PMAC
Faculty
Letter to the Editor:
BIGGER AND BETTER
LSU census reports another record-breaking incoming class
BY GRACELYN FARRAR @gracelynfarrar
This fall, LSU saw the enrollment of 7,912 first-year students, the largest incoming class in the school’s history, according to a census completed by LSU.
This enrollment increase was to be expected as LSU received over 46,000 applicants for the fall semester. LSU had an acceptance rate of 74%, with just over 34,000 students accepted. For comparison, there were just over 42,000 applicants in 2023 and 7,494 full-time first-year students enrolled at a 74.5% acceptance rate. LSU kept its students with a retention rate of 84% last year.
The ACT composite score is 27 for the 2024 full-time firstyear cohort, another record for the university. In addition, the high school weighted transcript GPA is 3.83, the highest the university has ever seen from an incoming class.
The freshman class is 62.2% female. It is 26.8% Black and 11.9% Hispanic. First generation students make up 32.3% of the class and 59.6% of the class are in-state students.
Last fall, LSU President William F. Tate IV said the goal wasn’t to grow enrollment numbers anymore, pointing out that the campus would need to undergo significant infrastructure changes to accommodate that kind of capacity. This has proven to be true, as Residential Life
hustled to find housing for the incoming class this fall.
“We have not, as an institution, made the decision necessarily of growing our classes,” said Danny Barrow, LSU’s vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Success. But while enrollment numbers have grown, he said that he is “always looking to continuously improve the recruitment, the transition and the experiences for students coming to LSU.”
“At no point do we want students to ever feel like a number,”
Barrow said. “When you come to LSU, you want to feel that at least a person in the administration or on the faculty has your back, and we know that is an important part to ensuring that students are going to graduate timely and then be prepared for life after college.”
Barrow said that his own time in college was memorable. He received a Pell Grant and was one of the first in his family to go to college, where he said his life was changed by faculty members and staff.
“So what we try to do every day,” Barrow said, “is to ensure that every student here at LSU has a transformative educational experience that they can live out their biggest dreams.”
LSU does not currently have a cap on how many students may be accepted by the university, but Barrow said each application is read twice by a member of the admissions committee. The acceptance rate has gotten smaller over the last three years, with 2022 at 76.1% and 2023 at 74.5%.
LSU women’s basketball holds public practice
BY TYLER HARDEN
LSU women’s basketball took the court for a public practice inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Monday.
For some players, it was a welcome back moment. Players like Flau’jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams and Aneesah Morrow were back in full effect, each now expected to take on leadership roles.
“It’s kind of like an evolution of the next era,” Kim Mulkey said.
But for one player, the return felt a little different.
Seven games into last season, Sa’Myah Smith suffered a torn ACL, forcing her to miss the remainder of the season. At the time, Smith was playing some of her best basketball as an LSU Tiger.
In seven games, she averaged 11.7 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game and 1.6 blocks per game. She scored a careerhigh 21 points per game against both Queens University of Charlotte and Mississippi Valley State.
The road to recovery was a long and difficult one for Smith.
But the journey led to Monday afternoon, where LSU fans were able to see her out on the other side of adversity.
“When Sa’Myah went down, she was almost averaging a double-double,” Mulkey said. “You hope she can give you that, and more.”
However, injuries did not rid themselves of this LSU team completely. Aalyah Del Rosario suffered an ankle injury this offseason and was limited during Monday’s practice.
Mulkey hopes Del Rosario will be at full strength for the start of the season, but she’s not rushing her road to recovery.
“I try not to ask because I believe that the more you ask, the more they might be thinking it’s pressure to get out there,” Mulkey said. “Just tap me on the shoulder when she can go.”
Many returners and familiar faces took the floor once again at the PMAC. For some, it was Tiger fans’ first look at its new additions this offseason.
LSU added four transfers this offseason in Jersey Wolfenbarger,
LSU women’s basketball freshman guard Mikaylah Williams (12) shoots March 24 during LSU’s 83-56 second-round NCAA tournament win against Middle Tennessee at the Pete Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, La. see BASKETBALL, page 9
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ERIN BARKER / The Reveille LSU students study in the LSU Student Union on Sept. 3 on Highland Road in Baton Rouge, La.
MORGAN COOK / The Reveille
NEWS
HEATING UP
LSU football fans suffer under dangerous heat
BY GABBY GRAY & JASON WILLIS
@GabbyGray06 & @JasonWillis4
If you stayed for all of LSU football’s Saturday win over UCLA, you might’ve felt like you lost because of the blistering heat.
At 2:53 p.m. – eight minutes after kickoff – the heat index was 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service. The ABC broadcast for the game said the temperature of the turf field was around 130 degrees.
The heat prompted many fans to leave early, and it was noticeable: the east side of the stadium where the sun was shining was nearly empty by halftime.
