The Daily Reveille — Year in Review

THE DAILY REVEILLE

YEAR IN REVIEW Monday, May 4, 2009

Volume 113, Issue 138

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Nation & World

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on the web

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WORLD NEWS

New swine flu cases in Europe, US, Latin America

FRIDAY’S POLL RESULTS

Do you or someone you know struggle with an eating disorder?

48%

52%

Military helicopter crash kills 18 people in Venzuela

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Seventeen Venezuelan soldiers and a civilian were killed when a military helicopter crashed Sunday near the Colombian border, the state news agency reported. A brigadier general was among those killed.

President Hugo Chavez said the soldiers were patrolling the 1,400-mile (2,300-kilometer) border separating Venezuela and Colombia when the local military base lost contact with their Mi-17 helicopter shortly after midday. The helicopter crashed near the town of El Alto de Rubio.

Yes No

84 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE POLL.

TODAY’S QUESTION:

Are you taking classes this summer?

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MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The swine flu epidemic spread deeper into the United States, Europe and Latin America — and in Canada, back to pigs — even as Mexico’s health chief hinted Sunday it may soon be time to reopen businesses and schools in the nation where the outbreak likely began. The virus spread to Colombia in the first confirmed case in South America, worrisome because flu season is about to begin in the Southern Hemisphere. More cases were confirmed in Europe and North America; health officials said at least 934 people have been sickened worldwide.

NATION, STATE AND CITY BRIEFS

Investigation is latest stage of Edward’s saga

TODAy

monday, may 4, 2009 AACC Study Spot Need a place to study for finals?

Come out to the African American Cultural Center May 4-7 Open until midnight

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — His once-prominent political career is buried and the turmoil of his marriage is playing out in public. Now, John Edwards is facing a federal inquiry. The two-time Democratic presidential candidate acknowledged Sunday that investigators are assessing how he spent his campaign funds — a subject that could carry his extramarital affair from the tabloids to the courtroom. Edwards’ political action committee paid more than $100,000 for video production to the firm of the woman with whom Edwards had an affair. The former North Carolina senator said in a carefully worded statement that he is cooperating. “I am confident that no funds from my campaign were used improperly,” Edwards said in the statement.

MICHAEL CONROY / The Associated Press

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards speaks at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., on Nov. 11.

Possible tornadoes seen Saints receiver Ealy, tight end Kapanui arrested in Alabama, Georgia (AP) A line of severe thunderstorms Sunday across the Southeast killed one woman, knocked out power to about 16,000 in Alabama and Georgia and spawned several possible tornadoes, although no significant damage was reported. A 46-year-old Laurel, Miss., woman was struck and killed by a tree that fell on her while she was standing outside her home, said Jones County Coroner Nancy Barnett. Another Jones County resident was injured, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said.

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) 578-4811 or e-mail editor@lsureveille.com.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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RIVER RIDGE, La. (AP) — New Orleans Saints wide receiver Biren Ealy and tight end Kolomona Kapanui were charged Sunday with obscenity, disturbing the peace and lewd conduct for allegedly being drunk, urinating in public and exposing themselves. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests in a news release. Two women, who weren’t identified, were riding in a vehicle when they reportedly saw Ealy and Kapanui urinating in the parking lot of an apartment complex around 12:42 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

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Monday, may 4, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

FACULTY

Chancellor’s first year filled with difficulties, unexpected surprises Martin deals with budget cuts, storms

By Kyle Bove Chief Staff Writer

Chancellor Michael Martin made his way across a wind-torn and muggy campus late September, lit cigar in his mouth and lack of sleep beginning to form dark circles under his eyes.

It was on this day — 24 hours before the University re-opened after Hurricane Gustav — that the new Chancellor fell even more in love with the land of purple and gold.

“I got to see the University and local community come together in a time of need and disaster, and came away incredibly impressed,” Martin said. “In that sense, it was a wonderful chance to discover how much people care about each other and how much people care about this place.”

Martin, a Minnesota-native and former economics professor, Martin arrived at the University on Aug. 1 from New Mexico State University, where he worked as president. Little did he know he would soon face storms of all kinds, including hurricanes Gustav and Ike, a rare snow fall and possibly the biggest budget reduction in LSU history.

Gustav struck the Gulf Coast on Sept. 1 as a Category 2 hurricane, ravaging Baton Rouge as it plowed through the state. The University’s Emergency Operation Center — established by former Chancellor Sean O’Keefe — was immediately enacted to help with recovery. Martin said he spent 10 to 12 hours on campus every day during the cleanup process and was impressed with the EOC’s efforts.

“I was impressed ... with how thoughtfully that was done and how well they functioned on behalf of the campus,” Martin said.

Eric Monday, vice chancellor of Student Life and EOC official, said Martin didn’t micro-manage the EOC. “He was concerned, but he trusted in what we created and what we did,” Monday said. “He let the process work.”

Monday said he was impressed with Martin’s ability to connect and listen to students, faculty and staff.

Martin held several “Chancellor Forums” and “Chats with the Chancellor” sessions during the year, giving students and faculty the opportunity to ask him questions about campus issues.

Kevin Cope, Faculty Senate president, said he was pleased with the forums this year. He said he hadn’t seen Martin’s degree of openness in former chancellors.

LSU System President John Lombardi said Martin had a very positive first year at the University and has been able to make strong connections with donors, legislators, alumni, students, faculty, staff, and other constituencies of the University.

“He has led the campus through

a major natural disaster with calm effectiveness and mobilized the campus to complete the semester without loss of any significant academic work,” Lombardi said in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille.

While not a natural disaster, December 11’s early-morning snowfall during finals week took University students by surprise. Jay Grymes, University climatologist, said snowfall totals from around Baton Rouge were between one and three inches, making it one of the biggest snow events in the past 50 or 60 years “For a guy who grew up in Minnesota, this looked like a less than average morning,” Martin said of the snowfall. “I found it kind of refreshing.”

The EOC was not activated for the snowfall and exams went on as scheduled.

“My friends back in Minnesota would’ve laughed themselves silly if they found out that I chose to close the school here with this much snow on the ground,” Martin said.

But perhaps the greatest storm Martin has faced and is continuing to face is the possibility of large-scale budget reductions next fiscal year.

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposed state spending budget has higher education taking a $219 million reduction, on top of the now permanent $55 million mid-year cut, to help make up for slacking state revenue.

LSU-Baton Rogue is expected to take a cut of about $40 million — or about 18 percent — in state funding under the Board of Regents’ allocation of Jindal’s cuts. The LSU System as a whole would be cut by about $102 million.

“It will be like the Flagship Agenda never happened,” Martin said in a University news release.

“The cut will likely cause us to fall back to where we were eight or 10 years ago. This kind of cut — 20 percent — would be a major setback for LSU.” Layoffs and elimination of

vacant faculty and staff positions at the University would total nearly 400, according to the University’s 2009-2010 budget draft. The Bengal Legacy Scholarships for Non-Resident Sons and Daughters of LSU Graduates, the Board of Supervisors scholarships and the Louisiana Freshman Merit Award would be eliminated.

A 2 percent increase in auxiliary enterprise surcharges will cause student fees for Residential Housing, the Student Health Center, Student Union and the Office Parking, Traffic & Transportation to increase.

“This won’t be minor,” Martin said. “Anyone who has been in higher education as long as me will know that contrary to what people might say, there is no fat [to cut] at LSU.” Martin said Jindal’s higher education budget breaks a covenant between the state of Louisiana and students who have worked hard to get to the University.

A cut of about $7 million to “non-academic units” — like the University’s payroll office, admissions office and custodial employees, for example — would result in 110 layoffs, according to the document.

“Services across the campus will be reduced,” the document states. “It may take longer for a student to be admitted, receive financial aid, register for classes, for vendors to be paid, repairs to be made and buildings to be cleaned.”

Martin said his goal is to lower the cuts to higher education overall, or opt for greater tuition-increase flexibility. The legislative session started last week and the 2009-2010 budget should be known by late June.

“Despite the various things that have come my way unexpectedly, including weather and budgets, I’ve found [Louisiana] to be a fascinating and enjoyable place,” Martin said.

Contact Kyle Bove at kbove@lsureveille.com

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THE DAILY REVEILLE

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Monday, may 4, 2009

GUSTAV

University still working toward repairing campus facilities Storm repairs to be “long process”

By Lindsey Meaux Staff Writer

While Hurricane Gustav brought record-breaking winds and rains to Baton Rouge, fall finals came with a more pleasant surprise — a University blanketed in white snow, just in time for the Christmas season.

The pristine snow that covered the University left no trace of its presence, but the effects of Hurricane Gustav and March 26’s severe weather left lasting impressions throughout the campus.

Estimates made at the close of the fall 2008 semester put the cost of University property damage from Gustav at just more than $10 million. The early morning storms that smacked the community on March 26 are anticipated to cost the University more than $3.8 million, according to a damage report released in April by the Office of Facility Resources.

The Office of Facility Resources’ Major Damage Report deemed the Audubon Sugar Factory, the chancellor’s residence, Football Operations Center, football indoor practice facility, the Life Sciences Building, Military Science-Aerospace Studies Building, Jesse Coates or the New Chemical Engineering Building, Poultry Science, soccer field, LSU System Building and the University Student Recreation Complex basketball courts as the facilities sustaining damages in March.

The nearly $3.9 million price tag includes an estimated $300,000 to install a copper roof for the chancellor’s residence and more than $1.4 million for roof repairs to the football indoor practice facility.

The damages will be covered by state insurance, according to Paul Favaloro, Office of Facility Resources director. Notes on the report indicate repairs to the roofs of Jesse Coates and the System Building are covered by the claim submitted after Gustav while roof repairs to Life Sciences are covered by state funding.

Of the buildings that sustained damage in Gustav, the Office of Communications & University Relations and the LSU Press Building have both received roof repairs, Favaloro said. LSU Press should be ready for operations at the end of June while University Relations will follow in October after both buildings receive repairs to their interiors.

Repairs on other buildings, including the New Music Building and the International Cultural Center, are either in the bidding process or moving forth with construction, Favaloro said.

The report listed an additional $30,000 to clean damaged trees, hanging debris removal and other general cleanup.

“It was less monetary damage caused by this storm than it was from Gustav,” Favaloro said. “It was not as extensive.”

In the last 17 years, Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Gustav in 2008 and the storm March 26 have been the worst to hit the campus, Favaloro

said.

One month before the end of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, meteorologists deemed Hurricane Gustav the worst storm to hit Baton Rouge in at least 50 years.

Gustav made landfall Sept. 1 and brought sustained winds of 61 mph and peak wind gusts of 91 mph, according to observations taken by the National Weather Service at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport.

The University lost about 230 trees after Gustav, and another 100 sustained damage. Nearly 100 trees were replanted as of March, including a mature live-oak tree and two small live oaks, according to Fred Fellner, Facility Services assistant director.

Despite overnight snowfall and other school closures in the Baton Rouge area in December, final exams still took place as scheduled.

Barry Keim, state climatologist, said the snowfall in Baton Rouge is a “20 or 30 year event.”

“It’s obviously just the right atmospheric conditions that have all come together to produce snow, and

it doesn’t happen often in this neck of the woods,” Keim said. “We have just the right set up with temperatures cold enough.”

Jay Grymes, University climatologist, said an upper-level storm system moved along Louisiana’s coast — from Lake Charles to New Orleans — rather than following the anticipated route from Lake Charles to Jackson, Miss. The unpredicted route left Baton Rouge on the north — or coldest — side of the system, which lead to snowfall rather than a mixture of sleet and snow.

The unusual weather brought during the 2008-2009 academic year something Favaloro said the University had not experienced in one academic year in his entire 17 years here.

“It’s unusual for a storm of either [Hurricane] Gustav or this storm’s caliber to come through,” Favaloro said. “Much less in one fiscal year.”

Contact Lindsey Meaux at lmeaux@lsureveille.com

Daily Reveille file photo

A large oak tree is uprooted in the Quad by Hurricane Gustav on Sept. 2.

Monday, may 4, 2009

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Monday, may 4, 2009

POLITICS

Power changes hands between national parties Major policies enacted during rough times

By Nate Monroe Contributing Writer

This year has been one of the most dynamic in American political history — what began in 2006 as a fundamental shift in power from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party in Congress culminated on Nov. 4 with the election of America’s first black president.

President Obama’s victory on election night was the result of a nearly two-year long national campaign, first through a hard-fought Democratic Primary against former New York Senator, and current Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and ending with the national election against Sen. John McCain, RAriz.

Obama carried 365 electoral votes — far exceeding the 270 required to win — and 53 percent of the popular vote, representing more than 69 million votes.

But in Louisiana, the story was much different.

McCain carried Louisiana with 59 percent of the popular vote, compared to the 40 percent Obama garnered — making Louisiana one of only five states that tended more Republican than in 2004.

Sen. Mary Landrieu was able

to fend off a strong challenge from Republican State Treasurer John Kennedy, while former Rep. Don Cazayoux lost his District 6 Congressional seat to Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy.

And after former Rep. Bill Jefferson’s defeat in heavily-Democratic District 2 by Rep. Joseph

Cao — the nation’s first Vietnamese-American Congressman — Louisiana currently has only one remaining Democratic Congressman, Rep. Charlie Melancon, from its seven Congressional districts.

A RISING STAR Obama wasn’t

the

only

politician to come out of the 2008 election with glowing fans.

Speculation surrounding McCain’s vice-presidential pick included Gov. Bobby Jindal — introducing a largely unknown and new name into the national political discussion.

Jindal became the favorite

pick of influential conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich endorsed Jindal on June 15, 2008 as “far and away the best candidate” to be McCain’s running mate.

POLITICS, see page 16

Monday, may 4, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

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FACULTY

Coastal scientist points release to his outspokeness Position at Hurricane Center eliminated

By Joy Lukachick Staff Writer

Ivor van Heerden was told April 9 his contract wouldn’t be renewed as a research professor, and days later said he heard through the media his position at the Hurricane Center was eliminated.

But the outspoken coastal scientist who led the state’s investigation on the levees in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina has continued to criticize the University for firing him — believing their decision was related to his outspokenness.

“They didn’t tell me why,” van Heerden said. “The letter said, ‘This is to advise you, your contract expires May ’09 and won’t be renewed in May 2010.’”

University officials could not legally comment on their decision.

But van Heerden believes the University’s decision was in response to years of speaking against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ poor construction of the levees in New Orleans while the University is trying to receive more federal funding for the Hurricane Center.

But van Heerden told The Daily Reveille he is speaking with people in Washington, D.C. about

the University’s actions.

“There is a very high probability that a Louisiana Hurricane Center will be set up at another University in the state,” van Heerden said in an e-mail.

Along with van Heerden, Marc Levitan stepped down as director of the Hurricane Center.

Levitan said the Vice Chancellor of Research and Economic Development Brooks Keel, who the Center answers to, called him into a one-on-one meeting where Keel asked him to step down as head of the center.

Last week, Keel said he wouldn’t comment on Levitan’s

decision.

But Keel and Office of Research and Economic Development Associate Vice Chancellor Robert Twilley say Levitan resigned, and the Hurricane Center was restructured to include more projects and incorporate more departments at the University.

One new project includes the newly constructed center working with FEMA on a project about digital flood insurance risk maps that identify flood zones across the nation, Twilley said.

FEMA announced in a February news release one of the PROFESSOR, see page 16

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THE DAILY REVEILLE

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

SG deals with successes, failures Robertson satisfied despite bumpy road

By Adam Duvernay Staff Writer

A new Student Government administration has already transitioned into power following the spring elections, but the past year was a highly active time for the previous administration.

The 2008-09 school year saw members of both the executive and legislative branches of SG create, follow up and fail on a wide spectrum of policies and programs.

One of the first hurdles for former SG President Colorado Robertson and Vice President Shannon Bates to clear was the devastation left after Hurricane Gustav.

Robertson volunteered 46 hours during the storm and its aftermath. He worked the command post, helped patients and coordinated with the Emergency Operations Center during his 23-hour lockdown inside the PMAC. Twelve members of his executive staff and at least four confirmed members of the SG Senate joined Robertson.

Though the senate’s remaining 35 members did not confirm their participation in the response and recovery efforts, former SG Speaker Ben Clark said he was impressed with the senators who did respond.

Once the storm had passed, SG returned to the business of influencing student life.

Robertson and his staff successfully pushed for the reinstatement of the “Oh-Wee-Oh” chant at football games in the fall.

He conducted intense negotiations with Tiger Band, who wanted to end unsportsmanlike student conduct associated with the chant, and the student body, which has a history of bawdy call-responses during football games.

After a successful test run during the Nov. 8 LSU-Alabama game, the chant was reinstated for the season.

Another of Robertson’s early successes was pushing Middleton Library’s closing time back from midnight to 2 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday.

“That was a pretty big deal,” Robertson said. “We just hope students continue to use it, and we’d like to see the library administrators continue to invest in study space.”

Robertson continued to work toward expanded hours and study spaces in the library for the rest of his presidency.

In January, students were welcomed back to campus with one of the most rapid project developments in recent University history, the 2009 Class Gift Project.

“Most projects like this at LSU take years to get done, but I think Facility Services has helped us out a lot to get something constructed within the first three months,” Robertson said.

The project’s development, the transformation of the empty Dodson Auditorium lot, was off the

ground less than three months after it was proposed in 2008.

