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Mond ay, M a r c h 15, 2 021
FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME
Freshman infielder Jordan Thompson (13)
Alex Box magic is back after the Tigers’ 13-inning win against UTSA.
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PHOTO BY JALEN HINTON
NEWS
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LSU students suggest University should consider female candidates amid ongoing presidential search.
ENTERTAINMENT
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sit down with Oprah for a full coverage interview discussing their time in the royal family.
SPORTS
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LSU basketball’s run in the SEC Tournament ends as they fall just short to Alabama in Title game.
OPINION
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“If you’re eligible, go get vaccinated! Now is not the time for pseudo-empathy or over-politeness.”
L SU Re ve i l le.co m @l s u r e ve i l le
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MIRACLE AT ALEX BOX STADIUM
Jordan Thompson cranks walk-off homer to defeat UTSA in 13th inning BY JARED BRODTMANN @_therealjarbear
Cade Doughty (4): three-run home run to tie the game
KYLE VALDEZ / The Reveille
Gavin Dugas (6): two-run home run
KRISTEN YOUNG / The Reveille
Jordan Thompson (13): walk-off solo home run
ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille
People who do not have an interest in sports often ask why sports fans are so intrinsically attracted to the games we love. They wonder how we get so invested in these games and why these events can drive adults to tears of joy or sadness. The simple answer is this: sports are dreams made real. They are pages of movie screenplay compounded together, yet the pages are never authored in the past, only written in as time passes through the present moment. Sports defy the natural odds that govern our daily way of life, creating stories that no one person, regardless of the size of their imagination, could ever fathom to potentially occur. There is no logical reality where Cade Doughty should have hit a three-run home run to tie the game in the bottom of the 10th. There is no plausible universe where Gavin Dugas would work to a full count, be pushed against the wall with his last strike in hand and launch a two-run home run to resurrect his team’s chances to win the game. There is no possible way that Jordan Thompson, after both of these highly improbable events would take place, could send his team home with a walk-off solo home run. Except for this one timeline we are currently residing in. This is the one where all three clutch hits happened, and LSU walked away from an unbelievable battle with UTSA with a 10-9 win. Sports fans live for nights like this. This game is the reason why the spouse does not want to leave the game early and beat out the heavy traffic despite any pleading made by any member of the family, or the reason why fans can watch losing season after losing season for decades and still be dedicated enough to give their team their support and affection. These moments make it all worth it. Every second of time invested in watching every shot, down, or pitch pays off with moments like tonight. “That was honestly one of the more crazy games that we’ve had in my tenure here at LSU,” Head Coach Paul Mainieri said. “My mind’s a little bit numb right now.” Over the course of four hours and 40 minutes, the Tigers and the Roadrunners exchanged blow after blow, combining for one of the most epic affairs in LSU baseball history. LSU took an early lead in the fourth inning by way of a Dylan Crews RBI double and a Doughty three-run home run to
go up 4-0. However, UTSA rallied back in the eighth and ninth innings to tie it at 4-4, despite losing their manager in the middle of the eighth to an ejection after arguing a called strike three for one of his batters. After the Tigers were unable to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth, UTSA’s Austin Ochoa launched a two-run home run, and Jonathan Tapia scored a runner with a sacrifice fly to put the Roadrunners back in front in the 10th, 7-4. It looked like the game was going to be out of reach, and LSU would be left to cope with a poor pitching performance from the relief staff, who walked seven batters in their six total innings of work. Doughty had other plans. With two runners on, he blasted another three-run shot into the left field bleachers, tying the game and continuing the evening for the time being. On the pitch directly after, Cade Beloso hit a triple off the left center field wall. If the LSU crowd was not fired up before Doughty’s massive hit, watching the big designated hitter leg out a triple and celebrate on third base certainly got them excited. “It was incredible,” Doughty said. “Having that inning before that, we just didn’t get our jobs done. We let up three runs, but after the home run and the triple, it was just electric.” However, the Tigers could not quite end it there. After a scoreless 11th inning for both teams, Tapia struck again for the Roadrunners with a two RBI double. Surely, this would be the final punch that would do LSU in. Tre’ Morgan doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning. With Doughty back at the plate, it seemed like he might be the hero again, but he struck out. Will Safford, who had come in as a pinch runner for Beloso after his triple in the 10th, grounded out as well. That left Dugas. He had to work to a full count to finally get the pitch he wanted, but he used it to slam the ball into the left field sky and pull LSU away from the point of no return. The unthinkable had happened again. Following the scoreless top of the 13th, Zach Arnold grounded out to bring up Thompson. The freshman had shown his power in fall practices and games earlier in the season, but this was a huge moment in a game with raised stakes. Some newcomers would not be able to handle that kind of pressure. Not Thompson. He smoked the walk-off home run on the
third pitch he saw and was mobbed after rounding the bases with a fist pump, getting the push home from third base coach Nolan Cain, and jumping into the awaiting, cheering arms of his purple-clothed teammates. “I don’t even know what to really say about it,” Thompson said. “I’m still trying to process if that really happened. It just all happened so fast. I’m just happy that we were able to get the win right there. There are a lot of guys that put us in positions to keep the game going so we could stay in it, so for me to be able to come up in that situation was huge.” Spearheading LSU’s pitching was Saturday night starter Landon Marceaux, who threw a six inning, three hit, 11 strikeout gem as he preserved his perfect ERA for the season. But after those six innings, the waiting game in the dugout was an interesting experience for him. All he could do was watch and pull for his teammates’ success. “I feel like I pitched three days ago,” Marceaux said. “Everything goes up and down, up and down, up and down,” he commented. “We get a couple of clutch homers and just keep coming back. The resiliency of this team is outstanding, and the atmosphere was electric. I loved every minute of it.” The word that kept getting thrown around by LSU players after the game was resilience. The Tigers never quit, even to the point of being one pitch away from losing. According to Thompson, there was no lack of faith in the Tigers’ ability to snatch a win away from the jaws of defeat. “We just have a lot of heart,” Thompson said. “We don’t want to lose. We don’t want to back down to anyone. We’re going to fight all the way to the end. I think a lot of the older guys really installed that into all of us when came here in the fall that we weren’t going to let anything stop us, and it played huge in tonight’s game.” This is not the first time LSU will win on a walk off in extra innings, and it will not be the last. So, what made the night so remarkable? Saturday night was a reminder for anyone that needed it that sports will always disregard any concept of how things should play out. The unpredictability is what keeps us watching, but the likelihood that something amazing will happen keeps us coming back to watch more. Sports reads its own script, dances to its own tune, yet always raises its most loyal fans to inconceivable levels of euphoria.
