The Daily Reveille 2-15-16

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016 Volume 121 · No. 20

FACING THE FACTS BUDGET CUTS • 2016

Amid the greatest budget deficit in Louisiana’s history, a special legislative session begins. Lawmakers will debate solutions to the fiscal shortfall as university leaders and students fight for higher education’s survival.

Read about the future of TOPS and how it affects the University, pg. 2 See FACULTY perspectives on the $940 million shortfall, pg. 3 Read about which STUDENT SERVICES could be affected, pg. 4 See how ADMINISTRATORS are reacting to the crisis, pg.12 photos by ANJANA NAIR / The Daily Reveille

The Daily Reveille

page 2 BUDGET CUTS

Monday, February 15, 2016

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[Left] Gov. John Bel Edwards addresses the legislature about the state budget on Sunday, Feb. 14, at the Louisiana State Capitol. [Middle] Members of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget meet. [Right] University legislative liaison Jason Droddy speaks with legislators before the joint budget meeting.

Party lines complicate TOPS, higher education funding

BY Sam Karlin @samkarlin_TDR Louisiana’s finances, which Gov. John Bel Edwards already noted were in a state of disarray when he took office in January, have spiraled rapidly and unquestionably into the pits of a state recession — the likes of which many cannot recall in their lifetimes.

In recent weeks, the shortfall facing the state has grown from $750 million to upwards of $940 million in the current fiscal year, ending June 30.

If Republicans, decrying wasteful state government spending, and Democrats, calling for tax increases, can reconcile their differences and bridge the gap, they still face more than $2 billion in red ink next year.

One of the areas on the chopping block, yet again? Higher education.

The best case scenario for higher education during the current fiscal year, according to Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, is a $70 million cut. The worst case scenario is a $204 million reduction.

Part of the funding for universities at risk of being slashed next year is the much-beloved Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, which pays for the tuition of thousands of qualifying, in-state students.

Students, parents and higher education leaders found themselves confused about what would happen in the current semester to TOPS recipients when the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance announced Thursday it would immediately halt TOPS payments. That, coupled with talks of the University closing its doors after April 30, led some students to wonder if they should even bother going to class.

Jason Droddy, who serves as the University’s legislative liaison, said Friday that University administration did not know what the TOPS suspension meant for students or the University. But good news came hours later when students were told their scholarships would

remain intact for the current semester. Universities, Edwards announced in a Friday statement, would be absorbing 20 percent of TOPS costs as a cut.

Since its inception, TOPS has ballooned in size, and its widespread popularity among residents has muddled policymaking rifts at the Capitol.

Lawmakers who want to cut spending are forced to stare down the barrel of a massive, beloved and beleaguered government program that benefits vast numbers of families.

While the governor warned in a televised address Thursday night that the Tigers are at risk of not taking the field at Death Valley next year due to lack of funding for state colleges, University leaders are hoping, and legislators praying, students can keep going to class. But some families are left wondering how they will pay for it.

“TOPS is the most popular thing the legislature has done in my lifetime,” said then-gubernatorial candidate Republican Jay Dardenne, in a fall interview with The Daily Reveille. Following Dardenne’s eyebrow-raising public endorsement of the now-governor in the University’s Free Speech Plaza in November, Edwards appointed his one-time primary foe commissioner of administration, the chief budget architect in the state.

Freshman Rep. Blake Miguez, R-Erath, was among the first students to ever receive TOPS in Louisiana when he studied political science at the University in the late ‘90s. He was tapped in January to serve on the Appropriations Committee, which tasks its members with tackling the state’s spending.

“I’m living proof that the TOPS program is an effective program and that it does help young people have an opportunity to get a college education,” Miguez said. “I’m a big advocate for protecting that program.”

But Miguez acknowledges how much TOPS has grown — in 1998-1999, when he received the scholarship, it cost the state a total of $54 million. Over the next

15 years, that number nearly tripled to $213 million in 2014.

The increase came over 14 years, as tuition rose and more students received the scholarship. In recent years, tuition has increased sharply, driving up TOPS costs, while the number of students has not increased as dramatically.

Miguez said he’s not opposed to making TOPS more efficient and reining in the program, but he also echoed the sentiment of former Gov. Bobby Jindal, who vetoed a bill last year that would have stopped TOPS awards from increasing every time tuition grows.

“I made a promise to the students and families of this state that a TOPS scholarship would be available to every child who worked hard and met the performance criteria established by law,” Jindal wrote in his June 2015 veto message. “This legislation would renege on that promise.”

Sen. Jack Donahue, R-Mandeville, authored the bill, which will be resubmitted this session after failing last year. Donahue said the bill is nothing more than a “modest” measure to make TOPS a little bit more sustainable.

The bill is expected to pass during the regular session, as Edwards supported it last year as the House minority leader, and Donahue said he believes he has the votes in both houses. At the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget Saturday, Dardenne presented an updated budget report, detailing the many areas short of funding in the current year — including TOPS’ $28 million shortfall.

“Under normal circumstances, [the TOPS shortfall] could be readily handled,” Dardenne said. But as an addition to a nearly $1 billion shortfall, funding the scholarship becomes problematic.

The difficulties facing higher education this spring far exceed the missing TOPS payments. A host of higher education and government leaders have warned of the dangers of “devastating” cuts to an area that has been hit

hard nearly each year when the legislature passes the budget.

Belle Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, oversees the accreditation of Louisiana universities.

While the association doesn’t take away universities’ accreditation, sanctions are a real possibility if schools’ budgets are cut and they cannot find a way to sustain themselves.

Wheelan has been monitoring Louisiana universities for years and has watched as the legislature cut funding for higher education year after year. The potential cuts have already left an indelible mark on the University’s reputation — leaders have conceded some damage to recruiting efforts regardless of what happens to funding.

“Students don’t want to go to that place if they’re in trouble,” Wheelan said.

Institutions with less funding have to cut programs, and for the University this year, leaders wonder what areas can be further reduced when cuts are implemented. The school already operates with far less funding than its national peers.

But Wheelan added that when funding is slashed, schools have to roll back programs to shield themselves from accreditation sanctions. While Republican legislators are asking for efficiencies in all areas funded by the state, the University has turned to possible plans to bill students.

LSU President F. King Alexander earmarked a hypothetical fee increase at $1,400 per student.

Droddy called Alexander’s comments on the drastic fee increases to students a “scale issue,” so people can understand the gravity of the situation.

“The hole is unprecedented,” Droddy said. “It is larger than anything that anyone can remember. And that is why the responses from the universities seem a little outlandish. That’s because the situation is so large that we are forced to consider things that we would never, ever consider.”

