Memoriam: Former University AgCenter agent remembered, p. 4
Standardized Testing: Changes to MCAT exam take effect in 2015, p. 6
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LSU sports: Superfan has a passion for attendance, p. 7
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 • Volume 115, Issue 127
SG officials use student fees to buy parking permits Passes allow access inside Easy Streets, total $1,250 Sydni Dunn Staff Writer
While the average student treks to class from a remote parking lot, four Student Government officials coast to the University
grounds each day and are granted access to the heart of campus. The student leaders are equipped with specialized parking permits, totaling $1,250, which is paid for with student fees. According to Gary Graham, director of the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation, SG is offered five parking permits each year, separated into “C” and “B” zones. They are the only students offered the permits, Graham said.
The permits are offered to the president, vice president, Senate speaker, speaker pro tempore and University Court chief justice. All accepted the passes last year with the exception of Chief Justice Danielle Rushing. “The president is granted a ‘C’ pass, which allows total access to the campus,” Graham said. “The ‘B’ pass allows them just within the Easy Streets.” Graham said the permits are renewed each August and charged to SG. He said “C”
permits cost $500 and “B” permits cost $250. Because SG does not have an account set up to pay for these permits, the passes are purchased from the officials’ contingency funds, which come entirely from student fees. “I believe the students’ money has been put to good use,” SG President J Hudson said. “The parking permit gives me access to what I’m supposed to be doing.” PERMITS, see page15
Lawsuit challenging Regents thrown out Sydni Dunn Staff Writer
ADAM VACCARELLA / The Daily Reveille
Mechanical engineering senior Rachel Yates, member of the “Walk Again” project, works at a lathe machine April 5 shaping rods for the exoskeleton in the Engineering Shops.
Students design exoskeleton for quadriplegic Device will allow injured man to walk Meredith Will Contributing Writer
Sloan Deumite didn’t think he would ever walk again after breaking his neck at 17 in a boating accident. Deumite became a quadriplegic, a person paralyzed in all four limbs. Now 40, he has hope — a group of University engineering seniors are designing and constructing an exoskeleton for their senior
design project, titled “Walk Again.” “Walk Again” is a collaborative project with seven mechanical, two electrical and one computer engineering senior, said Patrick Vocke, a mechanical engineering senior working on the project. The members of the group are mechanical engineering seniors David Bray, Steven Cobb, Blake Conzelmann, Mark Korinek, Evan Ledet, Vocke and Rachel Yates; electrical engineering seniors Brittany Culotta and William LaFleur; and computer science engineering senior Patrick Sibley. Deumite’s father, Norman Deumite, suggested the project to
the College of Engineering and is the sole sponsor. Yates said exoskeletons exist for paraplegics, people paralyzed in their lower body, but not for quadriplegics because they have trouble balancing. Norman Deumite said he believed a group of students could construct a new type of exoskeleton for quadriplegics by combining a gyroscopic balance system with the current type of exoskeleton designed for paraplegics. “It’s a very sophisticated project,” he said. “I’m very impressed with the work the students have done.”
Deumite said he set aside about $35,000 for the project but is not sure how much the team has used. He said he graduated from the University in mechanical engineering in 1958 and has participated on boards, donated and sponsored projects at LSU. “I just do whatever I can for LSU,” he said. Deumite said Sloan is excited about the project. He said Sloan can stand and walk a few hundred yards with a heavy-duty walker, but the new exoskeleton could greatly improve EXOSKELETON, see page 15
Judge Timothy Kelley of the 19th Judicial District Court has thrown out the lawsuit filed against Gov. Bobby Jindal and the Louisiana Board of Regents that challenged the Board’s composition, according to the Associated Press. The suit, filed on Feb. 14 on behalf of seven Southern University students by former Congressman Cleo Fields, said the Board’s composition was unconstitutional as it had no racial minority members. It argued all racial minorities were replaced in December when Jindal announced his new appointments, resulting in an all-white Board. Kelley denied the injunction Feb. 24 at the initial hearing. Following the verdict, Fields and the students announced they would file an appeal. A minority member, Albert Sam II, was added to the Board on March 9 following the resignation of long-time Board member Roland Toups on March 7. Kelley ruled Tuesday the governor’s appointments to the Board are legal, even if they were “politically ill-advised and damaging.” A resolution to “make mandatory the provision for diversity in board appointments” will be presented and voted upon during the regular legislative session. Contact Sydni Dunn at sdunn@lsureveille.com
The Daily Reveille
Nation & World
page 2
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
STATE/LOCAL
Movement for happiness launches in Britain, urges hugs and kindness
Somber 150th anniversary of Civil War honored at Fort Sumter
Saints’ preseason schedule set despite ongoing NFL negotiations
LONDON (AP) — Is there a science of happiness? A growing band of economists, politicians and academics thinks so — and is putting theory into practice by starting a “mass movement for a happier society.” Action for Happiness launched Tuesday in London, encouraging hugging, meditation and random acts of kindness. It is getting under way as the British government asks statisticians to measure the economically battered nation’s wellbeing.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Booming cannons, plaintive period music and hushed crowds ushered in the 150th anniversary of America’s bloodiest war on Tuesday, a commemoration that continues to underscore a racial divide that had plagued the nation since before the Civil War. The events marked the 150th anniversary of the Confederate bombardment of Union-held Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, which plunged the nation into a war costing more than 600,000 lives.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Saints now know who they’re scheduled to play in the 2011 NFL preseason — if there is a preseason. Barring a prolonged workstoppage related to negotiations over a new labor agreement between players and owners, the Saints are scheduled to open their four-game preseason at home against San Francisco and new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh. The Saints would then travel to Houston and Oakland before wrapping up their preseason at home against Tennessee. The game at Oakland is scheduled to be televised nationally on Aug. 28.
France, Britain urge NATO to put more pressure Moammar Gadhafi AJDABIYA, Libya (AP) — Moammar Gadhafi’s forces fired rockets along the eastern front line and shelled the besieged city of Misrata on Tuesday as France and Britain said NATO should be doing more to pressure the Libyan regime. Several rockets struck Ajdabiya, the main point leading into the rebel-held east, and witnesses also reported shelling in Misrata, the only major city in the western half of Libya that remains under partial rebel control.
EDMOND TERAKOPIAN / The Associated Press
Maren Grotemeier, from the Guerilla Hugs team, left, gives away a free hug to a passer-by Tuesday, at the launch of “Action For Happiness” in London.
Iceland’s bizarre penis museum finally gets human speciman LONDON (AP) — In life, Pall Arason sought attention. In death, he is getting it: The 95-year-old Icelander’s pickled penis will be the main attraction in one of his country’s most bizarre museums. Sigurdur Hjartarson, who runs the Phallological Museum in the tiny Icelandic fishing town of Husavik, said Arason’s organ will help round out the unusual institution’s extensive collection of phalluses from whales, seals, bears and other mammals.
Applebee’s in Michigan makes changes after child receives alcohol MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP) — The Applebee’s restaurant chain says it’s changing the way it serves juice after a toddler was mistakenly given a small amount of alcohol at a Detroit-area location. The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News reported Tuesday that Applebee’s will pour juice for children from single-serve containers at the table starting this week. Applebee’s also plans to retrain workers. Madison Heights police say the drink mislabeled as apple juice was actually a leftover mixed drink combination.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An animal advocacy group and a former state legislator have filed suit against Louisiana wildlife officials, saying they violated the law when they issued a permit allowing a live tiger to be kept at a truck stop west of Baton Rouge. The Animal Legal Defense Fund and former state Rep. Warren Triche Jr. are among plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed Monday in state district court in Baton Rouge.
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Tiger Chapter Ducks Unlimited Annual Spring Banquet Wednesday, April 13th, LSU 4-H Mini Farm, 5:30 PM See our ad in today’s Reveille for ticket info
Iota ThetaChapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority INC. Presents Leadership Today April 14, 2011 Patrick F. Taylor Hall PM 1112 7:13 PM
Read about the new “Boy Meets World” DVD release on the LMFAO entertainment blog.
