LSU moves to new platform Workday for scheduling and a variety of other student resources.
Read on page 2
DAWN OF WORKDAY
LSU course scheduling moves to new platform, Workday Student
BY TORI BONIN Staff Writer
LSU has transitioned to Workday Student, a cloud-based software and a centralized location for all students’ needs including class registration, financial information access, transcript requests and graduation applications.
With class registration for the fall 2025 semester beginning Monday, the reaction to the Workday transition has been mixed. LSU biology freshman Najah Honore’ expressed her confusion with the new system.
“The Workday platform seems more complicated,” Honore’ said. “I got anxious just opening it,”
The transition to Workday
has impacted not only students but also faculty and staff as they navigate this new system. Those involved in the system’s implementation are working to update the information in the system and work out issues before registration begins.
With the new system, students will have the ability to plan out their schedules for future semesters using the academic plans feature, something they could not do with course scheduling on myLSU.
The transition was announced in March 2022 after LSU A&M, LSU Alexandria, LSU Eunice and LSU Shreveport worked together to find a platform that would create a unified system across all the institutions.
LSU isn’t the first university
system in Louisiana to transition to Workday Student, with Louisiana Tech transitioning to this processing system last fall. Louisiana Tech freshman studying construction engineering technology Rebecca Bain believes Workday Student has a purpose, but is very confusing.
“From a student’s perspective it is very chaotic. I do understand why they use it because financial aid where you go and pay is in there, but it is also academics where you go to register,” Bain said. “Everything is in one location and I guess you can say it is organized, but really it is a chaotic organization. There is too much organization, so it creates this chaos of ‘Wait where is everything?’”
LSU sophomore James Wil-
liams III is a member of the Workday committee and said students should continue to check their emails for updates and create a saved schedule.
“Workday definitely takes some time and exploration to get used to,” Williams, a music performance major, said. “What I believe is the most important thing for students to do is set up a saved schedule before their registration date. This allows them to add their course at once when they register.”
LSU offers the LSU Workday Website as a resource with everything from how-to guides and video tutorials helping students become acquainted with the new system. Students can find their registration date on the Workday website.
Layout/Ad Design BEAU MARTINEZ Layout/Ad Design CARLY LANGFORD
Layout/Ad
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. 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.
CULTURE
NEWS BREAKTHROUGH
Theatre BR closes after 80 years
BY SARAH WALTON Staff Writer
After becoming a Baton Rouge staple and home for thousands, Theatre Baton Rouge announced last month it will close its doors after almost 80 years of theater magic.
Opening in 1946, TBR focused on creating “theatre for the community, by the community.” Since then, it has produced hundreds of plays and musicals for the Greater Baton Rouge community in its decades of performances.
In a press release, TBR cited financial issues for the sudden closing. From materials to buying rights to plays, community theaters across the nation have been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many were aware of TBR’s financial situation after its Light the Stage fundraising campaign in 2023, which raised over $100,000 for the theater and saved it from shutting down.
With the news of TBR closing, there has been an outpouring of love, grief and memories told by those who have worked in the theater. For many, TBR has been their home for over a decade, and losing this space is a shift they never saw coming. For others, the theater had become a recently-found place of community.
Jackie Haxthausen is a professional photographer and a newer TBR volunteer. For many of the more recent TBR shows, if there were promotional photos, Haxthausen probably took them. When the news broke, the first thing she felt was disappointment.
“I felt like a towel was being thrown in instead of releasing information to try to get people together and save [the theater] one more time,” she said.
Haxthausen was one of many trying to work with the TBR Board to see if there was something that could be done to save the community she said feels like family.
“You instantly feel a connected passion to just make things happen out of nothing,” Haxthausen said of TBR. “Everyone is creative, everyone is there because they want to make something that they’re proud of. So yeah, a family of creatives.”
Haxthausen said one of her favorite experiences at TBR was the “Waitress” show in August. Getting to work with her friends and having her two daughters in the show created some of her favorite memories.
Her girls attend Center Stage Performing Arts Academy in Gon-
4
LSU researchers discover method to overcome drug-resistant bacteria
BY SHELBY VARGA Staff Writer
LSU researchers are creating a new class of antibiotics that could potentially combat chronic illnesses resistant to drugs currently on the market.
Over 10 years ago, LSU chemistry professor Mario Rivera and his team began asking questions about the importance of specific proteins in bacterial infections. Now, they have found molecules that can kill bacteria cells entirely.
The team hasn’t developed antibiotics yet, but rather molecules that can be turned into antibiotics in the future. They did this by taking advantage of bacteria’s need for iron.
“They need a well-functioning iron homeostasis machinery,” Rivera said. “We’re interrupting that machinery so they can’t acquire iron.”
When iron enters a bacterial cell, it’s incorporated into a protein called bacterioferritin, a compartment Rivera compared to a soccer ball with an empty interior core. Yet, the iron needs to be mobilized back to the bacterial cytosol to be incorporated into its metabolism. This mobilization requires another protein, ferredoxin, to bind to the bacterioferritin.
Rivera’s team has focused on inhibiting the binding of this
protein-to-protein interaction so that iron gets irreversibly trapped inside the bacterioferritin molecule. When this homeostasis is interrupted, the bacteria cannot correct for it, affecting the bacteria’s synthesis of amino acids, their carbon metabolism and more until the entire cell dies.
Antibiotics currently on the
market target bacterial cell wall synthesis or DNA replication, to which bacteria have developed resistance. Rivera said disrupting iron homeostasis is a completely new technique that only the researchers at LSU are pursuing.
