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COVID
CRACKDOWN
Although LSU’s football program is unranked in the SEC, they’re one of only two universities in the conference to require the COVID-19 vaccine for students and faculty. Read on
page 2 NEWS
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Professors and TAs say undergraduate students don’t take advantage of office hours often.
ENTERTAINMENT
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Spooky season is upon us. This week in BR has the Halloween happenings, State Fair details and more.
SPORTS
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How Damone Clark improved his play, grew into one of LSU Football’s few bright spots in a dismal season.
OPINION
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“Working as an opinion writer made me bolder and stronger. My skin grew thicker as the comments rolled in...”
L SU Re ve i l le.co m @l s u r e ve i l le
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COVID IN SEC SCHOOLS LSU leads SEC schools in COVID-19 mitigation efforts
BY PIPER HUTCHINSON @PiperHutchBR LSU may be at the bottom of SEC rankings this football season, but it’s gained a top spot on a new SEC leaderboard for having some of the toughest COVID-19 mitigation protocols of any conference school. The university put HEPA filters in classrooms to reduce circulation of virus particles, requires masking indoors in all campus buildings and, most prominently, instated a vaccine mandate for the student body earlier this semester. Only one other SEC university, Vanderbilt, also requires students to be vaccinated. LSU COVID protocols were steeped in fighting between university administration and faculty at the beginning of the semester. LSU initially maintained that state law prohibited the university from mandating the COVID-19 vaccine, though other Louisiana colleges needed only Louisiana Department of Health approval. Faculty members voiced concerns over returning to campus amid Louisiana’s worst surge of COVID-19 cases — including a Faculty Council vote with over 90% support for a vaccine mandate last May — but their complaints were largely dismissed as campus mostly returned to normal. It wasn’t until the Pfizer vaccine received full Food and Drug Administration approval in late August that the mandate was instated. Now, over 83% of the student body and 77% of faculty have reported full vaccination at LSU, while other universities struggle to mitigate COVID transmission rates in the aftermath of the Delta surge. Looking at the numbers Because each university uses different criteria for public reporting of COVID-19 cases, comparing each SEC school with total accuracy is next to impossible. Some universities, like the University of Georgia and Ole Miss, rely exclusively on self-reporting, while LSU’s tracking data uses both self-reporting and positive tests at on-campus testing centers. Using the data that is publicly available, there are some observable trends — namely, universities with more lenient COVID-19 mitigation policies, like UGA, report more COVID-19 cases than universities with harsher policies. Since LSU’s Sept. 15 deadline for students to receive the first dose of COVID vaccines, its dashboard has only reported an additional 159 cases as of Friday, Oct. 22. Last month, 27 students were expelled for refusing to comply with the university’s vaccine mandate. The University of Arkansas
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
The LSU students in the Honors Course on rape and consent sit in their desks on Aug. 26, during class in room 202 of Coates Hall. has reported over 1,600 cases since the beginning of the fall semester. Arkansas requires masks, but not vaccination, and has about 27,000 students. Arkansas’ data includes self-reported cases as well as positive COVID tests. Another notable case is that of Texas A&M, with 68,000 students, which has reported over 4,000 COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the fall semester. This large number of COVID-19 cases is due to mandatory, targeted testing campaigns. Over the course of three consecutive weeks, Texas A&M administered over 60,000 COVID-19 tests. On any other week during the fall semester, the university reported similar levels of COVID positive cases to other SEC universities. In comparison, LSU has reported 502 cases out of 39,000 students and faculty since the first day of classes on Aug. 23. However, only about 13,000 tests have been administered on campus since May 9, and new criticisms have arisen reguarding HEPA filters being a waste of money as they are often unplugged. Vanderbilt University, which has about 12,000 students, has reported almost 400 cases since the beginning of the fall semester. Leading in Football, Lagging in COVID While UGA may lead the SEC in football, the university has no enforceable COVID-19 mitigation policies. UGA “strongly encourages” students and faculty to wear a mask and get vaccinated, but the University System of Georgia does not allow universities to implement mandates on either. Faculty are not allowed to force students to wear a mask in their classrooms or their own offices.
UGA reported having over 1,600 COVID cases since the beginning of the fall semester, one of the highest rates of any school in the SEC. That number includes Shawn Kuhn, an exercise and sports science senior, who died on Oct. 11 after a weeks long battle with COVID-19 and resulting pneumonia. Janet Frick, a psychology professor at UGA, has been a vocal critic of the USG’s policy. “It was just this top-down imposition of this arbitrary policy that was really in direct opposition to what the CDC was recommending, and to what the data was claiming would be best practice for the state of Georgia in the fall,” Frick said. On Sept. 21, more than 50 tenured life sciences professors at UGA signed a letter to the university system informing them that they will begin requiring masks in their own classrooms. The letter, written by Jeffrey Bennetzen, a geneticist at UGA, states, “In order to protect our students, staff and faculty colleagues, we will wear masks and will require all of our students and staff to wear masks in our classes and laboratories until local community transmission rates improve, despite the ban on mask mandates and the USG policy to punish, and potentially fire, any faculty taking this action.” On Sept. 22, Teresa MacCartney, acting chancellor of the University System of Georgia, said that their “surveillance testing is at its lowest rate since UGA began surveillance testing last year with only eight of 1,167 tests coming back positive for a positive rate of 0.67%. Due to this decline in transmission, your intent to disregard USG policy and require
masks ‘until local transmission rates improve’ is not necessary.” Bennetzen said the group is asking the USG to follow CDC recommendations. “The great majority think that we should have mask mandates and think that we should require vaccines,” he said, “other schools do like Cornell; there’s a lot of schools to do this. And it works in these schools, their rates of infection are down dramatically.” Nathan Kalmoe, a mass communication professor at LSU, disapproves of UGA’s policy. “In a just world, a no-mask policy would result in criminal liability for the decision-makers for the illness and deaths they cause,” Kalmoe said. “It’s as if the school’s intention is to hurt as many people as possible. You probably can’t print what I think of the people who do that to others.” Red Team, Blue Team Universities are governed by a body made up of political appointees. Of the 11 states that have universities in the SEC, only two have democratic governors: Louisiana and Kentucky. Robert Mann, a mass communication professor at LSU, said that it is inevitable that public universities are political to a degree. “The university can’t be immune from politics,” he said, “the governors appointed all these people that run the university -the Board of Supervisors, they’re all political people.” Mann said that it helped “having a democratic governor or just having a governor who’s not a nutcase,” but that the influence of Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican and staunch opponent of the vaccine mandate, caused the university to back down from instituting a vaccine mandate earlier. “I think that’s what influenced the LSU folks early on. I was in several meetings where DeCuir was asked about this, and he always cited Landry,” Mann said, referring to Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel Winston C. DeCuir Jr. “He would read these letters that Landry had written and cite conversations or what he heard Landry say, and it was clear that Landry had gotten inside his head.” Landry said in a letter to former interim President Thomas Galligan in June that LSU imposing a vaccine mandate would be illegal and violate students’ rights. Mann advised that faculty at universities throughout the SEC should not be afraid to escalate the situation. “You have got to be willing to engage in some drastic action now,” he said. “You can’t just play by the old rules. On this campus, it was convening the entire faculty, but on another campus, it may have been sit-ins or protest or picket lines.”
