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‘...shared their frustration and disappointment...’ ‘...several training programs are uncoordinated...’
‘...Title IX staffing was woefully behind peer institutions...’
‘...the approach was too passive...’ ‘...several employees have failed to take the ‘mandatory’ [sexual] harassment training...’
‘We failed.’
Husch Blackwell’s report reveals the full scope of LSU’s Title IX shortcomings. ‘...this was an error...’ ‘...policy language was poorly crafted and confusing...’
‘...not equipped to handle a case this complicated...’
‘...inadequate response to sexual misconduct...’ ‘...lack of coordination with and oversight by the Title IX Office...’ Read on
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‘...the University never did anything about it...’ QUOTATIONS PULLED FROM THE HUSCH BLACKWELL REPORT
NEWS
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Tuition in Louisiana rose by 96.8% from 2008 to 2019, the largest percentage increase of any state.
ENTERTAINMENT
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Bela Peixoto, a mass communication freshman, has fun playing virtual shows with friends during the pandemic.
SPORTS
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Husch Blackwell and USA Today reveal further information regarding the LSU women’s tennis scandal.
OPINION
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“Galligan says failure to report will result in ‘discipline’ moving forward. I implore the University to go a step further.”
L SU Re ve i l le.co m @l s u r e ve i l le
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Investigation on LSU’s mishandling of sexual assault released, two LSU Athletics employees suspended BY MADELYN CUTRONE & KATHERINE MANUEL @madelyncutrone & @kmanuel_2 The investigation into LSU’s mishandling of Title IX processes and sexual assault reports by law firm Husch Blackwell was released and presented to the LSU Board of Supervisors Friday. Two LSU Athletics employees were suspended without pay after the report was released. Scott Schneider, a representative from the law firm, presented the investigation to the board. The law firm’s 150-page report outlined summaries of the cases that it investigated, current Title IX policies at LSU and recommendations for changes. Schneider said the University was understaffed and unequipped to handle complaints under Title IX, a federal law meant to reduce sexual harassment and assault on college campuses. “This is an example of serious institutional failure,” Interim President Thomas Galligan said. Galligan said the University suspended Executive Deputy Athletic Director Verge Ausberry for 30 days without pay and Senior Associate Athletic Director Miriam Segar for 21 days without pay. Both employees will undergo sexual violence training during this time. “We’ve been forced to take a hard look, and let’s be perfectly clear, we don’t like what we see,” Galligan said. A USA Today report in November found that Ausberry knew in 2018 that former LSU football player Drake Davis had punched former LSU women’s tennis player Jade Lewis. Lewis’ case of sexual violence is outlined in the report. According to WBRZ reporter Michael Cauble, Ausberry told him his entire career “has been dedicated to LSU,” and he regrets that his actions fell short of “protecting student interests.” “I accept the conclusions and decisions rendered by the University and absolutely respect the commitment to putting the welfare of all students first,” Ausberry said. Davis acknowledged in court in 2019 that he had punched Lewis. He was expelled from LSU that July. The USA Today report also detailed complaints about Derrius Guice, a former LSU running back. They included an allegation that he had raped another female athlete. LSU took no action after that complaint. The Husch Blackwell report does not recommend that anyone at LSU be fired. It advised University leadership to read the
report and decide “what, if any discipline is warranted for employees.” “If the leadership of the University decides to discipline employees, one of the important lessons from this review is that institutional policies and processes should be followed,” the report read. “In addition, those employees should be entitled to full due process protections, including the ability to say this review ‘got it wrong.’” The report listed 18 recommendations for the University, including staffing the Title IX Office appropriately, implementing targeted training for athletes and regularly measuring the climate and the effectiveness of the policies. “We think it is critically important for the University to regularly measure whether these interventions are succeeding as well as
handling of cases will go back to the positions. “It seems like a lot of people who should be held responsible and accountable are going to help implement this plan, so students are probably having a really hard time grappling with the fact that the people who were sweeping them under the rug for so long are now supposed to be the change makers on campus,” Lejeune said. Schneider said that one in four college-age female students experience some sort of sexual assault or sexual misconduct while they are undergraduate students. He said LSU is no exception to that. One assault survivor and LSU alumna, Caroline Schroeder, spoke at the meeting and said she has personal experience with the Title IX process at LSU. “I want to express how little faith I have in the board to make the right decision,” Schroeder
We’ve been forced to take a hard look, and let’s be perfectly clear, we don’t like what we see. THOMAS GALLIGAN
LSU Interim President
the overall effectiveness of the University’s comprehensive Title IX program,” the report read. The report recommended that “the rules must apply to everyone,” and said LSU needs to ensure that Title IX policies and processes are followed and applied to everyone. Schneider said the most important recommendation is for appropriate staffing of the Title IX Office. He said the office’s reporting line to the general counsel needs to “change immediately.” “We clearly had a failure of leadership and a failure of resources,” LSU Board of Supervisors Chair Robert Dampf said. “We failed.” Mass communication junior Mia Lejeune said the 18 recommendations lack logistics for how the University is going to streamline reporting of Title IX cases. Still, she said she is “interested and hopeful” to see how the recommendations play out. “I’m really impressed with Galligan’s decision to take up all of the recommendations from Husch Blackwell,” Lejeune said. Lejeune said it is hard for her to have trust in the 18 recommendations because she believes that the people responsible for mis-
said at the meeting. After the board meeting, Schroeder said on Twitter that Husch Blackwell did not ask to use her name in the report. “Nobody ever told me they were going to be releasing all of the records from my case,” Schroeder told the Reveille. “They have my statements that I gave to the Title IX investigators, they have quotes that I gave in what I thought was confidence with several people. I was sharing some pretty personal stuff, sometimes about other people that I didn’t want anyone to know about. There it is, for everyone to see.” Schroeder believes that many people in the LSU community are “reluctant” to think that the University will “step up and do the right thing.” “While I think those are good recommendations, I think the report intentionally leaves a lot open to LSU’s interpretation,” Schroeder said. “The problem with that is that I don’t think LSU will fill in those gaps. They promise that they’re going to fulfill those recommendations from the report, but I have absolutely no expectation that they will go just a little bit further to solve the issues which were hinted at in the
report. I think those are going to get swept away really quick.” Schneider said the Husch Blackwell report was “clear” with LSU and highlighted that the University did not have a Title IX coordinator until 2014. “From a historical perspective, LSU has been very slow to develop policies and infrastructure and personnel that was really required and highlighted starting in 2011 with the 2011 ‘Dear Colleague letter,’” Schneider said, referring to a directive that the Obama administration sent to universities nationwide to improve their handling of assault claims. Galligan said the University will hire new staff, including more Title IX investigators and a deputy Title IX coordinator. He said LSU and LSU Athletics has contracted with a non-profit called STAR (Sexual Trauma Awareness Response) to evaluate sexual assault training practices and implement new ones. “I’m embarrassed about what’s happened in the past,” LSU Athletics Director Scott Woodward said. “Getting it right is important. We want to review the past and accept the past, and get it right moving forward.” Galligan apologized to the survivors and thanked those who came forward and spoke with Husch Blackwell. “If they hadn’t come forward, we wouldn’t be here today,” Galligan said. “I’m grateful to them and with all my heart I apologize to them.” Mass Communication Professor Robert Mann said the recommendations made in the report are “common sense.” “I am disappointed that the board and President Galligan are choosing a very mild slap on the wrist to two employees who the report indicates engaged in very egregious, reckless behavior,” Mann said. “I think they will be surprised at how little credibility they now have going forward because they’ve chosen to handle the Athletic Department with such thick gloves.” Mann said he would like to see an investigation where people “are put under oath and required to testify.” “I hope this is the beginning, not the end, of investigations,” Mann said. “LSU paid for this report, so it comes with a question mark behind it. That said, it’s much more extensive and damning than I thought it would be.” Nick Frewin and Reed Darcey also contributed to this report.
