Football & Faith
NEWS Students arrested for growing mushrooms, page 3.
Crowton experiences rollercoaster ride through life, page 5.
THE DAILY REVEILLE WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM
Volume 114, Issue 40
FACULTY
Memorial service to be held for art prof.
Double homicide still unsolved Only indicted man of three to return to court October 29
By Kyle Bove
Contact Kyle Bove at kbove@lsureveille.com
By Xerxes A. Wilson Staff Writer
Nearly two years after two graduate students were slain in their on-campus apartments, Devin Parker, one of the three suspects arrested, will return to court next week so his defense counsel may review DNA evidence presented by the prosecution. But no verdict will be delivered Oct. 29, and justice will wait to be served in a case that not only remains an open investigation but also faced a major setback when two of the three accused and arrested men were not indicted by a grand jury, despite police and investigators saying enough evidence was presented for a case to be built for the men’s Log on to see indictment. “I feel, personally, previous we had enough evi- articles dence to indict all three, covering the but obviously the grand double homicide. jury didn’t feel the same way,” said Maj. Lawrence Rabalais, Interim LSUPD Police Chief. “It is frustrating. It was a gambit of well experienced, season veterans that were involved in this investigation, and I think if you ask any of them who were involved, they would tell you when we arrested those three people, we had the right people.” The homicides took place Dec. 13, 2007, at Edward Gay Apartments, and police arrested Casey Gathers, Michael Lewis and Parker on May 22, 2008 after an anonymous source said the three men were responsible. Parker, who admitted his involvement to police, is the only suspect indicted in the case. Gathers and Lewis were released after a grand jury did not issue an indictment. Parker was indicted in September 2008. Documents obtained by The Daily
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Senior Staff Writer
Bobby Hausey, a professor at the University for 32 years, died Friday from suspected complications with diabetes. He was 59. The LSU School of Art is organizing a memorial gathering that will feature speeches by Hausey’s close friends and colleagues Friday, Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. in the sculpture garden. The event is open to all students, faculty and staff. “He was one of those people who was just adored by everyone,” said Rod Parker, LSU School of Art director. Hausey’s work has been displayed at several famous venues, and the Baton Rouge native and University alumnus also held several grants and fellowships, including a visiting artist position at the American Academy in Rome, National Endowment for the Arts/SECCA and the Louisiana Division of the Arts. “He was such a sweetheart of a guy,” said fellow painting professor and friend Rick Ortner. “He had a tremendous following.” Hausey was teaching two courses this semester. Ortner will teach the remainder of Hausey’s advanced painting class, while long-time friend and fellow artist Laurie Williamson will teach the rest of his foundations course, Parker said. “He liked to get to know his students, not just their work,” said Abigail Turnley, painting and drawing senior, in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille. Turnley is taking the advanced painting course this semester. “Bob’s been one of my favorite teachers since I’ve been at LSU,” Turnley said. “I was a sophomore when I first had him, and he taught me things that are very important to my painting style today.” A formal memorial service will be held Saturday, Parker said. Facebook fan and event pages have been created for students, friends and colleagues to post stories, pictures and thoughts about Hausey as well. Hausey is survived by his 22-year-old son Neil.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
ADAM VACCARELLA / The Daily Reveille
BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille
[Middle top] Chandrasekhar Komma [Middle bottom] Kiran Allam
photos courtesy of MATTHEW GILBERT
[Left] Following the double homicide in December 2007, security measures including surveillance cameras, window reinforcements and a gate were added to the Edward Gay apartments. [Right] The oak outside the Life Sciences Annex where the victims taught and researched was dedicated by coworkers and friends of the victims.
graphic by DELIA LUDU / The Daily Reveille
HOMICIDES, see page 15
Students participate in IRS’ Adrian Project By Brianna Paciorka Contributing Writer
A disgruntled bartender called the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division, claiming the bar’s owner took $365,000 of the bar’s income for his personal use and was not reporting his actual income. The special agents went undercover and talked to the bar owner to gather the evidence. With the evidence they needed, the special agents — geared with bulletproof vests, guns and a search warrant — raided the bar and arrested the owner
and his cronies. It’s not an uncommon situation. And it all played out in the Log on to see Student Union on photos from the Tuesday with Uni- training project. versity students acting as the special agents during this mock scenario. Fourteen University students took part in the IRS-CI’s training session known as the Adrian Project, which introduces students to high-profile federal law enforcement through mock training scenarios
similar to what IRSCI special agents encounter in the field. James Perkins, special agent and senior recruiter, said the interactive training program is an opportunity to inform students about the IRS-CI, which works on high-profile financial investigations such as tax evasion, money laundering and political corruption. “The IRS doesn’t just collect taxes,” Perkins said. “The [Adrian
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Project] gives an all-day experience rather than being a five-minute career fair table. It’s a powerful recruitment tool.” This was the first time the University hosted to the Adrian Project. Michael DePalma, special agent in charge, said the program was a success everywhere it’s been held, and there are plans for the program to be held at the University every year. “We’re looking forward to working with LSU,” DePalma said. TRAINING, see page 15
THE DAILY REVEILLE
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2009
Nation & World
INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
U.S. attempts to persuade Tehran to send enriched uranium abroad
Senate OKs bill to transfer Gitmo prisoners to U.S. for trials
VIENNA (AP) — American and Iranian negotiators met directly Tuesday to try to kick-start stalled talks meant to persuade Tehran to send most of its enriched uranium abroad — and thus delay its potential to make a nuclear weapon. The head of the U.N. nuclear agency said progress was slow but he expected a breakthrough.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama won a modest victory Tuesday in his continuing effort to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, allowing the government to continue to transfer detainees at the facility to the U.S. to be prosecuted. The plan to permit terrorist suspects held at the facility to be shipped to U.S. soil to face trial was part of a larger $44.1 billion budget bill for the Homeland Security Department that passed the Senate by a 79-19 vote.
Vatican allows Anglicans to easily convert to Roman Catholicism VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is making it easier for Anglicans to convert to Roman Catholicism — a surprise move designed to entice traditionalists opposed to women priests, openly gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex unions. The change means conservative Anglicans from around the world will be able to join the Catholic Church while retaining aspects of their Anglican liturgy and identity, including married priests.
Controversey arises over ‘illegal alien’ Halloween costume MIAMI (AP) — Immigrant advocates are urging retailers to pull a Halloween costume depicting a space creature in orange prison garb emblazoned with the words “illegal alien,” while a group that supports strict immigration laws
says such a move impinges on freedom of speech. Beyond the holiday uproar, the dispute highlights the controversial nature of the phrase illegal alien — still the government’s official term for those in the country without a visa, though many national politicians and media increasingly avoid using it. Moon exploration scientist caught trying to sell classified information WASHINGTON (AP) — Prosecutors say a scientist who worked on the cutting edge of moon exploration has been caught trying to sell classified secrets to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence agent. Stewart David Nozette, who is credited with helping discover evidence of water on the moon and has been a leader in recent lunar exploration work, was arrested Monday and charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to communicate, deliver and transmit classified information, the Justice Department said.
PAGE 2
STATE/LOCAL
U.S. Highway 190 Bridge over Amite River to be demolished
Justice of the peace sued by couple for denying interracial marriage
DENHAM SPRINGS (AP) — Officials will coordinate the demolition of the U.S. Highway 190 Bridge over the Amite River on Wednesday to make way for a new span. State police say officers from multiple agencies will be present to ensure public safety along roads and waterways near the detonation site. U.S. 190 traffic will be rerouted in the area from 9 a.m. until noon. The demolition is part of a construction project by the Department of Transportation and Development to replace the two U.S. 190 bridges. Westbound traffic is now using a new bridge that is part of the $29.5 million project to build the new spans over the river. DOTD reports the steel truss bridge being demolished Wednesday was constructed in 1932 and is in the path of the eastbound bridge being built.
(AP) — A Louisiana couple filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Tuesday against a justice of the peace who refused to perform their marriage ceremony because they were of different races. Beth Humphrey and Terence McKay claim Keith Bardwell violated their civil rights when his office refused to perform the ceremony because they were of different races. The suit seeks financial penalties because of mental anguish and emotional distress. “The U.S. Supreme Court has long recognized that interference with marriage rights solely upon the basis of race is a violation of constitutionally protected rights,” the suit says. Bardwell, a justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, said that he routinely “recuses” himself from marrying interracial couples because he believes such marriages cause harm to the couples’ children.
