The Daily Reveille — March 16, 2009

SNAPSHOT

lsureveille com Log on to photos from spring football practice.

ENTERTAINMENT Skimboarding gains popularity around Baton Rouge, page 9.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Ainsley Beeman wins the Miss LSU-USA pageant Sunday, page 3.

THE DAILY REVEILLE WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM

Volume 113, Issue 109

Monday, March 16, 2009

BUDGET

Gov. Jindal considering performance-based cuts Higher education cut stands at $219 million

By Kyle Bove Chief Staff Writer

BILL FIEG / The Associated Press

Gov. Bobby Jindal answers a question Friday during a news conference in the Governor’s Press Conference Room.

IS

Revealed on a rainy Friday the 13th, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s $26.7 billion proposed state spending budget slashes higher education and health care funding significantly.

The budget proposal, for fiscal year 2009-2010 that starts July 1, is about 10

percent less than the state’s current budget and reduces health care spending by $413 million and higher education by $219 million. The national recession and slumping state revenue led to the fiscal belt-tightening.

The University must cut about $45.1 million under such a budget — a number Chancellor Michael Martin feels will set the University back nearly 10 years and increase the student-faculty ratio, among other grim possibilities.

Jindal said at a news conference Friday he is considering performancebased cuts, which could lessen the blow

to LSU’s main campus in Baton Rouge.

He said he wants to work with legislators to implement a performance-based funding formula that has been in the works for nearly two years.

Right now, the funding formula is based mainly on enrollment. The performance-based formula will also include factors like research and an institution’s ability to produce graduates in high-demand professional fields, Jindal said. The performance-based funding formula is being designed and will be implemented BUDGET, see page 15

FINANCE

University pays meal plan back taxes

By Leslie Presnall Staff Writer

ENOUGH? MIKE CARLSON / The Associated Press

Sports ........................ 5 Entertainment ......... 9 Opinion ................... 16 Classifieds ............... 18

By David Helman Sports Writer

Cancel those classes, print out a bracket and dust off your dancing shoes — the LSU men’s basketball team is going back to the Big Dance for the first time in three years.

Broadcasts

Index

LSU returns to NCAA tournament as a No. 8 seed, feels some disrespect

“I’m happy to still be playing,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson. “Unfortunately there’s probably only one team that’s going to be happy at the end of the year, but I’m happy to be playing. I’m happy LSU is in the BIG DANCE, see page 14

lsureveille.com

Log on to hear Sports Writer David Helman discuss the SEC’s tourney positioning.

7:20 a.m.

8:20 a.m.

Noon 3:20 p.m.

4:20 p.m.

5:20 p.m.

Weather

DARRON CUMMINGS / The Associated Press

[Above] Butler guard Shelvin Mack grabs a rebound in a March 7 game. [Right] Senior guard Marcus Thornton shoots past a Kentucky player Friday during the SEC tournament in Tampa, Fla.

MEAL PLANS, see page 15

TODAY SHOWERS

71

Besides facing $34.8 million in budget cuts, the University is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes owed to the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

The University owes three years in meal plan sales tax totaling $724,000 from payment confusion dating back to August 1988.

For years, meal plans in education and medical facilities were exempt from state sales tax, but University officials were unaware when the Legislature suspended the exemption.

The Department of Revenue sent a ruling to the LSU System’s office in November advising the University to charge a 4 percent sales tax on meal plans through June 30 — forcing students’ meal plans to increase about $37 this semester. But only a 1 percent sales tax will exist starting July 1.

TUESDAY SUNNY

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THE DAILY REVEILLE

Nation & World

PAGE 2

WORLD NEWS

on the web

LSUREVEILLE.COM

Police find 9 bodies in Mexican border city

FRIDAY’S POLL RESULTS

How far do you think the men’s basketball team will go in the SEC tournament?

24% 54% 22%

Aid groups in Darfur weigh future after kidnapping

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals

113 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE POLL.

TODAY’S QUESTION:

Do you agree with the men’s basketball team’s seed?

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Three foreign aid workers abducted in Sudan’s lawless Darfur region were released unharmed on Saturday, three days after their capture at gunpoint led international aid groups to question how they can continue to work in the area. Sudanese television showed the Doctors Without Borders workers — a Canadian nurse, an Italian doctor and a French project coordinator — stepping off a military helicopter at El Fasher airport in North Darfur with the local governor.