“If these molecules are turned into antibiotics, it would create an entire new class of an-
tibiotics never seen before,” Rivera said.
One of the potentially significant applications of developing these compounds is their ability to kill biofilm bacteria. Biofilms are complex shields composed of sugars, proteins and DNA that protect the bacteria they adhere
LSU Multicultural Greek Council advocates for, unifies students of different cultures
BY TORI BONIN Staff Writer
LSU’s newest Greek council has created a space for students of different ethnicities and heri-
tages to grow in community and service to establish a legacy that continues for generations.
Founded in 2023, LSU’s Multicultural Greek Council advocates for its members and works to
cultivate relationships between the two organizations it advises, Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority.
“Greek life provided a safe haven for us to really exist and grow as people, and then as more orgs come on campus it’s been a really beautiful place for all of us to interact with each other and have that cultural exchange,” said Giancarlo Lara, a founding member of Sigma Lambda Beta.
Kenya Sota, a founding member of LTA and a senior studying anthropology and Spanish, said the MGC has created a space for multicultural Greek organizations that wasn’t there before.
Previously, Sota explained, either the Panhellenic or National Panhellenic councils oversaw the multicultural Greek organizations.
“So that also shows there
wasn’t a space for this,” Sota said. “They had to just kind of put them where they could fit.”
Just over 10% of LSU students are of Latin or Hispanic heritage. This can create obstacles for Latin or Hispanic students trying to find a community at LSU. Council members hope to expand the council to create a culture of unity and acceptance for these students.
“There was always kind of a lacking space in terms of places where Latino students kind of feel like they fit in and could really find their group of people,” said Lara, a junior studying biological engineering.
The recent dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion practices will impact the MGC. David Guzman, a founding member of Sigma Lambda Beta, explained the changes will require
PHOTO COURTESY OF EDDY PEREZ, THE LSU OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS & UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille Multicultural Greek Council members smile March 19 in the LSU Student Union in Baton Rouge, La.
ANTIBIOTICS, from page 3
to, making them more resistant to outside stressors, such as antibiotics. Rivera said biofilm infections are typically chronic and much harder to combat than regular infections because of this resistance.
According to Rivera, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and biofilm infections are becoming increasingly common, which he says could put medicine back decades. If bacteria continue to resist antibiotics, which Rivera said is unavoidable, and the use of antibiotics is not steered in the right direction, procedures that depend on effective antibiotics — like surgery, cancer treatment and organ transplants — could become more dangerous.
Over the years, Rivera’s team has been composed of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and senior scientists at LSU.
Currently, Rivera has five graduate students and a senior scientist in his lab. The LSU team has also partnered with researchers at Oklahoma State University
THEATRE, from page 3
zalez, but TBR’s Young Actors Program offered something different. It was the only place where children could do theater for free, including learning from professionals and experiencing full theatrical shows.
“It’s really disappointing that now there’s no place for them to go,” Haxthausen said.
Matt Miyagi echoed this. He started going to TBR when he was 12, and for the past 15 years he has been participating in shows, working tech and has even been employed by the theater. Miyagi called it his second home and a safe place.
Miyagi was a pillar of TBR, especially for the younger members
and the University of Kansas, as well as Fox Chase Therapeutics Discovery Inc., a company focused on developing early-stage drug research.
The project is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Rivera said that though NIH funding cuts could potentially affect the university, the project hasn’t seen changes so far because it was funded before the NIH announced cuts. Though he said the future is difficult to predict, he feels his funding is safe.
The project currently has two more years of funding from the NIH. After this, the team will move toward getting the antibiotics on the market. To do this, the drug must be tested, ensuring it is toxic to bacteria but not people. First, medications are tested in animals; if successful, human trials begin. If the drug proves to be safe for human consumption, it may be approved by the FDA to be put on the market.
Rivera said that turning a project into a marketable drug is a long process many drugs don’t make it through. Because of this, Rivera said his team is
he mentored in YAP. He was one of the inaugural members of YAP and once he graduated from college, he became the program’s education director.
One of Miyagi’s favorite memories with the theatre was the 2015 YAP production of “Oklahoma,” where he played Fry, a role he said was probably his favorite he’s ever played. He also recalled being the assistant directed for YAP’s performance of “Twelfth Night,” the first Shakespeare play the kids did on the mainstage and the first show to have a full house after the pandemic.
Miyagi said he loved seeing the YAP program develop and watching the students grow. He said there are no other programs like
looking to have multiple lead molecules to optimize the probability of the drug making it through such an extensive approval procedure.
This process of testing and approving the molecule as a marketable drug could take 5-6 years, but Rivera said he will continue his work regardless of how long it takes. However, he said it takes a lot of money to bring a drug to market, so he hopes to attract pharmaceutical companies that show interest in licensing the technology, which could help finalize the project.
If all goes well, Rivera said 2032 is a good target date for the antibiotic’s approval. Even if these particular molecules don’t pan out, Rivera said other scientists could utilize these weaknesses in bacteria in future research.
“This is what we do,” Rivera said. “Our objective is to keep learning about biology and biochemistry. The more targets we identify, the more avenues we have to combat resistance, so that’s how we can help society in the best possible way.”
YAP in Baton Rouge, so he hopes for another local theater to follow in TBR’s footsteps.
Haxthausen wants the same, naming the Sullivan Theater as a place she hopes will create a program for young performers. She hopes it will not only be a place for those in theatre community, but also one that shows the community how great local theater is.