The program was approved by the SG Senate and appropriated $70,343 from the SG Initiatives and Surplus accounts for construction.

During the course of the semester, the courtyard evolved from a dirty lot into a grassy field lined with bricks honoring members of the Class of 2009. Though the planned student-work days were

never realized, the Dodson West Garden will soon be filled with various plants and flowers.

The SG Senate voted later in the semester to permanently establish the Class Gift Project as an ongoing University program. A committee was established to oversee the progression of the 2010 Class Gift Project, which has yet to be named.

BATES, see page 15

J.J. ALCANTARA / The Daily Reveille

Former SG President Colorado Robertson looks back on his time in office April 20 as former SG Vice President Shannon Bates looks on outside the Journalism Building.

Monday, may 4, 2009

Monday, may 4, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 9

LSU Board overcomes conflict, talks budget cuts Former chairman Anderson returns

By Leslie Presnall Staff Writer

The LSU Board of Supervisors had a year filled with meeting quarrels, talk of impending budget cuts and the reelection of a previous member.

Disagreement surrounded the Board in August when the chairmanelect voting ended in a stalemate between Alvin Kimble of Baton Rouge and John George of Shreveport.

Eight members voted in favor of Kimble, who had been expected to become the new chairman-elect since

January 2008. But the other eight members voted for George, whose candidacy was added only three days before the election.

Board members accused Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration for interfering with the voting process by persuading members to vote for George.

“It’s so disheartening to see a new governor get involved in dirty politics so quickly,” Kimble said in September. “It’s a weird puzzle that someone who seems as moral and ethical as Jindal would get involved.”

The Board expected a split vote until a member missed a meeting.

The Board compromised and agreed to elect Blake Chatelain of Alexandria in December.

“Dr. George and Mr. Kimble are to be commended for putting LSU as an institution above any personal admission,” said Chairman James Roy. “They have both clearly endorsed the candidacy of Blake Chatelain.”

The Board welcomed back former chairman Ron Anderson in January Anderson was first appointed to the Board by Gov. Mike Foster, and he returned to fill the seat vacated

by Board member Louis Lambert, whose term expired in June.

In April, each chancellor of the 11 System’s institutions proposed a campus-by-campus budget reduction plan in facing the $32,272,323 in state general funding — $2.5 million less than Jindal’s original proposal.

University Chancellor Michael

Martin said he plans to protect the University’s academic core, flagship status and as many campus jobs as possible.

“Moving back the flagship is a cost we cannot afford,” Martin said.

Martin said the budget cuts will lead to reduced support for programs including the LSU Museum of Art, Rural Life Museum and some research projects.

“We will have to reduce the services we provide,” he said. “And we will have to cope with that.”

Martin said the University attracts the best students in the state, and said he thinks the state has a contract with those students to provide them with the education they’ve earned.

“I do not believe we can

advance the economy of this state without a very strong, vital and growing higher education system,” he said.

“I am concerned that the budget, as we see it today, will not only affect the Flagship, but through the ripples, it will affect the higher education system across the state.”

System President John Lombardi said the budget crisis is projected to be a two-to-three-year battle.

“This is unusual,” Lombardi said. “We have two years that are awful and a third year that is worse. This is a very serious and dramatic rescaling of higher education and clearly damaging to the future of our state.”

Contact Leslie Presnall at lpresnall@lsureveille.com

FACULTY SENATE

Faculty Senate president pleased with year’s activities Efforts include good communication

By Ryan Buxton Contributing Writer

The Faculty Senate has had a busy year filled with budgetary concerns and controversial resolutions.

But for President Kevin Cope, the most important part has been the way Faculty Senate has stretched its legs and increased its visibility at the University.

Cope said this year was a “transformative” one for the senate, allowing the organization to have a larger voice in University issues than it has in the past.

“From budget cuts to departmental reorganization, the Faculty Senate dealt with almost everything in the University,” Cope said. “This is the year of faculty government.”

Among all the senate’s actions during the past year, Cope said the most important was making faculty leaders a more powerful presence in University happenings.

“It’s made faculty government an item of public interest,” Cope said. “It’s alerted the University to the fact that the input of Faculty Senate is important.”

The senate seeks to further that objective by creating a closer bond between the faculties of the various LSU system campuses. Cope said Faculty Senate recently met with representatives from LSU-Eunice to discuss concerns shared by the groups.

There are also concrete accomplishments of which Cope is proud, including the establishment of an adhoc committee for the evaluation of University administrators.

“[This committee] gives the faculty a means and a format by which to evaluate the administration directly,” Cope said. “It is a big step forward to greater transparency and public scrutiny as to what the University does.”

The committee is now examining the best way to implement an internal system for the evaluations.

Another important step for the senate, according to Cope, is an increase in communication among faculty members. In March, the senate issued its first general letter to faculty, which regarded the University’s impeding budget cuts.

“I’m very pleased with the experimentation with other communication modalities,” Cope said. “This is a big step forward to begin to use other means to communicate with the faculty.”

Though Faculty Senate enjoyed many achievements over the year, there were some less successful plans.

Faculty Senate Resolution 0816 sought to create an official University holiday in observance of Memorial Day. The resolution faced opposition from Staff Senate, which

argued that giving up one of the 14 state-approved holidays was too complicated to establish a Memorial Day holiday.

The resolution has been tabled indefinitely. Cope said it faced too many problems to become a reality — not on the part of University employees, but because of the “hypocrisy of the state government.”

“No one wants to take a vacation day from the staff to make a Memorial Day holiday,” Cope said. “That problem would simply go away if the governor would allow 15 days instead of 14.”

Another controversial Faculty Senate topic was Resolution 09-01, which sought a revised class schedule that would begin classes on the hour and half hour, rather than ten minutes later. The idea provoked a large response from the student body, which Cope said ultimately led to the resolution’s failure in March.

“The tide of opinion was turned by input from the Student Government Association, which campaigned assertively against it,” Cope said. “Senators didn’t want to create necessary distress for students.”

Cope said he never had a

personal opinion on the class schedule resolution, but he feels it is an issue that will need to be addressed eventually.

“I don’t know how we will resolve [time conflicts],” he said. “I expect that as the University continues to grow and scheduling of classes becomes more pervasive across hours of the day, we will have to revisit that.”

Overall, Cope reflects positively on the Faculty Senate activity this year.

“There have been a number of developments that have set a new pace in the University. It’s given faculty senate a higher profile,” he said.

Contact Ryan Buxton at rbuxton@lsureveille.com

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THE DAILY REVEILLE

Monday, may 4, 2009

FACULTY

Professor returns to University faculty after two arrests Poli-sci students show their support

By Mary Walker Baus Contributing Writer

Kevin Mulcahy, political science professor, was placed on paid administrative leave last fall after he was arrested for allegedly entering another professor’s home, groping the housemate and in the process soiling his pants.

The case was dismissed Feb. 6, and charges from Mulcahy’s 2006 arrest for allegedly being a peeping Tom were also dropped.

“We decided [we’re] not going to make any formal charges,” said Tracey Barbera, Baton Rouge assistant district attorney. Barbera said the attorney’s office had regular discussions with Mulcahy’s lawyer, Drew Louviere.

Louviere and Mulcahy did not

return phone calls requesting comments.

Despite his arrest, Mulcahy’s students welcomed the professor’s return to campus for the spring semester.

“If you disregard his getting arrested, he really is a great professor,” said Michael Finkelstein, political science junior.

Nicolas Lund, political science senior, said Mulcahy’s arrests don’t bother him at all, nor do they affect Mulcahy’s relationship toward students in the classroom. “[Mulcahy is] broadly informative and incredible educated,” Lund said. “Overall, [he’s] just a great teacher. It’s nice because [his lectures] go beyond the scope of the class ... linking to real world applications, which you don’t see very often.”

During the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav on Sept. 4, Eldon Birthwright, assistant professor of English, invited Mulcahy for drinks

on his apartment patio, Louviere said. The two, and another neighbor, consumed a fifth of Chivas Regal, a scotch whiskey.

After an hour of visiting over drinks, Mulcahy “suddenly became ill with diarrhea experiencing an uncontrollable need to use the bathroom,” Louviere said in an e-mail.

Mulcahy told the other two, “I have to go,” and then proceeded to “rush through the door groping in the darkness to find the bathroom.”

Louviere claims Birthwright took a butcher knife to Mulcahy’s throat, demanded he leave the apartment and escorted him outside.

“Outside the apartment, Professor Mulcahy continued to apologize while Birthwright held the knife to his throat,” Louviere said. “Embarrassed by his soiled condition, Professor Mulcahy walked back to his nearby condominium.”

Birthwright claimed Mulcahy “darted into the apartment and began taking off his clothes while grabbing

TRANSPORTATION

Bus system to be privatized New service to be implemented Aug. 1

By Brianna Paciorka Contributing Writer

The University’s bus system, a long-time source of frustration for students, saw many changes this year from rising rates to the privatization of the system.

The University’s transition from Capital Area Transit System, the current bus provider, to a private company is the biggest change in the bus system this year.

Rising gas prices last summer caused CATS to increase its rates from $58 an hour to $83.50 – an overall increase of more than $1 million – and led to the elimination of 10,000 hours from the bus schedule.

The rising rates, as well as complaints of poor service, eventually led to the University’s decision to terminate its 30-year relationship with CATS to go with a national bus company. Gary Graham, Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation director, said student initiative also led the University to think about privatizing the bus system.

“Students had seen some other systems and were willing to see if there was something better out there,” Graham said. “It wasn’t decided at that time to dump CATS in

the swamp. It was a case of, ‘Let’s get somebody in here to look at the whole system and what we have, what students want [and] what we have to pay for.’ That was the approach that was taken.”

Using $40,000 from a CocaCola donation, Student Government hired Mitch Skyer, president and senior consultant of Solstice Transportation Consulting, to evaluate the University’s bus system this fall.

Brandon Boyd, former SG transportation director, said Skyer was chosen because both SG and the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation had previous contact with him.

Skyer visited the University three times during the fall semester.

During his first visit to the University in September, Skyer met with administrators, SG, transportation

officials and students as he evaluated the bus system.

“The challenges are very real,” Skyer said in September.

Skyer’s second visit to the University came with a sample 60-foot articulated a bus — a bus that bends in the middle and can hold up to 125 people. The bus was driven on all of the routes to ensure it could make every turn.

A survey went out to students, asking them what they wanted in a bus system. About 3,000 students replied to the survey, and Skyer returned to the University for his third and final visit in December. “[The survey] confirmed that students want more buses, more often,” Skyer said in December. “We want to start with more predictable BUSES, see page 13

onto [Birthwright’s] housemate,” in an e-mail from Birthwright to University officials that was obtained by The Daily Reveille, Birthwright did not return phone calls or e-mails regarding the matter.

“I was able to [force] him out with the assistance of a neighbor,” Birthwright said in the e-mail. “At no point was he invited into the apartment. This was forced entry.”

Louviere said Mulcahy entered the apartment to avoid the embarrassment of diarrhea and insisted Mulcahy “was not grabbing anyone.”

Louviere said Birthwright may have misperceived what was actually happening.

“We have evidence that he was in fact with diarrhea,” Louviere said, citing possession of Mulcahy’s soiled clothing.

Louviere admitted Mulcahy was intoxicated but said Mulcahy was surprised when police came to his apartment to arrest him.

In 2006, Mulcahy was issued a misdemeanor summons when a University student claimed Mulcahy followed him to his apartment and peeped through the window.

Marian Caillier, Human Resources associate vice chancellor, said in an e-mail a faculty member may return to teach after suspension when it is determined the faculty member no longer poses a potential threat to himself or others.

“According to LSU Human Resource Management, the University’s review of Dr. Mulcahy is complete,” said University spokeswoman Kristine Calongne in an e-mail.

Mulcahy has been at the University for 28 years and teaches several courses in the political science department, including American government topics.

Contact Mary Walker Baus at mwbaus@lsureveille.com

Monday, may 4, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 11

TECHNOLOGY

ITS urging users to clear out Outblaze information E-mail transition went smoothly

By Steven Powell Contributing Writer

Information Technology Services is urging students and faculty to transfer information from their Outblaze inboxes before the University’s contract with Outblaze expires in June, deleting all stored information.

This semester, the University switched e-mail services from Outblaze to Google’s free e-mail service, Gmail.

Sheri Thompson, IT communications and planning officer, said ITS is sending e-mails and purchasing advertisements to notify students and faculty of the June 1 deadline

for transferring old information.

Thompson said the transition from Outblaze to TigerMail ran smoothly, free from bugs or problems during the transfer.

“TigerMail seems to be a better experience,” Thompson said. “We haven’t been having any problems with it, and it does not cost the University money.”

Jessie McCumsey, English literature senior, said she likes TigerMail because it’s easier to access on her cell phone.

“I had trouble when I was first transferred to TigerMail because I didn’t know how to get it,” she said.

“I like TigerMail better because I had trouble setting PAWS e-mail on my phone.”

But not all students — such as mass communication junior Ashley Lopez — agree with the transfer.

Lopez said her speech and de-

bate team was planning a tournament during the transfers and had trouble communicating.

“I felt like changing in the middle of the semester is beyond ridiculous,” she said. “It seems like college bureaucracy, like ‘We’re going to do this now, and it’s not going to affect the people who are changing.’”

Katie Wilson, general studies junior, said she prefers Outblaze to TigerMail because Outblaze was more straightforward and didn’t have the features of TigerMail.

“When I first switched, I didn’t have any of my old contacts,” she said. “I had to write them on my hand. I like the old one [Outblaze] better because it doesn’t have chat, or ads.”

The transition began Jan. 28.

It broke students, faculty and staff into groups, and moved in alpha-

UNION

Construction ‘60 percent complete’ Previous deadline delayed many times

By Alice Womble Contributing Writer

Though considerable progress has been made in the Student Union construction, officials still don’t expect the project to be fully completed until March 2011.

The original March 2010 construction deadline has been delayed multiple times.

Because of previous delays caused by undocumented items, like pipes not included in the original blueprints of the Union, the completion of Phase I was consistently pushed back with several change orders — any additions or deletions to the contract between the state and the contractor. All orders first have to be approved by the state.

“Large change orders go before the Joint Legislative Budget Committee,” said Union Director Shirley Plakidas. “They are the group that responds to any budget changes.”

With several parts of the Union under construction simultaneously, including the theatre, the southeast addition and new eateries, the projected time of the overal project has been extended. However, certain phases of the construction will be completed before the entire project is finished.

“The entire project is 60 percent complete,” Plakidas said.

Phase I of the Union construction — the southeast addition — is expected to be open and complete

by June, Plakidas said.

The southeast addition includes the Student Government Senate chambers, the Live Oak Lounge and the third and fourth floor meeting areas for student organizations.

The Live Oak Lounge, which will contain Einstein Bros. Bagels LOUNGE, see page 15

JASON BORDELON / The Daily Reveille

The Live Oak Lounge on the main floor of the Student Union undergoes renovations Jan. 29. Construction is expected to be completed in March 2011.

betical order.

Thompson said more than 38,000 TigerMail accounts were activated by the transition team, which activated 3,000 accounts daily.

Thompson said ITS knew how to avoid potential transfer problems because they underwent a mass switch of e-mail accounts when the University moved to Outblaze.

Thompson said any messages or ties to the old account, @lsu.edu, will forward to the new account, @ tigers.lsu.edu, giving students an option. However, she said tigers.

lsu.edu is faster, bypassing the LSU system and sending straight to a student’s inbox.

“You don’t need to re-distribute your e-mail to people who already have the old one,” she said. “But when you reply, it will specify in the details that it was sent from your tigers.lsu.edu address, giving them your new e-mail.”

Contact Steven Powell at spowell@lsureveille.com

PAGE 12

THE DAILY REVEILLE

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009

UREC

Construction on basketball courts to begin in June Recreation project in bidding process

By Natalie Roy Contributing Writer

It’s been almost eight months since Hurricane Gustav hit the University’s campus and devastated the University Student Recreation Complex’s indoor basketball courts, forcing enthusiasts to move their games outdoors.

UREC’s gym has stayed true to its timeline — undergoing a lengthy process toward gym reconstruction.

But the gym’s doors are still not expected to open until fall 2009, almost a year after the storm hit.

Michael Giles Jr., University Recreation associate director of operations and project management, said the timeline for the courts’ reconstruction is based on state-established timeframes, which grant 120 days for the design process, 45 days for the bidding process, 30 days for contract development and 120 days for the construction process.

The project’s architect kickstarted the gym’s recovery in

November. The design process, you never want to give someone which ended April 20, gave way to a concrete date in case somethe current stage of operation — the thing happens,” Longino said. “But bidding process. all signs are looking as though that “It’s a pretty long, ongoing early fall period somewhere in Ocprocess for construction and all the tober we’ll be back on line ... and we different stages that it has to go can’t wait.” through,” said Melissa Longino, After construction begins, UniUniversity Recreation associate versity Recreation plans to put up director of recrea page on its Web ational services. site dedicated to the “The project’s offigym’s construction cially been bid out, where students can and the bids are due follow its progress May 19, so we’re and view pictures really close on that of the court’s desame timeline that velopment. we had.”

