BR councilwoman raises awareness to ban sagging pants, p. 4
Reveille Mellow Mushroom to hold first outdoor concert Friday, p. 11
The Daily
Volume 115, Issue 18
www.lsureveille.com
Wide receivers struggle to get catches, p. 7 Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
University prepares for $62 million budget reduction About 50 degree programs to be lost Catherine Threlkeld Staff Writer
The University on Wednesday released budget cut projections for a $62 million reduction in state funding, which would potentially result in the loss of 350 faculty, 350 staff positions, closure of buildings and the elimination of seven of the University’s
14 colleges. The cuts are not definite, and the projections are an exercise mandated by the Board of Regents to prepare for future budget cuts. The latest projections elaborate on scenarios prepared this summer by the University, which initially prepared for a $46 million budget cut. The summer plans outlined a three-level system dividing every University entity into three categories based on relevance to teaching and the academic core of the University.
Level Three consists of the academic core, and the initial projection removed $20,065,049. The latest projections cut $36,369,019 from the academic core. Level Two consists of units that support the core — like student support activities and library services — and cuts in that level total $16,634,845. Level One consists of units not directly related to the academic core — like Facility Services and Student Support Services — and cuts to this tier total $9,162,282. If the scenario becomes
reality, then 154,299 undergraduate credit hours and 31,506 graduate credit hours will be eliminated. Chancellor Michael Martin said he doesn’t know the likelihood of the cuts materializing because the projections were created at request of the state. “If it actually came to pass, it would be catastrophic,” Martin said. “The very conversations we’re having will do some harm because the conversation causes people to look for other jobs REDUCTION, see page 19
Cash in the Attic
Hill Memorial Library houses book worth millions Ryan Buxton
T
Deputy News and Entertainment Editor
he University is home to many famous treasures like its stately oaks and Mike the Tiger, but a less conspicuous asset rests in the archives of Hill Memorial Library — a copy of the world’s most expensive book. The tome, “Birds of America” by naturalist and painter John James Audubon, is a 2-by-3foot book of 435 hand-colored illustrations of various bird species, and Hill Memorial houses one of only 119 copies in the world. The book is astronomically valuable, and it’s gaining worldwide buzz as auction house Sotheby’s prepares to sell a copy in December that’s expected to fetch between $6 million and $9 million. Another copy of the book sold for $8.8 million in 2000 — the most expensive book sale in history, according to the BBC. Though the University’s copy of “Birds of America” has never been appraised, it is monetarily the “most valuable individual thing” in the library, said Elaine Smyth, head of special collections. The copy being auctioned in December is one of the few privately owned volumes of the book. Most copies are owned by various
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BOOK, see page 19
‘When they see [the book] in person, people are so enthralled by the art, they don’t think about the fact that it’s worth $8 million.’
SARAH HUNT / The Daily Reveille
Elaine Smyth, head of special collections, displays painter John James Audubon’s book “Birds of America” on Monday at Hill Memorial Library. The book is one of only 119 copies in the world and worth millions.
Elaine Smyth
LSU Libraries head of special collections
Losses from potential budget cuts •154,299 undergraduate hours cut •31,506 graduate hours cut •350 faculty lost •350 staff lost •7 of 14 colleges will be eliminated Source: lsu.edu/FY12BudgetCrisis
BUDGET CUTS
System considers combining programs Catherine Threlkeld Staff Writer
Administrators, legislators, faculty and students are all seeking answers for how to deal with past and future budget cuts. Plans and ideas have been considered or implemented like cutting programs, increasing tuition and finding more donors. One idea has been around for years — the concept of combining the University, LSU AgCenter, Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Paul M. Hebert Law Center under one administration. The conglomeration of the four LSU System entities is one of many ideas to save money by cutting back administrators. By putting the units under one chancellor and one basic administration, several administrators could be eliminated. AgCenter Chancellor William Richardson said a conversation about the idea has come up once or twice a month since the center split from the University in 1972. He said the AgCenter wants to maintain alignment with the System, but the agricultural community would be “adamantly opposed” to the idea. “[LSU System President CONGLOMERATION, see page 6
The Daily Reveille
Nation & World
page 2
INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
Brazil unveils $200 million plan to slow savanna deforestation
Dallas police charge 3 officers in alleged beating of suspect
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil’s government has unveiled plans to slow the deforestation and help halt the wildfires that destroy its tropical savanna. The government plans to spend $200 million in the next two years to combat illegal deforestation and prevent fires.
DALLAS (AP) — Three Dallas police officers, including one who was fired, will face criminal charges for their alleged roles in the beating of a suspect, which was caught on video by dashboard cameras, the police chief said Wednesday. Andrew Collins, 28, suffered bruising and blood clots earlier this month after being struck by officers, who hit him about seven times with their fists and batons. The alleged beating lasted about 14 seconds following a chase.
Afghan police fire warning shots to clear Quran-burning protests KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Police fired warning shots to disperse hundreds of stone-hurling Afghans on Wednesday in the latest in a series of protests against Quran burning in the U.S. At least 35 police officers and 10 protesters were wounded, said Interior Ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary. Hospital officials said two of them had gunshot wounds. They appeared to be from ricocheting bullets.
Indiana man who tried to fake death pleads guilty to fraud NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana money manager who once led a high-flying lifestyle pleaded guilty to five securities fraud counts on Wednesday, nearly two years after he tried to fake his death in a Florida plane crash to Police officers arrest a suspected protester after a protest against alleged burning of Quran turned violent Wednesday in Kabul, Afghanistan.
SAURABH DAS / The Associated Press
escape the crush of financial and personal problems. Marcus Schrenker, 39, admitted the charges in a plea agreement under which he agreed to a 10year prison sentence and prosecutors dropped four other charges. He also agreed to pay more than $600,000 in restitution. Prosecutors say he cheated friends, family members and other investors of more than $1 million. Heisman Trophy award remains vacant in Reggie Bush’s forfeit NEW YORK (AP) — And the Heisman Trophy winner for 2005 is — no one. Rather than replace Reggie Bush, who returned his trophy after a scandal erupted, the officials who administer the award decided it would remain vacant for that year. There was some initial talk that the trophy might go to former Texas quarterback Vince Young, who finished a distant second to Bush in the voting.
STATE/LOCAL
Louisiana education chief declines $22K raise because of budget cuts
Jindal: Steelmaker Nucor picks Louisiana for $3.5 billion project
(AP) — Louisiana’s top education leader said Wednesday that he won’t take his raise this year because of the state’s budget troubles, keeping his annual pay package at $377,000. Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek could have gotten a 6 percent salary boost after receiving a positive evaluation from the state education board. The raise would have given him another $22,600 annually. “I work hard, and I think I’m worthy of that, but because of the financial situation, I’m not going to take it,” Pastorek said. Members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education spent nearly two hours in a private meeting with Pastorek evaluating his performance. They emerged to approve a positive evaluation without objection but offered scant details of what it contained.
GRAMERCY, (AP) — Steelmaker Nucor Corp. chose a site in St. James Parish for a $3.5 billion iron plant project that will be built in five phases, Gov. Bobby Jindal and company officials announced Wednesday. The first phase of the project is a $750 million direct reduced iron facility that will create 150 jobs.
Weather
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Mayor seeks major overhaul of New Orleans railroad board NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Mayor Mitch Landrieu said Wednesday that a major management overhaul is needed at the agency that oversees 25 miles of railroad track in New Orleans. Landrieu said he has asked for the resignation of all 14 current board members of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad after seeing a draft of a report on the century-old agency by the state’s Legislative Auditor.
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African American Cultural Center Meet and Greet Dessert Reception
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 5:30-7:30 pm in the AACC For more info, contact us at 225-578-1627 DO YOU HAVE AN OCCURRENCE? Call Michael at the Student Media Office 578-6090, 9AM- 5PM or E-mail: officemanager@lsureveille.com
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BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille
Check out a slideshow of KLSU in today’s Snapshot on 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
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The Daily Reveille
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
TECHNOLOGY
Committee sets aside $1 million to aid in cuts
agenda. The Committee also approved $180,000 to SMARTHINKING. The money is a one-time allocation to last the program for three years. SMARTHINKING is an online tutoring program that can be accessed through PAWS. The program tutors in writing, math, business, science and Spanish. “With the elimination of the writing center, I think this is a main priority,” Hudson said. The money will provide 2,000 hours worth of tutoring. The program has seen an increase in the number of visitors in the last three years. The program would have been eliminated without the approval of the money. The committee also allocated $2,000 for maintenance to the Computer Based Testing Lab. Members of the Committee will attend a student-led forum to answer questions about the fee Sept. 28. The forum will begin at 5 p.m in the Senate chambers at the Student Union.
The committee also approved $100,000 to purchase Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro. The money came from a surplus from the construction of the collaborative learning stations recently Celeste Ansley built in Middleton Library. The Staff Writer annual license for the program The Student Tech Fee Over- will cost $50,000 and the Unisight Committee has allocated $1 versity will need a $50,000 inframillion to cover regular expenses structure update. for the UniverA d o b e sity’s InformaAcrobat Contion Technology nect Pro allows Services in light professors to of the school’s host virtual ofbudget situation. fice hours and At a June students to meeting, Chaninvite others cellor Michael to study who Martin requestare outside the J Hudson ed the Commitconfines of the Student Government president tee allocate the library. Once funds from the complete, the committee’s surprogram will Contact Celeste Ansley at plus from the 2010 fiscal year. allow for 2,000 simultaneous uscansley@lsureveille.com The committee approved the ers, according the committee’s allocation to ITS on Tuesday for student services for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 fiscal years. Student Government President J Hudson, a member of the Committee, said the money is $1 million dollars worth of technology that will help offset budget cuts. The Student Tech Fee is assessed to all students at $5 per credit hour. The $1 million will cover Moodle expenses, campus wireless Internet, the IT graduate assistant at the Bo Campbell Auditorium and institutional hardware and software expenses. Institutional hardware and software expenses will consume $605,247 of the $1 million. These expenses include distributed infrastructure, disaster recovery, security, ITS operating expendiSHEILA DE GUZMAN / The Daily Reveille tures, institutional utility and applications, central and mainframe Workers install a Red Box kiosk in the Student Union Wednesday. SG President J infrastructure, teaching software Hudson this summer approved the addition of Red Box rentals to campus. and department, storage resources and campus portal, among other expenses. The security is vital because the University does not have a fully protective firewall, Hudson said.