Many fans also experienced varying degrees of heat exhaustion. LSU told the Reveille that there were 58 heat-related medical assists made in and around the stadium on Saturday, which a spokesperson described as a “moderate uptick” from the normal number on a game day.
“Everyone definitely was struggling in the student section,” said mass communications freshman Mia Hattaway.
Hattaway, like dozens of other students, had to leave during the first quarter of the game because of how dangerously hot it was in Tiger Stadium. Being in the stuffy environment of the student section added onto the threat of the situation.
Retreating into the interior of the stadium provided little relief for fans, as most sections have no fans or ventilation.
“There being nowhere to sit and experience any sort of cooloff unless you’re in a club seat or something is a little ridiculous,” said mathematics junior Hailey Sisung.
During the course of the game, students swarmed the concourse en masse in search of water and any spot to cool down. Sisung said this made for a very “overwhelming” environment, one where she saw students on the ground, unable to get up and in desperate need of water.
Another student, who wishes to remain anonymous, also reported sightings of students in distress as she both entered and exited the stadium.
While trying to enter the concourse, she couldn’t get past the exit from the student section as the passageway was blocked by an unconscious student and a team of medical assistants.
“They were trying to bring her back in because she had fully passed out, but they couldn’t even bring her into the stadium because of the influx of people that were trying to get away from the heat,” the student told The Reveille.
The football team wasn’t immune to Saturday’s conditions, either.
“I think we started letting our energy slip with the heat,” junior tight end Mason Taylor said after the game. “The crowd, I don’t blame them for leaving. It’s hot out.”
Saturday’s troubles prompted some fans to wonder why LSU doesn’t just play night games, but it’s not up to the university: it’s a decision made by television networks.
“We would always prefer to play those games at night,” said senior associate Athletic Director and Chief Communications Officer Zach Greenwell. “We’re not the only one with the same preference.”
Greenwell encouraged fans
HIGHER EDUCATION
New chair to the Louisiana Board of Regents
BY MORGAN VANNOSDALL @morgank2304
Gov. Jeff Landry announced in a statement Friday the appointment of Misti Cordell as the new chair of the Louisiana Board of Regents.
Cordell, who was previously appointed in January as an atlarge member of the board, is currently a physician recruiter for Affinity Health Group in Monroe and had previously graduated from Louisiana Tech University receiving her bachelor’s degree in human resource management.
“Misti has the leadership, knowledge and experience that is needed to lead the Board of Regents,” Landry said. “I look forward to the great work she and the entire board will accomplish to better this state and our education system.”
to do their best to be conscious of hydration before the game, especially given the unpredictability of the weather in the hot earlier months of the football season.
He also added that LSU has made efforts in recent years to accommodate fans by allowing them to bring an unopened water bottle (32 ounces or smaller) into the venue.
In addition, LSU’s Fan Zone in front of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center has a free Powerade station and a cooling tent. Tiger Stadium also has waterfilling stations, and water bottles are sold at concession stands for up to $7.
However, students reported that the water-filling station nearest the student section was out of order on Saturday.
Greenwell recommends that fans take advantage of LSU’s accommodations, but said it’s also up to fans to be prepared for the extreme game day heat.
Sometimes, though, it’s nearly impossible for fans to endure the heat despite doing all the right things.
“Throughout the day, I had had food, plenty of water, but then started feeling nauseous,” Hattaway said. “That didn’t help.”
As for how it affects crowd sizes as the game goes on, Greenwell says that’s the least of LSU’s concerns.
“We would always encourage fans to take care of themselves first and foremost.”
While students struggled to make it through this game under the heat, they’re not opposed to returning to Tiger Stadium for another football game, so long as it takes place in cooler temperatures.
Cordell has a considerable background in rural health, previously starting her career as a pharmaceutical sales representative for AstraZeneca. In this position she was tasked with covering land from South Arkansas to
RESEARCH
U.S.
South Louisiana.
Having strong experience in healthcare and government, the appointment of Cordell likely aims to bridge the gap between healthcare organizations and administration with policymakers.
Cordell is involved in several other boards. These include the Board of Directors for MedCamps of Louisiana, CenturyNetBank Advisory Board, Board of Directors for Ouachita Parish Library and the Advisory Board for the Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum.
She’s also known as an advocate for adult learning and firstgeneration students, with her mother being a first-generation student, graduating at age 38.
“I am thankful for Governor Landry’s confidence in me to lead the Board of Regents. I am looking forward to working with all board members to bring innovative ideas to the table,” Cordell said. “I am committed to working with multiple groups to identify needs and find new ways to develop and grow higher education and meet workforce needs in Louisiana.”
Army partners with
PBRC for health study
BY JOHN BUZBEE @thebuzzbuz
Pennington Biomedical’s Center for Military Performance and Resilience is working with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine to assess the health and nutrition of active duty military personnel.
The study, which is being funded by the Department of Defense, seeks to address a gap in health research that doesn’t include active duty service members, according to an official statement from Pennington Biomedical. This study, called the Military Health and Nutrition Examination Study, aims to generate comprehensive and representative data that leads to improved health in the military.
