Nine
former LSU football players aim to revive careers in UFL.
Read on page 2
ONE LAST CHANCE
Project LSUFL: How former Tigers are thriving in spring football
BY ETHAN STENGER Sports Editor
When the Green Bay Packers cut quarterback Danny Etling, head coach Matt LaFleur ensured he walked out of the facility doors with his head held high. He didn’t want Etling to get discouraged.
LaFleur knew Etling was talented. He just needed to get back into the swing of things.
Etling went from being the fulltime starter at LSU for two years before only receiving practice and preseason reps during his half-decade-long NFL tenure. He’d been inside six different NFL buildings but had yet to debut in a regular season game. That’s just the nature of the NFL: it’s a business.
Etling was at a crossroads: either coach or stay in playing shape, hoping to hear his phone ring with another NFL offer. LaFleur had other ideas.
“I think you’d be an excellent fit,” LaFleur told Etling. “I think you should go to Michigan.”
It’s the conversation that kept Etling playing football.
A year and a half later, the former Tiger is playing his second season of football with the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League, owned by FOX Sports, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dany Garcia.
The UFL is a developmental spring league where overlooked players fight to get on the NFL’s radar. The athletes are all competing for recognition and a chance to revive their careers before it’s too late.
Players with stories like Etling’s are why the UFL exists. Before Johnson was a famous wrestler and actor, he was cut by his pro football team, the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, in 1995. He considers himself “player 54,” someone who fell
just short of making an NFL roster, which is capped at 53.
Johnson and Garcia relaunched the XFL in 2023 and merged it with the competing USFL to create the UFL, a league of “player 54s” looking for a chance to achieve their football aspirations.
According to FOX Sports, more than 250 of last season’s 400 UFL players (60%) heard their name called for NFL workouts, with 78 individuals signing contracts across 30 NFL training camps.
Every game is broadcast across one of FOX or ESPN’s national networks, making the league easily accessible at a time when the sports calendar tends to stagnate.
“We got everybody watching, all eyes on us,” said Memphis Showboats wide receiver Dee Anderson, who played at LSU from 2016 to 2019. “That’s the best part.”
Etling and Anderson aren’t the only previous LSU players looking to make a splash in the UFL. The league will feature nine former Tigers across its eight teams.
“It’s always going to be a great thing whenever you add a Tiger to your team because it’s just something about us,” San Antonio Brahmas wide receiver Jontre Kirklin said.
Kirklin had always been the most athletic person in the room all of his life. He played baseball, basketball and even bowling at Lutcher High in Louisiana, in addition to playing quarterback.
He wanted nothing more than to play at LSU.
“I prayed for that offer,” Kirklin said. “I was just like, ‘Man, if I get this offer, I promise I won’t mess it up.’”
After spending his first two seasons as a cornerback for LSU, the Tigers coaching staff moved Kirklin to wide receiver in 2019. That year, he shared the practice field
with Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, two world-class NFL receivers, en route to LSU’s first national championship in 12 years. Kirklin was no longer the clear-cut athletic freak that he was at Lutcher. He was surrounded by others just like him.
Kirklin says his time as a Tiger taught him patience and how to adjust on the fly. Combined with his natural athleticism, Kirklin is an instinctual playmaker.
A week before his final game at LSU, Kirklin was informed that he would start at quarterback in the Texas Bowl against Kansas State, as LSU had only 45 scholarship players available. He threw three touchdown passes in the game, including an 81-yarder as time expired.
Kirklin has thrown two touchdown passes since then, one with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks in 2023 and the other with the Brahmas last season. He won’t promise another one, but Kirklin won’t rule it out either.
“Keep your popcorn and stay tuned in,” Kirklin said.
Like Kirklin, Houston defensive tackle Glen Logan was also a part of that legendary 2019 Tigers team. He went undrafted in 2022 before signing with the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland let Logan go when it needed to clear space on its roster for an incoming wide receiver.
“It was just a numbers thing,” Logan said. “I totally understand it. That’s just part of our game.”
This league isn’t only another chance for its players; it’s spring football’s last gasp to succeed as a business model. There’s a graveyard’s worth of alternative spring football leagues going back four decades. The UFL can’t afford to fail.
If it does, it won’t be the fault of the league’s players or coaches,
who are motivated by a genuine love for football. It’s why these players are willing to go out and play during the hottest months of the year, risking injury with NFL training camps coming less than a month after the UFL championship game on June 14.
It’s a quick turnaround, but these former Tigers learned the importance of pouncing on an opportunity when it presents itself while they were at LSU.
“This league is a league of opportunity,” Kirklin said. “So I’ll be able to go out and showcase my talent and pray that I stay healthy throughout this whole season to be able to get a call and get a shot to go out and get back into the NFL.”
Others are content to ride their football journeys out on happy trails, content with wherever it takes them.
“I think you only get so long to play this game,” Etling said.
The mindset among UFL players is cohesion: team victories will result in individual success. If their team hoists the trophy at the end of 12 weeks, they know their chances of getting even one NFL call will increase.
“Man, we want to win that thing,” San Antonio punter Brad Wing said.
The crusade for the 2025 UFL crown begins at TDECU Stadium in Houston, where the Roughnecks will host the St. Louis Battlehawks in the league’s second-annual season opener on Friday night.
Roughnecks cornerback Colby Richardson will need no extra motivation to step onto the football field and chase his childhood dreams on opening night. He’s opportunistic, just like an LSU Tiger should be.
“Why not always give it a shot?” Richardson said. “Why not shoot for the stars?”
ADVERTISING (225) 578-6090
Layout/Ad Design BEAU MARTINEZ
Layout/Ad Design CARLY LANGFORD
Layout/Ad
&
The Reveille holds accuracy and objectivity at the highest priority and wants to reassure its readers the reporting and content of the paper meets these standards. This space is reserved to recognize and correct any mistakes that may have been printed in The Daily Reveille. If you would like something corrected or clarified, please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or email editor@lsu.edu.
The Reveille is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Reveille is free from multiple sites on campus and about 25 sites off campus. To obtain additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall or email studentmedia@ lsu.edu. The Reveille is published biweekly during the fall, spring and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. The Reveille is funded through LSU students’ payments of the Student Media fee.
