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ZERO VOTES LSU faculty representative bodies have been violating Louisiana’s open meetings law for decades.
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page 2 NEWS
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LSU faculty members are on high alert after a Louisiana senator eyes changes to state tenure policies.
ENTERTAINMENT
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Gail’s Fine Ice Cream delivers a new, nostalgic dessert destination for overpassarea diners.
SPORTS
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Will Wade and LSU have parted ways. Scott Woodward announced Wednesday he hired his eighth new coach, Matt McMahon.
OPINION
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“The campaigns built to win office in SG are sophisticated organizations that spend thousands of dollars each election cycle.”
L SU Re ve i l le.co m @l s u r e ve i l le
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ILLEGAL MEETINGS
LSU Faculty Senate, Council have never followed open meetings law BY PIPER HUTCHINSON @PiperHutchBR LSU’s Faculty Senate and Faculty Council have been violating Louisiana’s open meetings law since its implementation in 1973. The Senate and Council are representative bodies for LSU faculty members. They’re also public bodies since they’re part of a public university, which makes them subject to the state’s open meetings law. Since the establishment of the Faculty Senate in 1973, the same year the open meetings law was passed, Senate leadership has failed to properly record votes. A deep dive in the Senate archives by The Reveille reveals that at no point in the Senate’s nearly 50-year history has the body properly recorded votes. The closest thing to a recorded vote in either Faculty Senate or Faculty Council archives was a tally of votes from an April 1985 Faculty Council election. The tally does not include names, however, still ruling it out of compliance with open meetings law. As reported at the February 2022 Faculty Senate meeting, it was discovered that the body does not know when they last passed a constitution. Constitutions aren’t required under open meetings law, but the lack of guidelines is posing a problem as elections approach. The Faculty Council has been violating the law as well, but the council has never met consistently, especially compared to the senate. It’s unclear when the Council was established, but it certainly predates the open meetings law. The Council is also much larger than the senate, as it contains all faculty members with rank of instructor or higher at LSU, which is over 1,000 people. This leads Scott Sternberg, an attorney with expertise in open meetings law, to think that both bodies operated out of ignorance. “They probably didn’t realize they’re reading a public body at the time,” Sternberg said. “LSU has been around longer than the open meetings law.” The discovery comes a few months after the Faculty Senate’s illegal executive session, when the body booted members of the public out of a public meeting, including a Reveille reporter, without following proper protocol. Daniel Tirone, a senator and political science professor, said he is understanding of violations that happened earlier in the body’s history, but is disappointed that the body has not made more of an effort to comply in more recent history. “I have been told that around 2015 or 2016 it was determined that the Faculty Senate qualified as a public body under open meetings laws,” Tirone said. “I’m
PIPER HUTCHINSON / The Reveille
Faculty Senate President Mandi Lopez speaks at a Faculty Senate Executive Committee meeting on March 23.
Requirements set by Louisiana’s open meetings law: • • •
Commmittes of public bodies must adhere to the provisions of Louisiana’s open meetings law, just like public bodies must All votes must be made orally and be recorded in a public document. Any manner of proxy voting, secret voting or any other means to circumvent this process is prohibited.
therefore more understanding of the open meetings laws violations that occurred during this period. What is more difficult to reconcile is why we did not comprehensively update the operations of the Senate and other related entities that qualify as public bodies following the determination that open meetings laws applied.” The extent to which LSU General Counsel has been guiding the Faculty Senate is unclear. The Reveille requested documentation of all communication between members of the General Counsel’s office and members of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee in which Faculty Senate business was discussed. Out of the over 700 pages of email threads, only a small handful of pages include direct responses from either General Counsel Winston DeCuir or Deputy General Counsel Trey Jones. One email, from DeCuir, discusses the reasons for a representative from the General Counsel’s office regularly attending Faculty Senate meetings. “The attorney general’s office has interpreted the public meetings laws as applying to the Faculty Senate as a derivative of the Board. Therefore, any non-compliance with the public meetings law would be a potential liability for the Board and not simply the faculty senate,” DeCuir wrote in an email to FSEC members. “While we fully agree that the Faculty Senate would not inten-
tionally violate the public meetings laws, we felt it most prudent to be present given any potential liability would apply to the university as a whole.” Outside of this one email, the only other responses come to very specific questions about what open meetings law allows, such as whether zoom meetings were permissible or whether the FSEC is required to vote on the Faculty Senate agenda. Despite DeCuir’s message that the Faculty Senate’s compliance, or lack thereof, with the law was a liability for the university as a whole, there is no evidence in the records that the office provided advice on how to correct the body’s multiple Open Meetings Law problems. Faculty Senate President Mandi Lopez said in an interview that she has consulted with a variety of sources, including open meetings law experts, representatives from Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office and former Faculty Senate leaders, but did not provide any names. “I’m not working with anyone specific. I looked at any source of information that I can find, including reading it myself,” Lopez said. The Faculty Senate is making steps to untangle their Open Meetings Law problem. The Faculty Senate is currently planning a May meeting of the Faculty Council, at which Lopez said they intend to ratify the Fac-
