The Reveille 10-26-23

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LSU looks to defend its title.

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

A look at LSU women’s basketball’s lineup ahead of its first exhibition

BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8

NEWSROOM (225) 578-4811

The LSU women’s basketball team is set to return to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for its first exhibition game of the season against East Texas Baptist on Thursday. The exhibition will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be free for fans to attend.

For many LSU fans, this will be the first time they see not only their returning national champions, but also the new faces that are now a part of that team. With all the transfers and freshmen set to debut, the team will have much more depth this season.

Ahead of Thursday’s matchup, let’s take a look at what the 2023-24 team looks like at each position. In addition, here’s a prediction on what the starting five will look like at the beginning of the season.

Starting Five: Guard, Hailey Van Lith Van Lith was one of the most sought-after transfer prospects in the portal this past offseason.

The former Louisville guard averaged 15.4 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and 2.5 assists per game in her three-year career at Louisville. She also shot 42% from the field with the Cardinals.

Since she arrived at LSU, Van Lith has taken the role of the veteran point guard that can facilitate the floor. Her passing ability and ability to get tough shots off will make her one of LSU’s most productive players this season.

She’ll get a starting spot from the very beginning, and it’ll be unlikely that she leaves that role during the duration of the season.

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 Multimedia Editor MATTHEW PERSCHALL

ERIN BARKER / The Reveille

The LSU women’s basketball team huddles together on Sept. 25 at the women’s basketball open practice in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La. 1 player in the Class of 2023, is a two-time Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American. She helped her Parkway High School team to a state championship as a senior, so she’s proved she can be a leader. While she may not have to lead this season, she is too much of a talent to keep off the floor, at least for long.

Guard, Flau’jae Johnson Johnson’s role in last year’s team will be a lot different this season. While she started in all 36 games as a true freshman last season, she now has a year of experience under her belt.

Johnson’s defense is what sets her apart, but she’ll also be an option at point guard with her ability to facilitate. In games where the opposing team has sharpshooters, Johnson will rarely leave the floor, simply because of her defensive presence.

Last season, Johnson averaged 11.0 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Guard/Forward, Aneesah Morrow Similar to Van Lith, Morrow was a huge addition for LSU out of the transfer portal. At DePaul, she averaged 25.7 points per game and 12.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore. She ranked inside the top 10 nationally for each category, and the only other player in both top 10 rankings was Angel Reese.

Despite having 53 doubledoubles out of her 66 games played at DePaul, Morrow is listed as a guard. But her ability to play in the paint will be valuable to LSU this season. Her versatility and ability to adapt will make her one of LSU’s leading contributors this season.

Guard, Mikaylah Williams With Johnson now playing an experienced role, Williams will fill in her shoes as the true freshman who fits her way into the starting lineup.

Williams has the capability to not only start right away, but to also be a huge contributor to LSU’s offensive production right away as well. She was the No.

Forward, Angel Reese Reese will arguably be the leader of this season’s LSU team in a lot of ways. Not only was she one of the best players in the country last season, averaging 23 points per game and 15.4 rebounds per game, she is also one of the few returners from last season’s team.

Reese came to LSU last sea-

son and led right away. Her ability to do that along with her talent was a significant factor to why LSU found themselves as national champions. This time around, Reese has more leaders around her, and arguably more talent. Reese’s leadership and sheer talent will have her rarely leaving the floor as she did last season.

Frequent Guard Options

Poole’s passing ability got her a lot of minutes and, in some games, a start. This season will provide her with the same opportunities, and her ability to facilitate is some of the best on the team. LSU fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Poole in the starting lineup at some points this season.

Frequent Forward/Center Options

Guard, Last-Tear Poa Last season, Poa came off the bench and ran the point guard position. She’ll find herself in a similar situation this season.

Many times, she would provide perimeter shooting when the starters were having a difficult time hitting shots. Her experience may give her more minutes this season, but she’ll be a good option off of the bench just as she was last season.

Forward, Sa’Myah Smith Similar to Poole, Smith found herself in the starting lineup at some points of the season last year. There were also times when she’d come off the bench and produce in key games. Smith put on a lot of strength and size this offseason, meaning that she will be a good post presence, in most times off the bench this season. But if Mulkey wants to go with a taller starting lineup, Smith could be a starting option.

Guard, Angelica Velez Velez plays a similar game to Van Lith; her passing ability is her strong suit. When it comes to depth, Velez is a player who will be able to come in and give the starting guards a break without a dip in production. With Velez being a freshman, she has the potential to play a key role off the bench or potentially a starting spot.

Guard, Kateri Poole Poole and Poa will be valuable guard options off the bench of their experience. There were many times last season where

Center, Aalyah Del Rosario There arguably isn’t a player on LSU’s team with more upside or potential than Del Rosario.

The 6-foot-6 inch freshman center will be a force to be reckoned with in the post-game, as most teams don’t have a player that tall to match up with her. The only reason Del Rosario might not start, at least right away, is that she needs time to develop and adjust to the college game.

But once she does, she will see a lot of minutes, or even start, because of her post presence, size and ability to score down low.

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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.