NEWS SILENCE SPEAKS
Students, staff march in support of victims of sexual violence in Health Center event
BY LIV TEES Staff Writer
LSU students and faculty dressed in identical grey shirts with the word “believe” emblazoned on the front, gathered in a small cove near Cyprus Hall to show support for students who have been victims of sexual assault on Tuesday. The group then commenced a 20-minute silent march around residential halls to show they believed victims.
The second annual Believe March, hosted by LSU’s Lighthouse Program and led by its Associate Director Natalie Walton, is a powerful symbol of support for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. The march takes place in silence as an intentional choice to give survivors a platform to be heard and respected.
“By walking in silence, we offer them the opportunity to stand alongside us without saying a word, allowing them to feel supported without the need to share their stories unless they choose to,” Walton said.
Walton said.
Before the march, the students and supporters gathered together as the director of wellness and student support, Kreslyn Kelley-Ellis, addressed the march’s impact on the student community. Kelley-Ellis explained the more awareness is brought to sexual assault, the more students feel comfortable asking for help.
“We’re so delighted you decided to take this quiet journey with us to send a loud message to all survivors that we believe them,” Kelley-Ellis said.
The march is leading up to Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April. The Lighthouse Program, which is the confidential on-campus resource for students who have experienced this type of violence, chose to have the march because they understand April may be a triggering month for students.
Is LSU safe? Here’s what students have to say
BY TORI BONIN Staff Writer
The Reveille asked LSU students across different years, majors and backgrounds about their thoughts on campus safety and what changes, if any, they would like to see implemented.
Girls Rides at LSU is one of the prominent safety organizations on campus, offering free transportation for women on campus to as far as the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The group has been around for a while but has only recently become an official student organization. Junior sociology major Belle Porché serves as the secretary.
“Being on such a big campus, you wanna make sure that you really surround yourself
“We wanted to show aware -
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
ness and basically let survivors know that they are believed because a lot of the time they don’t feel believed or that anyone is on their side,” Walton said.
In addition to confidential support, the program offers resources like safe housing,
obtaining medical evidence, emotional support, academic accommodations, filing police reports and mental health support.
“We want to help mitigate any stressors and let survivors know they do have options,”
SG election results announcement postponed pending judicial review
REVEILLE
STAFF REPORT
Student Government election results were delayed Tuesday pending a Judicial Branch review of six election-related cases.
The results, which would have been unofficial, were set to be announced Wednesday in the Journalism Building’s Holliday Forum. A new time and date is yet to be determined, according to the Election Commission’s Instagram.
SG election code requires all Election Court rulings and appeals to the University Court be finalized prior to any results announcement, for decisions could carry disqualifying penalties for campaigns found in violation.
Delays of results are not uncommon in SG elections, with the results of last year’s contest delayed 12 days over judicial complaints and confusion over the election code.
The first election case hearings are scheduled for Friday.
Some of the cases causing the postponement involve allegations that members of the Henderson-
Layrisson campaign touched students’ phones while they cast their ballot and mistakenly listed two candidates for the same position and that the Foret-Tatman: Forward campaign misreported campaign spending and disrupted campus tours with loud music, among other contentions.
This SG election has seen many challenges brought to the student Election Court, with the Foret-Tatman: Forward campaign being suspended for bribery on Feb. 24 before being reinstated the week before the election by Dean of Students Fran’Cee Brown-McClure.
Upon checking in for the march, the LSU Health Center provided pamphlets and stickers that included all the resources the Lighthouse Program offers students. There were also three baskets of ribbon for students to wear on their shirt; a teal ribbon for sexual assault awareness, a purple ribbon for domestic violence awareness and a yellow ribbon for stalking awareness.
According to a study from last year, 13% of college students experience some form of sexual assault by the time they
see MARCH, page 4
Women’s workout org uplifts students
BY MADDIE PACELLI Staff Writer
As the number of women who weightlift increases nationally, a club on campus is making sure girls at LSU feel empowered in the gym.
Girl Gains LSU is a student organization with a mission to promote female weightlifting and women’s empowerment. Started in 2022 by a current LSU medical school student, Girl Gains has become increasingly popular as more women get involved with weightlifting. The organization teaches students about weightlifting, promotes body positivity and connects them with other women who work out.
“Generally it is harder to find girls who lift in such a male-domiHEALTH
CAMPUS LIFE
CHYNNA MCLINTON / The Reveille
The LSU Law Center sits Jan. 20, 2022, on East Campus Drive in Baton Rouge, La.
LIV TEES / The Reveille
LSU students march in solidarity with SA survivors at an on-campus march on March 25.
MARCH, from page 3
graduate, but only one in five female college students who are assaulted receive assistance from victims’ agencies. The Lighthouse Program seeks to end this violence through advocacy and student involvement.
The march boasted a turnout of about 100 people, about how many attended the first march last year. Senior psychology major Maggie Hebert learned about the march in her social work course and came to show her support.
“It seemed like an important thing to be a part of, and I wanted to learn more about how to help people in my life who have been through this,” Hebert said.
The march directors emphasized was how important it was
SAFETY, from page 3
with people that uplift you and then also surround yourself with women, of course, because a lot of things can happen on a college campus,” Porché said.
Safety was a huge priority for Porché when she was searching for schools. One of the things
to show support for student survivors.. They often have to jump many hoops to receive proper care and support, and this is many times a deterrent for asking for help in the first place. This march seeks to be a piece of ending shame and stigma around sexual assault.
“The march is not just an event, it’s a message,” Walton said. “It’s a call to action and a collective stand to honor those who have experienced trauma.”
The Lighthouse Program is located on the ground floor of the Student Health Center. Walkin and scheduled appointments are available. For additional information on the Lighthouse Program, call 225- 578-5718 or contact the 24-hour crisis and emotional support resource, The Phone at 225-924-5781.
that made her nervous about LSU was the lack of lighting on campus in some areas. To fix this, she suggested adding a blue light security system.
These systems involve towers illuminated by blue lights equipped with an emergency phone able to contact law enforcement within seconds.
WEIGHTLIFTING, from page 3
nated scene, and can be intimidating,” said Alison Rocha, the president of Girl Gains and a junior studying psychology.
With the intimidating workout machines and heavy lifting, some may refrain from getting involved in the gym. However, Girl Gains hopes to break students out of their shell by promoting a healthy lifestyle through various events, including a self defense class, meal prep days and even a “find your swolemate” event.
