The Daily Reveille - March 12, 2014

CRIME: LSUPD arrests another student for payroll fraud, p. 3

OPINION: Reckless driving a problem in Baton Rouge, p. 12

Reveille The Daily

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 106

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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

LAWSUIT

University to appear in court of appeals Deanna Narveson Staff Writer

Jennings begins transition to starting quarterback STORY MIKE GEGENHEIMER Sports Writer

Anthony Jennings watched film of the 2014 Outback Bowl more times than he can count.

The rising LSU sophomore quarterback said he was shaky in the huddle last season and didn’t know what to say or do when 10 of his teammates turned to him for answers.

JENNINGS, see page 6

LSU sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings throws the ball during practice Monday at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility.

CHARLOTTE WILLCOX /

The Daily Reveille

The University is set to appear in the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeals on April 1 to appeal the rulings in the lawsuit filed against the University in April 2013, said the University’s attorney Jimmy Faircloth.

The Advocate and NOLA. com | The Times-Picayune initially sued the University when it failed to release information about potential candidates for the president search prior to the hiring of LSU President F. King Alexander. Baton Rouge District Judge Janice Clark ruled in favor of the media outlets and said the documents fell into the category of public records.

Clark then ruled the University was in contempt of court in August after it failed to turn over the candidate information as dictated by the ruling in April, imposing a $500-per-day fine from the day she made her first ruling LAWSUIT, see page 6

STUDIO ARTS BUILDING

Facility Services, EHS say building is safe despite old age Health, safety risks concern students Olivia McClure Senior Reporter

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series detailing concerns surrounding the Studio Arts Building.

Although University art students are concerned about health and safety risks in the Studio

Arts Building, Facility Services and the Office of Environmental Health and Safety insist the building is not dangerous.

Using home test kits, students have identified lead and asbestos in the building. They are worried about the effects of those substances on their health.

Lead paint and asbestos-based materials are common in older buildings on campus.

Michael Hooks, assistant director of EHS, said while the lead paint in the Studio Arts Building is in

poor condition, it has not deteriorated to the point of creating dust that people could ingest.

“You would have to be doing some kind of active work to make this a problem, like sandblasting, scraping, sanding of the leadbased paint to get enough in the air to create dust that would be of a hazardous nature to building occupants or workers,” Hooks said.

“Just some flaky paint here or there, while it’s unfortunate that BUILDING SAFETY, see page 6

CHARLOTTE WILLCOX / The Daily Reveille

Mold grows Feb. 27 from a water leak in the hallway ceiling of the Studio Arts Building.

The Daily Reveille

page 2

TODAY’S FORECAST

Nation & World

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

NATIONAL

STATE/LOCAL

Calif. mulls how to regulate driverless cars Release

ordered for death row inmate

The Associated Press

Partly Cloudy/Wind HIGH 62 LOW 36

sunrise: 7:18 a.m. sunset: 7:11 p.m.

Thursday HIGH 60 LOW 40

Friday HIGH 68 LOW 56

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sooner or later, consumers will be able to buy cars that rely on computers — not the owner — to do the driving.

With that in mind, the California Department of Motor Vehicles held an initial public hearing Tuesday as it puzzles through how to regulate the public’s use of the technology that is still being tested.

Among the complex questions officials wanted to unravel: How will the state know the cars are safe?

Does a driver even need to be behind the wheel?

Can manufacturers mine data from onboard computers to make product pitches based on where the car goes or set insurance rates on how it is driven?

Once the stuff of science fiction, driverless cars could be commercially available by decade’s end. Before then, the DMV wants to decide how to integrate the cars — often called autonomous vehicles — onto public roads.

Three other states have passed driverless car laws, but those rules mostly focus on testing.

California’s Legislature passed a

The Associated Press

ERIC RISBERG / The Associated Press

The California Department of Motor Vehicles held a public hearing Tuesday to solicit ideas on how to integrate driverless cars onto public roads.

law in 2012 that mandated rules on testing and public operation, and the DMV expects within weeks to finalize regulations dictating what companies must do to test the technology on public roads.

Those rules came after Google Inc. already had sent its fleet of Priuses and Lexuses, fitted with an array of sensors including radar and lasers, hundreds of thousands

of miles in California. Major automakers also have tested their own models.

Now, the DMV is scrambling to regulate the broader use of the cars. With federal government apparently years away from developing regulations, California’s rules could effectively become the national standard.

ANGOLA (AP) — A Caddo Parish man prepared Tuesday to walk free after spending almost 26 years on death row at Louisiana’s maximum security prison at Angola.

Glenn Ford, now 64, has been on death row since Aug. 23, 1988, for the 1983 murder of Isadore Rozeman, 56, a Shreveport jeweler and watchmaker for whom he did occasional yard work, state corrections officials said Tuesday. Ford has always denied killing Rozeman.

A district judge on Monday approved the state’s motion to vacate Ford’s conviction and sentence based on new information that corroborated his claim that he was not present or involved in Rozeman’s death, Ford’s attorneys said.

INTERNATIONAL

Pistorius on trial for murder The Associated Press

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Oscar Pistorius fired guns in public in the months before he killed his girlfriend — a onetime friend said at the athlete’s murder trial Tuesday.

The account by Darren Fresco portrayed Pistorius as a reckless hothead infatuated with firearms and seemingly drifting down a precarious path before he fatally shot Reeva Steenkamp through a closed toilet door at his home before dawn on Feb. 14, 2013.

The athlete is on trial for murder in the killing of Steenkamp,

and also faces two firearm charges for shooting in public and a third firearm charge for illegal possession of ammunition.

Pistorius says he shot Steenkamp by mistake, thinking she was a dangerous intruder. The prosecution says he killed her after an argument.

If convicted on the murder charge, Pistorius could be sent to prison for at least 25 years before the chance of parole, the minimum time someone must serve if given a life sentence in South Africa.

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 email editor@lsureveille.com.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Daily Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Daily Reveille is an independent entity within the Manship School of Mass Communication. A single issue of The Daily Reveille is free. To purchase additional copies for 25 cents, please contact the Office of Student Media in B-34 Hodges Hall. The Daily Reveille is published daily during the fall and spring semesters and semi-weekly during the summer semester, except during holidays and final exams. Second-class copies postage paid at Baton Rouge, La., 70803. Annual weekly mailed subscriptions are $125, semester weekly mailed subscriptions are $75. Non-mailed student rates are $4 each regular semester, $2 during the summer; one copy per person, additional copies 25 cents each. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Daily Reveille, B-39 Hodges Hall, LSU, Baton Rouge, La.,70803.

KEVIN SUTHERLAND / The Associated Press

Oscar Pistorius covers his face Tuesday as he listens to cross questioning about the events surrounding the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, during his trial.

The Daily Reveille B-16 Hodges Hall • Baton Rouge, La. 70803

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The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

TECHNOLOGY

Funding awarded for X-ray project Machine available for local research Panya Kroun Contributing Writer

Science is expensive, but University chemistry professor Les Butler says it doesn’t have to be.

The College of Science recently announced that Butler and his research group received a $500,000 award from the W.M. Keck Foundation for their proposal to construct an X-ray tomography machine, which scans objects in ultra high resolution by lighting them up against dark backgrounds. The University will match the funds Butler received from the foundation, and researchers across Baton Rouge will be able to use the machine to enhance their own projects.

“We want to make this technology a lot more available than it currently is,” Butler said.

Butler and his crew subcontracted various parts of the machine’s design from a Belgian company. They will construct it with the help of scientists from New York University and the funds they received from the University and the Keck Foundation. University professor Kenneth Matthews II said the project will likely cost a few million dollars.

This figure might sound large, but Matthews said the cost is reasonable, given that its close relative, the Synchrotron, cost more than $25 million to bring to the University. The machine will be a smaller version of the Synchrotron installed in the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices on campus. The Synchrotron is capable of producing highly detailed three-dimensional examination of large objects.

“The machine basically works like the ones in hospitals, but the images come out a lot more clearly, and it can be used for a wider range of research applications,” Matthews said.

Butler and his colleagues in material sciences study battery failure, 3-D printers and flame retardation. He said he anticipates the new machine will allow him to make significant advances with his own research.