“We have to protect the arts at all costs,” Haxthausen said. “There is no good world without the arts.”
Others worry what the theater’s closure means for the performing community at large.
“It just gives me pause for the arts in Baton Rouge,” said Thomas Jackson, a longtime performer at TBR and a member of TBR’s final cast. “While I do have a lot of faith and confidence and hope in all the creatives in our area, and that we will all certainly — and already are — fighting for ways to continue to perform and as many capacities as
MULTICULTURAL, from page 3
the international fraternity to find new ways to advertise itself.
“We can’t market ourselves using specific things that identify us,” said Guzman, a junior mechanical engineering student. “We have to look for ways to market ourselves again. We are a multicultural, Latino-based fraternity, and we use that to bring people in, so it would be an issue of just being able to represent ourselves.”
LTA and the Betas are historically Latino organizations, but they are hoping to expand the MGC to students of other nationalities and heritages to offer community to a larger group of students.
“We always say, ‘Latin by tradition, not by definition,’” Sota said. “We’re open to everybody. With other minorities, we have our similar morals, beliefs, and I think that’s why it’s important to be able to have these collaborations because we’re not that different. All these collaborations demonstrate that we all want to create a safe space for everybody and allow everybody to be seen.”
Along with being open to those of different cultural groups, the Betas pride themselves on being accepting to those of all backgrounds including different sexualities, religions and races.
“Specifically within our chap -
possible, it’s just like, what a blow.”
As TBR’s last day drew closer, the cast of the final show, “Xanadu,” grappled with their new reality. Don Fields, who worked for TBR and played one of the main roles in “Xanadu,” explained his disappointment about the closure.
“It’s such a tragedy,” said Fields, a junior theatre major at LSU. “It’s such a shame, especially living in the south. We need theaters like this. We need cultural spaces like Theatre Baton Rouge. I’m a firm believer that art is an intrinsic part of the human experience whether you’re a performer or a consumer.”
ter, we have a lot of brothers of different sexualities, religions, races, and it’s one of those things where it’s kind of opened our mind to instead of seeing someone for their sexuality or for their race, it’s like we’re all just people,” Lara said.
In February, the MGC and the university’s other Greek councils attended the Southeastern Greek Leadership Association Conference. This was a memorable experience for council members because it introduced them to other multicultural Greek councils and demonstrated the MGC’s potential for growth.
“We got to see them and other organizations that we didn’t even know existed,” said Britney Tobar, a founding member of LTA and a junior studying psychology and French. “It was so fun to get to know each other, but also just the experience of being there and seeing all the opportunities.”
Tobar believes the MGC will create many possibilities for minority students in Greek life.
“There are many opportunities in your life. With us finally being part of that conversation, we are able to open up those opportunities to everyone else that has something to say,” Tobar said. “We’ve had to go through so much. I was like, ‘We can do it too,’ like it is possible. I feel like our legacy should be that we defeated the odds.”
TBR closed Sunday, March 23 after the final performance of “Xanadu.” For the final performance, the theater and stage were packed full of people cheering, singing and showing love to a space that has given them so much.
Marion Mayfield, the director of “Xanadu,” posted a statement commemorating the closing of the show and of the theater, thanking the community for being involved in TBR’s journey.
“You are the reason theater has thrived here for so many seasons,” Mayfield said, “and we are forever grateful for your support.”
SARAH WALTON / The Reveille
Backstage at Theatre Baton Rouge for their production of Waitress in August 2024.
SARAH WALTON / The Reveille Set of Theatre Baton Rouge’s production of Cinderella in the summer of 2024.
ENTERTAINMENT
JUST ADD WATER
This swimmer has one of the most unique jobs in Baton Rouge
BY ASHLYNN BAILLIO Staff Writer
Mermaids only exist in fairy tales and movies for most, but at the Blue Zoo Aquarium these mythical sea creatures come to life three times a week.
Blue Zoo’s professional mermaids take to the water every weekend to captivate audiences with graceful acrobatics, alongside a wide variety of marine life. Children and parents line up to press their noses against the glass, eager to catch a glimpse of the mermaids as they glide effortlessly through the tank.
Among the mermaids is 27-year-old Emma Field, known to audiences as Mermaid Iris.
Since Blue Zoo’s opening in 2021, Field has mesmerized guests with her underwater performances, despite having no prior experience as a performer. Instead, her background in competitive swimming and love for the water is
what drew her to the role.
“I like the swimming the best,” Field said. “Sometimes I can’t believe they pay me to do this.”
Despite her love for the unique job, being a mermaid does not only require flowing through the water with fishy friends. The performers must also build immense stamina and strength to keep up with the hour-long performances. Swimming with a tail is tiring and takes some getting used to, Field said.
“It’s super cold in there too,” Field added. “As soon as you get dunked, it’s a shock to your body.”
Performers at Blue Zoo are also required to purchase their own tails, which can cost up to $500, according to Field. Once the costume is soaked by the water, the tails tend to get pretty heavy. Despite these challenges, Field loves the job, because Blue Zoo fosters a unique sense of
LSU senior releasing debut R&B album
BY ARIS WILLIAMS Staff Writer
Zahir Muhammad, a senior communication and media studies major, is releasing his debut album “What If The Blind Woman Saved Him” during a pivotal time of his own personal journey.
As a multi-disciplinary creative, Muhammad, who goes by his first name on streaming services, has amassed over a million streams on his previous single “Unusual” and will release his debut album on April 11, turning his own experiences into songs.