Joshua Jackson Co-Managing Editor rose velazquez News Editor William Taylor Potter Deputy News Editor meg ryan Entertainment Editor Morgan Prewitt Sports Editor April Ahmed Associate Production Editor Claire Cassreino Associate Production Editor Cody Sibley Opinion Editor Emily Brauner Photo Editor Ari Ross Radio Director Sam ACCARDO Advertising Manager

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Monday, February 15, 2016 BUDGET CUTS

The Daily Reveille

page 3

University already lacks competitive salary, manageable faculty workloads

BY KATIE GAGLIANO @katie_gagliano For department of mathematics chair Robert Perlis, the current budget crisis is just one more disaster in a series of setbacks that have prevented the University from achieving its full potential.

“For 36 years, I’ve been saying we’re about to turn the corner, we’re about to become a great university — and it’s still that way,” Perlis said.

“We’re just about ready to move into the big time, and then something like this happens and you take a step backward.”

The flagship campus has suffered a 55 percent reduction in state general fund support over the past six years, cutting University state support from $254 million to $114 million. In response, the University has eliminated 180 faculty positions and 170 staff positions and cut or consolidated 35 academic programs since fiscal year 2009, according to a Jan. 25 administrative report.

The cuts have hindered department function across the University.

In recent years, the mathematics department has grown smaller while teaching loads have increased. In response, the department has consolidated courses such as Calculus I and Calculus II, into sections averaging 160 students instead of the 40-person class size preferred by faculty and students, Perlis said.

The larger class sizes prevent professors from providing students with individualized attention and make the education process more impersonal, he said. If more cuts come in the next fiscal year, more classes will likely be consolidated.

Overloaded faculty is a concern in many departments.

Department of petroleum engineering chair Karsten Thompson said budget cuts may prevent his department from filling open faculty positions and decrease faculty flexibility. The department may be forced to consolidate classes, cancel certain electives and contract courses out to adjunct professors to ensure class availability, he said.

Course loads likely won’t lighten anytime soon. Hiring during the budget crisis has been difficult because of a lack of funding options and questions surrounding the University’s stability, Perlis said.

He said positions vacated by retiring professors can only be filled with permission from University administration. In recent years, the department has often been denied permission to fill its open faculty positions.

When permission is granted, potential hires are often concerned about the state budget crisis and its effect on the University’s future. Every candidate interviewing for a current position in the mathematics department has raised concerns about the budget deficit and the security of a potential

position, Perlis said.

Though the University has not reneged on contracts before, fear exists among young academics, he said.

“You are thinking about accepting a job at LSU and say, ‘Okay, I’ll show up in August and be a new assistant professor,’” Perlis said. “But what if the job is not there? Then you pretty much ruined your career, haven’t you? The fear of that happening is a big worry for young people starting their careers.”

For the engineering department, the budget crisis’ overlap with the current hiring cycle is also a hindrance

Candidates with several offers may be enticed by other universities’ more generous stipends.

The lack of competitiveness in graduate student stipends is mirrored by the average pay of University faculty, which has fallen behind the national average for comparative universities.

Ten peer institutions identified in the Flagship 2020 Agenda surpassed the University in professor salaries for the 2014-2015 school year. Twelve exceeded the University’s average associate professor salary, and nine offered higher

DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES

LSU mathematics professor Robert Perlis holds up a sign at the March the Capitol protest, Apr. 30, 2015 to protest higher education budget cuts. to filling available faculty positions, Thompson said. Petroleum engineering departments around the country hire in the same cycle, so potential faculty may be recruited to other universities if budget limitations put a freeze on new hires, he said.

Attracting graduate students, like faculty, is another ongoing concern.

Graduate students are vital to the University, both as students and as course assistants. Graduate students assist in grading upper division courses, leading recitation sections and teaching lower-level courses in some departments, Perlis said.

The University’s graduate stipends aren’t competing with the national average, and the non-competitive awards make it more difficult to attract exceptional candidates, he said.

assistant professor salaries.

During the 2014-2015 school year, the University paid professors an average salary of $116,334, associate professors $82,125 and assistant professors $75,051, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Some salary differences were small; Colorado State University paid professors an average salary of $117,018. Others were significant; the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign paid its professors an average salary of $144,927.

Most of the 10 peer institutions exceeded the University’s average professor salary by approximately $5,000 to $10,000, according to the NCES. Prior to a 3 percent pay raise in the 2014-2015 school year and a 4 percent

pay raise in the 2013-2014 school year, faculty members didn’t receive a pay raise for five years, according to the Office of Budget and Planning.

The state of faculty salaries, combined with the possibility of an estimated $940 million state budget shortfall for the current fiscal year, is not helping to boost faculty and staff morale.

“Each year it’s always just been a struggle to make sure there’s enough paper for the Xerox machine and that all the computers in the offices are working,” Perlis said. “It’s been six years of just trying to make ends meet.”

The fear that ends may not meet plagues staff members and faculty in academic departments across the University, Perlis said. Staff members in the mathematics department are anxious about job security following staff furloughs in previous years, he said.

Thompson said faculty in the petroleum engineering department are taking a more pragmatic approach to the cuts, pushing forward despite a widespread sense of uncertainty.

“I think the general sentiment is, ‘You have to wait and see,’ and there’s just not too much sense in worrying about it until we understand what is going to happen,” Thompson said.

Regardless of the unease across campus, both Perlis and Thompson voiced a dedication to maintaining student services as best as possible to shield students’ education from the effects of budget cuts.

Both chairs also agreed research in their departments would likely be insulated from the financial impacts of the budget cuts. Much of the research funding in both departments, and across the University, is paid for through federal or privatized funding, Perlis and Thompson said.

Research outside of academic programs may not be as insulated. The LSU AgCenter, whose core mission includes agricultural research, could face an $11.5 million cut, equivalent to 32 percent of the AgCenter’s budget, according to a 2016 fiscal year budget message from the AgCenter.

The cuts would dramatically impact the AgCenter’s ability to conduct research, hindering ongoing projects in nutrition and crop variety development that benefit Louisiana’s agricultural industry, the budget message said.

Since 2008, the AgCenter has eliminated 400 positions across its academic departments, extension offices and branch research stations. More than 100 positions are slated to be eliminated in the 2015-2016 fiscal year, and another 160 filled positions are at risk if the 32 percent cut is implemented, the message said.

“Everybody is sick and tired of budget cuts,” Perlis said. “Everybody fears the worst case, but the worst case seems to keep getting worse and worse.”

The Daily Reveille

page 4 BUDGET CUTS

Monday, February 15, 2016

photos by NICHOLAS MARTINO and THE DAILY REVEiLLE ARCHIVES

[left] Vice President for Student Life and Enrollment Services Kurt Keppler speaks at the official ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 17, at Cypress Hall. [right] A protestor holds up a sign at the March the Capitol protest where protestors marched towards the Louisiana State Capitol building Apr. 30 in protest of higher education budget cuts.

Protestors march toward the Louisiana State Capitol building Apr. 30, in protest of higher education budget cuts.