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NEWS WHAT’S THE RIGHT NEXT STEP? LSU students have an idea: consider a female presidential candidate for the University.
In LSU’s 161-year history, the University’s presidential position has never been held by a woman. As the search for a new president is ongoing, the University’s female students seem to unilaterally agree that qualified female candidates should be strongly considered for the role by the Presidential Search Committee. Psychology and English junior
telli said. “To know and see that a woman is strong enough to lead a university and that this University believes that by hiring one. Obviously, the best candidate for the job should be hired. But considering women shows that they can be just as good candidates as men.” Cantelli said she is confident there are many qualified women who could hold the position, and she wants to see them equally considered by the committee and
Hill Memorial Library obtains Black literature
have a seat at the table. “If they’re left out of the conversation when it comes to choosing who will be the next person to fulfil that job, it would be a grave injustice to women everywhere,” Cantelli said. In terms of problems the University is facing, Cantelli said she believes a female president could be pivotal in advancing LSU’s agenda toward protecting stu-
New arrivals of African American literature were added to the special collections at Hill Memorial Library. The library has a rare book collection that features prominent authors and writers from a variety of different genres. LSU Libraries Special Collections’ manuscript collections have a plethora of stories on African Americans in Louisiana and in the rest of the South but before this acquisition there wasn’t much to offer when it came to featuring Black authors from the rest of the United States. Now, students can learn more about a wide variety of different Black authors and orators. John Miles, curator of books and head of instruction, said that although the books were not purchased specifically for Black History Month, which is in February, the staff at the library was happy to be able to trumpet their arrival at that time. “This literature represents
see NEXT STEP, page 4
see LITERATURE, page 4
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
Angelina Cantelli is running for Student Government vice president this spring alongside presidential candidate Mia Lejeune. The two students are campaigning under the slogan “It’s Time,” calling for the student body to elect the University’s first allfemale ticket. Cantelli believes that, similarly, a woman should be strongly considered for LSU’s administrative presidential role. “I think that would be huge for women on this campus,” Can-
STUDENT RESOURCES
BY HENRY WELDON @HankWeldon3
Memorial Tower, the flag pole and Kirby Smith make up the skyline of LSU’s campus on March 3. BY MADELYN CUTRONE @madelyncutrone
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BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY
Local farmers market connects BR community members BY AMBER BUETTNER @Amber_Buettner The Red Stick Farmers Market is a staple in the Baton Rouge community and supports local farmers and artisans as well as the people who shop at the market. Darlene Adams Rowland has taken over as executive director of BREADA, the Big River Economic and Agricultural Development Alliance, after working for the organization for 13 years. The farmers market is all about supporting and bringing the community together. That is why the market is made up of all local vendors that BREADA has visited. BREADA is the nonprofit organization that puts on the Red Stick Farmers Market. Vendors at the market include bakers, farmers, restaurants and more. “What is really special about the Red Stick Farmers Market is that we are a 100% producer-only market,” Rowland said. “What
that means is that as an organization we actually go visit the farm and we make sure that the people that are selling here are actually growing and producing the food or actually baking the goods, things like that.” The market is held every Thursday at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Saturday at the Main Street Market from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Rowland hopes to strengthen the connection between vendors and customers even more in the future. “We really want to strengthen our current network of markets, but we also want to look at different ways that we maybe could connect the public with the farmers more,” Rowland said. “To do more behind the scenes stories to help people get to know about the people who grow their food.” The market is able to help people in the community by offering a program called Red Stick Rewards. This program helps people in the community who
are apart of the program SNAP to be able to buy more fresh goods provided at the farmer’s market. SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a federal program that assists low-income Americans in obtaining food. “We accept SNAP at all of our markets for all of our students and families that rely on that,” Rowland said. “We have a matching program sponsored by Louisiana Health Care Connections where you can get double the amount of what you spend, up to 15 dollars, to spend on fresh food.” Collin Wilson is a part of Bonnecaze Farms which has been selling its products at the market since its creation in 1996. He loves being a part of a community and interacting with people who regularly come to the market. “It’s a real cool community of
see MARKET, page 4
CHYREN MCGUIRE / The Reveille
A jar of pickled peppers from Lena Farms sits on a table March 6 at the Red Stick Farmers Market on 501 Main St in Baton Rouge.
Monday, March 15, 2021
page 4 NEXT STEP, from page 3 dents and putting their best interest at the forefront of the conversation. “I think having a female president would restore confidence to a lot of women on this campus,” Cantelli said. “Having a female president would show that as a woman she understands what it’s like to be in college and to fear for your safety just because of your gender. Having someone in that position who knows those things would be comforting to students.” Mass communication freshman Emma Trigg said she agrees LSU should strongly consider hiring a woman during this critical time where students highly distrust administration, and it could help push the University in the right direction. “Women should be in just as many positions as men,” Trigg said. “I think it’s important to have that representation. More than half of LSU’s population is female, so why can’t a female lead us?” Trigg said that a female president would be able to relate to the unsolved issues that many wom-
LITERATURE, from page 3 an ongoing effort on the part of the libraries to reflect both the diversity of our campus and the evolving research needs of students, faculty and staff,” Miles said. “They came as a part of a single purchase from a rare book dealer in New York, Wyatt Day, who specializes in African American literature.” Miles said the library was glad to receive this historic literature. “It arrived (the books) in two highly anticipated packages, which we took no time in unpacking, as our eagerness was getting the best of us,” Miles said. He said that there is a wide variety of different books and stories that were acquired. “It’s a diverse list in terms of genre — novels, poetry, autobiography, drama and history — as well as in terms of age, with items
en face at LSU. Over the course of LSU’s entire history, male students have had a leader able to stand up for any unique problems they may have faced, she said, but women have never experienced that same type of leadership in the presidential role. “I would want someone who is not afraid to speak out, because I think it would be a very hard job, not only to be the president but to be the first woman president,” Trigg said. “Someone who’s not afraid to go against men who might be bringing her down and really focus on what’s right for the whole university.” Political science, Spanish and international studies junior Abbie Grace Milligan, who is running for Student Government vice president, said she believes there should be plenty of female candidates in the pool the Presidential Search Committee chooses from, but that ultimately the most qualified person should receive the job. “I think LSU should always have a wide range of candidates for administrative positions, whether that be a diversity of genders or a diversity of races,” Milligan said. “We see too often candi-
