Vo lum e 132 · N o. 29
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Mond ay, M ay 23, 2 022
SUPER FAN Meet the voice behind the chants
THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES
An LSU fan gets the crowd going with cheers during LSU’s 7-4 victory against Indiana in Game 2 on Feb. 15, 2020 in Alex Box.
NEWS
p ag e 3
Louisiana Legislature, finally flush with cash, approves budget bills, sending millions to LSU for research, infrastructure and pay raises.
SPORTS
p ag e 5
After a dominant performance against Vanderbilt, LSU baseball looks to ride that momentum into the SEC Tournament.
OPINION
Read on
page 2
p ag e 7
LSU students moving out of dorms threw out hundreds of thousands of dollars in usable items that could have easily been donated to charity.
L SU Re ve i l le.co m @l s u r e ve i l le
page 2
AN LSU INSTITUTION
Meet Chris Guillot, LSU superfan and yell leader: ‘I love the word “we”’ BY JARED BRODTMANN @_therealjarbear I’ve never seen someone so happy to be a part of something until I met Chris Guillot. Before the game, he made his rounds with everyone he has spent so much time with over his years. He smiled, shook hands and chatted with so many of the loyal LSU fans he has come to know so well. Known by most as “The Sign Guy” or “The guy who yells,” Guillot has been leading the iconic “Geaux Tigers” cheers at Alex Box since 1986. He’s gotten to know hundreds of fans, players and even umpires. He’s seen four coaches come through the university, an engagement to his wife in the Box, a newborn son he is more proud of than anything and thousands of Tiger baseball games and moments both at home and on the road. He has invested hours upon hours of time into this game that he loves so much. For anyone familiar with the program, the sign, with “GEAUX” spelled out in big purple capital letters on a gold background, is as synonymous with the team and its fans as the purple and gold colors themselves. When LSU is making a rally at the plate, Guillot stands and unleashes the sign and his trademark yell of the five letter word LSU fans know how to respond to with only one correct answer. The chant fills the stadium and breathes life into the park. Pitchers start to feel the pressure, batters plug in to the energy, and the fans relentlessly give everything they have to pull their Tigers back into the game. Guillot says he doesn’t yell every night. As he’s grown with time, he’s learned to save his voice and let the sign do the work. It’s helped him over the years. For Guillot, he just sees himself as a steward to the fanbase. A friend to all, he loves the fanbase and his part in it. When I first asked him if he would be willing to talk to me, I told him how much of an impact he’s had on my love for the game. Immediately, he shook his head and smiled at me, assuring me that it was about the fans, not him, that were making the impact. “I hate the word ‘I’,” Guillot said. “I love the word ‘we’.” That doesn’t mean he’s not aware of his responsibility as one of the most invested fans at the games. He’s been around the game long enough to understand when the right moment is to infuse the team with the crowd’s energy. He often mixes in chants of “L-S-U” and “Here we go, Tigers, here we go.” The energy at the stadium will often go as he goes. “Other people yell, and not everybody yells back,” Guillot
FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille
Alex Box Stadium sits with anticipation April 19, on Gourrier Avenue in Baton Rouge, La. said with a humble look. “I yell, and everybody yells.” Guillot grew up in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, a 45-minute drive from LSU’s campus, but right along the Mississippi River just like the school he adores. With his brother and cousins, he grew up playing baseball just like most American kids his age. Some of his family went on to play professionally, but he just stayed in Louisiana, using his charismatic personality to succeed as a chemical salesman. “It’s in my blood,” Guillot said. “My grandpa, he died when my mom was a young kid. He was a big baseball fan. He glued himself to the radio. It’s in my blood.” Guillot said he is the “biggest Yankee fan you’ve ever met.” He grew up watching the Bronx Bombers as a kid and has sustained his love ever since. “First thing I do in the morning is say my prayers,” Guillot said. “Then I get up and go check two things: see if the Yankees won, and make sure the Red Sox lost.” Guillot didn’t always have his patented tickets down the third base line where he sits for every LSU home game. It took his passion for the game and a decent bit of luck while he was just getting out of college. “It was a DA out of St. Charles, and I was working behind the counter in a bar in Donaldsonville, my family restaurant,” Guillot said. The lawyer could see there was something different about Guillot. He had a love for the game that was unrivaled by others his age. That wasn’t something that just developed overnight. It was a product of his environment.