The study will collect data on Army service members’ dietary intake, nutritional status, cardiovascular health, body composition, metabolic biomarkers of nutritional state and other metrics.
Researchers will travel to military installations across the country to collect this data. The first visit will be at Fort Johnson near Leesville, Louisiana. Their goal is to collect the data of 600 Army service members. They also plan to make visits to Kentucky, Georgia, New York, Texas and Colorado.
Follow-up visits are also planned. Questionnaires will be sent out every few years to participants still on active duty.
“The [Military Health and Nutrition Examination Study] is the latest in Pennington Biomedical’s extensive history of military health and performance research,” said John Kirwan, executive director of Pennington Biomedical. “Once data gathering is complete, our researchers will provide comprehensive and updated information on the health and habits of our nation’s defenders. The data will also serve as a tremendous reference for our researchers who are identifying strategies to enhance readiness, performance, health, and resilience in soldiers.”
Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a campus of the LSU system.
PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille
Mike the Tiger hits the ground Sept. 21 during LSU’s 34-17 win against UCLA at Tiger Stadium.
TARUN KAKARALA / The Reveille File photo of LSU Corp of Cadets.
ENTERTAINMENT
Up and coming student-led creative collective hits campus
BY ARIS WILLIAMS @arisofmars
Future Ex Youth (FXY), a new and quickly growing creative collective at LSU, began as the vision of two of its founding members. Local musicians Jack Redlich and Sam Ellis began throwing micro-raves at Yes We Cannibal in 2022, attracting the attention of a student who would go on to help establish FXY LSU.
Hill Vanduzee, a film and television senior, has been there since the very beginning and recounted his experience.
“I went to the first events FXY hosted at Yes We Cannibal. Jack and Sam put me on as a videographer/photographer when I expressed interest,” said Vanduzee. “I started taking pictures and videos of them, helping them with creating content. It’s been two years since then.”
From here, FXY created an Instagram page to showcase their events and creative endeavors. This helped the club reach even more LSU students, such as environmental engineering senior Leslie Castaneda. Castaneda may not be a creative by
definition, but she still plays an integral role as treasurer of FXY.
“One day I expressed interest in the vision and helping with the logistics of getting FXY established as a legitimate student organization,” said Castaneda. “Since then, we’ve been able to make great progress as an organization at LSU.”
FXY at LSU’s central and guiding principle is that everyone can create something when given the resources to do so. An art and sound debut recently hosted on campus gave students a taste of what skills they can gain and strengthen by being a part of the organization.
Hannah Malone, a senior
studying architecture, is a creative director for FXY and hopes to ultimately cultivate a community that supports exploration and artistic expression.
“We are striving to make a creative melting pot for LSU students,” said Malone. “There’s a beautiful creative scene here that often gets overlooked. I hope
that FXY sheds more light on it and brings people together.”
FXY is also garnering public support, with sponsorships from the likes of Red Bull, Empire Wings and RedCup LSU, a branch of college culture media company RedCup News. These successes so early in the club’s lifespan could be a hopeful sign for its future.
This shared vision has created deep connections among the club’s members, which proves the power of creating the spaces that you want to see.
“I’m aiming to become a criminal defense attorney, so I want to have as much fun as possible now,” said Carin Kelly, a junior studying sociology who manages operations and outreach for FXY. “All these people are my friends, and I have fun just making content and cool things with them. They’re really creative people, and I love that because it’s very different than my day-to-day environments.”
FXY’s next event is a free artist showcase at Yes We Cannibal on Thursday, September 26, at 6:30 p.m. To keep up with FXY, you can follow the club on Instagram: @fxylsu.
Understanding the Wall Street Journal’s best colleges list
BY OLIVIA TOMLINSON @oliviamersade
LSU remains the top-ranked university in Louisiana but placed No.188 overall in the Wall Street Journal’s latest best colleges rankings.
The Journal released its 2025 edition of the best colleges in the United States, and seven universities in Louisiana made the cut. The newspaper partners with College Pulse and Statista to produce a ranking list of the top 500 universities in the country. To see the entire methodology of the survey click here.
The 2025 list focused on four key factors: student experience, best salaries, social mobility and best value. Best value is a new key factor added to the 2025 list. The 2024 rankings, released in September 2023, were only based on student experience, salary impact and social mobility. LSU has climbed a few places since then.
College Rankings
LSU was placed at No.199 in last year’s list; it moved 11 spots forward in the 2025 ranking. Ranked at No. 188, LSU is the top-ranked university in the state; Loyola University New Orleans is second at No. 371. This wide gap places 183 schools, with better overall scores, between Louisiana’s first and second top-ranked schools.
The Journal gave LSU an overall score of 68.6 out of 100. This overall score is based on three components: student outcome (70%), learning environment (20%) and
diversity (10%).
