The Reveille 10-19-23

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How Flau’jae Johnson handles new fame.

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‘BASKETBALL FIRST’

B-16 Hodges Hall Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803

Inside the life of LSU women’s basketball player, rapper Flau’jae Johnson

BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8 Flau’jae Johnson is not the average college athlete. She has a platform and a sense of pressure to which few collegiate athletes can relate.

Instead of coming back to her apartment after practice and doing homework or watching TV, she works on her music, where she has over 70,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

When it comes to time management, Johnson has it down to a science. It started at an early age when she adopted a strong work ethic and learned to hold herself accountable. That strong work ethic got her on America’s Got Talent for her rap music at just 14 years old.

That work ethic remained consistent as she grew up and went to high school at Sprayberry High School in Savannah, Georgia. Similarly to how she ended up on America’s Got Talent, Johnson’s work ethic got her an opportunity to play for Kim Mulkey at LSU. “I had to learn to hold myself accountable. I learned that early…because nobody’s going to do that for me,” Johnson said. “And if I want the results that I want I have to do things I don’t want to do.”

Johnson was a key part of LSU’s national championship run last year, as she started as a freshman from the start of the season.

It wasn’t because of her platform off the court, but her talent on the court.

She continued to bring a lot of eyes to the team, but Johnson excelled as a true freshman, averaging 11 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game. In many games, Johnson was a lockdown defender that helped them in many games like the team’s home matchup against Tennessee, and in the national championship

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Editor in Chief CLAIRE SULLIVAN Managing Editor LAUREN MADDEN Digital Editor JOHN BUZBEE News Editor CROSS HARRIS Deputy News Editor OLIVER BUTCHER Sports Editor PETER RAUTERKUS Deputy Sports Editor MACKAY SUIRE Entertainment Editor MOLLY TERRELL Opinion Editor COLIN FALCON ERIN BARKER / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball freshman guard Flau’jae Johnson (4) dribbles down the court on Jan. 30 during LSU’s 76-68 win over Tennessee at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La. against Iowa.

After LSU won the women’s basketball national championship, Johnson’s platform grew bigger than the empire it already was. According to On3 Women’s NIL Top 100, Johnson ranks at No. 3 with an Name, Image and Likeness valuation of $1.1 million. In the same rankings, Angel Reese ranks at No. 2 with a $1.7 million valuation, and Hailey Van Lith ranks at No. 6 with a $562,000 valuation.

Johnson comes into this season with more eyes on her than ever before. She’s in a position few young adults find themselves in. But Johnson thinks of it as a privilege and a sign that she’s doing something right.

“When you have to be held

ERIN BARKER / The Reveille

American rapper and LSU women’s basketball freshman guard Flau’jae Johnson performs on April 27 at the annual Groovin’ concert hosted by LSU student government in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

accountable for something that means you’re doing something right, and we’re expected of something,” Johnson said. “Being expected of something is a privilege.”

There are more expectations placed on the Tigers than any other team in women’s college basketball. For the first time in program history, LSU enters the preseason as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation.

This being said, she and her teammates have seen a surplus of praise. But that praise also brings discouragement from some people. Rather than listen to the naysayers, Johnson thinks of it as a part of being in the place she’s in; there will be noise either way.

“We laugh at it. It comes with a territory,” Johnson said. “You do good, it’s going to come; you do bad, it’s going to come.”

With the expectations both on and off the court, Mulkey’s conversations with Johnson are unique to her alone, because of how much she has going on in her life.

However, Johnson’s priorities are straight, and they are even without Mulkey telling her. With her discipline, this is just another year in Johnson’s career. Mulkey is supportive of all of Johnson’s off-the-court endeavors, but as her head coach, her job is to make sure that the majority of Johnson’s focus is on basketball.

“She says, ‘Keep the main things the main things and stay focused,’” Johnson said. “’Basketball first, everything else can wait.’”

Johnson is very in tune with herself, and a lot of that was learned through the platform

she has and how much she has to handle. It’s helped in her basketball career, her academics and her music.