“He goes ‘Hold one second,’” Guillot said. “He walked over to his car, and he gave me the family package. It was four tickets, two parents and two children. I just used it for one ticket. I would get there, and at the time, there were not reserved seats for the gold section in the old Box. I’d get there early and sit in the first row, because I didn’t want to aggravate him.” And it sprouted from there. Guillot watched the LSU program grow before his very eyes just a few feet in front of him. Skip Bertman took the reins of the program in 1984, just in time for Guillot to see him build the team up to the legendary status it has today. Bertman rattled off five national championships in 1990s, Smoke Laval took over the team shortly after, and then Paul Mainieri got his turn and won LSU’s sixth national championship following him in 2009. And Guillot has been there to see it all, all the way into the next heir to the college baseball throne in Jay Johnson. He told me he’s learned something unique from each one of them. “For Skip, it was ‘never give up’,” Guillot said. “For Smoke it was ‘teach me, show me.’ For Paul, ‘be persistent.’ And for Jay, it’s about attention to details and togetherness. ‘We.’” As the team matured, so did Guillot. He got his career started, got his roots established in the state he was raised in and even got engaged in the old Box. “[The crowd] stood up and clapped,” Guillot said with a laugh. “I was just happy to hear the word ‘yes.’” His two favorite moments that he’s seen in the hallowed stadium over the years? That day of his
engagement, and getting to carry his newborn son into the stadium for the first time. It speaks to Guillot’s person that at the end of the day, the memories of the baseball itself, with the countless hours he has spent watching the game he adores, get swept away when it comes to his family. That’s what got him into the game in the first place, and it’s what’s made those moments so special for him and millions of other baseball fans who have dedicated so much energy into the game. Guillot is incredibly proud of his son. He recently graduated from high school and received commissions from the three major service academies in Army, Navy, and Air Force. He’ll be attending West Point, and he is the joy of Guillot’s life. That’s the real beauty of Guillot’s story, a manifestation of the pride he has in what he does and the people dear to him in his life. He is a perfect example of what baseball, and truthfully sports, have done for so many families: bring them closer together through the shared experience of investing in something that is bigger than themselves. The fanbase Guillot is a part of is another family he’s honored to be a member of. I asked him if there was one word he could use to describe LSU baseball fans. “Passionate,” he said. But LSU fans are not strictly passionate for winning. They are rather fervent defenders of the game, so that they can preserve what it does for them and more importantly, the individuals on the field. “The difference in me, the coaches, the fans, the friendships made with the players,” Guillot said. “It’s just a game. It’s just a game. Everyone thinks of Warren Morris when he hits that home run. You know what I was thinking of? The shortstop (now Red Sox manager Alex Cora) with his head on the ground. And I realized it’s just a game. It’s just a child that just poured his heart out.” That thoughtfulness permeates throughout the fanbase. Guillot speaks for everyone who visits the Box when he states how appreciative the fans are to have these experiences, relationships, and memories that the players give them every season. “What I love about our fans and our athletic director is that they always put the players and the university first,” Guillot said. This story isn’t really about Chris Guillot. Instead, it’s about what baseball has done for people like Guillot all over the world, not just Louisiana or this country. It’s no wonder he walks around the stadium with a smile before each game. To be a part of something as big as that should put a grin on everyone’s face and warmth in everyone’s hearts.
B-16 Hodges Hall Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803
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Editor-in-Chief PIPER HUTCHINSON News Editor PETER RAUTERKUS Digital Editor GABBY JIMENEZ News Reporter BETHANY BISSELL News Reporter ALLISON ALLSOP Investigative Reporter DOMENIC PURDY Sports Reporter HENRY HUBER Columnist CLAIRE SULLIVAN Columnist CHARLIE STEPHENS Stringer JOHN BUZBEE Stringer MADDIE SCOTT Stringer MORGAN ROGERS Stringer COLE HERNANDEZ Head Copy Editor HANNAH MICHEL HANKS Copy Editor MADISON COOPER Copy Editor EMMA DUHE Senior Photographer XANDER GENNARELLI Photographer CHYNNA MCCLINTON
CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS The Reveille holds accuracy and objectivity at the highest priority and wants to reassure its readers the reporting and content of the paper meets these standards. This space is reserved to recognize and correct any mistakes that may have been printed in The Daily Reveille. If you would like something corrected or clarified, please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or email editor@lsu.edu.
ABOUT THE REVEILLE The Reveille is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Reveille is free from multiple sites on campus and about 25 sites off campus. To obtain additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall or email studentmedia@ lsu.edu. The Reveille is published biweekly during the fall, spring and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. The Reveille is funded through LSU students’ payments of the Student Media fee.
NEWS BUDGET BOON
page 3 STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Faculty pay raises, infrastructure and supercomputers
BY PIPER HUTCHINSON @PiperHutchBR The Louisiana Legislature passed a bundle of budget bills Thursday, which included funds for faculty pay raises, infrastructure and LSU President William Tate IV’s Pentagon Plan. For the first time in years, Louisiana is flush with cash due to hundreds of millions in increased state revenues and billions in federal pandemic aid. After years of belt-tightening, numerous state agencies came to the legislature to get a piece of the pie. LSU was no exception. Tate requested over $100 million for his Pentagon Plan, which lays out his academic priorities in five key areas. “Each piece of the Pentagon, we got something,” Tate said. Pay Raises While the Board of Regents originally proposed $31 million for faculty pay raises, the Senate amended that to $21 million for raises, slashing the proposed raise by 40%. The Senate also added in funds to recruit faculty for specialty programs, like cancer research.
Student senate calls for divestment BY DOMENIC PURDY @tigerdom16
ferent projects. LSU A&M will be receiving $1.5 million for deferred maintenance, a small drop in the bucket compared to the university’s deferred maintenance backlog of over $650 million. Those funds would go to a
In the final session of student government on April 20, a bill urging the university to cut ties with all companies that benefit from abuses of both human rights and the environment was passed with near unanimous support. The bill passed on a 36-0 vote, with 10 abstentions from senators who wanted more specifics as to what companies and organizations would be boycotted, explained Soheil Saneei, the author of the bill. S.G.R. 26, sponsored by Sens. Harris Quadir, Cooper Ferguson and Lyric Mandell, requests that LSU “divests its stocks, funds, and endowments from companies and institutions that profit from or engage in human rights violations in US prisons, at the U.S.-Mexico Border, in Occupied Palestine, and environmentally.” The only named organizations in the text of the bill are Tel Aviv
see BUDGET, page 4
see DIVEST, page 4
THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES
The Louisiana state capitol stands tall on Oct. 2, 2017, in downtown Baton Rouge. The budget includes $250,000 for faculty pay raises at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center as well as $2 million for pay raises for “cancer-related” jobs at LSU’s Health Sciences schools in Shreveport and New Orleans. LSU requested over $30 million to recruit faculty.