Butler and his group have already been approached by many people across campus. Butler said the machine will be built by a team of chemists, medical physicists and computer scientists, and as such, it will be able to meet the demands of a myriad of different projects.

In the past, these devices have been used prominently in biomedical engineering. Scientists used the machine’s high resolution imaging capabilities to study materials that can’t be observed with other kinds of technology. This imaging has led to many important discoveries, including materials that allow for instantaneous drug delivery, which reduces the time it takes for medicine to affect the body.

Matthews said making the machine available for all of the

courtesy of LSU CENTER FOR ADVANCED MICROSTRUCTURES AND DEVICES

The X-ray tomography machine will scan objects in ultra high resolution by lighting them up against dark backgrounds. It can be used for many different areas of research.

University to use will likely lead to similar innovations.

“These are more effective at screening for breast cancer and osteoporosis than hospital scanners are, so we expect this to be used for a lot of medical research,” Matthews said.

At least 15 researchers have submitted proposals to Butler and his crew.

“One guy wants to scan artifacts he found in Central America, and someone else will use it to develop more efficient ways of extracting oil from rocks,” Matthews said.

Butler’s proposal also included a request from an ecologist who wants to scan tree bark and a toxicologist who will study contaminants in soil, a growing concern in

the bayous of Louisiana.

“I study why batteries fail and why flame retardants fail, and I try to make it so they don’t,” Butler said.

The machine will likely be installed in the Socolofsky Microscopy Center in the Choppin Hall Annex, though the University has yet to confirm this location.

Butler said the project will be completed within three years and will be available to undergraduate researchers and faculty members alike.

“This will basically be open to anyone who’s interested in using it,” Matthews said.

Contact Panya Kroun at pkroun@lsureveille.com

MARCH

EVENT CALENDAR 12 TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014 5:00 PM 6:30 PM

Joshua Paxton - The Little Gem Saloon

7:00 PM

New Orleans Pelicans vs Memphis Grizzlies - New Orleans Arena

7:30 PM

Memphis the Musical - Saenger Theatre ZZ Ward - House of Blues New Orleans Cirque du Soleil: Varekai - Baton Rouge River Center

8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:30 PM

LSU Baseball - Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field - LSU

Hopsin's Knock Madness Tour - House of Blues New Orleans Rhett Guillot - Lava Cantina Glen David Andrews - The Little Gem Saloon

page 3 CAMPUS CRIME BRIEFS University student arrested for payroll fraud LSU Police Department spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde said LSUPD officers arrested Brian Paul Broussard, 22, of 8830 North Sam Houston Parkway, Humble, Texas, on March 6 for payroll fraud.

This is one of several cases of payroll fraud at the University in the past two months.

Employees from the LSU Academic Center for Student Athletes, located in the Cox Communications building, contacted LSUPD on Feb. 28 to identify Broussard, a student worker, who the department suspected of committing payroll fraud, Lalonde said.

Broussard admitted to LSUPD investigators he left the Academic Center for Student Athletes shortly after signing in on several different occasions, Lalonde said.

This incidence of payroll fraud follows a string of arrests for payroll fraud and attempted payroll fraud. The two students previously arrested for attempted payroll fraud were also student workers at the Cox Communications Building.

Broussard was arrested and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

Union after business hours. Surveillance footage revealed the man mostly stayed in the second floor computer lab, Lalonde said.

LSUPD investigators noticed the suspect return to the Student Union on March 7 well after 2 a.m.

Officers were dispatched to the Student Union, where they identified the suspect to be Abdelkhalek, Lalonde said.

Abdelkhalek admitted to being previously told to leave the building by Student Union employees.

Abdelhalek was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

Man issued misdemeanor summons for misdemeanor theft LSUPD officers issued a misdemeanor summons for theft March 9 to Alden Warner, 20, of 11917 Cardigan Ave., for misdemeanor theft, Lalonde said.

Officers were dispatched to the LSU UREC earlier during the day after receiving a call from a victim who said someone stole $180 from their wallet, Lalonde said.

The victim, who personally knew the suspect, identified Warner through pulled UREC surveillance footage, Lalonde said.

LSUPD officers arrested Warner after the victim called Warner and asked him to return to the UREC.

Man arrested for unlawful entry into Student Union building On March 7, LSUPD officers arrested Ahmed Moustafa Abdel Abdelkhalek, 29, of 740 West Chimes St., for unlawful entry into a place of business, Lalonde said.

LSUPD officers received information March 6 regarding a man observed entering the Student

Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_news

POLL: Would it be easy to commit payroll fraud as an LSU student worker? Vote online at lsureveille.com.

EVENTS $10 Race Night Take advantage of $10 go-kart races all night!

Come be a rockstar at Baton Rouge’s premiere indoor kart facility, Rockstar Racing! www.rockstarracing.net

Social Media for the Job Search Wednesday, March 12, 11:30 a.m., Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library Learn how to harness social media tools to help you land your next job! Founder and managing director of dezinsINTERACTIVE, Orhan McMillan, will be presenting.

For more info call (225) 381-8434

Comedy Night - The Station Sports Bar and Grill Band Karaoke - Boudreaux & Thibodeaux's Drag Bingo - George's Place Karaoke - The Spanish Moon

For more information on LSU events or to place your own event you can visit www.lsureveille.com/calendar

Telescope Training Class Saturdays, March 8 & 13, 2:00 p.m., Carver Branch Library Interested in stargazing? If so come learn how to work the library’s Dobsonian telescope! It’s available for rent after you take this training course!

For info call (225) 231-3770

The Daily Reveille

page 4

STATE

WEATHER

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Lawmakers Students enjoy warmer days attempt to curb violence How have you taken advantage of the warmer weather?

James Richards Staff Writer

The brash of cold weather the University saw throughout the past few months is starting to clear up, with much more moderate weather so far this week. The

National Weather Service’s New Orleans/Baton Rouge Weather Forecast Office said the warmer weather is not here to stay, with a cold front coming through Baton Rouge on Wednesday. The projected low is in the high 30s, with potential cold spells possible into

April. In the meantime, students have been taking advantage of the break in cold temperatures.

Contact James Richards at jrichards@lsureveille.com

Quint Forgey Staff Writer

State legislators are attempting to curb Louisiana’s domestic violence problem with a new package of legislation to be presented in the current legislative session.

Rep. Helena Moreno and Sen. J.P. Morrell are introducing various anti-domestic violence bills that could increase jail time for offenders and allow a victim of domestic abuse to be granted an immediate divorce, as opposed to waiting 180 days under Louisiana’s current laws.

Louisiana ranks second in the nation for homicides related to domestic abuse, according to the IRIS Domestic Violence Center of Baton Rouge.

Moreno’s and Morrell’s legislation was endorsed earlier this month by the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (LCADV), a statewide coalition of shelters, non-residential programs and individuals working to combat domestic violence in Louisiana.

Beth Meeks, executive director of the LCADV, spoke out against Louisiana’s domestic violence problem in a news release.

“If a virus was killing people in Louisiana at a rate twice as high as the rest of the nation, we’d declare a public health emergency,” Meeks said. “Every leader would be working around the clock to stop it. Why don’t we have that sense of urgency about the murders of our mothers and wives?”

LSU Police Department spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde said domestic violence on campus is an issue his office takes seriously.

“We do deal with it from time to time. More attention is being brought to it,” Lalonde said.

Seirra Fowler, health promotion coordinator at the Student Health Center, said the University is not alone in the issues it faces concerning domestic abuse.

“I think interpersonal violence is a problem on every college campus,” Fowler said.

Fowler is the co-coordinator of the University’s Lighthouse Program, which provides aid to student victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, relationship violence and stalking.

Contact Quint Forgey at qforgey@lsureveille.com

Alexander Nadler chemical engineering junior

Andrew Core

‘I’ve been studying for midterms, so I haven’t been able to enjoy it.’

‘I miss the cold. I don’t have to worry about overheating when I ride my bike.’

physics and computer science freshman

‘I got to walk my dog and let her play in the sun.’

Hannah Teer

Chelsea Johns

international studies freshman

kinesiology junior

Laura Flandez

Mitchell LaBauve

psychology sophomore

psychology freshman

Grad programs average among SEC schools While some University graduate degree programs gained ground in national rankings, they remain middle-of-the-road overall among their Southeastern Conference peers.