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ABOUT THE REVEILLE The Reveille is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Reveille is free from multiple sites on campus and about 25 sites off campus. To obtain additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall or email studentmedia@ lsu.edu. The Reveille is published biweekly during the fall, spring and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. The Reveille is funded through LSU students’ payments of the Student Media fee.
NEWS ‘WE’RE NOT SCARY’
Are professors and TA’s lonely? Many report low office hours attendance BY GABBY JIMENEZ @gvjimenezz Mass communication professor Will Mari often has tea, iced coffee, snacks and homemade cookies during his office hours, and is considering bringing his puppy, Roux, next. “I’ll do whatever it takes, I’ll do any song and dance to get [students] in here,” Mari said. Despite his attempts at creating a welcoming environment, he finds that only a small number of students come into his office hours, with the exception of the days before exams and essay due dates. Office hours are times set aside by professors and teaching assistants where they are available to help students with anything they need, such as going over class material, learning test-taking strategies or appealing grades. Originally, students were able to go into their office, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many classes have transitioned office hours on Zoom. Classes are supposed to have office hours at least twice a week, but professors and teaching assistants find that most students aren’t using them. Andrew Hicks, a graduate teaching assistant for business
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
The hall lights and HEPA filter illuminate Room 136 on Oct. 19, inside LSU’s Lockett Hall in Baton Rouge, La. calculus during the 2018-2019 school year, said even before the pandemic students rarely used office hours. “It was kind of dismal. It’s like, where’s the rest of the students? Why are they not coming?” Hicks said. “I feel like [students] maybe forget I have office hours,” said geography graduate teaching assistant Sumaiya Siddique. While Siddique feels office hours are useful in her graduate courses, she noticed that undergraduates are less likely to take advantage of them. She also
found that office hour attendance decreased significantly during the first few months of the pandemic. “Many people are not comfortable [without] in person [options],” Siddique said. “We didn’t understand the format of online. It took time.” While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the consistency of in-person meetings, Mari found benefits in holding office hours through Zoom. He said having online office hours in addition to in-person has been helpful for students with busy schedules, especially those who need to take
care of their kids or families. While office hours can be useful in going over class material, it’s also useful for students who need to address outside issues. Mari recalled a student who came into his office hours and explained that they were legally blind, causing them to have trouble reading slides in class. Mari was then able to accommodate the student by adding more audio components and live captions to slides, which he has kept since. Another student was struggling and not showing up to class. She went to Mari’s office hours and explained that she was the main caregiver in her family, making it difficult to keep up with school at times. After learning of her situation, Mari was able to assist her in class, making sure she knew of every extra credit opportunity and giving more time on exams if needed. ”I think she got out of it a more understanding professor,” Mari said. Mari believes that office hours are especially beneficial for first generation students, who may need more guidance on navigating college. “For first gen students, office
see PROFESSORS, page 4
page 3 STUDENT RESOURCES
Inside the LSU Food Pantry BY DOMENIC PURDY @tigerdom16 At McDonalds on the first floor of the Student Union, students can buy a $6.49 10-piece Chicken McNuggets meal. Just around the corner, they have free access to fresh fruit and canned foods from Trader Joe’s and the Baton Rouge Food Bank at the LSU Food Pantry. Everything in the pantry is free to LSU students, no Paw Points or Tiger Cash necessary; the only thing they need to do is fill out an application found on Campus Life’s website. Geography graduate student Jessie Parrott said she has used the service sporadically after learning of it through her involvement in Student Government. Through the food pantry, she was given access to cereal, dry foods, pasta and spices without breaking the bank, she said. Parrott was recommended she use the Food Pantry as a graduate student since the university doesn’t pay her enough for the work she’s doing, she said. “I’m a graduate student and make so far below a living wage,”
see FOOD, page 4
OBITUARY
Delta Gamma, students mourn the loss of junior Sierra Frazier BY CADEN LIM @cadenlim5 Students across the LSU community are mourning the recent death of junior Sierra Frazier. Frazier, a kinesiology junior, died at age 20 on Oct. 17 from a long-term medical condition at Baton Rouge General Hospital. Frazier aspired to become a physical therapist following her time at LSU and was an active member of the Delta Gamma sorority, having played a vital role in leading this semester’s recruitment process, according to DG President Sarah Cherry. “In everything that Sierra did, she was striving to do good and she was successful in that,” Cherry said. The Delta Gamma chapter held a memorial service for Frazier Tuesday, Oct. 19, where members donned Frazier’s favorite color, green, or wore green pins to commemorate her. “Her optimism, sincerity and humor inspired many laughs and countless smiles,” Delta Gamma wrote in an Instagram post. “Sierra was the kind of sister who always made a point to check in and ask how we were doing.”
Cherry said the entire chapter came together after Frazier’s death to support each other. She said every DG member, even those who didn’t know Frazier, were impacted by the loss and wanted to help one another out. “There’s been an effort to bring Sierra’s spirit, friendship and love,” Cherry said. “People want to carry that on even though she’s not here anymore.” As a devout Christian, Frazier was an active member of Second Evening Star Baptist Church in her hometown of Alexandria. Her father, Clarence Frazier, Jr., was a pastor for nearly two years before he passed in 2018. “Very thankful for daddy raising me in the Church, baptizing me himself and making sure I was always involved!” Sierra wrote in a 2019 Facebook post. After coming to LSU, she began working for Physical Therapy Center Inc. Delta Gamma member Lainy Serpas said her passion for physical therapy resonated from her desire to help people and improve their lives. “To know her was to be loved,” Serpas said. “She was friends with anyone. Her smile and her embodiment as a person was amazing. You
don’t get to meet a lot of people like her.” Madison Landry, a freshman and Frazier’s little, said Frazier was the reason she was able to transition to college and make new friends. As an out-of-state student, Frazier quickly became Landry’s best friend and helped her feel included during even the most difficult times of the pandemic. “She guided me through my freshman year,” Landry said. “She was the definition of strength.” Landry revered Frazier’s selflessness – she said she most admired how genuinely she cared about other people. “She wanted to make sure everyone felt included and meant a lot,” Landry said. Cherry said since her death, members of the chapter have changed their perspective on how to live. “Truly appreciate the time you have with your friends and family,” Serpas said. “Be kind to people you meet because you don’t know what they’re going through.” Cherry said Frazier was the full embodiment of Delta Gamma, and that she represented their mission for “doing good; for hope, for strength, for life.”