If you would like something corrected or clarified, please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or email editor@lsu.edu.

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.

A single issue of The Reveille is free from multiple sites on campus and about 25 sites off campus. To obtain additional copies, please visit the Office of Student Media in B-39 Hodges Hall or email studentmedia@ lsu.edu. The Reveille is published biweekly during the fall, spring and summer semesters, except during holidays and final exams. The Reveille is funded through LSU students’ payments of the Student Media fee.

NEWS KKG’s LOUISIANA’S FIRST pomping sign

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GREEK LIFE

Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson becomes speaker of U.S. House

wrecked

BY LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES, FARNOUSH AMIRI AND KEVIN FREKING | ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans chose Rep. Mike Johnson as their latest nominee for House speaker late Tuesday, hours after an earlier pick, Rep. Tom Emmer, abruptly withdrew in the face of opposition from Donald Trump and hardline GOP lawmakers.

Johnson of Louisiana, a lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, becomes the fourth Republican nominee after Emmer and the others fell short in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as GOP factions jockey for power.

Refusing to unify, far-right members won’t accept a more traditional speaker and moderate conservatives don’t want a hardliner. During private balloting, Johnson won a majority, but ahead of an expected House floor vote Wednesday the nominee will need almost all Republicans to win the gavel.

“Mike! Mike! Mike!” lawmakers chanted at a press conference afterward, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.

Three weeks on, the Republicans have been frittering away

BY MADISON MARONGE @MadisonMaronge

Trump, speaking as he left the courtroom in New York where he faces business fraud charges, said his “un-endorsement” must have had an impact on Emmer’s bid.

“He wasn’t MAGA,” said Trump, the party’s front-runner for the 2024 presidential election, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

House Republicans returned

LSU’s chapter of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority has had its pomping board wrecked, with the parts representing national champions Paul Skenes and Angel Reese reportedly taken Sunday.

Pomping is when tissue paper is rolled into tiny balls and collaged on signs or parade floats to create extravagant artwork. As part of LSU’s homecoming week, Greek life chapters created lifesized boards to the week’s theme of “in our championship era” for a campus-wide competition where they were displayed on the houses’ lawns. Members of these chapters dedicated several hours to creating these boards in the weeks leading up to LSU homecoming.

Elementary education senior and KKG member Kaiya Phillips confirmed that parts of the sign were apprehended around 11 p.m. Sunday.

A user on Yik Yak, an anonymous chat forum based around college campuses, declared: “After [tonight] kappas board will be no more.” Another user respond-

see MIKE JOHNSON, page 4

see KAPPA GAMMA, page 4

OFFICIAL HEADSHOT OF REP. MIKE JOHNSON OF LOUISIANA

their majority status — a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on. “Pretty sad commentary on governance right now,” said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark. “Maybe on the fourth or fifth or sixth or 10th try we’ll get this thing right.”

After he withdrew Tuesday afternoon, Emmer briskly left the building where he had been meeting privately with Republicans.

He said later at the Capitol that Trump’s opposition did not affect his decision to bow out.

“I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference,” he said, referring to the GOP majority. He said he would support whomever emerges as the new nominee. “We’ll get it done.”

POLITICS

Gov.-elect Jeff Landry announces details of transition to office

BY CROSS HARRIS @thecrossharris Gov.-elect Jeff Landry announced the details of his transition Wednesday, including his transition director, chairs, and headquarters.

Landry held his first press conference since winning the gubernatorial primary at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The event drew a handful of reporters and lasted less than half an hour.

Landry expressed his aims for change right off the bat.

“The old way of doing things is, for the most part, out the door,” he said.

One of his first breaks of custom is the location of his transition: ULL rather than LSU. A long list of Louisiana’s former governors-elect, including current Gov. John Bel Edwards, have based their transitions at the flagship university’s Kirby Smith Hall, which was demolished in 2022. Landry highlighted, however, that his choice to move away from LSU was strategic.

“We want the people in Loui-

siana to know that all of our universities are important to us,” he said later.

Landry is an alumnus of ULL and lives with his wife Sharon Landry in Lafayette. Choosing to base his transition from home, Landry underscored his intentional distance from the state’s capital.

“I’ve said from day one, that this administration will ensure that every part of the state has a voice, not just those who occupy the capital,” he said. “This administration is going to represent the people of Louisiana, not just the political class.”

Landry added his administration believes headquartering the transition in Lafayette would make it easier for everyone around the state to reach them.

Kyle Ruckert, who formerly served as the chief of staff for former Louisiana U.S. Senator David Vitter, will be the director of Landry’s transition into office.

Ruckert is also the president of a political consulting firm called Bold Strategies.

see JEFF LANDRY, page 4

REAGAN COTTEN / The Reveille

Louisiana gov.-elect Jeff Landry stands alongside his wife, Sharon Landry, on Oct. 25 during a press conference in Lafayette, La.

Thursday, October 26, 2023

page 4 MIKE JOHNSON, from page 3 behind closed doors, where they spend much of their time, desperately searching for a leader who can unite the factions, reopen the House and get the U.S. Congress working again.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson, who was the second highest vote-getter on Tuesday morning’s internal ballots.

