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The Daily Reveille Est. 1887
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Volume 125 · No. 5
lsunow.com
GREEK LIFE
LSU to hold week of reflection for Maxwell Gruver BY EVAN SAACKS @evansaacks
The University announced Monday it would be holding a week of reflection for Maxwell Gruver, who died Thursday at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center after a possible hazing incident at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house. LSU President F. King Alexander announced in a press conference Thursday afternoon the University had suspended all Greek Life activities indefinitely during the investigation into Gruver’s death. Alexander confirmed alcohol was a factor and emphasized the University’s
strong stance against hazing. “The death of Maxwell Gruver was tragic and untimely,” Alexander said. “As we have continually warned over and over again, hazing is dangerous, irresponsible and unacceptable. It will not be tolerated at LSU.” Shortly before the press conference, the national chapter of Phi Delta Theta suspended the LSU chapter and launched an investigation. Monday afternoon they officially removed the charter for the LSU chapter. “We continue to keep the Gruver family in our thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time,” Bob Biggs, the executive vice president and CEO,
said in a press release. “This is a very tragic situation that never should have happened.” The autopsy was performed Friday afternoon where preliminary results were released by East Baton Rouge Coroner William “Beau” Clark. Clark said Gruver had a highly-elevated blood alcohol level and the presence of THC. The office said the following in a press release: “No internal or external trauma noted. Marked cerebral and pulmonary edema were observed. Hospital admit blood and urine tests indicate a highly-elevated blood alcohol
see GRUVER, page 6
WHITNEY WILLISTON / The Daily Reveille
Police investigate the death of an LSU student Sept. 14 at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house. FOOTBALL
LSU players reflect on Mississippi State loss
BY GLEN WEST @glenwest21
CAROLINE MAGEE / The Daily Reveille
forward thinking Forward Arts encourages new generation of bold artists. BY KATIE GAGLIANO | @katie_gagliano If Baton Rouge based non-profit Forward Arts has its way, the world’s next great slam poet may be a teenager from Baton Rouge. The youth literary arts program uses poetry and spoken word performance to empower Baton Rouge youth and increase exposure to modern storytelling techniques. Program director Desireé Dallagiacomo said the organization instills 13 to 19-year-olds with self-confidence and helps them discover the power of their voices. Dallagiacomo was
19 when she joined the program as a teaching artist. A California transplant working with education non-profit City Year, Dallagiacomo said she thought the organization was revolutionary. Originally known as WordPlay Writing Project, the youth writing cohort was founded in 2005 by Baton Rouge native Anna West, who operated the program as a service extension of the local Big Buddy Program. In 2011, current executive director Chancelier “Xero” Skidmore and marketing director Donney Rose, both established poets, took over the program and expanded it into Forward Arts, Inc. Today, Forward Arts hosts poetry workshops in every East Baton Rouge
see FORWARD ARTS, page 6
Parish middle and high school, as well as Dutchtown High School, Episcopal High School and Port Allen High School, Dallagiacomo said. Coupled with the non-profit’s after school writing workshop, WordCrew, open teen mic night, Freshhhh Heat, and summer sessions, Forward Arts serves between 8,000 and 10,000 young people annually, she said. The program is changing lives, Dallagiacomo said. “For some of our young folks, this is the first place that they
LSU is looking to move forward after a 30-point blowout in its Southeastern Conference opener against Mississippi State on Saturday. With two non-conference games in the next two weeks, the Tigers have the opportunity to fix the abundance of penalties and discipline issues that plague the team. In the first three games of the season, LSU has committed 30 penalties for 272 yards, an average of almost 91 penalty yards per game. Senior quarterback Danny Etling said many players came in Sunday morning after the loss to study the tape and see what went wrong. “We really hurt ourselves with penalties,” Etling said. “I brought the receivers in and watched the film. We just wanted to correct some mistakes.” Senior receiver DJ Chark was called for two penalties against Mississippi State including a holding call which negated a 13 yard touchdown run by sophomore receiver Derrick Dillon. Chark said an area he needs to work on is in the blocking game. The receivers are taught to block on the inside and drive but disengage when a defender starts
see PENALTIES, page 6
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Wednesday, September 20, 2017
The Daily Reveille B-16 Hodges Hall Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803 Newsroom (225) 578-4811
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Editor in Chief
WILLIAM TAYLOR POTTER
in this
ISSUE
Food on the Move
Managing Editor
RAMSINA ODISHO News Editor
NATALIE ANDERSON page 5
DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille
5
Deputy News Editor
EVAN SAACKS Sports Editor
LSU Dining-sponsored food trucks arrive on campus
HANNAH MARTIN Deputy Sports Editor
BRANDON ADAM
Across the Pond
8
Entertainment Editor
LAUREN HEFFKER
LSU swimmers from the UK adjust to American life and culture
Opinion Editor
LYNNE BUNCH Production Editor
Poppin’ on Perkins
14
Photos from the 8th Annual Arts Festival at Perkins Rowe
Clean Eats
HA-VY NGUYEN Photo Editor
HASKELL WHITTINGTON page 14
DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille
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CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS
Student gains following with vegan recipe website
The Priceless Collection
In last week’s print edition of The Daily Reveille, an article titled “Executive editor of The New York Times to speak at LSU” incorrectly listed the venue for the conversation with Dean Baquet as the Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs. The event is partially hosted by the Reilly Center and will be held in the French House. The Daily Reveille regrets this error.
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Alumna shows sex-trafficking victims they are priceless with jewelry-making business
Tigerland Troubles
Deputy Photo Editor WHITNEY WILLISTON
ABOUT THE DAILY REVEILLE
23
A columnist’s take on the racist instances at Reggie’s Bar in Tigerland
page 17
KELLY MCDUFF / The Daily Reveille
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. A single issue of The Daily Reveille is free. To purchase additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall. The Daily Reveille is published weekly during the fall, spring, and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. Second-class copies postage paid at Baton Rouge, LA, 70803. Annual weekly mailed subscriptions are $125, semester weekly mailed subscriptions are $75. Non-mailed student rates are $4 each regular semester, $2 during the summer; one copy per person, additional copies 25 cents each. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Reveille, B-39 Hodges Hall, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA 70803.
News
page 3 BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY
Harvey Haul
City Pork splits with Southfin Southern Poke
BY TAYLOR DELPIDIO @TD_Reveille
Alpha Kappa Psi collecting donations to send to Texas for Hurricane Harvey relief
photo by DENA WINEGEART / The Daily Reveille BY DENA WINEGEART @DenaWinegeart Members of Alpha Kappa Psi, a fraternity within the E.J. Ourso College of Business, are making an effort to assist victims of Hurricane Harvey-a 53-foot long effort, to be exact. From Sept. 14 to Sept. 22, Alpha Kappa Psi will host a donation drive on
campus so they can fill the 53-foot long trailer that takes up eight parking spots, nicknamed “Generosity.” During the drive, members are looking to collect cleaning products, hygiene products, feminine products and baby products. Other basic supplies such as toilet paper, paper towels and water are also needed. All other donations are still welcome. Alpha Kappa Psi is not part of the
University’s Greek activities suspension in place from Sept. 18 to Sept. 25., as it is not considered a “social” fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi service chair Gabrielle Deville said. LSU Media Relations confirmed that only organizations that fall under the Office of Greek Life are part of the suspension. “We are a non-hazing fraternity. That is something that is absolutely
see GENEROSITY, page 7
One of Baton Rouge’s restaurants experienced a shake-up over the summer. In August, City Pork Hospitality Group split with one of its restaurants, Southfin Southern Poké, and is closing its City Pork Kitchen & Pie location in the Industriplex area. City Pork Deli & Charcuterie and City Pork Bar & Brasserie will remain under the direction of Stephen Hightower, and Southfin will now be led by Trey Williams. “We knew we had two great concepts, and both of us knew that for us to be able to do them the right way, we had to split up,” Hightower said. “[Williams’] focus became Southfin solely, and my focus became City Pork solely.” Hightower said the Kitchen & Pie location on Exchequer Drive has already closed. City Pork plans to put the space up for lease or sale. Hightower also said sales were never the problem with the location. For now, the focus is on the current City Pork locations, the Deli & Charcuterie located at 2363 Hollydale Ave, and the Bar & Brasserie at 7327 Jefferson Hwy. However, there are plans for growth in the future. “Right now, it’s just
see CITY PORK, page 7
RESEARCH
LSU professor uses penguin’s tail feathers to track migration BY HAILEY AUGLAIR @haileyauglair1 Penguins are shaking their tail feathers to new research that allows for less invasive methods to track their migration. Researchers are now able to analyze a penguin’s tail feathers to track migration, an alternative to expensive and challenging methods to retrieve electronic devices. Assistant Professor in the LSU Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences Michael Polito is the lead author of the study. “Understanding the patterns of migration for wide-ranging marine animals like penguins is critical to their conservation,” Polito
said in an email. “Simply put, if we don’t know where they are and what they are doing when they are there, it is difficult to create effective management strategies to conserve these species for future generations.” Polito and his collaborators from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Oxford University and the Instituto Antártico Argentino attached tags to 52 adult Chinstrap and Adélie penguins at their breeding colonies. The following breeding season, they retrieved the tags to determine where the birds traveled over the winter. When
they retrieved these tags, the researchers also took a tail feather grown over the winter from each tracked penguin and from 60 other penguins that had not been tagged, according to a news release. “They also have declining populations in this region, especially along the western Antarctic Peninsula, where climatic warming has been most intense,” Polito said. “We know that they leave the breeding colonies during the winter, but due to the expense and limitations of GPS and satellite tracking, it has been difficult to follow many individuals from multiple colonies to find out exactly where
see PENGUINS, page 7
courtesy of MICHAEL POLITO
New research is allowing penguins to be tracked during migration.
If you have to ask “Is this hazing?”, then it is.
