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Students display signs on March 8 during the Tigers Against Sexual Assault sit-in at the Football Operations Center on Skip Bertman Drive.
Students respond to Husch Blackwell report by protesting and speaking to legislators. Read on
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Legislators and Gov. Edwards addressed the Husch Blackwell report into LSU’s mishandling of sexual assault reports.
ENTERTAINMENT
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“‘Life Support’ is an incredible debut, and this is just the start for Madison Beer and her amazing career.”
SPORTS
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The Sells’ disregard of multiple abuse cases within the tennis program is unacceptable and is more than causation for firing.
OPINION
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“Universities need to stand up for their students and protect them from occupational exploitation.”
L SU Re ve i l le.co m @l s u r e ve i l le
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Students host sit-in protest, speak to legislators in response to University’s handling of Title IX PHOTO BY JALEN HILTON / The Reveille
Agricultural business junior Taylor Perrodin holds a sign on March 8 during the Tigers Against Sexual Assault sit-in at the Football Operations Center on Skip Bertman Drive.
See pages 6-7 for more photos from the TASA protest BY NICK FREWIN & MADELYN CUTRONE @itsnickfrewin & @madelyncutrone A group of LSU students held a sit-in protest outside of the University’s football facility in response to the suspension of two LSU officials who mishandled sexual assault allegations, not allowing athletes or LSU faculty to leave the premises. Protestors were prompted to converge at the Alex Box parking lot before rallying upon the LSU Football Operations Center 11 a.m. Monday and stayed until shortly after 2 p.m. There were around 50 students attending the sit-in, blocking all entrances and exits from the parking lot outside of the LSU Football Operations Center. The University hired law firm Husch Blackwell to investigate the University’s existing Title IX practices after a November USA Today report revealed that Deputy Athletic Director Verge Ausberry was aware that former LSU football player Drake Davis assaulted LSU women’s tennis player Jade Lewis. After the report was released Friday, the University announced that two LSU officials, Ausberry and Senior Associate Athletic Director Miriam Segar, would be placed on unpaid suspension and would undergo sexual assault training. Student group Tigers Against Sexual Assault (TASA) organized the sit-in at the LSU Football Operations Center hours after the release of the Husch Blackwell report. The organization had previously demanded at a protest last fall that any University employees found to have covered up sexual assault be immediately terminated. The Husch Blackwell report recognized the University’s precedented reluctance to terminate employees as a consequence of sex-based offenses. The firm found that the University was more likely to give a sentence resulting in suspension or probation instead of expulsion, and the University’s current process for determining sanctions is inadequate. “Our review of the files has shown that the University’s sanction of choice for findings of ‘sexual misconduct’ are ‘deferred suspension’ and ‘deferred probation,’” the report read. “We found
that the University’s guide with respect to violations of sexual misconduct does not appropriately capture the escalating and mitigating factors commonly utilized to determine the severity of a sanction.” Protestors initially blocked the doorways into the LSU Football Operations Center but then altered their plan and began to block off the entrances to the parking lot of the building, not allowing any vehicles to leave the property. Athletes attempting to leave the parking lot became frustrated with the students blocking their way, saying that they had classes to go to. LSU football player Aaron Moffitt argued with the protestors saying “I got a dog I need to go home and feed.” When a group of protestors were asked if they felt bad because the athletes were not able to leave for class, they answered with a resounding “no.” Co-president of TASA Angelina Cantelli said the organization chose the Operations Center as opposed to the administrative athletics building because it symbolized the privilege of LSU athletes who they believe are often treated differently in sexual assault cases. “We chose this building because it is a symbol of athletes’ privileges on campus,” Cantelli said. “No one else gets a building like this. This serves as a picture of the ways that athletes have been treated differently when it comes to sexual assault. Furthermore, this is where Coach O [Ed Orgeron] works and he hasn’t commented on the matter at all. We want the people in this office to care about this issue.” The protestors were intermittently chanting phrases such as “Get some nerve, fire Verge” and “Say it once, say it again, no excuses for violent men.” Many protesters came prepared with signs, some of which read “LSU is complicit, suspension is not enough” and ”There’s no LSU community without accountability.” Some students attending the protest expressed that for some people, campus doesn’t feel safe. Political science and international relations senior Ana Waskom believes that campus safety could be improved if individuals who covered up sexual assault would
receive appropriate punishments. “As a woman on campus, I would feel a lot safer at least knowing that the people who covered this up would get actual consequences,” Waskom said. “That’s why I’m here.” The need for a unification of the LSU community to combat the issue of students feeling unsafe on campus was expressed by mass communication sophomore Charlie Stephens. “I think this isn’t a female-only problem; we want everyone to feel safe at the University,” Stephens said. “This is a show of solidarity for everyone that has been [victimized] and the fear people feel on campus, I think it’s important for male [students] to be here.” Mechanical engineering junior Jaali Crenshaw Henninger showed up to the protest after seeing the event shared on social media. Henninger expressed his fear that the problem of the University mishandling sexual assault allegations involving athletes will continue to occur due to the University’s prioritization of athletes over regular students. “I really hope this is not a situation where it happened and it continues to happen,” Henninger said. “LSU puts sports above everything else, hence why they have million dollar facilities while the library has holes in it.” “We support our students and their right to speak freely,” LSU Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard said. “We look forward to continuing the dialogue with them as we work to implement Husch Blackwell’s recommendations. This is a long and difficult process, and we appreciate student input.” TASA co-president Angel Upshaw vowed that the organization will continue planning demonstrations until their demands are met by the University. “We will keep having demonstrations until someone is fired,” Upshaw said. Students speak at hearing A Louisiana State Senate select committee meeting was held Wednesday to receive responses from public Louisiana universities on how sexual misconduct cases are handled on campus. TASA also prompted students to come out and show support at the meeting via social media. LSU Interim President Thom-
as Galligan answered questions from members of the committee on the failures of the University in regard to its handling of Title IX cases. Galligan acknowledged the demand that any employee found responsible of covering up or mishandling Title IX cases be terminated. “There are a lot of people I wish I could fire, and there are people who think it would be unfair to terminate them,” Galligan said. “We opened the books to Husch Blackwell to do a full investigation of all of this. For me, the books remain open.” Former LSU student Samantha Brennan, who sued LSU after the University withheld Title IX documents regarding an investigation into former LSU football player Derrius Guice after he took a nude photograph of her without consent, spoke at the meeting about the information included in the Husch Blackwell report when the committee took statements from students. “They cherry-picked what benefited them and omitted everything that damned them,” Brennan said. “This is bad, but the full story is way worse.” Mass communication junior Ricky Bryant also spoke at the meeting about his personal experience dealing with sexual assault his freshman year at the University. “This is a topic that impacts women heavily, but men are not immune from sexual violence. I didn’t get help because I knew LSU would protect my abuser,” Bryant said. “I knew the figurehead was more important to LSU than the survivor. Survivors should not have to relive their experiences before a legislative caucus to get their University to take action.” Former LSU tennis player Abby Owens publicly identified herself for the first time as a survivor of sexual assault by Guice in 2016 and spoke on how the University’s failure to correctly investigate Title IX cases may have contributed to a lack of safety for students on campus. “I think it’s just another example of LSU failing us,” Owens said. “It makes me mad to think of all the other victims that came after me and Sam, which could have been prevented if they would have properly investigated and do what they were supposed to do.”
