The Daily Reveille - March 11, 2014

STUDENT GOVERNMENT: Candidates announced for upcoming election, p. 3

BASEBALL: Small-town junior catcher making waves in first LSU season, p. 5

Reveille The Daily

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 105

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BOOSIE’S BACK Lil Boosie, also known as Torrence Hatch, speaks to reporters Monday during his press conference at The W Hotel in New Orleans.

ANGELA MAJOR / The Daily Reveille

Rapper discusses time in prison, future

Joshua Jackson

Entertainment Writer

After five years of incarceration, rapper and Baton Rouge native Lil Boosie has been released from prison.

Boosie held a press conference

Monday at the W Hotel in New Orleans to address questions about his release and his future as an artist. Projector screens covered the walls of the conference room as two golden throne-like chairs sat RAPPER, see page 4

STORY EXTRAS

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

lsureveille.com

STUDIO ARTS BUILDING

Safety, health concerns persist Olivia McClure Senior Reporter

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

There is a thin line between having vintage charm and being a dump. University art students believe the Studio Arts Building crossed that line long before the ceiling of the ceramics studio fell in November 2013. It’s a tough old building that has withstood 90 years of wear and tear, but students wonder — and worry — just how much more they and the Studio Arts Building can take.

The building has been slated for renovation for years, but the state Legislature has not yet approved funding. Blueprints that took a year to draw will sit on the shelf until the University receives the $15 million needed for renovation, said Roger Husser, Facility Services

director of planning, design and construction.

Students are organizing protests that they hope will persuade legislators to allocate the funds. Until then, they will craft sculptures and sketch drawings beneath leaky ceilings, on top of uneven wood brick floors and surrounded by walls coated in lead paint and, in some places, mold.

When the ceramics studio ceiling crashed into a large sink that just about every student in the building uses, people around campus started paying attention to the building’s long list of issues. Problems with the building, which was constructed in 1924, date back much further and are not limited to that one studio.

One of students’ biggest concerns is lead paint and asbestos they have identified throughout the building using home test kits. However, Dave Maharrey, associate executive STUDIO ARTS, see page 15

INSIDE: Lil Boosie supporters should question their loyalty, p. 9 ONLINE: Exclusive Q&A with Lil Boosie on lsureveille.com.

TECHNOLOGY

LSU to dump current Wi-Fi for eduroam Renee Barrow Contributing Writer

Following the end of the spring semester, Information Technology Services will retire the lsusecure wireless network, making eduroam the primary Wi-Fi option for on-campus users.

Sheri Thompson, IT communications and planning officer, said the decision was made after a recent focus group meeting.

“There’s no use in continuing to support two networks that do the same thing,” said Hector Rios, assistant director of Networking and Infrastructure.

Rios said having multiple networks may be confusing to incoming students and other members of the University community.

“We want to make it as simple as possible,” Rios said.

While not all students are WI-FI, see page 4

CHARLOTTE WILLCOX / The Daily Reveille

Loose wires present problems at the Studio Arts Building on Feb. 27.

Arts students are planning protests to bring the building’s many issues to attention as the building awaits renovation.

Expands research opportunities for OUR undergraduate students Be part of this life changing experience!

Visit lsu.edu/discover to learn more.

The Daily Reveille

page 2

TODAY’S FORECAST

Nation & World

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

NATIONAL

STATE/LOCAL

Edward Snowden speaks out at SXSW Commission redefines small game regulations

The Associated Press

Showers HIGH 68 LOW 58 sunrise: 7:20 a.m. sunset: 7:11 p.m.

Wednesday HIGH 61 LOW 37

Thursday HIGH 61 LOW 38

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden said he has no regrets about revealing the agency’s mass surveillance program.

Snowden spoke Monday via live video conference to a packed audience at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival.

The former NSA contractor, who remains in Moscow living in temporary asylum, faces felony charges in the U.S. after leaking thousands of classified documents to media outlets.

Christopher Soghoian, principal technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union, spoke to Snowden from the Austin, Texas, event along with Snowden’s legal adviser, the ACLU’s Ben Wizner.

Snowden touched on a number of issues in the hour-long conversation. He dispensed advice on how U.S. citizens can keep their web-surfing activities more private by using a free service called Tor, which encrypts web traffic. He also called on the technology industry to create more software and services that help guard individual privacy.

The Associated Press

JACK PLUNKETT / The Associated Press

Edward Snowden answers tweeted questions during a simulcast conversation during the South By Southwest Interactive Festival on Monday in Austin, Texas.

He appeared to have no regrets about exposing the U.S. government’s surveillance methods.

“And when it comes to would I do this again, the answer is absolutely yes,” he told the audience.

“I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, and I saw that the Constitution was violated on a massive scale,” he added.

The ACLU offered a live blog of Snowden’s talk on its website, and the Texas Tribune’s website hosted a live video stream.

Fugitive WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange spoke at the SXSW conference in a similar manner on Saturday. Assange is living in asylum at the Ecuadorean embassy in London.

(AP) — The first steps to allow hunters and fishermen to stay longer in the state’s most remote areas was taken Thursday by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

At the urging of state game and fisheries biologists and managers, the LWFC amended the 2014-2015 resident-game hunting regulations to allow hunters a three-day possession limit of small game — rabbit, squirrels and quail — but kept the daily limits of eight on squirrels and rabbits and 10 per day on quail.

The commission later approved a move that would allow fishermen to hold a three-day limit of black bass (largemouth and spotted bass) in areas south of the state’s saltwater line.

INTERNATIONAL

Syrian conflict affects health care

PRESENTED BY LSU STUDENT MEDIA

The Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s health care system is on the brink of collapse, with medics forced to engage in “brutal medical practices” to save lives: knocking out patients with metal bars because of lack of anesthesia or amputating infants’ limbs for lack of other ways to treat their injuries, an international charity organization said in a report published on Monday.

Newborns die in hospital incubators during power outages while millions of children have been exposed to deadly diseases,

some of which are preventable with vaccinations and basic medical equipment, Save the Children said.

Conflict has ravaged Syria for three years and has hit the country’s health facilities and health providers hard. Hospitals have been bombed by government forces in rebel-held areas. Armed men with the opposition have forced their way into clinics to have their fighters treated. Many doctors have fled the country.

“This humanitarian crisis has fast become a health crisis,” Save the Children’s regional director Roger Hearn said in a statement.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS The March 10 story “Bills, Bills, Bills: Legislative sessions begins today; proposed legislation emphasizes higher education, social issues” incorrectly stated that Rep. Austin Badon Jr. authored HB 494. HB 494 was authored by Rep. Barry Ivey.

The Daily Reveille regrets this error.

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.

MOHAMMED ZAATARI / The Associated Press

Veiled Syrian women wait with their children for polio vaccinations at a Syrian refugee camp in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, on Nov. 7, 2013.

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

Kevin Thibodeaux • Editor in Chief Morgan Searles • Managing Editor Wilborn Nobles III • Managing Editor, External Media Gordon Brillon • News Editor Zach Carline • Deputy News Editor Rebecca Docter • Entertainment Editor Spencer Hutchinson • Sports Editor Trey Labat • Deputy Sports Editor Erin Hebert • Associate Production Editor Zach Wiley • Associate Production Editor Megan Dunbar • Opinion Editor Connor Tarter • Photo Editor Chris Vasser • Multimedia Editor Natalie Guccione • Radio Director Katelyn Sonnier • Advertising Sales Manager Ashley Porcuna • Marketing Manager

Newsroom (225)578-4810 • Advertising (225)578-6090

The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

ACCREDITATION

page 3

Student Government

Undergraduate research shown Tufts, Coleman to

run for SG president

Inaugural Research Day held Monday

Jacquelyn Masse

Whitney Lynn

Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Undergraduate students showcased their research Monday at the University’s inaugural Discover Research Day. More than 130 students from the various colleges presented their methodology and findings as part of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan for reaffirmation of reaccreditation.

Students who attended Discover Research Day talked to fellow peers about the pros and cons of undergraduate research and why it’s an important part of the college experience.

“What comes to your mind when you hear research?” asked Kalliat Valsaraj, vice chancellor of Research and Economic Development. “Grad students, professors running around in white coats.

Undergraduate research is often forgotten, and these students have a passion for research.”

There were also live demonstrations of the final products of research.

One presentation showed the collaboration between the College of Engineering and the College of Music and Dramatic Arts. Mark Gibson, physical theatre senior, said he approached civil engineering senior Joshua Brown about bringing engineering aspects to theater. The project, ORIGIN, is an 8-foot in diameter “buckyball” contraption made of aluminum that the physical theatre students performed in,

LAUREN DUHON / The Daily Reveille

A passerby examines a research board Monday at the first Discover Research Day in the Student Union’s Cotillion Ballroom.

on top of and around. Because of their collaborative efforts, the project received a $3,000 grant from enOvation.

