The Reveille 7-17-23

The Shooting of Milton X Scott

A deeper look into an officer-involved shooting 50 years later

Read on page 2

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MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Separated by a door and perspectives, a routine arrest turned deadly

BY MYRACLE LEWIS, AMELIA GABOR & BIRDIE O’CONNELL | LSU MANSHIP SCHOOL NEWS SERVICE

First of two stories

On a hot, quiet morning in July 1973, 21-year-old Milton Scott heard a loud knock at his door.

Scott was lying in bed with his pregnant wife, Beverly, and their 2-year-old daughter, Andrea. He felt uneasy about a bloody nightmare he’d had that night.

“I had to do everything I could do to calm him down, to let him know that he was just having a bad dream,” Beverly said before releasing a loud sigh.

But the unconscious terror would soon become reality.

Around 11 a.m., FBI agents

Delbert Hahn and William Wood arrived at the green duplex at 2618 Alaska St. in Baton Rouge, expecting to make a routine arrest. Scott was wanted for deserting the Army.

Before knocking on the door, Hahn, who felt uneasy about the neighborhood, grabbed Wood’s blackjack from the car to make sure no one stole it. Then, the agents approached the wooden door and noticed a brass nameplate titled “Milton X.”

The shiny plaque displayed Scott’s religious fervor for the Nation of Islam, but it rang alarm bells for Hahn, who had interviewed Black Muslims involved in a shootout in Baton Rouge a year earlier. Those Muslims were visiting from Chicago, and the confrontation had left two sheriff’s deputies and two Black men dead.

Although Baton Rouge officials stated that no local Muslims had been involved, Hahn said he was nervous when he saw Scott’s sign.

And as he opened the door, Scott, an LSU employee who cleaned Tiger Stadium, had his own suspicions. He had never been in the Army, and his recent membership at the local mosque had fortified a mistrust of white people.

“He knew he hadn’t done nothing wrong, so why should he go anywhere with anybody?” Roy

Ameen Mateen Qaadir, former secretary of Muhammad’s Mosque No. 65 in Baton Rouge, said recently.

A brief verbal interaction escalated into a fight. Two gunshots followed a split second apart. Barefoot and breathless, Scott was pronounced dead in his front yard.

“When I heard that first shot go off, I said, ‘Oh, my God. They’re trying to kill my husband,’” Beverly said.

Hours later, the FBI discovered that Scott was a victim of identity theft. Calvin Wallace, whom Scott had met on a trip to California, was the real deserter and was already serving a seven-year sentence at the San Quentin State Prison for other crimes.

But there was more.

Had the FBI executed a fingerprint check on the deserter, it would have noticed the error. But the Bureau had ended its fingerprint search requirement in 1969 due to labor shortages and high desertion rates during the Vietnam War.

A failure by the Army to furnish a photo of the deserter also kept the agents from realizing they were pursuing the wrong man.

With the 50th anniversary of Scott’s death coming Tuesday, one central question still reverberates: How did a matter that could have been resolved fairly easily turn deadly? The answer seems to hinge on the preconceptions that Scott and the agents brought to the encounter–and that still shape the interactions between young Black men and law-enforcement officers today.

During federal and state grand jury investigations, two opposing viewpoints emerged.

Beverly said Scott fought to defend his family after the armed agents barged into the house and dragged him out. The agents testified that they acted in self-defense after Scott violently resisted.

In recent interviews, Scott’s widow and the agents agreed on one point: The loss of a life taken in less than five minutes could have been prevented.

The LSU Cold Case Project investigated Scott’s death, gathering more than 700 pages of FBI files and talking to more than 30 people. Both FBI agents talked publicly for the first time about the case, making possible the first full narrative of what happened from both sides.

The findings also highlight the significance of that moment at Scott’s front door, which served as a physical and perceptual barrier that divided his and the agents’ preconceptions about each other’s motives.

‘I do what I believe is right’

Milton Scott grew up in Old South Baton Rouge, a once-thriving neighborhood that was isolated by the construction of U.S. Interstates 10 and 110.

Scott was on McKinley High’s baseball team, and another outlet was art. His pencil sketches of abstract art captivated his future wife, Beverly Grant, who now uses the Muslim last name Shabazz.

Scott described himself on his application to Southern University: “I do what I believe is right, and I like to be told when I’m doing wrong.”

When a pencil wasn’t in his hand, a dance floor was beneath his feet. Scott’s moves crowned him as the Dancing Machine.