U.S. News and World Report released its 2015 rankings of graduate schools Tuesday. The magazine grades schools offering graduate degrees in law, education, business and other disciplines based on criteria like quality of education, selectivity, graduate success and faculty resources.

University graduate programs remained in similar positions nationally compared to last year’s rankings, with some gaining a few places and others falling.

The Paul M. Hebert Law Center rose four places from last year to No. 77 among 194 law degree-granting institutions nationwide in the U.S. News rankings. The ranking is the highest the Law Center has ever achieved.

Meanwhile, the University’s Flores MBA Program offered by the E.J. Ourso College of Business dropped four places to No. 65 after making a 20-place jump in last year’s rankings.

In a statement, Flores MBA

‘We’ve been throwing the frisbee around.’

‘I’ve been running more.’

UNIVERSITY

Staff Reports

‘I’ve been sitting out in the quad more.’

Program director Edward Watson attributed the drop in standings to losing the “splash factor” from the opening of the new Business Education Complex, which he said originally led to the school’s higher ranking.

In the same statement, Watson compared the competitive environment between graduate schools to that between SEC football teams, saying the competition can be “determined by inches.”

Compared to other SEC schools, however, University graduate programs fail to stand out.

No University graduate school ranks higher than sixth in SEC schools, with the engineering college holding that position despite being ranked No. 94 nationally.

The Flores MBA Program and Law Center both rank seventh among SEC schools, and both tied in score with the University of Tennessee’s equivalent programs.

The University’s education graduate program ranked ninth in the SEC, tied with the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.

Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at news@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_news

FACULTY

Haynie named humanities dean James Richards Staff Writer

Stacia Haynie was named the new dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences on Tuesday, according to a University news release. Haynie is a professor of political science and has previously served as interim dean of the graduate school and as vice provost for academic affairs.

Haynie succeeds Gaines Foster, who announced last April that he would step down to return to his work as a history professor and researcher.

Haynie’s selection makes her the second internal candidate to be named dean recently, following the selection of Richard White, the new dean of the E. J. Ourso College of Business.

Recent College of Science dean selection Cynthia Peterson received her Bachelor of Science from the University, making Haynie the third University-affiliated dean to be announced in the recent dean searches.

Haynie was chosen over Eric Link from the University of Memphis and R. Kyle Longley from Arizona State University.

She will begin her appointment April 1, pending Board of Supervisors approval.

Contact James Richards at jrichards@lsureveille.com

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Wednesday, March 12, 2014 JENNINGS, from page 1 The Marietta, Ga., native was thrust into the spotlight against Iowa and expected to fill in for injured senior Zach Mettenberger, who had just spent the last 12 games making LSU fans believe in the pass again.

Jennings responded like a freshman, completing 7-of-19 passes for 82 yards and a pick six.

“I don’t think [the Outback Bowl] was one of my best games.

If it was, I don’t think I would be starting,” Jennings said.

But after all the hours spent in a dark film room, the Tigers’ sophomore quarterback knows one thing: that was last season.

“I’m confident because every guy on my team is rallying around me to become a better leader, to become a better quarterback,” Jennings said. “When you have better relationships with everyone on the team, it makes you better.”

Jennings’ belief that he was a rallying point for his teammates isn’t far off either. LSU senior offensive lineman La’el Collins said Jennings’ inexperience actually drew him closer to the green Tiger.

“When you look at guys like that, you remember when you were in their shoes and you kind of want to just be around those guys and lift them up and keep them confident,” Collins said.

Jennings said his primary focus this offseason has been becoming a better leader on and off the field for the veteran team he’s inherited.

In his mind, any quarterback good enough to be extended a scholarship to a program like LSU can throw the ball, and so far, his

competition has held true to that belief.

LSU early enrollee Brandon Harris took snaps with the third string during the first week of practice, but appears to be the favorite to back up Jennings once the season starts. Sophomore Hayden Rettig is also in the mix.

Harris plays a similar style as Jennings, as both are considered more mobile quarterbacks, but Jennings said he feels a bond with his new teammate after being in the same position last season. “[Harris] can run the ball just like I can, and he can throw the ball with the best of them,” Jennings said. “Just what’s different right now is that he doesn’t know as much as I do, but that comes with time.”

Several Tigers, including LSU coach Les Miles, had to correct themselves before accidentally and prematurely anointing Jennings as the heir apparent to Mettenberger’s throne under center, but Miles isn’t ready to officially hand over the crown any time soon.

Miles said making a decision about a starting quarterback this early would be foolish, comparing Jennings’ situation to that of JaMarcus Russell and Matt Flynn in 2006.

“It’s all in the process,” Miles said. “In the early practices, he should have some advantages in the fact that the offense is kind of repeated for him. We’re just looking for him to compete and take the job.”

Assuming he gets the job, Jennings has the daunting task of following up one of the most prolific LSU passing

The Daily Reveille

page 5

TAYLOR BALKOM / The Daily Reveille

LSU sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings (10) throws the ball Monday during spring football practice at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility.

attacks to ever see the lights of Tiger Stadium.

The LSU offense found new life in 2013 with Mettenberger and former wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.

Together, the trio bucked the runheavy LSU schemes of the past to put together 2,278 yards and 18 touchdowns through the air before Mettenberger’s injury.

LSU junior offensive lineman

Thanks

Vadal Alexander said it’s strange not having Mettenberger behind him this spring, but that not everything different is bad.

Alexander said he has a personal attachment to Mettenberger because of the relationship they’ve developed over the past few years, but on the field, Alexander’s only preference is the best quarterback.

The biggest change Jennings brings to the position — and biggest

challenge for his blockers — is the ability to extend plays with his legs.

Jennings’ ability to scramble out of the pocket is in stark contrast to Mettenberger’s pocket-passer style. Jennings’ 21yard carry against Arkansas registered as the only time an LSU quarterback ran for more than 20 yards on a single play last season.

This forces linemen like Alexander to prepare for a quarterback on the move as opposed to always knowing where Mettenberger would be.

“Zach was a pocket passer, get the ball out, ball is on the money,” Jennings said. “Anthony might see something, see open field and just move around the pocket, and you’ve got to be ready for that.”

But even if the two don’t play the same quarterback style, Jennings said he’s been talking with Mettenberger every week during the offseason to see what he can absorb from his predecessor.

Jennings said the most important piece of advice Mettenberger has given him so far is to act like the quarterback of LSU football. “[Mettenberger] just said it’s a grind,” Jennings said. “Becoming the LSU quarterback is one of the most prestigious positions in all of college football. [I have] to do the right thing even when nobody is looking.”

Contact Mike Gegenheimer at mgegenheimer@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @Gegs_TDR

page 6 that are deficiencies are not necessarily danger.”

The building has passed inwe have that, it shouldn’t present spections by the state fire mara hazard to the occupants.”

Lead and asbestos abatement shal’s office, meaning it is officialahead of renovation is not likely, ly considered safe to occupy. Still, Hooks said, because it is an ex- if anyone has concerns, Maharrey pensive process during which the said they should notify Facility facility could not be occupied. It Services.

Roger Husser, Facility Seralso would not be cost-effective for a building already due for ren- vices director of planning, design and construction, said while the ovation.

Tom Walsh, EHS industrial building may be safe, renovation hygiene health and safety officer, remains critical.

“The building needs a lot of said the OSHA-approved level of lead in the air is 50 micrograms work,” Husser said. “It’s in poor per cubic meter of air. He pointed condition. It’s very difficult for Facility Services out that lead is an to continue to try element of nature ‘It’s very difficult to maintain it in its found in even the cleanest air outfor Facility Services current condition, so we’re desperside. to continue to try to ately awaiting the “I don’t see renovation funds that lead exposure maintain it in its from the state.” at this level would current condition, A complete be a long-term risk,” Walsh said. so we’re desperately renovation would take 18 to 24 “You look at acute awaiting the months and would and long-term.

