President Tate tours Louisiana after a year of his ‘scholarship first’ agenda.
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LSU President William F. Tate
IV hopped on a large purple bus on Monday for a 1,000-mile journey of the state.
Tate’s four-day trip, which spanned from New Orleans to Monroe, from crawfishing to surveying hurricane damage, came at the one-year anniversary of his signature proposal for the university’s future.
Tate has promoted what he’s called a “scholarship first” vision of the university since his first day on the job in July 2021. Months later, in March 2022, he formalized that vision into his Scholarship First Agenda.
The plan called for “exceptional academic scholarship” in research and creative endeavors. It called for removing financial burdens that may prevent talented students from reaching their potential. And it outlined five key focus areas: agriculture, biotechnology, coast, defense and energy.
A year on, Tate’s agenda is still getting off the ground, but already has millions of dollars in funding from various partnerships. By design, the plan will roll out gradually, guiding LSU through 2030 and beyond.
The plan brings both hopes and hesitations. Those who fall under the plan’s focus areas feel hopeful the agenda marks a new start for the university. Some in the humanities, not part of the plan’s five focus areas, worry their disciplines will be left behind.
What’s to gain
Christopher D’Elia, dean of the College of the Coast and the Environment, thinks the plan has set LSU on a new, better track.
“LSU has glided along on the same course it was on for years without making many changes,” D’Elia said. “We’ve been very money limited and that has caused us to simply keep reissuing the same budget we’ve had in the past and doing the same things. The president says, “No, that’s not good for the future, even though it’s going to hurt, we’re going to have to reallocate to be more effective for the future.”
And D’Elia, heading a college encompassing one of Tate’s key focus areas, is already eyeing possible projects under the plan. The most ambitious is a Gulf Center for Environmental Prediction and Synthesis, which D’Elia described as a “nerve center” for storm data that could help predict and analyze severe weather events with incredible accuracy.
He isn’t the only one jumping on the plan’s promises.
The College of Agriculture has already established its own internal goals to complement the agenda, creating seven fo -
cal research areas that align with the agenda and increasing the amount of seed funding awarded to faculty members for various research projects, all in anticipation of when the agenda fully materializes into the academic vehicle it promises to be.
“We’re going to be setting one-, three-, and five-year goals on this very soon,” said Matt Lee, dean of the College of Agriculture, when discussing how his college is planning with the agenda in mind.
Humanities hesitations
While D’Elia and Lee, leading academic programs given focus under the president’s plan, are optimistic for the university’s future, some professors in the humanities don’t see a place for their subjects in Tate’s vision.
“I think a lot of people around here in the humanities and social sciences would like to understand why [Tate] didn’t even include a mention of them…and it makes it seem like they aren’t a priority,” said Robert Mann, who holds the Manship chair in journalism.
Mann has served on the Faculty Senate, a representative body for faculty, since Tate arrived at LSU. Still, he said, “nobody that I know of had any input.”
“It was never brought to the Faculty Senate to be discussed in any way,” Mann said. “This clearly came from the system office. This was an initiative that was hashed over there without any kind of significant faculty input.”
Vice president of strategy
Mark Bieger, in contrast, said the planning effort has benefitted “from the contributions of over
300 faculty, staff, students, alumni, and our community and will culminate in a strategic plan that articulates a clear path forward for LSU.”
It will take time to see if the agenda delivers on its promises—and if humanities will find a place in the president’s vision of the university’s future.
A wide-ranging tour
Tate launched his trip from Memorial Tower, wished off by LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey.
On the first day, Tate saw six cities and over 200 people, according to the tour’s website. He visited LSU’s original campus in Pineville, where he announced LSU had a record economic impact of $6.1 billion in Louisiana, and ended the night in Shreveport.
Tate kept up the pace the next day, visiting five cities. On Wednesday, he visited a sugarcane operation, learned about crawfish farming and walked through empty neighborhoods in Lake Charles, abandoned after devastating storms struck the area.
On Thursday, the last day of his tour, Tate announced a partnership between LSU and five ports in southeast Louisiana. LSU will be involved in developing cyber-defenses for the infrastructure, according to the university’s website.
Tate also had an intense segment on the New Orleans Neutral Ground radio show on Thursday. The host, Kaare Johnson, an LSU alumnus, opened the segment by asking Tate why the school’s physics program wasn’t as good
as its athletics.
Tate shot back hard, asserting the accomplishments of the university system and calling Johnson’s claims “reckless.”
“I’m going to defend the university because I know how hard our faculty work,” Tate said. “They’re really talented, and it’s just not right for you to do that, and as an alum, it’s just shocking frankly.”
Johnson said it’s “hard to find a university in America that has better facilities, better coaches, better teams, better fans, and I think academics fall woefully short to athletics.”
