The Daily Reveille - April 23, 2013

FOOTBALL: Three Tigers have standout spring performances, p. 5

ENTERTAINMENT: BRAWL brings female arm wrestling to Baton Rouge, p. 9

Reveille The Daily

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013 • Volume 117, Issue 127

UPHILL BATTLE

LGBT community Professor faces struggle for equality ponders future center

Judah Robinson

Erin Hebert

Senior Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Elaine Maccio comes to work every day, teaches her classes and conducts research just like any other University professor. However, unlike many of her colleagues, she faces an unusual burden.

Maccio worries about where her partner will receive health care coverage, something many of her heterosexual colleagues do not have to worry about.

Following domestic partnership benefit resolutions that passed in both the Student Government and Faculty Senate, the policy remains to be decided on by the University’s Board of Supervisors.

Despite passing in both the SG Senate and the Faculty Senate with immense support, several members of the Board said they were unaware of any discussions related to domestic partner benefits.

“I’d make my decision based on what’s in front of me,” said Board member Lee Mallett. “There’s nothing in front of me at the moment.”

Board member Ronnie Anderson said he did not know if such a

While recent events regarding the funding of Texas A&M’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center have sparked controversy, members of LSU’s own LGBT community may have to wait a while before receiving their own center.

Texas A&M’s Student Senate passed a bill April 3 allowing students to opt out of paying the part of their student fees that would fund the GLBT Resource Center at A&M if those students had religious objections to the center, according to Texas A&M’s student newspaper, The Eagle.

However, Texas A&M Student Body President John Claybrook vetoed the bill April 5.

Former LSU Student Government President Taylor Cox said he fully supports Claybrook’s actions as well as the movement to provide more resources to LGBT students at the University.

LSU’s SG passed legislation at its Senate meeting Wednesday thanking Claybrook for his veto.

MACCIO, see page 4

LGBT RESOURCES, see page 4 TAYLOR BALKOM / The Daily Reveille

School of Social Work associate professor Elaine Maccio is pushing for University health benefits among faculty members in domestic partnerships.

ADMINISTRATION

Alexander’s salary similar to past leaders’ Alyson Gaharan Staff Writer

LSU President-Elect F. King Alexander officially accepted an annual salary of $600,000 last week, a figure similar to that of past leaders like former LSU System President John Lombardi and Interim System President and Chancellor William “Bill” Jenkins.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Hank Danos outlined Alexander’s contract in a letter of appointment at Wednesday’s Board meeting.

Danos gave Lombardi and Jenkins similar letters describing their contracts and salaries after being approved by the Board.

According to Danos’ letter, Lombardi received a total of $550,000 per fiscal year.

Lombardi’s $450,000 base salary was paid using state funds with a supplement from the LSU Foundation in the amount of $100,000.

Alexander’s pay will come exclusively from state funds, but his contract doesn’t outline any supplemental salary.

After Lombardi was fired from his position as System president in April 2012 because he did not CONTRACT, see page 3

SPEAKER

Cokie Roberts to give keynote commencement address Alyson Gaharan Staff Writer

ABC News Political Commentator and NPR Senior News Analyst Cokie Roberts will deliver the University’s keynote commencement address at 2 p.m. May 16, the University announced in a news release Monday afternoon.

“We are pleased to welcome Cokie Roberts to LSU to speak at our May commencement ceremony,” said Interim System President and

Chancellor William “Bill” Jenkins in the release. “She brings years of experience covering some of the most exciting and noteworthy times in America’s history, and we look forward to the insight and knowledge she provides to our graduates as they are embarking on the next stage of their lives.”

Roberts, a New Orleans native, has 40 years of broadcast experience and has won three Emmy Awards. She has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of

Fame. American Women in Radio and Television cited her as one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting, and the Library of Congress named her a “Living Legend.”

Mass communication and printmaking senior Hannah Dorsett, who listens to Roberts regularly, said it’s exciting that the University recruited an “extremely prestigious” speaker to give the keynote address.

ROBERTS, see page 3

photo courtesy of UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

Cokie Roberts, known for her work at NPR and ABC News, will give the keynote address at the University’s 2013 commencement ceremony May 16.

The Daily Reveille

Nation & World

page 2

INTERNATIONAL Ex-bishop’s widow, friend of pope wants optional priestly celibacy BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — She uses a wheelchair and carries the weight of her 87 years, but Clelia Luro feels powerful enough to make the Roman Catholic Church pay attention to her campaign to end priestly celibacy.

This woman, whose romance with a bishop and eventual marriage became a major scandal in the 1960s, is a close friend with Pope Francis.

Luro’s convinced he will eventually lead the global church to end mandatory priestly celibacy, a requirement she says “the world no longer understands.”

Police: Two arrested in Canada terror plot to derail passenger train TORONTO (AP) — Two men were arrested and charged with plotting a terrorist attack against a Canadian passenger train with support from alQaida “elements” in Iran, police said Monday.

Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, and Raed Jaser, 35, who live in Montreal and Toronto, were planning to derail a Via Rail passenger train in Toronto, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.

“This is the first known al-Qaida planned attack that we’ve experienced in Canada,” Superintendent Doug Best told a news conference.

NATACHA PISARENKO / The Associated Press

Clelia Luro sits in her home April 12 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Luro’s romance with the former bishop of Avellaneda became a major scandal in the 1960s.

Nicaragua nabs teacher Eric Toth, U.S. most-wanted child porn suspect MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — Police in Nicaragua have detained a U.S. man on the FBI’s 10 mostwanted fugitives list as a suspect in a child pornography investigation, authorities confirmed Monday.

Former school teacher Eric Justin Toth was detained Saturday in Esteli, a city near Nicaragua’s border with Honduras, said Glenda Zavala, head of detectives for Nicaragua’s National Police.

Toth’s arrest was based on an international detention request, she said.

The answers to all your Problems

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

NATIONAL

STATE/LOCAL

NYC proposes raising minimum age for cigarette purchases to 21

Second suspect arrested in 5-year-old New Orleans girl’s fatal shooting

NEW YORK (AP) — No one under 21 would be able to buy cigarettes in the city under a proposal unveiled Monday to make it the most populous place in America to set the minimum age that high.

Extending a decade of moves to crack down on smoking in the nation’s largest city, the measure aims to stop young people from developing a habit that remains the leading preventable cause of death, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said as she announced the plan.

Eighty percent of the city’s smokers started before they were 21.

Jury is seated in Jackson wrongful death case against concert promoter

Flight delays pile up amid Federal Aviation Administration budget cuts

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans police have arrested a second suspect in a shooting last year that killed two people, including a 5-year-old girl at a birthday party.

Police say 19-year-old Tyron Harden was booked Monday on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 5-year-old Brianna Allen and 33-year-old Shawanna Pierce.

Another suspect, 18-year-old Leo Riles, was arrested the day after the shootings.

Harden, Riles and a third gunman who hasn’t been identified allegedly opened fire on a crowd gathered outside a home for a 10-year-old boy’s birthday party.

NEW YORK (AP) — Flight delays piled up all across the country Monday as thousands of air traffic controllers were forced to take an unpaid day off because of federal budget cuts, providing the most visible impact yet of Congress and the White House’s failure to agree on a long-term deficit-reduction plan.

The Federal Aviation Administration kept planes on the ground because there weren’t enough controllers to monitor busy air corridors.

(AP) — Employers and school officials would be banned from demanding access to the personal online accounts of potential employees or students, under a proposal that won approval Monday in the House Commerce Committee.