“In physical theater, there is no structure like this,” Brown said.

A brass quintet composed of School of Music students Anthony Ficklin, Brent Gosset, Francis Steib, Phil Shapiro and John LeNoir performed Quintet No. 1 by Victor Ewald to illustrate the positive effects of research in the college.

Two students from the University of Florida also displayed their findings regarding the correlation between music and cancerous cells. Stepfanie Lam, microbiology sophomore, and Ginny Lane, cello performance and chemical engineering sophomore, created a musical composition using the

nucleotides present in cancerous DNA compared to that of noncancerous DNA. Using the nucleotides A,G,C, and T as notes, Lam and Lane compared how the two pieces of music sounded when played on the cello.

“We’re telling a musical story about a deleted gene,” Lane said.

Randy Duran, director of undergraduate research said Discover Research Day is a pilot and will eventually expand into a week-long event. Research Day aims to create more collaborations across campus between humanists, engineers, musicians and other students.

Contact Whitney Lynn at wlynn@lsureveille.com

THE DEVIL’S MUSIC

Student Government will have two tickets for the upcoming election.

One of the tickets, called The Next Step, will have Clay Tufts and Taylor Lambert on it. The other ticket, Experience LSU, will include Christian Coleman and Ashleigh Pichon.

There was originally a third ticket, but John Myles and Whitney Williams decided to withdraw from the election because they said they were unprepared.

This Friday, the official SG tickets will be announced with a list of senators attached to the presidential candidates.

Next week will be active campaigning for the candidates, and a debate will be held at 7 p.m. on March 20 in the Holliday Forum. On March 24, there’s

a 24-hour voting period with possible voting stations at the dining halls. By March 26, the election board will announce the results in the Live Oak Lounge of the Student Union.

Contact Jacquelyn Masse at jmasse@lsureveille.com

Free Wi-Fi, Exquisite Pastries 3350 Highland Road Baton Rouge, LA 70802

MARCH

EVENT CALENDAR

11

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014 6:30 PM

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

7:00 PM

Tango Tuesday - Eiffel Society Team Trivia - George's Place 311 - New Orleans Arena

7:30 PM

Memphis the Musical - Saenger Theatre

8:00 PM

Give 'Em The Light - House of Blues New Orleans Progression - Gasa Gasa Touche Amore - Mud and Water Ron Pope - House of Blues New Orleans ZZ Ward - The Varsity Theatre Songwriters Night/ Open Mic - Artmosphere Nat Osborn Band - The Little Gem Saloon Comedy Beast - The Howlin' Wolf

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

EVENTS Rockstar Racing “Student Night” Show your student ID and get $5 off go-kart races Not a student? Tag yourself @rockstar racing for a free go-kart race. Come feel like a rockstar at Baton Rouge’s premiere indoor CHARLES CHAMPAGNE / The Daily Reveille

Consuming Fire Fellowship protests the Switchfoot concert Monday night on Highland Road across from the Varsity Theatre.

kart racing facility, Rockstar Racing!

on the center of the stage, awaiting the rapper’s arrival.

Lil Boosie, also known as Torrence Hatch, was arrested on drug charges in 2009. After violating his probation, Boosie’s sentence was doubled to eight years at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola. He served 52 months before his release and is currently on probation, which could last up to four years.

Boosie has had a strong support system during his career. His family and fellow artists, such as Bun B, Webbie and Jeezy, were in attendance to celebrate his homecoming.

The rap artist has a large following, and his fan base has grown despite his years away from the public eye. Boosie further explained that in the beginning of his career his sole purpose was to raise enough money to help his family. As his popularity grew, he realized the effect his music had on his listeners.

“The support system I have now is insane,” Boosie said. “I’m

WI-FI, from page 1

release began rising in early 2014.

The dates changed multiple times before the March release was confirmed.

“I had more release dates than Jordan,” Boosie said.

Roy Maughan, a member of Boosie’s legal team and University alumnus, elaborated on the changes in Boosie’s release dates. Maughan said the shift in dates was caused by the court’s assessment of the good deeds Boosie did while incarcerated.

“He participated in things like anger management and drug awareness, which reduced his time,” Maughan said. “It was just a matter of determining how shortened it was.”

Boosie said he is most excited about returning to the top of rap music and being able to take care of his family.

“This is who I really do it for, my family,” Boosie said. “I want them to live the best life possible and I know I can make that happen.”

be able to use their login information not only on the Baton Rouge campus, but any other location worldwide that uses eduroam, Rios said.

“If you’re backpacking in Europe and are by a university [with eduroam], you can hop on the Wi-Fi for free,” Thompson said.

“It’s a solid service, and it’s not going to go away,” Rios said.

Rios and Thompson said they expect mild issues during the initial transfer period because users will need to add “@lsu.edu” to their usernames.

Thompson said this addition is similar to what students must input now to access their University email accounts.

Other than this requirement, the eduroam access process will be the same as that of lsusecure.

“We’ve gone through it before without the world exploding,” Thompson said.

Contact Joshua Jackson at jjackson@lsureveille.com

ONLINE EXTRA POLL: Is replacing lsusecure with eduroam a good idea? Vote at lsureveille.com.

Contact Renee Barrow at rbarrow@lsureveille.com

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On Reveille Stands March 19

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familiar with eduroam, it is a widely used wireless access network for educational institutions.

Rios said the University was one of the first places in the United States to implement it.

Eduroam started in Europe and has recently become more popular here, Rios said. Nearby institutions that use eduroam include Tulane University, Texas A&M, University of Houston, Rice University and the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans.

Rios said there are a total of 143 institutions in the country using eduroam now.

University wireless users will

getting letters from fans in Europe and Australia.”

During the press conference, Boosie said he intends to remain with his current record label, Trill Entertainment. He also revealed that he wrote 1,018 songs while in prison on a variety of topics. Boosie mentioned he is already recording material for his next album, which will feature artists like Jeezy and Lil Wayne. He is planning a tour to begin later this spring.

“I’ve got more stories to tell about my life and my family,” Boosie said.

The rapper said he has written his own movie, titled “Boosie: The Movie,” which he hopes to release in theaters later this year. Boosie said he would like to venture into acting after the release of his album.

Angela Yee, radio personality for 105.1 FM and host of the press conference, said the event was “huge for the hip-hop community.”

“He said, ‘There’s no king of the South right now,’ and that title is his for the taking,” Yee said.

Rumors of Boosie’s prison

2014

RAPPER, from page 1

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

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Best o f L

Sports

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

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Shoddy defense will cost LSU

Down the winding road

THE SMARTEST MORAN JAMES MORAN Sports Columnist

a 15-minute phone call, chatting about recruiting advice. Scivicque told Davis he was going to a tryout for Southwest Mississippi Community College and shortly thereafter, Davis put a call in to the head coach of Baton Rouge Community College on

Whether it’s football season in the fall or baseball getting underway in the spring, an old saying rings true around Baton Rouge — nothing matters until the start of Southeastern Conference play.

And when the Tigers arrive in Nashville on Friday to play the first of three games against Vanderbilt, that’s precisely where they will find themselves.

With mid-week games against Nicholls State and Southern remaining between now and then, LSU will likely begin conference play with a respectable record of 16-2.

Losing two nonconference games isn’t a big deal, but some of the mistakes that cost LSU those games are troubling — the infield’s defensive struggles, specifically.

Despite the persistent defensive lapses, the soft competition didn’t have enough firepower to take advantage of LSU’s fielding miscues.

However, with SEC play about to begin, it’s going to get much tougher from here.

The deficiencies that can be masked by superior talent against Purdue, Toledo or UNO will be exposed against the Vanderbilts and Mississippi States of the world — both are due up for the Tigers in the

SCIVICQUE, see page 7

DEFENSE, see page 7

photos by ANGELA MAJOR [above] and CHARLES CHAMPAGNE [right]/ The Daily Reveille

Junior catcher Kade Scivicque (right), hailing from the small Louisiana town of Maurepas, has emerged as one of the Tigers’ most surprising contributors this season.

Scivicque makes long journey from small town to LSU starter

Chandler Rome Sports Writer

Maurepas, La., has no stop signs.

There are no stoplights, either — only three gas stations.

The town gets by, though, seeing as it only has one two-lane highway.

Sue’s Café, Val’s Marina and Red’s are the only three restaurants, but don’t ask Kade Scivicque to pick which one is best — that’s too tough of a call for him.