ulty Senate constitution approved by the Senate in 2020. Lopez acknowledged that the outcome is uncertain, as the Faculty Council has struggled with meeting the quorum required to conduct business. Lopez said she is doing “everything [she] can” to ensure the May meeting complies with open meetings law. How the body acts in the interim remains to be seen. The Senate is slated to hold an election of officers in April, but has held internal debate as to which constitution will be used. At the February Faculty Senate meeting, President Mandi Lopez announced that it was possible that the most recently passed legal constitution was the original 1973 version. At the Faculty Senate Executive Committee meeting Wednesday, Lopez announced that after conferring with various legal experts, it was determined that the 2005 constitution would be used. Records relating to the passage of the 1973 constitution could not be found in Faculty Senate archives, which raises a problem even if it was passed. The same problem exists for the 2005 constitution, which has the additional problem of it being passed by mail vote. Lopez said at the meeting that the experts advised her to use the 2005 constitution, despite the issues, as the deadline for raising open meetings law complaints was passed long ago. The law provides for complaints up to 60 days after the violation occurred. Sternberg said he “didn’t envy” the situation, which he dubbed a “cluster,” leaving off the expletive usually accompanying the term. “There’s what’s legal and there’s what’s practical, and in this case, you know, it sounds to me like they probably should just do a new constitution vote on in a meeting and be done with it,” Sternberg said. The Senate has also been making steps toward compliant record-keeping. The minutes from the Jan. 25 meeting, which is the most recent meeting with publicly available minutes, include more inclusive records of votes taken, although not full compliance. One vote includes the names of those who voted against a motion, but not those who voted for it. On Thursday, the body will undergo open meetings law training provided by the Louisiana Attorney General’s office. The training is part of an agreement the university came to in response to a complaint made with the AG’s office regarding the November violation of open meetings law. While the training seems to be a step in the right direction for the body, it is unlikely that it will include advice to the level that is needed to bring the Faculty Senate back into compliance with open meetings law.
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NEWS
page 3 TRANSPORTATION
TENURE WATCH
LSU faculty preparing for fight against lawmakers eyeing to change Louisiana tenure policies
to ensure “faculty members are not using their courses for the purpose of political, ideological, religious or anti-religious indoctrination.” Though the resolution claims to study tenure to support academic freedom, LSU faculty say it will have the opposite effect.
see TENURE, page 4
see GAS PRICES, page 4
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
A resolution introduced in the Louisiana Senate would create a task force to study tenure policies at the state’s colleges and universities, worrying LSU faculty members that lawmakers may pass laws aimed at limiting academic freedom.
SCR6, authored by Sen. Stewart Cathey, a Monroe Republican, would create the “Task Force on Tenure in Postsecondary Education.” The task force would report back to lawmakers with suggestions on changing tenure policies in the state. The resolution includes language that suggests that Cathey
is concerned professors are indoctrinating students and not offering a variety of viewpoints. Cathey did not respond to The Reveille’s request for comment. “Postsecondary students should be confident that they are being exposed to a variety of viewpoints, including those that are dissenting,” the resolution reads. The resolution seeks
BY JOHN BUZBEE @thebuzzbuz
As gas prices across the country skyrocket over $4 per gallon, LSU students are feeling the pain. Rising gas prices can be attributed to two factors: the continuing economic recovery from the pandemic and the RussoUkrainian crisis, according to LSU energy professor Greg Upton. Political science sophomore Drew Prude currently spends about $45 to fill his Honda Civic’s 10-gallon tank. He said during last semester he managed to only spend about $20 a fill. Prude and his friends had to cancel their travel plans to Georgia for spring break, primarily because of gas costs. “We had a road trip planned and that got canceled,” Prude said. “We thought, ‘this is going to be the most expensive road trip ever.’” Prude covers the difference of his gas by cutting into money allocated for fun as well as digging into his long-term savings. “You clearly have to cut down on some things, but I’m still living pretty well. I don’t have to worry about not being able to pay for food or tuition or any of that because of gas,” Prude said. Prude’s job with the LSU art museum in downtown Baton Rouge demands that he drives there in his car, given a lack of pedestrian and bike pathways. At other times, he’s trying to incorporate riding a bicycle as a cost-effective alternative to commuting via car to campus. Mechanical engineering
Clouds move above the LSU Law Center on March 22 on Highland Road in Baton Rouge, La. BY PIPER HUTCHINSON @PiperHutchBR
Gas prices rise in Louisiana
WEATHER
Report: Tornado rips through New Orleans, kills one person BY XANDER GENNARELLI @XanderGenn A tornado ripped through East New Orleans Tuesday night, killing one, injuring multiple others and causing extensive damage. Over 16,000 residents lost power after the tornado destroyed multiple homes and infrastructure in the Arabi area of St. Bernard Parish, according to The Advocate. Tornado warnings were first issued for areas south of New Orleans around 7 p.m. Around 7:30 p.m., the tornado touched down near the Mississippi River and then moved north through Arabi. St. Bernard Parish Officials said 25-year-old Connor Lambert was