The measure by Rep. Ted James, D-Baton Rouge, would prohibit retribution against those who refuse a request for access to their email, Facebook pages and other personal online sites.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury of 12 people has been accepted by both sides for the trial of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the mother of Michael Jackson against AEG concert promoters.

Lawyers on Monday then immediately began questioning prospects to sit as alternate jurors.

The jury was seated a week after a pool of more than 100 candidates was assembled. Many prospects were eliminated because they said serving on a three-month trial would be a hardship.

MARK LENNIHAN / The Associated Press

No one under 21 would be able to buy cigarettes in New York City under a proposal unveiled Monday.

Online accounts would be off-limits to employers in House proposal

Weather

PHOTO OF THE DAY

TODAY Partly cloudy

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ANGELA MAJOR / The Daily Reveille

Wind blows through a sculpture Monday outside of the Shaw Center for the Arts.

Submit your photo of the day to photo@lsureveille.com.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS In the Friday, April 18, opinion column, “Congress ignores Americans as gun bill fails,” The Daily Reveille incorrectly reported that guns purchased on Craigslist did not require background checks. We regret the error.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

POLITICS

Bill targets abortion practices Bill would require more of doctors

Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez Staff Writer

New restrictions on abortion practices passed in the Louisiana Senate on Monday, requiring a doctor’s presence when administering an abortion pill.

Senate Bill 90, authored by Sen. Fred Mills, R-New Iberia and St. Martin, tightens the rules on abortions and is creating conflict between pro-life and prochoice groups.

It specifically targets Internet abortions, which use specially made pills administered by the patient at home with a doctor guiding the process via video feed, such as Skype.

The bill requires those who perform abortions to be licensed Louisiana physicians as well as obstetrics and gynecology boardcertified. The bill also requires a doctor’s physical presence when the abortion pill is administered.

In Louisiana, women up to nine weeks pregnant can receive an abortion via the abortion pill, and in some states women can receive instructions on taking the pill from physicians by communicating through the Internet.

The bill states that violators

would be penalized if these regulations are violated.

Currently, when a woman is prescribed the abortion pill — medically known as mifepristone — she will have an abortion and follow up with a doctor, but does not need to be present with her doctor while taking mifepristone and accompanying antibiotics, according to Planned Parenthood.

Melissa Flournoy, Louisiana state director of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, released an opposition statement for SB 90.

“Unfortunately, some activists and politicians are pushing for additional restrictions targeting abortion providers only.

These laws aren’t about protecting women’s health and safety; instead they aim to limit women’s access to safe and legal abortion,” the statement said.

International trade and finance freshman Shannon Blood said ultimately she would like to see an end to abortion, but the bill offers smaller steps toward an end goal.

“Even if it is going to be step by step, it’s still going to be closer to getting rid of abortion,” Blood said.

Cole Richardson, finance senior, said the bill will make abortions safer by requiring a physician’s presence.

In the news release, Flournoy wrote that the bill’s requirements

MIKE HUTMACHER / The Associated Press

Senate Bill 90 would require those who perform abortions to be licensed Louisiana physicians and to be physically present when the abortion pill is taken.

on abortion providers stem from a desire to eliminate women’s access to abortion.

Additionally, Flournoy wrote that claims about unsafe, non-surgical abortions are false, citing the article “The Comparative Safety of Legal Induced Abortion and Childbirth in the United States.”

Contact Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez at fsuarez@lsureveille.com

1:00 pm UEFA Champions League 5:15 pm Chimaira 6:00 pm Meschiya Lake and The Little Big Horns 6:00 pm Southern vs Loyola University 6:00 pm Love Life | Live Responsibly 6:30 UNO vs. Nicholls State & 6:30 pm The Mikeys 7: 30 pm All the Kings Men

8:00 pm Rebirth Brass Band 8:30 pm The New Movement with Comedy Beast 10:00 pm Aurora and The Royal Roses 10:00 pm Irony Free Karaoke

page 3 CONTRACT, from page 1

provide the leadership the University needed, according to Danos, and former LSU Chancellor Michael Martin left to accept a position at Colorado State University, Jenkins was hired to fill both positions in the interim.

Jenkins’ contract listed his base salary as $425,000 with supplemental compensation from “affiliated foundations” at $175,000.

Danos’ letter to Alexander included a $36,000 annual housing allowance and a $15,000 automobile allowance. Alexander will also receive employee benefits and will be awarded the rank of professor with tenure in the College of Human Sciences and Education.

Housing and automobile allowances, benefits and awarded

ROBERTS, from page 1

Roberts has authored numerous best-sellers like “We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters” and “Founding Mothers,” both of which highlight the role of women in American history.

She and her husband, Steven, write a weekly column published by United Media in newspapers around the country. They are also contributing editors to USA Weekend Magazine.

Roberts also serves on the boards of multiple nonprofit institutions and holds more than 25 honorary degrees.

“It’s awesome people recognize LSU as a top-notch university that’s worth coming to,” said communication studies junior

tenure are standard among the three contracts, although Jenkins’ allowances were related on a monthly basis rather than yearly.

After Alexander was recommended by the Presidential Search Committee as the sole finalist for the combined position of LSU System president and University chancellor, the Board of Supervisors approved Alexander with a unanimous vote March 27.

Alexander has been visiting campus about every two weeks since then — a habit he said he wants to continue until he officially begins the position July 1.

Contact Alyson Gaharan at agaharan@lsureveille.com Sidney Tauzin.

Other students who weren’t familiar with Roberts’ work said they didn’t have much of a stance on the University’s selection of her to speak at the commencement ceremony.

“I don’t really have a biased opinion on her,” said nursing sophomore Tilandis Sumblin. “I think it’s good though. I like that they got a national name rather than someone local.”

Sumblin said although she had never heard of Roberts and has no friends graduating, she plans to attend the ceremony to hear what Roberts has to say.

Contact Alyson Gaharan at agaharan@lsureveille.com

page 4 LGBT RESOURCES, from page 1

Although the University does not have its own LGBT center, Cox said he thinks it is something that will eventually be established, but it may take some time.

“There’s a long way to go, but I think LSU is heading in the right direction,” Cox said.

Outside of the University’s Spectrum organization, resources for LGBT students on campus can be found in the Office of Multicultural Affairs in the Student Union.

Cox cited the Office of Multicultural Affairs’ LGBTQ Project and Safe Space Campaign as a particularly helpful program many may overlook. The program includes resources such as First Contact, which assists LGBT students considering coming out to their families

MACCIO, from page 1

policy would pass, but it would be an interesting discussion.

In fall 2012, Maccio, who teaches in the School of Social Work, said she started casually asking around about domestic partner benefits with high-ranking University officials.

Maccio said one of those individuals was A.G. Manaco, associate vice chancellor of Human Resource Management, who advised her to push for resolutions to be passed in the faculty, staff and student senates.

Maccio then introduced a resolution to the Faculty Senate last November. The resolution was approved on Dec. 5, 2012.

Maccio said she had been in contact with SG members at the time of the Faculty Senate’s vote, including former SG President Taylor Cox and former SG Director of Academic Affairs Thomas Rodgers. Both introduced Maccio to University Center for Freshman Year Senator Brian Rees, author of the SG domestic partnership benefits policy resolution.

The resolution, which officially gave SG’s support to the implementation of a policy offering health benefits to University employees who are in a domestic partnership, passed the SG Senate on March 20 with 91 percent approval.

Former SG Speaker of the Senate Meredith Westbrook said she was glad her branch of SG passed the resolution.