Budget cuts will directly affect student life Student resources covered by the state could take direct hit

BY BETH CARTER @bethie_carter If budget cuts become a reality for higher education, the University may need to turn to outside donors to keep student resources paid for by the state, such as the Center for Academic Success, First Year Experience, the Olinde Career Center and the University’s tutoring services, afloat, said Vice President for Student Life and Enrollment Services Kurt Keppler.

While Keppler assured students vital services such as the UREC, Student Union and the transportation system would remain untouched by budget cuts because they are funded by student fees, not state money, services funded by the state could be in jeopardy once funds are depleted.

“In those particular circumstances, we’ve gone to companies and outside donors to raise external funds to cover the loss,” Keppler said.

“For the most part, we will protect these student services at all costs.”

Other services that receive no state funding include the Student Health Center and Information Technology Services.

According to a Jan. 25 administrative report, a loss of funding for student services at the University would indirectly affect enrollment and retention, not only for the flagship campus, but also

for the LSU System’s satellite campuses around the state.

Since 2009, state funds per full-time student have decreased 53.6 percent for the main campus alone, dropping from more than $8,000 per year to less than $4,000.

Other campuses, such as LSU Alexandria and LSU Shreveport, have suffered even higher cuts.

According to the report, a $65 million reduction in state funds for the LSU System could raise student fees on the main campus by almost $700 per student this fiscal year. Since estimates for the state’s budget shortfall for the current fiscal year have increased, LSU President F. King Alexander has said fee raises could be as high as $1,400 per student.

Keppler said while roughly 70 percent of the University’s funding comes from tuition and fees, the state of Louisiana covers about 26 percent of the school’s budget.

“Within the last decade, [the funding] has been reversed,” Keppler said. “It used to be 75 percent [funding] from the state and 25 percent from students, and now it’s the opposite.”

Despite the fact that the state budget has been cut nine times in the last seven years, Keppler said in-state enrollment is still strong. The University’s projected enrollment for Fall 2016 is running 3 percent higher than

fall 2015’s.

From 2009 to 2015, the University’s enrollment increased by 2,085 students, despite annual slashes to higher education. Keppler said one of the main reasons in-state students continue to choose LSU is because of TOPS. “[In-state students] are getting the best deal in the United States of America, and they’re getting to go to the best institution in the state,” Keppler said. “LSU has the ability to handle [the budget crisis] better than any other part of the state.”

Helen Frink, a sociology senior who helped organize last year’s student March the Capitol protest, said a group of students are planning additional events beginning today. Frink said the group is comprised of members from the Louisiana Board of Regents, Student Government, Baton Rouge Organizing and the LSU Black Leadership Council, as well as University students.

Frink said the march is important because it shows legislators that University students are paying attention to the potential impacts the budget crisis could have on their school.

“The march last year said we won’t be walked all over without at least making a stand for ourselves,” Frink said. “This year is different because it is finally coming down to the wire with budget issues.”

The group, known as Save Our Schools Louisiana, is planning a rally at the Capitol on Friday and another large event on Feb. 24. Frink said she is proud of the interconnectivity across campus when it comes to rallying for higher education.

“The best part is that now we are coming together to plan events and help each other out in any way we can,” Frink said.

The Student Advocacy Commission, an SG-led organization comprised of students from various majors and classes that lobbies for student interests at the Capitol, began a letter-writing campaign in the weeks leading up to the start of the special session to urge legislators to support funding for higher education.

Commission members hand-wrote letters to the state’s 105 representatives and 39 senators as a way to unite students’ voices with the legislature’s. They will deliver the letters on Monday, the second day of the special session.

The special session opened at 4 p.m. Sunday.

The Commission will also issue a legislative report card, which grades state legislators by how they voted for certain student interests — particularly higher education. Myles Sonnier, SG State Capitol adviser, said last year’s report card will serve as the framework for this year’s.

“Last year, [the report card] was pretty effective,” Sonnier said. “We’re basically going to do the same thing for this year’s.”

Last year’s report card received some criticism from some legislators who felt they were unfairly scored. According to a previous report

by The Daily Reveille, SG chief of staff Zack Faircloth said the report was purely to evaluate lawmakers on their voting records, not to rank them personally.

Sonnier also mentioned plans for meetings with Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, Speaker of the House Taylor Barras and Speaker Pro Tempore Walt Leger as a way to connect legislators with the University community.

For a state that is ranked 48th in bachelor’s degree attainment according to the University’s report, higher education funding is vital to Louisiana. Keppler said this month’s special session needs to focus on raising revenue and external funds, and he urged students to make their voices heard over the next three weeks.

“We have to be confident that our legislators will see the seriousness of the problem and try to raise some revenue measures,” Keppler said. “It’s a critical time for [LSU], but I believe we will prevail and continue to be the best we can be.”

Sports

page 5

‘JUST WIN ’

Anjana Nair / The Daily Reveille

Sophomore forward Craig Victor II (32) looks at the referee after a foul on Texas A&M on Feb. 13.

Victor shakes off foul trouble in win against Aggies

BY Christian Boutwell @CBoutwell_TDR Craig Victor II loves being a warrior.

As a man on a mission, the LSU sophomore forward prides himself on his defense Saturday. His matchup against thenNo. 15 Texas A&M was against a former high school foe, the Aggies’ starting center Tyler Davis.

Davis knocked in a season-high 18 points against Victor in the Aggies’ 7157 blowout versus LSU on Jan. 19. Victor made it his quest on Saturday to not let Davis repeat his success.

“I was on a mission from the jump,” Victor said. “[Tyler] Davis came in the first game and had a good game. I took this one

personal. I put it on my load to stop him.”

Victor prevailed, and the Tigers (16-9, 9-3 Southeastern Conference) were along for the ride as they defeated Texas A&M (18-7, 7-5 SEC), 76-71, on Saturday — remaining in a tie for the top seed in the SEC alongside Kentucky.

“I love to play defense,” Victor said.

“I’m a defensive warrior.”

Victor harassed Davis throughout the second half, limiting him to only nine points and forcing five turnovers through 40 minutes. Victor’s presence was felt as all three of his defensive matchups as Texas A&M’s centers combined for 14 points.

“Craig Victor did what he wanted to,”

see warrior, page 11

Tigers focus on winning, not NCAA Tourney talk

BY James Bewers @JamesBewers_TDR “Just win, baby.”

Even without explicitly stating it, the old adage from former Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis is the unofficial motto for the LSU men’s basketball team with six games left in the regular season.

No, the Tigers (16-9, 9-3 Southeastern Conference) aren’t focused on the NCAA tournament yet, they say. No, they weren’t specifically looking at Saturday’s win against then-No. 15 Texas A&M as a résumé building victory. If anything, senior guard Keith Hornsby said the 76-71 win was also revenge for the 14-point road loss to the Aggies on Jan. 19 and two losses to

Texas A&M last season.

Rather, simply winning the next game is currently most important to LSU, which is still tied for first place in the SEC with then-No. 22 Kentucky. The rest, including Rating Percentage Index standing, will “take care of itself,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones.