A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Elevating Johnson to speaker would giving Louisianans two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was rejected by hardliners in his own bid as speaker.

But hardliners swiftly resisted Johnson’s bid and a new list of candidates emerged. Among them was Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, a Trump ally who ran third on the morning ballot, and a few others.

In the end, Johnson won 128 votes on the evening ballot, more

KAPPA GAMMA, from page 3 ed with emojis of fire and a firetruck.

KKG’s sign was made in conjunction with Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. According to Phillips, members of the fraternity seized the portions of Skenes and Reese using an electric saw. They walked away with cutouts of the champs, she said.

Before the sign was cut up, the @lsuchicks Instagram page compared Skenes’ portion of the sign to South Park character Randy Marsh in a post. In another, the pomped Skenes was photoshopped side-by-side with the living gym star Olivia Dunne.

A post with pictures and videos detailed the sign’s downfall.

A similar post by TikTok user @ francieoliver has gone viral, rak-

JEFF LANDRY, from page 3 Landry’s transition chairs will be: • Ralph Abraham, former Louisiana fifth congressional district representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Abraham ran for governor in 2019 but voters eliminated him in the primaries • Lane Grigsby, founder of contracting company Cajun Industries and Republican megadonor • Shane Guidry, CEO of marine transportation company Harvey Gulf, who made headlines after moving his company’s headquarters out of New Orleans to Metairie citing high crime • Tim Hardy, environmental lawyer and former member of the board of supervisors of Louisiana’s Community and Technical Colleges, who has served on multiple transition teams • Steve Orlando, Lafayette busi-

and farming programs face expiration without action.

Coming in a steady second in the morning balloting, Johnson offered his full support to Emmer. Others were eliminated during multiple rounds of voting, including Donalds and Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, a conservative leader and former McDonald’s franchise owner who plied his colleagues with hamburgers seeking their support. Reps. Austin Scott of Georgia, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Pete Sessions of Texas, Gary Palmer of Alabama and Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania also dropped out.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the hard-right leader who engineered McCarthy’s ouster, has said several of those who were running — Hern, Donalds or Johnson — would make a “phenomenal” choice for speaker.

Nevertheless, Gaetz voted for Emmer, though others who joined in ousting McCarthy did not.

Many hardliners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that

than any other candidate. McCarthy, who was not on the ballot, won a surprising 43 votes.

One idea circulating, first reported by NBC News, was to reinstall McCarthy as speaker with hardline Rep. Jim Jordan in a new leadership role.

It was being pitched as a way to unite the conference, lawmakers said, but many said it would not fly.

“I think sometimes it’s good to have fresh ideas and fresh people,” said Rep. Victoria Spartz, RInd. While Emmer won a simple majority in a morning roll call behind closed doors — 117 votes — he lost more than two dozen Republicans, leaving him far short of what will be needed during a House floor tally ahead.

Trump allies, including the influential hard-right instigator Steve Bannon, have been critical of Emmer. Some point to his support of a same-sex marriage initiative and perceived criticisms of the former president. Among the far-right groups pressuring lawmakers over the speaker’s vote, some quickly attacked Emmer.

Having rejected the top replacements, Scalise and the Trump-backed Jordan, there is no longer any obvious choice for the job.

With Republicans controlling the House 221-212 over Democrats, any GOP nominee can afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.

“We’re in the same cul-de-sac,” said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

Yet Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., one of the hardliners, said, “This is what democracy looks like.”

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid — to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation

ing in over 10,000 likes and 60,000 views.

Public relations and sports commerce senior and KKG president Brooke Bordelon said they had no clue AGR was planning this but was impressed by their commitment to the bit.

“Some of the girls had been texting [AGR members] like, ‘Give us back our king and queen!’ We were really unsure how to go about it so we just played into the memes and rolled with it. It was a funny way to wrap up the whole week,” Bordelon said.

Social media users had harsh words for the board, but one Yik Yak user remarked, “they’re the only board that got stolen [I guess] u can call that a win?”

AGR fraternity did not respond to requests for comment from the Reveille.

The Kappa Kappa Gamma pomping board can be seen on the sorority house’s lawn on Oct. 19 in Baton Rouge, La., before it was damaged.

ness leader and chairman of Allison Marine Holdings, a consulting firm geared towards the oil and gas industry • Eddie Rispone, Baton Rouge business leader and chairman of construction company ISC Constructors. Rispone ran for governor in 2019 but lost in the runoff to current Gov. John Bel Edwards • Sharon Landry, Jeff Landry’s wife The governor - elect said, as a member of the transition team, his wife Sharon Landry would help to keep the other chairs “in line.”

“As I looked at this group of people we assembled I realized that I took from something my mom always said, that you always need a good woman to make sure those men get everything right,” the governor - elect said.

“We’re a team,” Sharon Landry said.

Deputy News Editor Oliver Butcher contributed reporting to this article.

Louisiana governor - elect Jeff Landry and Sharon Landry smile on Oct. 25 during a press conference in Lafayette, La.

far-right Republicans don’t agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next month’s funding deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

During the turmoil, the House is now led by a nominal interim speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the bow tiewearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job is to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans — and Democrats — would like to simply give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, has declined to back those overtures.

Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.

IMAGE COURTESY OF ACCOUNTING JUNIOR BROOKS MOORE

MATTHEW PERSCHALL FOR THE LOUISIANA ILLUMINATOR

ENTERTAINMENT

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THIS WEEK IN BR

SUNDAY AT 6 p.m.

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Want to see your event in The Reveille?

Email information to editor@lsu.edu.

October

TH

Live After Five David S. Rhoher Plaza Another installation of Baton Rouge’s live concert series will be hosted at David S. Rhoher Plaza at Blue Roots, 10 S River Road, located downtown behind city hall. Cover band After 8 will perform from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free and food vendors will be on site.

Louisiana Book Festival State Library of Louisiana

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October

The state’s annual book festival will be hosted at the State Library of Louisiana downtown at 701 N Fourth St. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature over 200 writers and include exhibits, book talks, signings and arts and crafts. Admission is free.

TH

Taylor Swift Listening Party 13 Social

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October

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SATURDAY AT 9 a.m.

FRIDAY AT 5 p.m.

BY ARIS WILLIAMS @jonetaw

13 Social on 350 Third St. downtown will be hosting a listening party of Taylor Swift’s most popular hits. Doors open at 6 p.m., and there will be featured drink specials. You must be 21+ to enter 13 Social.

Tigers for Donating Life is making organ donation accessible

BY EMILY BRACHER @emily_bracher_ Tigers for Donating Life is an LSU club that advocates and spreads awareness about organ, tissue and eye donation.

The club was officially added to TigerLink at the beginning of October. Senior Tori Termini, vice president and co-founder, said it had been a work in progress since the spring.

With help from the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, or LOPA, the group hopes to eliminate the misinformation about organ donation. LOPA is a nonprofit that assists families during the donation process and supports them through their grief journey.

“LOPA is one of the most gracious organizations I’ve ever worked with,” Termini said.

“They are the glue for some of the donor families, and they are there to hold their hands every step of the way.”

The current Tigers for Donating Life is a continuation of a similar LSU organization

that fizzled out during the pandemic. President Macy Schmelz and Termini got in contact with LOPA, hoping to bring it back.

Now, they are at over 50 members.

Throughout the rest of the year, Termini said that the group plans on hosting panels that will discuss both the medical and personal sides of organ donation. They will bring in medical professionals and the families of organ donation heroes.

“I really just want people joining to understand the weight of how important our message is and how it’s a life-saving choice to become a donor,” Termini said.

At this year’s Auburn vs. LSU game, the Perry and Boswell families hosted their annual “Heart of the Tiger” tailgate. Termini said that the two families were united tragically through organ donation. They advocate for better education on the subject and encourage people to be donors.

“I am really looking forward to sharing more stories with our

members and hopefully that experience into the campus and LSU community,” Termini said.

Third-year member Brianna Wesselhoff said that she has always been passionate about organ donation and was so happy she was introduced to Tigers for Donating Life and LOPA after having a conversation with Schmelz during one of their classes.

“There is a lot of lack of information about organ donation in the world today, and people today don’t understand how great it can truly affect and enhance someone’s life,” Wesselhoff said.

The group hopes to meet during the first week of every month and host events every few weeks. On Oct. 25, they were at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital for Trunk or Treat.

“Organ donation seems like a scary topic, as nobody wants to talk about an afterlife situation,” Wesselhoff said. “But if you truly see the beautiful things it has done for many other people, it is worth looking into.”

BRIANNA WESSELHOFF / The Reveille

Members Brianna Wesselhoff, Macy Schmelz and Anthony Chiasson with LOPA pose for a picture in Free Speech Alley

Thursday, October 26, 2023

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Thursday, October 26, 2023

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A postcard with a photo taken by Francis Pullen of the Huey P. Long Field House swimming pool from the 1940s sits along with an image of the Field House pool from September 2023 in Baton Rouge, La.

A photo from the filled pool from October 2023 sits along a photo from the 1940s of the swimming pool in the Huey P. Long Field House.

A HISTORICAL

The photo of swimmers from the 1930s sits along with a photo of the filled pool from October 2023 in the Huey P. Long Field House.

A photo of canons sitting in front of the Huey P. Long Field House from the 1940s sits along with an image of the Field House from September 2023 in Baton Rouge, La.

RENOVATION! Design by Paola Santiago Rodriguez

After years of disrepair the Huey P. Long Field House is open again.

Current photos were paired with images from the past to show the similarities and differences between the original and the remodel.

Photos by Matthew Perschall and Reagan Cotten A photo of a swimmer doing laps in the Huey P. Long Field House pool from the 1980s sits along with an image of the filled in swimming pool from September 2023 in Baton Rouge, La.

An image of the Field House pool from September 2023 sits along side a photo of sunbathers at the Huey P. Long Field House from the 1980s.

A photo of the Huey P. Long Field House from October 2023 sits along with a similar photo from the 1930s.

A photo of the arches of Huey P. Long Field House from October 2023 sits alongside a photo of them from the 1940s.