Student outcomes is further broken into the categories of salary impact (33%), years to pay off net price (17%) and graduation rate impact (20%). This year, LSU received a salary impact score of 70 out of 100 and a graduation rate score of 68 out of 100.
The learning environment component of the score is based on learning opportunities, preparation for career, learning facilities, recommendation score and character score, all studied at an equal 4%.
Learning opportunities received a 62 and preparation for career received a 65. Learning facilities at LSU received a 67, while the recommendation score received a 70.
LSU’s character development received a score of 75.
Princeton University, the highest ranked university on the survey, scored a 73 on career preparedness, an 82 on learning facilities, an 82 on character development and an 86 on the recommendation score.
Diversity is another element that contributes to the overall score. LSU’s diversity was given a score of 60. The diversity components are made up of ethnic diver-
sity, inclusion of students with lower income and inclusion of students with disabilities, all studied at an equal 1.7%.
Lagergren moved to Louisiana from Florida to study landscape architecture at LSU. He believes the overall rating is appropriate for the university.
“It’s accurate,” Lagergren said. “While I was able to get scholarships, it was still difficult, and I know many out-of-state students who were not given the same opportunity.”
Student Experience
The student experience category is defined by the Journal as the colleges students have the best experience at while attending. This section of the rankings is made up of three components: campus facilities (33%), community and social life (33%) and diversity (33%). LSU received a score of 58.2 and is ranked at No. 285 for student experiences.
This year, LSU passed 56 schools in the student experiences category. The increase in score could be from great experiences at smaller, on-campus events to Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium.
LSU’s campus facilities scored a 55 out of 100. The average score is based on food, housing and extracurricular activities on campus, based on the Journal’s student survey.
Community and social life scored a 59 for LSU’s sense of community and diversity scored a 60 for its inclusion of students. Community and social life is based on whether students feel that the university offers a sense of community that also accomodates mental and emotional health.
Best Salaries and Best Value
The 2024 salary ranking category of the Journal’s list, titled “salary impact” has been suspended and replaced with “best salaries.”
According to the Journal’s website, the rankings in this category are in order of their impact on graduates’ salaries and how this relates to the cost of attending the college. This way, students are able to look at the estimated graduates’ salaries, while considering the cost of living in the state.
LSU was ranked No. 131 in last year’s salary impact category and is placed No. 183 this year. This is the only category that the university didn’t move up in. Not all students agree with this score.
“Since I received so much financial aid, the seventy to eighty thousand dollars I am expected to make post graduation feels worth it,” Lagergren said.
LSU received a 70 for its best salary score since the average net price of attending is $18, 761, while the value added to a graduate’s sal-
ary is $33, 297. The Journal concluded that, on average, it would take around two years and three months to pay off the net price.
The best value ranking is based on how quickly the difference between the university’s graduates’ salaries and those of comparable high school graduates’ pays back the average net price of four years of study, according to The Journal. This is what it calls “years to pay off net price.” LSU received a 72.4 in this category.
Social Mobility
LSU scored a 27.4 for social mobility and ranked at No. 189, which is based on LSU’s ability to enhance its students’ social mobility.
“It rewards universities that take in the highest proportion of students coming from lower-income families, while maintaining high graduation rates and having a positive impact on graduate salaries and minimizing the costs of attending the college,” The Journal said.
The research multiplies the “Years to pay off net price” and the “Salary impact” by a metric that reflects the proportion of students at LSU who receive Pell Grants. Also, “Years to pay off net price” and “Salary impact” are measured at an equal weight within the social mobility salary-impact score.
To calculate the social mobility graduation rate score, The Journal multiplied “Graduation rate impact” by a metric that reflects the students of LSU who receive Pell Grants. LSU received a 27 for graduation rate and a 28 for salary impact.
PHOTO COURTESY OF FUTURE EX YOUTH
Future Ex Youth LSU’s Founding Members.
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
Students walk though the Quad Feb. 20, 2024, on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
New medical marijuana dispensary opens in Baton Rouge
BY ARIS WILLIAMS @arisofmars
Capitol Wellness Solutions unveiled Cookies by Capitol Wellness to the general public on Friday, September 20.
This medical marijuana dispensary is Capitol Wellness’ second location in Baton Rouge. It’s also the first medical marijuana dispensary in Louisiana to collaborate with Cookies, a notable brand in medical cannabis with 77 worldwide locations under its belt.
The grand opening event featured a DJ, a second line and vendors, as well as doctors on site to issue medical cards to those with qualifying conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. Capitol Wellness worked in collaboration with Transformative Health Center to offer this service at a discounted rate of $25.
Capitol Wellness’ owner and founder, Randy J. Mire, spoke about what the grand opening means to him and the community.
“We’re just so happy to be able to do this in Louisiana,” said Mire. “Cookies doesn’t usually do cobranding, and we are fortunate enough to have the only official Cookies store in the state of Louisiana. We can now truly operate
the way that a dispensary is supposed to.”