GO TO LSUREVEILLE.COM TO CAST YOUR VOTE

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) — Police acting on a tip found nine bodies partially buried in the desert on the outskirts of the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, and authorities announced the arrest of a suspected leader of a drug cartel hit squad.

Investigators searched the desert site south of the city on Saturday to see whether there are any more bodies. An official with the state prosecutor’s office who declined to be named in line with department policy says a police officer’s badge was found at the site. Authorities were working to identify the bodies.

NATION, STATE AND CITY BRIEFS

Funerals held for deputy’s family members

TODAY

Monday, march 16, 2009 bcm dinner & tnt worship Every Thursday night. Dinner (free) at 7:15pm.

TNT Worship Service at 8:00pm. The BCM is at the corner of Highland & Chimes. All LSU students invited! lsubcm. org st. baldricks head shaving in free speech alley March 17 from 10am-4pm All money raised supports St. Jude’s Children Hospital young & restless in a recession African American Culture Center Time: 6:00pm Wednesday, March 18 boost your organization membership Get noticed in the Gumbo yearbook.

Deadline is March 27th for student organizations.

Contact Melissa or Andrew for more information by calling 578.6090

SAMSON, Ala. (AP) — A deputy who joined the pursuit of a rampaging gunman now faces the grim task of burying two of his own family members. Funerals were set Sunday in Geneva for deputy Joshua Myers’ 31-year-old wife, Andrea, and their 18-month-old daughter, Corrine Gracy, two of the 10 people Michael McLendon killed during a 24-mile shooting spree before he turned the gun on himself last week. The Myers’ other daughter, 3-month old Ella, was injured by shrapnel but survived.

She was released from Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Pensacola, Fla., on Thursday. Joe Newsome, an emergency medical technician, was sent to the porch in a quiet Samson neighborhood where Andrea Myers, her daughter and three other people were shot Tuesday.

JAY HARE / The Associated Press

Murray Wise, left, looks at a photo of his wife, Tracy, during a press conference Thursday afternoon in Samson, Ala.

Chorus of outrage over Northeast US to suffer most from future sea rise millions in AIG bonuses WASHINGTON (AP) — The northeastern U.S. coast is likely to see the world’s biggest sea level rise from man-made global warming, a new study predicts.

However much the oceans rise by the end of the century, add an extra 8 inches or so for New York, Boston and other spots along the coast from the mid-Atlantic to New England. That’s because of predicted changes in ocean currents, according to a study based on computer models published online Sunday in the journal Nature Geoscience.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

The Daily Reveille holds accuracy and objectivity at the highest priority and wants to reassure the reporting and content of the paper meets these standards.This space is reserved to recognize and correct any mistakes which may have been printed in The Daily Reveille. If you would like something corrected or clarified please contact the editor at (225) 578-4811 or e-mail editor@lsureveille.com.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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-16 Hodges Hall. The Daily Reveille is published daily during the fall and spring semesters and semiweekly during the summer semester, except during holidays and final exams. Second-class copies postage paid at Baton Rouge, La., 70803. Annual mail subscriptions are $115. 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-16 Hodges Hall, LSU, Baton Rouge, La.,70803.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaders of the White House economic team and the Senate’s top Republican bellowed about bonuses at a bailed-out insurance giant and pledged to prevent such payments in the future. From one Sunday talk show to the next, they tore into the contracts that American International Group asserted had to be honored, to the tune of about $165 million and payable to executives by Sunday — part of a larger total payout reportedly valued at $450 million.

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MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 3

PAGEANTS

Senior Ainsley Beeman claims Miss LSU-USA 2009 title Delta Zeta donates $40,000 to charities

By Mary Walker Baus Contributing Writer

lynn Fish, and the third runner-up was Kelsey Davis.

“This pageant takes a lot of mental preparation,” said Bankston, mass communication junior. “It’s a lot about who you are and being able to express that.”

Other winners included Lauren Bessette for Best Interview, Ali Armstrong for the Swimsuit award, Chelsea Degueyter for Evening Gown and Erika McManus for Most Photogenic.

lsureveille.com

Senior Ainsley Beeman won the Miss LSU-USA pageant Sunday at the PMAC, beating out 30 other contestants and receiving an award which took her two years to achieve.

