But the damage doesn’t stop there. In 2010, the U.S. exported around $14.2 billion in goods and services to Italy. A collapse of Italy’s system would ripple through Europe and quickly pass through America as each collapsing country

propelled the shut-down faster and faster.

When the severely ill are near death, they’re “circling the drain.”

Europe is doing just that.

When several major banking systems vowed Wednesday to push more U.S. dollars into the global system in a effort to ease the already unsustainable pressure on European bonds, the DOW rose 4.24 percent, the Euro rose to $1.3443 from $1.3317 and global financial markets took a sigh of relief.

While the extra liquidity from the additional U.S. dollars in the global system should make it a bit easier for European countries to

hold their debt under control, we’re not out of trouble yet.

President Obama told the European Council recently that “the United States stands ready to do our part to help them resolve this issue.”

As a globalized country which trades heavily in Europe, we can do no less.

Devin Graham is a 22-year-old economics senior from Prairieville. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_DGraham.

Contact Devin Graham at dgraham@lsureveille.com

SHOCKINGLY SIMPLE

Faulty memory falsely imprisons innocent man for 30 years Henry James was released last month from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola after 30 years of imprisonment when DNA evidence exonerated him from the 1981 rape of his neighbor.

James reportedly maintained his innocence during his three-decade incarceration, continually appealing his case until his acquittal with the help of the Innocence Project, a non-profit group dedicated to ending false imprisonment through DNA evidence.

According to the Innocence Andrew Project, James’ Shockey accuser originally Columnist told police she did not know her attacker, but later picked James out of a lineup, resulting in his wrongful incarceration.

After 30 years in Angola, James was released when a DNA test showed the bodily fluids obtained through a rape kit of the victim were not his.

James’ case shows just how unreliable the memories of eyewitnesses can be, especially after traumatic events. According to The New York Times, some memory researchers believe witness testimony should even be treated as trace evidence rather than hard proof.

The first man to be exonerated via DNA evidence was freed in 1989. Since then, 280 people have been freed, of which about 75 percent of single perpetrator crimes were wrongfully accused based on faulty eyewitness testimony.

Experiments over the past few

decades have shown how susceptible memories are to suggestion and misinterpretation and how easily the mind can miss important details when occupied with other tasks.

A famous experiment conducted at Harvard University involved a group of test subjects watching a video of people dressed in either white or black passing basketballs.

Participants were asked to keep track of how many times a person in white passed a ball.

A few seconds into the video something unusual happens. A woman in a gorilla suit walks through the group of people dodging basketballs as they fly left and right.

Most people are successfully able to count the number of passes, but only about half of test subjects notice the gorilla walking through the group of players. The experiment was spoiled for me since I read about it before watching the video, which you can find on YouTube by searching for “selective attention test.” I showed the video to friends and was astounded when half of them completely missed the gorilla walking through the brief clip.

The gorilla test exhibits the challenges our memories face when recalling past events. If half of us are unable to notice a gorilla right in front of our noses because our minds are too busy counting basketball passes, we cannot rely solely on eyewitness testimony of a traumatic event.

Many people believe our memories operate as a kind of video camera or filing cabinet, storing memories away until they are recalled.

Scientists are now discovering our

The Daily Reveille Editorial Board

Matthew Jacobs Chris Branch Ryan Buxton Marissa Barrow Sydni Dunn Devin Graham

Editor-in-Chief Associate Managing Editor Associate Managing Editor Managing Editor, External Media News Editor Opinion Editor

memories are incredibly susceptible to suggestion, and even the act of recounting a memory can have effects on our recollection over time.

In James’ case, he lived next door to his accuser and had helped her husband with car repairs the day before the rape occurred. Later that day, James and the husband were involved in a car accident, which resulted in the husband’s arrest. James visited his accuser around 8 p.m. to inform her of the arrest.

At around 6 a.m., a man broke into the woman’s house and raped

her at knifepoint. Immediately after the rape, the woman told police she did not know her attacker but gave a brief description to police. James was picked up for fitting the description and was eventually picked out of a lineup by the victim multiple times despite having an alibi corroborated by three witnesses. After 30 years in prison, DNA evidence overruled the accuser’s memory and James was finally released.

The victim was unable to identify her attacker during a traumatic experience, but her mind tricked her

into accusing the wrong man.

Hopefully cases like this will impact our legal system and make it more difficult for a man to spend more than half his life in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Andrew Shockey is a 21-year-old biological engineering junior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Ashockey.

Contact Andrew Shockey at ashockey@lsureveille.com

BEST AND WITTIEST

Editorial Policies & Procedures

The Daily Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University.