“I’m very proud that we passed it,” Westbrook said. “I think it’s a good starting point.”

The next step would be for the Staff Senate to vote on a resolution, which has been a fairly difficult process, Maccio said.

“They were not as responsive as the other senates,” Maccio said.

Over the past week, several phone calls from The Daily Reveille to Staff Senate President Chad Gothreaux and President-Elect Lynn Livingston were not returned.

Westbrook said she urges her staff counterparts to give the legislation a chance.

“I would encourage everyone on campus, including Staff Senate, to explore these options and the benefits of this legislation,” Westbrook said.

After being advised by Katrice Albert, vice provost for Equity, Diversity and Community Outreach, Maccio said she met with a number of deans and associate deans to

or friends.

Chad Freeman, graduate assistant for the LGBTQ Project and Safe Space Campaign, said it’s not uncommon for universities to lack LGBT centers.

Out of 14 schools, Texas A&M, Missouri, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee are the only Southeastern Conference members with their own separate LGBT centers or offices.

Other schools have resources similar to the University’s, including LGBT organizations, gay-straight alliances and programs through multicultural affairs’ offices.

Freeman called an LGBT center at the University a “definite possibility,” especially considering the recent establishment of the AfricanAmerican Cultural Center and the new Women’s Center.

“I would think that would discuss the possibility of domestic partnership benefits. All voiced support for the policy, she said.

Many of the deans felt this would make the University much more competitive to attract and retain faculty, Maccio said, and the policy would not only attract LGBT faculty but progressive heterosexual faculty who believe their co-workers should be treated fairly.

She said she realized the need for a domestic partnership benefits policy at the University when her partner lost her health insurance.

“To be honest, this policy was a bit selfish,” Maccio said.

Maccio’s partner lost her job at a mental health agency due to state budget cuts in June 2010.

She said her partner had to get private health insurance, which was difficult because she had a pre-existing condition.

“Because she has asthma, which is considered a pre-existing condition, she was denied by Blue Cross Blue Shield,” Maccio said.

Maccio said she had to do something about the inequality affecting her partner’s life.

“For me to be able to live with myself, I had to try to do something about this,” Maccio said.

With the success of the resolutions in faculty and student senates, Maccio said the real challenge to this policy will come from the University’s Board of Supervisors.

Maccio said she doesn’t expect the policy to make it through the Board of Supervisors.

“We will probably not have domestic partnership benefits any time soon,” Maccio said, “but we have to try anyway.”

Staff writer McKenzie Womack also contributed to this report.

The Daily Reveille happen in the future with the proper amount of resource allocation and assessment evaluation,” Freeman said.

He said the process behind building an LGBT center is extensive and requires collection of data from the student population to ensure there’s a need for the center.

Student fees should absolutely be used to help fund a potential LGBT center, Cox said.

Cox said just because students don’t personally use an on-campus facility doesn’t mean they should be exempt from funding it, comparing the funding of an LGBT center to that of the University Student Recreational Complex.

“It’s our job to contribute,” Cox said.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 Students at the University of Alabama are also hoping for a future LGBT center on their campus.

The University of Alabama has three main entities for LGBT students, according to Noah Cannon, film sophomore and president of Alabama’s Spectrum organization.

Spectrum at Alabama is similar to LSU’s organization and works with undergraduate and graduate students. Capstone Alliance is Alabama’s campus organization for LGBT faculty, staff, graduate students and allies. Alabama also offers training through its Safe Zone program for faculty and students to learn how to work with and respect the LGBT community, Cannon said.

“What happened at Texas A&M is really tragic and seemingly

represents a lack of support from their SGA,” Cannon said. “We’ve been lucky enough to have full support from SGA [at Alabama].”

Cannon said the creation of an LGBT center is something they are actively working toward at Alabama.

“The events at Texas A&M have definitely been a wake-up call to future difficulties we may face in building our own LGBT center,” Cannon said.

Freeman said the University has seen enormous growth in LGBT resources in the past 10 years, and he foresees an even greater increase in the future.

Contact Erin Hebert at ehebert@lsureveille.com

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Sports

page 5

Turning Heads Trio of Tigers showed breakout performances in Spring Game

by JAMES MORAN • Sports Contributor

EGO FERGUSON

ANTHONY JENNINGS

CONNOR TARTER / The Daily Reveille

ANGELA MAJOR / The Daily Reveille

TRAVIN DURAL

CONNOR TARTER / The Daily Reveille

LSU junior defensive tackle Ego Ferguson (9) tackles LSU junior running back Terrence Magee (14) on Saturday.

LSU freshman quarterback Anthony Jennings (10) scrambles downfield Saturday during LSU’s Spring Game in Tiger Stadium.

LSU freshman wide receiver Travin Dural (83) steps into the end zone Saturday during LSU’s Spring Game in Tiger Stadium.

Junior defensive tackle Ego Ferguson enters his fourth season at LSU, and with last season’s entire defensive line departed, he is projected to start for the first time.

He started Saturday for the White team, which was mostly comprised of starters, and had a productive day. He finished with seven total tackles, one tackle-for-loss, half a sack and a quarterback hurry.

“I had the mindset that I wanted to prove a lot today,” Ferguson said after Saturday’s Spring Game. “I feel like every day I need to get better.”

Ferguson said the biggest reason for his improvement

In just three months and 15 spring practices, earlyenrollee freshman Anthony Jennings has gone from a high school student to getting the start at quarterback for the Purple team Saturday.

Coach Les Miles said while he wasn’t ready to name Jennings the backup ahead of Rivers, he liked what Jennings brought to the offense as a dual-threat quarterback.

“When you have the ability to use your feet to get out of trouble, it makes a tremendous difference,” Miles said.

“When you have the ability to make a play with your arm and then you have the ability to go get first downs with

Perhaps no player on LSU’s roster spent more time waiting to play in Saturday’s Spring Game than redshirt freshman wide receiver Travin Dural.

After missing all of last season and the beginning of spring practice with a knee injury, Dural said he was ecstatic just to be able to take the field again.

“I don’t think anyone was more excited than I was,” Dural said. “You know I was too excited — it’s been over a year since I played football, and to finally get back out here was a great feeling.”

LSU coach Les Miles said all spring that once Dural

FERGUSON, see page 8

JENNINGS, see page 8

DURAL, see page 8

TNT puts ESPN’s NBA coverage to shame MIC’D UP MICAH BEDARD Sports Columnist There’s nothing worse than having to press the mute button while watching an NBA game.

I like being able to hear the natural sounds of players yelling “Get that out of here!” when they block a shot or listening to the roar of the crowd when a superstar dunks all over the opposition.

But I’d rather listen to country music in the background than listen to most of ESPN’s coverage of NBA games, especially now that the playoffs are in full swing.

The worldwide leader is anything but ahead of the pack when it comes to the network’s NBA coverage. TNT is so far ahead of ESPN it’s not even funny.

It starts with ex-NBA superstar Charles Barkley. Sir Charles does one thing better than anyone in the business: entertain.

There’s the time Chuck tried to best magician David Blaine’s time of seven minutes underwater — and lasted a whole 24 seconds.

Or when he raced NBA referee Dick Bavetta at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game and gave Bavetta a kiss on the lips after he triumphed over the 67-year-old.

TNT also has two of the best basketball play-by-play announcers known to man: Marv Albert and Kevin Harlan. Albert belting out a “Yes!” after a game-winning jumper or Harlan and his famous catchphrase, “With no regard for human life!” are both music to my ears.