Report it anonymously Don’t be a victim. To file a report, visit lsu.edu/hazing. www.lsu.edu/staysafe
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
page 5
STUDENT LIFE
New club Animal Care for a Cause seeks to help animals in need BY MARIA OWENS @mnowens21 Students looking to be an advocate for animals in need now have an opportunity to do so through a brand new student organization, Animal Care for a Cause. ACC was founded and registered as a student organization at the beginning of the 2017 fall semester. The club caters to the needs of abandoned and neglected animals in the community. “Back home, I was always really involved in these kind of things,” said ACC founder and president Katie Gatewood. “I worked at the St. Tammany Parish Humane Society for years, and I’m just an animal lover. All of my pets are rescues, so I just wanted to get involved on campus, but kind of in my own little way.” Membership chair Bailee Pipes creates and manages membership development plans and recruits club members. “I [became] involved because
Peyton, the secretary, actually [asked] me to be in the organization, because she knew my major and my love for animals, and they needed one more officer,” Pipes said. “I’m so excited for this organization to raise money for non-profitable organizations. I’m excited to help rescue tons of animals and to make lifelong friends and have fun while doing it.” ACC plans to extend its passion for aiding animals in need to the local community. “I met with the owner of Friends of the Animals, actually right here on Highland [Road],” Gatewood said. “She’s going to let us know whenever she has events and stuff going on for us to volunteer at.” Although only registered since the start of the semester, ACC has gained members who have a passion for helping animals and are excited about the organization’s goals. “Although we have only had one meeting, everyone is very friendly and seems passionate about our cause: helping animals
in need,” said club member Anna Dupre. “I am really looking forward to spending my free time helping these animals around the Baton Rouge area and fundraising for our cause. I also can’t wait to see the impact the club has on the community by helping those animals that need our help.” ACC is an organization open to anyone with a love for animals. Gatewood hopes her organization will be an enjoyable place for people with the same passion. “A big part of the club for me is I want everybody to meet each other,” Gatewood said. “I just want it to be something everybody can really enjoy. We just have a really good cause. Animal lovers all over the place and all these organizations that we’re going to try to be helping out, they just really need the help.” Due to being a new club on campus, ACC has not scheduled set dates for its club meetings. Animal care for a Cause can be found on Tigerlink for more information.
CAROLINE MAGEE / The Daily Reveille
Officers of the Animal Care for a Cause Club talk about their excitement for the newly formed club on Sept. 13
STUDENT LIFE
LSU pilot program brings food truck vendors back to campus BY CJ CARVER CWCarver_ For the first time since 2014, students will now see food trucks as a dining option on campus. The introduction of food trucks comes alongside an almost complete overhaul of the dining options in the LSU Student Union. Originally, food trucks were brought to campus out of legislation written by former LSU Student Government senator Kat Latham and former SG vice president Hannah Knight in 2013. “We learned a lot from the 2014 food truck vendors which helped us prepare for the introduction of the 2017 food truck vendors,” said Assistant Vice President for Auxiliary Services Margot Carroll. “While the 2014 vendors did not return this year, we are excited about the offerings, locations and possibilities with our current vendors.” The food truck trend dates back to the 1800s, out of a need to feed working men on the road like cattlemen in the West, but the food trucks as known today did not come about until the 1950s, with the introduction of ice cream trucks, the first businesses to traverse the streets in modified vehicles, according to History.com. While street food vendors sold in this style for a few decades, gourmet food trucks were not seen until late 2008 with the introduction of Kogi BBQ in Los Angeles.
DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille
(from left to right) Executive chef and proprietor Micah Martello, his sister Miranda Whattey and mother Kay Neal in their Fete au Fete Food Truck and Catering. Fete au Fete Food Truck and Catering sits parked at the northeast corner of Patrick F. Taylor Hall on Sept. 19. “In addition to quality of food and affordable price point, the food truck owners also need to meet a stringent set of requirements for liability, [Louisiana Department of Health] and financial controls,” Carroll said. “That narrowed down the eligible food trucks quite a bit.” The current food trucks are Fete Au Fete and Roly Poly, located at the northeast corner of Patrick F. Taylor Hall. They operate
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Fete Au Fete is described as “serving up delicious Louisiana inspired cuisine,” according to its website, while Roly Poly’s menu includes an assortment of cold-rolled and hot-pressed sandwiches. “Food trucks are popular,” Carroll said. “Both faculty and staff have expressed interest in adding food trucks to the many
food options on campus.” Like all food vendors on campus, the food trucks not only accept cash and credit, but also TigerCASH and Paw Points. LSU is not the only university in Louisiana to feature food truck dining options. Tulane University and Loyola University New Orleans have permanent food trucks stationed on their campus throughout the week as a part of their
dining program. University of Louisiana at Lafayette has occasional food trucks set up around campus. As of now, Carroll said there are no plans to expand the food truck dining options on campus. “This is very much a pilot,” Carroll said. “Please show your support and come out and try some of the great options provided by our current food truck operations.”
The Daily Reveille
page 6 FORWARD ARTS, from page 1 feel like they can really, truly be themselves,” she said. “It’s creating an entire generation of folks who feel safe and empowered to tell their stories.” Unlike other extracurricular activities, youth spoken word breaks down the barriers of the insular teenage experience and teaches participants to embrace vulnerability and have the confidence to share their personal experiences with their peers, Dallagiacomo said. Animal sciences freshman Chazzi Hayes said joining Forward Arts’ WordCrew as a junior in high school helped her overcome insecurity and shyness, giving her reassurance that her words matter. Two years later, Hayes is a veteran member of WordCrew and a poet on the non-profit’s All Star Youth Slam Team. Hayes said teenagers curious about the organization and its programs should take a leap of faith. Even if they’re shy or introverted, Forward Arts has a place for them, she said. Baton Rouge Magnet High School senior Kalvin Marquis said the group is all about creating a safe space for self-expression and the exploration of identity. Young people come for the poetry, but stay for the community, he said. “The main thing we focus on is cultivating a safe space where no matter what, you feel accepted. That is more than what some places offer, like school or work or even home, sometimes,” Marquis said. Representation is crucial to acceptance, Dallagiacomo said.
To advance its core tenets of acceptance and diversity, Forward Arts infuses its in-school curriculum with socially responsive poetry by a diverse range of authors, including poets of color, women and living artists students can connect with, she said. It’s difficult for burgeoning writers to envision themselves as successful creatives when they don’t have a role model similar to them. Often, students don’t think they have the “thing” necessary to become a poet, Dallagiacomo said. Many do, but they haven’t been put in a situation that brings it out in them, she said. As a young black man from a low-income household, Marquis he’s seen few people in the arts who reflect his experience and the lack of representation made him question if he could be successful. When Marquis takes the stage now, he said he performs for everyone who identifies with him and aims to provide hope to other young aspiring poets. Kinesiology sophomore Jazmyne Smith said writing is a democratic art that can be a powerful tool for catharsis for people of all backgrounds. “It’s so important because as a community, as a city, we’ve gone through a lot and we’ve seen a lot of things,” Smith said. “Everybody processes it differently and I think writing is an interesting way to try to process the environment.” The Forward Arts family was forced to do considerable processing after a difficult 2016. In late July 2016, days after the Forward Arts All Star Youth Slam Team competed at the
Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival, 18-year-old Kaiya Smith, a slam team member and rising freshman at Southern University, passed away suddenly. The loss cut deeply. At the 2017. Brave New Voices competition in San Francisco, the final round of competition fell on the anniversary of Kaiya’s death. Navigating the grief was difficult, but the team, many of whom were close friends of Kaiya’s, chose to open their performance with a poem dedicated to her, Dallagiacomo said. The choice resonated with the audience and other competitors, centering the room and creating an almost spiritual experience, she said. Standing on stage during the awards announcements, the group was stunned when they were named the international champions. Marquis said he fell to his knees in shock when Forward Arts’ name was announced. The victory was the first for a Southern team in the competition’s 20 year history, and marked the first time a Forward Arts team has advanced to the final round of competition, Dallagiacomo said. After narrowly missing qualification for the Final Stage in 2016, being able to achieve their dream felt like coming full circle, Smith said. “It felt like in that moment we had finally done it,” she said. “Even though she wasn’t there, it felt like she was there cheering us on. It was very much in her honor and because of her we were able to do as much as we did.”
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
As a collective group, there would be spurts where one group wouldn’t do their job. DANNY ETLING
Senior quarterback
PENALTIES, from page 1 to break away. “Maybe I didn’t disengage quick enough,” Chark said. “So we have to just work on drills and see how they want me to attack that situation.” Chark had a touchdown of his own called back on the Tigers’ first drive of the game. The Tigers were penalized for offensive pass interference that erased Chark’s 67-yard touchdown. Chark said there were times in the first half where LSU was building momentum, but the momentum was halted “every time” by a penalty. “You can’t do that in football,” Chark said. “Sometimes we weren’t at the right spot. We also had a few catches that didn’t count because of penalties.” Etling noticed on the film that the offense was never in sync with mistakes being made across the board. “As a collective group, there would be spurts where one group wouldn’t do their job,” Etling said. “So we couldn’t get it all together at one time like we wanted too.” Another player in attendance for the film session was junior guard Garrett Brumfield. He noted numerous problems the offensive line struggled with in the game. “We obviously don’t feel quite happy about what happened,” Brumfield said. “Being on the same page, making sure we’re
GRUVER, from page 1 level plus the presence of THC in the urine. These findings will be confirmed in detail through our own toxicology testing. Final autopsy results pending further studies including toxicology and histological testing.” A memorial service was held for Gruver Monday afternoon at Christ the King Catholic Church. The Rev. Andrew Merrick read statements and eulogies from Gruver’s family. “Max’s family asks that all of you who’ve been touched by Max honor and celebrate his life by doing three things every day,” Merrick said, reading aloud from the family’s statement. “One: radiate the happy, positive energy Max did. Two: always look to challenge yourself and seek opportunities to grow. Most importantly, always care for those around you.” A meeting of Greek Life leaders and Student Advocacy and Accountability representatives was held Monday afternoon where the University outlined the details of the Greek Life suspension. Prohibited activities include retreats, philanthropy events, chapter events and
locked down as far as assignments and adapt to the different situations.” Coach Ed Orgeron said discipline has been an issue on both sides of the ball. Orgeron was not happy with the preparation in team drills last week leading up to the game. “One thing that I will demand and we will get better, in our team’s periods,” Orgeron said. “Our team periods on Tuesday and Wednesday wasn’t as sharp as they need to be, and obviously affected our play.” Sophomore linebacker Devin White said the defensive side of the ball has a lot to work on with discipline being a point of focus. White led the Tigers in tackles against Mississippi State with 11 and also added one and a half tackles for a loss. “Every position you have one of the best coaches teaching you technique,” White said of defensive coordinator Dave Aranda and his defensive assistants. “We just have to be disciplined with our eyes.” Etling now has his eyes set on a matchup with Syracuse, and putting the loss to Mississippi State behind him while not forgetting the reason for the loss. “We’ve started on Syracuse,” Etling said. “Just so we can get a head start. Once we get the game plan we can go over it more and more. I’m going to put more emphasis on myself to come in here and work harder with those guys.” organized tailgates. Dean of Students Mari Fuentes-Martin said the University administration has been placing a larger focus on caring for the students affected by this tragedy. This is the reasoning behind the week of remembrance. “We have been trying to reach out to students who have been traumatically impacted by this,” Fuentes-Martin said. “The new members [of Phi Delta Theta], the roommates, [Max’s friends from STRIPES], so we reached out to those folks to try to get them counseling.” Fuentes-Martin added the University will begin shifting toward the investigative phase of the process. “Student Advocacy and Accountability will come up with a plan in which we want to interview all the members of Phi Delt[a Theta],” Fuentes-Martin said. “We are hoping that really this week and next we can interview all of the parties we need to interview. Then we will need to assess what outcomes should happen if any, individually and as a group.” Dena Winegeart and Abbie Shull contributed to this story.
