ROLLERCOASTER
LSU caps off season of ups and downs with win over Oklahoma
BY LIZZIE FALCETTI @lizziefalcetti
An opening season loss. A six-game winning streak. A field storm after defeating Ole Miss. A three-game losing streak. A promising recruit flipping his commitment to LSU.
The emotional rollercoaster of the 2024 season consisted of the highest highs and the lowest lows, but the regular season came to an end with a 37-17 win against Oklahoma.
Early in this game, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was hit hard to the ground, sacked by Sooner defender Mason Thomas. He went into the injury tent with a right shoulder injury – another setback to add to the list for LSU.
But as it was the entire season, LSU was resilient in the midst of misfortune. Nussmeier came back in and led the Tigers to their eighth win of the season. Even with an injury, he ended the night with 277 yards and three touchdowns, completing 21 of 33 passes. He looked as consistent as ever.
“There was no way that I was going to watch the rest of that game from the sidelines and let those seniors go out without me playing,” Nussmeier said.
The key storyline of this game and the overall season was the ups and downs. LSU was a hard team to gauge, starting the season as a playoff contender and ending with four losses. But in the matchup against the Sooners, LSU wasn’t going to stop fighting to end the regular season on a high.
“Nobody in that (locker) room is happy about being 8-4,” Brian Kelly said. “What they’re happy about is that they played well after a three-game losing streak. They bounced back, and this game teaches you lessons about grit and toughness and perseverance and not giving up and letting go of the rope.”
With Oklahoma leading 14-10 in the second quarter, receiver Aaron Anderson changed the momentum for the Tigers. He returned a kickoff for 100 yards, giving LSU the lead. This was followed by a 40-yard touchdown pass from Nussmeier to Chris Hilton Jr.
While many thought Nussmeier wouldn’t come back into the game after his injury, he did what he did all season: finish it out no matter what. He’s been at the head of this inconsistent season, but always fought when under immense pressure to pull this team out of despair.
“I told him there was no way I was sitting out,” Nussmeier said about talking to Kelly after the injury. “A lot of these guys have busted their butts for the last year. LSU means everything to me. I bleed these colors no matter what anyone says about
me.”
Struggling with a hurt arm didn’t stop Nussmeier in the slightest. He threw another 40yard pass to Hilton in the third quarter, and LSU went up 31-17.
Weeks before at Florida, Kelly was yelling at Hilton on the sideline; he was dropping passes and untimely on routes. But this week, he had 85 receiving yards and beat out defensive backs for clutch catches.
“I’m happy for him; he got the game ball,” Kelly said. “He made two big plays, and that’s part of the offense that we needed desperately.”
While the offense was creating opportunities to keep the lead, the Tiger defense did struggle against quarterback Jackson Arnold in the first half.
Throughout this season, a large part of LSU’s losses came from not being able to stop the rushing quarterback, and Arnold used his legs when there were no other options. He rushed for 75 yards and had a 28-yard run to put the Sooners at the goal line.
However, it didn’t matter because the defense was all over Oklahoma’s passing game, limiting Arnold’s options. LSU was also applying more pressure on Arnold, creating four quarterback hurries and four sacks.
The Tigers continued dominating into the fourth quarter, looking physical and aggressive on all fronts.
Neither team was playing for a championship appearance or
playoff spot; however, a win is huge on rivalry weekend. With a new opponent to end its regular season instead of longtime rival Texas A&M, LSU dominated after starting the game off slow. With it being Oklahoma’s first season in the conference, this rivalry isn’t as huge as many storied matchups, but it was still a classic SEC back-and-forth brawl.
“What I’m happy about in the short term is the way our guys responded to adversity,” Kelly said. “That’s why I came in here and said I’m proud of our football team and the way they responded.”
LSU will finish out its season with a bowl game, and the opponent will be announced after the championship games conclude.
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ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille
LSU football freshman running back Caden Durham (29) runs with the ball and scores a touchdown Nov. 30 during LSU’s 37-17 win over Oklahoma at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille
LSU football redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. (3) makes a diving catch touchdown Nov. 30, during LSU’s 37-17 win over Oklahoma at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
POLITICS
Landry continues professor criticism
REPORT
Gov. Jeff Landry doubled down on his request that LSU Law Associate Professor Nicholas Bryner be disciplined, posting to X a letter sent to LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman Jimmie Woods asking that the Board to look into the matter.
“Our Administration will not stand by silently as this professor defies the voices of 76 million Americans who voted for @realDonaldTrump,” the post read.
The controversy stems from when Bryner addressed a class shortly after the election in which he spoke broadly about the message voting for Trump could send to other students, particularly Black students, who he said many of whom already feel uncomfortable at law school. Bryner challenged students to ask why that is, and conduct themselves in a manner according to that sentiment.
Landry believes this violated recently enacted Louisiana law, which he claims “prohibits expression that would intimidate the expression of students with opposing views,” state and federal constitutions and LSU’s policy on academic freedom.
LSU has not issued any formal statement on the situation nor have they levied any punishment towards Bryner, spurring Landry to write to the Board directly.
Bryner has so far not responded to any Reveille requests to comment.
TEACHER RAISES
State poised to give public school teachers a pay raise
BY SHELBY VARGA @shelbyvarga
Two bills that would permanently increase the pay of K-12 public school teachers were accepted by the state legislature earlier this week and have made it to Gov. Jeff Landry’s desk, where they await executive approval.
This July, Louisiana lawmakers decided to give teachers a one-time $2,000 stipend and $1,000 to school support staff, totaling $199 million just for the upcoming school year. During this time, lawmakers chose not to make the raise permanent as the state expected a deficit in the next year’s budget.
However, on Nov. 22, both the Senate and House voted unanimously in favor of House Bill 5, authored by Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, which would require public K-12 schools to make the temporary stipend a permanent raise for all teachers and support staff salaries.
Senators also introduced amendments to the bill that would reallocate excess money in school district savings to be used for early childhood education programs, summer programs and compensation for employees who are required to do more work due to shortages.
As of Nov. 25, H.B. 5 has been sent to the governor, awaiting final approval.