Advocacy group, former legislator file suit over truck stop tiger
I’M A LITTLE TEAPOT
Overpopulation: Fact or Myth? Colin Mason from the Population Research Institute in DC will discuss overpopulation and its affect on human rights Wednesday, April 13 6:30 pm in Dodson
Today on lsureveille.com
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See photos of the ceramics sale in today’s Snapshot at lsureveille.com.
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The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
page 3
COMPETITION
Student wins national brass contest Euphonium pieces earn $3,000 prize Meredith Will Contributing Writer
Chasse Duplantis has been playing music since middle school, and it recently paid off. Duplantis, a master’s student in musical performance, took first in the nation in the brass instruments category with his euphonium performance in the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition held in Milwaukee from March 26 to 30. “The preparation and perseverance to want to do well helped,” Duplantis said. Duplantis said his goal his second time in the competition was to be “all around more musical.” “My main goal for the competition was just to enjoy music,” he said. Duplantis said he participated for the fun of the competition and to allow the audience to enjoy his music. The state competition was held Oct. 15 and 16, and the regional competition was held Jan. 15 and 16. For each level, Duplantis said he played the same 40-minute recital of music from two different eras. The state and regional levels had one judge, and the national level had three judges who members of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. With first place in brass, Duplantis received a $3,000 award. He said he plans to use the money to buy plane tickets to Linz, Austria, to attend the International Tuba Euphonium Conference with his fiancee. Joseph Skillen, Duplantis’ mentor and professor of music and chair of brass and percussion, has worked with Duplantis for five years as he has worked toward his undergraduate and master’s degree. Skillen said he was proud one of his students won first place. He has been sending students to the competition for years, but Duplantis was his first student to win first at the national level.
CHRISTOPHER LEH / The Daily Reveille
Chasse Duplantis practices a solo piece during a lesson Monday at the School of Music. Duplantis won first in the nation for his euphonium performance.
“It’s quite an accomplishment,” Skillen said. “It’s showing what the student’s doing and recognizing the teacher as well.” Skillen also received a small monetary award as the winner’s professor. Duplantis said he first played the trumpet in fifth grade, learned the French horn and baritone in high school, took trombone lessons at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he earned his undergraduate degree, and is now taking tuba lessons at the University. Duplantis said he has been performing music for 12 years. He said he practices for an average of three and a half hours every day, during which he works through music books and learns new pieces.
Wednesday April 13
Duplantis meets with Skillen for an hour a week, and Skillen helps guide him and gives him constructive criticism. “He’s a great model for how to be successful,” Duplantis said. Duplantis said he also plays in The Pabsts Tuba Quartet at the University. Laurence Kaptain, dean of the College of Music and Dramatic Arts, said Duplantis’ win is a great honor for the college. “He plays an unusual instrument to win this competition,” Kaptain said. “We’re all very proud.”
Greek Night - Free cover for Greeks $5 mixed drink pitchers Turtle Racing Come have a drink, Don’t be a DiCK!
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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
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The Daily Reveille
page 4
IN MEMORIAM
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
BUSINESS
Co-workers mourn Local entrepreneurs to open offices Small businesses AgCenter agent offered cheap rent Officials assume Brock drowned
Kevin Thibodeaux Contributing Writer
Former LSU AgCenter agent Larry Brock’s body was found in Lac Des Allemands on Saturday, according to The Times-Picayune. Brock’s boat was found Thursday and sparked a three-day search for the former AgCenter employee. The cause of death has not been confirmed, but drowning is assumed, according to The Times-Picayune. Paul Coreil, vice chancellor and director of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, said Brock brought credibility to his position as a St. John’s Parish agent. “He was a really dedicated agent who put his heart into everything he did,” Coreil said. Coreil said Brock was a Cajun who spoke fluent French, which was useful when working with older farmers who felt comfortable speaking French. The purpose of the AgCenter extension program is to bring knowledge gained at the University to the people of Louisiana, and Brock’s bilingualism served this goal, Coreil said. Coreil said Brock was trusted, credible, responsive, dedicated and reliable. Coreil also described Brock as a “well-spoken, highly qualified person.”
“His family is very proud of him, and we are very glad to have had him,” Coreil said. Coreil said Brock was happiest when he was fishing and relaxing. “He died doing what he loved,” Coreil said. Rene Schmit, the AgCenter’s chair for St. Charles Parish, said Brock hired him, and they were coworkers for 18 years. “Those 18 years were one of the best experiences I’ve had in my extension career,” Schmit said. Schmit said Brock’s character shone through during his time Larry Brock with the AgCenformer LSU ter. “Larry was AgCenter agent a leader, an individual who helped you to grow in your job,” Schmit said. “He taught you how to solve problems instead of solving them for you.” Schmit said Brock was compassionate, a people person, a mentor and a role model for everyone in the office. Schmit, who now holds the position Brock held, said he strives to emulate Brock as office supervisor. Schmit said Brock was an icon at the AgCenter and a cherished friend to many employees. Contact Kevin Thibodeaux at kthibodeaux@lsureveille.com
Rachel Warren Staff Writer
The world can be a scary place for small business owners, but Baton Rouge locals will soon find safety at Entrepreneur Headquarters. Jared Loftus, president of the North Gate Merchants Association and owner of Ninja Snowballs, Tiger District and Taco de Paco, is one of the founders of the EHQ, which is set to open its first location in Perkins Rowe on May 1. Loftus said the EHQ will offer affordable work spaces to small business owners in Baton Rouge. Loftus said the group, which includes local business owners Louis DeAngelo and Chad Ortte, wants to foster the growing entrepreneurial spirit in Baton Rouge. “The entrepreneurial conversation going on in Baton Rouge is increasing,” Loftus said. “There’s more talk, there’s more enthusiasm.” In a recent study by The Business Journals, Baton Rouge ranked 14th on a list of the best cities for launching businesses. According to The Business Journals’ website, the study ranked cities by analyzing economies, populations and recent business growth. Loftus said he thinks it’s important for entrepreneurs to receive help when they first start businesses. “There’s been Startup Weekend and Entrepreneur Day and events like that, but day to day, there’s not really anything to help,” he said.
Loftus said the founders haven’t ideas because it encourages them to nailed down an exact rent amount, continue their efforts. but they have estimated numbers. “Sometimes when you’re an He said busientrepreneur, you ness owners will feel like an island,” spend about $350 he said. “You feel per month to use a like you’re on your public space with own.” shared desks. Loftus said the He said it will founders haven’t cost business owndecided on the exers about $500 per act length of each month to rent prilease, but contracts Jared Loftus vate desks and $750 will be short. president of North Gate per month for pri“When I first Merchants Association vate offices. moved to Baton Loftus said all EHQ members Rouge, I had to sign a three-year will be able to use the Internet, con- lease for Tiger District,” he said. ference spaces and other amenities in “That was really hard for me to do. the building. That’s a big commitment.” EHQ has seen a positive reLoftus said the 3,000 squaresponse since word of the group’s lat- foot space will likely be able to acest endeavor spread, Loftus said. commodate 25 to 30 entrepreneurs He said he met people at the and the founders plan to open a largStartup Weekend event who were in- er location downtown soon. terested in joining. Loftus said he thinks it’s imContact Rachel Warren at portant for entrepreneurs in Baton rwarren@lsureveille.com Rouge to meet others with similar
‘When you’re an entrepreneur, you feel like an island ... like you’re on your own.’