A photo from the Field House entrance from October 2023 sits alongside a photo of the former landscaping in front of the Huey P. Long Field House from the 1920s.

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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle by Jacqueline E. Mathews ACROSS 1 HI followers 4 Uses a strainer 9 “There once __ man from…”; limerick opening 13 Funny person 15 Chris with a racket 16 Mountain goat 17 Mix with a spoon 18 Helicopter blade 19 Merriment 20 Count 22 Jeweler’s purchases 23 More than a few 24 Org. for Penguins & Ducks 26 Treeless tract 29 Imaginary monster 34 Merchandise 35 Castle surroundings 36 “Son __ gun!”

37 Lie next to 38 Fort __, TX 39 Skinny 40 Clean the floor 41 Airline prices 42 Chaplain 43 Pits in the pavement 45 Felt 46 Animal carrier 47 “__ Man Walking”; ’95 film 48 European capital city 51 Dreadful 56 Like yummy cinnamon rolls 57 Forgo voluntarily 58 Webster or Wyle 60 “…of __ I sing…”

61 Playful action 62 Precious metal 63 Convinced 64 Bread ingredient 65 Hair covering DOWN 1 Yrbk. section 2 Flying toy

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

3 Cut of pork 4 Peaceful 5 Off-white shade 6 Greek cheese 7 Run 8 Might 9 Like Jell-O 10 Qualified 11 __ like; appear to be 12 Firefighting tools 14 Brass instrument 21 Atlas pages 25 “__ Just Not That Into You”; ’09 film 26 Marsh 27 Not to be mentioned 28 Explode 29 Uses a drill 30 Cheerios ingredients 31 Gelatin pans 32 Blazing 33 __ names; pointed out suspects 35 Oliver’s request

10/26/23

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

38 __ from; leave 39 Smoothing wood 41 In favor of 42 Ring out 44 __ out; distributed 45 Choose 47 Bette or Ossie 48 Harness mouthpieces

10/26/23

49 Resound 50 Become dizzy 52 Windex sprayer’s target 53 Pocket bread 54 AM/PM divider 55 Powerful wind 59 Thoreau’s monogram

SPORTS

page 9 FOOTBALL

EXTRA PREP

Three keys that LSU football will focus on during the bye week

BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4 Ahead of the biggest matchup of the season, a game that could decide the SEC West title just as it did a year ago, one team has a preparation advantage.

The schedule makers handed LSU a bye week at a favorable point of the season this year, with extra time to prepare to take on an infamous Alabama team.

Like always, the matchup has the potential to be razor-thin, so the advantage can’t hurt, especially against Nick Saban and Alabama, known for out-preparing opponents Especially on the defensive side, which head coach Brian Kelly has characterized as still building, LSU has things to work on before facing the top 10 Crimson Tide. Here are the three most prominent areas for improvement: Continued focus on defensive line fundamentals Kelly said during his press conference after the Army win that LSU would be focusing on specific technique and scheme fixes before getting into Alabama preparation, and, as one of the most important units on the team, the defensive line is likely included in that.

The LSU defensive front has improved greatly since a concerning showing against Ole Miss, with impact plays in

Comparing LSU’s 2023 offense to 2019

BY ETHAN STENGER @allthingsethan

discipline and technique is paramount. The defense pitched a

LSU’s offense is drawing striking similarities to the infamous 2019 LSU squad.

The Tigers did their business on Saturday night with a 62-0 shutout of Army.

LSU has scored at least 48 points in its past four games, a first for the Tigers during the Southeastern Conference era, and led the nation with 47.4 points per game.

It all starts at the quarterback position with Heisman candidate Jayden Daniels.

Daniels finished with three touchdown passes and ran another one before being pulled from play at halftime on Saturday night versus Army.

Daniels leads the nation in passing touchdowns with 25 through eight games, ranking second in LSU history to 2019’s Heisman trophy winner Joe Burrow, who had 30 through that span.

He’s also accounted for 30 total touchdowns, 25 passing and five rushing, which ties him for first in the country with USC’s Caleb Williams. His 30 touchdowns through eight games stands behind only Burrow’s 33

see BYE WEEK, page 10

see COMPARISON, page 10

REAGAN COTTEN / The Reveille

LSU football senior defensive end Ovie Oghoufo (2), LSU football junior safety Major Burns (8), and LSU football sophomore linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (4) celebrate a fumble on Oct. 21 during LSU’s 62-0 victory against Army in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. crunch time versus Missouri and thorough domination against Auburn and Army.

The performance against

Army was perhaps one of the greatest examples of how far the group has come. Against a team that runs the triple option,

SOFTBALL

How Oklahoma and Texas entering the SEC affects LSU softball

BY AVA HEBERT @avahebe4 The entire team huddles around, taking in every moment, as this is what they’ve always dreamed of. The crowd yells their names and applauds, as the team raises a trophy over their heads.

The rush of the crowd, the sweat pouring down and the overwhelming emotions.

This is the feeling of a champion.

LSU’s softball team has never experienced this feeling.

The last time that the Tigers had a Women’s College World Series appearance was in 2017, and they have yet to bring a trophy back to Baton Rouge.

