Student government ticket disqualified for bribery.
Gymnastics freshman Kailin Chio became a star overnight. Here’s how.
‘POOR MAN’S
PARADE’
Every year, Spanish Town residents don extravagant pink ensembles for Baton Rouge’s biggest parade.
Read on page 2
THINK PINK
Learn the unique history behind Baton Rouge’s Spanish Town parade
BY ASHLYNN BAILLIO & OLIVIA TOMLINSON Staff Writer & Entertainment Editor
Each year, a flock of two dozen, large flamboyant pink flamingos land in the LSU lakes, meaning one thing: Spanish Town Mardi Gras is near.
These plywood birds are claimed by Baton Rouge locals who boat or paddle out to the lakes, with this prideful practice first beginning 1981. The “adoption” of the birds began as a small, Spanish Town neighborhood celebration; however, it has since become Baton Rouge’s biggest Mardi Gras tradition. Once collected, these birds will sit on the front porch of homes and businesses throughout Mid City.
As a mascot for the parade, the pink flamingo represents the saying “poor taste is better than no taste at all,” which has become a mantra for Spanish Town. This historic district of Baton Rouge was established in 1805 and is most known for its Mardi Gras parade, which has been celebrated annually on the Saturday before Mardi Gras since 1981.
The Baton Rouge Spanish Town parade represents the spunky spirit of Spanish Town, with the color and creativity telling Baton Rouge residents that being quirky is the new normal. This parade and krewe sets itself apart from other Mardi Gras parades throughout Louisiana, with its lively floats, satirical themes and one unmistakable symbol: the pink flamingo.
Every year, the parade is organized by the Mystic Krewe for the Preservation of Lagniappe in Louisiana (SPLL). SPLL has donated $1.4 million to local charities that they raise via donations from krewe members. Robert King, president of SPLL, has held this title for the past five years. King began riding in the parade in 1983, when the parade only consisted of neighborhood kids walking down Spanish Town Road, beating cardboard boxes and having fun.
“If you ever ride in it, you see the smiling faces, people begging for beads,” King said. “It’s such a great adventure.”
In 1984, King remembers Spanish Town residents beginning to incorporate pickup trucks in the parade route and it only grew from there. Now, the parade is about two miles long, with 75 floats, each float holding up to 50 riders.
“One of the great things about Spanish town is it’s friendly to people where they can go through and experience it and get to see everything firsthand before they roll,” King said. “We’re not your typical Mardi Gras parade.”
The parade is known for its
unique and out-of-the-box experience. Parade-goers can be seen wearing lots of pink, glitter, fur and many more crazy style choices to stand out in the crowd. Pink has become the official color of the parade because of the iconic color of the flamingo. Pink decorations and costumes are always common to see on the Saturday before Mardi Gras, making Baton Rouge natives stray away from the typical purple, green and gold.
“If we didn’t upset you then we’re not doing our job,” King said. “We call ourselves a poor man’s parade.”
The flamingo tradition only started a few years ago when the Krewe began to place pink flamingos in and around the LSU lakes, so people could steal one to let everyone across the city know that Spanish Town parade and ball would be coming up. The Krewe puts as many as 150 flamingos around town every year.
Since the LSU lakes have been under construction, flamingos have been added to various places in and out of Baton Rouge, with hopes of expanding the parade’s reach.
“The flamingo is our spirit animal.”
ROBERT KING President of SPLL
“The flamingo is our spirit animal,” King said. “If you ever see how peaceful and serene a flamingo is standing there on one leg, and they just look like nothing bothers them in the world, and they just look happy to be there.”
Not only does the parade stand out with its foolery, but the Krewe also does good for the community. Every year, the parade riders organize meals for the police working the event. The krewe also donates around $80,000 to $100,000 to local charities including the Children’s Advocacy Center, Baton Rouge Food Bank, Dreams Come True and Folds of Honor.
The Krewe begins lining up around 9 a.m on the day of the parade and welcomes people to come by for a close up look of the floats. The parade always begins at noon and starts the route on Spanish Town Road, heading to Ninth, North, Fourth, Main, Ninth, Laurel, Fourth, Florida, Seventh to Convention streets and River Road, ending at North Street.
“I don’t know what it is about Spanish Town, but it makes people smile and enjoy life.”
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PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID NORMAND
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID NORMAND
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID NORMAND
DEI ROLLBACKS
LSU complying with federal directive to swiftly remove DEI programs and content
BY JASON WILLIS Managing Editor
LSU is in the midst of complying with an order from the U.S. Department of Education calling for public schools and universities to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs and prevent race-based discrimination.
The ‘dear colleague’ letter, issued by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights on Feb. 14, said “discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible.” It also cited the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard in which it ruled that factoring racial preferences into college admissions is illegal.
“LSU has received and is addressing the ‘dear colleague’ letter from the Department of Education issued last week,”
STUDENT
LIFE
Do minority students feel represented on campus?
BY TORI BONIN Staff Writer
The Reveille asked LSU students from across several organizations, majors and years whether they feel represented on a campus of over 30,000, in hopes of understanding student sentiment surrounding inclusivity.
Members of Greek organizations and groups like the Asian and Black Student Unions explain they feel underrepresented at LSU, which has impacted their college experience.
“I don’t have a professor who necessarily looks like me,” said Bailey Walker, a senior studying sports administration and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. “So that does make a difference. I’m looked at differently by being one of the only Black women, or a Black student in my classroom altogether.”
Savannah Moore, a sophomore industrial engineering major, had a different opinion when asked if she felt represented.
“I feel like there’s a lot of different clubs and opportunities for
, page 4
LSU Board of Supervisors Chair Scott Ballard said at Friday’s board meeting.
The letter sent by the Department of Education isn’t legally binding, but it did contain threats to withhold federal funding if not complied with.
LSU officials have been instructed to eliminate all references to DEI on university websites and materials and review “student, academic or campus programming which separates, segregates or otherwise differentiates students or employees based on race or sex,” according
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
to a memo obtained by the Reveille sent by LSU’s general counsel’s office to LSU Vice President of Strategy and Public Policy Jason Droddy and the heads of the satellite schools within the LSU system.