The Daily Reveille is an independent entity within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, paper or University. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to opinion@lsureveille.com or delivered to B-26 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must have a contact phone number so the opinion editor can verify the author. The phone number won’t be printed. The Daily Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration without changing the original intent. The Daily Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Daily Reveille’s editor-in-chief, hired every semester by the Louisiana State University Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.

cartoon courtesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

Quote of the Day “Mechanization best serves mediocrity.”

Frank Lloyd Wright American writer June 8, 1867 — April 9, 1959

The Daily Reveille

Thursday, December 1, 2011

PRESS X TO NOT DIE

Opinion

New bill gives feds the right to shut down Internet The battle against online piracy has been a never-ending fight since the rise and fall of Napster at the turn of the century.

The Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Industry Association of America and the U.S. government have taken aim at online piracy. So far, nothing has worked in deterring illegal downloads.

Besides arresting a handful of soccer moms for downloading a few songs, not much has affected online copyright infringement.

Over the summer, the U.S. Senate reviewed the “Ten Strikes” bill, which helps better define both criminal acts and their penalties.

The bill’s vague wording essentially could send anyone who uploaded copyrighted material to the Internet to prison if said material was viewed more than 10 times.

The status of “Ten Strikes” is still under review.

Earlier this semester, the MPAA and RIAA struck a deal with Internet service providers to help monitor those pirating illegal material and even administer penalties after six warnings. These penalties

include slowing down or capping the offender’s Internet connection.

However, since the initial announcement, I have yet to hear any cases of slowed Internet due to this new partnership.

It’s evident these two recent actions toward online piracy still aren’t making more than a dent in the overall “problem.”

Last month, Adam Arinder Texas Rep. Lamar Columnist Smith introduced the Stop Online Piracy Act to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Like similar acts before it, SOPA is targeted at online piracy and protecting copyrights and intellectual properties of their owners.

The bill expands the ability of U.S. law enforcement to fight line trafficking of copyrighted IPs, essentially giving the government the right to execute a “killswitch” to all websites that violate the terms in the bill.

Yet, as of now, the wording of the bill is so vague almost every

website would fall victim.

While the bill is obviously set to go after sites like The Pirate Bay or any other torrent-hosting page, it could also affect pages like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

If you have a website or a blog hosting any type of copyrighted material — pictures, videos, music, etc. — you’re in violation of SOPA and your website can be shut down by the government. Say goodbye to your precious Tumblr.

Censorship is bad — plain and simple. The government shouldn’t have this kind of power over something as big as the Internet.

Many major tech corporations such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and eBay are vocally opposed to the piracy bill.

The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on SOPA on Nov. 16, which led to the date being known as American Censorship Day. Many sites, including Reddit and Tumblr, hosted a black bar over their site’s logo with the words “STOP CENSORSHIP.” The Nov. 16 hearing ended with the bill being scheduled for

furthur review on Dec. 15. The committee chairman claims he is still in discussions and the bill is open for change.

I hope the committee is ready for a lot of change because this is ridiculous.

I wish I could go deeper into this major problem of government intrusion, but unfortunately my 600 words are quickly running out.

If SOPA were to pass in its current form, America could see something similar to the Great Firewall of China and its level of Internet monitoring and censorship.

This is a serious issue and could change the Internet as we know it.

Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen.

Contact Louisiana Senator David Vitter at (202) 224-4623 or Senator Mary Landrieu at (202) 224-5824 and demand a free and uncensored Internet. Tell them to oppose SOPA. You can also go to www. contactingthecongress.org for the phone numbers of all seven Louisiana State Representatives, as well as other important contact information for your politicians.

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Contact your legislators: - Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) 202-224-9735 - Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) 202-224-4623 - Rep. Steve Scalise (R-01) 202-225-3015 - Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-02) 202-225-6636 - Rep. Jeff Landry (R-03) 202-225-4031 - Rep. John Fleming (R-04) 202-225-2777 - Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-05) 202-225-8490 - Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-06) 202-225-3091 - Rep. Charles W. Boustany, Jr. (R-07) 202-225-2031

Adam Arinder is a 22-year-old communication studies senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_aarinder.

Contact Adam Arinder at aarinder@lsureveille.com

FAILURE OF DIPLOMACY

Pakistan ambassadors’ departure highlights post-bin Laden rift

The U.S. and Pakistan have had a rocky relationship ever since the latter was founded in 1947. With a half-century of ups and downs, it seemed things were finally reaching a happy existence in the last decade.