“Over the last 2 to 3 years, I’ve been going through a period of learning about myself, my trauma and trying to find answers in everything outside of myself,” Muhammad explained. “Whether that be through interpersonal relationships or different vices.”
music video for his 2023 single “Unusual” in the desert.
“I’ll remember these moments, because I put so much into the things that I create,” he said.
Muhammad’s community-oriented nature and willingness to explore intense feelings have also been a pillar of his journey in music. Friends of Muhammad have shown overwhelming support for his music career, with every conversation being impactful on this project.
“There’s been a lot of moments when I’m writing songs and I’m just in a space of pure emotion,” Muhammad said. “I’ve always been good at writing and expressing, but to make a song is different. You’re incorporating cadence, tone and feeling to put what you’ve been carrying into words.”
community among the performers. She said working with the children is a big motivator for a lot of the performers.
“We make up little background characters and stuff for our mermaids,” Field said. “You get to have this little community.”
The mermaids perform in the shark tank at the front of the aquarium and swim alongside blacktip reef sharks, which are typically non-aggressive. Atop the tank is a platform with a curtain that performers use to get in and out of the water.
“There are stairs that lead to the top of the tank,” Field said. “I make sure the curtain is pulled down, put on my monofin and zip into my tail.”
Blue Zoo offers pirate shows, reptile shows and a range of interactive experiences, in addition to the weekly mermaid shows.
Blue Zoo’s mermaid performances offer a glimpse into a world where fantasy meets reality. While the job demands plenty of physical endurance for performers, it’s an opportunity to combine a passion for swimming with the joy of making a child’s favorite story book come true.
“I like performing, I like swimming and I like being around the animals,” Field said. “And when you get a good interactive crowd, it’s a lot of fun.”
Blue Zoo Aquarium is located at 6401 Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge, and the aquarium is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mermaid performances are every Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m.
“What If The Blind Woman Saved Him” is the embodiment of the insight and wisdom Muhammad has gained in the past few years. He hopes that listeners feel inspired to be their own saviors at the end of the project. The album is his own life story being told through a musical lens, and he pours himself into bringing stories to life through his creative projects.
“The title speaks literally and figuratively towards external circumstances,” Muhammad said. “Throughout making the project, I matured and worked through these themes. I had to realize nothing will make me feel saved except myself.”
Muhammad has put nothing but time and effort into every project, even earning shoutouts on Twitter from Earthgang, Tyler, The Creator and Anthony Fantano. The musician has even driven from Louisiana to Utah to film the
Muhammad brings a unique flair to the world of music, incorporating multiple genres such as rap, R&B and jazz into each project, never shying away from topics such as navigating grief and self-discovery. The artist said the album discusses the learning process from the point of view of a hero’s journey. He acknowledged that the themes of the album is something he, and many others, struggle with daily.
“I created this album for myself and for people who relate to being everyone’s hero while not having anyone to save them,” he explained. “To remind them that it’s okay to focus on that and not be able to save everyone. Once you find that out, it’ll make you stronger and more able to support those around you.”
To keep up with Muhammad’s music career and the rollout of his upcoming album, he can be found on streaming services as Zahir or on Instagram as @zastarring.
ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille
The mermaid touches the glass March 16 at the Blue Zoo in Baton Rouge, La.
ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille
The mermaid’s tail sits March 16 at the Blue Zoo in Baton Rouge, La.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPOTIFY Album cover for “What If The Blind Woman Saved Him.”
Students get to hold baby chicks.
ABRA-COW-DABRA
Aerial view of the AgMagic event in Parker Coliseum on March 28.
Sheep stand in pen.
A heifer sits in her pen during AgMagic on March 28 at Parker Coliseum.
Piglets sleep peacefully during AgMagic.
A kid looks through his pen.
A student looks through a microscope.
Photos by Payton Prichard Page design by Alexandra Gerstner
MADI MAY’S MENU
Magpie Cafe
BY MADISON MARTIN Staff Writer
Magpie Cafe is a local cafe you need to add to your lake walk routine. Magpie Cafe has a way of restoring your heart with a cozy and green atmosphere, excellent coffee and delicious nourishing food. Located at 3205 Perkins Rd., this spot is walkable and makes a great pit stop if you are wanting a little switch up from your regular lake walk. This cafe has all you could want, from specialty coffee to matcha and even a seasonal peanut butter oat milk cold brew. Magpie knows exactly how to draw in a crowd and cheerfully welcomes everyone, even four-legged fellas. As you read this you might be thinking to yourself, there’s one problem: I don’t want anything to drink. Don’t worry, because Magpie can fix that problem. It offers a variety of French pastries, breakfast paninis and quiches. Magpie is a vegan and paleo friendly spot, making it a welcoming little joint.Looking for a place to sit with a friend and enjoy a nice latte? Magpie has indoor and outdoor seating perfect for sweet conversation, whether you’re the slow sipper or the chugger
Wantingfriend.something new to entice your taste buds? Try the tomato feta jam panini. You would never guess that those three ingredients would mesh together, but when thrown over an egg, sandwiched with two slices of bread and then panini pressed- the flavors explode like fireworks in yourInsteadmouth. of your routine lake walk, switch it up next time and walk right on over to Magpie Cafe. The cafe is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
3205 Perkins Road
Magpie Cafe’s tomato jam panini.
SPORTS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Morrow reminisces on her journey at LSU
BY TYLER HARDEN Staff Writer
When Aneesah Morrow transferred from LSU to DePaul, that move came with leaving her home city of Chicago.