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ABOUT THE REVEILLE The Reveille is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Reveille is free from multiple sites on campus and about 25 sites off campus. To obtain additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall or email studentmedia@ lsu.edu. The Reveille is published biweekly during the fall, spring and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. The Reveille is funded through LSU students’ payments of the Student Media fee.
NEWS REPORT RESPONSE
page 3
COVID-19
Louisiana COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expands REVEILLE STAFF REPORT
Gov. John Bel Edwards, legislators address Husch Blackwell report SAVANNA ORGERON / The Reveille
Scott Schneider, representative for Husch Blackwell, speaks to reporters through Zoom regarding the Title IX review findings on March 5, at Lod Cook Alumni Center on 3838 W Lakeshore Drive. BY KATHERINE MANUEL @kmanuel_2 Gov. John Bel Edwards, former LSU President F. King Alexander and legislators all addressed the Husch Blackwell investigation into LSU’s mishandling of sexual assault reports on campus in the days following the report’s release Friday. In a Louisiana Select Committee on Women and Children meeting, legislators heard testimonies from survivors, current students, a representative from Husch Blackwell and Interim President Thomas Galligan regarding the Husch Blackwell investigation. The investigation was released Friday and de-
tailed instances of mishandling of sexual assault reports by the University. Rep. Paula Davis, an LSU alumna, said she is “disheartened.” “I’m dumbfounded. I’m sad. I’m disgusted,” Davis said. “I’m so disappointed in LSU. My heart is beating really quickly and I’m shaking, because it’s just not enough.” Sen. Karen Carter Peterson said that there was no culture of punishment at LSU at the time of the sexual assault reports and the Title IX policies were unclear. “The message from the top was that it was okay not to tell the truth,” Peterson said. “The entire system, academic and
athletic, were okay with everybody lying, but everybody gets to move on with a new set of rules.” Rep. Barry Ivey apologized to victims for failure of the government to provide protection and justice for them. “We must take decisive action,” Ivey said. “Please don’t make us make you. Do the right thing.” Ivey said he is an LSU alumnus and this situation has cast a “long shadow over the University.” “The ending of this meeting will not be the ending of this conversation,” Sen. Beth Mizell said. Edwards said Tuesday that he read the report “in its entire-
ty” and said that he was “sick to the stomach” while reading it. “I will tell you that I was obviously very, very troubled by that report,” Edwards said. Edwards said it is “imperative” that college students know they are safe at any university in Louisiana. “It’s a challenging situation but I will tell you that I was mortified when I read the report,” Edwards said. “It really made me sick to the stomach, to be honest with you. I am determined that we’re going to improve, not only at LSU, but to make sure that isn’t happening anywhere else.” Alexander issued a letter
see REPORT, page 4
Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday that Louisiana COVID-19 vaccine eligibility is expanding to include individuals aged 16 and older who have underlying health conditions. The new guidelines offer the vaccine to anyone in the age range who is overweight, a former or current smoker or suffers from other complications that could put them at greater risk for experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms, such as asthma, kidney disease, cancer, COPD, Down Syndrome, “heart conditions,” high blood pressure, sickle cell disease and diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a full list of underlying medical conditions on its website. “This is great news for tens of thousands of additional, high risk Louisianans who are now eligible to take the COVID-19 vaccines immediately,” Edwards said. Edwards said the vaccine will also be available to those who work in congregate living facilities, including jail and prison guards and group home staff. Louisiana residents who are under the age of 18 will only be eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. “Appointments will still be required, and I hope people will be patient as doses are still very limited and not everyone will be able to immediately get their vaccine,” Edwards said. “This is another leap forward for Louisiana as we work together to put the COVID-19 pandemic in our rear view.”
