LSU gymnastics prepares to defend its title at NCAA nationals.
Read on page 2
BY GABBY GRAY Staff Writer
DO IT AGAIN
LSU gymnastics gears up for an NCAA semifinal storm
A sense of springtime and competition is in the air in Fort Worth, Texas.
LSU gymnastics is gearing up for the 2025 NCAA semifinals this Thursday, where it will compete for a national championship title.
The Tigers know this competition all too well. They are coming as the defending national champions, and this year, they’re doing everything they can to protect the crown.
“That was last year’s team. This is a different team,” Clark said. “This title doesn’t belong to this year’s team, and that’s gonna be our attitude going forward.”
Clark has remained true to this mindset all year and has used it to push this year’s team forward. Through regularseason competition, injuries or even the “meat grinder” that he described NCAA regionals to be, the 2024 Region One Head Coach of the Year and his team have refused to back down, calling themselves “hunters” at the start of the year.
Since that interview, LSU has hunted its way to the front of the pack as the No. 1 team in the country, breaking program records and winning an SEC Championship. The hard work has not been ignored.
“You know, LSU, you could argue they’ve put up a championship performance the highest percentage of time,” two-time Olympian John Roethlisberger said in a conference call previewing the 2025 NCAA Championships. “I think the favorites are Oklahoma and LSU because they have the most consistency at putting up championship performances, the highest percentage of times.”
With their championship performance, the Tigers the No. 2 seed in the country.
The Tigers, the only SEC team in the lineup, will compete against No. 5 Michigan State, No. 6 UCLA and No. 4 Utah.
Familiar names like Michigan State’s Gabrielle Stephen and UCLA’s Olympic champion Jordan Chiles will compete against LSU’s anchors, like 2024 NCAA All-Around champion Haleigh Bryant and 2024 NCAA Floor champion Aleah Finnegan.
“You have Jordan Chiles and you have Grace McCallum, and think about all of the amazing athletes in addition to those superstars on the team,” Olympian and women’s gymnastic commentator Samantha Peszek said. “They’re really both exciting teams to watch. I think Utah has a lot of difficulty, and then UCLA — they have a lot of diversity, diversity in their choreography and in their skills as
well.”
While UCLA and Utah will put up a good fight in chasing the Tigers’ tails this Thursday, LSU won’t bow down to their challenge.
“I’ve been really impressed with the way that LSU has come into the season with this intensity, but also yet this calm confidence,” Olympian and women’s gymnastics commentator Aly Raisman said. “I think that’s really hard to do when you’re coming from being the national champions.”
Raisman continued and reflected on how her coach used to say that becoming No. 1 is extremely difficult, but the hardest place in the world is staying in that top spot.
“I’ve watched LSU this season, and to me, it doesn’t seem like they’re feeling that pressure, in the sense that I think maybe other people would feel if they’re the reigning national champions,” Raisman added. “I think I feel that they almost sense it as this extra confidence when they walk into the arena. They feel this sense of calm and this assurance, and they really trust their training and each other.”
But for every moment of calm comes a storm, and you can watch this storm take Fort Worth at 8 p.m. or follow the Reveille for live updates on the competition.
“Whatever team truly wakes up and believes in one another, from beginning of the lineup to the end of the lineup, is the one that’s going to be the national champions,” Peszek said.
PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille
LSU gymnastics all-around graduate student Haleigh Bryant competes on floor during LSU’s SEC Championship win on March 22 at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Al.
MALEAH BOURGEOIS / The Reveille
LSU gymnastics graduate student Olivia Dunne finishes her floor routine durinig LSU’s 197.550-197.450 win against the Florida Gators on Jan. 17 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille
LSU gymnastics all-around sophomore Amari Drayton performs on floor during LSU’s SEC Championship win on March 22, at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Al.
NEWS TATE DEFENDS
LSU faculty question university president, express frustration over government plans
BY CADE SAVOY Staff Writer
The LSU Faculty Council convened for its annual meeting with University President William F. Tate IV Monday, where faculty members questioned the president about the university’s responses to federal directives and expressed concern over cuts to university programs.
Though the LSU Faculty Senate, which is separate from the council, could not meet quorum at the meeting, Tate and Faculty Senate President Daniel C. Tirone issued their respective president’s reports and held a question-and-answer forum between faculty members and Tate.
Tirone’s report began by addressing ongoing Faculty Senate agenda items, including a resolution for LSU employers to increase their monthly contribution to the Optional Retirement Plan. He concluded by praising the Faculty Senate for their diligent efforts to represent their colleagues in an increasingly uncertain environment for higher education.
Tate discussed the impact of the Trump administration’s efforts to cut programs that affect higher education in his report, including cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and the Department of Education.
Tate acknowledged these cuts have created an uncertain environment for higher education officials.
“Even the state legislators don’t know what’s going to happen,” Tate said.
Tate insisted the university is
doing all it can to protect faculty from federal cuts to higher education and praised the administration for developing close relationships with state legislators.
He defended the university’s decision to institute a hiring freeze and discussed future efforts to improve LSU, emphasiz-
ing that the university would continue to support students at its campuses and through LSU Online. These measures, he said, would help the university remain financially stable amid unprecedented funding cuts.
Michael Russo, a longtime LSU librarian, lambasted Tate
and Executive Vice President and Provost Roy Haggerty for their decision to eliminate the tenure track for librarians in September.
“I have three questions,” Russo said. “One, whose idea was it? Two, did you come to that decision? And three, why did it happen in secret?”
Tate deferred to Haggerty who shook his head in the front row as Russo spoke. Haggerty defended the university’s decision, observing that most private universities don’t offer tenure to librarians and insisting that, despite Russo’s objections, most of his colleagues would support the decision.
Psychology professor Paul Frick later asked how the university planned to navigate federal challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which he said were vital to much of his colleague’s research.
Tate sympathized with Frick, noting his own commitment to supporting diversity in health equity research. Nonetheless, he insisted he could not change federal policy and that, in the meantime, LSU was already doing the best it could to protect faculty members’ research.
One particularly vocal critic of the university’s response to the Trump administration’s ac-
Textile & Costume Museum’s newest exhibit explores color
BY SARAH WALTON Staff Writer
The LSU Textile & Costume Museum is adding a pop of color to campus with its newest exhibit, “Color Me Fashion.”
Pulling over 40 looks from 1890 to 1990, the museum is highlighting the beauty and importance of color in fashion.
