Student Government members attempt to deliver letters to Gov. Jindal, p. 3
Reveille
Thousands party at Carlotta Street Block Party, no incidents reported, p. 5
The Daily
Volume 115, Issue 48
Saints claim win against Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-10
www.lsureveille.com
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
Big-name bands hit up the Big Easy for Voodoo Experience this past weekend at City Park It’s more than an average sweat-yourbrains-out, suffer-in-the-mud music festival. It’s the Voodoo Experience, and it went down at City Park this weekend in New Orleans. Voodoo Fest, one of the world’s largest Halloween parties, housed thousands of attendees who, for three days of musical bliss, watched some of the world’s most notorious names — including Muse, Ozzy Osbourne,
MGMT and My Morning Jacket — and Clockwork Orange” attire and had plenty to donned costumes ranging from zombies to spill about their Voodoo experience. superheroes, fictional char“There’s a lot of crazy By Cathryn Core acters to condiments and stuff going on here,” Rivanything and everything iners said. “Voodoo is great Entertainment Writer between. because it’s spread out, and Ian Smith and Kevin Rivers of Utah you’ve got the water view, the shade of the were found at the electronic tent sparring trees and some awesome acts you can’t find with the canes that went along with their “A all together anywhere else.”
Smith, a Utah Valley University aviation administration sophomore, said Halloween weekend made the festival much more fun. “The cool part about it is we can wear our costumes and be whoever we want to be while listening to our favorite artists,” he said. VOODOO, see page 15
photos by ADAM VACCARELLA and BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille
[From left to right, top to bottom] Muse, Deadmau5, Weezer, MGMT, Interpol and Hot Chip perform at Voodoo Experience this weekend in New Orleans. See more photos from Voodoo at lsureveille.com.
The Daily Reveille
Nation & World
page 2
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
STATE/LOCAL
INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
Former ‘child soldier’ sentenced Sunday to 8 years for war crimes
Man gets five-day sentence for theft caught in family’s photo
Lawyers dispute allegations in Rutgers freshman student’s suicide
LDAF crews battle wildfires; 19 fires burned 1,000 acres Thursday
Man shot to death in Metairie; body found in intersection Saturday
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) — A former teenage al-Qaida fighter was sentenced Sunday to eight more years in custody under the terms of a plea agreement unsealed after a military sentencing jury said he should serve 40 years for war crimes.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A man captured in a vacationing family’s photograph as he stole their bag in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol received a five-day jail sentence and a nearly $500 fine. The Wisconsin State Journal reported Saturday that Glenn Lambright was given credit for time already served after pleading no contest to misdemeanor theft earlier this month. Vacationer John Myers of Bloomfield, N.J., had set the selftimer on his camera and hustled into the frame with his wife and two children in August. Meanwhile, a man grabbed a bag containing Myers’ wallet and other items. After discovering the bag missing, Myers checked his camera and found a photo with a man picking up the bag in the background. Myers showed the photo to police, who recognized the man and tracked him down.
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Lawyers for two former Rutgers University freshmen accused of webcasting a male classmate having sex with another man are disputing allegations against them. Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei were charged with invasion of privacy after prosecutors say Ravi used a webcam to capture his roommate, Tyler Clementi, having a gay sexual encounter. Clementi jumped to his death off the George Washington Bridge days later. But Steven Altman and Rubin Sinins, who represent Ravi and Wei, respectively, told The Newark Star-Ledger that the webcam stream was only viewed on a single computer and did not show the men having sex. Law enforcement officials wouldn’t discuss the lawyers’ claims, citing the ongoing investigation.
(AP) — Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says more than 480 wildfires burned nearly 6,000 acres since Oct. 1. He says more than 1,000 acres burned in 19 fires on Thursday. One near Florien burned 300 acres, threatening dozens of homes, camps and other buildings. More than 20 engines from volunteer fire departments protected buildings while forestry crews fought the fire. On the Beauregard-Calcasieu Parish line near DeQuincy, forest fire crews suppressed a wildfire that burned 280 acres. They cut firelines around DeQuincy Middle School, two apartment complexes and four homes to route the fire away. Near Winnfield, a home and a few outbuildings burned before forest fire crews could suppress a fire covering more than 250 acres.
METAIRIE (AP) — The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting death of a 26-yearold man in Metairie. Sheriff’s Office spokesman Col. John Fortunato says the body of Robert Mercadel was found at a Metairie intersection Saturday.
Iraqi forces free 120 Christian hostages from church; 19 killed BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic militants held around 120 Iraqi Christians hostage for nearly four hours in a church Sunday before security forces freed them, ending a standoff that left at least 19 people dead, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. Security officials said the militants, who were allegedly linked to al-Qaida in Iraq, were on the phone with Iraqi authorities demanding the release of imprisoned female insurgents when security forces stormed the building.
photo courtesy of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
John Myers and his wife and children pose in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis., as a man in the background picks up the Myers’ bag.
Weather
TUESDAY
High: Low:
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THURSDAY
Isolated T-storms
HOUMA (AP) — A Terrebonne man has been charged in the death of his 1-year-old son. Capt. Dawn Foret, Terrebonne Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman, told The Houma Courier that 23-yearold Cody John Paul Bourg was arrested Friday and booked on a single count of second-degree murder in the death of his son, Julian Bourg. Cody Bourg remained in the jail Sunday in lieu of a $500,000 bond. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
TODAY ON
WEDNESDAY
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TODAY
Man booked for his 1-year-old child’s death, faces life in prison
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See a video from the Carlotta Halloween party
FRIDAY
Follow Gov. Bobby Jindal’s travels with the Jindal tracker
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VOODOO-WEEN @lsureveille, @TDR_news, @TDR_sports
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College of Engineering Thursday, November 4, 2010 Engr. Majors please join us for the 17th Annual LES Jambalaya Dinner 6 PM South Courtyard of Patrick F. Taylor
ADAM VACCARELLA / The Daily Reveille
Check out a gallery of Halloween costumes at Voodoo Fest at lsureveille.com
“Engineering Your Future” seminar @ 5 pm in 1109 PFT Event is FREE and a great career enhancement opportunity DO YOU HAVE AN OCCURRENCE? Call Michael at the Student Media Office 578-6090, 9AM- 5PM or E-mail: officemanager@lsureveille.com
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS The Daily Reveille holds accuracy and objectivity at the highest priority and wants to reassure the reporting and content of the paper meets these standards. This space is reserved to recognize and correct any mistakes which may have been printed in The Daily Reveille. If you would like something corrected or clarified please contact the editor at (225) 5784811 or e-mail editor@lsureveille.com.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Daily Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Daily Reveille is an independent entity within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Daily Reveille is free. To purchase additional copies for 25 cents, please contact the Office of Student Media in B-34 Hodges Hall. The Daily Reveille is published daily during the fall and spring semesters and semi-weekly during the summer semester, except during holidays and final exams. Secondclass copies postage paid at Baton Rouge, La., 70803. Annual weekly mailed subscriptions are $125, semester weekly mailed subscriptions are $75. Non-mailed student rates are $4 each regular semester, $2 during the summer; one copy per person, additional copies 25 cents each. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Daily Reveille, B-39 Hodges Hall, LSU, Baton Rouge, La.,70803.