TODAY ON
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Alpha Phi Alpha Domestic Violence Awareness Program @ 7:06 PM African American Cultural Center Thursday Oct.. 22nd E-mail: alatha2@tigers.lsu.edu Retro Disco!!! All are Welcome/ DJ Dance Mixer/ Free Friday Oct. 23 6-11p.m., International Cultural Center Tigers After Ten Presents the Blackout Series Festival of Chill & Thrills Student Union Cotillion Ballroom 8:30-11pm For More Information contact Alice Womble @ awombl1@tigers.lsu.edu
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
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THE DAILY REVEILLE
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2009
Campus Crime Briefs WOMAN ARRESTED AFTER in Short’s room, Rogé said. Short was arrested and booked URINATING IN PUBLIC A 23-year-old University stu- into East Baton Rouge Parish Prisdent was arrested Oct. 10 at about on on charges of the manufacture/ 4 p.m. after she urinated near the distribution of Schedule I drugs, Huey P. Long Fieldhouse in front possession of drug paraphernalia of a group of people while tailgat- and obstruction of justice. He was charged with obstrucing for the Florida game. Officers saw Blair Stafford of tion of justice because he tried to 5356 Arlington Lane urinating near flush the mushroom spores down the north side of the Fieldhouse, a toilet just before the officers araccording to Capt. Russell Rogé, rived, Rogé said. LSU Police Department spokesTWO MEN ARRESTED man. When officers tried to ar- AFTER TRYING TO BREAK rest Stafford, she became verbally INTO FIELDHOUSE Two 22-year-old men unafabusive and resisted arrest. She appeared to be intoxicated, Rogé filiated with the University were arrested Oct. 12 at said. about 3 p.m. after Stafford was they tried to break arrested for disinto the Huey P. turbing the peace Log on to see the Long Fieldhouse by public intoxicaCampus Crime Briefs using a hammer and tion and resisting map. pry bar. arrest. She was isOfficers arrived sued a misdemeanat the Fieldhouse or summons and after the building’s alarm sounded, released. Rogé said. Officers then found STUDENT ARRESTED FOR Corey Guy of 7778 Price Ave., and SENDING FOUL TEXT Joseph Slabaugh of 13675 Coursey Blvd., near the racquetball courts. MESSAGES Officers also found a duffle An 18-year-old University student was arrested Oct. 16 at about bag containing the hammer and pry 3:30 p.m. after he sent harassing bar. When questioned, Guy said they used the tools to try to break text messages to his ex-girlfriend. Officers received a complaint through the plywood on the buildfrom a female University student ing, Rogé said. Both men were issued a miswho said Charles Heroman, of 4336 South Maiden Dr., sent her demeanor summons and released. inappropriate texts, Rogé said. Officers went to Heroman’s dorm room to confront him about the text messages, where he was arrested for improper telecommunications and advised not to conLog on to read the full tact the victim again. story at Heroman was issued a misdemeanor summons and released.
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PAGE 3
TIGER BAND
Students battle in Guitar Hero Winners to play Saturday on field By Mary Walker Baus Staff Writer
The Golden Band from Tigerland will add two members to its performance on the field Saturday. Chris Hart, agricultural business sophomore, and Josh Pereira, mass communication freshman, won the “Rock Out with Tiger Band” Guitar Hero competition Tuesday at the Live Oak Lounge. Linda Moorhouse, associate director of bands, said the winners will stand on the edge of the field while the Tiger Band plays during half time. “They need to really get into the music and be the music, portraying the music as best they can visually [and imagining] their favorite rock stars,” Moorhouse said. Hart said he is excited to play air guitar with the Tiger Band.
“I feel amazing,” Hart said. “I get to go on the field. I’ve been dreaming about this my whole life.” Student Government sponsored the event with help from Tiger Band members. The tunes of Aerosmith and The Black Crowes filled the first floor of the Student Union as students gathered to play and watch. “It is a combined effort to get Tiger Band a little more involved with Student Government and viceversa,” said Thomas Chapman, political science junior and Tiger Band saxophone player. Melissa Hart, SG director of athletics, said the competition was successful for its first attempt. Around 16 students registered for the competition. During the first round, players could pick the medium, hard or expert level. By the final round, all players had to play on the expert level. Josh Pereira, mass communication freshman, said he entered the competition to try to be on the field with the Tiger Band. “It’s such an honor [to win and
get to be on the field],” Pereira said. “I’ve been working a long time to do this. I’m glad all the time I spent playing this game has paid off.” Even though some students entered the contest for the chance to be on the field with the Tiger Band, other students said the competition enticed them more than the prize. “I love competing against people,” said Victor Vandell, chemistry freshman. “I came down here to see if someone could match my skills. I didn’t want to win; I just wanted to play.” Thayer Jones, civil engineering freshman and semi-finalist, said he wished there were more competitions like “Rock Out with Tiger Band.” “It’s good that they have activities like this to entertain their students,” Jones said.
Contact Mary Walker Baus at mwbaus@lsureveille.com
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INVESTIGATORS BUST MUSHROOM-GROWING OPERATION An ongoing investigation into students using mushrooms on and near campus led LSUPD officers to arrest a University student Oct. 16 at about 1 a.m. Rogé said LSUPD has been receiving calls about students getting sick after using mushrooms and has received similar complaints about students from the Office of the Dean of Students. Members of LSUPD’s Crime Interdiction Unit and officers from the Baton Rouge Police Department received information Oct. 15 about where the mushrooms were being sold, Rogé said. The officers were told a University student was selling the drugs out of his dorm room in Louise Garig Hall. As officers approached the room, they saw Vincent F. Short, 19, of 14428 Sandy Bluff Dr., Port Vincent, leaving the room carrying several cultivation tools, including organic flour, mason jars, fertilizer and a plastic syringe. Officers found six sheets of paper covered in mushroom spores
Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com
JASON BORDELON / The Daily Reveille
Chris Hart (left), agricultural business sophomore, competes with Victor Vandell, chemistry freshman, in the Guitar Hero tournament Tuesday night sponsored by Student Government and Tiger Band in the Live Oak Lounge. Hart went on to win the tournament.
PAGE 4
THE DAILY REVEILLE
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
UREC
Gym renovations expected to be complete by Nov. 1 By Steven Powell Contributing Writer
Ryan Heath is anxiously awaiting the opening of the University Student Recreational Complex gym after being forced to use the outdoor basketball courts for more than a year. “It’s harder to play outside because you’re battling the elements,” the business management junior said. Heath may soon shoot hoops indoors again — he and all other UREC users will have access to the gymnasium in fewer than two weeks, as the gym is on schedule for the Nov. 1 completion date. The gym roof is in the punch-list phase, and workers are finishing up work on the gym floor, applying sealant before marking it for basketball, said Michael Giles,
associate director for operations and project management. “We haven’t had any problems or setbacks with the gym,” he said. Though the gym renovations are running on schedule, the UREC ran into difficulty replacing the entrance canopy damaged by Hurricane Gustav, Giles said. After removing the old canopy mid-September, workers had problems with the post tension systems, causing a delay and increased cost. Giles said he expects the new canopy to be installed by mid-November. The manufacturer will make the canopy off-site and deliver it to the UREC. It will take about two weeks to install, but it won’t impact people entering the building, he said. While the gym renovations are almost complete, UREC officials are about to start the next stage of
renovations — the locker rooms. He said renovations will start Nov. 23, though the locker rooms will officially close Nov. 19. The locker room renovations include ripping out and replacing the old lockers — also damaged by Gustav — changing light fixtures and changing out shower and bathroom partitions, he said. During the renovations, Giles said the UREC will rent a portable shower trailer with eight individual showers for use from Nov. 30 through Dec. 17. The cost of the showers — $5,000 — is currently not covered by insurance, which covers the cost of the rest of the project, Giles said. “We’ll have to eat that cost out of our own operating budget,” he said. “We’re still discussing, trying to see if we can put it toward the insurance budget.”