Steve Kerr and Reggie Miller are also among some of the best TNT, see page 7

photo courtesy of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ernie Johnson (left), Kenny Smith (middle) and Charles Barkley (right) are part of TNT’s NBA coverage team on Emmy award-winning show “Inside the NBA.” Sports Columnist Micah Bedard says TNT’s NBA coverage is leaps and bounds above that of ESPN.

The Daily Reveille

page 6

CLUB SPORTS

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

BASKETBALL

Equestrian club saddles up Courtney to transfer for nationals in Pennsylvania for senior season LSU makes second trip to nationals Cole Travis Sports Contributor

Dead week is right around the corner, which for most students means dusting off textbooks and preparing the coffee pot for the late nights of studying ahead.

But for members of the LSU equestrian club, it means getting ready for the biggest show of the year.

LSU will saddle up for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championships in Harrisburg, Penn., from May 2 to 5, and according to psychology junior Katie Kuder, finding time to study will not be much of a problem.

“Horse shows are notorious for having a lot of dead time,” Kuder said. “I think with all of us there motivating each other, the studying will get done.”

The women of the equestrian club earned a spot at IHSA Nationals for the second time ever by finishing as the runners up, or

Reserve Champions, at the Zone VII Championship on April 6 in Amarillo, Texas. They brought home seven top-five finishes, including four first-place blue ribbons, and were only one point behind show champion Purdue.

“I honestly thought we would make nationals all year,” Kuder said. “We really had a talented team and nobody [on the team] who would slow us down.”

The club went into the zones with high expectations after spending the semester as the dominant team in region II. Upon reaching zones, competition breaks into two separate fields — team and individuals. While any team that wins a region can advance to zones, individuals have to earn their spots by scoring a large number of points over the course of the season.

Kuder was one of a handful of LSU riders competing as individuals but is the only one moving on to nationals by placing Reserve Champion in both of her classes. Kuder said having the rest of the team at nationals will be an advantage for her over

some of her competitors, who often come alone.

“Having the rest of the team [at zones] helped my confidence a lot,” Kuder said. “It will be nice to have them all [at nationals] there supporting me instead of just having to travel with our coach.”

To many of the members, making nationals as a team is gratification for a club that has come within one spot of nationals each of the last two years.

Junior president Corrine Plough, who has been a member since her freshman year, said this year’s success should not be tied to where they place next week.

“We might not have the best odds for winning, but we’re definitely going to try,” Plough said.

“And no matter how we place, we’ll remember that we competed at nationals as a team. Even if we get last place, we’re still the No. 16 team out of 400 in the whole country.”

Chandler Rome Sports Writer

Junior forward Jalen Courtney was granted a release from the LSU basketball team Monday and will transfer for his senior season, according to a news release.

Courtney, a Jackson, Miss., COURTNEY native, saw action in 51 career games as a Tiger with his best statistical season coming in 2011-12, where he chipped in 2.3 points and played double-figure minutes in six games.

A noticeable vocal leader on the bench, Courtney’s

departure comes shortly after LSU coach Johnny Jones wrapped up his 2013 recruiting class, inking Scotlandville Magnet standout Brian Bridgewater and Australian 7-footer Darcy Malone last week.

Bridgewater and Malone’s commitments left the Tigers at 14 scholarship players – one more than the NCAA limit – making way for Courtney’s departure.

“We certainly wish [Courtney] well in his future endeavors,” Jones said.

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

Contact Cole Travis at ctravis@lsureveille.com

BASEBALL NOTEBOOK

Nola, Bregman bring in honors WA N T T O B E HEAD HONCHO?

Chandler Rome Sports Writer

Bregman named quarterfinalist for Brooks Wallace Award Freshman shortstop Alex Bregman was named one of 25 quarterfinalists for the 2013 Brooks Wallace Award, given to the nation’s top shortstop.

The Albuquerque, N.M., native paces the LSU offense, hitting .414 with seven triples, five home runs and 41 RBIs, while leading the Southeastern Conference in six offensive categories.

The SEC had five representatives among the 25 quarterfinalists, leading all conferences. A winner will be announced June 29 during the College Baseball Hall of Fame’s Night of Champions in Lubbock, Texas.

Bregman also accepted an invitation to play with Team USA for its 33-game international tour this summer, joining teammate Aaron Nola.

Nola named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week Sophomore righty Aaron Nola was named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week on Monday after firing a complete game shutout in a 5-0 win against Alabama on Friday. Nola limited the Crimson Tide to three hits while surrendering one walk and striking

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ANGELA MAJOR / The Daily Reveille

LSU freshman infielder Alex Bregman (30) was named one of 25 quarterfinalists for the 2013 Brooks Wallace Award, given to the nation’s top shortstop.

out 10.

The Catholic High product became the first Tiger pitcher to hurl back-to-back complete games since Kevin Gausman at the end of last season.

Nola leads the SEC with 82 strikeouts while maintaining a 2.15 ERA as the Tigers’ Friday night starter.

Nola shares the honor with Ole Miss junior righty

Bobby Wahl, who also pitched a complete game shutout while taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning during a 5-0 win against Tennessee.

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

• conceptualize ad campaigns • communicate with and promote all entities of Student Media • manage team members • plan, organize and execute campus events • oversee social media strategies MUST BE A STUDENT & WON’T GRADUATE UNTIL 2014 OR LATER NOW SETTING INTERVIEWS APPLY ONLINE: www.lsureveille.com/advertising/application

The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

NFL

Scott Fujita retires as a Saint The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — From the mountaintops of Peru, Scott Fujita has retired.

The Super Bowl-winning linebacker later enmeshed in the Saints bounty scandal signed a one-day contract with New Orleans and retired Monday.

The Saints provided the document and Fujita signed it while on a trip with former teammate Scott Gleason, who is battling ALS. “What better place to reach the end of the road than here at 10,000 feet above sea level, in the Peruvian Andes overlooking Machu Picchu with my dear friend Steve Gleason?” Fujita said.

The 33-year-old Fujita finished his career with the Cleveland Browns, but was implicated and even suspended for one game

by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for his role in what the league called a performance pool designed to knock targeted opponents out of games from 2009 to 2011. Fujita later was essentially absolved of blame by former commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

He spent three seasons with Kansas City, one in Dallas, then four seasons with the Saints, winning the 2009 NFL championship. Fujita was the first player signed by New Orleans when Sean Payton became coach in 2006.

“He was a cornerstone of the foundation that we’ve built, and we won a world championship together,” Payton

photo courtesy of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Former NFL linebacker Scott Fujita signed a one-day contract with the New Orleans Saints on Monday and announced his retirement from professional football.

said. “It’s been said that when you win a championship together, you walk together for the rest of your lives, and that’s certainly appropriate to celebrate on a day like today.”

Fujita left for Cleveland as a free agent in 2010 and spent the last three seasons with the Browns.

“I’ve been fortunate to play in this league for a long time and for some great organizations, but there is no doubt that my times spent in New Orleans were some of the best years of my life,” Fujita said in explaining why he retired as a Saint. “The way the team and the community embraced us when we first arrived, and the way they continue to do

so, even today, shows how deep this connection is.”

Fujita played in 143 regularseason games, making 917 tackles (617 solo) along with 23 1-2 sacks. He had 11 forced fumbles, seven interception returns for 65 yards and three fumble recoveries. Fujita played in six postseason games, getting 36 tackles (26 solo) and one fumble recovery.