“We just talk about winning,” he said.

“That’s the main thing. All that stuff is for naught if we don’t win.”

With three weeks left in the regular season, LSU currently sits at No. 69 in ESPN’s latest RPI. Often referred to as a key to team’s résumé, RPI — which measures winning percentage for a team, its

see win, page 11

Softball

Tigers’ offense fuels four run-rule victories in opening weekend

BY Joshua Thornton @JoshT_TDR The No. 3 LSU softball team started off the 2016 season winning four of five games in the annual Tiger Classic at Tiger Park.

Offense wasn’t a problem for LSU (4-1). The Tigers outscored their opponents 42-3 and earned all four of their wins by mercy rule.

“Offensive was probably the highlight,” said LSU coach Beth Torina . “It’s good that we understand some of our weaknesses, that way we can devise a plan going into a tough weekend.”

LSU began the weekend with a doubleheader sweep of Ohio State (3-1) and University of North Florida (0-5) on Friday.

The LSU offense started out fast against the Buckeyes, scoring

five runs in the first inning and never looking back in a 9-0 win.

In the second game, LSU got on the board first when senior third baseman Jenna Kreamer hit a grand slam in the second inning.

Kreamer wasn’t the only Tiger to hit a grand slam during opening weekend. Junior third baseman Sahvanna Jaquish sparked LSU’s offense at the plate throughout the weekend, going 9-for-13 and hitting 10 RBIs, including a grand slam against UConn on Saturday.

“I had a three ball, no strike count and coach usually gives me a take sign, but this time she gave me a swing sign, I got super excited,” said Jaquish. “I knew right off the bat that it was [gone].”

In the circle, sophomore pitcher Carley Hoover (2-0) and

freshman pitcher Sydney Smith (1-0) shined with a pair of shutouts while only allowing a combined four hits in 16 innings of work.

On Saturday night, Pacific University (3-2) handed LSU its lone loss, 2-1, as Pacific’s strong pitching held Torina’s lineup in check and LSU struggled defensively with three errors.

Pacific got on the board first after freshman first baseman Sydney Lahners hit a groundrule double to left field and tacked on one more run in the top of the fourth inning, scoring on a fielding error.

In the bottom of the seventh, LSU was in position for a two-out rally with Jaquish on second base and senior catcher Kellsi Kloss on first after earning a walk, but it fell short when

Wingate Jones / The Daily Reveille

LSU junior infielder Sahvanna Jaquish (2) sneaks back to second base during LSU’s 13-2 victory against University of Connecticut on Feb. 13 at Tiger Park.

Simmons grounded out.

After the loss, Torina said she will use this game as a learning experience going forward.

“I thought we had some great

moments, I think we have a lot to learn and some things to do better coming out of this weekend,”

see Softball page 11

The Daily Reveille

page 6 women’s basketball

Monday, February 15, 2016

Lady Tigers continue slide in SEC play, dropping fifth-straight game LSU tightened the gap with tougher perimeter defense that limited the Lady Bulldogs to one Revenge was on the minds of trey in the second quarter.

Junior guard Rina Hill hit a lathe Georgia Lady Bulldogs as they avenged their Jan. 24 loss to yup with three seconds left in the LSU in a 58-47 win in the PMAC half to cut Lady Bulldogs’ lead to 25-22 behind the Lady Bulldogs. on Sunday.

LSU was able to use the mo“We were different,” said LSU coach Nikki Fargas. “I thought mentum at the beginning of the our intensity and effort was very third to take a 26-25 lead before different than when we were at Georgia started to push away with a 9-2 run aided by a fourth foul Georgia.” called on Hyder.

The Lady Ti“It was very gers (8-17, 2-10 ‘We were different; I S o u t h e a s t e r n thought our intensity frustrating to be on the bench when I C o n fe r e n c e) won the tip but and effort was very knew I needed to be on the floor,” Hyder Georgia (19-6, 7-5 SEC) scored different than when said.

Lady Bullfirst with a threewe were at Georgia.’ dogsThecapitalized off pointer after two of Hyder’s absence minutes.

LSU Nikki fargas in the box as Georwas able to conLSU coach gia outrebounded trol the paint, LSU 13-8. limiting the Lady LSU was unable to recover in Bulldogs to five shots from within the arc and winning the rebound the fourth quarter after Georgia put the game out of reach. The battle 12-8.

Junior forward Alexis Hyder Lady Bulldogs outscored the had seven rebounds in the first to Lady Tigers 10-2 in the first four go along with her six points. Her minutes of the final frame.

LSU shot 15-of-26 from the effort was not enough as Georgia pulled away with pinpoint shoot- free throw line on the game, ining from behind the arc to extend cluding 9-for-17 in the second its lead to 14-8 at the end of the half.

“We have got to change what first quarter.

In the second quarter, Geor- we have been doing,” Fargas gia contained Hyder to just three said. “We have got to change our points and two rebounds, but oth- mindset when we get to the er Lady Tigers picked up the pace. freethrow line. I think we are Jarrett Major @jarrett_TDR

Haskell Whittington / The Daily Reveille

LSU junior forward Alexis Hyder (20) watches a teammate shoot a free throw during LSU’s 47-58 loss against Georgia on Feb. 14. getting there enough times in the basketball game, but we are not knocking them down.”

Hyder compiled a doubledouble with 10 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth. Freshman guard Shanice Norton led the Lady Tigers with

a career high 15 points along with five rebounds.

Georgia freshman forward Caliya Robinson led the Lady Bulldogs with a career-high 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Georgia senior guard Shacobia Barbee also tallied a

double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

LSU outrebounded Georgia , 38-36, but was outscored 28-14 in the paint.

The Lady Tigers will travel to College Station to face the No. 15 Texas A&M on Thursday.

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The Daily Reveille

page 7

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Cui eyes Olympic Qualification for native New Zealand

BY JARRETT MAJOR @jarrett_TDR All season the LSU swimming and diving teams prepare to compete in the Southeastern Conference Championship.

On Feb. 14, the teams finally traveled to Columbia, Missouri to present their season’s work — all except one Lady Tiger.

Freshman diver Lizzie Cui has her eyes on something even higher than an SEC Championship: the Olympics.

Cui, who represents New Zealand on the international level, will participate in the FINA Diving World Cup in Rio De Janeiro on Feb. 19. The competition will give her a chance to become the first Olympic diver for New Zealand since 1992.

“It is really nerve wracking, but training is going pretty well,” Cui said.

“So, I just need to keep my head on the goal, and hopefully I will get there.”

The Diving World Cup is one of three ways to qualify for the Olympics, along with continental qualifiers and the 2015 FINA World Championships, in which Cui represented New Zealand.

Cui finished 36th in the three-meter springboard preliminaries with a score of 233.70 in the FINA World Championships in July and August before she had even set foot on LSU’s campus as a student. In Rio, as many as 18 dives will

have a chance to qualify for the Olympics in the three-meter springboard.