The acute risk we renovation funds from be done in two phases so half of know is not there. the state.’ the building could The long-term risk be occupied while … comes into play the other is renowith the variations Roger Husser vated. Husser said of their life.” director of planning, design the state provided Students also and construction funds to complete worry about safeLSU Facility Services renovation plans ty hazards like exa couple of years posed wiring and loose wood bricks in the floor. But ago, but they cannot be impleno one has reported those issues in mented until the state legislature the past six months, according to appropriates the $15 million needa list of work orders provided by ed for renovation in its capital outlay budget.

Facility Services.

The building, which was “Anything that’s an immediate danger is handled im- constructed in 1924 and origimediately,” said Dave Maharrey, nally housed engineering shops, executive associate director of has never received a complete Facility Services. “Some things renovation. The systems in the

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

BUILDING SAFETY, from page 1

LAWSUit, from page 1

in April.

Lori Mince, lawyer for The Advocate and NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, said the current total of court fees owed by the University is in excess of $50,000, on top of what is owed in attorney fees and the fines for the days leading up to when the president’s search documents were submitted to Clark in

September 2013.

LSU lead legal counsel Shelby McKenzie said in an email in September that the LSU Board of Supervisors will not pay the fines owed until the case has been through the entire process of appeals.

Former Editor in Chief of The Daily Reveille Andrea Gallo filed a similar but separate lawsuit against the University on April 1, 2013, but a judge

CHARLOTTE WILLCOX / The Daily Reveille

Walls in the Studio Arts Building have lead paint, but Facility Services and the Office of Environmental Health and Safety say it is safe.

building are “old and decrepit,” Husser said.

When the ceramics studio ceiling collapsed in November, Facility Services had to make unplanned repairs. Asbestos must be monitored to make sure it remains in a safe condition. The building’s aging heating ventilation and air conditioning equipment requires servicing more often than newer equipment. ultimately sided with the University in that case, saying the names were not public record.

Contact Deanna Narveson at dnarveson@lsureveille.com

The Advocate and NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune v. LSU: a timeline March 21, April 8, 2013: November 2013: The Advocate 2012: LSU NOLA.com | submits public Presidential The Timesrecords request Search Picayune for candidate Committee files similar information set suit March 18, 2013: LSU Presidential Search committee recommends F. King Alexander to the Board of Supervisors

April 1, 2013: The Advocate files public lawsuit against the University for refusing to release documents

May 1, 2013: University ordered to release presidential candidate information

April 30, 2013: Judge Janice Clark rules in favor of media outlets, citing the University’s actions as illegal

Sept. 16, 2013: University attorney Jimmy Faircloth brings records to judge

Aug. 14, Sept. 26, 2013: 2013: Final University ruling on money found in owed by the contempt of University for court for not contempt and releasing the withholding of records the records

April 1, 2014: University to appear in Louisiana Court of Appeals First Circuit for oral argument with the goal of overturning 2013 ruling

“It’s certainly not cost-effective,” Husser said.

“Not only would the appropriate funding from the state result in a more appropriate space for studio arts, but it would also reduce our annual expenditures

for maintenance.”

Contact Olivia McClure at omcclure@lsureveille.com

Sports

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

page 7

BEACH BUMS

RICHARD REDMANN / The Daily Reveille

LSU head sand volleyball coach Russell Brock (right) speaks with senior Kaitlin Hatcher on Feb. 7 during practice at Mango’s Beach Volleyball.

Brock realizing passion as sand volleyball coach

LSU sand volleyball to host first event Tyler Nunez Sports Contributor

The LSU sand volleyball team will get its first chance to show fans what the new program is all about when it hosts its first ever organized competition, the Purple vs. Gold scrimmage, at 2:30 p.m. today at Mango’s Beach Volleyball Club.

From analyzing pairs and

matchups to adjusting to the gameday atmosphere, LSU coach Russell Brock said he hopes the event will act as a learning experience on virtually every level.

“Wednesday will really be the competition for us to see if we need to make some adjustments,” Brock said. “We’ll have a lot SAND VOLLEYBALL, see page 11

Tyler Nunez Sports Contributor

From being outdoors with sand between his toes, to mentoring student-athletes, Russell Brock, LSU’s first sand volleyball coach, loves everything about his job.

The man picked to lead the Tigers in the new program’s inaugural season emits a passion for the

sport that those around him can’t help but notice and spread.

“That’s one of the reasons I knew that he would be the right fit not only for LSU but for sand volleyball,” said LSU indoor volleyball coach Fran Flory. “This is Russell. He fits the culture, he fits the profile of a great college coach.”

Brock’s love of sand volleyball began during his years playing

indoor volleyball for University of Southern California. He and his teammates would regularly go to the beach and play during the offseason, and he became hooked.

Everything about the sport enthralled him: the atmosphere, the sand and the intimate nature of the sport.

“It was just an enhancement of BROCK, see page 15

LSU’s chances in the SEC tourney could be worse THE SMARTEST MORAN JAMES MORAN Sports Columnist Postseason hoops are in full swing across the country as the Southeastern Conference Basketball tournament tips off today in Atlanta.

With No. 1 Florida and Kentucky being the conference’s only real locks to reach the Big Dance, the rest of the league is desperately scrambling to grab one of the last remaining seats.

LSU has a bye and doesn’t play until Thursday, facing Alabama at 6 p.m., but finds itself one of many teams that need to win the SEC tournament to get in because there’s no chance it will receive an

at-large NCAA bid.

That makes the scenario very simple for the Tigers — either win four games in as many days or go home empty-handed. Coach Johnny Jones and company are all in with four rolls of the dice, and all they can do now is try not to crap out and let the chips fall where they may.

Considering the enigmatic ups and downs of LSU’s season, the survive-and-advance nature of what LSU players are calling the “third season” may be exactly what brings out the best in the Tigers.

There’s no need to run through all the peaks and valleys — LSU’s regular season has already been vigorously dissected and autopsied — but the bottom line is LSU is talented but frustratingly inconsistent.

During the course of a full

regular season, that combination landed the Tigers in the middle of the pack in a down conference. But in an all-or-nothing tournament setting, that’s precisely what makes them exceptionally dangerous.

LSU has struggled to string together victories and build on success — each emotional high has been closely followed by a setback — but no off days means there’s no time to dwell on the past.

That’s not to say LSU won’t go one-and-done by losing to Alabama again, but if it has success early, it will be easier to sustain it moving forward.

Without time to install a game plan and over-analyze film, natural instincts take over. Veteran guards Anthony Hickey and Andre Stringer both welcomed the change in BASKETBALL, see page 15

ANGELA MAJOR / The Daily Reveille

LSU junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III (2) moves past a Georgia defender during the Tigers’ 69-61 loss to the Bulldogs in the PMAC.

The Daily Reveille

page 8

BASEBALL

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

MEN’S BASKETBALL

LSU defeats Nicholls, 5-3 Three Tigers earn

postseason SEC honors

David Gray Sports Contributor

It wasn’t the prettiest game for the Tigers against in-state opponent Nicholls State on Tuesday night in Alex Box Stadium, but LSU coach Paul Mainieri will take the win.

“I think the best thing we can say about tonight is that it’s over, and we got it in the win column,” Mainieri said.

LSU (15-2) defeated Nicholls State (8-9), 5-3, despite finishing on the lower end of the hit column. The Tigers had only five hits in the game, compared to eight by the visitors.

Two of the Tigers’ hits came in the second inning, when freshman second baseman Kramer Robertson and junior left fielder Jared Foster both drove in one run apiece to help LSU build a 3-1 lead after the second inning.

But that was where the bats fell silent. The Tigers couldn’t get a hold on Nicholls State left-hander Mike Hanchar, and LSU went the next four innings without scoring a run, including a string of seven consecutive pop outs.

The Tigers didn’t hit or score again until both senior designated hitter Sean McMullen and sophomore shortstop Alex Bregman hit RBI singles in the seventh inning for the final runs of the night. “[Hanchar] was painting the top of the zone, and I guess we kind of got underneath some,” Foster said.

But Hanchar (0-1) lost the pitching duel to junior right-hander Brady Domangue (2-0), who was coming off of a victory against Sacred Heart on March 5. The junior college transfer gave up two runs on five hits in five innings of work for the Tigers.