Jeff Campbell, UREC acting director, said the cost of renting of the showers will not affect other UREC services. “We want to do everything we can to provide continued service,” he said. “Providing shower facilities for a month is a necessity and the appropriate thing to do for our users.” Giles said UREC officials are still working out the details of storage space after closing the locker rooms. He said some areas are already available for storage — like the 14 storage cabinets in the workout area — and officials will most likely designate an area for additional storage. “We will recommend bringing as little as possible since we will not have a secure location, such as a locker with locks,” he said. Giles said UREC officials are discussing the possibility of making the three temporary outdoor
basketball courts permanent. Jason Hughes, renewable natural resources research associate, said he prefers outdoor courts, and said he hopes the UREC will keep some courts outside. “It adds another element to the game — the wind plays into the shooting,” he said. Michael Chott, political science senior, said he hopes the UREC gets rid of the outdoor courts because they cause problems for tennis players. “At night, if you don’t call ahead to reserve a tennis court, you won’t get one,” he said. “It’d be nice if they open back up the three tennis courts.” Contact Steven Powell at spowell@lsureveille.com
HEALTH
BR ranks No. 15 on list of worst cities for allergens By Sarah Lawson Contributing Writer
Louisiana’s capital city became a capital of airborne pollen and mold this month. On Oct. 2, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America named Baton Rouge No. 15 of 100 U.S. cities on its fall list of Allergy Capitals — the most challenging places to live for people with allergies. New Orleans ranked No. 14, and McAllen, Texas topped the list. More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies of different types, according to the AAFA. In 2006, 8 percent of adults were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis, or “hay fever,” according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. The Allergy Capital factors for the rankings include seasonal pollen counts, allergy medicine utilization per patient and the number of board-certified allergists per allergy patient in the city. Baton Rouge scored “worse than average” in medicine utilization per patient and pollen score. The city was average for the number of certified allergists per 10,000 residents. Baton Rouge has seven boardcertified allergists in the surrounding area.
Of the students surveyed in the spring 2008 National College Health Assessment from the American College Health Association, 47.9 percent reported allergy problems. The University’s spring 2008 NCHA results showed 55.4 percent of student surveyed reported allergy problems. The report was the last available numbers from the University. According to Student Health Center numbers, there have been nearly 500 primary care visits for allergic rhinitis from July 2008 to Aug. 31, 2009. The number is a decrease from previous years — 629 in the 2007-08 school year, and 856 for the 2005-06 year, after Katrina hit. From Aug. 1, 2008, to Aug. 31, 2009, the Health Center dispensed 22,640 tablets for allergy medication prescriptions. More than 500 students received allergy medication over the counter. James Kidd, Baton Rouge allergist, said south Louisiana’s
humid climate and vegetation provide a welcoming environment for pollen and mold to linger. “We have a growing season here that’s year-round,” Kidd said of Baton Rouge’s pollen counts. The pollen season starts as early as January with cypress tree pollination, and March through November is pollen season for various grasses, he said. Year-round allergens from pollution, cat and dog dander, house dust mites and mold and spores are also constant presences to those with allergy problems. Krisie Woodley, English junior, said the temperature fluctuations in Louisiana’s climate upset her allergies. She said drops from “90 degrees to 50” trigger her attacks. “When I was in California, I didn’t have allergies,” Woodley said. Kidd said there are three main treatments for those who suffer from
seasonal allergies. The first is environmental control. “Avoid the allergen if you can,” he said. “Put the cat outside.” He said encasing a mattress in plastic can cut down on dust mite infestation. He said most pollen is released from 4 a.m. to noon every day, so Kidd suggests students perform as many outdoor activities as possible in the afternoons. The second treatment is medication, usually antihistamines, like Benadryl. If sinusitis, a complication of allergic rhinitis where an infection occurs in the sinus cavity from lingering mucus, is the problem, antibiotics are needed, Kidd said. If allergy attacks become chronic, oral or injected steroids are needed. Allergy shots, which lower the “allergic threshold,” are another common treatment and make a patient less susceptible to allergy attacks, Kidd said.
“An allergy is an overreaction,” Kidd said. “Shots decrease that overreaction.” For allergen control, Kidd suggests allergen air filters for college dormitories or apartments. “Virtually all allergies are treatable,” Kidd said. Contact Sarah Lawson at slawson@lsureveille.com
THE DAILY REVEILLE
Sports
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Man on a Mission
PAGE 5
FACILITIES
Parts of old Alex Box up for auction By Staff Reports
photo courtesy of STEVE FRANZ / LSU Sports Information
LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton throws a football during practice Feb. 26, 2007. Crowton is a Mormon by faith and took a mission trip to South Korea at age 21 years old. His previous coaching stops include Louisiana Tech and BYU as head coach and the NFL’s Chicago Bears as offensive coordinator.
LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton’s Mormon mission shapes his life By Rachel Whittaker Chief Sports Writer
The date was Tuesday, July 24, 1979, and Gary Crowton sat in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his hometown of Provo, Utah. He had just been cut from the Denver Broncos without making it to the first preseason game after signing as a free agent quar-
terback out of Colorado State University. Despite his discouragement after what turned out to be the end of his playing career, Crowton made life-changing decisions that day — to go on a church mission at 21 years old. “I was so disappointed. I thought [the Broncos] had made a mistake,” Crowton said. “But then, I knew I wanted to serve.” And so it began. Crowton, who was older
than the average missionary age of 19, was sent to Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 6, 1979, to preach the Mormon faith for two years. To this day, he said it enriched him educationally, patriotically and spiritually. When he recounts stories of his two years living in a third-world country serving his Lord and others, Crowton is not the LSU MISSION, see page 11
LSU baseball fans will now be able to own a piece of history — literally. The LSU Athletic Department made an announcement Tuesday about the start of an auction of memorabilia from the old Alex Box Stadium. Infield dirt encapsulated with framed prints and photographs, framed pieces of the net that hung behind home plate, seats and signs are among the items being auctioned. “I played one season in the old Alex Box, and I coached two seasons in the old Alex Box,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri at a Tuesday press conference. “But certainly, in those three years you gain a great appreciation for what that stadium means and has meant to an awful lot of people.” Bleacher seats from the grandstand are available for $199. The seats will be sold as wall-mounted displays. Fans who held season tickets in the Gold section of the old stadium can buy their old seat for $500. That deal will remain in place until Nov. 20, when all remaining gold seats will be auctioned to the public. The auction is being hosted on AlexBoxAuctions.net, and the proceeds will be split between the Athletic Department and the University. Tiger Athletic Foundation has teamed up with Maxon Media to sell and distribute the items. All memorabilia will come with a certificate of authenticity, according to a news release. Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
West Virginia ‘the right fit’ for former Lady Tiger Dunning transfers after one season By Rachel Whittaker Chief Sports Writer
LSU just wasn’t the right fit for former Lady Tiger basketball player Ayana Dunning. Dunning was a forward/center at LSU as a freshman during the 2008-09 season and played in 23 games with nine starts. But by the end of the year, she was not happy playing basketball at LSU
and transferred to West Virginia. “When you’re doing something like basketball that takes up so much of your time and so many long hours, it’s hard to continue wanting to wake up every morning and do that if you’re not happy,” Dunning said. “[LSU] wasn’t the place I wanted to be.” Dunning said she has no regrets from the year she spent at LSU, and she occasionally communicates with her former teammates through Facebook. “Initially when I was recruited, it was by coach Pokey [Chatman],” she said. “I got along
well with her and her staff. Once I found out she left and another coach was coming in, I didn’t think much would change ... but you try stuff, and you learn.” LSU coach Van Chancellor said he has not communicated with Dunning since she transferred in April. “Usually it’s like when you waive a player in pro ball,” Chancellor said. “They’re not calling you wishing you good luck in the world. When a player leaves your program, they leave. It would TRANSFER, see page 11
GRANT GUITERREZ / The Daily Reveille
Former forward Ayana Dunning (24) goes for a layup against an Alabama player on Jan. 11. Dunning transferred to West Virginia last April.
THE DAILY REVEILLE
PAGE 6
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2009
FOOTBALL
Students show trust in Jefferson prior to Auburn game nothing of freshman quarterback Russell Shepard, the Tigers’ highly-touted quarterback recruit who has tried his hand at tailback and wide receiver but has yet to throw a pass. By David Helman “At least give Shepard a Sports Writer chance before putting Lee back The LSU football team has in ... [Lee] was a pick-six waithad a week to improve its offense ing to happen,” McLaughlin said. after a rough outing against then- “In the Florida game, we didn’t see anything of Shepard at all, No. 1 Florida. It’s well-documented that which I think was a mistake. He’s the Tigers amassed just 162 total so fast.” Miles said Monday the Tiyards of offense while sophomore quarterback Jordan Jef- gers are trying to incorporate ferson threw for a career-low 96 Shepard into several facets of the offense, saying the amount yards and an interception. LSU coach Les Miles told the young quarterback is trying reporters Monday the Tigers to learn could be hindering his progress. may attempt more “He’s got downfield passes that extra fire they in an attempt to need to spark the improve the ofoffense,” said fense, which sits Brian Matlock, at No. 112 among mechanical en120 Division I gineering senior. Football Bowl “He should be Subdivision teams Sean McKay playing more in the nation. civil engineering sophomore than what he is, That said, whether it’s at LSU students are quite ready for a change in the wide receiver or in the Wildcat offense.” passing game. But many LSU students “Jefferson still has a lot of potential; he just needs to work aren’t ready to give up on Jefhard,” said John McLaughlin, ferson, who is completing 62.8 kinesiology sophomore. “He’s percent of his passes for seven nowhere near where he was back touchdowns and just three interin the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but he ceptions. “He’s still young; he’s got a could be a lot better.” The offensive struggles have lot to learn, but there’s not really frustrated some fans in the first anybody else to play the quarhalf of the season, giving rise to terback position,” said Allison the suggestion of giving sopho- Kennedy, psychology junior. “I’d more quarterback Jarrett Lee an- rather they work on Jefferson than go back to Lee.” other try at quarterback. Jefferson is averaging 169 “I never thought I’d find myself asking if maybe Jarrett Lee passing yards per game, however should get in,” said Myles La- — a number some students attriroux, international studies sopho- bute to the Tigers’ offensive line. “Jefferson is doing fine for more. “Our passing game isn’t a sophomore. We just need our near where it needs to be.” At the very least, other fans linemen to look better,” said Bri said Lee could try his hand in House, biochemistry senior. “As a situational role. Lee entered long as we can protect Jefferson, games against Washington, Van- we’ll be fine.” derbilt and Louisiana-Lafayette, completing two passes for 11 yards and a touchdown. “We should have more of a quarterback by committee, where we play Jefferson and Lee,” said Sean McKay, civil engineering sophomore. “The Florida game, for instance, we were down by however many in the fourth quarter and we needed to score quickly — we should’ve put Jarrett Lee in because he’s got a better arm, and he can get the ball downfield quicker.” These opinions speak
Miles: Shepard still being worked in
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‘We should have ... a quarterback by committee, where we play Jefferson and Lee.’
