100 YEARS AT DEATH VALLEY
LSU announces details for Tiger Stadium centennial celebration.
Read on page 2
‘IT NEVER GETS OLD’
LSU celebrates 100 years of Tiger Stadium this football season
BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4
LSU Athletics provided further details for the 100 years of Tiger Stadium celebration that will be happening during this football season on Thursday, including new renovations and rewards for fans who donate toward the campaign.
The iconic venue was first used in 1924 and has come to be known as “Death Valley,” providing one of the most fearsome home field advantages in college sports.
The official celebration of the 100 years of Tiger Stadium will be on October 12 as LSU hosts Ole Miss, and the university will provide more details on it closer to the date.
For the 100 years of Tiger Stadium campaign, which will employ the motto “It Never Gets Old,” LSU has replaced the three video boards in the stadium.
The north end zone video board is now more than double the size of the previous board, measuring 5,624 square feet (37 feet tall and 152 feet wide). It features modern technology and rivals the largest video boards in the nation.
The two south end zone corner video boards have also been expanded and renovated.
LSU has also upgraded the ribbon boards that go around the stadium and added new LED lights both in the tunnels and in the stadium, allowing for in-game light shows.
The university previously announced that the field would have a new design this year in honor of the centennial anniversary, with the end zones and center field logo paying homage to Tiger Stadium.
The special field was displayed publicly already during LSU’s annual spring game in April.
LSU is also launching a donation campaign to support the celebration, where fans can donate to
receive a print of Tiger Stadium by artist Becky Fos (including some signed by head coach Brian Kelly) and a commemorative ticket for the 100-year Ole Miss game.
The campaign is part of a partnership between the Tiger Athletic Foundation and Bayou Traditions, LSU’s official NIL collective. The money raised will go toward LSU student-athletes.
LSU’s first game in Tiger Stadium was a loss against Tulane, and the Tigers’ all-time record in the building is 451-156-18.
In 2023, LSU’s home attendance was 100,742 on average, ranking No. 6 in the country. Over the years, Tiger Stadium has consistently ranked in the national top 10.
The full details on the celebration, as well as the history of Tiger Stadium put together by the university for the occasion and a place where fans can submit their own Tiger Stadium memories, can be found at LSUsports.net.
Joe Burrow to be featured in College Football 25
BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4
According to EA Sports, the upcoming highly-anticipated College Football 25 video game will include former collegiate players such as Joe Burrow. The game will be officially released on July 19, with early access starting on July 15.
In the Ultimate Team game mode, where players collect different top-rated athletes and assemble a fantasy team to compete against other players online, EA Sports announced it will include former NCAA legends in addition to current athletes.
Because of EA’s partnership with the NFL Players’ Association for its Madden series, the company was able to license the use of these former college athletes in the new game.
Burrow is confirmed to be in the game, but it’s likely that other prominent former LSU athletes like Heisman winner Jayden Daniels or current NFL stars Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson will be included in the Ultimate Team game mode, as well.
As EA has been releasing more information about the game with the release date drawing near, LSU has been fea-
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MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
Dark clouds pass over Tiger Stadium Jan. 27 on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille
LSU senior quarterback Joe Burrow and junior linebacker Patrick Queen talk to Coach O on January 13, 2020 after LSU’s 42-25 win at the National Championship in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
Tailgaters mingle outside of Tiger Stadium Nov. 18, 2023, prior to an LSU football game in Baton Rouge, La.
NEWS MOVING FORWARD
Theatre Baton Rouge closes out its 78th season, announces plans for 79th
BY SARAH WALTON @sarahrosewalton
On July 9, Theatre Baton Rouge held its annual meeting to close out its 78th season, present its results and discuss its plans for the coming years.
Theatre Baton Rouge (TBR) is a community theatre that has been a staple in Baton Rouge since 1946. Its mission is to give the Baton Rouge community access to theatre, whether by seeing a show, participating in a performance or working backstage.
To begin its 79th season, Theatre Baton Rouge will present “Waitress” from Aug. 16 to Sep. 1.
The annual meeting started with The President’s Report. Beth Borderlon, TBR President, addressed the challenges and changes the past year has seen.
This past year was a turbulent one for TBR, and it almost closed. However, TBR also witnessed support from the Baton Rouge community and a successful 78th season, especially with its most recent production of “Cinderella.”