The tension continued to escalate as the show continued.
“The problem is you’re playing into the negative instinct, and that’s just what happens in journalism. Everything is negative, and no incremental growth is ever seen,” Tate said. “We’re not the same LSU that you attended. You couldn’t probably get into LSU today.”
The fraught exchange continued, but the men ended on a lighter note.
“I’m trying to help your ratings so I’ve been a little strident…I want your audience to know I was teasing about the admission,” Tate said.
That evening, Tate had what the university’s website described as an “intimate gathering with area elected officials, donors, alumni, and friends.”
With the close of the tour, the president has become better acquainted with the state he says his agenda aims to help. Time will tell how Tate’s plan shapes LSU and its role in Louisiana.
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Mardi Gras was hot this year. The afternoon sun beat down on the French Quarter’s iron balconies, casting shadows on the celebration below. In the beer- and sweat-soaked streets, crowds of shining people swayed to faraway music—the drinks spilling, the brass glimmering, the river slipping silently by.
These are the sights and sounds that have brought Kirsten Stimmel to New Orleans since she was 23. “We were young,” she said of her first Mardi Gras. “And we drank a lot, and didn’t catch many parades but had a good time anyway.”
Thirty years later, the celebration still calls for drinks. But this year, the revelry is something more.
As she danced through the French Quarter this Mardi Gras, Stimmel carried a tote bag. It held an empty beer can, a cast-off, coarse and brightly colored wig, a bottle of lotion, a tube of mascara and a plastic baggy full of fine, pale dust. These were her father’s ashes.
“New Orleans has a rhythm that both my dad and I fit in,” Stimmel said on the phone at her home in Pine Harbor, Georgia. Her father, Carl Stimmel, was a naval officer and a lawyer—“a big guy with a big joy for life” Stimmel said, “and
POLITICS
he always loved the city.”
“People who aren’t from New Orleans have this idea in their head that Mardi Gras is some kind of terrible debauchery, and. . .there are parts of it that are debauchery, but the thing that I love the most and the reason that I keep coming back every year is that I love the family celebrations,” Stimmel said.
As a young man in the 1950s, Stimmel’s father attended Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, and played drums in a band. Each weekend he and his friends would drive into the Crescent City to gig at clubs on Bourbon Street. Since he passed away in 2020, the Stimmels have been scattering Carl’s ashes in the places he loved
The LGBTQ community has a new home on LSU’s campus.
The LGBTQ+ Center, located in Coates Hall room 175, opened in February and “serves as a connecting point for LGBTQ+ people,” according to Daniela Chu-Rodriguez, the assistant director for the Women’s Center and the LGBTQ+ Project.
Students can study, relax, spend time with friends and access resources at the center, Chu-Rodriguez said.
the most.
“I asked my mom and my brother if it’d be okay with them if I spread some in the Mississippi, and they said yes, so that’s how the idea started,” Stimmel said.
“None of it went smoothly,” said Christine Neelis, a long-time
Resources include books focusing on LGBTQ stories and flyers offering a variety of assistance and support from student employees who are knowledgeable in LGBTQ issues. In addition, the center will host a variety of programming throughout the semester in collaboration with LGBTQ student organizations, community partners and LGBTQ faculty and staff.
The center seeks to aid the LGBTQ community on campus by “building a sustainable, safe and open environment for students, faculty and staff, developing and promoting inclusive
Shawn Wilson has been building bridges since his college days.
Wilson, former secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development who’s now the sole Democrat in the race for governor, is campaigning on the same crossingthe-aisle theme he did when he ran for student body president of University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1993.
“Our campaign was about a team: together everyone accomplishes more,” Wilson said of his college campaign. “We put together a ticket and we called it ‘Students for Students.’ We had an international student, we had a treasurer from the business college, we had our first openly gay candidate, I believe, at that time, on our ticket, and we were successful.”
Wilson is one of many former student leaders who have gone on to help run the state.
Popularly elected student
governments, considered to be public bodies under the law, play an important though often overlooked role in shared governance of a university. These positions are often students’ first experiences with public service. Former student body presidents serve at every level of government in Louisiana, from parish police juries to the legislature to the state Supreme Court.
As the representative for the students at ULL, Wilson served on the University of Louisiana System Board of Trustees, where he met a young lawyer representing the board in a lawsuit: Preston Castille.
“He was a very good student member,” Castille recalled of Wilson’s service on the board.
These days, Preston Castille sits on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). In 1987, he was the student body president at Southern University in Baton Rouge and a student member on the Louisiana Board of Regents.
Castille came into the role
much younger than most. He was just 19 and a sophomore when he was elected.
“The volume of information was at times overwhelming because it was all new to me,” Castille said. “But I learned so much about higher education, about how governmental bodies work, how the political process works within an organization because we had to work together collaboratively to get something done.”
