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LONG SHOT Faculty’s campaign to mandate vaccinations sees success in Alexandria.
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page 2 NEWS
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A year ago Saturday, the university’s Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution to remove Troy H. Middleton’s name from the campus library
SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Following two notable departures from the coaching staff, LSU gymnastics hires two new coaches, rounding out Jay Clark’s staff as the Tigers go further into the post-DD Breaux era.
OPINION
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“Not only did Interim President Tom Galligan issue slap-on-the-wrist punishments, but he failed to even enforce them.”
L SU Re ve i l le.co m @l s u r e ve i l le
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ONE LAST SHOT
Vaccines are fully effective in six weeks; the semester starts in eight. BY CADEN LIM @cadenlim5 The LSU Board of Supervisors voted 4-3 Friday on a resolution urging the Louisiana Department of Health to add the approved COVID-19 vaccines to its schedule of required immunizations to attend Louisiana public schools, upon full approval by the FDA. The resolution stemmed from LSU’s Faculty Council ongoing campaign to have the university mandate the COVID-19 vaccine before the Fall 2021 semester. Music theory professor Inessa Bazayev, political science professor Daniel Tirone and history professor Meredith Veldman spoke to the supervisors at the board meeting at LSU of Alexandria. “It would have been better to have a 100% unanimous vote,” Veldman said. “The fact that it passed, yes we are very pleased.” The Board of Supervisors smoothly passed all other matters in the meeting, except for the resolution. The vote narrowly passed after much heated discussion. Supervisor Jay Blossman, of Mandeville, said he was hesitant to require students to get vaccinated. “I’m moving on with my life,” Blossman said. “If you’re worried about the COVID, get the shot. If you’re not worried about the COVID, don’t get the shot.” The board discussed the resolution’s legal ramifications, led by Vice President for Legal Affairs Winston DeCuir, Jr., in the wake of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s statement deeming illegal a mandatory coronavirus vaccine. Landry said he would likely sue the board if they decide to mandate COVID vaccinations. DeCuir noted the Louisiana House of Representatives recently passed House Bill 498, which prohibits discrimination based on immunization status and House Resolution 20, which requires all educational institutions to inform constituents of their right to optout of any vaccines. “What’s important to note is that it [HB 498] hasn’t been signed by the governor yet,” Tirone said. “So there’s still an opportunity for the governor’s veto.” House Bill 498 had a clause in which it is only applicable while the COVID-19 vaccine remains under Emergency Use Authoriza-
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
People stand in line while filling out paperwork on Mar. 14 at the Tiger Stadium vaccination site. tion (EUA). The bill would essentially become obsolete when the FDA gives the COVID-19 vaccine its full authorization, Tirone said. He said the process for full authorization should take about 3-6 months. The board’s debate on the matter focused on the opt-out clause of the resolution. Louisiana already has required immunizations for various diseases, such as hepatitis, meningitis and diphtheria. People are allowed to optout of required immunizations for religious, medical or even philosophical reasons, said Interim President Thomas Galligan. “Encourage students to get the shot,” Blossman said. “But I’m not going to tell them to get the shot to come to LSU.” DeCuir said people are able to pick and choose which vaccines to opt out of. He said it’s not a law where someone either opts out of all of them or none of them. The board discussed explicitly communicating the opt-out clause, which convinced several board members to reconsider. A second vote tallied 9-2, with many board members still not voting. “I can support the resolution as long as people know they can opt out,” Supervisor Lee Mallett said. Chemical engineering junior Joseph Dupre, of Iota, Louisiana, and one of the only LSU students who attended the meeting, said he disagreed with the board’s decision.