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
TECHNOLOGY
page 5
CIVIL RIGHTS
ITS offers Tuesday forum honors activist A.P. Tureaud Sr. Son honors father’s Adobe memory with book Connect meetings ‘One man’s Brian Sibille
Contributing Writer
Morgan Searles Contributing Writer
The University is joining the ranks of corporations, government agencies and academic institutions that are utilizing the conferencing superpowers of Adobe Connect. Recently made available to current students, faculty and staff, Connect allows users to collaborate on projects, conduct meetings and even teach classes over the Internet. Kevin Duffy, digital imaging coordinator for photographic services in the ITS department and Adobe Connect project manager, said the software should reach 100 percent functionality by fall. “Compared to other similar resources and software tools out there, it reigns supreme,” Duffy said. “Pilot groups are already teaching classes online using Connect.” Students can request a virtual meeting room — a URL brings users to the conferencing site — through the GROK Knowledge Base. Modular pods control chat, video, audio, document sharing, notes and attendance functions. Duffy said meeting rooms are geared toward educational purposes and requests are limited to academic projects associated with classes and student organizations. “We’ve had a pretty decent amount of activity so far, with someone using it every day,” Duffy said. “We’ve been granting access manually through [lsu.edu/connect], which brings you to a portal in GROK. From there, when you request an account it automatically sets up a help desk ticket for administrators who can grant you access.” Faculty and staff will be given host rights, for which they will have to re-apply each semester. Students must request access, and if approved, the meeting room will be available for two weeks. However, under special circumstances, permission can be given for an extended time period. Sheri Thompson, IT planning and communications officer, said she has used Connect to meet with people across the nation. “You can have a meeting across multiple spaces and times without having to meet in person,” Thompson said. “People can look at it and see a snapshot of what’s going on.” Duffy said Connect can be used for small private meetings or as a large webcast. “The only two absolute requirements are a computer and Internet connection,” he said. “People can meet with no loading or sign-up and nothing to download. You could even use it to meet across seas.”
Contact Morgan Searles at msearles@lsureveille.com
Panelists at a forum honoring African American civil rights activist A.P. Tureaud Sr. said his courage improved life for Louisianians after a time of suffering and oppression for African Americans. The panel, held in a nearlypacked Cox Auditorium, featured Tureaud Sr.’s son, A.P. Tureaud Jr., the first black undergraduate to attend the University; Rachel Emanuel, director of publications and electronic media at Southern University Law Center; D’Army Bailey, founder of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn.; and Keith Finley, history professor at Southeastern Louisiana University. The event also served as the launch of Tureaud Sr.’s biography, written by Tureaud Jr. and Emanuel, titled “A More Noble Cause: A.P. Tureaud and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Louisiana.” Tureaud Jr.
said the 12-year writing process began after LSU Press requested the biography. Jack Hamilton, executive vice chancellor and provost, said Tureaud’s efforts contributed to a more diverse campus. “LSU is deeply committed to [increasing diversity],” Hamilton said. The panel, moderated by Bob Mann, political communication professor, discussed issues including the CivA.P. Tureaud Jr. il Rights Movecivil rights activist ment and the relationship between Tureaud Sr. and Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Finley said Tureaud Sr. was one of many activists labeled “dangerous radicals” during the Civil Rights Movement by Southern politicians. All panelists agreed Tureaud Sr.’s calm demeanor and desire to improve life for all races allowed him to courageously facilitate change. “One man’s friendship with
humanity changed society,” Tureaud Southern University and was perJr. said. secuted for doing so. Attorneys like Tureaud Sr. led the case for de- Tureaud Sr. protected these young segregation at the University, his son activists during adversity, he said. said. The case was successful, but Joy Douglas, African Amerithe University was not open to the can sociology junior, said the panel end of segregation. Tureaud Jr. said taught her details about the oppreshe began his time at the University sion of blacks during the Civil Rights optimistically with Movement, and she hope for the typical has a stronger apcollege experience, preciation for those but he soon faced like Tureaud Jr. harassment and was who allowed her eventually asked to and others to have a leave. better college expeThe auditorience. A.P. Tureaud Jr. rium was silent as Tureaud Sr.’s civil rights activist Tureaud Jr. said he memory is prehas seen improveserved through ment in diversity and equality in the Tureaud Hall and the A.P. Tureaud University after returning numerous Sr. Black Alumni Chapter. times despite his experiences, which he described as demeaning and depressing. Bailey said he was one of many Contact Brian Sibille at black youths who protested racism bsibille@lsureveille.com in Baton Rouge during his time at
friendship with humanity changed society.’
page 6
The Daily Reveille
STANDARDIZED TESTING
MCAT exam to undergo changes in 2015 AAMC recommends adding new sections Andrea Gallo Staff Writer
The Association of American Medical Colleges recently recommended significant changes to the Medical College Admission Test to occur in 2015, potentially affecting the hundreds of University students who apply to medical school each year. The prospective changes include adding a behavioral and social sciences principles section, adding more advanced sciences and expanding critical thinking but eliminating the writing sample. The changes would make the exam more of an endurance test. “While these are the preliminary recommendations, I think we have a certain level of confidence that these changes will be in the final version,” said Jeff Koetje, Kaplan Test Prep’s director of academics for pre-health programs. Samuel McClugage, assistant dean of admissions at LSU School of Medicine at New Orleans, said the test will change to four sections: molecular, cellular and organismal properties of living systems; physical, chemical and biochemical properties of living systems; behavioral and social sciences principles; and critical analysis and reading skills. Kevin Carman, College of Science dean, said it is “premature” to begin making changes to pre-med curriculum now. He said the University will be “responsive to all changes.” McClugage said each section test will be 90 minutes long, so the exam will be 6 hours with a lunch break. A news release from Kaplan said the “total seat time” will be more than 7 hours. Koetje said the behavioral and social sciences principles section will hone in on students’ abilities to understand research, statistical methods, psychology and sociology. Carman said many University students
take psychology as an elective, so will remain in the exam, but it will while the University may see greater now encompass more critical analydemand for psychology electives, the sis and reasoning skills, such as cross-cultural studsection’s addition ies, population and will not particularly AAMC preliminary health. impact the pre-med The writcurriculum. recommended changes ing sample will be Baret Bercier, to the MCAT: eliminated. Koetje a biological scisaid medical school ences senior who will attend the LSU • Addition of behavioral and social administrators, who sat on a subcomSchool of Medicine sciences principles section, at New Orleans including psychology and sociology mittee to recommend changes to next year and a • Addition of advanced sciences, Princeton Review requiring knowledge of cell biology, the AAMC, said MCAT tutor, said biochemistry, research methods and the writing sample was not useful for adding behavioral statistics admissions or presciences gives stu•Expanding critical thinking, dictive of medical dents more preparation for dealing including ethics, philosophy, cross- school success. cultural studies and population Carman said with patients. he is not overly Koetje said health concerned about the physical and • Lengthening exam seat-time to the MCAT changes biological sciences more than 7 hours affecting students sections will change • Eliminating writing sample majoring in the their names, but the content will not Source: Kaplan Test Prep sciences, but is concerned about change aside from students majoring being updated. Koetje said while the addi- outside of the sciences trying to attions of biochemistry and cell biol- tend medical school. He said the ogy appear to double the amount of situation has “a bit of irony,” as the coursework for pre-med students, he objective is to broaden the pool of said most pre-med students already possible medical school candidates, take those courses, so the timeline in yet the new requirements may deter other students from applying, particwhich they take them may change. Carman said pre-med students ularly those with stringent curricula generally take biochemistry their ju- like engineering. Koetje said the exam will benior year, so its addition to the exam should not be a problem, and while come “truly a test of endurance” and many students take cell biology their demand more difficult coursework. senior year, they can take it earlier. Carman said because there are Contact Andrea Gallo at so many biology majors at the Uniagallo@lsureveille.com versity, an influx of cell biology demand will probably cause the department to open more class sections. With budget cuts looming over University departments, Carman said the College of Science will have to “shift resources,” because adding more cell biology forces reductions of other classes. Bercier said the current exam has biochemistry and cell biology in small portions, and he had a cell biology passage on his exam which he previously covered in class. Koetje said the verbal section
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Today in sports: Baseball takes on Alcorn State at 6:30 p.m. in Alex Box Stadium.