Her mindset is a “tunnel vision.” She knows her support system, she knows her priorities and she knows who to listen to and who not to listen to. Everything else on the outside only contributes to the focus she has. In other words, it’s all fuel to the fire.

“It makes me concentrate more because I know somebody wants to find something to say about that,” Johnson said.

“It keeps me more on track and more focused.”

But she would be lying if she said her routine was easy. It’s difficult to be a full-time student, a Division I basketball player and an up-and-coming music producer. For most, pursuing just one of those roles would present a challenge.

Johnson, however, is confident that it’s nothing she can’t handle. She knows it’s a lifestyle not meant for many, and she tells herself if she puts in hours that not many would be willing to put in, she’ll get places not many can get to.

“If everybody can do it, then it would be done,” Johnson said.

“It’s just something that will make me better for it, put in that pain.”

Johnson is one of the returners to this year’s team, which is full of new faces. So even though she’s only entering her second season, she may have to be a leader in some cases.

Regardless, Johnson will be a valuable part of LSU’s team this season, only bringing more eyes to her, her teammates and women’s college basketball.

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CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS 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.

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ABOUT THE REVEILLE 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.

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NEWS LAKE CHANGES

University Lakes project lead and LSU professor explain

BY MARTIN SULLIVAN @marty_sulli Construction and unusually shallow waters have left many students wondering what is going on with the campus lakes, a popular spot for students and the Baton Rouge community alike.

What people are seeing is the beginning of the multi-stage University Lakes Project, which aims to refashion the area into an “unmatched recreational amenity,” according to the project’s website.

“It’s not a healthy lake ecosystem as it is,” said Dr. William Kelso, assistant director for the School of Renewable Natural Resources at LSU. “There’s very little habitat.

There’s very little depth. I haven’t seen hardly any aquatic plants out there at all.”

The vision for the project was laid out in the Baton Rouge Lakes Master Plan in 2016. Since then, public partners including LSU, the LSU Foundation, BREC, the state of Louisiana and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation have come together to move the project forward, putting up millions in funding to do so.

The combined effort led to the creation of University Lakes LLC, which has been tasked with implementing the project.

The lakes were constructed in

page 3 CULTURE

Hispanic Heritage Month celebration

BY SARAH WALTON @sarahrosewalton

The project has two priorities: First, to make the lakes a healthy system again, through improving water quality by deepening the lake and implementing different measures to capture, filter and treat runoff and contaminants

The North and Broussard Hall Community Council held its first event of the year on Oct. 12: a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month held in Broussard Hall.

Hispanic Heritage Month started Sept. 15 and ended Oct. 15. The month is a celebration of Hispanic history and culture.

It began in 1968 when President Lyndon B. Johnson established it as a week-long celebration and eventually evolved into a full month in the ‘80s.

The goal of Hispanic Heritage Month isn’t only to highlight the beauty of Hispanic culture but to also remember the struggles of Hispanic people and ways they’ve have changed the world.

As residents of both halls, ‘NOBROs’ as they’re colloquially referred to, arrived, they were greeted by a wave of Hispanic culture. Music from singers like Mon Laferte, Bad Bunny, Celia Cruz and Selena played throughout the halls as the flags of Hispanic countries lined the walls

see LAKES, page 4

see HERITAGE, page 4

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille

Construction equipment sits on the LSU Lakes Oct. 16 on E. Lakeshore Drive. the 1920s and ‘30s, when the area was formerly a cypress-tupelo swamp that was donated to the city, according to Mark Goodson, the principal and resilience practice lead at the consulting firm CSRS. Since then, the lakes have been silting in, trying to return to the cypress-tupelo swamp that

they were before.

“Even though it’s one of the most popular recreational assets that we have in Baton Rouge, from a water recreation standpoint it’s become unusable,” Goodson said.

“There aren’t a whole lot of fish to catch, it’s almost too shallow to do anything.”