All of H.B. 5’s plans would be executed through the accompanying House Bill 7, authored by Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro. This bill would pay off nearly $2
billion in debt from the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana and make the permanent salary increases possible by requiring school districts to use the money they would have put towards their retirement debts into the employees’ raises.
This plan would require removing the Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund, the Education Excellence Fund and the Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund from Louisiana’s constitution and relocating the funds toward the schools.
Using the money for the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana’s debt is believed to make around $287 million annually available to school districts. However, more is needed to cover the raises after becom-
Former LA. Teacher of the Year sues state over Ten Commandments law
BY SARAH WALTON
How does a teacher go from Louisiana’s 2020 Teacher of the Year, to suing the state to protect his classroom? Just ask Chris Dier.
A Louisiana native and AP U.S. history teacher, Dier is well known for valuing a multicultural and equitable class environment. The switch from greatest teacher to greatest critic may seem strange to some, but for Dier, it made perfect sense.
In June, Gov. Jeff Landry signed House Bill 71 into law, requiring that every public school classroom display a visible poster of the Ten Commandments, sparking immedi-
ate outcry from students, parents, teachers and religious leaders.
There are currently two ongoing lawsuits against the state because of this law. The ACLU is leading the charge on one of them on the behalf of religious leaders, parents and their children. A recent update in the suit has temporarily stopped the law from being implemented.
Dier, who is also a doctoral candidate, is the plaintiff in the second case. His case argues that “H.B. 71 coerces [schools] into state-mandated religious observance.” If proven true, the law would be found to violate three of the First Amendment’s clauses: free speech, free exercise and the Establishment Clause.
The Establishment Clause prohibits the favoring of or the establishment of religion while also preventing the government from “prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Louisiana Record states the lawsuit might harm Dier and his students by forcing them to follow specific Protestant beliefs, saying it could “interfere with parents’ rights to guide their children’s spiritual upbringing while subjecting teachers like Dier to adverse professional consequences should they refuse compliance.”
LEGISLATURE
ing permanent in every school district. The Legislative Fiscal Office said the government would be responsible for covering anywhere between $70,000 and $6.2 million annually.
However, these bills do not address private or charter schools since their teachers do not function under the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana. Areas where charter schools make up most of the education systems, like Orleans Parish, will reap the least amount of benefits.
H.B. 7 was also approved unanimously by the Senate and with a two-thirds vote from the House. Now, it awaits approval from residents in the Municipal Primary Election on March 29, 2025.
Dier said he remembers the day he learned the law passed. He posted to X (Twitter) and Threads explaining why he is against the law, and the posts went viral. This law would impact every public school classroom in Louisiana, and Dier says it would have a “horrible effect on students.” He points to the fact the state would be establishing a preferred religion and teachers would be forced to “proselytize a certain denomination of Christianity. And it’s going to show students that are different denominations, or who are not Christian, that they are inferior the moment they step into the classroom.”
Dier mentioned studies that found that students that didn’t feel valued and didn’t feel like they belong underperformed compared to other students. MIT’s Teaching + Learning Lab references three different studies when analyzing the importance of a sense of belong-
Lawmakers to broaden the scope of crimes juveniles are tried as adults
BY CADE SAVOY
As Gov. Jeff Landry’s special session on tax reform came to an end, the state legislature passed a bill that could expand the number of crimes for which juveniles would be sentenced as adults.
Seemingly unrelated to tax reform, Senate Bill 2 passed with a 70 to 25 margin at the end of Gov. Landry’s tax special session. As a result, Louisiana citizens will vote on a constitutional amendment by March 2025 that, if passed, would allow the state legislature to expand the number of felony crimes for which juvenile offenders may be prosecuted in adult court.
The current constitution outlines 16 crimes for which juveniles may be prosecuted as adults, including murder, aggravated rape and armed robbery. The amendment would eliminate that list of transferable crimes, giving the legislature the freedom to place 14-, 15- and 16-year-olds in adult prison for any felony conviction it sees fit.
State Sen. Heather Cloud (DTurkey Creek), the bill’s sponsor, said the bill are necessary for public safety.
“Given the serious rise in violent juvenile crime, the legislature is simply asking the people, through a constitutional amendment, for the authority to address
see JUVENILES, page 4
ing for students. Despite this, the prospect of suing the state was still daunting.
“It took me a month to actually
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
The Senate chamber sits empty April 25 at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COUNCIL OF CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICERS
Chris Dier see COMMANDMENTS, page 4
St. George residents to vote on tax transfer of over $45 million annually
BY CADE SAVOY
@c_savoy2504
Residents of the newly-incorporated city of St. George will vote on a tax change that could have serious implications for the economic futures of both St. George and Baton Rouge, amidst heated political debates between the cities’ leaders.
On Dec. 7, St. George residents will vote on a ballot measure that, if passed, would transfer control of the revenue from the sales tax collected in the new city – which is estimated to total $48 million annually – from East Baton Rouge Parish to St. George’s city government.
Once just a wealthy suburb of Baton Rouge, St. George officially separated from the state capital in 2019 as part of an effort to create an independent school district. Led primarily by wealthy, white residents of East Baton Rouge Parish, St. George’s fight to secede from Baton Rouge stemmed from dissatisfaction with the cityparish government.
“St. George was born from the effort to create a local independent school district in the southeastern part of East Baton Rouge Parish,” the new city’s website. reads. “We have witnessed the further decline of our public school system, skyrocketing murder and crime rates, further decay of our parish infrastructure, unprecedented exodus of our friends and families from the parish and a complete lack of trust in our city-parish leadership.”
COMMANDMENTS, from page 3
agree to be a plaintiff. I was worried about what my job might look like, what my coworkers would think, or how the governor might react, or the superintendent. So I was nervous in that regard,” Dier said. Though he was worried about his work environment, Dier said he was never worried about the social aspect.
Now the fifth-most populated city in Louisiana, St. George remains controversial in East Baton Rouge Parish politics.