Scivicque, the surprise of the pre-Southeastern Conference

season for the No. 8 Tigers (142) and the only Maurepas resident ever to don the purple and gold, leads LSU with a .455 average and is part of the three-man catcher rotation that always has him unsure if and where he’ll be in the lineup when he gets to the ballpark.

But it’s the winding road Scivicque took to get to Baton Rouge that’s quirkier than his hometown.

While he was a senior trying to get noticed at Maurepas High School, Scivicque’s first cousin did what any family member would and put a call in to a friend

— LSU assistant coach Will Davis.

“Just trying to do the kid a favor,” Davis remembered. “I’d never seen the kid play and I figured, ‘[He’s] from Maurepas, I’m sure he’s a decent player. But how good can he be? Nothing for us.’”

Scivicque and Davis shared

FOOTBALL

Tigers vote Unity Council, players change numbers Defense impressing in early practices Mike Gegenheimer Sports Writer

Whenever LSU fans hear about the football team’s Unity Council, it’s usually in reference to a teammate who’s in trouble, but the small group of players acts as the vocal leaders of the team.

LSU coach Les Miles opened spring practice Saturday with a vote that would decide the 2014 Unity Council, selecting one to two players from each position group as representatives.

Senior linebacker D.J. Welter is one of 15 Tigers

2014 Unity Council members: • QB - Brad Kragthorpe (Jr) • RB - Connor Neighbors (Sr), Kenny Hilliard (Sr) • WR - John Diarse (Fr), Travin Dural (So) • OL - Elliott Porter (Sr), Ethan Pocic (So)

voted onto the 2014 installment of the council by his teammates.

“Since I’ve been here, seeing those guys talk to the team, they’re the leaders,” Welter said. “For me to be one in my room is a big deal to me because I’ve been here for four years, and it feels good to be voted in by my teammates. It’s more responsibility for me, and I’m

• TE - Travis Dickson (Sr) • LB - Kwon Alexander (Jr), D.J. Welter (Sr.) • DB - Jalen Mills (Jr), Ronald Martin (Sr) • DL - Danielle Hunter (Jr), Jordan Allen (Sr) • ST - Reid Ferguson (Jr)

ready for it.”

Welter joins players like junior quarterback Brad Kragthorpe, sophomore wide receiver Travin Dural, senior running back Kenny Hilliard and senior defensive end Jordan Allen on the council.

The group hit the spotlight following several disciplinary FOOTBALL, see page 6

TAYLOR BALKOM / The Daily Reveille

LSU senior linebacker D.J. Welter (10) pushes pads Monday during spring practice at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility.

The Daily Reveille

page 6

baseball

LSU using Nicholls to ‘polish up’ Lawrence Barreca Sports Writer

There are only two words to describe LSU sophomore shortstop Alex Bregman’s intentions before the squad heads to Vanderbilt to begin Southeastern Conference play this weekend: achieve perfection.

The 2014 LSU baseball team has been anything but perfect through the first 16 games, but the team has its chance to clean up any straggling issues this week, with both Nicholls State and Southern University rolling in to Baton Rouge today and Wednesday.

Bregman said the current LSU roster has enough talent to compete with any squad in the country when it plays up to its potential.

“I think we need to polish up everything, honestly,” Bregman said. “We have a lot of improving to do on the base paths, at the plate, defensively and on the mound. We could just fine-tune everything and just compete. When we compete, we play well, and if we play well, then we can win whenever we go out there.”

For the second straight season, Nicholls State will be one of LSU’s final nonconference opponents before SEC play begins.

Last year, LSU played the Colonels twice. The first contest was one of then-sophomore southpaw Cody Glenn’s final chances

to acquire a weekend spot. He did so after tossing seven shutout innings in a 2-0 victory. The Tigers also downed Nicholls State 9-3 one week later to sweep the season series.

Heading into today’s contest, LSU coach Paul Mainieri has already solidified his weekend rotation for the Vanderbilt series — juniors Aaron Nola and Kyle Bouman will pitch Friday and Saturday, respectively, and freshman Jared Poche’ will toss Sunday’s contest.

Today’s matchup against the Colonels will instead be a chance for the Tigers’ pitchers to log key innings and stay fresh heading into the weekend. “[Nicholls State has] a fine club,” Mainieri said. “Nicholls State will be ready to play, there’s no question about it. Brady Domangue will get the ball, and hopefully he can give us five good innings, and then we can use our bullpen to sharpen up those guys for the weekend. We’re going to play to win. You don’t develop as a team unless you’re out there and playing well.”

It will be Domangue’s second start of his LSU career — the junior college transfer tossed three innings against Sacred Heart on March 5, surrendering one run on three hits.

A number of reserves will likely get playing time during both

midweek contests because of injuries and inconsistencies throughout the starting lineup.

Mainieri said he is still working out the batting order against both right- and left-handed pitchers. Both freshman Kramer Robertson and junior Conner Hale have shared time in the Tigers’ lineup at second base, while Hale and junior Tyler Moore have split games at first base.

Last season, Moore hit for a .291 batting average against right-handed pitchers. He only hit .222 against southpaws.

Freshman infielder Danny Zardon will get work at third base both today and Wednesday after senior third baseman Christian Ibarra tweaked his hamstring Saturday against Purdue.

“As he was running out a double play, he hit into, it kind of grabbed him a little bit,” Mainieri said. “We don’t think it’s as serious as we feared [Saturday night]. He wasn’t as sore [Sunday] as he was on Saturday, which is a good sign.

We’ll hold him out for these midweek games, and hopefully he’ll be ready to go by Friday.”

Contact Lawrence Barreca at lbarreca@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @LawBarreca_TDR

Tuesday, March 11, 2014 football, from page 5

issues over the past few seasons, most notably when former LSU lineman Josh Dworaczyk addressed the media after the Shady’s bar brawl involving former quarterback Jordan Jefferson, and when former running back Jeremy Hill was arrested after a Tigerland bar fight.

Different numbers, same players If there appears to be something different about LSU junior offensive tackle Vadal Alexander’s jersey this season, it’s because he changed numbers from No. 78 to No. 74 this spring.

Alexander finally got his hands on his old high school number following former No. 74 Josh Williford’s graduation last semester.

“I love this number,” said an excited Alexander. “Ever since my freshman year, I’ve been trying to get it.”

Alexander said he claimed the No. 74 jersey during his freshman season, asking Williford for it once he left. Alexander said he reminded Williford about it toward the end of last season and was happy once he was able to make the switch.

LSU junior linebacker Kwon Alexander also made a change from the No. 25 jersey to the No. 4 jersey, but said the motives for his swap were largely preference-based and had no real

sentimental value.

Defense winning early practices Monday was only the second official practice of the spring for the Tigers, but LSU junior linebacker Lamar Louis said the defensive unit is taking an early lead against the offense.

“I’m not being biased, but if you had to say which side of the ball has been winning, it’s the defense,” Louis said. “Coach Miles said today that the defense had a lot of good takeaways from the offense, and if anybody won, it was the defensive package.”

Louis said the defense is clicking like never before, even after only two practices.

The Tigers’ defense is coming off a less-than-stellar year and is in need of replacing several unit veterans, particularly at linebacker where LSU lost Lamin Barrow.

Louis started spring practice in a green jersey Saturday, after having what he described as a small procedure on his wrist stemming from an injury last season.

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

Tuesday, March 11, 2014 Defense, from page 5

next few weekends.

As the level of competition ratchets up, weaknesses will be magnified. It’s an old baseball adage that you can’t hide a poor fielder because the ball will always find them at the most crucial time.

Ironically, LSU’s best allaround player, sophomore shortstop Alex Bregman, is also its biggest liability. He’s a sensational offensive player and a force in the middle of the lineup, but his lack of fluidity at a premium defensive position has cost LSU baseball games — cough, Omaha — and will continue to do so going forward.

Bregman has committed a team high five of LSU’s 11 errors this season. Third baseman Christian Ibarra and second baseman Kramer Robertson have committed errors as well, but shortstop is a tougher position, which makes it that much easier to identify flaws.

He’s generally given a free pass

by LSU coach Paul Mainieri and members of the media because of his bat and unquestioned work ethic, but no amount of practice grounders guarantees someone will become a slick fielder.

A catcher throughout high school, Bregman has clearly put in hours upon hours of work to make himself even a serviceable infielder.

After watching him play on a regular basis, that work is actually at the heart of his defensive struggles.

He’s got the athletic ability, range and arm strength to play the position, but he frequently tries to do too much too quickly, which leads

to errors. He’s constantly playing in fast forward and nothing is ever smooth and easy, clear signals that his intensity may actually be detrimental in the field.