The dispensary’s grand opening marks changing times regarding Baton Rouge’s relationship with cannabis. The work of public officials such as mayoral candidate Edward “Ted” James, who during his time as a state representative spearheaded bills that allow Capitol Wellness Solutions to exist and operate, has played a crucial role in the progress that’s been made.
“As a member of the legislature, I authored one of the first bills to bring medical marijuana to the state of Louisiana,” James said. “We also made sure to include Southern University and LSU’s Agricultural Centers in this. They were the initial growers and played an integral role in all of this.”
Up until recently, Louisiana’s medical marijuana was exclusively grown at Southern University and LSU through collaborations with private companies.
A new law allocated medical marijuana growing licenses to two of those private growers, one of them being Good Day Farms, a company operating out of Ruston, Louisiana, and Baton Rouge. Its products will be sold at Cookies by Capitol Wellness.
With enough people showing up to attend the grand opening to
back up traffic for half a mile, it’s safe to conclude that the people of Baton Rouge want this and are ready to be customers.
James also spoke of the benefits of establishing proper access to medical marijuana.
“I’ve heard countless stories from veterans and parents who had to travel out of state to get the medical cannabis they need for their illnesses. It’s great for the
health of our people and brings economic activity to the state. We are bringing back money not just to the city and state, but also to the institutions of higher learning who were at the forefront of this.”
ARIS WILLIAMS / The Reveille
Attendees gather at the front of the store for the official ribbon cutting.
GEAUX FOR THE GOAL
LSU soccer beats Ole Miss 1-0 in SEC home opener
The LSU soccer team celebrates a goal scored by sophomore forward Andrea Iljkic (19) on Sept. 22 at the LSU Soccer Stadium in Baton
LSU soccer sophomore forward Andrea Iljkic (19) defends against attacking Ole Miss players on Sept. 22 at the LSU Soccer Stadium in
LSU soccer sophomore defender Caley Swierenga (17) jumps over Ole Miss’ Kayla Keefer to head the ball on Sept. 22 at the LSU Soccer Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
LSU soccer sophomore forward Andrea Iljkic (19) prepares to kick the winning goal on Sept. 22 at the LSU Soccer Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
PHOTOS BY GABRIELLA GUILLORY
FOOTBALL
SPORTS South Alabama Game Preview
BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8
On Tuesday, Sept. 12, South Alabama defeated Northwestern State in a pummeling 87-10 win.
The Jaguars made national headlines, as it was the most points in a game by an FBS team since 1991. They had a 52-10 lead going into halftime after putting up 203 yards of total offense in the second quarter alone.
Because of the atrocity that was taking place, the fourth quarter was shortened to six minutes.
Just as it was against Northwestern State, the Jaguars’ offense has been the engine of the team.
“Really good football team. [South Alabama head coach] Major Applewhite’s done a great job,” Brian Kelly said. “Had a great road win at Appalachian State this past weekend, really tore them apart 48-14.”
South Alabama ranks sixth in the nation in total points scored this season with 193, which is the highest amongst Group of Five conference schools, and ninth in points per game with 48.3, which ranks second amongst Group of Five schools.
They also rank 13th in the country and second in the Group of Five in total offensive yards per game with 504.5.
While the numbers might be elevated due to the Jaguars’ 77-point win, this is an offense that has a rhythm, and one that’s allowed South Alabama to win its last two
WHAT NOW?
LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. out for the season
BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8
LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL, per 247sports’ Matt Zenitz.
Perkins suffered the injury in the third quarter of LSU’s 34-17 win over UCLA on Saturday.
Before he knew the severity of the injury, head coach Brian Kelly said on Saturday that the team would be able to supplement the loss of Perkins with senior linebacker West Weeks.
Perkins was named to Second Team All-SEC in 2023 and was a Freshman All-American and First Team All-SEC member in 2022.
In just over two seasons, Perkins totaled 162 tackles, 13 sacks, six forced fumbles, two interceptions and eight pass deflections. This season, he had 16 total tackles.
Perkins was given the prestigious No. 7 going into his junior season, a number that is given to electric LSU playmakers, many of whom go on to the NFL, like Derek Stingley Jr., Tyrann Ma-
BASKETBALL, from page 2
er, Kailyn Gilbert, Mjracle Sheppard and Shayeann Day-Wilson.
Wolfenbarger transferred to LSU from Arkansas, as she committed to the Tigers on March 25. The 6-foot-5 forward will look to play a similar role to Morrow with her ability to bounce between the frontcourt and the backcourt.
In the 2022-23 season, Wolfenbarger averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. She was a member of the SEC All-Freshman team for the 2021-22 season with 7.6 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game.
In April, LSU added Gilbert, Sheppard and Day-Wilson.
Gilbert transferred to LSU from Arizona, where last season she averaged a team-leading 15.1 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists per game. She also finished with a 41.9 field goal percentage.