COURTESY OF MADISON LANDRY
Monday, October 25, 2021
page 4 PROFESSORS, from page 3
FOOD, from page 3
hours [have] really high impact for the betterment of their experience,” he said. He also observed that the students who do attend his office hours tend to already be doing well in the class — students who had A’s in class were more likely to go than those who had C’s or D’s. Siddique found that going to her graduate classes’ office hours are useful when she doesn’t understand the material. “From my perspective as a student, I think it’s really important to have TAs and office hours,” Siddique said. With a big university like LSU, Mari believes office hours are a good place for students to interact with their professors one-on-one. During his office hours, he lets students talk to him about anything, whether it be help in the class, talking about career, or general life advice. “Try them out — go once to each office hour you have for each class,” Mari said. “It will help you no matter what.” While office hours can be intimidating for students, Hicks also encouraged students to go, even if only to strengthen their knowledge of the course. “We’re not scary,” Hicks said. “Just take a leap of faith and go to office hours.”
Parrott said. “We have to worry about other things like rent and really high rates for car insurance, so why not use the food pantry to take some of that financial stress off?” The LSU Food Pantry was established to help students like Parrott who experience “situational hunger.” Alison Paz, associate director of Marketing and Communications for Campus Life, cited food insecurity as a prevalent issue on college campus’ across the nation and said universities like LSU have taken the lead in addressing the issue. “Regardless of circumstances, no student should have to choose between food and other basic needs,” Paz said. LSU Campus Life took over management of the pantry in 2016 and has seen its usage continue to climb every year since, with 2021 seeing record usage numbers, according to Paz. The increase in usage has been attributed to factors ranging from an increased student population, COVID-19 and a greater variety of products in the 985 square-foot space. Despite a recent marketing push from Campus Life, the food pantry remains elusive to many students. “There’s likely a very high number of students, graduate and
THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES
The LSU Food Pantry sits in its old location in Room 350 on the second floor of the Student Union on Jan. 21, 2020. undergraduate, that don’t know of its existence, especially because of the pandemic with people not going into campus as much,” Parrott said. Student workers like finance freshman Mae Wong prepare orders from students across campus in the different time slots the pantry offers for pick up. On the application form, students have access to items ranging from milk, eggs, fruits, vegetables and premade salads and wraps from Trader Joe’s to slices of pizza from Fat Boys Pizza, with new items constantly flowing in, Wong said. There is a regular flow of new food coming into the pantry every week, with the aforementioned Trader Joe’s delivering on Tues-
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days and Thursdays, the Baton Rouge Food Bank delivering on Wednesday and Rouses delivering new food whenever they can, she said. “We don’t really order things but we get things [from donations] a lot,” Wong said. “Some school, after Hurricane Ida, even donated a bunch of canned goods, [toiletries] and feminine hygiene products.” Some of the items donated to the food pantry are slightly damaged items from grocery stores. Wong recalls receiving a box of six tomatoes, all of which were undamaged except for one that was “punctured and bleeding a bit.” “All we had to do was open it up and toss the [damaged one],”
she said. “[Grocery stores] can’t do that but we can [at the pantry].” The only limit the pantry has is a cap of two orders a week. Popular specialty items, including “a lot of arugula,” are limited to one per order, but the food pantry allows students to take as much or as little as they need, according to Wong. Wong herself uses the service while she’s at work because without a car, she’s not able to make it to the grocery store. Parrott finds the service useful and “wonderful,” especially for those less fortunate than herself. She said she was “surprised by the abundance of resources” the stocked pantry provided when she came to LSU from a smaller university with fewer resources. Despite using it herself since spring, she still feels morally like she shouldn’t use it knowing other students, particularly international students, are struggling to make ends meet. She said a lot of other students she talks to share her sentiment. “The reality is that it is there. It is a resource that is available and we should be using it because we do struggle paying the bills,” Parrott said. “The university does make this problem for us by not paying a living wage, so naturally we should be using the university’s resource to solve this problem until they solve the overall problem of paying us a living wage.”
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ENTERTAINMENT
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THIS WEEK IN BR
Want to see your event in the Reveille? Email information to editor@lsu.edu.
THURSDAY AT 5
WEDNESDAY AT 8
TUESDAY AT 11
MONDAY AT 6
BY AVA BORSKEY @iamavab
OCTOBER
25
Hocus Pocus Spellbooks EBR Parish Library River Center Branch
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Craft your own book at this EBR Parish Library’s event for anyone in thier 20’s. Channel your inner Sanderson Sister while crafting a spellbook as the library screens Disney’s ‘90s Halloween classic “Hocus Pocus.” The movie will play from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the River Center Branch, 250 North Blvd. on Monday, Oct. 25. THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES
The River Center Branch Library sits on September 9, 2020 at 250 North Blvd.
Frankenfaire Open House LSU Main Library
OCTOBER
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Join LSU Libraries at the Frankenfaire Open House on the front lawn of the LSU Main Library on Tuesday, Oct. 26, and Wednesday, Oct. 27, from 11 a.m.1 p.m. Have a Spooktacular time learning about the services and resources offered by LSU Libraries with games, door prizes and Trick or Treats. Be sure to bring your Tiger card for your chance to win an iPad, Beats headphones, Kindle Fire or Amazon gift card. THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES
The LSU Library sits in the Quad on December 3, 2020.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Theatre Baton Rouge
OCTOBER
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Get your tickets before they sell out! Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. is the only show with seats left for Theatre Baton Rouge’s live performance of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Enjoy the interactive theater experience at Theatre Baton Rouge, 7155 Florida Blvd. Tickets are $25 for students.
courtesy of Haley Schroeck & Thomas Jackson
Greater Baton Rouge State Fair BREC Airline Highway Park
OCTOBER
The Greater Baton Rouge State Fair kicks off on Thursday, Oct. 28, and runs until Sunday, Nov. 7. Mitchell Brothers Amusements will bring exciting fair rides and games to the midway at 16072 Airline Highway. For a full schedule of events, vendors and entertainment visit their website. THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES
The Greater Baton Rouge State Fair takes place at Airline Highway Park on Oct. 28, 2017.