Money allocated for two fiscal years
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‘With the elimination of the writing center, I think [SMARTHINKING] is a main priority.’
page 3
7:20 a.m., 8:20 a.m. Noon, 3:20 p.m. 4:20 p.m., 5:20 p.m.
Thursday September 16
FINALLY, A DOLLAR MENU
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 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 12-1:30 PM Billy Madison 3:00:3:30 PM Newsbeat 5:30-6:00 PM Newsbeat 8:00- 9:30 PM Hot Tub Time Machine 10:00-10:30 PM Newsbeat
The Daily Reveille
page 4
CRIME
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY
Williams Councilwoman speaks out against sagging pants No new laws or charged ordinances proposed with murder Matthew Albright Staff Writer
Alleged murderer caught on campus Kayla Dubos Contributing Writer
The man who engaged in an armed standoff with police near campus last week has been officially charged with the murder of four people. Lee Roy Williams Jr., 52, was arrested Sept. 9 near the University as a suspect in a quadruple homicide case on Labor Day. Williams has now been charged with four counts LEE ROY WILLIAMS of first-degree Suspect murder, according to a Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office news release. The bodies of Crystal Dawn Fruge, Jessica M. Eugene, Terry Lynn Banks and Kendrick Warren Lavergne were found Sept. 6 near Lake Charles, more than 48 hours after the murder occurred, according to the news release. Detectives believe Williams is, without question, the murderer in this case. But Kim Myers, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman, said the department would not rule out other suspects coming into play. “We have a lot of evidence to go through,” Myers said. “However, at this point, we do believe that Williams acted alone.” Myers said she is unsure how long the investigation will last. Investigators believe Williams tried to sell or trade items he had taken from the scene of the crime after the murders. “We are not [at] liberty to discuss the items that we are searching for, but we are asking for the public’s help in finding these items,” Myers said. The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office has not had any progress in finding these items but is hopeful they will be found, Myers said. The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says anyone who came in contact with Williams anytime after the murder occurred should contact Crime Stoppers at 337-439-2222 or toll free at 800-737-8677. Contact Kayla Dubos at kdubos@lsureveille.com
A Baton Rouge metro councilwoman has started a social crusade to curb what she considers an egregious ill in the city — sagging pants. “It’s so disrespectful,” said C. Denise Marcelle, councilwoman for District 7. Marcelle has started a public awareness campaign called “Low Pants, No Chance.” The councilwoman has printed 150 flyers bearing the slogan and a handdrawn picture of a man’s pants. “The inspiration was I live in this area, and I see so much of it,” Marcelle said. “My father had a barber shop, and he threw people out for [sagging pants].” Marcelle says her father’s example inspired her to start the campaign, in which flyers will be visible in businesses throughout the district. She’s reached agreements with those businesses to refuse service to customers who come in with sagging pants. “It’s similar to ‘no shoes, no shirt, no service,’” she said. “A lot of businesses are buying into it.” In addition to the campaign, Marcelle says Capitol High School on North 23rd Street has hung signs on its campus. She has also reached an agreement with the Lamar Advertising Company to provide billboard space for the campaign, while local churches
HILARY SCHEINUK / The Daily Reveille
A student with sagging pants walks in Free Speech Plaza on Wednesday. A metro councilwoman is launching an ad campaign to ban sagging pants in local businesses.
the books, some of which bear a are helping to “get the word out.” Marcelle says no government stiff fine, he said. Marcelle says she considered funds have been used in the campaign so far. She printed the first such an ordinance but said “passround of 150 signs herself. Once ing a law would not be favorable those run out, she said people who to a lot of people.” She also said such a law would want a sign can probably be unbuy one for $2. constitutional. Marcelle Day says it plans to pitch a probably is. city-wide cam“[Sagging paign at the next pants] doesn’t Metro Council even come close meeting. to the legal defiLouis Day, C. Denise Marcelle mass communica- Baton Rouge metro councilwoman nition of obscenity,” he said. “And tion professor and it doesn’t even media law teacher, says he’s heard of similar efforts come that close to indecency.” Day said far more offenacross the country, some of which have taken the form of city ordi- sive dress can be seen durnances. Several towns and parish- ing Mardi Gras or on TV. es in Louisiana have such laws on “With ‘public exposure,’ you can
‘‘
‘The inspiration was I live here, and I see so much of it.’
see all the body parts,” he said. “But as I understand it, you can only see underwear when somebody has baggy pants.” Reaction was mixed to the campaign on campus Wednesday. “I’m all for it. I was raised that way,” said Christien Bold, creative writing freshman. “It’s disrespectful for other people, but it really hurts the person doing it.” Chip Woodson, global diplomacy junior, said sagging pants are sometimes unintentional. “I wouldn’t even think about it,” he said. “I just lost some weight, and I don’t have money to buy new clothes and stuff. I think [the campaign] is a waste of time.” Anthony Ferguson, biology freshman, said he lets his pants sag but only in moderation. “My thing is, I have a limit to my sagging,” he said. “I’m showing respect but still sagging. You can’t see my underwear or anything.”
Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@lsureveille.com
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
The Daily Reveille
page 5
UNIVERSITY
Senate approves new LSU offers help with personal finances learn logo and motto Wed. Students money management Slogan is ‘Where Your Voice is Heard’
said. Bordelon said the committee started brainstorming with six or seven logos before deciding on the two that were put to a vote. Celeste Ansley “We started with a paw and an Staff Writer oak tree,” Bordelon said. The committee wanted to Student Government Sen- make sure it left a legacy when ate adopted a logo and motto at designing the logo, Bordelon said. Wednesday’s meeting. “The power of branding is The logo and motto were doing, not just being,” Bordelon voted on by 113 members of SG. said. There were two The Tempologo and three rary SG Branding motto options. Committee will The logo won in a look for ways to 56-44 vote. make the logo The logo was available to peoapproved by the ple without spendOffice of Tradeing money, such marking, Manship as possibly having Lance Bordelon School of Mass it appear on UniSG graphic designer Communication versity screensavSenator Zac Lemers, Lemoine said. oine said. The committee is also workThe motto option adopted ing on an SG stylebook with opis “Where Your Voice is Heard.” tions to the replace Louisiana Other options were “Real Stu- State University at the bottom of dents, Real Results” and “Your the logo with the branch of SG. Student Government.” The stylebook will also have comThe logo is a purple and gold mon style errors, like a hyphen in sketch of Free Speech Circle. The Vice President, Lemoine said. options were designed by SG “We are trying to explore avGraphic Designer Lance Borde- enues that don’t cost anything,” lon. Lemoine said. The Temporary SG Branding SG will phase out the current Committee worked on both the letterhead and other items where logo and motto during the sum- the logo will be placed. mer. The senate also approved a The committee is composed member to the Student Required of Bordelon, Lemoine, Speaker of Fee Committee on Wednesday. the Senate Brooksie Bonvillain, Senate voted Speaker Pro SG President J Hudson, SG Vice Tempore Aaron Caffarel as the President Dani Borel, SG Chief Student Required Fee CommitJustice Danielle Rushing, College tee representative. The vote was of Science Senator Brandon Jones between Caffarel and E.J. Ourso and SG Director of Academics College of Business Sen. Emily Jeffrey Wale. Landry. The voting ballot had a secAt the end of Wednesday’s tion for input on the logo. Most meeting, Bonvillain closed by comments expressed what mem- saying she knows Senate hasn’t bers liked and didn’t like, Lem- done much beyond tinkering with oine said. bylaws, but debatable issues are SG was initially worried stu- soon to come. dents wouldn’t know the sketch was of Free Speech Circle. Contact Celeste Ansley at “Students will learn to associcansley@lsureveille.com ate the logo with SG,” Lemoine
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‘The power of branding is doing, not just being.’
Sydni Dunn Staff Writer
The University’s Student Financial Management Center is now offering students personalized finance help through one-onone appointments. The center, housed in B4 Coates Hall, provides resources to help students create and maintain financially responsible behaviors, according to a Sept. 9 news release. The facility educates students through online resources, visiting campus organizations and now through one-on-one individualized appointments, said Emily Burris, coordinator for the SFMC. Burris said the center piloted one-on-one appointments in the spring and received positive feedback from students. The appointments will let students take a comprehensive look at their finances by setting up budgets and learning how to manage their money, Burris said. The appointments are confidential and may be scheduled by e-mail or phone. “Typically, we don’t schedule appointments the day of,” Burris said. “The farther in advance a student schedules, the better.” Each appointment is tailored to the individual’s needs, Burris said. “Depending on what they come in for, [SFMC] can tell them to bring in different documents, things that make appointments ... most successful,” she said. Students will also be given a checklist at the beginning of each session to identify key points they would like more information about. Frances Lawrence, human ecology professor and editor of the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, helped create the checklist and said it is a quick way for the person conducting the one-on-one to address the student’s main concerns. “Often one-on-one is the best way to help students,” she said.
“Classes are wonderful, but hav- will be able to assist them. ing a one-on-one conversation al“A lot of the basic money lows you to target the concerns of management principals are comthe students.” mon sense, but putting them to Burris stressed the importance use is hard for most of us,” Burris of learning money management. said. “The Student Financial Man“The better hold you can get agement Center gives basic tips on on finances now, the better off you how to deal with finances.” will be in long Lawrence run,” Burris said. said the real key is “Most people wait keeping students to start to budget out of debt and alor save money leviating financial for when they’ve stress. She advises graduated. At that all students to live point, if you don’t within their means have the basic and to save for the Frances Lawrence skills, you will be future. Human ecology professor behind.” “If students The earlier know about the students learn how to manage center and use the center, it can their finances, the better, Law- definitely help,” she said. “The rence added. center is one of the best resources “We hope that students will LSU has for students. It’s such a have financial literacy before they gem.” come to college,” she said. “But that’s not always the case.” Contact Sydni Dunn at Burris said the earlier stusdunn@lsureveille.com dents come in, the more the center
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‘The [SFMC] is one of the best resources LSU has for students.’
The Daily Reveille
page 6
OIL SPILL
Obama administration cracks down on abandoned Gulf wells The Associated Press KENNER (AP) — The Obama administration moved to head off another catastrophic leak like the BP disaster Wednesday, ordering oil and gas companies in the Gulf of Mexico to plug or dismantle thousands of wells and platforms no longer in use. The move came as the government's point man for the oil spill said BP's blown-out well should be pronounced dead by Sunday. In Washington, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar issued an order requiring oil and gas companies to plug nearly 3,500 nonproducing wells and dismantle about 650 production platforms that are longer being used. The threat posed by the wells was detailed earlier this summer in an Associated Press investigation. The Gulf has more than 27,000 abandoned oil and gas wells and more than 1,200 idle rigs and platforms, and AP found that many of the wells have b een ignored for decades, with no one checking for leaks. Michael Bromwich, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, said the Obama administration crackdown was under consideration long before the Deepwater Horizon explosion. "As infrastructure continues to age, the risk of damage increases. That risk increases substantially during storm season," he said.