Ten years earlier, Jay Dardenne made waves as LSU student government president.
Dardenne currently serves as Commissioner of Administration in Gov. John Bel Edwards’ cabinet and previously held elected office as lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state senator.
Dardenne was the last law student to serve as LSU’s student body president before the law school became a separate entity and set up its own student government. He was also the last student member on the LSU Board of Supervisors to not have a vote.
“I was a non-voting member
of the LSU Board of Supervisors, which was fascinating but frustrating, because I could participate as a regular member. But when it came time to vote, I didn’t have the power to vote,” Dardenne said. “So that was my introduction to the legislature. I testified in the legislature on a bill that ultimately passed and gave the student members of the management boards the right to vote.”
Davante Lewis reveled in his right to vote as a student member to the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors.
Lewis, freshly elected to the Public Service Commission, served as McNeese’s student body president from 2012 to 2014, serving on the UL System board for his final year as president.
Lewis was elected during a period of turmoil for higher education, as Gov. Bobby Jindal sought to slash state college and university budgets to reign in a self-induced budget problem.
“Jindal was part of the cata-
lyst of why I ran because I was so kind of ticked off of the policy debate around higher education and saying, I don’t see my administration standing up for us, I don’t see the system standing up for us, I think it’s time the students stand up for us,” Lewis said.
When Lewis joined the UL Board of Supervisors in his second term in office, he said his advocacy led to several lectures from other board members who thought he should seek guidance from them before speaking out about policy and the governor.
“I took an antagonist role in governance to say that I am here to agitate you to do what’s best for students,” Lewis said.
Laurie White Adams was not one to shy away from a fight either.
Adams, now a Baton Rouge council member and candidate for a Baton Rouge-based state House seat, was student body president of LSU in 1991 when
LGBTQ, from page 3
initiatives and promoting the advancement of gender equity through services and programs,” Chu-Rodriguez said.
“The LGBTQ+ Center celebrates LGBTQ+ identities,” ChuRodriguez said.
The center was established to continue the work of the LGBTQ+ Project, which provides resources to students, faculty and staff and through the Women’s Center.
It’s a quiet place for students to do homework or study, equipped with comfortable couches and blankets to create
a calming environment where students can relax.
“It’s a nice place to come and chill with like-minded and accepting people,” said Layla Harmons, a student worker at the LGBTQ+ Center and a political communications sophomore.
“We also share resources within the community as well, so if you’re just interested in coming in to learn and have access to resources and a supporting community, that would be here.”
Karlie Derise, a sophomore marketing major and another student worker at the LGBTQ+ Center, encourages students to come and said it’s a great space
for people in the community.
“They have a safe place to go if they have a bad day or just need some quiet time or they want to meet other people,” Derise said. “They know that if they come here that it’s a judgmentfree zone and that they can really just be themselves over here.”
Inari Owens, an English literature junior, has enjoyed visiting the center.
“It’s a really nice place to study, and it’s quiet compared to a lot of other places on campus,” Owens said. “It just makes me feel very included to know that there’s a space that is for me.”
The center is open Mondays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students who want to learn more about future LGBTQ+ Center programs and resources can visit the Women’s Center and LGBTQ+ Project’s social media and website.
In addition to the center’s offerings, the Women’s Center and the LGBTQ+ Project will be hosting a Trans Day of Celebration clothing and accessory swap on March 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m at the Women’s Center. Attendees can shop and swap new or gently used clothes and accessories.
NEW ORLEANS, from page 3
family friend who joined Stimmel for the Mardi Gras memorial.
The steps leading to the river were thronged with people, so the pair decided to climb to the water’s edge via the rocks nearby. “And they’re wobbly,” Neelis said. “We tried four different ways to get down there. At one point, I was below her, and she threw me the bag he was in, and I was like, ‘Holy s--- the river is right here, and it’s going fast and I’m tipsy, and you are too, and we’re walking down rocks!’”
Eventually they arrived where the Mississippi River met the rocks. There, Kirsten said a few words in memory of her father and overturned the plastic bag.
“Some of him flew onto Christine’s shoe,” Stimmel said.
“It was kind of. . .exactly how you’d want it to be. . .We cried, and then we climbed back up,” Neelis said with a smile.
Above them, a crowd of strangers had gathered. One of them offered Stimmel a hand and gave her a hug.
Beside this silent river, on the edge of the whirling Quarter, quiet moments were punctuated by sudden, drunken sirens. Each year, the streets are swept of beads and washed of beer, but memories of long-ago carnivals, since-closed clubs and departed onlookers remain.
“Now my dad’s in the Mississippi, and those waters will take him everywhere,” Stimmel said. “He would have liked that.”