Monday, October 25, 2021
page 6 STUDENT LIFE
LSU student starts “Our Moment: A Literary Podcast” BY AVA BORSKEY @iamavab Every Sunday at midnight, a new episode of “Our Moment: A Literary Podcast” is released, and Exquisite Williams turns a new page with her book club. Williams, an LSU senior majoring in communication studies and English creative writing, started the book club podcast as part of a new media project for a screen arts class. “It’s like halfway a school project and halfway a passion project because I’ve always wanted to do it,” Williams said. A self-proclaimed reader by trade, Williams loves talking about books. She finds it especially important to uplift the voices of diverse characters, so she uses her podcast to celebrate books that center characters of color by authors of color. “Reading is the first way a lot of kids learn about the world — reading and TV — and if they learn by reading experiences different from them, they can sort of begin to empathize with those around them,” Williams said. “It’s important, and if anybody will read these books and develop more empathy for just a stage in life that they’ve never had to deal with, then that’d be great.” For the first season of “Our Moment: A Literary Podcast,” Williams is highlighting “Legendborn,” a contemporary fantasy with a twist on Arthurian legend written by Tracy Deonn. The book follows Bree Matthews, a 16-year-old who recently lost her mother in an accident. In an
effort to find an escape, Bree begins attending a residential program at the University of North Carolina, but on her first night on campus, she witnesses a magical attack. “This book made me slow down, which is very rare,” Williams said. Since discovering “Legendborn” earlier this year, Williams has read the book at least five times, and she owns close to as many copies of it. She has digital copies of the book on Audible and her Kindle, she owns an unopened physical copy with the cover still intact, and then there’s the copy she uses during her podcast. Dogeared, highlighted and full of notes written in pen, Williams brings this copy with her to every recording session in the Speakeasy sound booth in LSU’s Communication across the Curriculum’s Studio 151. Williams said when she sits down to record her podcast, she pictures what her audience might be doing while listening. She said a lot of unexpected backend work goes into a podcast, like long hours of editing. For frontend preparation, Williams said she goes with the flow. She thinks about her favorite scenes from the book, the most important themes and how they can apply to listeners in everyday life. Williams also chairs an inperson book club with the Ogden Honors College Black Honors Initiative. The club is currently reading “Legendborn” as well, so Williams draws on conversations and
FRANCES DINH / The Reveille
LSU English creative writing and communications studies senior Exquisite Williams reviews a book Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021 in Studio 151, Coates Hall. thoughts from those meetings when she’s preparing to record. Since not everyone can be inperson to talk about books with her, Williams said doing another book club over audio is a way to create shared, yet accessible moments celebrating books and each other. “We’re taking time together and it’s ‘Our Moment,’” Williams said. “The reason that we have books is to kind of explore or create these shared experiences.” Williams has had listeners from all over the world, includ-
ing Germany, Jamaica and Spain. Jason Buch, an LSU English professor who teaches Williams’ new media class, is among “Our Moment’s” wide range of listeners. “Exquisite found a subject that excites her and that she believes deserves a spotlight, and that enthusiasm comes through in each episode,” Buch said. “It is also a great way to combine traditional media and new media, delivering the podcast through platforms like YouTube or Spotify, while also encouraging reading and exploring an author that her
listeners might not otherwise be exposed to.” Highlighting authors who may not be getting enough attention is one of Williams’ primary goals. She seeks to find and explore authors whose writings make up a new literary canon. “My overarching goal is that people start engaging with the book and start seeing that the only works of literature are not just classics,” Williams said. “The books we have now are also, like, important in regard to what we read and how we see the world.”
MOVIES & TV
“Dune” makes for the ultimate cinematic experience BY CONNOR MCLAUGHLIN @connor_mcla A masterful redefinition of the epic film. An otherworldly magnificent beast of a picture unlike anything in recent cinema. Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” is visual artistry that unfolds before the eyes with staggering tactility, mythic complexity and profound technicality. It’s a fully untamed, cinematic juggernaut. This must’ve been what it felt like for audiences seeing the OG “Star Wars” in 1977 or “Fellowship of the Ring” 20 years ago; an awe-inspiring, giant movie of unseen proportions. It lives up to the hype and then some. Once those opening drums started, I knew I was in for an immersive cinematic experience unlike any other. Chills shot down my spine multiple times and my eyes were glued to the screen for the entire runtime. Certain frames will be forever seared into my brain. Unprecedented in size,
scale and sound, Villeneuve has crafted an epic brutalist picture that manages to juggle both a warm human story and intergalactic geopolitics whilst maintaining its spectacle. The landscapes are vast, the ships are huge, the characters are tenderly crafted and the behemoth scope is unparalleled. Having read the novel by Frank Herbert beforehand, the fixed knowledge of the plot aided in my viewing experience, but this adaptation works extremely well for those unfamiliar. “Dune” translates perfectly from page to screen, hashing out the sci-fi jargon and heavy exposition organically and crisply while keeping a steady pace throughout. This film did Herbert’s book justice in terms of character, setting and story. Attention to detail was evident in the making of this film, especially through some of the smaller, more human moments. The stark desert landscape of Arrakis is brought to life. It felt as if they had filmed it there. The world within the
frame feels tangible and completely absorbing through the attention from Villenueve and cinematographer Greig Fraser. As usual, Hans Zimmer delivered a euphoric score that is pulsating with texture in every beat and chord. The ensemble cast is fantastic, with Timothée Chalamet proving himself as a capable leading man and an even better Paul Atreides. His character arc was by far the most intriguing, focused storyline. The supporting cast is full of standouts like Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem and the impressive Rebecca Ferguson. While the whole cast embodied their characters very well, certain characters served mere perfunctory purposes and are barely in the film, but it is evident that there is more to come for them in the sequel. No character stood out to me more than Shai-Hulud itself. The Worm. The Old Man of the Desert. The sandworms are an entity in and of themselves and they were quite spectacular to
see onscreen. Ranging from a ripple in the sand to towering beasts, the worms are unfathomably huge and the every appearance of them is jaw-dropping. For a grand sci-fi film that wasn’t necessarily marketed as a part one, “Dune: Part One” holds it own as an excellent setup piece that manages to introduce this harsh world with sublime majesty and moodiness. It’s surely a slow work of blockbuster filmmaking, but the sheer opulence of this adaptation outweighs the methodical pacing. It is a Villenueve film, so the slow burn is expected. Watching this film on a compressed streaming platform from the couch is an injustice. Without a colossal screen to project its filmic prowess and bombastic sound systems to scream its symphony, streaming objectively hinders the impact of the film. It teeters upon sacrilege because there’s no way HBO Max or your living room television can capture the
courtesy of Amazon
magnitude of this movie. There is no other way to see this than in the theater on the biggest screen possible, preferably in IMAX. “Dune” is the cinematic event of the year, a sensory experience tailor made for the wide screen, theatrical setting. Now, the wait to be seated for the sequel begins, and the part two cannot come soon enough.
