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ASTROWORLD AFTERMATH Nine people died as a result of Nov. 5’s Astroworld concert hosted by Travis Scott. Now, lawsuits emerge against him and other organizers.
NEWS
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Although LSU has numerous apps designed to help students navigate campus, many complain they are confusing and unusable.
ENTERTAINMENT
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Find out what to do this week in Baton Rouge, from Happy Hour and yoga to the Chase Tyler Band performance.
SPORTS
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The offense must be held accountable for another close conference loss. Is there another battle for QB1, or is Johnson out?
OPINION
Read on
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“If I am going to pay the living costs associated with in-person classes, then I expect inperson classes.”
L SU Re ve i l le.co m @l s u r e ve i l le
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A TRAGIC NIGHT
B-16 Hodges Hall Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803
Astroworld leads to mass casualties during Travis Scott’s performance BY EDDY HAGE @hage_eddy Lucy Tovar traveled over 250 miles from Baton Rouge to Houston, Texas to see Travis Scott perform live at this year’s Astroworld Festival. She was one of 50,000 fans at NRG Park that day, hours after stampedes of fans tore apart the entrance gates and bypassed security guards to get a glimpse of the rapper. The digital advertising sophomore wasn’t concerned for her safety at the start of the performance. She had already attended Astroworld once prior in 2019 and looked forward to seeing Scott again. But the crowd was different this time -- fans surged to the front of the stage, and more attendees had trouble breathing as each song passed. “I started to panic and cry, and I couldn’t breathe,” Tovar said. “Some guy saw me, grabbed my arm and literally pulled me to the barricade.” Bodies slammed into each other, creating waves of crushing lungs and tight areas with little oxygen, causing fans to faint and in some cases get trampled. Nine people died as a result of Astroworld on Nov. 5, with victims’ ages ranging from 14 to 27. At least 25 more were hospitalized. The annual festival, starting in 2018, was created as an ode to the defunct Six Flags Astroworld amusement park that went out of business in 2005. Scott attempted to bring the same joy to the Houston community that the original theme park brought. Control over the event began to wane as early as when the gates opened at 2 p.m., as videos circulating social media show throngs of fans rushing through entrance gates and security officers, taking down entire metal detectors to rush towards desirable positions near the front of the stage. Tovar said at the start of the show, the crowing was similar to any previous festival, but that the panic set in once she heard a
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Two people who knew an unidentified victim of a fatal incident at the Houston Astroworld concert embrace at a memorial on Nov. 7. nearby woman scream. “I turned around and her boyfriend had passed out, and his eyes were rolling in the back of his head,” Tovar said. “I helped her pick him up and began yelling his name and attempting to wake him up. He woke up, made eye contact with me and went back unconscious. He ended up getting over the barricade where he woke up and was fine, and this man literally got back in the crowd.” Attempts by concertgoers to end the performance early, including screaming and waving to Scott, were unsuccessful. In one video from the event, a man and woman climbed onto the stage to tell a cameraman to stop the show to no avail. The woman pleaded, “there is somebody dead in there!” More and more people fell unconscious in the crowd and, if lucky, were brought to the reportedly understaffed medic tent. One tweet depicted an unconscious fan being crowd-surfed away from the front as Scott con-
JAMAAL ELLIS/ Associated Press
The crowd watches as Travis Scott performs at Astroworld Festival at NRG park on Nov. 5 in Houston.
tinued to hum. Police declared a mass-casualty incident at 9:38 p.m., but Scott’s performance continued through 10:15 p.m. He finished his set almost 40 minutes after authorities were aware of the life-threatening situation for the crowd. Though police claimed stopping the event early would have likely caused a riot, many criticized the prediction as shortsighted. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner also initially said that a security guard was jabbed with a needle and had to be revived with naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug, leading the public to speculate that some of the casualties were caused by a roaming maniac with a needle. However, Finner later said the security guard clarified he was not injected and was instead struck in the head. Now, Scott is facing lawsuits, along with Drake, Live Nation, NRG Energy and other potentially responsible parties regarding the seemingly inhumane and illprepared planning of Astroworld. One video shows Scott pausing the show to send medics to someone in the crowd, only to ask the 50,000 attendees to “make this ground shake” a few moments later. In the background of the Apple Music Live feed, screams for help can be heard while Scott pauses the performance. Soon after the ambulance cart arrived, though, some fans climbed on top of the vehicle to dance while paramedics treated the injured person. The culpability of Scott, the organizers and the authorities are still up in the air due to ongoing investigations, but Scott’s history of promoting aggressive live events has now also fallen under scrutiny. His “rager” culture garnered him a reputation for being an electric live performer who creates chaotic scenes at each performance.