Amid very tedious dance practices, hair Log on to styling and interviewing, see Miss LSU-USA contestants 2009 accepted competing in her title grathe pagent ciously in front Sunday. nearly 1,000 members of the LSU community, including her family and friends in the PMAC. “It’s incredible,” said Beeman, kinesiology senior. “It’s an experience I couldn’t pass up, and now I can represent the entire student

body.”

Beeman participated in the 2008 Miss LSU-USA pageant, but the crown went to Lauren Edwards.

This year, Beeman returned with the attitude to be herself the entire way through. Beeman also took home the People’s Choice award and Miss Congeniality, which her fellow contestants voted on.

First runner-up was Merrill Bankston, the two second runnerups were Erika McManus and Kait-

MEGAN J. WILLIAMS / The Daily Reveille

Merrill Bankston, mass communication junior, left, and Ainsley Beeman, kinesiology senior, right, hold hands Sunday as they wait to hear who won the Miss LSUUSA pageant. Beeman won the pageant with Bankston as the runner-up.

TECHNOLOGY

Online porn subscriptions slightly higher in ‘red’ states Louisiana high on Harvard study list

By Joy Lukachick Staff Writer

Online pornography subscriptions are the highest in traditionally “red” states, according to a Harvard University study.

While subscriptions for online adult entertainment are similar in each state. states with stronger conservative values show a slight increase in subscribers, according to a study published in the Journal of Economic Perspective.

“Certainly some data supports the hypothesis that residents of conservative states consume more online adult entertainment,” said Benjamin Edelman, Harvard business administration professor who conducted the study.

Edelman used a list of zip codes with all credit card subscriptions from 2006 to 2008 from a major adult entertainment seller. He studied the different zip codes throughout the country to form patterns of consumers buying habits.

“The factor I think is most interesting is that most states look relatively similar,” Edelman said.

In every state, a considerable amount of people are willing to pay for online pornography, he said. People aren’t willing to pay for many other types of online media, but adult entertainment has a large market, he said.

Online adult entertainment reported a $2.8 billion revenue in 2006.

Utah, Florida, Alaska and Mississip-

pi were some of the states with the highest subscribers and several other traditional “red” states were high on the list.

“The most-subscribing state is Utah, where 5.47 of every 1,000 broadband households subscribed to the service at issue,” the study said.

“The least-subscribing state is Montana with 1.92 per 1000 broadband households.”

Often there is a perception of a double standard or hypocrisy in states with high moral standards, said Kirby Goidel, mass communication and political science professor.

But the findings from the study don’t necessarily mean “conservatives are out buying porn,” Goidel said.

In cities with more conservative viewpoints, there is less availability for adult entertainment, Goidel said.

It would be easier for consumers to go online to find it, he said.

In a red state, where the social norms do not involve adult video stores or receiving brown envelopes in the mail with magazines inside, people find the entertainment online, Goidel said.

PORN, see page 4

“I’m so impressed by how smart they are,” said judge Greg Meriwether, WAFB news anchor. “Their interviews this morning killed the stereotype that pageant girls aren’t as intelligent as other girls because each one was very intelligent.”

Delta Zeta sorority hosted the event for its 10th year in a row, but this was its first year in the PMAC. The pageant took place in the Union Theater in previous years.

“Miss LSU plays a big role in the University, especially next year because it is the150th anniversary of LSU,” said Cynthia Noguera, executive director of the pageant and biology junior. “Anyone can do this pageant. We have girls of many backgrounds, which makes the Miss LSU pageant one of the most unique and competitive pageants.”

The Miss LSU-USA winner, in addition to becoming an ambassa-

dor to the University, will compete in the Miss Louisiana pageant.

Noguera said the Miss LSUUSA pageant costs around $20,000 to put on each year. Pageant Adviser Doraine Wilson said Delta Zeta usually sells around 1,000 tickets plus concessions and $10 programs.

The pageant doubles as Delta Zeta’s main philanthropy event. All of the proceeds are divided among their charities. Noguera said they’re donating $40,000 among the Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge, the Capital Area Alzheimer’s Association, the Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation and the Delta Zeta Foundation, which includes the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

Contact Mary Walker Baus at mwbaus@lsureveille.com

PAGE 4

THE DAILY REVEILLE

ORGANIZATIONS

LSU bowling club finishes 15th Team competes in sectionals tourney

By Brianna Paciorka Contributing Writer

The LSU Bowling Club made club history this weekend when both the men’s and women’s teams competed in their first United States Bowling Congress’s Intercollegiate Team Sectionals tournament since 1975.