Monday, October 25, 2021
page 7
BAND SPOTLIGHT
Mt. Joy and Briston Maroney perform at Joy Theater BY ABBY KIBLER @abigailkibler The five-person indie rock band known as Mt. Joy arrived at the Joy Theater in New Orleans to perform their sold-out show for their Fall Tour on Tuesday, Oct. 19. It was the Joy Theater’s first time opening since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and there were a few complications. “The concert experience with COVID is really what was expected, but I think COVID was the least of everyone’s worries after a catastrophic sewage complication occurred inside the Joy,” said construction management senior Briggs Brian.
ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille
Briston Maroney sings “Bottle Rocket” on stage Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, while opening for Mt. Joy’s fall tour at the Joy Theater, which opened up for the first time since COVID-19, on Canal Street in New Orleans, La.
ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille
Mt. Joy performs “Silver Lining” in an intimate VIP acoustic set for a small number of fans Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, during their fall tour at the Joy Theater in New Orleans.
Staff at the Joy Theater made sure everyone still had a good time and made accommodations for fans who were affected. Before the concert, Mt. Joy invited a small number of fans inside for an intimate acoustic VIP session and meet and greet. The band was very grateful for their fans, and they were eager to get to know them. One fan sported a Mt. Joy tattoo on his torso, which guitarist Sam Cooper was fascinated with. Briston Maroney opened the concert with “Small Talk.” Even though he was not the headliner, he easily got the crowd engaged with his electrifying voice. For his last and most well-known song, “Freakin’ Out on the Interstate,” the audience screamed the lyrics which echoed throughout the venue. Brian also added, “I found out Briston Maroney was the opening
act the day of the concert, and after watching him perform, I can honestly say I’m a big fan now.” Mt. Joy performed songs from their debut album, “Mt. Joy,” along with their most recent album, “Rearrange Us.” Lead singer Matt Quinn arrived on stage and began opening the set with “I’m Your Wreck.” “Mt. Joy conveys such a feelgood sound, and just listening to it can really bring you up or keep you grounded. Music plays an important role in my life, and Mt. Joy exceeded all expectations,” Brian said. The band entranced the crowd with their original songs and cover song mash-ups. While performing, “Julia,” they intertwined “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Clint Eastwood” into their original
song. They ended their concert with their most famous song, “Silver Lining,” which has over 94,800,000 listens on Spotify. Civil engineering senior Michael Bernard said his favorite moment was when the band played their song “Silver Lining.” The crowd screamed along as the lyric “down in New Orleans, where the levees broke.” “The energy was unmatched and sent chills through my whole body,” Bernard said. “Being able to experience something like that after a year and a half of COVID protocols and no crowds was something I’ll remember for a while.” Mt. Joy ended the concert saying they are hoping to return to New Orleans in 2022.
ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille
Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy opens up their set with “I’m Your Wreck” Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, during their fall tour at the Joy Theater in New Orleans.
LIFESTYLE
Trivia and Bingo nights to attend around Baton Rouge BY KATIE DIXON Trivia and bingo nights are the perfect night scene for week days. These classic games a great way to have some calm but competitive fun with friends. Here are lists of places to compete in some trivia or bingo in Baton Rouge.
TRIVIA
The Bulldog 4385 Perkins Road When: Thursdays, 7 p.m. Prizes: Gift cards Specials: $2 off all local pitchers; happy hour from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Pluckers 6353 Bluebonnet Blvd. When: Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Prizes: Gift cards (first place: $150, second place: $100, third place: $50) Specials: raffles during trivia for a free pint of Yuengling Rally Cap Brewing Company 11212 Pennywood Ave. When: Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Prizes: Gift cards (first place: $50, second place: $25, third place $15) The Overpass Merchant 2904 Perkins Road When: Mondays, 6-8 p.m. Prizes change weekly Rock N Roll Sushi 3627 Perkins Road When: Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Prizes: Gift card (first place: $40, second place: $20)
Specials: Happy hour during trivia game MID Tap 660 Arlington Creek Centre Blvd. When: Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Prizes change weekly Specials: happy hour all day City Slice 124 W Chimes St. When: Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m. Prizes: Gift cards (first place: $50, second place: $25), a round of shots for third place Tiger Tavern 14505 N. Burnside Ave. When: Thursdays, 6 p.m. Prizes: Gift cards George’s Place 860 St. Louis St. When: Tuesdays, 7p.m. Prizes: Bar tab paid (with limit), t-shirts Spanky's Daiquiris-Burbank 411 Ben Hur Road Halloween special: Tuesday 10/26 only, 8 p.m Prizes: Free shots, merchandise, gift cards
BINGO Spanky’s Daiquiris-Burbank 411 Ben Hur Road Musical Bingo night: Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Prizes: Free shots, merchandise, gift cards Quarters 4530 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. Bingo night: Wednesdays The event features a DJ and Blingo Cards. Match five songs to win prizes. Bingo Center 5409 Airline Highway Open 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.