While residents of St. George have argued the city’s creation was necessary for their families’ prosperity, others have criticized St. George as a state-sanctioned form of white flight. The NAACP, for example, has expressed concern that the new city may exacerbate “segregation and unequal resource distribution” in the parish.
Over the past several months, East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon WestonBroome’s administration and St. George leaders have been unable to agree on how to fund St. George.
“We had a mediation last week that lasted for several hours, and nothing happened,” Andrew Murill, the chair of the St. George Transition District told the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report this past Tuesday. “There was no movement. All I’ve heard about is wanting to wait until after the election.”
Understood in the context of this heated debate, the Dec. 7 ballot measure represents more than a minor tax tweak; it will determine the extent to which St. George will have control over its own tax revenue — and where that revenue goes.
If passed, the amendment would give St. George control over its sales tax revenue regardless of the status of any intergovernmental agreement reached
In a recent TikTok, Dier characterized his opposition to the law as,
“Not an attack on Christianity, but rather it is a stance against Christian nationalism and a stance for the civil liberties of teachers and students.”
Dier expanded on what Christian nationalism is and how it relates to the passing of the Ten Commandments law.
“Christian nationalism is not
between the city-parish and St. George.
Proponents of the amendment argue that giving the St. George government control over its sales tax revenue is common sense.
“Why would it not pass?” Murill asked. “Even if you don’t like St. George, bankrupting yourself and potentially the parish to teach us a lesson seems like a foolhardy expedition … It’s not going to fail.”
In practice, whether the amendment failing would mean that St. George goes bankrupt is unclear. Should the amendment fail, the St. George Transition District would continue to serve as the city’s taxation authority, making it unlikely that St. George residents would go without necessary services in the near future.
For others, the choice to pass the Dec. 7 ballot measure is more complicated.
“I can see both sides of the issue,” said agricultural economics senior and Baton Rouge resident Ali Fontenot. “On one hand, I understand why St. George would want their tax money to be used. But on the other hand, without tax revenue from St. George, a lot of the publicly funded things that we rely on like libraries and public schools might be under fire. I get why St. George’s citizens might want this, but for the rest of the parish, things aren’t so clear.”
Polling places will be open in St. George from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 7. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Dec. 3.
JUVENILES, from page 3
the most violent felony juvenile offenses,” Cloud told KALB on Nov. 22. “What is being considered and requested is the flexibility to protect families, homes, businesses and communities from violent crime.”
This is not the first time Louisiana lawmakers have cited public safety as a justification for putting minors in adult prison. This past March, Landry signed S.B. 3 into law, which lowered the age for consideration as a juvenile in the criminal justice system from 18 to 17.
Both S.B. 2 and S.B. 3 have been criticized by advocates of children’s rights and criminal justice reform alike as being overly punitive and ineffective at preventing crime. The Southern Poverty Law Center, Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services, Operation Restoration and many other advocacy organizations have released statements condemning S.B. 2.
“The Louisiana legislature has chosen a path that disregards decades of evidence showing that rehabilitative juvenile justice approaches lead to better outcomes for children and public safety,” Terry C. Landry Jr., SPLC’s Louisiana policy director, said in an official statement last Friday.
Also among the legislature’s critics is Checo Yancy, the policy director of Voters Organized to Educate and a longtime advocate of criminal justice reform in Louisiana. A former Angola prisoner, Yancy knows firsthand the impact an adult prison sentence can have on a young person’s development.
“When I got to prison, I realized the injustices of what was going on. I was an honorably
like Christianity at all. Christianity is a religion that practices peace and love and tolerance and belonging, at its core. Christian nationalism is the bastardization of Christianity for political purposes. So people in power can manipulate people,” Dier said. “One of them is a religion followed by billions of people, and the other is a political movement that is manipulating and exploiting that religion for political purposes.”
discharged veteran. I’m 79 years old and I’ve seen some rough things. But after going to prison, I saw a lot of ignorance, prejudice and injustice,” Yancy recalled. “A 14-year-old kid has no business being in an adult institution. Imagine your nephew, a brother or a relative. Do you think that child would be able to survive the jungle of an adult prison?”
Yancy also said that the children whose lives will be most negatively affected by the amendment are overwhelmingly people of color, explaining the racialized treatment prisoners still experience today.
“When I went to prison, Angola was segregated. White people lived in one dormitory and Black people lived in another. We all committed the same crime, but we were segregated,” he said. “Still today, most Black men never hear the term ‘diversionary.’ But a Caucasian person does — they’ll be put in a diversionary program and that person can still be successful.”
To Yancy’s point, evidence suggests that Black youth are more acutely impacted by the criminal justice system than white children. According to the Sentencing Project, Black youth are four times more likely to be detained in juvenile facilities than their white peers.
Yancy concluded by criticizing what are, in his view, the state legislature’s misplaced priorities.
“For children’s sake, we oppose the amendment. Locking kids up and sending them away for the rest of their lives is not the solution,” he argued. “We have some of the toughest laws since the ‘70s and still have crime. We’d rather lock up the problem than invest in mental health, childhood education and nutrition.”
According to Dier, Christian nationalism is affecting schools in an incredibly disastrous way. “What we might have is a complete erosion of the separation of Church and State.”
He continued by saying that if the Establishment Clause continues to weaken, then “our schools are going to be used as political tools for politicians and for religious groups. And we will see the marginalization of Muslim students, Hindu students, Jewish students, even in this case, Catholic students.”
The historical nature of the moment isn’t lost on Dier, particularly because this isn’t the first time in U.S. history that religious politics had found their way into the classroom.
“This is a historic moment. Now we have a modern day Scopes Trial, in a different way,” Dier said.
The Scopes Trial happened in the early 20th century when Tennessee tried to prosecute a high school teacher for teaching evolution in public schools.
“What we’re doing now is defining the soul of our nation. Are we going to be a nation that is going to perpetuate Chrisitan nationalism in Christian schools and public arenas and further marginalize non-Chri-
sians and erode the Constitutional liberties of millions of people?” Dier said.
Interestingly enough, Dier noticed something in H.B. 71 that appears to have been overlooked by the law’s authors. Within the text of the law, there are quotes incorrectly cited to be by James Madison.