Contrary to the Tiger’s success, Oklahoma is very familiar with winning national championships, as they have taken seven WCWS titles.

As Oklahoma and Texas plan to enter into the Southeastern

Conference in early 2024, LSU’s chances of becoming champions continue to shrink.

SEC softball has remained relatively competitive in the past.

No team is overly dominant, and no program remains at the top.

This is not the case in the Big 12.

Oklahoma has been the obvious powerhouse since Patty Gasso became its head coach in 1995.

Just five years after becoming head coach, the Sooners won their first national title. Thirteen years later, they won another and then became back to back champions in 2016 and 2017.

Most recently, the Sooners threepeated from 2021-2023.

Oklahoma has a recordbreaking 53-game win streak that is still active. It went 61-1 in the 2023 season, with its only loss being to Baylor by one run.

They have ended the past 11

REAGAN COTTEN / The Reveille

see IMPACT, page 10

The LSU softball team celebrates a home run on Oct. 20 during LSU’s exhibition game against Co-Lin CC in Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La.

page 10

BYE WEEK, from page 9 shutout However, against Alabama, the defensive line can’t slip. The Crimson Tide has controlled games recently with its run game.

With the secondary’s struggles and Alabama’s propensity for the deep ball, the defensive line will need to get pressure quickly and snuff out the Alabama offense’s longer-developing plays downfield.

As far as fundamentals, the defensive line’s work has been aided by analyst Pete Jenkins.

The players and coaches have spoken glowingly of him ever since he joined the team.

“Different little things, like attacking the tip of the pad, having good eyes, being able to have good block recognition, we was lacking at the beginning of the season,” defensive tackle Maason Smith said. “With Coach Pete being an addition to our room, it’s been very helpful.”

Going forward, the unit will

COMPARISON, from page 9 in 2019.

While they are two very different quarterbacks with two different play styles, it’s hard not to compare Daniel’s numbers this year to Burrow’s historic 2019 campaign.

Burrow was a lot of a pocket passer, taking what the defense gave him and meticulously punishing their coverage choices with his two-star wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase.

More of a scrambler, Daniels can hurt the defense in many ways, averaging 321.6 passing yards and 65.1 rushing per game. He ranks fourth among quarterbacks in the nation with 521 rushing yards this season.

Daniels also leads the country in pass efficiency and passing yards per attempt, and he’s one of only two players nationally to throw and run for a touchdown in the same game four times.

Daniels is the only 5,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher in LSU history, a true dual-threat quarterback.

It’s safe to say that Daniels isn’t just a scrambler. He plays the game his own way and has bigger aspirations than being a three-time SEC Player of the

IMPACT, from page 9 seasons ranked No. 1 in the Big 12.

Although Texas’ softball program hasn’t been nearly as dominant as Oklahoma’s, it isn’t a team that should be overlooked.

The Longhorns were runners-up to Oklahoma in the 2022 WCWS. They have made six WCWS appearances and won four conference tournament championships.

So the question remains, how will Oklahoma and Texas’ entrance into the SEC impact LSU softball?

Thursday, October 26, 2023 continue to work on being consistent.

“We got to double down on our process,” Smith said.

Improved health Unfortunately, heading into perhaps the biggest game of the season, LSU has been enduring one of its most challenging stretches in terms of player availability.

Right tackle Emery Jones Jr. missed last week’s game with an ankle injury. Though replacement Lance Heard has flashed ability, he’s had his growing pains. The first-team offense struggled to establish the run against Army, although Kelly noted that the team didn’t place too much emphasis on running the ball, seeing the pass as the more effective way to move down the field against Army’s defense.

Jones Jr. coming back healthy would be a lift for the offensive line against an Alabama defense that’s been steadily improving.

Kelly said Jones Jr. will likely play against the Crimson Tide.

Week this season. He and the rest of the Tigers are looking for a lot more.

To put up all these astounding numbers, Daniels needs somebody to throw to. He has two big ones in the form of Malik Nabers, leading the nation in receiving yards, and Brian Thomas Jr., leading the country in touchdown catches. LSU is the only school in the nation with two receivers ranked in the top 10 in receiving yards.

Both Nabers and Thomas are drawing comparisons to 2019’s Jefferson and Chase, who led the Tigers to a National Championship and are now dominating superstar wide receivers who can take over any game in the NFL. Nabers and Thomas demand the attention of defensive coordinators on every snap. It’s only time until both of them step onto NFL grounds.

As we move through the final week of October, the comparisons of this LSU offense to the legendary 2019 squad only grow louder.

The 2019 LSU offense led the nation with 48.4 points per game.

Burrow finished the season with 5,671 yards and a 60 touchdown passes and six interceptions, a 20-1 TD/INT ratio. Both Jefferson and Chase finished with over The short answer: It will impact everything.

LSU hasn’t won a conference championship in 16 years, but with Oklahoma and Texas entering the conference, its odds of winning continue to decrease.

The Sooners have won 15 conference titles, compared to LSU’s five.

Without an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, the Tigers will be left to their own devices to be one of eight teams remaining at the end of the season.