Infrastructure LSU will not be getting any funds this year for its top capital outlay priority, a new interdisciplinary sciences building. The biggest infrastructure investments in the LSU system will be going to LSU Health Sciences Shreveport, which will be receiving over $28 million for five dif-
POLITICS
House Education Committe scuttles Critical Race Theory bills BY ALLISON ALLSOP LSU Manship School News Service BATON ROUGE — The House Education Committee on Tuesday killed two bills by a conservative lawmaker that would have prohibited teaching concepts related to race, ethnicity, national origin and sex. The committee voted unanimously to involuntarily defer the bills after much debate over whether or not the Legislature should set school curricula. The bills, House Bill 1014 and House Bill 747, were both authored by Rep. Raymond Garofalo, R-Chalmette. The bills tackled what many would call critical race theory. “Our classrooms are set up so that students can get the basic skills that they need: reading, writing, arithmetic, history, accurate history,” Garofalo said. “They are not setup so that we can indoctrinate our students into a political way of thinking.” Critical race theory, as described by the NAACP, is “an academic and legal framework that denotes that systemic racism is part of American society.” The two bills attempted to dissolve critical race theory within the schools from different sides.
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
The State Capitol sits beyond a lake on Feb. 6, at 900 North Third Street in Baton Rouge, La. HB 1014 would have prohibited many concepts related to race, ethnicity and national origin, including whether any race is inherently superior or inferior, from being in the K-12 curriculum. The bill also would have prohibited any teaching about whether the U.S. is a systematically racist country. During 1 ½ hours of debate, multiple representatives questioned whether indoctrination was an actual issue. Both Rep. Patrick Jefferson, DHomer, and Rep. Tammy Phelps, D-Shreveport, said they have not had any indication from their constituents of this being a concern.
Several people came forward in opposition to the bill, including a couple of teachers. They argued that the prohibitions would limit the ability of teachers to do their jobs. Jacob Newsom, a public high school teacher, decided to testify about this at the last minute. “My students take a college board test,” Newsom said. “They are 10th grade students now, and they’re gonna sit there and take a college test and they’re not gonna have all the facts? Ain’t no way they’re gonna pass it. Ain’t no way I’m gonna hogtie my students and limit their possibilities either.”
Supporters of the bill claimed its purpose was to stop teachers from forcing their ideas onto students. But many representatives agreed that the bill was overreaching and believed that the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education should decide the curriculum. HB 747 was similar to HB 1014, except that it only prohibited certain teaching materials and required the teaching of the “I Have A Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. Davante Lewis of the Louisiana Budget Project opposed the bill.
“We keep talking about indoctrination, and I think there is an indoctrination going on,” Lewis said. “And it is an indoctrination erasing what Black and brown people actually faced in this country. I think the indoctrination is about centering whiteness as the center piece of what education should be and not from the eyes or the perspective of Black and brown people.” Members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voiced their own opposition to the bills but stated that the board itself was neutral on them. That concerned Jefferson, who said that these were pivotal pieces of legislation that the board on which chose to not take a position. This is not the first time Garofalo tried to pass legislation prohibiting the “inherently superior or inferior” teachings of race in schools. In 2021, Garofalo introduced a similar bill to the ones that failed Tuesday. Last year’s bill also failed, and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder removed Garofalo as chairman of the House Education Committee amid a furor over a comment by Garofalo that “You can talk about everything dealing with slavery, the good, the bad, the ugly.”
Monday, May 23, 2022
page 4 BUDGET, from page 3 project on the university’s priority list, which includes over $30 million in projects for over 40 locations on campus. A separate $1 million has been approved for updates to the Renewable Natural Resources building, which has been in sore shape since Hurricane Gustav in 2008. The university is also slated to receive $2 million for the planning and design of the new LSU library. The current library, which has a host of infrastructure problems, will eventually be demolished and a new library will be constructed in a different area of campus. LSU Alexandria is in line to receive $1.5 million for its new student success center. Work on the building, which is planned to cost about $10 million, is expected to begin in Fall 2022. LSU Shreveport is slated to receive $3.5 million for two proj-
DIVEST, from page 3 University, Haifa University, the Israeli Institute of Technology and the Geological Survey of Israel, all of which are part of the inaugural U.S. Israeli Energy Centers alongside LSU’s College of Engineering. Saneei, who just graduated with a degree in biological engineering, explained that while the bill uses language of the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement that directly targets offenses in Occupied Palestine and seeks to divest from Israel, it seeks to address all forms of structural oppression. “We first thought of how we can incorporate and support an effort to divest, which is a common strategy by oppressed groups,” Saneei, the founder of Cooperation Rouge, a local socialist organization, said. “Then we thought about how we could relate it to more people. A lot of people don’t have a connection specifically to Palestine and a lot of people want something that in some way incorporates them.” Claire Neal, an International Studies Senior and President of Tigers for Israel at LSU, a pro-Israel organization, criticized the bill.