date lists that are overwhelmingly white, male, and older. [Provost] Stacia Haynie is a great example of what happens when females are placed in top administrative positions. She has always shown immense passion for students and a genuine interest in making their LSU experience better.” Haynie has served as executive vice president and provost since May 2018 after serving as dean for the College of Humanities & Social Sciences for several years. She has been a member of the LSU community since 1990. Her role as vice president will not change based on the presidential search. Biochemistry junior Labia Iqbal said that “female” shouldn’t even be a category when considering presidential candidates, as gender shouldn’t play a role in determining if someone is more or less qualified to hold a certain position. She does believe, however, that a woman could offer unique insights into the daily problems LSU female students face. “That would be extremely monumental and I would love to see that happen during my time here,” Iqbal said. Search Committee Chair James
Williams said that the committee is in a unique position to consider candidates from all backgrounds, including women, because the committee itself is made up of a diverse group of individuals. According to a Division of Strategic Communications email sent on Oct. 14, 2020, the 20 members of the committee represent the “different ethnicities, genders, academic disciplines, occupations, geographical regions and constituencies whose input is vital to selecting the next leader of LSU.” Parker Executive Search was commissioned by the board shortly after the committee was formed to conduct the majority of candidate interviews and determine who should be in the final pool presented to the Presidential Search Committee. Williams said this firm was chosen in part because of its commitment to choosing diverse candidates. He noted that the two individuals leading up the search at the firm are both women. “This committee gave explicit instructions to the search firm that we want to see a diverse pool of candidates, we want to see female candidates,” Williams said. “We don’t want to see the same
old candidates.” On the note of changing the culture at LSU after Title IX issues were revealed in the Husch Blackwell report, Williams noted that “just because you are a woman, it doesn’t mean you are committed to irradicating these issues [of sexual assault]. Just because you are a man doesn’t mean you are not.” Several of the employees implicated in Husch Blackwell’s findings were women, including Senior Associate Athletic Director Miriam Segar, who has been temporarily suspended, and Co-head Tennis Coach Julia Sell. “What’s most important is that we select an individual who is committed to the culture change we are insisting on,” Williams said. “Certainly a female president would have a unique perspective to contribute as we make this monumental change.” Dr. Gabriel Gonzales, who serves as the vice chair of the committee, said they are focused now more than ever on selecting a diverse individual to fulfil the University’s presidential position. “It’s the right next step,” Cantelli said. “People should be ready to accept that.”
published as early as 1844,” Miles said. Some notable stories that were acquired feature a variety of different prominent Black authors. Some of those authors include James Baldwin, “Just Above My Head”, Charles Chesnutt, “The Conjure Woman”, Frederick Douglass, “Life and Times of Frederick Douglass”, Langston Hughes, “Troubled Island” and Robert Benjamin Lewis, “Light and Truth,” among others. “This is only a partial list of the treasures that were stashed away in the two boxes, but we should probably hold back a few gems for you to see when you visit us in Hill Memorial Library,” Miles said. He said that the new acquisitions to the library collection won’t stop there. The library is always trying to expand its collection of historic literature. CHYREN MCGUIRE / The Reveille
A.B. Crochet sits at his stand, “Original Wood Relief Paintings,” March 6 at the Red Stick Farmers Market on 501 Main St. in Baton Rouge.
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COURTESY OF LSU SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Limited edition of James Baldwin’s novel Just Above My Head, one of only 500 copies. A copy of the program for Baldwin’s funeral in 1987 is inside.
people coming out here looking for local product,” Wilson said. “It’s a lot of fun; it doesn’t feel like work.” Michelle Uzee, owner of The Sugar Mills Confections, started selling her baked goods at the Red Stick Market four years ago. Uzee said she always had a passion for baking and the market gave her a chance to try selling her products. “I like the interaction with people, dealing face to face with my customers. I get to know a lot of people and meet a lot of people and I get to build a clientele and have a lot of regular customers,” Uzee said. “It’s almost like family because they come every week and just see them and talk
to them.” The markets have been able to stay open and successful during the pandemic. In phase one, they did a drive-thru market, and now to ensure the safety of vendors and customers, they require masks and spread-out vendor spots. Rowland encourages young people to come and see what the market has to offer. Students can find fresh produce at lower prices while also gaining a connection to their community. “We would love to have more connection to students and have them come to the market,” said Rowland. “It’s free to come to the market and it’s a great activity to get out and see what’s happening with your community.” While the Red Stick Farm-
ers Market is its main program, BREADA does a multitude of things in the community. It also has programs such as the Red Stick Sprouts, nutrition education and outreach and farm to tabletops. “Most people just see the Red Stick Farmers Market, which is our most public-facing program, but BREADA is the organization that is the nonprofit behind the Red Stick Farmers Market,” Adams said. “During the week we are doing everything from grant writing for funding to support the organization to keeping our website current, keeping our newsletter current, working with community partners to schedule programs, then, of course, we have our planning for our seasonal markets.”
ENTERTAINMENT
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ROYAL TELL-ALL GRAHIC BY SOPHIE VAGIANOS
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share their emotional story during Oprah interview REVEILLE STAFF REPORT Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, sat down for an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey to share what they’ve experienced together within the royal family. A slew of secrets about the royal family were revealed to the public in the interview. They dove right into the discussion, and right off the bat Markle shared how she believes she entered into her marriage naïvely. With poise and careful diction, Markle described her time being a member of the royal family following her engagement to Prince Harry. She revealed that her time in the royal family was not as glamorous as many may believe, with British tabloids and others constantly criticizing her. Oprah asked a powerful question about Markle’s experience: “were you silent or were you silenced?” Her answer: “the latter.” Her one regret, she said, was believing the royal family would protect her. “They were willing to lie to protect other members of the family, but they weren’t willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband,” Markle said. There have been, and continue to be, many nasty things said about Markle in the press. However, she shared that the rumors about her making Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, cry was a turning point for her. Markle shared that her experience was quite the opposite — Middleton was the one who made her cry over an incident about dresses for Markle’s wedding. While she said that Middleton is a good person and later apologized, Markle was upset that no one in the family or institution came forward to correct the story when they knew what really happened. Meghan and Prince Harry regularly used the terms “institution” and “the firm” in the interview. Markle made it clear that the royal family and the institution are separate entities. The New York Times describes the institution, or the firm, as “an enterprise that reaches well beyond the royals themselves, en-