Borderlon went over the past year and all that came with it, but she focused on how TBR has improved the community and how it wouldn’t have been possible without volunteers.
“We’ve had the honor to share stories this year that, beyond the sheer entertainment value, gave audiences the chance to learn something more about themselves
and their neighbors. If we changed one life… we did our job,” Borderlon said.
She continued by announcing that there will be a new executive director and acknowledging the challenges ahead. Candidates for new executive director are still being determined, Borderlon said.
To wrap up the president’s report, Borderlon said, “I could not have asked for a better group of people to have served with during this past year than this Board. So I turned to the gospel according to Sondheim.”
After Borderlon finished, Lance Parker, the strategic planning committee chair, gave the treasurer’s report and spoke about the budget. He acknowledged Theatre Baton Rouge’s financial troubles and emphasized that, though it was doing better, they weren’t out of the woods yet.
Back in October of 2023, TBR announced that, like many community and local theatres across the United States, it was struggling with the mounting costs of putting on productions. Its official statement said it had “reached a critical juncture where our current operational framework is no longer sustainable.”
That’s when the theatre started its Light The Stage program to stay afloat as it changed how it functioned. Parker talked about the new sound system and air conditioning units that were introduced and other ways of cutting costs.
Parker also talked about how, since COVID-19, it’s become harder for theaters, especially smaller ones, to run.
Theatre is a risky business. Producing a show involves a lot of costs, and there are usually very little or no returns on investment.
According to Theatre Baton Rouge, about 20 cents of every dollar is used to pay royalties and script rental fees, which is just one way that the costs of a production can add up quickly. An average production for the theatre can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000.
Many regional and community theatres rely on grants, donations and sponsorships to continue operating. Parker said that big corporations are reducing donations to TBR and the arts in general.
Parker also emphasized the need to lower costs as much as possible to keep the theatre running.
A new business was mentioned, and it was announced that TBR would be working on improving its outreach. TBR hopes to target those who are less likely to have easy access to theatre.
The theatre plans to work with schools, local libraries and nursing homes to bring theatre, music and learning to different groups of people. The board members leading the conversation said they would focus on creating partnerships with other organizations.
After sharing questions, suggestions and new thoughts, certain
members of TBR voted on whether to keep the current board members on for another year.
Borderlon was highly optimistic about the upcoming season.
“I am very excited for our new season. We have something for everyone. We are very excited to be presenting all of this to the theatre community and theatre lovers all over Baton Rouge,” she said Borderlon also mentioned some of the shows that will be presented this year: “Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory,” “Radium Girls,” “Xanadu,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and the yearly “Christmas Carol.”
She continued, “It’s going to be a wonderful theatre experience for all of Baton Rouge and especially the LSU community. They’re going to love shows like ‘Xanadu’ and ‘Waitress.’”
She ended by saying that she hopes LSU students will continue to come to TBR to participate, see shows and audition.
Café Français event provides community for French speakers
BY SARAH WALTON
On July 12, the West Baton Rouge Museum held its Café Français event. Andre St. Romain, a French speaker who works at the museum, led the event. Café Français was held at the museum from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. It allowed people to practice French and share their culture with others. The event was open to all kinds of French speakers. All dialects and proficiency levels were welcome.
At the most recent meeting, the theme was Gumbo, and before any conversation began, everyone introduced themselves in French. The attendees all had different ways of speaking, but with each person, the group listened and helped when needed.
After introductions, Andre St. Romain introduced the theme and gave everyone the words of the day, all corresponding with Gumbo. Starting with “riz,” rice, and moving to “Chevrette.” In Cajun French, this means shrimp, but St.
Romain explained that Chevrette means baby goat in France. In French, “Crevette” means shrimp, and everyone talked about the differences in what they call shrimp.
The same air of curiosity and openness continued with each word. The pronunciation can sound different even if a word is spelled the same in these dialects. Oysters, “des huitres,” is pronounced differently in Louisiana in the singular form when speaking. In France, “Une huitre” would sound like separate words, but in Louisiana, it would sound more like one word and as if there was a “Z” between them. St. Romain called this phenomenon a false liaison.
Another difference between Louisiana French and French from France is the names for Bell Peppers. In France, they’re called “Poivron,” but in Louisianna, they’re called “Piment doux,” or Sweet Peppers.