“The power of color is undeniable when attempting to arrange disparate objects cohesively,” the exhibit’s description reads. “In this curatorial process, color merged oppositional styles, silhouettes and fabrications of each garment. While color trends may come and go, the foundational components of color theory provide an everlasting framework in which one can organize different objects to create visually alluring tableaus.”
The Museum’s Director and Curator Michael E. Mamp said there were many influences on
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
LSU President William F. Tate IV addresses the Faculty Senate Jan. 24, 2024, inside the Woods Auditorium on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
FACULTY COUNCIL, from page 3
tions was physics and astronomy professor A. Ravi P. Rau. Describing academic freedom as “the elephant in the room,” Rau compared federal actions targeting higher education to Joseph McCarthy’s campaign against communism in the 1950s.
“We are heirs to a tradition of centuries on matters of academic freedom,” Rau said.
Calling for solidarity among faculty and universities across the country, Rau asked Tate to sign a nationwide petition, in which university presidents pledge to not be intimidated by Trump.
Tate responded by saying he had already done everything he could to speak out against fed-
the exhibit, one of them being the spring Hindu festival, Holi. The festival celebrates the love of the gods Radha and Krishna and good defeating evil.
Holi is well known for the colorful play that comes with it. During Holi, festival attendees throw gulal, a colorful powder, as they celebrate and spend time with others.
Mamp said he was also inspired by “Color Me Barbra,” a television show featuring Barbra Streisand from 1966, when color television was rare. Mamp’s final inspiration for the exhibit was Vogue’s December issue that he said had heavily saturated fashion and an environment of color.
“I wanted to be able to show a lot of different artifacts from the collection from different time periods and different designers,
eral challenges to colleges and universities, pointing to a recent piece he wrote criticizing efforts to dismantle the Department of Education.
He also seemed pessimistic about prospects for solidarity.
“I called other people in the SEC and asked them to engage,” Tate said, “and they said ‘no.’”
After the meeting concluded, Rau expressed dissatisfaction with Tate’s response.
“The iceberg has already hit the ship,” Rau said. “The president is right, and this is not a criticism of LSU in particular; it’s a criticism of universities as a whole. We are too apathetic. We need to take a stand against authoritarian challenges to colleges and universities while we still have the chance.”
and so color became the way to unify those different objects across time, space and place,”
Mamp said. “Which means unifying them with color.”
Mamp has been reorganizing the museum’s storage. During this process, he took note of collections he wanted to share with the public.
“I started grouping things by color arrangements, so complementary colors, monochromatic colors and analogous colors,” Mamp said. “I continued to narrow down the selections from there until I got to what you see presented.”
The exhibit is organized based on color theory and how colors interact with one another. It is full of beautiful pieces with complementary, analogous and monochromatic colors. There is even a special section for purple and gold fashion.
Color appeared on all of the
exhibit walls, joined by famous quotes about color, including “Color is a power which directly influences the soul,” by Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky and Kermit the Frog’s “It’s not easy being green.”
Mamp hopes the exhibit gives museumgoers some happiness as it adds a splash of color to their day.
“I hope that people walk away with a sense of joy and the celebratory nature of fashion and color,” Mamp said, “and how they work together to hopefully lift one’s spirit.”
“I study fashion because I think it’s a joyful thing. If people can walk away with just a little bit of that joy in their heart and their soul, then we have done our job.”
The “Color Me Fashion” exhibit is free to visit at LSU’s Textile & Costume Museum every weekday until Aug. 15.
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
LSU’s Memorial Tower rises above the trees on Monday, March 20, 2023, on Tower Drive in Baton Rouge, La.
PHOTO
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LSU TEXTILE AND COSTUME MUSEUM
ENTERTAINMENT
Musical Theatre Club preps for production of ‘Singeaux: Live!’
BY LAURA ALLEN Staff Writer
“Singeaux: LIVE!” puts a unique twist on a range of classic musicals, combining familiar songs and energetic performances.
LSU’s Musical Theatre Club is closing out its 2024-2025 season with its production of Singeaux: LIVE!, directed by Jasmine Garrison and co-directed by Jada Petrie, who are both senior social work majors. “Singeaux” is a cabaret-style show featuring upbeat songs from a myriad of musicals including “Hamilton,” “Shrek: The Musical” and “Hairspray.”
“The theme this year is ‘Singeaux: LIVE!,’” Garrison said. “I chose that theme, because I really like a lot of lively, upbeat musical theatre songs. And in previous Singeauxs, I felt like they do solos and duets, which is fine, but I always wanted to highlight a lot more people on stage.”
This year’s Singeaux is an ensemble-heavy production, boasting a cast of 38 people who are able to showcase each of their own talents in both the large and small ensemble numbers. Another reason Garrison chose to cast such a large ensemble was because of the chemistry she saw
Club rehearsing for the spring production of
on April 14.
among them during the auditions.
“We didn’t want to let them go,” Garrison said. “We saw them at dance call. They were so happy and cheering each other on. This was during the audition process. We can’t let these people separate, because they’ve already formed a bond.”
The connection within the cast has only gotten stronger throughout the rehearsal process,
with many new friendships forming as a result.
Abbey Mohr, a freshman communication disorders major, has been involved in MTC since the fall, participating in the “Haunted Hallways” cabaret in October and “High School Musical” in November. Through the shows, Mohr was able to meet new people and form friendships she never would have otherwise.
“The bonds and the friendships I have made so far have really been very strong,” Mohr said. “I knew a good bit of people from ‘High School Musical’ and cabaret, but just getting to meet newer people, like people who hadn’t been involved in the club before, and everybody just being so ready and willing to jump right in.”
However, the show has been met with a few challenges. Many students dropped the show, some required the numbers to be reworked to fill in the gaps. Another challenge has been finding spaces to rehearse.
“I think the most challenging part has probably been that we don’t have one set rehearsal space,” Nico Wachtel, freshman kinesiology major and stage manager, said. “So we have to move around a lot and adjust to different spaces, which has definitely been difficult.”
Still, the cast and crew agree that the hard work and dedication put in by every member of production has been more than rewarding. Petrie is proud of the actors for working so hard and pushing themselves to give each number their all, and she loves watching them grow in their confidence with each rehearsal.
Part of what makes “Singeaux: LIVE!” different from other cabarets is the liveliness of it, Garrison said. Every song is upbeat, so there is never a lull in the energy of the show, and there is also a level of audience involvement.
“I think it’s just the live element of it and the fact that it’s very cast-involved as well,” Garrison said. “We have cast interacting with the audience. I wanted it to feel as if somebody was sitting in an actual cabaret. I wanted to close that gap between audience watching a show and more so audience being a part of the show.”