compassing an army of private secretaries, communications advisers, ladies in waiting, heads of households, chauffeurs, footmen, domestic servants, gardeners and all the other people who run the palaces, and the lives, of the royals who live in them.” The institution didn’t want the couple’s child, Archie, to have a royal title, for reasons still officially unknown. Without a title, he was offered no security or protection. “The most important title I will ever have is mom,” Markle said while explaining that she only cared about the titles to ensure her son’s protection with security from the royal family. Markle also reveals that at one point, the tabloid stories about her were becoming so sensational that she was not allowed to leave the palace for about four months in order to avoid what was being said about her and her husband. While Markle was ensured “protection” from the institution for situations such as these, she was not safe, which sparks a harrowing comparison to Princess Diana and what the public and press would allege about her. The former British royal princess was mentioned several times throughout the interview, with there being a startling amount of similarities between her and Markle’s experiences in the royal family. Prince Harry believes his mother would feel angry and sad about his and Markle’s situation, but all she would want is for them to be happy. Prince Harry and Meghan officially stopped being working royals March 31, 2020. Harry shared that the couple wouldn’t have had the financial ability to be independent without the money his mother left behind for him since the royal family cut the couple off financially after they left the palace. “I think she saw it coming and I think she’s been present throughout this whole process,” Prince Harry said. He’s grateful he and Markle had each other throughout the process, especially because his mother had to experience similar obstacles alone when she
divorced Harry’s father, Prince Charles. “My biggest concern was history repeating itself,” said Prince Harry in reference to Princess Diana’s death. Despite the apparent glamorous lifestyle of being part of the royal family, Markle endured mental struggles during her time at the palace. Meghan’s deteriorating mental state in the midst of the negative tabloid attention and the institution’s refusal to allow her the help she needed were also topics of discussion in the interview. Markle stated that she did “not want to be alive anymore” following the backlash she was receiving from her and Harry’s pregnancy and the disregard for her and her child’s security. Meghan Markle became the first woman of color, and first American woman, to join the royal family when she married Prince Harry in 2018. Prince Harry shared that he thought the family would have seen Markle as an added benefit to promote inclusivity, but it’s clear it did not. One of the most shocking reveals of the interview was when Meghan shared that a member of the family expressed concerns on how dark Archie’s skin would be once he was born. This left viewers and even Oprah in shock. While the couple would not state who exactly had this conversation with Prince Harry because it would be “very damaging to them,” the prince says that he condemned his relatives who agreed this would be an issue for the family. As damning as these allegations against the royal family are, Meghan was adamant in letting the public know that Queen Elizabeth II welcomed her to the family with open arms despite the backlash Markle was receiving from others. Markle made it a point to emphasize that the Queen was a warming presence in her time being a British royal, with Harry agreeing that neither the Queen nor Prince Philip were involved in the conversation regarding his son’s skin color. Meghan and Harry also shared that they had asked the institu-
tion for assistance both individually and collectively but were not given any. The same people denying Markle of help were the ones who had the power to set the record about her straight in the media. Instead of protecting her and Harry from the tabloids, the institution remained silent even though it knew of the false claims that were made. Because of her treatment, Markle described her time with the family as “almost unsurvivable.” She even shared that she had suicidal thoughts, stating “I just didn’t see a solution” and “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.” Prince Harry was ashamed at the time to tell others Markle needed mental help; when they asked the institution for aid, it was refused out of fear of bad publicity. Not being able to live under those conditions any longer, Meghan and Harry did what they felt was best for their family and left. Prince Harry said the leave was due to a “lack of support or lack of understanding” from the institution, and was equally the institution’s doing as well as the press’. When it comes to his relationship with his family, he shared that he barely talks to his father, Prince Charles, and is currently distant from his brother, Prince William. He also shared how the institution survives on the perception of the royal family that has been created over time. The family is scared the tabloids will turn on them, so they will do anything to protect that relationship, no matter the cost. Harry said he was trapped but didn’t know it until meeting Meghan. He views his family as trapped within the system and has compassion for his father and brother who aren’t able to leave. The couple expressed that if they had received the support they needed from the firm, they would still be in England with the rest of the family. This interview simply revealed how toxicity and tension affect any family regardless of its status. Harry and Markle feel they did everything they could to try to make their situation work, but
in the end, they knew they had to go. Markle and Harry now feel at peace in their new American home with their son, Archie, and baby girl on the way. The real star of this groundbreaking interview was Oprah. After all of these years, Oprah still has that magic to turn an interview to the most talked about topics. She was able to give Harry and Meghan the space they needed to talk about the people and press that almost potentially ruined the couple. Along with Oprah’s support, countless other fans and celebrities shared their thoughts on social media after the interview aired. Beyoncé shared her support on her website, saying, “thank you Meghan for your courage and leadership. We are all strengthened and inspired by you.” Serena Williams, a tennis star and a close friend of Markle’s, took to her Instagram account to show support as well. At the beginning of the interview, Meghan described that she felt like she was “being judged on the perception but living the reality” of her situation. Being a part of the royal family may seem like all glitz and glamour, but it was no fairy tale for Markle. As true as that is, Markle compared herself to Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” as she fell in love with a prince and lost her voice. However, like Ariel at the end of the film, she got her voice back. Now Meghan describes her happy ending with Prince Harry as “greater than any fairy tale you’ve ever read.” On March 9, The Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of the Queen regarding the topics brought up in the interview. It explained that the family is saddened to hear of Prince Harry and Markle’s experiences and will discuss the issues presented as a family. It’s time to hold this family and the institution accountable for their acts. Hopefully this interview acts as a wakeup call for the royals, but this behavior can be traced back for generations, and their actions are unfortunately not shocking or new.
Monday, March 15, 2021
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Monday, March 15, 2021
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ANALOG LSU BY MATTHEW PERSCHALL
OVER THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, MATTHEW PERSCHALL BROUGHT THE LOST ART OF FILM BACK TO LSU’S CAMPUS.
Clouds litter the sky on Feb. 26, above the Laville dorms near the 459.
A car sits in its parking space on Feb. 26 outside of the Gymnastics Training Facility.
People leave the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Feb. 20 after an LSU basketball game.
LSU students Eddie Perrin, a freshman engineering major (left), Xavier Reyes, a junior sports commerce major (center left), Rebecca Messonnier, a senior interior design major (back right), and Joel Guerra, a freshman business major (front right), play spike ball on Feb. 23 on the Parade Ground.
Flags billow in the wind on Feb. 23 with the moon in the distance on LSU’s Parade Ground.
LSU student Andrew Broussard, a freshman mechanical engineering major, sits on a loading dock on Feb. 23 behind the Fred C. Frey Computing Services Center.
Ice encases the branches of trees on Feb. 15 near Memorial Tower.
Empty rocking chairs sit on Feb. 26 on the porch of Spruce Hall.
LSU freshmen Chris Charles, an undecided major (left), and Jack Maumus, a computer science major (right), look at their phones on Feb. 25 while dining at the Five.
