The Reveille 3-21-24

LSU’s road to back-to-back championships.

THE PATH

A look at LSU’s NCAA Tournament region and the obstacles ahead

BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8

The Albany Regional No. 2 of the NCAA Tournament is tough as nails, and LSU finds itself right in the thick of it.

Selection Sunday went just about as planned for the Tigers, finding themselves at a No. 3 seed, hosting the first two rounds at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and taking on No. 14 Rice in the opening round.

The path back to the Final Four, however, isn’t as straight forward.

Here’s a look at how LSU can make it back to the Final Four, and the teams that will likely stand in its way of doing so. Round of 32

With a win in the first round over Rice, LSU would face the winner of No. 6 Louisville and No. 11 Middle Tennessee.

The Louisville Cardinals are currently the No. 23 ranked team in the AP Top 25, making them one of two No. 6 seeds ranked in the Top 25. The other is Syracuse, which Louisville won one of two games against during the regular season.

Louisville, however, has lost three of its last five games, including two losses to Notre Dame, which is a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But the Cardinals beat Notre Dame 7366 on Feb. 8. So regardless, Louisville is capable of taking down top teams.

Middle Tennessee lies on the other side of LSU’s potential Round of 32 matchup, and the Blue Raiders are arguably a team that can break many people’s brackets.

They’re on a 19-game win streak, in which they’ve won 17 of their last 19 games by double digit points. Despite playing in a smaller conference in the Conference USA, Middle Tennessee has proved itself against Southeastern Conference opponents with an 11-point win over Tennessee in December.

Middle Tennessee hasn’t lost yet in 2024, and momentum could be all a team needs to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Sweet 16

With wins in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers will head to Albany, New York, to take on the winner of the first two rounds hosted by No. 2 seed UCLA.

UCLA is the favorite to make it through the first two rounds to the Sweet 16, and it opens the tournament against No. 15 California Baptist.

The Bruins are currently the No. 6 team in the country after losing 80-70 to its Los Angeles counterpart, USC, in the Pac-12 Championship in two overtimes. UCLA won one and lost one against USC, which is a 1-seed

in the tournament, during the regular season.

Prior to the Pac-12 championship, UCLA was on a six-game win-streak, including two wins over No. 21-ranked Utah, and No. 17 ranked Colorado.

However, the Sweet 16 isn’t a lock for UCLA, as it may have to get past Creighton, the only 7-seed ranked in the AP Top 25.

Creighton came into the Big East semifinals with losses only to teams which made the NCAA Tournament, including two losses to UConn, which is a No. 3 seed in the tournament. But it was upset by Georgetown, which is not in the NCAA Tournament, in the conference semifinals.

The Blue Jays take on No. 10 seed UNLV in the first round of the tournament. The UNLV Rebels could arguably be the most dangerous 10-seed in the tournament, as they’re the only 10seed ranked in the AP Top 25.

With only two losses on the season, the Rebels have won their last 15 games, including a 17-point victory in the Mountain West Championship. They’ve won three straight conference championships and if their strength of schedule was tougher, they’d likely be a higher seed. Regardless, they are a lower seeded team with higher seed talent.

Elite Eight

It’s difficult for LSU fans to ignore the team the Tigers would likely see in the NCAA Tournament: No. 1 seed Iowa.

Last time LSU and Iowa met, it ended with Kim Mulkey and her Tigers holding a National

Championship trophy. It was a game that changed women’s college basketball, as it set a viewing record for the most watched women’s college basketball game.

To say a rematch in the Elite Eight would also break records would be of no surprise. LSU’s Angel Reese and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark have had thousands more eyes on them since the national championship, and Clark hasn’t skipped a beat.

In fact, she may have gotten that much better.

This season, Clark averages 31.9 points per game and 8.9 assists per game, leading the country in both categories. She also became the all-time leading scorer in all of college basketball, men’s and women’s. She’s led her team in scoring in all but one game and in assists in all but one game.

The Hawkeyes have won their last six games and are fresh off an overtime win over Nebraska for a Big Ten championship.

But like any other team in the NCAA Tournament, an Elite Eight is not guaranteed for Iowa.

The Kansas State Wildcats are the No. 4 seed in the region, and they took down Iowa at the start of the regular season by seven points. However, when they played again 10 days later, Iowa came away with a sevenpoint victory.

Kansas State is currently ranked as the No. 15 team in the AP Top 25. But the Wildcats have lost four of their last eight games, including a 71-64 loss to Texas in the Big 12 Tournament.

Before that, they were on a 15game win-streak.

The Wildcats are a team capable of catching fire, and it may only take a couple games for them to do so.

Iowa would also have to potentially get past No. 5 seed Colorado, which has also experienced some adversity throughout the regular season.

The Buffaloes took LSU down 92-78 in the season opener, but they lost seven conference games in the regular season, including a four-game losing streak, all to ranked opponents. Colorado lost in the Pac-12 quarterfinals to Oregon State, which is a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Colorado has a lot of experience playing together as a team prior to this season. So similar to Kansas State, it may take just a couple of games to get a rhythm together.

The No. 8 seed in the region is West Virginia, which has lost four of its last six games, including two games to Kansas State, one of which was in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals.

That being said, the Mountaineers are on upset watch as they play No. 9 seed Princeton, which is ranked No. 24 in the Coaches Poll with a 25-4 record. Two of Princeton’s four losses came to ranked opponents, and three of their four losses were before the New Year.

If Princeton can pull off the upset and advance to the Round of 32, it could be yet another lower-half seeded team in the region that could break brackets.

The

The

MORGAN COOK / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball team stands together March 3 after LSU’s 77-56 win against Kentucky at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

NEWS LSU SG CAMPAIGNS

Empower

BY AIDAN ANTHAUME @aidanth04

Competing for the positions of LSU student body president and vice president, John Micheal Sweat and Sydney Smith of the Empower campaign focus on amplifying student voices, increasing transparency within Student Government and advocating for student needs.

The Reveille sat down with Sweat and Smith to delve into their backgrounds, motivations and plans for the university.

Getting to know the candidates

Originally from Broussard, Louisiana, Sweat brings a unique perspective to the race. A junior majoring in political science, sociology and psychology, he currently serves as the executive branch director of academic affairs within SG.

Sweat said his journey to LSU wasn’t easy. As a first-generation college student, he faced difficulties in his application process.

“LSU was one of the only places that was really accommodating to that,” Sweat said in an interview. “I was able to get more help from people here than I was at other schools.”

To pay it forward, Sweat hopes to improve LSU’s potential student outreach and “put out more information to high schools locally in Louisiana” and “make a lot of those students aware of scholarships that they might not already be aware of.”

Sydney Smith, a native of Dallas, Texas, shares a similar sentiment, considering LSU her second home. As a political communication junior in the Manship School, Smith appreciates the sense of community and the opportunities for personal and academic growth at LSU. She serves as the director for programming of SG.

Smith was sure she wanted to go to LSU after attending a football game in 2019.

“I ended up really loving the energy here,” Smith said. As part of Empower, Smith wants to make “each student feel comfortable to be here and feel like this is their home.”

Empower has 90 candidates on its ticket supported by 228 staff members.

Purpose

With their goal of empowering students in mind, Sweat and Smith came to create their campaign to “Empower LSU.”

Their plans started small. Sweat, being involved in previous SG campaigns, got the idea to run after his experience with the campaign of Student Body President Anna Cate Strong.

After working in her campaign, Sweat wondered if he “could do the same thing that she had.” With time passing by and after giving the question much thought, he decided, “I’d rather try and possibly not succeed than I would never try it all.”

In SG since her freshman year, Smith knew she wanted to give more back to the university she loves.

“I feel like I really do have something else to give to this campus,” Smith said. “We want to help every student have that opportunity to be leaders on campus and to find a place.”

Sweat and Smith believe their involvement in SG has equipped them with the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful leaders, something they hope to share with other students.

“I think that we do a disservice to the student body at large when we don’t get them connected to the SG network,” Sweat said.

Goals

Empower has outlined several key initiatives they aim to implement if elected. Their primary focus is what they call their “four directions.” According to Smith, these directions are advocacy, community, transparency and inclusivity.

Advocacy

To enhance advocacy, Empower’s first goal will be a reconstruction and expansion of the Freshman Leadership Council.

see EMPOWER, page 4

BY GRACELYN FARRAR @gracelynfarrar

Energize

The Energize campaign, headed by Joseph Liberto running for LSU student body president and Amelia Carman for vice president, hopes to bring an outsider’s perspective to Student Government and bring transparency and accountability to the institution.