The move that would take her further away from her family meant she had to find a second family. She found that in Baton Rouge.
mates like that.”
She finished her collegiate career with both the third-most career rebounds in NCAA Division I history with 1,713 and she became the second women’s college basketball player to record 100 double-doubles.
Her resilience was brought to the surface most in Austin, Texas, when she suffered a foot injury against the Longhorns.
STORMIN NORMAN
STORMIN NORMAN
Tigers baseball beats No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners in first SEC road sweep of the season
BY ROSS ABBOUD Staff Writer
LSU baseball swept No. 10 Oklahoma with dominant pitching performances over the three game series. LSU outscored the Sooners 15-4 while only using five pitchers to earn its second straight series sweep.
Game one
The Tigers took game one on the back of a complete game shutout from Kade Anderson.
Anderson threw 135 pitches through nine innings of work while recording 14 strikeouts and only allowing five hits and two walks. He also racked up his sixth win on the season, moving him to 6-0.
Anderson ended the game as the nation’s strikeout leader with 75 total strikeouts through eight appearances.
Anderson has been dominant this year and the clear ace for LSU, but Jay Johnson said he “thought Kade just hit another gear” on Thursday.
“He was getting stronger, he was well-conditioned for it, and leaving him in the game was one of easiest decisions we’ve had in
a tight game this year,” Johnson said.
Anderson previously had only gone a career-high 6.1 innings versus Missouri. His career high pitch count was 101 pitches versus Mississippi State.
The weather made the game more pitcher-friendly with heavy winds blowing towards home plate and scattered rain throughout the game.
Jared Jones and Chris Stanfield were able to drive in the only two runs of the game off of RBI singles. Jones drove in Derek Curiel from second base in the third inning and Stanfield drove in Luis Hernandez from third in the fifth inning.
Game two
LSU secured the series win on Friday night behind hot bats and shutdown pitching. The game was “a really complete performance,” according to Johnson.
LSU was led offensively by Stanfield and Josh Pearson and on the mound by Anthony Eyanson and Casan Evans.
On offense, Stanfield recorded four hits and four RBI and crossed the plate once himself. Pearson also launched two solo
LSU gymnastics wins region, punches ticket to nationals
BY GABBY GRAY Staff Writer
home runs in four plate appearances.
Eyanson sat down eight batters on strikeouts through his 5.2-inning outing where he threw a season-high 107 pitches. Evans came on in relief for Eyanson and only allowed two baserunners while striking out five Sooners.
LSU struck first for four runs in the second inning as Stanfield provided a two-run double, Derek Curiel delivered an RBI double and first baseman Jared Jones lined an RBI single. Oklahoma responded with two runs in the third.
But LSU pulled away with a solo home run from Pearson in the fifth, a run scored on an error in the seventh and solo shots from Pearson for the second time and Daniel Dickinson and a tworun single from Stanfield in the ninth.
Game three
Johnson stuck with his weekend rotation in the top-10 series matchup after many fans called for shakeups because of the series loss to Texas. Shores’s performance on Saturday proved John-
see SWEEP, page 10
LSU gymnastics fought for a top place in the Fort Worth NCAA Regional Final, and went home with an entry to a shot at another national championship with a 198.050 top score.
The Tigers kicked off the first rotation on the uneven bars, where all-around freshman Lexi Zeiss led the competition off with a solid 9.925.
Uneven bar scores ranged from 9.850 to 9.875 from each gymnast with the exception of all-around graduate student Haleigh Bryant and freshman Kailin Chio, who stuck matching 9.900s.
This propelled LSU into the second rotation with a
“They have encouraged me throughout the process,” Morrow said. “I know that it was hard being away from your family and, honestly, experiencing a culture shock. I had to grow up a lot.”
That second family started with Kim Mulkey, a coach that has developed countless women’s college basketball players that have gone on to play at the next level.
Morrow is next to be added to that list, which she feels wouldn’t have been possible without Mulkey.
Mulkey encouraged her and allowed her to grow, even if it was through saying things that Morrow may not have wanted to hear.
“She challenged me to be able to make it in the real world,” Morrow said. “She keeps it real with you, she shows you how it is, and honestly, I’m just grateful for that.”
Through challenges, she developed resilience. That development started from Morrow’s first practice at LSU, a school fresh off a national championship, in a place completely different from where she came from and with completely new faces.
Those new faces, like Mulkey, also became part of her second family.
“I know that they have my back and I have they’re back far beyond LSU,” Morrow said. “I’m grateful for that because you don’t get to experience team-
49.450, with the Tigers taking an early lead as they mounted the balance beam with graduate student Sierra Ballard starting the Tigers on the event with a 9.900.
Staying close on the Tigers’ tails were the Michigan State Spartans, who finished the first rotation on the floor with a 49.425. They were led by all-around senior Skyla Schulte, who earned a 9.950. However, it was only up for LSU as all-around sophomore Kylie Coen stuck a 9.925, Chio a 9.950, allaround sophomore Konnor McClain a 9.925, Bryant a 9.925 and senior Aleah Finnegan closed with a 9.950.
LSU broke program records on beam as it finished with a 49.675 — the highest regional beam score in Tiger history.
Also breaking a personal record in the second rotation were the Spartans as they vaulted a 49.650, topping their own vault record for the second time this year after their loss to UCLA during the regular season.
Neck-and-neck, these new records tightened the meet’s narrow competition between the two teams, firing up the energy. The LSU team took that to the floor as it started the third rotation with Coen’s 9.850 leadoff.