Classifieds
Monday, March 15, 2021
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ACROSS 1 Silent performer 5 Actor Everett 9 Undies, for some 13 Lend __ to; help 15 Impolite 16 Slangy affirmative 17 T-shirt size 18 Indigenous Australian 20 Ms. Lupino 21 Beard wearer 23 Did a household chore 24 Use your brain 26 __ Antonio 27 Horrified 29 Bishops’ accessories 32 Did a chauffeur’s job 33 Serious 35 Mr. Potato Head piece 37 Have a feast 38 Extinguish, as a fire 39 Melancholy 40 Observe 41 Warbles 42 One-layer box of See’s candy 43 European nation 45 Brawl 46 Deserter 47 Use dynamite 48 Allred or Estefan 51 Umpire’s cry 52 Everyone 55 Interesting gadgets 58 Man’s nickname 60 Matures 61 At __; not seeing eye to eye 62 Wharves 63 Portable shelter 64 Promising, as one’s future 65 Golfer’s pocketful DOWN 1 Neighbor of Algeria 2 “If __ a nickel for every time…” 3 Competitive runner 4 Jamaica’s official lang.
by Jacqueline E. Mathews
Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews
5 Butter churn handle 6 Where spokes meet 7 Needless bother 8 Scornful 9 __ days; yesteryear 10 Blood channel 11 Many a krone spender 12 Lean-to 14 End of life 19 Hot under the collar 22 Crawling bug 25 “__ Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” 27 States further 28 Deep sorrow 29 Word with transit or media 30 Unwillingness 31 Steam bath 33 “__ with the Wind” 34 Wig 36 National League team 38 Mussolini or Noriega
3/15/21
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.
39 Squeezing snakes 41 Garden pest 42 Babbled 44 Slap cuffs on 45 Reason to take NyQuil 47 Fond of ordering people around
3/15/21
48 Tiny insect 49 Theater section 50 GE appliance 53 Similar to 54 More or __ 56 Solemn assent 57 Ames & Asner 59 Deteriorate
SPORTS BOOTED OUT
page 9 WOMEN’S TENNIS
LSU basketball comes up just short against Alabama in SEC Tournament BY ANTHONY MOCKLIN @anthony_mocklin The LSU basketball team advanced to the Southeastern Conference Tournament finals. The Tigers’ regular season finish (189, 11-6 SEC) earned them the No. 3 seed in the tournament. LSU faced top-seeded Alabama (24-6, 16-2 SEC) in the SEC Championship on Sunday afternoon. It was the Tigers’ first tournament final appearance since 1993. LSU’s first and only SEC Tournament title came in 1980. The Crimson Tide last won the tournament in 1991. Tensions were certainly high as both programs were vying for their first tournament titles in decades. Players got into a scuffle
prior to tipoff that consisted of mostly trash talk. Both teams were ready to go. Alabama opened the game on an 8-0 run, but the Tigers stormed back to take a 15-13 thanks to three three-pointers from Cameron Thomas. The teams continued to trade baskets until the final minute of the first half. LSU hung on to a 3733 lead with 1:23 remaining before Alabama closed the half on a 7-0 run to make it 40-37. Thomas and Trendon Watford led the way at the break with 13 points apiece. Thomas added two rebounds, one block and one steal, while Watford added five rebounds, one assist and one steal. The Tigers regained the lead at the start of the second half
thanks to three straight layups from sophomore guard Aundre Hyatt. The Crimson Tide held the lead for most of the second half, but Javonte Smart hit two consecutive threes to put LSU up two with 10 minutes and 41 seconds left to play. Alabama went on a huge 13-3 run to take a six-point lead. Watford responded with a threepoint play after he was fouled on a layup before knocking down a three-pointer to tie things up at 69. It came down to the last possession. LSU was down one with under 10 seconds. Smart threw a deep inbound to Watford who caught it at halfcourt. Watford sized up for a three-pointer that fell short. Hyatt grabbed the miss
and put it back up only for it to roll in and out. The Tigers fell 8079 in a game that was as close as it could get. “It was one of those games that you live for,” Smart said. “I love being in these types of moments. I know that we fell short, but we’re going to push forward.” LSU played the Crimson Tide much better than it did in its previous two matchups. The Tigers lost to Alabama by 30 on Jan. 19 and 18 on Feb. 3. Watford finished with a gamehigh 30 points while adding eight boards and two steals. Smart scored 21 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished five assists and blocked a shot. Thomas had 18
see BASKETBALL, page 10
Game at-a-glance Javonte Smart (1) 21 pts 7-17 FG 5-11 3FG 5 Ast 7 Reb
Trendon Watford (2) 30 pts 13-23 FG 1-3 3FG 2 Ast 8 Reb
Darius Days (4) 2 pts 1-6 FG 0-3 3FG 1 Ast 12 Reb
Aundre Hyatt (15) 8 pts 3-7 FG 0-0 3FG 0 Ast 8 Reb
Cameron Thomas (24) 18 pts 6-18 FG 4-10 3FG 2 Ast 3 Reb
Women’s tennis swept by Georgia BY HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_ LSU women’s tennis faced off against the best team in the SEC, No. 3 Georgia, where it played some solid tennis despite the low odds of a win. However, the team ran out of steam and lost a few close sets that were incredibly important, ultimately getting finished off in a 0-4 sweep. With Georgia having five ranked singles players in play, the doubles point was a massive one that the Tigers would likely need if they wanted to defeat the Bulldogs. And it actually seemed to be going there early on in the matches. Taylor Bridges and Paris Corley didn’t just hold their own against the No. 37 duo; they held control of the entire match and at one point held a 5-1 lead. It would come down to the other courts for them to clinch the point though. That’s where things went wrong for the Tigers. Though No. 14 Eden Richardson and Nina Geissler came back on Court One, escaping a 0-3 deficit to even it up at 3-3, they couldn’t maintain that run and lost the next three games and the match. Court Three’s Tiger duo, Maggie Cubitt and Samantha Buyckx didn’t have any more success, losing 6-3 as well. So, LSU would need to beat at least four players (three ranked ones) to win the match.
see TENNIS, page 10 TRACK AND FIELD
Rewriting history: LSU Track and Field claim multiple titles BY TJ POLK @thetjpolk As field events got underway on Thursday history was made by both LSU men’s and women’s athletes. JuVaughn Harrison became the first man in NCAA indoor history to sweep the high jump and long jump national championship titles in the same meet. “It means a lot to me to have made history in a sport I love and look forward to keep going,” said Harrison. Harrison jumped a personal best clearance of 7 feet-6.5 inches on the high jump, securing his third career national title. Within hours, Harrison proceeded to the long jump pit where he jumped another personal best of 27 feet-8.75 inches, setting the
Randal Tyson Track Center facility record, and winning another national championship. Lisa Gunnarsson made LSU history by becoming the first woman to win an NCAA indoor pole vault championship. Gunnarsson secured her national title with a vault of 14 feet7.5 inches. Gunnarsson was not finished there. Gunnarsson raised the bar to 14 feet-11.5 inches where she continues building her own school record. The women’s track and field team also got points from high jumpers Abigail O’Donoghue, Nyagoa Bayak and long jumper Aliyah Whisby. Damion Thomas ran a 7.51 in the 60-meter hurdles setting a new personal best and securing a national title.