“We want to help make women feel seen, safe and comfortable in the gym,” said Britney Toblar, the director of membership for Girl
Gains and a psychology junior.
Earlier this month, the organization hosted a “Build Your Own Work Out” workshop where each member got to personally make their own workout schedule. The members will use the schedules to stay on track with their fitness goals.
After everyone built their personal workout schedules, members went from machine to machine demonstrating proper form and how to load and unload weights. Students were able to ask questions to become more familiar with the machines, a practice that increases a beginner weightlifter’s confidence.
“I’ve been inspired to stay con-
sistent with my workouts, and if I ever am confused I always have someone I can reach out to to help me,” said Amira Noble, a freshman studying communications disorders.
Group workouts are the favorite aspect for most Girl Gains’ members, as having a close knit community with the same interests helps build confidence throughout the group. The organization meets every other Thursday and remains a strong, growing community open to new women weightlifters.
“I am now more comfortable than ever working out with a group of girls who are always there to help me and support me,” Noble said.
Other regional universities like Southern University, University of Louisiana Lafayette and Tulane University have all implemented blue light systems.
Mailyn Harris, a sophomore studying mass communication, serves as an officer for Girls Rides. She believes that campus isn’t unsafe, but precautions
should still be taken.
“If I was walking somewhere at night obviously I’d take someone with me or I’d walk towards campus,” Harris said.
LSU’s foremost security feature is the Shield app, which has safety features accessible to all LSU students with the click of a button. Students can do everything from request safe transport from an LSU police officer to using the FriendWatch feature to monitor a student’s walk and call emergency contacts and the police if they aren’t in a certain location within a certain time period.
“I do feel safe at LSU because most of the time people mind their own business and there is police patrolling all around campus,” freshman interior design major Kayla Montgomery said.
Girls Rides President Adriana Caldcleugh, a pre-veterinary medicine sophomore, believes the key to safety at LSU is to spread more awareness and be honest with students about the true dangers that come with living on a college campus.
She emphasized the importance of teaching incoming freshmen about the red zone, the time between late summer
and Thanksgiving where the risk for sexual assault is higher on college campuses.
Caldcleugh also believes that to ensure a safer LSU, there has to be a better relationship between students and law enforcement. To improve this relationship and increase familiarity of students’ options, Girls Rides has been working with LSU law enforcement to offer free selfdefense courses for students.
“Calling a cop for any reason is so intimidating, so like I totally understand,” Caldcleugh said. “To this day I haven’t had a bad experience with an LSU cop. There’s always the thought of, ‘Is this something I should take to the cops?’, but if you are asking that question the answer is probably yes.”
Some students feel confident they are safe at LSU, especially because of the university’s police department.
“We are literally the gated community of Baton Rouge,” Nevaeh Rhine, an undeclared freshman, said. “If you are on LSU’s campus you are fine. We have our own police station that will be here within 10 minutes.”
The LSU police are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They can be contacted at 225578-3231.
MADDIE PACELLI / The Reveille
Members of the Girls Gains club after a workout at the LSU URec in Baton Rouge, La. on March 13.
LIV TEES / The Reveille
Two students hold a banner for the 2nd annual Believe March in front of Cyprus Hall on March 25.
CROSS HARRIS / The Reveille
Students walk through the Quad on Aug. 30, 2023, on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
ENTERTAINMENT
BY COLIN FALCON Editor in Chief
A silence settled over the esports room as Jackson Wright, a mass communication senior, and Renato Rodriguez, an entrepreneurship sophomore, faced off in the grand finals of the UREC’s Fortnite tournament on Tuesday.
Six students had already been eliminated from the bracket-style, single-elimination contest, and with an exclusive T-shirt for the winner on the line, both players were in it to win.
The tournament was played on UREC computers in no-build, OG Fortnite, with each competitor playing an independent game and the win being assigned to the player that ended with the most points. One kill netted one point, with bonuses being awarded for finishing in the top three of the lobby.
Although the final match started close, Wright, who had dominated his two prior games, took home the victory and the shirt with a victory royale and 15 kills.
“I came in expecting to play hard,” he said. “And the shirt is fire.”
‘We really take the negative stigma of people who play video games and squash it.’
Wright went into the finals on a hot streak, with two standout games behind him. His first ended with a victory royale and 19 kills, and his second was a top 10 finish with 15 kills. His performance is the result of years spent with the game. Wright said he lies somewhere on the line between a casual and hardcore gam-
LSU gamers compete for a ‘Victory Royale’ in UREC’s annual Fortnite tournament
er, but he’s been playing Fortnite semi-consistently since 2020.
Like most other competitors, Wright entered the tournament on a whim.
“I had just finished with a workout last week when I saw the poster,” he said. “I thought it looked fun.”
The same was true of Rodriguez, who played all of his tournament matches with a beach towel wrapped around him and swim goggles resting next to his mouse. He had gone straight from the cool water of the pool into the fires of competition and ultimately left a little disappointed.
“I’m down a little bit,” he said. “I just wasted two and a half hours for nothing.”
Although the competition started at 6 p.m., the action didn’t start until an hour and a half later. The tournament’s first two rounds boasted 11 forfeits, with the first real match not taking place until the quarterfinals.
Tournament supervisor Animaan Singh said there were 19 entries in total, with less than half showing up for the actual event, something he wasn’t shocked by.
“Registration was open for about a month,” he said. “So you get a lot of
people that signed up weeks ago and haven’t thought about it since.”
On top of the forfeits, there were a couple small instances of technical difficulties. One competitor’s audio cut out for a minute, and another struggled with connecting a mouse. Singh said road bumps like these are unavoidable, with the tournament as a whole still being a success.
“We do these events to get people to be more competitive and involved,” he said. “It was nice to see everybody get through them [technical problems] and still play without any complaints.”
The tournament succeeded in giving the students something to look forward to. Ana Moreas, a chemical engineering sophomore, walked to the UREC after a physics test just to congratulate her friend, who won her first game in the tournament after excitedly looking forward to the event for a week.
“She was very excited,” Moreas said. “She talked about it so much over the last week.”
Moreas’ friend was Jaedyn Corbin, a digital art sophomore, who left the tournament with a final record of one win and one loss. Corbin has been playing Fortnite since around 2018, but she mainly plays for fun, with this tournament being no exception.