GOVERNMENT, from page 3
former Gov. Edwin Edwards was seeking a fourth term in a heated race against David Duke, a former Klu Klux Klan grand wizard.
Adams pulled the Student Government Association’s support for a Free Speech Alley event at which Duke was scheduled to appear after his campaign covered the campus in election signs that gave the impression the SGA was sponsoring a Duke rally.
In an interview with The Reveille, Duke accused Adams of disrespecting free speech.
“Long story short, a CNN producer calls the chancellor [to ask], ‘Do you not believe in free speech at LSU?’” Adams said. “Chancellor [Bud] Davis called me, and it was a pretty tense and intense day. But you know, we stood our ground.”
By the time Davante Lewis ran for student office in 2012, social media had completely revolutionized the way student leaders ran for office, compared with the low-tech mimeograph campaign flyers Jay Dardenne handed out in Free Speech Alley.
But shoe leather and coalition building have remained the same, whether you’re a student government candidate in the 1970s or a gubernatorial candidate in 2023.
“We targeted populations like the fraternities, we targeted populations like residence halls,” Wilson said of his 1993 student campaign. “We targeted a base
of people who, for various demographic reasons, aligned with our issues.”
Wilson said the same basic principles apply to his gubernatorial campaign.
“A university is a microcosm of a state,” Wilson added.
Lewis, fresh off a December runoff in which he unseated an incumbent Public Service Commissioner, said his experience campaigning for student body president as a non-fraternity member helped him in his underdog campaign for the PSC.
“I knew what it meant to build a campaign apparatus against the conventional wisdom of who votes and how they vote,” Lewis said.
Lewis said he used his student campaign playbook, building a coalition of smaller constituencies, such as the Chinese and Vietnamese student associations, to unseat 18-year incumbent Lambert Boissiere III. Instead of seeking 20 votes here and there from various groups, Lewis networked in small towns and overlooked communities in the PSC’s 3rd District.
Castille reflected on the way technology has changed between his 1987 student race and his 2019 BESE race, but pointed out how the principles are the same.
“I remember campaigning [for BESE] thinking, ‘This is like being in college all over again,’” Castille said. “The personal contact, developing a platform, meeting people. I enjoyed it as a
student, and I enjoy it now as a BESE member.”
Getting schooled Political leaders are just as prone to human error as the constituents they represent. One benefit to student governance is an opportunity to make those mistakes – and learn from them – in a lower-stakes training ground.
Wilson said he learned a lesson about the value of taxpayer money when, as one of his first acts as student body president, he decided to replace the furni-
ture in his office, where he ended up spending very little time.
“When we got to the office of the [DOTD] secretary, I didn’t touch the walls one time,” Wilson said. “I don’t think I bought anything. I hit the ground running and one of the first things I told my staff is, ‘If I have to spend most of my time in the building, I’m not doing the job I need to do as secretary.’”
Lewis looks back on the times he said too much – or too little – that shape his approach to the Public Service Commission.
“So now as a [Public Service Commissioner] who kind of ran against the system, I’m utilizing those same lessons of, this is when you go public with something, this is when you work behind [the scenes], this is how you go to compromise,” Lewis said.
“I think student government produces so many leaders because you really find out what your leadership style is and who you want to be because the options are endless. But the potential for what you do changes the direction of your life,” he said.
This might be a bit of a surprising pick, but “Helplessness Blues” is one of the most underrated albums of the 2010s. I had to have at least one hot take on these lists.
A lot of people love this album. It’s still underrated.
Fleet Foxes made one of the most beautiful folk albums of all time. The lyrics are poetic and the instrumentation is gorgeous. Even if you aren’t a fan of folk music, you should still listen to “Helplessness Blues” at least once.
BY ALISON AGENA BY EMILY POIRRIEROf all three Harry Styles’ albums, this one has to be the best. This album was his debut after leaving One Direction, so he had a lot riding on how fans would criticize it. The album opens and ends with two sad, sultry ballads, but the songs in between, with notes of rock ‘n’ roll, country and pop, are what make it so special.
My favorite song on this album is “Only Angel.” I find myself listening to it all the time to hype myself up and get ready for the day.
From the 2010s, there are so many great albums to pick from. However, I think the best album to come out of this decade is “Eureka” by Mother Mother. While it may not have been mainstream at the time of its release, when I found this album I listened to it on repeat for weeks. There is not a single song on this album I dislike. If I had to pick, my favorite song from this album would probably be “Aspiring Fires.” This bands one of a kind alternative style really appeals to me.
BY OLIVIA TOMLINSON BY NYX CROOKSThis album changed rap forever. The features are amazing, and Kendrick is truly at his best here. The painstakingly crafted story of the album is slowly revealed after each song that shows Kendrick’s lyrical genius. There’s really just never been an album that hit me like this one did.