SAHIR KHAN / The Daily Reveille
LSU sophomore quarterback Jordan Jefferson (9) scrambles to make a pass Oct. 10 during the Tigers’ 13-3 loss to Florida.
The offensive line has allowed Jefferson to be sacked 18 times — an average of three times per game, which is second-worst in the Southeastern Conference. “Jefferson hasn’t done anything wrong,” Matlock said. “He hasn’t disappointed anybody. He hasn’t turned the ball over. I feel like he needs better protection from his offensive line. Sometimes he doesn’t get enough time in the pocket to throw.” Last season’s Auburn game made a hero of one of LSU’s quarterbacks — briefly. LSU students can only hope it happens again. “Jefferson has no experience right now — he’s doubting himself,” said Jordy Barksdale, kinesiology sophomore. “We just have to put it on his shoulders and hope he improves.”
Contact David Helman at dhelman@lsureveille.com
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
THE DAILY REVEILLE
PAGE 7
VOLLEYBALL
Bensend comes off shoulder surgery, helps Tigers Junior averages 1.78 kills per set By Andy Schwehm Sports Writer
Twelve matches into this season, LSU junior outside hitter Angela Bensend wasn’t showing the same form she flashed in her first two seasons at LSU. She wasn’t finding a rhythm with her swing, and freshman outside hitter Madie Jones had been doing a solid job filling in for Bensend. But Bensend was coming out of an offseason shoulder surgery to tighten the ligaments in her swinging arm, which limited her in spring practice and in the first few matches of the season. It all started to click for the junior in the Tigers’ 3-0 road victory against Georgia on Sept. 27, four matches into Southeastern Conference play. “[The coaches] started me off slowly with preseason and told me I wasn’t going to get a lot of playing time,” Bensend said. “They told me once SEC started to get ready to play, and getting 10 kills against Georgia helped my confidence to stay up high.” The Plano, Texas, native has
performed well since then on the offensive side, averaging 1.78 kills per set on the season (No. 4 on the team). Bensend flashed her defensive skills, averaging 0.91 digs per set — including a careerhigh 11 in the Tigers’ 3-1 victory against Long Beach State on Sept. 12 — to go along with 0.33 blocks per set. She has also started in 12 of the Tigers’ 19 matches in the season. Though she may not have the numbers of some of her teammates — she knocked home only nine kills last weekend — she has been a threat for the opposing team and a positive force on the Tigers’ roster, according to LSU volleyball coach Fran Flory. “Benny does a great job of managing her position,” Flory said. “She’s not going to put a ton of balls away, but she’s never been a negative all season.” But success on the volleyball court is nothing new to Bensend. A 2007 SEC All-Freshman Team selection, Bensend started in 29 of the Tigers’ 33 matches, playing in 127 of 132 sets. She racked up 1.94 kills per game in her freshman campaign, good for No. 5 on the team, along with 0.65 blocks per set. Twice during that 2007
season, she recorded 16 kills in a match, once against Iowa and once in the NCAA tournament against New Mexico State. “She stepped up for us her freshman year when we needed her to,” said senior outside hitter Marina Skender. “She was someone we could rely on.” The junior outside hitter picked up her form from her freshman campaign in her sophomore season, playing in 95 of the Tigers’ 104 sets. She tallied double-digit kills on five occasions in the season, and LSU went 4-1 in those matches. She again proved her postseason prowess, knocking down 10 kills in the Tigers’ 3-1 loss to UCLA. “Postseason is like your last chance, so why not go all out,” Bensend said. As for the remainder of this season, Bensend hopes to regain the form she showed in her first two seasons as a Tiger before the shoulder surgery. “It’s been a slow recovery,” Bensend said. “It’s a long process, but I’m getting stronger every day.” MAGGIE BOWLES / The Daily Reveille
Contact Andy Schwehm at aschwehm@lsureveille.com
Junior outside hitter Angela Bensend hits the ball Friday night during the Tigers’ 3-0 win over Arkansas in the PMAC.
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THE DAILY REVEILLE
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
THE DAILY REVEILLE
PAGE 9
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Beck finds new home with Lady Tigers after transferring Sophomore breaks record in first meet By Amos Morale Sports Contributor
When the LSU women’s swimming and diving team gathered for a meeting after the Lady Tigers’ 170-130 loss to Tennessee, one of the items of business was to bestow a “game ball.” That award went to Mary Beck. The sophomore’s first meet as a Lady Tiger was memorable. She won all three of her individual events and broke a school record in the 200-yard backstroke. “It’s been a while since I’ve hit the wall and looked at my time and been really happy about it,” Beck said. “It feels good.” The sophomore transferred from California, the 2009 national champions, because she didn’t “feel like it fit.” Now she is at LSU and hopes her performance is only a sign of things to come as she joins a team where she feels like she fits.
Beck’s road to LSU began when she graduated from Westlake High School a semester early. “I kind of wanted to start something new with swimming,” Beck said. “It just kind of got old after a while. I felt like I would have just been sitting around. I kind of wanted to challenge myself and go somewhere new.” New for the Austin, Texas, native was Berkeley, Calif., at the University of California. Beck’s performance helped the team to a Pac-10 and national championship. She said she got along with her coaches and her teammates but didn’t feel Berkeley was the right fit for her. “I wanted to pick a place where the environment was more like me,” Beck said. Beck decided to transfer after her first semester at California. Her father, a University alumnus, suggested they look at LSU. Aside from just her father, her grandfather and some of her uncles and aunts attended LSU. “I have that family tie, so it is nice to come down here and have that kind of connection,” Beck said.
BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille
Sophomore Mary Beck swims in the 200-yard individual medley Saturday at the Natatorium against the Tennessee Volunteers.
She ultimately transferred to LSU following her first semester in California. “I think she realized what we had going on over here, and she really liked it,” said LSU coach Adam Schmitt. Beck said she feels like this team is a fit. “I feel like everybody here is more like me, and I am more like them,” Beck said. Beck’s teammates feel the same way. “Mary is a real great addition to
our team, not just her talent, but she has an amazing personality,” said Beck’s teammate, junior Kannon Betzon. Beck’s talent is hard to ignore. In high school, she helped her team win two state championships in a row and set the national high school record in the 200 yard individual medley. She was also named Female Swimmer of the Year twice by Swimming World Magazine. In California, she placed fourth in the 200-yard backstroke at the
Pac-10 championships and qualified in three events at the NCAA’s, helping the Golden Bears to a national championship. Her performance in her first meet as a Tiger earned her the Counsilman Hinsaker National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week Honors. Even with the success, Beck is still very humble. “Everybody here and in the sport works just as hard,” she said. “Times just set people apart.” Beck said she is motivated to work so hard because she doesn’t want to have any regrets. “When I’m done swimming, I want to feel like I got as good as I can be,” she said. Beck said her goal is to get back to where she was a few years ago — on a close team and swimming fast. “I feel now with the training and being on a great team, that’s going to help me get to where I want to be,” Beck said. Contact Amos Morale at amorale@lsureveille.com
TENNIS
Skupski follows brother’s lead Sophomore strives for balanced game By Sean Isabella Sports Contributor
Venus and Serena Williams, John and Patrick McEnroe, Bob and Mike Bryan — these three groups of siblings have enjoyed great success in the world of tennis. LSU men’s tennis player Neal Skupski may be destined to one day join the ranks of these tennis greats alongside his brother and former LSU All-American Ken Skupski.