“I’ll have to see how other people are playing, but I’m not too confident in my chances,” she said after her first match. “I’m just here for fun.”
The competition also gave players the chance to put their personalities and interests on display through their skins of choice. Moreas used her Leon Kennedy skin, as she’s a big fan of the Resident Evil games, from which Leon originates.
Eddie Lowery, a bioengineering major, rocked the Brite Hatsune Miku skin. Miku is a digital pop star with long electric blue hair, and Lowery said he just loves the look of the skin.
Fahd Khattak, a computer science sophomore, views his skin choice as a way of paying tribute. He uses the Lebron James toon squad skin, modeled after James’ appearance in “Space Jam: A New Legacy.”
“I think Lebron’s the GOAT,” he said.
Red bean and rice music festival benefits local businesses
BY ASHLYNN BAILLIO Staff Writer
The Baton Rouge Red Bean and Rice Music and Heritage Festival brought together food, music and small businesses for a lively celebration of Louisiana’s rich culture. Its origins trace back to former Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long, who declared March 22 as Red Beans and Rice Day, honoring the traditional Monday meal of many Louisiana families. The Louisiana staple originated from the practice of simmering leftover ham bones with beans for a hearty, affordable meal.
The festival pays tribute to this tradition with a red beans and rice cook-off, live music performances, a car show and a bustling marketplace featuring local artisans and small businesses. Hosted at Rhorer Plaza City Hall Plaza, located at 1765 O’Neal Lane, the festival ran from March 21 to 22. Though the festival only began in 2023, it has quickly
become a staple event in the capital city.
Festivals like this offer vital exposure and direct customer engagement for many vendors. Shanrika Dangerfield is the owner of Fab Boutique & Etc., an online boutique based in Baton Rouge, and she appreciated the opportunity to connect with customers in person.
“People get to put a name with the brand,” Dangerfield said. “They can actually see and touch the clothes rather than just viewing them online. I love hearing their stories about where they’ll wear their outfits. That personal connection is so valuable.”
Dangerfield launched her brand in 2020 and regularly sets up booths at local festivals to promote her business. This was her first year at the Red Bean and Rice Festival, but it won’t be her last.
“This festival has been amazing, and I’ll definitely be back,” Dangerfield said. “I love connecting with my customers, hearing their stories
and building that personal relationship.”
Samantha Forrest, owner of Big Juicy Creations, has participated in the festival since it first began and works as the vendor coordinator.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but vendors actually have to pay fees to be at festivals,” Forrest explained. “So we’re already in the hole before we get here. If we don’t sell, we don’t make money.”
After running her own business for a decade, Forrest loves working for herself. It gives her the freedom to not answer to anyone else. Forrest noted that she does well at these events because of the demand for handmade goods.
“People want something unique, something they can’t buy just anywhere,” she said. “That’s why festivals like this are so important for small businesses.”
Vendors and attendees alike hope the Red Beans and Rice Heritage and Music Festival remains a vibrant showcase of Louisiana’s cul-
ture and spirit as the festival continues to grow. Events like these not only celebrate tradition but also cre-
ate opportunities for small business owners who rely on community support.
ALEXIS PERSICKE/ The Reveille People watch the stage March 22 in Rhorer Plaza in Baton Rouge, La.
PAYTON PRICHARD/ The Reveille
Two competitors play out a match in the UREC’s Fortnite tournament on South Campus Drive on March 25.
STEP INTO THE WHIMSY...
A collection of tiny houses, fairies, gnomes and more sit on the Trinket Stairs on March 7, near the Greek Amphitheatre.
Photos by Maleah Bourgeois
Page design by Rei Zimmerman
A tiny fairy cottage sits. Is anyone home?
Tiny fairy cottages and a gnome sits on the Trinket Stairs. What a walkable city!
gnome with
items.
A hidden fairy door awaits guests.
Tiny doors lay against the Trinket Stairs.
A tiny fairy statue sits next to a sunflower. Wonder what she’s thinking about?
LA to Liverpool: LSU alumni brings Cajun food across the pond
BY EMILY BRACHER Staff Writer
Seventeen years after graduating from LSU, an alumnus and his wife are bringing a taste of Louisiana to Liverpool, England, with the opening of their New Orleans-style restaurant. Reggie and Cassie Pullman plan to open SuSu’s in June, naming it after Pullman’s mother, whom his children call “SuSu.”
SuSu is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but she moved to Gulf Shores, Alabama, near Pullman and his wife, five years ago. If Pullman could smell his mother cooking while growing up, he knew it would be a good day. Whether it was his family, friends or neighbors, he said everyone was blessed with his mother’s cooking, so a lot of the restaurant’s menu items will be her own recipes.
“It’s a real honor to bring that upon her and share her recipes and food with the world,” Pullman said.
Customers at SuSu’s will be able to choose from a range of Louisianastyle menu options. Whether it be boudin balls as an appetizer, chicken and sausage gumbo as an entree or pralines for dessert, there will be plenty of options to choose from. Every meal at SuSu’s will be served with a set of Mardi Gras beads, bringing the spirit of New Orleans to the table.
“It’s never hot over there, so it’ll always be good to eat gumbo,” Pullman said.
One of the biggest obstacles throughout this journey was finding stores in England that sell the vital ingredients included in many of Louisiana’s dishes. Pullman said that items such as French bread are not as big in England, but after heavy research he ran into Plattsville Bakehouse, which will be his French bread provider.
After touring many meat processing companies, customers will also be able to get a taste of freshly
smoked andouille sausage. Pullman is also working on shipping over two thousand pounds of red beans to Liverpool to make sure restaurant-goers get the full New Orleans experience.
SuSu’s will be decked out wall to wall in Jazz Fest and Blue Dog posters, with the sound of jazz music heard from every room. Its website will feature the history behind each dish served, the music played and the cultural heritage of Southern Louisiana.
This will be the only restaurant in Liverpool to pay all its employees a living wage, Pullman said. This income will allow workers and their families to afford basic needs such as adequate housing and food, and the restaurant will share 10% of its profits with employees. After its initial opening, the owners plan on franchising the business across the United Kingdom.
Liverpool is a town of around 500,000 people and brings in 16 million visitors a year, with many similarities to New Orleans, Pullman said. Both cities have major ports with a deep history, especially in regards to music, since New Orleans has its jazz and Liverpool has icons like The Beatles.