ects. Excluding the funds set aside for the Renewable Natural Resources building, the LSU AgCenter is in line for just over $2 million for planning and construction on two projects. Pentagon Plan and Beyond The biggest investment for Tate’s priorities is $12.5 million for an Artificial Intelligence Supercomputer. The computer will be shared among the state’s colleges and universities for research purposes. Also included is $1 million for Tate’s quest to make LSU an National Cancer Institute designated research facility and $5 million for a carbon capture and hydrogen fuel initiative The university is also slated to receive $5 million for a defense cybersecurity program, for which Tate originally requested about $7 million. The university lab school is also in line for $300,000, the Ath“LSU and its Student Government consistently preach diversity and inclusivity of all minorities on campus,” Neal said in a statement to The Reveille. “It does not go unnoticed that the student government has elected to exclude the minute Jewish population from its radar, through this disgusting bill.” Neal accused the BDS movement of putting Israelis at risk, going on to blame Palestinian leaders for human rights violations against Palestinians. Boycott, Divest and Sanction movements stem from the actions of South Africans during Apartheid, Saneei explained, and eventually grew into a movement that encompassed assisting all oppressed people. The road to the bill’s passage started last summer, when Saneei’s group, alongside members of Students for Justice in Palestine, a Palestinian-rights advocacy group with both Jewish and Muslim members, protested the conflict between Israel and Palestine in the March for Palestine. A year prior in 2020, Saneei and Cooperation Rouge, then Democracy at Work LSU, worked with student government to pass a resolution to rename 12 build-
DYLAN BOREL / The Reveille
LSU student government F*** Around and Find Out presidential candidate Harris Quadir speaks March 24, at the Student Government debate in the Journalism Building on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, LA.
letic Department for $125,000, and the AgCenter for $50,000 for feral hog eradication Outside of LSU A&M, LSU Health Shreveport will receive $5 million for the Ochsner LSU Health Monroe Medical Center Cancer Center and LSU Health New Orleans will receive $2 million for new dental chairs. While the university will be significantly shy of that $100 million ask, Tate seems satisfied with what the university is receiving this year. “We asked for $100 million, which was never going to happen,” Tate said. “I’m taking it as a win. I’m happy we got a faculty raise out of the deal, happy they funded the library planning, happy they gave us money to do our cyber here and in Shreveport.” While the budget bills still await Gov. John Bel Edwards signature, it’s unlikely that he will pursue line-item vetoes for LSU projects.
SAVANNA ORGERON / The Reveille
Buckets lay throughout the woodshop floor, Jan. 13, at renewable natural resources building on Ag Center Lane in Baton Rouge, La.
GRAPHC BY CAILIN TRAN
ings on campus that held the names of white supremacists and slave owners, including Troy H. Middleton, whose name was removed from the LSU Library in June 2020. By Spring 2022, Saneei sought to put pen to paper on a bill for student government that would address issues of systemic oppression against people in Palestine, as well as those in Cancer Alley and other areas. After writing the initial text of the bill, Quadir, a fourth year senator for the College of Art & Design came on board to assist in the bill’s passage, having discussed issues related to the legislation with Saneei previously. “There were a lot of questions that came up during it about human rights violations,” Quadir said. “We worked hard on the text of it.” The bill uses the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a baseline for determining violations, with all people being “equal before the law and are entitled without discrimination to equal protection of the law.” The bill, Saneei explained, was supported by the Tiger Pris-
on Project and graduate teaching assistant Jessie Parrot. Members of SJP were also instrumental in the bill’s passage, Saneei said. “The fact that LSU students have managed to pass this BDS bill is a monumental step for the university, as well as the southern region of the United States,” Minna Ismail, President of SJP, said. “A lot of the time we are struggling to grab our surrounding communities’ attention about an ongoing event that is happening somewhere else in the world, and we all know that it’s even more difficult to find people that want to make a change to something that they feel has no effect on them.” Saneei explained that using broader language in the bill helped garner support. While the university is located in a red state, LSU Student Government has a history of progressive policies, including the name change resolution and resolution seeking to end the use of prison labor on campus. “The South has a lot of potential for leftist activism and leftist politics,” Saneei said. “A lot of it is that the powerful institutions in the South are conservative and
manufacture consent to the constituency that everyone is conservative. But if you look, there’s a huge leftist presence and always has been. And a lot of people who are conservative support leftist policies as well.” Saneei feels the South has the potential to create real change, citing student government as a prime example of where progressive policies can thrive. “It’s something every ticket for student government runs on each year,” he said. “This year, the issue of Palestine is probably the most controversial one and we asked every single ticket about their position, and every single one offered their support whether it was carefully worded or full throated support.” The next step for the bill is to be prepared for presentation to the university’s administration for consideration, Quadir explained. He said that he hoped the bill would create a lasting change in the culture of the university and its surroundings. “We want to support a better, more peaceful world,” Quadir said. “And LSU should be a part of that, leading it and not the opposite.”