FOOTBALL
Early-game struggles show strength
BY TRE ALLEN
This season for LSU has been a complex and challenging one.
After defeating UCLA last week 34-17, the Tigers improved to 3-1 on the season. They’ll take on South Alabama this Saturday before their bye week. LSU is favored by two scores and is expected to win this game, but they will need to set the tone not just against the Jaguars but for the rest of the season as well.
The theme for the season for LSU has been slow first halves and strong second halves. Whether it’s the offense failing to put up points and missing opportunities or the defense giving up big plays and failing to get off the field, one of these things seems inevitable every game for the Tigers.
There are a few ways you can look at it.
thieu, Leonard Fournette and Patrick Peterson.
The junior linebacker from New Orleans burst on the scene his freshman season, especially in SEC play. Arguably his most notable performance came against Alabama in 2022, where he finished with eight total tackles and a pass deflection.
But the game where he truly made his presence known was in Fayetteville in LSU’s 13-10 win his freshman season. In that game, Perkins totaled eight tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass deflection.
Sheppard, who transferred from Mississippi State, averaged five points per game along with 2.6 rebounds per game and 2.1 assists per game last season.
The former Bulldog guard excels most on the defensive side of the ball, where she’s presented challenges to Mulkey’s previous LSU teams. Last season, Sheppard averaged 1.4 steals per game.
Day-Wilson transferred to LSU after playing two seasons at Duke, but she played at Miami last season. At Miami, she averaged 11.9 points per game along with 2.7 rebounds per game and 3.5 assists per game.
All of LSU’s transfers this offseason add needed depth to the guard position, as Last-Tear Poa is also set to return to the backcourt along with Johnson and Williams.
But the Tigers also added Jada Richard, a true freshman from Lafayette Christian Academy.
Richard was ranked as a fourstar out of high school, and a top-
The first way is that this can hurt LSU for the rest of the season. We first saw this against USC in Week 1, where the Tigers came up short, losing 27-20.
LSU only scored 10 points in the first half, but it could’ve been more if they converted a 4th-andgoal on the first drive of the game. There was also an unsportsmanlike conduct call on wide receiver Kyren Lacy after a touchdown that allowed USC to have good field position and added a field goal to their score.
Another example is the first
100 recruit, according to ESPNW. She was Louisiana’s Gatorade Player of the Year last season, and she finished her high school career with four state championships.
“I saw that young lady hit almost 40 against Mikaylah’s [Williams] team in high school,” Mulkey said. “She understands the point guard position as good as anybody I’ve coached.”
Mulkey expects this season’s team to be athletic; a team with speed and quickness.
With Angel Reese now in the WNBA, the biggest challenge for this LSU team will be its rebounding.
That being said, it may be an unfamiliar look from the Tigers this season. They very well could be a team that plays quick, drives to the basket, and can hurt teams on the perimeter.
But all in all, the team will provide a look that Mulkey and her staff can certainly work with.
@treday0314
see SOUTH ALABAMA, page 10
see FIRST HALF, page 10
MORGAN COOK / The Reveille
LSU football sophomore linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (4) smiles Nov. 25, 2023, during LSU’s 42-30 win against Texas A&M at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
MORGAN COOK / The Reveille
Young LSU women’s basketball fans hold up signs March 24 during LSU’s 83-56 second-round NCAA tournament win against Middle Tennessee at the Pete Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, La.
ALABAMA, from page 9
games after dropping its first two.
Over the past two weeks, the Jaguars have outscored their opponents 135-24.
“They’ve got 28 FBS transfer portal players on the roster, nine of them from SEC schools,” Kelly said. “This is a team that has some really good football players.”
The Jaguars’ offense works most efficiently on the ground, as it ranks 14th in the country in total rushing yards on the season with 947. In a 48-14 win over Appalachian State, South Alabama ran the ball 43 times
HALF, from page 9
half against Nicholls. In a game where LSU was favored by roughly 46 points, the score was 23-14 at halftime. The defense couldn’t contain the Nicholls offense.
Even on the first possession of the second half, the Colonels scored, making it only a two-point deficit. Although the Tigers were able to pull away in the second, winning 44-21, it was concerning knowing the tougher tests that were to come.
In Week 3, LSU traveled to Columbia to take on South Carolina. Everyone expected it to be a hardfought game, but it wasn’t even close at first: LSU trailed 17-0 early in the first half.
The offense had three consecu-
for 320 yards and scored five times on the ground.
Their run game is led by Fluff Bothwell, who is a true freshman running back. He’s part of a fiveway tie for 11th in total rushing touchdowns with six, and he ranks 30th in the country in total rushing yards with 359. Bothwell averages 9.7 yards per carry on 37 attempts.
Running Back Kentrel Bullock is right behind Bothwell with 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries.
Alongside Bothwell and Bullock is a quarterback that is able to use his legs as well: Gio Lopez. On 21
tive punts to start the game, and the defense allowed points in three out of its first four possessions.