Morrow had three knee surgeries in the past, injuries that made her question her ability to play basketball.
Her foot injury against Texas, however, challenged her in a new way.
“It’s nothing like having an injury you’ve never endured before,” Morrow said. “My body has had to learn how to push through certain things mentally, being able to stay in it, pushing through the tough times of just not knowing if I would be able to play.”
Pushing through that injury and putting an impactful product on the court allowed Morrow to grow along with the challenges both Mulkey and Morrow herself had on the table.
After suffering her foot injury against Texas, Morrow recorded six double-doubles in the team’s last nine games, including a 36-point, 14-rebound performance against Florida in the SEC Tournament and a 30-point, 19-rebound performance against NC State in the Sweet 16.
Those are just numbers on a stat sheet, though. To Morrow, so much goes into every performance like the 31 double-doubles she recorded this season.
Mulkey sees what has gone into it for Morrow. She’s seen the growth she’s had as a player, and has seen her intensity as a player grow first-hand.
“You knew what you were
see REFLECTIONS, page 10
After Ballard stuck a 9.900, Tigers fans were on the edge of their seats as McClain returned to the floor for the first time since tearing her Achilles tendon back in May of 2024, while hoping to prepare for the Paris Olympics.
McClain found her footing on the floor, showing no evidence of a prior injury as she landed with another 9.900 for LSU.
All-around sophomore Amari Drayton set the standard on the floor with a 9.925, raised by Finnegan with a 9.975. For the first time this
see NATIONALS, page 10
NATIONALS
, from page 9
year, Chio did not compete for the all-around title, so the gymnast was not seen on the floor.
Regardless, Bryant wrapped up the third rotation with a 9.875, bringing LSU to a 49.575 on the floor, and a 148.700 lead overall.
Michigan State followed by a half a tenth of a point with a 148.650 after braving the uneven bars.
Finally, it was time for the fourth and final rotation.
LSU would be vaulting — and as the start team on the event — it had very little to lose.
All-around senior KJ Johnson led off the event for LSU with a 9.900.
Zeiss and Finnegan followed with matching 9.825s as Drayton stuck a 9.900.
It came down to Bryant after Chio’s 9.750, as a result of nearly failing to stick her landing.
SWEEP, from page 9
son right.
Shores allowed no earned runs through his five innings of work. His only run came from a ball that passed by Luis Hernandez behind the plate.
Shores had help from his defense, as he forced seven groundouts, and from the weather as the wind consistently blew in from centerfield. Shores allowed four walks but was able to strike out four batters.
He was replaced by Zac Cowan for the sixth inning with a two-run lead. Cowan threw 60 total pitches but let up a ninthinning unearned run to make things scary for the Tigers.
Johnson stayed with Cowan, showing full confidence in his
BY MARTY SULLIVAN Deputy Sports Editor
At a university where nearly every athletic program is nationally relevant, there’s never a shortage of options. There are always electric playmakers to be found.
The Reveille Athlete of the Week is LSU baseball pitcher Kade Anderson.
Starting in the series opener against No. 10 Oklahoma, Anderson pitched a complete-game shutout. The last time that happened for LSU was AJ Labas in 2018.
Anderson threw 135 pitches throughout the night, 91 of them for strikes (67%). He notched career-highs in pitches, innings and strikeouts.
The Tiger ace now leads all NCAA DI pitchers in strikeouts with 75. He also ranks eighth in the SEC in ERA at 2.85 and ninth in opponent batting average at .219. Anderson is the only pitcher in the SEC with a 6-0 record.
“I thought Kade just hit another gear tonight,” head coach Jay Johnson said. “That was literally the definition of getting better as the game goes along.”
His nine-inning outing ended with 14 strikeouts, no runs allowed, five hits and two walks. In
The freshman had a last minute save as she swung her arms to keep her balance and took a step back — both of these factors leading to deductions.
While the freshman’s score was dropped, Bryant vaulted a 9.900.
LSU finished with a 198.050, leading the meet as it waited on final beam scores from the Spartans.
The Spartans punched their ticket to Fort Worth with a 198.000 second place finish in the Regional Final.
Ahead of them by half of a tenth of a point were the Tigers, who finished the competition in first place with Finegan and Bryant tying for third place in the all-around competition with a 39.600.
LSU is headed to Fort Worth for the semifinals in the 2025 National Championship. The NCAA semifinals will be on April 17.
game. A walk and a fly out later, and LSU clinched the sweep.
On offense, it was all Curiel.
The freshman recorded three RBIs, one from an error that brought home two Tigers and another from an RBI double in the fourth inning.
Curiel continues to prove himself as a top player in college baseball as he has reached base in all 33 games, which is a program record for a freshman dating back to at least 1985.
The Tigers improved to 30-3 on the season with three SEC series sweeps and a 10-2 conference record on the season.
LSU stays on the road this week as it faces Nicholls State on Tuesday and then travels to Auburn for a weekend series starting on Friday.
five of the nine innings he retired the side in order, including the last three.
Anderson repeatedly denied scoring opportunities whenever the Sooners threatened, showing consistent poise and competitiveness.
“He was pitching with great tempo and getting ahead in the count more as the game went along, and I didn’t think their hitters were seeing him very well,” Johnson said.
With the offense only producing two runs, the sophomore’s pitching was pivotal to securing the series opener.
Anderson was even asked to deliver as a fielder in the eighth inning. On a short hop towards third, he rushed to field the ball before turning around and beating the runner for the out.