A member of the NFL Players Association’s executive committee, he was a leader for the players during the 2011 lockout.

Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at sports@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_sports

page 7 TNT, from page 7

NBA color analysts.

But TNT’s five-time Emmy award-winning show “Inside the NBA” is what heavily tips the scales in the network’s favor.

If you don’t revel in waiting for an NBA team to get eliminated from the playoffs just to see them being Photoshopped onto an image for the show’s “Gone fishin’” segment, you aren’t a true NBA fan.

While also giving analysis about the games they cover, “Inside the NBA” is just fantastic television. It’s entertainment at its finest.

It could be a primetime show during the NBA offseason with Ernie, Chuck, Kenny and Shaq, and it would still get ridiculously high ratings. Everyone is fair game to voice his opinions, unlike ESPN’s halftime and postgame shows where the analysts bow down to Magic Johnson.

I look forward to when games go to halftime on TNT. I change the channel when the second quarter ends on ESPN. So what can ESPN do to improve its NBA coverage’s entertainment value?

It can get an in-studio host for pregame, halftime and postgame shows to start.

Any host has to be like the point guard of a basketball team and let his teammates do what they’re best at. Ernie Johnson fits that role perfectly on TNT. There’s no consistency on ESPN’s studio team. One night it’s Jalen Rose hosting, the next it’s Michael Wilbon and Bill Simmons tries to run the show on occasion.

Matt Winer could have been that guy for ESPN, but he left

the network in 2010 to join TNT. He’s the backup to Johnson, but he would have been a valuable asset as an in-studio host at ESPN. ESPN could also take some notes from its most popular pregame show: College GameDay. It’s one of the best in the business. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Lee Corso have excellent chemistry, which makes the two-hour show seem like 20 minutes.

Simmons, Wilbon, Johnson and Rose have no compatibility. I feel embarrassed watching them.

The ESPN brass can also make some calls this offseason.

Give Cleveland, Detroit or Philadelphia and any other NBA team with a coaching vacancy a ring this offseason and beg for them to hire Jeff Van Gundy. He’s awful.

It’s a disservice to NBA diehards to have to listen to Van Gundy whine and complain the whole time while bringing little or nothing to the table in terms of in-game analysis. And it’s not like the guy commentates meaningless games nobody watches, anyway — he works the NBA Finals.

Do me a favor: check out TNT’s broadcasts today through Thursday and marvel at their awesomeness. Then watch the games when ESPN takes its turn on Friday.

I dare you not to press the mute button.

Micah Bedard is a 22-year-old history senior from Houma.

Contact Micah Bedard at mbedard@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @DargDog

page 8

The Daily Reveille

FERGUSON, from page 5

on the field is the hard work he has put in off the field.

“I’ve been watching film constantly every day,” Ferguson said.

“Wake up, go to class, watch film, eat, then come back and watch film. It’s just been film, film, film — trying to correct my mistakes so when I go out there in a game it can be better.”

Ferguson also said he has been working on becoming a better leader by emulating former Tigers like Drake Nevis, Michael Brockers and Bennie Logan.

“Those guys made my job a lot easier because I’m just taking what they showed me and showing these young guys,” Ferguson said.

JENNINGS, from page 5

your feet, it just drives the defense crazy.”

Jennings finished the Spring Game 8-for-21 passing for 98 yards and picked up 31 yards on seven carries. His numbers are more impressive after considering he was playing with the second team offense against most of the starting defense.

Jennings did not turn the ball over even though he was sacked twice and hurried repeatedly. His teammates said they are no longer surprised at how poised Jennings looks despite his inexperience.

“It doesn’t surprise me anymore because he has been that comfortable all spring,” Rivers said.

“What we saw today is what we’ve been seeing for 15 practices.”

ANGELA MAJOR / The Daily Reveille

LSU freshman quarterback Anthony Jennings (10) throws the ball under pressure from LSU junior defensive end Jordan Allen (98) on Saturday during the Spring Game.

DURAL, from page 5

got healthy he would be one of the better receivers on the team, particularly as a deep threat.

Dural showed a glimpse of what Miles was talking about Saturday. In the third quarter, Dural caught a comeback route from sophomore quarterback Stephen Rivers and ran past a defensive back for a 45-yard touchdown.

“It felt really good [to score],” Dural said. “I kind of had my doubts if I’d come back, how I’d come back, but now after this, I have a really good feeling about the fall.”

Dural also caught two punts as a return specialist.

Contact James Moran at jmoran@lsureveille.com

4-22 ANSWERS

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The Daily Reveille

Entertainment

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

International studies sophomore Andi Aguilar (left), also known as One Dollar Baby, and psychology senior Jodi Shipley (right), also known as Rosie the Rioter, arm wrestle Saturday during the Blunt Force BRAWL at Spanish Moon.

Get

Ready to BRAWL

RICHARD REDMANN / The Daily Reveille

Samantha Bares

Local female arm wrestling club holds first event

Entertainment Writer

Baton Rouge Arm Wrestling Ladies (BRAWL) is out to prove women are just as tough as men.

The local chapter of Collective of Lady Arm Wrestlers (CLAW) USA held its first event Saturday at Spanish Moon.

In keeping with CLAW’s

practices, Blunt Force BRAWL a grassroots movement dating gathered students, alumni and back to 2008 in an effort to raise other community members to new arm wrestling leagues more raise money for the Sexual Trau- easily, according to its website. ma Awareness BRAWL orgaand Response View a photo gallery of the nizer and film (STAR) Center event at lsureveille.com. studies senior through theatriRebecca Stewcal performance. art got the idea for a Baton Rouge National nonprofit organiza- chapter from a friend involved in tion CLAW USA spawned from the New Orleans chapter.

“Women of Baton Rouge deserve outlets to showcase their unique strengths as well as have access to resources that will improve their health, financial security and overall experience in this city,” Stewart said.

Stewart served as referee in Saturday’s event.

BRAWL, see page 11

page 9

Dove’s campaign reinforces wrong idea

Buckle up, boys and girls (especially the girls) — I’m about to ruin your favorite new ad campaign, and things might get ugly.

I’m referring to Dove’s “Real Beauty Campaign” and its recent advertisement, “Real Beauty Sketches.” This video has gone viral and has become TAYLOR SCHOEN Entertainment ubiquitous on Writer social media networks. I can’t even begin to list the number of my female comrades who shared this video. This is not an attack on anyone who found the video inspirational, wonderful or heartwarming. It was an incredibly wellexecuted advertisement.

For those who somehow may have missed the so-called “groundbreaking” commercial, I’ll break it down for you: One by one, several women are brought into a room and asked to describe their faces to an “FBI-trained forensic artist,” who is separated by a curtain. Each woman describes herself, harshly picking apart her face and insecurities.

Next, they ask the women to describe another participant to the forensic artist, and as you can guess, they are much more positive when describing a stranger.

Then the big reveal happens.

DOVE, see page 11

HOBBIES

Students bring games to life LARPing provides a unique experience Rob Kitchen Entertainment Writer

Role-playing games have been a staple of gaming culture since the 1970s, whether they take the form of tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons or video games like “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.”

Live-action role-playing, or LARPing, is similar to other forms of role-playing, but players act out what they want their ingame character to do. It is also a

hobby for Kira Hellmers, sociology freshman, and Tyler Cowart, computer engineering freshman.

Hellmers and Cowart found a group of LARPers called Nexus Larp, a medieval fantasy LARP group based in Biloxi, on the Internet and decided to join.