Construction Melissa Longino According to associate director of recreational will temporarily the timeline proprevent students services vided in January, from using the

‘‘

‘There will definitely be activity even though we still don’t have a gymnasium.’

the bidding process — when different construction companies bid on the project — would end May 15, four days earlier than the current bidding end date. Actual construction will begin June 14 and will be expected to finish by Oct. 12.

Longino confirmed construction is still set to begin mid-June and be completed by “early to mid fall.”

“We’re saying fall because

newly established entrance through the gym into the Sports and Action Complex’s fields.

However, Longino promises to accommodate students around construction as smoothly as possible.

“We want to impact our patrons as minimally as possible,” Longino said.

Longino aims to have all extremely cumbersome construction

DINING HALL

$724,000 in back taxes owed One percent tax begins July 1

By Xerxes A. Wilson Contributing Writer

To add to the financial sting of the looming budget cuts, the University is responsible for $724,000 in back taxes stemming from a mistake in not charging sales tax on meal plans.

Typically, the University has been exempt from having to pay a sales tax on meal plans.

This exemption was suspended from August 1988 to June 2009 by a new law and resulted in the University being responsible for collecting sales taxes on student meal plans.

During this time, the University should have been charging sales tax, said Donna Torres, associate vice chancellor for Accounting and Financial Services.

However, the suspension of this exemption was “missed” by Accounting and Financial services, Torres said. “[The exemption] was the source of confusion on our part because we didn’t know it had been overridden, neither did many other higher education institutions and neither did elementary and secondary education that have also been informed they owe the back taxes,” Torres said.

This confusion resulted in the University being responsible for collecting sales taxes for year and the past three years. The University’s responsibility only goes back three years because of the statute of limitations.

“If anyone is to blame, I

would say it’s my section,” Torres said. “We are responsible for making sure the University is in compliance, and we missed it.”

Torres said the University is hoping the exemption that kept the University from being responsible for the sales tax on meal plans will be reinstated during the legislative session that started April 25.

More than 15 bills addressing the subject are being introduced during this legislative session.

The reinstatement of this exemption would result in the University not being responsible for the $724,000 in back taxes and would also prompt the University to give students a refund of sales tax collected on meal plans this semester.

During the spring semester, the University has charged a 4 percent sales tax on meal plans through June 30 to cover taxes for the spring semester.

After July 1, a permanent 3 percent exemption will go into place so the University will then collect only a 1 percent sales tax on its meal plans, equaling about $9 more for meal plans.

The 4 percent sales tax assessed on students’ meal plans this semester cost each student an additional $37, but Torres said this wasn’t an increase in revenue to the University.

“That 4 percent wasn’t an increase in the meal plan,” Torres said. “The University got no revenue from it ... it’s just a tax that is assessed by law, and those funds — if we don’t get this exemption back in place — we will have to pay over to the Department of Revenue. But it wasn’t an increase in revenue to the University.”

Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at xwilson@lsureveille.com

completed by August, when most students are not yet back on campus.

“I understand why the process takes a while,” said Tamara Jarrett, University Recreation director. “You need to make sure everyone’s being fair. I just wish [that would happen] more quickly. But we can’t worry about it. We turned immediately to focus our energy on the things we can control ... not continue to mourn the gym because that’s a waste of energy, and it wasn’t going to make basketball happen.”

Jarrett said University Recreation has given it the “best they can” since Hurricane Gustav’s 91 mph winds first hit campus Sept. 2.

And though damage from Gustav was the biggest hurdle for University Recreation this year, it hasn’t been the only one.

The severe weather that hit the University on March 26 temporarily closed University Recreation’s solution to the inaccessible gym, the outdoor basketball posts located on the tennis courts.

“We lost most of our [outdoor basketball posts] during that storm,” Longino said. “We have one out there

right now — we’re down five.”

Various companies have bid out the basketball posts, and they expect to be repaired and ready for use in mid-May. “We’ll be back out there,” Longino said. “There will definitely be activity even though we still don’t have a gymnasium.”

In light of Louisiana’s unpredictable and sometimes severe weather, University Recreation has implemented a lightning warning system and flag system to warn UREC users of imminent weather conditions.

“I just don’t get what Mother Nature has toward basketball,” Jarrett joked. “But something good always comes out of this kind of stuff.

It pushed us outside a lot faster, we have better relationships with our neighbors ... and we found if you really want to do something, you can do it. That basketball gym could’ve caved in, and we still would’ve had intramural basketball. That’s something our staff is proud of.”

Contact Natalie Roy at nroy@lsureveille.com

Monday, may 4, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

CULTURAL AFFAIRS

Presidential election influenced MLK, Black History month

By Victoria Yu Contributing Writer

From guest speakers to pageants, the African American Cultural Center and the Office of Multicultural Affairs celebrated black culture through January’s Martin Luther King Commemoration and February’s Black History Month celebrations.

Past speakers like former Black Panther Party for Self Defense member Angela Davis and movie director Spike Lee reminded the audience to be proud of black culture and the progress its made.

Davis, who was also a former suspect on the FBI’s most wanted list, said in her January speech progress can still be made.

“Racism has not ended because a black man holds the highest office in the land, and a black family is in the White House,” Davis said.

Lee, who spoke at Baton Rouge Community College in January, encouraged the audience to break negative black stereotypes.

Lee said young men needed better role models like President Obama rather than “gangster rappers.”

Cerise Edmonds, Office of Multicultural Affairs coordinator, said the focus on black culture may be

BUSES, from page 10 bus times and have a higher frequency.”

With the results from the survey, Skyer created a transportation master plan, which suggested GPS locators, new routes and additional buses.

A proposal for the new system was made based on the master plan, and bus companies received an invitation to bid on the proposal in March.

Companies originally had until March 31 to submit a bid, but prospective bidders expressed concerns over the cost and management of an articulated bus at a non-mandatory, pre-bid meeting, which led to the elimination of the articulated bus from the specifications.

“They essentially said, ‘If you want it, it’s going to be very costly ... we can provide them, but it may not be within what you think you can afford.’ So we took it out,” Graham said. “We didn’t want to be put in a position of putting a bid out, and everybody comes in so high that we have to reject all bids and start over from scratch.”

Another 39 to 42-foot transit bus replaced the articulated bus in the specifications, and the University extended the deadline to April 21.

SG President Colorado Robertson said the University tried to maintain a reasonable increase in the cost of bus services.

“We really liked the articulated bus, but we had to look and see what we were willing to pay,” Robertson said. “I don’t think we could pay and justify that.”

The University later received four bids for the new bus system, with two being affordable and one “borderline affordable.” The fourth bid appeared to be higher than the

stemming from the inauguration of the first African-American president.

“Part of the great emphasis on black culture this year is mostly due to the inauguration of the first African-American president,” she said.

Also, Jeffrey Ogbar, associate professor and Director of the Institute for African-American Studies at the University of Connecticut who spoke to students in February, said hip-hop was a political platform that is one of black culture’s contributions to American society and influenced the January elections.

The MLK celebrations included a performing arts nights at the School of Music.

“Its not color, but talent, that brings us together,” said Paige Chenier, human resources and leadership development sophomore and coteam leader of the MLK Committee.

The African American Cultural Center used its February “Image of Beauty” event to show the need for positive change in today’s beauty standards.

Niya Blair, African American Cultural Center coordinator, said she hoped the event helped people see Black History Month as American history.

“The program really showed that Black History Month is

everyone’s history because of the issues women were talking about and discussing,” Blair said. “There were some commonalities among different nationalities.”

However, the Febraury Imani pageant stood out most for Blair.

Imani is the Swahili word for “faith”, which is one of the seven Kwanzaa principles.

“It incorporated so many different parts of history,” she said. “It stands out a little more to me because of the excitement seen and felt from the people who attended.”

Patrick Carriere, biological sciences junior and Mr. Imani 2009, said he was going to have the deepest faith possible.

Winners of the Imani pageant exhibit leadership, scholastic achievement, commitment to community and faith, Blair said.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs arranged the MLK celebrations while the African American Cultural Center organized Black History Month.

Edmonds said the celebrations for next year will be similar, but the keynote speakers and locations will vary.

University is willing to pay.

The lowest of the four bids, First Transit, provides service for the universities of Alabama and Texas, Princeton University, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State University.

Graham said First Transit offered a base fee of about $86.

CATS didn’t submit a bid, and Graham said he doesn’t anticipate a lapse of service between the end of CATS’ service to the University and the start of the new company’s service this summer.

Once the lowest bid is clarified, the University will calculate how much the student parking and transportation fee will be increased.

Graham said the bids are probably within the range the students approved. “[The Student Required Fee Committee] approved up to $26, but I’m not sure we’ll need to go that route,” Graham said. “But until we actually do all of the calculations, I can’t be sure.” With the new bus system set to start August 1, Boyd said the year was “extremely productive.”

“It went as close to textbook as one can hope,” Boyd said.

Contact Victoria Yu at vyu@lsureveille.com

Contact Brianna Paciorka at bpaciorka@lsureveille.com

PAGE 13

PAGE 14

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Monday, may 4, 2009

TRAFFIC

Red light cameras lead to controversy in Louisiana Technology ‘just a revenue generator’

By Joy Lukachick Staff Writer

The red light cameras in Louisiana have stirred controversy during the past year, and the debate will be discussed in this year’s legislative session.

The cameras that allow public officials to catch drivers running a light haven’t cost the government anything, but drivers have paid.

In East Baton Rouge Parish, 27,742 citations were issued from February 2008 to February 2009, according to The Traffic Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works.

But two Louisiana lawmakers are challenging the laws that allow red light cameras, introducing a new bill on the legislative agenda.

State Reps. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, and Jeff Arnold, D-New Orleans, are proposing a bill that would prohibit local authorities in any parish from enforcing traffic laws with red light cameras. The House Transportation Committee will hear the bill in the legislative session that started April 25. “[Red light cameras] are just a revenue generator,” Richmond said.

Richmond said the red light cameras are unconstitutional in sev-

eral ways, explaining the information an officer uses to decide if a person is guilty of violating a traffic law and the civil suit is served through the mail when all civil suits are legally supposed to be served personally.

Traffic Engineering division engineer Sarah Edel said all the money in East Baton Rouge parish is dedicated to traffic safety. Edel said the money is in a fund that has not been spent yet, but will be used for low budget safety traffic projects.

“We take pride in our program,” Edel said. “We take great steps to ensure privacy.”

While at least 18 states have allowed red light cameras, six states have banned or restricted their use, according to a report by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Before the lawmakers proposed the red light camera bill, The Traffic Engineering Division had begun plans to install four new cameras in East Baton Rouge Parish. But Edel said the project is on hold to wait for the legislature’s final decision on the cameras.

Currently, 24 cameras are installed at 15 intersections, according to the traffic engineering division.

Another problem the senator has with red light cameras is they increase rear-end collisions because the driver has to make sudden stops.

“If you want to reduce the number of crashes ... you extend the yellow light by one second,” Richmond said.

But Edel said the numbers of traffic citations are showing that red light cameras are working to at least cut down on the number of drivers who run the red lights.

“The evidence that we’re seeing is [the] number of citations issued is starting to even out and staying equal from month to month,” Edel said.

College Drive at Interstate 10 had 358 citations issued in October 2008, and the numbers decreased to 284 by February 2009. The Nicholson Drive at Burbank Drive intersection shows 106 drivers were issued citations in October 2008, and the number decreased to 23 citations issued by February 2009.

Another Louisiana lawmaker has a different idea about controlling red light cameras.

Rep, Eddie Lambert, R-Gonzales, proposed a separate bill about red light cameras which would give 50 percent of the revenue from the camera’s tickets to the state. Lambert’s proposal would allow the cameras to remain in use.

The bill states a fair, impartial hearing must be held in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, and a driver found guilty cannot pay more than $150 for a first time offense.

MAGGIE BOWLES / The Daily Reveille

Contact Joy Lukachick at jlukachick@lsureveille.com

Red light cameras, such as these installed at the intersection of Nicholson and Burbank drives, have caused controversy among Louisiana lawmakers.

Monday, may 4, 2009 BATES, from page 8

project for 2010,” Bates said.

“From landscaping to replacing windows on campus, it’s really whatever they decide.”

From the first day the senators met in the Atchafalya Room of the Student Union, the SG Senate was discussing the creation of the Temporary Student Initiatives Committee.

The committee oversaw the collection of student ideas on how best to spend $5,000 of student fees. After a few weeks, the ideas were narrowed down to three — more on-campus microwaves, more recycling bins and an automated wait list for computers in Middleton Library.

Students were asked to vote on

LOUNGE, from page 11

and McDonald’s, was delayed because of the necessity to have three exits out of the area, said Ken Bueche, Union associate director.

Work is still underway to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act before the exits will be complete.

Because the Live Oak Lounge will be for students, an on-going contest is underway to name the space. Once complete, the area will become the late-night zone through deciding which hours and nights students are there the most.

The McDonald’s will stay open later to accommodate students, and vending machines will be placed in the area.

With Phase I nearing completion, construction of Phase II — the food court — is expected to begin in December.

“Once the construction of the food court begins, they will have seven months to complete the new food court,” Plakidas said.

To close down the Tiger Lair and Magnolia room, alternative food options must first be available.

“We really want to have the new food online, before the other goes offline,” Bueche said.

In addition to Einstein Bros.

Bagels and McDonald’s, a temporary food service line will be

THE DAILY REVEILLE

their choice of the three during the spring SG election, and they chose to add more recycling to campus.

After the election was finished, the SG Senate established the committee as a permanent program to oversee similar votes in the future.

The senate is the opinion making body of SG and was called upon to react to a number of student issues during the semester.

The body voted to pass a resolution which spoke out against the Faculty Senate’s proposal to adjust the start time of classes, which was successful in stopping the change.

However, on other issues, the senate was less decided.

When it came to a vote on how the senate would stand on Louisiana House Bill No. 27, which would allow permit holders to car-

ry concealed handguns, the senate chamber was divided.

When debate over two separate resolutions both failed — one in favor, one against — the senate voted only to send the results of a student survey conducted by the SG statistician to the state legislature.

In his last official act as president, Robertson vetoed the resolution.

“This body could not come to an opinion, and this body develops the official opinion of the University, and it deferred to a poll of only 500 students,” Robertson said.

housed in the old post office area, Plakidas said.

Though not a part of Phase I, the LSU Theatre’s construction is still underway. One of the main reasons for its reconstruction was the acoustics.

“The acoustics is not the same as volume,” Plakidas said. “If the acoustics are bad, a louder volume makes it worse.”

With the new system, everyone in the audience will be able to hear what’s being performed. Because of the necessity of a quality acoustics system, a new change order was submitted.

“With the acoustic package, speakers will be placed in the ceiling throughout the theatre,” Plakidas said.

The acoustic system is expected to cost between $500,000 and $1 million.

Though the construction has been delayed, it won’t cost students more money. The Union construction fee gradually increased each semester from $60 initially, which was supported by students, to $89, which will be implemented in fall 2009. The $89 increase was not approved by students.

The increase was stemmed from Hurricane Katrina and was phased into student fees. The $89 fee is fixed, meaning the price will not change but will continue to appear on students’ fee bills until the

construction is complete.

“Bonds are used to pay for the construction and as long as it takes to pay them off, a fee will continue to appear on students fee bills,” Plakidas said. “That could be 25 years.”

Contact Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@lsureveille.com

Contact Alice Womble at awomble@lsureveille.com

PAGE 15

PAGE 16 PROFESSOR, from page 7 preliminary maps has information for the five levee parishes: Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemine, St. Bernard and St. Charles.

Twilley did not identify which maps the Hurricane Center would assist the federal government in creating, but he did say they are trying to receive federal funds for the project.

“LSU’s responsible to help the federal government with the quality of the maps,” Twilley said.

POLITICS, from page 6 “Jindal is, without question, seen as a rising star within the national GOP,” wrote Washington Post political analyst Chris Cillizza on Oct. 22, 2008. “He has already gotten a taste for the national limelight by his consideration in the veepstakes.”

But becoming a national star in a political party has its drawbacks, as Jindal learned in late February after his much-derided “response” speech to Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 24.

Jindal was widely caricatured as “Kenneth the Page,” a character from NBC’s comedy show 30 Rock, and state Democrats reacted harshly to Jindal’s partisan message.

“Bobby Jindal needs to focus on the needs of Louisiana, not his political ambitions,” said Scott Jordan, spokesman for the Louisiana

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Monday, may 4, 2009

All research centers in the Office of Research and Economic Development, including the Hurricane Center, have to generate their own funds, Twilley explained.

Faculty members are responsible for gathering the grants with agencies to provide money for the centers.

In response to The Daily Reveille’s request asking how much money the Hurricane Center has generated in the past, Keel said in an e-mail, “credits for grants are not attributable directly to the

Hurricane Center but to each faculty member’s department.”

“There is currently no way to determine which grants awarded to individual faculty members should be credited to the Hurricane Center,” Keel said.

Levitan and van Heerden together secured $67,245 in February for grants related to hurricane research, and MMI Engineering Inc. was one of the main grant supporters, according to the office of Sponsored Program Accounting’s monthly report.

In response to the University’s decision, one New-Orleans-based group lead a protest April 16 outside the LSU Health Science Center in New Orleans.

“This is a sad say for the citizens of south Louisiana because they have lost their only independent, expert voice on hurricane and flooding issues,” Levees.org Founder Sandy Rosenthal said at the rally.

Levees.org has continued its effort to protest the University’s decision.