killed when the tornado struck, according to WWL. Videos taken by residents in and around Arabi tracked the massive twister as it destroyed homes and downed power lines in its path. In the morning, photos of the aftermath show homes reduced to rubble while others are left without roofs or with living rooms exposed. Residents lined the streets as search efforts wane and cleanup begins. National Weather Service officials said the damage caused by the tornado was consistent with at least an EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. An EF-3 tornado is characterized by estimated wind
speeds of 158 mph to 206 mph and severe damage to homes, vehicles and forested areas. The NWS announced plans to conduct damage surveys Wednesday. Around 16,000 customers of utility companies, Entergy and Cleco in the East New Orleans area lost electricity Tuesday night, according to NOLA.com. Entergy reported that many areas are still without power into Wednesday, including most of Arabi. LSU President William F. Tate commented on the disaster. “To our neighbors in New Orleans and other parishes impacted by the tornadoes in southern Louisiana we stand ready to help,” Tate said in a Tweet. “My thoughts and
prayers are with all impacted.” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency following damage caused by the tornado. The governor announced plans to travel to affected areas to assess damages Wednesday. A second tornado touched down east of Mandeville, but NWS officials said damage was minimal. “Our prayers are with St. Bernard Parish tonight,” Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome said on Twitter. “Our BR Fire Department is joining a team of first responders from Central, Zachary, and West Feliciana to support on the ground.” The National Guard, Louisiana State Police and Baton Rouge first
responders came to assist search and clean-up efforts, according to St. Bernard Parish-President Guy McInnis. “The support is overwhelming,” McInnis said during a press meeting Tuesday night. McInnis urged those outside the area who want to offer support to contact police or fire officials first. “We’re asking any community out there that’s willing to help to call us first before you come,” he said. Despite the tragedy, McInnis remains optimistic. “I feel very confident,” he said. “We’re going to come out of this better than we were before.”
Thursday, March 24, 2022
page 4 TENURE, from page 3 “They are seeking to weaken tenure to use our job status as a cudgel to compel or limit speech in a way that current tenure standards do not permit,” Daniel Tirone, an LSU political science professor wrote to fellow Faculty Senate members in an email chain obtained by The Reveille. The resolution comes months after the University System of Georgia implemented dramatic tenure reforms some referred to as “the death of tenure.” Georgia’s public university system allows college administrators to fire tenured professors with little to no input from faculty members, a direct challenge to traditional tenure policies and the only one of its kind in the country. At the time of Georgia’s tenure policy changes last October, Tirone warned that such changes in Georgia could cause a ripple effect that could reach Louisiana. “I can see…that at some point in time someone may suggest to the Louisiana Board of Regents that it might be time to review tenure and maybe implement some of these changes as they were implemented in Georgia,” Tirone said in an interview in October. Those changes put LSU faculty on high alert, and Cathey’s resolution comes as no surprise to some. The subjects of tenure and threats to academic freedom have come up consistently during Faculty Senate meetings, but
GAS PRICES, from page 3 freshman Hannah Smith said that her options are limited. She doesn’t know anyone she could carpool with and chooses to commute to campus very early to avoid the frustration of wasting gas in the parking process. The process of what should be a 20-minute drive, according to Smith, can turn into something closer to 40 minutes, given chronic traffic congestion in Baton Rouge. “I only have a certain amount of money. Sometimes I only fill it up to a certain ways so I can
professors say action is needed now. “The survival of tenure in the coming years may depend on this faculty learning to defend itself,” Bob Mann, a mass communication professor, wrote in an email to faculty senators. “That means not waiting on the LSU president or board chair to give us permission to enter the political fray. It is dangerous for us to assume that our interests and those of President Tate and the LSU Board align in any meaningful way. They don’t.” Mann argued that now is the time for faculty to take a page out of former LSU basketball coach Will Wade’s book and “boot up.” Faculty Senate President Mandie Lopez cautioned faculty senators against reacting strongly to the resolution, as she believes it may just be a political stunt to get a rise out of professors and use their anger as justification for stricter tenure policies. “Another point to consider is the intent of political (or other affiliate) strategists,” Lopez wrote in an email. “A triedand-true maneuver is to ‘poke’ or ‘bait’ a perceived opponent to elicit a predictable response and thereby validate an action meant to limit, restrain or otherwise diminish their strength.” Lopez also pointed out that the resolution calls for two members of the Association of Louisiana Faculty Senates to participate in the task force. Tirone retorted that two representatives was not sufficient,
given the scope of the task force. “Two seems a paltry showing and one skewed towards advantaging the interests of political
go out,” Smith said. “It’s just driving less. Outside of school, I try not to drive.” Like Smith, math sophomore John Honeycutt said that carpooling isn’t an option, though he wishes there were better
options to his current predicament. “I can’t really get a ride from anybody because all the people I know are very close to campus while I live far away,” Honeycutt said.
actors who will have a substantial numerical advantage,” Tirone wrote in response. Several faculty members
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
The Sun shines on the Quad and Memorial Tower on March 22, on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La. Honeycutt is relying on financial help from his parents to cover gas. Unavoidable traveling between his job and LSU has proven to be expensive—about a month’s worth of driving has amounted to $200.