But the game got off to a rocky

Mike Gegenheimer Sports Writer

TAYLOR BALKOM / The Daily Reveille

LSU junior pitcher Brady Domangue (13) warms up between innings Tuesday during the Tigers’ 5-3 win against Nicholls State in Alex Box Stadium.

start for Domangue, who acknowledged he was battling some nerves.

He gave up one run, two hits and committed an error in the first inning before finding his rhythm.

“In the beginning, I think I was a little tense, especially facing a team that I know well,” Domangue said.

“A bunch of those guys I played [with] growing up, so in the beginning I was a little tense. But in the end, I loosened up.”

Domangue pitched four more innings after the shaky start, and he surrendered only one more run during that span before the bullpen took over for the Tigers, which was perhaps the one area of the game that pleased Mainieri.

5-3

LSU 1

O’Bryant, Mickey, Martin win awards

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NICHOLLS

SCORE BY INNINGS 4

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HITS ERRORS RUNS

1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 8 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 X 5 5 TIGERS COLONELS

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PITCHING: LSU - Domangue (W) 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, NICHOLLS - Hanchar (L) 5 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER

“I thought a couple of guys coming out of the bullpen were really key for us,” Mainieri said. “I thought Zac Person looked outstanding tonight. He was really on. I thought Kurt McCune did a nice job.

I thought Joe Broussard made some big pitches. He fell behind a couple of counts, but then he threw strikes when he needed to.”

The bullpen took over in the top of the sixth inning, with Person being the first reliever called into action. He pitched the sixth and had two strikeouts with no hits, and McCune followed him with a hitless inning of his own in the seventh.

Broussard closed the night for LSU, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth to pick up his third save of the season.

Read about today’s game against Southern, p. 9 Contact David Gray at dgray@lsureveille.com

Despite a bumpy regular season, the LSU men’s basketball team earned several postseason awards as decided by Southeastern Conference coaches.

LSU junior Johnny O’Bryant III headlines a trio of Tigers who earned honors Tuesday, taking home his second-consecutive First Team All-SEC accolades.

Joining O’Bryant in the postseason accolades is freshman duo Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin who both earned places on the SEC All-Freshman team.

O’Bryant led LSU in scoring and rebounding this season with a career-best scoring average of 15.6 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game — ninth and fourth in the conference, respectively.

O’Bryant joins players like Bob Pettit (1952, 1953, 1954), Pete Maravich (1968, 1969, 1970) and Shaquille O’Neal (1990, 1991, 1992) as the ninth Tiger to earn First-Team honors in consecutive seasons and the first since Glen Davis (2006, 2007).

Mickey also was named to the All-SEC Defensive Team and Second Team All-SEC. Mickey leads the conference with 96 blocks during his inaugural season and finished second with a 53.3 percent shooting from the field. Mickey was also fifth in the SEC in average rebounds per game with 7.6.

The last time a pair of LSU players made the All-Freshmen team was 2006 when Tasmin Mitchell and Tyrus Thomas were selected.

Contact Mike Gegenheimer at mgegenheimer@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @Gegs_TDR

Union Ballroom March 19 10am –2 pm

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

BASEBALL

page 9

Poche’ aims to ‘refine’ Bonds’ MLB return disgraceful THE SIXTH pitches against Southern SPENCE Chandler Rome Sports Writer

When LSU and Southern hit the field at 6:30 tonight, polish and focus will be on the agenda.

The stress of midterm exams coupled with a looming series at No. 7 Vanderbilt indicated to LSU coach Paul Mainieri that his team may not come to the park with the right focus for its two midweek tilts against Nicholls St. and Southern.

His intimations were accurate for Tuesday as the Tiger offense sleepwalked through a 5-3 victory against the Colonels.

Tonight, though, new faces will dot the lineup in an effort to jolt the Tiger offense.

“Hopefully that will inject a little bit of energy into the game,” Mainieri said after Tuesday’s win. “[New] guys get a chance to play. … Hopefully we can come away with the victory and play well.”

Freshman lefty Jared Poche’ will start for the Tigers (15-2), but will only go a maximum of two innings, according to Mainieri.

Poche’ is scheduled to start the series finale this weekend against Vanderbilt.

After perhaps his most lackluster outing of the season — a five-inning, five-hit start in a win against Northwestern State last Thursday — Poche’ said tonight serves as a chance to refine his arsenal before facing the Commodores on Sunday.

“I’m just looking to polish things up,” Poche’ said. “Go out

there, throw strikes, hopefully throw two scoreless innings and just work on my game.”

Poche’ singled out command of his fastball and curveball at Northwestern State as his biggest concern and said it’s the biggest aspect of his game he needs to improve upon in his two-inning stint.

“My last outing I was struggling a little bit to throw strikes,” Poche’ said. “Command of my pitches wasn’t there, and I need to be able to throw all my pitches for strikes.”

Poche’s weekend rotation spot is cemented, but he scoffed at any notion that he is looking past Southern, heeding Mainieri’s advice to take it one game at a time.

But as a freshman chomping at the bit for his first Southeastern Conference start, Poche’ said it can be difficult to keep thoughts of Vanderbilt from creeping in.

“In the back of [our] minds, everyone’s thinking about Vanderbilt,” Poche’ said. “But we can’t sleep on Southern. They’re a good ball club, and if we’re not playing up to our abilities, they can come up and give us a loss.”

It’ll be all hands on deck after Poche’ leaves. Mainieri said the Tiger bullpen will hodgepodge the remainder of the game, giving all bullpen pitchers who didn’t throw in Tuesday’s victory some action before heading to Nashville.

Contact Chandler Rome at crome@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @Rome_TDR

SPENCER HUTCHINSON

Sports Editor

On Monday morning, a visibly slimmer and smiling Barry Bonds walked out of a dugout and onto a baseball field for the first time in seven years.

The man branded as the face of Major League Baseball’s steroid era shook hands, signed autographs, imparted hitting tips to several San Francisco Giants players and even answered some questions from the media. All in all, baseball’s largest asterisk, hired as the Giants’ guest hitting instructor, had what seemed like a really good day.

As Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters, “We would always have a welcome mat out there for him.”

But a welcome mat is the last thing that needs to be rolled out for baseball’s all-time home runs leader, who still vehemently denies any use of performance enhancing drugs during his career. Allowing Bonds to parade around spring training being praised by managers and players is yet another sign of weakness and hypocrisy from MLB. MLB just finished its battle to suspend another high-profile steroid user, Alex Rodriguez, for a season, and yet it sits idly by as the man who tainted baseball’s most prestigious record waltzes back into the game to open arms and autographs.

There’s nothing wrong with

Bonds getting a second chance.

Perhaps he’s changed in the last seven years. He definitely seemed happier this week than any time during the last few years of his career.

But MLB needs a consistent standard to judge players by. The league can’t vilify active players using steroids with one hand and with the other, stand by as former steroid users re-enter the league.

August will mark the 25th anniversary of MLB banning Pete Rose, the all-time hits leader, from baseball for gambling on games while he was a player and a coach for the Cincinnati Reds.

Rose admitted to betting on baseball while playing and coaching, but he denies the more egregious crime of betting against his own teams or throwing games to win bets. Similarly, Bonds has never technically been proven guilty of using steroids because he’s never failed a drug test.

MLB will never admit it, but the reason it continues to scapegoat Rose while turning a blind

eye to former steroid users is because it knows steroids made baseball more popular, which made the league a hell of a lot of money. Rose never made the league the kind of money names like Bonds, Sosa and McGwire did.

Instead of welcoming Bonds in and walking the party line, just once I’d like to see a Giants player stand up and refuse to take advice from the face of tainted baseball.

That player would have a welcome mat at my house.

Spencer Hutchinson is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from West Monroe.

Contact Spencer Hutchinson at shutchinson@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @Hutch_TDR

The Daily Reveille

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FOOTBALL

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

SOFTBALL

LSU gaining mercy-rule victories Tigers fueled by offensive dominance Tommy Romanach Sports Contributor

ANGELA MAJOR / The Daily Reveille

The LSU football team ran its infamous “Big Cat” drill Tuesday in its first spring practice in full pads.

ANGELA MAJOR / The Daily Reveille

The drill pits one offensive player against one defender, both chosen by LSU coach Les Miles.

As junior outfielder A.J. Andrews fielded the final out of a March 1 victory against Lamar and the LSU softball team began its postgame routine, something felt off.