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, September 20, 2017 GENEROSITY, from page 3 unacceptable to us and that is something we have never partaken in and we do not plan on partaking in the future. So it definitely does not affect us in anyway. We still consider this an Alpha Kappa Psi event and we did check to make sure Alpha Kappa Psi was allowed to keep on with our events,” Deville said. At the first officer meeting of the semester, Deville said there
was a discussion about how to help Hurricane Harvey victims. Once the officers decided to host a donation drive, they were concerned about how to get the donations to Texas. Then, after talking with her grandmother who works for Frisard Trucking Company, Deville was able to get a truck donated to the fraternity so they could deliver the donations. Once “Generosity” is filled, the donations will go to Chris-
tian Faith Church in Port Arthur, Texas, where Pastor Albert Moses and other volunteers at the church will distribute the items to those in need across the community. Initially, Deville said she was calling churches in Houston when looking for places to donate the collections. However, those churches informed Deville that Port Arthur was not receiving as much social media attention and were not receiving as many
page 7 donations. They encouraged Deville to get in contact with churches in the Port Arthur area. Deville said donating to Hurricane Harvey victims was important, not only because it is an opportunity to reciprocate the help Louisianians received during past disasters, but also because it brings the community together. “Not only is it the right thing to do, to help people out who
helped us, but it just … feels good in general giving back to the community…,” Deville said. “It just gives us a chance to come together as a community.” Generosity is a part of Alpha Kappa Psi’s overall focus on philanthropy. Throughout the semester, Alpha Kappa Psi hosts other events, such as Bus Driver Appreciation Day and a gala to raise funds from sponsors in order to donate throughout the community.
photo by DENA WINEGEART / The Daily Reveille
Alpha Kappa Psi is collecting various donations for the Harvey victims in Texas.
CITY PORK, from page 3 taking the two restaurants and getting them where they need to be,” Hightower said. “In 2018, we’re looking to get back into growth mode.” Throughout the business turmoil, Williams and
Hightower have remained friends, Hightower said. The two had been discussing the idea for a while before it happened and Hightower said the split happened because the two restaurant concepts were so different and required the
full attention of each. “For us to be able to dedicate the time needed to make both concepts successful, this is what it took,” said Hightower. “The theme is to be better than ever now that we have a singular focus.”
PENGUINS, from page 3 they go.” Penguins and other animals are “what they eat” as the geochemical signature of their food and the habits they feed in are imprinted into their growing tissues, Polito said. “This forensic approach could be used on any tissue that is grown when a marine animal is migrating to, or inhabiting, its wintering ground,” Polito said. “For example, the whiskers of seals, the baleen plates of whales, and the shell “scutes” of sea turtles could all be analyzed using this technique. We are excited to see others use in and help to refine the technique.” Polito and his team are the
first to use carbon stable isotope analysis in essential amino acids to track migration routes. The amino acids give a clear forensic indication of the geographic location in the ocean where penguins are growing their tail feathers during their winter migration. “The real benefit to this approach is that, when used in combination with direct tracking, it can greatly expand the number of individuals examined and evaluate migration trends at scales that would be logistically challenging using direct tracking alone,” Polito said. “A better understanding of how the ocean’s isotopic signature varies over space will help us to increase the geographic resolution of stable isotope tracking studies in the future.”
courtesy of MiCHAEL POLITO
Researchers are now able to analyze penguins’ tail feathers to track migration.
Sports
page 8
Across the Pond LSU swimmers adjust to life in America BY JARRETT MAJOR @jarrett_tdr
When it comes to recruiting athletes for LSU, the Tigers have multiple fertile recruiting grounds nearby. Louisiana always produces good athletes, and Texas is a neighboring powerhouse. Both Florida and Georgia are also easy to recruit as fellow
SEC schools, but LSU has found an exceptionally fertile recruiting ground in an unexpected location. LSU has three swimmers from England: senior Harry Ackland, junior Lewis Clough and freshman Ellie Baldwin, putting England behind just five
states in the amount of swimmers on the Tigers’ roster. “For recruiting purposes, we recruit all over,” LSU Swimming Coach Dave Geyer said. “It is a big country and
see SWIMMING, page 11
FOOTBALL
SEC, LSU release 2018 season schedule BY GLEN WEST @glenwest21 LSU football has released the schedule for the 2018 season. The Tigers will face the Miami Hurricanes in the opening matchup for the first time since 2005 when the Purple and Gold won 40-3. The LSU-Miami matchup will take place in Arlington, Texas on September 1. LSU has SEC home matchups against Ole Miss, Georgia, Mississippi State and Alabama. The Tigers will play the Bulldogs in Tiger Stadium for the first time since 2008 when Georgia defeated LSU, 52-38. The Tigers do not have any back-to-back road games next season, and will get a bye week before the Alabama game. –Sept. 1 vs. Miami (Advocare Classic, AT&T Stadium) –Sept. 8 vs. Southeastern –Sept. 15 @ Auburn –Sept. 22 vs. Louisiana Tech –Sept. 29 vs. Ole Miss –Oct. 6 @ Florida –Oct. 13 vs. Georgia –Oct. 20 vs. Mississippi State –BYE –Nov. 3 vs. Alabama –Nov. 10 @ Arkansas –Nov. 17 vs. Rice –Nov. 24 vs. Texas A&M
ISABELLA ALLEN / The Daily Reveille
SOCCER
Tigers’ defensive chemistry proves central to success BY KENNEDI LANDRY @landryyy14
LSU has had one of the top defenses in the country this year, only allowing two goals through eight games. The defense, led by junior goalkeeper Caroline Brockmeier, has been a central aspect to the Tigers’ success, as they have outscored its opponents 17-2 this season. But even with the tough defense that they have been playing, it still has a long way to go. LSU has allowed only 34 shots on goals, but the defense on set pieces or corner kicks has often left Brockmeier to make big saves, totaling a 32 this season.
The starting back line including senior defender Jordane Carvery, sophomore defender Ellie Weber, senior Debbie Hahn and freshman Chiara Ritchie-Williams has been working on developing the chemistry with Brockmeier and others as well. “It’s great, all five of them,” LSU coach Brian Lee said. “We’re still working on the chemistry as Debbie [Hahn] comes back in. You know, it was Lindsey Eaton and Ellie Weber to start the year and Debbie’s a definitive starter in our team. She’s coming off injury and [the chemistry] is not as clean in the last game or two as we’re working through just getting her assimilated.”
Chemistry is arguably the most important part of a team sport, and without it even the most talented teams can fall apart. If the defense is clear and cohesive, then the entire team feels the same way. The subtle lack of chemistry has showed up in small doses such as a failure to clear balls inside the box or intercepted passes. The largest misstep came in a 1-0 loss to Vanderbilt when a throw in got loose in the box and turned into a goal. Even as the defense continues to work hard getting back, the little things have contributed to their downfall in the only two goals they’ve allowed.
see DEFENSE, page 11
AURIANNA CORDERO / The Daily Reveille
LSU sophomore defender Ellie Weber (23) defends Lamar Universities freshman forward Madison Ledet (13) during LSU’s 2-0 win against Lamar University on Aug. 25 at LSU’s Soccer Stadium.
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Servers and Waitstaff needed PRN for different clients in the hospitality industry. $8-10/hr - depending on client. Email resume to resume@advantage-inc.com. FALL INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE Baton Rouge online boutique is offering internships for LSU students. Internships available in; Marketing/PR, Design/Product development, and graphic design. To apply, send resume to INFO@ELO-NIM. COM
WORK WITH KIDS! Learning Center seeks reliable instructors with excellent work skills. Resumes: elinorbailey@ikumon. com We’re growing and need more instructors at all three area locations. Flexible, part-time work in a fun atmosphere, $12/ hour after training. If you’re strong in math (through highschool Algebra 2) and good with kids, please apply. Call Jo at 388-5293 or email shenandoah@ mathnasium.com
Now Hiring Servers, Bartenders and Hosts at the Shrimp Basket located at 7242 Perkins Road. Call Eric @ 850-426-3605 for an interview or apply at shrimpbasket.com Part time clerical assistant needed. Monday through Friday 2-5 PM. Busy management office. Job responsibilities would include answering phones, running errands, basic computer skills, and scanning and filing documents. $9.00 an hour. (225) 752-5140 or mtucker@sonicbr. com
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page 9
The Daily Reveille
page 10
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Senior Jane MacDougall makes a difference outside the pool BY JARRETT MAJOR @jarrett_tdr
Senior swimmer Jane MacDougall has had success in the pool, but her biggest achievements at LSU have occurred on dry land. MacDougall has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll for all three years in her educational studies. MacDougall said some of her professors recommended that she get a dual-certification in elementary and special education, as she hopes to teach children with special needs. “I like working with those kids,” MacDougall said. “I really feel like it can be a challenge, but I rise to that challenge and enjoy it.” Teaching special-needs children led MacDougall to another passion of hers last semester — MacDougall began her
involvement as a volunteer for the Special Olympics. She now coaches swimming for the Special Olympics on Thursdays. “I got involved with Special Olympics, and I loved it even more,” MacDougall said. MacDougall says that she has always desired to give back and help those around her. Her coaches and teammates recognize her philanthropic efforts. Whenever an organization asks the LSU swim team for help, coach Dave Geyer says that MacDougall is already there. “She does things on her own accord,” Geyer said. “It is not because people tell her she should do service. It is because she enjoys helping people.” MacDougall’s service has also set her up to be a leader on the team. This year the LSU Lady Tigers swim team has 11
freshmen, and only one senior: MacDougall. The star swimmer is up for the challenge of leading a young team. MacDougall said that despite the team being short on experience, they work well together. “It is cool to have those three years behind me,” MacDougall said. “I definitely feel like more of a leader. The incoming freshmen are so awesome. I get to show them what I have learned, and I hope to make their experience as good as mine is.” MacDougall’s confidence in leading the team is due in large part to her success as an LSU Lady Tiger. She set three top 10 LSU times in her first season, and finished 26th at the 2015 SEC Championships in the mile swim with the sixth fastest time in LSU history. She has made it to SEC champi-
onships in each of her previous three seasons. Her collegiate success has been preceded by her high school swimming performance in Canada. MacDougall was invited to compete in trials for the Commonwealth Games, the second largest international competition behind the Olympics, and won a silver medal in the 4x200 meter relay in the 2013 Canadian Senior Nationals. That success made transitioning to SEC competition difficult, but MacDougall says she learned to accept making it to competition. “Competing in Manitoba, which is a really small area, I was used to coming in first every time,” MacDougall said. “That is a great feeling. And then you come here, and it so different. It is a huge deal to make a final.” While MacDougall was not recruited to be the only senior on
this roster, injuries and transfer have left her as the lone survivor. “It sort of became just Jane,” Geyer said. “We want to make this season special for her and memorable. She is in a good place mentally, and physically, to have the most successful year that she has had this season.”