The organization has asked members to sign the petition to Chancellor Michael Martin, call LSU System President John Lombardi and send a letter to Gov. Bobby Jindal asking them to reconsider the decision.

More than 500 letters were sent to the governor, and more than 3,000 people had signed the petition to Martin by April 30.

Democratic Party.

Since that speech, Jindal has associated himself with more partisan battles, articulating national Republicans’ concerns with aspects of Obama’s policy agenda — including deriding the stimulus package, which received no Republican votes in the House and only three in the Senate.

for infrastructure projects, healthcare, education and unemployment benefits and giving individual tax payers an income tax cut.

The bill was met with heavy Republican opposition — with Sen. David Vitter becoming a leading and vocal critic for the GOP, continuing a trend some political analysts say is part of Vitter’s attempts to gear up for the 2010 Senate race, where he will be tested with voters for the first time since revelations about his business with a prostitution service in Washington D.C. surfaced in 2007. “[Vitter] can win most Republican-leaning voters by running against Obama and the Democratic majority. And who cares — from his perspective — what the other consequences may be,” said Regina Lawrence, political science professor.

Jindal also got entangled in the stimulus fight after he announced he would reject $98 million in

stimulus money aimed at expanding unemployment benefits, a move that has angered some Democratic legislators who want the state to use all the stimulus money — complicating an already rocky relationship between Jindal and the Democratic-controlled state legislature.

Other aspects of Obama’s economic agenda — like the Troubled Asset Relief Program, designed to provide failing financial institutions capital — have received staunch Republican opposition and, at times, mixed reactions from the public.

Obama, though, remains popular after his first 100 days in office with a 62.8 percent average favorability rating, according to Pollster.com, a nationally-recognized polling aggregator.

facing Jindal’s administration will be dealing with the state’s projected budget deficits.

It will be a fundamental and, possibly, painful change for Louisiana to shift from a state traditionally driven by budget surpluses to one driven by budget deficits, said Kirby Goidel, director for public policy research for the Manship School of Mass Communication.

Jindal will face additional pressure to continue funding stateprovided services like education and healthcare while not increasing taxes to raise revenue.

“We are going from a time of plenty to a time of frugality,” he said.

The deficits are expected to take up large portions of the new legislative session, where legislators already have more than 1,000 prefiled bills to consider.

IT’S THE ECONOMY Obama’s inauguration bliss was quickly tempered by a bleak economic picture, with many economists predicting a recession that could last at least until 2010 — and, without proper action, slump into a depression.

Such was his rationale for advocating the hasty passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, an approximately $787 billion stimulus package aimed at giving a quick jolt to the sagging economy by aiding state governments with additional funds

FROM SURPLUS TO DEFICITS Perhaps the largest challenge

Contact Joy Lukachick at jlukachick@lsureveille.com

Contact Nate Monroe at nmonroe@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Sports

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009

PAGE 17

RECRUITING

Spring semester great for recruiting

By Tyler Harvey Sports Contributor

“This whole business for me is predicated on overachieving and maximizing what you have,” Johnson said. “For the most part, I think this team did maximize and overachieve.”

The Tigers’ out-of-nowhere success earned Johnson SEC Coach of the Year honors, a distinction he is somewhat reluctant to discuss.

“I have a sense of satisfaction

The spring semester was a busy time in the recruiting world.

LSU football coach Les Miles landed one of the top recruiting classes in the nation for 2009 and is already building the 2010 class.

The football team locked up the No. 3 and No. 2 recruiting classes, according to Scout.com and Rivals.com, respectively.

“Miles and his staff have done a great job of ‘They need going out and guys who getting the best in the have the players country,” said ability to LSU Athletic come and Director Joe Alplay early leva.M i l e s with that signed five fiveprospects. kind of star Quarterback ability.’ Russell ShepMike Scarborough ard (Houston), receiver Rivals.com analyst wide Rueben Randle (Bastrop), defensive lineman Chris Davenport (Mansfield), safety Craig Loston (Houston) and running back Michael Ford (Leesville) committed to play for the Tigers next season.

“There’s going to be very few difference makers in this class, but Rueben Randle’s definitely going to be one of them,” said Sonny Shipp, recruiting analyst for Scout. com. “He’s going to come in and play as a true freshman. He’s not going to redshirt.”

Several 2009 recruits enrolled

EXPECTATIONS, see page 35

RECRUITS, see page 32

JERIT ROSER / The Daily Reveille

(From left) Former LSU center Chris Johnson, former guard Marcus Thornton, former forward Tasmin Mitchell and rising sophomore guard Chris Bass walk down the court Dec. 22 during the Tigers’ 62-59 win against McNeese State in the PMAC.

A Fantastic Finish Tigers stun SEC with 10th conference crown, lose six players to NBA draft

It’s no surprise to anyone the North Carolina Tar Heels brought home their fifth national championship in 2009.

But it’s quite a large surprise the Heels’ toughest competition in their run through the NCAA tournament was the Southeastern Conference champion LSU. The Tigers’ surprising bout with the eventual champs would end their season, but that can hardly be a disappointment for

first-year coach Trent Johnson — and was given the unenviable task well, almost. of retooling a basketball program “It’s taken me a while to bring fresh off a 13-18 season. closure to the Carolina game beThe future looked bright for cause we were in a great situation LSU when a video surfaced, showwith six minutes casing Johnson’s

By David Helman left,” Johnson said dodgeball prowSports Writer at his postseason ess, and Johnson press conference. confirmed those “I wished I could’ve helped them hopes by delivering LSU its 10th more down the stretch.”

SEC regular season title and its Johnson arrived in Baton first NCAA tournament appearRouge from Stanford last April ance since 2006.

FOOTBALL

Tigers look for defensive redemption in 2009 season Miles pleased with Chavis’ new direction

By Rachel Whittaker Sports Writer

Expectations for the LSU football team were high when the 2008 season began — and with good reason.

The Tigers had just won their second national championship in the past five seasons.

Their defense was coming off a season in which they finished No. 3 in the nation, surrendering 20 points per game and fewer than five yards per play.

And their defensive line was

composed of upperclassmen who knew how sweet those championship rings felt on their fingers.

But blowout losses to Southeastern Conference foes Florida, Georgia and Ole Miss and an overtime loss to Alabama in 2008 brought heat to the defensive staff. The LSU unit finished No. 32 in the nation and No. 9 in the SEC allowing 24 points per game — the most in a season under coach Les Miles.

After the Georgia loss, LSU junior safety Chad Jones said the defense was struggling to overcome such uncharacteristic performances.

“As a defense we’re trying to get our identity back,” Jones said. “With a big loss against Florida and a big loss

[against Georgia] and so many points being put up on the board, there’s a question mark about what’s happening with our defense. But we’re definitely trying to get our identity back and seeing and fixing the problems we’ve been having.”

Things began to look up for the Tigers with their Chick-fil-A Bowl victory against Georgia Tech, 38-3.

Then-freshman quarterback Jordan Jefferson started the bowl game rather than sophomore Andrew Hatch or redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee, both of whom battled injuries and inconsistent play during the season. Hatch suffered a concussion against Auburn in September, DEFENSE, see page 31

GRANT GUTIERREZ / The Daily Reveille

LSU coach Les Miles shakes hands with defensive coordinator John Chavis on April 18 during the Tigers’ annual spring game.

PAGE 18

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Monday, may 4, 2009

BASEBALL

Tigers see several position changes throughout season LSU ranked in top10 lists all season

By Andy Schwehm Sports Contributor

LSU’s 2009 baseball team will be remembered as the team that moved into the new Alex Box Stadium under the microscope of a preseason No. 1 national ranking.

But the Tigers’ season may very well be defined by a different move made by LSU coach Paul Mainieri — shifting sophomore shortstop DJ LeMahieu from the position he started 106 games at in his two years ‘We’ve put at LSU over to ourselves second base in in a favor of freshman Austin position Nola.

The drastic to make a move came after then-No.1 LSU run in the (36-13, 16-8) lost postseason.’ a weekend series to then-league Paul Mainieri worst Tennessee LSU baseball coach to snap a streak of nine straight Southeastern Conference series wins dating back to last season.

“We haven’t made a lot of errors, but there are a lot of plays that we just haven’t made,” Mainieri said on his radio show after the pair of

losses to Tennessee. “It’s time to give Austin Nola a shot and see if he can’t get the job done.”

The Tigers had turned 16 double plays in the 40 games before the change.

The change seems to have provided a spark, as the Tigers are 8-1 since the change and have turned

six double plays in their nine games since the change heading into their weekend series against Arkansas.

One major Tiger involved in the change, LeMahieu, has been on a tear in the past few weeks, hitting .352 on the season with 23 RBI and three home runs.

Even junior outfielder Blake

J.J. ALCANTARA / The Daily Reveille

LSU freshman shortstop Austin Nola chases Auburn sophomore outfielder Brian Fletcher to tag him out April 25 during the Tigers’ 7-6 win against Auburn.

Dean has heated up as of late, hitting .414 with five home runs and 11 RBI in his last nine games.

The emergence of freshman third baseman Tyler Hanover, who is hitting .322 with 40 RBI, also has Mainieri talking about things to come.

“We’ve put ourselves in a posi-

tion to make a run in the postseason,” Mainieri said. “We’ve got a chance to win an SEC championship, and … we are in a position to host in the postseason. And once you get there, it’s all about playing well on a given weekend. Hopefully we will end up CHANGEUP, see page 30

Monday, may 4, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 19

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Lady Tigers overcome slow start, reach Big Dance Hightower, Morris emerge as leaders

By Casey Gisclair Chief Sports Writer

Things did not look good for the LSU women’s basketball team four games into the season.

The Lady Tigers were 1-3 and had just lost to Middle Tennessee State in the PMAC. ‘I just hope But deI spite the slow taught my start, LSU teammates played in the the second round importance of the NCAA t o u r n a m e n t of wearing four months this later and gave the eventual uniform.’ national run- Kristen Morris ner-up Louis- former LSU forward ville one of its toughest tests of the tournament.

The Lady Tigers were eliminated by the Cardinals, 62-52, but LSU coach Van Chancellor was pleased with the outcome of the season.

“They did a remarkable job of keeping their confidence up,” Chancellor said. “When I look at

what these kids have done, it’s been unbelievable.”

The Lady Tigers were stuck near the middle of the Southeastern Conference standings and were on the bubble of the NCAA

tournament with just five games left in the season.

But the Lady Tigers closed the season playing their best basketball and beat No. 9 Florida, No. 18 Tennessee and NCAA

tournament team Georgia to make it to the Big Dance.

LSU beat Wisconsin-Green Bay in the opening round of the tourney.

“Reaching the final 32 with

this team is almost like going to the Final Four,” Chancellor said.

“At one point this season, we thought we’d be out playing golf LEADERS, see page 35

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Monday, may 4, 2009

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Monday, may 4, 2009

WEATHER

Athletic facilities not spared from hurricanes, storms Buildings sustain $40M in damages

By Rachel Whittaker Sports Writer

LSU has become more experienced in dealing with disasters this year than anyone could’ve expected.

Hurricane Gustav, which hit Baton Rouge on Sept. 1, and the March 26 severe weather left lasting impressions on many facilities on campus, which sustained a combined $44 million in damage, according to University estimates.

Tiger Stadium suffered damage during Gustav on its west side awnings over Stadium Club seating and glass coverings, and the north end zone scoreboard was also damaged.

Other athletic facilities that endured roof damage include the football indoor practice facility, LSU Natatorium, Carl Maddox Field House and the Tiger Park construction site.

The LSU Soccer Complex press box was also ruined.

LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette said the damage was unprecedented among the athletic facilities.

“It’s unbelievable,” Bonnette said. “I’ve been around a long time and never seen damage like this before. We have tremendous resources and great people, and we’ll come through this.”

The University Student Recreational Complex also had severe damage to its roof and basketball courts.

Besides facility damage during Gustav, the LSU football team was forced to postpone its Sept. 6 game against Troy to Nov. 15. The Tigers also moved their opener against Appalachian State to 10 a.m. on Aug. 30 to accommodate the evacuation of Baton Rouge residents.

While the football team took cover in Baton Rouge, other athletic teams were scattered across the continent in the wake of Gustav. The women’s basketball team took refuge in Vancouver, British Columbia, after playing in the Labor Day Canadian Tour, and the volleyball and soccer teams remained in Memphis, Tenn., and Chicago, respectively.

Junior midfielder Michelle Makasini said the soccer team was in shock of the storm coverage they saw on TV in Chicago.

“We’re watching CNN constantly, and it’s just depressing,” Makasini said from Chicago. “Sometimes we just have to change the channel because we’re wondering what we’re going to come home to.”

All told, the cost of damages from Gustav totaled $40 million.

The hard-hitting storm that struck Baton Rouge on March 26 — with peak wind speeds of 67 mph at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport — brought on about $4 million more in damage costs.

Most notably, the football indoor practice facility was again afflicted with more than $1.4 million in damage, including “about 35 percent” of the roof suffering wreckage, Bonnette said.

“That facility has been there for many, many hurricanes and has been able to withstand those types of

storms,” Bonnette said. “This is the worst I’ve seen it.”

The damages left by the inclement weather were something Paul Favaloro, director of the Office of Facility Resources, said the University hadn’t experienced twice in one academic year in his entire 17 years here.

“It’s unusual for a storm of either [Hurricane] Gustav or this storm’s caliber to come through,” Favaloro said. “Much less in one fiscal year.”

LSU spring football practice was forced indoors the day after the storm as the team prepared for a weekend scrimmage.

The bleachers in the LSU Soccer Complex completely blew over, and the newly completed projects of Alex Box Stadium and Tiger Park, which opened in late February, both sustained damage to their outfield fences. A softball doubleheader was canceled, but the baseball weekend series against Ole Miss went on as scheduled.

Eddie Nunez, associate athletic director of operations and

development, said the main initial goal was to temporarily fix each facility, but the repair process was “long” and often “frustrating.”

“Going through the University System, we have to get an architect, and we have to get a contractor involved, so it’s a more lengthy process,” Nunez said.

WAFB Chief Meteorologist Jay Grymes called the storm part of “pretty powerful squall lines,” and he said it was possible a tornado hit the campus.

Favaloro said whatever the storm actually was, it certainly left its mark on a campus that had grown far too accustomed to coping with natural disasters.

“Whatever it was that came through here left a trail,” Favaloro said. “Whether it be tress, buildings or what. Whatever the storm was, it certainly left its trail.”

KIM FOSTER / The Daily Reveille

Contact Rachel Whittaker at rwhittaker@lsureveille.com

A pile of debris lies beneath the old Alex Box Stadium after severe weather hit campus March 26.

THE DAILY REVEILLE

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009

Entertainment

Get Out the Way

MY OPINION

Baton Rouge not as lame as some say

Baton Rouge’s first roller derby team having successful season The Red Stick Roller Derby Baton Rouge would be a great team is completing its inaugural place to start a new team. season, which began on Jan. 17 “Me and a friend got on MySat the Baton Rouge River Center. pace and contacted females in our And the team is coming off a vic- area in the same age group and intory last weekend vited them to come

By Joshua Chenier in Auburn. out and join us,” Mary KoeKoehler said. “We Entertainment Writer hler, psychology had about seven senior and co-founder of the team, girls show up for our first practice, said the victory last weekend was which was in July 2007.” a big step for the team.

Roller derby isn’t a new sport.

“I know a lot of people were The first games of roller derby excited to hear that we beat Au- were played back in the Depresburn at Auburn,” Koehler said. sion era. But the new wave that Koehler founded the first has taken the country by storm is women’s roller derby here in Ba- more contemporary and fitting to ton Rouge in summer 2007. the times.

Koehler said she was interKoehler said she’s really ested in the sport after seeing the proud of the team’s progress. team in New Orleans and figured “We have a 5-2 record, which

JARED P.L. NORMAND/ The Daily Reveille

Sigga Please of the Red Stick Roller Derby team suffers an injury Jan. 13 during a contact scrimmage in Leo’s Skating Rink.

PAGE 23

JARED P.L. NORMAND/ The Daily Reveille

The Red Stick Roller Derby team, made of volunteer women from the Baton Rouge area, trains for their first bout Jan. 10 in the River Center.

is fantastic,” Koehler said. “We started in July of 2007, and our first match wasn’t until this January. The time we had to prepare really paid off.”

Koehler said the inaugural season will end in September right before LSU football season starts.

“We don’t want to ask people to pull away from LSU football games,” Koehler said.

The team’s secret weapon, the Smearleaders, have also had a good season so far.

Formed around the time the team got its actual start, the Smearleaders, dressed in roller

derby-esque attire, have been providing original cheers and performing at halftime shows.

Danielle Sears Vignes, theater senior, took the role of forming a group of supporters who would be at home bouts to cheer them on.

Vignes, also known by her teammates as Dee Zasta, said she called upon people she knew who had performed on stage at the University or were cheerleaders in high school.

“The men and women I chose were people I knew would bring excitement to the game,” Vignes ROLLER DERBY, see page 27

Baton Rouge is a cultural, artistic and social dead zone stranded somewhere between Lafayette and New Orleans.

Or at least that’s what I used to think.

After a semester working as an entertainment writer here at The Daily Reveille, I’m starting to change my mind.

Maybe Baton Rouge doesn’t suck quite as much as I thought.