AGRICULTURE

LSU AgCenter develops new irrigation tool to aid farmers

BY MARTIN SULLIVAN @marty_sulli In September, the LSU AgCenter released a tool that aims to ease the calculation of irrigation practices for farmers across Louisiana.

The Drought Irrigation Response Tool, also called DIRT, was developed over a number of years with significant contribution from Stacia Conger, assistant professor of irrigation engineering at LSU. Conger and her associates used available science to figure out how much irrigation is needed over time during the irrigation season, and eventually DIRT became the infrastructure to hold that science.

The program takes in variables like soil type, planting date, crop type and location then pulls more data based on location to tell farmers frequency of irrigation and eventually related information like drought stage, Conger said.

“It doesn’t have all of the features we want it to have yet, this was just the initial version that we could get out with the AgCenter IT’s time that they were

able to give to us,” Conger said.

“Hopefully we’ll be competing for more grant funding to continue to advance it, add more crops to it.”

Currently, the tool is specific to furrow irrigation, a process that flows water through crops using shallow trenches, which comprises about 91% of Louisiana practice, according to Conger.

Among the motivators to expand the features of the tool is usage outside of Louisiana, which will likely require consideration of other irrigation techniques.

“The science behind the tool itself has been something that I basically spent my career working with,” Conger said. “When I was in Florida, I worked on the same methodology for turf grasses. I always just used a very complicated excel spreadsheet.”

DIRT’s creation was enabled by a grant from Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events, a U.S. Department of Agriculture program. It was actually the first project funded by the grant program.

Conger stresses the impor-

tance of ease of consumption to farmers.

“It’s difficult to add more work to a farmer, they’ve already got a pretty slammed schedule, so they need something that’s quick and easy and that can help them make decisions,” Conger said.

“To be able to take the spreadsheet and put it into a form that they can just use their phone to access, it seems like such a small thing, but it’s huge in terms of applicability of the tool itself.”

Walker Thurmon, managing owner at Walker Family Farms in Holly Ridge, Louisiana, said he likes DIRT best for its precision and attention to detail, despite having paid previously for commercial irrigation tools.

“There’s a fine line that you have to hit, and her program helps get it down to the level of detail that’s needed for that fine line to pay your bottom line,” Thurmon said. “If the process is not started at the right time, it could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, depending on scale of operation.”

It’s not uncommon for farmers to over-apply irrigation to ensure that they’re not under-

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille

A bee sits on a flower Oct. 10 in the courtyard outside Julian T. White Hall on LSU’s campus. applying out of concern of it affecting yield and, subsequently, profit.

“I did see some data through [the United States Geological Survey] showing some pretty heavy declines in ground water in our agricultural areas,” Conger

said. “I think irrigation is going to be targeted here in the next decade of what producers can do and cannot do, so any promotion of self-regulation, farmers taking the initiative to do better is only going to help them in the long run.”

Thursday, October 19, 2023

page 4 LAKES, from page 3 before they enter the lake.

Second, to connect the lakes as one system so that they provide benefits to the surrounding area by managing and storing water, which can help reduce flood risk.

An effort to enhance and improve recreational and cultural opportunities at the lakes is also a goal of the project, though it depends, in part, on funding, according to Goodson.

Phase one, which is currently in progress, includes dredging the lakes, improvements to water flood control structures and to May Street, which splits University and City Park lakes.

Forebays, or portions of the lake that are deeper than the rest, will be used at major drainage outfalls into the lake to allow sediment to sink as water enters the lake, enabling the dispersion of freshwater throughout the lake system.

Despite the lakes appearing to be connected, they are not, which has resulted in considerable levels of silting and shallow depths in addition to already poor water quality, low oxygen levels, algal blooms and harmfully warm waters.

“If you connect them and you connect the outlet very well, then they’ll all fill up as a unit and the water will move through and you’ll get flushing through the system, and that’s really healthy,” Kelso

said. “All shallow pond type systems typically benefit from a good flush now and then. By improving the connectivity and getting that water to move through, it can take a lot of stuff with it and help restore those systems. I think that’s a great idea.”