The memo also asked LSU officials to end separate graduation ceremonies for certain demographics and diversity initiatives in hiring, as well as evaluate the future of scholarship programs for which race is a factor.
In addition, LSU sent out to senior colleges a spreadsheet
of over 1,300 university website pages containing keywords related to “diversity,” “equity” and “inclusion.” According to a spokesperson, the list was created by an automatic webcrawler, which resulted in the identification of unrelated pages, such as pages under the School of Agriculture that mention biodiversity.
The spokesperson said the list was meant to aid those overseeing senior college websites, but they’re encouraged to use their best judgment.
The “primary focus is identifying existing DEI programs and initiatives and the associated websites,” the spokesperson said, and archival material is “permissible.”
The Board of Supervisors was already set to receive a report from LSU on Feb. 28 detailing the entirety of its DEI programs, including curriculum and senior college departments,
Forward campaign disqualified from student gov. elections
BY REVEILLE STAFF
The Forward campaign for Student Government was disqualified Monday following an election court order finding the ticket liable for bribery.
The decision stems from a complaint filed by Lavar Henderson and Abry Layrisson of the Henderson-Layrisson campaign alleging Nick Foret, Forward’s presidential candidate, extended an offer to take any member of LSU’s chapter of Alpha Tau Omega who was interested in supporting their campaign to dinner. The offer was relayed by Jake Zubrzycki, president of ATO, at a weekly chapter meeting.
The campaign’s actions provided an advantage in garnering support not afforded to other tickets, according to a unanimous decision from the SG Judicial Branch Election Court.
“An offer to take anyone in the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity to dinner does constitute a benefit holding more than a de minimis value under 6 S.G.C. §817(2),” the order read. “[4] Under 6 S.G.C. §817(2), the Forward ticket is liable for an act of bribery resulting from Mr. Zubrzycki’s statement at the Alpha Tau Omega chapter meeting.”
Forward released a statement Tuesday addressing the
decision, vowing to continue its campaign.
“Despite a recent decision made by a select few, which bypassed the voices of over 40,000 LSU Tigers, the spirit of this campaign remains unbroken,”
Foret said in a video posted to Forward’s Instagram account.
“This decision does not deter us from our mission to serve and advocate for every student.”
Foret said the campaign will be appealing the decision, which assessed Forward eight penalties, two more than the six required for disqualification. If upheld, all Forward candidates will be forbidden from running in the upcoming SG election.
The campus-wide SG election will be March 20-21. Regis -
tration is closed with the official campaigns set to be revealed Friday. Besides the HendersonLayrisson ticket, the Unite and Qureshi-Gray campaigns will also be on the ballot.
as requested in its October resolution. Ballard said that deadline had been moved back to March 7 so that the report could be aligned to the new federal instructions.
LSU previously sent a comprehensive report of DEI programs, not including curriculum, to the Louisiana legislature after it passed a law in October asking all of the state’s public universities to do so.
LSU President William F. Tate IV appeared before the Louisiana House Education Committee on Feb. 12 and was pressed on LSU’s ongoing efforts to remove DEI programs and all mentions of the term after renaming its Division of Inclusion, Civil Rights and Title IX to the Division of Engagement, Civil Rights and Title IX in January 2024. He said that like with any rebranding, there are still “remnants” of the old information, and LSU is still addressing that.
ACADEMICS
English professor becomes bestseller
BY SHELBY VARGA Staff Writer
Last year, LSU creative writing professor Maurice Carlos Ruffin’s historical novel became a critically acclaimed national bestseller.
Set in 19th century New Orleans, Ruffin’s novel “The American Daughters” aimed to shine a light on the often overlooked achievements of the women from the era.
“The book is really about community, friendship and sisterhood … It is a deep topic, but it’s also a lot of fun,” Ruffin said.
The book follows a young enslaved girl named Ady as she grows up. Ady and her mother are brought to New Orleans in the 1840s, where she learns about and joins the American Daughters, a spy ring fighting for freedom, liberation and a new future for America.
“The American Daughters” represented Louisiana at the Library of Congress’ 2024 National Book Festival, an event that unites bestselling authors from
PHOTO COURTESY OF FORETTATMAN2025
PHOTO COURTESY OF FORETATMAN2025
AUTHOR, from page 3
all across the country to share their work and allow for panel discussions, meet and greets and the signing of thousands of books.
“It was a great privilege that my little book had the opportunity to travel all the way up to Washington, D.C. to represent the city and the state,” Ruffin said.
Out of Ruffin’s three publications so far, “The American Daughters” is a national bestseller, with the American Book Association having it as one of the top sellers last year. The book was also on lists such as the Kirkus Reviews’ Best Book of the Year and Electric Lit’s Best Novels Of 2024.
All of Ruffin’s books have been New York Times Editor’s Choice selections. Ruffin himself has been the recipient of the Louisiana Writer Award and the Iowa Review Award in fiction, the winner of the Faulkner Society’s William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition and has made appearances in literary reviews across the country.
Roy Haggerty, LSU’s executive vice president, provost and chief academic officer, said he highly recommends “The American Daughters” and is proud to support creative work such as Ruffin’s.
“This is a really important part of the human experience that universities should nurture,” Haggerty said.
Ruffin said he began research for what would become the nov-
REPRESENTATION, from page 3
different backgrounds to join and to connect and so overall for me, I never felt out of place being here,” Moore said.
Moore is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, one of the prominent NPHC Greek organizations on campus. Junior Chandler Collins, studying apparel design, serves as AKA’s vice president.
“I think my organization, specifically my chapter and NPHC in general, does a great job of representing the Black community,” Collins said. “I think that through us, we have a lot of representation in a lot of different types of rooms: Student Government and different types of orgs all over campus. So I do think we as a Divine Nine do a great job of representing the community.”
The Multicultural Greek Council, the newest Greek council on LSU’s campus, was created to give more representation to different communities within LSU. Junior Britney Tobar, studying psychology and French on the pre-med track, is a founding member and vice president of Eta Iota, LSU’s chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority.