“Some of the board and faculty members seemed overly enthusiastic to try and get the vaccine on the LDH’s list, so then they can finally force whoever they want to get vaccinated,” Dupre said. “It really shows how disconnected they are from the real student body of LSU.” Galligan said the board plans on enacting an incentive campaign Wednesday. They planned on launching it earlier, but Gov. John Bel Edwards’ incentive campaign started Monday. Veldman said in her opening statement at the meeting that time is running out, especially with the Delta variant becoming more prevalent in the state, as it accounts for 12% of the current cases in Louisiana. She also said the Delta variant is more lethal, more transmissible and more effective against partial vaccines. The vaccines become fully effective in six weeks. The fall semester starts in eight. “It is time to be transparently clear and let students, parents and taxpayers know if COVID vaccination rates among students do not rise dramatically in the next few weeks, students and faculty safety will demand that classroom capacity be capped at 50%,” Veldman said. Bazayev said she was concerned because the vaccination rate among LSU students is 26% right now (73% of the faculty and 56% of the staff have been vaccinated, Galligan said). Bazayev
said having in-person classes at this rate will be a “superspreader” of the virus, and LSU should follow the lead of over 500 other universities and mandate the vaccine. She also said around 100 public universities have required the vaccine, highlighting Indiana University as one of them. No states in the Deep South have allowed public universities to require the shots yet. “I urge the Board of Supervisors to put politics aside,” Bazayev said. “This is a serious public health crisis, and your decision will have consequences on not only our university, but the safety of our state.” Bazayev has been one of the leaders of the Faculty Council’s cause because of her concerns in the music department. She said masks and social distancing is not possible for singers, brass instrument players and other music students. The board also approved Dr. Ghali E. Ghali’s resignation as chancellor of the LSU Health Shreveport (LHS), with little discussion. Several LSU Shreveport employees have filed federal complaints, saying that Ghali suppressed sexual harassment allegations that involved students and retaliated against faculty members who spoke out about the issues. LHS human resources had reinstated Ghali to his position, but he resigned a day later. Ghali will return to the faculty and be paid the remainder of his contract, which expires in December. This board meeting was also Galligan’s last meeting as president. His journey as president started and ended in Alexandria. The board formally accepted William Tate IV’s contract as LSU’s new president after the COVID debate. Galligan received a standing ovation for his tenure as president. “There’s no one more excited for him to be president than me,” Galligan said. Tate has a five-year contract beginning July 6. He’ll receive a $725,000 yearly salary, plus an annual $35,000 housing allowance and an annual $15,000 vehicle allowance. Galligan will return to the Paul M. Hebert Law Center and retain the title of President Emeritus.
Louisiana COVID-19 Vaccination Rates
37%
33%
of residents have received at least one dose
of residents are fully vaccinated
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ABOUT THE REVEILLE The Reveille is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Reveille is free from multiple sites on campus and about 25 sites off campus. To obtain additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall or email studentmedia@ lsu.edu. The Reveille is published biweekly during the fall, spring and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. The Reveille is funded through LSU students’ payments of the Student Media fee.
NEWS
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ONE YEAR LATER
A year ago Saturday, LSU removed Troy H. Middleton’s name from campus library BY NICK FREWIN @itsnickfrewin A year ago Saturday, the LSU Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to remove Troy H. Middleton’s name from the university library, now known as LSU Library. Middleton was a LSU president from 1951 to 1962 and advocated against desegregation during his time as president of the university. Three years after Alexander “A.P.” Tureaud Jr. became the first black undergraduate student admitted to LSU in 1953, Middleton wanted to review “the Negro situation” and presented a report to the Board of Supervisors titled “LSU and Segregation.” “[The University] has [admitted black students] reluctantly, under court order,” Middleton said in the report. “While there are some 117 Negroes enrolled at LSU, the historic policy of the University is not to admit Negroes. It is unlikely that there will be any change in this policy.” Middleton also authored a letter to former University of Texas Chancellor Henry Ransom in 1961 saying that LSU aimed to maintain separation between white and Black students. “Our Negro students have made no attempt to attend social functions, participate in athletic contests, go in the swimming pool, etc. If they did, we would, for example, discontinue the operation of the swimming
ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille
Troy H. Middleton Library on June 17, 2020 on LSU’s campus. pool.” Middleton wrote. “At no time has a Negro occupied a room with a white student. We keep them in a given area.” Last year, a petition to rename the library made by LSU students Exquisite Williams, Kendall Diiulio and Calvin Morris gained over 13,000 signatures. “I think it’s important that
a lot of people realize that the naming of things cements a legacy, and if you don’t understand the history of that legacy you don’t understand what it entails,” Williams said. “You can’t have a campus that’s filling up with black students and votes diversity while still having buildings with names that never wanted that diversity to exist.”
