The Reveille 4-17-23

‘FORCED FORGETTING’

Louisiana Republicans wage culture war against diversity, equity and inclusion.

Read on page 2

LSUReveille.com

@lsureveille

THE END OF DEI?

How Republican culture war could shape Louisiana higher education

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 EMILY BRACHER @emily_bracher_

A Louisiana Republican Party committee voted unanimously on Saturday to ask the Legislature to ban diversity, equity and inclusion agencies and departments at schools—public and private–around the state.

The move comes at the heels of a nationwide culture war launched by Republicans against diversity efforts and teaching about systemic racism at schools.

And it isn’t the first effort of its kind in Louisiana.

A bill was brought in the Louisiana House in 2021 that would’ve banned elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools from teaching or training on topics related to systemic racism or sexism. The bill was withdrawn, but its creation showed a possible future for the Republican-dominated Louisiana Legislature.

And, not far from Louisiana, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis banned AP African American Studies from Florida high schools in January, sparking nationwide backlash.

Now, some fear the same action could be coming to the Bayou State.

Sixty schools across the country were tasked with teaching the AP African American Studies pilot course for the 2022-2023 school year, which students could potentially receive college credit for, according to the College Board website. The AP exam is set to be made available to all students by 2025.

More than 300 African Ameri-

can Studies professors at over 200 universities across the country, including various historically Black universities, were consulted about the course, which covers “essential events, experiences, and individuals crucial to a study of African American history and culture,” according to the College Board.

Less than five miles from LSU’s campus, the course is being taught at Baton Rouge Magnet High School. More students at the school have become interested in taking the course amid the national pushback, according to The Advocate.

The College Board defended the course in a statement released Feb. 11, saying its commitment to AP African American Studies is “unwavering” and calling the governor’s decision an “effort to engineer a political win.” The statement also laid out the course framework and listed every interaction the organization had with the Florida Department of Education about the course.

“Our failure to raise our voice betrayed Black scholars everywhere and those who have toiled to build this remarkable field,” College Board said.

The College Board also said that much of what has been said by the Florida education department is untrue, such as the statement that the College Board had not been in contact with Florida about the content of the course.

“We had no negotiations about the content of this course with Florida or any other state, nor did we receive any requests, suggestions or feedback,” College Board

said.

Push backs against diversity efforts and teaching about racism may be especially consequential in a state like Louisiana, where a third of the state population is Black or African American, according to the most recent census.

Stephen C. Finley, the inaugural chair of the department of African and African American Studies at LSU, co-authored the book “The Religion of White Rage: White Workers, Religious Fervor, and the Myth of Black Racial Progress.” The book aims to “[shed] light on the phenomenon of white rage, and maps out the uneasy relationship between white anxiety, religious fervour, American identity and perceived black racial progress,” according to its description.

Finley said LSU’s African American Studies department has been preparing for this type of attack on the curriculum for years.

“We have to deal with the politics that other departments don’t have to deal with,” he said.

Still, Finley said that this reaction isn’t new. Since starting at LSU in 2008, he said he has received hate and criticism for the work he does. African and African American Studies is one of the few specializations that receives such backlash, he said.

“I want to teach my classes on African American religion and culture, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, where I have to talk about slavery, lynching, Jim Crow and police violence. How do you do that when it’s illegal to talk about those kinds of things?”

Finley said.

Two-hundred-and-fifty years of slavery and post-Reconstruction anti-Black violence is not disconnected from the disparities that Black people face today, including the erasure of their history by eliminating African American studies courses, Finley said.

“America structures a forced forgetting,” Finley said. “As if this kind of white, anti-Black violence was ancient history that should be left in the past, when really, we can’t point to a time when unfettered violence ever ended.”

History graduate student Justin Martin said students who take AP African American Studies and related courses take them to broaden their understanding of injustices, struggle and Black resilience in the world around them.

“That’s what makes a broad range of materials necessary for students in the course,” Martin said. “Rather than these materials being indoctrination, as many have argued, they are different perspectives for students to engage within their search for understanding and growth.”

Martin serves as the president of the Society for African and African American Studies. The club promotes the courses in the department and campus events, like its poetry night, which represented a variety of diverse experiences among African American artists.

“That’s what African American studies is all about – that opportunity to critically reflect and the freedom to develop your own perspective.”

Chief Designer EMMA DUHE

ADVERTISING (225) 578-6090

Layout/Ad Design EMILY TRAN

Layout/Ad Design SOFIA RAMOS

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.

MADDIE SCOTT / The Reveille

African and African American Studies Launch Celebration on Feb. 20, 2022 in LSU’s French House.

LSUReveille.com

@lsureveille

THE END OF DEI?

How Republican culture war could shape Louisiana higher education

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 EMILY BRACHER @emily_bracher_

A Louisiana Republican Party committee voted unanimously on Saturday to ask the Legislature to ban diversity, equity and inclusion agencies and departments at schools—public and private–around the state.

The move comes at the heels of a nationwide culture war launched by Republicans against diversity efforts and teaching about systemic racism at schools.

And it isn’t the first effort of its kind in Louisiana.

A bill was brought in the Louisiana House in 2021 that would’ve banned elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools from teaching or training on topics related to systemic racism or sexism. The bill was withdrawn, but its creation showed a possible future for the Republican-dominated Louisiana Legislature.

And, not far from Louisiana, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis banned AP African American Studies from Florida high schools in January, sparking nationwide backlash.

Now, some fear the same action could be coming to the Bayou State.

Sixty schools across the country were tasked with teaching the AP African American Studies pilot course for the 2022-2023 school year, which students could potentially receive college credit for, according to the College Board website. The AP exam is set to be made available to all students by 2025.

More than 300 African Ameri-

can Studies professors at over 200 universities across the country, including various historically Black universities, were consulted about the course, which covers “essential events, experiences, and individuals crucial to a study of African American history and culture,” according to the College Board.