Sports
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
BASEBALL
page 7
Northwestern State stuns LSU at home in Tigers’ 5-2 loss Demon reliever K’s 10 in 4 innings Luke Johnson Sports Contributor
Northwestern State took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning and didn’t look back as the Tigers, now losers of four straight, are a team desperately looking for answers after a 5-2 loss. A three-run fourth inning doomed LSU (21-12), who got a solid effort from freshman Ryan Eades. Eades was making his first career start. “Eades looked good for three innings,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I don’t know if he started to tire a little bit or what, but they ended up getting to him.”
Eades left a pitch up in the zone against Northwestern State right fielder Stephen Gandy, who promptly ripped the pitch down the left field line. Freshman Spencer Ware — only three days removed from playing football in the spring game — slipped while running the ball down, allowing Demon first baseman Will Watson to score from first. Clutch hitting was again the big problem for an LSU team that came into the game with a team .299 batting average. The Demons, meanwhile, seemed to thrive in clutch situations. “Their team comes into the game hitting .253, and their head coach comes telling me before the game that they can’t get a clutch hit, then they bang out three or four
clutch hits tonight,” Mainieri said. Four of Northwestern State’s five runs came with two outs. If LSU was looking for reprieve from its recent struggles to knock in runners against a 1022 Northwestern State team, they were sorely mistaken. Sophomore designated hitter Raph Rhymes and junior third baseman Tyler Hanover opened the game with back-to-back walks, bringing junior slugger Mikie Mahtook to the dish with no outs. But Mahtook and junior shortstop Austin Nola struck out, and Hanover was caught in a mixed-up double steal at first base by Northwestern State catcher Aaron Munoz to end the frame. Demon starting pitcher Jacob Roark held LSU to two runs in LOSS, see page 11
EMILY SLACK/ The Daily Reveille
Freshman pitcher Joe Broussard stares down a pitch resulting in a ball Tuesday during LSU’s 5-2 loss against the Northwestern State Demons in Alex Box Stadium.
Student known for devotion to LSU sports large and small
Albert Burford Sports Contributor
Many University students consider themselves LSU fans. They go to football games, attend a few basketball games against some big name teams and maybe show up for a priority point volleyball game. Most, however, don’t travel nine hours to Athens, Ga., to cheer on the LSU gymnastics team at its regional competition. Mathematics senior Matthew Clark does. Clark was accompanied by general studies junior Ryan Soileau and mass communication senior Alex White on the trip. “When we got there, Matt screams ‘Geaux Tigers,’” Soileau said. “[The gymnasts] looked up at us like, ‘This is awesome. These three guys came all the way here.’” Clark’s journey to superfandom wasn’t a likely one. Clark isn’t from a traditional family. He lived in a house with six other children, three of whom Ryan Soileau were fostered by his general studies junior mother. He spent time between his mother’s home in North Carolina and his aunt and grandma’s place in Tensas Parish. Clark went through seven surgeries on his legs as a child and was born with cerebral palsy, said Tracy TurnerParker, Clark’s mother. As if those obstacles weren’t enough, he didn’t get tickets to football games his freshman year. “That kind of bummed me out,” Clark said. “I remember walking to the dining hall and seeing a poster looking
‘Tiger for Life’
LSU tries to keep momentum vs. McNeese David Helman
‘I saw this guy with gold hair and beads and thought it was awesome. [Clark] is the epitome of fandom.’
SUPERFAN, see page 11
SOFTBALL
Sports Contributor
ADAM VACCARELLA / The Daily Reveille
Mathematics senior Matthew Clark cheers on the LSU baseball team Sunday in Alex Box Stadium. Clark usually sports a gold wig when he attends LSU sporting events and is known for attending almost all home games.
Highs don’t come much higher than the one the LSU softball team is riding. The No. 21 Tigers (25-12) have a ranking next to their name after their unprecedented sweep of then-No. 1 Alabama this past weekend. LSU coach Yvette Girouard said the team’s weekend heroics are the best she has seen during Southeastern Conference play in her time in Baton Rouge. “To sweep the No. 1 team in the country, I don’t think that’s ever been done,” Girouard said. “It was an awesome feeling.” The performance hasn’t gone unnoticed around the country. Junior first baseman Anissa Young, who lifted LSU to two of its wins with walk-off home runs, was named USA Softball National Player of the Week. Fresh off such an epic series, Girouard said the challenge now is recovering — both mentally and physically — in time for tonight’s game at McNeese State (22-21). The Cowgirls represent a significant drop in competition from the nation’s No. 1 team, but they are 7-3 in their last 10 games, and the game is in Lake Charles. MCNEESE, see page 11
The Daily Reveille
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TRACK AND FIELD
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
BASEBALL
Tigers Pitchers battling back from Tommy John surgery Rittiner honored Bourgeois, to return next season following Relays Michael Lambert Sports Writer
Staff Reports Freshman sprinter Jasmin Stowers must be getting used to this. For the third time this season, Stowers earned Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week for her performance Saturday at the Texas Relays. Stowers, a Pendleton, S.C., native, grabbed a third-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a wind-aided time of 12.86 seconds. She wasn’t alone in the fiesta. Junior Semoy Hackett claimed SEC Female Runner of the Week, while fellow junior Barrett Nugent won SEC Male Runner of the Week. The awards were both Hackett’s second and Nugent’s first. Nugent shined at the Texas Relays, winning the men’s university 110-meter hurdles championship. The 13.19-second effort is good enough for No. 1 in the NCAA this season. He is also the first Tiger male runner to win the Relays event since 1975. Hackett, a Trinidad and Tobago native, found success at the Relays as well, nabbing a runnerup finish in the 100-meter dash. Her wind-aided time of 10.89 seconds is No. 1 in the SEC this season and No. 2 in the NCAA. Both Hackett and Nugent, a Maurice native, competed in the female and male 4x100-meter relays, respectively. Hackett also ran in the women’s university 4x200 relay. Nugent, along with juniors Horatio Williams and Keyth Talley and senior Gabriel Mvumvure, posted a runner-up finish with a time of 38.78 seconds. Hackett and company — juniors Rebecca Alexander and Cassandra Tate along with sophomore Kimberlyn Duncan — won the 4x200 event, recording the fastest 4x200 relay time in the country thus far.
Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com
The pain finally caught up with LSU junior pitcher Joey Bourgeois during the NCAA Los Angeles Regional in June. “One night I was sleeping and I woke up in the middle of the night and my arm had completely locked out,” Bourgeois said. “As soon as [my trainer] heard that, we scheduled an MRI.” Sophomore walk-on pitcher Jordan Rittiner was in the middle of a summer league game when his fate was sealed for the 2011 season. “I was playing summer ball in North Carolina with the Thomasville HiToms,” Rittiner said. “It happened with a single pitch.” Both pitchers were soon given the news they would have to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair damaged ligaments in their elbows. The procedure, which usually requires at least a year of recovery, replaces the ligament with a tendon from another part of the body. LSU coach Paul Mainieri was surprised by the news but had to adjust quickly to the loss of the secondyear pitchers. “Once I heard they were going under the knife, you have to develop the staff without them,” Mainieri said. “We had no choice.” Months later, Bourgeois and Rittiner are still in the progress of recovering and are on track to return in the fall. But this season has been a new experience for the two pitchers. Instead of being front and center on the mound at Alex Box Stadium, they are forced to sit in the stands with the average fans. “It’s very depressing,” Rittiner said. “Especially opening night — that wasn’t too much fun.” Bourgeois said he’s made every home game and plans to attend the Alabama series in Tuscaloosa, Ala., but it hasn’t been easy. “I couldn’t even stay for a whole game yet,” Bourgeois said. “It’s the fact knowing that it’s your team out there and there’s nothing you can do about it.” The two absent hurlers have also affected the pitching staff. Bourgeois and Rittiner were No. 2 and 3, respectively, in innings pitched last season for the Tigers. Rittiner, a Metairie native from Jesuit High School, recorded a 4-4 record with a 4.37 ERA and two saves in 2010, while Bourgeois
File photo
Sophomore pitcher Jordan Rittiner tosses a pitch Feb. 21, 2010, in LSU’s 4-0 win against Centenary. Rittiner and junior pitcher Joey Bourgeois are missing the entire 2011 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
started 12 games last season with a 4-1 record. Bourgeois, who has a scar on his right elbow, and Rittiner, who has his on his left elbow, aren’t only excluded from the team during games. They also practice and work out separately from the other 36 players on LSU’s roster. “Let’s say the team stretches at 2:30 p.m.,” Bourgeois said. “We’ll come out here [around 1:15 p.m.] and get our throwing over so we don’t have to be out here while the team’s out here.” The pair is limited to throwing bullpen sessions and running and lifting weights twice a week under the care of LSU trainers and Baton Rouge orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Field. “We’re still friends with all of them,” Rittiner said. “Baseball-wise, it doesn’t seem like we’re on the
same team as them.” But at least they aren’t in it alone. “I felt a little better once Rittiner had it just to know I’m not going to be here alone, and I’ll have somebody with me,” Bourgeois said. Sophomore designated hitter Raph Rhymes said he’s confident his teammates will to into the fold next season. “They’ll come back, and they’ll be ready,” Rhymes said. [For now] they recruited guys to give us a good chance to win.” Bourgeois, a transfer from LSUEunice, is looking forward to getting
back on the mound. “I’m doing as much as I can to get myself better and hopefully come back next year and be just as good if not better,” Bourgeois said. Rittiner, eager to get back on the diamond, took things a step further. “I’ll take any role that puts the team in a good position to win ... even if it’s bringing coach water,” he said. Follow Michael Lambert Twitter @TDR_Lambert Contact Michael Lambert at mlambert@lsureveille.com
on
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Daily Reveille
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NFL
Vincent returns to earn degree as pro future looks cloudy Former Tiger graduates in May Hunt Palmer Sports Contributor
Job security — it’s one of the most powerful motivators around. Because of the recent lockout, job status for National Football League players like former LSU running back Justin Vincent is a shade of gray. Teams and players have cut off all communication, leaving Vincent an unemployed free agent with no one with whom to interview. “We’re basically in the dark. There is nothing,” Vincent said. “We know a little bit more than what you see on ESPN, but it’s basically the weirdest situation I’ve ever been in.” File photo Although Vincent has only been active for one game during Former LSU running back Justin Vincent bowls over Louisiana-Lafayette defenders Sept. 2, 2006, in LSU’s 45-3 win. his four-year stint in the NFL, he has been employed as a member of wasn’t active in the Super Bowl, this year, Steelers running backs He’s set to graduate in May, the practice squad during that time. Vincent made his impact in other coach Kirby Wilson made sure the but he continues to work out in Immediately ways, assisting the former Tiger knew he had his place hopes the phone will ring for anfollowing the 2007 other shot. coaches and other in Pittsburgh. NFL Draft, Vin“[Wilson] told me that whenplayers during cent was signed practice with plays ever he moves on that I would [at as a free agent by least] have the opportunity to tell and assignments. the Atlanta Fal“I knew the him no [to being his replacement],” cons and firstplaybook like the Vincent said. “It’s a good feeling to year coach Bobby back of my hand,” know that you’ve made an impresJustin Vincent Petrino. Vincent said. “I sion on someone, and that they’ll Petrino renever had a prob- look at you for a job.” former LSU running back signed during the As for Vincent’s current emlem learning the 2007 season, and Vincent’s roster plays or helping guys out when ployment status, it’s wait and see. spot didn’t survive the houseclean- they didn’t know something.” In the meantime, Vincent is ing that ensued. Although the run ultimately back at LSU finishing his commuThe Pittsburgh Steelers con- ended in Vincent’s release earlier nication studies degree. tacted Vincent following his release, and the 2003 Southeastern Conference Championship Game MVP began his four-year run on the practice squad. “It was a perfect situation,” Vincent said. “I got to play for one of the best coaches out there [Steelers coach Mike Tomlin].” During Vincent’s tenure in The Steel City, Pittsburgh captured the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl crown in 2008 with a win against the Arizona Cardinals. “There aren’t too many people in the NFL with a national championship ring and a Super Bowl ring,” said Vincent. Although he
‘We’re basically in the dark. There is nothing.’
“My last workout was with Seattle, so hopefully that’s where I’ll end up,” Vincent said. “But as of right now, I’m just waiting.” Baton Rouge seems to be a cozy spot to play the waiting game for former Tigers. A quick glance around the Charles McLendon Practice Facility during spring workouts generally revealed a former player or two working out or just taking in a practice. After all, it’s LSU performance on the field that warrants Vincent’s bragging rights in NFL locker rooms year to year. “It’s 24-7 trash talk,” Vincent said. “We can’t wait for college football to start. The guys from Louisiana always stick together, guys like [Tulane’s] Mewelde Moore, [Louisiana-Lafayette’s] Ike Taylor and [Ole Miss’] Mike Wallace. We have each other’s backs when it comes to football in the South.”
Contact Hunt Palmer at hpalmer@lsureveille.com
The Daily Reveille
page 10
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
FOOTBALL
8 Southeastern Conference teams still have spring games 4 squads have gone through scrimmages Rachel Whittaker Sports Writer
LSU isn’t the only football team that has played its spring game this year. Four Southeastern Conference teams played their spring games this past weekend, and all of them involved quarterback issues. Florida’s Blue and Orange teams competed Saturday before 53,000 fans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. But the fans were not pleased with senior quarterback John Brantley’s performance after he went 4-of-14 for 45 yards in one half. “Brantley didn’t look good or comfortable,” said Adam Berry, sports editor of the Independent Florida Alligator. South Carolina’s Garnet and Black spring game was marked by senior quarterback Stephen Garcia’s absence. He was suspended indefinitely from the team April 6 for the second time this spring and fifth time total. Further details were not released other than Garcia was not arrested and neither drugs nor alcohol were involved. Quarterbacks Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson did not sweep coach Steve Spurrier off his feet. Shaw overthrew open receivers twice before leaving the game with cramps and dehydration, and Thompson threw two interceptions. “Our quarterbacks have a lot to learn,” Spurrier told The Daily Gamecock. “Connor needs to have a wonderful summer if he is our quarterback.” Meanwhile, Mississippi State played its Maroon and White game Saturday after finishing 9-4 in 2010. Sophomore Dylan Favre tried to make his case for the backup quarterback spot behind senior Chris Relf. Favre went 17-of-26 for 199 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 55 yards on 10 carries. The White team lost the game, 23-20, and had to clean the stadium as “punishment” the next day. Six Southeastern Conference teams will cap their spring practices with games Saturday. Georgia’s Red and Black teams square off at noon Saturday. The Bulldogs will be without left tackle Trinton Sturdivant, who suffered a torn right ACL in spring practice. Sturdivant has torn his left ACL twice before. The injury will result in some shake-ups in the Georgia offensive line, leaving only left tackle Cordy Glenn and center Ben Jones as returning starters. Glenn was an offensive guard in his first three seasons. Ole Miss and Tennessee’s spring seasons conclude at 1 p.m. Saturday. Ole Miss senior running backs Enrique Davis and Devin Thomas combined for 165 yards in a scrimmage Sunday in place of injured Brandon Bolden and Jeff Scott. The Rebels lost a rushing threat in former quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who scored three times
PHIL SANDLIN / The Associated Press
Florida football coach Will Muschamp, center, watches his team Saturday during the Orange and Blue spring game, which was beset by quarterback issues.
against LSU last season. Tennessee toted a new coaching lineup into spring practice. Former linebackers coach Lance
Thompson became defensive line coach, and Peter Sirmon was promoted from graduate assistant to linebackers coach.
