The Reveille 3-6-23

LSUReveille.com

@lsureveille

‘WE DIDN’T EXECUTE’

LSU women’s basketball falls to Tennessee 69-67 in SEC Tournament

B-16 Hodges Hall

Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, La. 70803

NEWSROOM

(225) 578-4811

Editor-in-Chief JOSH ARCHOTE

Digital Managing Editor HANNAH MICHEL HANKS

Digital Editor JAYDEN NGUYEN News Editor CLAIRE SULLIVAN

Deputy News Editor GABBY JIMENEZ

Sports Editor PETER RAUTERKUS

Deputy Sports Editor MACKAY SUIRE

Entertainment Editor WILL NICKEL

Opinion Editor JOHN BUZBEE

Multimedia Editor MATTHEW PERSCHALL

Production Editor MADISON COOPER

BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8

The Tigers came up short Saturday night in the SEC Tournament semifinals, falling to Tennessee 69-67.

Despite LSU’s loss, Saturday night’s matchup is why the month of March in college basketball is as action-packed as it is. Both teams were competitive throughout the whole game, but a questionable call may have been the swinging factor in this matchup.

“I thought we were shooting two free throws, so I was heading back to whatever to get my thoughts together” Kim Mulkey said. “Then they said, ‘Coach, they called on offensive foul.’ I just thought she was shooting two free throws.”

The Tiger’s first half was as good as they’d want it to be. But the second half was just the opposite. The Lady Vols were down by as many as 17 points in the first half, and 14 points at halftime. But they played aggressive and fought back to take their first lead with five minutes in the fourth quarter. The Tigers fought to battle back from there, but they couldn’t get back in the driver’s seat.

“We didn’t execute,” Alexis Morris said. “Their zone kind of shook us up a little bit, but it was us, we didn’t execute. We needed to execute and come together and be coachable.”

The common thing LSU has had trouble adjusting to this season has been the zone defense. Tennessee ran a zone Saturday night, and Georgia did the same when they took the Tigers to overtime in Baton Rouge. Good teams, especially come March Madness,

will see this flaw and operate accordingly. In this case, Tennessee did just that and came out on top.

The Volunteers were led by the two players they’ve been able to look to all season: Rickea Jackson and Jordan Horston. Both finished with double-double performances; Jackson with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Horston with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Their performance Saturday night showed why they are both predicted to be Top 10 WNBA Draft picks.

“I don’t think anyone wanted any part of Rickea Jackson tonight,” Mulkey said. “She’s a great player. I just thought Horston was a great player, she’d get some points and then she got rebounds.”

But Jillian Hollingshead was the “X-Factor” for Tennessee, as she provided a presence in the paint that the Lady Vols needed. She finished with 11 points and sparked Tennessee’s second half surge. She often found her way to the rim in times that they were

able to convert on a mistake by LSU. Tess Darby added 10 points for the Lady Vols, including two made three-pointers.

Angel Reese led the Tigers in scoring with another double-double performance, finishing with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Alexis Morris was right behind her with 20 points, along with five assists, five steals and two made three-pointers. Flau’jae Johnson finished with nine points and five rebounds, and LaDazhia Williams added six points and nine rebounds.

Mulkey and her team leaves the SEC Tournament with a bad taste in their mouths yet again, as last year they lost in their tournament opener to Kentucky. Although this season was a step in the right direction, as Mulkey got her first win in the SEC Tournament as LSU head coach, it still didn’t meet expectations. But this wakeup call may be of good timing for the Tigers.

As they get set to host their NCAA Tournament opener in Baton Rouge at the PMAC, an important thing for the team to remember is that they are beatable and not to take any team lightly. Coming off a loss may give the team that extra momentum they need to make an NCAA Tournament run.

But for now, the Tigers will brush this loss off and look to get better for March Madness. The team will find out their seeding and their first opponent on Sunday, March 12 when the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed. The Tigers will host their opening game of March Madness at the PMAC, and if they win their first round matchup, they will also host the second round.

“We got some work to do,” Morris said. “We’ve got a lot of growing to do, a lot of young ones on our team, experience toughness. We got a week to prepare for playoffs and that’s what we’re pretty much focused on right now.”

Chief Designer EMMA DUHE

ADVERTISING

(225) 578-6090

Layout/Ad Design EMILY TRAN

Layout/Ad Design SOFIA RAMOS

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS

Jayden Nguyen’s first name was misspelled in the March 2 edition of The Reveille in an article titled “Two Louisiana universities rank lowest in suspension rates for Title IX issues.

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.

ERIN BARKER / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey talks to sophomore guard Last-Tear Poa (13) on the side before LSU’s 74-59 win over Mississippi State on Feb. 26 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

ERIN BARKER / The Reveille LSU women’s basketball sophomore forward Angel Reese (10) huddles with her team on Feb. 26 during LSU’s 74-59 win over Mississippi State at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

HONORS CAMPUS

Construction outside French House takes away some parking spots

BY OLIVER BUTCHER @OliverButcher73

In early February, large parts of the French House lawn were sectioned off along with surrounding sidewalk and pieces of South Campus Drive for a partial reconstruction of the honors campus’ outdoor space.

The project contributes to a trend of redesigns of LSU’s honors college, which kicked off with the French House’s Hans and Donna Sternberg Salon completing a $5 million renovation in 2016.

The construction is the first of what will shape up to be a “comprehensive redesign” of the area, with the first phase set to wrap up in May, according to Residential Life’s Associate Director of Communications and Development Catherine David.

Notable additions from this phase include an added stretch of sidewalk close to the intersection of South Campus Drive and Highland Avenue, which will connect with another piece of sidewalk close to the French House entrance, as well as the elimination of some parking spaces on South Campus Drive to create more greenspace.