Baseball is a game of patience, best played under control with a clear head space. Before the season started, Bregman said he internalized his error that allowed the gamewinning run to score against UCLA during the College World Series and used it as motivation to better himself during the offseason.

That’s fine when trying to maintain focus for practice grounder 1,000 on an offseason afternoon and no one is watching. But now it looks like he’s thinking about that error every time a ball is hit in his direction.

There is no obvious position switch to shore up the defense, so it’s highly unlikely Mainieri will ever move Bregman from shortstop. So the errors are either something Bregman needs to fix, just as unlikely, or something LSU is going to have to live with all season.

Bregman was able to recover on some bobbles to play an errorless series against Purdue, but bad fielding is the kind of thing that can come back and bite a team in a big spot.

And late in a one-run game against the SEC’s elite, it’s the kind of thing that loses baseball games.

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

The Daily Reveille scivicque, from page 5

Scivicque’s behalf.

Scivicque’s tryout paid off, and he committed to SMCC, with Louisiana College as his only other offer out of high school. He told Davis the good news in person when the two ran into each other at a high school tournament where Davis’ brother was playing.

The following spring, as Davis pored over statistics of junior college prospects, a familiar named popped on screen.

“He was [SMCC]’s leading hitter,” Davis said. “I put it in the back of my mind, ‘Hey, we may need to go see this kid.’”

Turns out, Davis would barely need to leave his office.

Playing summer ball with the Baton Rouge White Sox for the third straight summer, Scivicque and his team came to Alex Box Stadium for a weekend series after his freshman season at SMCC. “He ends up hitting a couple homers, a couple balls off the wall, really good arm behind the plate and just a grinder,” Davis said. “It was like 110 degrees and they were beating some team like 15-0 and he’s still blocking everything behind the plate.”

Davis was so impressed, he convinced LSU coach Paul Mainieri to watch a game.

“I really liked how his demeanor was,” Mainieri said.

“He’s a big, strong kid. I thought he had some arm strength, and I

page 7 thought the ball jumped off his bat.”

White Sox head coach Ronnie Rantz, a former LSU pitcher, said the demeanor the coaches saw didn’t manifest overnight.

Rantz remembered the first summer he coached Scivicque, when the rising high school senior still concentrated on pitching; he hit under .200 and had trouble translating his small school success to an older, more competitive environment.

“His body matured, he got a little bigger and stronger, and he became a real competitive kid,” Rantz said. “He matured as a man, physically and mentally.

I knew he was good enough to play college ball after his second summer with me.”

Other schools began to agree with Rantz. Southern Miss, Southeastern and Mississippi State began to call.

But the dream was LSU. Davis and staff wanted to play the process slowly, but were pressured by the other schools inquiring, especially when UNO came calling and offered Scivicque a spot on their team after his freshman season.

With Ty Ross coming back in 2013 and fellow freshmen Chris Chinea and Michael Barash also in the mix, LSU didn’t need another catcher, but Scivicque was told he could come the following year and compete with the veterans.

He accepted.

“It’s a dream come true,” Scivicque said. “I’ve always

dreamed of playing baseball here. I’ve always come to all the games, supported LSU and been a big fan.”

The road hasn’t been without bumps. Mainieri said there was a period of adjustment for Scivicque, when he was forced to learn nuances of the game and face criticism he never received in small town Maurepas.

“He never hung his head,” Mainieri said. “He didn’t get down on himself, and he wanted to learn. He never took it personal when the coaches were pushing him and I started to see throughout the fall that he kept improving.”

Scivicque said the switch clicked after Christmas, as he came back to school more locked in — at the plate and in the classroom — resulting in his early season success.

For Davis, each of Scivicque’s hits is a reminder of the crazy turn of events that got him from the “backroads and backfields” to Baton Rouge.

“At the time, I was just doing it out of the goodness of my heart,” Davis said. “I never dreamed the kid would be good enough to play for LSU being from Maurepas. It’s good to know if you do things the right way, sometimes they do come full circle.”

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

What is the LSU Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)?

Our QEP - LSU Discover - focuses on expanding opportunities for our undergraduate students to be involved in research.

Be part of this life-changing, world-class experience.

Visit lsu.edu/discover to learn more.

page 8

The Daily Reveille

Thanks

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Entertainment

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

GeekTheater Student director brings vampires, cowboys and superheroes to campus story Panya Kroun Contributing Writer

photos TAYLOR BALKOM Chief Photographer

Vampires, cowboys and communists make for pretty strange company, but student director Michael Mentz thinks they make for cutting-edge theater too.

Mentz and his crew will present their adaptation of “Vampire Cowboy Trilogy” this week in the Studio Theatre in the Music and Dramatic Arts Building. The crew’s hope is that their campy and comical play will attract unlikely audiences to the art of drama.

“I wanted to do something new, something that wasn’t ‘Hamlet’ for the hundredth time — and this was it,” Mentz said.

“Vampire Cowboy Trilogy” is a three-act comedy that doesn’t pull any punches. It relies heavily on stage combat and choreographed fighting to produce a comic book aesthetic in homage to the so-called nerd culture that inspired its creation. Each of the three acts has its own separate plot, and the play proceeds in historically chronological order.

The first act invokes the film noir of the 1920s with its ghost-and-detective plot. The second act takes the audience through the golden age of comic books and highlights the sensationalism of the Cold War. The third act combines the mystery and angst of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” with the adventure and intrigue of “Xena: Warrior Princess.”

“It would definitely be accurate to call this geek

page 9

FROM PAGE 1

Consider different views on Boosie

Torrence Hatch, known better by his informal moniker Lil Boosie, was released from Angola prison last week after serving five years on possession charges. During his time in prison, the “Free Boosie” movement spread through Louisiana like wildfire.

Will Kallenborn Almost any- Entertainment Writer where in the state, one could find people wearing shirts that proudly proclaimed their adoration for a convicted criminal.

All we really know about Boosie is that he pleaded guilty to attempted drug smuggling and was acquitted of murder, yet it seems almost unanimously the people of this state wanted him to be free. Boosie’s story is just one example of our society prioritizing celebrity over all else.

It’s easy to understand why Boosie’s story is so appealing. He came from a notoriously bad neighborhood in Baton Rouge, and clearly

GEEKS, see page 11

A cowboy, played by theatre junior Scott Mitchell, is bitten by a vampire Sunday during a dress rehearsal of “Vampire Cowboy” in the Music and Dramatic Arts Building.

FREE BOOSIE, see page 11

THEATER

Cirque du Soleil swings through Baton Rouge this week Bradley Williams Entertainment Writer

Cirque du Soleil’s show “Varekai” flies to the Baton Rouge River Center this week.

Cirque du Soleil formed from a group of 20 street performers in 1984 and is now a major Quebec-based organization exhibiting acrobatic circus entertainment. There are currently 19 shows being exhibited throughout the world created by Cirque du Soleil.

“Varekai” is about a boy who is brought into the depths of a mystical forest that showcases a world of enchanted creatures and creative movement. The cast brings to life the story of this new world. The boy sets off for an adventure for the audience to follow.

The use of bold and translucent colors add to the show’s mystical appearance through a display of costumes. The audience can watch people flying

through the air and above the stage as acrobatic silhouettes, and the show incorporates many movements and stunts that are daring in nature. There are several acts that involve the Aerial Hoop and Aerial Straps.

The cast of Cirque is diverse, with more than 5,000 employees from more than 50 countries represented within the company.

“Varekai” has 50 performers from 18 countries. In about a year, they visit around 40 to 45 cities to perform the show, which runs for several days in each city.

Cirque du Soleil has training for new members of the company that can take about three months to a year depending on candidates’ skills, including English classes for non-English speakers to ease their transition into the crew.

“The show is about dance and movement,” said Vanessa Napoli, publicist of “Varekai.”

“Even though some necessarily don’t speak English … they still

communicate through body language, which is beautiful about this show.”

The show’s use of high-preforming acts and creative circus artistry showcase the Romany foundation of Cirque du Soleil.

“It’s beautiful, and the audience will get overwhelmed visually; it’s theatrical,” Napoli said.

“It represents what Cirque du Soleil stands for; amazing aerobatics, beautiful costumes and wide use of the stage.”

She said the show transports viewers into a dream world where the audience can see firsthand the artistry behind “Varekai.”

There are more than 130 costumes in the “Varekai” wardrobe. Moleskin is one of the most commonly used fabrics. Other special materials include flexible titanium rods, sponge nylon and different types of fire-resistant materials. These materials are necessary for the members to CIRQUE, see page 11

courtesy of BATON ROUGE RIVER CENTER

Performers in Cirque du Soleil’s “Varekai” act out the happenings of a mystical forest.