STUDENT LIFE
Miss LSU-USA Pageant aims to raise funds for various charities BY ANNE MARIE WHERRITT @amwherritt The Miss LSU-USA Pageant is March 14 at 5 p.m. in the LSU Student Union Theatre; viewers can livestream the pageant at home through a livestream link. The pageant is a Delta Zeta fundraiser that benefits the Starkey Hearing Foundation, American Society for Deaf Children, SeriousFun Children’s
Network, the Emerge Center and St. Lillian’s Academy. Delta Zeta raises funds through CrowdChange, a website where people can donate directly, ticket sales and ad sales from local businesses. This year’s ticket sales look different because the pageant cannot have a live audience. The livestream tickets are sold on the LSU Student Union Theater’s website. The link to the
livestream will be sent 30 minutes prior to the event. “Live streaming has been a challenge,” Director of Public Relations Maddie Diez said. “It was hard to find enough music for a whole pageant that is not licensed; we can’t even use the National Anthem.” The pageant contestants have been practicing since February in small groups at different times due to COVID-19
measures. The contestants will not rehearse with each other until the dress rehearsal during the week before the pageant. Because of this, instead of naming one Miss Congeniality, there will be three different Miss Congeniality winners — one from each group. “For the pageant, we have been told we can have a certain amount of girls without a mask on the stage at a time,”
Miss LSU Executive Director Leah McPhearson said. “We will interchange girls off the stage, and as soon as they exit stage a mask will be waiting for them in the wings.” In order to follow COVID-19 protocols, anyone present at the pageant must complete the daily symptom tracker, have their temperatures taken and
see PAGEANT, page 4
Thursday, March 11, 2021
page 4 AWARDS
LSU student recognized in national journalism competition BY BRYANT RANDALL @bryant_randall5 Mass comunication junior Allison Kadlubar received recognition in the Television Features Competition of the 2020-2021 Hearst Journalism Awards Program and placed among the top 20 winners in the national competition which had 60 universities competing in it. The competition required participants to submit two stories in order to compete, Kadlubar said. She said she appreciated the opportunity to have more than one of her stories receive recognition. “I do put in a lot of hard work as a broadcast journalist,” Kadlubar said. “To know that all that hard work and those techniques and the details I was applying was working. I was being noticed, and it was very nice.” Kadlubar’s Tiger TV adviser, Cindy Carter, submitted two of her stories for the competition, Kadlubar said. One of her stories focused on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the casino industry in Louisiana. The other story focused on how the pandemic and the 2020 election had an impact on Louisiana’s housing markets. Prior to her story on Louisiana’s
casino industry in April, Kadlubar said she observed how the casinos were closed for a long period of time due to the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also noticed that nobody seemed to be talking about this despite the casinos’ importance to Lake Charles’ economy. “No eyes were really drawn on the casinos at that time,” said Kadlubar. “I was like, ‘they’ve been closed for like a month,’ and nobody’s really paid attention.” Kadlubar said she has a specific process for how she chooses the news stories that she covers. She said that she chooses stories that have an impact on the community that people don’t seem to be paying enough attention to. For her housing market story, she interviewed six people so she could build up her knowledge on interest rates and other economic aspects of the housing market. Kadlubar said that it takes around one to two weeks to complete a story. She said it can be challenging to learn about these vast and complex issues within a reasonable time span. However, she said that she embraces these challenges as she loves learning about the specific details of stories that she works on.
“That is what I love as a journalist. I love to learn,” said Kadlubar. “This story motivated me to be well versed in it, and I was able to put it in terms that my audience can understand.” The biggest challenge to her work, Kadlubar said, is the process of learning about complex topics, conducting interviews and then having to present it in a way that is concise and entertaining enough to her audience so that they will listen to the entire story. “It’s definitely challenging, but I love the challenge,” said Kadlubar. “I love the creative details that can draw a viewer in.” She said she focuses on making sure that her audience not only knows about her news stories, but she wants to ensure that they know just how much of an impact that these stories have on the entire community. “All these stories affect the community,” said Kadlubar. “So if you can really draw your community in to where they know that it’s affecting them and where they are going to care about it and understand it, I think that I did my job as a journalist.” Kadlubar said LSU has been a great tool for her and her ambitions
in media. She said that the Manship School of Mass Communication has taught her many great skills, and that Tiger TV gives her the opportunity to practice those very skills. “I applied it through Tiger TV, but I learned it in the classroom,” said Kadlubar. Kadlubar said it is essential to pay special attention to all of the details of one’s story, as paying attention to all aspects of the story
COURTESY OF ALLY KADLUBAR
LSU junior Ally Kadlubar’s broadcast reporting was recognized in a national journalism competition.
PAGEANT, from page 3
COURTESY OF LEAH MCPHEARSON
The last Miss LSU-USA Pageant was held in April 2019.
REPORT, from page 3 Monday to students at his current university in response to allegations that reports of sexual assault were mishandled while he was president at LSU. Alexander left LSU in December 2019 after nearly seven years at the University and moved to Oregon State University. The Husch Blackwell report found inadequate resources allocated to the Title IX Office which resulted in mishandling of reports of sexual assault during the years that Alexander was president. Alexander wrote that he was “deeply saddened” by the experiences of sexual assault survivors detailed in the report. “Title IX is a fundamental priority at all universities, and I am fully in support of regular reviews that assist any university in improving how it addresses misconduct,” Alexander wrote.
According to the letter, Alexander created the first internal Title IX Office at LSU while he was president. He said that as president, he required all sexual assault concerns be reported to the University’s Title IX Office instead of an outside firm, which was the previous process. “Given the experiences of survivors documented in the LSU report, I acknowledge we should have moved faster in more fully staffing and increasing the budget for the Title IX office and its efforts,” Alexander wrote. Alexander also addressed the recent sexual assault allegations against former LSU Head Football Coach Les Miles. Alexander wrote that during his first few weeks as president, he was told by attorneys that there was not enough evidence to support termination of Miles. Alexander wrote that he now regrets not taking action
against Miles. “In hindsight, beyond limitations that were put into place between the coach and students, I now regret that we did not take stronger action earlier against Coach Miles, including suspension leading to further investigation and dismissal for violations of university policy, before I ordered him terminated in early fall 2016,” Alexander wrote. Miles was let go from the University of Kansas Monday night, three days after Kansas placed him on administrative leave amid accusations of inappropriate conduct toward female students while he was at LSU. According to the Husch Blackwell report released Friday, former LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva sent an email in June 2013 that Miles should be fired as head coach following the accusations of inappropriate conduct.
demonstrates that you care about the story which the end result will clearly reflect. “It will be more meaningful to you and more meaningful to your community,” said Kadlubar. Kadlubar said receiving this award makes her confident that she is doing her job correctly and that she is going to continue to work hard to produce stories that will benefit her community.
sanitize their hands. In order to limit the number of people backstage, the Delta Zeta Miss LSU Committee asked the contestants to come to the pageant with hair and makeup ready so there are as few people as possible. “It is two weeks away from the pageant and we are still making changes,” McPhearson said. “The committee is taking everything with grace despite the uncertainty.” The contestants will not be escorted during the evening gown portion of the pageant like they usually would due to
COVID-19 mitigation efforts. During intermission, instead of having performers, Delta Zeta will play its philanthropy video explaining where the money is going to. Once the pageant is over on Sunday, each contestant will have a CrowdChange page to raise money. In order to choose the 2021 Miss LSU Fan Favorite, there will be virtual voting. On the Miss LSU Facebook page, each contestant’s CrowdChange page will be posted. One dollar in their personal CrowdChange is one vote. Moreover, whichever contestant raises the most money will be named 2021 Miss LSU Fan Favorite.