“It’s fascinating that if a student of mine turned in a paper with a fabricated quote from the framer of the Constitution, a main author of the constitution, I would give a zero, and I would have them redo it,” Dier said. “It’s interesting that the threshold for what passes in AP U.S. History level class is higher than what passes in the Louisiana Legislature.” He continued by calling it embarrassing, and that it highlights the point that the framers of the Constitution never intended the Ten Commandments to have anything to do with the document.
It was inevitable that Dier’s status as the 2020 Teacher of the Year was going to turn heads once the lawsuit launched, but he said the state now has to, “contend with the fact that someone that they chose to represent Louisiana is now standing up for students … I didn’t change. I always wanted to stand up for the civil liberties of my students and my colleagues.”
MICHAEL SMITH VIA GETTY IMAGES
27, 2001 in Grand Junction, CO.
The Elephants in the Room
Shelves of glass cups sit on a shelf on Nov. 16 at The Pink Elephant Antiques.
Green glassware sits on a shelf on Nov. 16 at The Pink Elephant Antiques.
The Archie comics sit together on Nov. 16 at The Pink Elephant Antiques.
Saint Laurent Opium perfume sits on Nov. 16 at The Pink Elephant Antiques.
A Coca-Cola fridge sits on Nov. 16 at The Pink Elephant Antiques.
Photos by Alexis Persicke
Designed by Jayden Slaughter
ENTERTAINMENT SCHOOL OF ARTS
BY ARIS WILLIAMS @arisofmars
LSU’s College of Art and Design hosted Grad Walk, an openstudio event that aims to highlight the current projects of LSU Master of Fine Arts students.
This long-standing tradition is free and open to all, aiming to give the general public a glimpse into the artists’ studio spaces and creative processes. A variety of disciplines, from painting and drawing to photography and ceramics, were featured in the event.
The event begins as a scheduled walk through the gallery spaces, then transitions into a space for refreshments, socializing and exploring the different areas of art studied at LSU. The festivities took place near the School of Art’s sculpture quad, where paper lanterns created by first-year undergraduate students illuminated the trees. This design feature has been pivotal to increasing accessibility to the arts on campus.
Serena Viola Corson is a second-year painting graduate student who served on the Grad Walk Committee this year.
“Each area of study elects a graduate student to make this
event happen every year,” Corson said. “A lot of work goes on behind the scenes. It’s been very fulfilling to be able to interact with people and show them the day-today lives of students artists here at LSU.”
Corson hopes that events such as this promote more open dialogues about the variety of paths that attending LSU can take you on.
“I want people to converse with artists more; specifically, students in other majors,” she explained. “I think it’s important for people from a variety of disciplines to come together and exchange ideas.”
Rod Parker, dean of the College of Art and Design, said this event marks a turning point for the department.
“This night specifically is important for the School of Art, because we’ve undergone many renovations and location changes in recent years,” Parker said.
The new Barnes Ogden Art & Design Complex was unveiled in 2023 and is housed in one of the oldest buildings on campus. The renovation project, designed by Louisiana-based Holly & Smith Architects, aimed to preserve the space’s historical significance
while converting it into a multidisciplinary facility for students to create and showcase their work.
The process was a rewarding but lengthy one, with many compartments such as air conditioning and interior functionality getting complete overhauls
This year’s Grad Walk drew in a diverse crowd, featuring everyone from the elderly to children attending the event with their parents. This also presents itself in the college’s student body, with
the young artists of all ethnicities and nationalities coming to LSU to pursue advanced degrees in artistic disciplines.
“It’s been a struggle to get here, and a lot of people have contributed to that struggle,” Parker said. “We are happy to be a diverse, open creative space for people who want to fulfill a part of their journeys here.”
series of portraits painted by student Kailyn Sibley, displayed in Sibley’s studio space and an attendee admiring a series of paintings.
SPORTS
Super Bowl LIX Preshow Lineup
BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4
The Super Bowl LIX pregame entertainment will include performances from Louisiana’s own Jon Batiste, Trombone Shorty and Lauren Daigle, among others, the NFL announced on Thursday. Super Bowl LIX will be hosted in the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, and the festivities are set to have a uniquely Louisiana flair. Batiste will sing the national anthem, while Shorty and Daigle will together perform “America the Beautiful.”
Batiste is a composer and singer, Shorty is a jazz performer and Daigle is a Christian music singer. Each have Grammy awards to their names.
Ledisi, a Grammy-award winning R&B artist who is also Louisiana-born, will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
“We’re honored to work with this year’s pregame lineup to celebrate the rich musical legacy of New Orleans and the entire state,” the NFL’s head of music Seth Dudowsky said. “The Super Bowl is a rare moment to unite fans around the world, and this year’s performers will bring the energy, soul and vibrant sounds of the region to a global stage, as we kickoff Super Bowl LIX with a celebration to remember.”
Rapper Kendrick Lamar is set to be the halftime performer in February, despite critics saying that New Orleans-born Lil Wayne should’ve received that honor.
This year’s Super Bowl is the first to be hosted in New Orleans since 2013 and the 11th time overall, which ties it with Miami as the city that’s hosted the game the most.
LSU Red Cross Club event
BY CAM CHEHREH @camryncherries
The LSU Red Cross Club hosted its second annual Sound the Alarm to spread fire safety awareness for the Baton Rouge community.
On Nov. 16, the club and volunteers teamed up at Capitol High School to change fire alarms in homes, free of charge. With their red smocks and a goal to find the “ugliest fire alarm,” students set out on an assigned route to make their mark on 60 homes in just one day.
“We do this once a semester to try and save lives and teach fire safety,” Mihir Babbar, co-president of the Red Cross Club, said. “We did the same thing last year in a neighborhood called The Bottom. They
had an actual fire fatality there, and the house didn’t have smoke alarms.”
Red Cross volunteer Caroline Golden said many students who participated in the first Sound the Alarm event returned this year. This way, the club can have more and more volunteers each year, and each one could potentially save a life.
“They come back because it feels good,” Golden said. “Your alarm might save someone’s life one day.”