See pages 6-7 for a list of recommendations and photos from the Husch Blackwell presentation
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NEWS
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TUITION TROUBLE Tuition in Louisiana nearly doubled since 2008, largest increase of any other state +
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creasing enrollment. Louisiana’s constitution includes statutory dedication funds — areas of the state’s operating budget that have to receive a certain level of funding. These areas are protected to some extent from budget cuts. “The two places in the constitution that are not protected from budgetary cuts are higher education and healthcare,” Lewis said. “When you find yourself in the Great Recession that you did in 2009 and you find yourselves in a budget shortfall, the only place you can really make some significant cuts to budgets is in higher education.” Mass communication sophomore Charlie Stephens said LSU
After shutting its doors for nearly a year, The House bar in Tigerland looks forward to reopening soon with a completely revamped look. Plans for a renovation have been in the works since late 2019, after co-owners Jeff Vaccaro and Casey Fields were inspired by the modernity of bars in other towns like Tuscaloosa and Oxford. They wanted to give LSU students a unique atmosphere that no other bar in Baton Rouge has tried yet. “Yeah [the bar] really needed an update,” Vaccaro said. “Tigerland’s been around since the late ‘70s, and it’s been 20 to 30 years since anybody has done anything at all.” With the world still in a pandemic, the bar had to find a way to open under COVID-19 guidelines. Vaccaro and Fields decided to pursue a conditional restaurant permit in order to get The House back in operation. “I think they should expect the same fun atmosphere,” Fields said. “We’re just going to bring a classier aspect to Tigerland because it does have a bad reputation and we’d like to change that.” Now equipped with a kitchen, the bar plans to sell pizza and other foods. Although a restaurant-style bar wasn’t in mind, the classification can allow a larger capacity and generate a familiar atmosphere to the pre-pandemic Tigerland. Even after COVID-19 guidelines lessen, Vaccaro still plans to keep the kitchen around and get creative with happy hour deals
see TUITION, page 4
see THE HOUSE, page 4
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GRAPHIC BY SOPHIE VAGIANOS
The graph above shows the percentages of tuition increases at LSU over the years. BY JOSH ARCHOTE @JArchote College students in the U.S. pay more in tuition every year, especially students in Louisiana. Tuition in Louisiana rose by 96.8% — $4,729 per student — from 2008 to 2019, the largest percentage increase of any state, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported. Tuition and fees at LSU increased 155% over the same period, according to data provided by LSU’s Office of Budget and Planning. The increases in tuition coincide with decreases in state funding for higher education following the 2008 recession. Louisiana’s state-spending per student dropped 37.7%, the second largest decrease of any state. Louisiana
The House’s renovation sets new Tigerland standards BY MORGAN ROGERS @morgan_rogers
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BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY
spends $4,340 less per student than it did in 2008. Universities in Louisiana must get a two-thirds vote in the state legislature to approve increases in tuition. Public universities cannot unilaterally raise tuition. Instead, institutions make up for decreases in state funding through other means, such as increasing student fees, which requires board-level approval. The total cost of attending LSU — including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation and other expenses — increased 109% from 2008 to 2019. In 2008, the total cost was $15,709. In 2019, the cost increased to $32,96, for in-state undergraduate students. Cuts in higher education in Louisiana began during the re-
cession in 2009, according to Davante Lewis, who works on higher education policies and legislative affairs at the Louisiana Budget Project. Lewis said Louisiana, along with other states like Arizona, has experienced what he calls a “major flop” where the public, state-funded universities have gone from being 80% funded by the state and 20% funded by tuition to almost 80% funded by tuition and fees and 20% state support. “We really don’t have a public education system in Louisiana anymore because the majority of the operating budgets at universities are using tuition and fees,” Lewis said. The shift in revenue streams for Louisiana universities has forced universities to focus on in-
SAFETY
University community responds to Title IX disciplinary actions BY MADELYN CUTRONE @madelyncutrone Many LSU students and professors spoke out about the University’s response to Husch Blackwell’s report that revealed years of systematic mishandling of Title IX cases, in which numerous employees were found complicit. Interim President Tom Galligan announced March 5 at a Board of Supervisors meeting that two of those employees would be
temporarily suspended without pay and undergo Title IX training as a result of their negligence in appropriately reporting sexual assault cases: Executive Deputy Athletic Director Verge Ausberry and Senior Associate Athletic Director Miriam Segar. Tigers Against Sexual Assault (TASA) President Angelina Cantelli said suspending two employees is “not enough.” “It feels like LSU is pretending to care and trying to put on a
show while there’s cameras paying attention and that they don’t care about sustainable change,” Cantelli said. “I would say a lot of people are outraged, a lot of people are upset, a lot of people are reliving their trauma.” TASA is holding a sit-in on Monday, March 8 at the Athletics Office to call for the removal of any employees who played a role in covering up sexual assault allegations. “Either you think that cover-
ing up sexual assault is wrong and you want all your employees to be held to a higher standard, or you don’t, and you prove that through disciplinary action,” Cantelli said. “They failed to do that.” Mass Communication Professor Robert Mann said he was critical of the University’s decision to merely suspend two employees who engaged in “egregious, reckless behavior.” “To me, it’s a question of in-
stitutional control,” Mann said. “Who really runs this university? I think it’s clear today that President Galligan is not allowed to run this university. The athletics director, Scott Woodward, pronounced two weeks ago that Ausberry was in the clear. That decision was made before this report was handed to the president. That tells me that this is a corrupt institution, and I don’t
see BLACKWELL, page 4
Monday, March 8, 2021
page 4
TUITION, from page 3
pect the same environment and atmosphere. We’re going to treat you like family while you’re here,” Vaccaro said. “And now, we’re just going to have a facility on steroids. We have great bathrooms, a turf patio, plenty of seating and we’ve even added a kitchen during renovation.” The bar itself has been refurbished with marble countertops laid upon brick with a new frozen drink machine behind the back. Outside, the bar has a patio lined with turf along with wooden seating in one corner. The area also provides an outside bar, a small stage and a finishing touch of string lights overhead. Vaccaro’s favorite part of the renovation has actually been the bathrooms. Prior to the COVID-19
pandemic, complaints were made about only half of the toilets working. Now, both the mens’ and womens bathrooms boast nine stalls and new floors. The womens bathroom even features pink walls and LED-lit signs. With Gov. John Bel Edwards moving the state to Phase 3, restaurants will be able to host 75% capacity inside. The House will consist of a 40-person crew, all with a raise in pay since the pandemic started. The House still plans to take COVID-19 precautions seriously
though, requiring all customers to wear masks upon entry and until they’re seated. They will also perform temperature checks at the doors and require employees to wear masks at all times. Renovations of The House will not stop here. The owners plan to re-open the upstairs, called “The Attic,” later this year after restrictions lessen. “You’re going to get the best of both worlds. A great facility and the old House that everybody loves.”