SPORTS MOMENTUM SHIFT LSU baseball sweeps Vanderbilt; prepares for SEC Tournament
BY PETER RAUTERKUS & COLE HERNANDEZ @peter_rauterkus & @Ct_hernandez LSU baseball scored 42 runs and swept No. 21 Vanderbilt on the road, moving up to No. 23 in the RPI rankings After a dominant start in a 13-2 series-opening win on Thursday, sophomore centerfielder Dylan Crews unloaded two homers Friday night in game two to lead LSU to an 8-3 win over Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field. Friday’s win clinched LSU’s first series victory in Nashville since 2005. The Purple and Gold had lost four straight series at Vanderbilt prior to this weekend. Crews went 2-4 at the plate in game two with two homers and three RBI, increasing his home run count this season to 20. “Obviously, a great night again for Dylan, and we had outstanding plate discipline throughout the lineup,” said LSU Head Coach Jay Johnson. “We played a very complete game, and this is a good win for us. Crews put the world of college baseball on notice when he launched the first pitch of the game over the left-center field
page 5 POLITICS
House passes trans athlete ban BY PIPER HUTCHINSON LSU Manship School News Service
nus walked, moved to second base on a walk from sophomore third baseman Collier Cranford, advanced to third on a walk to Crews and scored on freshman leftfielder Josh Pearson’s groundout. The Tigers extended the lead
BATON ROUGE–The House passed a bill Tuesday that would prohibit transgender athletes from competing according to their gender identity. Senate Bill 44, sponsored by Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, is titled the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.” It requires athletes from the elementary through college level to compete based on their sex at birth. The Louisiana High School Athletic Association, which governs high school sports, already requires athletes to compete according to their sex assigned at birth. The bill cleared the house 7221. Seven Democrat representatives — Ken Brass of Vacherie, Robby Carter of Amite, Mack Cormier of Belle Chasse, Travis Johnson of Vidalia, Jeremy Lacombe of Livonia, Dustin Miller of Opelousas and Francis Thomp-
see VANDY, page 7
see HOUSE, page 7
FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille
LSU baseball players surround sophomore left-handed pitcher Riley Cooper (38) April 23, as he strikes out the final Missouri player of Inning 8 during LSU’s 8-6 win over Missouri at Alex Box Stadium. wall for his 19th home run of the season. The Tigers continued their success at the plate by putting four runs on the board in the second inning in a rally highlighted by Crews’ two-out, two-run home run. Sophomore second baseman Cade Doughty led off the inning with a walk and later scored on a wild pitch, and senior
catcher Tyler McManus ended the rally on an RBI groundout. The Commodores plated a run for the first time in the bottom of the second inning when third baseman Parker Noland smacked his sixth homer of the season and closed the gap to 5-1. LSU added another run in the fourth inning when McMa-
TRACK & FIELD
LSU’s Ofili wins Commissioner’s Trophy at SEC championships BY COLE HERNANDEZ @Ct_hernandez The LSU women’s track and field team mounted a valiant effort for the team title at the SEC Championships on Saturday at the Ole Miss Track & Field Facility but finished third in the team standings just behind Florida (107) and Arkansas (103) with 96.5 points. Star sprinter, Favour Ofili, spearheaded the charge as she won two individual titles and was a part of LSU’s winning 4x100 meter women’s relay. It was the duel that everyone has been waiting for this year as Ofili was facing off against Kentucky’s Abby Steiner. Favour Ofili showed out on Saturday as the world of track and field had their eyes on the SEC meet. Ofili was the winner all day as she won head-to-head against Steiner in both the 100 and 200-meter races. Ofili teamed up with Alia Armstrong, Tionna Beard-Brown and Thelma Davies to win LSU’s sixth straight conference title in the 4x100 meter women’s relay. The foursome ran a season-best of 42.59 to set the Ole Miss facility record. Ofili then ran the 100 meters where she won with a time of 10.93 that matched her careerbest. She also battled a slight
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
LSU track and field sophomores Favour Ofili (left) and Amber Anning (right) come down the home stretch during the 400-meter final on April 24, 2021 at the LSU Alumni Gold meet at Bernie Moore Track Stadium on North Stadium Dr in Baton Rouge. headwind making her the fastest in collegiate history into a headwind in the 100 meters. Ofili closed out the night with a convincing win in the 200 meters as she clocked 22.04. This time went below Ofili’s meet and facility record from Thursday night as well. “Everything that I have, everything I’ve done here, it’s all by the grace of God,” Ofili said after winning the 200-meter title. “Compet-
ing with Abby, we know we are going to run fast times together. I’m just happy to be healthy and I give God all the glory. “I just went out there and stuck to my race plan. It was a wonderful day for me and my teammates, and these moments that have been created won’t soon be forgotten.” Ofili becomes the first sprinter to win the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4x100 meter relay at the SEC Championships since LSU’s
Sha’Carri Richardson did so back in 2019. Ofili was awarded the Commissioner’s Trophy on Saturday night. The trophy is given to the individual who scores the most points at the conference meet. She is the ninth LSU women’s athlete to win the Commissioner’s Trophy and the first to do so since Kimberlyn Duncan won it back in 2013. Alia Armstrong completed the 2022 SEC hurdles sweep as she
won the 100-meter hurdles with a slightly wind-aided time of 12.46. It marks the second year in a row that LSU has won the 100-meter hurdles as Tonea Marshall did so last year. Katy-Ann McDonald gave her all this week as she was a finalist in both the 1,500 meters and 800 meters. She ran a personal best and improved her school record in the 1,500 meters to 4:12.30 for a third-place finish. She then returned to the track 80 minutes later to compete in the 800-meter race with teammate Michaela Rose. Rose ran a personal best of 2:02.49 to place second and McDonald clocked a time of 2:03.09 for fourth place. Lisa Gunnarsson’s bid for her first career SEC outdoor title came up just short as she cleared a bar of 4.45 meters for the runnerup finish. Amber Hart scored at her first SEC outdoor meet with a throw of 53.74 meters to finish fourth in the discus and LSU’s final scorer of the day was Tionna Beard-Brown with a time of 11.45 which placed fifth in the 100-meter race. LSU’s men’s SEC champions were Eric Edwards Jr. and Sean Dixon-Bodie. Edwards Jr. clocked
see TRACK, page 7