Fueled with snacks and high spirits, students were ready to make an impact and talk to community members. The Red Cross Club chooses neighborhoods that are in need and that are at a high risk of fires.
“In the long run, this will help save peoples lives and really protect what people have to make sure they’re safe,” Alexandra Lowery, student volunteer with the Red Cross Club said.
Corrine David, Red Cross Club co-president, wanted to start the club to increase volunteer opportunities for students at LSU. David herself needed volunteer hours, and during her research, she realized that the Red Cross did not have a club at LSU. Babbar and her then decided to start one of their own to make sure LSU can have an impact on the community.
“Even if you’re just wanting to help others, the stuff we do at this event specifically and the stuff we do at the warehouse, everything
ARIS WILLIAMS / The Reveille
A
Tim McGraw’s nephew balances life at LSU and country music
BY OLIVIA TOMLINSON @oliviamersade
An LSU history major by day and a rising country star by night.
Timothy Wayne is a 21-year-old country musician from Franklin, Tennessee, but the singer chose to head deeper south for his college education. Wayne first fell in love with the beautiful, centuries-old oak trees on campus, so once LSU became the first out-of-state school to accept him, attending the university felt like a no-brainer.
It wasn’t until college when Wayne realized country music was his calling. Throughout his childhood, family members warned him not to touch the guitar, claiming that it would steal his life. Five years ago, he decided to pick up the six-string instrument and hasn’t put it down since.
Growing up in a charming, historic town, less than thirty minutes outside of Nashville, it was hard to not love country music. Here and there, his high school would be lucky enough to hear Wayne perform at local shows or events, but official gigs were never booked until college. No matter where his music career took him, college would always be part of the plan.
“I gave music my best shot and fell in love,” Wayne said. “Not everything is guaranteed, so it’s always good to have a backup plan. Education is so important, no matter what your career is. Not everything is given to you.”
Music was encircled around him throughout his childhood, with his family being extremely musical as a whole. Although everyone in the house enjoys very different genres of music, his favorite genre is country rock. His biggest musical inspirations draw from Jerry Reed, Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty, and of course, his grammy award-winning uncle Tim McGraw.
“Growing up it was just like having a regular uncle,” Wayne said. “We used to go to shows all the time, but I never realized who he really was until much later. I would watch the way he goes on
shows an impact on the community, even if it’s through disaster relief,” David said.
Sound the Alarm is the Red Cross Club’s favorite event of the school year. Babbar loves to see what student volunteers take away from the day. He says it’s amazing to see people experience the true power of volunteering.
“They’re actually saving lives; they’re actually educating those around them,” Babbar said. “Just having that one-on-one experience, and that instant gratification of, ‘wow, I just helped save a life today.’ That’s what I love about it. All the planning that goes into it is tough, but the product is just priceless.”
Aside from providing new ways
stage, with his country music storytelling, there’s a story or lesson in it, how it made people emotional or showed them the good times.”
Summers are typically a break for college students; however, Wayne takes it as a chance to work on his craft. This past summer Wayne had the opportunity of a lifetime when he was offered a spot as one of the openers on McGraw’s 2024 “Standing Room Only Tour.” From summer classes to songwriting sessions to touring, summers are never long enough. Touring with his biggest inspiration and uncle felt like a dream come true.
“No one knew who I was related to until after I signed,” Wayne said. “I wanted to do all this on my own. My uncle told me no one is going to hand you anything, you have got to work for everything you’re going to get.”
Following in the footsteps of McGraw means Wayne has big shoes to fill. The young singer has put in hours of work to improve his songwriting skills, with the goal of making a name for himself as Timothy Wayne.
“Tim’s actually one of my producers. I always joke that he works for me,” Wayne said of his uncle.
for students to serve the Baton Rouge community, the Red Cross Club hopes to make a lasting impact by saving lives and spreading fire safety.
By the end of the day, volunteers had installed a total of 120 fire alarms in 60 homes. Now equipped with fire alarms and safety plans, the LSU Red Cross Club helped ensure 165 residents were safer in their Baton Rouge homes.
“It’s something in Louisiana that we think we don’t have, but fires are a big majority of deaths in the Baton Rouge area,” Babbar said. “To be able to go out and just teach people and give them a plan, it’s something people don’t think about until it’s happening.”
For more information on how
It was April 2024 when Wayne was officially signed to Universal Music Group. He had just gotten back to campus after a quick visit home. As soon as he set his bags down, a call came in from his mom. She told her son that a representative from UMG obtained a video of Wayne singing at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville where artists like Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks and Lady Antebellum were discovered.
“I kind of thought she was joking when she told me the news,” Wayne said. “I said that’s not funny. ‘I’m not joking’, she said. It all hit me really quick.”
Wayne quickly booked a flight to Nashville for the next weekend to start the signing process with UMG. Since then, he has released two singles: “God Made A Country Boy” and “Guy With A Guitar”. From only missing one LSU football game to joining Pi Kappa Alpha, pursuing music has not held Wayne back from the full college experience.
“If music is still going strong after college, I’ll be playing a lot more shows,” Wayne said. “Right now it’s a balancing act, like being on a tightrope with two weighted poles. I have to decide whether to finish homework or finish a song.”
you can get involved, make sure to follow @lsuredcrossclub on instagram.
COURTESY OF TIMOTHY WAYNE
Timothy Wayne, LSU student and Tim McGraw’s nephew, poses under a tree.
ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille LSU American Red Cross club volunteers hold up vests at Capitol High School in Baton Rouge.
SPORTS BEHIND THE MIC
Who is LSU P.A. announcer Jacques Pourciau?
BY AINSLEY FLOOD @ainsleyflood
College athletic events are some of the most intense environments in American sports.
Extreme productions like football, basketball, soccer and more have something in common. Venues across the country fill night after night with roaring fans, but only one voice can cut through the noise. Crisp, commanding and electric, it brings the arena to life every time. More than just a voice, it’s an energy — one that sets the tone of the entire game.
Enter Jacques Pourciau: one of LSU Athletics’ public address announcers. For him, this is the ultimate thrill.