Crowd surfing, mosh pits and diving into crowds create dangerous, adrenaline-filled environments for audiences that can result in injuries. At one of Scott’s 2017 concerts in New York City, a then 23-year-old fan named Kyle Green became paralyzed after being pushed from a third-floor balcony, according to multiple news reports. Scott later boasted about his rowdy reputation with his song, “STARGAZING,” off his 2018 “ASTROWORLD” album, which includes the line, “And it ain’t a mosh pit if ain’t no injuries.” In one lawsuit from New Orleans residents Brandon Nguyen and Nhung Tran, their attorney said, “Promoters and performers need to realize that lives are at stake when basic crowd management and security measures are not in place and followed.” In another suit, attorneys said the concert was built to generate profit at the expense of safety by failing “to properly plan and conduct the concert in a safe manner.” Also mentioning that because Scott promoted violence, nine people “lost their lives and scores of others were injured at what was supposed to be a night of fun.” Scott uploaded an apology video on Instagram two days after the event, in which he vowed to do all he could to help the victims. He has also partnered with BetterHelp to provide one month of free therapy to those who attended. Both the apology and partnership became another subject of widespread criticism for the lax response to such a traumatic night. As for the concertgoers, some had no clue their festival experience would come to this conclusion as they watched the Houston native perform. “I enjoyed my time there in the moment, now I honestly feel like I’ve been hit by a truck and am feeling guilty,” Dovar said.
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CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS The Reveille holds accuracy and objectivity at the highest priority and wants to reassure its readers the reporting and content of the paper meets these standards. This space is reserved to recognize and correct any mistakes that may have been printed in The Daily Reveille. If you would like something corrected or clarified, please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or email editor@lsu.edu.
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 HATE FOR NAVIGATE Students report troubles with LSU apps.
LSU uses many mobile apps meant to assist students’ various needs on campus, like Navigate to schedule advising appointments and TransLoc Rider to see locations of TigerTrails busses. However, many students have found the apps more confusing than convenient. According to the LSU Office of Retention and Student Success website, “Mobile apps are useful tools that will assist you in navigating campus, locating academic resources, discovering new study tools, and organizing your sched-
While students have had issues with the app, Induni’s co-
workers struggle with it as well. “Everyone [at the UCFY] hates Navigate,” Induni said. “It’s not easily laid out…if you’re a freshman and you go to schedule with your senior college, they’ll cancel the appointment on you because you’re not allowed to meet with them yet. Navigate doesn’t explain that to you.” Mathematics freshman Khoa Dang knows of the other LSU apps, but only has LSU Mobile and Navigate downloaded. As a commuter student, Dang uses the LSU Mobile app to find parking around campus and Navigate to schedule advising appointments. Dang believes the Navigate
Why is Earth warming? BY HENRY WELDON & JARED SAUCIER @hankweldon3 & @jared_saucier
app has a simple layout, but has found that it doesn’t function properly at times, especially when he’s trying to schedule an advising appointment. ‘The app’s not very refined. I got an appointment canceled on me one time from the app,” Dang said. “It bothers me a lot because I would like an app to work. As a busy college student, I don’t want more complications in my life from the college.” Navigate isn’t the only app students complain about. Students who rely on TigerTrails busses to get to and around campus
see APPS, page 4
see WARMING, page 4
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ules and task lists.” Biological sciences junior Sarah Induni works at the University College Center for Freshman Year and has heard numerous complaints about the Navigate app not working or being difficult to use. The Navigate app is used by students to find academic resources on campus, like creating study groups, viewing their class schedule, and most importantly, scheduling academic advising appointments, which usually can only be done through the app.