The club finished 15th in its sectional, held in Chattanooga, Tenn., but Brian Kelley, LSU Bowling Club member, said the club played well for its first appearance at sectionals in 34 years.

“We could’ve done better, but there was a lot of tough competition,” Kelley said. “It was fun, though.”

Though the club did not play as well as it hoped, Troy Glorioso, club president, said competing in sectionals provided a good learning experience for the club.

“We came out of this with something, not empty-handed.

Through this experience, we were able to come out with more confidence in ourselves,” Glorioso said. “We were able to see how other more-seasoned teams prepare physically and mentally for big tournaments.”

Teams must rank in the top-64 teams in the nation to be invited to compete in the sectionals tournament, dubbed by club members as “the college bowling version of March Madness.”

PORN, from page 3

In Louisiana, one would assume more people search online for adult entertainment in Baton Rouge then in New Orleans where it is more openly accessible, Goidel explained.

“Lack of availability of retail adult entertainment, in some states, is certainly an important factor to consider,” Edelman said.

Between 2.9 and 3.6 subscriptions per thousand home broadband users were reported in Louisiana.

Other major variables in the study showed income, age and education are associated with the amount of online subscriptions.

“A 1 percent increase in residents aged 15–24 yields a 0.19 percent increase in subscriptions at this adult entertainment service,” the study said.

Contact Joy Lukachick at jlukachick@lsureveille.com

“That number may appear somewhat large, but when you think about all the colleges across the country that have a bowling club, it’s actually a pretty elite club,” Glorioso said.

The club competed in three tournaments this season within its conference - the Southwest Intercollegiate Bowling Conference which includes teams from Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma University and University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The club also competed in three national tournaments this season in Atlanta and Las Vegas. The points earned from these competitions decided the team’s ranking and advancement to sectionals.

Teams invited to sectionals competed in one of four different cities: Allentown, Pa., Chattanooga, Tenn., St. Louis, Mo., and Las Vegas, Nev. The top-four teams from each city will advance to the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championship in Rockford, Ill., April 15 to 18.

Ohio State, Purdue and Central Florida are among the teams the club competed against in their sectional.

To prepare for its first appearance at sectionals, the club made the most out of its Monday and Wednesday practices, which last at least two hours each.

“It’s not so much the time — it’s more the time wasted,” Glorioso said. “We always have fun at practice, but for this one tournament, being that we’re in a position we’re not comfortable or familiar with, we really just wanted to get

the most out of it.”

Glorioso said he is ecstatic the team made it to sectionals.

“I know what kind of a team we have, and I know that in the past few years, doing something like this was looked at as a stretch, something that probably would never happen,” Glorioso said. “It’s not a daydream anymore.”

Established in the 1970s, the club is open to any student who wants to compete or play recreationally. Blair LeBlanc, head coach, said the club has really grown this year.

“This is the first year we have a separate men’s and women’s team. We have 15 people between the two teams, so the team has really grown in one year,” LeBlanc said.

Tony Radesky, senior club member, said the club is also much different from what it was like four years ago.

“When I was a freshman, we only competed in one tournament the entire year, practiced maybe once a week, and we were dead last,” Radesky said.

Students interested in the club are encouraged to contact the club at LSUBowling@gmail.com.

“Being on the team is a great way to get to know people, and this year’s team has been the closet group of people I’ve been with,” said club member Jacob Cook.

“It’s not so much a team as much it is a family.”

Contact Brianna Paciorka at bpaciorka@lsureveille.com

monday, march 16, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Sports

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009

BASEBALL

Coleman’s complete game locks series win

PAGE 5

Shooting Sorrows Tigers realize shortcomings, get back to work before Big Dance begins Thursday

a postseason team.