“From the day we arrived in Liverpool the first time, we were instantly in love,” Cassie Pullman said.
The Pullmans had been travelling to Liverpool for years before fathoming the idea of opening a restaurant there. Pullman planned these trips to watch his favorite “lovable losing” soccer team, Everton. It wasn’t until a trip to Italy in 2024, after a few glasses of Prosecco, that the couple began mapping out their restaurant’s menu on a bar napkin. That napkin eventually made its way with them to Liverpool.
The couple would always stay at the same hotel in Liverpool during their trips. Over the years, the two
formed a good relationship with a concierge named Davy Patrick Lane. After Pullman found out that Lane was a huge Lynyrd Skynyrd fan, he would bring Lane merch every time they visited. During one visit, the couple brought up their restaurant idea. Lane told the Pullmans that the people in Liverpool would love it.
“He said locals would eat it up. Literally,” Pullman said.
Though Pullman and his wife were set on the idea of opening a Louisiana-style restaurant in Liverpool, there were many unique signs and coincidences that gave the couple that final push towards officially opening the restaurant.
“The universe was yelling at us to open a restaurant across the pond,” Pullman said.
Pullman was once waiting outside of the Everton store in Liverpool when he was approached by the Everton Twitter (X) photographer who asked to take a picture of him and his new merch. Little to his knowledge, that post had gained 30,000 views.
The following day was match day, and Pullman and his wife were approached by two men at a beer garden outside the stadium. One of them told Pullman that he recognized him from the post. The conversation then turned to Pullman’s restaurant idea, and by the time he and his wife left, they had contact information for a local attorney and accountant.
After their conversation, Pullman made his way to the bar where he would meet his first employee, Charlie Patterson. In a Scouse accent, she asked if he ate Southern food after hearing he was from Alabama.
“Look at me lady, there isn’t a lot that I don’t eat,” Pullman said to Patterson.
Patterson went on to tell him that she makes a good jambalaya, without tomatoes, so he also told her about the restaurant idea. She loved it and offered to be his first employee.
One week later, Cassie Pullman took an uber to the airport back in America, and of course, her driver was from no place else other than Liverpool. The two took it as a sign and decided that they would finally open a restaurant.
“When Reggie brought up the idea of opening a Cajun restaurant in the U.K., I thought he was a little crazy,” Cassie Pullman said. “But everything that happened while we were in Liverpool in 2024, it just seemed like God wanted us there.”
The two started to look for a restaurant location after deciding to go for it. That’s when the couple came across an Irish pub and kitchen that closed during the pandemic. The pub is located in one of the main hubs Liverpool Centre, which Pullman compared to Bourbon Street.
The official opening date for SuSu’s isn’t set in stone; however, the Pullmans are pushing for an early June opening date.
“We want to have people learn the culture, the ways, the menus, the recipes, and just bring Louisiana to the UK,” Pullman said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSU’S Red beans and rice at SuSu’s in Liverpool, England.
LSU grad student makes banned literature accessible with art
BY ARIS WILLIAMS Staff Writer
LSU Art & Design student
Alex Jacobs is taking a unique approach to make banned literature accessible through functional art pieces.
Jacobs, a graduate student in sculpture, started the Free Pages Project, a nonprofit initiative aimed to combat book bans through functional art pieces that will serve as bookshelves. A podcast on lost history and cultures inspired their idea. The episode specifically discussed
the topic of Magnus Hirschfeld, a queer German physician and sexologist, whose library was burned down by Nazis.
“We know about events such as the burning of the Library of Alexandria that caused entire cultures to be completely lost,” Jacobs said. “The current cultural war has similar undertones, so I decided to explore that by making books that are being targeted available through sharing a private collection.”
Jacobs has amassed a collection of over 500 banned books
for this project and plans to collect even more. From novels by science-fiction writer Stephen King to “Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry, a children’s book that aims to foster appreciation of natural hair texture for Black children, Jacobs’ banned book pile is filled with a variety of genres. Of the hundreds already collected, it only makes up for 5% of the banned list by PEN America, Jacobs said.
“Common themes of the books in this collection are uncomfortable truths, history we don’t want to remember or think about and identities that don’t align with heteronormative social constructs,” they said.
Jacobs’ artwork has been themed around discussing gender-identity and representation since they were in undergrad; however, their art has taken new forms throughout graduate school, with secular spaces and rituals being a central topic.
“I’m looking at putting these bookshelves in privately owned spaces, such as at the front of businesses or someone’s lawn if they’re open to it,” Jacobs said. “From that standpoint, it’s not public entities promoting these books but rather private owners sharing them at their own
free will.”
The Free Pages Project arrives at a crucial time in American sociopolitics, Jacobs said. With the country recently being added to the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist due to declining civil liberties, Jacobs believes blatant threats to freedom can no longer be ignored. Jacobs wants viewers of their project to see the deeper meaning behind making banned books acces -
sible to the public.
“This is an attack, and my project is a peaceful protest of this attack,” Jacobs said. “My hope is that people who come across my project take away that these narratives and stories are important and are not going to go anywhere. The more you try to suppress people’s voices, the more they will resist. The more you ban books, the more people will read them.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX JACOBS
Alex Jacobs working in studio.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX JACOBS
Alex Jacobs’ pieces displayed in art studio.
SPORTS
NO. 1 SEED
Who will gymnastics face in its regional run?
BY AINSLEY FLOOD Staff Writer
The gymnastics postseason is in full swing after the 2025 NCAA Regional Selection Show revealed which teams will face off for a spot in the national semifinals.
LSU snagged the SEC Championship over the weekend and overtook Oklahoma’s NQS; therefore, the Tigers were selected as the overall No. 1 seed and placed in the Pennsylvania region.
The first round of LSU’s region has two bottom-seeded teams, Maryland and West Virginia, duel for a place in the second round.
From then until the national championship, every meet is a quad, which means four teams compete head-to-head.
With eight teams left in a region, the second round is split into two quad meets, and the two highest scoring teams from each move on to the regional final.
For LSU, there will be new faces and old rivals in its division.
LSU’s first meet will consist of No. 16 Arkansas, Michigan and the winner of Maryland and West Virginia’s first-round matchup. Whoever moves on will face the top two from the
other second-round meet: Michigan State, Kentucky, Ohio State and Penn State.
The Tigers compete April 3 at 6 p.m. CDT at Penn State.