students shouldn’t have to pay more in tuition and fees each year. “There’s a lot of people in Louisiana that will tell you we need educated people in Louisiana to move the state forward to get out of these rankings where we’re last in everything,” he said. “Yet, we don’t want to invest in higher education. We would rather cut LSU year after year and not talk about that. Then, LSU begs for crumbs at the legislature.” Mass Communication Professor Robert Mann said he knows of many students whose money from working part-time jobs goes to paying for their tuition, fees and books. “I know students who are having to work to put themselves through college,” Mann said. “I think there are more of those students than we imagine and there are certainly more of them today than there were 15 years ago because it’s just more expensive.” Another aspect of the decrease in state funding is that faculty and staff haven’t gotten raises in years, and jobs go unfilled. “The cost of not being able to invest directly into institutions means we don’t give professors raises,” Lewis said, “which then turns into a brain drought where we’re going to lose the best researchers and talented professors because we can’t afford to invest in them.”
it wants to hear from students and act on their behalf, it privately shuts Student Government representatives out of every important decision, including this one. Aside from these critiques of administration, Milligan acknowledged that she was confident in the report as a whole. “I have full faith in the report that it’s honest and unbiased,” Milligan said. Galligan spoke frequently at the board meeting of changing LSU’s culture. He said that although it may take time, it was the key to solving Title IX violations at the University and the environment where sexual assault is tolerated. Mass communication junior Mia Lejeune said that LSU’s decision to suspend two employees rather than firing them continues to promote a culture of “allowing people to get away with sexual violence on this campus.” “I was incredibly disturbed by the lack of accountability [administration] decided to take,” Lejeune said. During the meeting, Husch Blackwell representative Scott Schneider said that many of the LSU employees who failed to report instances of sexual assault may not have been aware of the proper Title IX procedures due to insufficient training and examples set by
leadership. “It can’t be some excuse of ‘things were so bad institutionally that they didn’t know, there was no example set for them, leadership was so bad;” Lejeune responded. “Well, if the leadership was so bad, then fire the leadership. Eventually, it all falls back on the Board of Supervisors and that’s what they’re trying to avoid. They say that no one was showing these people how to act correctly, but they were the ones who were supposed to be showing them that, so then it’s their fault.” Some members of the LSU community have pointed out that LSU’s response to Title IX violations was only a result of a PR problem brought on by USA Today’s original report. “Today, we are not here out of the goodness of your hearts,” LSU alumna Caroline Schroeder said at the meeting. “We are here because a national newspaper published a story in November of last year that caused a bit of a public relations problem for you. That is the only reason you are here now, pretending to solve this issue.” “Every single person from Galligan on down who runs this university knew this was a problem and they did nothing about it until a media organization embarrassed them to take action,” Mann said. “And that is
disgraceful. They should all lose their jobs for that. They should all lose their jobs. But none of them will.” Political science and African and African American studies sophomore Tyler Hunt said the decisions made by the board seemed bureaucratic, political,and corrupt, adding that Galligan announcing the disciplinary actions at the meeting seemed like “something of a PR stunt.” “There’s still more work to be done,” Hunt said. “There needs to be consequences for actions. This
is sexual assault, this is sexual violence. If they [implement the recommendations] and say ‘are you satisfied now?’ No, for every woman out there, no we’re not satisfied. We got a little piece of the cake, we didn’t get everything we needed.” Former LSU football player and team captain Blake Ferguson tweeted his reactions to the report. He said he is “embarrassed” to represent LSU “at the moment.” “Fire Miriam Segar,” Ferguson tweeted. “And fire Verge Ausberry.”
KRISTEN YOUNG / The Reveille
A neon sign in the women’s bathroom hangs on March 2 in The House in Tigerland.
THE HOUSE, from page 3 such as a slice-and-pint beer. “We thought we should take advantage of this time that we’re out of business due to restrictions and maximize this so we can have great products and a new facility to push when we come back,” Vaccaro said. Fields said the team had been working with an architect a few months prior to the global shutdown and figured quarantine was the perfect time to close doors and officially revamp The House. Contractor RMB Builders officially started the project last May, stripping the bar down to four walls and a roof. Everything from plumbing to electric was completely replaced. “I think [customers] can ex-
BLACKWELL, from page 3 use the word corrupt lightly, that had already made these decisions about how these cases would be handled before the report was handed to them.” Mann emphasized that the new recommendations and rules are meaningless without consequences for violating them, which LSU failed to implement. Political science, international studies and Spanish junior Abbie Grace Milligan said she believed administration announcing the disciplinary actions at the board meeting was a tactic used to distract the LSU community from the indicting content of the Husch Blackwell report. Milligan also said it was clear to her that LSU made a decision about who would face penalties before the report was released, regardless of what it revealed. “For them to make everything about those two members of administration, it was so tone deaf,” Milligan said. “It was completely uncalled for. It immediately shifted the conversation towards that. People haven’t even gotten a chance to look at the report and see what’s in it and make their own decisions about that. They completely jumped the gun, just like they did when they hired Husch Blackwell.” Milligan said that while the University publicly announces
KRISTEN YOUNG / The Reveille
A lit up sign behind the bar sits on March 2, in The House in Tigerland.
SAVANNA ORGERON / The Reveille
Thomas C. Galligan Jr., LSU Interim President, speaks to the reporters about the Title IX review findings on March 5, at Lod Cook Alumni Center.