During the last semester, I’ve met so many energetic, JACK LEBLANC creative and Entertainment Writer hardworking people doing everything in their power to ensure that Baton Rouge gets better, not worse.

Of the nearly half million people who live in Baton Rouge, a few have really etched a spot in my mind. So for my last column, I want to show them some love.

OUTDOORS If there’s one thing Baton Rouge does have, it’s plenty of warm weather and open space.

Adam Sitar, electrical engineering junior, took advantage of the rivers and ponds we take for granted and transformed them into an action sports arena. He started the first collegiate skim board outside the state of Florida.

For a group of mechanical engineering students, the skies BR, see page 27

MUSIC

Summer music festivals to help students beat hot weather Summer filled with top-notch music fests

By Catie Vogels Entertainment Writer

The sun is beating down in Louisiana, and it’s hard to get away from work, but what’s more perfect than a cold beer and live music?

Coachella and Jazz Fest are over, but there are more music festivals to come.

Some of the popular music festivals taking place this summer around the country include

‘‘

‘All in all, it’s a good year for festival going.’

Megan Burgess psychology senior

Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Music Festival and All Points West and Austin City Limits, which will take place in October.

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival takes place June 11-14 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn.

At Bonnaroo, festival goers camp out in tents or an RV if they prefer. This year’s headliners include Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Phish, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails and Wilco. Other artists playing include The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Andrew Bird, Snoop Dogg, Santigold, Coheed and Cambria, Allen Toussaint and The Decemberists, along with dozens more.

Bonnaroo will cost $249.50, but the four days in a hippy daze and amazing live bands is well worth the money. Just be prepared

FESTIVALS, see page 28

BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille

Ulises Lozano, accordianist and keyboardist for Kinky, performs April 26 at Jazz Fest in New Orleans. Several summer festivals are on tap in 2009.

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 24

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

Students house kitten in dorm

Two freshmen students, who small dorm and all of its content wished to remain anonymous to made a suitable obstacle course avoid repercussions from RHA, for the cat. let their love for animals triumph The duo explained that in adover the law. The dition to the exstudents sheltered tra company and

By Lindsay Nunez a kitten, Todd, in happiness that Entertainment Writer their east campus comes along with The connection between hu- dorm between the owning a cat, it mans and animals is undeniable, months of Octoalso comes with but housing restrictions can leave ber and Decemextra responsiBrett Berryhill students with unaffectionate pets ber. bilities. They said veterinarian or a sneaky life style.

The roomthat having to buy Rebecca Morales, RHA Na- mates visited Petthe cat food, toys tional Communications coordi- land in early October just to look and cat litter along with having nator, explained that according to at the animals. However, after to clean up after the animal was the Residential Life Policy only seeing the two-month-old kitten expensive and a pain. aquatic pets — fish, turtles, frogs they instantly fell in love and ad“It was extremely hard to and other marine life — are per- opted the feline. care for Todd,” said one of the mitted in the resiThey ex- roommates. “Especially as a kitdence halls. The plained it wasn’t ten he needed a lot of care and animals must be difficult to keep love.” kept in an aquarithe cat hidden in Todd received shots and um no larger than the dorm. medications from the Universi20 gallons, and no “Todd would ty’s veterinary school. mammals or birds meow a lot,” said After Todd contracted ringare allowed in onone of the stu- worm at the end of the semester, campus housing. dents. “So we just the students felt the need to find Rebecca Morales “Larger pets kept our TV really him a more stable home. are really just a RHA National Communications loud.”

Ashley Miller, family and safety issue,” MoThe students consumer science freshmen, coordinator rales said. “In a went further to ex- keeps a permitted beta fish in her dorm, there’s not much space to plain that they had to frequently dorm. keep dog or cat. It’s a fire haz- change the litter box so the house The fish was given to her as ard.” keeping would not smell it. going away present from her little Despite the rules and reguWhile they were in class, sisters. She explained that the fish lations some students still house Todd played with many toys they reminds her of her family and she illegal pets in their dorm or on- purchased him and explored the campus apartment. room. The roommates said the PETS, see page 28

Some can’t live with housing restrictions

‘‘

‘A pet is a responsibility and a luxury.’

‘‘

‘In a dorm, there’s not much space to keep a dog or cat.

It’s a fire hazard.’

PLUCKERS WING BAR $14.99 All you can eat wings $3 Pluckers Lemonades MELLOW MUSHROOM PIZZA BAKERS Seven great lunch specials under $10. All appetizers 50% off 2pm-6pm and after 10pm FREDS Freds loves ya! Thanks for another great year.

Come join us to celebrate the end of the school year with the 80s hair band “ESCAPE” this Friday.

LIVE AFTER FIVE CONCERT SERIES The Hippy Smith Band Southern Fried Rock 5pm-8pm Free to the Public Downtown North Bldv at Third TAKING BACK SUNDAY, ANBERLIN & ENVY ON THE COAST Sunday, June 14th, 2009 Mandeville Trailhead Ampitheatre All ages call 985.624.3147 MandevilleTrailhead.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Monday, may 4, 2009

Reveille Ranks Best and Worst of 2009

Worst Fired Up

Best Notorious

Screen Gems (Sony)

Fox Searchlight Pictures

All films can’t be winners, but “Fired Up” takes loser to another level. The film is incredibly predictable. Viewers watch two jocks as they try to fulfill their lustfull intentions at a high school cheerleading camp. They end up taking the historically bad cheerleaders into the top realm of cheer. While uninspiring, it isn’t as bad as other Dlist comedies. But that still doesn’t mean it is any good.

“Notorious” is an epic movie that tells the short but violent life of Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Williams), one of the first rappers from the East Coast to make it big. The audience forgets it is a biographical movie the minute the beat drops in the first scene. It is everything a movie should be, with great cinematography, a soundtrack that never gets boring and a story that is inspiring, funny and heartwrenching.

A. NORSWORTHY

C. VOGELS

Best

Worst

Franz Ferdinand

Busta Rhymes

Domino Records

Universal Motown Records

Franz Ferdinand suprised a lot of people with their dance rock album, “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand.”

Hardcore fans of the band’s “Take Me Out” days may be slightly disappointed, but their new sound is definitely a fresh listen in the midst of all the rock music on the radio right now. Besides, it’ll get girls to dance.

This album completely changed my life. I laughed. I cried. I lost 15 pounds. But seriously, Busta Rhymes’ latest release should be completely avoided. He tried to beef up his record with production from the likes of Dr. Dre, The Neptunes and Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda, but not much good comes out it. Tracks like “Arab Money” prove Busta’s lyrics are more horrific than they actually rhyme. This album is exactly what its title suggests. b. bourgeois

Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

b. bourgeois

Worst My Bloody Valentine 3D Lionsgate Films

This movie is horrible — so horrible in fact, that it is hilarious. The plot is extremely predictable, and the acting is worse than a fifth grade production of “Hamlet.” The 90-minute gore fest makes you wonder just how many ways one can kill a person with mining toolsand, and just when the audience thinks they have seen it all, the masked villain sticks a dwarf to the ceiling with his pick-axe. The 3-D effects are somewhat cool, but nothing really innovative or new, and the movie buys into every slasher-flick cliché that has ever been written. Watch for a laugh but nothing else.

J. CLAPP

Back on My B.S.

PAGE 25

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 26

Worst Not Without A Fight

Twelve whiney tracks about angsty relationships is about as appealing to me as a root canal with no anesthe-

Obsessed

Beyonce Knowles stars in the must-see movie of the year, “Obsessed.” From her kickass fight scene to her “don’t

New Found Glory Epitaph Records

Best

Screen Gems (Sony)

Worst Jonas Brothers 3D Walt Disney Pictures

Teenage girls cry and scream, but the rest of the world is shaking their heads in shame. “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience” is painful to watch. This movie, if you can call it that, shows parts of the Jonas Brothers’ “Burning Up” concert interlaced with a day in their lives. It focuses on screaming fan girls and the absurd lack of normal intelligence of each of the brothers. The only good part of this movie was getting to keep the 3D glasses.

C. VOGELS

sia. Blink-182/+44 bassist Mark Hoppus produced this album, ensuring his place in history as a bassist who

should never be allowed to produce an album again.

The pop-punk complaining over power chords is pretty

you dare mess with my man” attitude, Knowles leaves audiences feeling the female empowerment she radiates.

The perspective of male victimization is an interesting and refreshing change from the usual damsel-in-distress

Monday, may 4, 2009

hard to listen to. If you’re a lovelorn 14-year-old girl, this album is for you. If not, save yourself the $12 and

flick. The movie’s portrayal of a surprisingly realistic situation in a suspenseful manner makes the movie

the headache. It’s just not worth it.

J. LEBLANC

compelling. “Obsessed” is definitely worth $8.50.

L. NUNEZ

THE DAILY REVEILLE

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009

“Two of our Smearleaders will be leaving town at the end of said. “It was a great opportunity to the spring semester,” Vignes said. form a structure of support for our “We are openly recruiting, and team and at the same time bring there is no experience needed. a unique form of entertainment to Smearleaders just need a willingBaton Rouge.” ness to cheer our roller derby team Vignes said she’s glad to have on, possibly dress in outrageous the Smearleaders clothing, and enon her side. joy the nature of “They are the spectacle.” hysterical,” ViThe Red Stick gnes said. “There Roller Derby team will always be is looking forward a need for the to continued sucSmearleaders on cess this season our team.” and already has Danielle Sears Vignes Vignes said goals in mind for theater senior the Smearleaders next season. are a lot of fun but Koehler said do need a few more committed in- the team is hopeful to play a dividuals to join their cause. wider range of teams next season.

ROLLER DERBY, from page 23

‘The men and women I chose were people I knew would bring excitement ...’

BR, from page 23

are more inviting. The LSU Flugtag team is building a flying contraption based on a hang glider design to compete nationally in Red Bull’s Flugtag Challenge this summer.

Tiger Racing prefers the asphalt. The group of mechanical engineering seniors built a Formula One car from scratch to take to compete in Detroit against other collegiate cars. The Tiger Racing Team spent the past year working on the car, and has high expectations for the competition May 13-16.

In addition, Baton Rouge hosted the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the state, five Mardi Gras parades, an international beer festival, a successful Earth Day celebration, Live After Five and Groovin’ on the Grounds.

FASHION Young designers such as textiles and apparel merchandising senior Erin Williams, are doing their best to prove that residents of Baton Rouge do care about fashion. Williams will graduate in May and take her talents and experience working in New York with her to represent the city in the national fashion scene.

Hemline, a student organization for fashion designers, will be hosting the LSU En Vogue Fashion Show at the Purple Monkey on Saturday May 9 to showcase the work of University fashion designers.

Michael Shoemaker, the owner of the Purple Monkey, has done his part as well. He makes and sells silk-screen T-shirts and opens his gallery space to emerging artists and designers.

One such designer, Courtney Howells, enjoyed success with her Dope. fashion line. Since graduating from LSU, Howells has taken the urban wear scene by storm, and her original designs can be spotted all over town.

Storyville, the little T-shirt shop on the North Gate, has enjoyed great success over the years hosting designs from Baton Rouge’s own and showcasing them in an annual fashion show.

The shop has expanded to Austin and New Orleans.

MUSIC A few Baton Rouge music venues have really picked up the

slack this year and booked some great talent.

During the past semester, I’ve seen great shows from The North Mississippi Allstars, Perpetual Groove and JJ Grey and Mofro at the Varsity Theatre. I’ll remember them for the rest of my life.

Chelsea’s hosted a plethora of great music, from the funky brass sounds of Rebirth Brass Band to the soulful sounds of The Legendary JCs. Chelsea’s always seems to book interesting bands, and the great food and drinks make for the perfect atmosphere, although the future of Chelsea’s as a live music venue is now uncertain.

Local musicians David Borne and Daniel Patterson are doing their best to give singers and songwriters a chance, as they host open-mic nights around town.

Because of their efforts, acoustic singers have a place to play nearly every night of the week.

ART Baton Rouge has never been known as an artistic center, but some recent LSU graduates and emerging artists are doing their best to change that.

LSU recently showcased a group of young digital artists at its Third Annual Digital Media Festival, featuring everything

“We are looking to bring design senior, said playing on the teams from bigger leagues, teams team has been great. who have been at it longer,” Koe“It’s been really interesting to hler said. see the amount of Koehler also progress we have ‘It’s been really said recruitment made throughout of new players is the season,” she at the top of the interesting to see the said. list of goals for amount of progress While Mornext season along rison is unsure if we have made ...’ she’ll be a part of with more home matches at the Bathe team next year, Sigourney Morrison ton Rouge River she is hopeful next Center. season the team textiles, apparel and “The River will be bigger. merchandising senior Center and the “Right now people have been fantastic so my plan is to finish this season out far,” Koehler said. “Hopefully, we and see what happens with school can continue and play there more in the future,” Morrison said. “I regularly, about one home bout a would like it if next season we month.” had enough members to have two Sigourney Morrison, fashion teams. That way we could have

‘‘

from animation to motocross movies.

Events like the Jewish Film Festival, The Red Stick Animation Festival, art shows and LSU Theatre and Baton Rouge Little Theater performances give residents something to do and provide the first steps for a striving art community.

The Arts Council of Baton Rouge and the LSU art community have united many young artists and when Gov. Jindal proposed slashing 83 percent of the budget for programs that aid small arts programs across the state, the Baton Rouge art community stuck together and stood strong.

They held a “Jazz Funeral for Louisiana Arts and Culture” in front of the State Capitol and have continued to stay united to fight for the arts community in Baton Rouge.

Hopefully, these crusaders will continue to fight to make Baton Rouge a great place to live. But their hard work will only pay off if we, the consumers and audiences, support them.

So support local Baton Rouge businesses, artists and musicians!

Because, if not, Baton Rouge might start to suck again.

Contact Jack LeBlanc at aleblanc@lsureveille.com

PAGE 27 intersquad matches.”

Morrison also hopes matches could be scheduled ahead of time in future seasons, allowing better planning for events and school.

“I hope we can book matches in advance and have everything scheduled before the season begins,” Morrison said. “That would save a lot of headache with school.”

The next match for the Red Stick Roller Derby team is May 16 when they take on the Big Easy Rollergirls in New Orleans.

Contact Joshua Chenier at jchenier@lsureveille.com

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PAGE 28

PETS, from page 24

likes having it around.

Miller said even caring for a simple pet is difficult when living the hectic college life style.

“Half the time I forget to feed it, and the tank gets really nasty really fast,” Miller said.

She further explained the extra effort needed to care for a pet that does nothing but float in

BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille

Dave Matthews Band performs April 26 at Jazz Fest in New Orleans.

lineup features Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, for a weekend in the sun without a Kings of Leon, Ben Harper and Reproper shower. lentless7, Thievery Corporation and Lollapalooza will take place John Legend. Some additional artAugust 7-9 at Grant Park in Chi- ists who are playing at ACL include cago.

Ghostland Observatory, Mos Def, This three-day festival boasts Flogging Molly, Lily Allen, Girl headliners like Depeche Mode, Talk and Arctic Monkeys.

Tool, The KillThree-day ers, Jane’s Addicpasses for Austin ‘I definitely will be City Limits tion, Beastie Boys, are Kings of Leon, $185. attending ACL this Lou Reed and Ben Because of the Harper and Relent- year. The lineup is too variety of music less7. Additional and logood to pass up ...’ festivals artists include cations available, many that are playmany University Megan Burgess ing at Bonnaroo, students have alas well as Vampire psychology senior ready decided Weekend, Thievery which events they Corporation, Neko Case, Animal are going to see.

Collective and Of Montreal.

Garrett Johnson, communicaThere will also be Perry’s, a tion studies senior, said he plans place where DJs spin; Lederhosen’s on going to Austin City Limits for Biergarten, which boasts ice cold a third year because of the location craft beers and plenty of shade; and and atmosphere with “terrific muan Art Market, where people can sic.” purchase eco-friendly products for Johnson said he always wanted themselves or their home, at Lol- to go to Bonnaroo. Even though he lapalooza in addition to all the live claims it has the “best lineups of music. any festival this summer season,” Tickets are on sale now for he said he’ll be busy and not able $190 per three-day pass. to go.

Pitchfork Music Festival takes Megan Burgess, psycholplace July 17-19 at Union Park in ogy senior, said she’s torn between Chicago.

Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza this According to their Web site, as year because of the lineups. a smaller music festival, it promises “I definitely will be attending to be a “reasonably priced summer ACL this year. The lineup is too music festival” unlike its more pop- good to pass up for the price, not to ular festival counterparts. mention how convenient it is,” BurPitchfork features more than gess said.

40 of “independent music’s best Although she felt the other fesbands and artists” including The tivals had good lineups, they were Flaming Lips, The National, Built too far away to consider. to Spill, Yo La Tengo, Blitzen Trap“All in all,” Burgess said, “it’s per, Yeasayer and Matt & Kim. a good year for festival going.”

A three-day pass to Pitchfork Music Festival costs $75.

All Points West Music and Arts Contact Catie Vogels at Festival takes place July 31-August cvogels@lsureveille.com 2 at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J. This is the second year of the festival, and it already has headliners including Beastie Boys, Tool, Coldplay, Gogol Bordello, MGMT and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Additional artists playing at the festival include The Black Keys, Tokyo Police Club, MSTRKRFT, Echo and the Bunnymen and My Bloody Valentine.