Cui also performed in the one-meter dive, which is not an Olympic event, finishing 24th in the FINA Championships.

“It was the biggest competition that I have been in to date,” Cui said. “I gained so much experience from it. I took back a lot about competing on the world stage. Overall, I think I did pretty well considering it was my first time.”

Although she will not be diving off the one-meter springboard in Rio this summer, Cui has dived from it for LSU this semester.

As an international student, Cui started at the University during the spring semester since school ends near the fall semester in New Zealand.

The SEC swimming and diving season was already winding down when Cui joined the team, allowing her to participate in only two meets.

In her first meet for the Lady Tigers against Texas A&M on Jan. 23, Cui finished second in the one-meter with a 288.08 and third in three-meter with a 286.73. The scores were high enough for Cui to qualify for the NCAA championships, a victory for the Lady Tigers.

It did not take long for Cui to turn the corner from placing to bringing home wins for the Lady Tigers.

In her second meet, a quad meet against three other teams in Houston, Cui won in the one-meter dive and

finished third in the three-meter dive.

“She is showing the level of athlete and ability that she has,” said LSU diving coach Doug Shaffer. “Coming off the holiday, starting in January, and not going through the normal fall process, everything has been new and a little rushed. She is going to get better in every single meet and practice. She really has a bright future ahead of her.”

Despite the midseason entrance to the team, Cui has made a name for herself as a Lady Tiger.

Although she will not be at the SEC Championship, Cui said she will be following along and rooting for her friends and teammates. Her teammates have a similar plan when she competes for a place in the Olympics.

“It is really exciting for her. I am glad that she is going,” said junior diver Andrew Suchla. “We are really happy she is on the team. We are going to miss her, of course, at SEC’s, but we will see what we can do without her.”

Cui, for her part, said the quality of athletes in the LSU program, like senior divers Cassie Weil and Allie Alter, were one of the main reasons Cui came to Baton Rouge.

Shaffer said he wanted Cui to dive for LSU after seeing her results in international competition. Cui was a fivetime national champion in New Zealand in high school, attracting attention from

across the world.

Along with adjusting to the Louisiana climate and American culture, Cui has had to adapt to differences in diving between the USA and New Zealand.

“Diving in New Zealand is really small and none of it is government funded,” she said. “If you want to compete on the world stage, you have to provide for yourself. Also, the competition here is much tougher, which helps with my diving.”

The FINA World Cup will be another adjustment for Cui. It is the third continent she will compete on in the last two months.

Cui said she is not intimidated by the challenge. She has already gone against some of the toughest competition and held her own.

Being an Olympic athlete would be a momentous accomplishment as both a Lady Tiger and a New Zealander for Cui, who said she enjoys representing both her college and her country. If Cui makes it to the Olympics she would be the first Olympic diver from New Zealand during her lifetime.

The chance to make history is not lost on Cui. She hopes to inspire others in New Zealand to compete in diving.

“I really would like to set a good example for the younger kids so that New Zealand can get bigger in diving,” Cui said.

Learn more about the Flores MBA Program by attending one of our upcoming info sessions!

February 18 March 17 April 11 May 5 For more information and to register, visit

mba.lsu.edu.

WINGATE JONES / The Daily Reveille

LSU Freshman Diver Lizzie Cui dives for a LSU defeat on Saturday, Jan. 23 at the Natatorium.

LSU Flores MBA Program

@LSUFloresMBA

LSU Flores MBA Program

Opinion

page 8

Editorial: Students should demand bipartisan budget solution THE DAILY REVEILLE EDITORIAL BOARD

|

editor@lsureveille.com

Fellow students, we commend you for paying attention to our state and school’s budget woes. But don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet.

The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance only has enough money to fund 80 percent of your TOPS scholarships this semester. The government promised you and your family won’t have to fork over the remaining 20 percent, so schools will have to absorb those costs.

But don’t think that means those costs won’t fall on you elsewhere. A university that relies on your tuition for roughly 70 percent of its operating costs cannot afford to pay your fees, too.

For those of you who think the battle is over because the state has reinstated your TOPS, remember that next year’s shortfall is even bigger than what we are facing today.

Think about those who have dreamed of staying home and attending an in-state university. Their futures hang in the balance.

No matter what happens during the special legislative session, higher education already lost this first battle. Institutions have to find ways to cover TOPS’ $28 million shortfall, meaning the flagship campus will have to find space in an already-crippled budget from years of past reductions to sustain your financial aid.

If our elected officials appropriate money to fund higher education next year, they aren’t guaranteeing the state’s popular merit-based aid for all who qualify. If nothing changes, Louisiana will only have enough money to fund 25 percent of TOPS next year.

If you scored below a 28 on the ACT, say goodbye to TOPS if nothing changes.

More than half of LSU students are TOPS-eligible, which is the highest percentage of students receiving the scholarship per university. This is not just about whether you can afford to go to school, but whether the school can afford to offer entire programs.

The new restrictions will hit the University harder than any other state school. Students no longer covered will have to find other resources to fund their education, and the inevitable tuition and fee increases will push mid and low-income students out of the University.

As it stands, universities across the state will have to suspend classes mid-semester if legislators can’t generate revenue, meaning students won’t be able to graduate or will drop below full-time status.

Funding for higher education means more than whether or not you’ll have TOPS next year. Catastrophic budget cuts to higher education affect the entire state.

Back when Louisiana’s budget shortfall was expected to be around $750 million, the LSU System was asked to prepare for a potential cut of $65 million. But now our state is short roughly $940 million. The LSU System almost certainly has to cut more than $65 million if nothing changes, and the flagship campus almost certainly cannot afford additional reductions.

Your teachers would be suddenly unemployed. Our maintenance workers and faculty would have to go elsewhere for work. The teachers that do stay would suddenly be responsible for double the workload while their salaries would be lower than their colleagues in surrounding states.

Graduating is no excuse for complacency, and no one is safe from the budget cuts.

Even if these cuts don’t affect your ability to pay for school or affect your current program, think about your friends and family who might not be able to afford higher education. Think about whether their academic major will sustain the budget crisis.

Keep raising awareness on social media. Share articles on Facebook. Educate your friends and families on our budget woes, but you should also do more. Channel your concern into activism.

The LSU Black Leadership Council and Save Our Schools Louisiana are asking students from universities across the state to march on the State Capitol Friday, Feb. 19 at 11:30 a.m. Save Our Schools Louisiana is also planning another event on Feb. 24.

Show legislators you care about your school. Invite all your friends and family to march alongside you.

Contact your state legislators and the governor. Express your concerns to them, and let them know you’ll stand by your school when they make life-altering decisions.

Tell lawmakers to set aside their differences to save our state. Right now, we’re not Democrats or Republicans. We’re Louisianians who need to come together to make the tough decisions to save our state.