“About a week before we played Kentucky in Lexington I Think of last weekend as an ex- made the comment to the team that ample of how well from here moving or how poorly the forward everyone upcoming trip to we were going to the NCAA tournaplay would be realment can go for ly good and things LSU’s men’s baswere going to get ketball team. tougher,” said LSU The No. 20 coach Trent JohnTigers (27-6, 14-4) son. “As opposed played two games to overanalyzing Trent Johnson at the Southeastwhat went wrong LSU men’s basketball coach ern Conference ... it just so happens tournament — one win and one that a play here or there cost us a loss — with each result showcasing LSU’s strengths and weaknesses as SHOOTING, see page 13

By David Helman

By Casey Gisclair

Sports Writer

Chief Sports Writer

‘‘

‘Players aren’t trying to miss shots ... It’s just unfortunate that they don’t go down.’

lsureveille.com

LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri said Thursday he was hesitant to place senior pitcher Louis Coleman into the weekend rotation because he didn’t want to lose Coleman’s ability to close games.

But in the second half of Sunday’s doubleheader against Kentucky, Mainieri got the best of both worlds as Coleman started and closed LSU’s 3-1 win and pitched a complete game fourhitter to lock up the series victory for the Tigers.

“As one of the leaders on this team, Log on I have times to see where I tell guys a photo ‘You have to do slideshow things this way,’ of the or ‘You have to Tigers’ do things that games way,’” Coleman said. “This was Sunday. my time to backup what I have been preaching.”

The complete game win was Coleman’s second outing of the weekend as the LSU senior also pitched 2 2/3 innings to close Friday’s 5-3 win.

Mainieri said he told Coleman before the game he only expected him to pitch four or five innings in the game.

“Not in my wildest dreams did I think he was going to go seven,” said Mainieri.

DOUBLEHEADER, see page 8

CHRIS O’MEARA / The Associated Press

MIKE CARLSON / The Associated Press

[Above left] LSU senior guard Marcus Thornton is fouled by Kentucky junior forward Ramon Harris on Saturday during the Tigers’ 67-58 win against the Wildcats in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament. [Above right] (from left) LSU senior guards Garrett Temple and Marcus Thornton, senior forward Quintin Thornton and sophomore guard Bo Spencer look on as time runs down during the second half the Tigers’ 67-57 loss to Mississippi State in the semifinals of the SEC tournament.

FOOTBALL

D-line to continue tradition Chavis brings intensity to team

By Michael Lambert Sports Contributor

BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille

LSU rising senior defensive end Rahim Alem works with a blocking dummy during spring training Friday afternoon at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility.

It would take some teams years to rebuild after losing three starting defensive linemen, but D-line University plans to keep up the tradition in 2009.

LSU’s football team must replace Kirston Pittman, Ricky Jean-Francois, Tyson Jackson and Marlon Favorite, who started a combined 36 games last season.

But the less experienced defensive linemen are ready for their chance.

New defensive coordinator John Chavis and new defensive line

coach Brick Haley have brought a NCAA granted Alexander a sixth different style to the Tigers’ defense year of eligibility. in spring practice.

“He brings experience,” said “They are turning us loose, Rene Nadeau, college football anaand I love it,” said lyst for ESPN and Al Woods, rising TigerVision. “He’s senior defensive FOOTBALL PREVIEW WEEK been in [Southeasttackle.

Conference] Read Tuesday’s edition of The Daily ern Woods said the championships; new schemes allow Reveille as we preview the 2009 he’s been in BCS the linemen to use Championships.

LSU wide receivers and the their technique and You can’t replace defensive secondary. athleticism. that.”

“I like their inAlexander tensity,” said rising junior defensive said he feels healthy after struggling tackle Drake Nevis. “They want us with an ACL injury last season. to be perfect.”

“I am 100 percent full-go,” AlEven though LSU lost four exander said. “Now I just have to regulars, the Tigers return defen- get better each day.” sive tackle Charles Alexander, who started eight games last season. The D-LINE, see page 7

PAGE 6

THE DAILY REVEILLE

monday, march 16, 2009

SOFTBALL

Mother Nature disrupts Tigers’ weekend vs. Georgia

Nine games called off this season

By Jarred LeBlanc Sports Contributor

Mother Nature won the threegame series between No. 20 LSU and No. 8 Georgia after she took two games Sunday.

The Tigers have had nine games cancelled or rained out this season.

“I’ve never been involved in this many instances where it’s mas-

sive weather storms, and we’re right in the middle of them,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard.

Two games were originally scheduled for Saturday, but after the Bulldogs beat the Tigers, 6-5, in game one, game two was suspended because of rain in the fourth inning.

It was eventually canceled Sunday.

Game one was a back-and-forth battle as the Tigers (15-6, 2-2) kept trying to claw back into the game.