Oklahoma and Texas consistently finish ranked as top three

Defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo’s status is up in the air after he sat last week against Army. He hasn’t practiced due to his lower-body injury, and his contribution as a third team All-American last year will be missed if he can’t play.

Most pressingly, though, the LSU secondary looks particularly thin. That’s especially concerning given the issues the group has had with performance all year.

Zy Alexander has been the closest thing to a sure thing in the cornerback room all year, and he suffered an ankle injury after recording an interception against Army. While it’s not out of the question for him to suit up against Alabama, it doesn’t seem at all like a safe bet.

Compound that with Duce Chestnut and Denver Harris’ ongoing, unexplained absences, and LSU could be rolling out a cornerback group of Sage Ryan, Ashton Stamps, Jeremiah Hughes, Javien Toviano and Laterrance Welch. Those players

have seven combined starts in their college careers.

The bye week will be important for these injured players to potentially get back to a place where they feel they can play against Alabama. At the very least, LSU will have more time to prepare the players behind it for the roles they might play if the starters can’t go.

Solid technique from the boundary corners “Those are the guys we got,” Kelly said. “We’re down to playing two corners that are true freshmen. You guys got anybody else?”

The rhetorical question from Kelly, in reference to Hughes and Toviano, echoed what we’ve heard all year: No one else is walking through the door for the LSU cornerbacks.

With the aforementioned injury and availability issues, Ryan, Stamps and Hughes will likely play large roles against Alabama. Ryan has transitioned to the position over from safety this season.

“We moved Sage, he didn’t complain about it, went straight to work,” safety Andre’ Sam said. “Glad to see him growing playing corner.”

With Stamps and Hughes both as true freshmen and Ryan playing a new position, technique will obviously need to be worked on.

The cornerbacks have had issues all year with giving too much cushion to opposing receivers, getting beat off the release and not getting their head around when the ball is in the air.

Those things can’t continue against Alabama. Even with a receiving corps that isn’t up to the level of previous years, the LSU secondary will face elite athletes.

Although the toughest test lies ahead, the team has expressed confidence with who it has, and Kelly was complimentary of Hughes’ performance against Army.

“He did a really good job.

His eyes were good,” Kelly said.

REAGAN COTTEN / The Reveille

LSU football senior quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates a touchdown with LSU football senior wide receiver Kyren Lacy (2) on Oct. 21 during LSU’s 62-0 victory against Army in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. 1,500 receiving yards on the year and with 18 and 20 receiving touchdowns respectively.

While Burrow, Jefferson and Chase may have made for one of the best offenses in college football history, this year’s offense might be even more dynamic.

Daniels’ legs add another dimension to this LSU offense that Burrow didn’t back in 2019. The threat of the quarterback taking off on nearly every play opens up running lanes for running back Logan Diggs and forces the safeties to play up, giving more

space for Nabers and Thomas to work.

While this current LSU Offense is constantly being compared to that of 2019’s unit, these Tigers hope this season also ends in a national championship.

teams, whereas LSU remains more mid-tiered.

Further pushing the Tigers’ ranking might lower their national seed in the postseason, hurting their chances of hosting a super regional.

Recruiting could possibly be another issue that comes with the Sooners and Longhorns entrance.

The SEC is a guaranteed place for athletes to receive TV time, endorsements and most importantly, money.

The conference is currently tied to a $3 billion deal with Disney, according to The New York

Times. Because the contract is for 10 years, the SEC will get $300 million per year.

With Oklahoma and Texas entering the conference, LSU will no longer have the upper hand of being in the SEC. Recruits would have the best of both worlds of being part of the sensational Sooners program while playing for a high-ranked, competitive conference.

With a multitude of issues arising, it’ll be interesting to see how head coach Beth Torina handles the adversity that comes with the Sooners and Longhorns.

With the experienced team

that LSU has for the 2024 season, it is capable of being competitive with anyone in the country.

However, it could be hard for the Tiger’s to embrace the change and remain competitive in the upcoming years.

College softball is constantly evolving. With changes come new beginnings and exciting outcomes. However, it can also be a time for uncertainty and downfalls.

The Tigers’ softball program could fall into either category, and the 2024 season is their first step in deciding which route to take.

OPINION

page 11

Standing with Israel doesn’t mean disregarding Palestinians NATE’S TAKES NATHANIEL DELA PEÑA @NateDerDoner As an American, it’s difficult for me to understand the plight of every Israeli and Palestinian family grappling with what to do after the loss of their loved ones.

I will never feel their pain or their hopelessness.

When a 6-year-old Palestinian American, Wadea Al Fayoume, was killed last week in Chicago, it made me think of the hateful response by some Americans to the COVID-19 pandemic. For some people, every Asian American suddenly became disease ridden when we had our first shutdown.

Similarly, after Hamas’ egregious killings earlier this month, some Americans suddenly believed that every Palestinian became a terrorist.

Apart from the killing of Al Fayoume, mediocre Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis thought it was helpful to declare that all Palestinians are anti-semitic and that Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip were not entitled to the basic human right of clean drinking water.