Pakistan, after all, became one of our key allies on “The War on Terror” following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. This was an interesting change in our relationship since it came only a few years after we had placed sanctions on Pakistan following its 1999 coup.

The coup was also the most recent in a series of events that would give the U.S. pause to deal with Pakistan. Between human rights violations, tensions with India over the Kashmir region and the possibility of nuclear proliferation, it’s surprising we ended up working with them.

Unfortunately, this strengthening of the Pakistani-American relationship was not meant to last.

Once Osama bin Laden was found in Pakistan last year, it served as the catalyst to the end of talks between the countries.

However, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise how badly it affected the relationship. While there were always those who claimed we would find bin Laden in Pakistan, it was always under the assumption he would be living under harsh conditions in a network of caves.

When he turned up in a mansion in the populous city of Abbottabad, fairly close to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, it’s not surprising diplomatic relations soured.

Surely, if any part of the country would seem to be heavily searched, it would be the area around the capital. For bin Laden to have been so close to the capital for what seems to have been some time, it would appear as if Pakistan hadn’t been doing as much as it claimed.

Thus the past year has not been the best in terms of how our two countries have communicated, and it only seems like it will be getting worse. Recently, Pakistani Ambassador HuZachary Davis sain Haqqani left Columnist his post, showing just how much things have deteriorated.

Although he’s been replaced, Haqqani served as one of the few reliable go-betweens for the two countries. While he was one of the most vocal critics against Pakistan’s military — rightfully so — he also constantly shoots down many of the ideas to come out of Washington.

Had a weaker-willed diplomat been in his place, it’s likely the American drone campaign would be far more spread out into the country.

Having previously reported on the horrendous collateral damage these drones have already dealt, it’s easy to say he has been a good man to have in Washington.

Beyond showing just how bad things have gotten in just less than a year, however, Haqqani’s departure

is unlikely to make things better. In his place, former information minister Sherry Rehman, who has played an important role in Pakistani President Asif Zardari’s cabinet, has been appointed.

While this may be a good pick, the Pakistani elections coming up in April may make such an appointment useless.

Whatever the case may be, it should be readily apparent things

must be fixed in the coming months.

Whether this means reevaluating our relationship with Pakistan — which, given the issue with bin Laden and its previous problems, wouldn’t be a terrible idea — or trying to patch it up, this is something our government needs to decide.

With today’s global issues, and especially the ones occurring in the Middle East, the last thing we need is to be left out of the loop,

especially with another nuclear country. While stopping terrorism is important, so too should be stopping any failures of diplomacy.

Zachary Davis is a 21-year-old history junior from Warsaw, Poland. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_zdavis.

Contact Zachary Davis at zdavis@lsureveille.com

BEST AND WITTIEST

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The Daily Reveille

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brand new cars with ads. www. FreeCarJobs.com

WANT TO BE HEAD HONCHO LSU Student Media is looking for a motivated full-time sophomore or Junior to fill our Broadcast and External Media Sales Manager position. You will be responsible for managing a sales team and selling KLSU, Tiger TV, Transit, Online and Social Media advertising. Don’t miss this opportunity to work on campus, gain real-world experience and network with business elites. Must be a full-time student with transportation and available to work 20 hours/ week. Applications available at B39 Hodges Hall or email digitalsales@tigers.lsu.edu MISCEL. HELP wanted girls or guys inside and some outside through hollidays 8-15/ hr + meals flex hrs. must work Dec. 31 till 10:30pm no smokers call Ken or Cindy 225-366-1356 GO GETTER EVENT PLANNER We need an assistant manager to organize and execute the annual Living Expo!! This position will jump-start your career. We need a go getter looking for more event planning and marketing campaigns experience. Must be a full time student able to dedicate at least fifteen hours a week. Stop by B39 Hodges Hall to fill out an application or send your resume to marketing@lsureveille. com. INTERVIEWING NOW for this position to start IMMEDIATELY. Don’t delay, apply today!

ATTENTION-HELP WANTED! $17 Base/Appt. Flex sched-temp/perm ideal for students, all ages 17+, conditions apply, training provided. sales/service, Call TODAY:225-383-4595 8 TEMPORARY WORKERS The Star Ranch Felix Venegas POBOX 771 Ozona Texas 76934 Occupation: Farm workers, Farm & Ranch Animals 01/10/2012-11/10/2012 Pay rate $ 90.00 per day Farm workers Guaranteed æ of contract hours. All tools, supplies, equipment and housing will be provided at no cost to the worker. Duties: Cattle working Castrating, branding ect.. Transportation and subsistence expense reimbursed interested applicants can send resumes nearest State Workforce Agency office using job listing number TX4852713 CAMELOT CLUB DOWNTOWN Now Hiring Receptionist & Banquet Servers Forward Resume to Jimmy. Ward@CamelotClubBR.com Flexible Hours Great Private Club Atmosphere *HOLIDAY HELP WANTED* Great Starting Pay Flex Schedules-FT/PT Cust.sales/svc. All ages 17+Apply Now! 225-383-4252 EARN $1000-$3200 A month to drive our

Hodges to fill our an application or send your resume to marketing@lsulegacymag. com. Don’t delay, apply today!