“Honestly, that may be one of the best starts of my career. I usually take a bit longer to get going but I came out smooth and everything clicked,” Thomas said. Eric Edwards Jr. also contributed points with a fifth place run in 7.58 seconds. Noah Williams secured his first national title in the men’s 400-meter with a time of 44.71. Williams also broke his own school record that he set at the SEC indoor championships this season. Terrance Laird placed second in the men’s 200 running a 20.20 which is a school record. However Matthew Boiling of Georgia out leaned Laird, securing the first-place victory with a run of 20.19.
see TRACK, page 10
COURTESY OF LSU ATHLETICS
Eric Edwards Jr., Damion Thomas, Terrance Laird, Noah Williams, JuVaughn Harrison pose for a picture following their performances in the 2021 SEC Indoor Championships.
page 10 TENNIS, from page 9 The Tigers fought extremely hard, with many players having some of their best action of the season, but it was clear from the beginning that it would take 100% and more to defeat Georgia. Safiya Carrington and Paris Corley would be the first and second to fall respectively, with each of them losing in close, two-set matches. Each player had sets that were even at 5-5 before they choked the sets away. Those would be the only matches to end in two sets. Bridges, Cubitt and Richardson all survived until their third sets, but they seemed to lose steam around that point. Richardson and Bridges could not seem to get a win in their third sets, and with the Bulldogs only needing one more point to take
TRACK, from page 9 The women received points from Milan Young in her 60-meter hurdles NCAA debut with a time of 8.06. Freshman Favour Ofili ran a 22.96 in the 200-meters, securing sixth place. With much to look forward to going into the outdoor season, Head Coach Dennis Shaver is proud of his team’s performance. “We came here to compete, and I thought we did a very good
Monday, March 15, 2021 down the Tigers, it was just a matter of time before LSU was finished off. Bridges would ultimately be the one to drop it first, losing to arguably one of the best players in the country, No. 16 Katarina Jokic, by a score of 3-6, 6-3, 0-6. She had a brief resurgence in the second set that gave her the momentum, but Jokic quickly regained it as it seemed like Bridges ran out of gas. Though the Tigers got swept, the match was similar to the loss against Ole Miss, where the match was clinched and finished before all of the courts were done. It’s hard to imagine LSU winning the three remaining matches, but it could have at least earned a point or two to make it look closer. Though it was a strong match considering how dominant Georgia is in women’s tennis, it just wasn’t enough. job of that,” Shaver said. “On top of that 11 of our athletes PR’d at this meet which I can’t ever remember happening, so I’m very proud of our studentathletes.” Both the men and women Tigers gain athletes who were ineligible for indoor season but remained eligible due to COVID-19. The Tigers will begin their outdoor season in Lafayette March 19-20 for the Louisiana Classics at Ragin’ Cajuns Track Complex.
BASKETBALL, from page 9 points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals. After a double bye through the first two rounds, LSU defeated No. 6 seed Ole Miss 76-73 and No. 2 seed Arkansas 78-71 to advance to the tournament final. Sophomore forward Watford, junior forward Darius Days and freshman guard Thomas helped lift the Tigers over the Rebels. Watford led LSU in scoring with 24 points while grabbing seven rebounds, dishing two assists and blocking a shot. Days recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Head Coach Will Wade revealed that the game got so physical that Thomas bled on his jacket. “We knew it was going to be physical,” Watford said. “We embraced the physicality. It’s tournament time. Nothing comes easy.” Thomas finished with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists in a team-high 39 minutes of play. Smart stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals. Wade said he thought Thomas showed great patience despite having to work for all of his shots. Thomas was not able to get the looks he wanted early on but scored all but four of his 18 points in the second half and sank two clutch free throws with
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12 seconds remaining to close out the game. “For Cam to respond, he played so well under some tough circumstances,” Wade said. “So very, very proud of him. He’s as good a player as there is in the country, not just in our league.” It was onto the next one. The Tigers faced Arkansas for the third time this season. LSU took their first matchup 92-76 on Jan. 13 while the Razorbacks took the next 83-75 on Feb. 27. Both teams came out hot as each shot over 50% from threepoint range in the first 12 minutes. A five-point swing gave the Razorbacks a 31-24 lead before the Tigers went on a 14-1 run to make it 38-32. The Tigers closed out the first half 40-37. Smart had 13 points, two assists and one rebound at the break. Days was once again in double-double territory with 10 points and six rebounds. It was mostly back and forth in the start of the second half, but LSU’s 17-2 run gave it a 12-point lead with just over seven minutes to go. Arkansas responded with a 9-0 run of their own within the final three minutes to bring the team to within one. Smart nailed a clutch jumper with 26 seconds remaining to extend the lead to three. Freshman guard Eric Gaines came up with a steal on the Razorbacks’ ensuing possession before sinking two
free throws to ice the game. Smart and Thomas each played 40 minutes and finished with 19 and 21 points, respectively. Smart added four rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Thomas added two rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block. Days added 13 points and eight rebounds as the Tigers improved to 18-1 on the season when he puts up double figures in scoring. LSU lost five of its last six SEC Tournament games prior to this weekend. Wade was adamant about turning the program’s tournament history around and the team delivered. The Tigers will now gear up for the NCAA Tournament. LSU’s bracketology outlook currently pegs it as the No. 5 or No. 7 seed, according to CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm and ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. The first round of March Madness begins March 19-20. The Tigers’ last outing in the tournament featured a Sweet 16 appearance in 2019. The program has not reached the Elite Eight since 2006. “We played great for three days straight,” Watford said. “I think this is the best we’ve looked all season. We’re going to try to keep this momentum rolling going into March Madness. When everybody is clicking, everybody is clicking. I’m excited for what the future holds. Proud of my guys.”