“They don’t do that at Nexus a lot,” Hellmers said. “People get brought in by other people. We’re still known in the group as the people who found them on the Internet.”

But LARPing is more than just playing a game. Another part of the experience is creating a character and acting like the character. A lot goes into creating a character for the game, including

race, class and abilities, but the most-involved part is creating a costume.

“There are regulations depending on your race as to what colors and to what type of clothing you’re supposed to wear,” Hellmers said.

In addition to costumes, weapons must be created.

“Making a weapon is a really simple process,” Cowart said. “It’s PVC with foam wrapped in duct tape.”

Many LARPers say the activity is a way for people to come together and share a common interest. Nexus Larp brings people LARPING, see page 11

LAUREN DUHON / The Daily Reveille

Sociology freshman Kira Hellmers (right) duels computer engineering freshman Tyler Cowart (left) Monday as a part of their LARP in the Enchanted Forest.

The Daily Reveille

page 10

THEATER

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

CELEBRITIES

Play showcases rich La. history Witherspoon deeply

embarrassed by arrest

Marie Chaney Entertainment Writer

Swine Palace made its debut 21 years ago with a stage adaptation of Robert Penn Warren’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “All the King’s Men.” This month, Swine Palace reprises its first performance to mark Louisiana’s bicentennial celebration.

“All the King’s Men” chronicles the rise and fall of up-andcoming politician Willie Stark.

The audience sees Stark through the eyes of Jack Burden, a newspaper columnist and Stark’s personal aide. Stark’s character is widely believed to be based on historical figure and infamous politician Huey P. Long. The play explores issues of poverty, power, human nature and corruption.

“This play is based on one of our great American novels, written by a former LSU professor and holds great questions about politics, romance and human nature up to the light,” said Director George Judy in an email to The Daily Reveille. “It is a great story that remains relevant despite the time that has passed since it was written. It is a human story inspired by history, not a documentary.”

The play’s music, composed

by Randy Newman, imitates sounds of the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. LSU

Jonathan Drew The Associated Press

photo courtesy of SWINE PALACE

An actor in Swine Palace’s production of “All the King’s Men” gives a speech to an audience. The play chronicles the rise and fall of an up-and-coming politician.

Theatre MFA candidate Jessica Jain’s bluesy jazz vocals add to the ambiance.

“When George first mentioned his desire to have one person sing all music, I emailed him right away asking to be considered for the part because when I think about Louisiana I think about the music,” Jain said in an email. “To be the part of that aspect of the show was so intriguing to me. I have fallen in love with

Louisiana and I am just so thrilled by all the history and life this play represents.”

Performances of “All the King’s Men” will continue until May 5 at the Reilly Theatre.

Contact Marie Chaney at mchaney@lsureveille.com

ATLANTA (AP) — Reese Witherspoon is “deeply embarrassed” about what she said to police officers after she and her husband were arrested during a traffic stop in Atlanta.

The Oscar-winning actress released a statement late Sunday apologizing for her behavior to police that began when her husband, Hollywood agent Jim Toth, was arrested early Friday for driving under the influence of alcohol.

“Do you know my name?”

Witherspoon is quoted as saying in a state trooper’s report. She also said: “You’re about to find out who I am” and “You’re about to be on national news,” according to the report.

“I clearly had one drink too many and I am deeply embarrassed about the things I said,” Witherspoon said. “It was definitely a scary situation and I was frightened for my husband, but that is no excuse. I was disrespectful to the officer who was just doing his job. The words I used that night definitely do not reflect who I am. I have nothing but respect for the police and I’m very sorry for my behavior.”

Witherspoon said she can’t comment further “out of respect” for the pending case, and her publicist, Meredith O’Sullivan Wasson, offered no other details.

The 37-year-old actress was arrested on a municipal charge of disorderly conduct early Friday after a state trooper said she wouldn’t stay in the car while Toth was given a field sobriety test. She was released from jail after the Friday morning arrest and was in New York on Sunday night for the premiere of her new film, “Mud.” She posed for cameras on the red carpet but did not stop to talk to reporters.

The trooper noticed the car driven by her husband wasn’t staying in its lane early Friday morning, so he initiated a traffic stop.

He reported that Toth had droopy eyelids, watery, bloodshot eyes, and his breath smelled strongly of alcohol.

Toth told the trooper he’d had a drink, which Witherspoon said was consumed at a restaurant two hours before the traffic stop, the trooper writes.

Contact The Daily Reveille’s entertainment staff at entertainment@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_entertain

DON’T REMEMBER? ... it still happened

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

PI BETA PHI

DELTA DELTA DELTA

The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

page 11 DOVE, from page 9

RICHARD REDMANN / The Daily Reveille

LSU international studies sophomore Andi Aguilar (front), also known as One Dollar Baby, and her entourage perform Satuday before the arm wrestling duel for the Blunt Force BRAWL at Spanish Moon.

BRAWL, from page 9

Stewart said BRAWL depended on word-of-mouth to gather participants, whether they were wrestlers, crowd hustlers or entourages.

Apparel design junior Brooke Salter wrestled as the character Minnie Mayhem, complete with polka dots, mouse ears and corpse face paint. Salter, a professional face painter for Lafayette-based party entertainment company Jingles & Friends, said she loves costumed events.

“Who doesn’t want to get brutal for a cause?” Salter said.

Salter has worked for several haunted houses since taking up face painting her sophomore year in high school, and she transformed her entourage into a troop of corpse-like mice.

University alumna Kelsi

Dougherty served as one of the hype girls for Minnie Mayhem.

“Lady issues are near and dear to my heart, so I’m glad this is all benefitting STAR,” Dougherty said.

Racheal Hebert, executive director of STAR, wrestled under the name Stigma Stomper.

“Because we’re the beneficiary, we wanted the character to have something to do with STAR. Sexual assault has a lot of stigma and we want to let people know it’s not something to be ashamed about,” Hebert said.

Hebert said she had a bet with the Captain of the Sister Ship, a guest wrestler from the New Orleans chapter of CLAW. In the event of Hebert winning, the other wrestler would have to volunteer for STAR; if the captain won, Hebert would join her entourage.

The Captain of the

Sister Ship beat all her opponents and won the trophy donated

by STAR. No matter how competitive an air the night took on — international studies sophomore and University track team member Andi Aguilar, who has a seconddegree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, said she would “secondhand it to ‘em” as wrestler One Dollar Baby — BRAWL’s main focus was acceptance for all participants.

“If anyone picks on you for being you, for what you’re identifying as, for what you’re wearing, for how you’re dancing, we’re going to kick them out,” Stewart announced before the bouts began.

Contact Samantha Bares at sbares@lsureveille.com

photos by LAUREN DUHON / The Daily Reveille

[Left] Sociology freshman Kira Hellmers (left) duels computer engineering freshman Tyler Cowart (right) Monday as a part of their LARP in the Enchanted Forest. [Right] Hellmers and Cowart pose Monday in their medieval attire.

LARPING, from page 9

together from all over the region.

“People generally come from pretty close by,” Cowart said.

“People come from Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. There’s a

guy that drives from Texas and another that comes from Kentucky.”

A typical weekend for Nexus Larp involves people going on quests around different areas of the campground the group rents.

“There are different quests

that you can join or do whatever,” Hellmers said. “It’s kind of like a sandbox RPG game.”

Contact Rob Kitchen at rkitchen@lsureveille.com

The two sketches are placed side by side and the one described by the other woman is overwhelmingly more aesthetically pleasing.