Mohr believes this new, spin on the classic cabaret is guaranteed to keep the audience fully engaged the whole time. The variety of musical numbers also ensures that there is bound to be a song for everyone to enjoy.
“‘Singeaux’ is definitely for people who want a little bit of everything for musical theatre,” Mohr said. “It’s not all over the place in a bad way, but there’s so much variety in it that there’s something there for everybody.”
“Singeaux: LIVE!” will have its only showing Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the LSU Union Theater. Admission is free for everyone, and no RSVP is required.
LSU Libraries’ 49th Book Bazaar sells over 60 thousand books
BY EMILY BRACHER Staff Writer
The Louisiana State University Agriculture Center replaced its farm animals with 60,000 books on the floor this weekend.
Friends of the LSU Libraries hosted its 49th annual Book Bazaar from April 10 to April 12 in the LSU AgCenter. Proceeds from the event help facilitate the growth of the collections at the LSU Libraries, such as the John J. Audubon Birds of America collection. For 10 months out of the year, Friends of the LSU Libraries collects books for the event, with some even sold for as low as $1.
“It’s a labor of love,” LSU Humanities and Social Sciences Librarian Mitch Fontenot said.
Fontenot has been working with the organization for years. Friends of the LSU Libraries was founded in 1962, and the Book Bazaar began in 1976, so next year will mark its 50th anniversary. This year’s event was sponsored by Frost-Barber of Louisiana, LLC and Kean’s Fine Dry Cleaning.
Since its inception in 1962, the organization members have raised over $2 million for the LSU Libraries. The sale collection includes thousands of used and rare books, as well as CDs, DVDs and vinyl records. Shoppers could choose from an array of books on history, fiction, ro -
mance, nonfiction and more.
“They raise great amounts of money for us, and they’re just great people,” Fontenot said.
LSU Libraries Director of Communications Christine Wendling was pleasantly surprised at the amount of visitors who come to the Book Bazaar from far stretches of the state and even beyond its borders. Some of the shoppers have been coming to the event for over a decade, which speaks to how deeply it resonates with people, she said.
Wendling said the event is good for accessibility and also sustainability. Instead of discarding books, they can be donated to resell at a much cheaper price to be repurposed. The Book Bazaar helps expand the culture of literacy that strengthens our community, she said.
“The Book Bazaar is about more than just books,” Wendling said. “There’s a real sense of joy and discovery in the air, and it’s always wonderful to see people of all ages connecting over a shared love of reading.”
Mass communication sophomore Elena Ramey entered the AgCenter not knowing what to expect. She was greeted with more books than she could have ever imagined, a majority of them being in good condition for being used. She left with three books, her total being less than $10.
Not only was Ramey shocked at the amount of books, but at the diverse group of people that the event brought together. Initially, she only expected to see college students wandering around to find a new addition to their bookshelf. Families, seniors and so many more were seen at the event, which Ramey accredited to the fact that reading connects everyone’s background.
“That just continues to show that reading really is just like the backbone of everything that we do,” Ramey said.
English sophomore Katie Wagner left the Book Bazaar with 22 books. She went with Ramey, the two hearing about the event through social media. Since she went on the first day, she was even able to find some brand new books. To help her carry almost two dozen books, the people working the event were accommodating and brought her a box.
Wagner said that beyond just being able to purchase books, the Book Bazaar exposed her to more information about the LSU
Libraries and other resources that can be found right on campus.
“As an English major, I think reading is a really important thing, and so to be able to have affordable books is so important to get people to be excited about reading,” Wagner said.
Now that the Book Bazaar is over, it is time to start donating books to supply next year’s event. The Friends of the LSU Libraries donation barn can be found at 3555 River Rd, Baton Rouge, LA.
LAURA ALLEN / The Reveille Musical Theatre
“Singeaux: LIVE!”
EMILY BRACHER / The Reveille
Books of all genres line the LSU AgCenter floor at the annual Book Bazaar.
Customers look at books.
TBR
TBR Books and Tea celebrates its grand opening on April 12 on Highland Road.
A wall of books sits.
A shelf of tea is on display at TBR.
A customer holds a book.
The TBR Books and Tea sign stands outside.
A young customer reads a book.
Photospread by Riley White // Photos by Payton Prichard
Fans from across the country visit Hello Kitty Cafe Truck in Baton Rouge
BY LANA LAWSON Staff Writer
Love and happiness comes in many forms, but for some people, it comes in the form of a white cat with a red bow.
The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck drove into Baton Rouge on April 12, giving fans from across the city an opportunity to grab some exclusive desserts and meet other fans. This year, the cafe is celebrating its 10 year anniversary, so many of the items sold were anniversary themed.
The vibrant pink truck parked at the Mall of Louisiana, and had an array of Hello Kitty themed desserts, including a giant Hello Kitty cookie priced at $16, a three-piece anniversary cookie set for $18 and an eight-piece madeleine cookie set for $16. These sweet treats were a hit among the attendees. The truck also sold exclusive merchandise such as shirts, mugs, hoodies, keychains and tote bags.
A special promotion was offered to guests who spent $35 or more on food. Those guests received a complimentary pink Hello Kitty Cafe tote bag as an added incentive. The truck’s visit to Baton Rouge emphasized the popularity of Hello Kitty in the city and the brand’s ability to bring joy to fans of all ages.
Samuel Hickman, 25, from Mccomb, Mississippi, stopped by the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck to pick up some items for his wife who wasn’t able to come.
“My wife heard about it on Instagram and insisted that I wait in this line for 30 minutes to get her something,” Hickman said. “It’s very special to her and she’ll love what I got for her.”
Archie Musso is a 20-year-old fan from Independence, Louisiana who stood in line to buy food and merchandise. She waited in line alongside her boyfriend, who didn’t know much about Hello Kitty, but was happy to support his girlfriend’s interests. The two also followed the truck’s Instagram to keep up with its whereabouts.
Musso has been a fan of Hello Kitty since she was a kid and remembers having lots of bags, shirts and other merchandise. She felt that Hello Kitty’s recent resurgence in popularity has created a new love for the cartoon character.
Musso also mentioned that Hello Kitty plays a big part in her personal sense of style and the way she dresses.
“She’s been a big part of my life,” she explained. “The whole entire franchise has, and so it’s really nice to have stuff like this come out here in the middle of Louisiana, where we don’t get stuff like this much.”