ISABELLA ALLEN / The Daily Reveille
LSU senior swimmer Jane MacDougall takes a break after practice Sept. 15 at the LSU Natatorium.
VOLLEYBALL
LSU volleyball off to fast start compared to last season BY JBRIAAN JOHNSON @JBriaan_Johnson
LSU volleyball has taken off to a very remarkable, yet unlikely, start to its season. The Tigers have raced out to a 9-2 start through their first 11 games, a start that soars past the 5-6 start from a year ago. The team has prioritized buying into a system that coach Fran Flory
has been adamantly insisting will be effective. In her 20th season as the head coach for the Tigers, Flory has led LSU to its best start to the season since 2013. With players out on the court like freshman Taylor Bannister, senior Gina Tillis and junior Toni Rodriguez, the Tigers hope to maintain their early-season success and have a
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different outcome at the end of the season. “I think we have to understand what we do works,” Flory said. “We can’t play from behind. We have to play with can-do mental approach. The physicality will take care of itself.” Led by strong play from a talented recruiting class and a unified nucleus of
upperclassmen, LSU has managed to become one of the premier Southeastern Conference teams. “I think our young kids have grown up,” Flory said. “Certainly I would say we’ve brought in an impactful recruiting class. When we recover and mature, and then add the right pieces, things will start to get headed in the right direction.” Following their first losses of the season to North Carolina and Baylor, the Tigers found a way to regroup heading into their home-opener against Houston, ultimately defeating the Cougars in straight sets: 26-24, 25-13, and 25-19. Establishing a team identity has been the primary focus of the team as it looks past its recent losses. “I think we have to establish a true consistent personality,” Flory said. “We started the season with a very successful, with a very driven personality and a confident personality. When that personality and work was tested at North Carolina and Baylor, I don’t think we trusted each other. I still think we are a work-in-progress, but we are headed in the right direction.” “We got back to the basics and simplified things,” Flory
said. “We understood that we are not a one or two-person show and we have balance. I think we got away from that in the North Carolina and Baylor matches, but I think we got back to that [against Houston].” At the current pace, this team is in the works of becoming one of the most decorated groups during coach Flory’s tenure at LSU, and have a chance to earn a high seed heading into postseason play. “We have a great amount of talent,” Flory said. “We understand there’s a process to this. The building process is a ‘one step at a time’ process. I look forward to this team continuing to grow.” As LSU prepares for its SEC opener against Texas A&M, the Tigers are now carrying momentum after their bounce back victory. The games become a bit more meaningful just before conference play and the confidence level is tremendously high for Flory’s squad. LSU’s drastic turnaround has been remarkable as its winning percentage has made an impactful jump from last year. The Tigers’ nine wins on the season thus far has tied its win total from all of last season.
KELLY MCDUFF / The Daily Reveille
The team celebrates a point during the Tigers’ 3-0 win over the University of Houston on Sept. 15 in the PMAC.
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, September 20, 2017 DEFENSE, from page 8 “We’ll keep working on that in terms of our spacing, but we can get even better defensively. Chiara and Jordane have been outstanding and everybody’s effort is really good,” Lee said. In times of need, especially when Hahn was injured, junior forward Alex Thomas has been known to drop into the back line and make just as big an impact on the opposite side of the field. “Alex can really play anywhere for us, she could play in midfield as well if need be,” Lee said.
Thomas provides a much needed depth and chemistry to the back line when she is out there. Her speed and agility enables her to get through the box quickly without giving up a corner or throw in. As the season comes to a climax with the beginning of SEC play, Lee is hoping that they will be able to effortlessly integrate different players into positions in the back line and even further develop the chemistry needed. “The kids are playing hard, you know, we don’t give away break aways, we don’t give away
great chances and [Brockmeier] has been excellent so far,” Lee said. With Brockmeier commanding the defense and two seniors in Hahn and Carvery, there is no lack of leadership in the back line. “Our back four have been solid every game, especially Jordane [Carvery] today,” freshman Lucy Parker said after a 1-0 win against Liberty. “I thought that whenever we were dipping she was always there picking up the tempo telling us to keep our heads up. It’s big-time having that in the back.”
AURIANNA CORDERO / The Daily Reveille
LSU sophomore defender Ellie Weber (23) waits to defend the goal during LSU’s 2-0 win against Lamar University on Aug. 25 at LSU’s Soccer Stadium.
page 11 SWIMMING, from page 8 swimming is a big sport in that country, so the irony of having three swimmers from that country does not seem that big.” Ackland committed to LSU for the 2014-15 season. Ackland had success competing for the British national team competing for the United Kingdom in the World School Games and the European Junior Swimming Championships. At the time, there were no Tigers from England on the roster. Ackland was the only English swimmer on the roster his freshman year. “I chose to come here, because it had everything that every school offers in terms of swimming, but this school offered a lot more than just the swimming,” Ackland said. “It offered a family orientation. It was just the overall package of swimming and academics.” The next season, LSU got a commitment from Clough. Clough had also competed for the United Kingdom. He won three silver and two bronze medals for England in the Youth Commonwealth games and won bronze on the 4x100 for the United Kingdom in European Youth Olympic Festival. When Clough was being recruited to come to LSU, Ackland hosted him. Since then, Clough and Ackland have been roommates and have developed a strong friendship. “Harry had gone through everything I had gone through,” Clough said. “He helped put things in terms I understood. My first semester didn’t start well and Harry helped explain things to me about academics. I didn’t even know what a GPA was. He took the time to explain everything to me.” Last year, LSU managed to get a third English swimmer to join the program in Baldwin. Baldwin had spent the last ten years competing for the City of Derby Swimming Club. Baldwin had previously competed with Ackland in club competition. “I was always looking to do something exciting and experience new things, so my coach back home recommended
American universities,” Baldwin said. I knew that Lewis and Harry were here, and that helped my dad be more comfortable with me coming here. It was always my decision to come here.” Competing for LSU, and in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, can be quite different from competing in the United Kingdom. Along with minor issues like a time change and differences in accents and spelling, there are major differences in competition. In NCAA competition, swimming events use yards instead of meters which are used in the United Kingdom. “The yard is a slightly shorter distance,” Clough said. “So, I have had to adjust my stroke and my breathing to it. That sort of messed me up in my first semester.” One of the big reasons that LSU has been able to get swimmers to come here is because of the ability to compete in college, which cannot be done to the same extent in the United Kingdom. Baldwin cited the LSU agricultural college as one of the big reasons she chose to come to LSU. “I am doing wildlife ecology, because I want to be a primatologist,” Baldwin said. “I love animals, I have always been fascinated by primates and apes. So, from a very young age I have always had this career path. So, LSU and the agricultural college was a perfect choice.” Geyer credited his assistant Steve Mellor, who has been a coach for LSU since the 2011-12 season and who is also from England, as instrumental in recruiting swimmers to LSU from England and other countries. Mellor said that it is nice to have English swimmers since they have a common bond and have the same inside jokes. “There is nothing like this in the U.K.,” Mellor said. “So, it is amazing that we can get four years of this. Obviously we show them the door to this, but they don’t make them walk through. For me, it is great that I can have a few people around that understand what the word football actually means and things like that.”
A taste of Mexico just three miles from campus. 3132 College Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70808 (225) 330-4878 DonJosesGrillBR
Join us for
Happy Hour! 2 P.M. - 7 P.M., Mon. - Fri. ISABELLA ALLEN / The Daily Reveille
England’s flag sits proudly among the others on Sept. 15 at the LSU Natatorium on Lakeshore Drive.
LSU Campus Life Presents
homecoming week 2017 sunday, sept. 24
5:00 pm Flag Football 3:00 pm UREC Fields
monday, sept. 25 3:30 pm m a 0 :3 1 1 g in m o c e m Ho und Kickoff LSU Parade Gro 9:00 pm Splatterbeat 7:00 pm Ground e d ra a P U S L A H R y b d Hoste
tuesday, sept. 26
(talk) m p 6 ); d o o (f m p 5 g n si Science Café: U Theatre y it rs a V y g lo o ae h rc A 3D in onomic Devel Ec & h rc ea es R by d te os H
opment
m - 9:00 pm LSU’s Got Talent 7:00 p LSU Union Theater
7 2 . 7 t p e s , y d s a e d e n w Concert 8:30 pm e Ground d ra a P U S L B A S y b d e Host
thursday, sept. 28 pm LSUnity 1:00 pm - 3:00 Blockparty Tower Drive sity Hosted by Office of Diver
0 pm Riverfest 7:00 pm - 9:0 UREC Leisure River
friday, sept. 29
0 pm Fall Fest 11:00 am - 2:0 LSU Parade Ground
m AACC: 4:30 pm - 6:00 p Unveiling Tiger Stadium Ceremony sity Hosted by Office of Diver
0 pm :0 9 m p 0 :0 6 rd a w A s d Legen Club Ceremony LSU Faculty sity Hosted by Office of Diver
Homecoming sponsored by Campus Federal Credit Union
lsu.edu/homecoming
saturday, sept. 30
0 pm Parade 11:00 am - 12:3 LSU Campus mecoming
ho Route posted @ lsu.edu/
pm Tailgate 11:30 am - 3:00 LSU Parade Ground time TBA Football Game Kickoff vs. Troy Tiger Stadium ame g f o e im -t lf a H n e e u Q King & tadium S r e ig T t n e m e c n u o n n A
sunday, oct. 1
- 10:30 pm Black Student 7:00 pm Ballroom Union Gala LSU Union Union Hosted by Black Student
with generous contributions from LSU Auxiliary Services LSU Homecoming Student Committee LSU Kitchens on the Geaux LSU Ring LSU Student Activities Board LSU Student Government LSU Student Union Theater
FALL FEST
• Free food • Entertainment from the stage • Games and activities • Department and student organization booths • Lots of giveaways • Meet local vendors and hear about their goods and services
lsu.edu/fallfest
Fall Fest sponsored by Campus Federal Credit Union Coca-Cola
Questions? Visit lsu.edu/campuslife or call 578.5160. Attendees requiring accommodations for a disability or medical condition: contact Campus Life at 225.578.5160 at least 7 days prior to event.