ENVIORNMENT
Scientific consensus that the Earth is warming because of human activity has increased since 2009 and is near universal agreement, according to a new study led by LSU geology professors. Researchers from three universities surveyed 2,780 Earth scientists studying climate change, 91% of whom agreed the Earth is getting warmer because of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, a significant increase since 2009, when a similar survey found that 81% of scientists agreed. All of the most actively publishing researchers those who published at least 20 papers on climate change between 2015 and 2019 agreed that global warming is human caused, according to the new survey. The study highlights an increasing consensus among experts that global warming observed since the industrial revolution is a result of humans burning fossil fuels, which release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, trapping heat and warming the planet. That idea was considered likely in the 1990s in scientific research papers, but today is “unequivocal,” according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The LSU Shield App on an iPhone on Sunday, November 11, 2019. BY GABBY JIMENEZ @gvjimenezz
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STUDENT LIFE
Stress swinging : a new phenomena on campus for students
BY MADDIE SCOTT @madscotyy It was August, and Karla Mendez struggled in the rain to find her dorm on the way back from a welcome-week event. The unfamiliar campus took over, and she was lost. Yet despite her stress, she found something she’d value for the rest of the semester, and possibly the rest of college: the art garden swings. The biology freshman has made it part of her routine to use the swings every Wednesday—the most stressful day of her week due to classes. In the sculpture garden, she catches immense height on the swings, and the feeling of flying plasters a smile on her face. “It feels exhilarating,” Mendez said. “Since no one is pushing me, I have to do it myself. I’m just going all out.” With exams, Mendez noticed she was feeling increasingly anxious, and that day she had work
coming up that put a toll on her mental health. In her opinion, there was no better solution than the swings. She sees it as an outlet. “I was feeling stressed-out, because I know I have something later today, so I’m just trying to release the stress,” Mendez said. When she first saw the swings, she thought it was an odd addition for a college campus. There aren’t any children to use the swings, Mendez thought, but she quickly realized that didn’t matter. It was her playground. Mendez believes, people are too afraid to use the swings to their fullest potential. In order to get the most out of the swing experience, one must go as high as they can, Mendez said. Mendez doesn’t always hop on the swings by herself. Usually, she tries to bring her friends with her a to share her, secret spot on campus. She wishes LSU could build more swings so she could bring even more friends.
“I try to bring people into it too, not just seclude it for me,” Mendez said. “So I brought two, three people so far because I love it so much. I want to share it with everyone else.” Art junior Zobia Tariq also shares the swing- and she comes with her friend, English sophomore Ranem Aburahma. “We were just walking one day and we were like, ‘swings? Let’s try them out,’” Tariq said. Tariq said she feels like a child again when she swings and is brought back to a comforting place when she catches air. Her favorite thing is to race her friends on the swings. “I’ll be sitting with [Tariq] especially, and she’ll want to go high,” Aburahma said. “Her energy is just very contagious.” Art and design freshman Cheyenne Marchetta saw how much fun other people had when swinging. With her to-do list lengthening and her nerves growing stronger, she
found herself jealous of the carefree swingers and decided to try it for herself. “It hasn’t been a very good couple of weeks, but this seems like the kind of energy I might need in my life right now,” Marcheta said. Excited to use the swings for the first time, Marchetta found just
walking through the mulch that surrounded the swings already thirilled her. She also found inspiration for her art project she had been worried about. “It’s such a weird thing to have in the middle of a college campus, but it’s very fun,” Marchetta said. enjoy the child-like energy.”
CHYNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille
LSU graphic design sophomore Zoë Crawford (left) and graphic design senior Riley Daul (right) talk while relaxing on the swings Nov. 10, in the LSU Sculpture Garden located beside the LSU Art & Design building.
Monday, November 15, 2021
page 4 APPS, from page 3 students complain about. Students who rely on TigerTrails busses to get to and around campus can use the TransLoc Rider app, which is meant to show students the real-time location and arrival time of campus buses, as well as access announcements that might impact their ride. Political communications senior Gabrielle Gremillion noticed that the app doesn’t accurately
WARMING, from page 3 Numerous similar studies have found between 90% to 100% agreement among scientists that recent global warming is humancaused, with the studies converging on 97% agreement, according to the latest survey. LSU geology researchers Krista Myers and Peter Doran coauthored the peer-reviewed article, along with professors from Monash University in Australia and George Mason University. “This study is a follow-up 10 years later to see how the numbers have changed,” Doran said. “The consensus has gone up. Even the doubters that are in these groups are just overwhelmed with the evidence.” Doran added that recent record-breaking years of heat show how dire the situation is.
3 3
show bus locations. “[TransLoc Rider] hasn’t really been working well this year, none of the buses are actually where they say they are on the map,” she said. Gremillion believes the inaccuracy of the TransLoc Rider app has prevented her from downloading other apps offered by the university. “I don’t download more, because the one I do have is useless,” she said. Gremillion also had a negative
experience trying to use Navigate to schedule an advising appointment. “I think for freshmen who have no idea what college or this campus is, there’s already so many things happening that downloading five apps that do five certain things can certainly overwhelm you,” Gremillion said. “It’s just so tedious and annoying to download all those apps, to remember what each one of them does.”