Kabria Welch, 23, is another fan from California, and she was excited to stop by the truck after she had also heard about it through an advertisement on Instagram. Welch came dressed up in an all-pink attire to match the pink truck.
“Hello Kitty represents happiness and that’s what I need in my life right now so, it’s perfect,” Welch said.
The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck travels across the U.S. year round in an effort to spread the joy of Hello Kitty to people all over the nation. For many, this truck is about more than cookies and merchandise. It has become a way to embrace childhood nostalgia and connect with others who feel the same way.
Annual nationwide Print Exchange brings student artists together
BY ASHLYNN BAILLIO Staff Writer
The LSU Print Guild quietly cultivates one of campus’ most unique and collaborative artistic events every spring.
The annual Print Exchange is an event organized by and for student printmakers. This exchange invites participants from across the country to swap handprinted artworks, building creative connections that span far beyond Baton Rouge.
Third-year BFA student with a concentration in printmaking and current president of the LSU Print Guild Sarah Lindrew is at the center of it all. The group is essentially the printmaking club on campus, but have the title, because that’s what they wanted, Lindrew said. The Print Exchange centers around the printmaking tradition of creating multiples, a concept central to the medium.
“It’s kind of like making stamps,” Lindrew explained. “You make one design, and then print several copies of it.”
This system makes it uniquely suited for exchanges, where each
artist sends in a set number of prints and receives a variety in return. Approximately 20 to 30 students from universities across the country participated this year, each submitting 16 prints of an original design.
“Fifteen of those get distributed back to participants, and we keep one for the archives,” Lindrew said. “It’s really cool to be able to say that you’re in an institution’s archive.”
However, the prints don’t disappear into portfolios. Each fall, the Print Guild curates a public exhibition showcasing all the prints from the exchange.
“It’s fun to see them all put up together,” Lindrew said. “You get to say your work was in a show, which is also really cool.”
While the guild’s leadership has changed over time, the tradition remains strong. Lindrew remembers hearing about the club in her introductory printmaking classes. For her, printmaking and the community around it, made the School of Art feel like home.
“Even inside the School of Art, it’s such a niche,” she said. “Everyone knows everyone. I’m a really social person, so I love
that.”
Printmaking students are introduced to five primary techniques at LSU: screen printing, relief, intaglio, lithography and letterpress. Each has its own history and process.
“Intaglio involves etching into copper plates with acid, it’s really cool but complicated,” Lindrew said.
The potential of the medium and the ability to produce multiples remains what draws Lindrew to the field. After graduation, Lindrew hopes to pursue a master’s degree so she can teach; however, she explained that there are many career options for printmakers, including local shops like Blackbird Press and various screen printing businesses around town.
As for the Print Guild’s upcoming exhibition, dates will be announced in the fall. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just curious about the medium, Lindrew encourages students to come see the worked.
“It’s one of those things where once you’re introduced to it, you start seeing it everywhere,” she said.
ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille
The Hello Kitty truck sits April 12, outside the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, La.
Stella Zawistowski
SPORTS
UNLIKELY TIGER
GYMNASTICS
Who gymnastics faces in NCAA semis
BY AINSLEY FLOOD Staff Writer
The stage is set for nationals. Eight teams remain after regionals, and by the end of the week, one will be crowned the 2025 NCAA gymnastics national champion.
In the meantime, Thursday’s semifinal showdowns will subtract four from the Elite Eight to make room for Four on the Floor on Saturday.
The reigning national champions, No. 2 LSU, are in no shortage of competition on their side of the bracket.
ERIN BARKER / The Reveille LSU gymnastics graduate student Sierra Ballard celebrates after her beam routine Jan. 19, 2024, during LSU’s 198.125-197.600 win against Kentucky in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
All signs pointed to Sierra Ballard going to Georgia. Now she’s at LSU
BY ETHAN STENGER
Sports Editor
During her senior year of high school, Sierra Ballard practiced uneven bars at her club, North Shore Gymnastics. When she looked up, she faced a wall of flags signed by those who once practiced in the same building as she did, day after day.
However, on this day, one flag caught Ballard’s attention. It was purple and gold.
“I want to go to LSU,” she tells her mom.
Ballard chose gymnastics over other sports, such as soccer and tennis. It taught her the importance of proper self-discipline and time management at a very young age.
“It was just like it was meant to be for me to be in gymnastics,” Ballard said. “The stars were aligned.”
The Ballards are a gymnastics family through and through. Ballard grew up a Georgia fan, attending gymnastics meets and camps every summer. Her uncle, Jay Clark, was the Bulldogs’ head coach and her aunt, Julie Ballard, was an assistant.
Her father, Steven Ballard, was an Assistant Coach of the Year under Clark in 1998, while her mother, Lori Strong-Ballard, was a Bulldog who won a national championship in 1993, the national bars title in 1994 and earned the SEC all-around title in 1996.
However, the purple and gold stole Ballard’s heart during her
visits.
Clark took over as the Tigers’ head coach in 2020 when D-D Breaux retired after over four decades. He didn’t want to give his niece any special treatment and wanted to recruit Ballard strictly as a gymnast.
Breaux called Ballard a week before her final visits with LSU and Alabama.
“When you look in the mirror tonight, I want you to see a Tiger,” Breaux said.
When Breaux hung up the phone, Ballard called Alabama to let them know that she wouldn’t be making her visit. She had already found her home, or maybe her home had already found her.
“There’s just something about LSU,” Ballard said. “You can feel it in the air. It’s like a family atmosphere, like you feel welcomed by every single person on campus.”
That rang true when Ballard took her visit with the Tigers. There, she met LSU’s other recruits who would become her sisters. During the middle of her Tigers’ photoshoot, Ballard turned to Clark and said, “I want to come here.”
Ballard could smell something special brewing in Baton Rouge, but it took multiple sacrifices from her and her family to get her to that moment of committing to play at LSU.
She grew up in Mandeville, La., with just over 13,000 people. With so many clubs able to produce elite gymnasts nationwide, Ballard would need a boost to be
seen and compete at the collegiate level.
That’s when her mother, a former gymnast who competed in the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics and four world championships for the Canadian national team, stepped in to coach her daughter a couple of years before she went to high school.
It was a tough transition on both sides. Ballard would yell for her mom across the gym, while Lori preferred to be called by her first name or “Coach.” The two constantly went over corrections in and outside the gym.
It was hard for Ballard to escape when she had a bad day. Meanwhile, Lori wanted to be the mother who braided her daughter’s hair and consoled and cheered her on at her gymnastics meets. She wanted her daughter back.