JALEN HINTON / The Reveille
LSU’s Interim President Thomas Galligan Jr. (top) and former LSU student Samantha Brennan (bottom) listen to legislators on March 10, at the Louisiana State Capitol on North Third Street.
ENTERTAINMENT
REV R ANKS
MOVIE
#1 HARRY POTTER MOVIE:
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE Universal
This book was my favorite in the series, and it is also my favorite in the franchise. The movie still plays on innocence, but the series is starting to become darker with this film. I also loved the Yule Ball, Triwizard Tournament and Cedric Diggory. I cried when he died, and I am not afraid to admit that. I just love the teenage drama mixed with some magical challenges from the tournament. Britney Young @byoun99 LIVE SHOW
POST MALONE & POKEMON Post Malone
I just don’t really know why this collaboration happened. I understand the concert had to be virtual because of the pandemic, but I didn’t need a virtual, cartoon version of Post Malone singing with Charizard. The vocals sounded live, but I really don’t know if they were considering I have never seen Post Malone in person. Olivia Deffes @liv_deffes
MOVIE
WALKER The CW
Chuck Norris walked so Cordell Walker could run. In the CW’s reimagining of Norris’ ‘90s hit “Walker, Texas Ranger,” the do-it-my-way Texas Ranger Cordell Walker lives on. There were a few holes and things I would consider unrealistic, such as the Texan accents in some instances, but it’s a good show for casual watching and garnered a laugh or two, the third episode especially. Ava Borskey @iamavab TV SERIES
GOOD GIRL NBC
The three undercover urban mothers make their appearances and face their battles with our favorite gang leader Rio (Manny Montana), Spoiler: he’s not dead, once again for 11 more episodes. Overall, we have kidnapped birds singing “Frere Jacques” in the elevators, way too many hitmen being hired (shoutout to guest star Andrew McCarthy) and FBI agents getting their nails done. Ashley Latcha @ashleylatcha Read the full reviews online at lsunow.com/entertainment
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Madison Beer’s debut album ‘Life Support’ came with one epic concert BY ENJANAE’ TAYLOR @_queenet_
Madison Beer’s debut album “Life Support” is finally here, and it was worth the wait. Beer has been teasing songs off of this album for a while now, and I was saving the snippets on my phone and just listening to the short clips over and over again. That’s how much I loved the songs, and they hadn’t even come out yet. When “Selfish” officially dropped, I knew this album was going to be something special. Beer released “Stained Glass,” “Baby” and “BOYSHIT” before the full album dropped at the end of February. I love all of these tracks, but I was waiting on “Default” and “Effortlessly,” and boy was I not disappointed. Beautiful melodies and impactful lyrics are heard throughout the album, but these two songs are amazing. Beer had shared other snippets of songs before the full album dropped. I had heard parts of “Stay Numb And Carry On” and “Everything Happens For A Reason,” but hearing the full versions of these tracks made me love them even more. I could go on and on about how much I love this album, and just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Beer announced the “Life Support” concert event. I’ve been waiting for this album for over a year, so when Beer shared she would be performing the album live in “Madison Beer presents: Life Support in Concert,” I had to see it for myself. I can’t explain how much I miss concerts and live music. Virtual concerts give us an opportunity to feel like we’re back in the arena with our favorite artists again, just in a different way. Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber and many more artists have been
putting on virtual shows, and due to the pandemic, it seems like this trend is here to stay. Nothing beats a real live show, but I like how artists can get creative and focus on telling a story visually with virtual shows. This was the first time Beer performed many of the songs on
COURTESY OF NME
her album, so I didn’t know what to expect, but Spoiler alert: I loved every minute of it. The show starts with the album introduction “The Beginning,” and the camera pans to Beer singing on stage. We hear the live band of women playing awesome transitions and see close ups of them throughout the show. The transitions between each song made the show even better, with Beer starting off with “Good In Goodbye,” “Stay Numb And Carry On” and “Stained Glass.” There were colorful lights and smoke, but the focus was on Beer the whole time as she mesmerized the audience song after song. Her vocals have improved a lot over the years, and she sounded amazing during this show. I love this album because it somehow encapsulates how I’m feeling while including
all of my favorite genres and sounds. A pop-rock influence with retro vibes and out-of-thisworld sounds makes for one good album. I felt like it was Madison Beer’s world and I was just watching her perform in it. We then hear “Sour Times” and “Follow The White Rabbit,” which I now love even more after hearing them live. Beer switches out the guitars and drums for strings as she sings “Homesick,” “Default,” “Effortlessly” and “Selfish,” all personal favorites of mine. She then goes back to her rock star ways to perform her single “ B OY S H I T.” The live version of this song just singlehandedly saved pop. Speaking of songs that save pop, “Baby” followed the song. The show wrapped up with Beer singing “Emotional Bruises” and “Everything Happens For A Reason.” For the finale, we see Beer go to her studio, sit in front of a TV and flip through channels while the last song from the album, “Channel Surfing/ The End,” is playing. The singer has tears in her eyes and smiles, grabs the microphone and says the lyrics “thank you so much” into the camera and turns us off. The live show was all I could ask for and more, just like the album. There were breathtaking visuals, amazing vocals and stunning outfits. Beer was energetic, fun and mesmerizing throughout the show and you’d best believe I was in my room singing my little heart out to every song. This album is an incredible debut, and this is just the start for Madison Beer. She’s already started working on her new music, and I cannot wait to hear it. Thankfully, I have 17 amazing new songs from the artist to replay and obsess over until then.