The petition called for the library to renamed after Pinkie Gordon Lane, the University’s first Black female Ph.D. graduate, but the university announced the library’s interim name would be LSU Library until a permanent name was found by a search committee. “Once the naming committee selects the permanent name, it
will go before the LSU Board of Supervisors for approval,” the university announced. Two months after the removal of Middleton’s name from LSU Library, a 16-person Building Name Evaluation Committee was announced by LSU Interim President Thomas Galligan. The committee is composed of LSU students, faculty, staff and alumnae. Members will review and study campus building names to determine if they are “symbols or monuments to racism.” The family of Troy Middleton filed a lawsuit against the university Monday seeking the return of his military memorabilia, currently housed in the university’s William A. Brookshire Military Museum, set to open Veteran’s Day. Middleton’s family also requested monetary compensation for the “extreme humiliation and embarrassment” of the university’s labeling of Middleton as a racist, but the family is not interested in punishing the Board of Supervisors for removing his name from the library, according to the family’s lawyer Jill Craft. The Middleton family has come to LSU several times to collect the Middleton Collection, but LSU raised “several differing excuses” about why they could not give the collection to the family, according to the lawsuit. LSU responded April 14 saying the university would keep “approximately one-half” of the collection.
ADMINISTRATION
Middleton family files lawsuit against LSU over military collection BY CADEN LIM @CadenLim5 The family of former LSU leader Troy Middleton filed a lawsuit Monday against LSU requesting money for being labeled as a racist and seeking the return of his military collection, which is currently displayed at the LSU Military Museum, The Advocate reported. The Middleton family’s attorney Jill Craft said although the Middleton’s seek monetary recompense for “extreme humiliation and embarrassment,” the main objective of their lawsuit is to retrieve Troy Middleton’s papers and memorabilia. Craft said the family is not necessarily interested in punishing the
LSU Board of Supervisors for removing his name from the library. The Middleton family has come to LSU several times to collect the Middleton Collection, but LSU raised “several differing excuses” about why they couldn’t, according to the lawsuit. They plan to transfer the collection to the U.S. Army 45th Infantry Museum in Oklahoma City and formally asked for its return on Feb. 23. LSU responded April 14 saying the university would keep “approximately one-half” of the collection. LSU Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard said as a state institution, the university is able to give back some parts of the
collection, but other parts of the collection are historical government records for the university, the state of Louisiana and the federal government. The list of Middleton’s items is 26 pages long, including a bayonet from 1917, two bronze stars and a silver star. LSU cannot find any form of paperwork concerning the collection, which was loaned to LSU by Troy Middleton himself in 1972, Craft said. She said the state can’t claim property without formalities. The lawsuit was filed by Bingham Middleton Steward and Emily Middleton Serrano, both of Baton Rouge and Troy Houston Middleton of Mobile, Alabama.
CHYREN MCGUIRE / The Reveille
Troy H. Middleton’s bust sits in the William A. Brookshire Military Museum on June 5.
Monday, June 21, 2021
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STUDYING WHOOO? Barred owls are the most abundant owl species in Baton Rouge
BY CADEN LIM @cadenlim5 Barred owls are one of the most common species of owl found in Louisiana, and researchers from the university have been looking into how the distinctively vocal birds affect the Baton Rouge community. Associate Professor at the LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources Sabrina Taylor and P.h.D. candidate Vitek Jirinec have been studying barred owls and how they affect everyday life in Baton Rouge. Barred owls are the most abundant species of owls found in Baton Rouge and one of the most common raptors in Louisiana. Taylor and Jirinec said they have been studying their home ranges and how they utilize the resources in their habitats. “This is not anyone’s research, per se, it’s essentially a collection of professors and students who decided to take this on,” Jirinec said. Jirinec said barred owls live in large, mature trees and span from east Texas to Canada but especially like swamp forests. In Baton Rouge, they can be commonly found at BREC Parks, Bluebonnet Swamp and anywhere that is densely forested. Taylor also said they have a unique urban habitat, and their study also looked at how they use their urban habitats. They actually help with pest control in the city because they eat rodents, snakes and even crawfish, providing for “free ecosystem services,’’ according to Jirinec. “They are everywhere, but at
the same time, people are not seeing them as much because they are these elusive, nocturnal raptors,” Jirinec said. Taylor said the researchers caught and put GPS tags, similar to a FitBit, on the owls and tracked their movements throughout the day and night. Their ultimate goal was to see how forest fragment size affects daytime and nighttime owls. They noticed barred owls have a very small home range and don’t travel very far at all. “These guys are homebodies,” Jirinec said. One particular owl, which they named Ragnar, caught their attention when they noticed he had two “home ranges.” The researchers noticed heavy activity in two spots: near St. Gabriel all the way to north of LSU’s campus, where he spent some time in the winter. They said that was atypical for a Barred Owl. “The resource availability drops quite a bit in the winter,” Jirinec said. “So you don’t have crawfish, amphibians and reptiles hiding. Mammals, like rodents, might be the most dominant source at that time.” Jirinec said the LSU community should grow to appreciate barred owls more in everyday life. “If you’re utilitarian, they provide a service to us for free,” Jirinec said. “We have to make the environment more inviting for them.” Other schools around the country have also been studying barred owls, so Taylor and Jirinec compare data from different regions to see how different environments affect the owls’ behaviors. They did say however that LSU has conducted
ATHLETICS
Athletics officials did business while suspended REVEILLE STAFF REPORT
COURTESY VITEK JIRINEC
Dr. Sabrina Taylor releases a barred owl named Thoth. the largest studies on barred owls. “We have more birds and advanced data than anyone else does,” Taylor said. The researchers said as more technology is developed, they
hope to learn more about these rodent-controlling raptors. According to Taylor, the best place to try and catch a glimpse of these fascinating creatures is at Bluebonnet Swamp.