ENTERTAINMENT BY BRITNEY YOUNG @byoun99 It has been almost a year since the whole world was in lockdown. It felt like everything stopped as COVID-19 ravaged the world. Some people were able to adapt to working at home or taking classes online. For music artists, it was a struggle because all venues were closed. Bela Peixoto, a mass communication freshman, was able to find a way to perform. Peixoto, also known as DJ Bela Forever, has always had an interest in making music. Her interest started in eighth grade, but she made her first mix in 2017. In 2018 and 2019, she became more interested in being a DJ from listening to different styles of music. Peixoto credits her inspirations to Murder Club from Toronto and DJ Victor Borge. She also gets inspiration from her brother and his art collective in New Orleans. Peixoto shared how the Hyperpop scene is special to her. “I really appreciate and enjoy most of the music in the scene,” said Peixoto. “It’s undoubtedly a very queer and trans space, which is great because people don’t usually get to see trans and non-binary people making popular music. Visibility is so important. Exposure and excellence.” Peixoto saw how artists were
DJ BELA FOREVER Bela Peixoto’s music journey during quarantine
TWITTER: @BELATWEETS2U INSTAGRAM: @DJBELAFOREVER
performing online with sets like Open Pit, Club Quarantine and Heav3n. She also mentioned how “Minecraft” festivals became common.
Peixoto received a message from a friend who wanted to create a Zoom show. That Zoom show became known as Rat Fest. Peixoto got together vir-
tually with her online friends and performed for people for the first time. “This is the kind of stuff people love about the inter-
page 5 net,” explained Peixoto. “We’re all just playing around, and we played for an audience of about 25. It was just everyone’s friends and roommates. So cute! I loved Rat Fest. I still DJ and collaborate with them to this day. The most infamous collective of Twitter randoms.” In September, Peixoto put together her first Zoom show. She described it as “worlds colliding” because she invited her friends and seasoned peers to perform. It was stressful dealing with time zones and the small details needed to put on a good show, but Peixoto was mostly concerned about having fun with her community. “People who meet in the shows often will make stuff together like Bone Home and Ditch Lily. People love raves, EDM and the EDM community because it is positive vibes, and there’s a lot of love and creative people,” said Peixoto. Peixoto wants to continue to DJ for smaller audiences. She describes her mixes as a niche but mainly pop music. She just wants to see people dance and have a good time without the pressure, but she does love a little party vibe. Peixoto will be in another online festival on Wednesday, March 17 at 5 p.m. Central titled “St.Ratrick’s Day Festival” on Discord. You can also follow Peixoto on Instagram at @djbelaforever and Twitter at @belatweets2u.
MOVIES & TV
Broadway Binge: A list of where to find Broadway content BY AVA BORSKEY @iamavab The curtains closed on March 12, 2020 and haven’t opened since. It’s been nearly a year since Broadway shows in New York were forced to close their doors due to the pandemic. This isn’t the first time the bright lights of Broadway have gone dark — Sept. 11 and several union strikes previously halted performances — but with the extension of the shutdown through May 30, 2021, this marks the longest period without a performance from the center of American theatre in history. Now I know nothing compares to watching a Broadway show live, but how do you solve a problem like no theater? With professionally filmed stage productions and musical movies and Broadway content of course. AMAZON PRIME VIDEO “Carousel” If you’re tired of going round and round in circles because of boredom during the pandemic, tune into this Rodgers and Hammerstein production filmed live
from the Lincoln Center. You can watch for free with an Amazon Prime subscription. Amazon Prime includes the option to rent several other musical and movie adaptations, such as “Love Never Dies,” “Rent” and “South Pacific.” Broadway HD This streaming platform offers a wide range of recorded theatre performances from Broadway to ballet to Cirque du Soleil for $8.99 a month. You can browse its library of available titles at https://w w w.broadwayhd.com/ before starting a subscription, which comes with a seven-day free trial.
Beyond the actual performance, Disney+ also promotional interviews with Lin-Manuel Miranda and other members of the original Broadway cast, “Hamilton History Has Its Eyes On You” with Robin Roberts and “The Undefeated Presents: Hamilton InDepth.” “Newsies” Now is the time to “Seize the Day” and spend it watching “Newsies.” Disney+ has both the 1992 movie and the 2017 live version filmed at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. This tale of ragtag newspaper boys on strike will surely give you “Something To Believe In” as the Broadway shutdown stretches on.
NETFLIX “Les Misérables” There was a time when performances ran nearly every night. There was a time when we could all gather in a theater. Now there’s empty chairs and empty stages. If life has killed the dream you dreamed to see a live Broadway production, you can find the 2012 movie version of “Les Misérables” with Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman on Netflix. “The Prom” If the pandemic made you miss your own prom, you can join James Corden and Meryl Streep in this film adaptation of the Broadway musical by the same name.
DISNEY+ “Into the Woods” Unfortunately, we’re not out of the woods with this pandemic yet, but we can go “Into the Woods” with the fantasy film adaptation starring Meryl Streep, James Corden, Anna Kendrick and Emily Blunt. “Hamilton” Disney did not throw away its shot when securing the professionally-filmed version of Broadway’s revolutionary musical.
“The Sound of Music” If you were “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” when the shutdown began, you’re now 17 going on 18, and an older and wiser you knows the 1965 film adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical is available on Disney+. No need to be a “Lonely Goatherd,” you can yodel along with Julie Andrews over and over again until we can finally say “So long, farewell ,auf Wiedersehen, goodbye” to COVID-19.
YOUTUBE “The Phantom of the Opera” Throw your own “MASKerade” party by watching the 2004 movie starring Gerard Butler for free with ads on YouTube Movies. Broadway.com This YouTube channel includes lots of behind-the-scenes content, with performers hosting their own videos providing backstage looks. You can also find episodes of “Broadway Pro-
files” with Tamsen Fadal, which includes in-depth interviews with theater stars and spotlights notable performances and theater news weekly. Playbill This channel provides more backstage content with interviews and games with Broadway stars, like the rapid-fire Q&A series “Elevator Pitch.” There’s also a “Built for the Stage” playlist that includes exercises and fitness tips for performers. “The Shows Must Go On!” This channel has tons of showtune clips from professionally-filmed performances. Under the Playlists tab, you can find a convenient breakdown of clips by show. There’s everything from Andrew Lloyd Webber classics to more recent productions like “Kinky Boots.” There are also a few backstage features, like costume and makeup videos. “The Shows Must Go On!” was previously posting full length musicals on Friday nights, which could be streamed for free for 48 hours. The series is currently on hiatus but is reportedly releasing a new schedule soon.
Monday, March 8, 2021
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Monday, March 8, 2021
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What’s Next?