The Daily Reveille
page 14
Poppin’ on Perkins
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
The Daily Reveille
page 15
Perkins Rowe and the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge hold the 8th Annual Arts Festival. PHOTOS BY DILYN STEWART
Tokyo Cafe Hibachi Grill, Sushi Bar & Steakhouse Lunch Specials: 10:00 - 2:30 Mon - Thu : 10:00-2:30 ; 4:30 - 10:00 Friday : 10:00-2:30 ; 4:30 - 10:30 Saturday : 2:30 - 10:30 Sunday : 11:00 - 10:00
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Entertainment
page 16
CLEAN EATS
FILM
Mass communication senior creates online platform, shares original healthy recipes BY KAYLEE POCHE
When thinking of college students’ diets, ramen is usually the first word that comes to mind, but not for mass communication senior Emilie Hebert. Through her business, Emilie Eats, Hebert is redefining the way students think about eating one blog post at a time. Upon starting college, Hebert, known among her friends for her culinary prowess, received numerous queries from friends seeking cooking advice or new recipes, she said. Wanting to further share her passions to others with similar questions, she launched Emilie Eats in 2015. “I really never imagined it would be where it is now,” Hebert said. While Emilie Eats expands over various social media platforms, its main component is a website which
@kaylee_poche features original vegan recipes like pineapple fried rice and dark chocolate cherry coconut butter cups and are accompanied by tantalizing, bright photographs. In launching the site, Hebert wanted to create a fun, nonjudgmental approach to healthy eating. “There’s a lot of forceful and dogmatic messages out there, and I just want to be a voice of reason,” she said. Hebert’s passion for healthy eating stemmed from her mother back home in Houma, Louisiana, who always made sure the family had a home-cooked meal with fruits and vegetables, she said. Before long, Hebert, who was also named Miss LSU-USA 2016, was making recipes of her own.
see HEBERT, page 20 courtesy of EMILIE HEBERT
courtesy of EMILIE HEBERT
DILYN STEWART / The Daily Reveille
Local theatre continues expansion
BY BOBBY CRANE @b_crane22 For Shane Morrison, owner of Celebrity Theatres, it all started with the movies. Morrison has worked in the movie theatre industry since 1989, when he started as an usher at a United Artists theater in Baton Rouge. He moved up through the ranks and eventually purchased the Grand Cinema on George O’Neal Road in 2002. He refurbished the theater and added stadium-style seating, regenerating neighborhood interest in the long-standing establishment. Morrison describes his journey in the movie theater industry as the story of a man who discovered what we was passionate about and worked hard to achieve his goals. Nothing ever came easy, he said, but that did not stop him from taking risks and dedicating himself to creating the best guest experience possible. With his purchase, Morrison wanted to make a statement by building what would be the most state-of-the-art theatre in Baton Rouge. Fifteen years later, after putting the theatre on hold to focus on other projects, he is re-energized to do this with the newly named and renovated Celebrity Theatres, located in the same spot as the Grand Cinema. Morrison wants to bring the best moviewatching experience possible to Baton Rouge. The theater underwent a
see MOVIE THEATER, page 20 MUSIC
Curating duo Seaux La features local talent, blending of genres BY YSABELLA RAMIREZ @ysaram97 It’s no secret that Baton Rouge music is expanding in size, talent and genre, but a local duo of creative curators known as Seaux La are shining a new, much-needed light on the scene. Co-founders Bruce Williams and Keith Fort met in the eighth grade in Gonzalez, Louisiana. The pair bonded over hours spent together listening to any and all types of music. They always talked about doing something music-related together one day, Fort said. “And here we are, 10 years later trying to make something happen,” he said. Seaux La is a music collective of free form artistry
where artists can share their music with the community and meet fellow musicians. Williams and Fort began attending shows together as teenagers, they said. They dreamed of putting on their own shows, blending hip hop with rock, and so on, Williams said. “Other venues started doing open format type shows, where everyone was getting to meet each other,” Fort said. “It really is so cool to see everyone genuinely networking.” With years of loosely throwing around ideas that officially became known as Seaux La, the guys initially went in a few different directions before the movement of self-compiled CDs and shows slowly evolved two and a half years ago.
“[It started] becoming its own thing. Now it’s about wherever [Seaux La] truly takes us, we’re following it now,” Fort said. “Let it be, let it grow, and just water the plant.” Originally the duo made and distributed compilation mix CDs of local artists’ work. Now they’ve grown to host their own curated shows at various venues around the Capitol City, from Huey’s Bar downtown to the Parade Ground on campus and the Atomic Pop Shop on Government Street. Even though these events have arose within the past year, they are well-attended, diverse in age and quickly gaining traction, Fort said.
see SEAUX LA, page 20
KATE ROY / The Daily Reveille
Keith Fort (left) and Bruce Williams (right) of Seaux La stand outside of Highland Coffees on Sept. 12.
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
page 17
MUSIC
Royal Teeth reflect on sound, progression ahead of Varsity show BY BOBBY CRANE @b_crane22 While four-piece Royal Teeth’s alternative pop sound may differ from the average Louisiana music, its attempt to capture the spirit and energy of the state sets the band apart. Frontman, singer and guitarist Gary Larsen believes it’s important to shine light on all the genres that Louisiana has to offer. “It’s easy for people to forget about how much different kinds of music is happening [in Louisiana],” Larsen said. “It’s always funny that it creates a surprise like, ‘Oh, a pop band in Louisiana. How does that work?’ Believe it or not; it works just fine.” Larsen rejects the assumption that pop music lacks sincerity, asserting that he won’t produce work that doesn’t feel genuine. Although its music shies away from traditional Southern sounds, Royal Teeth is quintessentially Louisiana in its high-energy sound and fun party atmosphere. “We want that everybody on the street corner playing music and
photo by SHERVIN LAINEZ/ courtesy of THE ROYAL TEETH
Royal Teeth will perform at the varsity theatre on Sept.21
dancing [feeling] to come across in our music,” drummer Josh Hefner said. Royal Teeth is bringing its buoyant sound — described by Larsen as “Afro hug-step” — to the Varsity on Sept. 21. Regardless of genre labels, they ultimately just want their audience to feel good, he said.
Royal Teeth’s live shows have been known to feature eccentric antics, particularly on Larsen’s front, such as stage diving and performing part of the set in the crowd. The audience can expect to hear a few new songs but will also hear the group’s go-to’s, like its 2012 hit “Wild,” a track that’s been featured
in numerous national commercials and TV shows. Hefner still remembers where he was the first time he heard the track in a commercial — even though it was a Canadian Buick commercial he had to watch online. Larsen expressed similar sentiments with a healthy dose of nostalgia. “You don’t really expect a song that quickly to do something like that,” Larsen said. “It was just a really cool moment, like ‘Oh, wow. This is real. This is a full-time gig we’re doing here.’ That was pretty special.” Since then, Royal Teeth has strived for constant growth and movement. If the group is always excited about what its doing, Hefner said, then the members will always feel successful. Even though the band moved up from playing Sunday afternoon shows at small local music festivals, they’re thankful for any opportunity they get. They’re just grateful people still want to hear their music seven years later, Hefner said. “I’ll put on a bad ass show for
11 people if I have to. And I’m happy to,” Larsen said. The band has evolved since its inception, especially in going through band members, decreasing from a six-piece to a quartet. Personally, they’ve also gone through a lot, leading to a shift in that respect, Larsen said. This is particularly true for him, who found his fiancé with the addition of singer Nora Patterson. Larsen and Patterson’s wedding is next month, and Larsen considers himself part of the small percentage of people who have made an in-band relationship work. “We get along really well,” Larsen said. “It’s just fun. I get to write songs with her, and I trust her instinct so much. It’s kind of easy for me…It seems like I’m just lucky.” Royal Teeth hopes to release new music by the end of this year and foresees an upcoming winter tour. “As long as we’re able to keep putting out music and keep playing shows, things tend to just figure themselves out,” Larsen said.
ALUMNI
LSU alumna uses jewelry business to fight sex trafficking BY KAYLEE POCHE @pochecanyousee
While many people don’t think much of their loose change, University alumna Beka Burch uses it to change the lives of sex-trafficking victims. Burch’s business, The Priceless Collection, sells handmade jewelry made of coins from different countries. Each item comes packaged in a tiny cloth bag containing cards that remind the customer they are beautiful and loved. These cards reinforce the business’s main goal of showing women around the world that they are priceless — a message sometimes hard for sex-trafficking victims to believe when they are being sold to men night after night, Burch said. This issue hit close to home as she struggled with self-worth as a teenager, she said. This isn’t just talk — 25 percent of the business’s profits goes to Freedom 418, an organization which provides safe housing, career training, education and a Christianbased curriculum to young women who have escaped sex-trafficking. Freedom 418 currently has two rescue houses in Southeast Asia and hosts about six to seven women at a time. The organization will add one to two houses by the end of the year due to the large amount of women needing a place to stay upon escaping trafficking, Burch said. The women housed typically range in age from 16
years old to their mid-twenties and stay in the homes for about a year as they make the transition out of trafficking and work to afford a place of their own. The Priceless Collection officially launched in May 2015, but the idea dates back to an epiphany Burch had in 2013 when she heard missionaries speak about human trafficking at her church, she said. Cleaning out her closet the next day, Burch found a box of coins from her overseas travels, attached one of them to a chain. The idea for The Priceless Collection was born. The analytics of owning a start-up forced Burch to confront her weaknesses, she said. While the creative aspect of her business was second nature to her, the other side of the coin — accounting, filing taxes and filling out paperwork — was a different story. Luckily, she was not alone. Burch had her father’s help, local jewelry maker Madeline Ellis of Mimosa Handcrafted and Google to consult when technical questions inevitably arose. Being self-employed also came with its own set of challenges, including self-discipline, she said. “You have to have a specific drive and attitude to get things done,” Burch said. Burch has not let any of these obstacles stop her, however. Her collection has expanded from a mere box to include coins — some donated, some hers from over 50 different countries and jewelry sold in 18 boutiques, both locally and
KELLY MCDUFF / The Daily Reveille
The Priceless Collection creator Beka Burch displays her handmade jewelry and packaging on Sept. 12 at Highland Coffees. around the country. Burch hopes to eventually open up her own store-front and expand her business to include a mentorship program where
she could employ those rescued from human-trafficking. Amidst the logistics of running her business, Burch makes sure not to lose
sight of its main focus: the girls. “It’s really rewarding to know a simple piece of jewelry can really affect a life,” she said.
The Daily Reveille
page 18
REV R ANKS THE MINDY PROJECT Hulu
Mindy Lahiri’s repeated failure to get her “happily-everafter” may be an intentional stab at the genre. The last season of “The Mindy Project” presents an interesting question: if there’s not a happy ending, is it still a romcom? We will have to stay tuned to find out.