A significant part of the effort to capture, filter and treat runoff comes from building living shorelines with native vegetation and material from the bottom of the lakes.

“In addition to treating runoff before it enters the lakes, those native plantings along the shoreline would help create what’s called a littoral zone,” Goodson said.

“That’s where the most interaction with wildlife happens, in terms of creating a habitat for reptiles, amphibians and insects that the fish, birds and different wildlife like to eat. That’s going to be a ground zero for that type of habitat.”

Living shorelines are set to play a significant role in establishing a healthy environment.

“Littoral zones are great, fish enjoy them, there’s lots of invertebrate’s production there,” Kelso said. “The plants are going to help with producing oxygen. One of the nice things plants will do also is absorb excess nutrients in the lake that can help buffer against algal blooms.”

Aside from developing a busy living shoreline, an effort to dredge from the bottom of the lake

to double the size of the LSU bird sanctuary is also in the works.

Recreational amenities included in the master plan include bike and pedestrian paths, boardwalks, piers, safer intersections, expanded park space, new benches, new trash receptacles, new landscaping and even a permanent facility for access to kayaks, paddle boards and other watercraft.

“They’re building a new bridge to span that channel that will have enough clearance so boaters and kayakers, even paddleboarders, can pass underneath between the two lakes. So, it opens up a new route that hasn’t been available until now in terms of paddling,” Goodson said.

Goodson believes it’s safe to surmise that fishing conditions will improve.

Some community members look forward to the changes.

“Sounds really cool, seems like it’ll only bring benefits to the community,” said Audrey Dickman, a junior in biological engineering and a member of Bengals in the Wild, an LSU outdoors club.

Phase one is scheduled to take about a year to complete, while partially-funded Phase two is estimated to begin in a year. Further development is dependent on funding.

“Be patient, it’s going to look worse before it looks better, but stick with it it’s going to be a great finished product,” Goodson said.

HERITAGE, from page 3 and hung from the ceiling. If residents were early enough, they may have been greeted by Charlie the Dog, the beloved dog of North and Broussard Hall.

“We chose our first event to bring attention to the Hispanic community, building what we hope to become an inclusive and diverse community,” said Aaron Holly, Biochemistry major and NOBRO community council vicepresident. “We wanted our event to be laid back to create an atmosphere where simple conversations could take place among residents, not only allowing them to meet the community council but one another as well. We set the tone with our first event holding over one-fifth of the community’s residents.”

Empanadas, chicken and beef tacos, granadas catrachas and more from Los Alvarez, a Latin restaurant in Baton Rouge, were served—all while residents played football and pool and danced to music.

Psychology major and NOBRO Community President Taylor Williams said her favorite part was the Kahoot.

“The residents got super competitive, and it was nice to see everyone together having fun,” Williams said.

A point of emphasis from the NOBRO community council was

that it wanted to make sure the event was celebrating and educating at the same time. For instance, the Kahoot quizzed residents on their knowledge of Hispanic Heritage Month and their knowledge of Hispanic history, figures and countries. To make sure the learning didn’t stop at the event, the council gave out flyers on Hispanic culture and history throughout the night.

“It went great,” Williams said.

“We have a few small details to work out, but overall, it was amazing. Meeting the residents and seeing everyone enjoy themselves made the event better than I could imagine.”

REAGAN COTTEN / The Reveille

Hispanic flags hang from the ceiling on Oct. 12 in Broussard Hall in Baton Rouge, La.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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THIS WEEK IN BR

SUNDAY AT 2 p.m.

20 October

TH

“What the Hay?” Homecoming Hay Bales S. Stadium and Highland “What the Hay?” is an annual Homecoming tradition at LSU. It showcases The College of Agriculture clubs and student group’s decorated hay bales that are scored on how creative and in tune they are with this year’s homecoming theme. The event is from 7:20 a.m. to noon.

LSU vs. Army Tiger Stadium

22

LSU will host West Point, the United States Military Academy, in Death Valley. The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are still available at lsusports.net.

October

ND

Stephen King’s “Misery” Theatre Baton Rouge

Want to see your event in The Reveille?