The last decade was the hottest on record, and seemingly small increases in global temperature will lead to increases in the number of extremely hot days, bringing consequences to human health, according to Climate Central. “All the online platforms are now making it easier for scientists to share their findings,” said Sophie Warny, a geology professor at LSU. Warny said she hopes the wealth of data scientists have accumulated can influence the public and politicians to make informed decisions related to climate change. “Obviously, a warmer climate is already destabilizing the Antarctic and Arctic ice sheets,” Warny said. “It is raising sea levels, but the warming also generates a myriad of associated changes.
In our region, strong storms, warmer gulf water and enhanced evaporation are translated into catastrophic rain events and massive flooding.” A warmer atmosphere is leading to stronger hurricanes, heavier rain events, more flooding and sea-level rise that will significantly impact Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf states. Despite the abundance of evidence and strong scientific consensus, climate change denial and misinformation remains in the U.S. Overall, less than half of Americans agree human activity plays a significant role in global warming, according to the Pew Research Center. In Baton Rouge, a majority of residents consider global warming an important issue and support government efforts to limit
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The Navigate home screen. greenhouse gas emissions and invest in alternatives to traditional carbon-emitting transportation like bike paths and mass transit, the latest CityStats report finds.
“My hope is that this debate about whether or not climate change from anthropogenic causes is real stops being a political issue.” Warny said.
Nicola Marfisi/ANSA via AP
Students set fire to a replica of planet Earth during a worldwide protest demanding action on climate change, in Milan, Italy, Sept. 27, 2019.
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 6
WEDNESDAY
TUESDAY AT 6:30
MONDAY
BY AVA BORSKEY @iamavab
NOVEMBER
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JR Jackson Tour Holliday Forum JR Jackson, host of the JR Sportbrief show on CBS Sports Radio, will present two lectures on sports media careers and the importance of inclusion and equality in journalism and sports. LSU students can attend the morning session from 10:30 a.m.-noon or the afternoon session from 2:30 p.m.-4 p.m. The event is free but has limited attendance. Preregistration is required. COURTESY SPECIALOLYMPICS.ORG
JR Jackson visits Springfield College in Massachusetts as his first stop on his Media for the Movement tour.
NOVEMBER
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Try Arts Tuesday Greater Baton Rouge Arts Council Embrace your inner thespian at the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, 233 Saint Ferdinand St., at 6:30 p.m. Gregory Williams, Jr. will be leading a hands-on class on creating and sustaining believable characters onstage. Pre-register for the “Character Creation” workshop on Eventbrite. Tickets are $10. COURTESY OF VISITBATONROUGE.COM
NOVEMBER
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Happy Hour and Yoga on Tap Tin Roof Brewing Co. Head over to Tin Roof Brewing Co., 1624 Wyoming St., for a mid-week uplift. Enjoy $1 off pints and $5 off 64 oz. growler fills during Wednesday Happy Hour from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17. If the weather isn’t too cold, Leela Yoga Lifestyle will be leading a free yoga class following happy hour at 6 p.m. COURTESY OF VISITBATONROUGE.COM
Chase Tyler Band Perkins Rowe
NOVEMBER
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Rock out with the Chase Tyler Band at Perkins Rowe on Thursday, Nov. 18. The Baton Rouge band will be performing its mix of Southern rock, dance favorites, country and swamp pop as part of the free Rock N Rowe concert series in the Perkins Rowe Town Square. COURTESY OF CHASETYLERBANDLA.COM
THE CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FALL 2021 RING RECIPIENTS!
A TIGER TRADITION! Lindsey Achord
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SPORTS
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Another ‘phenomenal’ performance for LSU defense BY DYLAN SANDERS @DillySanders
AN UNTIMELY LOSS
SAVANNA ORGERON/ The Reveille
LSU football freshman quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (5) claps for the ball Saturday, Nov. 14, during LSU’s 16-13 loss against Arkansas at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
LSU’s lack of offensive dominance remains: ‘It sucks to be the ones holding us back’ BY MACKAY SUIRE @macthetiger With the dark cloud of Coach Ed Orgeron’s firing looming over the future of the LSU Tigers, many unknowns continue to surface as this season quickly comes to an end. With a tough loss in overtime against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Death Valley, these inconsistencies became even more apparent. But aside from these inconsistencies, one thing has stayed steady: LSU’s defense. This group has stayed rock-solid in moments they were expected to crumble.