“I actually transferred here from West Texas A&M University and it was a big culture shock,” Tobar said. “In Louisiana, there are not a lot of Hispanics or a lot of Hispanic stores, so it was kind
el on his own accord in 2004. He hadn’t heard much about the contribution of New Orleans during the Civil War, so he started going through archives to better understand his city’s history. He began to speculate that New Orleans lacked the sizable battles of other southern cities due to a large population of spies. Ruffin said it wasn’t until years later that he began to write “The American Daughters” and that all of his prior research was done out of his own personal desire to learn more about his community and its history.
One World, Ruffin’s publisher which he said he greatly appreciates, anticipated so much success that it had Ruffin sign 5,000 loose-leaf pages to be later put into books. One World then sent him on a book tour across the country, where Ruffin went to book festivals, universities and book signings.
Ruffin said that many women’s stories throughout history have gone undocumented, pushing him even further to tell their stories. Due to the lack of records, Ruffin said he had to speculate on his character’s personalities and diction. He thought that his ancestors would be similar to his mother, grandmother and aunts, and suddenly, by tapping into his life experiences, he was able to personify his characters much better.
Since the story is set through the 1840s-’60s, Ruffin said he drew influence from authors like Toni Morrison, Charles Dickens and Virginia Woolf to create a
voice that sounded like it could have been from over a hundred years ago. Ruffin said he found some playfulness writing this way, comparing it to musicians who cover a song with their own spin on it.
Ruffin also credits playwright August Wilson, who wrote many plays aset in his hometown of Pittsburgh during different decades of the 20th century. Ruffin has done something similar in his work by setting all of his books in New Orleans in varying time periods.
His first book, “We Cast A Shadow,” is set in the future; “The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You: Stories” is set in the present and “The American Daughters” is set in the distant past. Ruffin is currently working on a fourth book set in New
of weird for me because I was like ‘Oh, where do I get my groceries?’ I didn’t know anybody to ask either.”
Tobar is also the vice president of the Latin American Student Organization on campus, which she joined after only a few weeks of being at LSU. LASO is dedicated to the promotion and success of the Hispanic and Latino community and culture.
“We are a very small Latino community at LSU, so I see why,” Tobar said, “and although there are resources, there’s not enough. The biggest organization that I know of for us is LASO and even being able to find them is pretty
Orleans during World War II that revolves around women’s involvement in fighting for freedom all around the world.
“My goals are interesting because they’re always kind of patriotic,” Ruffin said. “Because I think that we Americans are really good at standing up for our rights and fighting for freedom.”
Ruffin’s intention in writing “The American Daughters” was to tell the stories of the women in Louisiana who supported the fight for their country and freedom. However, Ruffin said that as a man, many people did not expect him to have written a book like this. He thinks this because of the lack of ef-
seen and represented. Junior predental kinesiology major An Tra serves as vice president and marketing junior Lisa Vo serves as the public relations lead.
“Representation also challenges stereotypes, educates the broader LSU community and ensures that AAPI perspectives are considered in campus decisions, media coverage and student life,” Tra and Vo said. “Ultimately, it’s about making sure every student has the opportunity to thrive at LSU.”
ASU was created because students felt underrepresented, and the organization has made it their mission to share Asian culture with the LSU community.
difficult and it usually takes a while.”
According to an LSU Office of Data and Strategic Analytics webpage that has since been removed, this semester, people who identify as Hispanic make up 3,315 of the 34,737 students that attend LSU. In comparison, there are 6,609 Black students and 19,762 white students enrolled at the university.
An even smaller demographic at LSU is the Asian community, which includes 1,565 students. The Asian Student Union is a student organization that was founded to create a community to ensure students of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community feel
One of the major advocacy and cultural groups on campus is the Black Student Union. With over 1,000 members, BSU focuses on the general welfare of the Black population at LSU. They hold community, social and political events as well as complete community service. Senior Jordyn Robinson, a civil engineering major, serves as the president of BSU.
“I think they represent us in an arm’s length away kind of way,” Robinson said of LSU. “They’re like, ‘We know you’re here and are one of our very active student organizations, but we also do want to keep y’all at a distance.’”
Robinson explained that BSU has had many encounters with LSU staff keeping them in the background whether it be putting
fort made by others to pay more respect to the women they care about.
Ruffin recognized his mother as an inspiration for this book and said she has enjoyed it immensely. Other women have gone to social media to commend Ruffin and thank him for his writing. Ruffin even had fans at events all around the country say they were pleased to see a part of Louisiana’s history that is not often touched on.
“I want to give a gift to the community I love and the people I love, which is – of course – my ancestors but also New Orleans, and Louisiana and America,” Ruffin said.
them in a backfield for an event or only allowing them a small event for welcome week. For Robinson, the best way to combat lack of representation is community.
“I want large groups everywhere we go. The best way to do it is to keep throwing large-scale events. People have to stay involved in the community at LSU,” Robinson said. “You can join five separate groups as long as you’re involved in those groups, students are collaborating. If they see 500 people on Free Speech Alley, they are going to listen to us.”
Some felt as though it is not the university’s responsibility to represent students.
“I feel like there’s communities here for everyone, definitely, but to say LSU as a whole represents, I don’t know, that just the people that kind of group together at some point,” said Maya Ajodha, an agriculture education and extension junior.
Jordan LeBlanc, a junior mass communication major, believes that representation is the key to innovation at LSU.
“I personally do feel represented at LSU. However, I believe that LSU should continue to push itself to be more inclusive,” LeBlanc said. “We have such a diverse student population and I think that it’s important that everyone feels heard and represented. If we do this, it’s much more likely that our university will become a hub for new ideas and innovation.”
REI ZIMMERMAN / The Reveille Students walk though the Quad Feb. 3 on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAURICE CARLOS RUFFIN
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAURICE CARLOS RUFFIN
ENTERTAINMENT
Eight Mardi Gras menus to check out around Baton Rouge
BY EMILY BRACHER Staff Writer
Mardi Gras is here and many restaurants, coffee shops and local businesses have added seasonal drinks and dishes to their menus. Whether it’s a purple, green and gold beverage or a festive cookie, here are some places to check out before the celebrations are over:
House Brew located at 2678 Government St. has multiple Mardi Gras drinks this season. The “Krewe de Ube” is the customer’s choice of either a latte or matcha base, sweetened with brown sugar and ube cold foam. The colors perfectly blend together for a Fat Tuesday treat.