“The joy for me is bringing excitement to the arena,” Pourciau said. “If I say certain words with a certain inflection, people cheer.”
Courtside or up in the pressbox, his job comes with the best seat in the house but also one of the biggest responsibilities in gameday production.
Sports at LSU are known best for their competitive spirit, passionate fanbase and thrilling atmosphere.
For over eight years, Pourciau has been the voice of that image for numerous sporting events. He controls the energy, making every game feel like the most important one yet.
“You could say it, or you could excite them,” Pourciau said.
A Baton Rouge native, Pourciau has always been comfortable in front of a crowd. As a longtime cantor at his church, singing publicly was all he knew.
“People call themselves band geeks — I was a choir geek,” Pourciau said.
An old joke goes that a person’s fear of public speaking can be greater than their fear of death, but for him, that was never an issue.
Over a decade ago, he was working in security for LSU. Now, he is a voice of the Tigers.
Before stepping behind the mic, Pourciau was often complimented on his voice, with friends and colleagues suggesting he try radio or commercials. If he could sing in front of crowds, talking sounded relatively easy.
“I knew I could speak, but it didn’t even cross my mind that I could explore that until somebody said something to me, which kind of leaves that little spark there,” Pourciau said.
Encouraged, Pourciau took voiceover classes and began recording demos.
An opportunity came when a friend, the announcer for LSU
soccer, stepped down. Having never even watched a game of soccer in his life, Pourciau embraced the challenge. He saw his opening and leapt at the opportunity.
“I was very, very nervous,” Pourciau said. “I had to learn the game and what to call and what not to call.”
Thankfully, the LSU marketing staff was there to feed him every word. In his inaugural season, Pourciau learned to love the game.
Julia Fecke, the assistant director of LSU marketing, is responsible for gameday production and marketing for the women’s basketball and softball teams. She and the marketing staff oversee Pourciau in his role as a PA announcer.
“Jacques is someone I have worked with for years since my time as a student worker,” said Fecke.
At his very first game in August of 2016, Pourciau made his mark on LSU athletics with a signature call.
“That’s a purple-and-goal!” Pourciau shouted when the soccer team scored.
He wanted to have his own twist on the usual goal call, when suddenly he woke up one morning and had it. He’s used it ever since. It caught on quickly, even inspiring merchandise with the catchphrase sold at matches.
Over the years, he’s expanded his repertoire to include women’s basketball, softball, volleyball and tennis. He’s even emceed men’s basketball and LSU football’s famed walk down Victory Hill.
Women’s basketball games, particularly white-out nights, are among his favorites to work.
“It’s just like an LSU-Alabama football game,” Pourciau said.
FOOTBALL
Garrett Nussmeier talks his future at LSU
BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4
After LSU’s regular seasonclosing win over Oklahoma, it’s time for the team to look to the future. That of course starts with the quarterback position.
Redshirt junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had perhaps his best game of the season against Oklahoma, showcasing his grit after going down with a shoulder injury in the second quarter and coming back to lead LSU to a 20-point win.
Nussmeier had 277 passing yards and three touchdowns, including several impressive deep throws. The performance had people wondering if Nussmeier would be returning to LSU next year to potentially continue his upward trajectory.
“The hype is so tangible and real. The excitement is off the charts. It was palpable. I like to walk around the arena and soak it all in.”
Hosting the first two rounds of NCAA March Madness at home is another highlight of his job. However, for these games, Pourciau must strike a different tone.
“You’ve got to show the same emotion and excitement for both teams,” Pourciau said. “That’s a weird feeling, but inside, you’re cheering for LSU.”
As different sports’ seasons overlap, Pourciau is never bored with about two to three events a week on top of his day job. Every game is a night away from his family, but their support does not go unnoticed.
“My wife is super supportive of basically being a widow three or four nights a week,” Pourciau said. “She bought season tickets to women’s basketball because she got excited about it too.”
With eight years of experience up his sleeve, Pourciau knows his way around the ins and outs of sports announcing.
“For basketball, I sit next to the official scorer,” Pourciau said. “They’re giving me hand signals, and I’m interpreting them into words. We are in concert together.”
The referees give the booth numbers and Pourciau has to read off their hands. He then translates that number into a name and starts talking.
“It’s happening fast, fast, fast,” Pourciau said. “There’s a lot of interaction with the referees, and you have to have 100% laser focus. You can’t daydream. You can’t be a spectator and watch the play and be in awe.”
He has the option to enter the upcoming NFL Draft but also has one more year of college eligibility.
“I have not decided about that,” Nussmeier said after the game. “I wanted to leave that out until after the season.”
“I do know that I love being here at LSU. I love this team, and I love this school, this organization.”
Nussmeier said he’d begin having conversations about whether or not he’d return early this week.
Head coach Brian Kelly has emphasized throughout the season that since it’s Nussmeier’s first year as a college starting quarterback, he’s still growing.
Even through the quarterback’s struggles, Kelly has preached patience and pointed to Nussmeier’s best moments as a reminder of his ceiling.
Kelly also sounded optimistic about Nussmeier returning to LSU in 2025.
“When he hopefully comes back next year, he can take that next step,” Kelly said.
Earlier in the year, Nussmeier was mocked as high as a first round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, but a rough midseason stretch lowered his stock considerably.
In LSU’s last two games, Nussmeier was markedly more efficient and accurate. He completed over 70% of his passes in both of those games, the only times he did so this season against SEC opponents.
“I said it in September… I hope that I would be a better player now than I was in September, and I think that that is proven to be true,” Nussmeier said.
Nussmeier spent three years as a backup, including sitting behind future Heisman winner and first-round pick Jayden Daniels in 2022 and 2023.
This year, he was finally given the chance to start and finished the season with 3,735 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, which ranked No. 6 and 12 in the nation, respectively.
With the decommitment of quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class, LSU needs an answer at signal-caller.
PHOTO COURTESY JACQUES POURCIAU
ERIN BARKER / The Reveille LSU football junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) throws an interception on Nov. 9 during LSU’s 42-13 loss to Alabama at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball’s Jade Demps encourages women to pursue careers in sports
BY GABBY GRAY @GabbyGray06
Aunts, nieces, cousins, friends, grandmothers, moms, step-moms, daughters.