SPORTS Column: Orgeron ‘MORE TO FIGHT FOR’ firing was
page 8
OPINION
Linebacker Damone Clark one of the few bright spots in dismal season BY JARED BRODTMANN @therealjarbear
Let’s be honest. This season for LSU has sucked. It is really that simple. With the black cloud of Ed Orgeron’s pending firing, the team hovering at .500 with a 4-4 record with doubts of being bowl eligible looming and the mound of injuries to LSU’s talented roster, it is difficult to be optimistic about the general state of the program. There is just so much to be negative about. Doing so would be an apathetic disservice to linebacker Damone Clark. “I think he’s playing like an All-American,” Orgeron said after the Ole Miss game Saturday. “I’m so proud of Damone.” The senior linebacker has been nothing short of fantastic for LSU this season, rebounding from a subpar 2020 performance. With 98 total tackles through eight games, he leads the NCAA in the category. With the coveted No. 18 on his back, he has been the embodiment of the defensive captain, both on and off the field. With two forced fumbles and an interception to his name, he has also been active in creating turnovers. Against Ole Miss on Saturday in LSU’s 31-17 loss, Clark had his best game of the season with 19 tackles and a forced fumble. Clark’s LSU career began with high expectations. In 2018, he only played one game as a defensive player, but was active on spe-
PETER NGUYEN / The Reveille
LSU football senior linebacker Damone Clark (18) celebrates after sacking the opposing quarterback on Oct. 23, during LSU’s 31-17 loss against Ole Miss, in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Mississippi. cial teams, and more importantly, in the talented LSU linebacker room that featured now-NFL players Jacob Phillips, Michael Divinity Jr., Patrick Queen and the growing legend Devin White. When he cracked the rotation in 2019, the position group was arguably the best and deepest of the national championship-winning defense. Clark finished the year with a respectable 50 tackles. When most of Clark’s teammates left for the draft or graduated the next year, he was expected to step in on the new, revamped LSU defense under the tutelage of Bo Pelini. Unfortunately for Clark, the new defensive coordinator’s defense left him, a classic box-tobox linebacker, in impossible posi-
tions to succeed. The middle of the field is Clark’s domain, but when he or JaCoby Stevens were the only players there to make tackles in space or mark receivers cutting across, their ability to boost their individual stock was capped. Stepping up as a leader also meant Clark had to take responsibility for the defense’s performances, even when most agree it was never his fault. NFL draft scouts thought of Clark as a day-three player at best after the nightmare 2020 season. This season for the team overall has seen the commonalities in game results, but not in the team’s defensive play. Clark must get a lot of the credit for this. His impact, direct or indirect, on offensive gameplans affects opponent
performances. With his play, he should in consideration for the Butkus Award, last won by Devin White himself, and putting himself in a position to a first or secondround talent in the NFL Draft. “I just looked myself in the mirror,” Clark said, “and last year I was nowhere near where I needed to be, and even now I’m still nowhere near where I need to be. I mean, there’s always room for improvement.” And yet, Clark, the consummate teammate, is dissatisfied. He is upset with the poor play and oblivious to the outside noise. His only concern is to help the team play better and win. Don’t doubt that scouts take that into account too. Clark’s biggest motivation is his daughter. A girl’s dad to the heart, Clark wants to be his best for her. “I don’t want anybody else to put food on the table for her,” Clark said. “I want to be the one that puts the food on the table for her. It just hits different when you have a daughter. You got more to fight for.” Clark can be upset. In fact, it might be concerning if he wasn’t. But LSU fans should recognize the greatness they are witnessing from him. Soon, he will be joining the impressive fraternity of LSU linebackers in the pros, and his career is just getting started. “Not looking too far down line,” Clark said, “but you know we got more games. It’s not going to stop. You gotta keep going.”
impulsive HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_
If LSU didn’t have Ed Orgeron as their head coach from 20182019, then they wouldn’t have Joe Brady, Joe Burrow or a national title. And yet the organization is throwing him away just two rough seasons after our historic run. Not only are they firing him, but they are keeping him head coach until the end of the season, which is a recipe for a disappointing tail-end of a season. While Orgeron might be perceived as the kind of guy that will give the end of his tenure his all, does he actually have any reason to do so? Now, the past two seasons have featured an array of terrible losses, and while those losses can’t be excused, the last two years have been absurd. COVID-19, opt-outs, injuries, coaching staff changes, more injuries, you name it. To say that this team has had a lot to deal with and adapt to is an understatement. Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, starting defensive back Kary Vincent Jr and starting defensive lineman Tyler Shelvin all opted out before the 2020-21 sea-
see OPINION, page 9
SOCCER
LSU soccer wins one, loses one, sits on SEC playoff bubble BY MORGAN ROGERS @__morganrogers On Sunday, LSU soccer traveled to Gainesville, Florida, and lost 4-0 to the Gators. With a 3-6 SEC record, they’re on the playoff bubble with one match left to play. They’ll face Arkansas at home on Thursday, Oct. 28. With a spot in the SEC tournament at stake, the LSU soccer team knew exactly what they needed to do on Thursday night. The Tigers defeated South Carolina in a 4-0 shutout at the LSU Soccer Stadium. The team sat at No. 11 in SEC standings prior to the match and moved up to No. 9 after the big win. SEC teams must qualify in the top-10 to compete at the conference tournament starting on Oct 31. The Purple and Gold ended the night with a season record of 10-5 overall and 3-5 in SEC while the Gamecocks dropped to 9-4-1 (4-2-1 SEC). LSU soccer hosted Pups at the Pitch, so fans brought along their
costumed dogs to fill the stands on Thursday night’s win. Not only did fans turn out for an excuse to show off their pets, but for a chance to witness LSU history. Senior Chiara Ritchie-Williams broke the record for most games played as an LSU athlete when she hit the field for her 92nd match. It was also the first match between the two SEC schools in three years, with the Tigers claiming their third straight win against the Gamecocks. “I still believe in us, and this team believes in ourselves,” Ritchie-Williams noted as the Tigers got prepped for South Carolina. “We know what is in front of us. We know what we are capable of. So we just have to go out there and play the way we know how to and the rest will take care of itself.” Veteran Shannon Cooke gave the Tigers an early lead in the 18th minute of the game. The defender made her first goal of the season from a penalty. LSU kept good
CHYNNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille
LSU soccer senior defender Shannon Cooke (8) jumps into a celebration huddle after LSU soccer graduate student forward Riley Dixon (18) scores a goal Oct. 21, during LSU’s 4-0 win against South Carolina. ball control for the remainder of the match, making 13 shots with six on goal. The Tigers scored yet again, just 10 minutes after Cooke’s penalty-kick goal. In usual Tinaya Alexander fashion, the forward sped past her
defenders from the midfield line all the way into the box. Alexander’s shot was blocked, but transfer student Riley Dixon was able to knock the loose ball into the net. Dixon earned her second goal of the season, while Alexander
picked up her fourth assist. Head Coach Sian Hudson’s vision on growth and focus on team chemistry definitely started to bloom throughout the Tigers’ performance in the night. “We talked about being compact and organized defensively tonight,” Hudson said. “After the first 10 minutes or so, our confidence kept growing and growing. We kept the ball really well tonight.” Despite the extensive lead just 30 minutes into the match, the team had no intentions of slowing down. Another 10 minutes passed, and the Tigers put yet another point onto the board. Thanks to a pass from Alesia Garcia, midfielder Meghan Johnson chipped one in from way outside the box. The 30-yardgoal marks Johnson’s third time to score this season. The remainder of the first half closed out quietly. Goalkeeper Mollee Swift registered three saves before half-
see SOCCER, page 9
Monday, October 25, 2021 OPINION, from page 8 son began. Derek Stingley Jr. was ruled out with an illness before the Mississippi State loss in a game in which they desperately needed him and quarterback Myles Brennan played through a painful abdomen injury in their loss against Missouri. That injury would take him out for the season, thrusting freshmen TJ Finley and Max Johnson into the mix at a rough time in the season with an offensive line that was struggling. The defense was still terrible with Stingley healthy, but it was also gutted after the previous season with most of the starters leaving for the NFL draft along with the aforementioned opt-outs. It was incredibly young and led by Bo Pelini. Orgeron is to blame for hiring Pelini. There’s no argument there. That hire played a large role in
SOCCER, from page 8 time, catching grounders to the center of the net in the 24th minute and back-to-back toward the end of the half. The Gamecocks led the attacking front coming into the second half, making a shot on goal in the 47th minute that Swift dove and easily collected. Swift faltered from the same attacker minutes
page 9 a defense that gave up 35 points per game and five games of 40 or more. But he aptly fired him at the end of the season and made more informed decisions in bringing in Jake Peetz and Daronte Jones as the new offensive and defensive coordinators. Orgeron hasn’t even had a full season with them yet, and injuries on both ends have mitigated what these coordinators can do. If the defense was giving up 35-plus points per game, had no bright spots and a completely healthy roster, I could understand there being complaints about the coordinator. But they’ve lost their two best defensive backs in Stingley Jr. and Eli Ricks for the rest of the season, and they also lost Andre Anthony and Ali Gaye. They’ve had solid performances against Mississippi State and Auburn, the former in which they utilized a strategic formation to
keep Mississippi State’s Air Raid offense in front of them and the latter in which they got into the backfield on numerous occasions and pressured the quarterback. If only they could tackle Bo Nix, am I right? On the other hand, the offense lost their quarterback before the season began and recently lost their top receiver as well. They started off the season one-dimensional, and that cost them against Auburn, but they adapted, transforming the offense into one that can run at will and pass when needed. They scored 49 points and ran for 321 yards against Florida, who had previously given up just 16.5 points per game. And their game against Kentucky featured a strong balance between the run and the pass and success in both, but they had multiple drives stall out in Kentucky territory that should have resulted in points.