The “Toasted Praline Crunch” is a praline flavored latte with a crunch brulee top. If these don’t sound tasty, House Brew also offers the “Carnival Latte,” which is a classic latte with king cake flavor.
Spanky’s, located at 411 Ben Hur Rd, brought back its famous “Kickin’ King Cake” daiquiri, for only a limited time. Taste the essence of Mardi Gras in this purple, gold and green daiquiri.
Magpie Cafe located at 3205 Perkins Road, released its Spring drink menu, which includes a homemade “Let The Good Times Roll” drink, with king cake syrup, espresso and a milk of choice. The shop also offers mini king cakes.
Light House Coffee will have its annual “King Cake Latte” available until March 1, so be sure to grab one before Fat Tuesday. The shop is located at 257 Lee Drive.
If you’re in the mood for king cake, but don’t feel like buying a whole one, Caroline’s Cookies has many cookie flavors inspired by the famous Mardi Gras dessert. Its menu includes the “Original King Cake Cookie”, “Cream Cheese King Cake Cookie”, “Chocolate King Cake Cookie”, “Biscoff King Cake Cookie” and a “Bavarian Cream King Cake Cookie”.
The menu also offers two regular sized king cakes: blueberry cream cheese and pecan cream cheese. Caroline’s Cookie’s has two locations: one at 7575 Jefferson Hwy Suite D and the other at 110 Perkins Rowe.
If you’re looking for a king cake flavor that’s not liquid, Rotolo’s Pizzeria has a “King Cake Calzone,” with the options of either tradition or apple cream cheese. This menu option is available until March 4, at 8342 Perkins Road.
Mardi Gras Mambo gives students a festive Louisiana experience
BY LANA LAWSON Staff Writer
Campus Life brought food, beads and carnival fun to the Mardi Gras Mambo event held on Tower Drive, on Feb. 25.
The event featured an exclusive LSU themed float, where students had the opportunity to catch beads from Mike the Tiger. Students and faculty who attended could also hear live music from the Mardi Gras Indians, get their faces painted and enjoy some free food.
In and out of state students had the chance to receive a taste of Mardi Gras through the different types of New Orleans style dishes and desserts. Dishes including king cake, beignets and po-boys were just some of the many treats served.
Caitlyn Morrison, Campus Life’s manager of campus events, explained that this year’s Mardi Gras Mambo was a success, with a turnout of around 3,000 students.
She mentioned that a lot of time and planning went into the production of the event, and it was planned a year in advance.
“We’ve kind of had this on our calendar for a long time,” Morrison began. “We do a lot of discussions about logistics. We have to set our budget and everything, and then figure out how we’re going to divide that out with all of our different vendors.”
Morrison believes this event is important for LSU to have, because
it helps expose students to the culture of Mardi Gras and Louisiana as a whole, while also giving them a time to take a break from midterms and celebrate. Students from all over the world are now able to experience a Mardi Gras celebration right here on campus.
Jackie Boyd, a graduate assistant for Campus Life, was in charge of managing the floats at the Mardi Gras Mambo. Boyd is from Austin, Texas and has never experienced Mardi Gras officially, but she’s worked at Mardi Gras Mambo for the past three years.
“This was my first taste of Mardi Gras, and I don’t want to say it’s a replacement, because I’ve never experienced Mardi Gras outside of Mardi Gras Mambo, but I’m satisfied.” Boyd said.
Boyd appreciates the cultural aspects of the event, including the Mardi Gras Indians and the Cajun food. She felt the experience was very fulfilling and enjoyed being able to throw beads off of the float, something she wouldn’t be able to experience without the Mardi Gras Mambo.
“There are a lot of people from out of state, or even out of the country that might not have the opportunity to go down to New Orleans or even downtown to Baton Rouge to experience that, so we really wanted to bring Mardi Gras to campus at LSU and do our own LSU version of Mardi Gras,” Morrison said.
Mardi Gras Mambo has been hosted annually by Campus Life
Looking for some energy with a fun Mardi Gras kick? Rouge Nutrition, located at 5555 Essen Lane, has a special menu of loaded teas, dedicated to the holiday.
The “Voodoo Brew” energy drink offers blackberry, blue blast and dragonfruit flavors, while the “Fleur de Tea” offers fruity flavors like pomegranate, piña colada and strawberry. The “Flasher” has hints of lemon-lime, green apple, coconut and pineapple, while the “Rajun Cajun” has cherry, strawberry, coconut and piña colada flavors. The final drink of the limited edition menu is the “Rougarou”, which has flavors of orange, peach, mango and wildberry.
Willie’s offers a New York style cheesecake, with a New Orleans twist. This “King Cake Cheesecake” is the perfect way to end dinner. They’re Located at 11260 Coursey Blvd.
Customers can order a boudin king cake from City Pork until Feb. 28. This menu option is pastry dough, filled with three pounds of its in-house made boudin, topped with pepper jelly, bacon, cracklins and squeaky pig. The boudin cake serves 12 to 15 people, perfect for a Mardi Gras get together.
City pork has three different locations in Baton Rouge: 7327 Jefferson Hwy, 18143 Perkins Road and one in Foster Hall at LSU. These locations are only a few of many Baton Rouge businesses serving up special menus with Mardi Gras inspired snacks, beverages and more.
since 2022, and it continues to suc ceed due to the long, drawn out preparation for the event. With its consistent growth each year, Mar di Gras Mambo remains a high light of the campus calendar dur ing carnival season.
Light House Coffee
Spanky’s Willie’s Caroline’s Cookies Rouge Nutrition
Magpie Cafe
Rotolo’s City Pork
House Brew
Photos by Maleah Bourgeois and Alexis Persicke
LSU’S Mardi GraS MaMbo on Feb. 25, on Tower drive in baTon roUGe, La.
Students get Mardi Gras face paint.