“We made it a game throughout,” Girouard said. “The thing I do love about this team is that they never quit. They battle until the end.”

Georgia (16-4, 1-2) started the game off quickly, scoring two runs in the first inning and one in the second.

But the Tigers fought back in the third inning with two runs on three hits, including a two-RBI triple by freshman second baseman Ashley Langoni.

LSU entered the seventh inning trailing, 6-3, and managed to score two runs but left the bases loaded as Georgia senior pitcher Christie Hamilton struck out LSU junior outfielder Jazz Jackson to end the game.

LSU junior pitcher Cody Trah-

an (5-1) received her first loss of the season and gave up seven hits, five walks and struck out eight Bulldogs.

Trahan also allowed three home runs.

“We’ve got to be able to keep the ball in the park,” Girouard said.

“That’s kind of what hurt us a little bit.”

The 6-5 victory for Georgia was the team’s first Southeastern Conference victory of the season after the Bulldogs lost to No. 1 Florida in a doubleheader Wednesday.

The Tigers were trailing the Bulldogs, 4-3, in the top of the fourth

inning when game two was suspended.

LSU had the bases loaded and one out with junior outfielder Rachel Mitchell at the plate. Mitchell was just getting into the groove as she homered in the previous inning.

The Tigers will play No. 2 Alabama in a doubleheader Wednesday in Tiger Park.

Contact Jarred LeBlanc at jleblanc@lsureveille.com

FOOTBALL

Sheppard, Riley get second chance with new coach Chavis brings new defensive scheme

By Sean Isabella Sports Contributor

LSU linebackers Kelvin Sheppard and Perry Riley thought they had seen the last of then-Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis when they chose LSU over Tennessee more than three years ago.

Now Sheppard, a rising junior, and Riley, a rising senior, are more than happy to welcome Chavis to Baton Rouge.

Sheppard and Riley, along with rising senior Jacob Cutrera, are among returning linebackers looking for redemption after a sub-par overall campaign last season.

“I’m surprised he doesn’t have a grudge on me because I actually kind of committed to him [at Tennessee] and didn’t go,” Riley said with a smile. “But I’m here. We finally ended up together anyway.”

Sheppard said he’s elated to get an opportunity to be coached by Chavis, who was known at Tennessee for taking players and turning them into future NFL linebackers.

New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo was Chavis’ most recent pupil to excel in the NFL, winning the 2008 Defensive Rookie of the Year.

“He recruited me hard ... and I came here and I guess it was kind of destiny for us to work together,” he said. “I’m honored to have him as a coach.”

Chavis brings a new defensive scheme for the players, vastly different from that of former co-defensive coordinators Doug Mallory and Bradley Dale Peveto.

In this new scheme, the linebackers are required to be all-around players to limit substitutions.

“We had a lot of times where people were getting confused, were running the plays that coach Chavis wanted to run, but doing it the way coach [Mallory] and [Peveto] taught it last year,” Riley said.

Riley said Sheppard will have new responsibilities as strongside linebacker that are totally different from last year. “[Kelvin’s] position is an important position ... because that’s the guy

that is doing the most covering out of all the linebackers,” Riley said. “He’s going to be out there flanked out on the slot receiver or covering the tight end most of the time.”

In the scheme, the strongside linebacker is responsible for calling the defense and any pre-snap adjustments. It also requires an athlete who is strong enough to stop the run, yet able to drop into pass coverage.

Sheppard, who finished second on team with 64 total tackles last season, said although the defense is different, he is ready to take on the challenge of being a field general.

“It fits me perfect,” he said.

“Coach Chavis very much emphasizes if you’re going to be out there on the field, you’re going to be able to cover, run and hit.”

Riley is the most experienced linebacker of the three, starting nine

games in 2008. He accumulated 60 total tackles, with 7 tackles for loss and one interception.

Only three days into spring practice, Riley said he is learning things he never learned in his previous years as a Tiger.

“I’m soaking it all in like a sponge, and I’m coming out here trying to perform what [Coach Chavis] tells me,” he said. “I know he knows what he’s talking about, he has a long track record ... I’m loving it so far.”

One hole the Tigers have to fill is the void left by former middle linebacker Darry Beckwith, who completed his eligibility last season.

Cutrera will step in as the defense’s new middle linebacker.