Three-day passes for All Points West are available for a limited time for $199 and single day passes can be purchased for $89.

While Austin City Limits isn’t during the summer, it’s still a festival to consider.

Austin City Limits Music Festival occurs October 2-4 in Walker Park in Austin, Texas.

The eighth annual festival’s

FESTIVALS, from page 23

‘‘

place is not really worth it.

“I would rather have a pet that can respond to me and show love,” Miller said.

Veterinarian Brett Berryhill feels owning a pet adds to the stress levels of college students.

“A pet is a responsibility and a luxury,” Berryhill said. He said most students buy pets on impulse and do not consider the financial responsibility, time consumption,

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009 medical needs and living situation that some pets require.

Students must also take into account returning home for the holidays, potential internships and frequent residential moves before taking in a pet.

Contact Lindsay Nunez at lnunez@lsureveille.com

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 29

GYMNASTICS

Second consecutive Super Six highlights season Senior marks career with two nat’l titles

By Rob Landry Sports Contributor

In a season of firsts for the LSU gymnastics team, the highlight was a second.

The Tigers reached the Super Six, the gymnastics version of the Final Four or BCS, for the second consecutive year. LSU placed sixth in the meet.

“Being able to [make it to Super Six] two years in a row shows the strides that we’ve made as a team,” said senior Ashleigh

Clare-Kearney. “Just to be a part of that team once again, to make it to Super Six, was a huge accomplishment for LSU, for [coach] D-D [Breaux], and for all of us to be a part of.”

Clare-Kearney had many huge accomplishments of her own this season.

The Manchester, Conn., native capped her historic career as the most decorated gymnast in LSU history. Her 114 individual titles rank first among LSU gymnasts and are five more than the former record holder, April Burkholder.

Clare-Kearney also walked away from the NCAA Championship weekend with two individual

national titles on the vault and floor Tuscaloosa, Ala., and defeated Alaexercise. She is the first LSU gym- bama in Coleman Coliseum for the nast to win two national titles. first time since 1976.

“My hat goes “[Winning off to Ashleigh,” at Alabama] was Breaux said. “She amazing,” said had her injury, junior Sabrina her setbacks and Franceschelli. “To disappointments win in that type of throughout her caenvironment and reer, but she never that stadium was lost sight of that incredible.”

D-D Breaux goal and never lost The win was LSU gymnastics coach sight of the dream also the first at Althat she could win abama in Breaux’s national championships.”

32 year tenure at the helm of the The 2009 season brought other LSU gymnastics program. firsts for LSU as well.

“We beat Alabama at AlaThe Tigers traveled to bama,” Breaux said. “Nobody does

‘‘

‘We beat Alabama at Alabama.

Nobody does that.’

that.”

Six Tigers — Clare-Kearney, Franceschelli, junior Susan Jackson, junior Summer Hubbard, junior Kayla Rogers and sophomore Staci Schwitkis — garnered AllAmerican honors this season, the most in LSU history.

But the season did not start the way LSU wanted.

Hurricane Gustav set the team’s preparation for the season back and led to a slow start for the Tigers. “[Gustav] took us out of the gym for two or three weeks,” Jackson said. “There were a lot of things that weren’t going our way early HIGHLIGHTS, see page 30

SOFTBALL

Tigers fought many obstacles throughout season Difficulties include injuries, weather

By Jarred LeBlanc Sports Contributor

The No. 20 LSU softball team entered the 2009 season with hopes of greatness, but the team has endured many ups and downs throughout the season.

One of the exciting aspects of the campaign was the opening of the new Tiger Park on Feb. 11 against McNeese State.

LSU coach Yvette Girouard said the school had been promising her team a new stadium since she began coaching the Tigers in 2001.

Now that the new park is built, the players and the coaches are in awe of it.

“We’re all kind of in shock of the new field,” said sophomore third baseman Jessica Mouse. “The field is amazing.”

The team posted a 19-8-1 record in Tiger Park’s first season.

“The first year won’t exactly be a home-field advantage, but from there on out it will be,” Girouard said before the season.

The Tigers started the season on the road in Honolulu, Hawaii for the Paradise Classic and enjoyed the great weather in Hawaii.

“When I found out that we were going to go Hawaii my freshman year, I was very excited,” said freshman shortstop Juliana Santos.

“We were very blessed to have the opportunity to come to Hawaii and enjoy this beautiful paradise.”

However, when the team returned to the mainland, the weather was a factor throughout the season.

The team has had 11 games rained out this season.

“It’s just been an incredible year,” Girouard said. “We’ve seen a hurricane, snow and a tornado all in year. I’m pretty sure that’s what it is because I don’t think that was just wind that did all the damage to softball, football and Alex Box.” The Tigers also started the season with pitching concerns. Lone senior Dani Hofer has missed the whole season because of a wrist injury. Junior pitcher Cody Trahan had back surgery during the fall break and wasn’t fully cleared by the doctor until days before the South Carolina series April 25. Junior Baylor transfer Kirsten Shortridge had arm

surgery prior to joining the team.

“This pitching staff right now is truly piecemeal,” Girouard said in February. “Really the only healthy pitchers we have are a freshman in Brittany Mack and Casey Faile.”

Hofer was honored as the only senior on the team during senior day April 26. Hofer was able to throw the first pitch of the game for a strike before exiting in the first inning.

“I wish I could have been out there for the whole game,” Hofer said. “It’s been an honor to be here for the four years.”

Girouard said the team really missed out on a great pitcher this season because of Hofer’s injuries.

Hofer had accomplished a lot while at LSU, including a 2008 ESPN preseason first-team All-American nomination and being named to the LSWA first-team All-Louisiana in 2007 and 2008.

In Hofer’s absence, the Tigers have been led in the circle by Mack, Faile and Trahan. Mack leads the team with a record of 11-4, Faile leads the team with a 1.93 era and Trahan leads the team with 128 strikeouts.

At the plate, the Tigers are led

by Shortridge and junior Rachel

Mitchell, who were named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year watch list.

Shortridge leads the team with a .430 batting average and 24 stolen bases. Mitchell leads the team with 11 doubles and 36 RBI. LSU is currently second in the Southeastern Conference West-

ern Division behind Alabama. The Tigers will play Tennessee in the first round of the SEC tournament Thursday in Knoxville, Tenn.

Contact Jarred LeBlanc at jleblanc@lsureveille.com

ERIN ARLEDGE / The Daily Reveille

The LSU softball team celebrate a 3-2 victory against Northern Iowa on Feb. 20 on the field in Tiger Park.

PAGE 30 HIGHLIGHTS, from page 29 on.”

But the Tigers persevered through the adversity and opened up the season with a victory in the Cancun Classic.

The Tigers then placed first in a tri-meet at Iowa.

First up on the home schedule for LSU was four-time defending national champion Georgia. The Bulldogs handed the Tigers their first loss of the season.

LSU then hit the road for two

CHANGEUP, from page 18 in Omaha.”

The appearance of sophomore outfielder Chad Jones in middle relief also has the Tiger faithful excited about the end of the season.

With two on, no outs and the tying run at the plate in the top of the eighth against Auburn on April 26, Jones — normally an outfielder — entered the game to pitch.

He gave up a hit to the first Auburn batter but struck out the next two before being pulled in favor of freshman Matty Ott. “I was pumped up,” Jones said.

“I feel like I can do the job for the team now.”

Mainieri said he was hesitant to let Jones pitch, even though pitching coach David Grewe had been telling Mainieri for a month to give Jones the opportunity.

“I just thought it was too much for Chad because he’s got so much on his plate with football, school, being an outfielder and a hitter,” Mainieri said. “My only regret now

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consecutive Southeastern Conference meets against Kentucky and Auburn. LSU defeated the former but fell to the latter.

Following the loss to Auburn, LSU began a six-meet winning streak that included three wins against top 10 opponents. The Tigers defeated No. 5 Alabama, No. 8 Florida, No. 9 Arkansas, Centenary, North Carolina and IllinoisChicago in a tri-meet and North Carolina State in the second annual Etta James Memorial Meet.

The Etta James meet drew a

crowd of 6,170, the second largest in LSU history. The meet also raised $50,171.92 for former LSU and current Dallas Cowboys linebacker Bradie James’ Foundation 56, a breast cancer awareness foundation.

“Everybody give yourself a round of applause,” James said to the PMAC crowd following the Etta James meet. “I never thought we could raise this much money in just the second year.”

To begin postseason competition, the Tigers finished fourth in

is that we didn’t do this full time and forget about hitting.”

LSU went on to win the game, 7-6.

If a solid record in close games is any indicator of success to come, then the Tigers may be very well on their way to Omaha.

LSU is 8-2 in one run games this season.

“That’s a telling statistic,”

Mainieri said. “You want to be able to keep your composure under pressure and find ways to win the close games, and that’s a quality that will bode well for us late into the season.”

Contact Andy Schwehm at aschwehm@lsureveille.com

MEGAN J. WILLIAMS / The Daily Reveille

LSU sophomore outfielder Chad Jones pitches April 26 during the Tigers’ 7-6 win against Auburn.

the SEC Championship meet in Nashville, Tenn.

LSU was placed in the Central Regional, hosted by Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The Tigers won the regional and advanced to the NCAA national meet.

In the national meet, LSU placed third in its group, punching a ticket to the Super Six. In 2010, expectations for the Tigers will be at an all-time high, with five of the six All-Americans returning to the squad, including all four members of next season’s

Monday, may 4, 2009 senior class.

“We’ll have a lot more determination to know that we can all do it together,” Franceschelli said.

“It really helps to have four of us in the same class to have the same goal and go out and accomplish it.

We can go into it next year and we can take our own personalities and mesh them together to all be leaders in some sort of way.”

Contact Rob Landry at rlandry@lsureveille.com

Monday, may 4, 2009 DEFENSE, from page 17 and Lee endured an ankle injury against Ole Miss.

LSU fans were thrilled to see Jefferson take the field, and he rose to the challenge New Year’s Eve and posted 142 yards on 16-of25 passing with one touchdown.

Jefferson also ran 10 times for 25 yards and was named the game’s Offensive Most Valuable Player.

“Coming from a national championship the year before this season, we had something to prove,” Jefferson said. “Not being ranked kind of hit us hard.”

The dawn of the offseason brought a defensive coaching makeover.

Co-defensive coordinators Bradley Dale Peveto and Doug Mallory took other jobs, and Miles brought in former Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis for the same position. Chavis led the Volunteer defense for 14 seasons, and he guided them to No. 3 in the country in total defense despite a 5-7 record.

“We appreciate the idea that he’ll come in with great experience in this conference,” Miles said in January. “He ran a great defense this year on a team that was not a successful team. That speaks to great morale. That speaks to the defense playing defense just to play defense.”

Miles also welcomed former South Carolina secondary coach Ron Cooper and former Chicago Bears defensive line coach Brick Haley to his staff.

Cooper led the Gamecocks’

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secondary to the No. 1 ranking in the SEC and No. 3 in the nation in pass defense in 2008.

Haley coached the defensive line at Mississippi State from 2004-2006 and the Bears the past two seasons. Haley said he was elated to join the world of college football and the SEC. “I was very excited about what I saw up front [in the Chick fil-A Bowl],” Haley said. “When I first saw [Tiger Stadium], I was like ‘Wow.’ I didn’t have that feeling when I walked into Soldier Field.

College football is exciting.”

The Tigers’ spring practices began March 12 with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country and the return of wide receiver Brandon LaFell, running back Charles Scott and offensive tackle Ciron Black after they spurned the NFL draft.

Freshman quarterback Russell Shepard was one of the most notable players to report, and Miles said the team utilized him at quarterback, wide receiver and even running back in one practice.

In the spring game, Shepard showed flashes of success fans hoped for, as he went 7-of-12 passing for 70 yards and ran eight times for 16 yards. But the Houston native also lost a fumble and threw an interception.

“When you evaluate a guy like Russell Shepard on a day, you have to see some of the things he did positive and negative,” Miles said after the game. “He has a very athletic body and needs reps to develop throws. He can be a quarterback who has the ability to both

run and pass.”

With spring practices now in the books, players agree the intensity and excitement is up, and they are ready to prove they will not repeat their 2008 performance.

“If you’ve been out there, you’ll see it’s a good vibe,” said rising junior linebacker Kelvin Sheppard after the team’s second practice. “It’s just a new vibe to everybody. Everybody has a little bit more pep to their step.”

Most recently, six former Tigers were selected in the 2009 NFL draft, and five undrafted Tigers signed free agent contracts with NFL teams.

Former defensive end Tyson Jackson set an LSU record as the No. 3 overall pick to the Kansas City Chiefs – the highest LSU defensive selection ever.

LSU also holds the nation’s longest active streak with six consecutive years of having a player drafted in the first round.

Ricky Jean-Francois, LSU’s only junior in the draft, was chosen by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round Sunday, and the San Diego Chargers selected Demetrius Byrd with the 224th overall pick in that round despite health concerns after Byrd was in a car accident April 19.

According to ESPN’s draft coverage, Byrd is now moving and talking in “good” condition after spending time in the intensive care unit at a Miami hospital.

Contact Rachel Whittaker at rwhittaker@lsureveille.com

PAGE 31

GRANT GUTIERREZ / The Daily Reveille

LSU senior running back Patrick Lipoma (24) tries to avoid senior lineback Perry Riley (56) and sophomore defensive back Karnell Hatcher on during the spring game.

PAGE 32 RECRUITS, from page 17 for the spring semester including Shepard, quarterback Chris Garrett (Tupelo, Miss.), athlete Drayton Calhoun (Tucker, Ga.), punter Derek Helton (Fort Scott Community College) and linebacker Kevin Minter (Suwanee, Ga.).

Both Shepard and Garrett impressed in the spring game on April 18. Shepard completed seven of 12 passes for 70 yards and rushed for 27 yards in the game. Garrett connected on eight of 14 passes for 49 yards.

“With how LSU finished [the 2009] class, they would have liked to have another receiver and another running back,” said Mike Scarborough, recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. “They need a solid group numbers-wise, but they need to be solid players — no guys that might be two or three years up the road.

They need guys who have the ability to come in and play early with that kind of ability.”

The Tigers have already added one receiver to the 2010 class with the commitment of Mike Davis from Houston.

‘‘

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‘[Rueben Randle is] going to come in and play as a true freshman.’

Sonny Shipp

Scout.com recruiting analyst

“They are recruiting nationally for wide receivers, and I think they need to sign at least three,” Scarborough said. “In Louisiana, the wide receivers start with Trovon Reed from Thibodeaux.”

The Tigers currently have eight commits for the class of 2010 including Davis, offensive tackle Jermarcus Hardrick (Fort Scott Community College), linebacker Luke Muncie (Klein, Texas), safety Eric Reid (Geismar), defensive back Tharold Simon (Eunice), tightend Nick Jacobs (Many), linebacker D.J. Welter (Crowley) and fullback Brandon Worle (LaGrange).

MEN’S BASKETBALL Men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson is still adding members to

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009

his 2009 class with the recent commitment of Ole Miss transfer Malcolm White.

The 6-foot-10-inch forward became the third signee of Johnson’s 2009 recruiting class when he signed just less than a week ago, but he will not be eligible to play next season due to NCAA transfer rules. He averaged 7.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while starting 27 games for Ole Miss.

Aaron Dotson, a 6-foot-4-inch guard from Seattle and Eddie Ludwig, a 6-foot-8-inch forward from New Orleans, have been signed for several months and are expected to contribute to the returning Southeastern Conference regular season champions.

“Both Eddie and Aaron know they’re coming into a situation where, because of how they are as kids and as players, they have a chance to make an immediate impact, and we need them to do that,” Johnson said.

GRANT GUTIERREZ / The Daily Reveille

Contact Tyler Harvey at tharvey@lsureveille.com

LSU freshman quarterback Russell Sheperd, one of the top-recruited quarterbacks in 2009, throws a pass April 18 to junior running back Richard Murphy during the Tigers’ annual spring game.

Monday, may 4, 2009

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PAGE 33

PAGE 34

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Monday, may 4, 2009

Monday, may 4, 2009 LEADERS, from page 19 today if you want the truth.”

This season marked the end of the LSU career of senior Kristen Morris. She emerged as one of the team’s primary players in the second half of the season.

Morris averaged 6 points and four rebounds per game and was the Lady Tigers’ best interior defender.

The Lathrup Village, Mich., native said she hopes she instilled the importance of the LSU tra‘When I dition into her look at younger teamwhat mates in her final season in these Baton Rouge.

“I just kids have hope I taught done, my teammates it’s been the importance of wearing this unbelievable.’ uniform,” she Van Chancellor said. “And the LSU women’s coach importance of continuing the winning tradition that we have here at LSU.” LSU junior guard Allison Hightower is one Lady Tiger who appeared to take note of Morris’s message.

The Arlington, Texas, native led LSU in scoring, assists, steals and blocks.

But Hightower played her best basketball of the season when the games meant the most and averaged 17 points per game in the final six games of the season, up from the 14.9 points per game she averaged during the

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season.

Hightower’s play established her as one of the best players in the SEC and earned her the respect of one of the most respected people in basketball.

“When you have a player who brings that level of energy, it raises everyone else’s energy,” said Tennessee coach Pat Sum-

mitt following LSU’s, 63-61, win against the Lady Vols. “She’s a fighter and a competitor, and I think that’s something we miss and they benefit from having.”