After going through the words, St. Romain showed the group a video. The clip was from the Ani-
mated Series “Les Aventures de Boudini et ses ami.” The series is entirely in Cajun and Creole French and was created by Télé-Louisiane, a multi-lingual media program by and for the people of Louisiana, as an educational tool.
The video was all about Gumbo, the different ways to prepare it and how they vary based on location.
Once the video finished, a wave of chatter swam through the room. Everyone began talking about how they eat Gumbo, how they cook their okra, what meats they use and how their families eat the dish.
One conversation that dominated the room was the discussion on eggs in Gumbo. It was a new concept for a few, but many went back and forth on how they cooked eggs in their gumbo, whether they used boiled eggs or if the egg was cracked straight into the pot.
Each person shared their stories and histories with the dish, and that openness would continue into the next part of the event. Fol-
lowing the ending of the Gumbo topic, they switched to having open conversations.
All around the room, different groups of people spoke in French about whatever their hearts desired. No matter what dialect or proficiency level, people worked with one another to communicate and converse in French.
During this time, Cajun French music underscored the conversations. Culturally significant songs in French floated around the room as people talked and told stories.
These open conversations in French, in which people could share culture openly is the ethos behind the entire event. St. Romain said the original goal of this ongoing event was to give Frenchspeaking people in the area “a place to meet each other and gather.”
“The tragic aspect of the situation is that you could be right next to someone in Walmart who speaks French, but you don’t know,” he said. “You could be passing by people every day that
speak French, and you have no way of knowing.”
At its core, Café Français is community building for St. Romain.
“When I have one of these things, I am just trying to get people together, get people to meet each other, and get people engaged,” he said that he’s trying to help some of the older people remember their French.
St. Romain also talked about one of the regulars, Mrs. Rudy. He said French was her mother tongue, but she forgot over time.
“My goal for people like her is for her to hear some French and start remembering some things,” he said.
Another intent he mentioned is to get many of the older folks to start talking, sharing and teaching what they know.
“I’m just trying to offer them the chance to teach what they know,” he said.
The West Baton Rouge Museum holds Café Francais at 1 p.m. every first Friday of the month.
@sarahrosewalton
SARAH WALTON / The Reveille
A set piece from Theatre Baton Rouge’s production of “Cinderella” sits on July 9.
Feds designate Pearl River map turtle a threatened species
BY ELISE PUNK LA Illuminator
The Pearl River map turtle had its day in court – and won big.
After 14 years and multiple lawsuits, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has granted federal protection as a threatened species to the turtle that, as its name indicates, inhabits the river that spans Mississippi and Louisiana.
Other similar species of turtle were also designated as threatened under the Endangered Species Act according to an agency ruling announced Tuesday. Efforts to federally protect the turtles began in 2010, when a petition began to protect them from habitat loss, pollution and poaching threats. Only about 22,000 Pearl River map turtles and the similar looking Alabama, Barbour’s, Escambia and Pascagoula map turtles currently exist in the wild, and studies suggest that threats will continue to impact their numbers.
“These federal delays have real and devastating consequences for animals like the alligator snapping turtle that are struggling to survive,” Center staff attorney Camila Cossío said in a news release. “The Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing program is badly broken. The agency needs more funding and less bureaucracy to effectively protect species that are sliding towards extinction.”
While the turtles are now protected, the latest ruling delays a decision to designate the Pearl River as critical habitat for the turtles. Critical habitats are determined by assessing whether there are physical and biological characteristics of an environment that will help ensure the survival of a protected species. If it does, the land is awarded protections as well as the species.
In the case of the Pearl River, the Fish and Wildlife Service has one year to determine if features such as the river itself, plant life, shoreline or other factors play a role in the preservation of the map turtle and therefore earn federal protection.
“We’re disappointed that the Service didn’t designate critical habitat for the Pearl River map
The Center for Biological Diversity and Healthy Gulf, an independent nonprofit environmental group, sued the Fish and Wildlife Service in January 2020 to make a timely decision on Pearl River map turtle protection. The agency agreed to make a ruling by October 2021. When the deadline passed with no decision, the center sued again in December 2022.
turtles, but these protections couldn’t have come at a more important time,” Center senior attorney Lindsay Reeves said.