Kendrick delves deep into his past and pulls an emotionally compelling look into race, class and American society through the lens of his own life.
The album has aggressiveness with “u” and “The Blacker the Berry,” but also contemplation with “How Much a Dollar Cost” and “You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Momma Said).”
It’s a perfect balance of all of Kendrick’s best qualities.
From “Nikes” to “Futura Free,” Frank Ocean takes you through the ups and downs of his past relationship in this album.
The album dropped in 2016, four years after “Channel Orange” – another fan favorite. The entire album is symbolic of growing older. The blonde hair seen in the cover art, as well as the title, represent the youth of blonde hair; however, over time, blonde hair darkens. “Pink + White” and “Ivy” are two of the many songs that explore the coming of age theme.
With the upcoming album being long awaited, now is the time to reflect on Ocean’s past work.
BY JOHN BUZBEEEmbracing elements of alternative rock and synth wave, The Symposium is a band that’s neither popular nor obscure, so I think that makes it cool to mention when someone asks, ‘what are you listening to these days?’
Its self-titled debut album is more atmospheric than any other adjective and functions more like a bloated E.P. than a traditional album. It’s a collection of relatively unsynced but exceptional singles.
The single coolest element of a song by The Symposium is the secondary melody that comes after the main song. They all have a wordless, catchy and thought provoking melody. I don’t know if there’s a reason behind this, but I think it adds lots of depth and potential meaning.
BY MADISON HEYDARI
Although it’s best known for the lead single, “Pompeii,” this album is so much more than that. From start to finish, Bastille delivers original concepts and storylines track after track. The lyricism of this album is incredibly well-done, using deeply depressing lines over a blend of electronic pop and classic indie rock instrumentals. This album defined the United Kingdom indie pop scene in the 2010s and is one of the first albums I think of when I think of music from the early 2010s. Bastille are best-known for this album and for good reason: the band’s cohesive sound and ability to tell innovative stories with its songs make it one of the best albums of all time.
It’s difficult for me to explain my reasoning for this other than this is the “poppiest” pop album of all time. The pop genre consists of music that is catchy and fun, and this album is pop. Equipped with standard heartfelt ballads and synth masterpieces that are sure to stay in your head, this album just hits every mark.
The media was tearing her apart and making her out to be this clingy, psycho girlfriend that traps every guy she dates, but she felt inspired by this character and wrote the pop classic “Blank Space.” I know there are a number of phenomenal pop albums released during this era, but none of them are quite as highly addictive and polished as this one.
I often find myself listening to this music when I am going through a major change in my life because the tone and lyrics and melodies let me forget about everything around me and enjoy life.
LSU women’s basketball defeats Hawaii 73-50 on March 17 during their March Madness matchup at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8
LSU women’s basketball made it through the first round of March Madness, but in their second matchup, they faced something coach Kim Mulkey can’t teach: height.
However, the Tigers still pulled off a 66-42 win Sunday night.
With this win, LSU moves onto the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2014. The Tigers will play No. 2 Utah, who knocked off No. 10 Princeton by a score of 6356. LSU will face off with the Utes on Friday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Michigan Wolverines came in with lots of height. On their roster, they only have three players below 6-foot. On the other hand, LSU only has five players above 6-foot on its roster.
Angel Reese led LSU with yet another double-double performance. She finished with 25 points and 24 rebounds. She also added four assists, three steals and six blocks.
“For me, I was hungry,” Reese said. “I didn’t want to let my seniors go out on a loss. It means
FOOTBALL
more than me. It’s bigger than me.”
Not only did Reese thrive despite the height Michigan played with, but LaDazhia Williams showed out as well in double-double fashion. She added 10 points and 10 rebounds down low.
For Michigan, Laila Phelia led the team in scoring with 20 points and four rebounds. Cameron Williams scored eight for the Wolverines, and Chyra Evans added five.
“They [LSU] were physical and really limited our scoring, and didn’t allow us to get into rhythm,” Michigan head coach,
Kim Barnes-Arico said. “But I’m proud of our team…it was great to be in this position.”
As Reese and Williams continued to rebound and score efficiently, Michigan continued to use their height to try and eliminate LSU’s post-play.
In addition, teams that run zone defenses have tripped LSU up throughout the season. When LSU narrowly escaped Georgia in overtime during the regular season, Georgia’s zone defense gave them trouble. Tennessee also ran a zone in the SEC Tournament that the Tigers had difficulty adjusting to.
“I think we grew up a lot,”
Mulkey said. “I thought we were tough tonight. We were tough at all positions. And it started on the defensive end, it started on the boards, I just thought we were
tough.”