The sun was still out and the field was not beaten from a full game because of something Tigers fans have been fortunate to experience all too often in 2014 — the mercy rule.

The guidelines for the mercy rule are simple: When one team has a lead of eight or more runs after five innings, the game is called without playing the final two innings. If a team gains an eight-run lead between the fifth and the bottom of the seventh, it also wins through the rule.

With an invigorated offense and a new mentality, LSU has won seven of its 25 games with the mercy rule. Since 2010, no LSU team has managed to win more than nine mercy-rule games in a season.

The explosion originated in the offseason, as the team entered the third year under hitting coach Howard Dobson’s system. Dobson stressed the importance of learning from failure and taking smart at-bats.

The Tigers’ offensive

attack has been twofold, relying on a combination of speed and power. Andrews, a Preseason All-Southeastern Conference honoree, is the heart of the speed element, leading LSU in batting average, .407, and stolen bases, 21.

Going toward the middle of the lineup, sophomore shortstop Bianka Bell, freshman infielder Sahvanna Jaquish and sophomore catcher Kellsi Kloss introduce the power aspect. The trio has contributed 17 home runs, 31 extra-base hits and 58 RBIs in 2014.

Senior outfielder Jacee Blades said the blending of both attacks is a key reason the Tigers have dominated their opponents so often.

“Some days we’ll have the power hold the team, and some days we’ll rely on our speed to be a spark,” Blades said. “I love that we have both aspects of the game.”

But a mercy rule win requires superb pitching as much as hitting, and the Tigers’ three starting pitchers have helped match the offense.

Senior pitcher Ashley Czecher’s first three wins were with the mercy rule, and freshman pitcher Kelsee Selman pitched her first career no-hitter Feb. 28 in a six-inning, mercy-rule victory against Jackson State.

Selman said the added runs gave her confidence to make it through the outing without missing a beat.

The coaching staff has also

instilled a mantra to never take the foot off the gas pedal. When the team has gotten large leads in the first few innings, the staff reiterates the need for more runs and to never lay off the opponent.

“The worst thing you can give a team is hope,” Dobson said. “If you’re hitting the ball well and you’re scoring runs, and all of a sudden you relax a little bit, that’s when they come up to bite you from behind. We want to make sure we keep pushing, keep going to the next step.”

When the Tigers go deeper into SEC play, the domination of opponents is likely to drop.

Last season, of the Tigers’ nine mercy-rule wins, only two came in their 23 SEC games.

But Kloss sees a team with a cutthroat mentality that will be essential in the gauntlet of the SEC. “Even if we don’t reach that goal of getting it done in five innings, if you aim high you’re going to end up somewhere pretty close,” Kloss said. “That’s what we’re shooting for.”

Contact Tommy Romanach at tromanach@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @tro_TDR

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The short, explosive drill’s objective is to overpower the opponent. The drill ignites a natural rivalry between the Tigers’ offense and defense.

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Junior linebacker Kwon Alexander (4) lost his matchup Tuesday against sophomore fullback Melvin Jones, drawing one of the biggest reactions from the Tiger players.

editor of the daily reveille STATION MANAGER OF KLSU Application materials EDITOR OF GUMBO YEARBOOK WWW.LSU.EDU/STUDENTMEDIA STATION MANAGER OF TIGER TV Submit to: B39 Hodges Hall by march 17 EDITOR OF LEGACY MAGAZINE EDITOR OF Digital Media info Must be a full time lsu student in good academic standing

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

page 11

sand volleyball, from page 7

more information to continue to develop and see the teams and organize the pairs. It will be a big step in the process for sure.”

Brock said the scrimmage will feature the Tigers competing against each other in single-game matches as they experiment with different pairs.

LSU indoor volleyball coach Fran Flory said the Tigers’ primary goal will be to find which players display the best chemistry and compatibility on the sand.

“We’re going to move partners around,” Flory said. “Sand is a little different. You have to find people who play together well. ... That’s the key, that we start establishing and seeing how people respond in competition.”

The Tigers will also get their first look at the gameday setup and home advantage Mango’s will offer throughout the season.

“We’ve never hosted a real match, so even just the sound and where the banners are going ... is going to be a part of that equation as well,” Brock said. “It will be good to be playing as all that hubbub is going on around us.”

LSU’s roster saw a significant boost in size Friday as most members of the indoor volleyball team joined the original four squad members, increasing the number of athletes to 15.

While this merger came less than two weeks before LSU’s

RICHARD REDMANN / The Daily Reveille

[Top left] LSU senior Meghan Mannari (right) sets the ball for freshman Emma Hiller (left) on Feb. 7 during practice at Mango’s Beach Volleyball. [Top right] LSU senior Kaitlin Hatcher attempts to bump the ball during practice. [Bottom] LSU sophomore Victoria Boraski dives for the ball on Feb. 7 during sand volleyball practice.

first match, both Brock and Flory said the merge has been relatively painless and they were happy about progress shown by the athletes new to the outdoor version of the sport.

“The improvement that we see in our indoor players after two practices basically is amazing,” Flory said. “These kids are going to get better fast. We’re probably not going to start very high. We’re going to start as a very average team. ... By the end of it, I think this is going to be a very good team.”

Flory and Brock agreed LSU and its staff have a lot of work to do before the Tigers’ first regular season competition at 4:30 p.m. on March 18 at Mango’s.

Today’s exhibition will undoubtedly prove to be the first of many learning experiences for LSU’s newest program in what the Tigers hope to be the beginning of an era.

“This is new territory for everyone,” Flory said. “Our event staff, our administration, everybody is trying to learn how to do this. We’ll make some mistakes, but I think they’re going to set a higher standard for what we expect.”

Contact Tyler Nunez at tnunez@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille

page 12

WEB COMMENTS In response to James Moran’s column, “Opinion: Tradition Matters campaign misguided,” one reader had this to say: “The author and the 2 previous comments completely missed the point. Tradition Matters, in my interpretation, is respecting the tradition of playing the songs without bastardizing them, or we may have to stop playing them again. It is not about creating a new tradition of proper behavior in the student section. That said, I was a student when Tiger Rag was played before they stopped and if you put them both on a scale, it is much less graphic than Neck and simply potty humor.

And, James, go do a little research on marching down victory hill and even the name victory hill for that matter. Less than 20 years old my friend. Hardly on par with the H gold posts or the 5 yard markings!!”

– Bayou Boy

In response to Deanna Narveson’s article, “Truck stop tiger raises legal controversy in Grosse Tete” one reader had this to say: “I can not believe people really believe Tony belongs in his roadside diesel fumed and loud cage. Since you think its so wonderful there I say set up a tent and sleep outside next to Tony for one week and then talk about how wonderful a place it is. When was the last time Tony had a hands on vet exam or had his teeth looked at? The sanctuaries out there like the one in Minnesota allow no visitors or cars to view the cats. They have privacy and the best vet care out there. Enrichment and diets tailored for each cat’s individual needs. Go look at the wonderful environment they provide for these former pets to live out their lives in peace, quiet and off display. Top vet care, enrichment and space to roam. As close to natural as can be for those exploited big cats. That is what someone who truely loves Tony would want for him.”

– jkchrisfam The Daily Reveille wants to hear your reactions to our content. Visit lsureveille.com, our Facebook page and our Twitter account to let us know what you think.

The Daily Reveille Editorial Board

Kevin Thibodeaux Morgan Searles Wilborn Nobles Gordon Brillon Megan Dunbar

Editor in Chief Managing Editor Managing Editor, External Media News Editor Opinion Editor

Opinion

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Driving Me Mad Reckless driving a problem in Baton Rouge BRACE YOURSELF Ryan McGehee Columnist Baton Rouge, let’s have a chat. This has been a long time coming. Now, I know you are the jewel of the state in a post-Katrina Louisiana, that your economy is booming like never before and that you are home to the state’s flagship university, which is fantastic. It is marvelous, really. However, you are home to quite possibly the worst drivers in the entirety of the United States.

Now, I am not talking about genuine accidents, where forces beyond our control, like overly slick roads or a patch of ice, lands your car in a ditch. I am talking about the asinine, avoidable wrecks brought about by pure human error. Things like texting and driving, running a red light, failing to yield and the like all lead to needless accidents, injuries and often fatalities.