“He was doing moves that Michael Jackson wished he could’ve done back in the day,” Beverly said.

The Nation of Islam’s ideals of economic self-sufficiency and liberation from white supremacy unnerved many white people, who feared violence. But the group compelled new followers, including Scott, to join for religious reasons or in a search for social justice.

In June 1972, Scott married

Beverly, and the two joined Muhammad’s Mosque No. 65, which followed movement leader Elijah Muhammad.

Beverly said Scott “believed that what they were saying and doing was the truth. He said this is giving the Black man credit. He’s no longer a slave when he becomes a Muslim; he’s an ex-slave.”

He also took on the name Milton X Scott.

After Scott’s death, police found no weapons in his home. Instead, they found one Nation of Islam flag, two pictures of Elijah Muhammad, four books written by Muhammad and about 75 editions of the “Muhammad Speaks” newspaper.

His frustrated Baptist parents, according to Beverly, asked: “‘What would make you turn yourself completely from God,’ and he would say, ‘I am a god.’”

The Nation of Islam taught that the Black race is synonymous with beauty and divinity as God’s original people. It dismissed Christianity as the “white man’s religion.”

Qaadir, the mosque’s former secretary, said Scott “was the closest thing we had to a lieutenant. … He was all for it; he was gungho.”

According to Daniel Thomas, another mosque member then, Scott said that if he were attacked by police, or what they called devils at the time, he would protect himself and his family.

Baton Rouge riot sets the tone

“When Milton was killed, there was a lot of animosity against Muslims in Baton Rouge at that time,” Edgar Freeman, a Baton Rouge native, said.

The clash on Jan. 10, 1972, attested to this. When police at-

see SCOTT, page 4

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CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS

The Reveille holds accuracy and objectivity at the highest priority and wants to reassure its readers the reporting and content of the paper meets these standards. This space is reserved to recognize and correct any mistakes that may have been printed in The Daily Reveille. If you would like something corrected or clarified, please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or email editor@lsu.edu.

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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.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SCOTT FAMILY

According to Milton Scott’s widow, Beverly (Scott) Shabazz, Milton Scott was an artist who loved listening to jazz music and his favorite musician, Jimi Hendrix.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ADVOCATE Local and federal agents were on the scene shortly after Milton Scott’s death in Baton Rouge in 1973

BUS ROUTES RETURN

Student complaints lead to change

BY COLIN FALCON @nestingnests

Parking and Transportation Services has reintroduced modified Tigerland A and B bus routes after many students were left to improvise ways to campus when the routes were discontinued earlier this summer.

LSU’s campus is home to several construction projects this summer, all of which affect foot and vehicle traffic differently. In a brief informational email detailing the projects sent in mid-May, Parking and Transportation said “Several Tiger Trails routes will be affected by construction. Make sure to stay up to date on routes through the Transloc app or Transloc website.”

The email didn’t mention the possible removal of entire routes, and when the summer semester started, both Tigerland routes were axed to the surprise of many students living in the area.

“One day I came to the bus stop, but I waited for like 20 minutes. I thought there was a problem with my network or my phone,” said Mohsena Lopa, a 30-year-old engineering science doctoral stu-

dent living in Tigerland, about the day she learned the routes were no longer in service. “If you are starting service or stopping service, there should be some head’s up.”

Lopa came to LSU from Bangladesh in spring 2023. Like many other international students living in Tigerland, Lopa said she doesn’t have a car due to practicality and cost issues. Without many other options and classes that still needed attending, she began walking to campus in the summer heat.

Lopa walks to her office in the Alex Box stadium almost every weekday. She said one trip takes 50 minutes at minimum. She usually stays at her office for eight to ten hours at a time, so she walks with three bags containing her laptop, food and other essentials. Additionally, the intense summer heat, which usually sits comfortably in the ‘90s, and occasional storms often make the trek far more difficult, according to her.

“There’s no shade on the walk, so you can’t even wait anywhere when it’s raining,” Lopa said. “It’s too hard.”

The intense sun left some students unable to get to campus with

accommodations.

“If I don’t use an umbrella or anything else, I find it difficult to get to the campus,” said 25-yearold Fuad Hasan, another Tigerland resident.

Hasan is also a Bangladeshi engineering student studying for his Ph.D. This summer was his first semester at LSU after living in the United States for only a couple months.

“It was difficult for me because I’m a newcomer, so the campus directions and buildings were not familiar to me,” Hasan said. “I thought that it would be easy for me to use the Tigerland bus to help find out where buildings are and get to campus. But suddenly I noticed the buses stopped.”