Named for the intricate, topographic-like designs on its shell, the Pearl River map turtle makes its home on the banks of the Pearl River in Mississippi and Louisiana. Found nowhere else in the world, it depends on freshflowing water and sandy shores of the river for survival and nest-
ing habitat.
The turtle’s threatened designation comes amid controversy over the proposed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “One Lake” project meant to reduce flood risks for Jackson, Mississippi. The plans include building a dam in the Pearl River to create a 2.5acre lake, creating more riverfront space for economic development, housing and flood control.
The One Lake project is a sub -
ject of scrutiny for environmental groups who are concerned for species such as the Pearl River map turtle and potential pollution downriver.
Recent reports also bring into question the economic viability of the One Lake project as the preferred flood-control solution, with the Corps’ documents stating the cost of the project is “not justified” under its cost-benefit analysis.
COURTESY OF U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
The Pearl River map turtle has been designated a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
SPORTS FROM LSU TO MLB DRAFT
BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4
Which Tigers are going to the next level? What to look out for this week
The MLB Draft is starting soon, and players of all ages could soon have their lives changed.
Many of those players are LSU Tigers, as the baseball program has once again produced a class of athletes who will garner consideration from MLB teams.
The MLB Draft will begin on July 14 with the first two rounds (first 74 picks) starting at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
The next day, rounds three through 10 will take place starting at 11 a.m. On July 16, the draft will wrap up with rounds 11 to 20 starting at 11 a.m. The second and third days will be streamed on MLB.com.
That represents the beginning of an exciting time for former LSU athletes as they have their dreams realized.
However, it’s also a pivotal time: many of the players will have to weigh beginning a career in the minor leagues or using the rest of their eligibility with LSU to potentially raise their draft stock in the future.
“They all have an open door here,” head coach Jay Johnson said in June.
Those decisions will have major implications on LSU’s team next season.
The biggest decisions to watch
The MLB’s eligibility rules for the draft say that any player that’s either older than 21 or has finished their junior year of college can be in the draft.
That means a select few sophomores who are already 21 before their junior year are eligible, and for LSU, that’s created some pivotal decisions.
Both pitcher Griffin Herring and first baseman Jared Jones fall into this category.
Herring was LSU’s most trusted arm out of the bullpen, putting up an ERA of 1.79 with 12 strikeouts per nine innings and being named a second team All-American.
If Herring returns, Johnson has said he’ll be a starting pitcher, something Herring is clearly ready to handle after an outstanding sophomore year.
It’s obvious that Herring is a special player, but it remains to be seen if he wishes to prove that even more with another year with the Tigers or if he feels he’s done enough already to earn himself a legitimate shot in the MLB.
EA SPORTS, from page 2
tured in many promotional materials.
Brook at Alex Box Stadium.
Jones has also been astoundingly productive in just two years in college, and this past year he had 28 home runs and a batting average of .301.
He could be the leader of LSU’s offense if he returns, and he could also work on becoming a more well-rounded batter.
“The value they could create for themselves next year is really high,” Johnson said. “And they have a platform here to do that.”
Both decisions will be incredibly important for determining the ceiling of next season’s LSU squad.
Fidel Ulloa, Josh Pearson and Michael Braswell are other players Johnson highlighted as having important swing decisions.
The full list of LSU’s likely draftees
Head coach Johnson said in his final press conference of the season that LSU could have anywhere between frive to 11 players drafted.
Players that were among the 319 invited to the MLB Draft Combine in June are indicated by an asterisk (*).
3B Tommy White—Ranked No. 20 by MLB.com *
White’s two years at LSU were legendary, and there’s no doubt his power at the plate and growing defensive skills will earn him a look in the first round.
P Luke Holman—Ranked No. 45 by MLB.com *
Holman developed into an ace pitcher after transferring from Ala-
bama, and now he’ll depart for a professional career.
P Gage Jump—Ranked No. 62 by MLB.com *
Jump was likewise an instant impact transfer after coming from UCLA and will now deservedly get a shot at the next level.
1B Jared Jones—Ranked 119 by MLB.com *
Having only played two years of college, Jones has a big decision on his hands. He has strength and power at first base that few can dream of, and his impressive combine performance will no doubt entice some teams. He could be drafted higher than expected.
However, Jones could also potentially benefit from returning to college, as he showed difficulty with off-speed pitches. Another year at LSU could turn him into a complete star.