“Well, but she cares about the gymnastics,” Steven said then. “You know she can’t get there without you, right?”
Lori would have to sacrifice part of her relationship with her daughter to get Ballard where she wanted to be. The two stuck through, and Ballard landed on her feet at LSU.
When she takes center stage, Ballard steals the spotlight. She is a rockstar at heart: loud, assertive and in your face — all the time.
Ballard wasn’t always like that, though, especially growing up. Her parents described her as a giver. She was a reserved rule follower and a caretaker who set an
example for her younger siblings, Sydney and Ethan. Ballard was the president of Mandeville High School’s French Club, a member of the Math Club and a gifted program member while loading up on all the AP classes she could experience.
“I used to play Pokemon Go,” Ballard said. “I was a weird kid. I had a Rubik’s Cube phase. I was really geeky.”
But when Ballard got to LSU, something clicked. She had fully bought into her leadoff spot on the floor and begun feeding her team energy as the fire starter and No. 1 cheerleader for Clark’s Tigers. Ballard has a reputation for walking into meets with sunglasses and a boom box as the life of the PMAC party.
Ballard has continued to scratch her extra-curricular itch while at LSU. She’s the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a member of the LSU Fellowship of Christian Athletes and was named to the SEC Community Service Team for the third year in a row. Ballard will graduate this spring with a B.S. in finance, an MBA and an M.S. in sports management, looking to build a career in athletic administration.
It may seem overwhelming, but Ballard is quick enough to keep up. She’s always loved her academics and only wants to give back to the place that she calls home.
“She was always very passion-
BALLARD, page 11
The first group of semifinalists is an SEC reunion with No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 Florida, No. 7 Missouri and No. 8 Alabama battling for the two coveted spots in the final. LSU is the lone SEC team in the second group, with No. 4 Utah, No. 6 UCLA and No. 5 Michigan State all vying to be one of the last two
Gavin Guidry is out for the season
After a season of uncertainty and relentless efforts to get him back on the mound, LSU head coach Jay Johnson confirmed that junior right-handed pitcher Gavin Guidry will be shut down for the remainder of the 2025 season.
Guidry, who was a key piece of LSU’s bullpen in the 2023 championship team and continues to be a crucial arm to the mix, has battled a lingering back injury since early February. He will undergo a procedure on Friday that is expected to sideline him for the next 3-4 months, but Johnson is enthusiastic about a quick recovery.
Guidry had a 2.59 ERA last season with 24.1 innings of work. He only allowed 14 hits and seven earned runs while walking 18 batters and striking out 36 out of the 106 batters he faced.
“This is a tough break for Gavin, but we will be fine,”
Softball has stiff competition to end the regular season
BY RAMI BURKS Staff Writer
LSU softball is looking to regroup before facing three of the best SEC teams to end the season, after being swept by Texas A&M for their second series loss.
This young Tigers team hasn’t struggled with much adversity this season. Entering Week 10 of the polls, LSU had only suffered five losses on the season, but the Aggies turned on its head.
LSU dropped its first game to Cal State Fullerton and hadn’t taken another loss until the second week of SEC play. The Tigers fell in Game 3 to Georgia and the latter two games versus South Carolina to take their first series loss. Alabama topped the Tigers to avoid a sweep, and then LSU went to College Station for their fifth week of conference play.
Texas in Austin
Fresh off of getting swept, the Bayou Bengals are heading to Austin to face No. 3 Texas, which is arguably their toughest challenge yet.
Oklahoma’s long reign of easily being the No. 1 seed has come to an end, and Texas has held the top spot for several weeks this season.
The Longhorns sport a .370 batting average as a team, with a veteran pitching staff to match. Leader of the staff in earned run average is junior Citlaly Gutierrez with a 1.43 ERA. She’s not
the only Texas pitcher with nice stats to back her name.
The burnt orange returns Mac Morgan for the third consecutive season. Morgan has veteran experience, pitching for two different teams on the big stage in Oklahoma City. She went to the Women’s College World Series in 2022 with Arizona State before transferring to Texas in 2023 and competing against Oklahoma for the title in 2024.
The Longhorns have only lost four conference games, and two of those losses came to Tennessee in Week 5 of conference play.
The Texas-LSU matchup is going to be one you want to see with both of these stellar offenses coming off of upsetting weekends. Both teams will have a chip on their shoulder.
Florida in Baton Rouge
Following their series versus Texas, the Tigers are coming back home for their last weekend at home. Senior weekend will be played versus the Florida Gators.
The Gators are No. 7 in the polls for Week 11, and they have consistently held a top-10 spot this season for good reason.
The offense in the SEC is no joke, and Florida is no exception. As a team they have outscored opponents 362-134. Their electric offense is always led off by Kendra Falby, one of the best leadoff hitters in the nation.
Falby has had a monumental career, and this season is no
Baseball Preview
BY BRETT KEMPER Staff Writer
This weekend, No. 9 LSU baseball is set to host No. 15 Alabama in Baton Rouge. Boasting a 32-6 record, the Tigers aim to recover from a series sweep loss at Auburn, while the Tide, standing at 30-8, seeks to make a statement in this pivotal SEC matchup. Following a series loss in 2024, losing Game 1 and 3 by just one run each, LSU is looking to bounce back from a shoddy offensive performance and get back in the win column.
Here are three storylines to watch as these SEC rivals clash.
exception. Through 46 games played, she has a .463 batting average, but offense isn’t her only success. Falby can also flash the leather with the best of them. She was a 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove winner.
The Gators pitching staff is also as electric as ever, returning Ava Brown and Kegan Rothrock, who’ve proven to be essential throughout the season.
Brown and Rothrock have combined for 144 innings this season, and neither pitchers ERA is over 2.60. This duo has been deadly through their careers and will continue to work in tandem.
Despite winning the series versus Ole Miss, the Gators dropped Game 3 for an upsetting loss, and before they take on LSU, they will face Alabama.
There could be a possibility LSU is facing another team with a chip on their shoulder.
The all-time series history is knotted at 38 games a piece for LSU and Florida.
Arkansas in Fayetteville Arkansas softball has built a bit of a softball dynasty in the SEC the last few years. Head coach Courtney Diefel has turned Razorback softball into the SEC and national contender they are today.
The first time Arkansas hosted the SEC tournament, it was a home-field upset. In the opening round of the SEC tournament, the Razorbacks were eliminated in a 9-0 loss to Alabama. After that, Arkansas was the victors of the SEC regular
season and SEC tournament in 2022.