Email information to editor@lsu.edu.

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October

ST

SATURDAY AT 6:30 p.m.

FRIDAY AT 7:30 a.m.

BY MOLLY TERRELL @keenryanti

Theatre Baton Rouge will host a production of Stephen King’s classic novel “Misery” from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for students. Theatre Baton Rouge is located at 7155 Florida Blvd.

LSU students describe their versions of the ‘Roman Empire’

BY EMILY BRACHER @emily_bracher_ The Roman Empire has become an online trend where women ask their male friends how often they think about the time period.

What started as a small joke erupted and expanded into something more. Now, TikTok and other social media users are explaining what they think about often.

LSU sophomore Christian Gladney said that the Roman Empire crosses his mind on random occasions. He said he would be driving and think, “Wow, we used to ride horses everywhere,” and that he could picture himself arriving on horseback, dressed in armor and sword in hand to take a test in Himes Hall.

“The fact that it has become a viral trend goes to show that I guess I am not the only person in the world to have these weird thoughts about that day and age every now and then,” Gladney said.

When Gladney isn’t thinking about the Roman Empire, he thinks about how Rosa Parks was still alive when the first two

“Shrek” movies were released.

“I think about this fact a lot, and it really throws other people for a loop when I tell them,” he said.

Sophomores Allison Cooke and Erin Pawelczyk agreed that their Roman Empire is the Tudor family and King Henry VIII and his six wives.

“I think about what they were like in person and what they would’ve done if they hadn’t married Henry,” Cooke said.

LSU sophomore Caroline Zaudtke went into detail about how her Roman Empire is Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s “Moulin Rouge” ice skating performance at PyeongChang in 2018.

“That is the last ice skating routine they ever did together, won gold and they didn’t fall in love,” Zaudtke said. “They have been ice skating together their whole lives, and I am certain they are in love.”

LSU sophomore Quinn Buchanan said 15% of his day goes into thinking about the Roman Empire. When he isn’t thinking about it, his mind is on hooping.

On the other hand, sophomore Brandon Taylor said that he

GRAPHIC BY MADDIE FITZMORRIS

doesn’t think about the ancient empire that often. Taylor’s Roman Empire is the Houston Astros.

“I played baseball my whole life, and I am from Houston. They are my team,” Taylor said.

Sophomore Adam Ben Hmida hasn’t considered the Roman Empire since middle school. He said he often thinks about how people live without electricity and survive, while we’re “snapchatting

and doing whatever.”

Freshman KJ Brothers said he thinks about the Roman Empire twice a week, while sophomore Murphy Haile thinks about it about every two weeks.

Haile said that he enjoys watching documentaries about the time period. When he isn’t doing that, he finds himself thinking about conspiracy theories.

All of her teacher’s threats to

spoil “Avengers Endgame” during class in high school is Lauryn Rosenthal’s Roman Empire. She said that she often thinks about people threatening to spoil it if she wouldn’t give up her spot in the lunch line.

While the Roman Empire was almost 1,500 years ago, it seems to be on everyone’s mind lately, and now it seems to be more than just men thinking about it.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

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Thursday, October 19, 2023

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A squirrel looks at a shadow of itself Monday, Oct. 16, on a tree branch outside Julian T. White Hall.

Trees paint the exterior wall of the LSU Library Monday, Oct. 16.

Shadows reveal the remarkable artistry found in an oftenoverlooked part of life. From the intricate lacework of tree canopies to the simplicity of objects casting their silhouettes, these images showcase— in the midst of brightness— how the interplay of light and dark can create captivating works of art on our campus.

Photos by Francis Dinh

Shadows connect a colonnade leading to the LSU Library from Allen Hall Tuesday, Sept. 12.

The shadow of a tree dances on the wall of the LSU Library Monday, Oct. 16.

Students walking through the Quad cast shadows Monday, Oct. 16. outside the LSU Library.

An art installation hanging on the Art Building casts a colorful shadow Monday, Oct. 16.