Despite the absence of many strong defensive starters, those chosen from the roster to step up and dominate have done just that. “[On the defensive performance] Phenomenal,” Orgeron stated in a press conference following the loss. “I think the defense has been playing lights out. We went more of a 3-4 look and got some more pressure. We missed some plays tonight but overall, I just think the defense has been playing really well.” The unfortunate and untimely loss, 16-13, for the Tigers resulted in a lifeless locker room. “They played their hearts out,”
Orgeron said. “Too many mistakes, three turnovers on offense, down in the red zone, and we didn’t score again. That’s a hurting group in there right now.” This is the second week in a row for LSU where offensive performances are what led to the team falling short. “It’s disappointing, especially as an offensive guy, when the defense comes out and plays like one of the best defenses in the country,” Center Liam Shanahan explained. “We had more than enough chances to win this game, this week and last week. It sucks to be the ones hold-
ing us back from getting a couple of wins that could have been really big wins for us.” This isn’t to say that the de- fense hasn’t been having their fair share of mistakes. Linebacker Damone Clark confirmed this as he spoke about the moments in the Arkansas game where they just fell flat. “This is the second week that we’ve come out and just fought until the very end,” Clark said. “It was just that one play, and we fell short. I missed the sack on the quarter see ARKANSAS, page 9
Daronte Jones came to LSU with a reputation. LSU’s new defensive coordinator was going to be no nonsense. He was going to improve the defense. Last year’s issues? No chance they repeat. Well, that’s what we thought at least. Through the first few games of the year, Jones’ defense fell victim to the same blown coverages and basic blitz packages of the last regime. Everywhere Jones went, he improved things drastically. With the Minnesota Vikings, he led a top-10 secondary. He developed Darius Phillips into having a career year in Cincinnati, and he coached Reshad Jones into a Pro Bowl appearance in Miami. What was happening at LSU? Over the bye week, Ed Orgeron said something clicked with the defense. After Saturday night’s overtime loss to Arkansas, he stated that they switched to a more 3-4 focused defensive approach, and got a lot more looks that they liked. Even in a loss, they held Arkansas to just 16 points. LSU’s front seven see DEFENSE, page 9
MENS BASKETBALL
‘A breath of fresh air:’ LSU comes alive against Texas State BY PETER RAUTERKUS @peter_rauterkus It was a slow start for LSU men’s basketball against Texas State, but a dominant second half propelled the Tigers to a comfortable 84-59 victory. “Annoying” was how Darius Days described matching up with Texas State’s offense, which perennially ranks toward the bottom in offensive tempo. The Bobcats used this to their advantage for much of the first half, consistently running down the shot clock and controlling the tempo on both ends. Part of this offensive attack from Texas State had a lot to do with being aggressive and driving to the basket, which put multiple Tigers in foul trouble early on. This forced the LSU bench into action early and often, and they more than answered the call, scoring 43 points as a unit. “It was a breath of fresh air,” Days said when describing how it felt for the bench to immediately pick back up where the starters left off.
Tari Eason and Alex Fudge were especially big off the bench, with Eason putting up his second double-double in as many games, and Fudge finished with 14 points, shooting a perfect 100% from the field. “We’re coming full speed, not letting up,” Fudge said. The second half is where LSU started to find its rhythm and take control of the game down the stretch. LSU outscored Texas State 52-22 in the second half, with the Tigers looking much more in rhythm on both ends of the floor. On offense, the shots began to fall with consistency for LSU, as it shot 63% from the field, and an astounding 77.8% from beyond the arc. On defense, the Tigers forced multiple shot-clock violations and held Texas State to shooting just 32% from the field and 0-6 from beyond the arc. Controlling the tempo was the biggest key to LSU taking control of the game in the second half. Head Coach Will Wade talked about how effective Texas State was with tempo early on, and how
he challenged the team to change that at halftime. “I thought we weren’t aggressive enough in the first half. We were better in the second half,” Wade said. “We had to throw them off their rhythm.” One of the most promising aspects of LSU’s performance was the way it responded to early adversity and pulled away late. It was no secret that this would be a step up in competition from Louisiana-Monroe, and after being challenged early, the Tigers responded well. This is especially important, considering LSU will have another step up in competition when it faces Liberty on Monday night. “If you think this team was slow, just wait until Monday night,” Wade said when talking about Liberty. Despite the bench stepping up the way it did, Days still led all scorers, along with Tari Eason with 17 points. Days continues to show his improvement, scoring at multiple levels and scoring both from the catch and off the dribble.
Chynna McClinton / The Reveille
LSU basketball sophomore guard Eric Gaines (2) shoots a free throw Friday, Nov. 12, during LSU’s 84-59 win against Texas State in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on North Stadium Drive in Baton Rouge, La. Brandon Murray also had a big game for LSU, scoring 14 points in just his second career game. Murray’s hustle and workethic has been praised by many coming into the season, and Days acknowledged that once again after the game. “He’s a worker,” Days said. “I’m
glad he got his moment tonight.” The Tigers will be back at home on Monday night as they face the talented Liberty team. Liberty entered the season off of an Atlantic Sun Championship and NCAA Tournament berth last season, and will certainly be another challenge for this LSU team.