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Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
The Daily Reveille
page 3
BUDGET CUTS
Hudson, Borel’s attempt to deliver student letters to Gov. Jindal thwarted campaign launched at the “WhatNow Lsu” event Thursday. Three hundred letters were written Thursday night and an estimated 450 have been written across Matthew Albright, Grace Montgomery campus thus far, Borel said. The 450 letters include the 107 Staff Writer, Contributing Writer letters Hudson said SG received Gov. Bobby Jindal wasn’t from a Friday letter-writing effort. around the State Capitol to greet Borel, Chief of Staff Phoebe Student Government President J Hathorn and other SG members Hudson and Vice President Dani worked a table in Free Speech PlaBorel on Friday afternoon when the za, giving students writing topics. two attempted to hand-deliver hunA few waves of students passed dreds of handwritten letters from by the tables for the first five minstudents about the utes with no more budget crisis. than 10 students State Trea- ‘[The visit] is meant stopping to write. surer John Kenne- to show that students More students dy, however, was crowded around available. He sat can go to the Capitol the table to sign down with the two letters as classes let for a 45-minute and talk. The Capitol out at 11:30 a.m. discussion of budThe total fell is a few miles away get cuts and higher short of Borel’s — it’s not a foreign goal of 1,000 leteducation. Hudson and ters written by Fricountry.’ Borel went to the day afternoon. governor’s fourth Students proJ Hudson floor office to de- Student Government president vided their ZIP liver the letters. codes when turnA receptionist said Jindal was in ing in letters, allowing the volunNew Orleans and didn’t know his teers to then address the letter to schedule. their representatives. A constituent services repreOut-of-state students could use sentative offered to deliver the let- their Baton Rouge addresses to conters; Hudson and Borel said they tact Speaker of the House Jim Tuckwould hand-deliver them to Jindal er, Senate President Joel Chaisson later. or Baton Rouge representatives, “We’d actually like to give Borel said. him the letters ourselves,” Borel She said students were encoursaid. “They’re our letters.” aged to write about how budget The two said they had submit- cuts are affecting them personally, ted a request to meet with Jindal like difficulty scheduling classes or to deliver the letters Friday. The a lost job. receptionist said that request had “We asked students to write been received but not processed. how they feel so the letters will be The student representatives both informed and personal,” Borel then went to Kennedy’s office said. without an appointment. The treaA member of the janitorial staff surer met with them in a confer- also wrote a letter about her conence room for an impromptu meet- cerns for maintaining her job, Borel ing and explained his 16-point plan said. for fixing the state’s budget deficit. Jay Vegna, biology freshman, Kennedy said continued cuts said he wrote about the value of to higher education would hurt the education in the wake of the Gulf state in the long run, especially of Mexico oil spill. He said educacompared to other states. tion was a necessary resource be“We will not catch up by hurt- cause jobs have been destroyed in ing universities,” Kennedy said. the state. Hudson said the meeting was meant to show students that they can take real action against budget cuts. “[The visit] is meant to show that students can go to the Capitol and talk,” he said. “The Capitol is a few miles away — it’s not a foreign country.” The letters the two brought to the Capitol were a sample of the roughly 450 letters gathered as part of the Flagship Advocates
Duo discusses cuts with state treasurer
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7:20 a.m., 8:20 a.m. Noon, 3:20 p.m. 4:20 p.m., 5:20 p.m.
The personal touch of letters has more impact than a petition or pre-made forms, Borel said. “Letters show a big group of unified students but are also personal,” Borel said. Borel further encouraged students to call or meet with legislators in person to make an even deeper impact. Students with the budget cut activist group Proud Students also talked to students Friday. William Sain, English and secondary education junior and Proud Students co-founder, walked around with a German flag asking students to sign Proud Students’ “Don’t Sink LSU” banner. Sain is studying German as a minor. However, the students didn’t have much room to sign the banner — it was already full of signatures from previous events. Sain estimated there are 500 signatures on the banner — about 200 are from before Friday’s event. Proud Students also brought its “coffin” for higher education to the event, the same coffin it brought to the jazz funeral for higher education Oct. 8.
LYNDSI LEWIS / The Daily Reveille
SG President J Hudson and Vice President Dani Borel attempt to deliver a box of letters Friday written by University students to Gov. Bobby Jindal about budget cuts.
Monday November 1
Managing Editor of Content Robert Stewart contributed to this report.
See photos of students writing letters to Gov. Bobby Jindal at lsureveille.com. Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com
Pluckers Wing Bar Mon.: $14.99 All You Can Eat Wings and $3 Pluckers Lemonades Tues.: Kids Eat Free, $3 Mexican Beers and Margaritas Wed: Trivia at 8 pm, $4.50 Mother Plucker Mugs of Bud and Miller Thurs: $15.99 All You Can Eat Wings, $4.50 Mother Plucker Mugs of Bud Light and Miller Lite, $5.50 Patron Margaritas Sun: $3 Pluckers Specialty Shots
9-10:30 AM 12-1:30 PM 4:00-5:30PM 8:00- 9:30 PM 11:00-12:30
Home for the Holidays How to Train Your Dragon Up in the Air Sex and the City 2 The Hurt Locker
The Daily Reveille
page 4
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
PHILANTHROPY
Cemetery cleanup removes overgrown weeds, debris
Volunteers prepare for All Saints’ Day Julian Tate Contributing Writer
Volunteers and students gathered on the eve of Halloween to cleanse the homes of the dead. About 200 students and volunteers gathered Saturday at Sweet Olive Cemetery to prepare for All Saints’ Day. Sweet Olive, a historically African American cemetery, has been neglected, according to the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance. Rotten trees, weeds, worn graves and vault damage create a macabre sight. Conditions have worsened since Hurricane Gustav, said Mallory Sharp, mass communication senior. The cleanup project is a part of the Manship School of Mass Communication’s public relations campaign class. The class “works as a reallife campaign program” that teaches students the process of making campaigns, Sharp said. Several students have been
working since the beginning of the semester with the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance, a nonprofit Baton Rouge community development organization. “We chose [the Sweet Olive project] because we wanted to make a difference in the Baton Rouge community,” Sharp said. The cemetery cleanup initiative “Sweet Olive Rescue” was organized to encourage the preservation of Baton Rouge’s historical cemetery. Mid City Redevelopment Alliance hopes to map the cemetery and record every tombstone, but the current state of the cemetery has made it impossible. “The cemetery does not have its own financing,” said Samuel Sanders, executive director of Mid City Redevelopment Alliance. Sweet Olive depends on volunteer maintenance, Sanders said. Sharp and several other students were faced with the task of finding sponsors and recruiting volunteers through posters, brochures, media and press releases. Mid City Redevelopment Alliance helped students and
LYNDSI LEWIS / The Daily Reveille
Students and volunteers cleaned tombstones, debris and overgrown plants from graves Saturday at Sweet Olive Cemetery.
volunteers paint fences, landscape the exterior of the cemetery and remove rotten tree trunks, debris and brush. Allison Sage, mass communication freshman, said keeping the cemetery clean is important because “everyone deserves respect, even after they die.”
POLITICS
Students attend Colbert, Stewart rally Catherine Threlkeld Staff Writer
University students traveled to Washington, D.C., this weekend to attend comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.” More than 200,000 people gathered Saturday at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to hear Stewart and Colbert put out the flames of partisan politics. The rally’s message was to counteract the angry, loud name-calling of today’s politicians. “We love Jon Stewart, and I wanted to support the call for more rational, reasonable political discussions,” said Rachel Berard, international studies sophomore. Berard flew Friday to D.C. with history sophomore Mikelle Humble. Humble said the rally made her feel good about her political views. “More people have a moderate position than I really thought about,” Humble said. “You only hear people with extreme opinions.” Berard said students should learn from the rally to be careful about what they’re watching on TV and to ignore irrational talk. “There are a lot of people who agree that we can have reasonable discussion and that it’s easy for us to cooperate,” Berard said. Berard said she also enjoyed Ozzy Osbourne and Yusuf Islam’s collaboration of “Peace Train.” The rally was a mix of comedy and entertainment, with a serious political undertone. “We live now in hard times,” Stewart said. “Not end times.” Colbert, who personified fear at the rally, entered the stage in a capsule like those that rescued Chilean
miners. He pretended to distrust all Muslims until basketball great and Muslim Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came onstage. At Stewart’s request, members of the audience identified themselves as varying demographics, like half-Mexican and Asian American. “It’s a perfect demographic sampling of the American people,” Stewart said. “If you have too many white people at a rally, your cause is racist. If you have too many people of color, then you must be asking for something — special rights, like eating at restaurants.”
Protesters carried signs expressing their distaste in party politics. Signs included “If you keep shouting like that, you’ll get big muscles all over your face” and “Christine O’Donnell turned me into a NEWT!” Several signs poked fun at the purpose of the rally, such as “Is this the line for Justin Bieber tickets?!?!” and “Ironically, this rally is insane!”