With the inability to move the ball on offense and the defense having no answer for South Carolina’s offense, it looked like LSU was heading to a 1-2 record.
However, the tide shifted.
LSU responded, and with South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers going down to an ankle injury, the Tigers defeated the Gamecocks 36-33.
It was yet another slow first and strong second half to save the season for the Tigers.
It was no different this past week against UCLA. LSU came out strong on offense scoring on the first drive of the game but turned the ball over on downs on the sec-
carries, Lopez has run for 171 yards, including a 50-yard carry and two touchdowns.
Lopez has also thrown for 843 passing yards, completing 57 of his 92 pass attempts. He’s thrown for nine touchdowns and has yet to throw an interception.
His favorite target this season has been Jamaal Pritchett, who’s caught 26 passes for 355 yards and four touchdowns. Tight end D.J. Thomas-Jones has been a red zone threat with three touchdowns on six receptions.
“These [Lopez and Bothwell] are two outstanding freshmen play-
ond drive.
The defense had moments, but also gave up 17 points. Blown coverages to accommodate it made for another stressful half for the defense.
However, the Tigers made adjustments in the second and came out with the win, 34-17 after outscoring the Bruins 17-0 after halftime.
Now why does all of this matter?
LSU has played nowhere near the talent yet they will face down the road. There’s No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 21 Oklahoma, No. 4 Alabama and No. 24 Texas A&M. You also can’t forget the tricky games, like on the road at Arkansas and Florida.
If LSU continues this pattern
ers that you have to keep an eye on,” Kelly said. “Pritchett, the wide receiver, is very, very gifted and skilled.”
With South Alabama’s run-heavy offense, there might not be a better time for LSU’s front seven to have a rhythm of its own. In LSU’s last two games, defensive end Bradyn Swinson has racked up five sacks, 10 total tackles, and two forced fumbles. On the other edge, Sai’vion Jones has totaled 1.5 sacks, nine tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Linebacker Whit Weeks also had 18 total tackles in the past two games.
of slow starts on either side of the ball, it can very well hurt them in these more challenging games.
There may not be an opportunity to get back in the game if you’re down 17-0 against a team like Ole Miss or don’t have an answer on defense for a team like Alabama.
And now with news that star defensive player Harold Perkins will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL, things get harder for this LSU team.
But as I said before, this problem for LSU is like a double-edged sword. There was another theme that was picked up throughout all those games, and it was the ability to have a strong second half.
Against UCLA and Nicholls, LSU didn’t allow a single point and separated themselves by the end of the
“Him [Swinson], Sai’vion, our interior players, certainly doing a great job of disrupting offenses,” Kelly said.
The Tigers’ defense limited UCLA to 14 net rushing yards, so keeping that momentum up front early will be key for LSU.
A quick start overall is crucial for LSU. And after that quick start, keeping its foot on the gas and putting together a complete game could pay dividends for the Tigers going forward.
“We know we can dominate our opponents in the second half, now we have to do it for four quarters,”
game. Against USC, LSU was able to get key stops on fourth downs and gave themselves multiple opportunities to win the game.
During South Carolina, LSU rallied back down 17 points, and the defense was able to force turnovers and get stops. Facing adversity, it prevailed and pulled out a tough win on the road. They also saw the emergence of freshman Caden Durham, which now gives them another option at running back.
There are always two sides to a story.
While the struggles of the first half can end up hurting them as they play more highly ranked teams, LSU has the experience and composure from coming back in games and tightening up in the second half.
SOUTH
FIRST
OPINION
Letter to the Editor: LSU is still an athletics-first institution
BY A. RAVI P. RAU
Here we go again, further proof and branding of LSU as an athletic, not academic, institution. The Board of Supervisors will give a high six-figure bonus to President Tate atop his already million-dollar compensation (The Reveille: “Unconstitutional,” September 23).
When the Attorney General questions such “incentive compensation” that is being awarded to a president for the first time as possibly even against the state constitution, the Board Chairman justifies it as being done in athletics.
Athletic values rule, no justification based on looking at the academic side of U.S. universities, nor any consistency with the fact that presidents and chancellors are given faculty tenure. At least football coaches are at risk
and indeed can be fired if they lose a couple of games.
Decades ago, when again LSU was the first public institution that suddenly boosted then chancellor Emmert‘s salary completely out of scale with that of professors, the justification was again comparison with athletics, the offer at that time to coach Nick Saban.
Now it is again athletic coaches held up to start these incentive bonuses for administrators. In his case, Emmert’s whole career trajectory was aimed at becoming an athletics commissioner.
It is almost a joke that the Board lists “incentives” as higher student retention rates and faculty research grants, all of which rest on the academic work of students and faculty, a president having little to do with it.
Yet it is the president who gets the credit/bonus! All of this is on
par with Louisiana doublespeak where education support was the façade to push legal gambling through the legislature. And once that was achieved, school and college budgets were slashed.