Hasan said the route changes are especially disappointing because he and many other international students made the decision on where to live based on the availability of transportation. He said international students often manage the daunting task of moving to a different country by corresponding with the students that did it before them about where to stay and what works best. Because

of that, Hasan said almost all Bangladeshi students end up staying in the Tigerland area and depending on the busses.

The loss of such an important community resource and lack of any information about the situation caused one student to go to the horse’s mouth for answers. Thirtyyear-old Tanvir Sarkar completed his masters in civil engineering at LSU and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. Like many others, Sarkar was confused at the lack of buses when summer semester began.

Sarkar is also a graduate student senator for student government. Due to that position, he said many Tigerland students approached him about the route changes and asked if he could help. He investigated how far the problem stretched, and according to him, got in touch with at least 70 students without a way to campus. Sarkar took the information to Parking and Transportation Services, sending an email requesting the routes to be reinstated to director Brian Favela.

“The limited ridership in the Tigerland area was the deciding factor in the elimination of the stops

within Tigerland,” Favela said in an email responding to Sarkar. “The 70-100 international students you indicate as regular users of Transit Trails is not reflected in our transit ridership. I am going to ask my team to investigate this as soon as possible.”

A week after Parking and Transportation’s initial response, they contacted Sarkar with a solution. Starting on August 14, a slightly modified version of the Tigerland route will be introduced. According to Favela, the new route will “connect Tigerland residents with the campus through the Nicholson Gateway Community and into the core of campus on North Stadium Drive.”

Sarkar said he is glad the route will return but thinks making the student of Tigerland go another month without a reliable route to campus is unacceptable.

“We understand the proposed reinstatement of the Tigerland route on August 14 is aimed at addressing these concerns. However, this leaves a substantial gap of more than a month before the students can resume using the bus service conveniently,” said Sarkar.

Many LSU graduate assistants denied promised wage hike

BY PIPER HUTCHINSON

Louisiana Illuminator

LSU was given $8 million in the state budget on the promise it would raise its minimum pay for all doctoral-seeking graduate assistants to $23,000 per academic year — the highest among schools in the Southeastern Conference — but many qualified students aren’t seeing the benefits.

In phone and email interviews, seven doctoral-seeking grad assistants at LSU confirmed they were offered stipends significantly below the newly-advertised minimum. They also shared that many of their friends working in doctoral programs are in the same boat.

Many of these students spoke to the Illuminator on the condition they remain anonymous out of fear they could lose their jobs or even their visas. Graduate assistants do much of the labor required to keep a university running, including research and teaching freshman courses. They are typically offered a tuition waiver and stipend for 20 hours of work, although several told the Illuminator they work many more hours without additional pay.

Md Tanvir Ahmed Sarkar,

a student senator representing graduate students, said he was offered a stipend of just $14,000. A graduate adviser in LSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering informed its graduate assistants who were being paid with grants given before 2022 they would not receive the new minimum stipend, Sarkar said. LSU announced the new pay rate in February, months before the legislature appropriated money for that purpose. The stipend hike was hinted at in memos circulated around the university during fall 2022 in the months following the hiring of LSU Provost Roy Haggerty, who spearheaded the efforts.

An LSU official confirmed the pay raise was going to happen regardless of the appropriation, which was nowhere near a sure thing. The $8 million LSU requested was added to the final version of the state budget bill, which was released just minutes before the legislature adjourned June 8.

A memo Haggerty and LSU Graduate School Dean Jim Spencer released to faculty and graduate students last October indicated the university planned to finance the stipend increase by eliminating a small number of positions.

It’s unclear exactly how many Ph.D.-seeking graduate assistants will not receive the new minimum wage, but Sarkar said he believes the number to be around 150.

The graduate assistants interviewed made between $14,000 to $20,000 for nine months. The lowest rate of pay for a graduate assistant at LSU is around $11,000. If Sarkar’s estimate is correct, it would cost the university less than $2 million — perhaps closer to $1 million — to raise every graduate assistant to the promised stipend.

The Illuminator reached out to Haggerty to explain why the university is not using the extra cash to ensure all qualified graduate assistants receive the advertised pay rate and to clarify what criteria LSU is using to decide who receives the increased stipend.

In a statement, Haggerty declined to explain LSU’s use of the cash appropriated by the legislature but indicated the university had okayed the lower rate of pay for some graduate assistants.