A shadow divides the terra cotta roof connecting Woodin Hall and Audubon Hall Tuesday, Sept. 26.

Shadows from the colonnade paint Coates Hall’s walls Tuesday, Oct. 3.

A shadow provides shade on the concrete path in front of Atkinson Hall Thursday, Sept. 7.

Design by: Paola Santiago Rodriguez

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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle by Jacqueline E. Mathews ACROSS 1 Clerical error 5 Academy student 10 Wooden shoe 14 Group of buffalo 15 Light on one’s feet 16 Wolf’s cry 17 Baseball’s Slaughter 18 More desirable 20 Pothook’s shape 21 Troubles 22 “__ by any other name…”

23 Crème de la crème 25 Farm animal 26 Indict; impeach 28 Humble 31 Money, slangily 32 Endeavors 34 Ask nosy questions 36 Biblical book, for short 37 Empire 38 Hopping bug 39 Bovine bellow 40 Sew lightly 41 Smooth & glossy 42 Zealous 44 Coconut candy bar 45 Disreputable newspaper 46 Well-known 47 Moving around 50 Get a __ out of; provoke 51 Sick 54 Borders 57 “Queen for __” of old TV 58 Hide in the shadows 59 Actor Eriq La __ 60 Disparaging remark 61 BPOE folks 62 Parakeet’s lunch 63 Jekyll’s alter ego DOWN 1 You 2 Hankerings 3 District attorney 4 Drug tragedies, for short

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

5 Novelist Truman __ 6 See eye to eye 7 Gives up the ghost 8 Aide to Santa 9 First letter in Thailand 10 Use a credit card 11 Timber wolf 12 Hooters 13 Joy 19 Sudden attacks 21 Birthday candle secret 24 Hauls 25 “Trees,” for one 26 First husband 27 Drink served warm 28 Linear measure 29 In a magnificent way 30 Cornered 32 SAT, for one 33 One not to be trusted 35 Long-haired oxen 37 __ false; seemed untrue

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SPORTS

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An in-depth look into Army football’s offensive renaissance

BY ETHAN STENGER @allthingsethan The NCAA’s recent rule changes have forced Army football to evolve offensively, and it’s probably the best thing to happen to the program in nearly 80 years.

Ever since their inception, the Black Knights have run a triple option-based offense and have dominated the college football landscape three years straight, winning back-to-backto-back championships from 1944-1946.

The offensive system was basic, and everybody in the stadium knew it was coming.

What made it so successful?

For Army, the strategy was simple.

Due to military weight requirements, offensive linemen weigh much less than they usually would. It’s hard to block for your quarterback for three to four seconds when the pass rushers make your offensive lineman appear much smaller.

The Black Knights also don’t need a quarterback with a ton of arm talent, just one who can run around and make the correct read on every play.

Receivers only need to be

able to catch a pass here or there, with efficient blocking being taught mostly by the coaching staff.

Opposing coordinators usually only have a week to prepare for such a unique style of offense, and it can take a physical toll on nearly any defender.

That’s how Army was for nearly its entire existence until now.

As the game of football began to focus on the pass, and athletic departments began recruiting the strongest and fastest athletes in the country to play college football at their programs, the Black Knights couldn’t keep up.

The passing game puts a team that only runs the football so far behind, forcing them to play catch up every time they have the football, but not being able to do it at an ideal pace.

It’s also more challenging to recruit the best athletes when there’s the added caveat of diving into active duty upon the completion of their studies, as well as having to meet stringent weight requirements.

Despite this, Army continued to run its triple option-based offense, continuously struggling to be relevant in today’s ever-

changing college football landscape.

Over this past offseason, the landscape changed again.

The NCAA banned blocking below the waist, often called cut blocking. This might as well have been a death sentence to Army and other service schools’ offensive systems.

It’s honestly poetic: Army refused to stop running an archaic system when it found great success nearly 80 years ago until the NCAA forced it to stop.

The NCAA helped lead Army, Navy and Air Force into a college football renaissance.