“The idea is to better define pleasant outdoor spaces for the campus community, improve

LEGISLATURE

LSU PR team works on news literacy

BY PAYTON MANUEL @payton_manuel04

A team of LSU students are competing in a national public relations competition, aiming to increase news literacy through their project.

The students are competing against 75 other universities in the annual Bateman Case Study Competition, held by the Public Relations Student Society of America, where teams apply their skills to create a full PR campaign.

LSU’s team is building a campaign for the News Literacy Project, a nonprofit that aims to educate people on how to assess if information is credible.

The team captain, public relations senior Emmie Ravain, said the competition gives them handson experience in PR.

drainage and irrigation infrastructure, beautify the site with plantings and improve pedestrian and mobility access,” David said.

Student opinions on the new

construction project appear mixed, with some students surprised by the redesign idea and waiting to see what the result is before making a judgment on the project.

“I didn’t think any changes were necessary, as I thought the French House already looked nice, but if it turns out look-

“I think the biggest benefit for me is taking what you learn in the Manship School and actually implementing it into the campaign,” Ravain said. “We’re going to use these skills for the rest of our lives, and I feel even more prepared going into the workforce next year by actually seeing how

More laws filed as another legislative session approaches

BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN @sulliclaire

Louisiana lawmakers will start the regular legislative session on April 10. In the meantime, they’ve been filing bills on issues ranging from theft to abortion. Here’s some proposed laws you might want to keep your eyes on.

Car insurers couldn’t use gender as a factor for rates

A law introduced by state Sen. Jay Luneau, a Democrat from Alexandria, would prohibit car insurers from using gender as a risk factor in determining rates. Present law bars companies from using “race, color, creed, or national origin” to determine rates.

Luneau told BR Proud that car insurers unfairly discriminate against women by giving them higher rates than men. The state senator proposed the same bill in 2020 but faced opposition from insurers and the state insurance commission, according to BR Proud.

Requiring defibrillators in every school

State Sen. Cleo Fields, a Democrat from Baton Rouge, proposed a bill that would require every school to have an automated external defibrillator, or AED.

These devices are used on people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, which is among the leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Red Cross. The heart can only be restored to its normal rhythm by an AED, according to the Red Cross.

Field’s law would require each college or university to have an AED easily accessible in its athletic department. Postsecondary, elementary, middle and high schools would all be required to have an AED on their premises.

There would have to be a trained AED user at any interscholastic sporting competition at any level.

Restricting children’s access to library materials

Children’s access to library materials has become a point

The Reveille

The Louisiana State Capitol climbs into the clouds on Jan. 22 on North Third Street in Baton Rouge, La.

see PLUG IN, page 4

ERIN BARKER / The Reveille

The French House sits under construction on March 3 on Highland Road in Baton Rouge, La.

see CONSTRUCTION, page 4

EMPLOYMENT

Laid-off EA workers at LSU allege retaliation for union efforts

BY PIPER HUTCHINSON Louisiana Illuminator

Some of the 200 Electronic Arts video game testers laid off Tuesday from the company’s facility at LSU say it was retaliation for organizing a union. Employees were given no advance notice of the layoffs.

Several quality assurance testers granted interviews with the Illuminator on the condition they not be identified because they fear further retaliation for violating their non-disclosure agreements. The Illuminator has verified the individuals interviewed were EA employees.

The employees said their colleagues at the Baton Rouge facility

had been working on organizing a union for several months. One tester said a worker was terminated in November after discussing the benefits of unionization on an interoffice messaging system that supervisors could access.

After the termination of his coworker, the tester said things at work changed.

Several outgoing testers told the Illuminator they were expected to train other quality assurance testers in the United Kingdom and Romania who were likely their replacements. In the months leading up to the layoffs, they said their workloads gradually dwindled. By the start of 2023, documents and test cases that Baton Rouge work-

ers had handled were marked “EAUK-Only” or “EARO-Only” to reflect the location of testers in the U.K. and Romania.

“For a handful of months, they slowly transitioned all of our responsibilities to international teams while our union efforts were growing,” one laid-off tester said.

“Some former employees, including myself, believe that EA and Magnit learning of our union plans, EAUK/EARO gradually taking our responsibilities and the sudden layoffs are related,” he added.

The laid-off workers, contracted by EA through third-party workforce management firm Magnit Global, were given 60 days severance pay.

EA provided a statement to the Illuminator in response to questions about whether the layoffs in Baton Rouge were related to the unionization efforts.

“As part of our ongoing global strategy, we are expanding the distribution of our Apex Legends testing team and ending testing execution that’s been concentrated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, impacting services provided by our third-party provider,” an EA spokesperson said. “Our global team, inclusive of remote playtesters across the U.S., enables us to increase the hours per week we’re able to test and optimize the game and reflects a commitment to understand and better serve our growing community around the world.”

School, so it’s a great opportunity.”

other title.

we take these skills and seeing the direct results of them.”

The LSU team took first place in the competition in 2018. Ravain said she’s hoping to place in the finals and help spread the awareness of news literacy.

Ravain said she first learned about the LSU’s Bateman team during her sophomore year and that she was always interested in getting involved. She was also inspired by her mother, who placed second in a similar Manship competition at LSU.

“I’m so thankful that the team trusts me with this role,” Ravain said. “I love all things organization, event planning and implementing all of the PR tools that we’ve learned here at the Manship

CONSTRUCTION, from page 3

ing greater and better, then it’s worth it,” mechanical engineering freshman Gabe Freedman said.