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OPINION
page 11
Social anxiety elevated by COVID-19, vaccines offer hope SAUCE BOSS CÉCILE CÉCILE GIRARD @_cegi_ Amidst all of the fear, disappointment and anger I’ve felt in the year since this pandemic first disrupted our lives, one particularly pernicious worm of an emotion has burrowed itself deep inside my brain: social anxiety. Anxiety around talking to people, meeting new people or otherwise having to entertain groups of friends is nothing new for me, but it has become noticeably more pronounced since I returned to campus in fall 2020. Interestingly, my fears are not so much rooted in a fear of contracting COVID-19 but in the guilt I know I would feel if I unknowingly infected a friend. With the persistent thought that I am a reckless person if I deliberately choose to see another soul, I have understandably been on edge about reaching out to my friends to spend time together. Simultaneously, I know I will
get incredibly sad and unmotivated if I simply isolate myself. These competing drives have combined in the worst way possible to create new psychological responses that rule me both when I’m alone and with people. I fear that everyone I reach out to either resents me for attempting to see them during a pandemic or for not making the effort to see them sooner. I recognize that these are directly opposite fears, but that does nothing to diminish their hold on me. If anything, it means that at least one of the fears has to be valid...right? To cope, I’ve invented the concept of a mental “people pass.” It works somewhat like a punch card: everyone has a certain number of people they can safely see each week, and every interaction fills an allotted slot. I know that isn’t how viruses work, but sometimes deception is necessary for self-preservation. Unfortunately, the “people pass” mentality quickly backfired. It wasn’t long before I started worrying that if I spent time
with someone and I wasn’t interesting or chatty or funny enough, they would resent me for wasting their pass. Needless to say, constantly worrying over whether I am worth talking to is not an effective method for loosening up and having fun. When I opened up about this crushing anxiety to two of my friends (partly as a release, partly to explain my awkward energy), I was surprised at how closely they related to me. These laid-back, confident girls who would regularly befriend strangers at Mike’s freshman year, confessed to feeling the same irrational, persistent fear. The cruelest irony in all of this? We all agreed that in the months immediately before our sophomore year was canceled indefinitely on March 13, 2020, we were becoming more secure than ever in our personalities and interests. Sure, wistful hindsight is at play here, but I can genuinely point to several interactions in February and March 2020 where
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LSU students sit at socially distanced tables on Jan. 25, in the Student Union on LSU’s campus. I remember feeling like I was finally getting the hang of the “college experience.” When I received my first Pfizer vaccine dose yesterday, I experienced for the first time in months a sense of excitement that maybe I could return to the confidence and social ease I felt in those months immediately pre-pandemic. I’m scared that my brain may
have been irreparably altered by these lonely months. But, I have to remain hopeful that after enough parties, animated conversations and chance encounters with beloved acquaintances, untainted by the threat of a virus, I can finally feel fully human again. Cécile Girard is a 21-year-old psychology junior from Lake Charles.
Corporate welfare puts profit over Louisiana residents SULLY’S SCOOP CLAIRE SULLIVAN
@sulliclaire
This February, the East Baton Rouge School Board, East Baton Rouge Metro Council and Sheriff’s Office all gave the stamp of approval to a $23 million tax break for ExxonMobil through an Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) request. The justification for this enormous tax break is uncompelling. ExxonMobil says it plans to use the funds for a quarter-billion-dollar modernization project that would make the company more “competitive.” In January, it was reported that the project was “not expected to create any new permanent jobs,” but rather help maintain the existence of current ones. When the school board passed the measure, however, several members explained their support was founded on the belief that the project would bring jobs to local residents. Corporate tax cuts, in general, have not been found to cre-
ate jobs. Instead of investing the extra money in their workforce, companies more often use it for stock buybacks or other measures that increase profits. Unsurprisingly, it isn’t the worker at the center of these corporate plans, but rather the almighty dollar. Ultimately, what this latest tax break means is that $23 million that should be going toward Baton Rouge schools, infrastructure and other citywide projects will instead be granted to a multibillion-dollar corporation. And let’s be clear: this is not a government that can afford such unfounded generosity. In May 2020, East Baton Rouge projected — ironically, in hindsight — a $23 million revenue shortfall at the hand of decreased tax revenue because of the pandemic. In 2019, East Baton Rouge passed a school budget that slashed 300 jobs from public schools, as well as other funding typically allocated to books and transportation. If the government is going to bleed money from alreadystruggling public services, it better have a damn good reason for
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The Louisiana State Capitol stands tall on Oct. 2, 2017, in Downtown Baton Rouge. doing so. Supplying money to a massively profitable corporation so that it can make itself even more profitable, with little chance it will supply more jobs to local residents, doesn’t reach that bar or even graze it. It is unconscionable that East Baton Rouge has all the money in the world for ExxonMobil, but so little for the 18% of residents
in poverty, the 20.7% of children living with food insecurity and the over 50% of households that struggle to afford the bare necessities. This continuation of economic inequality is a matter of policy, and it’s time we start seeing it as one. By granting millions of dollars that this city does not even have to a corporation, the government deprives residents in need of support. In a finite budget, every choice puts one interest over another, and it is severely disappointing that while residents struggle more than ever, the priority went elsewhere. As unconstructive as this latest move was, it simply fits into a city- and state-wide pattern of providing unnecessary assistance to corporations at the expense of the average Louisiana resident. ExxonMobil alone has been granted nearly $444 billion in subsidies by the Louisiana government. This reckless corporate welfare extends far beyond ExxonMobil, though. For years, the state government has given some of the most extensive tax benefits in the country — and at great
Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Bailey Chauvin Lara Nicholson Katherine Manuel Nick Frewin Grace Pulliam
Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor Deputy News Editor Opinion Editor
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 opinion@lsureveille.com or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The 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.
cost, too. In 2016, the state paid corporations $210 million more dollars than it received from them. Yes, rather ridiculously, it appears the government supplies revenue to corporations, and not the other way around. It is no wonder the state is plagued with budget crises and shortfalls when it fails so miserably at taxing these potentially massive revenue streams. Time after time, Louisiana leaders put the greed of corporations over the needs of the people. Louisiana faces many great challenges: poverty, lack of access to healthcare and underfunded public education, to name a few. The people of this state are infinitely more important than the corporations that fund the re-election campaigns of our elected officials. For the leaders in this state to instead spend their efforts on corporate welfare policies signals a profound misalignment of priorities.It’s far past time the Louisiana budget reflects the fundamental value of its residents. Claire Sullivan is an 18-year-old coastal environmental science freshman from Southbury, CT.
Quote of the Week “Beware the ides of March.”