Entertainers wear intricately beaded traditional Mardi Gras costumes.
Students write at a booth.
A jester juggles.
A volunteer serves beignets.
LSU’s 2024 homecoming queen Camille Cronin throws beads to the crowd.
Stacks of King Cakes sit waiting to be served.
Students walk around and dance.
Page design by Rei Zimmerman
Endymion riders and fans share why they love the iconic krewe
BY LEXIE WARE Staff Writer
Nothing compares to the excitement of Mardi Gras parades. From attending extravagant balls to catching prized throws, one parade has set a standard far above the rest: The Krewe of Endymion.
Founded in 1967 by Edmond Muniz, Endymion began as a small neighborhood parade with only about 100 riders. However, it quickly grew into one of the largest parades in New Orleans. By 1974, Endymion had been designated as one of three “Super Krewes,” with the other two Krewes being Bacchus and Orpheus.
The iconic parade rolls on the Saturday before Mardi Gras each year. It consists of over 3,200 riders on around 40 floats, including the famous nine-section Pontchartrain Beach float. An estimated 40,000 revelers crowd the MidCity route each year, expecting nothing less than an unforgettable experience.
Giving parade-goers that rare experience doesn’t come easy. The Krewe’s motto is “Throw Until it Hurts,” meaning riders go to great lengths to make the bead-catching experience a memorable one for revelers. Mike LaCoste is one rider who has been creating these types of experiences for the past
six years.
LaCoste spends about two weeks after each Mardi Gras collecting beads and throws for next year; however, the real prep begins about a month before Endymion rolls, when throws have to be counted and prepared for the float, making it a lengthy process. Riding in Endymion is no easy feat either, as the volume from crowds and floats can be difficult to handle.
“The first year I rode it was very overwhelming because all you hear for four to five hours straight is screaming,” LaCoste joked. “After the second year, I got used to it and was able to embrace it and have a lot more fun.”
For many New Orleanians, Endymion is not just a parade — it’s a nonnegotiable tradition. Many people begin camping for the parade several days beforehand to claim the best spots along the
route. By the time the floats roll, crowds are packed 25 to 35 people deep.
Alli Lantier, an LSU alumna who grew up attending the parade each year, believes that Endymion is the best parade in all of Mardi Gras.
“Somehow it feels like the highlight of your day with every bead you catch,” Lantier said.
She feels that the anticipation leading up to Endymion is just as important as the parade itself.
Spending the day with family and friends on the streets of New Orleans is just one part of what makes Endymion special.
“It’s not about the parade only, it’s about the experience,” Lantier said. “It’s true Mardi Gras. It’s the culture of it all.”
Longtime rider Rick Regan, who is celebrating his 27th year riding in Endymion, shares this opinion with Lantier.
“I often tell people it’s a oncein-a-lifetime experience,” Regan said. “You are a masked rock star. It’s loud, fun, ever-changing, scenic.”
Regan said that one of his favorite parts of riding in the famous parade was interacting with the crowd along the route, from small children to out of towners. His favorite crowds are along Orleans and Carrollton Avenue at the
start of Endymion’s route.
“Endymion is second to none,” Regan said. “The riders care and love the crowds who come out to support us and riding into the Superdome to a huge party with lights, bands and over 18,000 people is truly incredible.”
The crowds are an essential part of what makes Endymion special, according to Briggs Cooper, a former member of St. Paul’s Marching Wolves.
“All of the parades we marched in had lots of energetic and joyful people everywhere, but every year I felt like Endymion was the strongest in terms of excitement and joy,” Cooper said.
The Wolves are longtime participants in Endymion, meaning that Cooper marched for all 5 years he attended St. Paul’s. Cooper’s favorite part each year was bringing a small piece of joy to each parade-goer, despite the difficulty that comes with playing bass drum for over 5 hours.
“The reactions from the crowd and the adrenaline rush that those reactions bring makes it all worthwhile,” Cooper said. “There are so many great memories that will stick with me.”
One thing is for certain: the parade hailed as “Mardi Gras’ Main Event” will not disappoint. Endymion rolls on March 1 at 4 p.m.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KREWE OF ENDYMION
Float from Endymion parade inside the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La.
SPORTS CHASING GREATNESS
How Kailin Chio became an overnight sensation
BY AINSLEY FLOOD Staff Writer
In her first eight weeks of competition with LSU gymnastics, Kailin Chio is making her case as one of the most decorated freshmen ever.
The Nevada native is headlinemaking in her first collegiate season, with six all-around titles and SEC awards. In Week 8, Chio matched Haleigh Bryant in 2021 as the only other gymnast to meet that mark, and she still has three meets left in the regular season to make history.
“She’s a killer,” Tigers head coach Jay Clark said. “It’s highly unusual to see that level of consistency from a freshman on all four events.”
It’s not hard to imagine she’s a favorite for SEC and NCAA Freshman of the Year—not to mention if LSU can produce another national championship, she’d become the third freshman in school history to compete and win it alongside Amari Drayton and Konnor McClain.
After beginning the season unranked, Chio’s all-around scores have placed her as the No. 4 gymnast in the nation.
“I think that my confidence level has really grown,” Chio said. “I think the first two or three meets, I was really shaky, and I think I’ve really gotten myself to calm down a bit.”
Chio’s mother, Sara, has made it to every home meet this season, as well as last week’s in Kentucky. She says it’s a lot of travel, but Sara
wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Through a rollercoaster of a first season, Chio has thrived on her competitiveness and love for the sport but remains grounded in her humility.
“She has set such a high bar and a precedent, which she’s always done, but now, all of those fans now have that expectation of her too,” Sara said. “I honestly do not know how she has handled it so humbly and with such grace.”
Along with juggling training and competitions all over the country, Chio is a pre-med student with aspirations of becoming an orthopedic trauma surgeon. She does everything at 100%—academics and gymnastics—and strives for excellence, especially on Friday nights.
“She’s always been very headstrong with her gymnastics,” Sara said. “As the commentators say, she’s very much a perfectionist.”
That hasn’t changed since the beginning.