The day of the Spanish Town parade comes to mind. As I was driving past the Governor’s Mansion near the Laurel Street exit, traffic was at a virtual standstill. As the mass of cars rolled forward, a gap appeared between a small sedan and a Ram pickup truck.

Out of nowhere, the sedan floored it and plowed into the back of the Ram, damaging itself and leaving the truck unscathed.

In about three seconds and thirty feet of space, someone managed to damage their car and bring an entire lane of traffic to a grinding halt.

Seriously, as I am writing this, there are reported to have been three accidents since 9 a.m., one of which was a hit-and-run. I am not sure if it is the weather, the excitement over baseball season or if people are still hung over from Mardi Gras, but driving around Baton Rouge is like watching a horror movie in real life, and the killer is sitting behind the wheel of a Honda Civic.

Also, just yesterday, as I was driving home from taking a midterm, I passed by the School of the Coast and Environment to see scores of police and

CHARLOTTE WILLCOX / The Daily Reveille

While some accidents occur for reasons outside of the driver’s control, reckless driving has led to numerous avoidable traffic accidents in the Baton Rouge area.

cars surrounding what appeared to be an auto accident. What was strange about this particular wreck was that it was a lone SUV in the middle of Nicholson Extension, flipped completely upside down. My first and only thought was “How in the world did you do that?”

As it turns out, a car failing to yield was hit on the driver’s side as it was pulling out onto Nicholson Extension, and the SUV rolled completely over after the impact. Thankfully, none of the occupants were hurt, but at the same time, it must be said that it appears to have been completely avoidable. I am still wondering how the SUV managed to flip.

If drivers were to merely pay more attention to what they are doing and to what is happening around them, there would most assuredly be a marked decline in wrecks in Baton Rouge. Even if it’s not across the board, a mild increase in situational awareness on the part of some drivers can render the wild driving of other Baton Rouge residents moot.

If you have ever gotten a ticket

Editorial Policies & Procedures

for texting and driving or having your seat belt unfastened, it’s for very good reason; it’s incredibly stupid and irresponsible. The same goes for drinking and driving, which is about the ultimate expression of willingness to have oneself removed from the gene pool à la natural selection.

Baton Rouge traffic is a monster all on its own. Genuine accidents aside, there is no need for us to make it worse by blindly ramming into each other like freshmen on their first outing to Mike’s.

Ryan McGehee is a 21-year-old political science, history and international studies senior from Zachary, La.

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.

Contact Ryan McGehee at rmcgehee@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @JRyanMcgehee

Quote of the Day “A useless life is an early death.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe writer and politician Aug. 28, 1749 — Mar. 22, 1832

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Opinion

page 13

HIV patients overlooked by insurance companies NO WAY, JOSE Jose Bastidas Columnist Louisiana continues to complicate the funding for HIV/ AIDS patients, and in a country where health care coverage is a much-talked about topic, this issue remains on the back burner.

The battle to keep low-income Louisiana HIV/AIDS patients covered took a turn Monday when three insurance companies agreed to continue accepting third-party payments until Nov. 15.

This agreement came as U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson considered placing a long-term injunction preventing the companies from refusing to accept the payments.

This battle is not over yet, though.

Back in February, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana announced that the insurance company intended to stop accepting third-party payments for individual policies.

Fellow Obamacare-selling companies Louisiana Health Cooperative and Vantage Health Plan joined the cause soon after.

This announcement came as

a shock to low-income HIV/AIDS patients of Louisiana, who depend on a federal program to finance their insurance policies.

In response, Lambda Legal, a national organization that advocates for the rights of HIV/AIDS victims, gay men, lesbians and transgender people, filed a lawsuit alleging that the companies were discriminating against people with the disease and violating the Affordable Care Act by not accepting the federal program’s payments.

Now, I am the type of person who judges Americans for suing one another for mundane reasons, but in this instance, I agree with the plaintiffs. Someone had to speak out for the many people who would have been left uncovered and untreated had this restriction been allowed.

Refusing to take the money from the program is not only completely uncalled for, but it also makes no sense.

Louisiana had the third highest poverty rate in 2012.

Baton Rouge has had the highest number of AIDS cases per capita in the U.S. for the past two years.

These two facts alone lead me to think that, whoever is calling the shots for these insurance companies is in serious need of a reality check.

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS

JANET MCCONNAUGHEY / The Associated Press

John East (left) and Scott Schoettes discuss a lawsuit Feb. 20 that the advocacy group Lambda Legal filed against three Louisiana insurance companies.

Program was set up to help low income patients finance their insurance policies, so they can be properly treated for the disease.

If the government sets aside money for the treatment of HIV/ AIDS, why would companies reject it?

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana stated that the rejection came from an effort to prevent fraud, after a directive from the Center for Medicare and

Medicaid Services “strongly advised” companies against accepting third party payments. However, the organization claimed last month that the Ryan White foundation was not included in that recommendation.

From a business perspective, it makes sense to want to prevent fraud, but since there is no evidence of fraud from the Ryan White Program, why not accept their money?

Now that the court case has

been settled, HIV/AIDS patients can take a deep breath, but there is still another factor to consider.

According to the 2014 Baton Rouge Annual Operating Budget, the Ryan White program will have 7.43 percent less money to help Baton Rouge residents suffering from the disease.

I think the money is going in the wrong direction.

Some could argue it’s not the city’s job to handle the care of an easily preventable disease, but given that Louisiana houses the American capital of AIDS, it should now be more of a priority to keep people healthy than to prove a point.

Changes in the health care system will always be subject of debate, and how people will be affected by these changes should be the first topic of discussion.

Jose Bastidas is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from The Woodlands, Texas.

Contact Jose Bastidas at jbastidas@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @jbastidas

High school career diplomas could be the future BLUE COLLAR SCHOLAR Justin Stafford Columnist We all remember high school as a time when teachers preached about the importance of attending college. However, this is not the ideal route for all, and luckily, vocational and technical (vo-tech) training may now be getting the attention it deserves in Louisiana classrooms.

It seems this form of education is on the rise after sitting on the back burner for years. On Friday, a proposal was made to the state education board to revamp vo-tech programs and implement the “career diploma,” which promises high-paying jobs to those who graduate high school.

The graduates won’t need college to get a decent job.

President Barack Obama commended Germany at his 2013 State of the Union address on “graduating their high school students with the equivalent of a technical degree from one of our community colleges.” Germany has got the right idea, and Louisiana is poised to lead America in following.

In America, this huge push for a traditional college

THE DAILY REVEILLE ARCHIVES

High school students should receive more technical training to meet the demands of some in-demand jobs.

education has left our industries, especially in Louisiana, with a limited selection of potential employees for technical jobs. Most of our grandparents had that useful know-how that came from everyday living — something many of us Millennials passed up on our way to a four-year path to success.

Our focuses have changed with the times for the good and the bad. Sure, there are smartphones in smart cars, but

they are being used by some dumb operators with useless college degrees. A number of engineers are graduating without having ever held a wrench or turned a valve with hopes of a career in the industry.

According to the State Education Department, 28 percent of Louisiana’s high school graduates earn a degree in college.

However, the state’s most crucial industries have jobs they can’t fill. These jobs in power

and agriculture require advanced technical training and not a college degree.

“Twenty percent of refinery employees have retired and some young applicants for those jobs are rejected because they can’t pass those aptitude tests,” said ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge Plant Manager Mark Northcutt in January at the annual meeting of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

Northcutt proceeded to emphasize the need for better job training as education at the meeting.

It’s sad that it took begging high-roller employers to convince policymakers to get this ball rolling. There are students sitting disengaged on the fringes of classrooms that would and could utilize the co-tech programs, if they were available.

There is a reason college graduates have hard times finding jobs in the state of Louisiana.

It’s a book sense versus common sense predicament. Naturally, those with science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees have an advantage. In the future, these high school graduates with a career diploma will have a strong advantage too in earning a high paying job in the industry.

If companies that see the

growing number of technically educated individuals move into the state, this could become a benefit for the economy. This would create more jobs, which would begin a cycle that could repeat itself into a booming economy.