With Michigan’s size being a challenge, they also ran a zone
see SWEET SIXTEEN, page 10
LSU helped build its roster last year by going into the transfer portal and grabbing players who can make an immediate impact once they step on the field.
Last year it added players such as Mekhi Garner, Greg Brooks, Jayden Daniels and so many more.
LSU did that again this offseason by signing Aaron Anderson from Alabama.
Anderson is a tremendous talent. Standing at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, he’s a spark for the team. The first thing that stands out about Anderson is his speed. Not only did Anderson participate in track in high school he also excelled in it. He ran a 10.77 in the 100-meter dash and 7.03 in the 60-meter dash. You can see this speed on display by looking at his high school highlights
BY HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_
LSU head coach Brian Kelly opened his first press conference of the spring by stating the goals of the spring practice, highlighting the focus on individual progression and preparation as the 2023-24 football season approaches.
He claimed that was of the utmost importance if this team, sporting championship potential, wants to contend for a playoff spot next season.
“There’s no scoreboard out in spring practice. There’s no winners, there’s no losers,” Kelly said. “It’s really about your total preparation and how you continue to develop the traits necessary to be elite.”
It’s about perfecting their technique and figuring out where their place is on the team. And while there’s less mystery surrounding this program than there was last year, there are still plenty of positions that need to be figured out, with a vast array of players from that team heading to the draft or graduating.
There are plenty of new names on the recently updat-
ed roster, players who were here before who are looking to heighten their roles and teammates harboring injuries to start spring. Here are the biggest takeaways from the first practice and preceding presser.
Battered offense
One of the biggest things gathered from practice was how few running backs LSU had performing drills. Of the four main backs from last season, just one, Noah Cain was out on the field. Josh Williams, Armoni Goodwin and John Emery Jr. were all out.
Kelly gave an update on each player’s situation. Williams and Goodwin are out with injury and Emery is focusing exclusively on academics. Each player’s timetable is up in the air, but Williams is expected to be back the earliest and Goodwin will be out until fall camp.
With Emery, it’s strictly academics, an aspect of his life that has consistently plagued over the years. In this case, the senior is squarely focusing on academics at this point, with no clear timetable on his return.
“He’s got some marks that he has to hit from an academic standpoint before we talk about football with him,” Kelly said
on the back. “That was the deal with John [Emery] and talking to his family. If his primary focus was academics and taking care of his degree, then we would have a conversation about football.”
Other than the running
backs, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is also returning to full strength after having corrective surgery. But in Nussmeier’s case, he’s already throwing the football and should be getting back to full speed in about a week or so, according to Kelly.
Kelly’s thoughts on quarterback room and the nine-game SEC schedule
A lot has occurred since LSU’s 2022-23 season came to a close.
OFFENSE, from page 9
whether he’s returning punts or blowing by his defender on a route.
Another aspect of his game that goes underappreciated is his athleticism. His ability to go up and make tough catches in coverage and contort and adjust his body is something that anyone would want on their team. Probably one of the most important aspects in football as a wide receiver would be to run after the catch and Anderson is someone who does that extremely well.
Once he gets a ball in open space it’s a track meet that Anderson often wins. He reminds me a lot of Deebo Samuel on the San Francisco 49ers as they both run hard like running backs. With a mix of his speed and physicality, he won’t be easy to tackle.
Anderson didn’t see much time with the Crimson Tide last season, but it’s going to be interesting to see how Brain Kelly and the offense use him for this upcoming season. The most im-
defense to go along with it. But the Tigers did better adjusting this time around, with less time to prepare. Reese and Williams worked to disrupt the zone down low and distribute outside to the perimeter players when needed.
LSU’s guards sparked but were never able to ignite long-term. However, it was a step in the right direction for the perimeter players. Jasmine Carson hit three straight three-pointers in the second quarter but did not hit another for the rest of the game. She finished with nine points, shooting three for six from the threepoint line.
Alexis Morris scored in double figures with 11 points. Kateri Poole and Flau’jae Johnson also played a huge defensive role for the Tigers.
The Tigers have been able to rely on their post-play for some time, but as they potentially get deeper in the tournament, the guards will have to find their rhythm. Because in the time they don’t have a rhythm, they will eventually find another team that will.
But the team has a little less than a week to get better at the things they’ve been struggling with.
SPRING, from page 9
Just over two weeks after its victory over Purdue in the Citrus Bowl, former five-star quarterback Walker Howard announced he was entering the transfer portal, eventually deciding to go to Ole Miss. When asked about the situation, Kelly didn’t harp on it too much, believing it to be out of his control.
“You’re ready for everything,” Kelly said. “You want to do a great job of retention and sometimes it’s out of your hands.”
portant way to use Anderson is getting him the ball in an open space and allowing him to work. Whether it’s screens, using him out of the backfield to create mismatches, or putting him in the slot, it’s important that he is able to use his speed to get open and get yards.