Here’s a round-up of the competition for LSU’s first regional meet: Arkansas
LSU has some unfinished business to take care of with the No. 16 seed.
Arkansas made noise last week after it was the only SEC team excluded from the championships. Head coach Jordyn Wieber sent a request to the NCAA committee for an extra regular season meet to improve the team’s NQS before regionals but was denied.
Now, the Razorbacks are stuck with facing the No. 1 seed, but that’s a battle they’ve won before.
Back in Week 4 of the regular season, LSU fumbled in Fayetteville 196.875-196.600. They held the lead through the first three events but, following a rocky floor rotation, slipped up on beam.
Expectations were high for Arkansas, but one too many losses sent it to the bottom of the SEC. Regardless, it’s still a top-20 team and will be looking for a repeat upset at regionals.
Michigan
This Big 10 team finished
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Mjracle Sheppard returns to Spokane
BY TYLER HARDEN Staff Writer
Spokane, Washington, is over 2,300 miles from Baton Rouge, but for Mjracle Sheppard, that’s almost a trip home.
Now that LSU is in the Sweet 16, Sheppard is able to make that trip with her LSU team, and will have lots of family in attendance.
“I’m just so excited, I can’t even think of the words,” Sheppard said.
Sheppard grew up in Kent, Washington, which is about 25 minutes from Seattle, and five hours from Spokane.
It’s not often that she’s able to make it back home, especially during the basketball season, and it’s been that way since high school.
Sheppard attended Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, a boys’ and girls’ basketball powerhouse at the high school level. As it has for many players, Montverde had a hand in developing Sheppard into a four-star recruit and the No. 86-ranked recruit in the 2023 class.
When she was already far from home, she decided to stay far from home and continue her career at the collegiate level at Mississippi State.
fourth in their conference championships on Saturday and are unseeded in the NCAA.
Previously, Michigan suffered losses to the only two SEC teams they have faced — Oklahoma and Alabama. Considering LSU beat both teams twice, a similar result could be expected.
However, the Wolverines aren’t to be underestimated as they’ve toppled three top-15 teams this season.
Like LSU, they’ve found fortune with the freshmen. Sophia Diaz and floor anchor Jahzara Ranger have each taken numerous event titles in their debut seasons.
Maryland vs. West Virginia
Both teams will compete in this play-in meet to clinch the fourth and final spot in LSU’s second-round group. Each finishing at the bottom of their conference championships, the Terraping and the Mountaineers have one last shot at success in the postseason.
Ranked No. 36, West Virginia was the last team eligible for the tournament based on their NQS, which is 195.855. They will have to jump ahead of No. 31 Maryland with an NQS of 196.030. Their showdown will take place April 2, and the winner will meet LSU for the first time this season in the regional semi final.
Sheppard’s freshman season was productive, where she averaged five points per game along with 1.4 steals per game. Her defense was what allowed her to stand out early on in her college career, and LSU took notice while she was in Starkville.
In a 77-73 win over LSU, Sheppard helped her Mississippi State team pull off the upset with six steals along with 12 points, four rebounds and
five assists. Her six-steal performance was one of four performances she had with five steals or more her freshman season.
“Defense sets the tone of the game,” Sheppard said. “Defense wins championships.”
Mississippi State, however, missed the NCAA Tournament and instead played in the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament, where the Bulldogs fell in the quarterfinals to Penn State.
Sheppard watched March Madness from afar. Similar to this season, Spokane was a host of the first two rounds of the tournament, as Gonzaga hosted the first two rounds being a No. 4 seed.
Her all-around performance against the Tigers proved to be ironic this offseason.
After she entered the transfer portal, Sheppard ended up choosing LSU and was a part of a transfer haul that included Shayeann Day-Wilson from Miami, Kailyn Gilbert from Arizona and Jersey Wolfenbarger from Arkansas.
Like she was at Mississippi State, Sheppard was reliable on defense from the start. She began her career at LSU with a 10-point, seven-rebound and seven-steal performance against North Carolina Central.
“Mjracle brings a lot of energy,” Mulkey said. “She’s just active. She plays really, really hard.”
While she’s always been a defensive asset for the Tigers, her time in Baton Rouge has also allowed her to reach into her offensive game more, especially recently.
In LSU’s 88-85 loss in overtime to Alabama, Sheppard was a spark plug that brought LSU back within striking distance in the second half. She totaled 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals against the Crimson Tide.
In another time of adversity against Ole Miss, in which LSU lost 85-77, Sheppard had a hand in keeping LSU in it once again. She finished with eight points, five rebounds, two assists and four steals.
“She just does good things defensively,” Mulkey said. “She’s very solid and sound.”
After the SEC Tournament, where Sheppard combined for 20 points, seven rebounds and five steals in two games, it was time for LSU to find out where it would be in this year’s NCAA Tournament bracket.
And the Tigers landed exactly where Sheppard wanted them to: Spokane.
“I was like, ‘yes, yes, finally,’”
PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille
An LSU gymnast puts chalk on her grips before bars during LSU’s SEC Championship win on March 22 at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Al.
MALEAH BOURGEOIS/ The Reveille LSU women’s basketball sophomore guard Mjracle Sheppard (1) prepares to shoot the ball during LSU’s 114-53 win against Xavier on Oct. 24, in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
Column: How softball’s Jayden Heavener can stop recent slide
BY RAMI BURKS Staff Writer SOFTBALL
LSU stud pitcher Jayden Heavener came onto the scene with a bang in 2025, but she has hit a plateau through the first two weekends of SEC play.
MALEAH BOURGEOIS / The Reveille LSU softball freshman pitcher and utility Jayden Heavener (00) prepares to pitch during LSU’s 8-0 mercy win against the Charlotte 49ers on Feb. 7, at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Tigers have created a new brand of LSU softball since the season started, and Heavener has been a big part of that branding. In years past, it hasn’t mattered what team the Bayou Bengals played to kick off the season; LSU head coach Beth Torina always reached for her ace in the season opener.
Sydney Berzon was expected to be the pitching staff’s ace this season, but Heavener started the first game of the year. It’s not to say that Berzon hasn’t been trusted as the ace, but Heavener has made waves early in the 2025 season.
Everyone knew Heavener at the national level before she ever stepped on the field as a Tiger. She was the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024 and was named the MaxPreps National Player of the Year and the Florida Softball Gatorade Player of the Year.