Two LSU athletics administrators conducted business using their university-issued email accounts while on suspension for their roles in mishandling sexual assault and domestic violence complaints against athletes, WBRZ reported Wednesday. Both Verge Ausberry and Miriam Segar received and sent emails while on suspension in March, documents obtained by WBRZ reveal. Ausberry was suspended for 30 days and Segar was suspended for 21 days, starting March 5, the day LSU released the Husch Blackwell report. Segar sent and received more emails than Ausberry did. She offered to meet with a speaker named Tony Porter, an activist who cofounded A Call to Men, an organization that helps prevent violence against women. Segar also offered to be on a phone call with a colleague, requested a logo design and ordered teal bracelets and shoelaces for athletes to wear ahead of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Ausberry forwarded emails related to event-planning for the PMAC and Tiger Stadium, for a cheerleading camp and a local band. “During their suspensions, both employees did have access to their emails, so they could forward messages to others to be handled, and in some situations, they needed to provide guidance so the work could be completed in a timely manner,” LSU said in a statement.
COMMUNITY
LSU instructor uses passion for swimming to help cancer patients BY CADEN LIM @cadenlim5 It’s often overlooked how much can be accomplished when a community comes together. African-American studies adjunct instructor Herman Kelly raised over $5,800 on May 7 for the Hematology and Oncology Clinic of Baton Rouge to financially support patients going through cancer treatment, including his wife. Kelly partnered with Coach Nan Fontenot of Crawfish Aquatics to host a swimming event, dubbed “Swim for Life,” at 7 a.m. on a Friday morning. Kelly said despite the early start, he was satisfied with the success of his fundraiser. LSU swimmer Kit Hanley and the Rev. Drew Rollins of St. Alban’s Episcopal made appearances at Kelly’s event.
“Our goal was to help people less fortunate, who can’t afford to go get treatment,” Kelly said. Kelly said one of his inspirations to enact this fundraiser is his wife, who is a breast cancer survivor and is also going through cancer treatment. He said he knows cancer treatment patients who can’t afford insurance, medical fees or even reliable transportation to go receive treatment, and so he hopes the funds will be used to help them. Kelly is also the pastor at Bethel A.M.E. Church of Baton Rouge. He said he received tremendous support from his congregation. Kelly is an avid swimmer as well and said God inspired him to start this fundraiser while on a morning swim. “God spoke to me and said, ‘I want you to raise money for on-
cology and those going through cancer treatment,’” Kelly said. Family friends, LSU colleagues and the community at Crawfish Aquatics in addition to the Bethel A.M.E all gave support to Kelly’s mission. Kelly said he is thankful the communities he is a part of helped his cause. “People have always been kind to my family,” Kelly said. Since the event, Kelly said the clinic has been keeping him updated on how his funds are being used. He said they also sent him a thank you card and framed pictures of him swimming and his wife with her doctor. Stephanie Hebert, an employee at the clinic, said the clinic is looking for more ways to allow affordable treatment for patients ever since Kelly’s fundraiser. “We partnered with a foundation, Patient Advocacy
Funds,” Hebert said. “To act as a savings account for patients when they needs funds.” The “Swim for Life” event had seven swimmers in an eight-lane pool. Kelly said he was impressed that there were that many swimmers for 7 a.m., but he said he hopes next time to have a later time to accommodate more participants. His goal was to raise $15,000 and hoped to get at least $7,500, so he believes he’ll be able to improve on his next event. “Find something in the community that you’re passionate about,” Kelly said. “I happen to be passionate about helping people who are less fortunate, children who don’t know how to swim, people who are going through cancer treatment. I want to help people going through this, because it’s a lot of money, and they need support.”