But for many students, the redesign adds another layer to LSU’s on-campus parking issues,

LAWMAKERS, from page 3

of controversy in Louisiana, spurred on by Attorney General Jeff Landry, who set up a “Protecting Minors” tip line in 2022 to collect complaints about librarians and other school staff.

Mass communication professor Doug Draper has served as LSU’s Bateman team faculty advisor for three years. He said he has one more year left before closing the chapter.

“It’s always fun and a lot of hard work, but it’s a great challenge while working with the best students of the Manship School and the public relations area to do something extraordinary, so it’s been a lot of fun for me,” Draper said.

Draper said the biggest part of leading a successful team is selecting the right people. He said deciding who to keep is always a hard choice, but when it comes down to it, he picks the people who will best help LSU gain an-

where demand for parking often exceeds the supply of parking available. Many students that try to park on campus are often forced to patrol parking lots for exceedingly long periods of time, and some risk an illegal park just to make it to class on time.

The tip line has fielded thousands of memes and joke responses. Some library professionals feel the tip line and similar efforts are solutions in search of a problem, according to the Louisiana Illuminator.

State Sen. Heather Miley

Louisiana Economic Development (LED) has reported employment reaching as high as 500 workers at EA’s LSU facility. No information was provided from the company on the number of people still employed there.

Another tester at the company said she became aware of the unionization efforts after meeting with a representative with the Industrial Workers of the World, an international labor union with multiple chapters in the United States. The layoffs were a perfect example of why workers felt the need to organize, she said.

Erika Zucker, a labor lawyer who works as a policy advocate with the Workplace Justice Project, said it would be a violation of federal labor laws to retaliate against workers for unionizing, but that it’s an uphill battle for impacted employees to prove charges and receive relief.

“The challenge of labor laws in the U.S. is that we have a process, but we don’t have remedies available to workers that effectively keep employers from taking action,” Zucker said.

If workers believe they have been retaliated against, they can file complaints against their employers with the National Labor Relations Board.

Zucker said there are no financial incentives for employers not to retaliate against workers. While employers could be ordered to re -

“I’m extremely confident this team can win it all. They’ve got a great plan, they’ve been working hard,” Draper said. “We started with the research process back in October, and we haven’t really stopped working since. All I can say is that if you look for Bateman team on somebody’s application, you’re looking at one of the best students you’re going to find coming out of college.”

Sasha Bourne, a public relations senior on the Bateman team, said she joined the team after hearing Draper talk about it during a class she took with him during the fall semester.

Bourne felt the team would be an opportunity to strengthen the skills she’s learned at Manship.

“I think it’s a great opportu-

A walk through any oncampus parking lot yields the chance of seeing the yellow $300 ticket on a windshield or even a yellow tire boot, which has become increasingly common as the parking services continue to crack down on illegal parking.

The issue is compounded

Cloud, a Republican from Turkey Creek, proposed a law in step with Landry.

“Many libraries lack adequate policies addressing the access of minors to sexually explicit materials,” the law reads. “In furtherance of this fundamental right,

hire workers, the former employees might not want to rejoin the company, she said.

“I would never say to a worker not to take action because nothing ever happens without action,” Zucker said. “But it’s not an incredibly effective system.”

The mass layoffs came as a shock to the community. EA first partnered with LSU in 2008 and then expanded its workforce when it moved onto a $30 million publicly-funded facility on campus. The facility was considered a feather in Baton Rouge’s cap as the city marketed itself as a burgeoning technology hub.

The company has participated in the state’s digital media incentive program since 2008, garnering $28.67 million in tax credits, according to LED spokesperson Ron Thibodeaux.

Thibodeaux said the state has not yet certified tax credits for the company’s 2021 or 2022 expenses.

“Louisiana remains committed to aggressively pursuing companies that can provide quality digital media, software and tech jobs for our workforce,” Thibodeaux said.

An EA spokesperson said the Baton Rouge facility will remain open, although the company declined to comment as to their plans for the facility.

Cody Worsham, a spokesperson for LSU, did not respond to requests for comment on the future of LSU’s partnership with EA.

nity to leave a legacy here at LSU, so after I graduate that will be like a piece of something I can look back on and say I achieved,” Bourne said.

Bourne said this campaign is not just for LSU students, but for all to understand the importance of news literacy.

“News literacy is important because it affects your daily life, it affects the way you view the world,” Bourne said. “If you have the skills you need to consume news, you’ll be less likely to fall victim to fake news and you’ll be a little bit more knowledgeable about how to interact with certain things.”

Public relations senior Sebastian Canales is also a member of the Bateman team and said he loves putting his skills to good

by LSU continuing to bring in increasingly larger freshmen classes each year. The university had 6,690 freshmen in 2020, 7,038 in 2021, and 7,637 in 2022, each year breaking the record set before it, according to LSU’s website.

“If you’re going to bring

it is the intent of the legislature to require libraries to adopt and implement policy language to limit the access of minors to sexually explicit materials.”

The law would require libraries to adopt policies “to limit the access of minors to sexually

use.

“I have a love for public relations and being able to help a nonprofit out,” Canales said. Canales said misinformation is a constant threat to democracy and it’s important for the public to be educated on news literacy. That’s where the name of their campaign – “Information is Power: Plug In” – came from, he said.

“The whole point of our campaign is to really let people know who the News Literacy Project is, what they do, as well as teaching the public skills to decipher fake news,” Canales said. “Being able to go talk to someone that doesn’t know exactly what news literacy is or who the News Literacy Project is, and being able to educate them is something that is really rewarding.”

in the biggest freshman class ever and then not provide the parking, then demolish even more parking to just have more greenspace even though we have a ton of greenspace, it just seems silly to me,” mass communications freshman Michael Fontenot said.

explicit material.” That policy would include “a library card system that allows a parent or guardian to select a library card that indicates whether a minor is permitted to check out sexually explicit material physically available in the library.”

