Thursday, September 1, 2022 Est. 1887 Volume 132 · No. 41 KELLY’S KICKOFF LSU enters the 2022 season, led by new head coach Football Preview Special Edition Read on page 2
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There is a lot of hope for this coming LSU football season with a new head coach, returning stars and some new faces. There are also uncertainties. The most common uncertain ties are how Head Coach Brian Kelly will adjust to the SEC foot ball landscape, how the players will respond and how the new transfers will acclimate and fit into the system. There was a lot of “new” thrown at LSU fans this offseason, but with the season opener against Florida State just days away, here is what to expect from every part of the LSU foot ball team this season. What to expect from the of fense The common question about the LSU offense is who will start at quarterback. Unfortunately, we still don’t know. But we do know it’s now a two-man race, after veteran quarterback, Myles Brennan, decided to step away fromWithfootball.therace now between Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nuss meier, the favorite remains Dan iels, as experience is in his fa vor in three years as the starter at Arizona State. But Nussmeier has proved to be a playmaker. He kept LSU in the game as a fresh man in an overtime matchup with Arkansas last season, and he performed beyond expecta tions in the Spring Game. John Emery Jr. missed the en tire season last year due to aca demic ineligibility. While he was back in the purple and gold for the Spring Game this year, he’s suspended for the first two games of this season also due to aca demic issues. It’s now expected that both Noah Cain and Armoni Goodwin will take the major ity of the carries, at least for the first two games. Redshirt junior, Josh Williams, could also receive some reps in the backfield. What is guaranteed for the start of the season is that Kay shon Boutte is back at wide re ceiver after suffering an ankle injury. Boutte is projected to be one of the best wide receivers in college football and has the po tential to be a first-round draft pick next year. While he is most definitely a force in the receiving core, the dynamic-duo of Malik Nabers and Jack Bech, who both made impacts as freshmen last season, is back and ready to go for this season. Redshirt senior, Jaray Jenkins, will also make a fre quent impact for the Tigers, along with junior transfer, Kyren Lacy, and sophomores, Brian Thomas Jr. and Chris Hilton Jr. Kole Taylor will most likely get the bulk of the reps at tight end along with Mason Taylor but redshirt junior Jack Mashburn will also receive consistent play ing time there as well. Mason Taylor, a freshman, emerged in fall camp, and is someone who could make a big impact earlier than many expected.
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or email editor@lsu.edu. ADVERTISING (225) 578-6090 Layout/Ad Design EMILY TRAN Layout/Ad Design SOFIA NEWSROOMRAMOS (225) 578-4811 Editor-in-Chief JOSH ARCHOTE Digital Managing Editor HANNAH MICHEL HANKS Digital Editor JAYDEN NGUYEN News Editor BELLA DARDANO Deputy News Editor DOMENIC PURDY Sports Editor PETER RAUTERKUS Deputy Sports Editor MACKAY SUIRE Entertainment Editor AVA BORSKEY Opinion Editor CLAIRE SULLIVAN Multimedia Editor MATTHEW PERSCHALL Production Editor MADISON COOPER Chief Designer EMMA DUHE STARTING FRESH LSU Football Season Preview: What to expect on each side of the ball
“Well, probably the No. 1 surprise of camp is that we hit a home run with Mason Taylor, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Ja son Taylor,” Kelly said during his weekly radio show “He’s been outstanding. I’ve been blessed. I’ve had some great tight ends. I’ve had some great tight ends. I’ve got seven of them right now who are active in the NFL. And Mason Taylor is as good as any freshman tight end that I’ve had.”
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The name to know for the of fensive line for LSU is freshman Will Campbell. Campbell was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and came to Ba ton Rouge as one of LSU’s topranked freshmen for the class. He showed in the spring and in fall camp that the transition from high school to college came with ease.Kelly announced he will be starting at left tackle for LSU in their season opener. Along with Campbell, Florida International transfer, Miles Frazier, will make his first start in his first game as a Tiger. Anthony Bradford will start at right guard, Cam Wire will start at right tackle and Gar rett Dellinger will start at center. What to expect from the de fense LSU’s defensive line looks to be the centerpiece of not only the defense, but the entire team this season. Junior, BJ Ojulari and sophomore, Maason Smith, will be the leaders for the front lines this season, and Ali Gaye and Jaquelin Roy will be right alongside them making an im pact. Missouri transfer, Mekhi Wingo, will also receive consis tent playing time, and the added experience there will also help the defensive line this season. At the linebacker position, Mike Jones Jr. and Greg Penn III will lead the way after both play ers showed potential last year. But all eyes are pointed to fresh man phenom, Harold Perkins, who the Tigers managed to land on National Signing Day in the last recruiting cycle. Perkins has impressed in practice so far and could get considerable playing time from the start of the season. Micah Baskerville will add his experi ence into the rotation throughout the season, and transfers West Weeks and Kolbe Fields could get notable reps as well. The secondary is another area of the team to be excited about, and an area where the staff looked to the transfer por tal for resources. Mekhi Garner, a transfer from Louisiana-Lafay ette, Jarrick Bernard-Converse, a transfer from Oklahoma State and Sevyn Banks, a transfer from Ohio State, highlighted the trans fer class this offseason. Another player that emerged rather unex pectedly in fall camp, and could get valuable reps is Colby Rich ardson, a transfer from McNeese State.At safety, Joe Foucha, a trans fer from Arkansas, will likely come right in and get valuable playing time. But the Tigers will still look to secondary players that have been with the program before this year like Major Burns, Jay Ward, Greg Brooks Jr. and Sage Ryan. What to expect from special teams The special teams unit will have big shoes to fill with Cade York and Avery Atkins both leav ing for the NFL. But the play ers who will fill those shoes are promising. Kelly announced that Damian Ramos will handle field goals, but the kickoff specialist hasn’t been named as of yet; the battle is between Nathan Dibert and Ezekeal Mata. Jay Bramblett, a Notre Dame transfer, will han dle punting with Peyton Todd backing him up. One thing LSU has going into the season that will work in its favor is depth; if one player doesn’t fit a certain position or meet expectations, there will al ways be someone reliable that could follow them. This could take the Tigers a long way, and most certainly could take them along the right path to build the program back up.
BLAINE SWANZY / The Reveille
Students face miscommunication at Student Health Center UNEXPECTED FEES
Effective Altruism defines doing good for LSU students
Kafili, an international grad uate student studying media and public affairs, immediately contacted ACS Medical Business Solutions, the Student Health Center’s financial partner that handles billing. After request ing a breakdown of his charges, Kafili discovered two of the five charges were supposed to be covered by his insurance, with another waiting for potential in surance coverage but appearing as a“Whencharge. I contacted them, [ACS] and I [was] like ‘what’s go ing on?’” Kafili said. “We found that three out of five [bills] I wasn’t even responsible for. So, what’s the guarantee of that sys tem not having any problems with other Multiplestudents?”students, especially international and graduate stu dents like Kafili, have been sub jected to similar fees and other costs associated with the Stu dent Health Center. Roughly 15 of his friends, all international students, have dealt with problems from Stu dent Health Center fees. But some of these students have busy schedules, so they were unable to call the Student Health Center to question unexpected bills, Kafili said.
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DYLAN BOREL / The Reveille
see WEATHER, page 4 see COMMUNITY, page 5 COMMUNITY see HEALTHCARE, page 5
Effective Altruism also invites students to ponder the question “What does it mean to ‘do good’ in the first place?” Gietz said that it’s difficult to
According to the Internation al Services Annual Report of Fall 2021, there are about 1,500 in ternational students on campus, 976 of which are graduate stu dentsAnotherscholars.charge Kafili was presented with was for a COV ID-19 test. After a nurse admin istered the test, Kafili was not prescribed medicine or treat ment. He was instructed to con tinue his use of over-the-counter medicine. This cost him $161. He was similarly charged for a vaccine that cost him the same amount of money as if he bought one at a non-LSU pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens.
“As students, we should as sume our health center should provide cheaper services,” Kafili said. “But it’s [the] same as out side.”During the healthcare pro cess, Kafili noticed a lack of communication from the Student Health Center and an increase of primary care prices. He be lieves that students are paying the price for the Student Health Center’s decision to change their financial“Nonepolicy.ofthe international or graduate students I know who have received these fees have done such a thing,” Kafili said. “They either paid it or waited. So they’re there [ACS], because we trust the system, but the sys tem is Shimaflawed.”Partovian, an Iranian graduate student studying Eng lish, experienced a similar issue with the Student Health Center’s billing department. She received three separate late fees from an unpaid bill from the Student Health Center. The fees continued to in crease in three levels of severity: a $37 fee charged for 91 to 100 days late; a $86 fee was charged for 120 to 150 days late and a $124 fee for anything exceeding BY CORBIN ROSS @CorbinRoss5
WEATHERHurricaneActiveSeasonAhead
BY MADDIE SCOTT
This year’s hurricane season has a 65% likelihood of having abovenormal hurricane activity, a 2022 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report revealed. The report, released May 24, pre dicts a 25% chance of a near-normal season with a 10% chance of a belownormalMatthewseason.Rosencrans, NOAA’s lead hurricane season forecaster, said they expect between 14 to 21 named storms, of which six to 10 could be come hurricanes, three of which could become major hurricanes. In 2021 there were 21 named storms, of which four were hurricanes. The 2020 season was the most active on record, with 30 named storms, in cluding 14 hurricanes. This report is the seventh con secutive that has predicted an abovenormal season. Rosencrans said the outlooks are accurate 67% of the time. None of the forecasts for the past seven years have overestimated the season, but some have underes timated.“We looked at the things that change over decades,” said Rosen crans, explaining that phenomena like La Niña, wind shear and Atlantic trade winds influence hurricanes on an extended Accordingtimeline.toNOAA, La Niña is a weather pattern where the water in the eastern Pacific is colder than usu al. This makes it easier for hurricanes to form in the Atlantic and harder in the WindPacific.shear is the change in speed or direction of the wind, Ros encrans said. He added that lower
@madscottyy
BY CLAIRE THERIOT @ClaireTheriot2 Before coming to LSU, math junior Harrison Gietz started ful ly noticing the hundreds of lifethreatening issues in the world. He then heard about Effective Altruism and realized that with this program, he could use the resources he had to help address theseEffectiveproblems.Altruism is a global community and social movement that aims to help others through evidence-based reasoning. Vol unteers focus on problems they feel are most neglected, even when they are not easily acces sible, and find the best way to reach out and solve the issue, Gi etz Gietzsaid. felt he could build a community of people by forming an Effective Altruism chapter at LSU that would be united by a passion for using evidence-based reasoning to do good in the com munity.“Iwas really inspired to see a community of people who were taking a thorough and evidencebased approach to helping oth ers,” he Effectivesaid. Altruism is a re search field and practical com munity that aims to identify the world’s most pressing problems and find solutions to them while using those findings to do good,
Note: The Reveille is dedicat ing a string of stories looking at the operations of LSU’s Student Health Center. This is the first part in an ongoing series. Soheil Kafili didn’t expect to receive a $400 bill in July from the Student Health Center, nor did he expect over a dozen of his international student col leagues to share this experience.
according to the Effective Altru ismThewebsite.group is guided by five principles including commitment to others, scientific mindset, openness, integrity and collabor ative spirit; and encourages stu dents to reflect on questions like “How can we do the most good with our time and resources?” and “There are so many prob lems in the world; how can we decide which ones to prioritize?”
The LSU Student Health Center sign sits Aug. 19, in front of the LSU Student Health Center on Infirmary Road, Baton Rouge, La.
Rosencrans said the Atlantic has been in an active era since 1995, lead ing to an above-average sea-surface temperature. The active phase lasts between 25 and 40 years, so the At lantic should be transitioning out of the active phase soon.
According to LSU’s Office of Emergency Preparedness, LSU will keep students informed in advance of a hurricane’s approach and advise them to check the university’s web site and social media, along with lo cal news.LSUis required to have a certain number of class days for the semes ter, the office explained, so make-up days may be required if school is can celed for an extended period, similar to the cancellations during last year’s Hurricane Ida.
The Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscil lations are long-duration changes in sea-surface temperatures that affect climate patterns. According to NOAA, warm phases, also called active eras, contribute to the factors that result in above-normal hurricane seasons.
Miller said that, despite an an ticipated above-average season, the season is off to a really slow start. He said that, according to statistics, there should have already been a hurricane.
Paul Miller, an LSU meteorolo gist, said that LSU produces its own forecast for hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. Their forecast, he added, also predicts an above-normal sea son.Miller said they look at the tem perature about four miles into the atmosphere above the Gulf to make the prediction. This year, they found warmer temperatures in the atmo sphere above the Gulf, which have historically been correlated with more active hurricane seasons.
“We’re around the time we should start seeing a change,” Rosencrans said. “But those changes take be tween 18 to 24 months to happen because you’re changing the entire temperature and wind circulation of the Atlantic Ocean.”
Rosencrans said these factors ac count for 75 to 80% of all the variants for hurricane activity.
“We came really strong out of the gate with three tropical storms in June and then that has been kind of it and there has not been a tropical system since then,” Miller said. “So, there’s a lot of indications that is go ing to change over the next couple weeks.”He said many models suggest hurricane season will, however, be ramping soon. According to NOAA, the peak of hurricane season is Sept. 10, with 96% of major hurricanes occurring between mid-August and mid-October.“Itmight seem like it’s off to a slow start,” Miller said. ”But the most hazardous and active part of the sea son is still ahead of us.”
page 4 Thursday, September 1, 2022 BLAINE SWANZY / The Reveille WEATHER, from page 3
wind shear makes it easier for hur ricanes to form. The Atlantic trade winds are also weaker, another factor that makes it easier for hurricanes to form.
page 5Thursday, September 1, 2022 150Partoviandays. was charged the $124 fee from the Student Health Center on April 12. When she called the Student Health Center to address the is sue, she was referred to ACS. She called ACS about five times be fore someone answered. When they finally did, ACS instructed her to not pay anything and that they would send her a new bill. This would take 40 days. “They didn’t give me any de tails about why this happened,” Partovian said. “I wanted actual ly to see for what I was charged, but there was no information.”
The Reveille
MADISON SCOTT / The Reveille A pamphlet about billing and insurance sits in the student health center waiting room on August 3.
Hupperich said this decision was made for two reasons: to let students with good insurance be able to use their benefits at the Student Health Center instead of seeking medical service out side of campus, and to generate more revenue for services from students who utilize the Stu dent Health Center rather than increasing the Student Health Center fee on the fee bill for all students.“Allstudents would continue to pay a student health fee, but then the students who utilized us more, we would use the fees generated from those visits to help offset the need for a future fee increase,” Hupperich said.
Hupperich believes it is rea sonable for students to expect a verbal estimated cost of a prima ry care service based on their in surance plan and prior to walk ing in the clinic. “As the Student Health Cen ter, we should be able to pro vide [students] with an estimate of what things would cost, and I think as a consumer of health care, they should ask those questions,” Hupperich said.
Specifically for international students, the Student Health Center has worked on creat ing an informational booklet about billing and insurance. The clinic also worked with some international students to cre ate an informational video ex plaining billing and insurance in the United States and how it may look different than in other countries, Hupperich said. “Some of the countries [in ternational students] come from, the government pays for all of your healthcare,” Hupperich said. ”And of course, that’s not typically the case here.”
Hupperich also advised students struggling to afford medical care to speak with the Student Health Center’s case manager to connect students with community resources. An other solution she offered was to evaluate other insurance op tions.Issues with the Student Health Center’s billing process don’t just affect international graduate students. Architecture senior Harris Quadir was sav ing up for a study abroad trip in France. But he feared his plans would fall through when he re ceived an unexpected $1,000 bill from the Student Health Center. “I was just shocked,” Quadir said. “I just didn’t believe it, and I thought there was a mistake.” Before receiving the bill, Quadir noticed his insurance covered his co-pay for every previous visit he made to the Student Health Center. “I was going to the assump tion that everything was being taken care of by my insurance,” Quadir said. “I was just not re ally well aware that I was still beingQuadirbilled.”was never verbally informed that bills were accu mulating throughout his 14 vis its to the Student Health Center over the 2021 school year. He learned the Student Health Cen ter had been mailing paper bills to his old house that burnt down in December “Obviously2021.wewere not get ting mail from that address any more,” Quadir said. “So, some thing as sensitive as bills should not have been ineffectively com municated to the patient, be cause I’m sure if I had known about it since the first $100 bill, I would have been a little bit moreQuadiralert.”wishes someone at the front desk, a nurse or doc tor would have alerted him that he had a high, accumulating bal ance.“International students have it a lot worse,” Quadir said. “You don’t really have a choice be cause it’s your home, so it’s frus trating, and then [there is a] lack of communication, so you’re not really informed of what’s going on until it’s too late.”
While Partovian waited for the updated bill, she received another bill for $336. She called ACS again, and they said it was a doubled late fee for not pay ing the $124 late fee. Partovian asked what this unpaid bill was that was causing all of the late fees.ACS did not answer her ques tion, repeating that she had to pay the bill. “I didn’t understand any thing. I just said, ‘okay, if I have to pay something, let’s just do it,’” Partovian said. Part of the bill was sent to a collection agency. On Aug. 5, Partovian ended up paying $212 and still didn’t know why. “I don’t have a choice,” Parto vian said. “I have to go back [to the Student Health Center], be cause, according to them, it’s the cheapest for us. I don’t know. I’ll go there, definitely. But I just wish that they would be actually clear about all these charges or give us some info about what they are actually for.”
LSU is currently reevaluat ing the student health insurance plan, Executive Director of the Student Health Center Julie Hup perich said. While the Student Health Center isn’t the primary party in the decision-making process, they are still part of the conversation, she added. “We give [LSU administra tion] feedback based on what we see in our building, what stu dents need, so that is definitely something we are working on,” Hupperich said. “We really do believe we can get a more ro bust plan at a lower premium to make it more affordable for students.”TheStudent Health Center partnered with LSU Healthcare Network in May 2021 and be came “in-network” with most major US-based insurance plans.
HEALTHCARE, from page 3 COMMUNITY, from page 3 come up with a concrete defini tion of doing good. He believes it could mean improving or creat ing Somewell-being.ofhis ideas to improve or create well-being include preventing diseases, improving factory farming conditions for animals and reducing risks from future pandemics.
The organization also encour ages students to think critically about how they can use their skills and career to accomplish the most good if they choose to do “It’sso. a really significant deci sion we make as students,” Giets said.Philosophy and sociology se nior Amie Ć emalović said she joined Effective Altruism to dis cuss the real-world implications of ethical approaches discussed in philosophy.Theorganization has to think critically about current and fu ture problems and find the root of each problem to form a solu tion. However, this is not always easy, she “Theresaid.remains endless dis course on what ought to be pur sued and how we ought to pur sue it,” Ć emalović said. Ć emalović also said the orga nization impacts the world today through charity donations and volunteerPoliticalwork.science junior Na thaniel Dela Pena joined Effective Altruism to learn others’ perspec tives and methods on changing the world, in addition to his own. Effective Altruism shapes lives and works with charities that can make an impact on glob al issues. The community is filled with like-minded people, trying to work to solve global problems effectively, Dela Pena said. “In a world full of problems, we must value every last second and penny,” Dela Pena said. Effective Altruism meets ev ery other Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Union, and its first meeting is on Sept. 1.
MADISON SCOTT
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A wall of pamphlets are displayed to students, faculty and staff in the student health center on August 3.
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Baton Rouge Pop-Up Picnic Monte Sano Park
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September7ATSUNDAY 4TH
September8ATFRIDAY 2nd
Friday, Sept. 2 is ’80s night at Chelsea’s Live! Get ready to go back to the future when local band Speak Easy takes the stage at 8 p.m. at 1010 Nicholson Dr.
ENTERTAINMENTTHISWEEKIN COURTESY OF CHYNNA MCCLINTON September SATURDAY
Fred’s is known for having live music, big crowds and good drinks. On Sept. 3, coun try music artist Clay Cormier will be per forming in the tent at Fred’s in Tigerland.
Tired of regular date nights? The solution is here, and it’s at the park. Sept. 4 at Monte Sano Park, 2727 Green well St., there will be a Pop-Up Picnic in the Park for couples. This specific date night includes guided activi ties that will help you and your partner connect with each other’s love languages.
BY MADELON DAVIS @MadelonDavis Want to see your event in The Reveille? Email information to editor@lsu.edu. COURTESY OF OLIVIA TROXCLAIR COURTESY OF EVENTBRITE.COM 3rdClay Cormier Fred’s in Tigerland
Speak Chelsea’sEasyLive
The Mental Health Service is lo cated on the second floor of the LSU Student Health Center and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday. 5. Learn the material, don’t just study it Do yourself a favor and learn your class material. Only memo rizing it will hurt you in the long run.
Camryn Marshall, an apparel de sign junior, recommends staying on top of your work. “Do not procrastinate because then it’ll be stressful afterward,” Marshall said. “Have good com munication with your professors and get your assignments done days before they’re due.” Upperclassmen, like Marshall, have found that getting an early start on assignments allows more time to go back and make correc tions that result in a better grade.
4. Put your mental health first Mental health helps individu als determine how to handle stress, relate to others and make healthy choices. Jaylin Darens bourg, a junior studying film and television, encourages freshmen to pay attention to their wellbe ing.“Stay on your school work, and put your mental health first,” Darensbourg said. “Take your time on your assignments, and when you’re feeling over whelmed, just take a step back andIt’sbreathe.”easyto get caught up with loads of schoolwork that can cause your mental health to de cline. As simple as it sounds, take a breather, and take it one step at a time. The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds estimates 73% of students experience some sort of mental health crisis during col lege. Though it may seem like it at times, you are not alone. Mental health tips include get ting enough sleep, drinking lots of water, exercising and partici pating in activities that interest you. LSU offers various resources for mental health, like ThePhone, a 24-hour crisis counseling and support line students can call or text at 225-924-5781. The LSU Mental Health Service also of fers free online anonymous selfassessments that can direct stu dents to individualized resources.
Freshman survival guide: Five tips from LSU upperclassmen
3. Do not procrastinate In college, you are going to have a lot on your plate with classes, clubs and friends. The best strategy to avoid stress and feeling cluttered is to work on your time management skills.
Kinesiology senior Alandria Garrett warns freshmen of cumu lative“Manyassignments.professors will use past lesson materials in other assign ments later in the course,” Gar rett said. “Learning it will allow you to be prepared for any and everything your teacher throws yourAnyoneway.” can just “get the grade,” but learning and applying is the difference between pass ing and succeeding. The skills you learn from your courses your freshman year are skills you will use throughout college and be yond. When it comes down to getting a job, employers are look ing for what you can bring to the table, not just what you can memorize.Finda study method that helps you maximize learning, whether that’s using flashcards, writing notes, asking questions or going to study groups. The LSU Center for Academic Success provides a Semester Toolkit with tips and tricks to help students stay organized, engage in classes and get the most out of studying.
1. Network and make connec tions “Get involved in clubs that are a part of your major, as well as at tending events and being social. Not only is it fun, but it is free,” said Giselle Finley, an apparel de signNetworkingjunior. and making con nections are important while in college. Now is your chance to gather information and meet new people who have the same inter ests as you. It’s also an excellent time to surround yourself with new perspectives and ideas that can help you explore yourself and your interests. This can open doors and pro vide opportunities and help you feel more connected on campus. It might be challenging to get an internship your freshman year, but networking now can help make the process easier when finding one down the road.
page 7Thursday, September 1, 2022
2. It is OK to not know your major Many freshmen’s favorite thing to do is tell everyone their major. It’s often one of the first questions a new college student is asked. While some people know exactly what they want to do, others may not be so sure. At least 80% of students change their major throughout their college education, accord ing to the National Center for Education Statistics. It’s OK to not know exactly what subject you want to focus on just yet. Your freshman year is for you to explore your likes and dislikes by using your resources and getting to know the people aroundDon’tyou.limit yourself by your major and miss the chance to explore your passions. Electives are an important part of a college curriculum and may even turn into part of your degree down the road. While a major may be the No. 1 thing on your mind right now, minors are a great way to explore new interests or ex pand on old hobbies. LSU offers 330 programs for majors and 115 minors, from ceramics to sugar engineering.
Being a freshman at one of the oldest, most prestigious universi ties in the nation can be frighten ing at first. Adjusting to college life is a process and can take time, but with the help of your fellow upperclassmen, adapting can be easier than ever. Everyone knows the simple advice, such as go to class and take notes, but your freshman year is for you to really put your self out there and make the best of it. Now is your chance to set the tone for the next couple of years. Here’s what your fellow upperclassmen at Louisiana State University have to say.
BY COURTENEY LATIMER @goldencxx Page Designer Photographer Repor ter Content Director Sales Must be an LSU student enrolled half-time at minimum and in good academic standing with a minimum of 2.0 GPA . Open until filled Scan here to apply
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Led by dominant defensive line, LSU looks to surprise people in 2022
FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille LSU football players prepare for the snap Aug. 23, during a practice session in Baton Rouge, La.
FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille The LSU football team practices in the rain on Aug. 23, at the LSU practice facility in Baton Rouge, La.
FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille LSU football junior defensive end BJ Ojulari (18) talks with a fellow teammate Aug. 23, during a practice session in Baton Rouge, La.
FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille LSU football junior defensive end BJ Ojulari (18) runs drills on the field Aug. 23, with his team during a practice session in Baton Rouge, La.
OFCHANCEREIGN
FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille LSU football junior defensive end BJ Ojulari (18) runs drills on the field Aug. 23, with his team during a prac tice session in Baton Rouge, La.
page 10 Costs: $0.34 per word per day. Minimum $3.75 per day. Deadline: 12 p.m., three school days prior to the print publication date C l a s s i f ieds Now twice a week. To place your ad, visit www.lsureveille.co m /c lassi eds and click Submit an Ad Thursday, September 1, 2022 THE Daily Commuter Puzzle by Jacqueline E. Mathews FOR RELEASE JULY 30, 2022 ACROSS 1 Mai tai ingredient 4 Phonies 9 Comedian’s gag 13 “When the frost __ the punkin…” 15 Popeye’s love 16 Individuals 17 Incas’ home 18 Oarsman 19 Word attached to side or door 20 Derogatory 22 Sacred 23 Bundle of alfalfa 24 Bird on Australia’s coat of arms 26 Spinning 29 Old rulersEgyptian 34 Look-alikes 35 College officials 36 Minuscule 37 Ital. or Span. 38 Composer Franz 39 Pleased 40 Commonconjunction 41 Delicious 42 Strainer 43 Seizes a plane in flight 45 Football player, at times 46 Calendar pg. 47 Hunger pain 48 Fashionable 51 Deed’s declaration 56 Pull hard 57 White purchasesale 58 Large spades 60 Webmaster’s creation 61 Do the honors 62 Repast 63 Horse’s gait 64 Said no more 65 Withered DOWN 1 Tombstone letters 2 Like downshand-me3 Additional amount 4 “A Man Seasons”;__ 1966 film 5 Unaccompanied 6 Fuzzy fruit 7 __ though; albeit 8 Corporal’s superior 9 Biblical book 10 “__ bigger and better things!” 11 __ over; pass out 12 Get a glimpse of 14 Like Novocain 21 Mr. Potato Head parts 25 __. cookiesFields 26 Book of maps 27 Actress Hilary 28 Weather word 29 Gnats & rats 30 Unclear, as a memory 31 Young hooter 32 Throw with effort 33 Passover meal 35 Slipped __; back woe 38 National summer sport of Canada 39 Checked cotton fabric 41 Faucet 42 NBA team 44 Blazer 45 Went separate ways 47 Make angry 48 Abnormal sac 49 Head covering 50 Turn __; become 52 “__ Harry Met Sally…”; 1989 film 53 Intellectual type 54 __ tea 55 Fruit salad fruit 59 Not to be trusted ©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved. Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews 7/30/22 Friday’s Puzzle Solved 7/30/22 Let BusinessYourBloomPlaceaClassiedLSUReveille.com Help Wanted “The 13th Gate is Hiring Actors, Glamour Ghouls, & Makeup Art ists! Auditions will be held at 800 St. Philip St. bn 9:00 am and 5:00 pm on Aug 20th, 21st, 27th, 28th, Sep 3rd, 4th. It PAYS to be SCARY!” Help Wanted Gino’s Restaurant is now hiring for servers, bussers and experienced line cook. Text GINOS to 225-2404942 to apply or scan the QR code. Help Wanted Counter Culture Frozen Yogurt is hiring for crew member posi tions. Flexible hours. Hourly wage is $14/hr and up depending on experience. We offer a 401k with 100% employee match for FT and PT employees. Apply in person @ 7711 Perkins Road, Suite B, Baton Rouge, LA 70810. Help Wanted Near LSU. Great for medical, edu cation, other related majors. In terviewing for assistant to drive, assist with activities, meals, house hold. FT or PT, flexible. $16/hr Call Terri, 225 773 1069 Place your classified { {HE RE Place a classified at LSUReveille.com Help Wanted Baton Rouge Country Club is hir ing now for Golf Operations At Applytendants!here: 1?rcid=lsu_reveilleco/job/golf-operations-attendant-https://easyapply. place a classified LsuReveille.com!atwithYOURbusiness!splashmakea
SPORTSTHERISE OF
Sneaky Seminoles: Why you shouldn’t underestimate FSU
see DANIELS, page 13 see FLORIDA STATE, page 14 see OFFENSE, page 13 BLAINE SWANZY / The Reveille
page 11
The Reveille LSU football junior quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) rushes into the end zone and celebrates with sophomore wide receiver Malik Nabers (8) Sat urday, April 23, 2022, during LSU football’s annual spring football game with White winning 51-31 over Purple in Tiger Stadium.
Three yards and a cloud of dust. Coined in 1957 by Woody Hayes, the idiom refers to the most important players on the field: the linemen. This will be where games are won this season for LSU. Since 2019, LSU has had a rough time trying to fill the shoes of its previous national champi ons. Two years of poor perfor mances has led to an influx of new players with Head Coach Brian Kelly at the wheel. All eyes are on LSU’s skill positions to help bring the Tigers back to the top, but the true players to watch on the team are the offensive and defensive linemen.Lastyear, LSU’s offensive line wasn’t exactly reliable, but after Kelly announced the new starters, LSU fans should feel more confi dent about the strength at the line of scrimmage.Startingat left tackle, arguably the most important position on CONNOR BARNEY @theconnorbarney
Same attitude, different colors: Jayden Daniels’ journey to LSU
PETER NGUYEN /
Kaden Lyles was brought in from Wisconsin to play center and help All-ACC performer Dil lan Gibbons strengthen Florida State’s offensive line. Unfortu nately, the Seminoles suffered a huge loss as Lyles was lost for the year due to an undisclosed season-ending injury during fall camp.
@ChachereGrant The worst thing you could do against another team is to over look them, especially when they aren’t as talented as you on pa per.LSU is the favorite over Flor ida State in the first game of the year. The Seminoles are com ing off four straight losing sea sons, which hasn’t happened in almost 50 years. The low point during this span came last year, where Florida State lost to FCSlevel Jacksonville State on a lastsecond Hail Mary. Even though Florida State on paper has not been a very good squad the past few years, the Seminoles are only a dormant volcano waiting for its moment to erupt once again.
“Those are the guys you’re going to be with on the side lines and talking to throughout meetings,” Daniels remarked. “You’ve got to be able to trust them, and they have to be able to trustThough[you].”Daniels has won ev ery quarterback race, at least since his freshman year of high school, he’s never let those vic tories get to his head, striving to form good relationships with his quarterback rooms. He’s done a decent job so far, evident by the fact that the two quarterbacks he joined Arizona State with opted to stay until early 2022. Though the decision to start Daniels would initially pay off for the Sun Devils, with the then-freshman flourishing in the PAC-12 and improving the team’s previous record by a win, the fireworks wouldn’t last. Fast forward two seasons, and the
FOOTBALLyardsColumn:Threeandacloudofdust
“This is a team now that has Mike’s [Norvell’s] stamp on it,” said LSU head coach Brian Kelly at SEC Media Days in Atlanta on July 18. “It’s going to play hard for four quarters. You can see the development of younger players coming along especially on the offensive line. Defensively there’s a structure there that is sound andFromfundamental.”1976to2017, the Semi noles were only led by two coach es: the Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden and current Texas A&M Head Coach Jimbo Fisher. Dur ing that span, the Seminoles won three national championships, 15 ACC titles, 39 bowl games and only had one losing season. The most impressive accomplishment during that span was that Florida State went to 36 straight bowl games from 1982 to 2017, which is a NCAA record that still holds today.In 2021, Florida State started off the year 0-4 which includ ed close losses to Notre Dame (which was led by current LSU head coach Brian Kelly) in over time, Jacksonville State and Lou isville. However, the Seminoles turned things around by going 5-2, just missing out on a bowl appearance. Due to its upward trajectory, a lot of college football analysts have Florida State win ning at least seven or eight games thisOneyear.of the reasons why Flori da State rebounded in the second half of the season was due to the improved performance of quar terback Jordan Travis. Last year, Travis threw for 1,539 yards and 15 touchdowns, while completing 63% of his passes. Travis is also an excellent runner, as he is the Seminoles’ returning leading rusher from last season with 530 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He also had three 100-yard rushing games, two of which resulted in victories for Florida State. Slow ing Travis down and keeping him inside the pocket will be key for the Tigers if they want to avoid an upset.Florida State’s offensive line was one of the worst in the coun try as they were 114th in sacks al lowed (three sacks per game), T109th in tackles for loss allowed (6.75 per game) and 105th in third down conversion rate (34.9%).
BY HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_ Jayden Daniels’ current situa tion is much like the beginning of his college football career. Facing the inevitable depar ture of longtime starting quar terback Manny Wilkins after the 2017-18 season, Herm Edwards and the Arizona State coach ing staff did what they could to prepare, recruiting three quar terbacks from the 2019 class in four-star Joey Yellen, three-star Ethan Long and of course, fourstar Jayden AlongsideDaniels.those three was Dillon Sterling-Cole, who backed up Wilkins for three sea sons and registered a start as a freshman in 2016. Despite Ster ling-Cole’s edge in experience, Edwards didn’t indicate anyone as a favorite initially, stating that the race was wide open. Similarly to LSU in 2022, the quarterback competition lasted most of the offseason. After a few months, the race went from four to two, with Daniels and Sterling-Cole coming out as the front runners. Come mid-Au gust, Daniels was announced as the starting quarterback. Daniels recalled that quarter back competition in player inter views during fall camp, sporting a similar attitude to the quarter back room that he currently has with the Tigers. Even though they were competing, he did his best to form positive relation ships with them.
FOOTBALLBYGRANTCHACHERE
7-5
“Although this is a rebuild ing year, I expect a pretty big year for the Tigers. The Tigers’ quarterback room has the most depth that it has had in years, their receiving room is still elite and the defense will be one of the best in the coun try.”
-Grant @chacheregrantChachere
FOOTBALLFOOTBALLBYADAMBURRUSS
preseason pros pects don’t always last. The play ers don’t always ascend to their expected status and these sort of rankings become moot. Nonetheless, some drafteligible players on LSU’s roster already have first round buzz. Which players have the most hype and what can they do to fulfill that hype?
@AdamDBurruss
“I think the Tigers will steal a few games at home, but struggle in some of the tough er road games. To me, that amounts to about an 8-4 re cord, which would be a posi tive step forward in year one under Kelly.”-Tyler “Kelly@theconnorbarneyHardenwillneedmore than one year to craft a national championship team, but LSU will not be an easy win for SEC teams this year.” -Tyler thatButtheyofthis“Kelly@theconnorbarneyHardenseemstohaverebuiltteamwell,andbothsidestheballcouldbescaryifliveuptotheirpotential.there’salsoapartofmeremainsskeptical.”-HenryHuber@henryhuber_
page 12 Thursday, September 1, 2022
Kayshon Boutte Out of all LSU players, the 6-foot, 205-pound wide receiver probably has the most attention from analysts. Boutte’s strong hands, separation and yards after catch ability make him an appar ent top pick right out of the gate for Additionally,LSU. Boutte benefits from a move that displays his leadership. LSU granted him a seal of approval by awarding him the No. 7 jersey. When it comes to leadership and maturity, that sort of move displays a lot for a team that plans to pick Boutte as their top pick. Now, when it comes to his value amongst analysts, Boutte ranks all over the place thus far. Pro Football Focus placed him eighth overall on their big board back in May, and The Draft Wire’s USA Today projected him to go seventh overall in late Au gust. Meanwhile, in a mock draft drawn up by ESPN’s Matt Miller, Boutte was ranked 15th. Despite the discrepancies, analysts clear ly see him as a high first round prospect.Tokeep his stock rising, Boutte needs to stay on the field. If he plays a full, productive sea son, he probably locks himself in as a first rounder. BJ Ojulari Out of all the players on this list, defensive end BJ Ojulari projects the most stable standing as an NFL prospect. The 6-foot-3, JULIAN COOPER / The Reveille LSU sophomore wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (1) waits for the playcall on Oct. 2, during LSU’s 24-19 loss against Auburn at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
-Mackay “While@macthetigerSuirethisisnotthe result LSU fans would certainly hope for in the first year with a new head coach, I believe the Kelly era will be one of long term-Tylersuccess”Harden@ttjharden8
The top three Tigers with first-round NFL draft potential
-Cole @ct_hernandezHernandez
Reveille Sports Staff makes its LSU record predictions
The
LSU expects to continue the NFLSU tradition with a new batch of draft-eligible prospects thisHowever,season.
“My heart sees the potential for 9 or 10 wins, but my head says the team is likely to hit a few“Onroadblocks.”-JasonWillis@jasonwillis4paper,LSUhas talent and should immediately do well. How long will it take for the players to click, though?”
“I believe LSU losses three out of its last four and end the season on somewhat a bad note but still a respectable season for Brian Kelly’s first season.”-Tre@treday0314Allen “A three win improvement in Brian Kelly’s first season should satisfy LSU diehards.”
“Against tougher SEC oppo nents, I think that this roster’s NFL-level talent will allow the team to stay afloat. The lack of team chemistry, however, will be what forces them to drown.”
FOOTBALLLSU FOOTBALLLSU see NFLSU, page 14
-Adam @adamdburrussBurruss 8-4 9-3
Daniels considered this a plus in regard to what he’s try ing to accomplish, as he sees it as another factor to help better himself.“Ijust want to help prepare them and help them prepare me because at the end of the day, whoever’s called to be the starter is going to be the starter,” Daniels said. “It’s a great quar terback room, one of the top in theIncountry.”anattempt to better him self, he risked losing a quar terback battle and potentially dropping his NFL draft stock. That doesn’t seem to bother him though, as he firmly believes that whoever gets the starting job will provide the team with the best chance to win. Even with Brennan departing halfway through fall camp, the race remained tight, with Brian Kelly and the LSU coaching staff not coming to a decision until about a week before kickoff.
While Daniels has been consis tently seen as the favorite lately, we won’t know until Sunday. The competition also isn’t technically over, with Kelly stat ing he wouldn’t be surprised if both players see the field this season.Whatever is decided, it isn’t likely to damper either player’s motivation or their relationships with each other. According to both quarterbacks, the comrad ery in the quarterback room is strong, and neither has seen this as a competition.
OFFENSE, from page 11 the field, is five-star freshman Will Campbell. A 6-foot-6, 300 pound athlete, Campbell has high poten tial of being a future NFL star, and will look to excel with the Tigers. At the guard positions are Miles Frazier and Anthony Brad ford. Frazier is a transfer from Florida International University, and was ranked as the best offen sive tackle in the transfer portal. Bradford is one of the veterans of the line, along with starting right tackle Cam Wire, who looks to be come the star of the line that LSU can count on. Leading the team in the middle is center Garrett Del linger, who has settled in well to the center role during the fall camp and could look to shine in his new position. Kelly voiced his comfort with this selection saying, “Once we felt comfortable with Garrett Dellinger at the center position, everything else was able to fall in place.”
Reveille Archives LSU football quarterbacks Myles Brennan (15), Jayden Daniels (5), and Walker Howard (14) wait to receive the ball March 29, during LSU’s spring practice in Baton Rouge, La.
“That’s my little bro,” Daniels said about Nussmeier. “I know I’m trying to help prepare him because you never know what could occur at the end of the day.”“In the quarterback room, we’re going to need each other. It can’t be divided because we all have to be in the this togeth er.”He’s had the same attitude regarding the quarterback room since the start of his college ca reer, seeing the quarterback role as a team effort rather than an individual one. Throughout his press conference, he preached the importance of leadership, citing it as one of the aspects he has worked on the most. The decision to transfer to LSU was high-risk, high-reward, with Daniels potentially losing a sure starting job in pursuit of a better opportunity to prove himself a develop of his skillset. Whether or not he wins the role, he will still have a role with this team as a leader.
JOHN BAZEMORE / AP Photo LSU coach Brian Kelly speaks during an NCAA college football news conference at the SEC Media Days, July 18, in Atlanta.
With this revamped and tal ented offensive line, LSU will not be beaten easily for control on the line of scrimmage. On the other side of the ball, LSU looks even stronger with a talented front line. The starting defensive line is experienced in college football and has built a lot of chemistry playing together last year. There are three draft pros pects just from the starting de fensive line with defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy, defensive end Ali Gaye and defensive end B.J. Oju lari, who is projected to be drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.Along with sophomore Maason Smith, who is predicted to have a breakout season after an impres sive freshman campaign, this tal ented defensive line will look to open the season strong against Florida State. Jamar Cain will lead the pack as the defensive line coach, and LSU will line up with one of the strongest defensive lines in college football. Between the redesigned of fensive line and the talented de fensive line, LSU could turn heads this year as the SEC’s darkhorse. As many famous football coaches have said, games are won at the line of scrimmage, and few teams in the country are going to win the line of scrimmage over LSU.
page 13Thursday, September 1, 2022 DANIELS, from page 11 team showed little improvement, following a promising 5-1 start with an embarrassing, midsea son collapse that had it finishing with the same record as 2019. Among their disappoint ments was Daniels, whose sec ond full season as a starter did not meet expectations. If you took seven of his touchdowns from his freshman season and converted them into intercep tions, you would have his touch down-to-interception ratio from 2021.With two years of eligibil ity remaining and controversy placing Arizona State football in jeopardy, he had two options: ride the ship to its impending doom or swim in search of bet ter waters. Being that this isn’t Arizona news, it’s fair to say he chose the latter. He took that decision to the next level though, opting to test his abilities at the highest diffi culty and with the most eyes on him in the SEC. After less than three weeks in the portal, he be came a “TheTiger.opportunity presented itself to compete at the highest level, against the best confer ence in college football in the SEC West,” Daniels said about the decision. “To be able to be around the top matches where I’m trying to go and where I’m trying to be.” Not only did he join a team in the toughest division in college football, he also wasn’t guaran teed the starting job despite his track record. He would have to compete with long-time backup Myles Brennan, up-and-coming redshirt freshman Garrett Nuss meier and five-star prospect Walker Howard, a near-identical spread to the one he dealt with at Arizona BrennanState.and Nussmeier had already proven they could hold their own as the starter in a lim ited capacity at the SEC level, and Howard impressed tremen dously throughout the offsea son. Though Howard quickly got marked off as a candidate, this was a three-man race through much of the offseason and a tight one at that.
LSU football cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (7) prepares to run his shuttle drill April 6, during LSU’s NFL Pro day in the LSU football indoor practice facil ity in Baton Rouge, La.
NFLSU, from page 12 TRINITY SUMLIN / The Reveille
While Wilson did have drop issues at Arizona State, he is a threat in the red zone due to his 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame. LSU will look closely at these two new additions to Florida State’s offense during film sessions.
page 14 Thursday, September 1, 2022
250 pound edge rusher recorded seven sacks last season, which drew the attention of multiple evaluators.BJOjulari already developed a sound toolset as a pass rusher. He has enough bend and quick ness to outspeed tackles, but has also developed sound hand us age, allowing him to creatively string together various moves to outsmart offensive linemen. Overall, Ojulari already has a highAsfloor.mentioned with Boutte, a big factor to teams spending their best pick comes from leadership; Ojulari already embodies that as he joins a list of prestigious lead ers that were chosen to wear No. 18 for LSU. From a personality standpoint, he seems to fit what teams want in a player. This is definitely beneficial to him. Sports Illustrated’s Ric Ser ritella projected the edge rusher to go 15th overall in late August, while at the same time, The Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling projected Ojulari to land 25th overall. Oju lari tends to land later in the first round, but the fact that people have noticed him already could become one of his greatest as sets.To reach the first round, Oju lari also needs to show depend ability on paper. He already proj ects well as an NFL prospect, but LSU is deep at the defensive line. He can take advantage of that. If Ojulari gets more sacks and keeps his steady projection, he should land in the first round. Jaquelin Roy Speaking of LSU’s deep de fensive line, Jaquelin Roy may end up as LSU’s next first round pick based on traits alone. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound defensive tackle came to LSU as a recruit, and though he has not yet pro duced to the level of a surefire first round pick, a breakout sea son could serve him well. For starters, Roy changed po sitions from a three-technique defensive lineman to a nose tack le. Considering the lack of defen sive line talent in this upcoming draft, Roy will immediately stand out. If his performance translates to him being a truly sound nose tackle, Roy could become a high ly-touted prospect. Back in May, PFF ranked Roy as their fifth overall player on their big board. In June, however, he was ranked third on their de fensive tackle board. Roy clearly has some hype behind him, but he has yet to land solidly within mock drafts. To make it to the first round, Roy has to have a breakout sea son. If the newly anointed nose tackle finds success quickly,
SAVANNA ORGERON / The Reveille
FLORIDA STATE, from page 11 Although the loss of Lyles may hurt Florida State down the road, the Seminoles have more depth on the offensive line this year than they have had in recent years. Darius Washington moved to center and started all 12 games last year. Washington started five games at right tackle and seven games at left tackle. Maurice Smith, the starting center from last year, may also get some snaps at center as well if Washington struggles or gets hurt. Florida State also brought in transfers D’Mitri Emmanuel, Jazs ton Turnetine and Bless Harris to start on the offensive line. But, there still remains some questions about the offensive line. Florida State looked sloppy at times during its 47-7 victory over Duquesne. There were a few times where the Duquesne defen sive line broke through. Luckily for the Seminoles’ offensive line, their running backs bailed them out as there was missed tackle af ter missed tackle. That won’t be the case against LSU because the Tigers have one of the best defensive lines in the country and that could spell trouble for Florida State if they continue to make mistakes on the offensive line. The wide receiver position, which has been another issue with Florida State’s offense, was upgraded as well, bringing in My cah Pittman and Johnny Wilson from Oregon and Arizona State respectively. Pittman seemed to have a good connection on the field with Travis during spring practices according to multiple sources from the media who cov er Florida State.
Florida State’s defense will be the heart and soul of the team as it’s one of the most underrated defenses in college football. Flor ida State returns a veteran de fensive back room that includes All-American safety Jammie Rob inson, who recorded 85 tackles and four interceptions, which were both team highs. They also have a solid line backer room as well, with vet eran Kalen DeLoach and transfer Tatum Bethune leading the way. Bethune had over 100 tackles while earning all-conference honors last season at UCF. Similar to LSU, Florida State has a solid defensive line. Al though the Seminoles lost ACC Defensive Player of the Year Jer maine Johnson, they still have a strong group coming back this fall. Florida State still has its starting disruptors up the middle in defensive tackle Fabien Lovett and nose tackle Robert Cooper. The Seminoles also have emerging defensive end Derrick McClendon returning as well. Mc Clendon had 3.5 sacks coming off the bench last season. The Semi noles also brought in transfer defensive end Jared Verse from FCS-level Albany. Verse was a FCS Freshman All-American last year for the Great Danes. The key to overcoming Flori da State’s defense will be deter mined in the trenches. Florida State will be one of the best de fensive fronts LSU will face all year. LSU does not want a repeat of last year’s season opener when the Tigers were beaten badly in the trenches by UCLA’s defensive line last September. LSU needs its run game to get going so it can set up the pass to get the ball to players on the outside such as Kayshon Boutte and Malik Na bers.The Seminoles will face off against LSU in the heavily an ticipated Louisiana Kickoff at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. The game will be streaming live on ABC.
The leading rusher in the running back room also returns as Treshaun Ward is back from a solid performance as the No.2 running back last season. He had 515 rushing yards with four TDs and 6.4 yards per carry. Florida State brought in Oregon transfer Tre Benson to help with depth and he is also one of the fastest players on the team. The key to stopping Florida State will be to neutralize the run game. The Seminoles’ offensive coordinator is Alex Atkins, who is also their offensive line coach as well. That only means one thing: the Seminoles want to be physical and run the ball down your throat. The Seminoles ran for 406 yards against Duquesne, with Ward, Benson, and Toafili going for over 100 yards each.
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Ben Haines is a 24-year-old history graduate student from Shreveport.
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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 Commu nication. 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 deliv ered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for ver ification 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 edi tor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
Deferred maintenance creates poor grad student conditions
A cardboard sign marked with “WARNING: ASBESTOS” covers the floor in Himes Hall during the fall 2020 semester.
of
“Sometimes you can have a whole lifetime in a day and never notice that this is as beautiful as it gets.”
Opinion Editor
page 15OPINION
EDITORIAL BOARD Josh Archote Editor-in-ChiefManagingEditor
BEN HAINES / The Reveille
CLAIRE SULLIVAN / The Reveille Tarps cover some sections of the bookshelves on Aug. 30, inside of the LSU Library on Tower Drive in Baton Rouge, La.
When I arrived at LSU in 2019 as a first-year history graduate student, I thought I knew what to expect. I knew I wouldn’t make much money. I knew that I would have to work hard and put in long hours reading, grading papers and writing essays. But I was optimistic that LSU was the right place for me to pursue my intellectual and pro fessional dreams. I thought I was attending a supportive university committed to keeping me and my fellow classmates safe and supported during our time in Ba tonWhileRouge. I’m still sure about the former, I’m no longer con vinced of the latter. As I begin my fourth year as a tiger, I’ve become increasingly skeptical of the university’s commitment to me and my fellow students. After last fall’s Title IX scandal in the French Department, mishandling of sexual violence cases, dubious financial decisions and a poten tially hazardous work environ ment, I’m now more cynical than ever of LSU’s commitments to the safety and well-being of the student body — but especially to their graduate students and teachingBasedassistants.onfirst-hand experi ence, the main reason for this suspicion is the dangerously high amount of deferred maintenance in Himes Hall, which houses his tory faculty on the second floor and graduate assistants on the third.Ifirst noticed it early in the fall 2020 semester. As is usual for Louisiana, August and September brought almost daily hard rain fall – so hard, apparently, that the roof became overwhelmed, causing water to flow into the at tic space above the teaching as sistant’s offices, eventually dam aging the ceiling to the degree that sheetrock and insulation fell into workspaces below. This happened several times, first in my office, which caused water damage to both school and personal property, and then to others’. Every time, maintenance would come — often painfully slowly — and patch the ceiling but not the root of the issue: the roof.Later that same semester, I was on the second floor of Himes with another student in the wait ing area outside of a few profes sors’ offices. He pointed out to me a sign, written on a piece of cardboard, covering an exposed area on the floor, inscribed “Warning: Asbestos.” We were bothSinceconcerned.then,I’ve been increas ingly disheartened by the state of the buildings in the Quad. Here are the two most explicit exam ples: Over the summer, the ceil ing in Stubbs Hall leaked, forcing office furniture to find refuge in the hallway of the second floor, where it still sits. The second is one most of us already know: Many bookshelves on the fourth floor of the LSU Library are cov ered with tarps to protect the books – not as a short-term so lution, but as a medium-to longterm one. They have been there at least a Tammyyear.Millican, the execu tive director of Facility and Prop erty Oversight, told me that LSU is aware of these issues, is do ing their best to keep up with the deferred maintenance and is complying with state and federal guidelines on the management of asbestos materials. The large amounts of de ferred maintenance, Millican said, is due to LSU’s large size and, in many cases, aging build ings. Since 2016, the state legis lature has provided $2-3 million annually to address maintenance needs. On a more hopeful note, the backlog of deferred mainte nance has been reduced since 2017, thanks in large part to the Strategic Capital Plan. According to Millican, “deferred mainte nance will be lower than it was the previous year for the first time in many decades at LSU.” This statement brings opti mism, but we’ll see if it brings results. LSU’s recent spending habits have shown it doesn’t take these structural problems as seri ously as it Accordingcould.toLSU’s 2021 Com prehensive and Strategic Campus Master Plan, since 2017, the uni versity has spent $120 million on major, nonacademic updates, such as an expansion of the Uni versity Recreation Building, Ti ger Park Indoor Practice Facility and additions to the Football Op erationsMeanwhile,Center. as students float down the UREC’s lazy river, a recent deferred maintenance budget shows that there are $1.2 million worth of repairs each to Himes and Coates Halls, $1.3 million in repairs each to Pleas ant and Johnston Halls, and over $1 million in repairs to the li brary. In all, the budget reports a total of almost $604 million in deferred maintenance. This misapplication of funds negatively impacts LSU in two important ways. First, it shows where our school’s interest really lies: in athletics and non-academic fluff, instead of research, much-need ed repairs and employee salaries. Second, it harms our school’s future. Top prospective graduate students – who would all play a part in grading, advising and teaching undergraduates – are less likely to choose LSU over other schools when they see the signs warning of asbestos or wa ter leaks and rotten sheetrock hanging over their heads. And what would they make of the tarp-covered library books? It would be difficult for one to con clude that LSU is a top academic destination when they can’t – or won’t – take care of essential re searchThankfully,materials.a university isn’t the sum of its administration’s policy decisions. It’s largely the makeup of the experiences and people that inhabit it. If my time in the History Department is in dicative of the rest of the school, LSU has a lot of things going for it. We have kind, supportive, knowledgeable faculty members who demonstrate concern for students’Hopefully,well-being.theuniversity will soon be mending its ways. New LSU executive vice president and vice provost Roy Haggerty has committed to several campus im provements, including an update to the library and an increase in graduate assistant pay, which is barely above the Louisiana poverty line for a single-person household.Regardless of who the presi dent was in years past, poor decisions were made. It’s the responsibility of the current ad ministration to rectify those mis takes. To do so wouldn’t just be the bare minimum standard of care and duty, but it would also help LSU in the long-term. It would allow those of us who love this school and the people in it, mistakes and all, to be able to say honestly that LSU is the place to be to fulfill one’s personal and professional dreams.
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page 16 Thursday, September 1, 2022
What I wish I knew before leaving Florida for Baton Rouge
Over the last couple of weeks, driving in Louisiana has been an otherThere’sadjustment.nothing quite like the quiet traffic within Tallahassee. The smooth flow of cars makes you feel safe while blasting mu sic, singing and driving. Sure, there are some reckless drivers, but unless you travel downtown, you’ll be fine. The same can be said for parts of Baton Rouge. Most people use their turn signals and follow ba sic traffic laws. But on I-10, death seems to be right around the corner. People in Louisiana al ways seem to be in a rush, and you must copy that attitude — or get run over. I-10 is not a play ground, and outsiders need to realize that as soon as possible. Though the weather and traf fic can be ruthless, Baton Rouge has its perks. Bass said she liked that Baton Rouge is more walk able than her hometown of Pan ama City, and it’s not as much of a hassle to travel around the state
“You know you can pretty much just get on the interstate and drive as close as you need to go instead of going 30 minutes to the next town,” she said. As someone who grew up in Florida, I’ve never been in such a lively environment. Wheth er you’re strolling down Free Speech Plaza and witnessing people sharing their thoughts about religion and involvement opportunities, hearing people play instruments in the Quad or seeing people play games on the Parade Ground, there always seems to be something to do in good ol’ Baton Rouge.
TAYLORTALKSTAYLOR’SHAMILTON @taylorhami04 BLAINE SWANZY / The Reveille
Two weeks ago, I moved over 400 miles away from my home town of Tallahassee, Florida, to come to LeavingLSU.home was a terrify ing experience. I didn’t know a soul. Louisiana is a new place with a new culture. The bubble of Tallahassee is much quieter than Baton Rouge. When I moved here, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew about Louisiana was its love of Mardi Gras and football. In my short time here, I’ve already real ized several things I wish I had known before moving. First is the unforgiving Loui siana summer. I’m used to the rainy, Florida heat, but my years in the Sunshine State did little to prepare me for Louisiana’s cli mate.When it’s 80-90 degrees in Tallahassee, the air is so dry that your lips cry for ChapStick. In Ba ton Rouge, your clothes begin to stick to you because of the heat. It feels like you took a shower in your own sweat. There have been several occasions when I’ve wanted someone to take a fivegallon Gatorade cooler of water and dump it over my head. “Honestly, [the humidity’s] kind of worse here,” said anthro pology senior and Florida native Gracie Bass. “It just feels still, there’s no movement. It feels veryAsswampy.”someone from Tallahassee, I’ve known days and weeks of constant rain. Still, Baton Rouge has us Floridabeat.has a state-wide an nual rainfall average of 53 inch es, whereas southeast Louisiana faces up to 70 inches a year, ac cording to the North Carolina In stitute for Climate Studies. And Baton Rouge rain isn’t dainty droplets but rather a complete downpour. You must always have an umbrella, raincoat or rain boots with you. I fell under the illusion that Tallahassee’s rain was bad simply because it happened nearly every day. But I never had to carry an umbrel la with me 24/7, and the rain wouldn’t get my clothes so wet that I had to squeeze water out of them — something I’ve already done at least once at LSU.
Taylor Hamilton is an 18-yearold mass communication fresh man from Tallahassee, Florida.