Four out of LSU’s remaining five games will come against teams that will be favored over them, and I believe that if they ultimately finish 5-7 or 6-6, the decision was correct. But what happens if they win two or three of those underdog games? Ole Miss almost lost to Tennessee, and their run defense is suspect at best. Arkansas does not look like the team that beat Texas and Texas A&M a few weeks ago, and A&M has been up-and-down. Don’t tell me it’s impossible for them to take two of those. I would understand the firing if it had to do with everything Orgeron has been involved with behind the scenes since the title, but why would you let him stay for the remainder of the season if it was because of his behavior? Why would Scott Woodward state that his firing was strictly due to onthe-field issues if that was only a half-truth?
Would they have fired him if they were winning more? Would they have fired him if they beat Auburn or UCLA? Those are the questions that pop into my head after reading Woodward’s statement on Twitter. It’s not like he has to be specific; a simple addition of “off-the-field issues” would have been enough to be considered transparent. But instead, he leaves room for speculation. It makes it seem like they only care about what the coach produces on the field and not about his behavior behind the scenes. With this being said, I don’t believe what has happened specifically on the field over the last two seasons is enough of a reason to fire him just yet and that this was an impulsive move. The team has gone through a lot of changes since their championship run, and it’s too early to tell if this coaching core can have success.
later, but defender Reese Moffatt denied the forward the open goal. Afterward, the Tigers maintained a steady defensive stance and garnered their seventh clean sheet. Johnson and forward Alexander both made shots on target, but it wasn’t until the 82nd minute, when the Tigers could get another goal past Gamecock keeper Heather Hinz. Garcia, who assisted in the previous goal, made one
of her own, off a through ball sent from midfielder Jordan Johnson. Garcia pushed past a defender to send one soaring into the back of the net. “It was a must-win game for us tonight and to come out and score four goals and keep a clean sheet is fantastic,” Hudson said. “Really proud of the team tonight; now we turn our focus to Florida on Sunday.”
Such a powerful SEC win hasn’t occurred for the Tigers since the 2015 season during their 4-3 defeat of Georgia. The Purple and Gold have seen 14 different Tigers score this season alone. Their triumph granted them a chance to make it to the 2021 SEC Tournament, but the Tigers must buckle down for the last two games of the season in order to remain in the top-10. LSU will return home for their
final game of the season against Arkansas on Oct. 28 at 7 pm C.T. The Razorbacks sit at the No. 1 spot in SEC standings. The powerhouse is undefeated in the SEC with eight wins under their belt and an overall 13-2 record this year. Considering LSU soccer’s recent history of unpredictability, fans can still expect an exciting game that could swing either way.
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OPINION
page 11
Reflections from a semester and a half of writing opinion BUI WAS HERE ANTHONY BUI @da_bui_ I have written for The Reveille for the past semester and a half. In that time I have shared my opinions on a variety of topics, from LSU football to Mike the Tiger’s happiness. In doing so, I have learned as much about my peers as I have about myself. No matter how similar we may be in classification, major or age, there is still such a huge difference in our own beliefs. I could never share an opinion and have everyone agree on it, but that’s okay. Even if I was fine with not appealing to everyone, I quickly learned that a lot of people take differences in opinion very seriously. They would get angry and send hateful messages, all because I wrote opinions that didn’t align with their agendas. My first column was about how America only sees race in Black and white. I argued that the media is very selective in what they report—they failed, at the time, to report on the rising
THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES
Freshman Madalyn Mouton reads a copy of The Reveille on Aug. 22, 2019. numbers of hate crimes against Asian Americans. I received tremendous backlash, with some readers messaging me claiming that I was spewing a harmful anti-Black narrative. I was told that these comments would come when I was
first hired, but I had naïvely believed they would not affect me. In reality, they did. I felt as if my voice was being taken away from me by my own peers; I felt that my opinions and feelings were no longer valid. I wanted to quit there.
Obviously, I didn’t quit. I continued sharing my opinions from March 2021 up until this very moment, and I’m glad that I did. Working as an opinion writer made me bolder and stronger. My skin grew thicker as the com-
ments rolled in, because I realized, unlike some of the Facebook and Twitter commenters, that it is okay to have different opinions. No one will agree with everything I say; I’m just glad for people to know how I feel. My time at The Reveille gave me great work experience and great life experience. I met some really awesome people and genuinely enjoyed the environment. My bosses have been compassionate and understanding and have encouraged me daily. My fellow columnists always cheered me on and gave me great feedback to become an even better writer. This isn’t a messy break-up, and things aren’t going to be awkward between me and the rest of the Reveille staff. It was just time for me to move on. I enjoyed every budget meeting, time spent writing these columns and, yes, even all of the hate mail. If you are reading this and find yourself even remotely interested in a position at The Reveille, go for it. I promise that you won’t regret it. Anthony Bui is a 21-year-old English major from Opelousas.
F. King Alexander was fully committed to higher education CHARLIE’S ANGLES CHARLIE STEPHENS
@charliestephns On Dec. 13, 2019, former President F. King Alexander announced in a campus-wide email that he was leaving the university. He left the university community with one note that still strikes me—“Please know that I will continue to fight for LSU in my capacity as a national advocate for public higher education.” Our university had a true believer in public higher education as president, someone who was recognized on a national stage for standing up for the core beliefs of a public university. Throughout Alexander’s career as an educator, he has devoted himself to reforming the American public university model to accommodate the students who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to attend institutions like LSU. It was an argument on behalf
of the students in the states he represented. In his first presidency job at Murray State University in rural Kentucky, Alexander was invited to testify in front of the U.S. House of Representatives on “college cost growth and student indebtedness.” The rural region served by Murray State needed a president who saw the true value in educating the population surrounding it—the core service mission of a public university. It was the first of many times in which Alexander would be recognized for his passion and courage in saving the public university model. In 2006, he was appointed president at California State University, Long Beach, where he continued to be recognized as an advocate for the public university. While at CSULB, Alexander led a “holistic” admissions policy that largely mirrors what he later implemented here at the university. This policy allowed incoming students flexibility on college entrance exams and GPA requirements. It is a large part of why
he was one of the biggest critics of university rankings like those released by the U.S. News and World Report. Alexander argues that it’s easy for a university to see success by only admitting the most qualified students, but that doesn’t serve the community. “Everybody knows how to get graduation and retention rates up,” he said. “You turn down every academically-challenged student.” If your university excludes such a large part of the population, then it is not a tool for community mobility. Universities should serve and uplift the community surrounding them. In an interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education, Alexander said “becoming more exclusive would not help California.” He went on to explain that diverse state universities produce “teachers, engineers and nurses who stick around to work in the city of Long Beach,” while Ivy League institutions rarely contrib-
ute to the communities intimately surrounding their campuses. If this all sounds familiar to you, it’s because it is. Alexander brought his passion for the public university model from Long Beach to Baton Rouge, yet sadly state politicians fought him every step of the way. He attempted to fight for adequate funding in the midst of the largest budget cuts in the country, as detailed in the Reveille last fall. When Alexander warned of layoffs on the football team due to funding cuts that would shorten the academic calendar, he made plenty of enemies in the state legislature. They were upset that he wasn’t willing to put their sacred cow first. The legislators would continue to see him as an enemy when he implemented holistic admissions, further opening the university to students across the state. Today, amid numerous public scandals and accusations of mismanagement, the Board of Su-
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The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The 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 Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to editor@lsu.edu 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 Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
pervisors and other Baton Rouge power brokers have found their scapegoat in Alexander, who once described the Board as “athleticsobsessed.” Alexander intimately detailed how the Board overreached to the Chronicle of Higher Education. “He [the chairman of the Board] wrote down the numbers on a cocktail napkin...and said, ‘This is what we’re paying our new athletic director.’” The university has spent much of the past several years protecting those who have cozied up to the Board and ignoring those who speak out—Alexander once challenged it. I hope President William Tate IV will show that same courage when the time comes, and continue to uphold the belief in public higher education as our mission as a “scholarship first” institution would demand. Charlie Stephens is a 21-year-old political communication junior from Baton Rouge.
Quote of the Week “I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.”
Jane Austen author 1775 — 1817
Monday, October 25, 2021
page 12
Every student would benefit from taking economics classes SAM’S TWO CENTS SAMUEL CAMACHO @SamuelE17713784 The announcement of this year’s Nobel Prize in Economics rejoiced much of academia and the intelligentsia in economics. The research behind the Nobel furthered evidence supporting the “credibility revolution,” a term used to describe the use of econometrics to “provide more credible estimates of empirical effects.” Plainly, this means you should stick to the facts, no matter how unpopular they might be. David Card, one of the recipients of the prize, found that the “minimum wage does not reduce hiring,” contrary to what conventional wisdom often suggests. Now, I don’t expect students to be interested in this sort of stuff. Economic jargon like “labor economics” or “econometrics” bores even the most passionate economics nerds. I have a concentration in the latter and I seldom consider it a palatable subject. Nor do I expect any enthusiasm from any student body for topics like measuring the impact of the minimum wage on business growth, quantifying the extent to which property taxes reduce inequality or determining how cli-
mate change will exacerbate global poverty. These are questions that may only ever pique interest from economists. Nevertheless, in the three years that I have been teaching economics as a supplemental instructor, a private tutor and a fellow student, I rarely find that students are uninterested in topics that are taught in a comprehensible, straightforward manner. It is my belief that economics can be fun. Even if it’s not so, we have a responsibility to learn about it. Even within the pages of this very publication, students are constantly calling for all sorts of interventions in the economy. While I applaud this widespread interest, I doubt the majority of these students have as as good a grasp on the actual facts as their enthusiasm suggests. For example, a 2010 Pew Research Center poll found that only 14% of Americans knew what the inflation rate was at the time. Another study by the National Council on Economic Education showed that two-thirds of Americans didn’t know that money loses its value in times of inflation. For a populace wanting to raise the debt ceiling and QE infinity, not knowing the facts is a frightening prospect. Many Americans, especially students on our campus, flaunt
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their support for President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan. But, as reported by CBS News, “only 10% of Americans describe themselves as knowing a lot of specific things about what’s in [the] plan.” The majority admit to
about economics is crucial to understanding the consequences of policy. On a smaller scale, shouldn’t you understand interest rates when deciding whether to get a loan? This may seem like common
COURTESY OF @NOBELPRIZE ON TWITTER
David Card, Joshua D. Angrist and Guido W. Imbens, the recipients of this year’s Nobel Prize in economic sciences. either not knowing the specifics or not knowing anything at all. How can so many people support something they don’t understand? I’m not suggesting you sign up for a higher-level monetary economics course, though we do have one in the LSU catalog. But, seeing as inflation has soared past 5% from a mere 1% last year, learning
sense, but 1 in four Americans don’t know the interest rate on the mortgage they pay each month. “Student loans are crippling millennials right now,” says associate professor of economics Areendam Chanda. If graduating with thousands of dollars in debt is akin to “crippling” yourself, then failing to learn about basic concepts like the
rate on your loan is like throwing away your crutches altogether. The good news is that you don’t need a Ph.D. to learn about economics. In reality, all it takes is a few Google searches and a hint of curiosity. You can begin by taking a fun, short quiz on economic literacy from the Council for Economic Education. If you’re looking for in-depth analyses of issues that matter, the Federal Reserve publishes numerous reports on the economy. If a class is what you’re looking for, sign up for “The Economics of Life” next semester, taught by renowned professor Daniel Keniston. If you’re trying to enhance your major, work in policy or go to law school, then taking supplemental economics courses is the way to go. Simply want to better understand debates around topics like the minimum wage? Get a minor. Ultimately, learning about economics is crucial to have a prosperous, civic society. But it can also be fun, so don’t let the mathematical models scare you away from this field. October is the National Economic Education Month. We should all celebrate it by learning a bit more about economics. Samuel Camacho is a 21-year-old economics junior from Maracaibo, Venezuela.