Contact Catherine Threlkeld at cthrelkeld@lsureveille.com
Sage and Taylor Pearson, international studies freshmen, spent two hours scraping old paint and repainting the graves white. Kenzel Ricks, a fourth grade student at Capitol Elementary, attended the cleanup with his sister and members of Healing Place
Church. “This helps my community,” Ricks said. “These people are going to have a nice home to rest in.” Contact Julian Tate at jtate@lsureveille.com
The Daily Reveille
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
page 5
ACADEMICS
State loses millions on dropouts, ranks 13th in nation
LA GRAD Act may lower money lost Catherine Threlkeld Staff Writer
Dropping out of college creates job uncertainty and debt, but a new study by the American Institutes for Research shows dropouts also create state and individual costs. According to the study, dropouts cost the nation more than $9 billion between 2003 and 2008. Louisiana ranks 13th in state expenditures on first-year students, costing the state $217.4 million in those five years. University Director of External
Affairs Jason Droddy said the LSU System has a low graduation rate. Droddy said to raise the graduation rate, low performing students need to move to community colleges for a more fitting experience. The Louisiana Board of Regents will have new admission standards in 2012, which Droddy said should put students where they can succeed. Droddy said the University was cognizant of the problem of college dropouts in the 1980s, and created admission standards then to improve graduation rates from 37 percent in 1989 to 67 percent in 2010. “It seemed to be unfair to the students and parents to admit them to college where they probably won’t succeed,” Droddy said.
Money losses due to dropout students continue on a national level. According to the report, the last two presidential administrations have increased funding for the Federal Pell Grant Program, and the “losses through that program are substantial.” “[We] spend far too much money on students who don’t even finish the first lap, let alone fail to cross the finish line,” the report says. Board of Regents spokeswoman Meg Casper said the LA GRAD Act, which gives Louisiana universities the ability to raise tuition after meeting lower dropout rates, could help lower money lost on dropouts. “[We’re] seeing a lot of programs and focus on graduating and
completing, and working out the degree at hand rather than enrolling students,” Casper said. Casper cited reasons why money is spent on students who drop out. “If you enroll a bunch of students and they drop out, you may have hired additional faculty,” Casper said. “Any service that’s provided to students is somewhat based on enrollment.” Casper said the Board of Regents has pushed campuses to focus more on graduation, retention and completion and rewarding the institutions monetarily for success. The University’s continuation rate from freshman to sophomore for 2009 was 84.1 percent, a 10 percent increase in the last 20 years.
Almost 16 percent of the 2008 freshman class did not return for fall 2009. The continuation rate also includes students who have transferred to other schools. Casper admitted Louisiana’s percentage of adults with a college degree was low at 23 percent. The state’s Center for Adult Learning in Louisiana helps dropouts complete their degree. “It’s all about improving the percentage of adults in the state who have post-secondary education credentials,” Casper said. Contact Catherine Threlkeld at cthrelkeld@lsureveille.com
EVENTS
Thousands attend Carlotta Street Halloween block party Friday Police on call, no incidents reported Catherine Threlkeld Staff Writer
A school of fish, a giraffe, several Chilean miners, at least 10 Lady Gagas and a Pikachu, among hundreds of other costumes, congregated Friday for Carlotta Street’s 35th annual Halloween block party. Thousands of partygoers descended on Carlotta street to enjoy band performances, food and beer trucks. Nicole Chellino, elementary education sophomore, attended the party dressed as the Indian Mounds. Her costume was complete with a headdress and a sign saying “Please do not slide on the Indian Mounds.” “It’s cool, it’s loud, it’s fun,” Chellino said of her first time at Carlotta’s Halloween party. Stephen Kampen, animal sciences junior, was dressed as Keith Stone from Keystone
Light’s commercial campaign McKneely said. “Everyone had a and carried a Keystone box. good time.” Kampen has been to Carlotta beSgt. Don Kelly, BRPD fore, but he said this year’s party spokesman, said the Carlotta was the best he party got out of has seen. hand a few years “The best ago and became part is the cosunsafe. tumes, friends “We have and atmosphere,” worked closely Kampen said. with area resi“I know a lot dents and the more people [this North Gate Meryear].” chants to do evKampen said erything we can Cpl. L’Jean McKneely his favorite costo help facilitate a BRPD spokesman tumes were of his safe, legal event, friends dressed as and we’re doing Pikachu and Ash Ketchum of the so again this year,” Kelly said. animated Pokemon series. After a conflict about perBaton Rouge Police De- mits for having the party on Fripartment barricaded State Street day or Saturday night, the party’s around 6:30 p.m., and an ambu- spokesmen agreed with BRPD to lance and stretchers remained host the party Friday. close by for incidents. Jared Loftus, North Gate Despite rumors of partygo- Merchants Association president, ers on stretchers, BRPD spokes- was confident BRPD would inman Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said tervene if partygoers showed up Sunday he hasn’t heard of any Saturday night without a permit. incidents. Carlotta Street was empty Satur“Nobody called and in- day, but a BRPD SUV remained formed us of any problems,” on guard.
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‘Nobody called and informed us of any problems. ... Everyone had a good time.’
Several bands played on the Pleasure Club Stage at the end of Carlotta Street, including Brown Zero, Chasing Autumn, King Babylon, Ends Us, MotherLode, Nil and The Prophet, Eatin
Disorder, Glitchell, Pig Lizard and Relatives. Contact Catherine Threlkeld at cthrelkeld@lsureveille.com
The Daily Reveille
page 6
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY
Diversity Ambassadors promote College of Engineering
community outreach based here in the College of Engineering,” Henderson said. Student volunteers want to build that foundation and give back to Baton Rouge, Henderson said. Julian Tate “We really try to motivate [the Contributing Writer kids] to go to the next level beyond The Office for Diversity Pro- high school and beyond college,” grams in the College of Engineer- Henderson said. ing has created an organization that The ambassadors began last seintroduces middle and high school mester after the Office for Diversity students to the field of engineering. Programs conducted a survey sent to The organistudents in the Colzation, called the lege of EngineerDiversity Ambasing. The survey sadors, comprises asked students for 31 students from diideas about what verse backgrounds they wanted to see and engineering diversity programs disciplines. accomplish. “We’re a group “Several stuVaneshette Henderson of under-representdents mentioned ed undergraduate coordinator of pre-college programs, they had a desire College of Engineering and graduate stuto go out into the dents who want to community and to go out into the community and in- do community outreach activities,” troduce engineering to other under- Henderson said. represented kids,” said Vaneshette Henderson then pooled student Henderson, coordinator of pre-col- responses and organized the Diverlege programs in the College of En- sity Ambassadors. gineering. “We try to promote diversity The Diversity Ambassadors in engineering,” said chemical envisit Baton Rouge schools teach kids gineering junior Mollie Burke, who about engineering through interac- said she joined the ambassadors to tive demonstrations. They encourage get involved with the University and women, African Americans, Hispan- Baton Rouge communities. ics, Native Americans and Asian Burke went to Istrouma High Americans to pursue careers in engi- School in the spring and participated neering, Henderson said. in a presentation about light optics, in “We want to build a strong which she helped students construct
Group targets young Baton Rouge students
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‘We really try to motivate [the kids] to go to the next level.’