CONGLOMERATION, from page 1
John] Lombardi and I have had the discussion about this,” Richardson said. “He realizes, too, that it would be a political impossibility.” The AgCenter does research in 20 extension services across the state, so most of its employees aren’t even in Baton Rouge, Richardson said. Richardson said administrators in other campuses don’t understand the priorities of agricultural research and therefore couldn’t govern them well. “[We have] plows, sows and cows. They don’t understand the complexity of modern research today,” Richardson said. The AgCenter has a strong constituent base at the extension services, and money from farmers in the state often comes to the center for research. If the AgCenter shared administration with other system entities, administrators who understand agriculture wouldn’t be able handle the budgets for the extension offices, Richardson said. “[Farmers] want to know damn sure where that money is going, and they hold me accountable,” Richardson said. “I listen very carefully to what those people tell me.” Richardson said the AgCenter’s success keeps it competitive with other similar schools.
Under the order, operators must plug wells that been inactive for the past five years. Platforms and pipelines that are not being used for production or exploration must be decommissioned, even if the leases are still active. Current federal regulations require idle structures to be decommissioned — a process that involves plugging wells and dismantling and removing equipment — within one year of the lease's expiration date. Oil and gas producers have long argued that certain idle platforms, wells and pipelines are still valuable, because they might one day be used to support other wells nearby. Oil companies have been reluctant to plug the wells and remove the infrastructure until the lease expires. Randall Luthi, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, an offshore drilling group, welcomed the new order, which he said had been in the works for at least two years. "Now, as then, the offshore industry is committed to safe operations, both during and after exploration and production, and this includes responsible removal of structures and plugging of wells," said Luthi, a former head of the Minerals Management Service, the agency that oversaw offshore drilling before it was overhauled and renamed as a result of the BP disaster. But he said the Obama administration "must also assist in
clearing the path so such operations can be done quickly, smoothly and in an environmentally responsible manner." Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., who had urged Salazar to do something about idle rigs, called the announcement excellent news for both the economy and the environment. "These structures are not producing resources or creating jobs by just sitting there, and the risk of leaking abandoned rigs is something we've overlooked long enough," said Grijalva, chairman of a House subcommittee on national parks and public lands. "This announcement should put thousands of Gulf laborers back to work in short order cleaning up the Gulf and opening up new opportunities." Meanwhile, retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government official overseeing the crisis in the Gulf, said the relief well BP has been drilling all summer long should intersect the ruptured well within 24 hours. He said mud and cement will then be pumped in, sealing the hole once and for all by Sunday. "We are within a 96-hour window of killing the well," Allen said nearly five months after the disaster unfolded with an explosion aboard an offshore drilling rig April 20 that killed 11 workers.
“Our ranking in this is higher than the football team’s ranking,” Richardson said. The Law Center has similar prestige. It is one of three law schools in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi ranked in the U.S. News and World Report’s top 100 law schools. The students consistently achieve the highest bar passage rate among Louisiana students, according to Law Center Chancellor Jack Weiss. But with the Law Center’s achievements, students receive a bang for their buck. Prelaw Magazine ranked the school as the fifthbest value law school. Weiss said this success can be attributed to being separate from the University for the nearly 30 years and focusing solely on the needs of a highly specialized school. “Even with the state’s current financial challenges, it’s a mystery
to me why anyone would want to tinker with the Law Center’s success,” Weiss said in an e-mail. “The specialized services, such as admissions and career services, our small staff provides to our students could not be provided as effectively or efficiently within a larger, consolidated bureaucracy.” Although the consolidation would save money, administrators system-wide continue to say the idea will not happen anytime soon. University Chancellor Michael Martin said there are many colleges that show how a unified system would work but it’s one of several workable models. “I think there’s many arguments to be had on it. One of the top five programs in the country is fully unified,” Martin said about the University of Florida’s system. “Quantitative measures have suggested it is one of the best in the country.”
Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
PAINTING SCHOOL SPIRIT
SHEILA DE GUZMAN / The Daily Reveille
A student splatters a T-shirt with purple and gold paint Wednesday on the Parade Ground during PRSSA’s “Do You Bleed Purple and Gold?” T-shirt painting event. The students painted the shirts in preparation for Saturday’s Gold Game.
Prior to LSU, Martin worked at the University of Florida and the University of Minnesota, where there was also a unified system. “Louisiana is comfortable with that arrangement. … There are very few like it in the country,” Martin said. “Maybe Louisiana knows something others
don’t know.” Martin said a non-unified system works, and no one is “tinkering with it for now.”
Contact Catherine Threlkeld at cthrelkeld@lsureveille.com
Sports
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
FOOTBALL
page 7
FOOTBALL
Shepard: Receivers suffering ‘lack of rhythm’ Peterson Randle leads receivers could be with only 6 catches game-time decision Wide receiver stats: The talent is there, but the offense as a whole has been somewhat vanilla. “The only way I can describe it is a lack of rhythm,” Shepard said. “If you can find a rhythm, Sean Isabella that’s all the passing is.” Sports Writer Randle enters the Tigers’ Entering the 2010 season, home opener this weekend as the the LSU football leading receiver team boasted one with six catches of the most talentfor 101 yards, ed receiving corps • Rueben Randle: 6 catches, though half of in the Southeastthat came on a 51101 yards ern Conference, yard touchdown if not the entire •Terrence Toliver: 6 catches, catch against country. North Carolina. 47 yards Well, at least With LSU •Russell Shepard: 4 catches, running the ball on paper. Through two 50 times a game 30 yards games, LSU’s big like it did against •Only 7 of 24 completed Vanderbilt, the three — senior Terrence Toliver passes have gone for more trio could be in and sophomores for a long seathan 10 yards Rueben Ranson. Miles said dle and Russell Wednesday he Shepard — have only managed wants to get Toliver, Randle and to snag 16 balls for 178 yards. Shepard more touches, though.
BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille
LSU sophomore wide receiver Rueben Randle hauls in a touchdown pass Sept. 4 in front of North Carolina defensive back Tre Boston during LSU’s 30-24 win.
“We’d love to get the receivers involved more,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll do that this week.” Toliver, who entered the season as one of the top wideouts in the country, has six catches for a paltry 47 yards. He has seen double teams after a 2009 season where he caught 53 balls.
“We need to step it up,” Toliver said of the Tigers’ passing. “Last week showed a low for us, only 96 yards passing. We do need to pass a little bit more.” Toliver’s frustration comes after junior quarterback Jordan Jefferson completed only eight FRUSTRATION, see page 10
Walk It Out
Men’s basketball team holds open tryouts for single walk-on position us last year and has done a good job in the classroom,” Johnson said. “Andrew is a young man that hasn’t played a lot of basketball, but you One spot. That’s all that’s left for the 22 can’t coach and teach 7-foot.” The Tigers kept four walk-ons walk-on hopefuls who took part in the LSU men’s basketball team’s last season — Populist, then-junior open tryouts Wednesday night in the Chris Beattie, and then-sophomores Zach Kinsley and Taylor Jacobsen. PMAC. Populist, who averaged 1.3 “Last year was different because we knew two, maybe three guys points in 9.8 minutes per game last would have a role to play,” Johnson season, was the only player from last said. “Now with 13 scholarship indi- year’s team on the court again this viduals, we’re looking for one spot.” year at the tryouts. Last year’s walk-ons combined Johnson said final decisions for 6.6 points per won’t be made for a game for the Tigers. few days, but there The leading is one surprise alscorer among the ready. walk-ons was KinHe said forsley, who was fifth mer Tiger Band on the scoring list tuba player Andrew with 3.4 points per Del Piero will join game. He is expectsophomore Daron Trent Johnson ed to play for the Populist on the LSU men’s basketball coach University of New team this year, leavOrleans this year, ing only one more said Kent Lowe, senior associate spot for another walk-on. Del Piero is a 7-foot-1-inch, sports information director. Johnson said the practice went 250-pound junior from Austin, Texas. Populist was chosen in last year’s well and every walk-on hopeful tryouts and was invited back to the played “extremely hard.” team this season. TRYOUTS, see page 10 “Daron’s done a good job for
Rowan Kavner Sports Writer
‘‘
‘I wish I could keep [all the walk-on hopefuls].’
BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille
Sophomore guard Daron Populist passes the ball during walk-on tryouts Wednesday in the PMAC. Populist was a walk-on last season and was invited back to the team.
Tight end practicing without full contact Sean Isabella Sports Writer
With the LSU football team’s home opener just two days away, the Tigers might be without one of their most reliable offensive weapons for the third-straight game. LSU coach Les Miles said Wednesday that junior tight end Deangelo Peterson could be a game-time decision for Saturday’s Southeastern Conference battle with Mississippi State. Peterson practiced Wednesday but has still not practiced at full contact. “Deangelo ran hard [Wednesday] in pads,” Miles said. ‘Deangelo “We’d like to ran hard get him back feeling good. [Wednesday] The work he in pads. ... did went well. He might be a He might be a game-time decision, but I’m game-time not pressing decision, it.” P e t e r s o n but I’m not has yet to play pressing it.’ this season after injuring Les Miles his ankle Aug. 31 in practice. LSU football coach The 6-foot-4inch, 243-pound tight end hauled in five passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore and was expected to be one of junior quarterback Jordan Jefferson’s top targets in the passing game this season. Junior tight end Mitch Joseph has filled in for Peterson in the first two games and is second on the team with four catches for 51 yards. Sophomore Chase Clement has also seen increased reps at tight end. “We’re enjoying the guys that are getting the work right now,” Miles said. Miles also said senior running back Richard Murphy will return to practice today. Murphy missed a portion of the week with a hamstring injury he suffered in the third quarter of last weekend’s game at Vanderbilt. “He’s run and done some MURPHY, see page 10
The Daily Reveille
page 8
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
SCHWEHMMING AROUND
Let’s get it right this time for this year’s Gold Game
Today is Sept. 16, and I have yet to step foot in Tiger Stadium this season. This is a problem. In two days, though, that will all be taken care of when Mississippi State comes to town for the Gold Game. It’s been a long wait. In fact, this is the latest LSU has played a home game since 2005 when Hurricane Katrina forced the Andy Schwehm postponement Sports columnist of the home opener and Hurricane Rita further pushed back the opener. It’s also the latest scheduled home game since 1993 when the Tigers opened at home Sept. 18 against Auburn. Those are your fun facts for the day. But it’s worth the wait because Saturday night in Death Valley is upon us. For us seniors, it’s our last chance to be in the student section. For you freshmen, it’s your first. The time to celebrate is here, starting tomorrow with free food at Fall Fest. Before that starts up, there are a few guidelines I feel compelled to go over. 1) WEAR GOLD As I have already stated, it’s the Gold Game. You don’t want to be that guy or girl in the crowd wearing purple, white, gray or any other color shirt LSU puts out. The whole “gold out” thing is a great concept, but it’s just that — a concept. In order for it to work, everyone must do it. If everyone does it, then the stadium will look amazing. If not, then it will just look like any other game. It would be great if LSU would pay a few bucks to give out gold shirts at the game to make this whole thing work. But that’s asking for a little too much, especially with budget cuts. So wear your gold shirt. I know you own one. Penn State does its annual “White Out.” If you haven’t seen
it, Google it. It’s one of the most awesome sights in all sports. Just think of how epic it would look if the home crowd were blinding the Bulldogs with golden shirts.