Chio was three years old when it became apparent she had skills that exceeded her age. At four, she knew she wanted to go to the Olympics, and at eight, she had her heart set on LSU.
Her Olympic dreams were put on hold in 2022 due to a stress fracture in her spine. Chio opted out of her first year of senior elite eligibility to prioritize being healthy for her collegiate debut.
She faced another setback in January 2024 when she broke her foot
three days before the season-opener. After sitting out for six weeks, Chio went on to score a 10 on bars at the state championship and win at the regional and national levels.
Now, she’s fulfilled a life-long dream of competing on the collegiate stage, and her injuries inspired her to pursue a career in the medical field.
Stepping into the spotlight in front of 13,000 fans can be daunting to other athletes, but for Chio, she was born ready.
Cassie Rice, her former club coach at Gymcats Gymnastics, has been by Chio’s side every step of her junior career.
“One of the things that all of our really successful college athletes are, which she’s excellent at as well, is coachability,” Rice said.
To Rice, what sets Chio apart is her true love for performing and will to succeed, so she puts in the work that others won’t.
While her immediate takeoff into greatness shocked some, it’s no surprise that Chio is a perfect fit on the team.
“She’s super good at communicating, she’s easy to work with, and she’s a great teammate,” Rice said.
Still fresh on the scene, Chio has already made an impression on fans, notably with her sticks. At LSU’s latest meet at Kentucky, she stuck every landing and dismount in all four events.
In an interview with ESPN, she credited her club coaches for prep -
ping her with drills, and now, it’s just muscle memory.
“I’m just honing in on doing my best gymnastics and then letting it come to me—not having to work for the landing and just having it come,” Chio said.
It’s part of why she owns the country’s second-best vault with an NQS of 9.940 on the event.
“She has set such a high bar and an expectation of herself, which she’s always done, but I think now it’s just a different limelight,” Sara said. “Now she’s got a team and the whole community behind her, which is amazing, but all of those fans now have that expectation of her too.”
Gymnastics at this level is almost all mental, so knowing how to block out the noise of a packed arena is necessary for high performance.
For a freshman, discovering how to do that can be a process of its own, but for Chio, it’s just a flip of a switch.
“She’s just always had that switch,” Sara said. “She can be all goofy one minute, and then the switch just flips, and she’s dialed in. It’s go-time for her.”
Every gymnast has a process.
Part of Chio’s is simple: at the start of every meet, she looks up and finds her mom in the stands, and then she doesn’t look again.
With her strong willingness to succeed, Chio sees her No. 1 supporter cheering for her in the crowd as all she needs.
BY TYLER HARDEN Staff Writer
After LSU’s 65-58 win over Kentucky, Kim Mulkey’s team drenched her with water.
At first, Mulkey didn’t know why; she thought her team was excited and proud after a big win. But when they were saying their post-game prayer, it all clicked.
“I look at two of my kids, and they have shirts on. And then it hit me, ‘Oh my Lord, that’s why y’all drenched me, 750 victories,’” Mulkey said.
For one of the most accomplished coaches in college basketball, the path of being a coach wasn’t one Mulkey always planned on going down.
After she earned her degree in business administration, she was approached by President of Louisiana Tech Dr. F. Jay Taylor while working on her master’s degree.
“I guess that man knew more [of] what I needed to do more than I did,” Mulkey said.
Mulkey started her career as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech, a position she held from 1985-1996. She was promoted to associate head coach in 1996 and held that role until 2000.
Mulkey coached under Leon Barmore and had a helping hand in leading Louisiana Tech to seven Final Fours and a national championship in 1988.
But in 2000, Mulkey moved on from Louisiana Tech, a place she had been a crucial part of for 20 years. She took a coaching job at Baylor, this time as a head coach.
Baylor was a struggling program, fresh off a 7-20 season and last place in the Big 12. Mulkey not only launched that program into a powerhouse of women’s college basketball but also launched her own career as the creator of powerhouses.
Mulkey led her Baylor Bears to two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in her first two seasons in Waco, Texas. After a Sweet Sixteen appearance two seasons later, she and her team reached the mountaintop in 2005.
Baylor’s 2005 team finished with a 33-3 record and defeated Michigan State 84-62 to win her first title as a head coach.
Whether it was irony or foreshadowing, Baylor defeated LSU 68-57 to advance to the National Championship.
For the rest of her coaching career at Baylor, she didn’t miss an NCAA Tournament and was never eliminated in the first round.
In 2012, Baylor accomplished the ultimate feat. Not only did Mulkey win her second national title as a head coach, but they also did it undefeated.
Mulkey’s 2012 team was led by Britney Griner, the Naismith College
PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille
Does LSU baseball perform better in Sunday Gold jerseys?
BY RAMI BURKS Staff Writer BASEBALL
LSU baseball first sported its iconic gold jerseys during the 1996 postseason. They quickly became known as Championship Golds after winning the College World Series that season.
The following year, the Tigers began wearing their Championship Golds on Sundays, and they’ve become a staple in LSU’s baseball and softball wardrobe.
A superstition began as fans felt the Tigers played better when in gold. In 1996, second baseman Warren Morris hit a walk-off home run to
MULKEY, from page 9
Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
There arguably may not have been a more dominant team in women’s college basketball, as they won each of their NCAA Tournament games by double digits, including an 80-61 win over Notre Dame in the national championship.
After two Sweet Sixteen appearances and four Elite Eight appearances, Mulkey won her third national championship at Baylor. Her 2019 team finished with a 37-1 record and 18-0 in conference play.
But after COVID-19 canceled the postseason in 2020, and an Elite Eight
crown LSU as national champions for the third time.
This phenomenon grew with the 2023 national championship run. After LSU fell in their first two games of the College World Series, the Tigers beat Tennessee while donning gold.
After that game, LSU wore gold for every game except when Paul Skenes pitched against Wake Forest to get to the championship series finals.
So, do the Tigers play better in Sunday Gold?
LSU has won seven national baseball titles, two before the 1996 season when the gold uniforms debuted. In national championship-clinching
appearance in 2021, Mulkey made a decision very similar to the one she made more than two decades prior.
This time, however, it brought her back to her home state.