The sentimental music swells, and Dove proclaims “you are more beautiful than you think.” Everyone lives happily ever after and no one has any self-image-related anxiety.

Haha! Just kidding.

Many people are still missing the underlying message of “Real Beauty Sketches.” Dove presents itself as being progressive. “We’re not like all those other beauty companies who use svelte models to make you feel like dog crap in comparison,” Dove cries out indirectly.

However, Dove is still a cosmetics agency and needs you to buy its products. I don’t even know what they’re trying to sell in this commercial. Soap? Lotion? Drafting boards?

Dove may be going about its goal in a clever, underhanded way, but it is still reinforcing the idea that women need to be beautiful to have worth.

Under this guise of forward thinking, Dove also pretends to break down barriers of the conventional beauty ideal. However, it’s clear from “Real Beauty Sketches” that what’s beautiful to Dove is thin, relatively young white women.

While there are a few women of different racial backgrounds in

the video, the focus is largely on the white women. They have all the speaking roles. The descriptions are focusing on them. The “star” of the video is a blonde-haired blue-eyed woman. This is an issue.

Where are the plus-sized women? Where are the older women?

Where are the women of color?

Where are the transgender women?

Where are the women with disabilities?

This is not to say any of these groups of women should be expected to be attractive nor are they unattractive. Being deemed goodlooking should not be your job, obligation or responsibility. Your sense of worth as a person should not be directly correlated to some stranger’s opinion on if you’re gorgeous or not.

What about someone’s personality, intellect, empathy, sense of humor, skills, talents or contributions to society? Do these facets of a person mean nothing?

Apparently Dove isn’t too concerned about what makes a person beautiful other than appearance, and that’s pretty shallow.

Taylor Schoen is a 22-year-old communication studies senior from Metairie.

Check out today’s entertainment content at lsureveille.com:

Watch a video recap of the Louisiana International Film Fest.

Contact Taylor Schoen at tschoen@lsureveille.com

Clothes Minded: Learn how to wear a simple black and white dress two ways by pairing it with the right accessories.

The Daily Reveille

Opinion

page 12

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

CMST 4112 students: You Deserved It Pecchioni’s freak-out on class justified

FRIED PHILOSOPHY AARON FRIEDMAN Columnist Professor Loretta Pecchioni decided last Wednesday it was time to give her Communication Studies 4112 class real communication to study. She sent an email 15 minutes into the 10:30 a.m. class that essentially said this: the course is canceled for the rest of the semester, everybody flunked and I’ll smell ya later.

And you know what? I don’t blame her for it. If anything, it was benevolent of her to calm down and retract her statement in a second email.

Although some consider Pecchioni’s actions less than professional — she allegedly cursed at the students in attendance — she had every right to be upset at chronic absences and an 11-person turnout in a class of 28.

Now, before we go any further, I need to come clean.

I don’t have a spotless record.

My first semester at LSU, I skipped class for every inane and imaginable reason — I was tired, “Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School”

WEB COMMENTS The Daily Reveille wants to hear your reactions to our content. Go to lsureveille.com, our Facebook page and our Twitter account to let us know what you think. Check out what other readers had to say in our comments section: In response to Nicholas Pierce’s column “Recent tragedies

was on, it looked like it might rain or it was Friday — or any weekday.

However, I’m pretty sure I ate boogers and peed in my Pampers every day as a baby too. My point is that my poor judgment in the past doesn’t exactly give me a “holier-than-thou” position in this argument, but part of growing up includes shedding bad habits.

These days, I try to attend class as often as possible — even when every fiber of my being is begging me to stay in bed.

Skipping class is disrespectful to your professor.

Elecia Lathon, an instructor in the College of Human Sciences and Education, said, “On average I spend about five hours a week per class preparing for the classes I teach.” Likewise, Kenneth Brown, a senior level ecology professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, reported spending two to three hours preparing for every hour of lecture time.

Can you imagine spending hours on homework, only to have your teacher decide he or she isn’t interested in looking at, much less grading it? It would be understandable if you were livid.

Lathon also mentioned that when students attend class, she’s able to monitor progress in ways

that don’t include giving quizzes and tests, and students are able to give input that can enhance future lessons. Without students, this mutually beneficial relationship is impossible to establish.

If, however, you’re the type of person who doesn’t care about your professor’s delicate sensibilities, consider how regular class attendance affects you.

A meta-analytic review written by several authors affiliated with the State University of New York at Albany found class attendance in college was the best predictor of grades. Ultimately, a student’s study habits, SAT scores or high school GPA were far less important in determining their success.

Another study, published in the journal Teaching of Psychology, found that students who attended class more frequently scored higher than others on multiplechoice quizzes. These results held true even when the material being tested was covered in the text, rather than during in-class lectures.

Nevertheless, people could argue, “I pay tuition here. It’s my time and my money, and I’m at liberty to choose how I spend either of those.”

While that’s true, I still can’t

difficult to understand,” one reader wrote:

targeted attack by Muslim militants.

2013.04.21 (Paktika, Afghanistan) - Three civilians at a shopping mall are blown to bits by a Shahid suicide bomber.

2013.04.20 (Khar, Pakistan) - A female Fedayeen blows herself up outside a hospital, taking four innocents with her.

2013.04.19 (Wana, Pakistan) - Taliban extremists send rockets into an election rally, killing

“This is Islam. Every day, every week, year-in and year-out; this is the fruits of Islam: 2013.04.21 (Fallujah, Iraq) - Nine people at a restaurant are taken out in mid-bite by Mujahid bombers.

2013.04.21 (Pattani, Thailand) - A 49-year-old Buddhist woman is gunned down in a

The Daily Reveille Editorial Board

Andrea Gallo Emily Herrington Bryan Stewart Kirsten Romaguera Clayton Crockett Chris Grillot

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

screenshots from emails sent by LORETTA PECCHIONI

Students in Loretta Pecchioni’s CMST 4112 class received the first email about 15 minutes into the class period April 17. The second email was sent about five hours later.

imagine how regularly skipping class would be beneficial to you.

Baton Rouge has its merits, but would anybody reasonably pay full tuition just to hang out here and hope for passing grades?

Or, if you’re lucky enough to receive TOPS or another scholarship, skipping class is a waste of others’ financial resources. Either way you cut it, it’s wasteful to routinely play hooky.

Regardless, the decision is still yours to make. The last Faculty Senate resolution proposing grades based on mandatory class attendance was introduced Feb. 14, 2012 — and as long as the problem of chronic absences remains, the proposal is likely to resurface.

We shouldn’t attend class in fear that compulsory attendance will weasel its way back into consideration, though. For the record, I’m against it. Students

should minimize their absences because it shows respect for the teacher and the academic setting while significantly improving grades.

Communications professor Andrew King rightly said deciding whether to attend class is “simply part of the college experience,” but we shouldn’t be so quick to forget the advantages of attendance or why Pecchioni was so reasonably upset.

four people.

2013.04.19 (Khalis, Iraq) - A Mujahideen mortar attack on a rival mosques leave seven dead.

If you want off then get off.

More and more Muslims are leaving Islam. They are leaving the religion whose prophet raped, stole, maimed and encouraged his followers to kill. They are leaving a religion that treats all others as inferior. They are leaving a religion that claims it’s

about peace but is really about complete submission.

You can leave it too, or you can isolate yourself further. It’s your choice pal, not mine.”

- Arafat

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.

Aaron Friedman is a 23-year-old Spanish senior from Destrehan, La.