Heavener wasted no time before making a name for herself in the LSU history books. She threw a six-inning perfect game for the purple and gold in
her first outing. Heavener didn’t shake early either, pitching in intense games against Virginia Tech, Northwestern University, UL-Lafayette and several other schools.
It wasn’t until SEC play that Heavener started to look a bit like a true freshman. SEC play isn’t easy, and Torina gave her the ball quickly in game two of the Kentucky series. The coaching staff and her teammates trusted Heavener, but she looked nervous.
Torina has said that Heavener’s confidence is a big part of how she plays, and in her last two outings, her confidence may have faded a bit.
In game two versus Kentucky, Heavener got into some uncharacteristic hot water. The game was close, and the Wildcats were starting to string together hits. Torina pulled her early to shut down Kentucky’s momentum.
When the Tigers played at Georgia, Heavener was also the Saturday night starter. Heavener was pitching in another close
game for LSU, but Torina let her work out of the jam this time.
Heavener walked seven batters in six innings against the Bulldogs. In addition to that, she threw two wild pitches and hit one other batter. Luckily, the Georgia starter also had some consistency issues throughout the game, allowing the Tigers to capitalize for a win.
So where have these moments of immaturity been hiding for this freshman phenom? They haven’t.
Free passes have been an issue for Heavener this whole season. She still has a sub-two ERA, but walks and hit-by-pitches aren’t considered earned runs and do not count toward Heavener’s ERA.
Through over 59 innings of pitching, Heavener has walked 33 batters, thrown seven wild pitches and hit 11 batters. Eight walks, three wild pitches and two hit batters have all come in SEC play.
The shakiness of Heavener’s last two outings is simply grow-
ing pains for the freshman. Once she adjusts to the difficulty of SEC play, she will start to get the results she had in non-conference play.
“It’s a game of failure,” Heavener said after her opening day excellence. “So it’s good to step out there for my first time and just let people know that I am who I am.
Heavener also has a lot of time to grow. She’s only a freshman, but SEC play makes young players grow up fast. It takes a tough pitcher to throw a perfect game in her first outing, and Heavener has proven she is tough so far this season. SEC play is no exception to building toughness.
Despite her strong start to the season with her perfect game, Heavener knows that SEC play is meant to challenge her pitching prowess.
“Just to know that if I do have a bad game, it is what it is,” Heavener said following the season opener. “I’m gonna have my uphill and have downhills.”
What to know: Women’s basketball faces NC State in Sweet 16
BY TRE ALLEN Staff Writer
It’s never easy to beat the same team twice.
LSU and NC State met for the first time three months ago in Nassau, the Bahamas.
The Tigers came in as the No. 7 team in the country with a record of 7-0, while the Wolfpack were 4-2 and ranked No. 20.
LSU took control of the game and didn’t look back. The big three of Flau’Jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams and Aneesah Morrow led the way for the Tigers, combining for 60 of the 82 points scored.
NC State fell 82-65 despite a solid performance from senior guard Saniya Rivers, who scored 21 points, but it wasn’t enough.
The Tigers slowed down the Wolfpack’s leading scorers, Aziaha James and Zoe Brooks. James was held below her scoring average and only scored 13 points while shooting 4-for13 (30.7%) from the field, and Brooks scored 12 points.
However, in the Sweet 16, both teams are different.
“They’ve beat some good teams in the ACC, so they’re
SHEPPARD, from page 10
Sheppard said. “I was watching last year and they had a Spokane regional, and I was like, ‘please.’”
Sheppard’s played basketball far from home for quite some time, and now having played in three different states in the South, she’s learned a lot not only basketball wise, but about
probably much better today than they were when we played them,” head coach Kim Mulkey said.
Since that 17-point loss back in November, the Wolfpack only lost three games, including reaching the ACC Championship, where they lost to Duke 76-62.
Like LSU, NC State has elite guards that allowed them to have a 28-6 record and get the No. 2 seed in the region.
The Wolfpack utilizes a fourguard lineup in James, Brooks, Rivers and Madison Hayes, which has given them a top-30 scoring offense in the country.
While NC State may lack size and physicality in the frontcourt, one aspect of the Wolfpack that no one is talking about is the experience.
Under head coach Wes Moore, the Wolfpack has sustained respectable runs in the NCAA Tournament with the players they have now.
Last season, as the No. 3 seed in its region, NC State made it to the Final Four before losing to the eventual national champion in South Carolina.
James scored 27 points in their Elite Eight victory against
life as well.
“I definitely feel like the people are more friendly down South,” Sheppard said. “It’s a much more physical game out here, and I love that. I wanted to be a part of that.”
Basketball has played a major factor in keeping Sheppard in the South, and she’s made the sacrifice of being far from home and far from family for years.
No. 1 Texas, and in the Sweet 16, James, Brooks, Hayes and Rivers combined for 61 of the 77 points in the team’s win over No. 2 Stanford.
In the 2021-22 season, the Wolfpack made it to the Elite Eight as the No. 1 seed before losing to UConn in double overtime 91-87. Although only James and Hayes were on that team, and though they didn’t make the biggest impact on the court that season, they’ve experienced the intensity of big games in March.
The four guards are the heart and soul of the team. They’re the four leading scorers, they’re on the court the majority of the time, and they are the most experienced. Three of the four guards for NC State are seniors who’ve all played key roles in important games.
On paper, LSU is more talented, and it’s beaten the Wolfpack before earlier in the season, but NC State is no stranger to big games in March Madness.
NC State has talent, it can score, it has a great coach and it’s been a part of some big games.
The Wolfpack earned their No. 2 seed for a reason, and they’re looking for revenge.
While being far away from home, however, Sheppard has had to find the aspect of family within her teams, and she found that in Baton Rouge.
“Family means everything,” Sheppard said. “Somebody being there, people being there for you, supporting you, and I truly believe we have a family heare.”
Sheppard’s journey of making the sacrifice of being far
LSU women’s basketball sophomore guard Mikaylah Williams (12) celebrates a block by LSU during LSU’s 101-71 March Madness win against Florida State on March. 24, in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
from home has now come full circle, as the Tigers are set to make the trip to Washington for the Sweet 16.
Her newfound family will now be in her home state with her own family, which hasn’t been in Baton Rouge since the team’s “Family Day.”