PLUG IN, from page 3

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille The Digital Media Center stands tall on Sept. 10, 2021, on South Stadium Drive.

ENTERTAINMENT

How did TikTok make the Stanley water bottle trendy?

BY JOHN BUZBEE @thebuzzbuz

Students couldn’t bottle up how excited they were to return from winter break with their new, pastel-colored Stanley brand water bottles.

Brands like Hydro Flask and Yeti previously reigned supreme in the hegemony of LSU’s trendiest water bottles, but students confirm Stanley has earned the status of the latest bottle-fame fad.

Mass communication junior Ashlyn Pinsonat has two Stanley water bottles so she can use one while the other is being cleaned in the dishwasher. To Pinsonat, the Stanley bottles offer everything she could need in a water bottle: insulation, customizability, capacity and style.

She was originally skeptical because of the price but reconsidered her stance after receiving one for Christmas. She pointed out calluses formed on her hands from religiously carrying around her 40-ounce bottle.

“I love my water bottle,” Pinsonat said. “I’ve never really been on the trend of water bottles, but this one I can understand.”

The most popular Stanley bottles on campus are the Quencher H2.0 Flowstate tumbler, offered in 30 and 40 ounces, and a deluxe “soft matte” 40-ounce bottle, costing $30, $40 and $50 respectively. Stanley’s website offers water

bottle options ranging from $25 to $50.

Pinsonat said the most popular water bottles seemed to be a slight departure from Stanley’s other products, namely camping gear. She said the colors and style of the popular bottles seem to target younger women, which, while not restricted from the audience of the camping gear, is a slight departure.

Mass communication sophomore Katherine Sarver said she heard about the trend through her coworkers.

Sarver originally expected the Stanley bottles to only cost around $15, but when it totaled $45, she removed it from her cart without hesitation. She now has a bottle that she got as a gift, saying she’d never buy the bottle with her own money.

That said, she does believe that it is a cute, good quality water bottle.

Sarver thinks that Instagram and TikTok influencers are driving Stanley’s popularity right now. She noted the lack of traditional ads she’s seen regarding Stanley water bottles, instead attributing the notoriety to influencers.

She called it “clean girl aesthetic” and said she takes her bottle to the gym and yoga.

“I’m totally fitting that stereotype right now. I’m wearing Hokas, a Free People outfit and I’m using a Stanley cup that went viral on TikTok,” Sarver said.

She said in a class of 25-30 students, around five of them own Stanley’s water bottles and noted that members of her sorority were especially drawn to the trending water bottles, probably because of the influencers.

Communication sciences and disorders senior Madison Mistretta said her Hydro Flask-equipped family bought Stanley water bottles when they were becoming trendy, much to the dismay of her father.

She said all the old Hydro Flasks hadn’t been completely replaced; she alternates them out around every week. Her favorite feature is the straw prevalent on the most popular models.

Pre-veterinary sophomore Anna Montegomery prefers to drink from a Brita water bottle. She said she’s noticed the trend slowly catch on and understands some of the draws the Stanley bottles offer, but ultimately finds them too big. She said she wouldn’t get a bottle just because it’s trendy to do so. It’s just a water bottle, she said.

She said about as quickly as she began to notice Stanley water bottles catch on, she also noticed owners unhappy with their purchase.

“They’re a really visible example of how different trend cycles work,” Montegomery said. “For about a week, I heard everyone say, ‘I love my new Stanley,’ and immediately the next week, I

heard everyone saying they hate them. I saw that trend run so quick; it was really wild to watch.”

Montgomery believes the water bottles could be considered fashion statements, but not to the degree biology senior Katherine Weise does.

Weise said like any other accessory, a Stanley water bottle could be thought of as a fashion statement. Between the colors, accessories and possibility for stickers, she thinks the bottles can be

considered avenues for expression – though Weise prefers the clean and plain look. The bottles’ fashionable possibilities are partly what make it so popular.

All of the students interviewed said they expected the popularity of Stanley water bottles were temporary.

“They’ll probably fade out within a year and people are still going to use them. Just like how people still sometimes use Hydro Flasks and Yetis,” Sarver said.

Rev Rank: ‘Outer Banks’ season three is ‘better than mediocre’

BY MOLLY TERRELL @keenryanti

“Outer Banks” season three had mixed receptions from audiences, and it’s not hard to see why. I’m in the same boat: I enjoyed it while simultaneously finding it annoying at every turn.

With multiple plots that felt contrived and unnecessary romantic conflicts, it didn’t quite live up to the hype of the first two seasons.

The treasure hunt aspect of the show was just as fun and outlandish as it has always been, but some of the choices made outside of it left a lot to be desired.

The main reason this season was not as immersive as the former was the lack of time actually spent in the “Outer Banks.” The season started slowly because the characters are still deserted on the island they find in the season two finale. Some are happier about this than others, but it takes too long to get back on track even when they leave the island.

One of the more common negative opinions of “Outer Banks” is the repetitiveness of the plot. There will be multiple instances

per season where the pogues, a word used in the show for the working class people, do all of the work to find a clue that will lead them closer to the treasure, only for someone richer and more powerful to steal it from them. While realistic, watching the characters we root for constantly reach a setback is frustrating.

Even more frustrating, the pogues can be so stupid and reckless that your anxiety increases as you watch them make decisions.

There was also the return of John B’s dad, which was an unpopular addition to the newest season. When it was revealed that he was alive in the season two finale, I had high hopes for his return, but he took up too much screen time when you consider the lack of payoff we get with his character. Sometimes, it felt like his only purpose was to drive a wedge between John B and Sarah.