Doctors, lawyers, politicians, artists, writers, mothers, students, athletes.
There are so many things that a woman can be in a world that so often feels rooted against them.
On top of that, when women are recognized in their individual fields, it’s often for the wrong reasons, and this includes media coverage in female athletics.
“It’s almost like a doubleedged sword,” LSU volleyball’s fifth-year senior right side hitter Jade Demps said. “The coverage is increasing, but at the same time, people are still focusing on the wrong things.”
If that means focusing on appearances rather than skills or even on what society has deemed as “unladylike” behaviors, female athletes somehow still find themselves competing for the spotlight after proving that they have earned it time and time again.
In the name of bringing light to issues in women’s sports as well as giving LSU’s female athletes the focus that they deserve, the Reveille spoke with Demps about her career, academics and different issues that impact women’s sports.
Demps is finishing her last season in her collegiate career this year, and so far has 622 kills under her belt. As far as her defensive skills go, she has had 438 successful digs and 120 block assists.
She accomplished these numbers starting at the University of Wisconsin, where she played for head coach Kelly Sheffield until she was recruited to LSU in the fall of 2023.
“I don’t think we would have won a national championship without her,” Sheffield said about Demps’ time at Wisconsin, referring to the team’s national championship win in 2021, which was during her first collegiate season.
Demps was also on the 2023 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll here at LSU as an animal science major. She expressed her passion for animals and shared how she would love to continue her studies at veterinary school, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to put volleyball behind her.
With U.S. volleyball leagues continuously growing, Demps would like to play professional volleyball after graduation and then use the money from her athletic career to work with animals.
Her love for animals is one that even her mother, Keisha Demps, noticed in her at a young age, as she bought her daughter animal-based encyclopedias, which Jade occupied her time with.
“That would make my heart
JACQUES, from page 10
Pauses in play and commercials are breaks for the scorers and gameplay is a break for marketing; meanwhile, Pourciau is always working, whether gamecalling or advertising.
He runs through about three or four water bottles per game.
“Along with his organization and care, he has a voice that fans listen to and feed off at our home events,” Fecke said. “He is the difference maker we need to get the crowd hyped up.”
Outside of announcing, Pourciau works as the Director of Operations at St. James Episcopal Church, where he channels his love of music into helping others.
Music may have been his first love, but sports was always in the picture. Pourciau grew up in a sport-loving household and was a big fan of baseball and the Houston Astros. He carries that love for competition with him to this day.
than entertainment — they are about real people who just want to play what they love.
“Sports is a microcosm of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat and the emotions that go on inside,” Pourciau said.
Losses are inevitable in the business, but there is nothing like the thrill of watching the hard work of players, coaches, trainers and others pay off in victory.
One of his most treasured aspects of the job is getting to know the people who make it all happen.
Like so many, Pourciau enjoys watching the blossoming careers of pro athletes after LSU, knowing that, even in a small way, he was a part of their journey.
“You get to witness resiliency, overcoming adversity and the fruitfulness of dedication and hard work,” Pourciau said.
happy,” Demps said. “If she was able to play professionally and then go to vet school.”
She has always been a supportive mother of Demps, especially when it comes to pursuing a career in sports, given that she had the privilege to do that for herself as well.
After playing as a middle blocker for the University of Arizona, Demps continued to the women’s national volleyball team where she competed in Spain for two years, until returning to the United States, where she played in the United States Professional Volleyball League. Once she ended her professional volleyball career, she started her next one in collegiate coaching, coaching women’s volleyball for 10 years until retiring to coach club volleyball on-and-off.
Demps’ career served as one for Demps to look up to, and with such a powerful role model, Demps was able to become the best version of herself that she could be.
While Demps’ mother initially steered her away from volleyball, Demps found passion in looking back on her mother’s career.
“She purposely didn’t let me play volleyball because she didn’t want me to burn out,” Demps said.
But Demps was drawn to the sport like a magnet and has given it everything she’s had throughout her athletic career. Despite that, she still struggles with different issues that come with being a female athlete.
“People have these preconceived notions that women’s sports aren’t worth watching,” Demps said. “Like it’s just a lesser version of men’s sports.”
The competition between women and men’s sports is something that has been occurring for years and was documented in a study performed by USC and Purdue University.
Their research found that in 2021, 95% of televised sports were men’s sports.
Even as coverage increases,
it might not be for the right reasons.
“People don’t look at us like we’re athletes,” she said. “They look at us like we’re women. Pretty women.”
Demps referenced how the media has looked at stars like Chicago Sky forward and LSU alum Angel Reese and have focused on her lashes or her hair compared to how she contributes to her team or she has grown as a player.
“Or even Sha’Carri Richardson, who was competing in the Olympics and people were focused on her nails,” Demps said.
So how can we encourage women to continue to pursue sports in a world where the media overlooks their achievements?
Well, Sheffield believes in promoting confidence, something he’s done for both his players like Demps and his daughters.
“We talk about being an active participant in your own rescue. Don’t be a victim,” Sheffield said. “If you’re wanting to get somewhere, then do something about it.”
Demps, on the other hand, feels that while confidence is a valuable trait, when it comes to encouraging women there has to be a healthy amount of representation for girls to look up to.
“I think it’s important for young girls to see women in the field as well,” Demps said. “Having those examples in front of them tells them that it’s okay to pursue those kinds of careers.”
With such an accomplished player like Demps, the younger generation certainly has a lot to look up to, and knowing that, Demps provided some words of encouragement she hopes will reach young girls who are interested in sports.
“Know that there are going to be people who try to put you down. It might be men – it might honestly be other girls – but as long as you believe in yourself and find a way to block that out, then you’re golden.”
“What makes Jacques one of our go-to announcers is his passion for what he does,” said Fecke.
When he worked in stadium security, Pourciau spent time working around visiting teams. He saw that, at the end of the day and after all of the animosity, their parents were outside the locker room waiting to hug their kids too.