So too at LSU, where decades go by of a pitiful library while sports palaces are quickly funded. And at the same time as we learn of these newly invented bonuses, the administration on budgetary grounds denies faculty searches even to replace retirements.
Yet the same six or seven hundred thousand dollar bonus amount could pay a professor’s alary for several years and it is such a hire that holds prospect of bringing in grant monies of those amounts.
A. R. P. Rau is a professor of physics and astronomy and LSU faculty member for 50 years.
Putting firearms in schools is like fighting fire with fire
GARRETT’S GAVEL
GARRETT MCENTEE @9are_bear
Tragedy struck Apalachee High School on Sept. 4. Colt Gray, 14, a student of Apalachee High used an AR-15 rifle to kill two students, two teachers and wound nine others; this included eight students and one teacher, resulting in their hospitalization.
In the aftermath of this violent crime, people across America began fighting about what to do to keep children and their caretakers safe. Some propose gun-control, stricter policing and/or metal detectors. Others are rallying behind the idea that we should arm our educators. They believe that teachers should have guns in classrooms ready to fire at any danger that comes lurking. This is an understandable response as guns have been seen as a tool of safety since their inception. However, the notion that arming teachers will stop school shootings (or even decrease them) is naive and fruitless.
I’d like to start with the fact that in modern history extremely few mass shootings ended with the gunman being shot. The New York Times released an article in June of
EDITORIAL BOARD
Colin Falcon Editor in Chief
Buzbee
2022 stating that out of “433” active shooting threats, only “120” ended with the gunman being shot by a bystander or police officer. Statistically speaking, guns don’t solve gun violence.
If teachers are armed, I have a few logistical questions that would have to be answered by the government. Questions like: What firearms would educators be provided? Do we give our teachers revolvers to use against AR’s? And, do we now discriminate against who can be a teacher on the basis of if they’re capable of properly handling a gun?
If we go off of what law enforcement officers must do, then every teacher that is armed must complete an exam which tests their gun competency. In the state of Louisiana, police must shoot a 96/120 to remain an officer of the law, according to La. Admin. Code tit. 22 III-4723. This score must then be maintained every year.
Teachers get paid dirt across the nation, and the education system is just as poorly funded, so, who is paying for the arming of these teachers?
This is completely ignoring the fact that schools are supposed to be a safe space for kids. Regardless of the reality of schools not being perfect, nor 100% safe, if we arm our teachers then, we’re teaching our youth that safety only comes from combating violence with violence.
As a future educator, I wanted to
get an active educator’s perspective on this topic. Luckily, Abby Netterville, an educator at Kenilworth Science and Technology Academy here in Baton Rouge, LA accepted my offer for an interview. Netterville is an educator with 20 years of experience consisting of time in both public and private school institutions.
“A teacher’s role is complex,” Netterville said. “Teachers are asked to protect their student by ensuring they are in a safe place, hidden from sight, if possible, ensuring that they stay calm, and ensuring they stay quiet. As a teacher, if it’s possible, I’ll encourage my students to run away from the school to a safe place.”
It’s sad that we even have to have conversations about this with children in the first place, but unfortunately, that’s today’s reality.
“Although I can understand arguments for and against it, personally I do not believe that teachers should be armed,” Netterville said. “I think that off duty or retired police or military [personnel] should be hired as school security guards or school resource officers not only to protect, but to deter active shooter situations. I don’t think it’s fair to ask a teacher to possibly shoot and kill someone who is potentially one of our own students or former students to protect our other students, not when our instinct is to protect them all.”
The notion that arming educa-
tors is the solution to gun violence in school is just fighting fire with fire, and it raises several logistical and ethical questions. The last thing we want to do is turn our schools into warzones.
Educators like Netterville help highlight the complex roles of teachers during these violent and dangerous situations, which further emphasizes the need for alternative, non-violent strategies from people in the field of education.
Instead of shooting back, we as a society need to prioritize finding the root causes of violence (especially amongst younger generations). We must utilize mental
health support, community engagement, effective gun control policies and more effective anti-violence figures in our schools.
If we work hard enough, we can create an environment that prioritizes growth, creativity and learning that’s safe for our children. More guns may seem like the easiest fix, but the safety of children cannot rest on an educator with a pistol alone. We, as a society, must codify a better way to ensure the environment that our most vulnerable people should be raised in.
Garrett McEntee is a 19-year-old English freshman from Benton.
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Quote of the Week
“There’s a moment where you have to choose whether to be silent or stand up.”
on all editorial decisions.
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
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
LSU President William F. Tate IV listens to Todd Manuel speak on January 24 at a Faculty Senate meeting within the Woods Auditorium.
DANNY JOHNSTON / AP Photo
A Clarksville Schools faculty member, top right, carries an air-powered practice handgun to a classroom as firearms instructors, left, watch and students, lying on the floor, portray victims during a training exercise in Clarksville, Ark.
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