2) DON’T TAUNT YOUR TEAM I know there is some angst among Tiger fans about the state of the quarterback situation. That doesn’t mean you start booing your own quarterback or chanting for the backup quarterback to play. You people have done it for the past two seasons, and it never fails to get to me. Do you have any idea how dumb it looks to a national TV audience and the opposing crowd when you do that? It’s the equivalent of pulling against your own team. Just don’t do it. 3) SCREAM UNTIL YOU CAN’T Tiger Stadium isn’t known as Death Valley because it’s a nice spot to study on a Saturday night during football season. It’s the obnoxiously high decibel levels that give it that nickname. Do you know where the vast majority of that noise comes from? The student section. It’s the job of the student to come in with a healthy voice and leave with none. That’s why we only pay $12 for a ticket at face value. I don’t care if people give you that “shut up” stare. Yell louder. Then yell at them to yell.
Daily Reveille file photo
LSU students flaunt gold shirts during a previous Gold Game in Tiger Stadium. This year’s Gold Game is Saturday.
There’s a good chance this could be another close game, and one thing that gives the home team the advantage is the noise level. Don’t let the home team down. It’s a football game. Have fun. Follow Andy Schwehm on Twitter @ TDR_aschwehm.
Contact Andy Schwehm at aschwehm@lsureveille.com
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
The Daily Reveille
page 9
FOOTBALL
Growing big game trend brings national focus to LSU sense to us,” Ausberry said. “We want to get in more, recruit students to our campus and also expand our brand, playing in some of the best stadiums in the world.” Ausberry postponed a home Cory Boudreaux game against Southern MissisSports Contributor sippi to 2016 and replaced it with The 2010 LSU football sea- a home game against Western son is only two games young, but Kentucky to accommodate the big preparations are already under Oregon game. way for the 2011 season. The Oregon game will leave Athletic Director Joe Alleva the Tigers with six home games in announced last week that the LSU 2011 instead of the usual seven. football team will open the 2011 Ausberry insisted on his senseason against sitivity toward the Pac-10 powerfan base but said a house Oregon high-profile game as part of the in Dallas makes “fiCowboys Clasnancial sense.” The sic at Cowboys game will provide Stadium in Ara “substantial” inlington, Texas. crease in revenue The game compared to a nonVerge Ausberry will mark the LSU senior associate athletic director conference home fourth time the game because the two teams have program only incurs met and the first since 1977. LSU team travel expenses. holds a 2-1 all-time series lead. “If you want to be a program Verge Ausberry, senior asso- that’s one of the best in the nation, ciate athletic director, is in charge then you have to do these type of of football operations as well as things,” Ausberry said. “We don’t football scheduling. He said the like losing a home game either, game will give the University and but this is what’s best for our proits athletic program invaluable gram.” publicity. “What’s best for the program? National attention,” Ausberry said. “We make decisions, as long as we’re here, for what’s best for LSU and for what’s best for this program.” Ausberry said the decision was the culmination of a two-year process that began in 2008 with a meeting in Dallas with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Alleva, Ausberry and LSU coach Les Miles then finalized their plans on campus. “Joe Alleva, Les Miles and I sat down, and we talked about different things, finding the right game and making sure it’s beneficial to our program,” Ausberry said. Financial and locational motivations played a significant role in the decision-making process, but Ausberry said the greatest motivation was the desire to keep LSU football at the forefront of the college football landscape. “No matter how big your brand is, it can never be too big,” Ausberry said. Neutral site season openers have become common for many high-profile programs during recent years. The Oregon game will be LSU’s second-consecutive neutral site opener after the Tigers opened this season at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Southeastern Conference rival Alabama opened its season at the Georgia Dome in 2008 and 2009 against Clemson and Virginia Tech, respectively. Ausberry said playing highly publicized games in major cities provides countless benefits for both the University and its athletic program. “Houston, Atlanta and Dallas — those are the cities that make
Tigers have only 6 home games in 2011
‘‘
‘No matter how big your brand is, it can never be too big.’
Tough non-conference opponents are popping up farther down the road for LSU, as well. Washington comes to Baton Rouge in 2012 after LSU traveled to Seattle to play the Huskies in their 2009 season opener. Arizona State will also make the journey to Tiger Stadium in 2015, and the Tigers will travel to Tempe, Ariz., the following season. Other notable future foes include a home-and-home series with N.C. State in 2017 and 2020 coupled with another home-andhome with Oklahoma in 2018 and 2019. Sophomore wide receiver Russell Shepard, a native of Houston, Texas, said the Oregon game will provide football fans with an interesting matchup because both teams feature rosters laden with underclassmen who will return for next season’s game. But Shepard is looking forward to more than just the challenging matchup. “I’m definitely excited,” Shepard said. “Playing at home, there’s nothing like Texas football.” Contact Cory Boudreaux at cboudreaux@lsureveille.com
TONY GUTIERREZ / The Associated Press
Oregon State and TCU players meet at center field Saturday for the coin toss before an NCAA college football game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Daily Reveille
page 10 MURPHY, from page 7
rehabilitative work,” Miles said. “He’ll have the opportunity to practice [today].” If Murphy’s hamstring is still an issue Saturday, fans can expect to see a heavy dose of true freshman running backs Alfred Blue and Spencer Ware and possibly redshirt freshman Michael Ford. Blue had 23 yards and a touchdown against Vanderbilt in his first career action. Jefferson, who has been the talk of the week after his performance against Vanderbilt, has practiced well, according to Miles. Miles said he and offensive coordinator Gary Crowton have no intention of simplifying the offense for Jefferson after one bad game against Vanderbilt. “I don’t think there’s a lot of calls we’re putting in,” Miles said. “I think he’s going to be really comfortable with the calls. We haven’t eliminated anything. We think he’ll be more familiar.” After the possibility of junior quarterback Jarrett Lee seeing snaps this Saturday was discussed after the Vanderbilt game, Miles has stuck by Jefferson. He made clear Jefferson was his guy Monday during his weekly luncheon and further endorsed him Wednesday. “There’s a real reason to feel like he’ll be excellent,” Miles said Wednesday. With all the talk of Jefferson, little has been mentioned about the Tigers returning to Death Valley for the first time in 10 months. This weekend is the first time for high school recruits to visit LSU and get a feel for what Saturday night in Death Valley is like. Miles anticipates about 50 prospects will be in attendance and hopes the crowd will be its normal loud and rambunctious self. “The home crowd environment, the gameday environment at Tiger Stadium is like none other,” he said. “Our guys, our team looks forward to playing. We should have ... a celebration of great effort and enthusiasm. We’re looking forward to it very much.”
with his longest being a 10-yard catch. passes for 96 yards at Vanderbilt, All three receivers were fiveleaving LSU coach Les Miles star recruits out of high school — with no choice but to run the Toliver in 2007 and Randle and football. Shepard in 2009. But it has yet to “Once we get the first couple translate to the field. of completions, it builds confiThe Tigers have shown no dence. ... We interest in stretchjust need to get ing the field so far that early in the in their first two game, and our contests. Of the 24 offense will be completions, only a lot better,” seven have gone for Jefferson said. more than 10 yards. The trio These short passes also hasn’t have limited the trio Terrence Toliver done its part from using their atheither, as letic ability in space LSU senior wide receiver Shepard had to create yards after multiple drops in the Vanderbilt catch. game. “We have all these playmak“As receivers, we need to ers around, and it seems so easy make the tough catches for him,” to get them the ball, but before he Shepard said. “It’s impossible for can even throw the ball, Jordan a quarterback to throw a perfect needs to go through major proball every time.” gressions,” said junior running Shepard’s statistics resemble back Stevan Ridley. “I’m not that of a running back instead of making an excuse for Jordan, but the “WR” label next to his name it’s more than just getting them on the depth chart. He has only the ball.” caught four passes for 30 yards, With the exception of Ridley,
FRUSTRATION, from page 7
‘‘
‘We need to step it up. ... We do need to pass a little bit more.’
BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille
Contact Sean Isabella at sisabella@lsureveille.com
LSU sophomore wide receiver Rueben Randle runs the ball Sept. 4 during LSU’s 3024 win against North Carolina. Randle has the most catches on the team with six.
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010 who exploded for 159 yards and a touchdown last Saturday, the playmakers have been relatively quiet. Besides Randle’s long touchdown catch against UNC, Toliver’s longest play was a 17-yard reception and Shepard’s two biggest plays came at running back. Shepard did have good news for fans who might look for LSU to open the playbook in Tiger Stadium in two days. “We haven’t showed probably half the things that we can do in Tiger Stadium this weekend,” Shepard said. “[Offensive coordinator Gary] Crowton, he wanted to get these first two wins as basic as we can get. We got a lot of things we haven’t shown that a lot of people are going to be excited to see.”