For Pourciau, sports are more
In October, he wrapped his ninth season of announcing soccer. Pourciau has officially been around the program the longest, outlasting everyone he started with and now on his third head coach.
Fans can count on hearing him for the foreseeable future, as he has no plans to stop anytime soon. Pourciau’s voice will continue bringing sports to life for many more years to come.
His “why” is simple.
“I love sports and I love making people happy, and I get to do both,” Pourciau said.
ERIN BARKER / The Reveille
LSU volleyball senior Jade Demps (23) prepares to serve the ball on Aug. 25, 2023, during LSU’s 3-2 win against UCLA in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
PHOTO
OPINION
HIS
It’s plain and simple, LSU didn’t deserve
LOSS / OUR
TANTAWI’S TABLOID
MOHAMMAD TANTAWI
@mowinator
Ann Arbor, Michigan is no hotspot for tourism. Similar to Baton Rouge, it relies on its university to sustain relevancy. But home is home, and Bryce Underwood found his middle ground of more money and close proximity to that home.
When we asked for collegiate athletes to get paid, we should have known that this situation was possible. Players are humans who look at dollar signs the same way regular people do. LSU would have treated Underwood like a king, but that only mattered when the currency of admiration meant something. When 10 million dollars is dropped in front of you, who wouldn’t you bail on?
He stayed home. It’s hard for me to accept criticism from students who mostly come from the state of the university. In 2022, 67.5% of LSU’s freshman class were from Louisiana. Now, ask yourself, if you were to turn down 10 million dollars to move to Ba ton Rouge, would you find your self looking foolish? Let me help you, yes.
It’s important to be honest; Baton Rouge is a terrible draw. Between our poor roads, high crime, and ancient infrastructure, we need lots of help. I’m not act ing like Michigan is something spectacular, but if we look at crime rates, it’s not even close. Baton Rouge has a crime rate per 100,000 of 1028, while Ann Arbor sits at 308 per 100,000. US News ranks Michigan as the 42nd best state while Louisiana sits at 50th.
The irony is that I recently wrote about cringy fans, and the recent backlash Underwood has endured closes my case. When a 17-year-old is offered entry into realms of generational wealth, flipping a decision to play for a team is insignificant. Across X, Snapchat and Reddit boards, I’ve read hateful comments from fans who feel betrayed by Underwood. They seem to remain bamboozled because Underwood will be sit
ting pretty, playing for the 2024 champions, and looking at this bank account without disappointment.
The sad truth is that LSU fans think that this is Alabama. We have never been a football powerhouse beyond a year of glory that we grip on for dear life only to crash back down to Earth. Joe Burrow is gone. Get over it. Stop wearing your Burreaux jerseys to random games, imagining his ghost will possess Garrett Nussmeier. The man is from Iowa and chose Ohio State before coming to LSU. It’s a business transaction to the players and the universities.
LSU averages a natty every 20
Bryce Underwood
years. Hell, it took 45 years to secure the second championship, and based on the last 20 years, we should be grateful with those results. If we win a championship in 2029, for example, it would be above my expectations.
LSU is a baseball school, not a football school. With seven titles, all since 1991, LSU baseball has outperformed its football contemporaries. We need to reassess our expectations and feel grateful that we are a big enough school to attract players that make us at least somewhat interesting to talk about.
Stop overlooking Thanksgiving
BODACIOUS BLAIR
@BernardBla36479
I would call myself an empath, selfishly. I think a part of my generation needs to self-diagnose everything that has attested to that. Of course, I’m joking, but I know more than a few people can relate to feeling overly emotional about things that wouldn’t really make sense to anyone else. For example, feeling bad for an inanimate object and making up an entirely fictional storyline just to make yourself cry for no reason. That’s how I feel about Thanksgiving. If Thanksgiving had a slogan, it would be “always a bridesmaid,
As you get older, the anticipation of the holiday gets less and less exciting. What once filled our adolescent memories with glitter and gold became excuses for vacations. As adults, you don’t really have the spare time to slow down and value presence. So, I can understand that yearning we all feel to reach that time of the year that makes us feel so nostalgic. I think in an effort to speed through the year, we do ourselves a disservice and end up causing ourselves a lot of unnecessary depression around this supposed “most wonderful
Thanksgiving is the perfect example to describe how I’m feeling. The blatant disrespect the holiday gets is ironic, considering the day is dedicated to gratitude and good eats. I’ve always been a pretty avid Thanksgiving stan, even before I thought it had a deeper meaning beyond seeing close family, awk-
ward small talk or battlegrounds for political discussions with estranged relatives. Like a neglected stepchild, the holiday comes and goes, but I’ll always appreciate her more than she knows.
Christmas may be about giving back and Yuletide gay. But be honest with yourself; you’re only rushing through Thanksgiving to get those UGGS you’ve been wanting. I feel like it’s only ethical to acknowledge Thanksgiving’s origins. For the cultures who don’t celebrate the holiday, I respect that entirely. Otherwise, I think most people are a little blind and frankly spoiled by their privilege. To be able to have a day every year, sometimes a week, to be around family and hopefully have some of your favorite foods is a blessing. I didn’t want to bring up religion, but regardless of what you believe in, one thing is for certain: everyone needs human connection. An act as vulnerable as sharing a meal with someone is strangely connecting. I don’t think it’s a coincidence when you go on a date, the first act is usually getting a meal together. Specifically, I like to see older people indulge and think of them as little kids. That joyous sensation they feel when they get to be bad and eat sweet potato crunch.
Not to mention, some of the best holiday-themed episodes revolve around Thanksgiving. That statement might be a little biased. But People magazine even took it upon themselves to rank all ten of the very hilarious Friends(giving) episodes. Honestly, dare I crown Thanksgiving as the coziest holiday?
Blair Bernard is a 21-year-old theater performance major from Lafayette, La.
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. Editorial Policies and Procedures Quote of
BLAIR BERNARD
MATTHEW MEAD / AP Photo
File photo of a barbecued spiced turkey appears in Concord, N.H., on Oct. 27, 2014.
Mohammad Tantawi is a 24-yearold mass communication senior