Thomas Rhett’s ‘Life Changes’ a successful country-fusion record BY MYIA HAMBRICK @MyiaChristine
Kaylee Poche @kaylee_poche
1992 DELUXE
Princess Nokia
Princess Nokia’s debut album solidifies her ingenuity, skill and promise as a fresh, new face in a niche of music that usually lacks female representation.
Ysabella Ramirez @ysaram97
THE BLACK TAPES
Pacific Northwest Stories
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Thomas Rhett’s third album “Life Changes” branches out in style to entertain and expose his audience to country-fusion music. Rhett has recently become a father of two, and the titular song chronicles that event. The rest of the tracks give the listener a feeling of nostalgia, even if they’ve never experienced what he’s singing about. The record starts off with a hit in “Craving You,” which has been on the scene for quite some time as a must-hear. It is reminiscent in tone and style of Rhett’s last major hit, “TShirt,” off his preceding album “Tangled Up.” However, that’s where the classic sound of Rhett ends. The next track, “Unforgettable” provides a Sam Huntesque spoken lyric style that flows into a toe-tapping, easy to sing chorus. “Sixteen” reverts back to the country twang of a guitar and vivid descriptions of what it’s like to be younger than you
are now with lyrics like “What I wouldn’t give to be sixteen, wild and free, cruisin’ up and down Main Street in my F-150.” The song ends with “Now I’m 25 and I’m drinking wine with my wife at home,” the listener feels a sense of nostalgia of an iconic country song. The fourth track “Drink A Little Beer” stands out as pure country with noticeable hand claps, guitar and fiddle sounds. The track features Rhett’s father, country singer Rhett Akins, and their chemistry and similar voice tones give the track a family feel that makes you want to gather up your friends, sit on the porch and, well, drink a little beer. The next few tracks pick up with influences from pop music with the likes of Zedd and The Chainsmokers. Rhett does it flawlessly on “Leave Right Now.” The following tracks are reminiscent of his 2015 song “Crash and Burn” with the ‘60s American Bandstand vibe. The next noticeably different track is “Kiss Me Like A Stranger.” Slow in an R&B
style, his solid vocals keep listeners on board with the mixed sound. The next two tracks return to the classic sound Rhett created on his 2015 album, but the last track is a ballad with a beat. Rhett’s lyrics are personal and humanizing, bringing the listener down to earth. Rhett captures what is most important to him when he sings “Can’t take diamonds, can’t take gold, but I’ll take your love with me when I go, I’m gonna take it to the grave with me.” The album ends on a high note with “Grave” and the transformation from safe country to experimental transgenre is complete. The album is varied, and each track keeps the audience engaged. While some tracks can’t stand alone, the album as a whole is an accomplishment for Rhett, and an example of how sticking strictly to one genre is a creative limitation. “Life Changes” is Rhett’s best work yet. Perhaps more artists can learn from this and branch out in their own right as well.
“The Black Tapes” attempts to blend the line between fiction and nonfiction but ultimately fails to convey a convincing story line. The downfall is found in awkward mistakes and pauses, which come across as especially scripted. What it has in plotline it lacks in execution.
Mackenzie Treadwell @mackenizeelizaa
HUMANS OF NEW YORK: THE SERIES Brandon Stanton This is a revealing look at the commonality of the human experience. The documentary extension of the beloved photography blog is beautiful, striking and will be the most valuable 20 minutes you can spend on Facebook today.
Katie Gagliano @katie_gagliano
Read the full reviews online at lsunow.com/entertainment
courtesy of WIKIMEDIA
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
WHAT’S SPINNING AT
@KLSURadio
page 19
KLSUradio
klsufm
NEW MUSIC “Antisocialites” by Alvvays
7.5/10
“Play Dead” by Mutemath
5/10
REVIEW BY PIXIE HOST OF ALTAPALOOZA, SUNDAYS 8-10 AM (ALTERNATIVE) Dropping the needle on Alvvays’s “Antisocialites” is like opening a music box to an enchanting, modern sonic wonderland. Having already chiseled a compelling style with their self-titled debut in 2014, the Toronto-based band went on hiatus to hone what would be their sophomore release. Three years later we are graced with a short but addictively sweet 32 minutes of indie pop, a collection of 10 songs neatly tied in a bow by their signature savvy. What frontwoman and songwriter Molly Rankin describes as a “fantasy breakup arc” begins with “In Undertow,” a look at the hollowness of coming to terms with a love that has gone adrift. There
are hints of self-affirmation in her angelic voice as it floats above hazy guitar riffs. As the tune fades, there is an understanding that the heartache is for the best. Synthesizer takes the reigns in the more Beach House-esque “Dreams Tonite.” The album’s title was extracted from the line “In fluorescent light / Antisocialites watch a wilting flower.” That flower symbolizes the same relationship, kindled only to be extinguished. “Your Type” and “Saved By A Waif” are shining examples of how this record is more unabashed in terms of lyricism and sound. The most poignant moments, however, lie in the changes of pace. “Already Gone” is a sigh of melancholy before the hauntingly epic culmination
in the all-too-relatable final track “Forget About Life.” Listeners should be careful before crying homogeneity on the perfect balance achieved between elements of distortion, dream pop, subtle shoegaze, and surf rock. Alvvays has a knack for creating notes and melodies that swell, fill the air and intoxicate, flawlessly vacillating from one inspiration to another. These are wellversed musicians who cite the Cocteau Twins as an influence and dedicate track seven to Jim Reid of the Jesus and Mary Chain. Without a doubt, they are here to stay.
hind their sound on their newest release. Things get most interesting with sudden instances of auto-tune and dubstep. Still, the songs all fall into an average thrum, and only a couple unique tracks are worth the listen. The first song “Hit Parade” makes for a somewhat disappointing introduction while truly pointing to their influence from ‘70s and ‘80s rock. Another significant track does not appear until halfway through the record. Beginning with “Nuisance”, the entire album shifts away from rock to something more moody. “Placed on Hold” is one of the best if you prefer Mutemath’s easier, smoother sound. It falls just short of the best song on the album“Everything’s
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UPCOMING SHOWS THURSDAY
21
sept KREWE DEL SOL, QUARX, THE GOOD DUDES SPANISH MOON 9 P.M.
For fans of: Best Coast, Camera Obscura, Courtney Barnett
REVIEW BY MR. SOIREÉ HOST OF THE ELECTRIC CARNIVAL, SUNDAYS 11PM-1AM (ELECTRO-SWING) Mutemath, a New Orleans native electronic rock band, achieved a very “feel-good” sound on the new album “Play Dead.” Previously, Mutemath always leaned in toward dance music, but EDM does not quite fit the description this time. Unfortunately, “Play Dead” isn’t all that captivating. All that really sticks is a slow blur of moving sounds. You’ll hear this happen in the genre pretty often. Mutemath does come through with some legitimate sound experimentation, however. Instead of releasing 10 drab pop songs that follow a formula, each track unpredictably changes within itself, never hinting at how or if a change is coming. Mutemath still shows the intent be-
klsuradio.fm
New,” which brings the band’s successful blend of alternative sound and ambient vibe. The latter half of the album is the more preferable and provides some nice midnight-city music, but the last track is the only one worth mentioning. “Marching to End” contains some impressive ambient gloss that gets pretty moving by the track’s end. All in all, Mutemath is not a weak band, nor do they fail in their arena of alternative electronic rock. But “Play Dead” was not spectacular, and I’ll still be listening to their older stuff. For fans of: The Shins, Moon Taxi, Portugal the Man
THURSDAY
21
sept ROYAL TEETH WITH MOTEL RADIO, MERCI RAINES VARSITY THEATRE 8 P.M.
FRIDAY
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sept
WHAT WE’RE PLAYING
TOGETHER PANGEA, TALL JUAN, DADDY ISSUES POOR BOYS (NOLA) 8 P.M.
FRIDAY
Imagine the warmest piano tone you’ve ever heard, a fitting flute, saxophone, and a variety of other instruments all dancing together in overwhelming, grandiose balance alongside calculated, Joanna Newsom-esque vocals. This is the tsunami of ecstatic beauty that is Paavo, an avantgarde and vocal jazz group hailing from Sweden. You’ll hear their track “The Fairy” as well as a couple others from their 2007 self-titled LP to kick off this Scandinavian-themed edition of Pangea.
This week we’re bringing you the best of bisexual artists. One such individual is Meshell Ndegeocello, a funk and soul singer and bassist. She’s been active since the late 1980s and is credited with sparking the neo-soul movement. Her alluring voice combined with reggae and jazz beats is compelling and gives her music a calming vibe. With a new album called “VENTRILOQUISM” due in November, Meshell Ndegeocello is definitely an artist we’re excited to share.
This week on The Nasty Bone, we kick off the show with The RH Factor, a pet project of Grammy award-winning jazzfunk-fusion trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Hargrove can be found playing alongside D’Angelo,Herbie Hancock, and John Mayer. The show will begin with his track “Poetry,” which features Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest and the great Erykah Badu. Catch that and more tail-waggin’ jams this Saturday on 91.1 KLSU.
DJ Dragonfly
Rainbow & Rhythms
DJ Bow-Wow
HEAR IT ON PANGEA (WORLD MUSIC) SATURDAY, SEPT. 22, 9 – 11 A.M.
HEAR IT ON RAINBOW RHYTHMS (LGBTQ MUSIC) SATURDAY, SEPT. 22, 7 – 9 P.M.
HEAR IT ON THE NASTY BONE (JAZZ) SATURDAY, SEPT. 22, 9 − 11 P.M.
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ZOOGMA REPUBLIC (NOLA) 8 P.M.