TECHNOLOGY
Anti-theft software helps recover laptops, phones Campus thefts up from previous year Sarah Eddington Staff Writer
Property thefts are typically the most common crimes on college campuses, but some students are finding better ways to secure their belongings — anti-theft software. As of Oct. 26, there have been 274 reports of thefts on campus in 2010, according to Sgt. Blake Tabor, LSU Police Department spokesman. There were only 229 during the same time frame last year. “Thefts overall are up by 45, and that includes all kinds of theft,” Tabor said. Tabor said anti-theft software can help facilitate retrieval. “If students have that kind of software on their computers, it makes our chances of recovering [items] that much greater,” he said. A student helped LSUPD officers recover his stolen laptop Oct. 11 by activating anti-theft software. The free software, downloaded from preyproject.com, installs a small agent into a laptop or phone. When the item is stolen, the owner can activate the agent, which sends
out the item’s exact Wi-Fi location, according to the website. The software also lets owners take screen shots, sound an alarm, send the thief a message, activate the webcam, wipe all personal passwords or even lock down the laptop, according to the website. Det. Kevin Scott, LSUPD spokesman, said officers caught the perpetrator within hours of the laptop being stolen. “We were able to pinpoint his exact location and recover the laptop within 16 hours,” Scott said. Tabor said LSUPD has been assisted by similar software in the past. There are different types of anti-theft software, including GadgetTrak and BAK2u for phones and laptops and LoJack for laptops. Recording serial and model numbers is another way students can keep track of items, Tabor said. Tabor said the data can be plugged into the National Crime Information Center, a computerized database where stolen items can be tagged and recovered. “The vast majority doesn’t record that information,” he said. “Without those records, recovery is like a shot in the dark.” Contact Sarah Eddington at seddington@lsureveille.com
a flashlight out of tape and batteries. The Diversity Ambassadors “try to make the experience fun” for the kids, Burke said. To introduce chemical and biological engineering, the Diversity Ambassadors help the students make colored silly putty. To introduce civil engineering and construction management, the ambassadors help the students construct bridges made of
gumdrops and toothpicks. “I’m very excited about this school year,” Burke said, “We have more events and schools visit.” Scotlandville Magnet High School, McKinley Middle Magnet School and Istrouma High School are among schools the Diversity Ambassadors plan to visit soon. The Diversity Ambassadors gave a presentation at Scotlandville
Pre-Engineering Middle Magnet Academy on Oct. 29. High school students “have a better connection with someone who is younger, and you can see [their] comfort level and interest” rise, Henderson said. Contact Julian Tate at jtate@lsureveille.com
Sports
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
page 7
FOOTBALL
LSU moves to No. 10 in BCS standings Oregon takes No. 1 spot from Auburn Staff Reports
ALABAMA LOOMING Miles still taking heat despite 7-1 record as Alabama game nears Sean Isabella Sports Writer
Halloween just passed, Thanksgiving is 24 days away and it’s almost time to think about making a list for Santa Claus and checking it twice. And for those still on a sugar high, it’s also the beginning of November, which means LSU’s game against Alabama — one of LSU’s most hated rivals in the Southeastern Conference — is looming. Not that anyone would forget LSU’s matchup with the Crimson Tide is only five days away. It’s barely the beginning of game week, yet the buzz on LSU’s campus
has already begun to ring with hopes the Tigers can curtail Alabama for the first time in three years. “I’m from Washington, D.C., and I came all the way down to LSU for LSU football, so this is the game of the season,” said Matthew Warakomski, mechanical engineering freshman. Warakomski is one of many University students who has had LSUAlabama circled on their calendars since the season began. Student tickets are already in high demand for the game, with prospective buyers looking at a hefty price tag in the hundreds of dollars range to secure a ticket. A seat on the 50-yard
line could set a person back $1,959 on Stubhub.com. “It’s a huge game, especially at home and our need to make a statement at 7-1,” said Noah Baker, civil engineering senior. “A lot of people aren’t convinced we’re any good.” The Tigers’ only blemish is a 24-17 setback two weeks ago at the hands of Auburn — or more specifically, junior quarterback Cameron Newton. But despite the record and a No. 10 ranking, LSU coach Les Miles has still received a heavy dose of national criticism because of questionable ALABAMA, see page 11 photo by GRANT GUTIERREZ / The Daily Reveille
LSU defensive back Chris Hawkins (29) tries to tackle Alabama wide reciever Julio Jones (8) on Nov. 8, 2008, in Tiger Stadium.
The computers like LSU more than the pollsters. The Tigers, currently Nos. 11 and 12 in the two major human polls, moved up to No. 10 in the Bowl Championship Series standings after having the weekend off. LSU (7-1) was No. 12 in last week’s BCS standings. Auburn (9-0), who beat LSU 24-17 on Oct. 23, dropped out of the top spot despite its 51-31 win against Ole Miss. Oregon (8-0) replaced them at No. 1 after trouncing USC 53-32 late Saturday. Following the Ducks in the rankings are TCU, Boise State and Utah. Alabama (7-1), who LSU plays this Saturday, sits at No. 6. LSU could still realistically re-enter the national title conversation. Auburn still has to play Georgia and Alabama. Meanwhile, if LSU wins out and finishes the regular season at 11-1, it would win the Southeastern Conference Western Division if Auburn loses twice. Many experts believe a oneloss SEC team would be a lock for the national championship game. Other SEC teams appearing in the standings are Arkansas (No. 18), South Carolina (No. 19) and Mississippi State (No. 20). Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com
VOLLEYBALL
Tigers roll by Crimson Tide in 3 sets
Explosive offense helps LSU in win Rob Landry Sports Contributor
There were no scares for the No. 16 LSU volleyball team on Halloween as it cruised to a threeset sweep of Alabama in the PMAC. The Tigers (21-2, 12-2) trailed the Crimson Tide (9-13, 1-11), 6-4, early in the first set but immediately ripped off six consecutive points to take a 10-6 lead. They never trailed again in
the match. Johnson, who tallied 35 assists in LSU hit for a .352 percentage the game while adding nine kills. for the game and “Brittney has knocked down a todone a great job tal of 50 kills. running the of“That’s somefense,” said LSU thing we really coach Fran Flory. needed to improve “We switched upon, with our hitour offense, and ting percentage,” we have more said sophomore weapons, and it’s Fran Flory outside hitter Madie a transition peLSU volleyball coach Jones. “When you riod. She has to start passing good figure out who to and getting a lot of balls, it’s easy set when, and there are so many to be efficient.” more decisions and so many more The Tigers were led offenSWEEP, see page 11 sively by senior setter Brittney
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‘Brittney [Johnson] has done a great job running the offense.’
SARAH HUNT / The Daily Reveille
LSU sophmore outside hitter Madie Jones attempts to spike the ball Sunday during the Tigers’ win over Alabama in the PMAC. LSU swept Alabama in three sets.
The Daily Reveille
page 8
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
SOCCER
TENNIS
Tigers play Tenn. first in SEC tourney
Szacinski wins all seven of his matches
Ryan Ginn
Hunt Palmer
Sports Contributor
Sports Contributor
Members of the LSU soccer team lingered nervously at midfield Sunday, waiting for the news that would set off a celebration of their fourth-straight Southeastern Conference Western Division championship. LSU (7-8-4, 4-4-3) needed an Alabama win against Auburn to claim the title outright in the wake of its 1-0 win against Arkansas (511-3, 2-7-2). The Crimson Tide played their part well for 89 minutes, going up 1-0 early and hanging on for what seemed like an eternity. But just minutes after LSU’s match concluded, the news came down from the press box: Auburn scored with 17 seconds left, sending the game into overtime. Auburn went on to win, and with the victory came its first outright SEC West championship since 2006. The LSU Tigers, who struggled to finish scoring opportuniLYNDSI LEWIS / The Daily Reveille ties all season, finally discovered a LSU senior defender Courtney Alexander fights for the ball Friday during the Tigers’ 1-0 finishing touch against the Razoragainst Arkansas at the LSU Soccer Complex. LSU finished second in the SEC West. backs only to see their work erased by another team’s inability to close the back of the net, giving the Ti- hour later, perhaps a second news gers the goal they so desperately bulletin brought forth the gratefulout a match. ness to even have another game. Instead of finishing fifth over- needed. Ole Miss, tied with LSU in the “Losing or tying was not an all, the Tigers dropped to sixth and will face third-seeded Tennessee in option,” Murphy said. “We had one standings, lost to Mississippi State, senior [defender Courtney Alexan- who had been 0-10 in conference the first round Wednesday. der], and we really matches until Friday. Instead of poThe consolahad to do it for tentially winning the division, the tion, of course, is that LSU may be ‘We had one senior, her because this Rebels finished ninth overall, failwould have been it ing to make the tournament. playing its best soccer of the sea- and we really had to if we had lost.” A l e x a n d e r, son. Despite both do it for her because the lone senior teams fighting for a place in the confer- this would have been sandwiched beContact Ryan Ginn at an eightence tournament, it if we had lost.’ tween member senior rginn@lsureveille.com the first half had class of 2009 and all the makings of Kellie Murphy six-member junior another scoreless LSU junior midfielder class, played the draw — an LSU part of leader to specialty of late. “At halftime, I asked them, perfection. She served as the cata‘Are we going to be a fifth-place lyst for a tentative offense, consisteam or a 10th-place team?’ That’s tently applying pressure and leada pretty big difference in the way ing the team in shots with four. “I’m just glad that we pulled it you’re spending the next nine months,” said LSU coach Brian out so it wasn’t my last game here for LSU,” she said. “It ended up Lee. Junior midfielder Kellie Mur- exactly how we needed to do.” While the bitter disappointphy provided the answer to Lee’s question in the 67th minute when ment of the Auburn win still resoher header off a corner kick found nated in the locker room a half-
Sophomore Stefan Szacinski won all seven of his matches this weekend in the University of South Florida Fall Invitational as the LSU men’s tennis team closed out its fall slate in Tampa, Fla. The Tigers roared out of the gates Friday, claiming 14 of their 16 matches against Jacksonville University. Senior Julien Gauthier, junior Tom Knights and sophomores Olivier Borsos and Szacinski all won in straight sets in flight A. Flight B was no different. Sophomores James Turbervill and Roger Anderson each bested Jacksonville’s Andrew Lerner in straight sets, and junior David Roberts earned a two-set victory as well. Senior Cody Loup dropped the first set of his flight C match, 6-4, before retiring because of injury. The Tigers won seven of eight doubles matches Friday against the Dolphins. The duos of Borsos and Anderson, Gauthier and Turbervill, and Knights and Szacinski won two matches each, and Loup and Roberts pitched in with one win.