Thursday, March 11, 2021
page 6
Thursday, March 11, 2021
DEMANDING JUSTICE BY JALEN HINTON
page 7
LSU students participate in the Tigers Against Sexual Assault sit-in at the Football Operations Center on March 8.
LSU architecture senior Harris Quadir holds a sign while blocking an exit.
Mass communication senior Mia LeJeune displays a sign while blocking an entrance.
Eddie Kennison, director of player development, speaks with protestors for understanding.
Agriculture business senior Daniel Garber holds a sign while blocking an exit.
Mass communication sophomore Carley Oakley wears a mask with a dollar bill covered in “Title IX.”
LSU architecture senior Harris Quadir holds a sign while blocking an entrance.
Mass communication sophomore Annalise Vidrine displays a sign while walking.
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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Slangy refusal 5 __ pie 10 Troubles 14 All __; listening 15 Embarrass 16 Flood survivor 17 Send a package 18 Make difficult 20 Nearest star 21 Reasonable bedtime 22 Like a capitol’s roof 23 Old friend 25 Male animal 26 Imitation; fake 28 Joint beneficiary 31 Boots out 32 Common greeting 34 Do an outdoor chore 36 __ out at; attack verbally 37 Not well-defined 38 __ on; goad 39 12/24, for one 40 Funeral hymn 41 Special talent 42 Put on a pedestal 44 Swerve wildly 45 “…Humpty Dumpty __ a great fall…” 46 Worth & Lauderdale 47 Distressed 50 Grand __; batter’s delight 51 Weep 54 Spouse finder 57 Citrus fruit 58 Vicinity 59 Fictitious name 60 Gung ho 61 Six months from now: abbr. 62 Wash off soapsuds 63 Plays the ponies DOWN 1 Scottish monster’s lake 2 “Magnum P.I.” setting 3 Beatrice & Eugenie 4 Sixth sense, for short 5 Actor Al
by Jacqueline E. Mathews
Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews
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3/11/21
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43 Seuss’ “__ in the Hat” 44 Uncouth; illmannered 46 Canine problem 47 Thurman’s namesakes 48 Apple pie recipe verb
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49 Ladder rung 50 Outer layer 52 Forget to include 53 Pieces of furniture 55 Deface 56 Late ring king 57 Blood analysis site
SPORTS HIGHWAY TO SELL
Column: LSU further hurts relationship with victims by not firing the Sells HENRY HUBER @henryhuber_
One of the most important things to do when helping and showing support to victims of abuse is to make them feel safe in telling their stories and to believe them. LSU has failed to do that on countless occasions, choosing to either protect or poorly punish the accused or not holding the higher-ups that denied these victims’ stories accountable. Such is the case with Julia and Mike Sell in the cases regarding Jade Lewis and another anonymous victim mentioned in the Husch Blackwell report. Before the USA Today article that boosted LSU’s infamy surrounding dealings with abuse, the Sells had a strong reputation bolstered by them transforming a losing women’s tennis program into a competitive one. They turned a team that had four consecutive losing seasons from 2009 to 2013 into one that hasn’t had one since, behind strong recruitment featuring an array of future All-Americans. But it would be surprising if their recruitment remained at the same level after all of the allegations that have been made against them. The USA Today article published in November features accusations that the Sells were told about multiple cases of abuse and didn’t believe the victims or do anything about it. A month later, The Reveille published an
ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille
LSU women’s tennis co-head coach Julia Sell pulls her mask down to talk to co-Head Coach Michael Sell on Jan. 31, in-depth article against the Sells that added bullying, picking favorites and others to the list of the accusations against them. Husch Blackwell investigated the claims made in the USA Today article and released its report at the beginning of March. Though it ultimately concluded that the evidence couldn’t prove the validity of some of the accusations, they weren’t debunked either. This was due to a lot of the conversations between two people lacking witnesses, so it’s important to keep two things in mind. One: no one truly knows what was said within these conversations except for the people
involved. Each person has a very different story surrounding what was discussed, which turns this into a ‘he said, she said’ situation. Two: for the people who spoke with the Sells and claim that they blew them off, there would have to be motive if they were to lie about it. This was mentioned briefly in Husch Blackwell’s report and is relevant because motive is the only valid explanation for any of the people who spoke with the Sells to lie about something like this in regard to their loved ones. There are a lot of relevant conversations to focus on, but the ones that are covered here are the ones regarding Lewis’ fa-
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LSU gym prepares for postseason
ther, David Lewis, and the father of an anonymous player “complainant 2” These will be briefly summarized, so if you’re looking for more details, the report is on the Reveille website. The claims of both fathers described one-on-one discussions with each of the Sells. Lewis’ father claims that he discussed Drake Davis’s abuse of Lewis with Michael Sell on the phone on two occasions, and Complainant 2’s father claims (with witnesses) that he spoke with Julia Sell in person, thanking her for bringing his daughter to rehab and telling her that Derrius Guice raped the complainant. According to both fathers, neither of them were believed, with Julia Sell outright calling the victim a liar. It’s also worth mentioning that each parent never spoke to them again after these conversations, offering further implications of the emotions surrounding the coaches’ responses. Though David Lewis father’s claims had inconsistencies that led to it being questionable whether or not the discussions regarding Davis happened, the claims of the second father had none. There were witnesses that could prove that they spoke with each other, and witnesses that saw the distraught expression on the father’s face after the consultation was over. There’s also the glaring fact that was mentioned earlier: he met with Julia Sell because he was grateful that she
At the climax of a season like no other, LSU gymnastics put up an elite showing on senior night that gives the team momentum at the perfect time. LSU came into its meet with Missouri having lost each of its last three meets and feeling like it had something to prove. The Tigers put together a very impressive showing against Missouri, winning by a score of 197.875-196.175. This was also LSU’s second-highest score of the season, helping it secure the No. 2 seed in the SEC Championships. The meet did more for LSU than just improving its score and securing the No. 2 seed; it gave the team confidence and momentum going into the postseason. The Tigers put together a complete meet which was something they had not done since its heartbreaking loss to top-ranked Florida. The spark came early in the meet for LSU after freshman Haleigh Bryant scored a perfect 10 on vault that seemed to give the team energy. Bryant said after the meet that the focus for her team was just going out and doing what the team was capable of. “We came into this meet just wanting to do our normal gymnastics,” Bryant said. “We do amazing gymnastics in the gym and it showed tonight.”