Going a full game also allowed Johnson to keep both Zac Cowan and Casan Evans in his back pocket. This was a tremendous asset in eventually securing the sweep and moving to 10-2 in the SEC.
This new level seen out of Anderson comes at the perfect time as LSU prepares to take on the tougher teams of the SEC.
The Tigers next weekend series is against No. 16 Auburn on April 11 at 6 p.m.
REFLECTIONS
, from page 9
getting from her and her effort,” Mulkey said. “It didn’t matter how banged up she was, how hurt she felt, Nees only knows how to play, and that’s hard.”
There’s things even Mulkey doesn’t see that Morrow has endured and embraced into her game. Morrow made the difficult seem routine almost every game, showing off skills that she believes separated herself from other post players.
“Nobody in the country did what I did every night. Nobody in the country did what I did over the four years,” Morrow said. “I’m honestly just proud of myself for overcoming as much as I’ve overcome and being able to do it at the biggest level.
Morrow may not be the tallest post player in the country, but the records she set and the growth and development of her game show that never mattered.
That journey earned her a second family, a family that she plans on being a part of well beyond her college career.
In addition to that family, Morrow leaves the college ranks with a lot of growth, a lot of resilience and a coach that’s allowed her to become the player she is today.
LSU basketball icon Sylvia Fowles inducted into Naismith Hall of Fame
BY ROSS ABBOUD Staff Writer
Former LSU women’s basketball legend Sylvia Fowles was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2025.
Fowles played at LSU from 2004 to 2008 and is one of the most decorated players in program history. She had her No. 34 jersey retired into the PMAC rafters in 2017 and was named to the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
Fowles was a three-time AP All-American, two-time WBCA All-American and four-time AllSEC player while wearing purple and gold. She was also named the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the 2007-08 season.
Fowles averaged 15.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game at LSU. She holds the record for most career rebounds while playing at LSU with 1,570 total rebounds.
She held the record for most rebounds per game for 14 years with a 10.9 average but was overtaken by Angel Reese and then Aneesah Morrow. She also sits at the top of LSU record books for most blocks, games played, and postseason games played.
Fowles led LSU to Final Four appearances in all four years while she played for the Tigers.
Fowles was drafted No. 2 overall by the Chicago Sky in 2008. She would play seven seasons in Chicago before being traded to the Minnesota Lynx. She finished out her 15-year career in Minnesota.
Sylvia Fowles jumps to shoot the ball against Howard University during the first half of LSU’s 88-44 win in the PMAC. Fowles scored 18 points with 14 rebounds and scored the 1000th point of her career against the Bison.
She won two WNBA Championships in 2015 and 2017 and was named Finals MVP both seasons. Additionally, she was the 2017 WNBA MVP, an eight-time AllStar, an eight-time All-WNBA team member, an 11-time All-Defensive team member and the Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2021.
She also won four Olympic Gold Medals for Team USA in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020.
Fowles is LSU’s eighth coach or player to be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame. She joins Pete Maravich, Bob Pettit, Shaquille O’Neal, Seimone Augustus, Van Chancellor, Sue Gunter and Kim Mulkey.
GRAPHIC BY JACOB CHASTANT
The Reveille
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
OPINION
SUPPORT THE REVEILLE
BY COLIN FALCON Editor in Chief
This week is the Reveille’s annual fundraiser week. To donate, scan the QR code here.
I studied journalism for about two years before I joined the Reveille, and to be honest, I didn’t like it very much. I was ambivalent about the degree I was paying thousands and studying endlessly for.
Then I started at the Reveille, and I got whiplash from how fast my sentiments changed. I was a digital optimizer, so I worked with social media and learned how to improve headlines. I loved it. So much thought went into every little
detail, every word and character. The amount of passion on display from the people around me was obvious and infectious. Now, two years and several positions later, I’m the Editor in Chief, and I realize
every part of the Reveille has that same care and passion behind it.
I’ve seen students work on stories for months on end. I’ve seen students hit brick walls in their reporting, and I’ve seen editors help them work around them. It brings me a lot of joy to see that the same spirit of passion that I admired so much when I started has gotten even stronger since then.
Every student who works here cares about what they do, and in order to give them opportunities to improve and grow as journalists, we’re asking for you to help support these students and donate.
The money we raise from our
fundraiser week goes straight back into the Reveille. We send sports reporters across the country multiple times a semester for football games, gymnastics tournaments and more, all thanks to donations. This semester, we sent sports reporters Ainsley Flood and Gabby Gray, along with photographer Payton Prichard, to the gymnastics SEC Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama. We also sent sports reporter Tyler Harden to Spokane, Washington for the women’s basketball’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games.
Whenever and wherever the Tigers feel like winning a national championship, we’re there. We’ve
been there in person for each of LSU’s most recent football, women’s basketball, baseball and gymnastics championships in the past, and I hope we can continue to do so.
Sending reporters on travel assignments gives them vital experience for covering live events. While the Reveille is committed to covering our campus and our city, another of our main goals is to teach our reporters.
Not many other student papers can offer its students what we do, and though I’m graduating this semester, I want the Reveille to keep supporting its students for years after I’m gone.
The Reveille opinion section tries the Bonjour dessert shop
Since 2020, Bonjour, a French dessert shop, has brought unique French flavors to Louisiana.
Though it may not be well known, it’s filled with scrumptious chocolate drizzled on waffles, fruity crepes, coffee and milkshakes; there’s something for everyone’s varying tastes.