Contact Casey Gisclair at cgisclair@lsureveille.com

MAGGIE BOWLES / The Daily Reveille

LSU rising senior Allison Hightower pushes her way past Louisville freshman guard Becky Burke on March 24 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

EXPECTATIONS, from page 17 for [the team],” Johnson said. “The grind for me continues. I know how hard it is to compete at this level.

I know how hard it is to reach the postseason every year.”

The Tigers’ senior-laden roster had a big year of its own, aiding Johnson en route to a 12-game SEC win streak and a trip to the nation’s top 25 polls.

LSU entered the top 25 at No. 23 on Feb. 18 and climbed as high as No. 12 before a loss to Vanderbilt on March 4.

Senior guard Marcus Thornton finished as the SEC’s No. 2 scorer.

The Baton Rouge native averaged 21.1 points per game, earning SEC Player of the Year honors in the process.

“Last year, I had put up similar numbers, but we didn’t win as much,” Thornton said. “This year I put up the same numbers, and we won, so I give credit to my teammates. Without winning the games, I probably wouldn’t be in the conversation for Player of the Year.”

Thornton’s fellow starters earned postseason accolades of their own. Junior forward Tasmin Mitchell was named first-team All-SEC along with Thornton after averaging 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Senior guard Garrett Temple was named to both the All-SEC second team and All-Defensive team, while senior center Chris Johnson grabbed an SEC All-Defensive team nod.

All four players plan to try their luck in June’s NBA draft.

PAGE 35 The Tigers’ four senior starters, along with senior forward Quintin Thornton and senior guard Terry Martin, leave a gaping hole Johnson is already busy filling.

Point guard Aaron Dotson and power forward Eddie Ludwig both committed to LSU as part of Johnson’s first recruiting class this past season. Johnson also secured commitments for 2010 and 2011 in power forward Jalen Courtney and small forward John Isaac.

LSU also added a high-profile transfer in former Ole Miss forward Malcolm White, who averaged 7.2 points and 5.7 boards last season in 24 games with the Rebels.

Johnson’s second team at LSU will be the opposite of his veteran squad of SEC champions. The Tigers will return at least one starter in rising junior Bo Spencer, while younger players such as Chris Bass, Storm Warren and Delwan Graham must contribute after playing minor roles this spring.

“The expectation for this team, unlike the last team, is to prove that we are worthy,” Trent Johnson said. “These players have to prove that they are worthy of competing at a high level and worthy of what happened this past year.”

Regardless of how the coming seasons fare, Johnson and LSU basketball found their way into the same sentence as North Carolina in 2009, and that’s definitely a step in the right direction.

Contact David Helman at dhelman@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Opinion

PAGE 36

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009

NIETZSCHE IS DEAD

The opinion section wants readers to send hate mail Opinion columnists get a lot of hate mail.

It’s the nature of the job. If a columnist writes about anything that means anything to anybody, that column will inevitably make somebody very angry.

Whether it’s an e-mail or a comment on lsureveille.com, there is usually someone who is absolutely incensed about the content of the opinion page.

Personally, I have received comments ranging from “poor research” to “a pathetic excuse for journalism” to “you are a disgrace to your mother and father.”

Those are only the ones that pass the obscenity filters — and other columnists have received far worse.

But among the angry, semicoherent personal attacks, there is sometimes a well-thought out, articulated response.

These comments — which critique style, correct factual errors and expose holes in arguments — are exactly what any good columnist wants to receive.

First, they help us improve as writers.

No good columnist — especially at the college level — believes they are perfect.

A legitimate critique is not just desirable, it’s necessary.

A columnist too arrogant to receive criticism will never improve; a columnist humble enough to admit fault will progress.

And nothing is more humbling — or instructive — than receiving an e-mail methodically deconstructing your column, line by painstaking line.

On a more abstract level, criticism from our readers fulfills our purpose as writers.

Contrary to popular belief — including that of many columnists — the purpose of an opinion writer is not necessarily to change minds.

On virtually all of the major issues of our day, the odds of one columnist’s words radically altering anyone’s worldview are unlikely — as they should be.

Instead, a good column is intended to make readers think.

A good column stirs discussion among the student body, so the people who read the paper more completely digest the issues that face them.

The University is a place of learning, a place where ideas are meant to be exchanged often and freely.

And as columnists, our job is to Matthew Albrightcontribute to Columnist that process.

If a columnist writes that God is as impossible as Santa Claus and his elves, he isn’t looking to cause widespread apostasy.

Instead, he is be trying to raise the issue of religion and challenge those who believe in God to defend their beliefs.

If a columnist writes that roads should be privatized, the

government shouldn’t immediately relinquish control of the interstate system.

Instead, that column should point out where flaws exist in the government.

From the number of comments and page hits this semester’s section has garnered, it appears we are doing our job.

But there’s always room for improvement.

During the application process for the fall semester, there has been no shortage of applicants that have displayed the coherence, eloquence and intellectual ability to create excellent commentary.

Whether you enjoyed the opinion section this semester or hated it, we will do our best to get better.

When the campus returns to classes in August, there will be some old faces and some new ones on these pages.

Whoever is writing, we will get better.

We will be talking about

more relevant issues, searching for better facts and cleaning up our style.

For those of you graduating, congratulations and good luck.

For those of you who will be returning, I hope you continue to read.

And please keep up the hate mail.

It’s the only way for us to get better as columnists, and it’s the best way to raise the level of discourse on campus.

I would gladly sift through a hundred comments insulting my worth as a human being if there is just one that points out what I’m doing wrong.

Matthew Albright is a 20-year-old mass communication sophomore from Baton Rouge.

Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@lsureveille.com

COMMON CENTS

Procrastination is the natural response to bullying In the midst of exam season, let’s discuss what probably made you pick up this paper — procrastination.

I’m sure you’ll go back to studying after you finish this column.

Between 80 and 95 percent of college students procrastinate regularly, according to a metaanalysis I’ll come back and cite before deadline.

And — according to my own un-scientific study — 100 percent of the college-aged people I questioned on Facebook chat are procrastinating like there’s no exam tomorrow.

Fortunately, I’ve stumbled across a way to overcome that devil.

It’s real. It works. I’ll tell you about it later.

First, let’s examine a metaphorical slave and slave-owner.

Imagine the plantation owner has saved enough money to buy a slave.

With blatant disregard for the abuse of humanity, the slave owner thinks of the other human as an animal to be commanded.

The slave is trapped in an almost hopeless situation.

Force will be used against him anytime he tries to live life by his own wants and needs.

If he tries to defend himself, the backwards legal system will persecute and prosecute him back to a state of involuntary servitude.

If he tries to escape, the force of the state will encircle him like hounds around a hare.

The slave only has one hope.

It is not enough to free him, and it is not enough to free others.

But it is enough to make slavery happen less often, and thus save others from enslavement.

The slave can make slavery as costly as possible.

Instead of creating a quality product he can take pride in, the slave can create substandard work.

Rather than leaping to help whenever possible, he can put off his unchosen obligations until the last minute.

THE DAILY REVEILLE Editorial Board

KYLE WHITFIELD TYLER BATISTE GERRI SAX DANIEL LUMETTA MATTHEW ALBRIGHT TRAVIS ANDREWS ERIC FREEMAN JR.

Editor Managing Editor, Content Managing Editor, External Media Opinion Editor Columnist Columnist Columnist

In other words, the slave can procrastinate.

Instead of simply sitting back and watching his investment work, the slave owner will have to constantly check on the slave to ensure he isn’t shirking.

Like a farmer struggling with a stubborn mule, the slave will have subtly worked to destroy the master’s piece of mind.

Through his passivity, the slave will enslave his Daniel Morgan master to a Columnist frustrating obligation and recreate his own suffering in his tormentor’s soul.

This is the natural reaction to being enslaved, and if any of us were stuck in an environment as morally depraved as the Antebellum South, we would react the same way.

This week, perhaps we procrastinate because we have a similar relationship with our history, our goals and ourselves.

We procrastinate with our work, education and other obligations, but no one hems and haws about playing more flash games.

No one makes empty promises about checking StumbleUpon after they finish their homework.

When our motivation is internal, hard work is as natural as breathing.

When our motivation is external — whether from the brutal oppression of the whip or the persistant nagging of an internalized voice — work is a chore.

The solution is to reflect on freedom.

Not as a political ideal or a deferred dream, but as a metaphysical reality.

Truly, there is nothing in the universe you have to do.

You don’t have to go to work.

You don’t have to take your exams.

You don’t even have to pay your taxes.

You are free to escape from making any unpleasant choice or taking any unpleasant action.

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.

Sadly, we are not free of the consequences — namely an empty stomach, an empty spot on the wall and a place in our overoccupied prison system.

Given the alternatives, it is not at all inaccurate to say we want to do these things.

There’s nothing you have to do. There are only the consequences you choose.

The next time you find yourself not working like you want, remind yourself that you don’t have to perform the unpleasant task, and ask if you really want the fruits of the labor.

In your personal life, you’re not enslaved to anyone — there’s no reason to live like it.

Daniel Morgan is a 21-year-old economics junior from Baton Rouge.

Contact Daniel Morgan. at dmorgan@lsureveille.com

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.”

André Gide French author Nov. 22, 1869 - Feb. 19, 1951

THE DAILY REVEILLE

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009

METAIRIE’S FINEST

Opinion

PAGE 37

A final look at this semester’s popular culture It is, I think, important to note pop culture doesn’t exist as an entity.

We are pop culture.

We control it.

We market it. We even sell it without realizing it.

Everyone’s got an example.

Guitar Hero is mine.

A couple years back, a friend and I bought the game on impulse.

We went to Best Buy to get her iPod fixed and came home with this game we had kind of heard of.

That night, we played it for hours — we’re probably the coolest people you’ve heard of, we know — then we started inviting others over to see our new toy.

In a few weeks, most of our friends seemed to own the game.

Sure, many probably would have found it some other way. It wasn’t exactly some obscure indie rock band, but this doesn’t change

the fact that we brought it to a group of people who didn’t have it before and boom suddenly everyone did.

This is how pop culture works.

This is what makes it pop culture. It spreads like the swine flu, and even though everyone’s unaware as it spreads, suddenly it’s everywhere.

But instead of devastating effects, it brings us happiness and empathy.

Hopefully.

The most notable thing that happened last year is, obviously, the recession. Affecting millions of people and thousands of businesses, the recession has been written about numerous times in this very paper.

Pop culture, as it were, tends to be somewhat recession-proof.

This was again proven as movie ticket sales actually began to rise. Jay Leno moved out, Conan O’Brien moved up and Jimmy Fallon moved in. Britney Spears

put on a “Circus,” and Eminem put out his first single in years.

Chris Brown beat Rihanna, then the couple reunited, but they managed to take up hundreds of column inches throughout the ordeal.

Hulk Hogan said he empathized with O.J. Simpson. PeoTravis Andrews pled danced to the Bollywood Columnist stylings of Oscar winner “Slumdog Millonaire.”

Other things happened, but I’m sure you have your own list of important pop culture moments.

Time are tough, no doubt, and they’ll probably get tougher. And, strange as it seems in some ways, finding out what’s happening on that island in “Lost” or listening to Kanye West “sing” about long-lost

loves or being a gay fish (in the brilliant “South Park” parody) is what pulls many through the day.

Yeah, it’s an idea you’ve heard before.

It’s an idea I’ve written about before.

But, nonetheless, it’s the idea that is at the center of everything we consume. We laugh, cry, empathize, feel empathized with, blah blah blah, and during that time, the recession and the rest of our troubles seem just little bit removed.

Listening to Kanye’s heartbreak makes us forget our own.

Hearing how rough T.I. had it growing up makes us realize we got it pretty good. Seeing a bunch of people on an island that is flashing about makes us realize … well, I’m not sure what that one does except give us a reason to get angry and throw our television remotes against walls.

In the end, I wrote about pop culture because it’s what brings us enjoyment.

It pulls us through some days and makes good ones better. Imagine a bar without music. Imagine a book without words.

It has the power to transport us anywhere, as cliché and silly as that sounds.

So spread your favorite pop culture around the way we accidently spread “Guitar Hero.”

Have fun with it, because if nothing else, there is one good reason to care — even slightly — about pop culture.

It’s fun.

Travis Andrews is 21-old-year English senior from Metairie.

Contact Travis Andrews at tandrews@lsureveille.com

FREEMAN OF SPEECH

Fifty more lessons learned throughout this year

50. Mike the Tiger can’t be fed in public because of “security reasons.”

49. LeBron James is the next Michael Jordan.

48. Twitter is evil.

47. iPhones are worse.

46. Smart phones were not made for smart people.

45. Talent isn’t skin deep.

Yes, this one’s about Susan Boyle, the British singing sensation that looks like the offspring of Joan Rivers and Austin Powers.

44. It’s tough to talk when you’re teabagging.

43. Michelle Obama is — and should be — the hottest woman on the planet.

42. Short shorts with words displayed on the rear end will never go away.

41. Rap music is dying. Case in point: the new hit song, “Do the Ricky Bobby.”

40. Felons do the best work, as evidenced by their tireless efforts on Student Government’s Class Gift project.

39. Members of SG don’t realize how little they matter or how pretentious they are.

38. It’s tough to get to “The Next Level” when you’re at the bottom of the top tier. It’s even tougher to do “More” with budget cuts.

37. Crying gets you nowhere.

36. Hannah Montana is to America what hepatitis is to the third world. It’s curable and life would be better without it.

35. I’m kind of a jerk.

34. The Octomom is getting exactly what she wants in coverage of her lack of parental skill.

33. Sarah Palin thought about getting what she would outlaw across the country.

32. There’s no difference between Sarah Palin and the Octomom, only California isn’t dumb enough to elect Octomom governor.

31. “Scrubs” is dead.

30. “The Office” is dying.

29. For a hint into the stupidity of America, tune into any matchmaking series on VH1.

28. Jon Stewart is a better journalist than Sean Hannity.

27.

Stephen Colbert, the current comedian, is a better journalist than Glenn Beck, the former comedian.

26. Rachel Eric Freeman Jr. Maddow might Columnist singlehandedly save the value of cable news.

25. Chancellor Michael Martin looks more like the Monopoly Man than former Chancellor Sean O’Keefe.

24. Vice President Joe Biden doesn’t have a filter between what he thinks and what he says.

23. Neither does Rush Limbaugh.

22. Neither does Bill O’Reilly.

21. The Twilight series will destroy humankind before global warming ever melts us.

20. If you lived in Somalia, you’d be a pirate too.

19. Navy Seals are amazing.

18. If Al-Qaeda were smart, they would recruit geese.

17. America is only No. 1 in obesity and imprisonment.

16. Friedrich Nietzsche was right.

15. Martin Heidegger was dead wrong.

14. Joel Osteen missed the point.

13. The correct debate about torture is not whether those techniques worked, it’s whether those techniques were torture.

12. Ask the Japanese we executed after they waterboarded our troops in World War II. 11. None of us know anything, but we all share the same capacity to learn.

10. The truly wise questions.

The truly dumb assumes.

9. Liquor before beer, never

fear. Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Marijuana at all, you’re going to jail.

8. Bobby Jindal is running for president in 2012.

7. I’m not voting for him.

6. Neither is the rest of the country after his Mr. Rogers impression.

5. Capitalism is more dangerous than socialism.

4. Greed in a free society is more dangerous than piracy.

3. Taking a semester off from doing something you love to re-

focus study habits pays off in the end.

2. Taking a year and a half off school to refocus after tragedy pays off a year and a half after returning.

1. Fear the hat.

Eric Freeman, Jr. is a 22-year-old political science junior from New Orleans.

Contact Eric Freeman Jr. at efreeman@lsureveille.com

BEST AND WITTIEST

cartoon courtesy of KINGS FEATURE SYNDICATE

HELP WANTED

PAGE 38

PLACE YOUR AD TODAY Got something to sell? Want to make an announcement? Need to find an apartment or roommate?

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Deadline for ads is 12 noon two working days prior to the print publication date.

ADS MUST BE PAID FOR IN ADVANCE BY CHARGE ON OUR WEB SITE AT CLASSIFIEDS.LSUREVEILLE.COM.

Classifieds **EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER** HELP WANTED EARN EXTR A MONEY Students needed ASAP Earn up to $150 per day being a mystery shopper No Experience Required Call 1-800-722-4791 PARKVIEW BAPTIS T PRESCHOOL Preschool Teachers needed flex days no degree required 293-9447 NOW HIRING FOR SUMMER & FALL! Child Care Center near LSU now hiring for Summer and Fall Semesters. Afternoon Teachers needed 2:30-5:30 Mon-Fri. 225.766.1159 RED S T I C K S P O R T S Needs A Couple of Sports Oriented Retail Sales Clerks to work this Summer and hopefully beyond. If this might be you, please call 769-6232. Ask for Joey or Brian.

MONJUNIS NOW HIRING Monjunis on Jefferson Hwy Now hiring qualified FOH staff.

Apply in person 711 Jefferson Highway Monday-Friday, 10am-2pm CER TIFIED KINDERG AR TEN TEACHER The Baton Rouge International School is looking for a certified Kindergarten Teacher for the school year 2009-2010. Please send your resume at brisla@yahoo.com HANDYMAN FOR YARD and household jobs w/ retired prof near LSU. 10 flex hr/wk. $8/hr. 225.769.7921 STUDENT & SUMMER WORK Local BR company expanding Fast! **$15.00 Base/appt** Flexible Schedules No experience nec Customer sales/ svc Ages 17+ Apply NOW:225-927-3066 www.collegestudentwork.com PROPER T Y MAN AGER NEEDED Competent, motivated, ethical person to manage 2 rental houses. $150/month plus reference for resume.