William Shakespeare Playwright 1564 — 1616
page 12
Monday, March 15, 2021
There is not an excuse not to get a vaccine if eligible SPILL THE TEA WITH MARIE MARIE PLUNKETT
@MarieC_214
The University emailed students about pre-registering for the COVID-19 vaccine earlier in the semester and has finally be-
gun issuing vaccines to those who qualify. According to an email sent out by the Division of Strategic Communications, the first 800 vaccines were administered on Sunday, March 14. With the state lowering the age restriction to 16 and up for those with preexisting condi-
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
People wait in line and fill out paperwork on March 14, while social distancing at the Tiger Stadium vaccination site.
tions, it shouldn’t be long now before eligibility is opened up to the general populace — but until then, those that are eligible should go and get vaccinated as soon as they can. After hearing about the new eligibility requirements, my roommate and I went and got our first doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Of course, I immediately told my friends and family that I’d successfully gotten an appointment. After all, this is what we’d been waiting for since last March — we should all be excited, right? It came as a shock to me that a lot of people are actually arguing against getting the vaccine right now — even those who are pro-vaccine in general. I can’t even count the number of times I heard, “Well, I’m just letting the people who need it more get it first.” While this sentiment may seem valid and empathetic on the surface, it could actually be causing more harm than good. At this point, thousands of COVID-19 vaccines have gone to waste be-
cause people keep waiting or not showing up to appointments, according to NBC. There is a reason the eligibility has been increased to encompass more people and — spoiler alert — it’s not just for show. It’s because people need to be getting vaccinated. In order to reach herd immunity and end the global pandemic that has consumed our lives for the past year, shots need to be put into arms. If you’re eligible, go get vaccinated! Now is not the time for pseudo-empathy or over-politeness. By not getting the vaccine as soon as you are able, you aren’t helping anyone. You not signing up for an appointment doesn’t magically give a vaccine to someone who needs it, it just drags out the pandemic longer than it needs to go on. At this point, the majority of the people in the highest risk categories who were going to get vaccinated either already have been, refused or are unable to do so. You not getting a shot doesn’t help them. It also doesn’t help you and it certainly doesn’t help
the health care professionals who have to throw away surplus vaccines every day. If anything, by getting a shot now, you will be more likely to benefit the general populace by doing your part in reaching herd immunity. The last thing I’ll say is this: keep wearing your mask. Even after you are vaccinated, even after you’re safe, keep others in mind and wear your mask. Just because you’ve been given the all-clear to go lick the floor of a Tigerland bar doesn’t mean everyone else has been. Your rash actions could still put others at risk. You could still be a carrier. So, if you’re eligible, go sign up for an appointment either through the University or through your local CVS, Walmart, Walgreens or hospital. If you’re not yet eligible, check out Louisiana Vaccine Alerts on Twitter or call your local pharmacy to see if they have any surplus vaccines. Marie Plunkett is a 22-year-old classical studies senior from New Orleans.
Thanks to ‘WandaVision,’ binge culture can finally die DOM’S UNCANNY DISCOURSE DOMENIC PURDY
@tigerdom16
There’s something special about sitting down with friends and family each week to watch the newest episode of television while, simultaneously, millions are doing the same. Everyone is tuning in, watching the same thing and theorizing about what each big moment means. Until recently, this collective experience had been allbut robbed from us by the likes of Netflix and its binge-friendly model of dropping all episodes at once. Thanks to services like Disney+ and Amazon Prime, binging seems to have seen its last days in the sun, replaced by the somewhat antiquated, yet superior method: weekly releases. Think about some of the most talked-about shows in the last two years: “The Mandalorian,” “The Boys” and, most recently, “WandaVision.” Each of these shows owes most of its longevity and success to the return of weekly releases. Reveals were paced week by week, keeping us coming back for more. Mysteries built up over the course of months, speculated on between friends and across Twitter and Reddit — conditions that kept these shows in the news for the length of their runs. This model seemed to work so well for so long. Hell, every show for as long as television existed was released at the “same bat time,” on the “same bat channel.” People tuned in each week to uncover the mysteries of “Lost” in the early 2000s and hardly missed
an episode of “The Sopranos” during its groundbreaking tenure on HBO. So, what changed? Once Netflix premiered all 13 episodes of “House of Cards” in 2013, binge-watching was born. In the age of the internet and instant gratification, people would much rather know what happens to the likes of Frank Underwood as soon as they can instead of waiting for a build-up to a satisfying conclusion. With Netflix’s inferior model of releasing things all at once, you lose things like speculation and participation. At the peak of binge culture, when “Stranger Things” came out in 2016, millions watched the show all over the course of one weekend. While it would become a cultural touchstone, “Stranger Things” left the immediate public consciousness pretty quickly. After some time, we as a culture got so accustomed to the idea of consuming content all at once that, when this dynamic was interrupted by a weekly series coming along, it was met with anger and frustration. When Amazon Prime’s “The Boys” saw its second season adopt a weekly release schedule, the decision met serious backlash. The show was review bombed with critics calling it an “outdated formula” and “a step in the wrong direction.” We became addicted to rushing through TV shows as quickly as possible, forgetting the fun of speculating with friends and family. America’s love affair with water cooler conversations was over... until Disney revived it. The phenomenon that “The Mandalorian” created with Baby Yoda seemed to change how people felt about weekly re-
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leases. Each week, people who were completely removed from a galaxy far, far away tuned in every Friday to get another 30-minute fix of the lovable green guy. Between each episode, fans were able to theorize about the state of the galaxy and what each easter egg meant — something you just can’t do when an entire block of content is dropped onto your lap all at once. Sure, people still remember how adorable Eleven was with her Eggos in “Stranger Things,” but there was no mystery that we could theorize with our friends because we were incentivized to shotgun the show. In that sense, binge watching is like cramming for a big test. Weekly releases are more like studying over the course of the whole semester. Sure, it may take a while to retain the information but it lets you question things over time and ponder each day you wait for the next installment.
This brings us to today. “WandaVision,” the MCU’s sitcomobsessed character study of a Romani witch and her robotic husband, has just wrapped up its nine-episode run. While the finale may leave a lot of fan theories that built up over eight weeks null, Disney’s first foray into the Marvel Universe on the small screen accomplished what it sought out to do: stay relevant for as long as possible. Marvel shows on Netflix like “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones” used the binge model to great effect, as they told stories that didn’t really necessitate weekly discussions. These shows were built like nine-hour-long movies, meant to be seen as a continuous story from start to end. “WandaVision” and its contemporaries bring the classic release model back into vogue with a modern twist for the digital age. The classic week-to-week release model, paired with social media, makes watching television more
communal than ever: once the new episode is released, audiences have an entire week to tweet about what they thought every little detail meant. Television succeeds when it sparks a conversation that outlasts its premiere — even if that conversation is mostly theories about what some inconsequential easter eggs may mean for the future of a multi-billion-dollar franchise. And, hey, when the theories turn out to be wrong (like many of my own were), you can always laugh about it with your friends and family. Television, after all, is meant to be enjoyed with others. What started as families gathering around the CRT has merely evolved to fit our 21st century world — with just a little Netflix-shaped hiccup thrown in there. Domenic Purdy is a 19-yearold journalism sophomore from Prairieville.