Getting him on the field with Malik Nabers at the potential wide receiver one spot and Kyren Lacy and Brian Thomas battling for the wide receiver two spot, having Anderson as that change of pace and that speed on the field to open up the offense and playbook would be a game changer.
This would be his first real chance at getting playing time and showing off what he can do. However, Anderson is out for the spring after getting surgery on his knee, but there is no doubt that he is talented. Being a fourstar recruit and being ranked the number one receiver in Louisiana in the class of 2022, from a sports fan perspective, makes it exciting to see how the speedster plays in this upcoming season.
Last year, the Tigers fell short in the Round of 32 against Ohio State, who was also a No. 6 seed.
Mulkey’s goal this season was to do a game better than they did the season before. She not only accomplished that goal in the SEC Tournament, but with this win, she now surpassed their postseason run last season.
“It’s not a championship, but it is definitely an accomplishment,” Mulkey said. “We have won one more game than we won last year. And you better believe that that’s big for us and rebuilding this program.”
While Mulkey wants her team to make it as far as they can, she recognizes that regardless of how far they continue to go, her job at bringing LSU to the top is far from finished.
But in order to get there, seasons like this one are most definitely important, and the team hopes there are more wins left in the tank.
The team played its last game of the season in the PMAC Sunday, but its mindset while in Greenville remains the same.
“We’re just taking it one day at a time,” Williams said. “We’re very excited. We’re ready to start preparing for the next game, and we’re ready for whatever’s ahead of us.”
He then touched on his current quarterback room, liking what he’s seen from freshman Rickie Collins and being happy with what they’ve been able to retain.
“We’ve got three quarterbacks that will get a lot of work in the spring,” Kelly said. “I think we’re in a good place.”
When asked about the SEC’s switch to a nine-game schedule, which has the Tigers pitted against Alabama, Texas A&M and Ole Miss as yearly opponents, Kelly expressed no concern. He added that he sees it
as a great opportunity to better prepare for the College Football Playoff, with it expanding after next season.
“It’s not something that I really thought much about because I wanted to play SEC teams, that’s why I came here,” Kelly said. “I think nine is great because it’s going to prepare you and your football team for what eventually will be in 2024, an expanded playoff field.” High expectations and current standouts
Though Kelly didn’t go into detail when it came to who was
standing out so far, with it still being so early in the offseason, he did list a few names when asked about them.
In terms of standouts, defensive lineman Jordan Jefferson, linebacker Omar Speights and JACK linebacker Ovie Oghoufo were all mentioned by Kelly. They came from West Virginia, Oregon State and Texas, respectively.
“It’s day one, but I’m pretty confident that the transfers that we brought in will make an impact, in particular on the defensive side of the ball,” Kelly said.
Other than that, he touched on the depth of the quarterback room and expressed excitement for Alabama transfer Aaron Anderson, who’s still recovering from surgery.
“We haven’t seen him yet, but we know about his story and how great of a high-school player he was here in the state,” Kelly said. “I you can carry that onto the field here at LSU, you know we’re penciling him in.”
It should be an exciting offseason of LSU football, as more is figured out about this potential championship contender.
Editor’s Note: The following column is satire.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…” This section of the Declaration of Independence proves that the founding fathers couldn’t have predicted the existence of adults who still care about Disney.
Disney adults have a growing presence online. All over social media, there are reviews and commentary about children’s movies and television shows being posted by people who should have aged out of kids’ entertainment during the Obama administration.
Anyone who has infected the internet with this sort of content shouldn’t have the liberties afforded to regular citizens. Supporters of Disney adult rights would protest that without a crime being committed, enacting punishment is unjust.
That argument is frankly irrelevant to the conversation because there are plenty of legal actions that justify some sort of punishment. If someone noticed that their roommate was ordering beanie babies, cutting their heads off, smearing them in blood and then lighting them on fire inside of a pentagram while playing the music from the masquerade scene in “Eyes Wide Shut” in the kitchen every night it would be within their rights to do something. Most people would agree that the police should at least monitor the roommate from hell, if not detain him.
Some would say that such actions are a gross violation of human rights. However, that raises the question: when has that stopped the police before? I’d rather see the police focus on getting the manifesto-writing roommate and Disney adults thrown in prison without a trial than putting people in jail for petty drug crimes. Some would call this move a fascist overreach of the government but it can be thought of as a necessary use of force.
Disney adults shouldn’t be allowed to hold office, vote or even have First Amendment rights.
They should have a separate Bill of Rights that features a few prominent alterations. One of which is that instead of a right to a jury trial, they should have a right to a trial by fire or life in prison.