see SELLS, page 10
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BY PETER RAUTERKUS @peter_rauterkus
BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY
The Local Stroke: The pair that plays together, stays together BY JOE KEHRLI @ joekehrli9 Welcome to The Local Stroke, a new Reveille series in which we shine a light on the importance of municipal golf courses, local golf initiatives, powered by experiences, data and stories from people of the community. Some golfers are drawn to pristine conditions of a championship level course. Others are drawn to courses that have historical roots to their community, like Historic City Park. The course, designed in 1926 by Tom Bendelow, offers low green fees and a vibe that is completely contradictory to a private, snobby golf course. Mark Ellis and Allen Stall have been playing BREC (the Recreation and Park Commission of East Baton Rouge Parish) courses for the
past six years together. “It is a getaway,” said Ellis. “Oh, absolutely a getaway. I love it,” echoed Stall. Ellis recalled that his fondest memory he has had golfing — or in life, more generally — was playing with his father for the last time. His father introduced him to the game that he still relishes in today. He taught a younger Mark how to swing clubs and play with integrity. Now, Ellis is a father and has shared his experiences on the course with his own son, who played in high school, continuing into the third generation of golfers in the Ellis family. Ellis is a self-proclaimed “lifelong 10 or 11” handicap. “I can shoot a 95 and then I can shoot in the 70s,” Ellis said. Stall, who drove 18-wheelers for his livelihood, remembers the
high school days when he and a few buddies would grab some beer, rent clubs, and have a good time on the course. Obviously, golf in the late ‘70s and ‘80s was universally cheaper than it is today in 2021. Golf across the board was cheaper, green fees were lower, golf clubs were cheaper and well, of course you must include the beer, which was also cheaper. Although golf was cheaper to play back then, some would argue the current state of golf is the most accessible it has ever been. There are a plethora of local opportunities and incentives to get people of all backgrounds to engage with the sport even more. These programs are in place here in Baton Rouge, but it is lacking widespread awareness through advertising. Historical City Park is located 2.2 miles North of LSU’s campus.
This course is one of two courses in the area that offer the Youth on Course program that allows younger golfer to play for as little as $5. Ellis, who is in sales for chemical clothing, counted on his hand that he had played in eight BREC tournaments and enjoyed each one. Every time he plays, he still is cognizant of the peace that golf brings him. Playing for over 50 years, he must have played close to a thousand times. “Golf means a lot to me. It is my getaway,” Ellis said. “Being in sales, I can forget about everything while on the course. I also enjoy the camaraderie with buds. I usually don’t take calls or answer anything while I am playing.” The pair hopes to cash in many more rounds together. They have been together for many of each other’s life events, from the pains
to the joys. They have lost to one another and they have a friendly competitiveness that brings out the best in the other. Ellis shared that while he has come close to hitting a hole-in-one, his partner Stalls has had a few. My favorite story they told me was of when Stall was a teenager. He hopped out of the car, grabbed a club and had the “best shot of his life.” “Really good shot,” a random spectator screamed to Stall across the course. “I had just jumped out of the car, grabbed a club and a ball and swung. It was not until I heard the man from afar screaming that I knew it went in.” This is a common side affect that comes along with a golf addiction many golfers face: whenever
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Thursday, March 11, 2021
SELLS, from page 9 drove his daughter to rehab and showed her support. If something like this wasn’t said to him, the father of the second complainant would likely have a positive opinion of the Sells and would probably be defending them. Sell also immediately reported what was said in the conversation to Title IX, which proves that the assault of the complainant was mentioned. If this is true (which will never be proven unless Sell were to confess), it is inhumane and sickening. To seek help for a loved one from someone you expect to do the right thing and have them metaphorically spit in you and the victim’s face is unimaginable. nhumane is a characteristic that reasonably describes what Julia Sell has been accused of by some of being her former players that were published in a Reveille article in December. In a list of accusations toward players that could take a while: homophobia, weight shaming, compulsively lying, picking favorites, dividing the team and ultimately, being cold, discriminative and unsupportive towards players that weren’t her favorites and intentionally making training dreadful for them. Though these accusations haven’t been investigated, this wasn’t just one or two players that made these claims, it was
seven. Seven. Seven former players and a parent came forward to recount what they remember about Julia Sell. Bear in mind, this is a tennis team, so rosters are typically limited to about ten players at the most, so that is a large sample size overjust a few years. A team’s environment should be a supportive and trusting one, where the players don’t dread attending practice or events and if they need to consult someone about anything, they can expect to be able to talk to their coaches and teammates and get a supportive and honest response. A team that is divided and operates under harsh treatment like this is a lot less likely to offer that. To hear from your loved ones that people you trusted would help and support you didn’t believe you and called you a liar is unimaginably devastating. To be excited to be a part of a team you dreamed of being on and having a coach crush your imagination of it is as well. These accusations should not be ignored by the University, as there’s a strong chance that it will make victims of abuse and harsh treatment less likely to tell their stories. The best message they can send is to show that accusations of this regard are taken seriously and arbitrators of these actions and non-actions will be held accountable.