Less than five miles from LSU’s campus, the course is being taught at Baton Rouge Magnet High School. More students at the school have become interested in taking the course amid the national pushback, according to The Advocate.

The College Board defended the course in a statement released Feb. 11, saying its commitment to AP African American Studies is “unwavering” and calling the governor’s decision an “effort to engineer a political win.” The statement also laid out the course framework and listed every interaction the organization had with the Florida Department of Education about the course.

“Our failure to raise our voice betrayed Black scholars everywhere and those who have toiled to build this remarkable field,” College Board said.

The College Board also said that much of what has been said by the Florida education department is untrue, such as the statement that the College Board had not been in contact with Florida about the content of the course.

“We had no negotiations about the content of this course with Florida or any other state, nor did we receive any requests, suggestions or feedback,” College Board

said.

Push backs against diversity efforts and teaching about racism may be especially consequential in a state like Louisiana, where a third of the state population is Black or African American, according to the most recent census.

Stephen C. Finley, the inaugural chair of the department of African and African American Studies at LSU, co-authored the book “The Religion of White Rage: White Workers, Religious Fervor, and the Myth of Black Racial Progress.” The book aims to “[shed] light on the phenomenon of white rage, and maps out the uneasy relationship between white anxiety, religious fervour, American identity and perceived black racial progress,” according to its description.

Finley said LSU’s African American Studies department has been preparing for this type of attack on the curriculum for years.

“We have to deal with the politics that other departments don’t have to deal with,” he said.

Still, Finley said that this reaction isn’t new. Since starting at LSU in 2008, he said he has received hate and criticism for the work he does. African and African American Studies is one of the few specializations that receives such backlash, he said.

“I want to teach my classes on African American religion and culture, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, where I have to talk about slavery, lynching, Jim Crow and police violence. How do you do that when it’s illegal to talk about those kinds of things?”

Finley said.

Two-hundred-and-fifty years of slavery and post-Reconstruction anti-Black violence is not disconnected from the disparities that Black people face today, including the erasure of their history by eliminating African American studies courses, Finley said.

“America structures a forced forgetting,” Finley said. “As if this kind of white, anti-Black violence was ancient history that should be left in the past, when really, we can’t point to a time when unfettered violence ever ended.”

History graduate student Justin Martin said students who take AP African American Studies and related courses take them to broaden their understanding of injustices, struggle and Black resilience in the world around them.

“That’s what makes a broad range of materials necessary for students in the course,” Martin said. “Rather than these materials being indoctrination, as many have argued, they are different perspectives for students to engage within their search for understanding and growth.”

Martin serves as the president of the Society for African and African American Studies. The club promotes the courses in the department and campus events, like its poetry night, which represented a variety of diverse experiences among African American artists.

“That’s what African American studies is all about – that opportunity to critically reflect and the freedom to develop your own perspective.”

Chief Designer EMMA DUHE

ADVERTISING (225) 578-6090

Layout/Ad Design EMILY TRAN

Layout/Ad Design SOFIA RAMOS

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.

MADDIE SCOTT / The Reveille

African and African American Studies Launch Celebration on Feb. 20, 2022 in LSU’s French House.

PARTY WITH PURPOSE

Dance Marathon raises over $93,000 for children’s hospital in fundraiser

BY LIZZIE FALCETTI @lizziefalcetti

To cap off Dance Marathon at LSU’s annual fundraiser for the Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, Baton Rouge community members stood together for 12 hours on Saturday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The fundraising total for this year was $93,647, the group announced.

The day included games and dancing with families, students and donors. Some of the families with children served by the donations, called miracle families, were present at the Big Event to advocate for those going through similar situations.

“You’re literally here looking at the miracle kid who your money is going toward helping, and so you get that firsthand experience with that kid that you don’t get at other events and other pushes,” said Delaney Mobley, vice president of marketing at Dance Marathon at LSU. “You’re just able to push yourself, and push the people in the room with you to fundraise the most.”

Mobley described the Big Event as a party with a pur-

LEGISLATION

pose. While the community can come together and celebrate the accomplishments of Dance Marathon, the larger goal of raising money continues the help Dance Marathon provides, Mobley explained.

Saturday’s festivities marked the 10th Big Event. When the children’s hospital separated

from the main parent hospital a few years ago, Dance Marathon made a pledge to raise $1 million. Dance Marathon now has raised over $1.7 million in 10 years, according to Mobley.

“We do this every year because we made that pledge,” Mobley said. “These kids are future Tigers. They are future

community leaders and our politicians. So, we like to say it’s this generation fighting for the next. These kids can’t wait because they need funds, and they need critical care now.”

Jenna LeBlanc’s son Jensen has been a patient at the chil-

SCHOLARSHIPS

TOPS enrollment on the decline

BY GABBY JIMENEZ LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE–State officials are trying to figure out how to remedy a decline in TOPS scholarship participation throughout the state.

The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, known as TOPS, is a merit-based scholarship funded by the state. The program offers scholarships to Louisiana residents attending public colleges, universities or vocational schools in the state.

Kim Hunter Reed, Louisiana’s commissioner on higher education, spoke to the House Committee on Appropriations Thursday about the declining participation numbers.

As the number of high school graduates in the state has declined, so has the number of eligible TOPS recipients, Reed said. Acceptance rates for TOPS scholarship have also seen a decline, she said.

For those who were eligible and did not use TOPS last year,

see FUNDING, page 4

Louisiana Republicans want an end to diversity measures

BY PIPER HUTCHINSON Louisiana Illuminator

The Louisiana Republican State Central Committee unanimously passed a resolution Saturday asking the legislature to ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) departments and agencies within all colleges and universities in the state, both public and private, at their quarterly meeting held in Baton Rouge.

The resolution, sponsored by RSCC member Gerald Brouillette, refers to DEI departments as “commissariats,” a reference to the Soviet dictatorship, and accuses them of pushing a political orthodoxy. It also suggests, without evidence, such organizations bloat college budgets and increase student debt.