But that will have to wait as Neal, in his second year at LSU, has a long road ahead of him to live up to his brother’s highly decorated legacy. “I have set a pretty high bench mark for Neal ... but I don’t want Neal to try to compare himself all the time to me. I want him to create his own history at LSU,” said the 26-year-old Ken Skuspski in an email. The left-handed Ken Skupski, who recently knocked off the No. 1 Bryan brothers in doubles at the AEGON Championships in London, was a three-time All-American during his career as a Tiger from
2003-07, collecting 104 singles victories — good enough for No. 4 on LSU’s career win list. Neal Skupski has seemingly picked up where Ken left off, slowly becoming one of the top players in the country. After finishing the 2008-09 campaign ranked No. 4 in the country in doubles with former All-American Michael Venus, Neal Skupski has shown he has the ability to produce similar results in singles. The 6-foot-1-inch Skupski picked up two wins against ranked LEGACY, see page 11
Mellow Mushroom Team Trivia @ 8PM. Karaoke @ 10PM. 3-10PM $5 Bud & Bud Light Pitchers Plucker’s Wing Bar Monday: $14.99 All you can eat wings and $3 Plucker’s Lemonades Tuesday: $2.50 Mexican Beers and Margaritas Wednesday: Trivia at 8PM. $4 Mother Plucker Mugs Thursday: $15.99 All you can eat wings. $4 Mother Plucker Mugs. $3 Margaritas and Plucker’s Lemonades
9-10:30 AM Saw 12-1:30 PM Silent Hill 3:00-3:30PM Manship Show
4:00-5:30 PM 8:00- 9:30 PM 1:00-2:30AM
The Exorcist The Shining Saw
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THE DAILY REVEILLE
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
FOOTBALL
Family, students mourn loss of slain UConn CB Howard Coach: No fighting before fatal stabbing By The Associated Press STORRS, Conn. (AP)—The football coach at the University of Connecticut said Tuesday he’s heard nothing to indicate members of his team were involved in a fight before player Jasper Howard was killed last weekend. Randy Edsall, speaking at his weekly news conference, said there may have been some “verbal jostling,” but he has not been told that his players were fighting. “When I hear ‘fight,’ I usually think of people throwing fists,” Edsall said. “I haven’t got that information. Now young kids, could it be verbal jostling, yeah. “I don’t know of anybody that has substantiated [the fighting]. Now, I think anytime you probably get 300 people together sometimes there probably is going to be some verbal jostling going on.” Police have said Howard was fatally stabbed, and another player suffered minor injuries during a fight outside a university-sponsored dance early Sunday. Nobody has been charged with the stabbing, and UConn police said Tuesday there were no new developments in the investigation. Hartford attorney Deron Freeman said he represents a man whose home has been searched in connection with the fight. The man, whom Freeman would not identify, and several others got into a fight “with about six” UConn football players early Sunday. Freeman said his client did not stab Howard but was present when Howard was mortally wounded. Freeman said Monday that police told his client that he and others would be arrested, but on Tuesday, Freeman said he didn’t know when or if charges would be filed. Howard’s stepfather, Henry Williams, said Tuesday that the family is confident the killer will be brought to justice. Speaking to reporters, Williams also expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love and support the family has received from the Connecticut community. “We have a lot of pain,” Williams said. “We still have hurt, but we can go on now feeling a little better because a lot of our questions have been answered. The captain of the state police told me, ‘The case will be solved,’ and I believe him.” Funeral services were tentatively set for Monday in Florida and Edsall said the team will attend. Williams said Howard, a cornerback from Miami, loved UConn and considered the team his second family. Williams asked UConn’s football players to take a moment to grieve, and then play the rest of the season for his son. Howard’s mother, Joanglia, did not speak, and had to leave the room during Williams’ remarks when she was overcome with emotion. She visited players Monday, Edsall said, and Howard’s uncle, a former Miami police officer, advised
them not to seek revenge. Police were asking for the public’s help Tuesday in gathering evidence in the killing, particularly from people who may have taken photos or videos of the fight. The violence broke out just after a fire alarm went off in a student center, forcing around 300 people to evacuate from a dance. Students held a day of silence Tuesday, and the Black Student Association has asked everyone on campus to wear dark clothing Tuesday to indicate the university is united in mourning. The team will wear a sticker with Howard’s initials on its helmets for the rest of the season and will carry his helmet or jersey to away games, Edsall said. West Virginia players also will be wearing helmet stickers with Howard’s number, 6, on them. MEL EVANS / The Associated Press file photo
Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com
UConn cornerback Jasper Howard gets the crowd cheering Oct. 18, 2008, during their game against Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. The 20-year-old was killed in a stabbing incident early Sunday after leaving a dance on campus.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2009 MISSION, from page 5
offensive coordinator Tiger fans know. Instead, he shows a deeper side known only to a few people. Though he spent two months studying Korean all day before setting out for South Korea, Crowton said it was impossible for him to keep up initially because the natives spoke so fast. “Any word I didn’t understand I wrote on my hand with a pen, and later I’d look it up in the dictionary,” he said. “The word I kept writing down at first was my own name. That was a good experience in communication, especially since I came to teach about our church.” Crowton can still speak a trifle of Korean today. His Korean name is “Ku youn teh,” meaning “gentle like a bear” and “oldest noble son.” To say it was eye-opening for him to preach in Korean homes decimated by war is an understatment. He often taught lessons in bomb shelters, “where I couldn’t even stand up,” and children suffered from a myriad of birth defects. Upon returning home, Crowton said the experiences he gained from devoting everything he had
LEGACY, from page 9
opponents last weekend at the ITA All-American Championships, including a straight-set win against No. 5 Guillermo Gomez of Georgia Tech. “Last year, I was mainly seen as a doubles player, but this year, I want to be seen as both a singles and doubles player,” Neal Skupski said. Though Ken is 6 years older than Neal, the two grew up playing with each other on the court, rather than against each other. The Skupski’s home in Liverpool, England, had a country club right behind the house, where Neal started hitting tennis balls when he was 3 years old. Ken came to LSU when he was 20 and was the primary reason Neal dons purple and gold now. “I wanted my family to come visit me while I was at LSU just to
TRANSFER, from page 5
be like divorcing a woman. If I divorced a woman, I don’t think we’re going to be talking.” Dunning said she felt at home immediately at West Virginia as soon as she moved into her apartment. West Virginia women’s basketball coach Mike Carey helped Dunning and her family transport items up to her fourth-floor room. “[Carey] helped my dad bring up really heavy boxes my mom and I couldn’t carry,” Dunning said. “My mom fell in love with the program then. She knew they would take good care of me when she saw him hands-on with his players.” Ayana Dunning’s mother, Charlotte, said it is a relief to see her daughter happy with her college experience. “She told me the other day, ‘I like basketball again,’” Charlotte Dunning said. “I don’t hear that sadness in her voice when she
THE DAILY REVEILLE to serving others were immeasurable. He and his wife Maren, who was also born and raised in Utah, set an example of their beliefs and good works for their seven children — Dane, 23; Tara, 20; Jenessa, 18; Quinn, 15; Mikauli, 13; Toriana, 9 and Macloud, 7. The Crowton family attends church every Sunday. Maren is a teacher in Toriana and Macloud’s primary class, which is for the youngest children of Mormon faith. The Crowtons have lived in Utah, Illinois, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Georgia, Oregon and Louisiana since Gary began coaching. The family lived in four states from 1987 to 1994 with four children under their wings. “I could use the analogy from the movie ‘Parenthood’ where the grandma said to Steve Martin, ‘Some people like to watch the roller coaster, and other people like to get on and ride it.’ That’s what football is like — a roller coaster ride,” Crowton said. Part of that roller coaster ride came when Gary was offensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech in 1995 and head coach from 1996-1998. His career record with the Bulldogs was 21-13, and his offense
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in 1998 was No. 1 in passing and No. 2 in total offense behind future NFL quarterback Tim Rattay and wide receiver Troy Edwards. However, after four years in Ruston, the NFL’s Chicago Bears came calling for Gary to be their offensive coordinator. “It was mixed [feelings to leave] because it wasn’t what we envisioned and what we were hoping,” Maren Crowton said. “In this business, it’s kind of a surreal life. They almost deify you, or else you’re the dog of dogs when you’re really just the same person doing the best you can.” After two years in Chicago, Gary took a head coaching job at his alma mater, BYU, from 20012004. The Crowtons’ next stop, Oregon, was one the kids loved most. Gary Crowton said he is so
grateful his family has been so receptive to living in different cities across the country, experiencing new scenery and schools and making new friends. “My wife has been really good that way, enjoying moving, and we’ve got a great family of kids,” he said. “They were kind of like army brat kids as a coach’s kid ... They’re very well-rounded and doing well, especially my three oldest, who have lived in all the places.” Quinn is considering going on a mission like his father when he gets older. With a proud glint in his eye, he said he has heard how both rewarding and fun the experience of a mission can be. Toriana, who was the most talkative of the group, told something she loved about her father with the biggest smile a 9-year-old could make. “My dad’s fun,” Toriana said, beaming. “Sometimes I get in his room and sit in his bed and he plays Tickle Monster. He comes and grabs us and tickles us and won’t let us go.” Gary Crowton’s offensive players at LSU are not as familiar with the reverent Mormon follower when he is off the field. But senior running back Charles Scott can see
the family man in Crowton. “He’s a cool guy, laid back and easy to get along with, probably one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet,” Scott said. “You never hear him curse.” Freshman quarterback Russell Shepard called Crowton “a cool dude” and “the most patient dude you’ll ever meet.” “Usually when you meet an offensive coordinator, they’re high-strung, and they want it done right here, right now, but not with Crowton,” Shepard said. “I thought something was wrong with him at first. I was like, ‘You all right? You sick?’ I’ve seen Crowton get his tooth knocked out in the spring, but he stayed relaxed and calm.” Relaxed and calm. Educated and spiritual. Passionate and reverent. These traits are what set Gary Crowton apart from the average football coach. His family knows it, the LSU football team knows it and the South Koreans whose lives he touched some 30 years ago know it too.