Contact Sean Isabella at sisabella@lsureveille.com
TRYOUTS, from page 7
“I wish I could keep them all,” Johnson said. “But obviously the game of basketball is not like that.” Former LSU basketball player and current Boston Celtic Glen Davis watched tryouts Wednesday from the sideline. “I’d like to have him walk on,” Johnson said of Davis. “That wouldn’t be bad.” Johnson said Davis had been around all day looking at the new practice facility and talking to players. He also said former LSU basketball player and current Boston Celtic Shaquille O’Neal was there a week ago, and former Tiger Tasmin Mitchell is expected to be there tomorrow. “These guys are big followers,” Johnson said. “They’ve been great supporters.” Contact Rowan Kavner at rkavner@lsureveille.com
Entertainment
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
page 11
MUSIC
Mellow to host first outdoor concert Cathryn Core Entertainment Writer
SHEILA DE GUZMAN / The Daily Reveille
Juliet Lockwood glances at a model Wednesday during a figure drawing class she teaches at Look Studios and Gallery.
Canvassing the City
BR’s art scene evolving through interactive experience
Morgan Searles Entertainment Writer
Baton Rouge art galleries have started evolving from quiet, museum-like buildings to multifunctional spaces that satisfy the needs of young up-and-coming creators and appreciators. Incorporating different elements like merchandise, workshops, events and projects, the local art scene has much to offer enthusiastic visitors. Art seekers are looking for an experience with art that a museum or traditional gallery can sometimes alienate, but new galleries are
using openings and events to encourage people to get out and embrace the whole interaction, said Maureen Joyce, marketing coordinator for The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. “Art is thriving,” Joyce said. “It is the economic livelihood for many artists in our community and many outside of it.” Look Studios and Gallery on Perkins Road, which opened June 1, is a business that both showcases art and provides lessons for children and adults. “There has been an outpouring of gratitude and support from the community since I’ve opened here,” said Juliet Lockwood, owner of Look Studios and Gallery. “I’ve gotten a
“It feels like everyone is getting their hands in there. ... We are an allinclusive type of gallery.” Juliet Lockwood, Look Studios and Gallery owner big thumbs-up from all the artists and neighbors who are excited to see that I’m building culture into the neighborhood.” Lockwood said opening and running the business has been a worthwhile time commitment, and marketing with the help of technology has been an important part of spreading the word and generating interest. ART, see page 15
Local musicians are breaking out of the confines of Mellow Mushroom’s walls and taking their music to the streets Friday night at the venue’s first-ever outdoor concert series, Live and Local. Mellow Mushroom is opening its doors to the Baton Rouge community with Live and Local by blocking off the parking lot in front of the venue on Burbank Drive and setting up a showground for the concert. BR-based bands Winbourne, Stage Coach Bandits and State Street Survivors will hit the main stage and perform rock ‘n’ roll genres ranging from classic to alternative beginning at 9 p.m. for a $5 cover. Max Zoghbi, psychology senior and manager of the headlining band, Winbourne, said the show will bring an exciting element to Mellow Mushroom that has never been experienced by its patrons. “Mellow’s great. It just gets crowded inside,” he said. “So they figured they might as well block off the entire parking lot and get the party started outside. They’re going to have a full stage, lights — it’s going to be fun and something totally different.” Live and Local is a great way to enhance the potential of Baton
Download a free MP3 of “Easy” and “Street Signs” by Winbourne at lsureveille.com. OUTDOOR, see page 15
ARTISTS
Local bands struggle with business side of music, lack of venues Groups must promote, market their sound Andrew Price Entertainment Writer
The fairytale story of the garage band that gets discovered by a record label and is propelled on a whirlwind adventure to achieve lifelong fame and fortune is familiar to anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming a rock star. What may not be so familiar — especially to those who have never pursued the rock-star dream — is the intense logistical workload on top of writing new music and rehearsing that becomes part of a band’s day-
to-day responsibility to successfully transition out of the garage and onto the stage. And transitioning to a stage in Baton Rouge is often easier said than done. Geoff Grice, trombone player and vocalist for local ska/punk band 6 Pack Deep, has been involved in the local music scene for years. He has experienced firsthand the difficulties and frustrations that come along with playing strictly original music. “It’s pretty hard because there aren’t a lot of places in town that really help support local and original music,” Grice said. He said there aren’t enough local bands staying together and playing for long periods of time to spark
growth in the number of music venues. At the same time, the lack of venues means bands just starting out must compete for limited gigs against bands that have been performing longer. Ben Bryan, drummer for the southern rock group State Street Survivors, shares Grice’s frustration with the local music scene. But Bryan and Grice disagree on the cause of their dissatisfaction. Bryan believes the local music scene suffers from an obsession with cover bands and not from lack of venue support. “The culture here is not towards going to see live music; it’s going out to drink at a bar and listen to cover BANDS, see page 15
Daily Reveille file photo
Local band Prom Date performs March 20 for University students and the Baton Rouge community during the annual Groovin’ on the Grounds in the PMAC.
The Daily Reveille
page 12
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
MUSIC
New site offers indie music and underground band coverage
expanding the site’s reach, including the possibility of hosting shows at local venues under the Stereogumbo name or organizing a compilation to give away to promote local bands. Chris Abshire “Most of these things are Entertainment Writer purely in the ideas phase right The Black Keys are a long now, but I am definitely thinking way from a Baton Rouge band of ways to branch out,” Ash said. like These Children or Smiley Cory Vogel, a 2010 UniverWith A Knife. sity alumnus who is one of the But Stesite’s contribureogumbo, a music tors and has exwebsite dedicated perience in the to covering local promotion busimusic and deliverness for several ing relevant music local bands, said news, is attempting putting on a to bring those two show would be worlds of music toa natural fit for Colin Ash gether. Stereogumbo. Stereogumbo founder Colin Ash, “With writmarketing junior, ing, especially originally began the site in June about music, and promoting, as a personal music blog that there’s a lot of overlap there,” friends would simply contribute Vogel said. “So [hosting a show] to. would be a great way to fit our “I saw there was an interest goal for the site, and that is to out there for the music, and there wasn’t a publication for this kind of local and underground scene,” Ash said. “So I thought I could take it further.” While local music is a vital part of Stereogumbo’s mission, Ash said he didn’t want to limit the site’s reach or coverage. “I like to not have any boundaries on the site, whether it’s in what we cover, how we write, or the regional aspects of what we cover,” Ash said. On any given day, Stereogumbo’s front page may feature a clip of Vampire Weekend covering a Bruce Springsteen track or a live review of a recent local show. Ash noted that indie music is usually the most prominently covered music on the site. “[Indie] is kind of an all-encompassing term — sometimes it doesn’t really mean anything — but the way people define it is an accurate description of the music we write about,” Ash said. Ash said he is looking into
Stereogumbo covers local scene
‘‘
‘It works out pretty well, though, because we don’t require any writing experience.’
promote this local scene that we are all so passionate about.” While Stereogumbo’s output has been prolific in its first three months, Ash said the writers “are like a revolving door at times.” “It works out pretty well, though, because we don’t require any writing experience, and we are always looking for interested people or students to write for the site,” Ash said. Ash also said several local bands, including Sun Hotel and He Bleeds Fireman, have reached out to the site for coverage or even to write stories about other aspects of the Baton Rouge music scene. “I feel like we’re reaching this untapped entertainment source,” Ash said. SARAH HUNT / The Daily Reveille
Contact Chris Abshire at cabshire@lsureveille.com
Marketing senior Colin Ash, left, and communication studies junior Hal Lambert edit their music website www.stereogumbo.com in Middleton Library.
The Daily Reveille
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
Reveille
Ranks
MUSIC * MOVIES * BOOKS * TELEVISION
Gossip Girl
Armin Van Buuren Sara Bareilles Mirage
Kaleidoscope Heart
CWTV
Armada Music
Epic Records
Dan has a baby with psychopath Georgina, Chuck is shot in Prague, and Serena wears panties to dinner with royalty — the premiere of Gossip Girl season four is every bit as melodramatic and more fun to look at than listen to as one would expect. The people are so attractive, they resemble elves (that would be you, Mr. Crawford). The scenery on the streets of Paris is enticing, and the overwhelming amount of drama is unrealistic. All in all, for everything the show advertises itself to be, “Belles de Jour” is a complete success.
After DJ Magazine once again named him the No. 1 DJ in the world, Armin Van Buuren released “Mirage” and proved to everyone he has not sold out. With a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks, Buuren incorporates real instruments like drums and violins into his music. This noticeable effect makes the music sound fresh and real. Sounding futuristic, “Mirage” has a timeless feel with its trance-like nature. “Mirage” has some hiccups that occur in some of the first vocal collaborations. But, the instrumental tracks are where Buuren shines, like the title track “Mirage” and “Full Focus.”
Showcasing her sweet voice and talent on the piano, Sara Bareilles’ sophomore album, is full of melodically earnest emotions. Opening with an almost a cappella track, “Kaleidoscope,” the rest of the album takes off with nicely balanced instruments layered on a solid foundation of shining piano notes. While the spirit is clear, the actual lyrics don’t stand up to scrutiny, occasionally falling into adolescent simplicity. In the shadow of Bareilles’ hit “Love Song,” the album falls short of outstanding, but tracks like “King of Anything” and “Let the Rain” will find a home with Bareilles’ fans.
CATHRYN CORE
KITTU PANNU
MORGAN SEARLES
Sufjan Stevens
Weezer
Robert Plant
Asthmatic Kitty
Epitaph
Rounder
Sufjan Stevens’ “All Delighted People EP” is what Stevens calls “an homage to the Apocalypse, existential ennui and Paul Simon’s ‘Sounds of Silence.’” On the introduction track, “All Delighted People (Original Version),” Stevens’ vocals build with intensity as guitar, bass, drums, horns, string instruments and backing vocals accompany him. Closing track “Djohariah” showcases the album with a euphoric opening guitar solo, eerie background vocals, poetic lyrics and increasingly exciting climaxes, and it should be listened to in its 17-minute, two-second entirety. The only thing disappointing about this album is that it ends.
Weezer’s “Hurley” plays out much like someone’s reaction when they see Hurley from TV’s “Lost” on the album cover: It might be funny, but unfortunately it’s not always intentional comedy. Like Weezer’s last decade of output, the band rolls through power-pop songs while Rivers Cuomo waxes nostalgic about girls he never got and younger days that just had to be better. The band does mix it up a bit, working in lo-fi acoustic bits and some vulnerable moments, but irritating crunching guitars muddle album highlights “Unspoken” and “Hang On” as Weezer forces alt-rock templates onto promising tunes.
Fans of Robert Plant’s recent work with Alison Krauss on “Raising Sand” will recognize much of the same sound and soul present on “Band of Joy,” Plant’s most recent album. Plant borrowed the title from a band that he and John Bonham were in before Led Zeppelin. Plant’s voice is in perfect form for singing folk music, and the arrangements seamlessly blend elements of blues, bluegrass and country while keeping the sound grounded in folk roots.