Alabama’s spring game will be broadcast on ESPNU at 2 p.m. Saturday. Two key departures for the Crimson Tide are quarterback Greg McElroy and left tackle James Carpenter. Senior wide receiver Darius Hanks made some noise in Alabama’s Sunday scrimmage with six catches for 131 yards and three scores. Iron Bowl rival Auburn’s spring game will take place at the same time. Auburn is taking a hit on both sides of the ball with the departures of star quarterback Cam Newton and defensive end Nick Fairley, Defensive MVP of the BCS National Championship Game. A potential starting slot receiver is redshirt freshman Trovon Reed, a former No. 1 recruit from Louisiana who coaches say can also be a wildcat quarterback and punt returner. Arkansas’ spring game will be nationally televised on ESPN at 3
p.m. Saturday for the first time in school history. Vanderbilt’s Black and Gold squads will square off in a night game Sunday at 6 p.m. The Commodores have a major overhaul on their hands with new coach James Franklin. Their total offense and defense were last in the SEC in 2010. The final SEC spring game is Kentucky on April 23 at 2 p.m. Joker Phillips begins his second year at the helm of the Wildcats after a 6-7 first season. Wide receiver Randall Cobb declared for the NFL draft, and quarterback Mike Hartline graduated, leaving holes to fill on offense. Kentucky’s rushing defense was No. 11 in the SEC in 2010 with its leading tackler recording just 2.5 sacks and six tackles for loss.
Contact Rachel Whittaker at rwhittaker@lsureveille.com
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 SUPERFAN, from page 7
for people to work concessions.” Clark worked every home football game his freshman year — the year LSU won the 2007 BCS National Championship. “I would always go on break and run out when ‘I don’t do there they started it for the playing ‘Neck’ recognition. or something,” Clark said. It’s “Then I would ultimately run back in and start selling about stuff.” supporting LSU fans our teams.’ will remember Clark as the Matthew Clark student in the mathematics senior front row of home games wearing a neon yellow wig. Clark doesn’t pay much attention to students who might say he’s silly or obnoxious. “I don’t give that any credence,” he said. “I don’t do it for the recognition. It’s ultimately about supporting our teams.” Though Clark attends almost every home sporting event, he has only been able to attend three away events. Soileau said he saw Clark at a women’s soccer game that wasn’t heavily attended. “I saw this guy with gold hair and beads and thought it was awesome,” Soileau said. “He is the epitome of fandom.” Clark is notable for not only his religious attendance of basketball and football games, but also for his sightings at lesserknown sporting events. He cited the LSU softball team’s sweep of then-No. 1 Alabama, a series with two walk-off home runs, as an experience he’ll never forget. “We stayed all night for the first two games and all day for the third game,” he said. “Just to watch them come out on top after 31 innings was crazy.” Clark fondly remembers the 2008 football game against Troy, a contest that cemented his love for LSU sports. LSU came back from 28 points down to win. “People were leaving, and I just was not leaving,” he said. “I knew the game was not over. To be there for the comeback reaffirmed my faith. I was like, ‘I am a Tiger for life.’” Clark backs up his “Tiger for life” talk by planning his career around LSU athletics. Clark, an LSU Ambassador, wants to continue his education at LSU to earn a master’s degree in education and eventually become a teacher in Baton Rouge. “Math was everybody in the house’s worst subject, but it was his best,” Turner-Parker said. “He tutored all the other kids.” Clark plans to incorporate LSU sports into his future career. “I could write off field trips to the games,” he said. “I’m going to be a math teacher, so I can bring students to games and have them track statistics.”
Contact Albert Burford at aburford@lsureveille.com
page 11 MCNEESE, from page 7
EMILY SLACK / The Daily Reveille
Junior outfielder Mikie Mahtook swings at the ball Tuesday during LSU’s 5-2 loss to Northwestern State. The Tiger lineup struggled against the Demon’s pitching.
LOSS, from page 7
five innings, but it was sophomore reliever Mason Melotakis who looked like a puppeteer with the LSU batters. Melotakis — a left-hander facing an all right-handed lineup — retired 10 of the 13 batters he faced via strikeout. Mainieri was miffed, saying the scouting report had Melotakis topping out at 90 miles an hour, but the radar guns showed 93. “They bring in this left-hander out of the bullpen, and quite frankly he blew us away,” Mainieri said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. We could barely get a foul ball off of this kid.” The usual run producers in the LSU lineup struggled against the Northwestern State pitching. Mahtook, Nola and sophomore outfielder Mason Katz combined to go 1-for-12 in the game with seven strikeouts. The Tigers’ only offense came from Rhymes, who smacked a two-run home run to left field in the third inning, yanked a double to lead off the fifth inning and drew
two walks. Since ascending to the leadoff spot on March 30, Rhymes has collected 11 hits and five walks in 32 at-bats. But the homer and double were his first extra-base hits as the LSU leadoff hitter. Only 3,366 fans attended LSU’s Tuesday night loss to yet another in-state opponent. LSU returns to Alex Box Stadium tomorrow night to face Alcorn State with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Contact Luke Johnson at ljohnson@lsureveille.com
“As a coach that’s your worst fear — the crash coming down,” Girouard said. “We’re on the road where McNeese always plays well, but you would assume they feel so good about themselves now and have a swag of confidence.” LSU is now on a 10-game winning streak, and with Alabama out of the way, another big SEC series awaits this weekend when No. 6 Tennessee comes to Tiger Park. “We can’t look ahead to this weekend yet. We’ll look at that Thursday, because first we have to get to McNeese,” said senior designated plater Tiffany Shaw. On top of that, the clash with the Crimson Tide was about as draining as a series could be. While a typical softball series would contain 21 innings, the Tigers and Tide combined to play 31 largely thanks to two marathon extra-inning games. The long outings mean Girouard will have to keep an extra watch on her pitching staff, which was spectacular in the sweep. Junior pitcher Brittany Mack threw
a staggering 328 pitches in two appearances, including a complete game Friday night with 14 innings. “Brittany was incredible this weekend,” said sophomore pitcher Rachele Fico. “The mental focus that it takes to go that long in a game and stay ahead of your counts and come out firing with every pitch — it’s incredible.” The performance earned Mack the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Pitcher of the Week and SEC Pitcher of the Week. “She got the day off yesterday and the day off again today,” Girouard said. “My plans are to not use her [against McNeese].” Fico also starred, pitching all 10 innings in the second extrainning game for a win. “We took [Monday] as an off day and a day of rest to recuperate and celebrate our big weekend,” Fico said. “But it’s done now, it’s over with and our focus now is on McNeese.”
Contact David Helman at dhelman@lsureveille.com
The Daily Reveille
Opinion
page 12
OUR VIEW
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
SG parking permits shouldn’t come from students’ pockets It shouldn’t be a surprise some student leaders on campus receive perks — they come with just about any high profile job at schools across the nation. So when The Daily Reveille learned four Student Government leaders — President J Hudson, Vice President Dani Borel, Senate Speaker Brooksie Bonvillain and Speaker Pro Tempore Aaron Caffarel — received parking permits to pass through Easy Streets, it didn’t exactly catch our attention. But when we discovered the permits were paid for by student fees, our jaws dropped to the floor. Here’s how it works: SG pays for these permits and wands through
contingency funds. Those contingency funds are paid for entirely by students, with $2.20 from each student. In all, about $1,250 was spent on the permits, which equals roughly 568 students. That may not seem like a large percentage out of 27,027 students at LSU, but consider this — that’s more students than in the entire College of Music and Dramatic Arts, according to the Office of Budget and Planning. It’s one thing for a student leader to receive benefits. They represent the student body as a whole and maintain a busy schedule, so some of those perks are deserved.
Hudson pointed out student body presidents at other Louisiana higher education institutions receive much greater kickbacks. Hudson only receives a salary, while University of Louisiana at Lafayette Student Government Association President Chris Groh said he receives a meal plan, a tuition waiver and a monthly salary. But that’s all paid for by ULL. That fact that students pay for these parking permits is not only laughable, it’s insulting. Student Media has been offered gifts — including parking permits — in the past, but our department routinely turns them down for ethical reasons.