If you don’t take away anything else, remember these three numbers: the state is facing a $940 million shortfall for the current fiscal year. Best-case scenario, the legislature cuts higher education by $70 million. Worst-case scenario, they cut us by $204 million. We won’t come out ahead, but with your help, we may be able to get out alive.

The Daily Reveille EDITORIAL BOARD

Quint Forgey Carrie Grace Henderson Joshua Jackson Rose Velazquez William Taylor Potter Cody Sibley

Editor in Chief Co-Managing Editor Co-Managing Editor News Editor Deputy News Editor Opinion Editor

Editorial Policies and Procedures

The Daily Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Daily Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Daily Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to opinion@lsureveille.com or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Daily Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving 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 LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.

Quote of the Day “Public education does not exist for the benefit of students or the benefit of their parents.

It exists for the benefit of the social order.”

John Green

writer Aug. 24, 1977 — present

The Daily Reveille

Monday, February 15, 2016

page 9

Les needs to help save higher education The Cerulean Conciliator

“If LSU shuts down, I call dibs on Mike the Tiger. I may not have a degree, but I’ll be stuntin’ like Mike Tyson.”

Justin DiCharia @JDiCharia Students saved Les Miles’ future as head coach of the football team, and now it’s time for him to help save our future as students in a soon-to-be crumbling university.

On a cold November night last fall, Miles nostalgically walked toward the student section in Tiger Stadium to sing the alma mater for what he probably thought would be the last time. Thousands of students chanted his name as tears rolled down their cheeks, saddened at the thought of losing the Mad Hatter.

As I joined in chanting, “we want Les,” I couldn’t fathom what the University would look like without him.

Now, not only can I picture what the University would look like without Miles, but I can also fathom the cathedral of college football completely empty throughout the entirety of the 2016 football season.

I can see Middleton Library completely empty and the Student Union in pitch black. I can see the faces of thousands, defeated and depressed at what the future might hold for them in a Louisiana without higher education.

This is the reality we face if the Louisiana State Legislature fails to find solutions to filling the $943 million budget shortfall.

Some may say, “There will always be LSU football.”

@hjcranford Jay Cranford

Javier Fernández / The Daily Reveille

Students rallied in favor of keeping LSU football coach Les Miles during last year’s football season.

Wrong.

If this University can’t keep its doors open because of a lack of funding, the student athletes who welcome our rowdy, deafening roar on Saturday nights in Death Valley will have no school to play for.

Honestly though, the worst case scenario isn’t probable, and the legislature will provide enough funding for us to leave the lights on.

A realistic scenario, however, are cuts to the point that we can’t afford to run the tutoring center or layoffs of hundreds of untenured instructors around campus.

With no tutors and exponentially increased classes, academic success will struggle.

Students who rely on tutors and teachers who can spend time helping them through difficult concepts may not be able to keep their grades up. If those happen to be student athletes, they may become ineligible to play.

The students who cried and screamed for Miles to keep his job in the fall need his help. We held up our end of the bargain, and now it’s your time to hold up yours.

Trust me, a national championship won’t be possible with half the student section full at next year’s rivalry matchup between Alabama because the students previously in those seats can’t afford tuition as a result of the state cutting our budget and

the University forced to raise its fees.

A national championship in football is not possible if half our new all-star recruits are ineligible because the transition from high school to college academics didn’t go so smoothly without the help of a tutor.

Just like we believed a national championship may not be a possibility for LSU football without you, Les Miles, it’s time you believe a national championship won’t be possible without us.

Justin DiCharia is a communication senior Slidell, Louisiana.

mass from

On the budget, GOP needs to put up or shut up BEYER’S REMORSE Michael Beyer @michbeyer Louisiana House Republicans, come up with a budget plan or stop pretending to legislate.

You burned the house down and now have the gall to lecture Gov. John Bel Edwards on how he should keep the house tidy.

When then-Gov. Bobby Jindal took office, Louisiana had a $1 billion budget surplus, according to The New York Times. Now the state is in a budget crisis, which is not only a result of falling oil prices. Jindal threw his support behind “the largest tax cut in the state’s history” yet didn’t pay for it.

Edwards must combat a $940 million shortfall for this year and a $2 billion shortfall for the next fiscal year, according to The Advocate.

Republicans, you had a super-majority in the legislature and a very conservative

TDR columnists answer the question: What will you do if LSU shuts down?

Republican governor. You had everything you wanted and more. As a result, you wrecked the state, had seven straight years of funding shortfalls and cut roughly 55 percent of higher education’s budget.

For years, you went along with Jindal’s budget games, using one-time money to fix long-term problems. And you weren’t kicking and screaming for eight years.

The late C.B. Forgotston, a prominent Louisiana politics blogger, called former House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, “Jindal’s lapdog.”

Who was there criticizing your games since day one? According to The Lens, Edwards, then a state representative, said, “Kleckley has absolutely done the governor’s bidding ... He has been in lock-step with the administration. There have been growing concerns that we’re not an independent, co-equal branch of government.”

In his statewide address focusing on the state’s budget woes, Edwards sounded

the alarm your party long ignored. Without action from the state legislature, many hospitals will face devastating cuts, and the University will run out of money and close on April 30th, according to The Advocate.

Now you want to continue cutting state services. Your delegation’s Twitter account said in two tweets that you “will firmly stand for short-term and long-term budget reforms... cuts to government waste and fiscal solutions that are aligned with the conservative values of our state’s citizens.”

This is exactly what our state has done for all of the Jindal years. The only problem with that approach is “there are no magic wands,” Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said in an interview with The Advocate. “If there were any easy fixes, they would have been done.”

You refuse to address $1 billion in tax giveaways, including the $330,000 the state spends per episode of “Duck Dynasty” according to The Advocate.

Your plans to fix the budget belong in a dumpster fire, not in the Capitol. That’s where graduating seniors’ diplomas will end up with your current plans anyway.

Even your own colleagues are calling out your incompetence. “If they are going to offer an $800 million plan of cuts, let’s see it,” said Senate President John Alario according to The Advocate.

Aren’t you supposed to be the party of balanced budgets and “fiscal responsibility Where are the fiscal hawks now?

Don’t pretend to care about children with disabilities losing their life-saving health coverage or deferring a college student’s dreams if you aren’t going to come up with a plan.

Stand behind a plan or stop complaining, House Republicans. You need to do your job and keep the state’s lights on.

Michael Beyer is a 22-year-old political science senior from New Orleans, Louisiana.