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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 “If __ a Hammer” 5 Grouch 9 Allergic reaction 13 Horses’ tresses 15 Icy precipitation 16 Blue Bonnet, e.g. 17 Sales spiel 18 Enchant; captivate 20 __ Lanka 21 Presidential nickname 23 Humiliates 24 Stranger 26 Rat-a-tat-__ 27 Biblical book 29 JFK’s father 32 Kilns 33 Make sore by rubbing 35 Piña colada ingredient 37 Memo 38 Dock 39 Stadium roof, perhaps 40 Take a load off 41 Ferries & barges 42 Couches 43 Sahara or Gobi 45 Beer mugs 46 Bell & Barker 47 Shoreline 48 Pool noise 51 Part of BYOB 52 Didn’t __ up; made no sense 55 Candidates’ big events 58 Black-and-white animal 60 Ooze out 61 Story line 62 Ease, as another’s fears 63 Boys 64 Sutures 65 Feline cries
by Jacqueline E. Mathews
Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews
4 Calendar abbr. 5 __ up; lose the blues 6 Hightailed it 7 Broadcast 8 Rocket launching 9 Spin around 10 Graduate, for short 11 Very dry 12 Does garden work 14 Sunglasses 19 __ out; eliminate gradually 22 “The Fresh Prince of __-Air” 25 Eat 27 Adams & Johnson 28 Stay away from 29 Mayo containers 30 Cost-effective 31 Mortal DOWN 1 Mischief makers 33 Friendly talk 34 Sombrero 2 Locks 3 Louis XVI’s Marie 36 Clutter
5/23/22
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
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38 Reveres 39 Female animals 41 “Beauty and the __” 42 Song verse 44 Slaps 45 Sty mom 47 Expenses 48 Peddle
5/23/22
49 Defendant’s declaration 50 Pencil’s core 53 Sketch 54 Doris & Dennis 56 Flamenco shout 57 Currently 59 Shade tree
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Monday, May 23, 2022 VANDY, from page 5 to 8-1 in the seventh inning against Vanderbilt reliever Nick Maldonado when sophomore first baseman Tre’ Morgan doubled and scored on Doughty’s double, and sophomore shortstop Jordan Thompson lined an RBI single. “We need to come out focused tomorrow, because we’ll get Vanderbilt’s best shot,” Johnson said. “It will be a tough, competitive game, so we’ll have to be ready.” LSU’s sophomore starting pitcher Ty Floyd was credited with the win. He limited the Commodores to one run on four hits in 5.1 innings with no walks and seven strikeouts. “I’m real proud of Ty,” Johnson said, “because I think we’re starting to see what he can become.” LSU completed the sweep of No. 23 Vanderbilt with a 21-10 comeback victory on Saturday afternoon. right fielder Sophomore Brayden Jobert launched two home runs and collected a school record nine RBI. Jobert was 4-6 at the plate Saturday with a grand slam, a three-run homerand a two-RBI double to lead LSU’s 17hit attack.
His grand slam was the defining blow of an 11-run LSU eighth inning that erased a 9-7 Vanderbilt lead and completed the comeback. Jobert’s nine RBI tied the LSU single-game record set in 1999 by Eric Hendrickson against Ohio University. “We made some small adjustments this week with Brayden, he went to work with it, and it’s really gratifying to see the results,” said Johnson. “It’s allowed him to connect his bat to his strength, and he’s incredibly strong, so it’s been a great week for him.” Vanderbilt put runs on the board early with a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. The Commodores sent 11 men to the plate and delivered eight straight two-out hits, including a two-run homer by right fielder Spencer Jones. The Tigers responded with three runs in the top of the third inning when first baseman Tre’ Morgan smacked an RBI double, and Jobert lined a two-out, tworun double to slash Vanderbilt’s lead in half. LSU narrowed the gap to 6-4 in the sixth inning with catcher Tyler McManus’ solo homer, his ninth of the year. Jones blasted his second tworun home run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning which
extended the Commodores’ lead to 8-4. Jobert continued to keep the Tigers in the ballgame with a three-run homer in the seventh inning against reliever Nelson Berkwich to cut the deficit to 8-7. Then, Vanderbilt plated a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a two-run lead. The Tigers responded in the eighth inning with 11 runs in a seven-hit rally. The rally included Jobert’s grand slam, RBI singles by left fielder Josh Pearson, second baseman Cade Doughty and shortstop Jordan Thompson, a run-scoring double by third baseman Collier Cranford, a two-RBI sacrifice bunt by freshman pinch hitter Josh Stevenson, and an RBI single by Morgan. LSU poured it on in the top of the ninth inning and added three security runs. Centerfielder Dylan Crews smacked a two-run homer, his 21st of the season, and McManus provided a sacrifice fly. LSU, which swept three games in Nashville for the first time in program history, completed the regular season with a 37-18 overall record, 17-13 in the SEC. Vanderbilt dropped to 35-19 overall and 14-16 in conference play. “Vanderbilt is the gold standard of college baseball right now, and to come in here and
sweep them is something I’m really proud of,” Johnson said. Off the back of the dominant sweep over Vanderbilt, LSU now enters the SEC Tournament with momentum. The Tigers clinched the No. 4 seed in the SEC Tournament on the final day of the season, meaning they will have a first-round bye, placing them directly into the double elimination round. LSU will play 30 minutes after the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. game on Wednesday, May 25 against the winner of Auburn vs. Kentucky on Tuesday. LSU enters the tournament on a four-game win streak highlighted by the sweep of Vanderbilt where the Tigers scored a combined 42 runs over the three games. The hot bats have been a storyline this season with four players batting over .300 and three with more than 15 home runs. The bats are led by the constantly dangerous Crews who is tied for the SEC lead in home runs at 21. He also bats .345 helped by a 7-13 performance on the series against Vanderbilt. Hitting and getting on base for the Tigers should not be an issue, so getting consistency out of the pitching staff and defense will be key. LSU ranks dead last in the SEC in fielding percentage and
leads in errors. LSU’s 76 errors is 20 more than the next worst team and has cost the Tigers multiple games this season. On the mound, LSU only has one lights out starter in Ma’Khail Hilliard who is 6-1 on the season in 13 starts and has a 4.13 ERA. LSU’s staff overall has been relatively strong though, ranking fourth in the SEC in ERA. Eric Reyzelman, Paul Gervase, Jacob Hasty and Riley Cooper have all been among the most impressive contributors this season in a bullpen that runs very deep. For LSU to make a deep run in this tournament, the biggest key will be to limit mistakes and continue to get good matchups out of the bullpen. Johnson has done a good job all season long with situational pitching and getting the right matchups at the right times. LSU has enough firepower in its lineup to manufacture runs, so utilizing the deep bullpen and getting the big outs will be key. There also will not be as much pressure on LSU this time with a regional host site seemingly already locked up. Unlike last year when LSU was fighting for its postseason life in the SEC Tournament, it seems the Tigers can only help themselves in Hoover this year.