COURTESY HERMAN KELLY
Herman Kelly, his wife and participants pose at “Swim for Life”
SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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LSU gymnastics welcomes new faces to coaching staff BY MORGAN ROGERS @__morganrogers LSU gymnastics recently announced LSU’s coaching staff will look a little different for the upcoming 2022 season. Following a fantastic debut season for Head Coach Jay Clark, two staff members recently announced their leave from the program. Assistant coach Bob Moore is retiring after over 30 seasons in collegiate gymnastics, while volunteer coach Ashleigh Clare-Kearney Thigpen has finished her eleventh and final season with LSU athletics. A two-time NCAA Champion herself, Thigpen was known for her skill in floor choreography and produced some of the biggest floor scores in the nation during her time at LSU. On the other hand, Moore is arguably one of the greatest vault coaches in NCAA Gymnastics history. Thanks to Moore, the Tigers have remained consistent with some of the best vault scores in the nation for years. With these two gone, LSU gymnastics obviously has large
holes to fill. This week however, Clark announced that Garrett Griffeth and 2004 Olympian Courtney McCool Griffeth would be the perfect duo for the job. “I am excited to pour my heart into this team and the program that D-D (Breaux) has built over the course of four decades. I can’t wait to get to Baton Rouge and feel the roar of the 13,000 LSU strong in the PMAC on Friday nights.” Courtney said. After two seasons at the University of Utah, the Griffeths will come to Baton Rouge to serve alongside Ashleigh Gnat as the new assistant coaches to the gymnastics program. “Garrett and Courtney come in and check all the boxes for this program,” Clark said. “They are two assistants who can coach, recruit and participate in all aspects of LSU gymnastics. They are both personal coaches who care deeply for every student-athlete. Their energy is infectious, and their character is impeccable.” The pairs’ history in collegiate gymnastics runs back to around 2007. McCool-Griffeth competed at the University of Georgia on
a full scholarship, winning three national team titles and three AllAmerican honors. She also won the 2008 NCAA National Championship on floor and the 2010 SEC Individual title on floor. Meanwhile, Griffeth graduated with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science with a concentration in athletic training from Georgia. Griffeth spent time interning with the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, the University of Georgia and Indianapolis Colts afterwards. Their first official gig was as assistant coaches at Texas Woman’s University in 2013. The two assisted the Pioneers in winning the title at the USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championship. The Griffeths left the program to join the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2018. With their help as assistant coaches, Arkansas was able to advance to the NCAA Championships for the first time in five seasons. Griffeth was AllAmerican Braie Speed’s vault coach while McCool-Griffeth choreographed Sophia Carter, who garnered regular season All-America honors on floor
and qualified as an individual competitor into the 2019 NCAA Championships. The pair finally moved to Salt Lake City to coach Utah Gymnastics up until the last season before coming to LSU. The team recently won the 2021 Pac-12 Championship and went 21-1 in the regular season. The Utes finished third nationally in the NCAA Championship Final. Directly under Griffeth as vault coach, the Utes’ vault lineup finished in the top-10 of national rankings. These accomplishments garnered the two Griffeths with WGCA Region 2 Assistant Coaches of the Year in 2020. With Clark and Griffeth’s years of expertise and experience combined with Gnat and McCoolGriffeth’s personal success as athletes in the sport, the group arguably becomes one of the top coaching staffs in the NCAA. “I have the upmost respect for Jay and Ashleigh (Gnat), and Courtney and I look forward to working together with this staff and team to bring a National Championship home to Baton Rouge.”