The Reveille Archives
The Shell station at Highland Rd. and LSU Ave. on Feb. 3rd, 2009, was one of many area gas stations affected by rising oil prices at the time.
have vowed to bring up the task force for discussion at upcoming Faculty Senate and Faculty Council meetings.
MATTHEW PERSCHALL/ The Reveille
A sign displays the price of gasoline on March 10, at a Shell station on Highland Road in Baton Rouge, La.
“The first factor was COVID-19,” Upton said. “When it hit, the demand for liquid fuels reduced dramatically. This would lead to a precipitous decline in the price of oil. When companies see a big decline in the price of oil, they stop drilling. Whenever the price starts to come up again, companies will have to start drilling again.” This lag time, Upton described, between the processes of stopping and starting the production of oil can exacerbate price trends in either direction. The other factor Upton describes is the Russia-Ukraine crisis. “Russia is the second largest producer of oil globally, the second largest producer of natural gas. Countries are putting sanctions on the Russian economy. Individual companies, although there aren’t sanctions on oil and gas, are choosing not to purchase oil from Russia,” Upton said. “What you’re seeing is whether that oil will be on the market in upcoming months. Also, companies are going to higher cost options of purchasing from other places.” Upton anticipates that gasoline prices will stagnate for the next month and then begin a decline to a range of $3 per gallon. He expects that this process, called backwardation, will occur over the next six months to a year.
ENTERTAINMENT
page 5
THIS WEEKEND IN BR
Want to see your event in The Reveille? Email information to editor@lsu.edu.
FRIDAY AT 5
BY REVEILLE ENTERTAINMENT STAFF @Reveilleent
MARCH
25
TH Live After Five! City Hall Plaza This Friday, there will be a performance from NOLA-based rock band Cowboy Mouth. Dance along at the next Live After Five! concert at 238 North Blvd at 5 p.m. COURTESY OF VISITBATONROUGE
Red Stick Farmer’s Market 501 Main Street
SUNDAY AT 2
Every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. until noon, local farmers, fishers, food crafters and artisans line the corner of Fifth and Main Street in downtown Baton Rouge. Find fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods and other local Louisiana products at the Red Stick Farmer’s Market.
MARCH
27
TH
SATURDAY AT 8
26 MARCH
THE REVEILLE ARCHIVES
TH Soulful Sunday Beauvoir Park Head to Beauvoir Park, a locally-kept secret music venue, for a Soulful Sunday performance from Smokehouse and Mamie Porter. Tickets for the 2 p.m. show are $15.
COURTESY OF BEAUVOIR PARK
Thursday, March 24, 2022
page 6 FOOD & DRINK
Nostalgic new dessert spot, Gail’s Fine Ice Cream, now open BY EDDY HAGE @hage_eddy A new local ice cream shop has now graced the Perkins Overpass with its colorful atmosphere and nostalgic batches of artisan ice cream. Gail’s Fine Ice Cream officially opened on March 21, and with it came 12 flavors of locally created ice cream, sundaes, shakes, waffle cones,
toppings and coffee. Co-owner Nick Hufft, who also co-owns The Overpass Merchant, Curbside Burgers, Junior’s on Harrison and the original Gail’s Fine Ice Cream in New Orleans with Lon Marchand, says the shop will expand to 16 flavors soon. It potentially could reach as many as 24 flavors, with additions to the roster coming seasonally. Rachel Caprera, the executive pastry chef for Hufft Marchand Hospitality, said the goal of their ice cream was to taste like memories while also using locallysourced seasonal ingredients. “We started talking about farm-to-table,” Caprera said. “How do you make all that really nice elevated food affordable and accessible to everybody?” Included in the ice cream options is a strawberry flavor, which is made using fresh strawberries from Ponchatoula, along with the Cortado Crunch which uses steeped beans from French Truck Coffee to achieve the espresso-like flavor. “We’ve been working on these recipes for a really long time,” Caprera said. “So we’re really ex-
cited to see what people think.” Adding to the nostalgic flavors are options like “Little Monsters,” which is mixed with Oreos and electric blue Madagascar vanilla, and Lemon Berry Ice Box Pie, which features lemon curd, berry compote and graham crackers. All their ice cream is mixed with high butterfat, creating a rich and creamy texture. “It’s supposed to be comfy and cozy and make you happy,” Hufft said. “All we hope is when you leave after you eat ice cream, that you’re happy.” The design and decor of the shop also signal the dreamy innocence the flavors achieve. Bright blues and greens color the store while neon, gold and rainbow-colored text with oldschool fonts loudly announce Gail’s Fine Ice Cream to the business-heavy Overpass district. The slogan, “Have a Gail’s,” is lovingly featured throughout the store. “You’ve walked into an environment that you appreciate, that you’re comfortable in and knowing that you can always come back and get that same experience over and over and over again,” Hufft said about the shop’s atmosphere.