Contact Aaron Friedman at afriedman@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @AmFried

Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at opinion@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_opinion

Quote of the Day “A-B-C-D-E-F-G. You want to tell your teacher about LSD.”

Life Sex & Death American rock band 1990 — 1996

The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Opinion

page 13

Errors in economist’s paper prove austerity a bad policy SHARE THE WEALTH JAY MEYERS Columnist Picture this: It’s 2007. After graduating with a degree in finance from Louisiana State University, you are now comfortably employed as an analyst at a midsized investment bank.

Now, fast-forward a year, and your fortune has taken an unfortunate turn for the worse — you’ve been “let go.”

Your unemployment, however, does not stem from poor performance or willful misconduct.

Rather, it’s the consequence of something much greater, and every American is feeling the pinch.

Indeed, both the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and ensuing “Great Recession” have caused our nation to experience the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, resulting in perpetually high unemployment significantly impeding growth.

Despite this unfortunate reality, there is no reason to overreact. The markets have dealt with crises before, and our lawmakers are certainly capable of restimulating the economy and helping put our unemployed back to work.

History, it turns out, did not repeat that pattern. Instead, our political process was hijacked by ideologues deep inside the

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Republican Party.

There’s no denying Republicans have changed American politics since they took control of the House of Representatives in 2010, especially regarding their influence on economic policy.

Over the past three years, Republicans have shifted the nation’s focus from helping the unemployed to placing spending restraint and debt reduction at the top of the national agenda.

Consequently, the primary factor driving economic policy has been debt delirium, the notion that unless we slash spending, we’ll turn into Greece or some other fiscally insolvent country in the Eurozone.

As I’ve expressed in many of my previous columns, these actions are not only misguided — they’re flat-out wrong and have consistently been proven bad policy on both sides of the Atlantic.

It’s apparent that Republicans simply won’t acknowledge this, or at least they don’t care.

It’s as if they live in this intellectual bubble, which is sustained, of course, by selectively getting their news from Fox News and policy analysis from billionairebacked right-wing think tanks.

Well, what happens when the only credible academic research paper, which has been cited by policy makers around the world as justification for slashing spending, turns out to be wrong?

This brings us to Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff, fun while learning how to save the environment.

Johnson Earth Day promotes Shantericka psychology student environmental equality Gun buying more involved than Being from Texas, this was my first time attending Louisicolumnist states ana’s Earth Day festivities.

It was nice to see so many people come out to support the preservation of the environment.

People of all ages attended and they were genuinely interested in what they could do to help. There were many activities for the little kids as well but while getting their faces painted they were also being taught how they could also save Earth.

I was proud to see the LSU student booths explaining the many misconceptions about science and conservation methods.

I think it is especially important for Louisiana to promote this kind of awareness since we depend on our environment through things like the Mississippi River and our fisheries.

Of course there was food, music and even a recycled trash fashion show but it was nice to see that you can still have

A recent article titled “Opinion: Congress ignores Americans as gun bill fails,” written by Parker Cramer, has caught my attention. In the article, there is a jarring amount of fabricated, contrived and specious information that is indicative of a lack of proper research. Mr. Cramer writes “Even sales conducted over the Internet require no background check at all,” and states that firearm acquisition is made “convenient with at-home delivery.” This is simply not true. Last night, I purchased a new handgun on Gunbroker, an auction site for firearms that is much like Ebay.

In winning the auction, I must provide an FFL of my choosing with the seller’s information. The weapon that I won is then shipped to the FFL, where I pick it up and am subjected to a background

RON THOMAS / The Associated Press

Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff’s theory on economic policy has been found to contain numerous errors by a University of Massachusetts graduate student.

the two eminent Harvard economists whose 2010 economic research paper, “Growth in a Time of Debt,” purported to identify a critical “threshold” for government indebtedness.

Their study, which found economic growth slows dramatically when a government’s debt exceeds 90 percent of a country’s gross domestic product, has arguably been the single biggest influence for policy makers’ call check. It is literally the exact same process as if I had bought it from the FFL. There is no such thing as a mail-order firearm, unless a buyer and seller agree to circumvent federal and state laws, which rarely, if ever, happens.

There is, however, mail-order ammunition.

Later in the article, Mr. Cramer writes that an “overwhelming majority of Americans (as high as 86 percent in some polls)” support background checks. This is also laughably incorrect. The figure of 86 percent is complete nonsense, and was calculated by left-leaning pollsters with antigun agendas.

They sampled specific people to achieve their desired results, and then published the results as if they were from a nationwide poll. This may be no fault of the writer, as he may not have known this when he found the aforementioned statistic.

Please publish this so as to show Reveille readers that there was inaccurate information in Mr. Cramer’s article. Hopefully, better research can be done in the future to prevent the spread of erroneous information.

Carson Lafleur petroleum engineering student

to shift from stimulus to austerity.

Last week, however, Thomas Herndon, a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s doctoral program in economics, found serious problems with Reinhart and Rogoff’s austerityjustifying work.

More specifically, the Reinhart-Rogoff paper omitted data for five of its 19 countries and used the wrong data set for another country.

National problems indicate selfishness Do you ever get the feeling that we, Americans, are some of the most selfish, selfcentered, and immature brats that ever lived? I am not claiming to be guilt-free, but look at our national situation as a whole!

We have supposed “leaders” in Washington, D.C. that will not agree to “take-care-of-our-own” in the form of Health Care Reform, but they continue, well over 10 years, to send U.S. Troops in harm’s way and to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on two unnecessary wars in countries that are reported to have very corrupt governments.

We have probably 10 to 15 percent of the richest, most powerful people in the world, yet these brats are the very “Americans” that are sending our jobs, and perhaps our very future stability, to other countries! At what point in unemployment and under-employment will these socalled “Americans” understand the very real damage they are causing to the very country they call “home?”

By correcting these errors, you get what other economists have found: a little correlation between high debt and low growth.

In other words, there is no empirical basis for slashing spending in the wake of mass unemployment.

So, where does that leave us?

The implications are loud and clear. A successful economic recovery necessitates a return to Keynesian economics, or more deficit spending coupled with lower taxes.

It’s the unemployed — not the deficit — preventing our economy from gaining traction.

Referring back to the earlier hypothetical, it’s our current policies preventing financial analysts, for instance, from being paired with investment banking jobs. In fact, the newly installed CEO of Citigroup recently announced it would cut its workforce by 11,000.

I like to think Republican lawmakers will acknowledge the error in their ways. But given their uncompromising and obstructionist agenda, it’s nearly impossible to do so.

Jay Meyers is a 20-year-old economics sophomore from Shreveport.

Contact Jay Meyers at jmeyers@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_jmeyers The over-whelming majority of us are not guilt-free, either.

When are the parents and grandparents of our generation going to understand that you can not always treat yourself and “little Johnny and Sue” to every brandnew do-dad that comes along?!

There are probably millions of Americans who are absolutely so immature in their finances that they have very little savings, yet they treat themselves to every monthly billing service amenity available!

In closing, I believe I heard, on the national news, The U.S. government is technically in debt to China by over 300 billion dollars! I truly pray the rampant selfishness, self-centeredness, and gross immaturity in our nation will subside before we all are totally indebted to foreign powers!

Timothy Monroe Bledsoe North Augusta, S.C.

Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at opinion@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @TDR_opinion

The Daily Reveille

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The Daily Reveille

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The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

10 -1 AM

PM

Come put on our drunk googles and take the golf cart for a spin.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month PI BETA PHI DELTA DELTA DELTA

Enter to win prizes