But this is probably the best thing to happen to Army’s football program since its backto-back-to-back titles all those years ago.

Army can now compete with the best of teams, all while having a balanced offense and keeping defensive coordinators on their toes.

Still think the Black Knights’ days of competing nationally are behind them? Look at their distant cousins, Air Force, which has flown through its first six games undefeated and is ranked for the first time since 2019.

It will take time to figure

CHUCK BURTON / AP Photo

FILE - Army head coach Jeff Monken talks to his his players during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., Oct. 8, 2022. out the most effective way of recruiting some of the nation’s best athletes who are also willing to serve their country, but once they do, don’t be surprised to see Army, Navy and Air Force competing with the best of the best within the next couple of years.

The Black Knights march into Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Saturday night to face LSU in what should be an excit-

ing matchup.

While the Tigers’ defense has struggled all season, they’ve steadily improved over the past two weeks in victories over Missouri and Auburn. Army will face that defense with a brandnew, modernized offensive system, one that the team is still becoming familiar with.

Week 4 of SEC Volleyball: The must-knows, what-nows and should-sees

On the lookout: Army players to watch against LSU football

BY LIZZIE FALCETTI @lizziefalcetti After opening its season with a loss to UL Monroe, Army will travel back to Louisiana to face its toughest opponent of the season on Saturday: the No. 19 LSU Tigers.

LSU will experience Army’s new offense instituted in 2023.

The Black Knights dropped

their long-used flexbone tripleoption offense after NCAA rules made blocking below the waist illegal and incorporated a shotgun option offense.

Despite being 2-4, this Army team is stacked with talent on both sides of the ball. Here’s a dive into some of its key players.

Offensive players: Bryson Daily

TARUN KAKARALA / The Reveille

LSU football graduate student running back Josh Williams (27) jumps for the touchdown during the 48-18 LSU win vs. Auburn on Oct. 14 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

Daily is a versatile quarterback with 412 rushing yards and 712 passing yards. Because Army uses an option offense, he has to be quick on his feet and know when to keep the ball, give it to the dive option or pitch it to the second running back.

With three rushing touchdowns and six passing touchdowns, Daily will be a threat to the LSU defense in multiple ways.

Hayden Reed Among Army’s skillful running back corps, Reed is one of its most reliable with 47 carries, second to Daily, and 195 rushing yards. He also has 20 receiving yards and should be covered by LSU’s defense on quick screen passes.

The Black Knights run game created big plays this season.

While Reed is electric on outside runs and breaking through the line of scrimmage, any running back in the backfield can carry the ball, making this offensive style different and surprising for Army’s opponents.

Noah Short This wide receiver leads Army in catches with 15 and has 223 passing yards. He’s second to wide receiver Isaiah Alston in total yards and average yards per game.

However, Alston has been out with an ankle injury since the Syracuse game in Week 4,

which is why he only has nine receptions. These two wide receivers are main targets for Daily, and with Army’s new offense, the passing game is continuing to increase.

Kanye Udoh Listed as another starting running back for the Black Knights, Udoh is third in carries with 181 yards. He ran 18 times for a career-high 124 yards against Troy.

Out of all Army running backs with 10 carries or more, Udoh averages the most yards with 5.6 yards per rush, making him an explosive threat from the backfield.

Defensive players: Leo Lowin At middle linebacker, Lowin leads the team with 43 tackles.

He’s an all-around player with ability to stop runs and create pass disruptions. As the Black Knights’ top defender, the LSU offensive line must adapt and stop Lowin from being a threat, ensuring the protection of Jayden Daniels and LSU’s running backs.

In 2022, Lowin had 100 tackles, five for loss and two interceptions. He had a career-high 16 tackles against Navy last season and was named player of the game, as voted on by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association.

Jimmy Ciarlo This outside linebacker has

been a defensive powerhouse in Army’s first six games and already has three sacks and 27 tackles. Ciarlo is aggressive when coming around the outside while forcing his way past the offensive line.

Disrupting Ciarlo’s timing on a play before he can get to Daniels in the pocket will be key for the Tiger’s offense on Saturday.