To Hufft, the greatest part of Baton Rouge is the Perkins Overpass district since it is surrounded by great local businesses, bars and restaurants, including his own Overpass Merchant. Hufft explained it was a nobrainer for Gail’s to open there since the ice cream shop could be close to neighborhood families, university and high school students and foot traffic from the surrounding restaurants. “We’d like to get you after and have a cup of ice cream,” Hufft said. “These restaurants provide people with great neighborhood experiences. We want that experience to translate through our ice cream to you.”
Both Caprera and Hufft said they are looking forward to seeing what people think of their shop, and they’re excited to bring nostalgic ice cream to the Baton Rouge community. “There’s not much in the restaurant world that I think makes people as happy as ice cream,” Hufft said.
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Thursday, March 24, 2022
page 7 FILM
Pixar’s new ‘Turning Red’ deserved silver screen treatment BY CONNOR MCLAUGHLIN @connor_mcla In many ways, Pixar’s newest film, “Turning Red,” is a post-modern period piece this side of Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” — It does not follow the rules. Set in Toronto, Canada in 2002, Pixar’s latest feature film pivots away from its traditional storytelling by presenting itself as a nearly universal coming-of-age comedic drama centered around navigating one’s emotions, discovering personal identity and fostering healthy communication between mother and daughter. Directed by Domee Shi, who also directed the 2019 Academy Award-winning short film “Bao,” “Turning Red” follows 13-yearold Meilin “Mei” Lee, voiced by Rosalie Chiang, as she navigates awkward middle school encounters. Lee is a Chinese-Canadian student who makes straight A’s, hangs with her best friends in her spare time, loves boy bands and her Tamagotchi and, most importantly, helps her family’s temple. She overworks herself in trying to appease everyone, including her mother Ming Lee (played by Sandra Oh), and hides her personal interests when spending time with
COURTESY OF DISNEY PLUS
family. Though when her mother finds her diary, along with numerous other cringy scenarios depicted in the movie, Ming discovers she has a unique ability — she transforms into a giant red panda when feeling overwhelming emotion. “Turning Red” divulges from many Pixar tropes by granting the main character more agency over the curse she grapples with and follows her journey through accepting this aspect of herself. It tackles complex, grown-up topics normally gawked at in children’s
media like puberty and menstruation. Shi and Pixar break the mold with this film, venturing to create a representation of honest dialogue for tweens and parents over subjects normally considered taboo. Even from a more surfacelevel standpoint, the film offered a humorous feel-good plot and cute animation styles to back it up. Pixar has made the right decision in recent years to transition the focus of its films’ antagonists away from a human villain and instead focusing more on combatting internal struggles or familial
clashes, like with “Inside Out” and “Soul” — young viewers take away lessons that are more applicable to real-world problems, rather than watching fantastical battles of good vs. evil. Sure, “Turning Red” had a plot leaning on the predictable side, but the journey from start to finish was rooted in reality, endearment and all-too-relatable embarrassing childhood experiences. The characters are charming, the animation is top-notch, and the attention to culture and authenticity is praiseworthy.
Any critic accusing Pixar of slacking should be put to trial, because this was a good movie. Pixar’s main mistake with “Turning Red” was not offering it the in-theatre debut it deserved. I fiddled with the controller before watching, debating whether it would be worth my while to click on the play button — if only I had been able to purchase a ticket to make me commit more easily. That’s what irks me about streaming — watching something at home loses all the commitment and experience of seeing it on a big screen. It is especially sad because it will resonate with so many people, and that magical shared experience when seeing it in theaters with total strangers will be nonexistent. Not to mention children across the country likely would’ve jumped with excitement to go to the movie theatre with their parents to see a red panda stretched 50 feet tall across the screen. A movie that creators and artists tirelessly worked on to be seen by people far and wide should be displayed in a premium format, so just shoving it into your streaming service is a missed opportunity. I am just turning red thinking about it.
SPORTS THE NEW MAN
page 8 GYMNASTICS
What does new LSU Coach Matt McMahon bring to Baton Rouge?
BY PETER RAUTERKUS & HENRY HUBER @peter_rauterkus & @HenryHuber_ A new era began for LSU men’s basketball in the Bill Lawton Room of Tiger Stadium on Wednesday, as Matt McMahon was officially announced as LSU’s 25th head men’s basketball coach. McMahon comes to LSU off the back of a successful tenure at Murray State, where he became widely regarded as one of the best young coaches in the country. Now after a 31-3 season and NCAA Tournament berth, his stock is higher than ever. Murray State is a mid-major school that has seen a large amount of conference success over their decades in the Ohio Valley Conference, appearing in over half of the NCAA tournaments since they expanded the number of teams to 64 in 1985 as the conference’s representative. Other than Coach McMahon, Murray State has produced other well-known coaches such as Billy Kennedy and Steve Prohm, who had up-and-down tenures at Texas A&M and Iowa State respectively. Most notably, Mick Cronin, who had Cincinnati appear in nine straight NCAA Tournaments and currently has UCLA in its second straight Sweet 16.