UNIVERSITY CLUB GOLF COURSE grill staff and beverage cart attendants.

Looking for friendly, motivated individuals seeking seasonal and part time employment in a great atmosphere. If interested please apply in person

SEMESTER BREAK WORK! 1-5 week work program start now-or after finals $17 base-appt, flexible sales/svc, all ages17+ conditions apply, Call now! 225-383-4535

START IMMEDIATELY AUTHORIZED SOLUTION PROVIDER FOR AT&T IS HIRING. CALL TO SET UP AN INTERVIEW: 225288-5520

$$ENERGETIC SERVERS$$ Fox & Hound (5246 Corporate Blvd) is looking for fun, outgoing servers and hostesses for a fast-paced environment. Please apply in person Mon-Fri 2-6pm.

THE CHIMES RESTAURANT is now hiring for all front of the house positions.

Work close to campus with Flexible hours.

Apply in person at the Chimes on highland between 2-4 daily. 225.383.1754

CHILD CARE CENTER near LSU is now hiring teachers for Winter/Spring semester.

Must be able to work 2:30-5:30 M-F. Please email resumes to cdshighland@gmail.com

GAIN MORE @LSU THAN THE FR 15!

Student Media wants to help expand your horizons! NOW INTERVIEWING SPRING INTERNS in event planning and marketing.

Must be a full time student, able to dedicate at least ten hours a week. Send your resume at marketing@lsureveille.com or drop by B39 Hodges Hall to pick up and application KLSU IS HIRING Want to work in a music related field or gain broadcast experience?

KLSU is currently hiring students for the spring semester staff. Positions include regular shift and specialty show broadcasters as well as working behind the scenes in our music, productions, underwriting or promotions department. Applications can be found in B-39 Hodges hall or for more information check out our website at www.klsuradio.fm

BRIDAL SALES CONSULTANT Now hiring F/ P time @ Bridal Boutique.

Must be able to work Sat. Email resume bridalboutiquebr@gmail.com.

SENIOR SELLING STUFF Graduating senior selling refrigerator, microwave, and more. GOOD CONDITION sadam22@lsu.edu 240.602.0050

*******BARTENDING******* $300/Day Potential NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. Training Available. AGE 18+ OK 1-800-965-6520 ext127 STUDENTPAYOUTS. COM Paid Survey Takers Needed In Baton Rogue. 100% Free To Join! Click On Surveys.

STUDENTS NEEDED TO work with children/adults with disabilities. Several positions available, flexible hours; T/Th all day, M/W/F afternoons. Great job for Psych, Kinesiology, and COMD majors. Apply: St. John the Baptist Human Services, 622 Shadows Ln, Suite A, 225.216.1199 BEAUTY CONSULTANT FT/ PT position, nights and weekends a MUST.. Merle Norman Cosmetics Mall of La...email resume to jamilee19@juno.com or fax to 225-7718587.

PARKVIEW BAPTIST PRESCHOOL Preschool Afternoon Teachers needed 3-6pm flex days. no degree required.

Please email your resume to parkviewbps@ gmail.com NEED TO JUMP START YOUR CAREER LSU Student Media is seeking go-getters who want to gain experience in marketing and event planning. Must be a full time student able to dedicate at least ten hours a week. Stop by B39

*SPECIAL* HUGE 2 BED/2 BATH Large 2/2 available ASAP! Students welcome, right by Webb Golf Course on College.

Call (866) 932-0887. Mention the Reveille and pay NO APP FEE and pay 1/2 normal deposit!

ROOMMATE NEEDED Large townhouse on Alvin Dark on LSU bus route. $400mo plus 50%utilities and cable. 713.254.9034 LAKE BEAU PRE HOUSE FOR RENT $525.00 3 BR/2 BA beginning January 504.451.3765 1,2 & 3 BR APTS NEAR LSU $700 & up www.adamcampo.com 225.295.3035 WALK TO CAMPUS 1Br, 2Br, and Townhomes. Starting as low as $325.00. www. lsuwestchimesplace.com 225.346.4789 MASTER SUITE FOR RENT Quiet house mate, GIRL, Good character.