The Lafayette native is no stranger to Saturday nights in Death Valley. He started two games each of the previous two seasons when

Beckwith was out with injuries.

“Jacob is as experienced as we have ... so I don’t think anyone on this defense is worried about Jacob coming in and filling Darry Beckwith’s role because he’s done it before,” Riley said.

LSU coach Les Miles said it’s too early to tell which linebackers will have the most to prove.

“The veterans looked pretty good to me — Perry Riley, Cutrera and Kelvin Sheppard. Those three looked pretty strong,” he said.

Behind the three starters, the most enticing young linebacker to keep an eye on could be rising sophomore Ryan Baker.

Baker only played on special teams last year but wowed coaches, players and fans with his athleticism and hard-hitting nature.

“Ryan Baker, just based off ... how physical he is, how athletic he is, I see him doing a lot of big things in the near future,” Riley said.

Besides Baker, rising junior Shomari Clemons and redshirt freshmen Kellen Theriot and Kyle Prater will vie for more reps this spring.

Contact Sean Isabella at sisabella@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009

TRACK AND FIELD

D-LINE, from page 5

LSU takes top-six finishes at NCAA Indoor Championships Men win fourth, women finish sixth

By Tyler Harvey Sports Contributor

The LSU men’s track and field team finished fourth with 29 points at the NCAA Indoor Championships on Saturday night at Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in College Station, Texas.

Oregon came out on top with 54 points while Florida and Florida State finished Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

“When you get to the last day of a championship meet like this, you have to have your people step it up to score the big points you need,” said LSU coach Dennis Shaver in a news release. “I wish we had a little bit more of that, but I am very happy with those who had the opportunity to get out there and compete.”

LSU senior Jeremy Hicks had an impressive showing in the long jump, finishing second to Nebraska sophomore Nicholas Gordon.

LSU freshman Robert Simmons finished first in the 400-meter dash, edging out Washington senior Jordan Boase by just 0.01 second.

“We had a number of new people stepping it up and scoring

‘‘

‘I am very happy with those who had the opportunity to get out there and compete.’

Dennis Shaver

LSU track and field coach

points for our team,” Shaver said.

“It’s not just the youth with a number of freshmen who performed very well, but it’s also having people who are inexperienced in the championship meets raising their performance to a level where they could contribute.”

LSU junior dual-sport speedster Trindon Holliday placed second in the 60-meter dash for the second year in a row, following behind another football star in Clemson junior Jacoby Ford. Ford ran the race in 6.51 seconds to Holliday’s 6.55 seconds.

Last season, Holliday finished second to former LSU track star Richard Thompson.

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD FINISHES SIXTH The LSU women’s track and

field team finished sixth at the NCAA Indoors behind Tennessee, BYU, Texas A&M, Texas and Arizona State.

LSU sophomore Brittani Carter placed third in the long jump for the Lady Tigers while sophomore Kenyanna Wilson finished second in the 60-meter dash.

“From where we started this season with the women’s team, I thought we would really struggle to put together a competitive team that could come to this meet and perform,” Shaver said. “But our kids did a great job of stepping it up and competing over the last few weeks, and they came here and had a great meet.”

Other Lady Tiger highlights include junior LaTavia Thomas’ sixthplace finish in the 800-meter run and junior Samantha Henry’s seventhplace finish in the 200-meter dash.

The next competition for the men’s and women’s teams is next weekend when the outdoor season gets underway at the Louisiana Classics in Lafayette.

Contact Tyler Harvey at tharvey@lsureveille.com

Nevis and Woods are set to share the defensive tackle roles with Alexander.

“It’s pretty fun playing on the side of [the older guys] knowing that when I was in high school, I used to watch them play,” Nevis said.

Woods is still trying to meet expectations from 2006 when he was a five-star recruit out of Elton High School.

“I really don’t worry about it because I’m here at LSU,” Woods said. “What happened in the past happened in the past.”

Woods said he’s lost weight and got stronger and faster in the offseason.

“I’m just trying to work on my game,” Woods said. “[I’m trying to] help this team get to the national championship next year.”

Rising junior defensive tackle Akiem Hicks adds depth behind Woods, Alexander and Nevis.

The defensive ends are led by rising junior Pep Levingston and rising senior Rahim Alem.

Alem played in 13 games with one start in 2008, racking up eight sacks and All-SEC honors.