John B and Sarah, my favorite couple in the show, had their bumpiest season yet as a couple. While their relationship has never been simple due to the history between their dads, this season was the first time we ever saw them turn on each other.

While I didn’t like a certain

aspect of the conflict between them, I also can see the reasoning behind its inclusion.

The good news, though, is that despite all of this, they’re still my favorite couple in the show.

Speaking of romance, the execution of JJ and Kiara was laughable, even for those who were rooting for them. This might have to do with the fact that the actors have a rumored awkward dynamic in real life. The line delivery was questionable, and the kiss was lacking.

Cleo and Pope were my favor-

ite new ship in the season. They were hinted at in the last season, but they were even more enjoyable with more screen time. It may also be favoritism because Pope is my second favorite pogue after Sarah.

Speaking of the Camerons, there was a lack of consideration for Rose and Wheezie. Rafe and Ward are constantly whining on the screen, but the two female Camerons that aren’t Sarah are so underutilized it’s starting to be insulting.

The strongest part of the sea-

son is the last few episodes, with South America and El Dorado as the main focus. Our favorite found family, the pogues, are finally all in the same place at the same time. It’s a miracle.

If anything, this season just makes me excited for a fourth one after the strong ending. It came out of left field and I won’t be satisfied until I have more information. Still, I had to sit through the slow start to get to this point.

All in all, this season was better than mediocre, but not by much.

JOHN BUZBEE / The Reveille Communication sciences and disorders senior Madison Mistretta’s 30 ounce Stanley Water Bottle sits on a table in the patio of Julian T. White Hall on Feb. 27.

GRAPHIC BY MADDIE FITZMORRIS

Musical Theatre Club at LSU returned to the stage after a three-year hiatus on March 4 with their sold-out performance.

The cast and crew take their bows after performance at the Reilly Theatre.

LSU psychology sophomore Thomas Bechnal celebrates after winning a fight as JD.

LSU vocal performance sophomore Amondria Owens and senior Kate Oliver and theatre performance sophomore Alex Arnold perform “Candy Store” as Heather Duke, Heather Chandler and Heather McNamara.

LSU computer science senior Finn Phayer tenderly embraces kinesiology senior Raj Rupani as Kurt and Ram during “Our Love is God”.

LSU music sophomore Calla Harper and theatre performance sophomore Ryan Bailey hold hands and sing as Kurt’s Dad and Ram’s Dad during “My Dead Gay Son”.

LSU leadership and human resources development graduate student Emma Guidry poses as Ms. Fleming with the ensemble at the end of “Shine a Light”

LSU psychology sophomore Thomas Bechnal and theatre senior Emily Street lean over the dead body of vocal performance senior Kate Oliver as Heather Chandler as JD and Veronica.

LSU music and mass communication freshman Isabella Siddon performs her solo “Kindergarten Boyfriend” as Martha Dunnstock.

LSU theatre senior Emily Street and psychology sophomore Thomas Bechnal sit on stairs as Veronica and JD.

Photos by Morgan Cook

‘KEEP CLIMBING’

LSU Gymnastics team sweeps quad meet at Cane’s River Center

BY MORGAN ROGERS @__morganrogers

The LSU gymnastics team’s latest meet looked a little different on Friday night. No. 6 LSU faced off against three other teams in a quad meet inside the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge.

Against No. 7 California, No. 23 Washington and George Washington, the Tigers came out on top with a total score of 197.700.

As the post season competition approaches, the purple and gold’s slogan, “The Climb,” is beginning to ring true. Since their victory against No. 2 Florida, the Tigers have not looked back on their previous rocky performances and close shortcomings.

“I’ve been impressed with how our team has been true to our message,” said head coach Jay Clark. “They just keep climbing. We’re taking it one step at a time and only letting ourselves define us.”

In usual fashion, the Tigers started the night on vault with Elena Arenas in the lead off position. The junior set a new season high with a score of 9.900. Alyona Schennikova and Bryce Wilson, in her debut on vault, both scored 9.850s.

Chase Brock had a career night inside the River Center. The junior posted a 9.975 to

MEN’S BASKETBALL

share the title on the event with none other than Haleigh Bryant. Transfer student Alexis Jeffrey started the bars lineup with a 9.900. In her second performance since her injury this season, Olivia Dunne followed with

a 9.825, matching her score from the previous meet against Alabama.

Tori Tatum scored a strong 9.875 in the third spot. In her debut season, the sophomore has averaged a 9.850 or above in

all but one meet this year. Ashley Cowan marked a new career high on the bar with a 9.850. Bryant closed out the second rotation with a 9.900.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

LSU hoops ties worst SEC record in 50 years

BY HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_

LSU entered Saturday night without a road win and hadn’t won a Quad I matchup since the end of 2022.

But through 25 minutes of its matchup against Florida, it looked like both of those facts were about to change.

At the 15:45 mark of the second half, forward Jalen Reed found KJ Williams with a wideopen path to the basket, who caught the pass and dunked it to give the Tigers a 44-32 lead. Their field goal percentage had steadily been climbing towards 50%, they were having success on the offensive glass and most importantly, they had all the momentum.

After a miserable season for fans, its players and its coaching staff, it appeared that LSU was at least going to send the season off on a high note. But the thing about appearances is they can often be deceiving.

From the moment LSU converted that dunk, everything fell apart. The Gators went on a quick run to get themselves back in the game and at the

End of a journey: KJ Williams’ five-year career ends at LSU

BY HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_

Senior night against Missouri and LSU’s road matchup against Florida on Saturday marked the official end of a shared five-year stint between LSU head coach Matt McMahon and forward KJ Williams.