Of the four Racer coaches since 2003, just two have made the tournament more than once: Mick Cronin with two out of three and Matt McMahon with three out of seven. Though Murray State won its division in McMahon’s first year at the helm, that season was particularly shaky compared to the Racers’ previous season with Prohm, where they had finished the regular season undefeated in conference play and narrowly missed the tournament. Overall, McMahon finished with about a 70% winning percentage at a record of 154-67, with the most recent season being his best (31-3). He proved his ability to both rebuild and maintain a program, which will be critical at LSU. Stepping into the mess that is LSU men’s basketball right now, it is fair to say McMahon will have his work cut out for him in the beginning. LSU will most likely get some sort of sanctions from the NCAA, which will put some serious limitations on recruiting. For one, scholarship restrictions are the first penalties LSU is expected to get, and if the program gets a postseason ban, that will make it even harder to attract recruits. The first step to this process is to wait and see who from the current roster and recruiting
class stays and goes. LSU has now lost all four commits of its 2022 recruiting class, but so far no one on the current roster has announced any plans to leave the program. When asked about re-recruiting the current players at his opening press conference McMahon outlined his approach. “That’s the most important thing here,” McMahon said. “We’ve hit the ground running. We’re going to invest a lot of time with our players. I want people who want to be here.” Under sanctions, recruiting is tough, but the argument can be made that McMahon, an already established recruiter, will have an even easier time at LSU. Looking at his time at Murray State, McMahon recruited and developed multiple NBA players, most notably Ja Morant. Acquiring Morant was a pivotal point in McMahon’s coaching progression, as the team’s transformation was immediate. In his two seasons with the program, Murray State made the tournament twice as a 12-seed and advanced to the Round of 32 in one of those after an upset, blowout victory over fiveseed Marquette. While Morant’s time with the Racers was important in reestablishing Murray State’s success and getting McMahon out
see MCMAHON, page 9
LSU gymnastics earns two seed in NCAA BY MORGAN ROGERS @__morganrogers
CAILIN TRAN / The Reveille
During the 2022 NCAA selection show Tuesday morning, the NCAA announced the seedings of the top collegiate gymnastics teams for regional competition. Next week, 36 teams will go head to head to compete for a spot in the 2022 Gymnastics Championships. Determined by the national qualifying score, NQS, the regional selections send the sixthranked LSU team to the Raleigh Regional in North Carolina as a two seed. The Tigers will face top contenders No. 3 Michigan, No. 11 Missouri and No. 14 UCLA. The competition will consist of four sessions spanning from March 30 to April 2. Since the Purple and Gold have been selected as the second seed, they will not compete until March 31 after the first round concludes. “I think this is the toughest regional there is, but I am confident in the team’s ability to navigate it and advance,” Head Coach Jay Clark said. “The goal is to advance out of it and go to the semifinal in Fort Worth.”
see GYMNASTICS, page 9
FOOTBALL
Kelly dismisses Wilson allegations, discusses spring roster BY ADAM BURRUSS @AdamNFLDraft LSU Head Football Coach Brian Kelly opened his third press conference by giving his expected perspective about spring practice; calling it an extension of how the team prepares. However, one important part of Kelly’s conference came when he was asked about allegations against running backs coach Frank Wilson. Wilson is accused of sexual harassment by former Associate Athletic Director Sharon Lewis in an amended lawsuit earlier this month, which Kelly said were “egregious” and “unfounded.” “We consider those as being egregious and simply allegations that were unfounded,” Kelly said. “It does not affect Frank Wilson and the person
that we know and we stand behind him firmly as a member of our staff.” Kelly demeaned the allegations and reaffirmed that the team stands behind Wilson. He also said the team, under Kelly’s term, had no knowledge of a lawsuit against Wilson despite his allegations being amended into Sharon Lewis’ lawsuit against the school. In terms of the roster, Kelly touched on the fact that LSU began the year with 39 scholarship players and that he expects the team to expand to 84 players by August. He also clarified his position that he wanted to build the program through high school recruiting in the future. Kelly also discussed the crowded quarterback room and
see KELLY, page 9
SAVANNA ORGERON / The Reveille
LSU football head coach Brian Kelly speaks to the press regarding spring football March 23 at the Bill Lawton room in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
page 9
Thursday, March 24, 2022 GYMNASTICS, from page 8 The second round will begin next Thursday in the Reynolds Coliseum, hosted by North Carolina State. The round consists of two separate sessions of quadmeets. LSU will begin on the floor in session one of the second round against Iowa, North Carolina State and the defending national champions, Missouri at 12 p.m. “I feel good about our team and where we are,” Clark said. “Last week is not who we are, and I know we will reset and bring some momentum into the re-
gional. We cannot leave anything to chance. There is no tomorrow and it comes down to hit and advance.” The top-two teams from each session will proceed to the Regional Finals on April 1 at 4 p.m. If LSU advances to Saturday, they will likely face off against powerhouses Michigan and UCLA. The Tigers will start either on vault or bars in the final round of Regionals. Tickets for each session have already been released on the NCAA ticketing website. The four-day competition will be televised on ESPN3.
FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille
LSU gymnastics all-round freshmen Aleah Finnegan performs a flip March 11 during LSU’s 198.125-197.875 win over University of Utah in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on N. Stadium Drive in Baton Rouge, La.
MCMAHON, from page 8 of a potential hole, McMahon’s most recent season is what prevented those seasons from being flukes. Being able to produce players like that at a mid-major school proves that McMahon is both great at evaluating talent and developing players coming out of high school. Pair that with an environment like LSU,
KELLY, from page 8 his pitch to former Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels. According to Kelly, Arizona State’s staff did not tap into Daniels’ “ability to be a dual-threat quarterback.” Kelly also explained his pitch to Myles Brennan, who re-joined the program despite initially putting his name in the transfer portal. “I think we started with, ‘We wanted more competition and no one has the starting position. Go earn it,’” Kelly said. Kelly also heaped praise on newly transferred cornerback Mekhi Garner from LouisianaLafayette, calling him an “NFL corner.” Additionally, Kelly touched on eligibility and the players expected to participate in spring practice. He noted that safety Major Burns and offensive lineman Garrett Dellinger will not
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where five-star players have already been coming, this leads many to believe that McMahon could be a great recruiter in Baton Rouge. In the first couple of years, it is no secret that McMahon will have to rely heavily on the transfer portal. Anytime a new coach comes in, transfers are common but they will be especially frequent in this situation. The first place McMahon will likely look participate in spring camp due to injuries. Running back John Emery Jr. has no timetable due to his academic ineligibility, but Kelly said Emery’s making “good progress.” One curious note revolves around how Kelly described his relationship with star wide receiver Kayshon Boutte. “We’re still in the process of building a relationship,” Kelly said. “I know his last name right now, and I only say that because he’s re-engaging. He’s injured, he’s had a successful surgery, and we’re getting acquainted day by day.” Ultimately, though, Kelly’s big message revolved around competition and he wanted LSU’s standards to revolve around competition. “If you do not like competition, this is not your place,” Kelly said. “If you love to compete, LSU’s the place for you.”
is the Murray State roster he left behind which featured tremendous young talent. The first couple of years will be a transition period for LSU men’s basketball, but McMahon has made it known that he is ready for the challenge. This now starts a new era in Baton Rouge, and one that has fans hopeful for the future of a program trying to get its momentum back.
“We consider those as being egregious and simply allegations that were unfounded. It does not affect Frank Wilson and the person that we know and we stand behind him firmly as a member of our staff.” BRIAN KELLY LSU Football Head Coach
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THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Feeling __; in a funk 5 Hard to climb 10 Salad type 14 Costa __ 15 Chavez or Romero 16 Center 17 Rainbow shapes 18 Stands for 20 Aberdeen refusal 21 Quite a few 22 Uneasy feeling 23 Annual dances 25 “__ Baba and the Forty Thieves” 26 Part of GM 28 Pants 31 Up in arms 32 Berate 34 VP Rockefeller’s initials 36 Takes into custody 37 Rather plump 38 Actress Rogers 39 Sick 40 Bench-__; exercise with weights 41 Esau’s twin 42 “__ with a Kiss”; 1962 song 44 Lively dances 45 Edison’s initials 46 European language 47 Monastery head 50 Aluminum wrap 51 Org. for Texans & Titans 54 Wedding VIP 57 Lady __ of the music world 58 Come to shore 59 Vital sign 60 “__ Breaky Heart” 61 __ Benedict; fancy breakfast 62 Meal with matzo 63 Does the slalom DOWN 1 __ muffins 2 Turkey’s currency 3 Barely adequate 4 “__ Anybody Seen My Gal?”
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5 Skedaddles 6 Adolescents 7 Get a glimpse of 8 Cochlea’s place 9 Prefix for mature or view 10 Picturesque 11 NY’s __ Island 12 __ and crafts 13 Mae or Adam 19 Dieter’s lunch 21 Extra amount 24 Goes bad 25 Friendly nation 26 Skimpy skirt 27 Face-to-face tests 28 Boo-hoos 29 Ornamental trinket 30 Pago Pago’s location 32 Brought charges against 33 ABC competitor 35 BBQ favorites 37 Magnolia or ash 38 Man or boy 40 Piece of china
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OPINION
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SG campaigns are the entry point for student involvement CHARLIE’S ANGLES CHARLIE STEPHENS
@charliestephns Three Student Government campaigns will face off in an election on March 30. These campaigns have spent months vigorously organizing in hopes of victory this spring. Contrary to popular belief, these campaign organizations— not the useless committees on Freshmen Leadership Council— are the lifeblood of involvement in SG. While campaigns are not technically part of SG, they are the entry point for nearly every single person serving in the organization. The campaigns built to win elected office in SG are sophisticated organizations that spend thousands of dollars each election cycle. The money is spent on t-shirts, pamphlets, food and everything in between, all in an effort to engage more of the student body in the SG election cycle. Campaigns are responsible
COURTESY OF JACOB CHEATWOOD
Three student government campaigns faced off in the 2021 SG debate on March 22, 2021. for the lion’s share of outreach to potential voters because SG has historically done little to publicize the election dates to the wider student body. These shortlived organizations are often not evenly matched against their opponents in terms of fundraising, which is common in even statewide elections.
Last spring, there was a competitive fundraising and organizing atmosphere that incentivized campaigns to find new students to involve in the process. This resulted in a 14% voter turnout, which, while still low, was the highest in SG history. This was a result of nearly $20,000 in spending spread
across three campaigns last spring. Three campaigns spent months leading up to the election actively working to engage students, all on on a volunteer basis. I experienced this firsthand as a campaign manager for an SG ticket last year. SG campaign staff work hard to raise funds to engage the elec-
torate and dedicate large amounts of time to meet the demands of campaigning. SG campaign obligations include ticket meetings to organize internal campaign membership, staff meetings to ensure everything is running smoothly and whatever else pops up along the way. Staff do all this as volunteers having full-time course schedules. Tickets do the heavy lifting of getting students through the front door of SG. They also serve as the messenger of many of the organization’s biggest accomplishments and, perhaps more importantly, its biggest issues, like how to better align SG with real student demands. The demands and competition of these elections are the reason they come with such a large price tag — an involved electorate isn’t cheap. SG should help campaigns spread the word about elections. Maybe then turnout would break 15%, and campaign costs could go down. Charlie Stephens is a 21-year-old political communication junior from Baton Rouge.
U.S. should not implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine SERIOUSLY KIDDING
FRANK KIDD @FK446852315 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the United States to declare Ukraine a nofly zone in a virtual address last Wednesday. His request comes as a response to Russia’s frequent bombings of Ukraine. The idea of a no-fly zone has resonated with some in the media, leading them to question the United States’ position against the request. Supporters of a no-fly zone seem to think that it acts as a magical barrier against Russian planes. Unfortunately, “The Incredibles” isn’t real, and the United States government can’t contract superhero Violet to create a forcefield over Ukraine. Until the technology to create air barriers is actualized, nofly zones have to be enforced the old-fashioned way: Shooting down enemy planes. This would mean direct involvement by the United States and a potential hot war with Russia.
JULIAN COOPER / The Reveille
A sign that reads “Praying for Ukraine” hangs on the wall March 4, at the for the Ukraine support event at the LSU International Cultural Center on Dalrymple Drive in Baton Rouge, La. Proponents of a no-fly zone point to its previous uses in Iraq, Bosnia and Libya, but there is one subtle difference between these countries and Russia: Russia has nukes. In fact, they have the most
nuclear weapons of any country, with a 2021 estimate of 6,257 nuclear warheads. Escalating military conflict with Russia is a catastrophically dangerous game, yet one that some foolishly want to play.
Supporters of a no-fly zone have their hearts in the right place, but their heads are stuck somewhere else, in 1944—one year before the United States demonstrated the power of nuclear weapons. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed approximately 140,000 people and 77,000 people, respectively. The bomb detonated in Hiroshima had an explosive yield of 15,000 tonnes of TNT. Two-thirds of the buildings in Hiroshima were destroyed, and the blast incinerated everything within a 4-mile radius of ground zero. Survivors of the attack suffered for years after. They had to deal with the effects of radiation such as birth defects, cancer and other diseases. The effect of the bombings were enough to convince the world that we should avoid all nuclear conflict, if possible. To this day, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain the only uses of nuclear weapons in combat. The horrors of nuclear war
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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 Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to editor@lsu.edu or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
were inflicted on the Japanese people with technology from nearly 80 years ago. One can only imagine what a nuclear war between two superpowers would look like today. Zelenskyy is seeking further Western involvement due to worsening conditions on the war front. He’s hoping that a greater commitment from NATO will strengthen his position in negotiations with Russia. Who can blame him? From his perspective, the very existence of his country is at stake. Things can’t get much worse. He’s acting in the best interest of his country. The United States and NATO should remember their selfinterest as well and encourage Ukraine to make greater concessions in peace talks and continue to impose sanctions that have been crippling Russia’s economy. The West should not poke the nuclear bear. The only reasonable way to end this conflict is through de-escalation. Frank Kidd is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Springfield.
Quote of the Week “Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.”
Doug Larson
American columnist 1926 — 2017