The 2025 Arkansas team is no slouch either. It’s sporting a .333 team batting average and has outscored its opponents by 195 runs so far this season. After losing infield slugger Hannah Gammill at the end of the 2024 season, the Razorbacks are still putting up great numbers in the box.
Lefty pitcher Robyn Harron leads the team in ERA and innings pitched, and by a large margin. The pitcher with the second most innings pitched is behind her by 33 innings. The pitcher with the second best ERA, with significant innings pitched, has a .47 point higher ERA than Harron.
Arkansas has a 10-8 record in SEC play, but it’s coming off of a positive weekend versus South Carolina, though it has its work cut out for them in Week 8 of SEC play. Week 7 is the Razorbacks’ bye week, but they will be thrown right back to the Wolves to take on current No. 1 Texas A&M before they take on LSU.
The next three weeks are going to be filled with LSU taking on teams with potential built up anger. The fire LSU has sported all season is going to be key in taking on these tough foes in the coming weeks.
SEC Tournament
Not only are the next three series essential to LSU’s record in SEC play, but they are going to be significant in its run in the SEC Tournament. The 2025
SEC Tournament is going to be held in Athens, Ga., where LSU defeated Georgia in Week 3 of conference play.
Despite the success on the field, the Tigers want to improve their SEC record to become a top four seed and receive a bye into the quarterfinals round. Due to the single-elimination format, getting a bye is huge to the outcome of the tournament.
In the past five seasons, LSU has gotten a single round bye with being a 5-8 seed throughout the seasons. Being a top four seed will give the Tigers one more game off and will allow them to propel past other teams that might stand in their way of their first SEC tournament title since 2007.
As per usual with head coach Beth Torina, LSU has played a tough schedule. Torina is known for getting LSU one of the top strength of schedules in the nation to boost its RPI. The next four weeks for the Tigers could boost their resume for the selection committee or make them look weaker than this team has proven to be.
Getting swept by Texas A&M in Week 6 of conference play needs to be a wakeup call to the Tigers. They have proven to have had a fire lit under them at each phase of adversity so far this season, so pushing through Texas will show their true colors as a team.
LSU will take on Texas Thursday at 4:30 p.m. to begin the final three weekends of SEC play.
Top Draft Prospects Face Off
Tigers’ second baseman, Daniel Dickinson, a transfer from Utah Valley, has been a standout performer this season.
With a .369 career batting average, eight home runs, and 27 RBIs, he’s also showcased his speed with 32 stolen bases in 2024.
On the other side, Alabama’s shortstop, Justin Lebron, is formidable, bringing both offensive prowess and defensive reliability.
This matchup between two potential top MLB Draft picks adds an extra layer of excitement to the series.
LSU’s Pitching Depth vs. Alabama’s Offensive Firepower
LSU’s pitching staff, with a deep rotation and bullpen, has been a cornerstone of its success. The Tigers have consistently limited opponents’ scoring opportunities, showcasing their depth and talent on the mound. The Tide, however, bring a potent offense capable of challenging even the most formidable pitchers. The battle between LSU’s arms and Alabama’s bats will be key to the series outcome.
Historical Rivalry and Recent Trends
Historically, the Tide hold a slight edge in the all-time series against LSU, leading 202-181-3. However, in recent years, the Tigers have dominated, winning 14 of the last 16 SEC regular-season series against Alabama since 2007. The Tide did manage a 2-1 series win last season, avenging the Tigers’ sweep in 2023.
Alabama hasn’t secured a series win in Baton Rouge since 2016.
The series starts on Thursday at 7 p.m. All three games will be held at Skip Bertman Field in Alex Box Stadium and can be streamed on SEC Network+.
, from page 9
ate about things and driven and all that,” Lori said. “I think being off at school and finding her role within the LSU gymnastics team that allowed that boisterous confidence to blossom.”
A year ago, and off a national championship, Ballard was contemplating staying for her fifth and final year before she ended up recruiting herself.
“Why would I want to leave this place?” Ballard said.
A year later, LSU is back in the big one. The Ballard family will attend this weekend to watch her compete for a second-consecutive national championship in Fort Worth, Texas.
When Ballard prepares to go on beam, Lori leaves her seat to watch her daughter from a side angle, away from everybody else in the arena.
“Use your arms,” she thinks while watching Ballard’s routine, giving her daughter the verbal cues she’s been training her with her entire life in her head. “Square hips.”
Steven does the same thing while sitting in his seat, sometimes needing to heckle a judge for a deduction on a previous LSU score.
Ballard has a routine before she performs. She takes a deep breath and prepares to go on beam, shaking LSU assistant coach Ashleigh Gnat’s hand. It used to be a hug that she would share with her club
PREVIEW, from page 9
finalists.
Two weeks ago, the Tigers narrowly won the regional final with a 198.050, punching their ticket to Fort Worth, Tex.
The semifinals begin this Thursday, April 14, with the first match at 2:30 p.m. and LSU at 8 p.m. CDT. While the SEC teams rematch, the Tigers face old foes from all across the country.
No. 4 Utah
Regionals were a rocky road for the Utes. Even at its home regional, the No. 4 seed barely squeezed through the second round and trailed behind UCLA in the region’s final. That was until the third rotation, where a season-high 49.625 on floor boosted them into first.
Senior Grace McCallum had another standout performance, with her third 10 of the season on bars and second consecutive. She took the all-around with a 39.725.
Now, McCallum has achieved perfection more times than any gymnast in the country. She owns four 10s this season, including one on beam from when the team took down UCLA in their regular season finale.
McCallum is the only Utah gymnast to earn a perfect score in 2025 and will be in contention for another on Thursday night.
The last time the Red Rocks met the Tigers was for the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in Week 2, where LSU bested Utah 197.650-196.800.
Poor performances on vault have plagued Utah’s season as uncontrolled steps and hops are con-
coach, transferring the stress from Ballard to her, but after a global pandemic, the iconic handshake just stuck.
“Longest routine of my life. Longest series of my life. Longest transfer from the back handspring to the layout. Longest leap pass of your life. Longest needle kick into the front toss. Longest set into the dismount,” Ballard recites wordfor-word to Gnat as her thoughts slow down. “Taking your time and enjoying every single moment.”
The two share another breath and exchange “I love you” before Ballard hits the gas and takes off without looking back. It’s showtime.
sistent throughout its lineups. If the team can stick their vaults, LSU could be in trouble.
No. 6 UCLA
Jordan Chiles and the Bruins are in a favorable position for semis, starting on their best event: floor. They ranked No. 1 in the event, so they should have no problem kicking things off with some high numbers.