“Hit the poles... to see if Santa has some advice, duh.” @ClarkePerkins Clarke Perkins

“I might go into a state of denial where I continue to attend my regular classes and sit there waiting for people to show up.” @Charlie_Bonac2 Charlie Bonacquisti

“I will have a degree come spring, so it sucks to be everyone else.” @Gret419 Garrett Marcel

“Pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a Real Housewife of New Jersey.” @SirJohnGavin John Gavin Harp

“Write David Vitter x Bobby Jindal erotica.” @jayellrichy James Richards

page 10

Announcements

Employment

For Rent GREAT LOCATION for student...between Burbank and LSU Spacious 2 BR with office, washer / dryer, wood floor, all utilities included. $1,100 / MO. Call: 225-615-8521 or 225-8928517 _______________________________

3 bedroom, 1.5 bath home for rent, near LSU. Comes with all appliances including wash/ dryer, and alarm system. Located in safe neighborhood not far from campus and Mall of LA. Deposit is one month’s rent, and is refundable. Small pets ok with $300 non-refundable pet fee. $1500/month or best offer. _______________________________ 1 bedroom gated covered parking 850 month 850 deposit walking distance to LSU 337-3091889 _______________________________ Immed avail. lease/re-let 1bd/1bath fully furnished cottage. Pets ok. Contact tgeaux17@gmail.com for details. _______________________________ 2 BR-Condo near LSU W/D included $700/Mon call (225)-2786622 or 278-6621. _______________________________ ROOMMATES NEEDED: 4/2 House/Garage EXTREMELY NICE Nicholson Lakes, $500 month/Utilities included, $200 Deposit, No pets, Background check required. Call 225-2706034 _______________________________

Help Wanted Louie’s Cafe is hiring cooks, servers & dish staff. Apply in person, online or via email. louiescafe.com 3322 Lake St. _______________________________ Fat Cow is now hiring for cooks, cashiers, and dishwashers.

Come join the herd and enjoy flexible hours, best wages in the business and a great drug and smoke free work environment.

Prior experience preferred but not a must. Apply in person 4350 highland rd ste B1. _______________________________ Part-time help wanted walking around upscale community passing out literature. $14/hour.

Must have vehicle. Contact Beverly at 225-387-5931 _______________________________ Anthony’s Italian Deli is looking for general, reliable help. We can work with school schedules.

Apply in person at 5575 Government St 70806 From 2-4 daily.

Must be able to work Saturdays. _______________________________ AQUATICS COORDINATOR €“ FULL-TIME SEASONAL (MAY 1-AUGUST 15, 2016) Develop and manage all Aquatic programming during seasonal summer months (May 1 €“ August 15). Supervise personnel, plan aquatic events and programming and ensure proper maintenance of swimming facilities/equipment. One year exp in youth/adult aquatic instruction/recreation programs.

CPR, AED, First Aid, and O2 certs. $10-14/hr DOE. Potential to turn in to year round full time position. Apply: A.C. Lewis YMCA, 350 S. Foster Dr., BR LA (225) 924-3606 _______________________________

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Po Boy Times on Campus Hiring now Cashiers Call/Text 3372787211 _______________________________

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Physical Therapy Tech needed for Outpatient Orthopedic Clinic in Baton Rouge. Must have a good work ethic and willing to learn. Kinesiology majors preferred. Call Tom 225-354-9976. _______________________________

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FRANKIE’S DAWG HOUSE NOW HIRING CALL 805-5120183

_______________________________ VooDoo BBQ on Nicholson Dr. is now Hiring for Cashier/ Server and Kitchen. Located at the North Gates of LSU on Nicholson Dr. Apply in person between 2pm and 4pm. _______________________________

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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 J. Edgar Hoover’s agcy.

4 __ up; go separate ways 9 Fill a suitcase 13 Common metal 15 __ possibly; very likely 16 Destroy 17 Ceremony 18 Not qualified 19 Bump __; meet unexpectedly 20 Large city in Morocco 22 One-dish meal 23 11/11 honorees 24 19th letter 26 __-the-board; affecting everyone 29 Popular Japanese dish 34 Influence; pull 35 Refuge 36 Take first prize 37 Swine 38 Boston __ beans 39 Two quarters 40 __ de cologne 41 Valleys 42 Deceitful cunning 43 Anatomy class model, perhaps 45 One who dies for his beliefs 46 Hardwood tree 47 Aspirin, for one 48 Went down smoothly 51 Being defiant 56 Voter survey 57 Rowed 58 Part of speech 60 Up to the task 61 Valiant 62 Sporting event 63 Throw 64 Firstborn of two 65 Man between FDR and DDE DOWN 1 Evergreen tree 2 Hat’s edge

3 Tiny amount 4 Crouches close to the ground 5 Hoodlums 6 Old magazine title 7 “__ what it is” 8 Tied up 9 Persnickety 10 Dad’s sister 11 Refer to 12 Recognize 14 On edge 21 Sit for a spell 25 Moral misdeed 26 Flu symptoms 27 Mantle 28 Scoundrel 29 __ aback; surprised 30 Arden & others 31 Look for with expectation 32 Skier JeanClaude __ 33 Derive from given facts 35 Ring of light above a saint

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

38 Terry cloth wraparound 39 Flinging 41 __ Moines, IA 42 Chutzpah 44 Soup-serving implements 45 Not as harsh 47 Irritate

48 49 50 52 53 54 55

Quarrel Gray wolf Problems British noble Pitt or Garrett Flood survivor Periodontist’s concern 59 Mesh fabric

Monday, February 15, 2016 win, from page 5 opponents and its opponent’s opponents — naturally fluctuates through the course of a season.

Most importantly, it doesn’t always tell the full story of a potential tournament team, which bodes well for LSU. As Jones often points out, LSU played without Hornsby and sophomore forward Craig Victor II for the first part of the season, resulting in a 7-5 record before conference play with more shocking losses than solid wins. On top of that, the nonconference slate ranks 211th in strength of schedule.

However, since the new year began, the Tigers have notched

warrior, from page 5 said Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy.

In response to Kennedy, with a smile on his face, Victor was humbled.

“I don’t know. You can tell him thank you, though,” Victor said.

“I was focused, locked-in, playing hard and just wanting it. Just going out there and wanting [to win].”

Victor was benched in the first half after receiving his second foul at the 14:50 mark in an attempt to gain a favorable defensive position against Davis.

Without him on the court, LSU was stranded.

“That changed the complexity of the game,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones. “They went on a run after that.”

The Aggies went on a 31-19 run to close out the first half, then Victor was back.

With Victor on the floor, LSU went on a 57-40 run through both halves. Victor played all 20 minutes of the second half and finished with 16 points and four rebounds. Senior guard Keith Hornsby said LSU is a different

The Daily Reveille

six wins against top-100 RPI teams, slowly building a résumé worth consideration. But the work is far from over, as Victor will attest.

“The NCAA tournament is way down the line,” he said. “If we start getting caught up in the NCAA tournament, what’s the point? You got to take it one day at a time to get there. It’s not like we can just skip over and play in the NCAA tournament and not be there.”

Even with solid wins in conference play, missed opportunities, including the road loss to South Carolina on Feb. 10, made the early failures tougher to swallow for the Tigers. For a team

playing with its back against the wall for much of the second half of the season, the sense of urgency and passion is what stood out to Hornsby against the Aggies.