RECEPTIONIS T FOR L AW FIRM Duties include answering phones, filing, light typing, and errands. Email resume and salary requiements to csonnier@mckaylawfirm.net, or fax to 225-924-3644 I N S I D E S ALES - PT Triton Stone Group is currently seeking a part-time, Inside Sales Representative for their Baton Rouge location. Applicant will be responsible for all aspects of customer service and sales. High school education or equivalent required.

Please fax qualified resumes to (225) 3030576 or email kmclin@tritonstonela.com.

BUY OR SELL Tupperware! Earn Extra Money, Flexible Hours. Get started today!

225.665.9114 THE CHIMES IS NOW HIRING Come work at one of the funnest restaurants in town. The Chimes at the north gates of campus is now hiring hostesses. Come fill out an application between 2pm and 4pm.

225.383.1754 HAVE TRUCK AND/OR Have truck and/or trailer?

Make $75 to $150+ per day working an average 6 hours making deliveries and pick ups. Mostly Sat/Sun work.

Call 928-0030 for info.

If you love young children and like to sing and play musical instruments, we have the perfect pt job for you. Approx. 4 hrs per week 225.766.1159 TJ RIBS - SIEGEN IS NOW HIRING SERVERS APPLY IN PERSON AT 6330 SIEGEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA.

FALL 09 PAR T-TIME JOB UUMC After School Program is hiring staff for the Fall 09 semester. Hours are Monday through Friday from 2:00 until 5:30. Pay starts at $7.50 per hour. Contact Kay before May 15th.

225.284.5850 WORK WITH THE BLUES Coyote Blues is coming to Baton Rouge and is looking for 20 motivated go-getters to fill trainer spots.

Great for summer cash and we will work around school schedules. Check us out at coyotebluesrest.com. Call or send resume to coyoteblues2@gmail.com. 225.329.2055 VIETN AMESE SPEAKERS Interviewing in NOLA for Katrina Recovery. Our LSU Sociology Research Team has done 4,500 interviews in GNO. Now we want to include the Vietnamese community. Join our team!

Saturday trips to New Orleans, with full day of work & free round-trip transportation - or your own flexible schedule. $12/ hr with language skills. Interesting, meaningful teamwork on community recovery. Pls tell your Vietnamese-speaking friends. Contact David Maddox, dmaddo1@tigers.lsu.edu.

R I G S B Y F R E D E R I C K S ALON Salon Support Part-time / Full Time Must be able to multi-task, be service-minded and enjoy helping guests achieve their goals of beauty and wellness. We are looking for fun, energetic and fashion oriented individuals who are patient, kind and willing to grow with our company. Hourly pay plus quarterly commission bonuses a big plus!

Email Resume to: paige@rigsbysalon.com 225.769.7903 ACCIDENT INVES T I G ATION TECH Mechanical Engineering Graduate Experience in CAD, problem solving, vehicle components, etc. Some travel. Base, Bonus & Benefits, DOE. Send Resume to NCTILeger@aol.com LIFEGUARDS LIFEGUARDS needed at Southside YMCA and Paula G. Manship YMCA. Certification classes available. We will train you! Flex schedules & fun atmosphere.

Be part of our Y family! Apply in person at any YMCA or contact Justin at (225) 7662991 or Anthony (225) 767-9622 G AMES2U - HEAD G A M E C O A C H Games2U is a mobile video game theater for birthday parties and community events.

Hours include mostly weekends but some weekdays will be required during the summer. Must be 21 years old and have a valid drivers license and excellent driving record.

Must be extremely responsible and love working with kids. Extensive knowledge of X-Box 360 and Wii game system is required. Send resume to terri.g2u@gmail.com.

STUDENT NEEDED FOR OFFICE Organization and math skills a must. Apply in person at St John the Baptist Human Services 7732 Goodwood Blvd Ste A1 225.216.1199 DAY CAMP & NURSERY S TAFF NOW HIRING: Summer Day Camp Counselors & Kids Zone Nursery Staff, flex schedules, FREE membership. Work where you have fun! Apply: Paula G. Manship YMCA, 8100 YMCA Plaza Drive, BR, LA or call Lindsay (225) 767-9622 HAMPTON INN HOTEL -COLLEGE DR. has immediate openings for Night Audit ( 6 days on 8 days off) 10pm to 7am and Front Desk Clerks. Please apply in person at 4646 Constitution Ave. 225.926.9990 L AWN & L ANDSCAPE company currently interviewing for two openings for lawn crew starting mid -May. Paid weekly. Email mchol@cox.net or call 225-226-0126 now for interview.

CER TIFIED SCIENCE TEACHER The Baton Rouge International School is looking for a certified science teacher for upper elementary and middle school for the 2009-2010 school year. Please send your resume at brisla@yahoo.com.

SUBWAY 4250 BURBANK Sandwich Artists Needed! No Late Nights. Flexible Scheduling.

Next to Izzo and Mushroom.

PLUCKERS WING BAR Now Hiring All positions for Summer and Fall.

Make great Money in a fun working enviroment.

Apply at 4225 Nicholson NATION AL BENCH ADVER TISING Part time or full time Some heavy lifting involved Flexible hours Must have valid drivers license 573-3363 or 767-7535 CASHIERS WANTED!!! Cashiers needed at Matherne’s Supermarket @ Kenilworth. $7/hour starting pay; $8/hour with experience. We offer a drug-free work environment.

Background check. EOE. Please apply online @ www.mathernes.com !BAR TENDING! Up to $300/Day. No Experience Necessary. Training Provided. Age 18+ OK 1-800-965-6520 xt127 DON’T MISS THIS OPPOR T U N I T Y!

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009 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 INTERVIEWING IN NOL A for Katrina Recovery. Join our LSU Sociology Research Team to conduct interviews of residents in New Orleans neighborhoods. Saturday trips to New Orleans, with full day of work. $9/ hr with free round-trip transportation.

Interesting, meaningful teamwork on community recovery. Contact David Maddox, dmaddo1@tigers.lsu.edu DELIVERY DRIVER Needed for modern, Mid-City retail florist.

Must be RESOURCEFUL, and have a GREAT WORK ETHIC. Great Opportunity to work in a bright, cre-

THE DAILY REVEILLE

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009 ative and laid back atmosphere.

225.344.4361 STUDENTPAY OUT S. COM Paid Survey Takers Needed In Baton Rogue.

100% Free To Join! Click On Surveys.

FOR SALE TIGER MANOR CONDOMINIUMS. UNIT S R E A D Y F ALL 2009!! Brand new 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units for sale star ting at $124,900. Ask about our Guaranteed Buy Back Program!! 3000 July St. 225-3465 0 5 5 w w w . t i g e r m a n o r. c o m L o c a t i o n .

Location. Location... Star t Living.

CONDO FOR S ALE $102,500 2 BR, 1 BA. Short walking distance to LSU, Gated community, Beautiful interior, POOL! Call: 225.252.2335 3/3 CONDO AT L SU CAMPUS Gated: 3/3 1700SF $206,000 Almost New. The Gates At Brightside. 1.5 from campus. Income producing while your student lives free. 407-3530564 Susan 2BR/2.5BA L AKE BEAU PRE Townhome.

Gated, covered parking, alarm system, appliances incl, lots of ammenities. $192,000 985.447.5790 2BR/2.5BA ARLINGTON PL ANTATION Gated, on bus route, all appliances included.

Please call 337-479-0252.

FOR RENT DUPLEX FOR RENT 2 BDMS, 2 BTHS, W/ D, FRIG, ALM SYS, COVERED PARKING 5116 B R I G H T SIDE VIEW AVAIL 6-1-09, 225.658.9095 B R I G H T SIDE PARK TOWNHOMES. Pre-leasing for summer and fall. 2br 2.5 bath pool, w/ d. $900/ mth $500 dep. 9556480 southlandpropertiesinc.com WALK TO L SU 1 and 2 BR FLATS and TH, pool, laundry center. University View Apartments on West Parker. Call Hannah 767-2678. NO PETS. ATTN SERIOUS S TUDENT S! Want quiet?

Want space? Large 1 and 2 br apts in small complex within walking distance of LSU. No children or pets permitted. 1-br $500. 2-br $700. 757-8175 or 924-1934. http//riverroadapartments.tripod.com 4 BEDROOM HOUSE FOR RENT 3 full baths and 1 half bath.

Available August 1, 2009.

1501 Harwich Dr. BR, La, 70820 Safe and quiet neighborhood.

Large house, appliances included.

Bedrooms include walk-in closets. 5 cars fit in driveway. Contact kminor3@tigers.lsu.edu 504.258.0732 1 BR ON BURBANK -FROM $475 www.lsubr.com for pictures/floorplan. 4065, 4243 Burbank. $300 deposit. No pets, not even visiting. Leave a message. 241-1649 1 BR ON BURBANK -FROM $475 www.lsubr.com for pictures/ floorplan. 4065, 4243, 4118 Burbank. $300 deposit. No pets, not even visiting. Leave a message.

978-1649 TOWNHOMES 2 BR / 1.5 ba w/d, alarm, fans, patio, water pd, no pets, $1000 rent / $500 dep avl 8/1 225-766-6555 TOWNHOME 2 BR / 1.5 ba w/d, alarm, fans, patio, water pd, no pets, $1000 rent / $500 dep avl 6/1 225-766-6555 1BR UNF WALK TO L SU Les Petites Apts 3313 Iowa St w/stove, fridge, central A/C 9275495 225.766.0679 NEAR L SU CAMPUS 3BR houses with garages. Washer/dryer and appliances incl.

Fenced yards pet ok. $1195-$1295.1BR’s $375-$495 Available June. Call Martha@McDaniel Prop. 225.388.9858 BEAUTIFUL TOWN HM. 1564 SHARLO 3 br 2 ba hi clgs fp ct yd $1300 mo +dep 225-9266041

2 BA HOUSE 2 ba house for rent in Meadowbend Subd. near LSU. 7865 Clover Ridge. Pets Welcome. $1200. mo., $500. deposit.

Call 985.688.2757 A R L I N G T O N T R AC E Reserve yours now for Summer/Fall ’09.

2bed/2.5 bath - $1,300/monthly 3bed/3.5 bath - $1,650/monthly All appliances included.

Dean Flores Real Estate 225.767.2227 $S TUDENT $PECIAL!! LARGE 1 BR APT. WALK TO L S U !! 769-7757 / 978-3123 1 B R E F F I C I E N C Y. A l l u t i l i t i e s p d . n o kitchen.4339 Highland. $390/ mth. call Eric 379-8653 RENT BRIGHT SIDE ES TATES CONDO 3 br./2 bath 1st Floor 3 car parking near pool & volleyball courts on LSU Bus route (225)266-9063 2BR/1BA HIGHL ANDER CONDO North Gates of LSU gated W/D pool $800 225.928.1418 CHATEAU DU COUR IN TIGERL AND Large 2 BR 1 B in gated complex..772-2429 mckproperties.com 2BD2BA L A K E B E A U P R E T O W N H O M E $575 per person plus utilities. avail in Aug. leave message 713.248.9107 WALK 2 CAMPUS! 2BA/2.5 BATH Gated Community: 3330 Willard St. 1100/ mo +1000 dep. H20/Wifi incl. No Dogs.

Furniture Negotiable. Call 225-638-4517. $AVE $$$ WALK $AVE $$$ WALK TO LSU! LARGE 1 BR! ON SITE MGR 769-7757/ 9783123/ 767-4128 S T O R E Y OUR S T U F F Student Special - Get 1st Month FREE. Climate Control of LA Self Storage.

3147 College Dr. just past the RR tracks.

Enter thru College Creek Shopping Center.

Various sizes, covered loading, video recorded surveillance and alarms, 24/7 access.

24/7 service with our Insomniac machine (rent a unit, make a payment, buy a lock) - very cool.

We Love Students.

We also have Budget Rent-a-Car and Rent-a-Truck.

225.927-8070 TIGER PARK LSU. 1 and 2 Br. TH. pool. $525 to $700 call 766-7224 225.892.8517 TIGER MANOR CONDOMINIUMS. UNIT S R E A D Y F O R F ALL 2009! Brand new 1, 2, & 3 bedrooms available. Reserve your unit today! W a l k t o c l a s s ! 3 0 0 0 J u l y S t . 2 2 5 - 3 4 6 5055. www.tigermanor.com Location. Location. Location... Star t Living.

G R E AT L O C ATION - ON BUS ROUTE Spacious 2bd/1.5ba Condo on Brightside, w/d & appl. incl., patio, water incl., alarm sys., avail. Aug., 1000/mo + 500 dep. Call Mark 337-626-1169 or e-mail mgjakel@aol.com L ARGE HOUSE 4 brm/2ba 2200.ft. $1600mo. dep.req.great location 318.573.5102 CONDO FOR RENT 3BR/2BA Brightside Estates. Refrig washer and dryer. On LSU bus route. $1550 mo. Avail June 1 for summer semester 504.453.9414 HOUSE FOR RENT 3/2ba house on lake in Nicholson Lakes sub all amenities avail may 1st 1500/ mo 225-933-3477 *L A K E B E A U P R E ’ T O W N H O M E S * Reserve your place now for Summer/ Fall ’09.

2br/2.5b - $1300/ mo.

3br/3.5b - $1650/ mo.

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Dean Flores Real Estate 225.767.2227 2BR - 4119 BURBANK Available soon. www.lsubr.com for pictures and floor plan.

445-0039. $625. No pets.

ROOMMATES R O O M M ATE WANTED 3 BR 2 BA CONDO, on Y A Tittle in Tigerland, excel cond, pool, utils pd incl WiFi & cable, gated prkng, wash/ dry, near bus line, alarms, $475/ mo

PAGE 38 504.864.9283

Say “Hey!” next time we pass.

ROOM IN NICE house. No lease. W&d, Internet, cable, etc. $295. Deposit $250 225.921.1209

LOOKING FOR MY MATCH to fill the little opening in the jumbeled sock drawer of my heart. White female who is into snake charming, chainsaws & sealing envelopes with hot wax. Seeking male companion with high ACT score, high cheekbones and high self esteem. No Weirdos PLEASE! allthegoodonesweretaken666@yahoo.com

MALE GR AD Needs roommate to share 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath Lake Beau Pre Townhouse minutes from class. Gated, Workout Room, Pool, Tennis Court $625 ALL UTILITIES UNCLUDED! Grad or Vet student preferred. 225.247.0567 R O O M M ATES NEEDED Furnished house, 4 BR 2 Bath, garage and yard; Nicholson Lakes, $500/mo + utilities; Females 225.773.7054

PERSONALS CALLING ALL COUG ARS! Have you been looking for that dainty little thing in all the wrong places? Well, I’m just a cub looking for some love so come meet me at Louie’s by campus at 5:00pm one day during exam week. It’s a date! (this includes the Red Door girls) STILL SEEKING SUGR A M A M A Sexy 22yo s/w/m looking for an attractive, adventurous cougar 25-42 years old. Do not be shy! I will make your dreams come true. Tell me about yourself when you take me out for lunch! brokeinbr@gmail.com SEEKING ROOMIE Boy, Girl, & 2 Cats looking for 3rd housemate. $400/month + Shared Utilities. (Highland & Lee) Lush yard, close to LSU, balcony, sun room & nice neighborhood. khowar7@tigers.lsu.edu 225.603.3637 SEXY MAN-BEAS T ON THE PROWL. Newly single bisexual Abercrombie model looking for love in all the wrong places. Must have love handles.

(504) 376-5525 HEY! You always seem to be walking to your car as I am walking to class. Last week you actually waved at me (I think it was at me!).

This has been going on for quite a few weeks, but we both get “surprised” looks on our faces every time we see each other.

I F R AT HARD ALL DAY AND NIGHT One thing a frat cant get me is love. Unless Love is a passed out sorority chick, i’ll take that too BTW. Come frat hard with me (polo shirt included)...ffazio1@lsu.edu LOOKING TO SCORE?!?!

Fun, smart, cute blonde babe about to graduate... Looking for involved, soccer-playing male grad-student... Only wanting a quick fling before I move away in the Fall! Come play with me! anchorchelsea@gmail.com I NEED A FRECKLY REDHEAD GIRL I am in love with redheads and their freckles, and I just can’t seem to find any; it’s a problem! I have a great sense of humor, and I’m pretty intelligent and caring. So if there are any freckled redhead girls out there who like to meet a muscular Italian guy, email me at TheGoon6@hotmail.com L SU GUY Looking for love in all the wrong places.

Finally decided to put this up here. I’m 22 going to graduate next May. I need a sweet girl who is content being herself. I like movies, going out to dinner, traveling, and of course LSU Football.

Tigerlovin22@gmail.com GIRL NEEDED FOR girl needed for laundry and creation of tasty ice cream treats hungrymandirtylaundry@yahoo.com SEEKING CHARITABLE, outdoor loving individual. Must love animals and the occasional hiking or camping trip. Drop me a message at HighpointingForAmerica.org

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THE DAILY REVEILLE

Monday, may 4, 2009