A review of DEI initiatives in Florida universities by the Chronicle of Higher Education found that no institution devoted more than 1% of its budget on DEI undertakings, with some spending as little as $9,000. Louisiana’s schools fall far below Florida in spending in almost every area.

The RSCC, made up of 230

popularly elected members, is the governing body of the Louisiana Republican Party and includes multiple elected officials. State Sens. Beth Mizell of Franklinton and Mike Fesi fromHouma, and state Reps. Beryl Amedee, Gray, Charles Owen, Rosepine, Buddy Mincey, Denham Springs, and Mark Wright, Covington, were present at the meeting.

The resolution passed with no discussion among the majority-white body.

In an interview after the meeting, Amedee, who previously served as vice chair of the state party, claimed diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives damage higher education.

“I believe that a lot of the DEI programs in our universities are taking things in a direction the majority of our citizens here in Louisiana would not support,” Amedee said. “I would rather our universities just get back to educating the subject matter that the students have signed up for.”

The passage of the resolution comes amid a nationwide Republican movement to clamp down on curricula and per-

ceived “wokeness” in education. In Louisiana, that has meant attempts to restrict certain library materials and crack down

on tenure for college faculty.

Still, Louisiana has resisted most attempts to push these controversial restrictions. In

other southeastern states, which have Republican control of both

see CHARITY, page 4

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille Guests participate in the various dances on April 15 inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for Dance Marathon’s Big Event.

Louisiana House committee debates proposed teachers’ raises

BY MOLLY RYAN LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE–Conservative lawmakers’ concerns about spending some of the state’s surplus on teacher pay raises is already stirring up controversy on the third day of the session.

Education Superintendent Cade Brumley told the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday that the department’s budget proposal would give an initial $2,000 pay raise to teachers and $1,000 to support workers as outlined in Gov. John Bel Edwards’ budget.

Edwards wants all K-12 teachers to receive an additional $1,000, bringing the total to $3,000, if state revenue projections increase in May.

However, if that additional revenue becomes available, the Education Department’s proposal calls for putting it into a pool that could be divided differently among teachers.

Brumley suggested that teachers in hard-to-fill positions like special education, math and science might receive anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 on top of the basic $2,000 raise.

He said this proposal would still bump teacher salaries in the state by an average of

CHARITY, from page 3

dren’s hospital since he was 7 months old. Jensen is now 8, and his mom has seen “college students inspiring young kids to do good things” throughout the years.

“It is important to our family to come because we get to not only be around those college students who have fought so hard to have raised money for our children’s hospital, but also to connect with other miracle families and know that we are not alone,” LeBlanc said. “It is a day of positivity because sometimes you can feel alone and isolated in the hospital … it’s

FUNDING, from page 3

12.9% of the students missed the one-year deadline to accept their TOPS scholarship, according to Reed, and 56.8% enrolled at a school part-time. TOPS does not cover part-time enrollment.

Fourteen percent of the eligible students enrolled at a school out of state, Reed said. But 15% of students, or 8,000 TOPS eligible students, did not go anywhere.

“They’re not in the national database,” Reed said. “They’re not in our state’s database. And so, we have to continue to ask the question: What is happening in terms of talent development? And how do we reach these students?”

Reed said the declining participation is particularly concerning due to the large number of students who are eligible for the scholarships but still choose to

$3,000, pushing Louisiana to the Southern regional average, which includes Virginia and West Virginia, and above the average for states with universities in the Southeastern Conference, or SEC.

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has unanimously approved the department’s proposal.

Rep. Jerome “Zee” Zeringue, R-Houma, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, was encouraged by the department’s proposal to give bigger raises to teachers in high-priority areas and called it “gamechanging.”

Some lawmakers expressed concerns about the nature and sustainability of the raises.

Rep. Jack McFarland, RWinnfield and chairman of the Louisiana Conservative Caucus, said the state would take on $525 million in recurring expenses if an average pay raise of $3,000 is implemented. He worried that the raises are consuming the revenue generated from the temporary 0.45% sales tax increase that ends in 2025.

McFarland and Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Ascension, suggested the Legislature would have to cut funds elsewhere to sustain the pay raises.

just a time of unity and positivity and to just lean on one another.”

LeBlanc said every year she and her family participate in Dance Marathon events, it pushes her as a mom to want to do something good.

“I’ve seen how much it helped his (Jensen’s) heart grow even bigger, I mean the kid has a huge heart, but he wants to open a hospital one day and be a CEO and you know help all the kids and save the world, and I just think that this is just an amazing thing Dance Marathon does,” LeBlanc said.

The key element of the Big Event is that all participants

not use it.

Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Kenner, asked if the declining numbers were correlated to a lack of faceto-face instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Reed and Sujuan Boutté, executive director for the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance, there has been a continuous decline in participation since before the pandemic started.

Among the various types of awards, Boutté said, the TOPS Tech award, which provides scholarships for students to attend a vocational or technical school, has the highest percentage of eligible recipients not appearing on records. The percentage of students not showing up on records decreases as the requirements for each scholarship increases, which Boutté attrib -

Rep. Tony Bacala expressed concern about giving money to low-grade schools.

“Everybody can talk about it, but we have to fund it,” McFarland said.

The state has a $1.6 billion surplus but cannot spend more than $500 million without a two-thirds vote from lawmakers, and McFarland has raised concerns about increasing the cap.

Additionally, Bacala expressed hesitation about giving

stand from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., which symbolizes standing for those at the hospital who can’t.

Jessica Bakalis is an LSU alumna who joined Dance Marathon as a freshman and continues to participate in the Big Event. She said standing together for that long is important for the greater cause.

“You get everyone in one single space and for 12 hours we’re all on our feet, they start to hurt toward the end, but we’re all enduring the pain and trying as hard as we can in pursuit of that big total at the end,” Bakalis said. “The comradery of it all, standing next to the families, but also students who

uted to students’ preparedness to attend a post-secondary institution.