Photos by Savanna Orgeron
Husch Blackwell released a 150-page report outlining the summaries of the cases that it investigated, current Title IX policies at LSU and recommendations for changes. The report presents 18 recommendations for how the University can correct the problems and inefficiencies present in its Title IX process. These recommendations include:
Appropriately staff the Title IX Office
Clarify mandatory reporting obligations and processes
Designate one Deputy Title IX Coordinator for “Prevention and Training” and one Deputy Title IX Coordinator for “Support and Resources”
Provide specialized training on dating/ domestic violence to the Title IX Office Thomas C. Galligan Jr., LSU Interim President, speaks to the reporters about the Title IX review findings on March 5, at Lod Cook Alumni Center on 3838 W. Lakeshore Drive.
Change Title IX Coordinator reporting line
Implement reporting systems to monitor program effectiveness and ensure public accountability
Develop comprehensive Title IX recordkeeping system
Provide targeted Title IX training for Athletics personnel and provide special care to cases involving athletes
Reconsider sanctioning guidelines and develop restorative justice options for sex discrimination cases
Scan this QR code to read the full
Husch Blackwell Report
Implement appropriate timelines for case resolutions Scott Woodward, LSU Athletic Director, speaks to the reporters about the Title IX review findings on March 5, at Lod Cook Alumni Center on 3838 W. Lakeshore Drive.
Board of Supervisors Past Chair Mary Werner speaks about the Title IX review findings on March 5, at Lod Cook Alumni Center on 3838 W. Lakeshore Drive.
Create a centralized website to simplify the Title IX process
Apply the same Title IX rules to everyone
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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Wrinkly-faced dog 4 Make a deep cut 9 Performs in a play 13 Transparent rectangle 14 Narrow boat 15 Failure 16 Stay out of sight 17 Pile up 19 Anger 20 Expletive replacer 21 Johnny Cash’s “A Boy __ Sue” 22 Gathers crops 24 Suffix for critic or skeptic 25 Competitors 27 Welcomes at the door 30 Sleep disturber 31 Mistake 33 “__ Got the Whole World in His Hands” 35 “__ in the blanks”; test directions 36 Refuge 37 List of dishes 38 Fraternity letter 39 Nickname for Elizabeth 40 Song stanza 41 Messing & others 43 __ up; worked together 44 Olive __; spaghetti sauce ingredient 45 Ford subcompact of the ’70s 46 __ Rica 49 Brainy 51 Maple syrup source 54 Southernmost continent 56 __-crazy; tired of confinement 57 Menial worker 58 Like a dull speaker’s audience 59 Green vegetable 60 Notice 61 Uppsala native 62 “__ all downhill from here” DOWN 1 Couple 2 Rate below the real worth
by Jacqueline E. Mathews
Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews
3 Word of surprise 4 Skull coverings 5 Shoestrings 6 Suffix for attend or assist 7 Campbell’s product 8 Haw’s partner, in phrase 9 Blazing 10 Manhattan __ chowder 11 Bear in one’s arms 12 __ up; ran faster 13 __ Beta Kappa 18 Bobby or Al 20 Soothing ointment 23 Actor James __ Jones 24 Eiffel Tower’s composition 25 Huck Finn’s craft 26 Epic by Homer 27 Author Zane 28 Temperature controller 29 Shrewdness 31 Chows down 32 Winnebagos, for short 34 Hauled into court 36 Cure
3/8/21
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.
37 Veal or venison 39 Prickly stem 40 Express pent-up frustration 42 Plant science 43 Angry speech 45 Walked the floor 46 Outer garment 47 On __ own; independent
3/8/21
48 Go no further 49 Store away 50 Deep mud 52 Needs medical help 53 Prefix for mature or med 55 “S.W.A.T.” network 56 Glide on snow
SPORTS Sellouts
page 9 BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Sandy Tigers fall to FSU, suffer first home loss
BY JOE KEHRLI @joekehrli9
friends and witnesses of the conversation. The investigators found that Julia Sell did, however, report the conversation to Miriam Segar, the Athletic Department official previously in charge of Title IX complaints, and Segar reported it to Title IX Coordinator Jennie Stewart, telling her a tennis player was “possibly assaulted.” The firm confirmed that Stewart did not make a record of the report, nor did she follow up with Complainant Two who soon withdrew from LSU. Complainant Two had been abusing prescription drugs and
The ‘Sandy Tigs’ chalked up a win against No. 11 Florida Atlantic University for the first match on Saturday and then fell to the No. 2 ranked Florida State team. This was the first leg of a two-day home tournament played in ‘Death Volley’. “If anything, it will help us work harder,” Head Coach Russell Brock said. “It will help us work more focused. It will help us work more effectively as we look to get better in the next months.” The Tigers swept the Owls from Florida with ease, winning all five of their matches, and lost to the Seminoles, four matches to one. Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss defeated all their competitors on the day. Claire Coppola and Kelli Greene-Agnew, who were paired together for the first time this season, defeated their Florida Atlantic rivals in three matches, and lost to Florida State in two matches. Toni Rodriguez and Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope dismantled Florida Atlantics’ defensive scheme, winning both of their matches. However, they battled through three close matches with Florida State. They lost 23-21, 15-11 and
see TOXIC TENNIS, page 10
see SANDY TIGERS, page 10
ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille
LSU women’s tennis senior Eden Richardson elbows co-head coach Julia Sell after she wins her singles match on Jan. 31 during LSU’s 4-0 win over Rice at the LSU Tennis Complex on Gourrier Ave. in Baton Rouge, La.