Though McMahon has already experienced one departure from his long-time player at Murray State, it doesn’t seem like the second time will be any easier.

McMahon began recruiting Williams when the forward was just 16 years old. Williams spent most of his high school career going largely unnoticed. While he had a hazy idea of the Cleveland, Mississippi, native’s potential, it’s hard to imagine McMahon was expecting what would eventually come.

“We had high hopes for him when we signed him,” McMahon said on Williams out of high school. “I loved his versatility and ability at 6’9”. He

grew another inch when he got to Murray State and continued to get stronger.”

Five full seasons of college basketball passed as McMahon watched Williams quickly develop into one of his most decorated players ever. Williams played a key role in two conference championships and NCAA Tournament wins with Murray State. He also topped 100 career wins with LSU’s win over Akron early this season and became the 123rd player in Division I college basketball history to attribute 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds in January against Tennessee.

He was trusted very early on at Murray State, logging 22 starts as a freshman and contributing heavily to the Racers’ upset victory over five-seeded Marquette in the NCAA Tournament, where he scored 16 points and grabbed four rebounds. Williams only progressed from there; McMahon iterated that he hasn’t stopped improving since joining the roster in 2018.

“I thought it just got better every year,” McMahon said. “If you study the numbers, he’s shown consistent improvement from buying into the process and the hard work that’s required.”

That fact rings true; by his junior season, Williams doubled his freshman scoring production and led the Racers in scoring. This is due in large part to his continued improvement from beyond the arc, where he worked on increasing his efficiency and attempts in his sophomore and junior seasons.

As a senior, he’d add Ohio Valley Conference player of the year to his list of accolades, and he declared for the NBA Draft once the season concluded. At the same time, Williams tested the transfer portal. When a knee injury kept him from working out in front of NBA executives, Williams opted to use his extra year of eligibility to reunite with McMahon at LSU.

That gave Williams an opportunity to showcase what he

could do at a higher level of competition. Though his field goal percentage took a slight hit in his lone season in the SEC, his continued improvement through his four seasons with the Racers has remained evident.

This season, Williams is averaging 17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, numbers that aren’t far off from his OVC player of the year campaign. Most notably, he’s having the best season of his career from behind the arc, shooting 42% on the most attempts of his career.

McMahon believes William’s three-point shooting is a big reason he could see success as a pro.

“I think as you look at the evolution of the game and the value of three-point shooting, you don’t see many traditional, back-to-the-basket post players in today’s game anymore,” McMahon said. “His ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter in addition to just all the things he can do will allow him to play

this game for a long time.”

His three-point proficiency played a vital role in LSU’s victories over Wake Forest and Vanderbilt; the latter ended its 14-game losing streak. In each of those matchups, Williams put up 35 points; much of that production came down the stretch, when the team needed him most.

Unfortunately, those wins have been few and far between, with the Tigers struggling to figure things out this season. While Williams isn’t happy with the team’s struggles, he’s seen this season as an opportunity to improve his mental strength and character.

“I’ve been a part of great teams, average teams and mediocre teams, so it’s just another building block for me to learn from,” Williams stated. “It shows great character to just move on to the next important thing, and I think I did a great job of that.”

Williams and McMahon’s

ERIN BARKER / The Reveille

LSU gymnastics all-around junior Elena Arenas strikes a pose on the balance beam Feb. 17 during LSU’s 198.100-197.975 victory over Florida in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

TRACK AND FIELD

LSU finishes eighth in SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships

BY CHLOE RICHMOND @chlorichmond

The Tigers traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas for The SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships last weekend and finished in eighth place with three individual title wins.

Heading into the championship, the LSU women’s track team had high expectations. The Tigers went into the match as the No. 4 seed in the SEC, falling at No. 8 in

the National TFRI poll behind No. 2 Arkansas, No. 3 Florida and No. 6 Alabama.

Despite a decorated team with high rankings from the women’s team, the Tigers struggled to deliver. After the first day of the event, the women’s track team was in 11th place out of 14.

The first score on Friday for the women’s team came from Morgan Smalls during the long jump.

Smalls finished with a leap of 6.30m on her third attempt of the

day, making the best leap of her season. She finished in fifth place, earning four points for the Tigers.

The second and final scoring event for the women’s team was the distance medley relay. Lorena Rangel Batres, Hannah Douglas, Cindy Bourdier and Callie Hardy ran the race together and finished in eighth place with a time of 11:23.73. The group’s time gave the Tigers one point, finishing the women’s first day of the championship with five points.

The men’s track team has been in and out of the National TFRI rankings all season, peaking at No. 25 in the second week. The men’s team went into the championship as the No. 12 seed in the SEC.

Coming in at No. 27 in the National TFRI poll, the Tigers were behind No. 1 Arkansas, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 7 Florida, No. 10 Georgia, No. 12 Alabama, No. 14 Kentucky, No. 17 South Carolina, No. 18 Texas A&M, No. 20 Mississippi State, No. 21 Ole Miss and No. 24 Auburn.

Beau Domingue finished seventh in the pole vault with a clearing of 5.20m to put the men’s team on the board with two points.

Luke Witte competed in the men’s weight throw, finishing with a throw of 21.46m on his fourth attempt. Witte’s fourth-place finish added five points to the board for LSU and concluded the men’s first day of the championship with seven total points.

against three-pointers.

On the second day of the competition, the women’s team gathered points seven times in six events. Smalls was the first to put LSU on the board again with a 1.80m clearing in the high jump event. She stood on the podium in third place, giving the Tigers six points.

Batres ran the mile for the Tigers and finished in sixth place. Her time of 4:41.95 added three points to the sheet.