The show plays in Baton Rouge March 12 to 16.

The Daily Reveille

page 10

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Anderson movie’s absence insulting to La. film culture SHH, IT’S STARTING Gerald Ducote Entertainment Writer Filmmaker Wes Anderson has made a name for himself by creating a signature look in all his films. Each work is a swirl of corduroys, emotional coloring and sweet men with haircuts who denote waxing philosophic.

Anderson’s well-known style makes each of his movies, from “Rushmore” to “Moonrise Kingdom,” fall together as pieces in a grander puzzle of the same universe. This allows fans of Anderson’s movies to enjoy his films in any order without worrying about issues of continuity or extrinsic plot points.

For Anderson’s Louisiana admirers, an issue has risen with the March 7 U.S. release of his most recent film, “The

Grand Budapest Hotel.” Many moviegoers scoured the state’s cinemas for show times only to be disappointed by the apparent lack of Anderson’s highly rated piece. The absence continues to make waves with fans, who are hoping “The Grand Budapest Hotel” will begin playing with a wider release.

The actual issue here is the apparent neglect given to Louisiana’s movie lovers. If the absence of the Anderson movie is, in fact, because of a select theater release, it’s an unpleasant oversight to a greatly deserving state.

I find select releases to be unnecessary acts of hyping movies that already have significant support from fans. Internet buzz alone is enough to get people behind something, be it a film, album or video game.

Despite a disapproval of select releases, I acknowledge that if they are used to also give praise and prestige to movies, fans feel they are deserving of such

FASHION

BR resident markets philanthropic headbands Meg Ryan Entertainment Writer

For Crystal Taylor and Chassie Hill, fashion is a lifestyle.

In 2013, Taylor and Hill added ownership of an online boutique to their resumes. Taylor also writes her own fashion blog, “Billie Jean,” and works in retail. Hill is a stylist for Rae Cosmetics, doing hair and makeup for events like proms and weddings.

Together, the sisters run Crown of Glory, an online hair boutique that sells an array of hair accessories, including headbands, head wraps and turbans.

A portion of their profits goes toward their foundation, The Sandra Jean Foundation. Taylor and Hill’s grandmother, Sandra Jean, lost her fight with ovarian cancer in 1999. The sisters pay homage to their grandmother with the foundation. The money goes toward buying wigs for women who have lost their hair, or “crown of glory,” through cancer treatment.

Right now, the business is online and run out of Hill and Taylor’s hometown of Austin, Texas. Hill lives in Austin and Taylor lives in Baton Rouge. Taylor and Hill use family events and social media to come together to work on the company. Hill said Taylor comes back to Austin about once a month for gatherings and to bring her daughter to visit the family.

“We get it done and make it work,” Hill said.

Crown of Glory finds talented vendors and buys wholesale from them to sell the headbands in the online boutique. The company acts as the middle man between the

designers and the consumers.

“We are eventually going to have a hair salon as well where we sell the hair accessories,” Taylor said.

Hill, who has a cosmetology license, said she plans to do her cosmetology work at the salon along with selling headbands.

“I am the one who finds the vendors, buys the products and does the marketing for the business,” ” Taylor said. “Once we have our salon finished, I will only help with maintaining the website and marketing.” She said the salon will mainly be Hill’s.

Hill said the headbands range from elegant for proms, dates and homecomings to casual for everyday wear. The “Zelda Halo” includes feathers and jewels while the “Anchor Wire Headband” comes in multiple colors and works well with a plain T-shirt.

A new addition to the online website is a headband inspired by LSU. Hill described the headband as turban style that twists in the front and is purple on one half and gold on the other half.

“We had our LSU headband custom made with LSU colors,” Taylor said. “We are marketing them for campus wear and for tailgates. We also have a gold and yellow headband that we are wanting to also market towards LSU students.”

The headbands in Hill and Taylor’s online boutique can be purchased at crownofglory.bigcartel.com.

Contact Meg Ryan at mryan@lsureveille.com

niceties. Louisiana was owed at least one theater for this release.

Filmmakers have long been attracted to Louisiana’s landscape as well as the many benefits of filming instate, including tax cuts and a considerable body of actors ready to perform.

It’s not a surprise that Anderson has become the ubiquitous name behind the idea of a film both mainstream and with a cult following. Appreciation of his work has gone so far as to develop “Wes Anderson” into an adjective, being applied to any and all things eccentric, slightly awkward or sentimentally nostalgic. All of these appreciative

aspects of his work are present in Louisiana, let alone other states that received a special release.

If the cinematic background of the state is not enough to defend Louisiana’s worthiness of an Anderson release, a Wes Anderson film series is currently being held at the Prytania Theatre in New Orleans. Even though this is an event that would surely warrant a special release, the Prytania is being denied “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” disappointing many moviegoers hopeful of attending an early screening.

I’m sure the movie will begin opening in theaters in

Louisiana and across the country within the next few weeks. This successful limited release of only four screens in New York and Los Angeles marked the film as the highest-grossing limited live action debut of all time. If movies are going to continue to take advantage of the special release, consider paying back states that offer so much to both filmmakers and box offices.

Contact Gerald Ducote at gducote@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

GEEKS, from page 9

TAYLOR BALKOM / The Daily Reveille

The Hooded Menace explains his evil plot to Captain Justice and Liberty Lady on Sunday during a dress rehearsal of “Vampire Cowboy” in the Music and Dramatic Arts Building.

FREE BOOSIE, from page 9

there is something to be said for the potency of the redemption tale. It’s a story that speaks to the heart of the American dream. Disenfranchised youths overcoming the challenges that face them to mass acclaim, it’s hard to imagine not wanting someone like this to succeed. But apparently it’s even harder to imagine that the realization of the American dream may not be a positive thing.

There is a dichotomy between the man Torrence Hatch and the character of Lil Boosie. While Boosie raps about murder and drugs, Hatch is supposedly a changed man deserving of his freedom. Does the public want Hatch or Boosie to be free? These are the questions that

our culture must ask itself before it is able to justify movements with such severe political implications like this one.

Though many would argue that Boosie’s crimes were victimless, he still broke the law. Why does he warrant the love and affection of the masses when there are so many forgotten faces locked away for the same reasons? Do we support Boosie because we truly believe he deserves his freedom or because we refuse to believe that our judgment of him was wrong? We need to think about whether the problem is with the laws, or if our problem is with admitting that we are wrong.

theater,” Mentz said.

Mentz’s production of the play will be the culmination of two years of work. Now a graduating senior, Mentz proposed the project in his sophomore year with hopes of directing it as a part of the Lab Season, a series of student-directed productions at the University that begins in September and ends in May. His proposal was rejected, but he continued to flesh it out, and at the end of last year, faculty advisers gave him the go-ahead to put on the show.

For the most part, Mentz’s adaptation is faithful to the original “Vampire Cowboy Trilogy” written by Qui Nguyen and Robert Ross Parker in 2003.

The script contains very little direction in the way of sound, costuming or choreography, so

CIRQUE, from page 9

perform their acts.

The crew goes through great lengths to make sure the costumes are in top condition. Even pre-show make-up can take 45 to 90 minutes to apply.

Napoli said being on the road

page 11 Mentz assembled a crew of his peers to bring their own flair to the production.

“The department gave us a $250 budget, but we went under that and still made something very cool,” Mentz said.

Caila Gowland, the show’s costume designer, designed 27 different costumes for the production. With the help of faculty adviser Nick Erickson, she also choreographed nearly all of the play’s myriad fight scenes.

“We used a lot of ‘nicking,’ which is a comical style, so it looks and sounds like people are fighting because of the angles their bodies are moving at, but no one’s getting hurt,” Gowland said.

Lauren Stefanski, the show’s sound designer, incorporated both custom sounds and iconic cinematic scores into each scene.

“There’s comic sounds, and

then there’s the themes to ‘Pokemon,’ ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Rocky,’ and they all sound really cool together,” Stefanski said.

Mentz chose to direct “Vampire Cowboy Trilogy” precisely because of its comedic attributes.

There are a few darker scenes in the play designed to temporarily jar the audience from the whimsical experience.

“I love comedy, and I think it works best in contrast — it’s about creating expectation and then disrupting it,” Mentz said.

“Vampire Cowboy Trilogy” premieres at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

The show will run at the same time every night until Saturday and conclude with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $10.

with members of “Varekai” has given her a second family. She said they are always interacting with one another on a personal level. They always explore the cities they visit together.

“They inspire me to want to do better and be better,” Napoli said.

“Varekai” runs March 12 to 16 at the Baton Rouge River Center.