LSU beats Arkansas in regular season Tigers close out season finale, 1-0, takes second place in West at invitational in Tampa
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“We had another great start of the first day of a tournament,” said LSU coach Jeff Brown. “We are gaining confidence by winning.” That confidence rolled over to Saturday’s matches, as LSU won three of its four doubles contests. The singles were a different story. LSU struggled to a 1-6 singles record Saturday with Szacinski notching the only win, a straight-set victory against USF’s Juan Acuna. The team rebounded Sunday, winning four of its five singles matches and notching a 2-1 doubles record. The teams of Knights and Szacinski and Gauthier and Turbervill were both 4-0 in doubles for the weekend. The tournament closed out the fall season for Brown and the Tigers, who will open up spring play with the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships on Friday, Jan. 14. “We had a lot of good competition this weekend,” Brown said. “We have one more week of official practice, and then we will look forward to continuing our strength and conditioning to get ready for our first match of the spring.”
Contact Hunt Palmer at hpalmer@lsureveille.com
The Daily Reveille
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
SWIMMING AND DIVING
page 9
CROSS COUNTRY
Tigers, Lady Tigers head to SEC Championships in South Carolina
Men’s, women’s teams finished 11th in 2009 Hunter Paniagua Sports Contributor
DAVID LYLE / The Daily Reveille
LSU junior Matt Vieke dives from the three-meter platform during a swim meet against Florida State on Saturday. LSU secured its first dual meet win since Jan. 31.
Tigers, Lady Tigers defeat Florida State team performance I’ve seen from LSU in the last six years.” The Tigers and the Seminoles fought back and forth all day. The Tigers won the 200-yard medley relay to start things off Katherine Terrell and had strong performances in Sports Contributor the 200-yard freestyle and 100Saturday’s meet was particu- yard backstroke. larly satisfying for LSU’s swimBut the Seminoles’ depth in ming and diving teams for a num- the distance events kept things ber of reasons. close. The Tigers had only a fiveThe Tigers not only got their point lead going into the 400-mefirst dual meet win since Jan. 30, ter relay and needed a win to sebut they also got a little retribu- cure the victory. tion in the proThe ‘A’ team cess by defeating of sophomore Florida State, Andrei Tuomola, 155-145. freshman Michael The SemiSaco, junior Marnoles (3-1) and tin Jungfleisch the Tigers (1-2) and senior Hannes have faced off for Hey came up big, nine of the last 10 cruising to a twoseasons, missing second finish over only 2004. LSU Florida State. David Geyer senior Clint Hal“It’s always LSU swimming coach lum said the two a great challenge teams have established a good to swim at LSU,” Florida State rivalry. coach Neil Harper said in a news For the second season in a release. “Even in defeat we defirow, the rivalry spawned some nitely became a better team toexciting meets. day. For any partial fan it was a Last season, the Seminoles great dual meet to watch.” took the last event of the meet to LSU’s swimmers weren’t beat the Tigers. But on Saturday, the only ones who needed to be the Tigers came up on top in the on the top of their game to take same way, defeating the Semi- down Florida State. Junior diver noles in the final race. Matt Vieke said LSU’s diving The Lady Tigers (4-1) had squad needed to be at its best to a bit more breathing room, win- defeat the Seminoles’ highly rening 12 of 16 events to beat the garded diving team. Lady Seminoles (5-1) by a score Sophomore diver Rebecca of 176-124. St. Germain came in first in both In the days leading up to the the one-meter and three-meter meet, LSU swimming coach Da- dives. Vieke took first place in vid Geyer predicted that every the three-meter. point would count. The Lady Tigers also won He was right. the meet against Tulane on Fri“We knew the men’s meet day night as a tune-up to Florida would be a boxing match. We State. They won 194-98. knew we were going to take some punches or some hits, but how were we going to respond to those hits?” Geyer said in a news release. “We stepped up with Contact Katherine Terrell at some great performances, but overall this was probably the best kterrell@lsureveille.com
LSU avenges last season’s loss to FSU
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‘This was probably the best team performance I’ve seen from LSU in the last six years.’
The LSU cross country team will compete in the Southeastern Conference Championship meet today at Hilton Field at Fort Jackson in S.C. LSU hasn’t finished in the top five at the conference meet on either the men’s or women’s side since the men finished fourth in 2000. Both the men and women finished 11th in 2009, while the Alabama men and Florida women took home top honors. LSU coach Mark Elliott said he has seen his team improve from a year ago. “We definitely have a better group of runners than we had last year,” Elliott said. “It’s kind of raised our expectations a little bit more to see where we can be even more competitive in the conference.” That improvement has translated into better results this season. LSU has earned three second-place finishes on the men’s side and two second-place finishes by the women. The men and women finished 25th and 26th, respectively, at the Chile Pepper Invitational on Oct. 16. Individually, junior Richard Chautin has had the most success for LSU this year, leading all Tiger runners in every race this season. Chautin won the individual title at the Mississippi State Invitational on Sept. 18 and recorded
two other top-five finishes. the meet. South Carolina does C h a u t i n ’s not have a men’s stiffest competiteam. tion may come Three SEC from Ole Miss men’s teams were senior Barnabas ranked in the latKirui, who is est poll by the competing for his United States third individual Track and Field SEC title. and Cross CounMark Elliott The Kenyantry Coaches Asborn runner took sociation. No. 10 LSU cross country coach home the title Arkansas leads in 2006 and 2009 and has been the way and is joined by No. 26 named the SEC Men’s Cross Florida and No. 27 Alabama. Country Athlete of the Week twice this year. Twelve women’s teams and Contact Hunter Paniagua at 11 men’s teams will compete at hpaniagua@lsureveille.com
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‘We definitely have a better group of runners than we had last year.’
The Daily Reveille
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Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
NFL
David Garrard leads Jaguars past crumbling Cowboys, 35-17 Mike Sims-Walker nabs 153 yards, TD Jamie Aron The Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas — David Garrard and the Jacksonville Jaguars became the latest to take advantage of the crumbling Dallas Cowboys. They sure made it look easy, too. Garrard tied a club record with four touchdown passes and ran for another while narrowly missing a perfect quarterback rating, leading the Jaguars to a 35-17 victory against the Cowboys on Sunday. Tony Romo could only watch from the sideline, his left arm in a sling because of a broken collarbone, as the Cowboys (1-5) continued their worst start since 1989. The disturbing part for Dallas is that this one wasn’t even close; all previous losses were by a touchdown or less. It wasn’t even as close as the final score indicates. The Cowboys were within 14-3 and inside the 1-yard line just before halftime when new starting quarterback Jon Kitna turned right and Marion Barber went left. There was a handoff, a collision and an easy goalline stand for Jacksonville (4-4). Garrard opened the second half with touchdowns on his first two
MIKE FUENTES / The Associated Press
Jaguars wide receiver Mike Thomas (80) runs for a touchdown against Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh (43) during the Jaguar’s 35-17 win in Arlington, Texas on Sunday.