The Reveille sat down with Liberto and Carmen to delve into their backgrounds, motivations and plans for the university.

Getting to know the candidates

Liberto is a sophomore from New Orleans majoring in international trade and finance. He is the philanthropy chair of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and is on the executive board for nonprofit Hams for Fams. He was involved with SG in high school.

Carman, also hailing from New Orleans, is a construction management sophomore. She is a member of Kappa Delta sorority on campus and works with the nonprofit Dancers with a Purpose. In high school, she was president of a number of clubs, but said running for SG wasn’t on her radar.

Neither candidate has been involved with LSU SG before, but Liberto and Carman see this as an advantage rather than a drawback. This sentiment is amplified by their slogan “fresh faces and different perspectives.” The pair said they represent the “average Joe” and that their background away from SG allows them to be more intune with what the average student wants and needs.

“The thing is, we’re not really running for Student Government president. We’re running for student body president,” Liberto said. “You know, we’re for the students.”

Energize has 45 people on its ticket supported by 17 staff members.

Purpose

Liberto and Carman said they want to get more people involved and engaged with SG, specifically by showing that just because a student hasn’t been involved in it since freshman year doesn’t mean they can’t join now. They said that SG’s goal

should always be making the students’ voices heard.

“And if we can’t do that now, let’s make it happen,” Carman said.

“[SG] should meet students where they are, wherever that is,” Liberto said, “and build them up through community, through representation and most importantly through being an advocate for students.”

The pair said they hope to unite the campus, specifically by building bridges between SG and Greek life. They said they intend to be people that students feel comfortable talking to and making connections with.

“It’s hard to feel heard on such a big campus,” Carman said. “We’re here for the students, and everyone deserves a seat at the table.”

Goals

Fluid parking passes

The Energize campaign platform showcases ideas like fluid parking passes, which would expand residential lots to access for commuter drivers and vice versa.

“Everyone complains about parking, parking, parking. This is our way to actually do it,” Liberto said.

According to Liberto, the Energize staff has talked to administrators and people who handle parking on campus and that they think the fluid parking pass “would be the way to go about it.”

Academic achievement

Energize is also advocating for a more organized academic scheduling system. The scheduling system would be entirely cleaned up to be more user-friendly and would use dyslexia-friendly fonts. Carman, who has dyslexia, knows firsthand that the current system can be confusing and difficult to navigate.

The system currently provides priority scheduling for students with disabilities,

see ENERGIZE, page 4

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

John Michael Sweat answers a question as Sydney Smith listens March 18 inside the Holliday Forum.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille Joseph Liberto answers a question as Amelia Carman listens March 18 inside the Holliday Forum.

The expansion, Sweat claims, will raise awareness of freshman involvement and engagement with the university.

“My hope is eventually that someone who would never think about running for student body president four years ago, that it would become an aspiration of their’s going into the future as it was for me,” Sweat said.

Transparency

Empower will also aim to take a step toward transparency in SG with plans for a comprehensive email newsletter. This newsletter will serve as a vital communication tool, providing regular updates on SG activities, initiatives and events.

ENERGIZE, from page 3

but that comes after the honors college. Energize hopes to change that and offer more equitable access.

Red Zone Awareness

Carman took the initiative on Energize proposing an updated conversation surrounding Red Zone awareness. The Red Zone is the time from the start of fall semester to Thanksgiving break, when sexual assaults on college campuses happen most frequently. Energize wants to focus

“There is such a massive communication gap between the average student and the power structures on campus,” Sweat said. “Our organization is one of the only ones that has the hope to bridge that”

The newsletter will go out monthly and will cover each branch of the SG’s initiatives and policies.

Community

A signature policy proposed by Empower will give students the opportunity to work off a parking ticket fine by participating in community service. The “Work it Off” program as they are calling it, will give the students an alternative to paying a ticket fine.

To implement the initiative,

the pair plans to collaborate with LSU’s Parking and Transportation Services and Office of Engagement and Impact.

Inclusivity

To make for a more inclusive campus, Empower has proposed The Women’s Resource Caucus. Inspired by The University of Texas at Austin’s Women’s Resource Agency, the caucus will work to expand knowledge and resources for students at LSU.

Once established, the caucus could provide registered safe places for feminine-presenting students and students who use women’s health products. Set to operate as an inaugural executive branch department, it hopes to promote healthy inclusion, interdisciplinarity and discussion.

Student outreach

When making Empower’s policies and goals, Sweat reached out and talked to student organizations, including Greek life.

“I’ve texted hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people just to get their ideas and concepts,” Sweat said. “Even if they don’t want to contribute. I just go hear what they have to say. I’ve tried my best to go to each of those groups, every single demographic on campus that I could think of.”

Empower’s message to students

The hope of Empower is to create a more involved and informed student body.

“Students should vote for Empower because we understand

The LSU Spring 2024 Elections will be held March 21-22

specifically on freshmen during Welcome Week and during the semester through residence halls.

“I think that it [Red Zone awareness] should be advocated for and sometimes it gets overlooked, especially by freshmen,” Carman said. “I really wanted to advocate for that, and if I have the platform to do it, I wanted to do it.”

Peer Mentorship

Another initiative the campaign is working toward is introducing a peer mentor program for first-generation and out-of-state

freshmen. The program would be a way to connect freshman students with upper-division students who are more comfortable and have more experience at LSU.

“It’s a lot, being here. It’s a big world,” said Carman, who is a first-generation student. “We just want to make the world smaller for them.” Student oureach

A priority of Energize is to find ways to get the average student engaged with SG. To kickstart this effort, the campaign has

set up “Ask Energize,” a hot link for simple questions, comments, concerns and an optimal way to get back in contact. Ask Energize can be accessed through the campaign’s Instagram page, @libertocarman2024.

“It just opens the gates,” Liberto said, “and you can do it from your couch.”

Carman said that every student should feel welcome to ask questions and participate in student government, especially since “we all pay money toward Student Government.”

LSU and have the experience to implement the changes that students want to see,” Sweat said. “We have seen firsthand the shortcomings of the Student Government and have clear goals and ideas of how to fix those shortcomings. Not only do we seek to change the university ourselves, but we also seek to give students and student organizations a voice and platform to speak to administration and government officials in order to implement their own changes and build bridges and connections that persist for students at LSU years beyond our time here.”

Empower’s campaign policies and updates can be viewed on its campaign Instagram, @sweatsmith2024.

Energize’s message to students

“We see problems that could be changed, and we want to make a difference,” Liberto said. “We want to be the difference.”

“We’re new faces that’s committed to accountability and transparency. We also bring new perspectives. We are committed to inclusivity and ensuring all students have a seat at the table,” Liberto and Carman said in a campaign video.

The Energize campaign policies and updates can be viewed on its Instagram.

DEBATE

Student Government hopefuls debate in run up to election

BY AIDAN ANTHAUME @aidanth04

A crowd of LSU students filled the Manship School Holiday Forum Monday night for the Student Government election debate. Two tickets, Empower (John Michael Sweat and Sydney Smith) and Energize (Joseph Liberto and Amelia Carman), squared off, each competing for the positions of president and vice president.

Empower: Building bridges, expanding opportunities

Sweat, the Empower candidate for president, wasted no time outlining his vision.

“We’re about [our] four pillars: inclusivity, advocacy, community and transparency,” he said. “Our goal is to make students of any class of any age of any creed, into leaders and to develop them and their skills.”

His running mate, Smith, said, “I believe that every student at LSU has an opportunity to become a leader, no matter where you come from. We’re running to make sure that students have voices no matter what.”

Energize: fresh faces, new perspectives

Energize countered with a focus on their leadership and new

PAROLE

ideas.

“Our motto is... fresh faces and new perspectives” said Joseph Liberto, the presidential candidate. “We’re new people to this, and we really want to break that bubble.”

Carman, his VP hopeful, added, “A lot of people have told me I’m a difference maker... Joe and I really want to make that change and bring about change on LSU’s campus.”

Improvingt SG

Both parties highlighted the need for an improved outreach from SG and a communication program for students.

“One of the chief concerns that we often get from students is that they genuinely have no idea what we’re doing,” Sweat said. “If we are able to bridge the gap between us and the students that don’t often see us, I think that it would be extremely beneficial.”