Disney adults also shouldn’t be allowed to have children if not for the fact that they will raise the worst child imaginable for the presumed existence of a pre-coital routine that involves the participants singing the “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” song and doing all of the dances from the title sequence.
Any adults who attempt to enter a Disney park without a child should be dropped into alligatorinfested water through a trap door. The military and national guard should act as an occupying force looking for any perpetrators that evaded the trap door system.
If the number of Disney adults continues to grow the only recourse will be to lure them to a mostly vacant state like Montana with the promise that it’s the location of the Disney vault. Once they arrive the military should invade like it’s Iraq in 2003, shock and awe tactics and all.
In the future, there should be a discussion around doing simi-
lar things to the cousins of Disney adults, Marvel nerds. Marvel nerds display some of the same troubling behavior as their more simple-minded counterparts, but they are less likely to be barred from elementary schools and their surrounding areas. This point will likely have to wait, as there are bigger, Mickey Mouse hat-wearing, fish to fry.
The insidious force of Disney
adults is growing by the day. Extreme measures are necessary and will only become more so soon. Concerned citizens should write to their representatives about this issue and perhaps even send them this article for legislative suggestions.
Frank Kidd is a 22-year-old mass communication major from Springfield, Virginia.
JEMIAH CLEMONS
@Miclemah
African diaspora is a mix of beautiful cultures and people, but the stems of white supremacy have spread and created a dissonance among Black people in North America, South America and the United Kingdom.
As a result of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and colonialism, new cultures and norms were formed. Those sociological differences along with systemic racism are responsible for the diaspora wars.
As African Americans, we seem to always get caught in the crossfire. Black culture’s rapid development and international prominence puts it in the spotlight of mass scrutiny. Media portrayal, lack of education and white supremacy push negative stereotypes that hinder cross-cultural relations.
In comparison to other Black civilizations, African American culture is still young. Black
Americans have suffered a mass identity crisis, but now that we’ve found our niche, it’s not respected by other cultures in the diaspora. This lack of respect and acknowledgement makes it look like it’s Black Americans versus everyone else.
The ignorance surrounding Black culture is in part due to a lack of African American studies. African American history is taught in a way that victimizes and discredits the experiences of Black Americans. Yes, slavery and Jim Crow are taught, but the creation of culture is often ignored.
Policy makers, like Florida Gov. Ron Desantis banning African American studies, shows that the lack of education is intentional. On the flip side, African studies is merely a decoration in American public schools. The ignorance of each other’s history and culture keeps us divided and allows for hatred to progress.
Another tool of white supremacy is the media. Black people, regardless of culture and ethnicity, have been demonized by mass media. A wave of nasty ste -
reotypes come flooding in when Black people aren’t positively featured in the media.
African Americans are seen as self-destructive criminals, Caribbeans are deemed poverty stricken and helpless, while Africans are treated like they’re less than human. The consequences of these stereotypes become clear when immigration and cultural assimilation occurs.
There’s an extreme culture shock that occurs when people in the diaspora migrate to the U.S. The stereotypes that were once a click away are now within close proximity, and the only thing separating them is the prejudice they have toward each other.
Due to media portrayal, there’s a superiority complex attached to each culture in regard to another. For example, an African person may feel better than a Black American because they know their history and have strong cultural ties. A Caribbean person may also feel that in addition to having affluent cuisines and languages. A Black American may feel superior because they come from a first world
country and have access to more opportunity.
American culture may also come as a shock because we often categorize people by race and not ethnicity or tribe. So when Black immigrants come to America, we’re all put into the same box and receive the same amounts of racism, regardless of where we come from.
This harsh reality forces the African diaspora to see things for what they are. Often, Black immigrants come to America with the thought that Black Americans are lazy and do nothing with their opportunities.
This is yet another instance where Black history and contributions are ignored by others. If it weren’t for Black pioneers in almost every career field, other Black people and people of color wouldn’t be able to come to the U.S. and explore those opportunities.
Still, Black Americans should celebrate when Black people of other cultures succeed in America. Those achievements show that it can happen for all of us and our
ancestors’ work wasn’t done in vain.
Racism has conditioned us to think that we need to compete with each other when in reality we need to stick together. Recognizing that we’re merely puppets being handled by racism is critical. This realization will make us see that no education or media portrayal is being used against us to spread hate.
Fighting for legislative changes in education can really make an impact on the way we see each other. Creating our own narrative and releasing it to the world can mend relations within the diaspora.
Embracing and accepting each other’s differences will make the most change. Making educational changes is worth nothing if we’re not able to see each other on an individual level.
As long as we’re at war with each other, we will never be free from the shackles of white supremacy.
The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to editor@lsu.edu or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
American animator/entrepreneur 1901 — 1966
“I love Mickey Mouse more than any woman I have ever known.” Walt Disney