GYMNASTICS, from page 9 It was also senior night, and that too seemed to give the team energy and motivation. Six seniors were honored before the meet, and many of these seniors made an important and early impact in the meet. After the meet, Head Coach Jay Clark was proud of the leadership that his seniors showed. “The seniors did tonight what you expect seniors to do,” Clark said. “They provided us with a lot of leadership, a lot of great performances, but their emotional makeup is tremendous for us.” This leadership has been huge for LSU all season and will continue to be a factor for the Tigers as they head into the postseason. Another aspect of the meet that gives LSU momentum heading into the postseason was Kiya Johnson’s perfect 10 on floor to end the meet. Johnson has been in-and-out of the lineup in different events over the course of the season due to injuries, but against Missouri, she
LOCAL STROKE, from page 9 driving or flying by a course, you must visualize yourself there. You must. Even if you are behind the wheel or in the cockpit. The pair also shared that although the green fees are not exorbitantly high at City Park — $10 to walk and $18 to ride — the duo still uses a third-party booking site (Golfnow) to “save a few dol-
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showed what she is capable of at her best. This was the perfect way to end the meet for LSU, and Johnson believes that there are many positives to take from this meet. “We still can improve, and we had a really high score,” Johnson said. “I think we need to take the positives from this meet and run with them.” Overall, this meet was hugely important for the Tigers to get them moving in the right direction. Coming off a stretch of disappointing meets, it would have been easy for LSU to give in and lose its fight, but the Tigers showed resilience and got back on the right track against Missouri. “We did have those losses and they stung a little bit, but they motivated us to get back in the gym and work even harder,” Johnson said when discussing the mindset of the team going into the meet with Missouri. This meet secured the No. 2 seed for LSU in the SEC Championships as the Tigers now go into
an off week to prepare and get healthy. After a meet like the one against Missouri, the Tigers showed that, when at their best, they can compete with anyone. According to Johnson, the best is still yet to come.
LSU gymnastics Rebecca D’Antonio hugs Christina Desiderio after her last floor routine.
lars here and there.” However, Stall said the course is in such good condition that he would be happy to pay $25 a round to play if that’s what they charged. The pair claims the BREC courses offer plenty of incentives to play affordably. Golf has been thriving amidst the pandemic; as a matter of fact, it has experienced a boom in participation. But, without more awareness of these pro-
grams the public will be left without their favorite leisure places. For example, toward the end of my discussion with Ellis and Stall, they mentioned one of the worst nightmares. “LSU [the course off Nicholson near the Box] is going to become a parking lot, which I hate,” they both said almost simultaneously. Golfers: your local course’s longevity depends on you.
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OPINION
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We need to throw away unpaid internships in 2021 GOING SOUTH TAMIA SOUTHALL
@tamiabrem_
Internships are seen as a vital stepping stone for college students for their prospective careers, but in some cases, they are exploitative tools for employers to use. The topic of unpaid internships recently started trending on Twitter, with many users recognizing the practice as a form of labor exploitation. Interns deserve to get paid for the work they do. They don’t have to be compensated as much as other fulltime and part-time employees, but they at least deserve something. College students have bills just like the other employees on payroll do; my apartment complex still wants rent at the first of the month. Unpaid internships are just another way to keep the rich rich and the poor poor: many low-income students cannot afford to work for free; however, students from higher income families would not be
as economically affected by working for free and gaining that ohso-valuable internship experience. Low-income students have to sacrifice opportunities in their prospective careers to work jobs that most likely have nothing to do with their majors in order to pay the bills, while students from high-income backgrounds get a chance to get their foot in the door at major companies. The practice of unpaid internships is another way for employers to save money. I doubt these companies care about helping students gain experience. These organizations have to tread a fine line regarding unpaid internships because they are borderline illegal and certainly unethical, yet so many still choose to offer unpaid rather than paid internships. For example, take the United Nations, which hires unpaid interns all the time. Some of their internships require 40-hour work weeks for six months. The UN hypocritically advocates for human rights, but simultaneously exploits free labor.
Low-income students that decide to accept unpaid internships often have to compensate for this by working other jobs on top of that. Students are forced to juggle these responsibilities, which might unfairly affect their ability to work. Some universities even require students to participate in an internship in order to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, which pressures many to work in unpaid roles. In these cases, students are paying full-price tuition to work at a company for free. Can you see how this practice further marginalizes low-income students? Universities need to stand up for their students and protect them from occupational exploitation. They should not allow employers to exploit their students for free labor and should demand that their partner organizations compensate interns fairly. Unpaid internships should be abolished. Hiring organizations should not substitute actual compensation with positions that “pay in experience” because, at
the end of the day, experience cannot pay the bills. We can’t afford to work for free in 2021.
Tamia Southall is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from New Orleans.
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Self-love still more important than dating amid pandemic EMILY ON CAMPUS EMILY DAVISON @ichigoemily My college experience has been riddled with a lot of interesting and highly unexpected social situations so far, including learning Zoom etiquette, maintaining friendships across long distances and, perhaps most harrowingly, being subjected to the immense pressures of love and dating. The practice of dating in college strikes me as more of a strange social institution than something people approach organically or with the best intentions for themselves. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not condemning college dating by any means. Being single has never felt more confusing than it does now, as we spend most of our time at home, backgrounded by the “new normal.” The appeal of a relationship obviously stands very strong, but
I feel like an attitude of need has developed more so than one of want or desire. The sometimes overwhelming pressure to find “the one” has been heightened in a time when it seems we should be cutting ourselves a lot more slack as far as romance is concerned. So why does it feel like we’re obligated to settle down now more than ever? I feel like a lot of this push has stemmed from a collective pandemic-driven loneliness. The uncertainty in all of our lives and the burden of feeling alone has contributed to somewhat of a panic on the dating scene. Despite all social distancing odds, the use of dating apps has skyrocketed since the onset of the pandemic and people are entering serious relationships at increasingly frequent rates. And when it seems as though everyone around you is successfully forming meaningful relationships, the pressure to find
someone for yourself can start to seem nothing less than daunting. Not only is there the internalized pressure to be with someone as an antidote to loneliness; the external eyes looking in on your love life can start to feel like an even more overbearing weight.