“LSU A&M is raising the minimum stipends for all terminal-degree-seeking students to $2,556/month,” Haggerty said in a statement. “We encourage those with funding from exter-

nal sources to increase their GA rates to the same as LSU A&M, if they are able to rebudget the funding. Going forward, we require all grant proposals to use the $2,556/month minimum in their budgets.”

The $2,556 monthly rate comes out to $23,000 for nine months.

House Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Tanner Magee, R-Houma,

who was involved in negotiations on the final version of the budget, expressed disappointment that LSU is not following through with its commitment.

“It’s always a trust issue,” Magee said. “If things are not followed through on, the next time they ask for money, we will be more skeptical or criti-

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

The LSU Library sits under a partially cloudy sky on April 13 on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.

WAGES, from page 3

cal and less likely to do it.”

A stipend of $23,000 would be a substantial improvement on the income graduate students currently struggle to survive on after paying mandatory student fees totaling as much as $2,000 per semester.

Several graduate assistants interviewed for this article are

SCOTT, from page 2

tempted to disperse a Black Muslim demonstration, gunfire erupted on North Boulevard, killing the two sheriff’s deputies. Nine Black Muslims were charged with the murders.

“The minister told us don’t be caught out on the street, and definitely do not associate with the renegades,” Beverly said.

Agent Hahn was sent from the FBI’s New Orleans office to interview the indicted men

“We were called white devils. They didn’t call me ‘Mr. Hahn’ or ‘Agent Hahn.’ We were keeping the Black race down, and we were totally useless,” he said.

Hahn learned that Nation of Islam members did not carry weapons but trained in combat skills that would allow them to seize police guns. He was advised that they chanted the Arabic phrase “Allahu Akbar,” which means “God

international students, who could face deportation if they take on additional employment in violation of the terms of their visas.

With these working conditions, several students said they feel like LSU is exploiting them.

“They’re treating graduate students as slaves,” one international student said of the university.

is great,” to build up courage.

“From that day forward,”

Thomas said, “the temple was highly watched by the FBI. … They’d harass us more than the way they harass now.”

Scott told his wife that he had noticed white men following him.

Although FBI documents show no surveillance of Scott, Beverly speculates that Scott’s nightmare prompted him to fight.

“He knew he was going to die. He knew they hadn’t been following him on those days for nothing,” she said.

At the door with the misconceptions

The Army declared Scott a deserter from a base in California on Nov. 22, 1972. It provided Scott’s date of birth, physical description and Social Security number, and Hahn obtained a copy of Scott’s driver’s license.

“For me, it was just another deserter case,” Hahn said. “So, I took

The student, who studies engineering, said despite being paid a $14,000 stipend for a 20hour work week, he frequently works 30 or more hours.

“I think they are abusing us because we are stuck here and they have the power, and they can fire us easily and they can get rid of us whenever they want,” he said.

Another international stu-

Bill Wood with me. We figured we’d have the guy in jail and have lunch.”

Two perspectives collided at the wooden door when the agents approached the house.

The “Milton X” sign was his first indication, Hahn said, that Scott was a Black Muslim.

Scott confirmed his identity and then slammed the door.

The agents said they tried to kick it in before Scott charged out at Wood. Beverly said Scott rightfully denied the armed “white liars” entry into the house as they barged in.

According to the FBI files, only one witness — a city/parish sanitation worker — saw the fight develop, and he recalled seeing a Black man pushing two white men off his steps. Beverly and the agents say Scott screamed, “Allahu Akbar!”

Hahn said that when he heard those words, flashbacks to the

dent studying engineering shared that when he pushed back on being offered a lower stipend, his adviser “politely threatened” him by telling him he should be grateful for his position because the professor gets many applications for potential replacements.

Sarkar said he plans to enlist the help of United Campus Workers of Louisiana, a chapter

Black Muslims involved in the North Boulevard violence rushed through his head. He said he assumed Scott would try to steal the agents’ weapons “because that’s what they said they do.”

Hahn said he saw Scott pick up an object from the ground. He thought it was Wood’s gun.

“I’m pretty sure that Bill said ‘Shoot,’ and I’m thinking, well, [Scott] has his gun, and that’s why Bill wants me to shoot him.”

Hahn shot Scott twice. Scott was pronounced dead on the scene, with only a gold wedding band, three dimes and one nickel on his person.

And it turned out that the object Scott had picked up was not Wood’s gun but the blackjack that Hahn had taken from the car and placed in his pocket.