HOUSE, from page 5
TRACK, from page 5
son of Delhi — voted for the bill. One of the House’s three Independents, Rep. Joe Marino, voted against the bill. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed the bill when it came up last year and has said that he has not changed his stance. The House needs only 70 votes to override a veto. Last year, the bill passed with 78 in favor. Several representatives ultimately changed their votes. The bill was carried on the floor by Rep. Laurie Schlegel, RMetairie. Schlegel cited transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who won an NCAA title earlier this year. Schlegel argued that Thomas’ victory was not fair. Schlegel used the name Thomas was given at birth, a practice referred to as “deadnaming,” which is considered offensive. The bill, which was originally intended to apply to all athletics in Louisiana, was amended on the House floor to exclude intramural sports, meaning that it would only apply to competitive sports. While NCAA policy allows transgender athletes to compete under certain circumstances, the bill might supersede that. While research is being done on whether transgender athletes have competitive advantages, critics of the bill spoke of the harm transgender youth experience. In 2020, 52% of all transgender and nonbinary youth reported that they had seriously considered suicide, according to a survey by The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ suicide prevention organization. Several Democrats spoke against the bill. “My faith tells me we need to love and accept these children.
a career-best time of 13.28 seconds to win the 110-meter hurdle title and that time moves him up to No. 2 in LSU history. Sean DixonBodie completed the SEC indoor and outdoor sweep in the triple jump with an impressive seasonbest mark of 16.36 meters on his sixth and final attempt of the evening. Teammate Apalos Edwards notched a personal best mark of 16.24 meters which placed second in the triple jump. That 1-2 finish for the Tigers accumulated 18 points for the Purple and Gold. Dorian Camel scored in the 100 meters, 200 meters and as part of the 4x400 meter relay. His day started with a personal best time of 10.11 which placed third and moved him up into the No. 7 spot on the all-time LSU list in the 100 meters. Camel followed that up with another bronze performance in the 200 meters with a time of 20.43. He then ran the lead leg of LSU’s 4x400 meter relay that clocked a time of 3:05.92 to place fourth. His teammates in that relay were Sean Burrell, Aaron Smith, and Ashton Hicks. Godson Oghenebrume scored at his first SEC outdoor meet when he finished with a time of 10.16 which placed fifth in the 100 meters, and Sean ‘Squirrel’ Burrell earned a point for the Tigers in the 400-meter hurdles with a readout of 51.57. The LSU men finished seventh in the team standings with 70 team points. Next up for the Tigers’ track and field team is the NCAA East Preliminaries in Bloomington, Indiana. The four-day meet on May 25-28 advances athletes to the NCAA Championships. The national meet will once again be hosted in Eugene, Oregon, from June 8-11.
GERALD HERBERT / Associated Press
Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, speaks in the Senate Chambers during a veto session in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Louisiana state senators have narrowly voted to overturn Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’ rejection of a bill prohibiting transgender students from participating in school sports. The vote came Tuesday on the opening day of the first veto session under the state’s nearly 50-year-old constitution. They are vulnerable,” Rep. Sam Jenkins, D-Shreveport, said. Rep. Rodney Lyons, D-Harvey, said that passing the bill would give Louisiana a culture of “hate and meanness.” Rep. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, defended the bill. “This bill is not about hatred,” Edmonds said. “This bill is not about Christianity, violence or any other thing that we would sidebar. This bill is particular about one thing: Do we have the will to protect our young girls and young women that want to participate in female sports?” Schlegel read a letter that she said had been written by a runner who lost a competition to two
transgender women. “I lost the chance to be scouted by top coaches, possibly to even win a scholarship,” the letter said. “Women fought too hard for too long so girls like me have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field. Worst of all, when girls try to object, when we point out the truth that biological differences in strength and speed between boys and girls are massive and they’re real, we are called bigots.” Several amendments to the bill were rejected on the House floor. Rep. Barry Ivey, R-Central, proposed an amendment that would allow for a medical exami-
nation of an athlete whose biological sex is called into question. The amendment failed 82-11. Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, proposed an amendment that would allow for harsher criminal penalties for anybody who commits a sexual offense during an examination meant to determine the biological sex of an athlete. Landry’s amendment failed 61-35 in a largely party-line vote. Several Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the amendment. Because the bill was amended on the House floor, it now goes back to the Senate for another vote.