I’ve personally felt so much stress to “fit in” when it comes to finding a significant other that it almost cheapens the entire dating experience. It’s grown to
seem like such a priority for people my age that I honestly feel like I’m doing something wrong by being single. This is admittedly an extremely toxic mindset and unhealthy worldview. In the supposed prime of our lives, we shouldn’t have to feel so obligated to find someone else to make ourselves feel whole. There’s a clear distinction between healthy relationships and the kind of relationships that arise from this misguided outlook. Still, I see the societal pressure to be with someone as directly feeding into the idea that we need to be with someone to be valid or even loved. I’ll be the first to admit that I admire and envy the cute relationship posts that I see on my social media feeds, but I think the heavy emphasis on dating culture and its unexpected rise during the pandemic is more harmful to young people than it is healthy. Considering COVID-19 has proven detrimental to pub-
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lic mental health in the United States, I don’t think it’s too bold to say we should probably step away from intensely focusing on finding someone else to complete us. Instead, we should focus on finding company first and foremost within ourselves. I know the idea of “dating yourself” is such a cheesy self-love trope, but I think it’s something a lot of us have been neglecting to think about, especially throughout the past year. I don’t see how we can possibly expect to find happiness with someone else if we don’t have it within ourselves to begin with. After all, it was the wise RuPaul Charles who famously and eloquently raised the question, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” Words to live by. Emily Davison is a 19-year-old anthropology and English sophomore from Denham Springs.
Quote of the Week “Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.”
Elvis Presley singer 1935 — 1977
Thursday, March 11, 2021
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Millennials and Zoomers may fight online, but they’re not enemies SAUCE BOSS CÉCILE CÉCILE GIRARD @_cegi_ A new generation war is abrewing, and for once, the Boomers aren’t to blame. Recently, millennials on TikTok and Twitter have been up in arms about Generation Z trying to “cancel” some of the biggest celebrities of the early aughts...namely Eminem.
It’s debatable whether there is actually any major movement to cancel the rapper, seeing as the majority of content I’ve seen online is of millennials defending Eminem, not Zoomers canceling him. Regardless of how fictitious the drama may be, Zoomers have jumped at the chance to make fun of the videos of millennials rapping in support of Eminem to reclaim him from Generation Z. It isn’t the first time that Zoomers have cringed at millennials — Harry Potter houses, the words
“doggo” and “adulting” and “don’t talk to me until I’ve had my coffee” are all unforgivable and distinctly millennial interests in the eyes of Generation Z. The fierce discourse between millennials and Gen Z is befuddling. The most generous definitions place millennials between 25 and 40 years old and Generation Z 6 and 24 years old, meaning that in many cases, people only a few years apart are blaming each other for their respective generations’ mistakes.
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At least the long-standing feud between Boomers and millennials makes sense. Boomers are old enough to be the parents or grandparents of most millennials, came of age in an era of American prosperity and retired comfortably amidst economic downturn, just as millennials were transitioning into adulthood and struggling to attain the same standard of living. Add to this the constant and often unjustified anger at millennials in the media, and you create fertile ground for deep-seated generational resentments. The current warring between millennials and Generation Z is less rooted in genuine anger and frustration. It more closely resembles a younger sibling making fun of their older sibling for having uncool music tastes or boring friends, and the older sibling retorting that, actually, it’s the younger sibling who doesn’t understand what’s cool yet. Millennials aren’t becoming the new Boomers; they’re just following the time-worn script of growing older, ridiculing teens’ interests and gatekeeping the artists of their generation. They’re yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off their lawn. I understand that taking the side of my generation against mil-
lennials is dangerous, and my words will surely haunt me when Generation Alpha grows up and starts mocking Gen Z for TikTok dances and cottagecore. To be clear though, I don’t fault millennials for anything serious. Our generations have similar political and social views, and I genuinely believe the majority of millennials do not actively wish to make life worse for future generations. Both millennials and Gen Z’ers are well aware that we have inherited a world wherein rampant income inequality and the looming threat of climate change have made the future look bleak. A pandemic stole over a year of social promise and mobility from us, and we could do nothing but bunker down as older politicians dragged their feet. No matter how often Zoomers try to cancel Eminem or how many millennials identify as a Ravenclaw, I have faith that the two generations will always side together when it matters. Ultimately, both generations should be unified in wanting to create the most equitable future for all. Cécile Girard is a 21-year-old psychology junior from Lake Charles.
America only sees in Black and white, disregards Asian Americans BUI WAS HERE ANTHONY BUI @da_bui_ Scrolling through my Instagram feed since the start of the pandemic, I’ve seen countless videos and stories highlighting the numerous hate crimes against the Asian American community. The elderly are being attacked at random. Businesses are being vandalized at an alarming rate. Asian Americans have targets on their backs right now, given labels like “bat eaters” and “pandemic starters.” Even with all of this, the media does not cover crimes against the Asian community with as much tenacity as other crimes or events involving white or Black Americans. In the past year, we saw constant media coverage during protests against anti-Black police brutality and when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in January. Everyone knew about these things because media outlets everywhere reported on them with such vigor. We don’t find the same passion and energy when it comes to media coverage of the Asian American community. Apparently, it just doesn’t have enough appeal among the general population. The only reason that I know about these things myself is be-
cause I follow several Instagram pages that emphasize Asian American topics and conversations. Accounts like @asianswithattitudes and @nextshark help to bring awareness to issues that are being swept under the rug. Even outside of the mainstream media, the rest of America doesn’t seem to care either. Since the sad and atrocious police killing of George Floyd, I have undergone many diversity training sessions. Personally, I believe having a conversation on diversity is vital for any workplace or organization to run
smoothly, especially if it involves outreach to people of different backgrounds. The problem arises when these sessions are clearly only focused on one specific group of people. I was told to check my privilege — that I could not possibly understand what members of the Black community were going through. These diversity training sessions took away my voice and made me feel as if my problems were inadequate. I can’t speak for the Asian community as a whole, but I definitely felt alone
in my struggles. I felt as though I couldn’t complain, because if my problems were important they would’ve been covered in the mainstream media already. They were not. And yet, being told I couldn’t possibly empathize with what the Black community was going through just didn’t sit well with me. I’ve had moments during the pandemic where I feared leaving my apartment. Not because I was scared of COVID-19 — because I feared how others would look at me. I feared the hateful words that would be hurled in my di-
rection. I feared becoming just another statistic. Sadly, these fears became a reality for me. I’ve had people stare at me with such disgust and tell me things that are definitely not suitable for work or even friendly conversation. My own experiences are just a part of it. Hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise. In a country that only sees in Black and white, every other race suffers. Anthony Bui is a 20-year-old English junior from Opelousas.
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