FERRIS W. MCDANIEL
CHRIS ABSHIRE
ANDREW PRICE
Season 4 Premiere
[A] [A-] [B+]
All Delighted People EP Hurley
Band of Joy
[A+] [C-] [A]
Editor’s Pick Of Montreal False Priest Polyvinyl Records
B+
Of Montreal delivers a decidely funky, vergingon-R&B romp with “False Priest.” Lead singer Kevin Barnes sounds like an amalgamation of Prince, David Bowie and André 3000 as he performs his distinctly unique and sometimes bizarre lyrics. Though Barnes’ erratic falsetto is taxing at times, soulful guest appearances from Solange Knowles and Janelle Monáe provide vocal balance. “False Priest” is an solid entry into Of Montreal’s psychedelic catalog.
RYAN BUXTON
Entertainment Editor
page 13
The Daily Reveille
page 14
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
TECHNOLOGY
Apple Sliced offers cheaper alternative to Apple Store Website finds local bargains for shoppers Ferris W. McDaniel Entertainment Writer
‘I think any site that provides the same product as Apple but cheaper is appealing.’
Apple’s release of a new line of iPods helped secure the company’s leadership in the music listening industry, but a new website is challenging its superiority. Betsy Rudorfer AppleSliced.com, a website business sophomore launched this month, is designed to compare prices to help consumers ucts, Edwards said. find Apple products at the cheapest Edwards demonstrated the prices, said Phil Edwards, Apple site’s price-saving capabilities by Sliced co-founder. entering a Baton Rouge ZIP code “Apple Sliced is a site that and comparing prices of a 13-inch we started to help save money for MacBook Pro between the Apple people when they buy Apple prod- store and other vendors. ucts,” Edwards The Macsaid. Book costs more The site than $1,300 at the shows prices Apple store, while based on the conthe same product sumer’s ZIP code, is available for and the cheapest $1,049 on Apple prices in that loSliced. cation are shown The site works Richard Nelson with the tax and especially well for mass communication professor shipping rates faccollege students tored in, Edwards because they want said. the best computers and MP3 playThe site was started when co- ers but need to save money, Edfounder and long-time Mac user wards said. Matthew Kraft wanted to show “We all like a bargain, espepeople cheaper alternatives to Ap- cially when finding what we want ple stores that supply Apple prod- is made easy,” said Richard Nel-
‘‘
‘We all like bargains, especially when finding what we want is made easy.’
‘The website is a good idea. Competition is always good and it’s better for the consumer.’ Devin Fields
‘I’d use the site. I’m a broke college student.’
Lana Skrypnyk
political science sophomore
biology sophomore
son, professor of mass communiPre-nursing freshman Adam cation and public affairs. “This is Fruge uses a Zune MP3 player inespecially true for college students stead of an iPod but said he would who are on a budget.” consider buying Apple products Many students are attracted from Apple Sliced because of the to Apple because of the education cheaper prices. discount, and Apple Sliced has an “The only major downside to option to compare Apple’s products prices with the is their prices,” he education discount said. included, Edwards Another adsaid. vantage of Apple Devin Fields, Sliced is the price iPod owner and alert, Edwards political science said. sophomore, said “If you’re Phil Edwards products from the looking to see Apple Sliced co-founder Apple store are when a Mac begenerally overcomes $50 cheappriced and he would opt to use er, you can set a price alert, and we Apple Sliced. will send you an e-mail when it hits “The website is a good idea. that price,” he said. Competition is always good, Even with the cheaper prices and it’s better for the consumer,” that Apple Sliced provides, some he said. shoppers may still prefer to buy
‘‘
‘It’s something we use ourselves and hope others will enjoy using too.’
their products from the Apple store. The Apple store offers warranties and a knowledgeable customer service that Apple Sliced might lack, said Spencer May, history sophomore. “You’re paying for a good product and a good experience when you go into the Apple Store,” May said. Edwards said he and his business partner are Apple supporters and feel Apple should be pleased with the website because sales are still being made for the company — just at lower prices. Nelson said the upside to Apple Sliced for Apple is that more people are being reached in practical ways, and the number of users and buyers is increasing. The website’s founders hope people discover the site and find it useful, and Apple Sliced will continue to be made more useful and updated as new products are released, Edwards said. “It’s been fun for us to work on,” he said. “It’s something we use ourselves and hope that other people will enjoy using, too.”
Contact Ferris W. McDaniel at fmcdaniel@lsureveille.com
The Daily Reveille
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010 ART, from page 11
“It feels like everyone is getting their hands in there. People who used to do art, people who have never done art and people who have been thrown off the path are all coming back,” Lockwood said. “We are an all-inclusive type of gallery.” Another space dedicated to helping artists and widening the community is Bricks and Bombs, a small gallery and office on Hearthstone Drive for designer and illustrator Brad Jensen. Jensen needed a place to run his design and clothing businesses but decided to take advantage of having his own space to give small-scale artists an opportunity to show off work in a formal environment. “I just ‘Art is charge artists to thriving. rent the space, It is the and it benefits economic myself as well the artists livelihood as by letting me for many keep prices for those artists in our low who come out community to see,” Jensen and many said. “It’s also fairly affordoutside of aable way to it.’ throw a party or event.” Maureen Joyce Bricks and The Arts Council of Bombs also Greater Baton Rouge T-shirts, marketing coordinator sells stickers and items from Jensen’s ICON brand of graffiti, examples of which can be seen on various surfaces around the city. “Getting word out about something for the business takes time and effort to do. It takes preparation — word of mouth helps a lot,” Jensen said. “I’m always looking for new people to do something cool, and we try to hold an event once a month or every other month.” A project sponsored by arts organization Culture Candy called SurrealEstate has also taken advantage of space for artistic purposes around Baton Rouge. SurrealEstate is a program that takes abandoned buildings and real estate and repurposes them as art projects. “We wanted to take derelict buildings that were going to be torn down and paint it orange or use the debris to make installation pieces,” said Malia Krolak, president of Culture Candy. “We want to show that art can be part of everyday life all around you in the city.” The idea for SurrealEstate came from Houston, where artists were performing this type of guerrilla art in run-down buildings. Artists brought the idea back to Baton Rouge, and graduate students decided to try it. “The work done and the instillations are temporary,” Krolak said. “At Culture Candy, we wanted to get involved because this is what we’re interested in, highlighting people who are into creative things in the city.”
Contact Morgan Searles at msearles@lsureveille.com
page 15 BANDS, from page 11
photo courtesy of MAX ZOGHBI
[Left to right] Matt Cloessner, Kris “Doogie” Nicholson and Jordan Earles perform as local band Winbourne. The band will perform Friday night at Mellow Mushroom.
OUTDOOR, from page 11
Rouge’s music scene, Zoghbi said. “I feel like this is a good opportunity to show Baton Rouge good music by people whose roots are in the community,” he said. “We want to give back as much as we can, and if this thing rocks, hopefully we’ll continue with it.” Zoghbi said Winbourne wants to give Baton Rouge something in which to take pride at Live and Local. “We’re stoked. We love Baton Rouge. We love being able to play here,” Zoghbi said. “We want to make it, and we want to make Baton Rouge proud.” One of the best things about the show is it’s a good pregame event for Saturday’s home football game, Zoghbi said. “It’s going to be a rockin’ way to start off football season,” he said. “There’ll be dancing. Come eat, come drink and have a good time.” Jordan Earles, lead singer of Winbourne and marketing senior, said when the opportunity arose to play an outdoor show, Winbourne was quick to take it. “There’s nothing better than singing underneath the stars,” he said. Earles said he considers it a privilege to be part of Mellow Mushroom’s first outdoor show. “I just want people to have a chance to hear us,” he said. “I want
people to know who we are.” Students should attend the show because nothing beats listening to live music, Earles said. “People don’t get enough live music in their lives,” he said. “You can get a lot of gratification from listening to good record, but you can’t really compare anything to seeing a band live.” Terry Cheramie, Winbourne’s drummer, said his band is expecting a huge crowd and is ready to play. “We’ve got some very groovy beats and some big choruses. It’s something that’ll make your head go back and forth,” he said. Doug Moore, guitarist for Stage Coach Bandits, said his band is happy a venue like Mellow Mushroom is taking an interest in showcasing Baton Rouge’s talent. “Mellow Mushroom traditionally doesn’t do this,” he said. “It’s refreshing for local venues to want original local music. It’s great to see this start to happen.” Stuart Brezger, State Street Survivors guitarist and petroleum engineering junior, said if students want to see what local bands can do, then Mellow Mushroom is the place to go Friday night. “We’re expecting a wild time, and that’s probably an understatement,” he said. “It’s gonna get nasty in the best sense of the word.” Contact Cathryn Core at ccore@lsureveille.com
bands,” Bryan said. At bars in Tigerland, bands are usually booked if they can prove to the bar they will draw a large crowd. “Most bands that we book have a following. We usually don’t just bring in a random band who’s just starting off,” said Kyle Evans, manager of Mike’s Daiquiris and Grill. “If they prove that they can bring in people, then we bring them in.” On the other side of campus, The Varsity Theatre uses its own system to determine if a band is ready to perform. Chris Lundgren, Varsity Theatre talent buyer and marketing director, said in an e-mail that he looks for national exposure, previous success in the market and support from local radio stations when deciding whether to book a band. Even established local bands sometimes find it difficult to prove themselves to venues, and what’s difficult for an established band often looks impossible for a band pursuing its first show. David Fuller, vocalist and keyboardist for local band Prom Date, said the early stages of booking shows and building a following were tough. “When nobody knows who
you are, nobody pays attention to you,” Fuller said. “You have to force people to pay attention to you without them actually knowing how you sound.” Fuller said the band’s focus during its early days was getting the Prom Date name out around Baton Rouge in any way it could, which meant consistently promoting the band through friends and acquaintances and playing any and every little show it could. State Street Survivors, 6 Pack Deep and Prom Date have all achieved varying degrees of local fame, and none of them plan on stopping anytime soon. Both 6 Pack Deep and Prom Date recently took time to go into recording studios. Prom Date announced its EP “Clock Out” will be released in November, and 6 Pack Deep released “Just the Tip” earlier this year. Grice compared recording an album to making an investment in a company. “Really what a band is, is a business,” Grice said. “The idea that you have to spend money to make money is definitely true.” Contact Andrew Price at aprice@lsureveille.com
The Daily Reveille
Opinion
page 16
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
renewed at the end of this semester. “Those cuts represent the total elimination of the Japanese, Swahili, Portuguese and Russian programs, as well as cuts to the The Sept. 3 article “‘Vast faculty of Italian, German and majority’ of instructors will classical language programs.” keep jobs in the spring” One message that this article was a textbook case of spin. sends is that foreign languages In an e-mail to the faculty are the unnecessary frills of a unilast week, Chancellor Martin versity education. confirmed what Eric Monday, But what of these unvice chancellor for Finance and lucky fourteen faculty memAdministrative Services, as- bers? Among them they have sured us in the article: that more than 160 years of combined most of the 240 instructor po- service to the University. They sitions in jeopardy are safe at have taught thousands of students least through this academic year. language, literature and culture And yet, 13 full-time for- and have produced well-rounded, eign language instructors broadly-educated citizens. and one part-time instructor Now the University is tellwill not have their contracts ing them: Their services are no