OF Chris Stanfield—Ranked No. 128 by Perfect Game *
Stanfield transferred to LSU from Auburn this offseason and is known for his defensive abilities. It’s expected he’ll eventually choose the Tigers rather than an MLB opportunity, but he was invited to the combine and will likely be drafted.
P Griffin Herring—Ranked No. 157 by MLB.com *
Herring has incredible composure on the mound and genuinely has the potential to develop into a first-round level pitcher. It’s just a matter of whether he’d like to bet
on himself now or later.
SS Michael Braswell—Ranked No. 204 by Perfect Game * Braswell had an up-and-down junior year with LSU after coming from South Carolina, but he was a clear leader for the team. He’s a player that could potentially return to Baton Rouge, especially with the team having no veteran replacement at shortstop.
P Luke Hayden—Ranked No. 248 by Perfect Game *
Hayden transferred from Indiana State to LSU this offseason, but he’ll have to make a choice on if he’ll go to the MLB or stay with his commitment to the Tigers. If he sticks with LSU, he’ll make an instant impact either in the bullpen or the starting rotation.
P Fidel Ulloa—Ranked No. 366 by Perfect Game
Ulloa could also return to LSU for his final year of eligibility, but the relief pitcher showed enough during the season for an MLB team to consider drafting him.
P Christian Little—Ranked No. 420 by Perfect Game * Little was drafted last year in the 19th round, and it’d seem he’s improved his stock after a better year in his final year of eligibility with the Tigers.
P Gavin Guidry—Ranked No. 484 by Perfect Game
Guidry is another sophomore that’s eligible to enter the draft because of his age. As one of the team’s most-used relievers, he’d be
a significant loss, although not one that LSU isn’t prepared to supplement with who it’s gotten in the transfer portal.
OF Josh Pearson—Unranked Pearson wasn’t listed by any draft ranking service, but he could be picked in the draft’s later rounds. However, with his brother John committed to LSU, he’ll mull returning to the school.
(Not listed are former Tigers Paxton Kling, Javen Coleman, Justin Loer and Thatcher Hurd who will likely be drafted but entered the transfer portal this offseason.)
LSU’s high school commits who could be drafted
Each year, most of the top high school graduates forego college to go straight to the professional level. It’s rare that the top college commits make it on campus.
LSU is guaranteed to have at least two members of its No. 2-ranked recruiting class honor their commitments, as pitcher William Schmidt out of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge and outfielder Derek Curiel from Orange Lutheran High School in California announced in they’d be withdrawing from the draft.
Schmidt was the No. 5 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, per Perfect Game, and was ranked the No. 16 draft prospect by MLB.com. Curiel is the No. 10 recruit and the No. 117 draft prospect, so both are huge pulls for the Tigers.
However, the other commits who could be drafted each have decisions to make, and it’s expected that many of the top names will opt for the MLB.
Here is the full list:
OF Konnor Griffin—Ranked No. 9 by MLB.com *
P Cam Caminiti—Ranked No. 15 by MLB.com *
P Boston Bateman—Ranked No. 57 by MLB.com *
C Cade Arrambide—Ranked No. 115 by MLB.com *
3B Kale Fountain—Ranked No. 121 by MLB.com *
SS Michael Ryan—Ranked No. 202 by MLB.com *
P Mavrick Rizy—Ranked No. 244 by MLB.com *
P Casan Evans—Ranked No.
296 by Perfect Game *
SS David Hogg—Ranked No. 374 by Perfect Game *
1B Ryan Costello—Ranked No. 389 by Perfect Game
3B Daniel Arambula—Ranked No. 418 by Perfect Game
On July 10, EA released the list of its 100 top-rated players in the game which included current Tigers Will Campbell (rated a 95 out of a possible 99), Harold Perkins Jr. (92), Emery Jones Jr. (90) and Mason Taylor (90).
ranked No. 18 with an 84.
In June, EA announced that, as a team, LSU has the eight-highest overall rating at 90, with its offense ranked No. 6 in the country with an 89 and its defense
In addition, the company revealed that Tiger Stadium will be ranked as the third-toughest place for opposing teams to play.
The game will include reallife recordings of chants, fight songs and crowd noise from Ti-
ger Stadium, as EA confirmed that it collected audio from LSU’s thrilling overtime win over Alabama in 2022.
College Football 25 represents the return of EA’s college football series, which hasn’t had a game since 2013 because of legal issues
with using amateur athletes’ likeness without compensation.
With the introduction of NIL, the game can now include athletes by name. Athletes can choose to opt in and allow EA to use their likeness for $600 and a free copy of the game.
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
LSU baseball sophomore pitcher Griffin Herring (35) walks toward the dugout Feb. 23 during LSU’s 5-2 loss against Stony
ENTERTAINMENT
The Hope Shop to host clothing swap benefiting refugees
BY CAMILLE MILLIGAN @camillemill333
Local Baton Rouge store The Hope Shop will host a sustainable clothing swap on Saturday, July 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Electric Depot. Every item will cost just $1, and all the proceeds go towards its nonprofit, Hands Producing Hope.
Hands Producing Hope is a nonprofit organization that sells artisan crafts and jewelry at The Hope Shop in order to provide resources, education, training and empowerment for refugee women in the Baton Rouge area.
Amber Vaughn, the Baton Rouge program director at Hands Producing Hope, noted the impact a clothing swap can have on both the environment and the refugee community.
“It’s a way to be not only be conscientious about what you’re doing, but I think it makes a ripple effect in a way,” Vaughn said. “It keeps clothing being worn, recycles things and helps provide for our refugees here in Baton Rouge.”
The items at the swap will consist of general clothing, shoes and accessories donated by the public. There’s no limit to how many items a shopper can purchase, and the
swap is open to all shoppers, even if they didn’t donate. Vaughn said she’s impressed with the number and variety of donations, and she’s looking forward to the shopper turnout.
“I’m glad that it’s picked up traction,” Vaughn said. “It’s been really good to get a good, wide range of donations already. I’m excited about it.”
This swap is sponsored by Local Supply and takes place alongside the monthly local pop-up market at Electric Depot. There will also be 30 VIP tickets sold for $20 each before the swap, which allows buyers to shop from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. before the swap officially opens.
This isn’t the first time The Hope Shop has hosted a successful and sustainable clothing swap. The store accepst clothing donations year-round and hosts about two clothing swaps per year around season changes. Aside from the clothing swaps, the shop has a permanent rack of donated garments available to refugee women at all times.
In addition to clothing items for the swap, donors occasionally drop off home goods and decorations to The Hope Shop. These items get
passed on to refugee women in Baton Rouge to help furnish their living spaces.
“It’s been cool because we’ve actually been able to give these ladies curtains to hang in front of their windows, and they feel like that’s dressing up their home,” Vaughn said. “It makes it all worth it. It’s really cool to see them feel like they can actually decorate the place where they live and make it feel like a home.”
ties who need them.
Eventually, The Hope Shop hopes to hold other kinds of donation drives and swaps to help make home furnishings, decor and other items more accessible to communi-
Vaughn emphasized that just by showing up and buying goods from the swap, everyone can do their part to reduce waste.
“Just because it doesn’t have a tag on it, doesn’t mean it can’t be new to you,” Vaughn said. “You can make a difference.”
COURTESY OF @LOCALPOPUP ON INSTAGRAM
The Electric Depot, future host of the Hope Shops clothing swap, as photographed on the @localpopup Instagram account.
OPINION
Why young Americans should be wary of Project 2025
PELLITTIERI’S PERSPECTIVE
MATTHEW PELLITTIERI
@m_pellittieri
“I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it.”
That’s what former President Donald Trump recently posted on social media, attempting (rather poorly) to distance himself from the now notorious set of recommendations for how “the next conservative president” can “deconstruct the administrative state.”
His claim of complete ignorance is dubious.
The plan was produced by the Heritage Foundation, a longtime prominent conservative think tank. Several former Trump Cabinet officials and advisors contributed to its development. Its website says that the “next conservative president will enter office on January 20, 2025,” an obvious reference to current general election favorite Trump.
Project 2025 might not be “the” plan for a second Trump term, but many of its ideas will find their way into his administration if he’s elected in November.
At the heart of Project 2025 are two seemingly contradictory beliefs. First, there’s the desire to shrink the size of the federal government through deregulation and the dissolution of much of the executive branch. Second, there’s the desire to impose its social ideology, religion and political aims
using the power of the presidency and the federal government in general. They don’t actually want to weaken the government—they just want it to stop providing services and regulating the private sector.
They’ve conveniently laid out their social conservatism, small government libertarianism and christofascism in a neatly organized policy proposal, Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise.
Unfortunately, it’s over 900 pages long and can’t possibly be fully dissected in this op-ed. So, this columnist will focus on what should be one of the most relevant sections to students: the recommendations for the Department of Education.
But first, there’s something pe -
culiar about the way the authors talk about their work.
They frame themselves as brave revolutionaries—patriotic everymen taking it upon themselves to fight a holy war against their evil oppressors for the sake of their sacred traditional lifestyle.
They want to “save the country from the grip of the radical Left” and frame the next GOP presidency as “the last opportunity to save [the] republic.” They claim to have a “mandate” from the public and refer to their target audience as “Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, and Ms. Smith.”
This framing is not a new strategy for the GOP, a party which has claimed to represent the “silent majority” since the days of Richard Nixon. The very name of
the Heritage Foundation harkens back to an imagined past that Project 2025 seeks to resurrect.
And shaping the youth is an important step in their plan for the future.
The chapter on the Department of Education was written by Lindsey Burke, a Heritage Foundation “research” lead and proponent of school choice, among other right-wing education priorities.
She advocates for a very minimal federal role in education, including the complete elimination of the Department of Education. Instead, it would be a local issue. This would create a so-called “education freedom” that “exposes” schools to the whim of the free market and prioritizes students’ economic output over their intellectual development.
Simply put, Project 2025 would seek to begin the process of removing the federal government from having any substantial control over education. The Heritage Foundation does not believe in using the full power of the federal government to cultivate our nation’s youth.
Project 2025 sees poor test scores and decides that the solution is to gut funding, not increase it or target it more effectively. It rejects student loan forgiveness and calls for ending several grant and loan programs.
The plan seeks to protect private institutions which push noxious ideas on gender, sexuality and other topics under the guise of “religious beliefs.” And public schools in red states could more easily teach distorted versions of history and unscientific perspectives on biology and climate change.
It calls for a federal “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” which is really just a set of protections for bigoted parents to control and invade the privacy of their children, potentially driving more queer youth with unsupportive parents to selfharm and suicide.
In recent online discourse, “Project 2025” has become a buzz word thrown around to describe anything to do with a new Trump administration and the GOP party platform. But it’s very real and incredibly repulsive. Students and every American should take it seriously.
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In need of a summertime snack? Pick up a bag of jelly beans
BY COLIN FALCON @nestingnests
When the sun is beating down and heat seems inescapable, all the human body really needs to perk up and get back up to full energy is a handful of jelly beans.
There are many competitors in the race to be crowned king of summer snacks, and many of them are worthy in their own right. After all, who could deny the impact of the cold, comforting embrace of a snowball?
Sadly for snowballs and every other mildly refreshing snack out there, jelly beans are the clearest answer to this conundrum.
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Colin Falcon Editor in Chief News Editor Emily Bracher Production Editor Jason Willis Sports Editor Emma Duhe
To a non-bean-head (beanhead is the preferred term for jelly bean fans), it may seem difficult to understand the appeal that a bag of jelly beans could have.
This speaks to a lack of experience and nothing else. The bitesize candy’s biggest strength is its wide range of available flavors, something that no other treat can compare to. The average familysize bag of jelly beans contains about 49 flavors of bean.
It’d be near-impossible to find someone who walks on this earth and thinks human thoughts who couldn’t enjoy even one of those flavors. There’s everything from
buttered popcorn to licorice to Dr. Pepper.
This is all common sense to the average bean-head, but the unenlightened may need more convincing.
Another point in favor of jelly beans is their incredible consumability, a trait that most of the snacks in the all-time great discussion share. Popcorn is only as good as it is because you can shovel a handful at a time into your mouth. Same goes for M&Ms.
Please heed these words. A jelly bean could set you up for the best day of your life, but you won’t know if you don’t try them.
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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 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.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
Matthew Pellittieri
a 20-yearold history
political science junior from Ponchatoula.
CHARLIE NEIBERGALL / AP PHOTO
Kristen Eichamer holds a project 2025 fan in the group’s tent at the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 14, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa.
COURTESY OF CANDY WAREHOUSE