OPINION
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Segar, Ausberry suspension superficial, typical of Title IX SULLY’S SCOOP CLAIRE SULLIVAN
@sulliclaire
When it comes to serving sexual violence survivors, the university chooses the bare minimum – or less – over and over again. This pattern of disregard isn’t incidental to the Title IX system, but foundational. The most recent outcome of that pattern is the university’s failure to hold those that perpetuated the trauma of survivors accountable. Recent public records requests from WBRZ reveal that Senior Associate Athletics Director Miriam Segar and Executive Deputy Athletic Director Verge Ausberry worked during their unpaid suspensions from the university. Segar and Ausberry were put on 21 and 30 day suspensions without pay, respectively, for serious Title IX reporting violations documented in the Husch Blackwell report. Among other errors, Ausberry failed to report a direct admission of domestic violence from football player Drake Davis, a decision Husch Blackwell said “could have led to catastrophic consequences.” Segar handled Title IX matters for athletics in house, at odds with university policy and proper practices. Husch Blackwell found that Segar failed to report and document Title IX cases as required, including a rape accusation against former football player Derrius Guice. The university’s cowardly response to these dangerous Title
IX missteps reveal a disregard for the seriousness of the offenses committed by senior athletics employees. Not only did Interim President Thomas Galligan issue slap-on-the-wrist punishments, but he failed to even enforce them. Even more telling is that Segar and Ausberry knew perfectly well that their emails could – and likely would, considering the publicity of their suspensions – be subject to public records requests. And they knew that such a request would reveal that they were, in fact, conducting university business during their so-called suspensions. And yet, they didn’t care. They knew the university would continue to protect them, and their confidence seems entirely warranted. The entire framing of the Title IX scandal by Galligan and the LSU Board of Supervisors was crafted to avoid holding anyone at the university accountable. Those responsible for the brunt of Title IX failures, they argued, were long gone, and those who remained did the best they could under impossible circumstances. To be clear, the diagnosis of years of Title IX failures as an institutional problem is accurate. For its entire history, LSU Title IX has been characterized by too few staffers, far too little funding, miscommunication from administrators and poorly worded policy. The university’s Title IX system is, without a doubt, a fundamentally broken institution. But we must not forget that that institution has had architects and enablers, and that
THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES
Protestors hold up signs Nov. 20, 2020 during the protest following the USA Today article about mishandled sexual misconduct cases at Tiger Stadium on North Stadium Road. some of them still collect a sixfigure salary from the university. Sweeping domestic violence from a football player under the rug cannot be excused by a misunderstanding of policy, and enabling abuse against students should have consequences – real, enforced consequences. Each new headline confirms what has been clear from the start: the university’s Title IX response is not driven by justice or accountability, but by fear of a damaged reputation. To the university, the past few months have not been a reckoning, but a pesky PR scandal full of inconvenient truths. The reaction from the univer-
sity to these public revelations has been so transparently superficial. Higher-ups point to severe underfunding and confusing policy with horror, as if these issues haven’t been raised to and dismissed by administrators for years (a point stressed several times by Husch Blackwell). A new, shiny action plan is touted, simply promising students what should have always been a given: a Title IX office compliant with federal law and basic morality. And the university issued suspensions to Segar and Ausberry, knowing the missing pay would hardly be a dent to their salaries and that the punishment would not be enforced anyway.
This most recent display of apathy from the university is frustrating, but hardly surprising. Nothing will fundamentally change in the university’s culture as long as its motives and priorities remain corrupted. But the university must realize this: this community does not share its indifference for Title IX accountability. To students and survivors, this is not a temporary PR problem, but an unshakeable betrayal by an institution that is supposed to protect them. Claire Sullivan is an 18-year-old coastal environmental science sophomore from Southbury, CT.
Timeline of events for the Segar, Ausberry suspensions Husch-Blackwell report released, Ausberry suspended 30 days, Segar 21 days.
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Segar offers to meet with a victims’ advocate and public speaker.
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Segar asks staff to order hundreds of bracelets and shoelaces for sexual assault awareness month.
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Segar discusses NCAA rules on athletes and summer classes.
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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.
Ausberry writes with local band, asking about having their music played at LSU football games.
23 h c r Ma Quote of the Week “Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.”