The new career diploma education path is crucial and could yield positive outcomes. High schools can begin the program this fall. If successful, all Louisiana public schools must participate after two years. Of course, students will not be able to graduate with the career diploma until 2018.

This is the opportunity that Louisiana and the country needs in order to provide the proper tools and assets to students that will make up the backbone of future blue collar America.

Justin Stafford is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from Walker, La.

Contact Justin Stafford at jstafford@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @j_w_stafford

The Daily Reveille

page 14

Call Bob 609-412-5736 or 985-276-3558 ________________________

Sporting Goods and Convenience Store has openings for Customer Service/Cashier. Job will include front counter sales, answer phones and assist customers. Must be a team player with a positive attitude and able to multitask. Hunting and Fishing knowledge a plus. Send resume to officemgr@spillwaysportsman.com ________________________ Part time, flexible hours. Knowledgeable in InDesign or Quark. Work on reports about high-tech industry for small research company. Near Siegen & Perkins.

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Welsh’s dry cleaners at the corner of perkins and college dr. great for students!! flexible schedules!! apply in person 9285067 ________________________ Assistant Managers and Team Members Wanted. Smoothie King and Jimmy John’s.

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Apply in person at St. John the Baptist Human Services 622 Shadows Lane St A. Baton Rouge, LA 70806. 225-216-1199 ________________________ Recent graduate needed for Human Services position. Applicants must be highly organized, efficient, able to multitask, possess excellent clerical skills, and must be professional. This position requires excellent written and oral communication skills. Applicants must be team-oriented, and must possess a pleasant, outgoing and engaging personality. Degree in Human Services related field required and experience working with people with developmental disabilities is preferred. Salary TBD. Please send resumes to HumanServicesJobs@gmail.com ________________________ SELA Aquatics is now hiring lifeguards, swim coaches, swim instructors, managers for several BR and NOLA country clubs

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Wednesday, March 12, 2014 BROCK, from page 7

a great vibe,” Brock said. “It was the same sport, but it was even better, if that were possible.”

After finishing his collegiate career, Brock said he had opportunities to continue playing indoor volleyball competitively, but he decided to focus almost exclusively on developing his game as an outdoor player.

But he never fully abandoned indoor volleyball. As he finished up his career as a Trojan, he began coaching a juniors’ club boys’ team along with one of the coaches who recruited him to USC. Brock said he never seriously considered coaching prior to this gig.

“Any time you’re an athlete, you respect the profession,” Brock said. “I didn’t want to be a coach. I wanted to be a professional athlete.

That would probably be the dream job.”

If that didn’t work out, he thought he might pursue a career

in physical therapy or medicine, which he studied in college. But one thing led to the next, and all of a sudden he was back in his hometown of Baytown, Texas, coaching the Baytown Christian Academy girls’ volleyball team and serving as the school’s athletic director.

After an 11-year stint at Baytown, Brock returned to collegiate indoor volleyball as a volunteer and assistant coach at Rice University, where he spent eight years.

But even in that time, his itch for the outdoor game never subsided.

When collegiate sand volleyball began to take shape as an NCAA sanctioned sport, Brock immediately began working on his personal development as a sand coach to ensure he was fully prepared for the opportunity he had no doubt he would receive.

“If this was something I’d be interested in doing, I was going to make sure that when the opportunity did arrive that I’d be prepared,” Brock said. “More than hunting for

The Daily Reveille a job, I just tried to turn the focus around and prepare myself.”

Upon becoming LSU’s choice to be the Tigers’ first sand volleyball coach, Brock hit the ground running in areas such as recruiting and building relationships with his athletes, Flory said.

He quickly learned the strengths, weaknesses and personalities of every player, taking a more focused approach to coaching them each individually.

“You can tell he really cares about us all individually and how we’re progressing with our own skills,” said LSU freshman Emma Hiller. “You can tell he really wants all of us to get better individually and as a team as well.”

His love for the sport and laid back nature give him the ability to motivate his athletes, even on cold and wet days when practicing conditions aren’t exactly ideal for an outdoor sport.

That’s not to say he doesn’t push his players. He does on a daily basis, but it’s a good kind of

page 15 push, according to LSU senior Kaitlin Hatcher. One that makes them want to impress him.

“He’s just a cool coach,” Hatcher said. “I can’t put it any simpler than that.”

Brock may have made a splash in his short time in Baton Rouge, but he knows his job has only just begun. He was not just chosen to coach LSU’s sand volleyball team.

He was chosen to take a program in its infancy and mold it into a thriving competitor that meets the standards of LSU athletics.

Flory seems to think he’s just the guy for the job.

“He kind of has a little bit of everything,” Flory said. “To have somebody with that many attributes that will directly relate to success in this program ... there are not many of them out there. We’re very fortunate to have him and thankful that he said yes.”

Contact Tyler Nunez at tnunez@lsureveille.com

BASKETBALL, from page 7

style, and agreed it could be exactly what their team needs to get hot.

“It helps me a lot because I spend a lot of time thinking back on games and what I did wrong and what I could have done better,” Stringer said.

“You’re not worried about nothing and all you can do is go out there and play,” Hickey said.

That’s not pure conjecture.

LSU had a strong showing in the Old Spice Classic in Florida earlier this season. It’s not a perfect comparison, especially since there are no do-or-die games in November, but the experience gained was invaluable for such a young team.

Senior forward Johnny O’Bryant III and freshman forward Jarell Martin said it reminded them of their days playing Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball, where it’s common to play multiple tournament games a day for multiple days at a time.

Whatever approach or mindset players want to take into Atlanta, winning four games will still be a tall order. But given recent history, it’s not impossible.

Georgia and Mississippi State accomplished the feat in 2008 and 2009, respectively. At 4-12 in the SEC, that Georgia team was one of the biggest longshots to grab an automatic bid in recent memory.

Florida enters the tournament as an overwhelming favorite, but the regular season champion has only won the SEC tournament once in the past six seasons. The fact that LSU wouldn’t have to face the top-seeded Gators until the finals doesn’t hurt the Tigers’ chances either.

According to Bovada, a gambling website, LSU is sitting at 25to-1 odds to win the SEC tournament. It’s a major roll of the dice, but it’s not an awful investment.

James Moran is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Beacon, N.Y. Contact James Moran at jmoran@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @Moran_TDR

FOR RELEASE MARCH 12, 2014

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle

www.ebrpl.com

ACROSS 1 Monotonous speaker 5 At no time 10 Warty amphibian 14 Floored 15 Banish 16 Take apart 17 Wagers 18 Unintentional 20 Bit of soot 21 Spruce or oak 22 Misshapen folklore fellow 23 Poem about rustic life 25 Deli loaf 26 Awning 28 Willow variety 31 Leg-to-foot connection 32 “Jack __ could eat no fat...”

34 “Early to __, early to rise...”

36 In a __; miffed 37 Beg 38 Relocate 39 Spiritual wrong 40 Farm that processes milk 41 Early bedtime 42 Pompous one 44 Not attractive 45 Dads 46 Pod with a chocolate flavor 47 Colorado resort 50 __ in; yielded 51 Many a time 54 Faux diamond 57 Skater Lipinski 58 Pigeon coop 59 Burr or Spelling 60 Songbird 61 Listen 62 Say “Hello” to 63 Likelihood 1 2 3 4

DOWN “Ali __ and the Forty Thieves” Is indebted to Having second thoughts about McMahon and Begley

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 19 21 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 35

Almost Surpass others Immoral habit Actor Wallach __ as a beet Underground passageway “__ bigger and better things!”

Actor __ West Pineapple brand name Cairo’s nation Use a PC keyboard Imbecile Highway Late singer Mama __ Long-running Broadway hit Say the “Our Father,” e.g.

Totally honest __ in; enjoy Narrow cut __ person; apiece Declare untrue

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

(c) 2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

37 38 40 41 43 44

Go by Short note Ladd or Keaton Feeling put out Key “__ I met you somewhere before?”

46 Narrow boat

47 48 49 50 52 53 55 56 57

Part of the foot Oxford or pump Pocket bread Clinton’s VP Dancer Astaire Light browns Droop Paving goo Deuce

page 16

The Daily Reveille

Wednesday, March 12, 2014