OPINION
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Mass waste from move out is avoidable and disappointing THE BUZZ FROM BUZBEE JOHN BUZBEE @thebuzzbuz There’s an overwhelming amount of waste generated by the migration of freshman living in dorms to living elsewhere. Tragically, much of the waste could be avoided. Temporary dumpsters were filled to the brim with appliances, bedding, furniture, food and clothing in the days leading up to final move-out. The conditions of the items thrown away were usually decent, typically only having about two semesters’ wear. It can be inferred that items are usually thrown away because they are too big for transport, they can’t be seen as usable beyond the dorm-living context or the item is genuinely trash. The amount of usable and reusable items that are thrown away is truly astounding; a minifridge holding a resident’s snack might be thrown over the edge of a dumpster only a few hours later. In many cases, items thrown away are more damaged in the disposal process than their intended use. Other universities have programs implemented to try and circumvent the widespread waste of items that could otherwise find purpose. According to their website, Harvard offers reuse stations across campus for nearly anything a dorm resident would get rid of, with the exception of food.
JOHN BUZBEE / The Reveille
Items donated to the International Cultural Center’s Swap Shop gathered on May 16. The waste of bedding is particularly regrettable because most students will never use their twin XL sheets or mattress pads again. Assuming that 3,000 of the 8,960 students living on campus donated their bed sheets and mattress pads collectively valued at $150 (a generous rounding down for the sake of example), roughly $450,000 worth of bedding alone could be saved. If properly treated and donated to shelters, this could have monumental statewide impacts. The International Cultural Center is the only major on-campus organization offering a reuse program called the “Swap Shop.” Director of international student engagement at the ICC Laura Dean said the Swap Shop started as a
project that could help incoming international students who don’t have support systems upon arrival at LSU. She eventually reached out to Residential Life and Greek chapters in an effort to gather more items, support and awareness for the Swap Shop. She said that the swap shop was a success and that they currently have a surplus of items for international students. “The problem is space,” Dean said. “We’re limited to just this building [the International Cultural Center] and a few rooms. While we wanted to expand and make this something room for much more significant items, like bed frames, we just don’t have the capacity.”
She anticipates the project will only expand and that work can be done with other organizations, like ResLife, to streamline a more flexible and capacious system. “Clearly LSU is not the only school with this issue where students in residential halls throw away items that are in really good condition and could be used for other purposes,” Dean said. “That’s why we wanted to start this at the ICC.” Students and professors have taken notice to the issue on Twitter and with any amount of luck, a coalition effort from Student Government and ResLife could make an organized, campuswide approach possible Associate director of communications at ResLife Catherine David
said that before the pandemic, ResLife had a program called “Give and Geaux” that would benefit charities with student donations. David endorses the ICC’s Swap Shop and hopes ResLife can develop a partnership with them for next year’s move out. “We certainly don’t like seeing piles of waste at the dumpsters. We encourage folks to consider how much they need to bring at move-in, how they can repurpose or sell items they no longer need or pass down items to friends coming to school next year,” David said. The students in the Twitter thread hold the same sentiment, only they aspire to see it on a refined campuswide scale. “It’s always a win-win when students can help fellow students,” David said. Despite the lack of an organized, campuswide system for donations, students are still responsible for filling the now overflowing dumpsters with items that could easily be donated to charity shops or shelters. Not every item is worth salvaging and most students didn’t have malicious intent when they threw away something that could’ve been reused. But with a proper system and a reinvigorated mindset, moving out could mean lots of possibilities for recycling instead of a spike in waste. John Buzbee is a Mass Communication pre-law freshman from Baton Rouge.
Letter from the Editor: Introducing our new investigative team BY PIPER HUTCHINSON @PiperHutchBR The leak of the U.S. Supreme Court’s draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade shocked the nation. It also prompted intense debate among journalists here in Louisiana. When The Advocate wrote “Chief Justice John Roberts is clearly intent on finding out the leaker. We hope that he succeeds,” I just scratched my head. Is that the same Advocate that has an award-winning Investigative team staffed by some of the finest Reveille alums? Is that the same Advocate that threw down with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry over public records?
Well, if The Advocate cares more about protecting government institutions than serving the public, let it. When The Advocate said that it hopes the Supreme Court unmasks a leaker, it’s sending a message to all whistleblowers in Louisiana who want to help the press serve the public. That message is “don’t come to us.” Here at The Reveille, we want to send a different message. That’s why today, on my first day as editor-in-chief, I’m announcing that The Reveille is launching a team of investigative journalists dedicated to informing the public and holding public institutions accountable. Our team will be led by me
and our investigative reporter, Domenic Purdy, and supplemented by our editors and other dedicated Reveille reporters. The Reveille’s investigative reporter will be free from the pressures of constant deadlines and able to focus his time on getting to the bottom of the big stories that you care about here at LSU, in Baton Rouge and across Louisiana. All potential leakers should know that their secrets are safe with The Reveille. We don’t want to see you unmasked. We want to see the public served. Skip the Advocate. Leak your documents to The Reveille. Contact editor@lsu.edu with tips.
DYLAN BOREL / The Reveille
LSU Reveille newsstand sits March 9, in front of the Journalism Building on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, LA.
Editorial Policies and Procedures EDITORIAL BOARD Piper Hutchinson Peter Rauterkus Claire Sullivan Charlie Stephens
Editor in Chief News Editor Columnist Columnist
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.
Quote of the Week “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.”
W.C. Fields
American comedian 1880 — 1946