Beverly’s last memory of Scott was his eyes rolling to the back of his head and blood gushing from his body.

of an international communications workers union, and the Graduate Student Association. He said he hopes to petition LSU administration to follow through on its commitment so that every worker can pay their bills.

“The current pay rate that we are getting is not enough to survive,” another graduate assistant said.

Fifty years later, Hahn believes the FBI should have done more to verify who had enlisted. Scott’s family also said the mistaken identity could have been resolved if the agents had done their homework.

A glance at state and federal records would have revealed that Scott was working at LSU when Wallace deserted.

According to Hahn, Scott could have prevented his death by saying he had never been in the Army instead of shutting the door. Beverly protests that Scott repeatedly told the agents he had never enlisted.

“It just took so much out of me and just to actually see it happen,” she said.

This story was written by Myracle Lewis and reported by Lewis, Amelia Gabor, Birdie O’Connell, McKinley Cobb, Brooke Couvillon, Hannah Rehm and MacKenzie Wallace.

Baton Rouge’s hockey team announces name as Zydeco Hockey

BY WILL NICKEL @WilNickel

After a long wait, the Baton Rouge Pro Hockey team has a name: Baton Rouge Zydeco Hockey.

On May 27, the team announced that it had narrowed its list of potential names down to just three. On June 6, the team made a Facebook post asking fans to be patient with the name.

“Naming the team is a lengthy process. We estimated end of May / beginning June,” the orga-

nization wrote in the Facebook post. “We are only 6 days into June. There is a process of narrowing down names, reviewing history, legal procedures and graphic design processes. The season starts in late October. We have plenty of time. We will announce a name soon! Please continue to be patient as we iron out some final touches.”

The name Zydeco was selected to represent Louisiana and Baton Rouge’s energy and culture.

“By choosing the name

Zydeco, we are honoring the rich history and traditions that have shaped Louisiana’s community,” team owner Barry Soskin said in a press release. “We believe in creating a sports team that not only excels on the ice but also reflects the unique culture and spirit of Baton Rouge.”

The team was first announced by city leaders on April 11 and is slated to start its season in October of this year and runs until May of 2024.

The first game will be held on Oct. 26 against the Columbus

River Dragons. It will play in 28 home games a year at the Raising Canes River Center, which holds a 3-year lease.

“This is a major market and it needs to be handled accordingly,” Soskin said. “As long as I build steps every year and we continue to grow, I’m happy.”

It played three exhibition games earlier this year and drew around 7,000 fans for each game.

Baton Rouge previously was home to a hockey team from 1996 to 2002 called the Kingfish. Though the team was popular at

first, attendance slowly fell each year.

“The new team will bring new entertainment options, create jobs and stimulate economic growth,” Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome said. “We can expect to see increased tourism as fans from all over the region come to watch games and explore all Baton Rouge has to offer. The benefits of having a hockey team in Baton Rouge go beyond the economic impact. It will also help foster community pride and unity.”

Angel Reese makes promise with win at 2023 ESPY Awards

BY WILL NICKEL @WilNickel

LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese, known as the “Bayou Barbie,” was recognized at the 2023 ESPY Awards as she won Breakthrough Athlete of the Year.

Reese beat out Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy and Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez to the award.

However, an ESPY wasn’t the only prize Reese had her eyes on. During her acceptance speech for the award, Reese promised LSU fans another national championship.

“Last year I transferred from the University of Maryland to play at LSU, and I just joined a family,” Reese said. “So I just want to say thank you, and another natty is coming, period.”

Reese’s first season at LSU was one for the history books as she set the NCAA single-season record for most double-doubles with 34. She averaged 23 points and 15 rebounds per game on her way to helping LSU win its first national championship in basketball.

“I’ll go down in history for doing what I did, and our team will for winning. I’m happy we were

able to do that for Louisiana,” Reese said.

Reese’s and LSU’s breakout season and NCAA Tournament run, led by head coach Kim Mulkey, caught national media attention like women’s basketball has never before.

LSU’s matchup with Iowa averaged 9.92 million viewers and peaked at 12.6 million viewers, according to ESPN. It was the most watched women’s college basketball game ever and had more than double the previous year’s championship viewership.

The previous viewership record for a women’s college basketball national championship was in 2002 with 5.7 million viewers.

The award has been given out every year since 1993, except for 2020, due to the pandemic. Former Breakthrough Athlete winners include Colin Kaepernick, Dak Prescott, Lebron James, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods and LaMelo Ball.