“When you grow up, you don’t forget where you come from,” Mulkey said when introduced as LSU’s head coach. “It’s so unbelievably comfortable for me to come back to my roots.”
LSU finished the 2021 season with a 9-13 record, finishing eighth in the SEC. Mulkey took the vacancy after Nikki Fargas resigned from the Tigers head coaching role after 10 years.
Before we knew it, another powerhouse was created.
In her first season in Baton Rouge,
games, the Tigers have only worn gold for 1996 and 2023.
However, the postseason isn’t the only time LSU wears gold; the Sunday Golds are rolled out every Sunday during the regular season, the third game of a series and the second game of a Saturday double header.
After counting all the Sunday or third games in a series from the 1997 season until 2024, the Tigers have a record of 232-141 (62.2%) through 373 games.
Each Tiger coach in the Sunday Gold era has had a winning record in the regular season in gold.
Skip Bertman coached baseball in the Bayou for 18 years. From the
Mulkey led LSU to a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament, finishing with a 26-6 record and second place in the SEC.
Many thought the Tigers were a few years away from the ultimate goal.
“It doesn’t happen overnight. Give it time, but I can assure you that’s what I came here to do,” Mulkey said.
But Mulkey did the unexpected.
In 2023, history was made, as Mulkey and her team won a national championship in just her second season at LSU.
“With about a minute and 30 to go, I couldn’t hold it, I got very emotional,” Mulkey said after the victory.
1997 season until he retired in 2001, LSU went 30-27 (52.6%) when his players wore gold during the regular season.
From 2002 to 2006, Smoke Laval was the head coach of the Tigers. When LSU wore gold, the Tigers had a 4923 record (68%).
Paul Mainieri coached at LSU from 2007 to 2021. During his decade-and-a-half-long tenure as the Tigers’ head coach, LSU carried a record of 153-95 (61.7%) across its 248 games in gold.
Current Tigers head coach Jay Johnson has been at the helm since Maineri retired in 2021, and LSU has gone 24-19 (55.8%) while wearing
“I don’t know if it’s the mere fact that we’re doing this in the second year that I’m home, I don’t know if it was the fact that I am home, I don’t know if it was looking across there at my daughter and my grandchildren. I don’t know what it was, but I lost it.”
In a team led by Angel Reese, Alexis Morris and Flau’jae Johnson, Mulkey put the nation on notice and has put the Tigers in the national conversation ever since.
Now, with 750 wins, four national championships, and 22 NCAA Tournament appearances, here we stand.
But between the surplus of wins, championships, and awards, it was never about any of them for Mulkey.
gold since.
Maybe Tiger fans have acted on how they’ve felt about Sunday Gold in the past, but there is no doubt that the statistics back up how they think about LSU’s iconic attire.
The Tigers are two-for-two in their gold garment outings through two contests this spring, defeating Purdue Fort Wayne on opening weekend 8-1 and dominating Omaha 12-1 in Game 3 last Saturday to win the series 2-1.
LSU will look to keep the reputation of their Sunday bests intact when the Tigers face Sam Houston State at the Frisco Baseball Classic this weekend.
To Mulkey, it’s about coaching great players, and that’s who she accredits for her success.
“You don’t win games and championships without great players,” Mulkey said. “They try their best to make players believe in what they’re selling, and you might tweak something in the middle of the game, but at the end of the day, you do not win anything without great players.”
Whether it’s a great coach making great players or great players making a great coach, Mulkey’s impact on college basketball is undeniable.
The quest to make that impact even more heard doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon.
All college students should categorize their friends
OPINION PUZZLES
AVA’S POV
AVA FRANCIS
Columnist
The topic of friendship is up for discussion more now than ever in this age of social media vs. reality.
The idea that your friends fit into certain categories is something I noticed more during my freshman year of college.
Since being at LSU I’ve met a variety of people, but it feels impossible to do everything with everyone. So, having friend categories allows you to stress less over non-invites.
At this age, you shouldn’t expect an invite to everything. It’s not elementary school, babes; you’re not required to invite the entire class.
Let’s explore the following categories, shall we?
1. The Everything Friend
Whether you’re having a chill night in, going to a concert, booking a vacation, attending family dinners, hosting Bible Study or running errands, you and this friend can do everything together. An “everything” friend can fit into any of the categories mentioned. Maybe your everything friend was once just a co-worker, class friend or Instagram mutual. The number of friends who fit into this category is usually small, but that’s the point: you can’t do everything with everyone.
2. The Co-Worker Friend
It’s in the name; you work together and probably only know each other because of work. You have a nice rapport but only see each other in the office or at work-related functions. I will say I’ve met some of my current friends at my job, and I’m thankful for them. Nevertheless, I prefer to keep work and play separate. Sometimes, becoming closer than “office buddies” is when lines are crossed, and I would much rather avoid office drama. However, we all know when you see people 24/7, it’s hard not to get close.
3. The Plus-One Friend
This is the friend you immediately think of when the invite says those two words: plus one. To me, this individual is personable and easygoing, brings good vibes and is a great mingler. They’re just there for a good time and to provide support. Weddings, birthday parties, work events, you name it, you know who you’re calling.
5. The Class Friend
This situation is similar to that of a coworker friend because you see each other frequently during the week. You chit-chat and choose each other for group projects but never do anything off campus. These are the people you’re happy to run into, but nine times out of ten, it’s never planned.
6. The Instagram Friend
4. The Long-Distance Friend
Now, a long-distance friend is someone who you don’t see often. Whether you live in different places or not, seeing each other is a one-off. You both have busy schedules, but make efforts to plan monthly or yearly meet-ups so you can fill each other in on what’s new. Who are you dating? How’s your job? When are you moving to Paris? Why did you guys break up? When did your brother get married? What made you finally get Botox? Glad to see you haven’t given up on life. You know, all that good stuff.
You follow them, and they follow you. From liking stories to commenting on pop culture hot takes, you exchange words, likes and compliments in the comments on each other’s posts. It’s a virtual friendship that might have the potential to take the chit-chat from the DMs to a coffee shop, but there’s no pressure to make that a reality. You’re happy enough with the fact you’re on each other’s close friends’ Instagram stories.