drives, making it 28-3, and the result never was in doubt again. The Jaguars were coming off losses by 22 and 27 points, with Garrard having missed the last game recovering from a concussion. Now they head into their bye feeling good and hoping this can be a springboard into the second half of their season. Garrard completed his first 12 passes, finally misfiring early in the third quarter only to avoid a sack. He threw his third TD on the next snap. He finished 17 of 21 for 260 yards. Even with three sacks
and a lost fumble his rating was 157.8; perfect is 158.3. Mike Sims-Walker caught eight passes for career-high 153 yards and a touchdown, which he celebrated by standing on the Cowboys’ logo in the end zone and flashing the Hook ’em Horns hand gesture. Marcedes Lewis caught two touchdown passes and Mike Thomas had the other TD grab. Helpless against the pass, Dallas wasn’t any better against the run. Maurice Jones-Drew ran 27 times for 135 yards, becoming the fourth runner to crack 100 this
NBA
Heat easily ends Nets’ perfect start
Brian Mahoney The Associated Press
NEWARK, N.J. — Dwyane Wade studied the sheet of paper in front of him, wondering if there was a mistake. “Is this first-half stats?” Wade asked. “Nine shots?” “That’s the whole game,” LeBron James answered. Wade doesn’t need to shoot much anymore, not since James and Chris Bosh joined him to form a potential powerhouse in Miami. James scored 20 points, Bosh and Wade were close behind, and the Heat ended the New Jersey Nets’ unbeaten start with a 101-78 victory Sunday. Bosh finished with 18 points, and Wade added 17, both getting most of them in Miami’s dominant first half before sitting out the fourth quarter. James played a little of the final period and added seven rebounds and seven assists. “The balance is what we are here together for,” Wade said, “to have an opportunity to make the game easy on everyone and we’re doing it. We’re playing great team basketball and we’re still not where we want to be, but we’re making sure everyone gets an opportunity.” It was the most impressive offensive performance yet for the
Heat, who have won three straight since beginning their new era with a loss in Boston on opening night. Miami shot 68 percent in the first half, when its Big Three combined for 41 points — one fewer than New Jersey — and the stats only lowered when the reserves took over toward the end. Brook Lopez scored 20 points
and rookie Derrick Favors had 13 points and 13 rebounds in the Nets’ first loss this season before new owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who watched his third game this week before heading back to Russia. Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com
season against a Cowboys defense that never allowed one last season. Jacksonville’s defense intercepted four passes — as many as it had all season. The first three bounced off the hands of a Cowboys receiver. About the only big mistake by the Jaguars was safety Don Carey making a helmet-to-helmet hit on Dallas tight end Jason Witten. Carey wound up sprawled on the turf, hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty and likely to be fined by the NFL. After being examined, Carey bounced to his feet but didn’t return because of a neck injury. The lopsided score made his return unnecessary anyway. Kitna was making his first start since 2008 and was looking for his first win since ’07. He made some nice throws, but was undone by the dropsturned-interceptions and a defense that couldn’t keep the game close. He was 34 of 49 for 379 yards, with one touchdown. Miles Austin had 117 yards receiving, and Witten had 97 and the TD. The running game provided little relief, with Felix Jones and Barber combining for 38 yards on 17 carries. Dallas gave up 15.6 points per game last season, second-fewest in the NFL. With the only lineup change at safety, the unit is near the bottom of the league, especially after giving up 41 and 35 in its last two games. That doesn’t
bode well for the confidence in coach Wade Phillips, who also is the defensive coordinator. The Cowboys have their first four-game losing streak since 2002. They’re also 0-4 at home this season and 6-6 overall at the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium. The crowd was much smaller than usual, kept away by Dallas’ lousy record, the lousy outlook without Romo and the Jags not being much of a draw. A shift in allegiance to the Texas Rangers in the World Series could be a factor, too. The mood was summed up by two fans holding this sign, which somehow made it onto the humongous video boards: “Hurry up Cowboys, I have a Rangers game to go to.” Some of the biggest cheers were for a beefy, mustachioed fan wearing a blonde wig and a skimpy Cowboys cheerleader outfit, bare midriff and all. He proved so popular that he was shown several times, including the kiss-cam segment; he got the smooch, too. Chants of “Let’s go Rangers! Let’s go Rangers!” broke out in the second quarter and again in the third. By the fourth, there were hardly enough people left to even make boos echo.
Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com
The Daily Reveille
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010 said. “There’s never really been a total divorce from Saban since he play calling and poor game man- left LSU. For some reason people just think he’s connected in some agement issues. It also doesn’t help Miles is way, and I guess when LSU can once again pitted against former beat Saban that will sever the umLSU and current Alabama coach bilical cord, if you will.” Tom Holsteen, history freshNick Saban, who has had Miles’ number since leaving the Miami man, said Miles’ image to date Dolphins to join the Crimson has been somewhat unfair. “We’re trying Tide. to find a scapeSaban is goat because you 2-1 against LSU don’t usually see, as the Alabama at least before coach, and LSU [Auburn], an unneeded a late rally defeated coach to beat Alabama who is hated so in Saban’s first much,” Holsteen game against the said. Tigers. Not only has “It’s huge for Miles drawn the Miles because I attention from nadon’t think there’s tional media outany doubt the fans lets, but during have become imseveral of LSU’s patient with him. last-second wins ... A win would Matt Moscona this season, mesgo a long way to local ESPN radio host sage boards and restoring the conblogs didn’t care fidence the fan base has in him as well as the LSU was undefeated at the time administration,” said local ESPN and were calling for Miles to be fired. radio host Matt Moscona. The Alabama game has alRene Nadeau, college football analyst for ESPN and Ti- ready earned the label of the gerVision, echoed Moscona’s “biggest game of the season,” a thoughts that a win against Ala- “huge game” and a “statement bama would do wonders for game,” and no matter what, fans probably won’t be satisfied. answer-seeking fans. “LSU has irrational fans. I “They want to see if Les Miles, in their minds, can do what love them to death, and someSaban has done and bring down times I’m one of them too, but the kingpin of the SEC,” Nadeau obviously anytime your coach
ALABAMA, from page 7
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‘A win would go a long way to restoring the confidence the fan base has in [Les Miles] as well as the administration.’
SWEEP, from page 7
options. I think she did a great job tonight.” Johnson had plenty of options to go to as four other Tigers recorded more than five kills in the match — Jones and senior outside hitter Angela Bensend had 11 apiece, junior middle blocker Michele Williams had nine and freshman middle blocker Desiree Elliott had six. LSU held Alabama to a .192 hitting clip while digging 36 balls. Sophomore libero Meghan Mannari topped LSU’s dig charts with 11. “Meghan makes the play that no one expects to be made,” Flory said. “She’s just out of nowhere, and she’s accurate. So that’s no surprise to us. We’re certainly glad she’s keeping her rhythm, and she did a great job on her serving as well.” The win Sunday completed the weekend sweep for the Tigers, who swept Mississippi State on Friday, and improves their record in the PMAC to 10-0. Friday’s victory put LSU in sole possession of the
Southeastern Conference Western Division lead following Florida’s three-set victory against Ole Miss. LSU now gets a full week off to prepare for its next match Sunday when Ole Miss comes to town. The Rebels defeated the Tigers on Oct. 15 in Oxford, Miss. Since the loss, the Tigers have reeled off four consecutive victories. “It’s going to definitely be a little bit of a revenge game for us to want to beat them,” Jones said. “I think it will be a very important game for us. We’ll be preparing all week. We know we’ve got some things that we need to work on, and we’re really excited about that.”
Contact Rob Landry at rlandry@lsureveille.com
page 11
is on the hot seat at 7-0, 7-1, something isn’t right. But that’s the culture here,” Baker said. Though many fans beg to differ, the hot seat issue for Miles is of little or no substance as of now, according to both Moscona and Nadeau. “Absolutely, [Alabama] is not a do-or-die game for him,” Moscona said. “Of course you want to beat your rivals, but if you go 10-2 and make a New Year’s Day bowl game and you’ve won a national title, one game is not going to make or break your career.”