Cameron Jones Jones is a versatile defensive back and well-rounded when it comes to creating pass breakups and tackles. He has two pass deflections and one interception.

Jones has the most solo tackles for the Black Knights with 19.

Against the Syracuse Orange, Jones caused a three-and-out with a pass breakup, and then on Syracuse’s next drive he had an interception.

Being able to read the defense is Jones’ specialty, and he’s quick to keep receivers covered or even blitz on some plays. He knows how to get into the right place at the right time.

Quindrelin Hammonds At strong safety, Hammonds effectively stops runs and passes. This season, he has 29 tackles, which places him third in that Army category.

Hammonds also has one interception and two breakups.

Against Boston College in Week 6, he recorded his first career interception and had a career-high 11 tackles.

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OPINION

page 11

Romantic love is a thing of the past, and IPhones killed it GARRETT’S GAVEL GARRETT MCENTEE

@9are_bear Growing up, every child is told to pursue fairy tale love. You’ll find your prince, princess, lord, lady or good-natured peasant, and you’ll fall in a deep, true love.

Alas, how love is oftentimes approached nowadays isn’t at all conducive to this naive notion. Sure, kids are told to be respectful and kind when they grow up, but how often do children take this plea and carry it in their chests as they age?

Not often.

As we grow up, our words change from the simplistic but ear-

nest, “I think I like-like you,” to, “U up?”

But it wasn’t always like this.

In the past, children did grow up to be knights and royals. They went from saying, “Methinks I’m rather fond of you,” to, “I can’t tell you how piercingly and endlessly I think about you.” (That quote is from one of Virginia Woolf’s letters to Vita Sackville-West and is heartwrenchingly beautiful.)

This change in how romance is approached is downright facinorous. You may argue that people have changed the way they speak, that we’ve traded the pen and paper for the digital. While true, that’s no excuse for the foul cesspit that is modern day “romance.”

Calling today’s damnable romantic practices an attempt at love

is reproachable. All too often, people are just trying to get into another person’s pants. And that’s okay in and of itself, but the problem is that people consider it love. They use the same tactics for romance as they do for seduction.

Maybe, instead of aggressively chucking compliments or (flirtatious) insults toward the subject of your infatuation, try being sincere?

Don’t offer up some beastly bile— i.e. TikTok “rizz”—in the hope that it gets you a one-way trip to hearing “Bridal Chorus” by Richard Wagner.

If you’re trying to get into someone’s heart, the absolute least you can do is be original or, dare I say, poetic. In fact, poetry used to be the default route into another person’s heart.

It should be noted that the

words someone uses to declare their love don’t have to be some overcomplicated, SAT-worthy drivel. You don’t have to be a great wordsmith; words are hard. Trust me, I know.

“The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller provides some valuable examples. You could say something like this about your partner: “I would know him in death, at the end of the world.” It’s beautiful, heart-breaking and, most importantly, accessible.

Or, perhaps, instead of dedicating psalms to your love, develop something special that you do for them on a devoted schedule. Picnics, love letters (avoid texts, paper is more physical), playlists, candy and flowers (try to spice up roses by swapping them out for your

partner’s favorite flower) are all lovely options.

In general, just dedicate genuine time to your lover.

“But I do/would!” you cry.

Good. Keep it going — you’re a rarity.

The problem with many people when it comes to courting is they’re afraid of being seen as dumb, cringey or a tryhard. To this, I say… get over it!

Being dumb is funny when good natured, and being cringey can sometimes be endearing. Also being called a tryhard for the offense of trying to be romantic just means that person isn’t right for you.

Garrett McEntee is an 18-year-old English freshman from Benton.

COMIC BY JACOB CHASTANT

Reveille graphic designer Jacob Chastant is bringing comics back. Here’s his first one, a single panel illustrating how construction on campus can feel like a map

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Quote of the Week “Poetry is the lifeblood of rebellion, revolution, and the raising of consciousness.”

Alice Walker American author 1944 — present