The Daily Reveille
page 20 trips to the grocery store are also involved. Hebert’s favorite Hebert has a large social places to shop are Southside Promedia presence, with over duce Market and the Red Stick 50,000 followFarmers Market ers on Instagram Through her business, for produce and alone — a feat Trader Joe’s and Emilie Eats, Hebert not accomplished Whole Foods for is redefining the way overnight. Over specialty items. students think about the past two years Hebert’s passhe has consis- eating — one blog post at sion for health and a time. tently posted qualwellness will soon ity content to help transcend into people, she said. her academic life, While the extent of most as she plans to attend graduate people’s food posts is a picture school next year and pursue her they snapped on their iPhone, dream of becoming a registered Hebert’s process is more ex- dietitian. She hopes to use this tensive. She creates and cooks added knowledge to expand her the recipe until perfection, then business to incorporate online photographs it and uploads it to nutrition counseling. her blog. “I know that what I’ll be Mastering food photography able to offer when I become a involved plenty of research and dietitian will be even greater,” years of practice, she said. He- Hebert said. “I want to be the bert uses the mood she wants one-stop-shop for realistic, apto convey in her photograph to proachable information about stage it and select garnishes. plant-based nutrition — not Winter posts exhibit cooler col- someone who’s going to preach ors and more shadows to create a extremes to you.” cozier feel, while summer posts Editor’s Note: Emilie Hebert have brighter, warmer colors. was previously employed with Of course several weekly The Daily Reveille.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
HEBERT, from page 16
SEAUX LA, from page 16 “There’s already a demand for it; it was such good timing,” Williams said. “Everyone else happened to be right on board with us.” On arranging the lineups for their shows, the duo
MOVIE THEATER, from page 16 major renovation in November 2016, adding luxury recliner seats, an arcade game area, a bar, the installation of Cheeto popcorn and a frozen Jack & Coke machine, new restrooms, digital projection technology and a Dolby stereo surround system, among others. The revitalization doesn’t stop there. Construction is currently underway on two additional 181seat auditoriums with Digital Barco LASER projectors and Dolby ATMOS surround sound systems. These theaters are expected to open by Thanksgiving, Morrison said. Morrison is confident the improvements will make Celebrity Theatres the best image and sound theatre in the state. Both innovations are the latest technologies in their categories and are preferred among Hollywood directors and producers. The Dolby ATMOS sound system, in particular, provides the viewer with an immersive threedimensional sound experience, Assistant Director of Operations Anthony Neeson said. “If someone comes from the back left, you’re going to hear it from the back left,” Neeson said. “If a bullet goes whizzing past one of the characters from left to right, it puts you in it. It’s not just surround sound.” The addition of the two auditoriums will nearly double the capacity of the eight-screen, 385-seat theater, and the screens in those two houses will be four times larger than the current screens, Neeson said. It will also add the capability of renting out
considers how different sounds mesh together — usually they take a genre and pair it with something totally opposite, Fort said. After attending one of Seaux La’s lively and artistic events, it’s clear that Williams and Fort have accomplished their goal of
courtesy of EMILIE HEBERT
Mass communication senior Emilie Hebert creates vegan recipes to share with her followers on her food blog “Emilie Eats.” having different components of the Baton Rouge music scene together under one roof, enjoying the same performance. Although constantly changing, one of their main goals is to inspire people to do what they want to do and to know it’s possible, Fort said.
Fueled by their mutual passion for music, Williams and Fort hope to eventually showcase Louisiana musicians on a national level. In the meantime, the duo plan on expanding their shows’ reach to other cities. “Growing up, the scene wasn’t like this. There were only three
or four genres that never mixed,” Fort said. “But now, we’re very focused on Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge is just a beautiful place for music right now. It’s a good time because everybody is coming in contact with each other, and they understand that we need to grow together.”
Every person who comes through the door tells us ‘I’m not going anywhere else.’” ANTHONY NEESON
Assistant director of operations auditoriums for parties or private screenings. Director of Operations Roger Black is hoping that the new amenities will pique interest among people unfamiliar with the theatre and establish a local reputation. Morrison is not cutting corners with the renovation, Neeson said. After the current renovations are finished, there are plans for another phase of expansion in early 2018. The arcade will go from 18 games to just over 50 and have an arcade redemption store. In addition, they have plans to build a bowling alley, laser tag, full kitchen and destination bar. When the renovation is done, Celebrity Theatres will be a full-blown family entertainment center, similar to Dave and Buster’s but with movie theatres. They’re not just banking on the renovations to generate interest; what sets them apart is their high standard for customer service, Black said. “The facility can be beautiful and wonderful, but the staff has to be there too,” Black said. “They have to enjoy what they’re doing, and they have to treat the guests right. I’m not one that likes to celebrate victories, but I think we’ve
done a pretty good job at doing that.” As for the challenges of operating a locally owned movie theater, Neeson sees the main problem as a lack of name recognition, he said. He is confident this will no longer be a problem once they get customers in the door to see the new theater. “Every person who comes through the door tells us ‘I’m not going anywhere else,’” Neeson said. Black and Neeson aren’t worried about the so-called death of the movie theater and declining audiences — due to the rise of streaming services and DVDs — attributing the lack of moviegoing to poor quality content coming out of Hollywood. They’re confident the movies aren’t going anywhere. The Celebrity Theatres has two other locations in Louisiana: one in Ruston and one in Broussard. They’re interested in expanding the other theatres in the future, but wanted to try the Baton Rouge location first as the Capital City is their home base. “I’ve always been a big believer in Baton Rouge,” Morrison said.
CHRISTA MORAN/ The Daily Reveille
Celebrity Theatres underwent a series of renovations in November 2016.
Opinion
page 21
Professors should be more understanding toward students POP, LOX AND DROP IT JORDAN MILLER @jmiller101696
It’s very easy to have a love-hate relationship with professors — minus the love part. An average, mediocre student might show up to most classes, only spend about 70 percent of their time paying attention but complete all assignments and complete them well. That’s generally what’s expected of students. Unfortunately, professors don’t seem to understand — or choose to actively ignore — that we have four to six other classes. According to a study released by Jawbone, the average college student gets seven hours and three minutes of sleep each night. Most students who obtain this many hours either manage their class and work loads well or are resting instead of completing their assignments. If you’re a student who’s learned the only way to survive college is to budget your time, prioritize it and schedule most of your waking hours, then you’re probably just as frustrated as me and most of the student body.
Professors all give out syllabi, usually just listing the University’s grading scale and plagiarism policy. If you’re one of the lucky ones, your syllabus will contain the semester’s calendar of assignments, but if you’re the typical, unlucky student, it won’t. Students need as many upcoming assignment due dates as possible. We write them on hard copy planners, dry erase calendars hanging in our bedrooms or into a phone or computer calendar. Regardless, we are marking them down in every possible place to remember to complete the assignment. We need those dates to budget time to complete the assignment without realizing five days before it’s due that we have three other tests the exact same day. Graded surprises in college are detrimental for the student and the professor’s class average. Teachers should be required to list all major assignment dates at least one month before they are due. Students not only need to prioritize their course work but find ways to balance it with their personal lives as well. Out-ofstate students can’t book flights home for holidays or unexpected happenings in their lives if they
cartoon by ETHAN GILBERTI / The Daily Reveille
don’t know whether or not they’ll have an exam in their class that date. Students need to schedule appointments, arrange their work schedules or need to skip a class for the sake of another. I’m sure professors don’t encourage students to miss any classes, but sometimes as a student you determine that you need to, especially if it won’t negatively affect your grade in the class you’re missing. Professors miss class
unexpectedly when they need to leave town or are feeling ill, and students should receive the same courtesy and ability to miss class when necessary. If a student has to personally email a professor to find out the date of the next exam is, but the professor only replies that she’s narrowed it down to three different dates, the student has to risk missing an exam. No responsible student should have to face that sort of risk if they’re putting in the effort and trying to plan ahead. Skipping one
class should not be a punishable offense when the student inquired about the consequences first. If a student can attend class, they should. However, life happens and not every absence is excused, but a student should know whether or not they’ll be missing an important class or exam. Jordan Miller is a 20-year-old elementary education junior from New Orleans, Louisiana.
University professors should be held to same standards as students HOUSTON, WE HAVE A COLUMN CASEY PIMENTEL @casey_pimentel Every student dreads the absence policy portion of the “syllabus talk.” Some teachers are lenient with attendance; others stick to a strict rule concerning grade point deductions after so many absences. The English department in particular has quite the interesting absence policy. My syllabus states, “Absences without valid reasons, or unexcused absences, are limited to three per term in classes that meet three times a week (e.g., MWF) and two per term in classes that meet two times a week (e.g., TTH or MW). Beyond these limits, each unexcused absence will lower the final course grade by one grade increment: for example, a B+ goes to a B, a B goes to a B- and a B- goes to a C+.” If we are sick but not sick enough to rush to the doctor, have any kind of unexpected car troubles, attend a funeral for someone that is not immediate family or other unexpected endeavors, our average grade in the class could drop by one grade increment. I understand it’s important to go to class and teachers want to push students to attend, but what really gets me is that many
teachers do not live up to their own rules. They aren’t held at the same standards we are. There are weeks where I don’t feel good but get up anyway, get on a bus and head to class. Last week, I got all the way to campus only to find out my teacher didn’t want to come to class because she felt “under the weather.” That’s all fine and dandy, but why am I not allowed to feel under the weather and miss class without
serious repercussions? Teachers are always canceling classes, and while I’m not one to complain about no class, they should be held at equal responsibility. University students are often seen as children with little responsibility, who just want to have fun and scheme their way out of doing work. For some that may be true, but for others, we have lives, jobs and responsibilities. Things happen and we
should receive the respect from teachers that we give them when they need to cancel class for any random reason. Even the excused absences policy rubs me the wrong way. All University athletes are excused for sports events no matter the day, as they should be, but if I get food poisoning and spend my whole day puking my guts up I could be docked a grade increment. This logic doesn’t sit right with many students. We
photo by MICHAEL PALMER / The Daily Reveille
A classroom sits empty in the basement of Lockett hall on Sept. 6, 2016.
are old enough to know there are consequences for our actions and not showing up for class will do us harm. Why can’t departments leave us to the responsibility on our own and drop attendance policies? It wouldn’t hurt anyone but the students who abuse it. The attendance policies put in place have the potential to harm good students, with excellent grades. Life is unpredictable and everyone deserves the freedom to take care of their business, both professors and students. Though it is easy to direct anger concerning attendance policies at professors, many times they have to follow department set regulations. I know the English department professors have to have the same policies, and it makes it hard to fight this with individual professors when something such as a funeral comes up but you cannot afford to drop a grade increment. We are adults, and we realize how much missing class will affect our overall grades. Leaving the responsibility to students will not create a lower average of class attendance, but instead will create a mutually beneficial learning environment. Casey Pimentel is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from The Woodlands, Texas.
The Daily Reveille
page 22
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Crime news coverage exploits famous cases for monetary gain STOP! HANNAH TIME HANNAH KLEINPETER @0728hannah The national news media’s coverage of crime exploits the details of people’s personal lives and trauma for monetary gain and increased ratings. Networks like CNN, CBS News and Fox News monopolize on high-profile criminal cases by reporting the crime as if it were a soap opera. Coverage often extends beyond the facts of the case and into the details of victim’s personal lives with little consideration for the victim. The news media should refrain from using overreaching and biased reporting and stick to reporting case facts that are necessary and newsworthy. Such in-depth coverage of crime victims’ personal lives creates an unquenchable desire in the American public for crime
reporting that pushes the barrier of what is acceptable to broadcast nationally. The details of crime victims’ intimate lives should not be fair game to the public simply because there is demand for it. News coverage broadcasts the most obscene details of criminal cases and their victims to increase ratings and buzz surrounding the case. Often, socalled experts are brought in to dissect the victim’s life and speculate about the verdict headto-head. The sports-like coverage increases public bias and hinders the judicial process. “Innocent until proven guilty becomes guilty in the media until proven innocent in a court of law,” said Ami Peterson, a reporter for The Olympian. The victim’s wishes are often ignored in favor of satisfying the public. According to the International Documentary Association, footage of Barbara Rockwell and her slain grandson were broadcast on L.A. Detectives in 1999 without the family’s
consent. Rockwell had not seen her grandson’s bloodied corpse at the scene but was subjected to the footage on television months later, causing her to file a lawsuit. No victim or family member should have to see such graphic footage of their loved one without consent, especially not on national television for millions to view. Victims of high-profile cases are forced to relive their trauma repeatedly as their face and story are plastered across the news for months and years. To be fair, some victims feel empowered by bringing publicity to their injustice and gaining control of their situation through awareness. However, many feel violated and used for their monetary value, especially when they are not consulted before broadcasting. The negative effects of such invasive coverage not only reach the victim, but also the accused. News networks scrambling to pinpoint a “bad guy” can lead to the perpetuation of a false narrative and the crucifixion of
cartoon by WILL HARDY / The Daily Reveille
the wrong suspect. The public has a right to be informed on newsworthy events, which often includes crimes and their subsequent cases. However, it is not necessary to profit from intrusive reporting that only subjects
the victims to further trauma and scrutiny. Hannah Kleinpeter is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Celebrities should not get a pass on using racial slurs ANNARIGIONAL TAKE ANNA COLEMAN @_annacoleman_ Popular YouTuber PewDiePie was caught using the N-word this month while livestreaming himself playing the game “PlayerUnknown’s Battlground.”
“What a f--king N----r. Oh my god, what the f--k?” he said to another player in anger. “I said the worst word I could possibly think of, and it just sort of slipped out,” PewDiePie said in a later apology. This is a scenario we all know far too well. Celebrities and public figures constantly “slip up” and use careless
racial slurs and then issue an insincere public apology. A similar incident occurred a week earlier when popular YouTube beauty guru Kathleen Fuentes, known from her YouTube channel as KathleenLights, was recorded saying the N-word in a Snapchat video posted by fellow YouTuber Jaclyn Hill. She came out with a similar apology
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statement. “That isn’t who I am,” she said. In June, comedian Bill Maher said the N-word while chatting with Nebraska Sen Ben Sasse on his show “Real Time with Bill Maher.” He apologized on a later episode of his show for any pain he caused. “I did a bad thing,” he said. Each of these incidents resulted in their own social media outcry. Users weighed their opinions on the matter from all sides. Arguably the most notable of these opinions were videos of people, mostly white, who passionately made excuses for their favorite celebrities. The central message of these videos was that everyone forgives them and still loves them. Some even went as far as to say anyone who is upset is completely overreacting. The people in these videos do not have the right to offer up forgiveness on others’ behalf. When you have no personal stake in an issue, it is easy to gloss over them as unimportant. It is easy to forgive someone who did not do anything to you. If a black person wants to forgive someone for saying the
N-word, that is their choice. However, it is their choice and their choice alone to make. Other people need to stop telling them what to do and how to feel. This does not just apply to the n-word but to all racial slurs in general. The only people who get to decide who can and cannot use racial slurs are the people whom they were historically and still are presently used against. As a white person, it is disappointing and inexcusable when celebrities or public figures I admire choose to use racial slurs. I will look at them differently and oftentimes stop supporting their work entirely. Ultimately, however, I am not the person they hurt. I am not the person who has to hear someone I supported carelessly throw around words with centuries of negative connotation that attack my very being as a person. Therefore, I am not the person they should be apologizing to and not the person who should be accepting their apology. Anna Coleman is a 19-year-old mass communication junior from Kennesaw, Georgia.
courtesy of WIKIMEDIA
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
page 23
Locals should stop frequenting Reggie’s after racist allegations MY BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL CLARKE PERKINS @ClarkePerkins Pressure to make an apology typically results in it being insincere. Reggie’s is not genuinely apologetic for its latest scandal. On Sept. 10, Reggie’s apologized for its Confederate flag and “show your pride” cups that were used along with what appeared to be a noose hanging in the bar. Reggie’s claims the cups were stored away a while ago when it realized they were offensive to some guests, but were accidentally taken off a top shelf recently by an employee. As for the noose, supposedly it’s usually used to hang a beer barrel, however it was removed because it was bothering the bartender. How many times can an establishment accidentally display racism? I can’t be the only one calling B.S. on these sorry excuses. Reggie’s already has a mile-long track record of discriminatory practices from the three years I’ve been in Baton Rouge. In September
2015, I wrote a column calling out the establishment for its discriminatory dress code. Despite its failure to admit a man for wearing earrings, a white t-shirt, long or exposed chains, white tennis shoes or baggy clothing they responded racism won’t end until “‘a select group’ stops placing the race card.” Let’s not forget the “reggin” stamp which becomes a racial slur when read backwards. It was used until November 2015 when a post of the stamp went viral and the bar began receiving negative press. It could be easily argued Reggie’s doesn’t want black people in its establishment. Yet, black people can still be found there. When the young black woman tweeted the picture of the confederate flag cup and noose, the first thing I thought was “why was she even there?” Like the old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me”, Reggie’s has consistently showed us its true colors, which were always pretty obvious with the confederate flag hanging in the back of the bar. Black people have to take responsibility by ensuring
we are not supporting such businesses — as much as it shouldn’t have to be our responsibility, it is. If Reggie’s repeatedly shows signs of racism and black people continue to attend, then why would they stop? From its perspective, Reggie’s is winning. The bar is able to express itself while simultaneously collecting our money. We’ve got to stop supporting businesses who blatantly disrespect us time and time again. Black people shouldn’t be the only ones avoiding the over-hyped bar. All races and ethnicities should be looking to bring their money elsewhere. Supporting this bar is one of the clearest forms of institutional racism. Reggie’s could be considered convenient to some because it’s down the street from campus and has week-long drink specials. However, standing up for what’s right and staying true to your morals and values comes with sacrifice. Even aside from Reggie’s, if you’re a frequent at an establishment then made aware the policies or an affiliate goes against what you believe in, then stop going. It’s simple: money is power and you’ve
got to hit them where it hurts, their wallets. Without money from consumers, businesses cannot operate. If you’re worried about not having a place to turn up after Saturday night home football games, so what? It’s a sacrifice you’ll have to make. Either find another place to hang out or maybe consider studying for an upcoming test. Your money would be better spent somewhere
else anyway. Hopefully this will be my last Reggie’s column — but, as always, I’ll continue to call out any institutions that promote or exhibit racism, marginalize communities and create uncomfortable spaces for any groups of people. Clarke Perkins is a 21-year-old political science senior from New Orleans, Louisiana.
HASKELL WHITTINGTON / The Daily Reveille
Reggie’s Bar in Tigerland was temporarily suspended June 27 and reopened July 3.
Overuse, misuse of term ‘racism’ can lead to more issues STAY THIRSTY MY FRIENDS JACOB MARANTO @Jacob_Maranto One of the easiest things to do when facing problems is blaming someone else. It is especially prevalent in the racial tensions plaguing us as a society. This shift of blame goes in many directions: black to white, white to black and so on. Despite popular sentiment, we arguably live in most racially harmonious time country in human history. Where else in the world at any given point in history have such a diverse group of ethnicities coexisted in such relative peace? Of course, there are instances of real racism in America, and denying or ignoring these instances is morally wrong. However, the line between actual racism and imagined racism is constantly being blurred. In instances of actual racism, we should come together to condemn those acts and fight to fix the wrongs caused by
them. Racism is evil and should be vigorously fought by anyone and everyone with decent moral conviction. The problem in American society today is that the definition of racism is being redefined to tailor to certain agendas. These agendas aim to broaden the definition of racism to include actions and ideas that used to not be traditionally seen as racist. By doing so, racism can be claimed more frequently to justify perceived injustices and difficulties. Traditionally, racism has been defined as the actions, intents and words used to antagonize people of different races. Now, racism is being redefined as who you are and what group you belong to instead of what you actually do and say. This tribalistic, intersectional approach to race is extremely detrimental to fragile race relations because of the way it allows blame to be placed on whole groups of people rather than on individuals. It pits neighbor against neighbor and categorizes
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people by their skin color, not their actions and ideas. Last week, horrid comedian Chelsea Handler called Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson a “black white supremacist”. She did this because he happens to be a black conservative and, since blacks typically swing Democrat, he must be against blacks and therefore racist. Examples like this highlight how the term racist is thrown around nonsensically. Carson is obviously not a black white supremacist, but the meaning of racism has changed to include people who have different political views than the majority of their race. The solution is putting greater emphasis on individual actions than on groups as a whole. This outlook puts very little stock in blaming others and great emphasis on personal choices made by individuals. Applying this principle to racism requires us to look at the traditional definition and collectively condemning individuals who do racist things, not entire groups.
However, we see this behavior all the time. Many blacks falsely denounce all white people as racist, and whites assume the worst cultural stereotypes about all black people. The cycle goes on and only worsens the divide caused by actual instances of racism. Our society should move toward using facts and actions to call out racism and injustice. Not unspecified accusations that cast blame on everyone and no one at the same time. Certain movements and agendas don’t want to take this approach. Movements like Black Lives Matter and the alt-right both promote this tribalistic view of racism. They do so to justify non-racist things as racist to further their own agenda. Groups likes these purposely create fictitious racial narratives for personal gain. Supporters of these groups blindly listen to those messages and distort those already false racial narratives to fit their needs. A great term for this is imagined racism, and it’s a real thing that provides people with
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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.
excuses and solutions for the problems they experience. Imagined racism is merely a way to claim victimhood status, which is becoming increasingly popular. Being a victim is hip because if you are a victim you don’t have to take personal responsibility for any of your problems. This victim mentality only serves to dilute the racial landscape so it becomes impossible to tell the difference between non-racism and actual racism. By overusing and misusing the word racism, people who actually experience racism probably have a less likely chance of getting the help and justice they deserve. Let’s start bettering ourselves as individuals so society as a whole will be bettered. The truth is no one cares enough about you to throw roadblocks in your path to success. We must stop blaming other people for personal and cultural problems we possess the power to fix. Jacob Maranto is 21-year-old mass communication senior from Plaquemine, Louisiana.
Quote of the Week “Prejudice is the child of ignorance.”
William Hazlitt
English writer and critic Apr. 10, 1778— Sept. 18, 1830
IÂ AM COLLABORATIVE. I AM CREATIVE. I AM CULTURALLY ADEPT. I AM GLOBALLY ENGAGED. I AM INNOVATIVE. I AM TRANSFORMATIVE.
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LSU STRATEG IC PLAN 2025 L E A D I N G L O U I S I A N A . I M PA C T I N G T H E W O R L D . strategicplan.lsu.edu