see what it was all about,” said Ken Skupski, who is ranked No. 71 on the ATP Tour in doubles with teammate Colin Fleming. “Neal came on that trip and wasn’t too keen on college until he saw what it was all about.” Neal, who flew under the radar of college coaches because of his lack of junior tennis experience in England, fell into LSU coach Jeff Brown’s lap. Brown said Neal’s lack of experience before becoming a Tiger was the only thing holding him back from reaching his potential. “His upside is what you’re always watching,” Brown said. “His talent level is so good, and he’s starting to realize it.” LSU assistant coach Danny Bryan agreed Neal’s potential is sky high as long as he believes in his ability. “He might think he needs to do more than he really has to,” said
Bryan, who played alongside Ken for four years at LSU. “And that just comes with experience of playing a lot of matches and developing confidence.” With Venus and former Tiger James Clusky graduated, Skupski has his eye on being the Tigers’ No. 1 player and has displayed a desire to be LSU’s new leader. Even without Venus by his side this year, Skupski has already established a comfortable relationship with his new partner, junior Sebastian Carlsson, as the duo earned a No. 18 preseason ITA ranking in doubles. Brown and Danny Bryan found Skupski on Monday in the team room watching film from last weekend’s tournament, taking notes on what he needs to work on. Ken described his younger brother as “Mr. Cool” on the court, a complete opposite of himself. Ken was known for his fiery
and aggressive on-court persona during his stint at LSU. While Neal is calm and composed on the court, it is his energy to open matches that impresses Brown the most. “There has been a lot of matches that he’s been able to build big leads in,” Brown said. “A lot of times, he’ll be done with the first set before the other guy wakes up.” Neal attributes his fast starts to the “pride of being a Tiger.” “It builds me up, and that’s when I work hard for the team,” he said. “If you don’t want to work hard for the team, then there’s no point being here.” As far as what Neal Skupski’s legacy will be at LSU is still undetermined. He hopes to be as good as Ken was, although Ken joked he never sees Neal being able to achieve 104 wins. But, Ken will wait patiently
the next two and a half years, waiting for his baby brother to turn pro. “One day, we will have success on the same court,” he said. “I would really enjoy playing with him on the tour whenever he finishes his time at LSU.”
calls ... Thank God for second chances.” Charlotte Dunning said the women’s basketball coaches at West Virginia routinely keep in touch with her through e-mail and text messaging about how Ayana is adjusting. “She has a more personable and more comfortable relationship with her coaches,” Charlotte Dunning said. “That’s something we didn’t get at LSU — that random communication from coaches about how she’s doing.” Ayana Dunning said she is an inherently shy person, but she and her Mountaineers teammates have become “like a big family” off the court. “When I got here, we all clicked so well,” she said. “I’m the cook of the team. On Sunday nights sometimes my teammates will come over, and I’ll cook for them.” Ayana Dunning is not eligible to play for West Virginia or travel with the team this
season, but she can practice until the NCAA tournament in March. “There is a school for every person, and I really feel like West Virginia is the fit for me,” she said. “It took me a year to get there, but I’m glad I’m here.”
‘That’s what football is like — a roller coaster ride.’ Maren Crowton
LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowten’s wife
Contact Rachel Whittaker at rwhittaker@lsureveille.com
Contact Rachel Whittaker at rwhittaker@lsureveille.com
Contact Sean Isabella at sisabella@lsureveille.com
THE DAILY REVEILLE
Opinion
PAGE 12
NIETZSCHE IS DEAD
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
White House war on Fox News inappropriate, stupid For a Nobel Prize winner, President Obama sure is fighting a lot of battles. Most of them aren’t his fault. Obama inherited the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his domestic battles over health care and the economy are hardly unexpected — although the viciousness of the fighting on all those fronts is shocking. But it seems the president’s communications team isn’t content to just be fighting on these fronts. Instead, they’ve declared battle with another enemy — Fox News. Senior officials have begun to vocally shun the unabashedly conservative news network, criticizing its lack of objectivity and pointing out perceived biases. Anita Dunn, White House communications director, called the network “opinion journalism masquerading as news.” Rahm Emanuel, White House chief of staff, encouraged other networks not to be “led by Fox.” And senior adviser David Axelrod maintains it isn’t a news organization at all.
To be fair, it’s certainly not the White House that fired the first shot. In fact, it’s hardly possible to pick out a first shot. Fox News has always reflected negatively on Obama. It isn’t, as some of Obama’s more devoted supporters may accuse, because he’s black. It’s because he’s a liberal — which, to Fox News’ pundits and their rabidly right-wing fan base, puts him up there on the “List of Bad People” immediately below Communists and just above murderers. These officials’ complaints are not without some validity. It’s true Fox News focuses heavily on opinion personalities such as Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly. These personalities boast the prime-time slots on the network, and an overwhelming majority of its viewership is attracted to opinion instead of reporting. And it’s true Fox News’ coverage skews (heavily) to the right, and it skews fairly often. The network devoted time to incendiary non-issues about Obama’s
citizenship and religious views. Its coverage of the president is almost universally negative. It tends to focus on divisions and conflicts far more than agreements and solutions. In other words, there’s a huge list of problems with the network. But Fox News is hardly more irresponsible than its Matthew competitors. Albright Opinion Editor MSNBC skews left just as badly as Fox News skews right, and it has it’s own divisive, personality-focused punditry. And CNN seems to have more user-generated content than it does useful reporting. The White House’s problem with Fox News is that it just so happens to skew right — and that means it’s going to cast the Democratic leadership, especially the presidency, in a negative light. But, in taking pot-shots at Fox News, staffers are not just
recent President Bush? Yes. Are those things entirely comparable to what is going on today? No. A recent article in the Boston Globe points out that the number of death threats received by President Obama is 400% that of those received by President Bush. One might ask, is this jump significant? Well, Bush got about 3,000 threats per year, on average, according to a recent book by Ronald Kessler. It is safe to say, then, that a jump to 12,000 threats per year is highly significant, being many standard errors away from the previous level. So no, the stuff going on now is emphatically NOT the same as what Pres. Bush had to deal with. One hardly has to wonder as to the cause. Extreme right-wing people like Timothy McVeigh have always considered the federal government to be the number one enemy. Far-right groups are also far more likely to be racist and xenophobic (e.g., the KKK). Now there is a black man with a scary name in charge of the hated and feared federal government! Is it any wonder that the number of death threats has spiked so dramatically?