Chiles posted the nation’s first perfect 10 on floor this season, and the team earned two more from Chiles and Brooklyn Moors at the Big 10 championship.
UCLA is on a revenge tour after last year’s shocking upset that knocked the team out in the second round at regionals.
Back as the No. 6 seed, they easily cleared the second-round hurdle and came second to Utah in the final.
The team’s bar rotation was below par; there was not a single stick in the entire lineup. They were able to scrape by, but a rotation like that won’t fly in the semifinals.
Chiles will be looking to bounce back on floor from a season-low 9.825 that was dropped from the rotation.
Their best vault rotation of the season came at the perfect time, with freshman Mika Webster-Longin topping the scoresheet again
The meet was far from perfect for the Bruins, but at their best, they are right up there with LSU.
Their season-high 198.450 from the conference championship is not far off of LSU’s 198.575, and they will be even stronger at nationals with the probable return
INJURY, from page 9
Johnson said. “The last time he pitched was Feb. 7 before the season, and he was scheduled to pitch, but on Feb. 19, he threw a bullpen before that and then woke up not feeling well. After that, we got an MRI and immediately began treatment to try to get him to the point of playing.”
Guidry’s absence is a major blow to the Tigers’ bullpen depth, especially as SEC play heats up going into the post-season.
Johnson admitted that the team had hoped to ease him back into action mid-season, but after repeated setbacks and his body not responding to different treatments, the staff continued to try. They went to multiple sources to put the pieces together of this deeper-rooted problem.
“I think there is some peace of mind now, but we are trying hard to get him back,” Johnson said. “Luckily for us, we have guys like [freshman pitcher Mavrick] Rizy, [freshman pitcher Cooper] Williams, [junior pitcher Jacob] Mayers. Those are guys we are really excited to add to the mix.”
With Guidry officially out with this back injury, LSU now turns to its younger arms to fill the void, particularly in the crucial third game of the weekend series.
One of the biggest names expected to step up is redshirt sophomore Chase Shores. He’s been the Sunday starter and then
of freshman Macy McGowan from injury No. 5 Michigan State
Dubbed the “dark horse” of the group by various media outlets, MSU is the Cinderella story of this year’s nationals.
LSU met the Spartans for the first time this season in the regional final, and the No. 8 seed gave them a run for their money.
The Tigers performed well, but MSU was on their A-game. Capitalizing on LSU’s minor deductions on vault and bars, MSU posted program-high scores on the events.
Ultimately, the Tigers got it done on vault, and the Spartans fumbled when anchor Gabrielle Stephen fell on the beam, forcing them to count Emma Misenheimer’s low 9.775.
They closed with a 198.000 statement, while LSU topped the meet with 198.050.
The last and only time MSU had a semifinal berth was in 1988. For a team that hasn’t been to nationals in over 40 years, finishing within 0.050 of the No. 1 seed is a considerable accomplishment. Frankly, it’s difficult to call them underdogs when they’ve got what it takes to challenge the national champs.
The Spartans will have the advantage of Olympic order for semis, which could be the perfect opportunity to gain momentum with one of the nation’s leading vault lineups.
What could be MSU’s most substantial advantage is mentality. Regionals lit the fuse. Now, it has a fire burning in the semifinals, with nothing to lose.
Yet, if there’s any team that can match mentality, it’s LSU.
LSU baseball sophomore right-handed pitcher Gavin
into the duggout after striking Florida players out during LSU’s
against Florida on March 23, 2024, at Alex
shortly after, the bullpen relievers come in. Back in action after missing last season due to Tommy John surgery, Shores has been building momentum and is now expected to take on a more consistent Sunday starter role.
However, the freshman Rizy continues his dominance on the mound and can help support Shores in relief even with Guidry’s absence.
“When your name is called, just continue to be ready and continue to work,” Rizy said. “Even though Gavin is out, he is the first one on the rail every time, and he’s really the only voice I can hear on the mound.”
Behind Shores, LSU will lean
heavily on a mix of young talent and emerging contributors. Freshmen like Casan Evans and Rizy have been impressed with limited action, while lefty Conner Ware could see increased innings depending on matchups.
LSU, currently ranked No. 7 in the country, sits at 32-6 and remains a national title contender. However, with the SEC series often decided in the Sunday match, the bullpen’s ability to adapt without Guidry could be pivotal when it comes down to the wire. Guidry was named to the 2025 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List prior to the season.
MADALYN CUNNINGHAM / The Reveille
Guidry (1) walks
6-4 loss
Box Stadium.
MORGAN COOK / The Reveille LSU gymnastics graduate student Sierra Ballard performs on the balance beam Feb. 2, 2024, during LSU’s 198.475-196.200 win against Arkansas.
BALLARD
PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille
LSU gymnastics all-around graduate student Haleigh Bryant competes on beam during LSU’s SEC Championship win on March 22 at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Al.
PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille LSU gymnastics all-around freshman Kaliya Lincoln lands a vault during LSU’s 198.050-197.675 win against Oklahoma on Feb. 14 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
OPINION
Academic dissatisfaction is the cause of your procrastination
TANTAWI’S TABLOID
TANTAWI’S TABLOID
week, wishing time would fly by. However, I’d be lying if I based my procrastination on where we are in the semester.
MOHAMMAD
MOHAMMAD
TANTAWI
@mowinator
TANTAWI Columnist
Going through your college career, it’s common to feel like you’re trudging your way through the semester.
A semester that started with taking meticulous notes, daily planning and active class participation turns into waiting until the last minute to start on an assignment you’ve had a week to complete.
Some say they love the adrenaline rush that comes with starting late. For me, it turns my brain into a machine capable of locking in on an assignment without pause.
It is addictive in a sense because I feel more efficient with my time. I am able to complete an assignment in a fury while maintaining my time for other things.
The irony here is that I’m writing this on the day I’m scheduled to submit it. In previous days, my mind was not ready to tackle the subject, and yesterday, when I attempted to get a head start, I couldn’t lock into that oh-so-clutch flow state.
The burnout of the semester rages on as I inch closer to finals
I wanted to understand why I complain about the work I’m putting off yet never consider changing my behavior.
After pacing around an empty classroom in Hodges Hall, I came up with three questions explaining my procrastination.
Firstly, do I trust that the education I’m receiving at LSU will prepare me for my dream job? Absolutely not.
Looking at my assignments, I always question whether this discussion post, annotated bibliography or media diary project is of any value to me. Sure, they’re easy grades, but I fail to see how this will help my career.