In the 800-meter event, two athletes earned points for the women’s team. Michaela Rose took home first place with a time of 2:01.09 and added 10 points to the team’s total. Bourdier finished in fourth place with a time of 2:05.04 and added five points.

Leah Phillips competed in the 60-meter hurdles event and finished in fourth place. With a time of 8.05, she earned five points.

Favour Ofili contributed greatly to the total score for the LSU women’s team. In the 60-meter event, she finished in sixth place with a time of 7.24 to give the Tigers three more points. Ofili also competed in the 200-meter event and ran away with a first-place finish of 22.52. She added 10 more points to finalize the score for the women’s team.

The men’s team got off to a hot start with John Meyer winning first place in the shot put event. Breaking a program record, Meyer threw a distance of 20.37m to earn 10

GYMNASTICS, from page 9

LSU had a comfortable lead as it headed into its weakest event, the balance beam. Arenas led off the lineup with a 9.825. Schennikova struggled to find rhythm in her routine and finished at 9.725.

Sierra Ballard impressed all when she earned a careerhigh of 9.900. The junior made a 0.075 jump from her previous career high of 9.825. Lake Charles native Bryce Howard hopped in for Aleah Finnegan in the anchor spot. Appearing back on beam for the first time since her fall in Kentucky, the freshman registered a 9.825.

The Tigers were cool and collected as they headed into the final rotation on floor. Ballard led with a 9.850. Schennikova ended her rocky night on a good note with a 9.900.

Brock, who has struggled her first few performances on floor, appears to have finally found her grounding. The junior matched the career-high 9.925 that she registered last week in Alabama. Bryant closed out the meet with a 9.925, one of her strongest scores on the floor this season.

The purple and gold will return to the PMAC for the final regular meet of the season before the SEC Championships. The team will face West Virginia at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 10. Fans at home can stream the meet on the SEC Network+.

RECORD, from page 9

same time, Williams picked up three fouls in close succession, giving him four with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Things were already bad before the forward was taken out of the game and while the Tigers would go back-and-forth with Florida for the next couple minutes of game time, they were steadily losing momentum thanks to consistent turnovers and poor defense, particularly

WILLIAMS, from page 9

lone season at LSU may not have produced the same highs as their Ohio Valley Conference title campaign in 2022, but it gave them the opportunity to play one more season together. It has also allowed Williams to continue improving his game. McMahon may not be ecstatic to see Williams go, but he’s enjoyed watching the forward improve over the years and is excited to see what he can do moving forward.

“I think selfishly for me it’s just been a lot of fun to get to coach him and watch his growth and development over the years,” McMahon said. “While I know he would have liked to have done more winning this season, I think he’s really been able to create value for himself as he moves forward with his professional career.”

The run that sealed the deal began with just over five minutes to go, when Florida guard Will Richard converted a layup to give the Gators the lead, the last lead change of the game. That kicked off a 20-5 run where Florida converted on three three-pointers and forced three turnovers, making LSU look completely lost on both sides of the ball.

From the moment they gained their 12-point lead, the

Tigers were outscored 47-23, ultimately flipping that lead into a 12-point deficit by the game’s conclusion. It was an ugly loss to conclude an ugly season, one where the team tied its largest number of SEC losses in the last 50 years with 16.

Things had looked promising at the start of the season, following considerable wins against Wake Forest and Arkansas and a close loss to Kansas State, who started Big 12 play on fire around the same time

points for the Tigers.

Podium finishes continued to roll in for the Tigers as Apalos Edwards finished third in the triple jump. His leap of 16.84m added six points to the board. Davis Bove finished second in the mile run with a time of 4:02.67, gathering eight points.

Godson Oghenebrume competed in the 60-meter event and finished with a time of 6.64. His thirdplace finish earned six points.

The last event the Tigers placed in was the 800 meter. Alex Selles earned fifth place to add four points after a time of 1:50.07. Parker McBride also earned points from the 800-meter event, finishing behind Selles in sixth place with a time of 1:51.53. His three points finalized the score for the Tigers.

The women’s track team finished the weekend with 47 points, giving the team eighth place. The men’s track team’s finish was identical to the women’s, finishing in eighth place with 47 points.

The NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships will take place on March 10-11 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The women’s team heads into the competition at No. 12 nationally while the men’s team sits at No. 18.

After an unexpected finish for both teams at the SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships, the Tigers look to finish strong before heading into the outdoor season.

LSU fans were still optimistic. But the team would respond to its fandom’s optimism by losing 17 of its last 18 games to conclude the regular season.

The Tigers have one more shot to finish the season with a semblance of success, facing a mountain of challenges in the upcoming SEC Tournament. It comes into the tourney as the last seed in the conference and will face 11-seeded Georgia in the first round Wednesday night.

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille LSU basketball senior forward KJ Williams (12) speaks to his coaches Nov. 12 during LSU’s 61-52 victory over Arkansas State at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on N. Stadium Drive.

TARUN KAKARALA / The Reveille LSU men’s track and field junior thrower Luke Witte preforms a throw at the LSU twilight meet during the weight throw event on Feb. 17 at the Carl Maddox Field House in Baton Rouge, La.

Overregulation is the real culprit in the Ohio train disaster

SERIOUSLY KIDDING

FRANK KIDD @FK446852315

Editor’s Note: The following column is satire.

The recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has raised questions about the need for regulations on the rail industry. Some argue that the government should place greater regulations on the handling of chemicals like vinyl chloride, which can be destructive to the local environment. However, more keen observers of the situation know that less regulation would lead to better outcomes.

The derailment resulted from an overheated roller bearing that went undetected for too long. National Train Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy explained the cause of the derailment saying, “Roller bearings fail. But it’s critical for problems to be identified and addressed early so these aren’t run until failure.”