Contact Panya Kroun at pkroun@lsureveille.com

Contact Bradley Williams at bwilliams@lsureveille.com

Contact Will Kallenborn at wkallenborn@lsureveille.com

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The Daily Reveille

page 12

Jindal offers no help to students

Opinion

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

The Daily Reveille Editorial Board While most of the LSU student body and the world watched as Lil Boosie, aka Torrence Hatch, talked to the media on Monday for the first time since his release from prison, Gov. Bobby Jindal addressed the state Legislature as it began its 2014 session.

And we all were better off watching Boosie announce the creation of more than 1,000 new songs and an album than listening to Jindal spout off about the creation of jobs.

The latter spent the majority of his speech describing the success stories of eight Louisiana transplants who had left the state to look for work, only to return and find jobs here.

He praised the state for its economic growth, and he continually reiterated that jobs are being created in Louisiana.

He then turned his focus to students, who he emphasized need to be trained to fill the jobs available in our burgeoning economy.

But this flies in the face of everything Jindal has done in the past, and although clichéd, this speech proves actions speak louder than words.

Faced with dwindling revenue, Jindal has cut millions and millions from state higher education institutions.

In this year’s proposed budget, higher education would see a $140 million increase in funding, but most of this would come from raising tuition instead of any investment from this economically viable, job-creating state.

The one check mark in Jindal’s box is the newly announced WISE plan, which would reward universities that are meeting the demands of the workforce.

But even that needed to first be initiated by a letter from the collective heads of the state’s higher education institutions to get Jindal thinking about their fiscal future.

Other than that, Jindal doesn’t have much to show from his time as governor in terms of support for higher education.

He must know that those with college degrees generally are in better health, rely less on welfare programs and are more likely to interact with their community, according to a study for Solutions for Our Future.

These are all potentially beneficial to the citizens and residents of our state.

If Jindal were really focused on bettering higher education, he’d toss some money to our universities’ professors, who are responsible for educating the next generation of workers and who are leaving our constantly shrinking departments for the promise of better wages.

If Jindal really liked those nice murals painted downtown in an effort to beautify the city and draw residents to Baton Rouge, he’d repair our campus’ dilapidated buildings that threaten to collapse on the next generation of Louisiana artists.

If Jindal were actually thinking about the future, he’d put his money where his mouth is and invest in students — for once.

Contact The Daily Reveille Editorial Board at editor@lsureveille.com

The Daily Reveille Editorial Board

Kevin Thibodeaux Morgan Searles Wilborn Nobles III Gordon Brillon Megan Dunbar

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

ANNE LIPSCOMB / The Daily Reveille

‘Punny’ headlines can cross the line Tact should not be forgotten in pursuit of wit

OUR LADY OF ANGST SidneyRose Reynen Columnist Newspaper headlines are a thing of mystery. Puns, snarky remarks and information all jumbled into a six or sevenword title.

Some “clever” headlines are harmless and corny. The Advocate’s headline for a review of the film “Non-Stop” reads, “‘Non-Stop’ flies on cruise control.” There’s a play on the film taking place on an airplane, and it foreshadows the review’s content.

However, last Monday’s newspapers couldn’t stop themselves from making cracks at the oh-so-funny topic of slavery.

At the 86th Academy Awards, the Louisiana-filmed “12 Years a Slave” took home the highest honor – Best Picture.

Instead of celebrating the first ever Best Picture winner directed by a black man, newspapers across the country decided to take the film’s serious subject matter a little too lightly.

Two glaringly offensive headlines read “‘Slave’ becomes master” and “‘12 Years a Slave’ escapes with top Oscar.”

While these types of pun-filled headlines might be appropriate for other films that don’t tackle such a sensitive and somber subject, we should not have to

say that slavery jokes should be retired.

I don’t recall this type of mockery when Holocaust or World War II-related films have taken away numerous Oscars.

There were no jokes about “Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan” or “The Pianist.”

Interestingly enough, a journalist and psychologist have recently discovered the amount of time that needs to pass before something tragic can be appropriately joked about. Scientifically speaking, a joke can actually be made “too soon.”

Research found “tweets about Hurricane Sandy to be least funny 15 days after it struck, most funny 36 days after the fact and once again not funny 99 days later.”

The problem with these “12 Years a Slave” jokes, though, is that slavery and the subsequent oppression of black people and other people of color is nowhere near over. Therefore, there is never going to be an appropriate time for this type of insensitivity.

The media are responsible for harvesting public opinion and general attitudes toward certain subjects. It’s the media’s job to be respectful of the topics they cover. I don’t want to read a headline that sounds so offensive that I have to double-check that I’m not reading The Onion on accident again.

While many may think a few cracks about a slavery movie are inoffensive, it’s crucial to realize how influential the win

Editorial Policies & Procedures

for “12 Years a Slave” is.

Best Supporting Actress winner and “12 Years a Slave” star Lupita Nyong’o said she was inspired to be in films when she saw Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg in “The Color Purple.” Goldberg, in turn, saw Nichelle Nichols portray Lieutenant Uhura on “Star Trek” and realized she, too, could be an actress.

Nyong’o’s Cinderella story has great potential to influence several other young black women to follow in her footsteps.

Entertainment is an important factor in the development of America’s attitude toward race, gender and sexuality. Not only is it influenced by our current perceptions, it influences them as well.

The media should be smart enough to notice the significance of events like these. Making light of serious and important events, even if they are only in less-respected fields like entertainment, is rude and minimalizes their power.

Would these same newspapers print headlines like “Crimea River” during the conflict in Ukraine? Probably not.

SidneyRose Reynen is an 18-year-old film and art history freshman from New Orleans.

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 SidneyRose Reynen at sreynen@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @srosereynen

Quote of the Day

“I know the real from the fake, and I can say that not too many are not real.”

Lil Boosie (Torrence Hatch) rapper Nov. 14, 1982 — Present

The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Opinion

page 13

HEAD to HEAD Is Obama assaulting the American dream?

Yes. Overused welfare kills the American Dream. No. Policies play a role in the American Dream.

BLUE COLLAR SCHOLAR JUSTIN STAFFORD Columnist The American dream is one that is deferred. Just like the Younger family in Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun,” many Americans are waiting on a check and already know what they want to spend it on.

Gov. Bobby Jindal said at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington last week that the Obama administration has assaulted the American dream. Jindal said that the president is attempting to redefine success in America through government dependence.

Uncle Sam has picked up my tab a time or two. I ate reduced-priced lunches in grade school. I got Pell grants when I came to LSU. I also receive the TOPS scholarship. I understand the benefits of government assistance.

But there is a time to hop off of the governmental gravy train.

Social welfare is an excellent thing and should be present to assist Americans in times of need and provide them with tools to become successful. Everyone gets down and out, and sometimes it’s more extreme than others. But from what I see in the workforce and outside the walls of the University, folks are stretching out their hand not for help getting back up, but to have a few U.S. dollars placed in their palm.

I grew up in a neighborhood where many people received government assistance such as food stamps and commodities. However, these were the same individuals who would do odd jobs to stay off of the IRS grid and use their money for a case of Budweiser instead of the electric bill. It seems this is now a prevalent occurrence.

This is not solely a problem that began with President Barack Obama as Jindal said, but one that has snowballed greatly in his time in office. There is a strange sense of entitlement that has come over many Americans. It is the false notion that because they live in America, they should not face any adversity and deserve a reward for the challenges they have endured.

The promise by politicians has become happiness and not the pursuit of it. No one can promise that, and no one should expect it.

Jindal also said Obama was not doing enough to help improve the country’s educational system and millions of students are trapped in failing schools. These are big words coming from the governor of a state that ranks quite low regarding the nation’s education. This is possibly because of the ridiculous rates of poverty in Louisiana, which hinder the success of children early in school and thereafter.

More social welfare is not the answer to ending poverty and generating prosperous schools and students. The answer is

not an algorithm or equation of numbers.

It is not within a political party either. People like you and me created the American dream. Jane and John Does who bent over backwards to provide for themselves and others constructed it. Therefore, we can rebuild and revive it.

Never be afraid to ask for help, but it is nothing a person should make a habit of. People are capable of more than they think.

The governor said at the conference that the best years for America are ahead of us and not behind us. I cannot help but agree.

Justin Stafford is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Walker, La.

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

MR. FINI JOSHUA HAJIAKBARIFINI Columnist Last week, Gov. Bobby Jindal spoke at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference and, as usual, joined other Republican speakers in attacking the Obama administration.

Louisianans should care about what our governor is doing in the CPAC and be wary of his rhetoric. It is not for our interest, but rather for the special interest.