It’s depressing that Bill Gates, Michael Dell and Steve Jobs were college dropouts. Even Oprah Winfrey and Dick Cheney dropped out, going back years later to complete their education.
College is a good idea for everyone in a perfect world that values knowledge, but with how our economy works, your wallet speaks before your mouth opens.
The point here is that college and your passions will not always align, and even if they do, you must
prepare for the financial reality of the world.
It’s tough for me to understand that my passions in life may not serve my financial goals of buying a home, taking frequent vacations and providing an abundant lifestyle for my children. And spare me the “love is all they need” line.
Secondly, do I believe in myself? This one was tough because everyone wants to believe that they have some level of confidence.
The inner dwellings of our minds are masked with personas the world sees, which protect us from exposing ourselves to every-
day people. I had to recall the poor performances I’ve given in job interviews, the hesitation to counter an argument I hear in class or the faith behind my journalism aspirations.
Lastly, is my anxiety really that bad? This one was funny to think about because the term gets hot potatoed around so much that it blurs the line of what real anxiety looks like.
When you’re envisioning and working toward your future career, it’s hard to feel certain whether your anxiety is medically diagnosable.
According to the APA, the key to spotting anxiety is through the “absence of a stressor.” If your anxiety goes away at times, you are probably situationally anxious.
Nevertheless, procrastination is a deep subject taken lightly by society. The easy route would be to advise you to avoid the person who chalks it up to laziness, but they may have a point.
You may be in college for reasons other than you want to be there. You may need to consider other options and allow college to present itself as the best option for you.
Suppose you realize college is right for you and you’re still struggling with procrastination; it may be a skill issue.
Researchers found that students unable to manage their time are likely to procrastinate. Visit the student success center if this is an issue for you because not everyone has the best study habits growing up.
From here, you’ve realized college is right for you, visited the success center and are still struggling. Maybe it’s an issue you should take up with a therapist. Researchers have found a link between low selfesteem and procrastination.
As Carleton University professor Tim Pychyl put it, “We have to recognize that procrastination is not a time management problem, it’s an emotion regulation problem.”
We need to start approaching our procrastination with a bit more focus, looking internally and asking ourselves how anxious and uncertain we are about our future.
Our feelings of failure, selfdoubt and perfectionism are all things to be considered rather than judging ourselves as if, after all the work it took to make it into college, we’re somehow lazy. Procrastination is just another human issue that some we will have to tackle.
Mohammad Tantawi is a 24-yearold mass communication senior from Smyrna, Tenn.
Movie theaters are places of magic and deserve to stick around
AVA’S POV
AVA FRANCIS Columnist
If there’s one place I’ve visited during every stage of my life, it’s the movie theater.
Iconic actress Nicole Kidman said it best: “We come to this place for magic; we come to AMC theaters to laugh, to cry, to care.”
While my choice of theater has varied, the feeling I get walking into those double doors is unmatched every time, no matter the location.
“Chicken Little” was the first movie my parents took my brother and I to see when we were one and two years old.
After the credits rolled, they took us to the Disney store immediately after to get “Chicken Little” merch. Most standalone Disney stores no longer exist, but boy, oh boy, was it one of the most extraordinary places when I was a kid.
Coming from a family of film
EDITORIAL BOARD
Colin Falcon Editor in Chief
Managing Editor Jason Willis
lovers, it only made sense that one of our favorite outings was sitting side-by-side in front of a largerthan-life screen, witnessing legendary movie moments such as Alice going down the rabbit hole, Andy gifting Woody and Buzz to Bonnie, the East High Wildcats taking their final bow and Captain America saying, “Avengers assemble” for the first and last time.
I loved going to the movies so much that I had my seventh birthday party at AMC, where I invited my friends to watch “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules” in the private party room of the theater. In total, I’ve seen 140 movies, at the very least, on the silver screen.
My favorite thing to do was put on pause during Covid-19. While I was thankful for streaming platforms during quarantine, it saddened me to see movie theatres everywhere being abandoned.
In 2020 and a little after, theaters were drastically impacted by the pandemic, with ticket sales at the box office being at an all-
time low. Movie theaters might be up and running again; however, a slight problem remains.
Over spring break, I was unsuccessful with a movie day because there was absolutely nothing to see. The options were very limited, leaving me with the choice of either “Snow White” or “Death of a Unicorn.” No offense to either film, but I just wanted something simple and chill.
This wasn’t the first time I found myself in this predicament. Why are the following movies the only genre ever available to see: an animated children’s movie, a disturbing horror movie or five action movies with the same plot? What does a girl have to do to see a feel-good movie like “Mama Mia,” “Clueless,” “Beauty Shop” or “Bridget Jones”?
Speaking of “Bridget Jones,” the final installment of the beloved film series was only released in U.K. theaters, which was a huge mistake. The previous three films went to the box office while “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” streamed ex-
clusively on Peacock in the U.S.
I’m not alone on this; Anne Thompson, co-host of IndieWire: Screen Talk podcast, shared insight, saying that Universal wanted to save marketing dollars and did just that by taking the film right to streaming.
I don’t want to live in a world where theaters are forgotten landmarks.
Streaming platforms rob avid moviegoers of the experience of a night out at the movies. Imagine if “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” went straight to Max or Prime, we would’ve missed out on the pop culture phenomenon “Barbenheimer.”
Going to the theater is like going to a concert to hear your favorite song; it’s an indescribable bundle of emotions.
Seeing “Challengers” was everything and more. The cinematography was meant to be viewed on the big screen, not my laptop, via a streaming platform from the comfort of my apartment.
Editorial Policies and Procedures
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.
It’s time for this box office drought to end. While some theaters occasionally bring back films for an anniversary release or special occasion, we’re lacking consistency.
A perfect resolution is for theatres to start offering “Throwback Thursday” and “Flashback Friday” events with the idea that these days are dedicated to playing old movies alongside new releases.
The movie theater should be a time machine; it’s up to the viewer on what decade they want to reside in for an hour or two. Will you choose 1950s New York with Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” or 2012 with Anna Kendrick at the iconic riff off in “Pitch Perfect?”
The possibilities are endless at the theater. Well, I’m off to the theater, I have an icee and popcorn waiting for me.
Ava Francis is a 22-year-old journalism major from New Orleans residing in Texas.
Quote of the Week
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
Douglas Adams English Author and Humorist 1952— 2001
Sports Editor Ethan Stenger
Oliver Butcher News Editor
Taylor Hamilton Opinion Editor
GRAPHIC BY ETHAN GILBERTI