No punishment for the Sells despite their documented mishandling of Title IX reports BY REED DARCEY @byreeddarcey LSU Interim President Tom Galligan did not announce punishments for women’s tennis cohead coaches Julia and Michael Sell in the University’s unveiling of Husch Blackwell’s investigation into the school’s Title IX practices. USA Today reported in November that the two coaches received, doubted and ignored reports that two of their players were victims of domestic violence and rape in 2017 and 2018. Husch Blackwell did not refute USA Today’s reporting. In one anonymous player’s case, the
firm found that Julia Sell reported a vague complaint, which the University’s Title IX office never investigated. And in the case of Jade Lewis, investigators could not prove that her father ever explicitly reported to Michael Sell that wide receiver Drake Davis had assaulted her. The report does detail, however, two conversations between the parents of the victims and the coaches. In each case, after speaking with the coaches, the parents vowed never to talk to them again. ‘Complainant Two’ The firm identified “Complainant Two” as the former LSU women’s tennis player, who was
allegedly raped by former LSU running back Derrius Guice. At the heart of the dispute is a conversation between Julia Sell and the father of the tennis player at the April 2017 SEC women’s tennis tournament. The father said he told Sell his daughter was “raped by one of LSU’s football players,” but Sell contends that his remark was more vague, that counselors were “exploring the possibility that she was raped.” The father of Complainant Two said that Sell responded, “I don’t believe her. She’s a liar.” Sell denied that statement to the firm, but Husch Blackwell found the father’s recollection to be credible, citing accounts of the father’s
FOOTBALL
Kansas places Miles on leave following Husch Blackwell report BY JOE KEHRLI @joekehrli9 The University of Kansas has placed Head Football Coach Les Miles on administrative leave while the school looks into the findings released Friday by LSU’s Title IX investigation. “Even though the allegations against him occurred at LSU, we take these matters very seriously at KU,” Athletic Director Jeff Long said. “Now that we have access to this information, we will take the coming days to fully review the material and to see if any additional information is available. An email in June 2013 from former Athletic Director Joe Alleva recommended to the incoming President F. King Alexander that there was cause for firing Miles, Husch Blackwell found in its investigation. “I believe he is guilty of insub-
ordination, inappropriate behavior, putting the university, athletic dept. and football program at great risk,” the email from Alleva said. The email further showed cause that Miles did not listen to Alleva’s recommendations of ceasing “text, call, or be alone with any student workers, he obviously didn’t listen.” Alleva continued in the email that, by making a break with Miles: “The court of public opinion would favor us.” An internal investigative report released by LSU on Thursday found that Miles is accused of “texting female students, taking them to his condo alone, making them feel uncomfortable and, on at least one occasion, kissing a student and suggesting they go to a hotel after telling her he could help her career,” USA TODAY reported Thursday. Miles also was accused by
Athletic Department staff of saying female student workers in the recruiting office should be “attractive, blonde and fit,” according to the 2013 report. LSU, Joe Alleva and Alexander hired the law firm of Taylor Porter in 2013 to investigate the allegations against Miles. The firm found that Miles had not been in any sexual relationships with any of the women but still found his conduct to be inappropriate. Miles denied kissing the student and instead insisted that he was “mentoring” her. As a result of these allegations, Miles was barred by the University from hiring student employees as babysitters and being alone with them. He was also required to attend eight one-hour sessions with an attorney and pay for them himself.
THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES
see LES MILES, page 10
Former LSU Head Coach Les Miles addressed the media on Sept. 18, 2016 during Lunch with Les.
page 10
Monday, March 8, 2021
TOXIC TENNIS, from page 9 alcohol prior to the alleged June 2016 rape. She said that after the incident, her substance abuse increased. After she tested positive for a drug she was not prescribed during the 2017 season, she left the team and checked into rehabilitation. Investigators found that Sell drove Complainant Two to a rehab facility in Lafayette. The father texted the coach, thanking her for driving his daughter, and the player wrote Sell a note. “I really don’t have a way to fully put in words how thankful I am that you’ve done everything and beyond to get me the help that I need and have been right by my side throughout all of this,” the note read. “It means the world to me.” Before their conversation at the tournament, Sell, Complainant Two and her father were all on good terms. But after the meeting, their relationship fractured. The firm wrote that the conversation “marked a turning point” in the father and daughter’s relationship with the coach. Jade Lewis
SANDY TIGERS, from page 9 won 21-18. On Court Four, Jess Lansman and Sydney Moore defeated the pair form Florida Atlantic in two, wide margin matches and fell in both matches to Florida State with narrow margins. Kahlee York and Olivia Ordonez completed the Tiger sweep on Court Five in three matches aga-
Drake Davis first abused Jade Lewis in May of 2017, the report said. At the center of Husch Blackwell’s findings related to Lewis is a July 2017 phone call between Lewis’ father, David, and Michael Sell. In conversations with the coach throughout June 2017, David Lewis told Sell only that he was “concerned” about Jade Lewis’ relationship with Davis, unaware that Davis had become abusive, he told investigators. David Lewis told the firm that he first learned that his daughter had been abused in late July 2017. Once he learned that his daughter had been abused, he called Sell. David Lewis maintains that he told Sell on that call that his daughter had been physically abused, alleging that Sell responded, “I don’t believe that. Couldn’t be possible, wouldn’t be possible.” Sell denied to the firm that he made those statements and said that he and his wife Julia Sell did not learn that Jade Lewis had been abused until nearly a year later in June 2018, when Davis
had abused Jade Lewis again and LSU commenced a Title IX investigation. “After that conversation, that was the end of it,” David Lewis said, “Never spoke to him again in my life because we knew what they were doing. It became a tug of war.” Husch Blackwell found that Michael Sell has “credibly denied” David Lewis’ accusations that he ignored his complaint. The firm also found “insufficient evidence” to conclude that David Lewis had reported Davis’ assaults of Jade Lewis in June or July 2017. No witness or teammate of Jade Lewis told investigators they reported the abuse of May 2017 to either tennis coach. The firm was unable to reach the tennis player who told USA Today anonymously that she reported the abuse to the coaches in November or December of 2017. “Additionally, it prompts a question,” the report said. “If David Lewis wanted Mike Sell to know about the abuse so that it would stop, why wouldn’t Lewis have reported the incident to someone else at the LSU campus
or the police when Mike Sell purportedly ignored him?” David Lewis did, however, report the conversation to police on Aug. 19, 2018, roughly three weeks after the phone call. At that point, he filed the police report because “he knew his daughter was coming back to LSU and wanted to alleviate and stop the abuse by notifying the coach.” Jade Lewis left the professional circuit and returned to the LSU tennis program in March 2018. Davis abused her again the next month. In the coming months, Verge Ausberry would receive a confession from Davis via text and ignore it after Davis recanted. An athletic trainer would report Jade Lewis’ injuries to Miriam Segar, and LSU would launch a Title IX investigation. Davis would assault Jade Lewis again in June 2018 and wouldn’t be arrested until August 2018. After being released on bond, Davis’ roommate would report to police in September 2018 that Davis is abusing Jade Lewis yet again in violation of bond. Husch Blackwell found that
several teammates told Julia Sell of the abuse in April and June 2018, and that she appropriately reported that information to Segar. Davis would not be arrested again. LSU announced a 30-day suspension of Verge Ausberry and a 21-day suspension of Miriam Segar, both without pay. The University said both administrators will receive extensive Title IX protocol training while they are suspended. At the end of its report, Husch Blackwell wrote a list of 18 recommendations to improve LSU’s handling of Title IX cases. Though some recommendations specifically addressed Athletics, none explicitly suggested making changes to the women’s tennis program. In addition to a troubling history with Title IX cases, the LSU’s women tennis program has a worrisome team culture. Former players came forward to the Reveille in December to describe a “toxic” environment of lies, manipulation and division stemming from Julia Sell.
inst Florida Atlantic. They fell to Florida state in two close matches. LSU beach volleyball released a statement on Thursday that allows for a spectators to attend in person. However, spectators are required to posses a “single-match voucher” in order to be granted access. Fans have been encouraged to be present at the facility an hour and a half prior to the start of the match,
with masks and social distancing, to guarantee a voucher. “This was a great test for us to know where we are,” Brock said. “You never want to lose, but if you’re going to, losing now [in week two] is definitely the time to do it. We still have a great team and I know the team is excited, not about the loss, but about the perspective of how good we are.” and how good we’re going to be.”