SKIP MARTIN / The Associated Press
Contact Sean Isabella at sisabella@lsureveille.com
LSU football coach Les Miles reacts during the fourth quarter of LSU’s 24-17 loss to Auburn on Saturday, Oct. 23. LSU will face Alabama on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The Daily Reveille
Opinion
page 12
WEB COMMENTS Regarding Chris Grillot’s column, “‘The 99’ covers religious agenda with haunted house,” one reader had this to say: Dude, they aren’t sex slaves; they’re chicks in cages. They use girls because their screams are more ‘piercing,’ ya dig? Just to automatically assume any woman in a cage screaming is a sex slave is a bit ridiculous. She could be screaming because, oh I don’t know, she’s in a cage in hell? Also, you contradict yourself. You state the goal of “The 99” is “to impose fear of hell to influence good decisions.” Then, in the next sentence you said, ‘screw you, logic!’ with this statement: “If ‘The 99’ depicted the leading causes of death in teenagers by realistically portraying them for an audience, then simply leaving
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
LSU students must protest at Capitol Nov. 10 The state recently gave a private company with no history in Louisiana $30 million of public money. To the public flagship university with 150 years of history in Louisiana, the state gave nothing — less than nothing, in fact. To pay Nucor, the state took away money from LSU. For a promise of roughly 1,000 steel factory jobs at some
them with the idea of ‘some actions may have bad consequences’ or ‘if you do stupid things, you could die,’ the production could have been vastly more effective.” In what way will removing nothing from the production except the parts concerning hell and making good decisions supposed to influence people to make good decisions because of their fear of hell? How can you be more effective by cutting out your own goal? By the way, your approach to the subject of hell is pretty jacked up. Rather than seriously discussing the possibility of hell’s existence and the reasons for being sent there, you simply state that it is absurd to think people go there as consequences of bad actions. Most studies conclude that, at the very least, a majority of Americans believe in hell, and yet you don’t even give it a shot.
time in the indefinite future, the state is putting possibly that many of its public university employees in currently existing jobs throughout the state out of work. And that’s not all. Through relentless, massive and Draconian budget cuts, educational opportunities for students are being drastically limited if they aren’t being eliminated entirely. If this is fine with you, then please continue to keep your seat. If, on the other hand, you find something wrong with the state’s priorities, then now is the time for you to stand up and shake off your apathy. Now is the time for Tigers to
Tiptop reporting, kiddo. -Intolerant Religious Zealot Regarding Cody Worsham’s column, “Jindal’s book indicates his ignorance of Louisiana concerns,” readers had this to say: You make Bobby Jindal out to be a terrible governor when in fact, for the most part, he isn’t. Louisiana’s unemployment rate is only 7.6 percent and ranks 17th in the country (as of Oct. 4, 2010 according to 247wallst.com). I think this is pretty good considering how Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Gustav as well as the oil spill have ravaged our economy. In today’s edition of The Daily Reveille, (Oct. 28, 2010), states that 63 percent of voters approve of the job Jindal has done thus far. Your article makes Jindal sound like he
roar. Later will be too late. On Nov. 10 at 11:30 a.m. on the steps of the State Capitol, students from universities all over Louisiana will be coming together to demand the state reset its priorities and fully fund higher education and to demand that the state invest in its true future — its young people. The Capitol is only a short distance from here. If students can come from New Orleans, Lafayette, Hammond, Thibodaux and everywhere else around the state, so can you — and in droves. I’m talking to you, LSU. You can’t leave this up to the next person.
BEST AND WITTIEST
cartoon courtesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE
The Daily Reveille Editorial Board Sarah Lawson Robert Stewart Stephanie Giglio Steven Powell Andrew Robertson
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor, Content Managing Editor, Production Managing Editor, External Media Opinion Editor
hasn’t done anything right for the state. Aside from the budget cuts I think Louisiana has done OK with Jindal. If you want to call Jindal an idiot because LSU is taking most of the budget cuts, fine. But, don’t say he hasn’t done anything for Louisiana when in fact he has. - Anonymous I’m a Southerner two states over, and I love the man. Can’t you Louisianians see what he has done for your state? He was absolutely wonderful with the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill. He is my No. 1 for the republican nomination along with Christie. I absolutely love the man! -Alice Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at opinion@lsureveille.com
YOU have to do it. You. If you don’t show up, the politicians in the Capitol will merely sneer and continue murdering your future and the state’s. Michael F. Russo, associate librarian and LSUnited member
‘The 99’ teaches life lessons, does not preach the Bible After reading Chris Grillot’s article about “The 99,” I am not surprised why he got so many of his facts wrong, given that his interpretation afterward was based upon speaking with a worker in the production “just for laughs.” I actually have experience working with “The 99” and would like to clear the air with some facts rather than opinion formed partly by a desire for humor. Judging by Grillot’s review, you would be inclined to think “The 99” is run by the likes of the Bible thumpers in Free Speech Alley that everyone loves to hate. However, the truth is that it’s nothing like that. How about this: Instead of forming an opinion based on someone who plays upon the negative feelings people have toward those who shove religion in your face, go see “The 99” and judge for yourself. The goal of “The 99” is for you to leave with the reality of
Editorial Policies & Procedures The Daily Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Daily Reveille is an independent entity within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, paper or University. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to opinion@lsureveille.com or delivered to B-26 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must have a contact phone number so the opinion editor can verify the author. The phone number won’t be printed. The Daily Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration without changing the original intent. The Daily Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Daily Reveille’s editor-in-chief, hired every semester by the Louisiana State University Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
The Jindal Count Days Bobby Jindal has ignored our concerns:
19 Will higher education hold any priority with the administration in the coming budget crisis? Would the governor support a constitutional amendment to protect higher education and allow for more “across the board” cuts? What message would the Governor’s Office have for students, faculty and administrators faced with this crisis?
your decisions in mind on two levels. First, it’s about what happens when you make harmful decisions like doing drugs or drinking and texting while driving. You see a dramatization of the effects these things have on the lives of people. Secondly, it is about a decision whether or not to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and the eternal consequences of that decision. The production may be based on the beliefs of Christianity, but regardless of what you believe, “The 99” is an eye opener to the reality that 99 young people die every day from preventable causes (whatisthe99.com). I spoke with people afterward who were not Christians, and did I pressure them to believe what I do or give them a guilt trip? Certainly not! In no way is that an accurate description of what we do. I don’t know why Grillot got the impression that he has to be perfect 24/7 or go on a church retreat to avoid going to hell. That is not the message of “The 99.” I personally sat through training to work at this production, and I can tell you that is not the way they do things. Ashley Downing family, child and consumer science senior
Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at opinion@lsureveille.com
Quote of the Day “After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”
Aldous Huxley writer July 26, 1894 – Nov. 22, 1963
The Daily Reveille
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
VIEW FROM ANOTHER SCHOOL
Opinion
page 13
Views on gay marriage change between generations Diana K. McKeage The Harvard Crimson
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (UWIRE) — Sometimes it’s hard to believe that in America the separation between church and state is as black and white as blue and red. Yet a recent survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute has found attitudes toward gay marriage are changing: From 2008 to 2010 there was an 8 percent increase — from 29 percent to 37 percent — in support for gay marriage across religious groups. Furthermore, relative to those who changed positions, gay marriage gained three supporters for every new opponent, and the study found the most movement among Catholics. Yet the Christian church is certainly not changing its standpoint on gay marriage. With the release of the Manhattan Declaration in November 2009, Orthodox, Evangelical
and Catholic Christians created a veritable manifesto deeming gay marriage “a loss of the understanding of the meaning of marriage,” and one of the three most pressing concerns in our society today. Unfortunately for the Manhattanites, the fact that no Evangelicals younger than 40 initially signed the Declaration symbolizes the group’s greatest problem: The generation gap is pushing the priorities of younger Americans farther and farther away from those of older generations with regard to homosexuality. The PRRI study found that 75 percent of Americans aged 18 to 29 support gay marriage or civil unions, which is in stark contrast to the 51 percent of Americans aged 65 and older. According to Dan Cox, director of Research at PRRI, the data indicates “nearly two-thirds of Americans under 30 say that one of the biggest problems in the country is that not everyone is given an equal chance
in life,” versus “less than half of adults 65 and older.” Initiatives like the Manhattan Declaration do not seem to be bridging the generation divide; they do not encourage discussion and youth involvement but rather make broad appeals with unequivocal labels, such as “A Call to Christian Conscience.” What galvanizes this generation is movement and lateral communication, specifically through the Internet. The lateral and interlocking function of the Internet is perhaps the most insurmountable distance for the elder generation to cross. I’m not saying older people don’t know how to use the Internet or even that all young people use it as much as we’re accused. Rather, it is the difference between a native speaker of a language and someone who learns it in school. The Internet is a resource and a refuge for our generation in a way that feels natural and
organic rather than applied. As a sphere, the Internet can be as private or as public as the user needs it to be. It becomes a space where people can explore identities, probe taboos and answer questions on their own, seeking the advice and experience of others as anonymously or vocally as they want. The implications for LGBT youth then spread as quickly as the gap between the priorities of younger and older Americans. And as Robert Jones of PRRI notes, the more our social networks fill with LGBT friends, the more it matters to us that they have access to the same rights as everyone else. Anyone who regularly sifts through Facebook “page” and “cause” solicitations knows this to be true. The recent tragedies of Tyler Clementi and others reverberate through these networks, perturbing anyone with a familiar stake in the matter far more deeply than someone outside this
social network. In such a context, it is easy to see how the older generation of discussion dominators are falling behind on the gay marriage issue. How could the vertical nature of edicts, such as the Manhattan Declaration, appeal to a laterally oriented generation? How could such a statement trump the constant viral network of exchange, support and discussion? What better suits our generation is interactive projects such as “It Gets Better,” a LGBT support website created in September 2010 as a “video archive to share the stories of people overcoming bullying and finding happiness.” Traditional churches could never have made this website, and this is their problem.
Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at opinion@lsureveille.com
FAILURE OF DIPLOMACY
Zeta Cartel another example of failed foreign training
The bodies of 72 migrant workers were found in Mexico in August. All were executed after being lined up against a wall and shot. Who were their executioners? The Zeta Cartel, founded and trained by U.S. Special Forces, considered the most danger- Zachary Davis Columnist ous cartel in the country. These 58 men and 14 women from all over Latin America were attempting to make their way to the U.S. when they were preyed on by the Zetas. While undoubtedly a massacre, these 72 deaths are simply another addition to the estimated 28,000 people killed in drug-related violence since 2007. Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared war on drug trafficking in 2007. This war has cost more lives than America has lost in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined. While we as a country may not be responsible for the vast majority of these deaths, we cannot ignore how we helped to train those responsible for most of the violence. However, it shouldn’t be terribly surprising. This isn’t the first time we’ve done something like this. Unlike our work with the Mujahidin and Iraq — who were used against foreign countries we disagreed with — the former Special Forces members now in the Zeta
Cartel were trained to combat the drug trade. Originally part of the elite Mexican division GAFE (Airmobile Special Forces Group), these soldiers were trained at Ft. Bragg, N.C., in the early ’90s. Under the supervision of the U.S. Army’s 7th Special Forces Group, they learned communications, weapon skills and other things vital for their end goal: Counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics. This isn’t to say our training will always show foreign troops how to use these tactics for criminal ends. GAFE is not the only foreign division trained by us, and most have not caused any problems whatsoever. What makes Mexico different — and what we should probably take into account in the future — is the level of desertion in these divisions’ countries. If these foreign soldiers are presented an opportunity for greater personal gain by abandoning their positions, they’ll take the training we gave them and use it for their own means. That’s exactly what those who founded the Zeta Cartel did. Faced with poor pay back in Mexico, it should surprise no one some of the GAFE soldiers would fall to the corruption prevalent in their country and join a cartel. From 2000 to 2005, the desertion rate of this division reached as high as 25 percent. In the case of the Mujahidin, the U.S. decided it would be perfect to use this method against the Soviet Union and to give them a situation comparable to America’s
involvement in Vietnam. By sending over advanced equipment and helping with their training, the Mujahidin were made into powerful combatants for our proxy war with the Soviets. However, after the Soviet threat was extinguished in Afghanistan, we now had groups of fighters with an agenda of their own who had training, equipment and a power vacuum to fill. This is when the Taliban stepped forward. Iraq received training and aid from the U.S. when its war with
Iran started. As with the GAFE, some Iraqi special forces traveled to Ft. Bragg. They received very different instruction, however, and would be shown how to wage unconventional warfare. On top of all this, we also gave former Iraq President Saddam Hussein the material he would use to create biological weapons. In all three cases, the support, training and aid we have given these forces has caused unwanted collateral damage, sometimes including American lives. While these may be the
exception and not the rule, perhaps more care should be taken when we decide to aid foreign forces. The last thing we want is to continue to train future threats to America or its citizens. Zachary Davis is a 19-year-old history sophomore from Warsaw, Poland. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_zdavis. Contact Zachary Davis at zdavis@lsureveille.com
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The Daily Reveille
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010 VOODOO, from page 1
Rivers said Muse blew him away. “I’ve seen Muse a few times and never had such a good time,” he said. “They’re definitely the biggest rock stars of our generation, that’s for sure. Apparently, they’re going to replace Bono and U2.” Emily Haines, Metric’s lead singer, enchanted the masses with her delicious performance and got personal with the crowd. “It’s inspiring to be in your city, really inspiring to be in your city,” she said. Jimmy Shaw, Metric’s guitarist, expressed his sentiments for the devastation New Orleans experienced since Hurricane Katrina. “It’s a great festival and so nice to give pleasure to a town that has experienced so much heartache,” he said. The most important thing to Shaw about Metric’s performance was the beauty of the city and the atmosphere of Voodoo. “It’s a beautiful sunset with beautiful people, which make a beautiful show,” he said. “It’s easy to just lose your inhibitions have a good time.” Lorn Johnson, a New Orleans native dressed as Batman, said Weezer’s performance was one of the best he has ever seen. “I was right in front of the stage, right up in the music,” he said. “It wasn’t all crowded and depressing and hot and sweaty like most outdoor concerts are.” The recently re-added electronic tent burned up the festival with interesting activities, including a screen where attendees watched their bodies move as Technicolor masses and big-time disc jockeys such as Deadmau5 and The Crystal Method performed. Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan of The Crystal Method prepared a special Halloween set for Voodoo. “Our show is a combination of a lot of different things we were inspired by growing up,” Kirkland said. “You know, a little bit of rock and hip-hop and a lot of ’80s dance stuff and the ’90s with the rave scene. It’s a dirty, chunky, danceable monster mash of music.” Jordan said New Orleans is like the Southern version of their home, Las Vegas, which is why they have a special relationship with the city. “We love the festival, and we
play early enough to where we get to hang out and see some other acts like, oh man, Ozzy Osbourne,” he said. Kristyn Archer, a psychology sophomore at Macon State College of Macon, Ga., said her most memorable experience of Voodoo was getting on stage at a show. “I danced on stage with Big Sam’s Funky Nation,” she said. “He came down off of the stage, and he was playing his trombone, and then I got to get on stage with him. You can’t even imagine how freaking awesome it was.” The Noisician Coalition of New Orleans, a zombified marching band, made its way around the festival every day with members making noise with not-so-common instruments, such as trash cans and antennas. Rion Fish, a film, television and communication arts graduate student and teacher at the University of New Orleans and member of the Noisician Coalition, said the band has the spirit of a New Orleans marching band with an eccentric twist. “We take the classic marching band ethos of New Orleans and add a little punk rock confrontation,” he said. Fish said the band has performed at the festival every year. “The best thing about performing at Voodoo is that it’s a part of us,” he said. “Even if we’re twisting the marching band tradition around, New Orleans has a cultural
touch on us. And we wouldn’t be able to perform without that.” Rachel Ramaker, New Orleans preschool teacher, said Florence and The Machine was her favorite performance. “Florence and The Machine was awesome,” she said. “Florence was like a fairy dancing on the stage. She just belted out her songs and floated around the whole time.” Elexa Ruth, Tulane University English senior, worked as a vendor at the festival. “It’s great to be in one place and be able to listen to a lot of different things all in one shot and to check out the costumes, of course,” she said. Jason Eikner, zombie/Texas State University journalism senior, said Voodoo blows other festivals out the water for reasons beyond the music. “I’ve been to other festivals this year like Coachella and ACL, and it’s been really hot,” Eikner said. “I like the weather, and it’s nice because it seems a lot less crowded than the other festivals.” Chad Heidingsfelder, a University accounting freshman, said he skipped class Friday to head to the festival and gushed about the artists, atmosphere and overall experience of Voodoo. “I get to chill, hang out and have a good time with good friends and good food,” he said. “It’s just a relaxing weekend and one of my favorite weekends of the year.”
page 15 The Gulf Restoration Network held a news conference the final afternoon of the festival to raise awareness about the Gulf Coast oil spill. R.E.M., a former Voodoo headliner, and My Morning Jacket are joining forces with other bands to spread the word with the slogan, “No coast, no music.” John Michael Rouchel, New Orleans native and Voodoo performer with the band Mynameisjohnmichael, stood among fellow musicians and professed his feelings about the restoration of the coast and livelihood of those affected by the disaster.
“I don’t even know if it’s going to happen in my lifetime,” Rouchel said. “We’re entertainers. That’s all we are. Knowing what I am, knowing my shortcomings, I’m just trying to educate myself. ... The Gulf Restoration Network, it’s a wealth of information. Educate yourselves. That’s all I can say.”
Contact Cathryn Core at ccore@lsureveille.com
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The Daily Reveille
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010