Monday, November 15, 2021 DEFENSE, from page 8 accounted for three sacks and 10 tackles for a loss. This came a week after LSU made Alabama’s signature offense look mortal. The defense has kept LSU in the game the past two weeks. If the Tigers want to keep the streak of 20 straight seasons finishing above .500 alive, they will need the defense to stick to this new trend. Whatever adjustments were made should without a doubt stay in the defense. LSU’s defense was relentless in their attempt to shut down and attack Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson. We saw more complex blitz looks in their package this week for the defense, using the new looks to
ARKANSAS, from page 8 back. That one ate me up.” Outstanding linebacker duo Micah Baskerville and Clark fueled the defensive side for the Tigers. The pair combined for 23 tackles and five tackles for loss. The third most tackles on the team came from Cordale Flott, a cornerback with six. It was Defensive Captain Clark, though, that really seemed to shine. Both Orgeron, and Arkansas Head Coach Sam Pittman undoubtedly took notice of No. 18, each commenting on his performance in post-game press conferences. LSU’s defense has seemed to ac-
page 9 their advantage to get through the Arkansas offensive line. It felt like more of what I was expecting out of this defense. Jones learned a lot under Mike Zimmer, the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Zimmer is known for his blitzing, and it was puzzling when LSU came out with such basic looks to start the year. In particular, the play of LSU’s linebackers as of late has been outstanding. If you ask Mike Jones Jr, as I did, the linebacker play has been top-notch all year. According to Jones and fellow linebacker Damone Clark after the game, linebackers coach Blake Baker has done a great job in the past few weeks in his preparation and approach to defense. Both spoke very highly of Baker, who is rounding out his first
year at LSU, much like a lot of this staff. Clark and Micah Baskerville in particular have been outstanding. Clark was recently named a semifinalist for the Butkus award, which is given to the top linebacker in the country. Baskerville is the highest graded linebacker on the team, according to ProFootballFocus, with a 70.1 overall grade. While the front seven has arguably been the Tigers’ best unit on the field this season, it has also been the source of one of the biggest points of frustration for fans. They seem to have an issue getting quarterbacks down who start to scramble, once the play breaks down. We saw it a lot against Auburn and Bo Nix, and was a repeat issue against Jefferson. The Tigers allowed Jefferson to ex-
tend plays on numerous occasions, and could have ended up much worse than it did. Luckily, they bent, but did not break, only giving up the one touchdown on a busted coverage early in the third quarter. LSU saw a good effort from their secondary, which of course helps the front seven in their search for sacks. Treylon Burks entered the game as a consensus top-five wide receiver in the upcoming NFL draft. He is an athletic 6-foot, 3-inch, 232 pound player who not many people have been able to figure out this season. Despite trick plays trying to get him incorporated, the highly regarded receiver was only able to finish with four catches on seven targets, gaining 16 yards in the process.
Arkansas was only able to muster a total 142 yards through the air. There is a lot to like about the secondary, considering the crazy amount of injuries that have amassed back there. I asked Orgeron about the emergence of Dwight McGlothern, and he raved about him. He said he has been a fantastic leader for the defensive back room, having stepped up after injuries to other veterans. He was supposed to be a backup this season, but has been thrust into a centerpiece role for the secondary. “Phenomenal,” Orgeron called the defense’s performance. “I think the defense has been playing lights out. We missed some plays tonight but overall, I just think the defense has been playing really well.”