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5 Word with poker or chocolate 6 Sing without words 7 Suffix for hero or organ 8 Sculpted 9 Anew 10 Tow along behind 11 June 21, 2021, for one 12 Takes to court 14 Pieces of celery 19 Slaphappy 22 Notice 25 Haughtiness 27 Clothing fastener 28 __ firma; land 29 Singles 30 Variety pack 31 “The flowers that bloom in the spring, __…” 33 Helpful clue 34 Toronto’s prov. 36 Man’s nickname 38 Cause a jagged wound 39 Biblical book, for short 41 Lindbergh or Earhart
6/21/21
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
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42 __ for; try to find 44 Submissive 45 “Don’t __ stranger”; parting words 47 Foam-topped drinks 48 National League team 49 Pool water color
6/21/21
50 No longer valid 53 Marathon 54 Gush forth 56 Wet spongy ground 57 __ nuts; wheel fasteners 59 “__ got the whole world in His hands…”
Monday, June 21, 2021
page 8
Decriminalizing cannabis first step to legalization in LA DOM’S UNCANNY DISCOURSE DOMENIC PURDY
@tigerdom16
On June 7, Louisiana lawmakers in the state Senate voted 20-17 to approve a bill that would decriminalize the possession of up to a half-ounce of cannabis. This decision brings Louisiana steps closer to an action taken by 13 other states to decriminalize the plant and the start of a journey already taken by the 17 states that have legalized cannabis for recreational use. The legislation introduced by Rep. Cedric Glover, D-Shreveport, would reduce the punishment of cannabis possession to a misdemeanor that will carry a $100 fine. This is compared to the previous first offense punishment of $300, followed by subsequently increasing fines and eventual jail time. The state legislation follows previous similar ordinances in Baton Rouge and New Orleans that reduced the punishment to a $40 fine. While the bill passed with
bipartisan support on its way to Gov. Edwards desk in the coming days, this bill’s passage is not the end of the fight for in the fight about cannabis’ legal status. Decriminalization of cannabis brings the state one step closer to California and Colorado’s cannabis market. In these states, cannabis can be procured in specifically designated dispensaries, with medical and recreation products being sold at different rates and with different levels of taxability. Regardless, decriminalization is the first step to an untapped source of tax revenue in Louisiana. In 2020, the tax revenue across the states that legalized it exceeded $3 billion. This is a 58% jump from the previous year. In California alone, $1 billion was collected in the sale of cannabis. Fighting for recreational cannabis legalization in Louisiana is not only a shift in the state’s previously conservative handling of the issue. It represents a boon to the state’s economy and a potential boost to infrastructure and other public spending. Legalization of cannabis,
started by this notion to decriminalize the plant, could be an important step in the infrastructure of Louisiana. Similarly beneficial, cannabis is far less dangerous than other vices that are a corner stone of southern life. While alcohol is linked to
Yes, the passage of House Bill 652 is a time for celebration, but only if the long-term changes [...] reach those who faced the harsh end of racist anti-drug legislation. about 95,000 deaths every year, cannabis is not conclusively linked to the death of any significant population year after year. The only difference is that you can buy a six pack of beer in any grocery store or gas station across Louisiana, but cannabis in its various forms is illegal on the same level as LSD and ecstasy. While decriminalization
brings the state closer to the reality that states like California and Colorado enjoy with medical and recreation use, the lives of prisoners incarcerated on possession charges are hardly affected by this policy shift, if at all. Legalized cannabis both brings revenue into the state through a highly lucrative taxable product and is significantly less dangerous alternative to alcohol. The winds of change may be in the air when it comes to Louisiana’s attitudes toward the future of cannabis, but that can’t be said for prisoners charged with nonviolent possession. While future offenses involving cannabis will be judged based on this new standard, this bill does nothing about the disproportionately Black population currently incarcerated for possession. As fines and legalization eventually become normal when dealing with cannabis going forward, an estimated 32% of inmates are serving sentences for non-violent drug offenses. Just because cannabis’ legal status is decriminalized, that means
nothing for the thousands of prisoners incarcerated for what would not be nothing more than a slap on the wrist. “Unfortunately, the way the system of laws works, is that once you are convicted of a crime under a legal statute then its hard to kind of revisit that,” Ryan King, an attorney told Lafayette’s KADN in April. As those outside of Louisiana’s disproportionally affected prisons inch closer to enjoying cannabis legalization, let’s not forget the inequities legislation like House Bill 652 would not address. If the battle against a generation-spanning fear of cannabis founded on racism is going to be won within our lifetime, movements like those within the state legislature are only the beginning. Yes, the passage of House Bill 652 is a time for celebration, but only if the long-term changes it starts rolling reach those who faced the harsh end of racist antidrug legislation for decades. Domenic Purdy is a 20-year-old journalism junior from Prairieville.
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
In 2016, the LSU Board of Supervisors gave President F. King Alexander the authority to grow medical marijuana. The program was set to begin rolling out cannabis products by mid-2018.