GRAPHIC BY MADDIE FITZMORRIS

A hateful response to a tragic situation will never help. On the other side, it was incredibly disappointing when several American political organizations, like the Democratic Socialists of America, staged a rally in support of Palestine immediately after the attacks by Hamas. Their callous disregard for the loss of innocent Israeli lives only adds fuel to the fire. Violence and hatred can never justify “resistance” to Israel.

What’s disappointing about the whole situation is that this violence could have been avoided altogether.

In the past, Israel and Palestine made great progress in reconciling their differences. Israel

agreed to give Palestine indirect control over parts of the occupied Palestinian territories through the Oslo Accords in 1993. The agreement has been the bedrock of future plans for peace in the region.

Yet the Israeli governments after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin never made progress toward giving Palestine true independence.

The 30th anniversary of the signing of the accords passed this September, and the framework for limited Palestinian authority has not improved since then. Israel has refused external international solutions to the problem, leaving it partially responsible for the lack of progress toward

peace.

After the Hamas attack, it’s clear that we should stand with Israel in the short term. But in the long term, we should question what Israel intends to do with the Palestinian people. Israel has failed to find a solution to the statehood problem while Palestinians suffer from enormous economic pressure and stagnation.

Israel claims its operations in the Gaza Strip are to restore order and eliminate the leaders of Hamas. However, the Israeli government seems content with the great number of Palestinian casualties.

As of Oct. 16, Israeli military operations cost the lives of at least 2,802 people and wounded 10,000 more people in the Gaza Strip. In addition, Israel ordered the evacuation of around 1 million Palestinians from the northern end of the strip to continue its aggressive bombing campaign.

President Joe Biden has promised solidarity with Israel. But that solidarity should not be blind to the loss of Palestinian lives.

Since a great amount of foreign aid goes to Israel, our politicians should be mindful of what the Israeli government spends that aid on. Foreign aid to Israel should constitute humanitarian assis-

tance to aid the bloodied Israeli and Palestinian families reeling from the Hamas attacks and Israeli bombings occurring in and near the Gaza Strip.

The far-right Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently declared war against Hamas. But Netanyahu has already been at war with Hamas for years, most notably retaliating against them in 2014.

Hamas gained power from the hopelessness of the Palestinian people and Israel’s desire to maintain the status quo. If Netanyahu wants to wipe Hamas from the face of the Earth, his government has to improve the lives of the Palestinian people and give them what they have sought and deserve: freedom and statehood.

Hamas and Netanyahu have blood on their hands. Both the people of Israel and Palestine want to live in peace. It’s already clear both want to use the tragedies of the attacks to their political advantage. Biden should respond with a helping hand and prevent hostilities from worsening, not with blind support to Netanyahu’s inept regime.

Nathaniel Dela Peña is a 20-yearold political science and history senior from Alexandria.

Jeff Landry’s outright victory shows weakness of our democracy PELLITTIERI’S PERSPECTIVE MATTHEW PELLITTIERI @m_pellittieri For Jeff Landry and countless other politicians across the state, Oct. 14 was the first of many great days to come. For our democracy and all that it protects, Oct. 14 was the latest in a long chain of terrible days.

Much has been said about the horrifyingly-low voter turnout and the depressingly high number of unopposed candidates, but the choices made by those voters who actually came out are even more upsetting.

Landry won 51.6% of votes cast; that’s almost 548,000 people. That means hundreds of thousands of our fellow Louisianians went to the polls and deliberately cast a ballot for a man who’s spent his entire career in public office inhibiting or even ignoring

those he deems unworthy.

Landry has demonstrated that he doesn’t believe in the project of governing. He’d rather transform the state (and the country) into a weak husk that gleefully allows itself to be trampled by the private sector and only lifts a desiccated finger to advance the interests of a select few. And this is apparently popular.

In short, the voters who participated in our democracy decided to use that democratic process to select a candidate whose beliefs, words, policies and actions are all fundamentally undemocratic.

Landry and his allies in the Legislature will proceed to steer the state away from democracy and towards his narrow view of the scope of government. Fewer people will have a voice and more people will feel emboldened to silence those who manage to speak up. His will—and that of those like him—will reign above those who are different from him.

If (and when) he crashes the

state further into the ground and squanders his unfortunate popularity, would he even accept a possible loss in 2027? It’s doubtful, but it’s even more doubtful that enough voters would be willing to try to put him in his place.

Remember that Landry was a signatory to an amicus brief supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to swing the 2020 election to Donald Trump through the courts. Voters knew this and either didn’t care or fully supported it. They saw an election denier and elected him.

None of this is to condemn voters for choosing Landry. If he’s going to be challenged, then his supporters need to be persuaded, not pilloried. This is simply a warning.

Jeff Landry is what happens when democracy is killing itself.

This is a slow process. It’s largely an unconscious process. But paltry turnout, nonexistent political efficacy and the open embrace of people like Landry and Trump all

point towards a frail democratic order. There’s no denying it. The only question is whether we’re going to just allow it to happen.

So, are we?

As John Adams observed,

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Matthew Pellittieri is a 19-yearold history and political science sophomore from Ponchatoula.

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Louisiana governor elect Jeff Landry speaks about his transition plans on Oct. 25 during a press conference in Lafayette, La.

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