This isn’t the first time Hudson’s administration has spent money in ways that raise eyebrows. An SG-sponsored bus trip for the LSUArkansas men’s basketball game cost $8,000 — for 38 students to attend. Talk about an airball. Bonvillain has already paid for her permit after being approached by The Daily Reveille about this issue. Borel and Caffarel both said they would pay for their permits, if possible, which we hope will happen. University Court Chief Justice Danielle Rushing refused to even take a permit. Cody Wells and Kathleen Bordelon, the newly elected SG
president and vice president, told The Daily Reveille they would not pay for their permits through the contingency funds. Hudson, however, vehemently defended receiving the permits. “Could we do our job without them? Probably,” Hudson said. “But it helps us be efficient.” Hudson has been a white knight for the University against budget cuts and has put students FIRST, as his campaign platform said. After this gaffe, Hudson is still putting students FIRST — as long as he gets the best parking spot. Contact the Editorial Board at editor@lsureveille.com
THE BOTTOM LINE
Copper prices mean Louisiana’s thieves are #winning Burglars in Baton Rouge have been on a copper kick in recent years, stealing the metal from places like local air conditioners. The criminals, who I can only assume strongly resemble the Hamburglar, scaled an 8-foot high fence James Bond-style and ripped the copper tubing out of the air conditioners at local restaurant The Table is Bread on Airline. Employees arrived at The Table is Bread on Monday only to find four of the five air conditioners missing copper, according to WAFB. I’d love to know why they left one air conditioner intact. Maybe they wanted to clean out the registers and safe on a subsequent trip, but didn’t want the hassle of having to rob the local business blind in Louisiana’s infamous heat. That’s understandable, I guess. I’m sure you’re gripping the edge of your seat for economic commentary on petty theft, so I’ll tell you it’s actually pretty clever to pull a gig like this. First of all, I’ll make it clear that I don’t imagine a team of scientists and engineers pulling off an Ocean’s Eleven-style heist here. I’m not one to profile, but I’m fairly sure we’re not dealing with top-level criminals attempting to corner the lucrative copper market. That said, copper has been rising in price for years now, even with inflation taken into account. Prices of precious metals as a whole have been increasing faster than Rebecca Black’s YouTube hits, caused by increased demand
from suppliers and investors clamoring for the stuff like it’s going to turn into winning lottery tickets. So copper is pretty valuable, even as an investment, but if you can get it Devin Graham for free? Well, Opinion Editor it’s a steal at twice the price. Copper is valuable, but why not just load up on cash? As the expression goes, “In God we trust, all others must pay in cash,” right? Why didn’t they hit the registers too? Well, we can’t say for sure, but money is much easier to trace than copper. At best, you could probably hope for some supplychain tracking numbers or maybe a unique quirk in the production of the material, but nothing like what we see with the almighty dollar. So, unless the Hamburglar shows up at the local rundown pawn shop with several hundred feet of copper cut into short, air conditioner-sized pieces, we’re going to be at a bit of a loss to find the criminals. If only Dora the Explorer had been there to stave off the criminals: “Swiper, no swiping!” Apparently, it isn’t all that uncommon. The Advocate reported in December 2010 that two thieves broke into an Entergy station, stealing copper and aluminum wire. A September article from the same year reported four DEMCO
The Daily Reveille
THE PEN IS MIGHTIER
ZACHARY CHATELAIN / The Daily Reveille
substations in East Baton Rouge and Livingston Parishes had copper wire stolen as well. Unlike the more recent Baton Rouge criminals, the two December hoodlums were lifting the electrical wire off the spools from the Entergy station, cutting it into smaller pieces and moving the material back through the hole they cut in the fence. That’s how theft works. Few people other than a technical
worker in the field would know air conditioners have precious metals in the first place, much less how to disassemble the thing into its valuable parts. If they’d have been Starbucks employees, it might have been coffee machines or blenders. In his interview with WAFB, Lawrence Hardy, The Table is Bread’s co-owner, showed remarkable resolve: “It’s a painful situation, very painful that we’ve got to go through this, but life is ups and
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 CommuniEditorial Board cation. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, Sarah Lawson Editor-in-Chief 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 Robert Stewart Managing Editor, Content number so the opinion editor can verify the author. The phone number won’t be printed. The Daily ReveilStephanie Giglio Art Director le reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration without changing the origiSteven Powell Managing Editor, External Media nal 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 evDevin Graham Opinion Editor ery semester by the Louisiana State University Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
downs. We deal with them as they come. We’re going to keep cooking good food and make sure our customers are satisfied, even if I’ve got to go in there and fan them.” Devin Graham is a 22-year-old business management senior from Prairieville. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_dgraham. Contact Devin Graham at dgraham@lsureveille.com
Quote of the Day “A thief believes everybody steals.” Edgar Watson Howe American novelist 1853 — 1937
The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
FAILURE OF DIPLOMACY
Opinion
page 13
PRESS X TO NOT DIE
Proposed changes in sex crime Google to bring original legislation vital for student safety programming to fill 20 Sex. It’s all around us. It’s in our movies, shows, video games, music and books. Wherever there’s creative input, you can rest assured sex can be involved. Whether its invasion into our culture is the root of many societal problems, it’s impossible to deny how open it has become. For better or worse, sex is simply something we can’t avoid. It isn’t too surprising, though, considering it’s such a universal desire and is so basic to what we are. Despite how important sex might be, some definite boundaries cannot be breached. Because of the act’s intimacy and its potential consequences, we have laws concerning rape and consent that attempt to protect all involved. It’s these sex crimes on which Vice President Joe Biden has been pushing universities to crack down. On April 4, Biden visited the University of New Hampshire to discuss new guidelines the Department of Education has created concerning sex crimes. While Biden’s message encompassed all levels of education, it’s especially important at the college level, where rapes often occur. You’ve probably heard the statistics: 13.7 percent of women will be raped during their time at college, 4.7 percent will be victims of forced sexual assault — the list of findings made by researchers like Christopher Krebs goes on and on. While most of these numbers date back to the 1990s, they
cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, it’s a very real danger on college campuses, as a more recent federal study performed in 2000 found a college of about 10,000 women can expect to have around 350 rapes per year. LSU is cerZachary Davis tainly not imColumnist mune to such a large threat. If this study accurately applies to our school, we should expect somewhere around 500 rapes to occur by the time the school year ends. What’s even scarier is — should this research be true — the ridiculous number of rapes that go unreported. Only five were reported to the LSU Police Department in 2010. While this number seems to be large for something we don’t hear much about, people may remember some instances. A perfect example is the case last October, when one LSU student was accused of raping another student who was heavily intoxicated at the time. While his claim of simply “trying to revive her” may be laughable, the accusation is very serious. What the proposed changes plan to do to help prevent sex crimes is fairly simple. It can be summed up as a goal of investigating, protecting and
stopping any instances when the University “knows or reasonably should know of possible sexual violence.” Part of this involves keeping tabs on people who can already be identified as a threat. Any sex offenders, whether they be faculty or students, would be required to register with campus police, making it easier to keep an eye on these people. Despite the logistical problems that come with this proposed plan, it is a step in the right direction. Sex crimes are horribly devastating to the victim, and we must take every measure we can to help prevent it. Even if we can simply make it easier for women to report rape, we can consider it a success. Let’s hope that with the help of Biden’s support, we can see these new changes in the near future. Until then, we can only hope the cases of “reviving” stay at a minimum. Zachary Davis is a 20-year-old history junior from Warsaw, Poland. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_zdavis.