climate solidly to the sudden change in momentum from Defensive Coordinator Daronte Jones, first seen during the Alabama matchup. Blitzing has become a major driving force for the defense and proven to be a successful matchup to the offensive powerhouses that LSU has seen. The Tiger’s defense was able to hold the Razorback’s primary running back Dominique Johnson to just 39 yards in 14 rushes. Johnson had previously gone 107 yards in 17 rushing attempts against Mississippi State. Linemen trio Jaqueline Roy, Neil Farrell and Glen Logan were effective against the fastpaced running game of Arkansas
as well. The Razorbacks adjusted to the tight-knit Tiger defense following half-time but still struggled to stay ahead of their speed and solidity. “We tried to throw some screens off of it and pick their linebacker, which wasn’t successful,” Pittman recalled. “We tried to throw a slant, and it didn’t work. They were too fast for us.” The touchdown that granted overtime for Arkansas ultimately came down to quarterback KJ Jefferson scoping out a fault in LSU’s line. This finding led to a successful pass to Johnson, ultimately landing him into the endzone. “I knew they were bringing the
pressure, so I knew I had to make one miss,” Jefferson said. “I saw [Johnson] downfield, wide open. I just tried to give a good ball, and he ended up doing the rest.” As for LSU, the quarterback battle between Max Johnson and Garrett Nussmeier continues to play out. It is unclear as to when LSU’s offensive structure will be settled into a winning groove. Though the outcomes of the past few games can not be entirely blamed on the quarterback, the instability of the position holder undoubtedly rattles up the entire offensive lineup. “I don’t think we can put it all on the quarterback,” Orgeron said. “I think we have to look at every-
thing, encompass what we’re doing, and let’s just go from there. We have two games left,” he said, “and we have to regroup.” LSU will remain in Death Valley next Saturday, where they will face off against the University of Louisiana at Monroe. While it is an easier match-up on the schedule, the Tigers have proved this season that anything really can happen, even if this means results that are not ultimately in LSU’s favor. Until the Tigers are able to regain the strength behind a successful offensive team, the rest of the season for LSU will remain doubtful. After all, a team can not win a game by scoring field goals.
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Make Some Extra “Dough, Dough, Dough” for the Holidays! Do you have some time and would like to make some additional money for the holiday season? Do you like working in a natural environment and the fastpaced excitement of holiday sales? If so, we have a great job for you at Louisiana Nursery. Each November through December, we turn our stores into a Winter Wonderland where people come from around the city to stock up on everything they need to deck their halls for the holidays. We have openings in positions such as inside cashiers, stockers, Christmas tree lot assistants and more. Louisiana Nursery has two Baton Rouge locations off Perkins Road and Coursey Boulevard, as well as a location on Highway 42 in Prairieville. We offer good pay and a fun working environment. Applicants must be a friendly, “people person” with a good attitude and a willingness to work. Apply in person at your choice location or online at louisiananursery. com/careers
Local legal services company seeks LSU marketing intern for real world resume experience! Paid opportunity. $15/hr., part-time, flexible schedule, etc. Gain valuable insight into the marketing practices of small businesses. Create and run campaigns. Dependable transportation required. Email resume to: intake@ quickliens.com.
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OPINION
page 11
Inaction on building renaming a holdover from USC CHARLIE’S ANGLES CHARLIE STEPHENS @charliestephns The University of South Carolina formed its building renaming committee on Oct. 18, 2019, almost an entire year before LSU announced the formation of its committee on the same subject in August of 2020. USC promised big changes in their initial public statements on the situation, with USC President Robert Caslen announcing, “It is... our intent to research university history—more broadly—to capture the voices and contributions of forgotten, excluded or marginalized groups and individuals who positively contributed to the establishment, maintenance and growth of our university.” That sounds great. The university is committing to renaming racist buildings. Wrong. On July 15, 2021, the Associated Press reported that “the University of South Carolina presi-
cartoon by EMILY TRAN / The Reveille
dent has indicated he does not plan to ask the Legislature for permission to change the names of nearly a dozen campus buildings that a special committee says honors racists and Civil War figures.” That’s right, USC ignored its own committee and refused to rename these buildings bearing the names of racists. They ignored
the committee largely on political grounds, ensuring they did not upset the high-ranking South Carolina legislative leaders resistant to renaming the buildings. Is our university doomed to follow the same path? According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, President William Tate IV’s new Chief Strategy Officer, Mark Bieger, was instru-
mental in crafting the public relations response surrounding the administration’s refusal to rename buildings at USC. As USC’s Interim President Harris Pastides remarked to a university communications official after news broke of the university’s inaction, “Don’t they [the public] know that we weren’t planning to ask [the legislature to
rename the buildings]?” Cut to the present day at LSU. The university has still not commented on the building name evaluation committee, despite its promise months ago of a continued dialogue with the university community. Perhaps Tate and Bieger are bringing some lessons with them from their time at USC. They never intended to rename any of these buildings, and they will never be pressured to do so if the committee fails to finish its work. University spokesperson Ernie Ballard told the Louisiana Illuminator that “Tate is waiting to receive the building naming committee’s report before making public remarks.” Problem is, the committee is not actively meeting. Just like at USC, Tate and Bieger are doing their utmost to stay in good graces with the same legislative Republicans who have attacked higher education at every turn. Are they getting déjà vu? Charlie Stephens is a 21-year-old political communication junior from Baton Rouge.
BR community fridge shows importance of mutual aid SULLY’S SCOOP CLAIRE SULLIVAN
@sulliclaire
The Baton Rouge Community Fridge seeks to tackle local food insecurity through mutual-aid food pantries, where people give what they can and take what they need. There are currently two locations for the food pantries: 1600 Government St. and 2303 Government St. The pantries are entirely sustained by volunteer donations, cooking, cleaning and maintenance. “Emphasizing solidarity over charity, our aim is to provide our community members with a way to take care of each other,” the mission statement on the community fridge website reads. Neighbors looking out for neighbors is the foundation of any strong community. In many cases, mutual aid like the Baton Rouge Community Fridge is a simpler and more humanizing approach to solving local issues than inadequate governmental assistance.
ARIANA ALLISON / 225 Magazine
This Baton Rouge Community Fridge at 1600 Government St is one of two such mutual aid food pantries in Baton Rouge. Though the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program helps millions of Americans, many report that the benefits fail to cover all their needs. In 2014, the USDA reported almost a third of SNAP recipients still needed the assistance of food banks to make ends meet.
Instead of filing countless proofs of employment and income only to receive a paltry allowance, neighbors in need can just pick up food from the community fridge, no strings attached. And there is a great need for pantries like these in Baton Rouge,
as well as Louisiana and the country as a whole. According to Feeding America, over 700,000 Louisiana residents—including almost a quarter-of-a-million children—face food insecurity. During the earlier months of the pandemic, millions of Ameri-
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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.
cans turned to food banks for the first time. Now, about 20 months after initial lockdowns, food insecurity remains above pre-pandemic levels. Tens of millions of Americans face hunger, but there is still a pervasive stigma around accessing food assistance. Efforts such as the Baton Rouge Community Fridge help eliminate that stigma. If you are able to assist, the fridge is always accepting food donations, particularly for popular staples like pasta and milk. The fridge also appreciates cleaning volunteers and monetary donations through its Venmo (@brcommunityfridge) and GoFundMe. Other community fridges exist in Lafayette and New Orleans. Hopefully, these will be the first of many community fridges throughout Louisiana. You can visit the Baton Rouge Community Fridge Website to find more information on donation guidelines, volunteer needs and how to access the pantries. Claire Sullivan is a 19-year-old coastal environmental science sophomore from Southbury, CT.
Quote of the Week “Music is the best means we have of digesting time.”
W. H. Auden poet 1907 — 1973
Monday, November 15, 2021
page 12
Online education is a failure; we cannot go back to it SAM’S TWO CENTS SAMUEL CAMACHO @SamuelE17713784 COVID has destroyed our education system. Academic standards are lower. Cheating is at an all-time high. And, according to the United States Census Bureau, COVID has added “layers of economic hardship” for students throughout the country. Even the necessary measures to fight the pandemic, such as wearing masks and social distancing, have altered classroom dynamics. While it is paramount that we fight the pandemic, at some point the costs of these measures outweigh their benefits, especially when students all rip off their masks the minute they leave the classrooms. Yet, students are kept in a limbo between pandemic and postpandemic, and nowhere is this more obvious than the persistence of online classes. This semester, I have some inperson courses and some online courses. As a result, I have to rent an apartment—in a city five hours away from my home—and commute to campus for only one or two classes. I’m not complaining, as I know other students have it much worse than me. But you can
cartoon by EMILY TRAN / The Reveille
see how frustrating it is to move away from home just to keep taking Zoom classes. Change my schedule to all online classes, and I can save a few
thousand dollars by living with my parents in Houston, Texas. Adjust my schedule to all in-person, and at least I can get a normal education.
If I am going to pay the living costs associated with in-person classes, then I expect in-person classes. The quality of an online education is just not on par with
that of an in-person education. As I explored in a previous column, grade inflation in the spring 2020 semester—when classes first transitioned online—caused GPA to jump half a point. Let’s not ignore this data and pretend that staying online is a good idea. In some of my online classes, it feels as though we’re not having class at all. There have been times where my professor literally makes the Zoom meeting from her iPhone. One time, she got disconnected because her phone had run out of battery. I haven’t learned a single thing in that class, and I’m sure every student reading this has similar horror stories. Clearly the university doesn’t care, or they would have done something by now. This is not the type of education we students signed up for when we pledged to LSU. I love LSU, but some of the decisions the university has made during the pandemic have been ill-advised and ignorant. Online education was, and still is, a disaster. Let’s not cripple our education any further. Samuel Camacho is a 21-year-old economics junior from Maracaibo, Venezuela.
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