Faculty still facing cuts in spring
longer needed, effective Jan. 21, 2011. It argues that times are tough and that budget cuts are responsible. But dismissing these 14 modestly-paid faculty members in the middle of the academic year saves the University approximately $300,000 in salary and benefits, less than 1 percent of the overall budget shortfall of $43,000,000 for the fiscal year 2010-11. The immediate effects for these faculty members and their students? Students taking Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Swahili will not be able to continue their languages of choice. They can transfer to another university if they want to continue, or LSU has said it is willing to waive or bend their language
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
requirements – a worthless gesture for those students who genuinely want to learn one of these languages. Most of the faculty members have made their home in Baton Rouge. They have mortgages and families here. The probability of their finding another job in their chosen fields within commuting distance of Baton Rouge for the spring semester is virtually nonexistent. And finding a job at another university? Easier said than done. Most universities only hire for the academic year. Job applications submitted this fall are for positions beginning in August 2011. And positions are scarce, especially since other universities are following LSU’s precedent by
reducing or eliminating foreign language options. As a result, these faculty members are facing unemployment for a minimum of eight months. They will pay into health care benefits that they will never be able to take advantage of and they will lose their health insurance. They are facing a crisis of purpose, wondering why they have been singled out by the University for non-reappointment when the ““Vast majority’ of instructors will keep jobs in the spring.” Johanna Sandrock Instructor of Classics Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at opinion@lsureveille.com
CANCEL THE APOCALYPSE
Chats expose students’ apathy toward budget cuts
Tuesday’s session of Chats with the Chancellor solidified an already evident problem on campus — University students are incredibly apathetic toward the budget cut crisis. The stage was set for a showdown with Chancellor Michael Martin on Tuesday. But instead of posing questions about the future of our dying University, students decided to bombard him with questions about parking. This recent exhibition of passivity is not surprising, unfortunately. We live in a society not concerned with the future, unless immediate effects are felt — as is the case with our current parking dilemma. About 70 percent of the questions fielded by Martin were from students concerned with where they could store their automobiles during class and football games. What these students failed to realize is there will be no more class or football games to attend if we don’t survive this budget crisis. And what has been the primary reaction from students toward the University declaring exigency, the educational equivalent of bankruptcy? Pure apathy, evidenced by the lack of protests, disturbances or even a single sit-in. And the reasons for this — other than the Millennial generation’s tendency to care more about the primetime TV schedule — are beyond me.
The simple answer: We’re not well informed enough of the budget cuts crisis. It has been watered down, abstracted and published in such a way that the eventual outcome of this debacle is shrouded in mystery. Were we to receive even a detailed list of projections, they would still be only projections. Students and professors apparently Andrew Robertson need concrete Opinion Editor information to take action, not more projections shielded in ambiguity. Gaining knowledge of which programs and professors being axed would surely stir a little emotion, evidenced by the recent cuts within the foreign language department. The update released Wednesday reveals shocking numbers of cuts in Level Three of the FY12 Proposed Cuts. Apparently we can expect the elimination of seven out of 14 colleges and the loss of 50 degree programs and 700 University employees. But even with these dire numbers, we still don’t know that much. So while we have the right to protest, knowing what to protest against has become impossible. Of course we’re apathetic — we don’t quite know what to be incensed about.
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
What we can do, however, is demand full transparency from our administrators. No more guesses. No more shrouding the plans of program elimination. If you’re employed as a professor, then stand up for your colleagues — you could be next. If you’re a student, then demand to know if your degree program will still be offered at your projected graduation date. And if you are as irritated as I am about the confidentiality and
ambiguity of what is in store for our future, then take some advice from Howard Beale, main character of the movie “Network,” “I don’t know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first, you’ve got to get mad. You’ve got to say, ‘I’m a human being, goddamn it! My life has value!’ So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to
get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!’” Andrew Robertson is a 23-year-old English writing and culture senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Arobertson. Contact Andrew Robertson at arobertson@lsureveille.com
MISS-SKETCHED
LACYE BEAUREGARD / The Daily Reveille
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.
Quote of the Day “I have not yet begun to fight!” John Paul Jones U.S. naval fighter July 6, 1747 — July 18, 1792
The Daily Reveille
Opinion
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
SHOCKINGLY SIMPLE
page 17
Thorium provides better energy source for the future
As we look to the future to provide us with new sources of energy to combat our growing energy habits, our best bet might come from research done in the past 50 years on an element called thorium. Thorium is a slightly radioactive element originally considered fuel for the first induced nuclear reactions. Although the U.S. government passed on thorium in favor of uranium, new research is showing the metal’s amazing potential. There are three main problems with nuclear power: it uses a finite resource as fuel, it produces radioactive waste as well as plutonium and, in an absolute worst case scenario, nuclear reactors can meltdown and cause disasters like in Chernobyl, Russia. While thorium is not a perfect fuel, it is superior to uranium in all of these areas.
Thorium is about three times more abundant than uranium and roughly 200 times as energy efficient in a nuclear reactor. To put those numbers in perspective, a pound of thorium produces roughly 3 milAndrew Shockey lion times the energy of a Columnist pound of coal. So even though thorium is a non-renewable resource, existing reserves could easily power the whole country for thousands of years. Waste is also less of a problem with thorium because less fuel is required for the reaction, so less radioactive waste is produced. Thorium also has the ability to reabsorb some of the harmful radiation produced dur-
ing the chain reaction; this both cuts down on waste and increases the lifetime of the fuel. Modern nuclear power plants are already quite safe. There are 104 nuclear power plants across the country and the only major meltdown in our history occurred in Three Mile Island, Pa., in 1979. Modern safeguards have prevented any similar accidents for the past 30 years, but nuclear power still suffers from the reputation of being dangerous. President Barack Obama has stated his support for increasing our country’s reliance on nuclear power, but government spending is unlikely to focus on unproven thorium power and instead reinforce the existing uranium-focused infrastructure. A conventional, uraniumfueled nuclear reactor works by firing a neutron at a uranium-235 (a uranium isotope) nucleus. The
collision splits the uranium nucleus into two smaller molecules, a few neutrons and some energy in the form of heat. As the new neutrons fly away from the split nucleus, they encounter more uranium atoms and the process begins again. The thermal energy from this chain reaction is used to turn water into steam, which turns a turbine and produces electricity. Existing nuclear reactors can be modified to use a combination of thorium and uranium, which would increase efficiency and have no effect on safety. Even more promising is that completely new liquid thorium fluoride-based reactors could be constructed, making a meltdown basically impossible. So if thorium is so great, why aren’t we using it today? Although thorium has been studied as a viable nuclear
reactor fuel since the ’50s, the U.S. government chose to back uranium-based reactors because they produce more plutonium, and it needed plutonium for bombs during the Cold War. Unfortunately, converting these existing power plants can be expensive, and developing the technology for and building totally new thorium reactors is incredibly expensive. Thorium proponents face a long road ahead, but with the right brains and the right funding, this common metal could one day power the world. Andrew Shockey is a 19-year-old biological engineering sophomore from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Ashockey. Contact Andrew Shockey at ashockey@lsureveille.com
SPORTSMAN’S PARADISE LOST
Live Purple, Love Gold reflects University, cultural hierarchies Amid a global economic recession, one area of the economy is inversely growing larger: advertising. It takes the slightest amount of cultural awareness to notice advertising’s prominence in otherwise dire economic times. From All State’s sartorially sharp “Mayhem” to UPS’s markeryielding magician of whiteboards to FreeCreditReport.com’s stupefying jingle-band, corporations are consistently turning to advertising to entice penny-pinching customers. Even BP, whose fiscal se- Cody Worsham curity is as unColumnist certain as whatever gender-indicating secrets lie inside Lady Gaga’s meat trousers, is expanding the advertising budget to clean up the residue of the PR nightmare that is the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion. About $93 million of its oil spill expenditures has gone to advertising — a chunk of change some coastal residents wouldn’t mind seeing split up into claims checks. These companies aren’t alone in their efforts to market themselves. Despite an economy with more holes than the plot of “Lost,” advertising spending in the first half of 2010 increased 5.7 percent nationwide, totaling $63.57 billion, according to Kantar Media. It’s no surprise, then, to see the trend has slipped past the perch of the University gates’ pelican sentries and into the very heart of campus, as the “Love Purple, Live Gold” advertising campaign for 2010 is in full flight. “Love Purple, Live Gold” was a two-year project of the Office of
Communications and University Relations, geared at attracting more students to the University. After extensive surveying, researchers found the three words most associated with the University were “big,” “spirited” and “athletic,” according to the campaign website. That’s why — although it debuted in New Orleans and North Louisiana in August — the campaign fully kicked off with football season. This campaign announces the University’s intentions to use athletics (see: football) as a platform upon which the rest of the University’s entities (see: boring academics) can be presented to potential students. All it takes is a viewing of the campaign’s TV spot to see the emphasis on football. Most students featured in the 33-second piece are either athletes or athletic supporters, and the jocks and jockstraps receive more focus than the professors or students. While shots of the Quad, the University’s social backbone, are blurred and hurried, junior running back Stevan Ridley is seen strolling on campus in full uniform, He does so, however, sans helmet, which should earn him a 15-yard penalty — but we all know football players get away with anything on campus. Still, it’s hard to criticize the University for taking this approach. Whether we like it or not, football is the campus’ biggest draw, and a large population of students only enroll here for gameday experiences. And it’s not like University Relations failed to do its homework. This campaign is far more organized and concise than any we’ve put out in the past. “Welcome to the Now: Evo Devo” was the first kiss of University advertising campaigns — embarrassing, awkward and only to be recalled under influence of
THE PEN IS MIGHTIER...
ZACH CHATELAIN / The Daily Reveille
hard liquor. The best part of the new commercial is it knows its target audience, which explains the athletic spotlight or why the commercial feels a bit cheesy. The forced smiles and over-sentimental student interaction would make Zack Morris question the school’s authenticity, and the whole spot seems like a build-up for a High School Musical number. But that’s exactly the appeal needed here. High school students aren’t sophisticated, highbrow or even that smart, for the most part. This is a generation of kids who grew up with Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus as their cultural influences, so tacky, homespun pathos is precisely the right call.
The campaign has downfalls, however. Creatively, the ad’s slogan is confusing and vague. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to love and what I’m supposed to live color-wise. The connection between color and meaning is weak, at best, and the marketing experts behind the ads would have done well to consult the more creative minds on campus. Culturally, however, the ads reflect an unfortunate hierarchy of principles. The sad truth is football will always appeal more than research, and our ads — if they desire to be effective — will always reflect this. Ads must appeal to cultural priorities, and while I’d love to say advertising exerts stronger influence
on culture, it will usually be the other way around — with an exception for the most creative ads. In general, however, advertising consumes us more than we consume advertising, and there’s no place to hide — not even within the safety of campus gates. But hell, what do I know? “Evo Devo” was good enough to buy my tuition. Cody Worsham is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Cworsham. Contact Cody Worsham at cworsham@lsureveille.com
Classifieds
page 18
To place your ad: Visit www.lsureveille.com and click on classifieds
Announcements
Help Wanted DISC JOCKEY POSITION Complete Music & Video is looking for outgoing and energetic personalities for our Mobile DJ position. Part Time Position mainly on Weekends starting at $90/ gig upon completion of training. If you can lead a party give us a call. 225.769.2229 IMMEDIATE OPENING Pre-Vet Student preferred but not necessary. P/T kennel & Dr. assistant at vet clinic. Morning shift 8:30-Noon +/Mon. thru Fri. Apply in person or call. 225.927.7196 DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY! Now hiring for all positions at the following locations: JEFFERSON 7615 Jefferson Hwy Baton Rouge 70809 PERKINS ROWE 7707 Bluebonnet Blvd. Baton Rouge 70810 “Flexible schedules & Benefits for Full Time Associates” Please apply in person during regular restaurant hours. Equal Opportunity Employer MANSURS ON THE BOULEVARD RESTAURANT HIRING SERVER ASSISTANTS (BUS PERSON) AND HOSTESSES. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. CALL BRANDON @ 225.229.4554 OR APPLY DAILY----5720 CORPORATE BLVD. PARRAIN’S SEAFOOD Now hiring all front of the house positions. Apply in person Mon-Fri between 2:00 and 5:00 225.381.9922 I-CATCHERS HAIR & BODY SPA is offering an exciting position in the beauty industry! We’re looking for a part time salon coordinator. If you’re interested, please visit www.icatchersbr.com and click “Contact Us” to submit resume/info. Can’t wait to hear from you ;) SWIM INSTRUCTORS NEEDED Tiger Aquatics GREAT PAY Mon/ Wed 4 - 6:30 pm and/ or Tues/ Thurs 4 - 6:30 pm LSU Natatorium jeannine@swimtaq.com 225-636-0393
Cost: 35 cents per word a day Personals Free for students
Employment EAT WITH PBRC Does your weight today affect your health tomorrow? PBRC is looking for people to participate in a new research study. The purpose of this study is to determine how your body weight today impacts your health in the future. Participants will be placed on a high calorie meal plan for 8 weeks. All meals will be provided to you at no cost. Earn up to $3800. Call 763-3000 or visit www.pbrc.edu STUDENTPAYOUTS. COM Paid Survey Takers Needed In Baton Rogue. 100% Free To Join! Click On Surveys. FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHER Southside Child Dev. Ctr. is hiring LSU student to teach French &/or Spanish to 3 - 5 year old children. $10/hr Exp. preferred. Email resume to: info@southsidechild.com or call 225.926.8353 HORT. & LAND. ARCH. STUDENTS Plant sales help needed for Fri., Sat. and/or Sun. at Harb’s Oasis Garden Center on Coursey Blvd. email:harb. oasis@gmail.com GREAT RESUME EXPERIENCE Are you looking for great resume experience? Would you like to earn some money on the side? Are you organized, self-motivated, and either a sophomore or a junior? LSU Student Media is now hiring Broadcast Account Executives. Must be a full-time student in good standing. Get a head-start on your career and get real-world sales experience! Send resume to: broadcastsales@klsu.fm PART-TIME HELP NEEDED Seeking responsible, female soph/jr/sr who can provide afterschool pickup and childcare on Wednesday and Thursdays. 7th grade student attends McKinley and needs to be transported to E. BR area - near Highland Rd. Those interested and qualified, please send resume to bparquet@ hotmail.com for follow-up. ►►BARTENDING UP TO NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. TRAINING PROVIDED. AGE 18+ OK 1-800-965-6520 ext127 JOHNNY’S PIZZA HOUSE NOW HIRING Apply On-line: Johnnys-Pizza.com or On Location: 8873 Highland Rd. 225.763.9797 DELIVERY DRIVER NEEDED at
Housing
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010
Deadlines: 12 noon two school days prior to the print publication date
Merchandise
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Transportation
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The Daily Reveille
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010 REDUCTION, from page 1
elsewhere.” Among Wednesday’s predictions, the University did not specify what faculty and departments would suffer, but it did announce general material effects. “Roughly 50 degrees will be lost, impacting approximately 8,000 students, almost one-third of degree programs,” according to reduction descriptions prepared by the Budget Crisis Committee. “Diversity in career opportunities will be severely limited; campus buildings will be closed.” Martin said residence halls, dining halls, classrooms and labs would be closed because fewer faculty and students require fewer
BOOK, from page 1
institutions that will never part with it, like the University, Smyth said. “We’re never going to get rid of this,” she said. “It belongs to the people of the state.” Each page of the book, created between 1827 and 1838, features an engraving of Audubon’s original illustrations that was carefully hand-colored by a production team working under Audubon. The University acquired its copy of the book in 1964 for $65,000. The four-volume set formerly belonged to the Duke of Northumberland, Symth said. The work’s value has skyrocketed since then, and a oneyear restoration completed last fall — funded by a donation from the Coypu Foundation — cost $93,000 to clean the paper, restore the bindings and eradicate mold that had begun to grow on the book’s ink, according to Smyth. The book is so valuable that library visitors must make advance appointments to view it, but Smyth said when people do get the chance to see it in person, they are always impressed by its intricate beauty. “When they see it in person, people are so enthralled by the art, they don’t think about the fact that it’s worth $8 million. They think about what Audubon achieved,” Smyth said. One of the most impressive things about Audubon’s work is his versatility in depicting various bird species, said exhibitions coordinator Leah Wood Jewett. “The range — to be able to capture the essence of a bird,
facilities. Martin did not mention any specific buildings. The Level Three description also indicated revenue from grants, contracts and tuition will suffer from the cuts, and a reduction in the student population will have a “dramatic impact on the viability of auxiliary units such as athletics, residence halls and the Student Union.” Martin said the budget cuts will have a cyclical effect, and the University hasn’t even looked into the future effects of losing so many faculty and students. “How many hamburgers wouldn’t be sold, how many gas stations wouldn’t sell?” Martin asked. “Just start thinking about the multiplier effect of that number
of jobs lost and the spending in the community. This will reverberate not just in this campus, but across the community and the state.” Martin said the effects among degree programs will be severe. While some students will simply change their majors if their degrees are cut, many students will transfer or not come to the University, Martin said. “No matter how you cut this, you’re going to be forcing upon the students an education of lesser value,” Martin said. “A university has to have a certain breadth, hence the term university and not ‘monoversity.’ It will not only be a much narrower institution, it will be a much more mediocre one.” The University has already
whether it’s a tiny, delicate songbird or a huge bird of prey swooping in and wrestling with a snake — you can’t truly appreciate it unless you’re standing right there,” Jewett said. Audubon spent time in nature observing birds in various locations, including Louisiana, to accurately portray his avian subjects, Smyth said. Audubon would frequently catch and kill birds, then use wires to precisely pose them for his illustrations. Though that process may seem inhumane today, Smyth said the bird population was so plentiful in Audubon’s time that his method wasn’t a threat to any species. “There were so many more birds then that we can’t even imagine what it was like,” Smyth said. Though Audubon’s work has soared to prominence and value in the years since its publication, the book wasn’t an immediate financial success. To pay for the team of engravers and painters who got his book into print, Audubon raised money by selling subscriptions for “Birds of America.” As each volume was being produced, Audubon was securing funds from subscribers to finance his work. Despite the strategy, Smyth said the book did more for Audubon personally than financially. “It was a huge success in terms of his reputation, but it did not make him rich,” she said. But nearly two centuries after its publication, the book has become a relic with much historical weight — enough to merit its inclusion in “Treasures of LSU,” a new book dedicated to
showcasing things that represent the prominence and progress of the University. Laura Lindsay, editor of “Treasures” and interim dean of the College of Education, said “Birds of America” is included with about 100 other treasures in the book, released this month. Each treasure was nominated by a member of the campus community and vetted by a committee to ensure an encompassing, quality collection. Lindsay said housing a rarity like Audubon’s work on campus not only raises the University’s profile but also benefits students and faculty. “This is the hallmark of what a research institution is — it’s the collections, it’s the artwork, it’s the extraordinary history that goes with it,” Lindsay said. “Birds of America” is farreaching in terms of academic significance as it includes the science of identifying birds, the art of illustrating them and the marketing aspect of selling subscriptions to fund the project, Jewett said. Owning a work like Audubon’s, which generates copious interest and fanfare, is a mark of the University’s excellence, Lindsay said. “For our faculty and our researchers, the library holds incredible treasures,” she said. “You go to Hill Memorial and really start looking at what’s over there, and it’s amazing what we have as an institution.”
Contact Ryan Buxton at rbuxton@lsureveille.com
page 19 suffered a series of budget cuts in the past two years, and Martin said the additional cuts will set the University back four decades and make the recovery even harder. These projections are simply an exercise. The University will begin getting a real picture of the
situation when Gov. Bobby Jindal releases his preliminary budget early next year.
Contact Catherine Threlkeld at cthrelkeld@lsureveille.com
page 20
The Daily Reveille
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010