Proponents of regulation would call for the implementation of federal regulations that dictate the number of sensors required to pick up on potential issues. However, this solution is rendered unnecessary by the real answer to the problem: better train conductors.

The best jockeys know their

horses. Based on how the horse is running, they can often tell if there’s a problem. Train conducting is no different, and it’s laughable that the conductor of the derailed train in Ohio has avoided criticism.

In any sport, the greatest players can anticipate the coming moments so well that they almost seem to have traveled backward in time to take advantage of their knowledge of the future. Train conductors need to build that awareness; they simply aren’t looking ahead, and it’s a crime that we continue to coddle them

with regulations. There should be no regulations on sensors, and, if possible, they should be removed entirely. It’s time to take the training wheels off and expect more from conductors.

Calls for regulation come from bad-faith actors who resent large corporations. They won’t stop until the government is involved in every aspect of corporate life. Oddly, these same people often call for civil rights for marginalized people. These bleeding hearts must have forgotten the idea of corporate personhood:

Legally, corporations are considered to be individuals in many different settings.

Discrimination against corporations is morally equivalent to any other kind of hateful discrimination. Criticizing corporations should be viewed in the same light as protesting the integration of public schools or campaigning against women’s suffrage.

Calling for regulations on corporations is tantamount to violence against them. If they were forced to make sure that their operations were safe, how would executives find a way to give

themselves bonuses while laying off giant swaths of their workforce? It’s simply unfair.

Even granting the far-fetched premise that increasing regulation leads to increased safety, the supporters of regulation should ask themselves a question. What’s the worst that could happen? Alarmists have compared the fallout from the derailment to the Chernobyl disaster. They seem to be ignoring the possibility that the effects of these events could lead to the creation of super soldiers that will be useful in the inevitable third world war.

This line of thinking may be viewed as conspiratorial, but perhaps it’s not a coincidence that the derailment took place in East Palestine, Ohio. The location brings Israel into question.

Our ally in the Middle East may have gotten confused and accidentally sent a covert chemical attack to the wrong Palestine. For evidence, see the lack of hospital bombings in Gaza. This could be due to the Israel Defense Forces thinking that they had already sent an attack.

Reducing the issue of train derailment to one of regulation is small minded. America would be better off carefully considering all possible angles of this issue before acting.

Frank Kidd is a 22-year-old mass communication major from Springfield, Virginia.

Letter to the Editor: Louisiana Senate Bill 7 is authoritarian

BY MICHAEL RUSSO

In the 1930s and ‘40s, the National Socialist German Workers Party seized control of every newspaper in Germany, shutting down many and controlling the rest with an iron hand. The German people would receive only the information the German government wanted them to receive.

It is the same in present day Russia, in which every independent news agency has been shuttered so that now Russian citizens believe what they are told to believe by their government.

The same process of information control is in its early stages in this country, in the United States of America. Libraries and schools all over the country are being vilified and victimized by self-righteous crypto-authoritar-

EDITORIAL BOARD

Josh Archote Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor Hannah Michel Hanks

Claire Sullivan News Editor

ians for the purpose of denying citizens access to information.

It is certainly understood by those who are behind this movement that people who are kept in ignorance are more easily manipulated, more malleable, more gullible than those who embrace reality through the acquisition of information.

Attorney General Jeff Landry has taken his place among crypto-authoritarians by declaring war on information, by declaring war on public libraries. To believe Landry is to believe that public libraries are dens of iniquity bent on corrupting innocent children and transforming them into degenerate monsters by filling their shelves with “sexually explicit” material and eagerly providing said material to minors. It’s that disturbingly simple.

Based on this very false rationalization, Landry is proposing to limit access to certain kinds of information by certain kinds of library patrons.

In fabricating this issue that has worked for other Republican politicians, Landry has also inferred his opposition to the first amendment. Freedom of the press implies the concomitant freedom to read. For a child’s parent to forbid their child to read something is one thing: it is, after all, the right and duty of every parent to raise their child as they see fit.

It is quite another thing, however, for that decision to be made by the state. Landry’s proposed solution to this imagined problem is legislation that absolves parents of all such responsibility and places that burden totally

on librarians. The irony of this level of government intrusion by “small government” officials should be obvious.

But this authoritarian power grab will not stop with public libraries. If Landry’s proposed legislation passes, there will be other targets, other legislation: school libraries and academic libraries will certainly come under Landry’s stern scrutiny.

And after that, newspapers and other mass media, and publishing companies, until no one can say or even think anything not approved by Landry or whoever might happen to hold the levers of power. This is a nightmare scenario only George Orwell could have scripted.

Censorship is a heinous thing. It is sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle, oftentimes cos -

tumed in the habiliments of virtue. Landry’s campaign to censor public libraries will not end here, should he succeed. It will continue until the absence of freely available information transforms American society into something unrecognizable.

This critique is not intended to endorse giving libraries a free hand to provide inappropriate material to minors. Rather, it is intended to endorse the common sense idea of letting librarians and parents do their jobs without government interference. It is also intended as a warning to ivory tower academics who may think they are above this sort of thing: not only is Big Brother watching you, professors, but he is salivating at the thought of caging you as well.

Senate Bill 7 must not pass.

Editorial Policies and Procedures Quote of the Week

Deputy News Editor Gabby Jimenez

John Buzbee Opinion Editor

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.

Albert Camus

French philosopher 1913 — 1960

“Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken.”

GENE PUSKAR/ Associated Press

In this photo taken with a drone, portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed the previous night in East Palestine, Ohio, remain on fire at mid-day on Feb. 4.