A chronicle of the Opinion section’s experience at your next possible dessert stop follows.
Andrew Sarhan
This was my first time at this shop, and honestly, I expected it to be a sweets store similar to something you’d find at the mall. The store had two seating areas, and the one we sat in had an entirely different atmosphere from the rest of the store—not a slight, but rather strange.
I ordered the triple chocolate crepe, and wow, was it decadent. The chocolate was not drizzled haphazardly; every stroke of chocolate had intention behind it. It mixed dark, milk and white chocolate together to create this richness rarely experienced. Usually, I don’t like white chocolate, including in triple chocolate desserts, but I thoroughly enjoyed it at Bonjour.
Overall, my experience was a 7/10. The food was really good, but the uncomfortable atmosphere of the seating area killed the vibe for me.
Garrett Mcentee
Allow me to preface that I did
EDITORIAL BOARD
not dine in at Bonjour and instead had my food DoorDashed to me, so I have no comments on the aesthetics of the restaurant.
However, I do have several comments about its milkshakes and waffle sticks. Starting with potentially the most bland milkshake I’ve had in my entire 19 years of life: the S’mores Shake. Its aesthetics were really cute, featuring smokey-toasted marshmallows and a cinnamon-crumbled graham cracker crust. However, it was the blandest shake my palette has ever touched. 0/10 Don’t waste your money.
However, my waffle stick with dark and milk chocolate drizzle and a lotus crumb was magnificent. I’ve never tasted anything like it in my life. It tasted like a homecoming after 100 years away at sea. It was crunchy then soft, and the chocolate was so smooth—genuine 10/10. In my expert opinion, skip out on the shakes and go straight for the waffles. Go stuff your face, my dear reader.
Mohammad Tantawi
Baton Rouge isn’t known for its glamorous dining scene, so Bonjour’s existence is worthy of praise. I ordered the ‘Fruitella’ crepe—a crepe with an inner chocolate layer topped with strawberries, bananas, blueberries, and a chocolate drizzle.
I’m very picky about my chocolate and found Bonjour’s not to
my liking. After wiping it off with a napkin, I enjoyed the crepe. The mix of berries made for a delightful, healthy imposter experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a bit filling, so I didn’t finish it, but that had more to do with what I had eaten earlier.
The atmosphere could use some help. Non-chain eateries sometimes struggle to create the perfect dining experience, so I’ll cut them some slack for that.
With a paint job and a few new decor items, the place could be a place where I do my homework. Right now, it looks like a place I’d go to cry about my homework.
On a positive note, the music was nice. I couldn’t understand any of it, but it made me want to dance. Remember, we’re talking about Baton Rouge, a city run by football fanaticism and beer; we should be thankful Bonjour exists. If you’re deciding whether or not to go, let me help you out––go.
Blair Bernard
I had an interesting experience dining at Bonjour. Upon arrival, I was already feeling a bit catfished because once we walked inside. I was overstimulated by the volume of the music, the large array of options on the menu and the prices.
The viral Dubai chocolate cup I hoped to indulge in was priced at $19. Personally, as a college student, I don’t intend on willingly spending close to $20 on a treat.
However, still wanting to give Bonjour a fair shot, I ordered something I thought they couldn’t possibly manage to disrespect: a simple ice cream sundae. Safe to say, I was sadly mistaken. The ice cream gave a slight flavor of freezer burn with drizzles of cheaptasting chocolate. I did, however, enjoy the customer service. The two women working were incredibly pleasant and polite.
I also enjoyed my experience by going with a wonderful group of friends. We sat in a makeshift extended lounge area attached to the establishment, which left me quite confused. All in all, positive customer service, laughs and chats with friends will always be considered a semi-successful outing. Overall, I rate it a 2/10.
Ava Francis
Bonjour. That’s not how I’m choosing to greet you, lovely people; it’s the name of the establishment my fellow opinionated friends and I tried recently.
When dessert is involved, you can always count me in. While I was excited to see what this local spot had to offer, the options were very limited.
I thought about indulging in a scoop of ice cream but noticed there were no dairy-free or sorbet options, so that was out.
Everything else on the menu didn’t wow me, so I opted for a Nutella and strawberry crepe. It’s classic and pretty hard to screw
up. I gave my crepe a 5/10. It was okay but a bit soggy to my liking, and there was nothing special about it. Where the crepe lacked, the service did not. Everyone working at Bonjour was kind and helpful when it came to answering questions about the menu and giving recommendations on what to try. With a few improvements in decor and a menu revamp the overall experience can go from nay to slay.
Taylor Hamilton
Despite what some of my constituents may have said, I absolutely adored Bonjour.
Though I can admit that the varying aesthetics of the two dining areas were different, I could accept it given the excellence involving the desserts.
While we visited the local shop, I had a bubble waffle filled with strawberry ice cream, M&Ms and chocolate syrup.
Though it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I absolutely loved it. The crunch of the waffle and the silkiness of the chocolate truly added to the lovely taste of the strawberry ice cream.
It was almost like I was eating a chocolate-covered strawberry with M&M’s. Sufficed to say, it was delicious.
So, to anyone who wants to try a bubble waffle, go and try it at Bonjour. 9/10.
So, to anyone who wants to try a bubble waffle, go and try it at Bonjour. 9/10.
Editorial Policies and Procedures Quote of the Week
The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to editor@lsu.edu or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
“Change is the end result of all true learning.” Leo
Colin Falcon Editor in Chief
Managing Editor Jason Willis