Disclaimer: Any category could evolve into a friendship that is more than surface level. That could take weeks, months, years, who knows. Something to keep in mind: one day, someone could be a stranger and then, before you know it, your greatest friend.
However, I think the term “friend” is used too loosely nowadays; perhaps it always has been. Not everyone is your friend, and not everyone has to be. There are friends you would call during an emergency and friends you wouldn’t.
People can be peers, associates, neighbors, fellow board members and colleagues, not necessarily friends. Depending on the circumstances, it feels weird to ask
some people to help you out in a pinch if you’re not close.
For instance, one time my apartment door was being fixed and could only lock from the inside. Initially, I thought my only options were to go to class with my door unlocked and have the anxiety of someone entering my space or miss my first class of the semester because of this inconvenience.
Fortunately, an “everything friend” of mine came to my rescue that day by house-sitting. I would never ask just anyone to sit in my apartment with access to all of my personal belongings for hours without my presence. Not to mention, that’s a big ask, knowing my friends have busy schedules. So, I
was beyond grateful for my everything friend.
Friendships are about trust, supporting one another, uplifting each other and getting through this crazy thing we call life together. Take a look at your friends and ask yourself who are the ones ready to throw back tequila shots with you but are nowhere to be found when life gets real.
At the end of the day, categorizing your friends is another way to set boundaries while eliminating guest list anxiety. Sit back, pull up your contacts and see which categories your friends fall into.
Ava Francis is a 21-year-old journalism major from New Orleans residing in Texas.
What it means to walk in a woman’s shoes at nighttime
TAYLOR’S TALKS
TAYLOR HAMILTON Opinion Editor
You see a woman, with midlength hair, wearing a pair of leggings and a bright pink shirt, walking alone in the dark. You notice she constantly looks around herself to ensure no one is following her, including you.
So as a decent human being, you cross onto a different street, but you still see the fear on her face and the grip on her keys that she holds on for dear life.
If you’re confused by any of this, it’s the typical experience of a woman being alone in the dark.
As a young woman, one of my greatest fears is the dark, not because of the darkness itself but because of the many horrible things that have happened to women when they’re alone in it.
This fear runs so deep in my body that I avoid going out in
on Oct. 5, 2022,
La.
the dark alone, or if I do, I remain in my car. However, there are some moments, especially when I’m on campus late at night, when I must walk alone.
These are the worst moments of my day because I constantly look behind me and feel my heart beat faster with every
step I take. If you’ve never experienced the queasy feelings of believing that you’re in harm’s way, I consider you lucky and, perhaps, privileged.
It’s an absolute gift to walk around aimlessly in the dark, alone, without a care in the world. If you feel that way, I’ll
admit that I envy you. However, as a woman, I don’t have the same privilege.
This leads me to applaud a fellow colleague of mine who recently, after a required meeting that I hosted, walked me to my car.
To be frank, during my collegiate career, no one has ever done that for me. It surprised me, but it was a rather pleasant surprise.
The person in question didn’t do it for their own advantage; in fact, they were going in a different direction to the library. They did it out of the goodness of their heart.
Even though I repeatedly apologized, they didn’t make me feel bad that my car was parked further from where we were. They just wanted to ensure that I was safe. This was a nice feeling, and it got me thinking about how more people, including myself, should do this.
Though there are resources on campus, such as the LSU Po -
lice and Girls Rides, those are only resources for people who need rides to and from a location. I’m not in any way trying to condemn these resources; they’re amazing, and I highly advise anybody who feels unsafe on campus to use them.
Nevertheless, they don’t necessarily help anyone when they need to walk to their car or are out in the public sphere. That is why we should all have more good friends or even colleagues who walk and/or drive us to our vehicles and vice versa.
No matter who you are, you deserve to feel safe and not like everything at nighttime is out to get you. I wish many women, including myself, didn’t have to feel this way, but maybe we’ll get there someday.
In the meantime, let’s all try to be good samaritans and make each other feel safe, loved and comforted.
Taylor Hamilton is a 20-yearold mass communication junior from Tallahassee, Fla.
Letter to the editor: LSU Mental Health Services needs change
BY ASHLYN RUNK
I am writing to express my concerns about ongoing practices at the LSU Mental Health Service (MHS), particularly regarding the allocation of resources and the misalignment between available scientific expertise and the care being provided to students.
One specific concern is the decision to invest in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, including funding staff training for this practice. EMDR, which was originally developed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), remains a controversial approach, with training costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Research suggests that its specific eye movement component offers little or no added therapeutic value compared to established, evidence-based treatments for PTSD such as Prolonged Exposure (PE) or Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Given the limited funding available for student mental health, LSU must prioritize interventions that are both cost-effective and supported by rigorous scientific research. Modalities such as PE/CPT as well as
EDITORIAL BOARD
Colin Falcon Editor in Chief
Managing Editor Jason Willis
Oliver Butcher
News Editor
Sports Editor Ethan Stenger
Taylor Hamilton Opinion Editor
other cognitive behavior therapies have strong empirical track records and are more affordable, broadly applicable treatments.
However, concerns about science and MHS extend beyond just EMDR. There is a significant gap between the scientific and clinical expertise available within LSU’s academic departments and the day-to-day practices of MHS. For example, LSU has multiple faculty members with expertise in suicidefocused treatment—an area of critical importance that can mean the difference between life and death for our students. While these evidence-based approaches have been successfully implemented elsewhere on campus and in the community, including at Our Lady of the Lake, they have not been integrated into the MHS itself.
LSU students deserve the highest standard of mental health care, grounded in scientific evidence. I urge LSU MHS to reassess its priorities and for LSU students to advocate for access to services clearly grounded in science.
Ashlyn Runk is a third-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at LSU.
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The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to editor@lsu.edu or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
Quote of the Week
“To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.” Reba McEntire American country singer and actress 1955 — present
REAGAN COTTEN / The Reveille
The tree sits in the darkness
behind Memorial Tower on Tower Drive in Baton Rouge,
GRAPHIC BY BLAINE SWANZY