As a bit of an aside, one must wonder how wise the speculations on Obama’s legitimacy in the press (e.g., Fox) are, given the current obvious powder keg. Surely we bear some responsibility for tolerating such hate-filled lunacy as comes out of the mouth of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. The onus is on us to call out dangerous and socially damaging statements around us. I don’t mean to threaten free speech; I am speaking here of toleration of hate speech by individuals in society rather than society acting in concert to ban speech through government. I have gotten several forwarded e-mails from family members to the effect of “Obama is dangerous and is not legitimate,” some going so far as to call him the anti-Christ. If President Bush was called the anti-Christ, that was wrong. Is it any more right to bait the nuts who want to kill the current president just because the same thing happened to a much, much smaller degree the last time around?
showing biases themselves, but also making a stupid mistake. Call it the Rush Limbaugh effect: the stronger the White House comes out against them, the more ammo the network has with which to demonize them — and not all that ammo is unsubstantiated. The smart strategy would be to treat them nicely. The White House staff should have pre-written e-mails and paper with the official letterhead in a holster, and those communiques would say this: “Thank you for your contribution to the civil discourse. Although we disagree with your network’s assessment of our policies, we appreciate hearing your constructive criticism, and we look forward to a continued open discussion of what is best for the country.” The more rabidly dogmatic Fox News gets, the more polite the White House should be. The more times Glenn Beck calls Obama a socialist, the more gift baskets he should get. They should be civil with
Fox News, and they should be civil in the loudest, most public ways they can. Why? Because the only people who believe those personalities are legitimate are the ones who are going to vote Republican regardless of policies or candidates. Because moderate America, the great silent demographic that decides elections, would rather hear some civility for a change, instead of watching the highest officials in our country lower themselves to the level of ranting, raving, bitter and useless pundits. Who knows? It might even shut Glenn Beck up. And that would be a far greater accomplishment than health care reform. Matthew Albright is a 21-year-old mass communication sophomore from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_malbright.
Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@lsureveille.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Hatred for Obama not the same as hatred for Bush In response to Matthew Albright’s column about a child asking President Obama why people hate him, Alex Lauve kept his response polite and rational, which I deeply appreciate, especially in the current polarized political climate. There are a few important factual points that should be added to the discussion, however. His questions about the president’s patriotism aside, Lauve says of the vitriol leveled at the president that “that’s part of running for the highest office in the United States.” To a certain extent, of course, he is correct: every president has to put up with some hardballs. It’s even healthy ... to a certain extent. But Alex is wrong to brush all the things said about Obama under the rug by saying the left did the same thing to Bush. Did the left say awful and sometimes inexcusable things about the most
THE DAILY REVEILLE Editorial Board NICHOLAS PERSAC JERIT ROSER ELLEN ZIELINSKI MATTHEW ALBRIGHT
Editor Managing Editor, Content Managing Editor, Production Opinion Editor
ERIC FREEMAN JR.
Columnist
MARK MACMURDO
Columnist
Chris Britt physics graduate student
Alleva accusations unjustified Dear Editor, I am writing in response to Stephen Wolf’s column titled “Choice of Alleva as athletic director still puzzling.” What is truly puzzling is why Mr. Wolf chose to attack Mr. Alleva with unsubstantiated statements about his handling of the Duke lacrosse situation, a bizarre accusation about steroid use by Duke student-athletes and one-sided criticism of his history of hiring coaches. I am curious what behindthe-scenes knowledge Mr. Wolf might have about the Duke lacrosse situation that he can be so definitive in declaring that Mr. Alleva mishandled the incident. It should be noted that, among the numerous lawsuits filed in the aftermath of the lacrosse incident, Mr. Alleva has been named in none of them. Mr. Wolf was quick to list the losing records of a football coach and a baseball coach hired by Mr.
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.
Alleva, but failed to point out the new competitiveness of the football program under David Cutcliffe and the SEC basketball title won by our own Trent Johnson, both of whom were hired by Mr. Alleva. Duke won six national championships and 44 ACC championships during Joe Alleva’s tenure as AD, so it is unfair to focus on the failures of only two of the coaches who worked under Mr. Alleva at Duke. Although the Reveille made it clear in bold face type Mr. Wolf’s “views do not represent those of the paper or its staff,” I hope the Reveille will use more discretion in the future in providing space for accusations that are damaging, inflammatory and are presented with no or poorly-presented support. Herb Vincent associate vice chancellor and senior associate athletic director
Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at opinion@lsureveille.com
QUOTE OF THE DAY “When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.”
John Ruskin English art critic and author Feb. 8, 1819 — Jan. 20, 1900
THE DAILY REVEILLE
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
BURNS AFTER READING
Opinion
PAGE 13
George Orwell’s ‘1984’ message still resonates today It was a bright cold day in October, and the clocks were striking 13. Winston Smith woke up for the first time in 25 years. Once his eyes adjusted, the small, gray holding chamber around him came into focus. A middle-aged man walked into the cell, pressing a large silver clipboard against his white overcoat. “Good morning, Mr. Smith,” the doctor said, smiling. “It’s so nice to have you back. Welcome to 2009.” Winston tried to speak. His words choked helplessly. “Don’t worry,” the doctor said, stroking his mustache. “You’ve been in a coma for more than two decades. It might take your vocal chords a moment to catch up.” After struggling, Winston finally managed to cough out a faint question: “Where am I?” The doctor laughed. “You’re in the Washington D.C. Metro Hospital. It’s been your home for 20 someodd years.” “Washington D.C.?” Winston groaned. “Why, yes, sir. Oh, I’m sorry.
My accent might’ve confused you. You’re in the United States, good fellow — the beacon of freedom and hope!” “Free?” Winston stammered. “You mean...” “Yes, Winston. Free! ‘Big Brother’ is dead. Socialism, fascism, totalitarianism — they all failed. Democracy emerged victorious! Freedom won! Congratulations! I’m sure you’re awfully relieved.” Winston sat up incredulously. “You mean...” “What I mean, Winston, is you’re no longer a slave. You’re no longer under Big Brother’s tyranny. In fact, hardly anybody is these days. You see, America and her allies have been exporting freedom across the globe! In fact, our government is imposing democracy on those damn Mesopotamians as we speak! A raving success, I might add! Mission accomplished!” “Hold on,” Winston said, confused. “We’re imposing freedom?” “Precisely!” Winston shuddered. He felt like his brain was stuck in a metal vice.
“And free people, they agreed to this?” “Well, kind of,” the doctor grumbled, “But not really. It’s hard to explain. Individual sovereignty — free choice — it’s sort of a tricky devil to control. I suppose we lowly citizens shouldn’t be trusted with it.” Winston noticed a framed picture beneath the red, white and blue banner drooped against opposite Scott Burns the wall. The figure Columnist inside looked remarkably familiar. “Who’s that man?” Winston asked, “Big Brother?” The doctor scowled. “Heavens, no, Winston! That’s our president. We the people choose him. Well, not all of us, technically. But that’s not important.” Winston surveyed his confines carefully. Effigies of larger-than-life political figures surrounded his tiny, barred fortress. Their faces were
stamped on currency notes, erected in granite statues, adorned in extravagant monuments and sky-scrapping memorials. An Uncle Sam banner dangled o’er the doctor’s head. On TV, reporters awaited an address from their beloved overlords outside the nation’s capitol. Winston cringed. “Ministry of Truth and Propaganda, I presume?” “Heavens no,” said the doctor as a cold, tingling sensation shot up the newscaster’s leg. “MSNBC! Fox News!” On another TV, a hefty pundit recited some stirring propaganda promoting the “War on Terror.” Winston rolled his eyes. “Ministry of Peace?” “Why no! The Department of Homeland Security. Our National Defense agents. Thank goodness for their Patriot Act!” “What about the Ministry of Plenty?” “No. You mean welfare, social security? Sure, all the tax revenue gets squandered on corporate bailouts and endless wars. But, God
bless ’em, we’re trying to work out the kinks...” Winston interrupted, “Taxes?” The doctor folded his arms. His eyebrows stiffened. “No, Winston. Patriotism payments, damn it! It’s the price we all pay for freedom! Or else they’ll send us to jail. But that’s not important...” Winston sat back and sighed. He was reminded of the words from an old gangster film: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” “Is there anything else I can do for you?” the doctor asked. Winston shook his head. “I think I’ll just go back to sleep.” The doctor smiled. “All right then, sir. Rest well. And may God bless America.” Scott Burns is a 20-year-old economics and history junior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_sburns. Contact Scott Burns at sburns@lsureveille.com
THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE
Selflessness is not a virtue; it’s hypocritical, bigoted
There might be drafted soldiers who really want to kill and die overseas, taxpayers who really believe bailouts and bombs are both just and necessary and children who really want to spend Thanksgiving at Grandma’s house. But most of us perform these duties because of moral bullying. We’re told selflessness is a virtue and selfishness a contemptible vice. It’s hard to see how this can be the case. If someone tells you to be selfless, they’re commanding you to act on someone else’s desires instead of your own. In other words, they desire that you ignore your desires. They want you to be selfless for selfish reasons. Imploring for selflessness is hypocritical. As long as people aren’t using force or fraud on others, they should be free to make their lives as good as possible. As Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, famously put it, it’s “not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” You go to work because your boss pays you. Your boss pays you because you bring value to the workplace. Your customers pay your boss because they’re buying a product worth having. Self-interested self-betterment is the root of human cooperation. Selfishly demanding others altruistically abandon their preferences is bigotry. Understanding what others desire is the root of empathy. Finding
ways for you and them to benefit is good business. In our personal lives, the fear of appearing selfish makes us dishonest about our motives and self-attack when we achieve success. In our political beliefs, fear of selfishness breeds hatred for those who achieve the goal of business — profit. Profits are what happens when benefits exceed costs. Profits aren’t a transfer from poor to rich. Profits are an exchange. W h e n some critics are Daniel Morgan pressed, they’ll Columnist clarify they’re not against profits but against “excess profits.” Charging a dollar for water is “fair,” but charging three dollars for water is “excessive.” I also think three dollars is an excessive price for a bottle of water. In fact, I wouldn’t pay one dollar for bottled water. But some people do. Different people have different preferences and consider prices excessive at different levels. You decide how much you’re willing to pay for something. It’s arrogant bigotry to make that decision for others. That’s not to say there aren’t times when prices are too high. For instance, American health insurance is often sold at an unreasonable premium. If only insurance companies were allowed to compete across state
lines and tax incentives didn’t prejudice individual buyers, then more people could selfishly try to extract as much profit as possible and prices would be lower. Even if you’re against profits for aesthetic reasons, the easiest way to get rid of them is to legalize competition. Similarly, in your personal life you may know unaesthetically selfinterested, callous people. But they don’t need moral bullying to care about others, just better incentives.