LES MILES, from page 9
employee in the state. This information is now surfacing as part of a wider investigation by the law firm Husch Blackwell into LSU’s handling of sexual assault allegations since 2016. Husch Blackwell’s investigation was prompted by a November 2020 USA Today article that revealed widespread mis-handling of Title IX complaints at the University.
Miles was fired by the University three years later in 2016 as a result of the football team’s subpar record. His attorneys said that his firing was “wholly unrelated” to the 2013 allegations. He is now employed as the University of Kansas’ Head Football Coach and is the highest-paid public
EVENTS & EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE GUIDE COMING 3.3.21 GET YOUR COPY TODAY
OPINION
page 11
The University has never served survivors.
Will this time be any different?
SULLY’S SCOOP CLAIRE SULLIVAN @sulliclaire In November 2020, USA Today published an investigation into the University’s mishandling of sexual assault and dating violence cases. The press coverage and campus outrage it sparked created a situation the University finally could not ignore. In an email titled “Response to Today’s News Article,” Interim President Tom Galligan wrote, “I want to assure you that LSU takes every report of sexual assault or violence seriously. We investigate them thoroughly, support victims sensitively and hold offenders accountable.” He explained that the University was retaining Husch Blackwell to look into the claims made by the article and launch a broader review of the Title IX Office as a whole. Months later, as the Husch Blackwell report concluded, Galligan’s tone took a sharp turn. When findings were released on March 5, Galligan warned, “Perhaps most troubling of all the report’s findings is the understanding that, whether through our actions or inactions, our institution betrayed the very people we are sworn to protect.” The contents of the report were deeply disturbing, spelling out years of noncompliance with federal, state and University policy. As troubling as the findings were, they told a story that many students already knew far too well — and, as the report itself would iterate repeatedly, a story University officials have been made aware of numerous times over the years, to no amends. The most emphatic institutional failure laid out in the report centered around gross inadequacies in staffing and resourcing the Title IX Office, as well as poorly worded policy around reporting cases. In 1975, the Department of Education released guidelines requiring universities to establish a designated Title IX coordinator, an expectation further clarified in 2011 by Obama guidelines. No such position existed at the University until 2014. When the University finally did decide to follow federal law, it selected Jim March-
and, an attorney in the Office of General Counsel. This decision, the report notes, “posed a serious risk of conflict of interest.” Even to someone unversed in this sphere, it seems obvious that a person vested with protecting the University’s legal interests would be unable to simultaneously look out for the best interest of survivors. It wasn’t until 2016 that the University made some effort to create a full-time Title IX coordinator position and chose Jennie Stewart to bear the full weight of the responsibility. Almost immediately upon entering her position, Stewart made clear to University leadership that the Title IX Office was severely under-resourced. As Husch Blackwell lawyer Scott Schneider stated, it would have been virtually impossible for anyone to succeed in such a role. And by making Stewart report directly to the Office of General Counsel, the position was again rife with conflicts of interest expressly warned against by the Department of Education. The report also emphasizes the University’s poor policy wording, which made it difficult to discern who had the responsibility to report Title IX cases and where those reports were to be made. This was further complicated by University Athletics implementing its own reporting hierarchy, an arrangement made without the knowledge of the Title IX Office. Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student Services Miriam Segar was the individual that employees within Athletics, at the direction of former Athletic Director Joe Alleva, were told to report to. In fact, a number of people interviewed by Husch Blackwell in the Athletics Department had no idea who Jennie Stewart was. Up until recently, Segar herself incorrectly believed that she was a “deputy Title IX coordinator for Athletics.” These poor arrangements within the Title IX Office and the Athletics Department were doomed to fail — and fail they did. A profound example of this is found in the horrific case of former Football Coach Les Miles. For years, Miles made predatory remarks and advances on female employees. Reports were made that Miles wanted to be directly involved with hiring student employees and demanded they
hire “blondes with big boobs.” He “wanted them to have a certain look,” and witnesses reported that only “attractive” female employees were “allowed” to be in Miles’ office. Sharon Lewis, now-associate athletic director for Football Recruiting and Alumni Relations, told Husch Blackwell that she repeatedly brought this to the attention of Athletics administrators, but her concerns were dismissed. There is no record of the University ever investigating repeated concerns of Miles’ attitude toward female employees. What was already despicable enough became even worse. According to Lewis’ interview with Husch Blackwell, a student came to Lewis “very upset about something that happened when she was alone with Coach Miles.” Other witnesses said this student was clearly disturbed by something that had occurred.
“Students will not sit idly by should the University continue to fail survivors — and that is a promise you can trust.” CLAIRE SULLIVAN The Reveille
Lewis immediately brought this report to Segar, who then met with the student. That is where the process ended, however. There is no evidence that this report was ever brought to the Title IX Office. There is no evidence that this student was given any sort of proper investigation. There is no evidence that this student was made aware of her rights or the support resources available to her. In short, nothing suggests that any action was taken to protect this student or investigate her report. This was nothing short of a coverup by the University. To repeatedly ignore complaints against Miles was to enable his continued abuse of female employees. This report not being brought to the Title IX Office by Athletics officials was a severe error. Not only did the University fail to take action against Miles but it went to extensive lengths to avoid documenting
the allegations against him. This immense failure set the stage for future inaction. One particularly troubling and high-profile case involved football player Drake Davis and tennis player Jade Lewis. Numerous missteps were made by the University that endangered Lewis and unnecessarily prolonged justice being served to Davis. In a text message from April 2018, Davis told Executive Deputy Athletic Director Verge Ausberry: “I hit her in the stomach.(which is not good).” Ausberry never reported this admission of violence to Segar or the Title IX Office. Husch Blackwell determined that Ausberry’s explanations for why he did not report the crime were “not credible.” Ausberry did not even check in on Lewis, who had been punched so hard that her rib was fractured, leaving her unable to sleep because of the pain. This failure to report was deeply negligent and enabled the continued abuse. In April 2018, Segar reported a Title IX report against Davis. Despite the severity of the allegations, there were great delays in scheduling an interview with Davis. Between the time of the initial report and the first interview, Davis sent texts to Lewis in which he threatened to “beat” and even that he “might kill” her. By failing to quickly address the initial report, the University opened up the potential for escalation of violence against Lewis. Davis was eventually found guilty for his crimes, but an error in recordkeeping neglected to acknowledge this on his transcript, enabling him to transfer to another university. The report goes on to detail numerous other failures of the Athletic Department and Title IX Office, but these two case studies illustrate the profound administrative failures that characterize the University’s mishandling of Title IX cases. Another troubling aspect of the report was its findings of the University’s weak sanctions against those found guilty of sexual violence. In one instance, after a fraternity member was found guilty four times of sexual assault against two students, he was given a suspension of a few months. In another instance, a perpetrator labelled in the report as “Re-
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.