Reese is the second woman in a row to win the award after skier Eileen Gu won it in 2022. She is one of only three women to win the award.

LSU women’s basketball was also nominated for Team of the Year, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

ERIN BARKER / The Reveille LSU women’s basketball sophomore forward Angel Reese (10) waves her hand in front of her face at the National Champions welcome celebration on April 3 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

The Baton Rouge Zydeco hockey teams reveals its logo on July 13 at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, La.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille Zydeco team owner Barry Soskin speaks about the logo design on July 13 at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, La.

ENTERTAINMENT & OPINION

Rev Roundtable: What activities should you do this summer?

BY THE REVEILLE STAFF

Summer is here, and it’s known for being a season of fun, vacations and living life to its fullest.

But with all the free time you might have on your hands, sometimes it can be hard to figure out what exactly you should do.

If you’re looking for a summertime activity, we’ve got you covered. Here’s some of our Reveille staff’s favorite things to do during the summer:

Jayden Nguyen

If you’ve experienced a Louisiana summer, you know how hard it is to find anything to do without having to face the intense, awful summertime heat.

This is probably why my favorite summer activities all involve water – swimming, running through sprinklers and having water balloon fights are some of the most fun ways you can stay cool. But if you’re not a fan of splashing around, going out for ice cream with friends or family is always a good time.

Will Nickel Louisiana is hot. It’s hot enough you could light a fire and use it to cool off. Just walking from your front door to your car will leave a layer of sweat across your forehead. Don’t go outside. I would recommend climbing. Louisiana, in addition to being hot as hell, has no outside climbing areas, so you’re forced to do it inside.

There’s the UREC’s rock wall and UpTown Climbing as options in Baton Rouge. It’s adventurous, good exercise and you don’t even need sunscreen or bug spray. Just be sure to drink plenty of water still.

Colin Falcon

There’s no better way to beat the Louisiana summer heat than kicking back in the cool comfort of a bowling alley. Whether you round up a group of friends or go stag you’re at least guaranteed a great time, because bowling is the everyman of summer activities. Sure, you may not wake up craving the sound of falling pins and the smell of a freshly waxed lane, but once your foot hits the bowling shoe you’ll know you needed it. Plus,

most alleys come standard with a café, so don’t worry about your nutritional needs not being met. All-in-all there’s really nothing to lose from a quick trip to a bowling alley.

Samantha Sedilo

I may not be in the beautiful summer humidity of Baton Rouge, but this summer I have been hanging around the Jersey Shore for a good time. Going to the beach early in the morning to swim and catching a really bad sunburn is always a tradition (even though you reapply throughout the day.) After the beach you go home, shower, then make your way back out to the boardwalk where you can play arcade games, ride roller coasters or eat a ridicu-

lous amount of greasy food that just soothes the soul. The Jersey Shore may get a bad reputation, but the shore will always be iconic.

Matthew

Perschall

While it might not be summer specific, I do enjoy spending time with friends. I’ve gone mini golfing, watched LSU win the Men’s College World Series and just sat around and chatted with friends. Of course, I also enjoy taking photos (for work and for fun). But summer is truly a great time to get back into any hobbies you might have put on the back burner during the school year. I’ve started speedsolving Rubik’s cubes again. I might not be as fast as I used to be, but it’s a fun time.

10 things incoming freshmen need to know about LSU

BY MATTHEW PERSCHALL @MatthewPerscha1

You can read troves of generic college advice online. But you’re going to LSU, so you need LSU-specific information. Here are 10 things incoming freshmen need to know before coming to LSU.

Campus

As a freshman campus will have just about everything you need from food to events to a place to exercise. LSU’s campus is quite stunning with its many oak trees that provide shade as you walk to class or your dorm. Mike the Tiger lives right across the street from Tiger Stadium, and you should definitely pay him a visit. There’s even a 24/7 YouTube live stream of his habitat. Outside the newly renovated Art and Design Building is a nice sculpture garden with a swing you can actually swing on.

While campus is big, you’ll get to know the gist of it by the end of Welcome Week. However, campus has two Coates Halls which might seem confusing. But you’ll likely only have class in the one in the Quad (the other is near Tiger Stadium). There are also two Miller Halls, but you won’t be attending class at the Miller Hall dorm near the UREC (the other is on Highland Road across the street from the Ag Center). Beyond that, campus is straightforward enough.

Weather

Whether you’re a Louisiana local or from out of state, the weather doesn’t care. You will be subject to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celcius) days with intense humidity. Baton Rouge also has some days with just the opposite weather. LSU had a freeze in February 2021 which led to several days of can-

celed classes.

Louisiana, though, has many more hot days than cold ones.

So if you spend any extensive amount of time outside, you’ll want to have sunscreen on and carry a reusable water bottle. Heavy rains can also occur just about any day; be sure to have an umbrella in your backpack! Certain areas of campus are prone to flooding when it rains like much of Highland Road and several campus parking lots.

Food

LSU has a variety of locations to eat at on campus, and the areas surrounding campus are full of restaurants too. The dining halls will be the option many freshmen frequent with one dining hall for East campus (the 459 Dining Hall) and one for West campus (the 5 Dining Hall). The dining halls serve many different meals, and you can check the menu here by selecting your dining hall of choice with the drop-down box. While the main meal changes everyday,

the dining halls serve salad, sandwiches and pizza just about everyday. Checking the menu each day can help you to decide which dining hall to eat at, or if nothing strikes your fancy, you can go to the Union.

The Union is home to several more fast food style restaurants like Sonic and Panda Express. The lines can be long at lunchtime, but usually move fairly quickly.

Campus also has other dining options like the Panera Bread at Patrick F. Taylor Hall, and food trucks often park near PFT and the Dairy Store (which is where you can stop for some ice cream).

All freshmen who live on campus are required to have a meal plan which vary in the number of meal swipes and Paw Points on them. Meal swipes are mainly used at the dining halls, but starting this fall may be used at non-dining hall locations.

Paw Points can be used at any on campus food location including the dining halls. Ad-

ditionally, Tiger Cash which can be loaded onto your Tiger Card. Your Tiger Card will then essentially be a debit card which can also be spent at many dining locations on campus and some off campus options like the Raising Canes on Highland Road.

Tiger Cash can also be used for laundry on campus. (Yes, that’s not food related, but you should know it’s an option).

Academics

As you will be attending Louisiana State University, you will have to do the main things associated with universities: going to class and studying.

You will likely take a test using a Scantron at some point. There are vending machines that sell them around campus, but don’t use those vending machines. They are available for free at the Student Government office located at the back of the Union. You can also find blue books in the Student Government office (blue books are books with sheets of paper in-

side often used for open-ended responses on exams).

LSU also offers Supplemental Instruction sessions. SI sessions are student-led and typically occur once a week at a time selected by students in the course section. The SI leaders help students better understand recent class material. The sessions are optional and are for “historically difficult courses,” according to the Center for Academic Success.

Around the time of midterms and finals, students can be quite stressed. Luckily at these times therapy dogs are available for visits and make for a good break during exams.

Sports

LSU is known for its top notch athletes and teams. If you want to go to one of the big three sporting events (basketball, baseball or football), it’s best to buy season tickets. Typically, you will receive an email in your student email about season ticket purchases.

Beyond football, LSU has many other teams you can watch and cheer for. The track and field team has had many top 10 athletes running, throwing and jumping at Bernie Moore Track Stadium. LSU also has club men’s and women’s rugby teams. While I’m still not sure how rugby works, it sure is fun to watch. Additionally, LSU’s swimming and diving teams have boasted Olympic athletes that you can watch for free at the Natatorium during their season.

If you’re looking to play intramural sports, you can check out the available options on the UREC website. If you’re just looking to have some fun but not be a part of a team, take up pickleball with some friends

FRESHMEN, from page 7

or roommates. The UREC has equipment for a variety of sports that can be checked out using your Tiger Card.

Safety

Student safety is an important concern. Some classes conclude after dark, or maybe you hung out with friends in a dorm across campus one evening. General business senior Lloyd Passafume recommends walking with someone at night or if you’re alone to “let your roommate know when you should be back.”

LSU also has on-demand buses running after dark on weekdays from 5 p.m. to midnight. You can request or schedule a ride through the TransLoc app. LSU Tiger Trails also offers routes running Thursday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. for those who stay out late.

Women’s Center and LGBTQ+ Project

The LSU Women’s Center and LGBTQ+ Project are a part of the Office of Diversity and

Inclusion. The two help put on several events and programs during the year, according to their website. Both also offer spaces to work and meet others.

The Women’s Center is on the ground level of the parking garage behind the bookstore. The LGBTQ+ Project has a space in room 175 of Coates Hall.

Both the Women’s Center and LGBTQ+ Project can offer students information or refer them to others to assist with a variety of needs. The Women’s Center also provides free menstrual hygiene products as well as safe-sex supplies to those who request it.

myLSU

myLSU is where students can access a variety of online services and tools as well as login to Moodle and your student email. The search box will be the easiest way to find what you’re looking for. The most important things on myLSU are your degree audit and a link for signing up for next semester’s classes. Your degree audit shows you how far along you are in your degree path by indicating which classes you have credit for and

which you still need to take. Signing up for classes is fairly simple. First, by accessing the “schedule booklet,” you can see which classes are available at what time and how many students can take the course. Then you go to the “schedule request” at your designated time and input the course codes.

The housing portal can be accessed through myLSU in order to apply for on campus housing again for your next year (at the specified time) and to put in work orders. Once in the housing portal, click on the “Work Order” tab and input the details necessary to fix that clogged sink, broken AC or whatever issue needs addressing. The desk assistant in your dorm can also input work orders if needed.

Baton Rouge

As you’ll be living in Baton Rouge, you should explore the city at least a little. Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana and is

home to the State Capitol building and grounds. The Capitol grounds have lovely gardens to walk through and make for a great background if you’re looking to take some photos. Downtown isn’t the most exciting, but you can certainly find a tasty restaurant or attend an event at the Raising Cane’s River Center.

The Electric Depot on Government Street is a former power plant that now has several businesses operating out of it. There’s a coffee shop, a spa and a bowling alley/live music venue with food and drinks. For even more to do, search for the latest “This Week in Baton Rouge” on the Reveille’s website.

On-campus jobs

At some point during your time at LSU you might consider looking for an on-campus job. Many different jobs are available ranging from Desk Assistant at your dorm to making smoothies at the Smoothie King

in the Union to lifeguarding at the UREC. The Career Center will tell you (at least on its website) to go to Handshake. com. But for a number of oncampus jobs you don’t need to use Handshake. For instance, if you want to work at Student Media, you apply through the Reveille’s website. For any oncampus job, though, do a quick online search of the job you’re interested in before heading to Handshake.

For those who are uncertain about working an on-campus job, that’s understandable. It can be difficult to juggle working, going to class and having a social life. However, LSU students can only work a maximum of 20 hours each week at their oncampus job. Every on-campus job understands you have class, so no need to worry about class and work overlapping. Your oncampus job can be a great way to meet new people, gain experience and earn some money.

The Daily Northwestern shows why student journalism matters

BY THE REVEILLE EDITORIAL BOARD

Northwestern University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Northwestern, recently brought the racist and problematic culture of its football program to light.

In a story published on July 8, The Daily Northwestern detailed hazing allegations that former players brought forward. The hazing was reportedly encouraged by then head football coach Pat Fitzgerald.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Will Nickel Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor Jayden Nguyen

John Buzbee News Editor

Lauren Madden

A second story, published on July 10, detailed how Fitzgerald and other coaches and players enabled a racist environment, according to former players.

The university initially gave Fitzgerald a two week suspension on July 7, but after The Daily Northwestern published the stories, he was fired on July 10.

In a letter to the university’s community, University President Michael Schill said that he “may have erred in weighing the ap -

Opinion Columnist

propriate sanction” for Fitzgerald.

“I focused too much on what the report concluded he didn’t know and not enough on what he should have known,” Schill wrote. “Coach Fitzgerald is not only responsible for what happens within the program but also must take great care to uphold our institutional commitment to the student experience. ... Clearly, he failed to uphold that commitment, and I failed to suf-

ficiently consider that failure in levying a sanction.”

This story shows exactly why student media at universities is so important.

Without The Daily Northwestern’s investigative reporting and commitment to giving a voice to its student body, Fitzgerald would have been given nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

Northwestern’s student journalists were able to help provide truth and corroborate the

university’s investigation into its football program. Thanks to student journalism, the university reconsidered its verdict and gave a more appropriate punishment to Fitzgerald.

The bravery of the sources who helped contribute to The Daily Northwestern’s story should also be noted. Without them being willing to speak out on such a sensitive and personal topic, the story never would have had the impact that it did.

Editorial Policies and Procedures Quote of the Week

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.

“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”

Dolly Parton

American singer-songwriter 1946 — present

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille Students enjoy lunch on Feb. 23, 2022, inside the 459 Commons Dining Hall on Campus Lake Road in Baton Rouge, La.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

Mike the Tiger, LSU’s live mascot, rests in the shade on June 23 inside his habitat on North Stadium Drive in Baton Rouge, La.