Parents who want their children to succeed selfishly pay for them to go to college. Lovers who want their partners to be happy selfishly “sacrifice” for the one they care about. The problem isn’t selfishness but a lack of empathy. You want moral, empathetic selfishness in all your interactions. If you have a significant other, it’s because the benefits of keeping him or her are greater than the costs — including the lost chance of being with someone else. You want your lover to lean into
your ear and whisper, “I selfishly want you.” Not “I’ll selflessly stay with you despite the fact you’re a drain on my happiness.” Selflessness is an obligation. Selfishness is sexy. Daniel Morgan is a 21-yearold economics senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_dmorgan. Contact Daniel Morgan at dmorgan@lsureveille.com
BEST AND WITTIEST
cartoon courtesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
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Miscellaneous PREGNANT? NEED HELP? kat.myra@gmail.com or 225-200-8003
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 HOMICIDES, from page 1
Reveille show what investigators believe transpired the night the double homicide took the lives of Chandrasekhar Komma and Kiran Allam — two graduate students from India — and show how the investigation has been carried out and possible reasons why law enforcement officials have been unable to convict multiple suspects. The documents, used in the discovery portion of Parker’s case and obtained through open-records laws, disclose a portion of the prosecution’s evidence against Parker, including what was used to secure his indictment. And while Parker’s admission to the crime was enough to secure his indictment, his claims of Lewis’s and Gathers’s involvement combined with the anonymous source’s account and the lack of physical evidence was not enough to indict the other two men. Matthew Gilbert, University alumnus, worked on the same floor as Komma and said he is disheart-
THE DAILY REVEILLE
ened by what he sees as a lack of justice. “They arrested suspects that they were fairly certain that were involved in this,” Gilbert said. “It is extremely frustrating to think these guys walked out of prison scott free. They say that the investigation is ongoing, but it appears as though nothing is going to happen.” The anonymous source, who contacted investigators and said Parker, Lewis and Gathers were responsible for the murders, was able to identify photos of the men and give their approximate ages to then LSU Police Department Detective Jared Myers, according to the files. About one month later, Parker told investigators he was present at the time Komma and Allam were killed, the documents show. In his May 2008 interview with investigators, Parker said he, Lewis and Gathers passed the victims outside their apartment before confronting and forcing them into the home. Parker said the victims were forced to lie on the floor once in-
side, and Allam ran toward the door shouting, “Police,” according to the documents. Continuing, Parker told investigators Gathers physically stopped Allam from leaving the apartment and used a silver revolver to shoot and kill him. Parker said once he left the apartment, Gathers killed Komma. Parker told police the three men robbed Komma and Allam, and he “took [Allam’s] wallet and a cellular phone ... approximately 40 dollars cash.” Parker said he later sold the phone for another $40, and after Komma was killed, Gathers and Lewis went to their vehicle, where they split about $80 taken from a second wallet. Investigators also received a similar account of the night’s events from the anonymous source who identified the three men as those responsible. LSUPD Lt. Detective Patrick Martin — who now heads the detective unit — said when one matches the anonymous source and Parker’s accounts of the events to the crime scene, one can logically see how the descriptions match and present the best account of what happened. Martin said the source was someone close to Parker, and investigators confirmed the source was not at the scene of the crime when it occurred. The main piece of evidence against Gathers and Lewis was Parker’s testimony that the men were intimately involved in the murder. Relying on a statement with a lack of actual physical evidence is what likely caused the grand jury
TRAINING, from page 1
“We have a limited population of agents, so we have to choose the best applicants who may be employed by the IRS. This is why we’re at LSU, and we have a great partnership with them.” Students were chosen for the program based on a set of criteria,
PAGE 15
not to indict the other two men, Martin said. Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore said Gathers and Lewis are still persons of interest, and he said he believes more than one person was involved in the killings. “Arrest is based on probable cause,” Moore said. “Guilty convictions and evidence needed to bring someone to trial [has to be] beyond a reasonable doubt. There is a huge difference between the two. I believe that had the grand jury thought there was enough evidence and information at the time, they would have indicted whoever they thought was appropriate at the time, but things are subject to change. I hope for this case we do receive more information and things do change.” Although Rabalais said he felt they had enough evidence to arrest the two men, Gathers’ attorney, James Menassah, said investigators couldn’t build a case against his client because the information they got was not verifiable and “just plain wrong.” Menassah said he couldn’t recall any specific alibi Gathers gave him because his notes from the case were not readily available, and it has been more than a year since prosecutors failed to indict his client. The Gathers family declined to comment when contacted by The Daily Reveille. Vamsi Boyapati, a close friend and coworker of both the victims, said he struggles to answer the typical questions as to why someone would kill his friends and is particularly haunted by a series of phone calls he received the night of the
homicide. Boyapati, biochemistry graduate student, said he would visit Allam and Komma on a nearly nightly basis. Boyapati said Komma would pick him up from his apartment on a typical night, and the two would meet with Allam to smoke and discuss school topics. “At 8:30 p.m. or 8:45 p.m. that night Kiran called me and said that he wanted to come to my apartment and give me a package,” Boyapati said. “I told him I was not at the apartment.” Boyapati said he happened to be stuck in his lab doing experiments late into the night, so he was unable to join his friends as usual at Allam’s apartment. “I got another call from Kiran at about 9:10 p.m. asking if I would be coming for a smoke to his apartment,” Boyapati said. “I told him I was still busy so he said, ‘Don’t get disturbed [from your work], do your work.’” At about 11:00 p.m. Boyapati was back in his apartment when he received the tragic news that he had lost his two friends. “I definitely regret everyday that I wasn’t there that day,” Boyapati said. “At least I could have been a part of it. If I was with them, I think I might have been happy being one of the three guys instead of the two guys. Its been really tough, and now it has become a part of my life.”
including a 2.75 grade point average, 15 hours of accounting classes, nine hours of business electives and a junior and senior or graduate student classification, Perkins said. “We like to try to catch students early, so they’ll know the requirements for the job and not realize by senior year that they can’t do this, and it’s too late,” Perkins said. “We
don’t want just criminal justice or accounting majors. We want anyone with the core business skills — the cream of the crop.” The participating students became special agents for the day and were split into three groups, each with its own scenario. Each group had to interview informants, go undercover or conduct surveillance to gather evidence before executing search warrants and arresting individuals guilty of financial crime. Eric Tabary, finance senior and Adrian Project participant, said he’d always been interested in working undercover for the government or in law enforcement and found the program to be more fun than he thought it would be. “I thought [the Adrian Project] would be presentations and us listening to them talk,” Tabary said. “I’ve learned a lot about being a special agent for the IRS. My favorite part was shadowing the people involved and actually going undercover to talk to the bar owner.” The Adrian Project exposed management senior Ponyda Meas to the possibility of working for the government after having experienced the retail and technology side of her major. “It’s been really interesting because we’ve been able to use things we learned in school,” Meas said. “How often do you get exposure like this to the federal government?”
Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at xwilson@lsureveille.com
Contact Brianna Paciorka at bpaciorka@lsureveille.com
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
THE DAILY REVEILLE
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