In a speech where Jindal called President Barack Obama the most liberal president with a weak foreign policy who seeks to downsize the military, he ignored that Eisenhower also sought to downsize the military and didn’t act when the Soviets invaded Hungary.

Jindal’s most highlighted statement during the speech was made when he claimed that Obama has launched an “assault on the American Dream” and religious freedom.

I personally am not a supporter of Obama and have strong opinions on why I chose to not vote for him both times, but Jindal’s subjective, crowd-pleasing statements are childish and serve to downgrade legitimate grievances people have with Obama to partisan talking points.

Jindal goes so far as to say Obama’s definition of the American Dream is dependence on government.

If that is the case, then why in 2010 did Obama give the Presidential Medal of Freedom to investor legend Warren Buffett? Obama’s speech highlighted Buffett’s business honesty and integrity as not only moral but good for the economy.

Another of Jindal’s major critiques of Obama centered on the deficit and debt. This is an easy and cheap attack on Obama. After you pass freshman-level economic courses, you will learn the primary source of debt in the United States generally comes from recessions. Recessions are expensive, and America’s last one — the greatest and most destructive recession since the 1930s — happened under the watchful eyes of the George W. Bush administration.

The most insulting thing Jindal claimed was that Obama is the worst president in his lifetime. I would suggest Jindal take a look at the Bush administration, but he probably would ignore its failures since he was once part of it.

When Bush took office in 2001, the United States had a surplus of $236 billion. When Obama took office in 2009, Bush left him a deficit of $1.4 trillion, two wars, a health care crisis, a deep economic recession and a financial crisis.

Another thing Jindal neglected to mention was that Bush didn’t do anything in regard to Russia’s full scale war against Georgia, which is likely what encouraged Russia’s action in Crimea more than some theoretical view that Putin felt Obama was weak.

Jindal is a mouthpiece for the Christian Right and big business, yet he offers nothing new except attempts to up the ante with anti-Obama rhetoric.

I would advise Jindal that the truth is always enough in regard to criticizing Obama. There is no need to mislead people and drum up GOP talking points and rhetoric.

The irony is that if Jindal really cared about education, he would try to lift people out of poverty instead of ignoring those stuck in it. Republicans like Jindal are destroying the American Dream by making its achievement more and more exclusive instead of a common journey in any American’s life.

Joshua Hajiakbarifini is a 24-year-old political science and economics senior from Baton Rouge.

SUSAN WALSH / The Associated Press

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal gives a speech Thursday at the annual CPAC in National Harbor, Md.

Contact Joshua Hajiakbarifini at jhajiakbarifini@lsureveille.com; Twitter: @JoshuaFini

The Daily Reveille

page 14

Busy Physical Therapy clinic seeking parttime technicians in Baton Rouge office.

Resumes to: hr@brortho.com ________________________

Server Assistants Needed Ruth’s Chris Steak House 4836 Constitution Ave ________________________ 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.

Send resume to jobs@riderresearch.com ________________________ HELP WANTED Part Time/ Flexible hours after 3pm. Must be able to work with your hands Call 225726-0425 for further details ________________________ Safety & Training Assistant Associated Grocers Part time position responsible for developing and conducting new hire safety orientation and promoting safety awareness throughout the Company. Excellent communication and presentation skills and proficient in Word & Excel. Must be able to work 20-30 hours per week. Apply online at www.agbr.com ________________________ Part time afternoon counter clerk needed!! Welsh’s dry cleaners on the corner of Perkins and college dr.

Flexible schedules. Great for students.

Apply in person. 928-5067 ________________________ “Office Furniture World”/ Coursey Blvd.B.R. Dependable people to assemble and deliver office furniture. Will train and work with school schedule.

Pay-DOE. Send resume dennis@ofwbr. com. By Appointment Only. ________________________

CHILD CARE & PROGRAMS COORDINATOR- P/T Coordinate, organize, develop, and supervise before/after school care sites, holiday and summer camps, family nights, teen and other school age programming events.

Previous experience working with youth/ childcare is preferred. Microsoft Excel exp.

Part-time 22-28 hrs/wk. $8-$9.00/hr DOE. Current CRP/First Aid Cert or ability to be certified by the Y within first 30-days of employment. Must pass B/G check and drug screen. Contact Eddrick Martin @ (225) 344-6775 or apply in person to Baranco-Clark YMCA, 1735 Thomas Delpit Dr., Baton Rouge, LA. ________________________

WANTED: SWIM INSTRUCTORS: Crawfish Aquatics; Louisiana Total Swim Program, Part Time Afternoons-April.

Full Time Summer. If you are highly motivated, great character, hard working, we can teach the rest. Send resume to:swimminglessons@crawfishaquatics. com ________________________ ROLY POLY Now hiring friendly faces part time all shifts. Please apply at 4500 NIcholson Drive Ste. E. in Southgate. ________________________ COLD STONE CREAMERY seeks part or full time cake decorator for fun environment. Needs to be energetic and reliable with prior experience. Competitive pay.

Call Bob 609-412-5736 or 985-276-3558 ________________________ COURIER NEEDED Downtown law firm - Preferably M-F from 1-5; responsible student with neat appearance, must have car/ good driving record/ins., computer skills; $8/hr +mileage; email resume to jwinkle@ pierceandshows.com ________________________ Love Kids? Leaps and Bounds Sports Center is hiring SUMMER CAMP COUNSELORS and Pre- School Teachers. Apply in person 225-665-7200 ________________________

Male and female models wanted for online adult productions. Great Pay!!! Visit www.

QCDelights.com ________________________ La Carreta Government is looking for team players to compliment our great staff.

Hostess and servers please apply in person between the hours of 1-4 Monday thru Friday. ________________________ DENTAL OFFICE P/T assistant/receptionist needed. Great opportunity for those interested in the dental/ medical field. Fax resume’ to (225)7662122. ________________________ WORK WITH KIDS! Learning Center needs tutors. T/Th after 4pm. For more info: elinorbailey@ikumon.com ________________________ Part time afternoon counter clerk needed!!

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.

Greater Baton Rouge area. Must have resume’. Email to eric@one12.net ________________________ Students needed to work with individuals with Developmental Disabilities. Great job for COMM D, PSYCH, Social Work and

KINES majors. Several shifts available.

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 for Summer 2014. Apply at www.selaaquatics.com. ________________________ Children’s store needs helpers. No nights or Sundays. 291-4850 ________________________ Part-Time position with Nabisco 25-30 hours in retail for Baton Rouge area.

Please use the link below to apply http://global.mondelezinternational. com/Careers/Find_a_Job_With_Us/ USJobs/CareerApplication.aspx?isrc =https%3A%2F%2Fmondelez.taleo. net%2Fcareersection%2Fmndlz_careersite_hourly%2Fmoresearch. ftl%3Flang%3Den ________________________ DEREK CHANG’S KOTO: NOW HIRING SERVERS NO EXP NECESSARY APPLY IN PERSON MON-FRI 2:30PM4:30PM 2562 CITIPLACE CT ________________________ The Camelot Club looking for experienced serves in both dining and banquet service. Dependable servers that have reliable transportation. Part time, day and night availability.

Apply in person from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Monday-Friday ONLY 451 Florida St., 21st Floor Baton Rouge, La 70801 ________________________ Patrician Management is seeking an Asst. Property Manager with experience along with a P/T weekend leasing agent.

Leasing agent is great job for student; must be available every weekend in exchange for an apartment in a great location. Customer service experience preferred. Drug test/criminal background checks required. Email resumes for both positions to jfarr@pm-br.com or fax to 225-924-9893. ________________________ New Year, New Fun Job! Great Starting Pay! Flexible Schedules, Scholarships and Internships available. Customer sales/service.

Full training provided. All ages 17+ Apply Today! 225-803-8982 workforstudents.com ________________________ HIRING STUDENTS! *$16 STARTING PAY* Customer sales/

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

service. PT/FT available with very FLEXIBLE schedules. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY, will train- gain VALUABLE experience for your resume! Apply ASAP for best chances!

225-921-9673 earnparttime.com ________________________ Math Tutors Needed Make a difference by tutoring students in grades 1-12 at Mathnasium. We offer flexible work schedules, a great work environment, and $12/hour after training. Must be very strong in high-school math. Hiring now for both area locations. Call 744-0005 or email ascension@mathnasium.com for more information. ________________________ John`s Pro Window Cleaning is looking for 2 part-time window cleaners (20-30 hours per week). Must have reliable transportation and be prepared to work as early as 6 am. No experience necessary.

Must be completely honest, in good physical health and completely self-motivated (references required). Great working conditions, flexible hours and great pay.