Find out about how punishments for sex crimes could be more fair on the New Spin Zone blog. Contact Zachary Davis at zdavis@lsureveille.com
BEST AND WITTIEST
cartoon coutesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE
YouTube channels When Google bought YouTube in 2006, it left a lot of people scratching their heads. This head-scratching led to more frustration as Google starting laying down more restrictions and pulling full videos and channels if users violated the Terms of Agreement by posting copywritten material. Finally, more ads started appearing — not only around the site, but before popular videos as well. Despite these slightly annoying changes to the site, YouTube continues to be successful. The Wall Street Journal reported YouTube is now the world’s No. 3 website in terms of unique monthly visitors and generated about $544 million in net revenue last year. Considering Google purchased YouTube for $1.6 billion, YouTube executives have said the site is close to being profitable. Add the fact that the site is expected to generate more than $800 million in net revenue this year, according to The Wall Street Journal, and I’d say Google made a good choice in purchasing the popular video site. But Google isn’t stopping there — it plans to ride this wave into even more profits by innovating and expanding YouTube yet again. Google plans on spending around $100 million to create original programming to fill 20 new YouTube channels, sources close to Google told The Wall Street Journal last week. This original, low-cost programming will be specifically for the Web and YouTube, and support for the shows would come through advertisements. Sources told The Wall Street Journal this will be a “major overhaul” to YouTube. Google has reportedly already begun speaking with top Hollywood talent agencies in search of ideas for these new original shows. Google once again is showing its plans to merge home television with the Internet. The company did it last year by releasing Google TV, and now with this new programming, the wall between TV and the Internet is one step closer to being torn down. This could not be a better move for Google. As a busy college student, I barely have enough time to sit on my couch and watch a 30-minute television show when it comes on — thank God for DVR. But I don’t know how many
times I (and many others around campus) have pulled out a computer or phone and mindlessly browsed YouTube. Considering the site has made stars out of no-name (and no-talent) people such as Rebecca Black and Justin Bieber, there’s no telling what Adam Arinder fame and fortune may come Columnist to the actors involved in Google’s new programming. While this idea may seem new and revolutionary, it actually comes weeks after Netflix announced its plans to create and distribute new, original programming to stream on its “Watch Instantly” service. While the battle for online television show streaming has been between Netflix and Hulu for the past couple of years, it’s interesting to see how much Google will invest in YouTube to compete with the other two giants. YouTube does offer some full-length movies and television shows such as “The Da Vinci Code” and “Married ... With Children,” but the selection is limited. I’m not saying it will happen, but if anyone were to take down Netflix and its successful “Watch Instantly” streaming service, I believe it could be done by Google via YouTube. With so many established users — and more than a million unique visitors to the site in the U.S. in February — and the right programming, YouTube could easily start pulling people away from Netflix. But after that, the debate comes down to choosing between an ad-based service like YouTube or a monthly subscription-based service like Netflix. At this point in time, Google has so much money, power and influence it could do whatever it wants — let’s just hope it continues doing things positively for its users. Adam Arinder is a 21-year-old communication studies senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_aarinder.
Contact Adam Arinder at aarinder@lsureveille.com
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011
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The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 EXOSKELETON, from page 1
his motor skills. “Walk Again” will take a minimum of three student groups to complete, Yates said. The current group is focusing on the balancing aspect of the exoskeleton, and later groups will concentrate on the walking aspect, Vocke said. Vocke said the exoskeleton has no knee joints because people bend more using their hips and ankles. The exoskeleton will use a back plate for support, plates under each foot and a bracket around the hip, Vocke said. Vocke said pressure sensors on the plates under the feet will detect and correct weight distribution, and the exoskeleton will use hydraulic cylinders to balance and move. Yates said the hydraulics work in pairs for balance, but they move individually to walk. She said this is just one of the challenges the group has encountered, but her group is mostly concerned with balancing. “It gets really tricky when you start to move,” Vocke added. Vocke said the group has to assemble a version of the exoskeleton by their deadline on April 15. Bray said the group is working well as a team. “We’re all coming together and working hard,” Bray said. Marcio de Queiroz, associate professor of mechanical engineering and “Walk Again” adviser, said exoskeletons are used in the military to carry 150- to 200-pound loads. Queiroz said the exoskeleton is designed as a double-inverted pendulum with the ankle and the waist as the two points, or joints. “That’s a difficult control problem to model,” he said. Queiroz said he meets with the group for an hour weekly, and Deumite meets with them once every two weeks. The group went to the mall with Sloan and his father to watch Sloan walk and assess his abilities, Norman Deumite said. Vocke said meeting and talking with Sloan made the project more personal. “We’ve been to dinner with the sponsor and his son, who this is for. We met him. We know him. We see him around at the football games,” Vocke said. Vocke said the experience is rewarding because he knows someone it will help.
PERMITS, from page 1
courtesy of CASSIE ARCENEAUX/College of Engineering
University engineering students working on the “Walk Again” project are designing a device to help quadriplegics walk.
“It’s definitely a good feeling,” Vocke said. “I’m glad for the opportunity to work on something like this.” Deumite said he was impressed and happy with the group’s effort. “I love their work ethic,” he said. “They just seem so eager to help.” Deumite said he will be at the group’s final presentation to see the result.
To learn more about the exoskeleton, watch a video on lsureveille.com. Contact Meredith Will at mwill@lsureveille.com
Hudson said his permit has allowed him to be a better president. “The students allow us to be president and vice president, and the pass makes us more efficient,” he said. “If Dani and I did not have the permits, we couldn’t do a lot of what we’ve done.” Hudson said he does not consider the permit a “perk.” “Other SG presidents are given cars, laptops, tuition waivers — they get perks. We don’t,” he said. University of Louisiana at Lafayette Student Government Association President Chris Groh said he receives a meal plan, a tuition waiver and a salary. Groh said the meal plan and tuition waiver are funded by the University, not student fees. LSU SG Senate Speaker Brooksie Bonvillain, who received a “B” permit, said she does not think permits are an appropriate use of student fees. “I, as an individual, used the parking permit and should be responsible for paying for it,” Bonvillain said. “I signed up for the job, and it’s not a stated amenity of the position.” After being approached by The Daily Reveille about the issue, Bonvillain arranged to make a one-time deposit into the revenue-only contingency account to personally repay her permit. Cortney Pitcher, SG coordinator, said Bonvillain gave a $250 check to her Tuesday, and it was sent to the Bursar’s Office to be deposited. Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Aaron Caffarel said he would also like to reimburse the account for his permit, if possible. Hudson said he
page 15 would not. August. She said SG was notified of “To be honest, it has been worth the change in September and was rethe student fees to make my job more quired to pay for the remaining three effective,” Hudson said. permits in December. SG Vice President Dani Borel Graham, on the other hand, said said she would pay for her permit the permits have never been free or if she had the means but said it is discounted in any way. He said he unlikely, as the cannot recall a permits are ex- SG officials’ contingencies and time when the pensive and she president did not parking permit spending is financially • President’s contingency: $7,500 accept the perlimited. mit. Amount spent on parking permit: $500 “I don’t feel Paying for bad about hav- • Vice President’s contingency: $3,800 the permits from ing it, though,” Amount spent on parking permit: $250 the contingency Borel said. • Speaker of the Senate contingency: $2,000 accounts has “The nature of Amount spent on parking permits (2): $500 been a common our work is not practice, Pitcher confined to the • Total spent on parking permits: $1,250 said. Source: Cortney Pitcher, SG coordinator Union or our of“For the fices.” past three years, Borel said the permits have been the presidents have used their conhelpful and have allowed the duo to tingencies to pay for their passes,” be more effective. Pitcher said in an e-mail. She said University students pay a $2.20 how the contingencies are spent is at fee toward SG each semester, Hud- the sole discretion of leaders. son said. With a $1,250 total cost, Cody Wells and Kathleen Borabout 568 students paid for the four delon, the newly-elected president permits. and vice president, said they want Caffarel and Bonvillain said to personally pay for the permits. they were originally told they would Wells said he will ask SG legislative receive the parking permits for free and judicial branch officials to do the but were later charged. Caffarel said same. the decision to draw the funding out “We do not believe student fees of the contingency should have in- should personally benefit SG leadvolved more discussion. ers,” Wells said. Pitcher said previously only the Contact Sydni Dunn at president was charged for his or her sdunn@lsureveille.com permit, and SG paid for the permit in
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The Daily Reveille
Wednesday, April 13, 2011