Despite her hometown still being five hours from Spokane, much of her family plans to
make the trip to see her and the Tigers in the Sweet 16.
Sheppard’s career has been a journey, and it will likely continue to be.
She’s always ended up in unexpected places, even if that place is now in is her home state.
“It was very hard to believe,” Sheppard said. “It’s been a journey.”
TORI HILL / The Reveille
OPINION
The U.S. government is full of bullies and endless mockery
You may have recently heard a certain French politician’s proclamation, along the lines of “Hey, America: Give France back the Statue of Liberty.”
This bold claim was made by Raphaël Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament and the leader of Place Publique, a political party in France. He argued that some Americans have “switch[ed] to the side of the tyrants.”
I agree, the country has made some very concerning choices. I detest our government, especially regarding recent choices made regarding education, but I digress.
The humor in this situation is that the White House’s very own press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, responded to Glucksmann’s comments.
Rather succinctly, she stated that the French should “be grateful they’re not speaking German.”
If
Ignoring the current various Nazi allegations towards our government heads and potential salutes that may or may not be being thrown, it’s in incredibly poor taste for the White House’s press secretary to attempt to hold World War II over France’s head like it’s some playful gotcha moment.
The trivialization of the sacrifices made by soldiers and citizens alike, along with tactless namecalling, is nothing new to the Trump administration. After all, the apple never falls far from the tree.
However, it’s still a disgusting reminder and shows that politics is becoming an ever-increasing dramatic mockery of an elementary school playground with lackluster supervision.
Leavitt making a snappy retort to Glucksmann’s claim of rising fascism in America that involves throwing World War II in his face is exactly the childlike response one can expect from a member of Trump’s administration.
The most embarrassing thing for me as an American citizen is Glucksmann’s eloquent response
on X (formerly known as Twitter). He responds to it wanting every politician to work with sense, emotion, clarity and a noticeable lack of middle-school cattiness. You can read it here, and you will notice a remarkable lack of name-calling and bullying.
Glucksmann does something that no disciple of Trump would do: He acknowledges that he’s grateful for the nation of the person he’s arguing against. This shows humility, a trait he finds lacking in our government.
The speech Glucksmann posted is also full of sound judgment and respectful replies, not childish digs. He points out what America was known for: “[America] celebrated science and didn’t fire researchers for using banned words. It welcomed the persecuted and didn’t target them.”
Unlike a lot of our contemporary leftist influencers and politicians, Gluscksmann didn’t proclaim the doom of America; he said we will rise again, and we will learn to be better.
Glucksmann, as a politician demonstrates the decorum I de -
ANDREW’S ANGLE
ANDREW SARHAN Columnist
Having a side hustle isn’t uncommon in today’s world. Some people get a second job to supplement their income, while others have contracts within mobile services such as Uber or Doordash.
However, one issue with Doordash is that the base wage is sometimes as low as $2 an order, and tips are few and far between.
Since the base wage is so low, employees have to live off of tips. Not only is it not worth it to drive far out for so little money, but previously, if you denied low-income orders, you wouldn’t be punished on the app.
However, some employees abused this feature, and they would skip all the orders until they got a high-paying one, causing wait times to go up.
A food delivery rider waits for the traffic light to change on March 30, 2020, in Lone Tree, Colo.
mand to be represented with, and I wish that was a lingo our government spoke. We need more people like Glucksmann and far less bullies. His call-out was a powerful reminder that America is straying from its way: freedom and equality. Seeing as our government is hellbent on rewriting everything, we, the people, must be vocal like Glucksmann.
McEntee is a 19-year-old English sophomore from Benton, La.
you order off a food delivery app, you should always tip
from a mobile delivery service, you should factor in the cost of a tip in your budget.
If you can’t tip, consider using Doordash’s pick-up option. This not only saves a delivery fee but also prevents you from having to leave a tip.
As a Doordash worker myself, operating a vehicle costs a lot of money. Plus, the gas is certainly not free, and the cost will only go up as we reach the summer.
tip.
The old system allowed customers to tip before placing an order, but the recent change made it so that you cannot tip until you’re assigned a driver. Doordash should revert to its old, more streamlined tip system.
If Doordash wants to encourage us to accept lower-paying orders, they should make it easier to tip your driver.
As drivers, we do what we can to get your food to you as quickly as we can, but that also means that we deserve a tip for our efforts.
To keep a platinum rank, you have to have 85 out of 100 points. While this is a relatively simple feat, when you deny lowpaying orders, you lower your dasher rating.
Including acceptance rates in ranking is a measure to combat those who cherry-pick through orders. Still, it negatively affects all drivers by forcing them to take bad orders, lest their dasher rank go down.
This recently changed with Doordash’s new “overall dasher rating” system. The new system combines your review score with your acceptance, on-time and completion rates into a zero to 100 score that determines your dasher rank.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Colin Falcon Editor in Chief
Having a platinum rating is important because it gives drivers more opportunities for higher-paying orders, the ability to schedule a week in advance before their dash and a better support system in case of emergencies.
These are all important for Dashers, making their jobs slightly easier and better.
Nevertheless, this new system punishes workers for not wanting to take an order that isn’t worth their time or money.
We’re all struggling right now; however, if you’re going to order
Not everyone who orders doesn’t mean not to tip; perhaps they forgot. Honestly, there have been times when I have not tipped on Doordash because the app did not remind me to do so.
If Doordash sent out a push notification after every delivery to encourage customers to tip, the number of tips would likely increase.
Not to mention that Doordash made it even more difficult to tip drivers, with a relatively recent change requiring you to be assigned a driver before adding a
Some companies have a tipping prompt on the checkout page, allowing you to leave a tip before you complete your order, hence making it easier for customers and their drivers.
Overall, I enjoy delivering food, and I especially enjoy the supplemental income that comes along with it.
However, due to changes in the system on DoorDash’s part and the continued surge of prices, if you order food to be delivered, you should leave a tip for your driver. If you can’t afford to tip, consider alternative ways to get your food.
Andrew Sarhan is a freshman mass communication major from Baton Rouge, La.
Editorial Policies and Procedures Quote of the
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.
Week
“Our goal must be decency and respect for every human we encounter.”
Garrett
PAMELA SMITH / AP PHOTO
The Statue of Liberty is seen from the Staten Island Ferry, Sept. 9 in New York.
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP PHOTO