Start at 10.00 an hour with significant monthly raises (17.00 an hour within first 7 months). Great opportunity for college students.

To apply call Judy at 225-927-6748 between the hours of 9-5 ONLY. DO NOT call cell number mentioned in message. ________________________ Albasha Restaurant is now hiring for part time hostess and waitstaff. Please come in to apply. We are located at 2561 Citiplace Court Baton Rouge, LA 70808. ________________________

Our hotel sets the standard in business travel, day after day. We are looking for energetic individuals who are passionate about customer service to join our team.

We are seeking out dedicated individuals for the following positions: FRONT DESK AGENT must exceed our guest’s expectations and ensure revenue optimization through check in/out while assuring to the attentive coordination of hotel services for our guests.

NIGHT AUDITOR perform the duties of a Front Desk Agent and complete, balance and file night audit reports on the various areas of the hotel to provide accurate, timely information in accordance with cash handling, credit card processing and accounting policies and procedures.

BARTENDER will be responsible for delivering excellent guest experience in our bar area by missing drinks for both guests and servers. Other responsibilities include the complete set up and break down of the bar area.

HOUSEKEEPING staff are expected to exceed our guest’s expectations by maintaining the highest standard of cleanliness of the guest rooms. Clean and prepare guest rooms and public areas by meeting our established standards.

LAUNDRY ATTENDANT & DRIVER process the hotel’s laundry by folding, stacking and storing linen in compliance with hotel standards. Class D driver’s license is needed for driver applicants.

If you want to join our dynamic team you will enjoy competitive salary, benefits, paid time off and a 401 (k) plan e-mail your résumé to jobs@wampold.com

Flexible hours, weekends and nights are required.

3BR,2-5Bth,WD, 5268 Brightside view Dr.,No.4, lsu Area Call -766-7258, OR 268-1273 $900/mo ________________________ 1200 SQFT. HOUSE FOR RENT. 2 BR W/ OFFICE, 2 FULL BATHS, W/D HOOK UPS, 2 CAR CARPORT, TREE SHADED GRASS COMMON AREA, QUIET, SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD CLOSE TO LSU. 950.00.

DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ONLY. CALL: 931-4250 ________________________ Now, Accepting Deposits for Summer/ Fall Move Ins. Lake Beau Pre Townhomes, Arlington Trace & Summer Grove Condos 2 & 3 Bedrooms .

Dean & Company Real Estate 225-767-2227 www.deanrealestate.net ________________________ 1 Block from LSU lakes. Efficiency with separate kitchen & bath. Internet, cable, W/D, utilities, included. $800 per month.

ROOMMATE NEEDED! (female) Furnished kitchen, dining, and living room, 2 car garage with a covered back porch!

Barely 10 minutes away from LSU campus! Please call (318) 210-1444 ________________________ LARGE BEDROOM FOR RENT - 5MINS FROM OLOL, JACOB’S, SHAW! THE JEFFERSON APTS - NEWLY RENOVATED AND FULLY FURNISHED EXPT ROOM FOR RENT. PET FRIENDLY and POOL! ALL INCLUSIVE $850 A MONTH! email Aimee @ afouqu1@lsu. edu - sbj Room

Sponsored Freerunner and Parkour practitioner looking for cameraman/video maker who just wants to make awesome videos. mdbeke13@gmail.com ________________________ Models wanted for photo shoot for ladies sportswear Jbe267267@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 11, 2014 STUDIO ARTS, from page 1

director of Facility Services, said lead and asbestos in the Studio Arts Building are safe because they are properly maintained.

Another major issue is water.

Ellen Farrar, painting and drawing senior, said sinks often back up and open drains in the floor overflow. Painting and drawing junior Stephanie Binning said her husband once had to unstop a sink in the building.

The basement of the building floods when it rains. Not only does water enter around a door that leads outside, when there is a lot of rain, studios in the basement can flood as well. Binning said this could easily destroy students’ work.

There is exposed wiring throughout the building, some of which is near students’ lockers in the main hallway. When the ceiling leaks — which it often does in many places — students fear the mix of electricity and water and avoid going to their lockers.

Restrooms are not cleaned regularly and rat feces often appear throughout the building, Farrar said.

“I haven’t seen Facility Services in here until the ceiling collapsed,” she said. “Once we started the protest stuff, then we started seeing them here and there. … We’re only starting to get attention now that we’re speaking out about it.”

Work orders from the past six months show that Facility Services has addressed several issues including repairing the ceramics ceiling after it fell and fixing a damaged steam pipe. They have also visited the building for routine tasks such as changing lightbulbs and adjusting the temperature.

Maharrey said although the building is not new or modern, his office and the state fire marshal’s office deem it safe to occupy. If anyone notices a problem, he said they should report it to the Facility Services staff so they can fix it and ensure people’s safety.

Besides potential health risks, the building itself is not secure, Farrar said. At various times, the Studio Arts Building has been home to squirrels, rats, a raccoon and during summer 2013, a homeless man, she said.

“The shabbiness draws random people to it,” Farrar said.

Farrar said suspicious-looking people sometimes look into windows at nighttime when students are working late on assignments. That is worrisome, she said,

Sz 2-4, $10-15, very good condition, melisma72@yahoo.com

because one of the windows in the painting studio does not lock.

Farrar also said a backpack and laptop were recently stolen by a non-student during a class in the foundry, where students work with metal. Last year on a football gameday, someone entered the building and stole several blank canvases from the painting area.

Capt. Cory Lalonde, LSU Police Department spokesman, said there have been four reports of suspicious persons since January in the Studio Arts Building area.

The Daily Reveille Throughout campus, there have been 50 to 60 such reports since January.

If several incidents occur in a short period of time in an area of campus, police will patrol that area. Lalonde said there currently is no concerted effort to patrol near the Studio Arts Building, but people should still report anything or anyone that seems out of place.

Despite all its problems, Binning said the building is gorgeous at its heart. Original wavy glass windows let in sunlight that floods Painting and Drawing students use home lead and mold tests Feb. 27 to monitor the toxicity of the environment in the Studio Arts Building. Art students are forming protest groups as the Studio Arts Building awaits renovations.

CHARLOTTE WILLCOX /

The Daily Reveille

FOR RELEASE MARCH 11, 2014

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle ACROSS 1 Huron or Tahoe 5 Loose, as a rope 10 __ on; incite 14 Neat as __ 15 Make broader 16 Prepare to be photographed 17 Patty __; type of sandwich 18 Pianist Previn 19 __ up; reveal one’s thoughts 20 Ultra 22 Most uncanny 24 Inventor __ Whitney 25 Spaghetti sauce herb 26 Evening coffee, perhaps 29 Companion 30 Chairs & stools 34 Unsightly growth 35 Is able to 36 Recluse 37 Years of life 38 Seafarer 40 In favor of 41 Compensated 43 Religious sister 44 Narrow valley 45 Astaire and Savage 46 Day after Fri. 47 Napped leather 48 Cause of disease, often 50 Split __ soup 51 Natural environment 54 Longed for 58 Wading bird 59 Heats in the microwave 61 Bird of peace 62 Merriment 63 Squeak when walked on, as a floorboard 64 Nights before big events 65 Frau’s husband 66 Ford or Fonda 67 Cold and wet

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 21 23 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 35

DOWN Like a poor excuse High point Scottish skirt Implore Hindu teacher Queue Tally up Trix or Kix Leg joints Doting grandparent, often Vatican leader __ up; spends Landlady’s collection Wee fellow Staircase piece Chiquita __ Sleepy or Doc Very willing Thin pancake Salary Plenty Worn out Pebble MA’s Cape __

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Monday’s Puzzle Solved

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

36 38 39 42 44 46 47 49

Chicken’s mom Stop in on Abdomen Consultant Protected Surgical stitch Adriatic or Red Salad dressing choice

50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 60

Bothersome On drugs Qualified Coffin platform Twelve months __ Scotia Like 2, 4 and 6 Writing table Olin or Berry

page 15 rooms all the way up to their high ceilings.

It is also brimming with the kind of quirkiness that only art students could come up with. There is a couch mounted to the ceiling that was part of a former student’s project. Someone drew the outline of a house around a hole in a wall where a rat that students named Leroy once lived.

But no matter how charming it is, Farrar believes the environment is simply unhealthy and unfair.

“Our building and our majors

even are considered less important,” she said. “They’re not STEM majors, so basically, we’re not the big money makers that LSU or the state wants, so we’re less important and somehow deserve these conditions. We pay the same tuition, but somehow we get the worst conditions on campus. … It’s in an emergency state.”

Contact Olivia McClure at omcclure@lsureveille.com

page 16

The Daily Reveille

Tuesday, March 11, 2014