“Especially in the second half, we really played with that urgency,” he said. “Because we had a lot of momentum, and we just kind of told each other, ‘We weren’t going to let this one slip away. We’re in a good position.

We need to buckle down, get the stops that we need and just finish the game strong.’”

Victor didn’t feel like the passion and intensity with which LSU played was uncommon, even if isn’t always present.

“That’s nothing new for this

team without Victor on the court, “We feel the effects,” Hornsby said. “The guys who are called upon don’t play many minutes regularly. It’s hard to jump into action and be effective, immediately.”

After the game, both Victor and Hornsby commended junior forward Brian Bridgewater and sophomore forward Aaron Epps for filling Victor’s absence amid the foul trouble.

But Victor makes LSU a stronger, more physical and talented team when on the floor, Jones said.

“He’s a force for us,” Jones said.

A winning force, he continued.

“Winning is important to him,” Jones said. “He’s a pleaser.

He doesn’t want to let his teammates down. He wants to be in the position to really impact and affect the team.”

Similarly as he began his postgame press conference saying he loves playing defense, Victor walked away sending love to members of the media present.

“Y’all have a Happy Valentines Day, now,” he said walking away from the podium.

softball, from page 5 Torina said. “It’s good that we understand some of our weaknesses, that way we can devise a plan going into a tough weekend.”

In its rematch with Pacific on Sunday, LSU’s offense showcased its speed in a 10-1 blowout win in five innings.

LSU jumped ahead of Pacific early, scoring three runs in the first inning. In the circle, Hoover kept Pacific’s lineup. Off-balance, allowing no runs, three hits and recording 11 strikeouts.

Despite Pacific cutting LSU’s lead to six runs on a wild pitch

by Hoover in the top of the fifth inning, LSU had a chance to end the game early, and senior shortstop Bianka Bell took full advantage of it With two runners on, Bellblasted a walk-off home run out of left center field, finishing the game a perfect 3-for-3 at plate and with four RBIs. “It’s overdue,” Bell said. “I wasn’t seeing the ball as well as I should’ve been. Today was definitely a good day for me.”

Earlier in the week Torina said that she planned on playing

page 11 team,” he said. “We just have to hold ourselves to those standards every game. The Kentucky game, can pretty much say the same thing — the Arkansas game, Vanderbilt. This is not our first time showing people we can play hard. Consistency is the key.”

At this point, consistency down the final haul is optimal for a team that hasn’t won three straight games since late December. LSU opens up the sixgame stretch at home with Alabama, which battled the Tigers down to wire in a two-point LSU win on Jan. 23 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Road trips to lowertier SEC teams Tennessee and

Arkansas follow before a hosting Florida on Jan. 27.

The home game against the Gators, who are No. 31 in ESPN’s RPI, will be the final chance for a quality win in the PMAC. After hosting last place Missouri, the Tigers close out the regular season on the road against the Wildcats — which could decide the conference regular season title and cement LSU as NCAA tournament team.

With a SEC crown on the table, there’s really nothing more the Tigers need to focus on, Victor said.

“That’s what’s first,” he said. “That comes first before anything.”

Wingate Jones / The Daily Reveille

LSU junior infielder Sahvanna Jaquish (2) celebrates during LSU’s 2-1 loss to Pacific University on Feb. 13. at Tiger Park. most of freshman and she did.

All six freshman for LSU saw playing time this weekend.

“I absolutely loved our freshmen this weekend,” Torina said.

“They’re just ball players that understand the game. They want to be up there under pressure.

They did a great job when called upon.”

LSU will now have a tough week ahead them with challenges coming against, No. 7 UCLA, No. 13 Arizona and No. 17 University of Central Florida in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

The Daily Reveille

page 12 BUDGET CUTS

Monday, February 15, 2016

University administrators plan for internal restructuring after budget cuts

EMILY BRAUNER / The Daily Reveille

Louisiana State University President F. King Alexander sits before members of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget on Feb. 14, at the Louisiana State Capitol.

BY KACI CAZENAVE @kacicaz Faculty reductions, decreased enrollment rates and higher tuition and fees are risks the LSU System administration will have to consider if it wants to preserve the value of the University’s bachelor’s degrees.

As Louisiana continues to face the largest budget shortfall in the history of higher

education, administrators have begun to consider how the University will be internally restructured to minimize the effects of Louisiana’s over $940 million revenue shortfall.

LSU President F. King Alexander said the discussion about restructuring is ongoing and will involve troubleshooting issues of revenue generation and tax revenue reductions.

“It’s a wait-and-see at this

moment,” Alexander said.

“Republicans and Democrats and Independents realize the budget is a disaster … It will be an eventful semester on the legislative front.”

According to a Louisiana Board of Regents news release, published on Feb. 12, higher education’s portion of the cuts have reached $205 million for the current fiscal year, with an additional $180 million detriment anticipated for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

Alexander said the threat of budget cuts in January 2015 cost the University some faculty applications and out-of-state students because of fear.

The 2016 mid-year cuts will have more dramatic effects on tuition and fees, as well as University provided student and state services.

The Regents news release listed faculty layoffs, incomplete grades and cancellation of both May graduation and fall 2016 athletic events as potential effects of the cuts.

“We are doing nothing but playing defense,” Alexander said. “But we have a great deal of sympathy from our legislators right now.”

Political science and business administration junior Matt Oakes said increases in

student loans and having to work extra jobs to pay for class are what scare him most about the current budget situation.

“I think that decreasing the amount of funding that LSU or TOPS receives from the Louisiana government will only damage Louisiana in the long term and encourage students to seek education out of state,” he said.

“I hope to see John Bel Edwards and LSU work toward a plan that will best benefit students.”

Executive Vice President and Provost Richard Koubek said budget cuts have been a threat to the University since he began working here in 2009, but they have had minimal effects on faculty and student retention. He believes there is a “buffer” built into the mid-year cuts that the University will be able to handle.

Because the mid-year cuts would occur after the start of the semester, Koubek said he does not anticipate they will have much influence on current hiring and enrollment.

“People at LSU are committed during the highs and the lows,” he said. “We have wonderful scholars, and I think the character that kept them here before will keep them here now.”

Koubek also said University administration does not intend to increase tuition unless it sees that the optimal solution.

According to Louisiana Revenue Statement 17:3139.5, institutions cannot increase tuition and fee rates by more than 10 percent annually without approval from the legislature.

The plan is to first tap into the University’s reserves and make internal cuts because the mid-year cuts are a problem of cash flow.

If the University has to increase tuition rates, Koubek said he suspects they will be minor.

Alexander said if such a hike had to occur, the University would want to “keep it in the classroom,” meaning that money could not be used to fund the state government’s prison guard hires or brokers as has been done in the past.

“There’s different solutions — some people open the floodgate and lower their GPA, and they fill the hole that way,” he said. “We’re not going to do that.

That’s not our plan. The first thing we said we would do is protect the value of the students’ experience here at LSU, and then we would do everything necessary that we had to do because that’s our job.”

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