“Where we’re checking is –did those students go straight to work? … We are seeing those greater trends for those that were enrolled part-time, those that missed the deadline. Those are your most affected students,” Boutté said.

Other states are luring TOPSeligible students with incentives like bigger scholarships and better financial aid, Reed noted.

Reed emphasized the importance of communication and outreach, especially in high school, to ensure students are aware of the program.

“We’ve got to meet students where they are, and make sure that they know that there are opportunities for them to pursue education,” Reed said.

additional funding to low-grade schools.

“It’s time for us to use this budget to press bad systems to get better for the benefit of the kids,” Bacala said.

He pointed out that Louisiana spends more per student than other states with SEC schools yet falls behind them in teacher salaries. He questioned whether resources are being

also chose to give up their Saturday to do something amazing is just a really cool feeling.”

Alana Marcello, the children’s miracle network specialist at Our Lady of the Lake Foundation, said Dance Marathon unites students to bring awareness to patients and families.

“They are not only impacting the current patients we have,” Marcello said. “But the dollars they are raising, the efforts they are putting in, are affecting and impacting the future of our patients and the future of our hospital.”

Dance Marathon changes the narrative that hospitals

DIVERSITY, from page 3

the legislatures and the governors mansions, the crackdown has been more severe.

Georgia and Florida have created controversial post-tenure review systems. In Georgia, higher education leaders described the measure as “the death of tenure.”

Florida has served as the blueprint for defunding DEI programs.

While the RSCC resolution means little beyond a signal of the direction Republican primary voters are taking, another anti-DEI resolution is working its way through the official channels of the state legislature.

House Resolution 13, sponsored by Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Livingston, would request all public schools in the state, from

distributed efficiently. Bacala said he wants to use money to incentivize better performance from schools to benefit children.

Rep. Rodney Lyons, D-Jefferson, said a school’s annual “D” or “F” grade is not necessarily an indication that teachers and other staff are not working to improve performance or that they are undeserving of a raise.

have to be scary and intimidating, Marcello said.

“They bring out the positive aspects of a scary situation and a negative situation,” Marcello said.

Maris Jones, a sophomore majoring in child and family studies, attended the Big Event.

“It is important to bring awareness to things you care about,” Jones said. “Even though you’re a college student, you may not think that you have a big voice right now, but people are really interested in what you’re doing at this time in your life. I think it is important to show what you care for.”

elementary through high schools and colleges, submit reports on programs and activities related to DEI, critical race theory and social emotional learning.

While the resolution is nonbinding, campus leaders are likely to comply.

In a statement to the Illuminator, University of Louisiana System President Jim Henderson confirmed its nine universities would submit the reports.

“As public institutions, we have a duty to be transparent in our operations,” Henderson said. “Complying with legislative requests for information is a given.”

Amedee, who sits on the House Education Committee that will hear the resolution, said she supports requesting universities report their DEI spending, like Florida did.

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille

ENTERTAINMENT

What to wear on campus? LSU Greek Life’s style essentials

BY AVA FRANCIS @avamohsochic

Get to know four members of LSU’s Greek Life.

Whether it’s rush week, probates or Wild Out Wednesday, Greek Life is an important part of LSU culture. Throughout the year, sororities and fraternities are constantly hosting a multitude of events and fundraisers.

There’s over 6,000 members of 35 fraternities and sororities on campus as well as 4 councils.

I recently caught up with four LSU students and members of Greek Life. Here’s a glimpse of what personal style means to them.

Mea Morrell, Junior in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority

How would you describe your personal style?

Comfortable and stylish. Sneakers and hoodies, I love dressing up with a cute dress and heels too. My style is the perfect balance between the two.

Who’s your style icon?

My business attire style icon is Olivia Pope. My other icon is @makeupshayla on instagram. I love every single outfit she puts on.

What’s your go-to outfit for…

Class: Leggings, biker shorts, graphic tee/hoodie and sneakers (New Balance or Nike).

Night Out: A mini dress with heels or a cute top and jeans and sneakers (usually dunks or Jordans). It depends on the vibe of the night.

What’s in your bag? What are your must-have everyday items?

Oil blotting sheets, lip gloss, lip liner, selfie light (comes in handy), hand sanitizer, phone charger, airpods, gum, sunglasses and a snack.

If you could swap closets with one celebrity who is it? Zendaya.

What’s become your signature accessory or look?

My shoes.

Has anyone in your family or friend group influenced your style?

My family, especially my brother Max and my TT. My TT and I have a similar style so we bond over that. Friend-wise, one of my best friends Kyler has had a major role in my shoe game and streetwear evolution.

You’re deserted on an island for a month. What are your fashion necessities?

Sunglasses, bikini, cover up, sundress, Tory Burch sandals and Tory Burch flip flops.

If you could give one piece of advice about personal style to someone reading this article what would it be?

You do not have to break the bank to be fashionable, a few quality pieces can make combinations of just about anything.

Sorority: Zeta Tau Alpha

Jennifer Mack, Freshman in Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority

How would you describe your personal style?

Very chill and casual.

Who’s your style icon?

Kylie Jenner.

What’s in your bag?

Phone, AirPods, portable charger and iPad.

If you could swap closets with one celebrity, who is it?

Kylie Jenner.

What’s your go to outfit for…

Class: A cute athletic fit.

Night out : Jean shorts or jeans and a crop top.

What was your favorite game day look from this last football

How would you describe your personal style? Comfortable.

Who’s your style icon? Rihanna.

What’s in your bag? What are your must-have everyday items?

Aquaphor, Charlotte Tilbury flawless filter setting powder, my AirPods, iPad and Apple Watch.

What’s your go-to outfit for…

Class: Leggings with a tank top and a zip-up sweatshirt. Night out: Leather pants, a corset top, Nike blazers and simple jewelry.

What was your favorite game day look from this past football season?

My favorite outfit was the one I wore to the LSU vs Tennessee game. It was a breast cancer awareness game, so I wore a pink mini dress with white cowgirl boots and bold pink statement earrings. Since breast cancer awareness and research is my sorority’s philanthropy, we were given little pink ribbons to wear.

If you could swap closets with one celebrity, who is it? Selena Gomez.

Has anyone in your family or friend group influenced your style?

My older cousin Logan influenced my style the most.

You’re deserted on an island for a month. What are your fashion necessities?

Big sunglasses, statement earrings and swimsuits with a matching coverup.

If you could give one piece of advice about personal style to someone reading this article what would it be? Always wear jewelry.

season?

White cowgirl boots, yellow corset and white jean shorts. What’s become your signature accessory or look?

Wearing a lot of Black. Do you think where you grew up influenced how you dress? Explain why or why not.

Yes, New York is very cold, so you have to wear leggings and sweatshirts pretty much year round.

If you could give one piece of advice about personal style to someone reading this article what would it be?

Wear what makes you feel good.

How would you describe your personal style?

Versatile, luxury, street wear with a mix of sophistication and dorky.

Who’s your style icon?

A few celebrities that influence my style are Lil Baby, Odell Beckham Jr., Dwayne Bacon and Clarence NYC.

What’s in your bag? What are your must-have everyday items?

Chapstick, cologne, AirPods, charger, iPad and a snack.

If you could swap closets with one celebrity, who is it?

Lil Baby.

Has anyone in your family or friend group influenced your style?

My pops for sure.

What’s your go-to outfit for…

Class: Sweats and a hoodie or graphic tee with sneakers.

Night Out: Some type of denim flared or skinny with a graphic tee and some type of overcoat with designer sneakers.

Christian Wamber, Junior in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity

Paige Moses Freshman

Mea Morrell

Paige Moses Christian Wamber

Jennifer Mack

SEASON FINALE

LSU gymnastics claims fourth place at the NCAA championship on April 15 in Fort Worth, Texas.

LSU gymnastics all-around Alyona Shchennikova makes her final skill move for her floor exercise.

LSU gymnastics all-around junior Haleigh Bryant lands a mid-air split during her floor routine.

LSU gymnastics vault/uneven bars junior Chase Brock strikes a pose during her floor exercise.

LSU gymnastics all-around junior Haleigh Bryant hugs an Oklahoma gymnast.

LSU gymnastics all-around senior Alyona Shchennikova slides through confetti.

LSU gymnastics all-around junior Haleigh Bryant celebrates after performing her last vault routine.

LSU gymnastics all-around junior Haleigh Bryant salutes the judges.

LSU gymnastics vault/uneven bars junior Chase Brock lets out a roar after completing her vault routine.

Former LSU gymnastics head coach D-D Breaux cheers on the LSU gymnastics team.

The LSU gymnastics team poses with their fourth place award.

The LSU gymnastics team shout their motto “We climb”.

Photos by Francis Dinh

SPORTS TO THE VERY END

LSU gymnastics season comes to heartbreaking end in Final Four

BY MORGAN ROGERS @_morganrogers

The LSU gymnastics team’s year came to a heartbreaking end when they finished fourth at the NCAA Championship Final on Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers concluded the meet at the Dickies Arena with a score of 197.525.

“We fought to the very end,” head coach Jay Clark said after the meet. “We’ve been through adversity but everyone gave everything they could for this team. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

With a score of 198.3875, Oklahoma took home its sixth national championship in the past nine years. The Sooners dominated after every rotation despite Florida’s efforts to catch up. The Gators finished second with a score of 197.2375 while Utah finished in third at 197.9375.

The biggest victory for the Tigers was found in the all-around. Despite competing against most of the most accomplished gymnasts in the nation, junior Haleigh Bryant dominated the division with a score of 39.725.

Her score marks the best for an LSU gymnast at an NCAA Championship in program history. Oklahoma gymnast Jordan Bowers fell in second place, trailing Bryant by .375 of a point. Unfortunately for Bryant, she didn’t win the individual national title.

Florida’s Trinity Thomas’s collegiate career came to a fitting end

MEN’S BASKETBALL

on Saturday. The fifth-year senior tied the record for most perfect scores for a collegiate gymnast in history when she earned her 28th on vault. The York, Pennsylvania,

native was held to only two events because of a recent injury, however, she was still determined to make history before clocking out.

The purple and gold started

off with a shaky start on bars, finishing with a 49.3125. Alexis Jeffrey led with a 9.8375 while

FOOTBALL

A look at the 2024 recruiting class

BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8

With spring football in full swing, the team is seeing what the roster landscape looks like. At the same time, the staff is also hitting the recruiting trail and transfer portal hard.

LSU currently holds the No. 4 ranked recruiting class according to 247sports. The class holds seven four-star recruits and five three-star recruits.

Here is an early look at how LSU’s class looks as the summer gets closer.

All player statistics are courtesy of MaxPreps.com.

Maurice Williams Jr.

Four-star linebacker; Pearland, Texas Williams Jr. was LSU’s first commitment to the class of 2024, and since his commitment, he has been the highest-ranked recruit in the class. Through 11 games this past season, the 6-foot-2 linebacker totaled 43 total tackles, including 30 solo tackles.

Colin Hurley

Four-star quarterback; Jacksonville, Florida Hurley committed to LSU in early November, and he has been recruiting for the class very hard

see RECRUITING, page 10

LSU men’s basketball forced to hit transfer portal again

BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4

Around this time last year, LSU was a program in disarray.

Matt McMahon, named as the team’s head coach on March 21, had zero scholarship players on his roster after a tumultuous offseason that saw former coach Will Wade be fired because of alleged recruiting violations and many players transfer out. Almost the entirety of a 22-12 team that made the NCAA Tournament as a sixseed was gone.

McMahon faced a daunting challenge: creating a team capable of contending in the SEC with no initial foundation and a shortened offseason.

There was really only one option for McMahon to turn to if he wanted to field a competitive team in the upcoming season. He had to go to the transfer portal.

McMahon’s effort started by convincing several Tigers to return, with Mwani Wilkinson,

Adam Miller and Justice Williams deciding to withdraw their names from the transfer portal.

He then brought in six transfers, including three from his former program at Murray State: KJ Williams, Justice Hill and Trae Hannibal. Cam Hayes, Derek Fountain and Kendal Coleman joined them, coming from North Carolina State, Mississippi State and Northwestern State, respectively.

After adding a four-man freshman class, McMahon had finalized his roster. The team was a collection of players thrown together because it had to be. He had made a commitment to live and die by the portal; he had no other choice.

The transfer portal has been criticized by many as a harmful addition to the college landscape, as it brings a pseudo-professional free agency into amateur athletics. Beyond that, though, it’s thought

of by some as an unsustainable way to achieve success as a team.

Bringing in high-profile transfers may do something for a team’s short-term success, but it does little for building a program in the long term. Many transfers are one-year rentals, especially with many graduates exercising their fifth year of eligibility due to COVID-19.

The transfer portal is best used to supplement an already sustainable program. A star transfer can be the perfect piece to add to a well-built and experienced roster. However, overreliance on transfers can be bad for a team. There’s something to be said for continuity, and a roster of players with no experience together can be hard to mold into a good team–just ask McMahon.

It’s safe to say McMahon’s first year at LSU, in which he relied heavily on the transfer portal, was not a success. The Tigers finished with a record of 14-19, including 2-16 in SEC play, which was good

for last place in the conference. They lost 14 games in a row, tying for the second-longest losing streak in program history.

LSU looked every bit like a team hastily assembled. It would be silly to blame the Tigers’ struggles entirely on the transfer portal–they weren’t outstanding defensively, they suffered from poor guard play and they consistently struggled to hold leads–but it likely contributed to the lack of synergy on the court.

All in all, five of LSU’s top six players in terms of minutes this past season were transfers.

This offseason, McMahon will once again have to turn to the transfer portal. With six players already transferring out, including Miller, and KJ Williams graduating, McMahon once again has no choice.

So far, he has secured commitments from two players: Tulane’s Jalen Cook and Vanderbilt’s Jordan

see REBUILD, page 10

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille LSU gymnastics head coach Jay Clark hugs vault/ balance beam/ floor routine junior Sierra Ballard on April 15 after her floor routine during the 2023 Women’s National Collegiate Gymnastics Championship in the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Tx.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

LSU men’s basketball head coach Matt McMahon speaks to the players on Jan. 21 during LSU’s 56-77 loss to Tennessee at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

see GYMNASTICS, page 10

RECRUITING, from page 9

ever since. He’s embraced the role as the class’ quarterback, as he has been giving his pitch for LSU to many of the top uncommitted players in the country. In nine games, Hurley passed for 1,513 yards and 17 touchdown passes. He completed 88 of his 165 attempted passes.

Kolaj Cobbins

4-star linebacker; Destrehan, Louisiana Cobbins announced he will be staying in-state and committing to LSU in early March. He was part of a Destrehan team that won a Division I-Non Select state championship and finished with a 14-0 record. Cobbins, standing at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, bounced back and forth between linebacker and edge rusher but is listed as a linebacker.

Xavier Atkins

Four-star linebacker; Humble, Texas

Atkins was one of LSU’s earlier commitments for the class of 2024. Since his commitment, he announced that he is transferring to Summer Creek High School in Humble, Texas.

However, he’s originally an in-state prospect from Jonesboro, Louisiana. Despite being committed to LSU, he has kept his recruitment relatively open, taking unofficial visits to Arkansas and Texas A&M. He could potentially be someone who flips, but he has also visited LSU multiple times since his commitment.

Joseph Stone

Four-star wide receiver; Fairburn, Georgia

Stone committed to LSU six days after Atkins. And just as Atkins has, Stone has kept his recruitment options open. While Stone was in Baton Rouge for an unofficial visit in January, he has also taken visits to Texas and Florida. Stone, who played at Grayson High School last season, totaled 289 receiving yards in seven games.

Tayvion Galloway

Four-star tight end; Chillicothe, Ohio

Galloway was LSU’s fourth commitment to the 2024 class, as he committed to the Tigers in July. It didn’t take long for him to fall in love with LSU, as he has been a firm commitment ever since announcing in the summer.

“Ever since I stepped on campus, from the culture, the place, to the coaches on staff, I just loved everything about it,” Galloway told the Reveille.

He chose the Tigers over schools like Ole Miss, Auburn, Miami, Michigan and more.

Zion Ferguson

Four-star cornerback; Gainesville, Georgia

Ferguson committed to LSU in September and has been on campus multiple times since making his decision. However, he hasn’t shut his recruitment totally down, as he’s taken visits to Auburn and North Carolina this offseason. Ferguson, who played at Grayson High School

in Loganville, Georgia, this past season, totaled 38 total tackles, including 21 solo tackles in 11 games played.

Davhon Keys

Three-star linebacker; Aledo, Texas Keys is one of LSU’s more recent commitments, as he made his decision in mid-March. His commitment came about a week after he took an unofficial visit to Baton Rouge.

In addition, he made the decision to commit to the Tigers while he was starting to get a lot of attention from other schools such as Alabama, Oregon and Cincinnati. In 11 games this season, Keys recorded 123 total tackles, including 82 solo tackles and an interception.

Khayree Lee

Three-star interior offensive lineman; Marrero, Louisiana Lee ,being an in-state prospect, worked well in LSU’s favor. The Tigers extended an offer to

the 6-foot-5, 340-pound offensive tackle in late October. On November 5, he committed to LSU.

For Lee, it seemed that LSU being close to home was something he couldn’t ignore. Lee’s commitment is also worth noting in that he is teammates at John Ehret High School with another recruit LSU is pushing heavily for in four-star cornerback, Wardell Mack. Having Lee a part of LSU’s 2024 class may be a reason for Mack to join the class.

Wallace Foster

Three-star cornerback; New Orleans, Louisiana

Speaking on in-state recruits wanting to stay close to home, Foster being from New Orleans worked well for LSU. Foster committed to the Tigers in mid-November and has stayed solid ever since. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound cornerback plays at Warren Easton High School, who made it to the Division I Select state quarterfinals this past season.

Ahmad Breaux

Three-star edge rusher; Ruston, Louisiana Breaux was the first prospect LSU was able to flip in the 2024 class. The 6-foot-3 edge rusher committed to Duke University in January. But after taking an unofficial visit and receiving an offer from LSU, he was quick to flip and commit to the Tigers. His recruitment is still open, however, as he visited Duke earlier this month. This past season, Breaux was part of a Ruston team that finished runner-up in the Division I Non-Select state playoffs.

Aeron Burrell

Three-star kicker; Bossier City, Louisiana

Aeron Burrell is the most recent recruit to commit to LSU, as he committed to the Tigers on April 1. According to 247sports, Burrell is the top-ranked kicker in the country. He also held offers from TCU, Houston and Grambling State.

GYMNASTICS, from page 9

Aleah Finnegan registered a 9.825 in the fourth spot while Bryant anchored the event with a 9.95. Her highest score of the night matched the highest on the event for any Tiger in school history at an NCAA Championship.

LSU hopped on beam for their second rotation of the night to attempt a quick comeback. Alyona Shchennikova set the tone, scoring a 9.8125. Jeffrey and Sierra Ballard both scored 9.825s in the following spots. Bryant heightened the stakes with a 9.85 while Finnegan anchored the event for a solid 9.925. She finished with the sixth-highest beam score from any team on the night.

Still, it wasn’t enough to keep the Tigers from the last spot on the leaderboard.

Nevertheless, the Tigers kept fighting to stay in the mix. The floor lineup put up a worthy ef-

fort in the third rotation. Ballard opened with a 9.8125 while Schennikova followed with a 9.85. Elena Arenas made a comeback from her rocky beam routine to score a 9.9125.

Rising star Chase Brock matched her career high 9.925. To wrap things up, Finnegan finished with a 9.925 while Bryant anchored for a 9.9375. Overall, Bryant scored the third-highest floor score of the meet while Finnegan and Brock tied for fifth.

Despite having no chance at a comeback at this point, the Tigers kept doing what they’ve done all season. The team finished the meet on vault with their highest team score of the night at 49.525. This is the program’s highest vault score at a championship final.

Arenas started the lineup strong with a 9.90 while Finnegan heated things up with a 9.8625. Brock and freshman Bryce Wilson put up 9.8875s each. Bryant anchored the 9.9875 to finish out their night.

Oklahoma now has 42 nation-

al championships under its belt. This was the Sooners’ 10th time to score above a 198 in just the 2023 season. They even had to compete without one of their assistant coaches, Ashley Kerr, who went into labor at 9:30 Saturday morning.

REBUILD, from page 9 sophomore Tori Tatum scored a 9.875 to match her NCAA Championship best.

Wright. Both are Louisiana natives who had significant roles on teams that were in legitimate contention for NCAA Tournament berths.

if LSU’s reliance on transfers will once again produce a middling on-court product.

The Tigers may have finished in last place, but they put up an admirable fight considering they were without all-stars Kiya Johnson, KJ Johnson and Kai Rivers due to injuries.

“Nobody at all gave us a chance,” Clark said. “We utilized every kid that we might not of competed a whole lot this year. And they stepped up and did an amazing job.”

With that said, LSU is showing a lot of potential for next year. This season demonstrated that they have not just a few gymnasts, but an entire arsenal of talented gymnasts who can contribute to each and every meet. If the injured can make a full recovery by 2024, the purple and gold could possibly be unstoppable.

Cook averaged 19.9 points per game for the Green Wave last year, a higher mark than any of the players in LSU’s 2022 transfer class had averaged the year prior for their former teams. Cook will bring an elite scoring punch from the backcourt that LSU simply lacked last season.

Wright was a productive allaround player for Vanderbilt last year, ranking third on the team in points, second in rebounding and assists and first in steals. He’s a consistent scorer with a career high of 28 and experience as a consistent starter in a tough conference, something that couldn’t be said for any of LSU’s transfers last year.

Although Cook and Wright are good players and it’s yet to be seen who else McMahon will add from the portal, it’s worth questioning

On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine the team could get worse, and it will have some degree of continuity compared to last season. The pivot to the transfer portal could very well yield different results this time.

For two straight years, LSU has built its team primarily through the transfer portal. For McMahon to have a chance at putting forth a competitive team–or even to fill out his roster at this point–it’s what he’s had to do.

In order to establish buy-in and attract interest from recruits so that he can build toward longterm success, McMahon needs to produce some short-term results with rosters heavy on transfer talent.

It’s unclear how effective that approach will be, but that’s the state of things for LSU as it tries to overcome the program trajectoryaltering effects of the NCAA’s recruiting investigation.

JOHN RAOUX / Associated Press

LSU cornerback Quad Wilson (16) returns a Purdue interception 99-yards as he gets past Purdue tight end Drew Biber, left, for a touchdown during the second half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game on Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla.

Yes Tate, LSU has a lot of good, but that doesn’t excuse the bad

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

BENJAMIN HAINES @bphaines

Last month, LSU President William F. Tate IV hit the airwaves on the New Orleans radio show Neutral Ground to discuss with its host, Kaare Johnson, whether or not LSU was capable of competing nationally with other comparable institutions of higher education.

The interview was heated, at least initially. Johnson criticized LSU for paying more attention to its athletics than academics, to which Tate took exception, citing the various programs in which LSU is among the top in the country: construction management, internal audit and cybersecurity, landscape architecture, communications disorders, and finance, just to name a few.

The two went back and forth, citing various national ranking systems and ways which LSU was competitive or

lacking. By the end of the conversation, Johnson and Tate were able to agree on at least a few things: LSU had strong faculty and some robust scholarly programs, although, in Tate’s words, “we should be better;”

LSU folks should acknowledge “that there are some significant quality factors associated with LSU,” such as various areas of STEM and business research institutes and that “those quality factors provide us a platform to be even better.”

Tate’s sentiment, in other words, was that people shouldn’t always be focusing on the negative things at LSU. Good things are going on, too – it’s just a matter of highlighting them.

And fair enough. Even outside LSU’s most obvious wins – the literal ones from the Athletics Department – the school has a lot going for it. Every year, its freshman class gets bigger. Every few months, it seems, the university announces some sort of major grant or donation.

LSU contributes significantly to the state’s economy. And it does have stellar faculty from all disciplines.

Tate’s call for a moratorium on critiques lacks an understanding of the motivations for them in the first place.

I, for one, criticize this school, which has given me four years of invaluable education, because I know that what it has given me can also be offered to others, if we only get to the heart of some of its flaws, which is never a comfortable thing to do.

Similarly uncomfortable is the very basic fact that there is more to LSU than its business, engineering and science departments. It’s also the humanities, which have virtually gone unnoticed in Tate’s administration, as well as the professional lives of its employees and the social life of its undergraduates.

Some of us are still waiting and care deeply, for example, for updates on the investigations surrounding the alleged

Title IX violations by former LSU football coaches Ed Orgeron and Les Miles (the latter of which, it seems, might be a criminal case).

Though it’s ultimately up to the State Legislature to allocate funds to address many issues, such as the enormous amount of deferred maintenance across campus; some of us are wondering if Tate plans to address these issues at all. Surely, they fall under his purview, even if they don’t directly touch the day-to-day existence of future engineers in Patrick F. Taylor Hall.

What about the shady multimillion-dollar deal LSU signed with Caesar’s Sportsbook? How will that affect underage students? Again, we’re not sure; Tate’s been silent on this issue.

Or, what about the status of that new library we’re supposed to get? Not much has been released about it.

The list could go on. The point is not to make President Tate into a bad guy; he’s not.

It isn’t to say that he’s doing a terrible job; I don’t think he is. In fact, it seems that LSU does, actually, have a lot going for it, which we should celebrate loudly.

Rather, it’s to say that the impetus for criticism, whether directed at LSU or Tate himself, isn’t to hand-wring over the future or to debase our reasonable minds in negativity and confirmation bias.

But it is to say that critics of LSU and Tate are more than likely motivated out of a sense of duty and love to a great institution, and out of an understanding that LSU is more than its classrooms – not the sum a particular set of educational outcomes, but instead the makeup of a plethora of personal, academic, social and even romantic experiences that often comprise some of the most memorable years of a person’s life.

Benjamin Haines is 24-year-old history graduate student from Shreveport.

Anti-Justin discrimination plagues the Tennessee Legislature

SERIOUSLY KIDDING

FRANK KIDD

@FK446852315

Editor’s note: The following column is satire.

Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, the two Democratic state representatives who were expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives for leading gun-reform protests on the chamber floor earlier this month, have both been reinstated.

Representative Gloria Johnson was also involved in the protest but never lost her seat. The double standard that this decision appeared to uphold has drawn backlash.

In the eyes of the public, this decision was a clear instance of injustice against a marginalized community. Critics of the decision are likely correct, people named Justin have been discriminated against in this country for years but other possibilities shouldn’t be ruled out.

It’s easy to allow the historical mistreatment of people of Justin to cloud the judgment of

EDITORIAL BOARD

Josh Archote Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor Hannah Michel Hanks

this decision. History classes would tell you that Justin Luther King Jr. ended anti-Justin discrimination, but that’s far from the case. Systemic anti-Justinism is alive and well in every facet of American Life.

Ronald Reagan mailed every Justin-American crack cocaine in the ‘80s, jumpstarting the crack epidemic that would ravish the community for years to come. The hatred that seemingly everyone in America had for Justin Bieber when he was a child is a clear indicator of how prevalent anti-Justinism is in this country. Americans widely dislike the prime minister of Canada simply because of his name.

Justin Herbert succeeds in the NFL despite its history of prejudice towards Justin quarterbacks. Until recently it was acceptable to cast non-Justins as characters that bore the name turning a regular television show or movie into a minstrel show rife with Justin-face.

Understanding all of this, inquiring minds should still ask questions about the possible motivations behind this decision. One popular theory says

Jones and Pearson were expelled for their blackness.

Many speaking out in the media believed that if their hair had not been black, the protest wouldn’t have been an issue. Historians believe that the original reason for the white wigs worn by the founding fathers was to limit the influences of hair-based discrimination.

Another theory is based on the clear physical differences between the two expelled members and Johnson, namely color. Jones and Pearson were both wearing white which is fine for hair but not as part of an outfit. Jones donned a white suit, and Pearson sported a white shirt while Johnson wore a floral pattern jacket and an orange shirt.

There is a long-standing anti-white bias in the American wardrobe. For evidence of this look no further than the rule against wearing white after Labor Day.

An interesting idea surfaced that the pair of Justin’s were expelled because of their race. The pair are workout partners and one day they held a race near the capitol building.

The cultural backlash against

the amount of drag being shown to children should be enough evidence of prejudice. There is nothing about a drag race that is particularly dangerous to children yet it’s being legislated away from schools and libraries.

The abundance of anti-Justinism is a legitimate issue in our society and should not be

minimized; however, it is important to consider that other prejudices against the expelled may have played a role. A wellrounded conversation is a better conversation.

Editorial Policies and Procedures Quote of the Week

Claire Sullivan News Editor John Buzbee Opinion Editor

Deputy News Editor Gabby Jimenez

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.

“When we feel deeply, we reason profoundly.” Mary Wollstonecraft British author 1759 — 1797

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

GRAPHIC BY MADDIE FITZMORRIS