PRIVATE: master bedroom, bath & bonus room, $450 985.974.0920 UNIVERSITY VIEW CONDO 3Br/2Ba-furnished @ 710 E. Boyd. $1,575/ mth. Minimum 7 mth. lease-starts 1-1-12.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

504.452.6230

225-241-9429.

1BR, ALSO 2 br, hrdwd. floors,1 mile from LSU in quiet Garden District. $650.00 and $850.00. Dec. 1/2 off. 225.603.2532

ROOMATE NEEDED Need someone to take over lease! Campus Crossing at Brightside! MALE PREFERABLY! Call for more information 337.424.8359

3 BR, 3 bath gated townhome. Near LSU. $1500/mo. 225-752-8842. 225.752.4825 SMALL 27-UNIT COMPLEX south of LSU overlooking the golf course, within walking distance of the Stadium. Extralarge 1 and 2 bedroom apartments with private balcony or walled patio, great closets and storage. Video surveillance security, onsite manager. Convenient and quiet, perfect for serious undergrad, grad and international students. No pets permitted. 757-8175. http//riverroadapartments.tripod.com 1ST MONTH FREE!! Luxury 2br $700-$950-pool-gym. On 3rd St.!!

225.295.3035 APTS/ CONDOS/ HOUSES BY LSU LSU area & greater BR areas! studios to 4+ bedrooms. $395 & up. bookmark our site: www.tommackeyproperties.com 225.751.8847 ROOMMATE WANTED 4 BR cottage looking for ROOMMATE. Lease lasts from Jan-Jul (Spring ’12).

Furnished, 4 br/4 bath, 5x5 walk-in closet.

GIRLS ONLY. Call or Text 214.534.9383

FEMALE ROOMMATE WANTED Nicholson Drive, 2 bedroom furnished apartment, subleasing one bedroom for spring semester, $645 inc. everything but electricity, e-mail me onebrsuite@yahoo. com for more info!!

SEEKING LADY LOVE 21 yr old silly and outgoing soft butch seeking introverted attractive femme. Must be dtc (down to cuddle) and smell good. Ready to boo up and find a wifey:) or just ya know...e-mail tigerheauxmo@yahoo.com for stimulating conversation and we can take it from there.

SUPER AWESOME attractive, outgoing gay male looking for Mr. Right. Must be good-looking, confident, and compassionate yet masculine. Email me at geauxdating@ yahoo.com RUNNING PARTNER. Male PhD student, looking for a female running partner at university lake.

(Winter.boy1@yahoo.com)

ROOM FOR RENT: Room available for rent in renovated Southdowns house w/ female owner. LSU grad student/law student/working professional preferred.

Room has large closet & hallway bathroom.

House has common area furniture, kitchen supplies, wireless internet, washer & dryer.

Rent is $560+half of utilities (electricity, cable and water), includes cleaning lady every two weeks. Contact Katie if interested 225.266.9700 ROOMMATE SPOT REPLACEMENT The Gates at Citiplace on Corporate, $535, 2Bed/2Bath, Non-Smoker, 504.669.1100 or 985.209.8784 FEMALE ROOMATE NEEDED University Crescent, 3rd roommate, $555, Preferred move in by 1/6/2011 985.209.8784 ROOMATE NEEDED Gates of Brightside Female $475 without utilities Can use deposit on file. 504.491.6791 ROOMMATE NEEDED Gates at Brightside, needing 3rd roommate. $560, includes utilities. Female preferred.

On bus route. 337.802.6936 MALE ROOMMATE WANTED North Gate condo, bedroom with balcony.

Utilities, cable, wi-fi included. $595 month,

I AM BORED AGAIN 225-308-8628 Text me. Anybody. Everybody. Entertain me. Be Entertained. Or don’t, whatever. But please, do. I won’t pressure you though.

You are probably stressed enough.

COMPUTER PROBLEMS? Tiger PC Repair $50 Flat-Fee for All Services www.tigerpcrepair.com Text: 225.308.9380 PREGNANT? NEED HELP? CALL ST. ELIZABETH FOUNDATIONALL CALLS ARE CONFIDENTIAL. 225.769.8888 SPANISH TUTORING SERVICES All Levels $30/hr StarsAreFarAway@aol.com 901.486.3425

Thursday, December 1, 2011

The Daily Reveille

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The Daily Reveille

Thursday, December 1, 2011