Carman concurred, saying, “I personally believe Student Government can be a little secluded with involvement. I think it’s important that people know how to get involved in student government.”

Goals and remembrance

Candidates were asked about their goals for their term in office and how they planned to be

remembered.

Smith answered, “I was a Girl Scout so I’ve always lived by the code that we learned to leave LSU a better place than when we found it.”

Carman said she wanted to be known for more than just internal SG improvements and “as someone who focused on the student body as a whole, rather than improving Student Government.”

Handling disagreements in SG

Both candidates honed in on the importance of open dialogue and understanding differing perspectives when asked how they would handle disagreements in SG. They highlighted the need for collaboration and compromise in addressing issues and making decisions that benefit the entire student body.

Liberto highlighted that members of SG all have a common goal: improving LSU.

“We are all here, no matter the branch, to make LSU better [and] to improve LSU,” Liberto said.

Sweat insisted that disagreements aren’t necessarily bad and can give us the chance to improve. In the case of a branch disagreement, Sweat said he hopes to “find out, what is the

difference? What’s wrong here? Can we rewrite something? Can we withdraw something, perhaps?”

SG Disagreements with state leaders

That line of thought led the SG hopefuls to the next question: How would they handle a situation where SG disagrees with Louisiana state government?

Sweat said, “it largely depends on the specific issue and depends on the impact to the student body, but I believe in pushing back against administrators... I believe in pushing back against state officials.”

Sweat noted that “obviously, if it harms us, then it’s maybe not a good idea to do certain things. But in certain circumstances where students need to be protected from the state government, it is our responsibility as students and as advocates to do that we need to push back against people who would harm us.”

Liberto said, “It all depends on the circumstance.”

“We have to remember that we are not a partisan party,” he added. “When we are talking to state legislatures I think it’s important that they poll the students.”

Representing marginalized groups

Carman emphasized the need for empathy and understanding in fostering inclusive representation.

“We can’t speak for everyone,” Carman said. “It’s important that we understand where they’re coming from and how they want to go about things because everyone needs to be advocated for, and everyone wants to be included as well.”

Sweat focused on the necessity of providing marginalized populations with platforms to advocate for themselves.

“It’s important to make sure that marginalized populations have a space within student government who wish to advocate for themselves,” he said.

Smith said, “it’s important that we stand by our commitments, so we’re committed to a diverse campaign and a diverse staff.”

By engaging with students from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, the Empower campaign sought to create an environment where every voice is heard and valued.

“We are not just John Micheal and Sydney, we are students,” Smith said. “We want our whole ticket and our whole school to be heard.”

Louisiana Parole Project works toward making a difference

BY COURTNEY BELL @courtebell09

During Gov. Jeff Landry’s recent nine-day special session on crime, the state lowered the age for defendants to be considered adults, almost entirely abolished parole and limited good-time credit.

The Louisiana Parole Project works with LSU Law School’s Parole and Re-entry Clinic to provide incarcerated men and women in the state an opportunity for parole release.

When asked about how the new legislation will impact Parole Project’s work, Executive Director and Co-founder Andrew Hundley said the organization will continue to educate people on the power of second chances.

“When it comes to criminal justice, it’s like a pendulum on a clock,” Hundley said. “If you go back for years, we get tough on crime, we pass reforms, we get tough on crime again. We’re going to be here to show the evidence that the people who have come home from these second chance opportunities have mostly been successful.”

Hundley was given a life sentence without the option of parole in 1997 when he was 15 years old. Then, in 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life sentences without the option for parole were unconstitutional. In 2016, he became Louisiana’s first juvenile

lifer let out on parole.

Hundley earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in criminology from LSU in 2019. He was able to finish his degree in under three years because of the classes he took during his sentence. He also earned his master’s degree in criminology and justice from Loyola University New Orleans in 2021. Today, he teaches at Loyola.

The Parole Project is a nonprofit organization that provides advocacy and re-entry support to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men and women in Louisiana. It provides transitional housing, case management, classes and programming, social work, mental health and family and community services to these individuals to support their reentries when they’re released from prison.

“We work to help them get jobs that utilize these skills that we’ve taught them... so it’s like they have training wheels on,” Hundley said. “They’re with us, they’re saving their money, they are working towards self-sufficiency while they have a staff of people mentoring them, giving them a safe place to live until they are ready to get into their own apartment.”

Darnell Lewis, 49, was represented by the Parole Project. He was granted release with parole on Feb. 27. He served 27 years of his 160 year sentence, entering

prison when he was 22 years old.

“I was blessed to get out, for one,” Lewis said. “And coming here [to Parole Project] and meeting all these beautiful people... Since I’ve been here, I’ve just been blessed to see the environment changing already. It’s nothing but positive speaking, telling me they’re going to help me.”

The Parole Project provides a minimum of one year of support for its clients. The organization helps them obtain important documents, such as birth certificates and social security cards, that they might have lost while they were in prison. They get clients phones and teach them how to use technology. They also open bank accounts for clients and teach them how to budget and build credit.

LSU Law School’s Parole and Re-entry Clinic is one of six clinics at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center. Professor Robert Lancaster, the assistant dean of experiential education at the Law Center, started the parole clinic in 2014 to offer students experience in representing clients. The clinic also provides experience with the lawyering skill of writing narrative advocacy, a skill that Lancaster said is one of the largest responsibilities a lawyer has.

“It’s an ability while you are in law school to really impact individual peoples’ lives and at the same time really work on your own professional develop -

ment as a lawyer and your own skill set as lawyers, regardless of whatever area of practice you go into,” Lancaster said.

Students in this clinic interview clients and witnesses, gathering information about their clients throughout the semester. That work culminates as a written biography that clients can use to describe their work in prison and why they are prepared for release. Students also accompany their clients to hearings.

Lancaster found that individuals who were well-positioned in prison for release were not being released, primarily because they didn’t have a viable re-entry plan. A lot of these clients had outlived their families or were too old to work when they were released. This led to the clinic’s partnership with the Parole Project.

Lancaster is a former president of the Parole Project. He co-founded the organization in 2016 with Hundley and Keith Nordyke, a professor at LSU’s Law Center and Hundley’s representation for his parole hearing.

“Andrew, as executive director of that organization, has built it and grown it beyond anything I think we ever imagined in 2016,” Lancaster said.

In the fall 2023 semester, the Clinic’s success rate was 94%. One of its many client successes arises from the story of Johnathan Bryant, who was granted release with parole after spend-

ing 32 years in prison. Bryant, 51, was 19 when he began his life sentence without parole.

With the representation he received from an LSU law student, Bryant applied for clemency from former Gov. John Bel Edwards, which granted him parole eligibility. Under representation from LSU Law and The Parole Project, he was released with parole on Oct. 23.

Since being released, Bryant has purchased a truck, leased an apartment, joined a church and began a job as a forklift operator at Holmes Building Materials.

“I changed for the better,” Bryant said. “I wanted to become a better person. I didn’t want to be the same 19-year-old. I wanted to do better, positive things.”

LSU’s Tiger Prison Project works to mobilize the student body in support of prison reform. The Parole Project partners with TPP to hold weekly workshops, where LSU student volunteers teach clients about technology, resume writing and public transportation.

“Our clients really are normal people that have the same goals and aspirations that the rest of us do,” Hundley said. “They want to be successful. They want to live in safe communities... So, I think that a lot of people would not understand that people who come home from prison are aspirational and want to better their lives and better their communities.”

ENTERTAINMENT THIS WEEKEND IN BR

BY CAMILLE MILLIGAN @camillemill333

Movies & Music on the Lawn

The Baton Rouge Gallery Lawn

Bring your friends, a quilt and some bug spray down to the lawn behind Baton Rouge Gallery Saturday at 8 p.m. The gallery will show the silent film “Metropolis” on an inflatable screen, and Baton Rouge musician OTTO will compose the score live. There is no attendance fee, and popcorn will be provided.

MARCH SUNDAY AT 3 P.M.

International Taste Fair Main Library at Goodwood

At the Main Library at Goodwood on Sunday at 3 p.m., the Baton Rouge Delta Alumnae Chapter is hosting an international cuisine tasting. Attendees will be able to taste dishes from tables representing different countries. Celebrity chef Vallery Lomas, a winner of The Great American Baking Show and a Baton Rouge native, will make an appearance. The event is free.

One man, one 2-foot long pizza: taking on pizza Everest

BY JACOB CHASANT

The following is a first-hand account of the Reveille graphic designer’s recent harrowing experience taking on the Fat Boy’s Pizza Challenge.

I woke up immediately thinking about the trial I would face later that day.

I had a small breakfast to keep my appetite going and didn’t eat anything else for the rest of the day. Then, I went on YouTube and started watching people attempt the challenge. This was the Fat Boy’s Pizza Challenge where one person must eat a 2-foot slice of pizza in 7 minutes or less.

The winner receives a $75 gift card and a t-shirt as the prize, and the top ten competitors get their names written on

the leaderboard. From the second I saw the sign with the life-size version of the slice on the wall, I felt I could easily do the challenge. I could destroy a frozen pizza in an instant, so this didn’t seem more difficult.

I gravely underestimated the task I was setting out to do.

I ran on the treadmill for a mile to try to grow my hunger. I continued with my day and did some more running around before I had to be at Fat Boy’s.

From the moment I walked in, that cocky confidence started to fade. When paying for my slice, I learned that the cashier had never seen anyone defeat the challenge, and that some people had thrown up doing it a week prior. I started to notice that I still wasn’t feeling very hungry

and regretted eating breakfast.

Despite my growing weariness, I wasn’t alone in this endeavor. I was doing the challenge with a graduate student in the printmaking program as an event for the Printmaking Guild of LSU.

We were given a waiver and I started thinking of the possibility that I could choke to death.

I stared at the life-size cut out of the pizza on the wall and my confidence started coming back...until they brought out the slices. It seemed like the size of my arm. It felt bigger than the sign. I began to doubt my shot at eating this in 7 minutes. But, I tried to strategize on whether I would try to roll part of it up or just rip it and scarf it down.

After my fellow pizza eaterand I were announced to the

crowd, we were counted down. As soon as I heard one, all thoughts of strategy escaped my brain. I went feral as I ripped piece after piece and shoved it in my mouth.

At 30 seconds, I already stopped enjoying the taste. I also started to go too fast and started choking at several moments. I trekked on anyway, and at 3 minutes in, I looked to be nearing halfway. I had found my stride, especially after I remembered to use the water they gave us.

At 4 minutes, however, finishing the slice seemed to be more and more impossible.

My pace was slowing down. My attempts to roll the pieces and to ball up the cheese seemed to only make me worse over time. With a minute left, I

started to just take my time and get down what I could. With 10 seconds left, I took one last futile bite of the crust.

I ended up getting fairly close, only about an inch away from the crust. But, sadly neither of us won.

My mind started going over the ways I could have better prepared. I was thinking of what I could have done differently. After talking with the other participant, we agreed to reattempt this challenge. This time we know what we are truly up against.

I felt sick the rest of the night. The smell of the cheese haunted me all night long. By the next day, I had made a full recovery and began planning for the second try.

This time, I will win.

Rev Rank: ‘Les Miserables’ re-releases movie to theaters

BY ABBY BUTTON @abbybutton4

The 2012 award-winning classic “Les Miserables” returned to theaters for just one week this month across different theaters.

The Dolby Cinematic movie experience stars Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, among others in this tale of love and justice on the brink of a revolution.

Following the parole of prisoner Jean Valjean, played by Hugh Jackman, audiences are taken on a journey of self-discovery and repentance. The audience sees his reflection in a time of weakness dramatically turn into endurance to become a better person. For more than 30 years, characters go through different moments in their lives that are, for better or worse, in direct relation to Valjean.

Upon its initial release, “Les Miserables” won multiple Academy Awards and Golden Globes for acting and screenplay. Its opening weekend in December 2012 received over $18 million at the box office.

Having known very little about this work, I was shocked to

learn that it was a sung-through musical. There was little to no dialogue between the characters, unless put to song. In the musical aspect, I was blown away by the pure talent and training of these actors. Big names like Aaron Tveit and Samantha Barks, each having originated a lead role on Broadway, gave stunning performances by showing their skill

through song.

“On My Own” is an iconic ballad, showcasing unrequited love and all of the emotions it produces. Barks gave audiences across the nation an intense enactment that captivated the hearts of anyone watching. Although Tveit’s character was introduced later in the film, his production in the movie was memorable. The

fierceness shown within his character through song is something that only Tveit can portray.

Anne Hathaway, an actress not commonly known for her singing, gave an emotionally powerful version of Fantine, and what hardships one can go through with no warning. The scene containing “I Dreamed a Dream” was a piece of storytelling that would

have anyone in tears. There is no shortage of ability in these actors. It was truly an impeccable cast.

As far as critiques go, there are a few. The movie felt long, but that simply cannot be helped when it was adapted from a book of almost 1500 pages. It could be accredited to the ongoing musical dialect with no breaks for stagnant conversations.

My next commentary is on the lack of vibrato in the performance of Russel Crowe. As a renowned actor, he simply could not keep up with the rest of the musically inclined cast. It may have been an artistic choice for the character trying to keep up with Valjean—in which case I can approve—but that may be a stretch.

Regardless of these critiques, time didn’t taint this piece of art. I still walked out of the theater inspired to have a passion, or even a revolution, of my own.

Nearing its 12th anniversary, “Les Miserables” is one of the most profound productions to go from stage to screen. If you have the opportunity to hear the people sing, you will surely not be disappointed.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille

Jacob Chastant tears into the pizza slice with his teeth Feb. 18 at Fat Boy’s Pizza on Nicholson Drive in Baton Rouge, La.

MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille Jacob Chastant kneels next to his humungous slice of pizza Feb. 18 at Fat Boy’s Pizza on Nicholson Drive in Baton Rouge, La.

GRAPHIC BY DEVIN ROBERTSON

PAST TO PRESENT PAST TO PRESENT

LSU women’s basketball has made big strides in recent years including winning a national championship. How far will they go in March Madness this year?

PHOTO BY AURIANNA CORDERO

LSU women’s basketball junior forward Angel Reese (10) yells after scoring Jan. 25 during LSU’s 76-70 loss against South Carolina in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

PHOTO BY CHYNNA MCCLINTON

PHOTO BY MATHEW PERSCHALL

LSU junior guard Khayla Pointer (3) dribble during the Tigers’ 6155 win over Vanderbilt Feb. 27, 2020, in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

LSU women’s basketball senior forward Karli Seay (23) shoots the ball Jan. 14, 2021, during LSU’s 65-61 win against Texas A&M in overtime at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

LSU women’s basketball senior guard Alexis Morris (45) cheers Feb. 10, 2022, against Georgia in the Maravich Assembly Center.

LSU women’s basketball freshman guard Flau’jae Johnson (4) embraces head coach Kim Mulkey April 2, 2023, during LSU’s 102-85 against Iowa in the NCAA National Championship.

SPORTS WHO RUNS THE WORLD?

Caitlin Clark, LSU and the burgeoning of women’s college basketball

BY MARTIN SULLIVAN @marty_sulli

Ticket prices reached hundreds of dollars, fans crossed state lines and millions watched in anticipation of a second-quarter free throw. Caitlin Clark had broken the NCAA scoring record in Iowa City.

The University of Iowa phenom has drowned in records and awards during her four years of basketball, but this one stands above the rest. Her 3,668th point broke LSU star Pete Maravich’s 54year standing record. Significant in its own right, this achievement is and will forever stand in sports history as illustrative of both the growth and success of women’s sports in recent years.

Clark had received comparisons to Maravich prior to the record for her frame, passing ability and flashy play. Some even calling her “Ponytail Pete.”

“Just to be in the same realm of all these players that have been so successful,” Clark said about the stars she’s passed in scoring. “All these people have given so much to the game. Hopefully somebody comes after me and breaks my record, and I can be there supporting them.”

Non general admission tickets for the game reached $491 a piece, making it the most expen-

sive women’s basketball ticket on record. Currently, the get-in cost for women’s Final Four tickets are $774, men’s Final Four are at $242, according to Forbes.

As women’s sports have continued to grow, Clark has been one of the faces, if not the face of that revolution. The spectacle of her talent has magnetized the interests of hordes of sports fans and made the demand for women’s sports undeniable.

Six different networks’ mostwatched women’s basketball games have featured Clark.

“What’s been so much fun is watching all the kids sending in clips of them shooting in the driveway,” Iowa Deputy Director of Athletics Matt Henderson said. “Trying to shoot shots that are farther away than they should be, but they’re fun.”

When Clark broke the NCAA scoring record, fans traveled an

average of 300 miles to witness her, according to Vivid Seats.

In its 2019-2020 season, Iowa women’s basketball averaged 7,102 in attendance. In the 20232024 season that average reached 14,998.

This season, Iowa sold out nearly every road game it has had, including program attendance records, like against Wisconsin. Even when she’s against home crowds, Clark still captivates.

LSU has also seen an eruption in crowd counts, powered by the hiring of legendary coach Kim Mulkey. Average attendance in its 2019-2020 season was 2,036. This season that number reached 11,491. That’s nearly a sixfold increase.

LSU set a Pete Maravich Assembly Center home attendance record for senior night in 2023 when it played Mississippi State. The game drew a total of 15,721 fans.

Much like Iowa, LSU has sold out or set record crowd numbers in all its road games this season.

Among its sellouts, was a game against Coppin State, in Baltimore, Maryland, home of LSU star Angel Reese. It’s the first time a reigning champ has played on the road against an HBCU. Coppin State sold out that night, filling

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Who needs to step up for women’s hoops?

BY TRE ALLEN @treday0314

Every team aspires to win the national championship, and for LSU women’s basketball, it’s no different.

The Tigers earned the 3-seed in their region and will take on the 14-seeded Rice Owls.

However, the path to the championship for LSU isn’t an easy one, as it will potentially have to face tough teams such as Iowa, UCLA, Colorado and Louisville in its region.

The Tigers are led by one of the best players in the country, Angel Reese, and had another wonderful season, averaging 19 points, 13 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

Although she was a big part of the championship run a year ago, players like Alexis Morris and LaDazhia Williams played an important part, too. Morris appeared down the stretch, taking and making tough shots. Williams was a reliable player in games where Reese or Morris were off.

While LSU has a lot of talent on its team, there are still a lot of new faces with little to no tournament

see LSU V. RICE, page 13 see CLARK, page 12

Previewing LSU women’s basketball’s first-round NCAA game

BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8

March Madness is here, and the LSU Tigers look to win their second straight national title.

The quest to repeat as national champions starts on Friday, when the Tigers take on No. 14seed Rice at 3 p.m. C.T. from the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The game will be aired live on ESPN.

What does Rice bring to the table?

Rice’s season has been just about as up and down as it gets. However, the Owls are flying highest when it matters most.

After closing out the regular season with five straight losses, the Owls caught fire in the American Athletic Conference Tournament, winning four straight games to win the conference title.

In that four-game stretch, Rice defeated UAB, North Texas and Temple to advance to the conference championship, which were three of the five teams it lost to in its five-game losing streak.

The Owls are led by Malia Fisher, who averages 13.1 points per game and seven rebounds per game. In the American Tournament, she scored in double figures in three of Rice’s four games, along with an 8-point and 10-rebound performance in a 2-point win over North Texas.

Not to mention, in the Owls’ five-game losing streak, Fisher scored 20 points or more in four of the five games. Despite the trajectory of the game, the junior forward almost always has an impact, and LSU will have to make containing her a priority.

Dominique Ennis and Destiny Jackson are right behind; Ennis averages 11.4 points per game, and Jackson, who led the team with 16 points over North Texas in the American Tournament, averages 11.2 points per game along with 5.1 rebounds.

In the American Conference championship, Sussy Ngulefac led Rice to a 20-point win with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The 6-foot-3 center also led the team in rebounds with nine in Rice’s tournament opening win over UAB.

How does Rice compare to LSU?

LSU’s strength has been its scoring and overall offense, as it leads the Southeastern Conference with 86.7 points per game. Rice, on the other hand, averages 67.4 points per game. The

Tigers also have a 46.7% field goal percentage compared to Rice’s 40.1%, and a 32.1% 3-point percentage compared to Rice’s 31.6%.

LSU also averages 46.5 rebounds per game, which leads the SEC, compared to Rice’s 37.6,

10.8 steals per game compared to Rice’s 8.2, and 15.4 turnovers per game compared to Rice’s 16.7.

Rice’s strong suit has been its defense, especially recently, as

MATTHEW PUTNEY / AP Photo

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts after breaking the NCAA women’s career scoring record during the first half of the team’s college basketball game against Michigan Feb. 15 in Iowa City, Iowa.

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball freshman guard Mikaylah Williams (12) high-fives her coaches after being subbed off Feb. 22 during LSU’s 71-66 win over Auburn Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

CLARK, from page 11

its 4,100-seat capacity. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott were both in attendance.

When LSU comes to town, people show up. In road Southeastern Conference games this season, LSU has drawn 4,323 more fans than the opposing team’s season attendance average.

“Times are different now. What we are witnessing with these fans not just in the PMAC, but on the road, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Mulkey said. “And this isn’t my first rodeo. I won three championships at Baylor. I’ve had a 40-0 team. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Last season’s championship, between Iowa and LSU, was the most watched game in women’s college basketball history, at 9.9 million viewers. That more than doubled 2022 numbers. It also beat average viewership for the 2023 World Series.

Interest does not sit alone at the top. This season, the Big Ten tournament sold out for the first time ever. In fact, women’s college basketball is now averaging a larger audience than men’s basketball on FOX, 981,000 to 946,000. Women’s basketball is up 48% on FOX and 60% on all networks.

Despite all this, the success has very much been in spite of the lacking support from media, production and administration.

In 2021, an obtuse disparity in weight room quality provided by the NCAA between the men’s and women’s teams visualized the indifference of the NCAA to growing the women’s game.

The NCAA spending gap between the men’s and women’s tournaments was $35 million just a couple seasons ago. The NCAA actually refused allowing women to use the March Madness brand until 2022.

But once the market for it was finally realized and embraced, it took off.

“Women’s basketball has always had stars, they’ve always had strong personalities,” said Reed Darcey, LSU women’s basketball beat reporter for The Advocate. “But they haven’t really had the people willing to put in the work to market them and put them out there, to focus on them and give them the equal treatment that they deserve.”

That embrace can be seen in the projects that have been or are currently being developed around it. “Shattered Glass,” a WNBA documentary came out in January. “Full Court Press” a docuseries that focuses on UCLA’s Kiki Rice, South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark comes out in May. “The Money Game” a name, image, likeness docuseries that features Angel Reese, Olivia Dunne and Flau’jae Johnson is currently in development.

While support from administration, production and media are needed for success, make no mistake, the ascendance of women’s sports has come from the individuals.

“We’ve really benefitted from Coach Dawn Staley pushing the envelope from the time she got here,” South Carolina Assistant Athletic Director Diana Koval said. “Pushing administration and everybody to buy in and invest in it.”

The selfless nature of the women who headline the sport has been crucial to its prosperity.

“We want million-dollar salaries,” said Minnesota Lynx player Napheesa Collier on the Athletic Women’s Basketball Show. “I don’t think I’ll have that, but I’m pushing for the people after me to have that because we want a better future for the people who come after us.”

Athletes and coaches understand that their involvement and their impact affect so much more than themselves. What they do can revolutionize sports, as we have seen.

“Staley is saying what do we need to do to grow the game,” Koval said. “She shines a spotlight on other coaches, other players, other programs whenever she can to say they’re doing a great job there as well.”

Selfless interests, sheer talent and a waiting market have launched growth; Name, Image and Likeness deals have accelerated it.

“They’re finally allowed now to tell their own stories, market themselves and capitalize on their name, image and likeness,” Darcey said. “I think that’s one of the biggest reasons why the sport has taken off so much. Players are so magnetic; people really love them.”

Clark and Reese currently rank fourth and eighth, respectively, in NIL valuations.

“Anywhere Caitlyn Clark goes and anywhere Angel Reese goes, those two are ecosystems or economies of themselves within the collegiate landscape,” Zena Keita said on the Athletic Women’s Basketball Show. “I can see them doing a similar thing on the pro level.”

It’s not just women’s basketball. At LSU alone, gymnastics has been incredibly successful too.

Last year, “The Climb”, which followed the gymnastics team, was the most popular piece of content for LSU Gold, said Cody Worsham, associate athletic director and chief brand officer at LSU.

“I have a few student athletes, one of them the other day said to me how good it made her feel that we invest in women’s sports,” Worsham said. “That we care about women’s sports, that we cover the female student athletes and provide content that’s as high quality as we do for the male student athletes.”

LSU finished No. 1 in the country in social media engagements for gymnastics, women’s basketball and track and field, Worsham said.

From Baton Rouge to Tokyo, and gymnastics to hockey, viewership across the globe is reaching historic numbers.

The 2020 Olympics featured a record number of women participating, while consumers across the United States and Canada

tuned in to watch women com pete in prime time at higher rates than ever before.

In September, Nebraska vol leyball played in its football sta dium, setting a women’s sports attendance record of 92,003. Women’s Super League set an at tendance record in February with 60,160 fans.

In 2024 alone we’ve seen the start of the Professional Women’s Hockey League and the Pro Vol leyball Federation.

One thing that can be learned from the history of sports is that initial greatness breeds future greatness. Women’s sports are preforming at a level like never before. The only way is up.

“I want my legacy to be the impact I can have on young kids and the people in the state of Iowa,” Clark said through tears in a press conference after losing the NCAA championship. “I was just that young girl, so all you have to do is dream and you can be in moments like this.”

LSU V. RICE, from page 11

experience. For LSU to make another championship run, it’s going to need everyone to play their roles and step up.

Hailey Van Lith

As previously stated, the Tigers aren’t as experienced in the postseason as they were last year, but Van Lith has that experience.

In her three years with the Cardinals, she appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times, including two Elite Eight appearances and a Final Four appearance during the 2021–22 season. Experience is one of the most important elements of

winning a championship.

If you have players who are used to the tournament environment and have played big-time games, it reduces the stress on any team. Not only does Van Lith carry a lot of postseason experience with her, but she also performed well in the tournament.

During her tournament run last season at Louisville, she averaged roughly 24.7 points per game and shot 45.7% from the field. She was also named to the Seattle 4 AllRegion Team.

This season has been a rollercoaster ride for Van Lith, but if she can continue to play well in the

NCAA Tournament, as she’s done her entire career, then it will have a major impact on LSU in the tournament.

Mikaylah Williams

Williams has had a great first season, averaging 14.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and three assists. These numbers earned Williams Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year, and proved that she’s one of the best freshmen in the country.

However, with highs, there are lows, and Williams has been struggling recently. In her last five games, she only averaged 7.2 points on 27% shooting from the

it held East Carolina to just 41 points in the American Conference Championship. The Owls rank second in the American in fewest points allowed with 62.8 points per game. To put that in perspective, LSU allows 62.5 points per game.

The Tigers’ scoring efforts have lifted their way past many teams this season. While Rice’s defense has been its strong suit, especially recently, LSU’s defense will have to step up and control Rice’s offense to gain separation.

The Tigers may be even more short-handed

Last-Tear Poa suffered a con-

cussion against Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament semifinals. While Mulkey has stated that she continues to get better every day, and is progressing into individual workouts, the timing may not be there for her to suit up.

When it comes to guard play, Poa’s facilitating strength and ball distribution is something the Tigers value.

Hailey Van Lith seems to have found a balance between playing her game and filling in the point guard role. Securing that balance in the NCAA Tournament is a must for LSU to be successful while Poa is out.

Aalyah Del Rosario and Janae Kent will likely get more minutes. Kent got the start in

field. It’s important to note that Williams was battling a foot injury and missed three games, including two conference tournament games.

Nonetheless, the ability to score the ball for Williams is something that the Tigers need. In addition to putting up roughly 14 points per game, she was also efficient while doing so, shooting 47% from the field and 37% from three.

She also showed off her incredible shot-making ability earlier in the season, as she scored 42 points against Kent State while only missing five shots the entire game.

A lot of games in the postsea-

son come down to who can and who can’t make shots down the stretch when the game is tight. Williams is one of those players who can make those tough shots and score the ball. The Tigers can’t afford to have Williams play badly in the tournament because she is one of the best scorers in the country.

Reese, Aneesah Morrow and Flau’jae Johnson have proven to be the most consistent players on this team, but if players like Williams can prove that the stage isn’t too bright, LSU could be given a much-needed boost in the tournament.

the SEC Tournament Championship against South Carolina, as Mikaylah Williams came into the SEC Tournament not 100% healthy. So Mulkey’s confidence in her true freshman is certainly growing.

In addition, Del Rosario has grown into the college game speed and been a valuable asset in several games off the bench for LSU’s post players.

Unfortunately, that seems to be where LSU’s depth ends. Rotating seven players deep in the NCAA Tournament is a difficult thing to do, especially when most other teams have nine or more.

LSU’s keys to win

The keys to win for LSU are

similar to just about any game it plays.

First, solid defense is a priority. Limiting Fisher’s scoring for the Owls will throw Rice’s offense off-balance. With lack of depth, especially without Poa, who was one of LSU’s strongest defenders, this may present challenges at times. Luckily, Rice isn’t a team that shoots an abundance of 3-pointers, so LSU’s post will be able to play its game to its fullest.

Given their lack of depth, the Tigers staying out of foul trouble is important, too. Against South Carolina, Angel Reese led the team with four fouls, and Flau’jae Johnson finished with multiple fouls in LSU’s last four

games.

The Tigers don’t have the resources to rotate fresh bodies in and out as they please, so staying out of foul trouble in games that now could end their season is essential.

But this isn’t anything different from what LSU has prioritized all season. Aside from these keys, LSU’s offense has been consistent — so much so that they lead the SEC in points per game as a team.

More times than not, the Tigers have shown up when it comes to putting points on the board, but for comfortability’s sake, LSU locking in on defense and staying out of foul trouble will make the strengths off its

FIRST ROUND, from page 11

MORGAN COOK / The Reveille LSU women’s basketball sophomore guard Flau’jae Johnson (4) sits on the court March 3 during LSU’s 77-56 win against Kentucky at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

MORGAN COOK / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball players celebrate and help junior guard Last-tear Poa (13) up March 3 during LSU’s 7756 win against Kentucky at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball freshman center Aalyah Del Rosario (23) celebrates a score Feb. 22 during LSU’s 71-66 win over Auburn Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille

LSU women’s basketball graduate student guard Hailey Van Lith (11) reaches for the ball Feb. 22 during LSU’s 71-66 win over Auburn Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

LSU men’s hoops’ season ends with 84-77 loss in first round

BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4

LSU’s stay in the National Invitation Tournament was over almost as soon as it began.

On Sunday, LSU was announced as a four-seed in the NIT and given the privilege of hosting a first round game.

On Tuesday, the Tigers were bounced from the NIT with a 8477 loss to North Texas, concluding LSU’s NIT run and its season.

“I’m really proud of what our players have been able to accomplish,” head coach Matt McMahon said. “It was a challenging season in a lot of ways.”

LSU made the NIT after finishing as one of the Southeastern Conference top-two nonNCAA tournament teams in the NET rankings, earning them an automatic bid as per the NIT’s new selection rules. The Tigers also benefitted from numerous NIT opt-outs from major teams, such as Ole Miss, but they were nonetheless excited for the opportunity.

The NIT was supposed to be a fitting end to a turnaround season that went from a disappointing non-conference performance to an exciting 9-9 record in SEC play highlighted by wins over South Carolina and Kentucky, who are both now in the NCAA Tournament.

Perhaps one of the most important points of that turnaround was a 66-62 win over North Texas in November, which gave the team life after discour-

aging losses to Dayton and Nicholls State.

In the second matchup between the two teams, though, North Texas, the defending NIT champion, was firmly in command throughout, despite a furious late run from LSU (one of many this season) that cut the lead from 18 to five.

During the run, which was first sparked by Jordan Wright’s back-to-back contested 3-pointers, LSU employed full-court pressure, forced turnovers and then cashed them in on the other end.

Wright scored 25 points to lead both teams in his final collegiate game. His efforts were important as LSU tried to close the gap, with 14 of those points coming in the final eight minutes.

That aggression came too late, though, and LSU officially finished its season with a 17-16 record.

The NIT was described by McMahon before the game as an opportunity for the team to both get postseason experience for its younger players and send its seniors out on a high note.

Despite the short stay in the NIT, there were certainly learning opportunities to be had, especially when it comes to responding to physicality.

“We play in the most physical league in the world,” McMahon said. “That’ll be part of our offseason development, continue to get bigger, stronger.”

With the loss, LSU has seen

the last game for Wright, Will Baker, Trae Hannibal and Hunter Dean in purple and gold.

“For the guys coming back, they know what it takes now,” Wright said of the seniors’ impacts. “They know what it looks like to win… I hope that’s the thing we left with the young guys.”

McMahon and the program now look ahead to the future, where LSU will continue to build to where it can compete in highintensity games such as this one.

In this first postseason challenge of the McMahon era, LSU wasn’t ready. The hope for the program is that, with time, it will be – even as the lights get brighter and the Tigers find themselves on bigger stages like the NCAA Tournament.

North Texas played its preferred style and stayed in control

North Texas is a team that plays with a slow, deliberate pace. According to KenPom, its adjusted tempo is No. 360 in the nation – that’s out of 362 Division I teams.

In the early going, the flow of the game seemed to favor North Texas’ style. Most of the game was contained to the half court, where the Mean Green’s physicality shone through.

Even when North Texas got out in transition, though, which it was able to do often at the end of the first half, the Mean Green seemed like the more comfortable team. They were in control throughout.

LSU struggled to find day-

light offensively, as it seemed that there was always a North Texas player attached to the ball handler’s hip or in their chest. LSU couldn’t get going and generate quality looks in the paint, even with a significant size advantage.

“They were just more physical,” Hannibal said. “We want to dominate, you know, physicality, rebounds… they did that.”

North Texas has been a team that prides itself in its defense all season, ranking No. 40 in opposing field goal percentage. The team is physical and aggressive, and that’s a big part of why it’s 18-14 on the season.

That showed in other areas as well, where North Texas’ effort helped it come up with loose balls and rebounds. They outworked LSU all throughout the game, in all phases.

Ultimately, LSU’s offense shriveled for most of the game in the face of that physicality and pressure, and it was too much to come back from in the end.

Speed advantage and a blitz from 3-point range swung the game in North Texas’ favor.

From the beginning of the match, the game went as the 3-point line went, LSU opening up a lead because of its success from deep. In the early going, LSU had run out to a 17-11 lead off a few made threes, brief openings in North Texas’ stifling defense.

That didn’t last for long. From the middle of the first half on, North Texas kept finding open-

ings from 3-point land and kept a steady lead.

North Texas’ 3-point success came as a result of its excellent guard play, as it has all season. As a team, the Mean Green shoot the 14th-best percentage from 3-point range in the nation.

Against LSU, North Texas seemed to have a speed advantage. The Mean Green don’t have a rotation player taller than 6-feet-9-inches. In the first matchup between the two teams, LSU took advantage of that, but this time, that edge was unnoticeable.

North Texas’ greater speed as the smaller team seemed to stick out when the Mean Green kept finding openings, especially from beyond the arc, as LSU’s bigger defenders were caught chasing.

LSU was feeling all of the drawbacks of going big and reaping none of the benefits. Back in November, LSU got bigs Will Baker and Derek Fountain going for 30 combined points and piled up 36 points in the paint.

“I thought we did a lot better job with our physicality around the rim,” North Texas head coach Ross Hodge said. “That was the emphasis coming in.”

This time, LSU had trouble getting good looks in the restricted area, and North Texas put up 11 3-pointers on a 47.6% percentage.

North Texas had an offensive identity it stuck to, while LSU struggled to find consistency.

OPINION

How many boxes have to be checked before you’re

NATE’S TAKES

NATHANIEL DELA PEÑA

@NateDerDoner

Last month, I was perusing my daily intake of The New York Times when I saw the news of Karolina Shiino winning the Miss Nippon contest, a Japanese beauty pageant. But Shiino’s not your average Miss Nippon.

As a child, Shiino immigrated to Japan from Ukraine. She’s lived in Nagoya, Japan, since she was 5 and speaks fluent Japanese.

Although some supported her candidacy, her win sparked a backlash among Japanese netizens concerned with how Shiino fits for Japanese beauty standards.

Japanese historian Hiroe Yamashita posted on X, “Racial discrimination is absolutely unacceptable but if the Miss Nippon contest is based on the concept of beauty, I personally wish that it would be based on standards of Japanese beauty. With Karolina Shiino’s appearance, an (ethnically) Japanese girl has no chance of winning under the modern values of beauty.”

Perhaps the netizens are right. Female Asian beauty standards, in

my honest opinion, are too Eurocentric. Pale skin and huge eyes are impossible to attain for the average Asian woman, and the beauty industry preys on their insecurity.

Although the American cosmetic industry is the most dominant, China, Japan and South Korea occupied third, fourth and fifth place, respectively, for the most cosmetic procedures performed in the world in 2021, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Every time I go back to my homeland, the Philippines, it’s impossible not to see skin-whitening product ads and hear relatives commenting on “how dark you look” or how you “should not spend too much time in the sun.”

Ultimately, I don’t think that Shiino should be a victim of longstanding Japanese (and ultimately, Asian) toxicity regarding beauty. She did her job to assimilate into Japanese society, and she can’t change the fact that she was born a Ukrainian with features that appeal to the average Japanese person.

The uproar against Shiino reminded me of America’s struggle over how one can be considered “American” enough.

As an immigrant who spent most of his childhood in America, I’ve seen others take on the impossible task of becoming an “American,” and I’ve experienced others questioning my American identity, despite living as a citizen in the States for more than 15 years.

So what makes one an “American”?

Frankly, I’m still trying to figure out the answer, despite doing my best to assimilate into American society. I’ve lost the accent I carried fresh off the boat, and my friends and family can attest to how Americanized I’ve gotten over the years.

Yet I still get the occasional cliched retort when I say I’m from Alexandria, Louisiana: “Tell me where you’re really from,” or “You don’t look like you’re from there.”

Yes, I wasn’t born in the United States, and that could be a valid response to my misgivings about those cliche questions. But if you think I’m more Filipino than American, you’d be wrong.

I spent six years of my childhood as a Filipino but 15 years as an American. I know central Louisiana like the back of my hand. Do you think I know the streets of Manila better than the streets of Alex-

andria or Pineville?

If a person of another racial background said they’re from Alexandria, no one would bat an eye. Clearly, the problem of determining whether one is an American is ignorance at its best and crude racism at its worst.

As a child, I constantly overheard my parents and other immigrants struggling with ignorant remarks at their workplaces. I remember my mom being asked whether “orientals” like her pay their taxes and people saying she was taking jobs meant for “Americans.”

And when I was a tween, a family friend of mine who worked as a nurse was brought to tears after other nurses refused to work with her due to her heavy accent. She ended up moving to Pennsylvania because of it.

My parents’ reactions were disappointing. They’d always tell me we were never meant to be Americans and we’d always be Filipino because of these events.

But that reaction is counterproductive when immigrants like us have contributed countless hours to bettering our communities, left our families back home for America and made sacrifices so we could

assimilate.

If I had an answer to what makes someone an American, it wouldn’t be birth, patriotism or the main language you speak. Jus sanguinis and jus soli (principles stating that nationality is determined by a child’s parents’ nationality or the child’s place of birth) may determine your citizenship but not whether you’re an “American.”

Should we consider Southern rebels, who descended from the first settlers in America and caused the deadliest war in American history to preserve the institution of slavery, more “American” than the Chinese immigrants who worked to build the Transcontinental Railroad, the Germans who built America’s beer industry and countless other immigrants who toiled tirelessly in unregulated and dangerous factories?

The question “What does it mean to be an American?” will always have different answers, and I still don’t have a definite one. But with the continued globalization of our world, it deserves more reflection and contemplation.

Nathaniel Dela Peña is a 21-yearold political science and history senior from Alexandria.

TikTok tarot readings can be fun, but don’t buy into the lies

AMYRI’S VANTAGE

While scrolling on TikTok, I saw a video of a woman complaining about a tarot card reader she saw on her feed. The tarot reader alleged that her divine messages were directly meant for anyone who happened to stumble across them. Being that the woman was watching the video, she felt it was a sign.

She then explained how the TikTok oracle prophesized a reconciliation with an ex-partner and that lots of abundance would flow into her life. Of course, none of that occurred, and the woman felt disappoinnted.

My first thought was, “No way she believed a TikTok tarot reader,” and after reading the comments, I saw she wasn’t the only victim. It’s unfortunate that so many people can be bamboozled like that, but I think people pre -

tending to be legitimate diviners is an even crazier problem.

On top of that, I’ve noticed a pattern among the new wave of fake social media future readers. They all have the same traits, but the TikTok charlatans are the worst. I don’t have an issue with

spirituality. In fact, I think it’s great that people are choosing to connect with God or a divine entity on their own terms. There’s a sense of independence that’s unlocked when choosing that route, and I’m sure it’s freeing.

However, just like in religion, there are flaws in new-age spiritu-

ality. Exhibit A would be the TikTok tarot readers. I won’t say that all diviners who choose to promote their work on social media are tricksters, but I do think that many of them are clout chasers.

If you watch any of the general readings these self-proclaimed tarot readers post, you’ll notice that they’re very vague, so much so that anyone could relate to them.

They say things like, “If you’re Scorpio, Pisces, Gemini, Aries or Capricorn, this message is for you” and “If you don’t like your ex, this message is for you.” Be so serious.

I consider these types of readers to be a part of new-age spirituality. New-age spiritualists tend to value toxic positivity, appropriate Asian and African religious customs and preach about using manifestation to attract money without acknowledging generational wealth or other socioeconomic factors.

They deliberately mislead people who are seeking guidance of some sort, all to boost engage -

ment with their profiles and gain fame. To them, the art of divination isn’t a serious practice, but rather a source of entertainment at the expense of the impressionable.

I suppose that’s also why they love using TikTok as their platform of choice. So many users are young, and spirituality is a growing movement amongst Generation Z. For a fake tarot reader, TikTok probably looks like a gold mine.

Algorithms are real. Clout chasers are real, and actual diviners wouldn’t beg you to accept their messages. I can’t say that TikTok should ban these kinds of readers. At the end of the day, they’re also content creators and have to find a way to make ends meet.

However, I can say that it’s fine to ride the wave of these so-called diviners for enjoyment, just don’t drown in their lies.

Amyri Jones is a 22-year-old digital advertising and religious studies senior from Baton Rouge.

AMYRI JONES @acameliasssss

GRAPHIC BY JAYDEN NGUYEN

Priorities on solving problems should be more localized

ISABELLA’S INSIGHTS

ISABELLA ALBERTINI @BasedIsabella

Imagine you had all the money in the world and could solve all of the world’s problems, or at least most of them.

Sometimes, we wish we had the power to change things for the better, but we think making a difference is out of our reach. In reality, it’s not.

Maybe you can’t stop a faraway war or end world hunger, but it’s time we bring these solutions close to home and fix the problems that are right here in our community.

America’s homeless population increased by 12% from 2022 to 2023, going from around 580,000 unhoused people to nearly 650,000, according to the U.S. Department of Urban Planning and Development

California has the highest homeless population, reaching over 180,000, which represents over a fourth of the nation’s homeless population. Ironically, California has the highest income tax rate.

But let’s bring it closer to home in Louisiana, where over 7,000 people are unhoused. In Baton Rouge, there are around 430, with 230 of them in shel-

ters, according to the Louisiana Balance of State Continuum of Care.

That’s around 200 people that have no place to live. Only 200.

One could say solving the problem isn’t simple.

The homelessness problem stems from a lot of causes: unemployment, addiction and mental illness, to name a few. But isn’t it the same with many problems worldwide? Wars, famines, social unrest—you can’t pinpoint

a singular reason why they happen, but you can sure as heck send a ton of money, which can substantially help.

So why aren’t we doing the same thing closer to home, especially when some of those problems could be more effectively solved?

We’re better able to understand the challenges our community faces because we’re living in it, and we’re also paying to live in it. But that’s not enough.

The solution is taking action with the resources we have to help our neighbors, the people closest to us who are struggling. We can do that by raising awareness of these problems and demanding something be done about it.

But what does the media do? It typically gives more attention to issues that are more astounding and likely to garner more attention. But attention isn’t always the same as awareness and education, and sometimes, all

the funding in the world can’t solve the problem when the solution is unknown.

Yes, you can raise awareness for multiple causes, and yes, funding could be better administered to solve problems at home and abroad more effectively. But there’s only so much air time on local news, only so much attention, time and funding we can give to any given issue.

If every community were to focus its own resources, time, attention and awareness on solving its problems, much more effective work would get done.

And as for those communities facing bigger problems, the ones who are able to improve their own community’s situation sooner could offer aid and help.

But it shouldn’t be the other way around.

You shouldn’t look out your window to see your neighbor’s house on fire while ignoring the blaze in your own kitchen. Your family and friends are there; who’s going look inside your own home to help them?

The answer is that it’s up to us. There are many ways we can start change and solve all the world’s problems.

We just have to bring it close to home.

Isabella Albertini is a 23-yearold mass communication junior from Lima, Peru.

All the most terrible bills from the recent legislative session

This year’s regular legislative session started back on March 11. There are plenty of terrible bills from the GOP supermajorities in both chambers, so here’s a brief look at some of the worst of the worst.

House Bill 62 and Senate Bill 214

First, there are two bills that would loosen gun restrictions in the state. House Bill 62 by Danny McCormick, R-Oil City, would instruct state, parish and local officials to ignore any federal effort to regulate firearms, accessories or ammunition. Senate Bill 214 by Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, would allow concealed carry in any restaurant that serves alcohol.

Surely neither of these bills would endanger Louisianians all for the sake of bowing down to the gun lobby, a misinterpretation of the Second Amendment and the GOP’s weird gun fetish.

House Bill 71

Then there’s this bill by Dodie Horton, R-Houghton, whose Christian nationalism was discussed almost a year ago in this columnist’s very first opinion piece for the Reveille. Back then, she was trying to get the

unfortunate national motto of “In God We Trust” into every public school and university classroom in the state. Now, she’s back to get the 10 Commandments posted and injected into the minds of the youth.

For someone who claims to be defending the history of the United States, it’s odd that she’s apparently never read the First Amendment.

House Bill 121 and House Bill 122

Next up is a pair of house bills that would harm LGBTQ+ Louisianians. House Bill 121 by Rep. Raymond Crews, R-Bossier City, and House Bill 122 by Hor-

ton are updates of bills from last year.

Crews’ bill would require parental permission for the use of students’ preferred pronouns and names, opening them up to abuse from transphobic family members. School employees would also be allowed to misgender and deadname students if their bigotry is part of their “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

Horton’s “don’t say gay” bill would ban discussion or instruction relating to sexual orientation and gender identity in any way that deviates from the state standards (which are also controlled by the GOP). It’d also prevent

teachers from discussing their own sexuality and gender, but that part is written so poorly that it would technically ban all gendered courtesy titles like “Mr.” or “Mrs.”

Perhaps the state could invest more in education rather than in targeting queer youth. Maybe then our legislators would be smarter than these folks.

Senate Bill 262 and Senate Bill 294

These two bills are also by a legislator I discussed last year. Since then, the good people of Denham Springs decided that conservative Republican Valarie Hodges deserved a promotion. She’s now a state Senator, and her bills this year are at least slightly more competent.

Senate Bill 262 is an attempt to counteract what Hodges thinks is “critical race theory.” It’d prevent students from being taught that they’re “currently or destined to be oppressed or to be an oppressor” because of their race.

On top of addressing a problem that doesn’t exist, this bill would obviously just sweep the dark parts of American history and society under the rug, preventing change for the better.

Senate Bill 294 would prevent public universities from “[discriminating]” against student organizations for “sincerely held religious beliefs.” This bill is clearly intended to protect homo -

phobic and transphobic organizations on the grounds that their bigotry is, for some reason, valid religious doctrine.

Senate Bill 358

The next bill, by longtime conservative darling Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, would lower the age in which a child can be expelled from a public school for possession of a firearm. Surely expelling every troubled 13-yearold child and tossing them out on the streets will solve the problem and transform the state into a peaceful paradise.

What else could be done? Addressing systemic issues and helping the state’s youth? That’s just preposterous.

Senate Concurrent Resolution

2

Lastly is a concurrent resolution by Sen. Mark Abraham, RLake Charles, that implores the U.S. Congress to convene a constitutional convention to propose term limits on members of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Term limits are deeply undemocratic and objectively terrible at countering any structural problem in government, but at the very least, they mean Abraham, Mizell, Hodges, Horton, Crews and the others discussed here will one day be out of a job.

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

GRAPHIC BY JACOB CHASTANT

PELLITTIERI’S PERSPECTIVE MATTHEW PELLITTIERI @m_pellittieri

MADALYN CUNNINGHAM / The Reveille

Tree branches frane the Louisiana State Capitol while it sits on a cloudy day on March 1 in Baton Rouge, La.