spondent F” was given a suspension after being convicted of rape. Though he was eventually allowed to return to the University, the perpetrator moved on to a different institution. Sexual assault, rape and dating violence are some of the most heinous crimes a person can commit. It is difficult to understand how the University could readmit someone to this institution after finding them guilty. Such policies privilege perpetrators to the detriment of survivors. These outlined errors were repeated, numerous and visible. Though this investigation is a useful tool for understanding how to move forward, it begs the question: why did it take a national media scandal for the University to address a problem that has been recognized for years? As Galligan admitted during that same meeting, actions speak louder than words. But students are already disappointed with administrative action, which handed down measly suspensions to Segar and Ausberry for failures to report Title IX violations. Galligan says failure to report will result in “discipline” moving forward. I implore the University to go a step further. No one who perpetuates abuse by failing to report Title IX violations should remain at the University, plain and simple. If someone is aware of their obligation to report and they fail to do so, they are violating federal policy. If that’s not grounds for dismissal, I’m not sure what is. There have been decades of institutional failure on behalf of the University, yes. But that does not absolve individuals who should have known better — who could have done better — of their role in denying justice to survivors and protecting perpetrators roaming our campus. Only time will tell how serious the University really is about the 18 recommendations laid out by Husch Blackwell. But what is certainly different this time is that our community is paying closer attention than ever before. Students will not sit idly by should the University continue to fail survivors — and that is a promise you can trust. Claire Sullivan is an 18-year-old coastal environmental science freshman from Southbury, CT.
Quote of the Week “But words are hollow — it is our actions that will make a difference.”
Tom Galligan
Interim LSU President 1955 — present
page 12
Monday, March 8, 2021
Reflections on senioritis and how COVID-19 worsens it SPILL THE TEA WITH MARIE MARIE PLUNKETT
@MarieC_214
I haven’t really been on campus that frequently this semester (global pandemic and all), but recently I stopped into the library in between classes to grab a coffee from CC’s and it hit me: I’m going to miss the University. Call it senior sentimentality or social deprivation, but in that moment, standing in the middle of the first floor waiting for my next dose of caffeine, I actually teared up a little. A lot of my columns here tend to center around life at the University, but after being so physically removed from the community on campus, the words started to feel like formulaic phrases rather than words describing reality. Yet watching those students living their lives — cramming for midterms, chugging iced coffees in hopes it’ll make up for the allnighters they just pulled, napping in a dimly-lit corner despite it being noon on a Wednesday — reminded me of all the amazing memories I have on campus and at LSU in general. All the volleyball games and trips to Cane’s, the study sessions before finals where all of my friends and I would sit at one
JALEN HINTON / The Reveille
The first floor of the LSU Library is empty on Dec. 3, 2020. tiny table and split snacks and hope we didn’t fail, meeting some of my best friends freshman year (shout out to Lillian’s HNRS 2000 — y’all are real ones!) and watching old friends grow and blossom into the people they are today. I know a lot of us seniors feel like we’ve been deprived of a “real senior year,” and maybe we have been, but I will always be grateful for the years I had here
at the University. No matter how much I disagree with how certain events and situations were handled, or how annoyed and frustrated I became over the years, I will never forget the people I’ve met, the memories I’ve made or the times I’ve had. When I made the decision four years ago to attend Louisiana State University, I was afraid
I would regret it — regret not going farther from home, regret not pushing myself out of my comfort zone, regret not choosing the “what if” — but now I can confidently say that I don’t regret any of it. After getting my coffee and reliving the past four years, I left for my next class, wondering when the first time I’d set foot in that CC’s had been. Freshman year?
During SPIN? It wasn’t until I was back home, safely tucked away in my room and typing out this article that I finally remembered. The first time I went to the CC’s in the LSU Library was in high school when my sister and I went to pick up a friend there. I remember being so nervous: hoping no one could tell I didn’t belong, thinking how big everything seemed and how impossible it would be to ever figure out how to get around campus. Looking back on it now, it’s laughable... but it’s also a great analogy for my college journey. I couldn’t have imagined myself more at home somewhere than I am strolling through the Quad or huffing and puffing up the stairs in Hodges to get to class, yet here I am, taking it for granted every single day. To my fellow seniors, I know we all have mental countdowns to graduation, but try to remember the good times, too. Once we’re gone, I guarantee we’ll miss these “good ole days.” To the rest of the LSU community, thank you for making my experience what it was, and please never take for granted the amazing group of people you’re surrounded by. Marie Plunkett is a 21-year-old classical studies senior from New Orleans.
‘Canceling’ Dr. Seuss helps no one, solves nothing FROM THE CRO’S NEST ELIZABETH CROCHET @elizabethcro_ Who would have thought that in the year 2021 we would be blacklisting Dr. Seuss books? I certainly did not. After all, I thought banning books was something that was done in Nazi Germany — not the United States of America. Here we are, however. This decision is pathetic and does nothing to fix the real problems we are facing. If you have no idea what I am talking about, allow me to explain. Earlier this week, on the anniversary of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced it would no longer be publishing six of the famous author’s books due to them “portraying people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.” I wasn’t surprised when I found out the news, but I was sad and confused. Dr. Seuss played a large role in my childhood. He wrote some of the first books I owned and read, and I loved the movie adaptations too. I did the play “Seussical” when I was younger, and that was some of the most fun I had as a kid. His clever ways of rhyming and colorful illustrations made reading fun. Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted a tribute to the author on his birthday back in 2017, saying “Happy birthday
#DrSeuss! ‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’” I think the Vice President was right. Children read these books for a fun form of education. Now, in 2021, the White House decided to omit Dr. Seuss from “Read Across America Day.” It is wild to me that so much can change in a matter
of years. I do not understand why, when some people are offended by something, the only solution is to throw it out. What cause does that help? No one learns anything. Dr. Seuss’ stepdaughter came out against the decision, saying there was “not a racist bone in the man’s body.” She went on to say he was “aware of the world
around him and cared so much.” It is sad to see that this is what we have come to. Last week, it was Mr. Potato Head. This week it is Dr. Seuss, and there is no telling who is next. It seems like no one is safe. This needs to end. We have so many other issues that need to be solved, so let’s put our attention on those instead. Dr. Seuss was not perfect, but
no one is. Canceling a man who passed away nearly three decades ago does not fix the problems of today. We should look ahead and find solutions to what is in front of us. I do not like this move. Not here, not there nor anywhere. Elizabeth Crochet is a 19-year-old political communication sophomore from New Orleans.
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS