FLOWER POWER
Baton Rouge Orchid Society will host annual flower appreciation show this weekend.
Read on page 2
ORCHID APPRECIATION
Annual orchid show displays exotic beauty of Louisiana horticulture
BY CAMILLE MILLIGAN @camillemill333
It can be a struggle to spend time with nature in the Louisiana heat. That’s what makes the Baton Rouge Orchid Society’s (BROS) annual orchid show a special opportunity to immerse in local flora and pick up a new hobby, all while staying out of the summer humidity.
The orchid show takes place indoors at Burden Museum & Gardens on Saturday, July 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. The free event will have orchid vendors, a competition between orchid displays and an educational booth about the flowers.
BROS President James Morrison says the purpose of the show is not just to show off the delicate flowers but also to entice the public to get involved with the blooms themselves.
“I think there’s a given population of people who know about orchids and love their beauty,” Morrison said. “I think our big thing is just to try to introduce the hobby of growing orchids to the area. We continue to try to educate that these are wonderful plants that can be grown and enjoyed here in Louisiana.”
The theme for this year’s orchid show is “A Feast of Orchids.” Members of BROS will show off their flower displays next to displays from other orchid societies along the Gulf Coast. Judges from the American Orchid Society (AOS) will compare the plants and give blue ribbons for the most deserving blossoms in different categories.
If an orchid qualifies, it’s compared to other plants on a national level and has the chance to gain a national award from the AOS. David Coco, the show chair, emphasizes the deli-
cate complexity of growing orchids, especially in the summer season.
“The one big difference is in this heat, somebody could have a plant that’s beautiful today and by next week it’s over,” Coco said. “It’s just a tricky timing thing, and the judges are looking for perfection.”
There will be five vendors selling orchids suited to grow in the humid Louisiana climate. Attendees have the chance to explore varieties of orchids from Florida, Texas and other parts of Louisiana. The orchid show is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn more about a diverse species of plant that’s an important part of horticulture in Baton Rouge.
“I think it’s always interesting
to see people’s reactions,” Coco said. “They’re so exotic and there’s so many different types. Orchids are the largest species of flowering plant on the earth. People, I think, only know what they see in a grocery store.”
Despite highlighting their uniqueness, Coco also wants people to know that anyone can grow and enjoy orchids.
“It’s a challenge and they really are exotic and interesting looking,” Coco said. “I just would like to emphasize that people should not be afraid of orchids. It doesn’t have to be something that’s in some rarefied environment. Once you get the right medium going, they’re pretty easy.”
The Baton Rouge Orchid Society welcomes anyone who
takes interest in growing orchids, whether it’s their full time occupation or a relaxing hobby. In addition to putting on their annual show, the society has monthly meetings to increase their knowledge on growing the flowers.
Morrison encouraged everyone to discover the beauty of orchids and learn about this staple plant in Louisiana horticulture.
“There are literally thousands of different orchid varieties that are available to be grown right here in Louisiana and Baton Rouge,” Morrison said. “It’s a very interesting hobby. I’ve been able to take my retirement time and learn the culture. It’s a different type of culture than growing house plants, but once learned, it’s very rewarding.”
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BY KELCIE MOSELEY-MORRIS La Illuminator NEWS
page 3
Clinic closures linked to declines in contraception
Clinic closures in the wake of the Dobbs decision and questions about the legality of emergency contraceptives, including disinformation that some are abortion drugs, may have contributed to a sharp drop in the rate of prescriptions for contraceptives in states with the most restrictive abortion bans, according to a UCLA study.
The decline was significant in most states with restrictive bans following Dobbs in June 2022 that returned regulation of abortion procedures to the states, the study found. The group of researchers, led by pharmacy professor Dima Qato, used data from national
prescription audit databases to estimate the monthly volume of prescriptions dispensed at pharmacies nationwide and state-by-state. It represents estimates from more than 93% of retail pharmacies.
“Given that abortion would be restricted in many states even more after Dobbs, I wondered whether now more people would get covered through contraception to prevent pregnancy and the need for an abortion,” Qato said.
Over the past six months, especially in states with near-total abortion bans, lawmakers have discussed proposals that would protect access to contraception, but those efforts have largely failed
SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 30: In this photo illustration, a PlanB one-step contraceptive tablet is displayed on June 30, 2022 in San Anselmo, California. see PLAN B, page 3
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. ADVERTISING (225)
The
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES MORRISON
Baton Rouge Orchid Society event.
JUSTIN SULLIVAN / Getty Images
NEWS
All Louisiana judges will get a potentially permanent pay hike
BY GREG LAROSE La Illuminator
You can’t help but marvel at the political power Louisiana judges wield when you consider their latest pay increase. They’ll get that money up front in one lump sum rather than after their work is done.
This means judges could accept the bonus — ranging from $14,000 for district court judges to $17,000 for appellate judges — then resign or retire without having worked the full fiscal year it’s meant to cover. What’s more, there’s a provision in state law that could make what was supposed to be a one-time stipend a permanent pay raise.
Judges enjoy distinct leverage among public employees in Louisiana. A legislative commission exists solely to consider their compensation, and its members can recommend raises for judges to the Legislature every two years. From fiscal years 2013 to 2023, the Legislature approved salary increases for trial court judges totaling 22.7% ($31,205), according to a Legislative Auditor’s report.
As of Jan. 1, 2023, the average annual salary for Louisiana judges ranged from nearly $169,000 at district court level to more than $197,000 for the state Supreme Court. Compare that to the state’s median income of $93,000 for a family of four based on the most recent Census figures.
The Louisiana Legislature, where a considerable number of lawmakers are attorneys, has historically provided a friendly forum for judges in search of
PLAN B, from page 2
because of concern over whether that would include emergency contraception. Some antiabortion organizations call Plan B, which is an emergency contraceptive designed to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, an abortion drug because it can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg.
The researchers think those conversations have led to confusion among residents who aren’t sure if emergency contraceptives are still legal in their state. That confusion could also extend to pharmacists. While Plan B is available over the counter at many retail stores and pharmacies, including Amazon, it can also be obtained by prescription, which is the only data point the study captured. According to the research, the rate of obtaining it through prescription between 2021 and 2023 dropped more than 70% in four states with near-total bans — Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee. It declined by about 60% in Missouri.
The increases peaked in July
higher salaries. Conventional wisdom holds that legislatorlawyers are not keen to resist judges’ requests, with some perhaps aspiring to the bench themselves.
The trend held true this year when lawmakers supported a proposal to increase judicial pay once again, even though they saw annual percentage bumps since 2019. But in a change from years past, lawmakers agreed to conditions: state judges would receive a one-time stipend instead of a permanent hike and only if they completed a study to evaluate their caseloads .
Rep. Jerome “Zee” Zeringue, R-Houma, has consistently called on judges to share data on their work output. Judges have long resisted such efforts, dating back to 2011 when the Legislature called upon the Louisiana Supreme Court to conduct a workpoint study.
In a June 28 interview with WWL Radio’s Tommy Tucker, Zeringue said the objective of the study is “to essentially look at the judicial resources, and making sure that we have enough judges put where they need to be because of changes in demographics.”
In short, Louisiana is losing population as a whole, with parishes in north Louisiana seeing the largest drops. Growth in south Louisiana, especially along the Interstate 10 corridor, isn’t offsetting the decrease, but supporters of a judicial workpoint study say courts have failed to adjust for these changes for more than a decade.
In a 2023 study, the nonpartisan good government group
2022 and then dropped to levels lower than the pre-Dobbs period, Qato said.
“For patients that are seeking emergency contraception but can’t get it prescribed or filled, that’s where it matters,” Qato said.
“They want to take it, they know it’s an option, and now they’re faced with hesitant prescribers and pharmacies.”
Half of women unsure Plan B is legal
A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released in early 2023 found that more than 30% of adults surveyed were unsure if Plan B was legal in all 50 states and over the counter — and half of women living in states with abortion bans were under the impression that emergency contraceptives were illegal or were unsure if they were legal.
Conversely, in two states with near-total bans, Idaho and South Dakota, the rate of prescriptions for emergency contraceptives increased by 148% and 182%, respectively. Those numbers were attributed to increases in ulipristal, which is also known as Ella, rather than levonorgestrel, known
Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana found caseloads statewide had fallen by half over 20 years.
A right-sizing of Louisiana courts won’t happen anytime soon. Gov. Jeff Landry used his line-item veto power to remove the workpoint study as a requirement for judges to see the pay increase. In his veto message, the governor said the Louisiana Supreme Court had its own work study and caseload evaluation, and its justices could also discipline and withhold pay from judges who don’t complete the study, Landry wrote.
The governor omitted that judges have historically avoided participating in a workpoint study, and that punishment for judges is rare in Louisiana and typically for only the most serious of infractions that rise to the level of breaking state law.
State lawmakers meant to pay the stipend out gradually over the fiscal year that began July 1, but judges and justices who make up the Judicial Budgetary Control Board voted last month to allow a lump sum payment based on their interpretation of “one-time” stipend.
“The legislative intent was to spread it out over the year, but I guess we should have been more specific in the language,” Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Winnfield, told Tyler Bridges of The Advocate. McFarland authored the bill that included the stipend.
Not everyone in the judiciary is on board with the pay increase without a workpoint study. Chief Judge John Michael Guidry of the First Circuit Court of Appeal has said he welcomes
as Plan B. Ella can be effective at preventing pregnancy up to five days after unprotected sex, while Plan B is most effective within three days and is also less effective in people who weigh more than 165 pounds, while Ella does not have that limitation.
Between the 12 states with the most restrictive bans, the combined decline of emergency contraceptive prescriptions was 60%, and the decline for oral contraceptives was 24%.
Qato said she expected to see lower rates of emergency contraceptive use in the most restrictive states, particularly with the conversations likening them to abortion drugs, but she wasn’t expecting to also see a drop in monthly oral contraceptive prescriptions. Among states with the most restrictive bans, the largest decrease of 28% was in Texas, while most other states had decreases of about 20%, including Kentucky, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee.
Qato also theorized that the closure of abortion clinics in those states with bans contributed to the decreases, since most clinics
the overview, in contrast to his four other circuit peers.
Chief Justice John Weimer has been one of the most ardent backers of a workpoint study requirement and questioned the legality of stipend paid all at once. In a letter to the Judiciary Budgetary Control Board, in which he said he was writing as a “concerned citizen,” Weimer said paying the stipend in a lump sum before work is performed “would result in a donation of public funds (which is constitutionally prohibited) to those Judges who leave their position with the judiciary before judicial services are rendered or before the related study is commenced or is completed.”
Multiple attorney general’s opinions have found bonuses paid to public employees for work not performed violate Article VII, Section 14 of the Louisiana Constitution that prohibits
that provided abortions prior to Dobbs also offered prescriptions for oral and emergency contraceptives, IUDs and other family planning services such as screenings for sexually transmitted diseases.
The study found no change in the use of IUDs and other forms of contraception such as the patch or vaginal ring.
Over-the-counter options only help certain people
In her research, Qato noted that two years after Iowa imposed Medicaid coverage restrictions on family planning clinics that provided abortions, the use of contraceptives declined by two-thirds.
A report from the Guttmacher Institute released this week showed 42 clinics that provided abortions nationwide closed their doors between 2020 and 2024.
The number of abortions have also increased during that time, and more than 80% still take place at brick-and-mortar clinics rather than via telehealth or by mail.
While Plan B and Opill—an oral contraceptive—are available over the counter, Qato said those options are still untenable for some people who need contracep -
donations from the government.
We won’t know until the spring, when the Legislature crafts the next state budget, whether judges will argue their stipend must be preserved in perpetuity. Louisiana is one of 28 states that constitutionally prevents the Legislature from reducing judges’ pay to reduce the influence of one branch of government over another, similar to the provision that exists in the U.S. Constitution.
This year’s stipend for judges comes from a reserve fund state courts fund themselves, but future years would likely come from the taxpayer-supported general fund.
With drastic cuts a strong possibility next fiscal year, Louisiana’s judiciary would be taking a bold political step to insist on making the stipend permanent. But they’ve not been dissuaded in the past.
tives the most, including low-income women and women of color.
“Opill is convenient for those who don’t want to go to the doctor and have that discretionary income to purchase it, but low-income women relied on clinics that are now closed, they relied on prescriptions that they now don’t have,” Qato said. “Those options are accessible, but not affordable to women who could really benefit from it.”
While Qato said there should be a focus on restoring and protecting access to abortion, there should also be efforts to protect contraception in the most restrictive states. She is alarmed to see initial increases after Dobbs and then such steep declines.
“It suggests that we may observe increases in live births from unintended pregnancies in women who were forced to have a child that wasn’t planned because the state didn’t protect or introduced fear of criminalization or liability for patients, doctors, or pharmacists,” she said. “A woman may not feel safe choosing emergency contraception in those states anymore.”
KRISANAPONG DETRAPHIPHAT / Getty Images Money and hammer, Wooden gavel and dollar banknotes.
SPORTS WELCOME TO THE SEC
What sports will be affected the most by newcomers Oklahoma and Texas?
BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4
On July 1, the landscape of the Southeastern Conference forever changed.
Two of college sports’ premier schools, Oklahoma and Texas, officially jumped ship from the Big 12 and joined what’s considered by many as the nation’s dominant athletic conference in a partnership that had been in place since three years ago in July of 2021.
Whatever your stance on the move—whether you think it opens the door to a lot of fun or that it’s a dangerous step toward collegiate sport elitism and super conferences—there’s no denying that things have completely transformed.
For LSU, the now-16-team SEC is slightly more crowded and a chance at winning a conference title in each sport will be slightly more different.
Both the Sooners and Longhorns bring an impressive resume in athletics, and both programs have incredible strengths.
Where exactly will LSU most feel the brunt of the new schools’ presence? In what sports will Oklahoma and Texas most threaten to take over in the SEC?
Here’s a look at the five SEC sports that could be the most changed by the two schools.
Football
This one is obvious: Texas and Oklahoma are two of the blue bloods of college football.
Both schools have had power-
ful dynasties in their history, and you couldn’t tell the story of college softball withut them.
Last season, Texas was one of four teams that qualified for the College Football Playoff and lost in the national championship to Michigan.
Under fourth-year head coach Steve Sarkisian, an innovative offensive mind who captained Alabama’s offense to a national championship in 2020, the Longhorns will be relevant for the foreseeable future.
In the short term, Texas has
one of college football’s top quarterbacks in Quinn Ewers, one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy.
Still, the Sooners were a 10win team that was ranked No. 15 in the AP poll at the end of this past season. In addition, they consistently recruit at a top-10 level.
Third-year head coach Brent Venables has the program improving and is more focused on developing a competitive defense than Riley was. Oklahoma will be relevant, even in a tough SEC.
Men’s basketball Oklahoma and Texas are both basketball schools with good history that figure to immediately settle into the upper class of the SEC.
Coming from a Big 12 that’s considered the best basketball conference in the nation, both schools are battle-tested.
In each of the last three years, Texas has qualified for and won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament. In 2023, the Longhorns made it all the way to the Elite Eight.
Oklahoma was considered a bubble team for this year’s NCAA Tournament, while Texas was a seven-seed.
Both teams are on the rise with relatively new head coaches, as Porter Moser is in his fourth year with Oklahoma after leaving Loyola-Chicago and Rodney Terry is in his second full year with Texas after taking over in the interim for Chris Beard, now with Ole Miss.
With the SEC as unsettled as it
Oklahoma has seen better days on the football field, as it hasn’t truly been a top contender since former head coach Lincoln Riley left for the University of Southern California.
Former Tiger Angel Reese named WNBA All-Star as rookie
BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4
Angel Reese was named a WNBA All-Star in her rookie season in the league on Tuesday, another impressive accomplishment in what has been a successful debut campaign.
“I’m just so happy,” Reese said. “Coming into this league, so many people doubted me... I trusted the process and I believed.”
“I can’t thank my teammates and my coaches enough for just believing in me, trusting me.”
In her first year with the Chicago Sky after being selected with the No. 7 pick in the WNBA draft in April, Reese has been historically productive.
On the season, she’s averaged 13.3 points, 11.4 re -
bounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Chicago has put up a 7-11 record so far during the season.
Reese set a WNBA record last week when she recorded 10 straight double-doubles, a streak that has since stretched to 12 and is still ongoing.
Reese will now join Team WNBA as it competes against the U.S. women’s national team in the WNBA All-Star game on July 20 in Phoenix, Arizona.
In the WNBA’s All-Star fan voting, Reese was the fifthmost popular player, with a total of 381,518 votes.
However, she was not selected as a starter, as the WNBA also takes into account media and player votes. The league’s 12 coaches selected her as a reserve.
Reese joins former Iowa
star and current Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark as the only rookies on the All-Star team. It’s the first time two rookies have been named All-Stars since 2014, when Shoni Schimmel and Chiney Ogwumike did it.
Reese was also named the league’s rookie of the month in June.
While at LSU, Reese led the Tigers to the national championship during the 2022-’23 season, the first title in the school’s history.
She was a two-time AllAmerican with LSU. She holds the program record for most consecutive double-doubles and the SEC records for most double-doubles and most rebounds in a season.
In addition, her 14.4 rebounds per game while at LSU is the highest career average in the SEC’s history.
HILARY SCHEINUK / AP Photo
LSU’s Ciara Briggs (88) is safe at first as Texas first baseman Joley Mitchell (9) awaits the throw during an NCAA college softball game March 12 in Baton Rouge, La.
MORGAN COOK / The Reveille
LSU women’s basketball junior forward Angel Reese (10) points March 24 during LSU’s 83-56 second-round NCAA tournament win against Middle Tennessee at the Pete Maravich Center. see SEC, page 5
, from page 4
is (longtime Kentucky head coach John Calipari left for Arkansas this offseason, leaving one of the sport’s perennial contenders vulnerable), both teams could contend with LSU to jump to the top of the conference.
A mention is warranted to the women’s basketball programs for both these schools, which have been consistent tournament teams in recent years and have combined to win the Big 12 in both of the last two seasons.
However, due to Texas’ recent status as a national title contender, I gave the edge to the men’s programs.
Gymnastics
Including this sport is not so much about Texas as it is about Oklahoma: in fact, Texas doesn’t sponsor a gymnastics program.
However, the Sooners have won six national championships in the past 11 years, and they were the favorite this year before an unexpected and uncharacteristic off day in the NCAA semifinals knocked them out of the tournament.
If Oklahoma didn’t fail to qualify for the finals, LSU would likely never have won its first national championship this season.
Next season, it’ll be another tense title bout between two conference foes.
The Tigers will be compared side-by-side with Oklahoma all season, and the SEC championships will offer a potential preview at the national championships.
Softball
Although Texas and Oklahoma are both consistent tournament teams in baseball, and Texas recently made a big move that could make them into a national power with the hiring of head coach Jim Schlossnagle, the two schools are actually much better in a different sport that takes place on the diamond.
The two teams are absolutely dominant in softball and practically played hot potato with the No. 1 spot in the national rankings during all of this past season.
Oklahoma is the crown jewel of the sport: under head coach Patty Gasso, who’s been with the program for 31 years, the Sooners have won eight national championships, including the last four in a row.
Of course, for two of those consecutive championships, Oklahoma’s opponent was none other than Texas, including in this year’s Women’s College World Series finals.
Texas has never won a championship in softball, but it’s been right there with Oklahoma at the pinnacle of the sport.
That dominance won’t be ending any time soon, especially for
Oklahoma’s Faith Torrez competes in the floor exercise during the NCAA women’s gymnastics
in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 18.
Oklahoma, who’s been simply untouchable: in 2023, Oklahoma lost just one game all season.
As deep and strong as the SEC has been in softball, it seems likely that Oklahoma and Texas will immediately insert themselves at the top of the conference’s hierarchy.
Volleyball
Just like gymnastics, one of these two schools is absolutely dominant in volleyball, while the other’s success is not quite as pronounced.
Texas is a volleyball powerhouse. The Longhorns have competed in three of the last four national championship games and have won the last two.
In a sport that’s often dominated by the Midwest and Big 10 schools, Texas is the South’s heavyweight in volleyball and a huge get for the SEC.
LSU even drew from Texas’ success with its head coaching hire: third-year head coach Tonya Johnson was a longtime Texas assistant before returning to Baton Rouge, where she played and once
coached.
By contrast, Oklahoma hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2019, its only time doing so in the past nine years.
Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a two-time reigning national champion joining the SEC.
LSU will have a hard time contending with the Longhorns, as will the rest of the conference. Even with Kentucky and Florida being storied programs and many others in the SEC growing in stature, it could be Texas and everyone else.
TONY GUTIERREZ / AP photo
championships
ENTERTAINMENT THIS WEEK IN BR
BY CAMILLE MILLIGAN
Want to see your event in the Reveille? Email information to editor@lsu.edu.
JULY
TUESDAY AT 5:30 P.M. 9TH
Astronomy Night Landolt Astronomical Observatory
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at LSU is hosting a free astronomy might on Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
There will be star gazing, nitrogen ice cream and physics demonstrations for all ages.
That 70’s Band of Louisiana Manship Theatre Shaw Center For The Arts
Transport yourself back through time at a ‘70s hits concert at the Manship Theatre. The concert will feature music by stars like Michael Jackson, The Carpenters and many more. Tickets are $25 and the show begins at 7:30 p.m.
JULY
SATURDAY AT 12 P.M. 13TH
JULY
12TH
FRIDAT AT 7:30 P.M.
Bayou Motor Fest Car Show
Raising Cane’s River Center Arena
The annual Bayou Motor Fest Car Show takes place this Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Raising Cane’s River Center. The indoor car show will feature muscle cars, classic cars, trucks, motorcycles and many other motor vehicles. Regular tickets are $20.
@camillemill
OPINION
Letter to the Editor: Streaming is slowly killing songwriters
A songwriter walks into a bar and starts chatting with the bartender. The bartender asks, “How’s the music business treating you?” The songwriter replies, “Well, let’s just say I’m still waiting for my big break—and by break, I mean fair pay.”
Behind so many chart-topping hits and soul-stirring ballads lies the creative genius of songwriters, yet their compensation remains disproportionately meager compared to major music companies and our favorite artists. This systemic injustice not only undermines the value of their craft but also jeopardizes the future of musical innovation.
Songwriters usually earn royalties from various sources, including mechanical royalties for the reproduction of their compositions on physical media and digital downloads, performance royalties for the public performance of their music on radio, television and live performanc-
EDITORIAL BOARD
Colin Falcon Editor in Chief
Editor Emily Bracher
es, and synchronization royalties for the use of their music in film, television and commercials.
However, streaming has fundamentally changed the landscape of revenue distribution and how we consume music.
Streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora are how most consumers access music. As a result, songwriters often receive fractions of a cent per stream, which can amount to paltry sums even for songs with millions of streams.
Furthermore, the rise of user-generated content platforms, such as YouTube, has further diluted the value of music, as songwriters receive minimal compensation for the unauthorized use of their compositions.
Several Grammy awardwinning songwriters, including James Fauntleroy, Tiffany Red, and Dan Wilson, have all spoken out to voice their frustrations about the challenges faced by songwriters. In July 2020, Tiffany Red founded The 100 Percenters, an organization that
advocates for the rights of music creatives.
In a 2023 open letter to Sir Lucian Grange, CEO of UMG, Tiffany Red said, “We demand that you prioritize the fair treatment and compensation of songwriters in your crusade for a new streaming payout model. The music industry is only possible because of the songs they write, and it is time for songwriters to receive the recognition and compensation they deserve.”
By presenting a united front, voices can be amplified, and the likelihood of a more sustainable ecosystem for musical innovation increases. One solution to improve the current landscape involves advocating for changes in music copyright laws to protect songwriters’ rights better.
This provides more straightforward guidelines and robust enforcement mechanisms for songwriters’ creative contributions. There’s also a need to urge streaming platforms to adopt fairer payment structures, such as equitable revenue-sharing models.
This would involve revisiting the current payment-per-stream model, which often results in little pay, even for hit songs.
Ultimately, the struggle of songwriters for fair compensation reflects a glaring injustice in the music industry. Pushing
Editorial Policies and Procedures
for changes in copyright laws and advocating for fairer payment structures, is crucial to make any movement towards a more equitable music industry that values the contributions of songwriters.
Brandon LaGrone graduated from LSU in May 2024.
Editor Jason Willis
Editor Emma Duhe
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.
GRAPHIC BY JAYEN NGUYEN
BY BRANDON LAGRONE
Even Mike The Tiger struggles to beat the heat.
COMIC BY JACOB CHASTANT