“Rahim Alem is showing leadership and will be a really productive guy and difficult to not give a lot of playing time,” LSU coach Les Miles said.

Nadeau said Alem could have a big year under Chavis’ defense, but Alem is willing to give credit to the defensive end on the other side.

“Pep [Levingston] never played until the last game, and now

PAGE 7 he’s stepping up in a leadership role,” Alem said.

Freshman defensive end Chase Clement should also see some playing time in 2009 after a redshirt 2008 season. “[LSU coaches] think [Clement’s] got really good skills to be a really good player,” Nadeau said.

Nadeau said rising freshman defensive end Chancey Aghayere could be a top lineman in the future.

The defensive line recruits from 2009 are not participating in spring practices, but they could see the field if injuries occur.

Nadeau said defensive end Bennie Logan may see the most playing time of any of the freshman.

Defensive ends Sam Montgomery and Michael Brockers will add depth to the ends, while defensive tackles Chris Davenport and Josh Downs may contribute in the middle.

Nadeau said some of the recruits will be given a redshirt, but they are expected to be top linemen in the future for the Tigers.

The linemen are looking to secure their place as the next great LSU defensive linemen and improve on an 8-5 season from 2008. “[I’m] anxious to get on that field to play against a team and show them what the real LSU Tigers are all about,” Woods said.

Contact Michael Lambert at mlambert@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 8

BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille

Sophomore pitcher Anthony Ranaudo throws a pitch Friday in Alex Box Stadium against Kentucky. The Tigers won the game, 5-2.

DOUBLEHEADER, from page 5 The Tigers jumped out of the gates in the opening inning when junior outfielder Jared Mitchell led off the bottom half of the inning for LSU with a walk. Mitchell then stole second and third base before scoring on a sacrifice fly by freshman third baseman Tyler Hanover to give LSU an early 1-0 lead.

Mitchell added stolen bases in the third and fifth innings and is 17of-17 on the season in stolen bases.

The four stolen bases on the day tied a 34-year-old LSU record for most stolen bases in a game.

The Wildcats pulled even in the top of the second and scored the first earned run of the season off Coleman on a single by senior first baseman Spencer Korus.

That score held up until the fourth inning as Coleman and Kentucky freshman Alex Mayer went stride-for-stride until the bottom half of fourth inning when junior second baseman Ryan Schimpf hit a two-run home run to give LSU a 3-1 lead.

“You have to tip your hat to their pitching staff,” Schimpf said. “They have a lot of great arms, and we just have to start to do a better job hitting in the clutch.”

GAME ONE Senior left-handed pitcher Chris Rusin pitched a complete game sixhitter to spark a 5-2 Kentucky win in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader.

“We’ve been seeing him for three years now, and he’s pitched that way everytime we’ve seen him,” Mainieri said.

The Wildcats struck for a run in the opening inning to take an early 1-0 lead.

Kentucky sophomore second baseman Chris Bisson led off the game with a lead-off double. Bisson scored two batters later on an RBI single by junior outfielder Keenan Wiley.

The Wildcats added a pair of runs in the fourth inning on a fielder’s choice ground out by junior outfielder Troy Frazier that scored freshman outfielder Chad Wright.

Freshman third baseman Andy Burns also added an RBI single in the inning to stretch the Wildcats’ lead to three runs.

LSU’s bats awoke in the bottom half of the fourth, and the Tigers matched Kentucky’s runs with two of their own to again close within a run.

Sophomore catcher Micah Gibbs had an RBI double in the rally

for LSU. Sophomore centerfielder Leon Landry scored Gibbs in the next at bat and hit an RBI single to right.

The runs were the only ones LSU could muster off Rusin who struck out six hitters and threw 93 pitches in his seven innings of work.

Contact Casey Gisclair at cgisclair@lsureveille.com

monday, march 16, 2009

THE DAILY REVEILLE

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009

Entertainment

SKIM THE SURFACE

New sport combines skateboarding, surfing

By Jack LeBlanc

Entertainment Writer

When Adam Sitar sees a puddle gather on the grass or a sandbar in the river, his mind starts racing: kickflips, big spins, 360s, pop shuv-its and nose slides.

Skimboarding might not be the only thing on Sitar’s mind, but he sure thinks about it a lot.

Flatland skimboarding is the newest water sport to come to South Louisiana’s rivers, lakes, ponds and puddles. This type of skimboarding Sitar and his fellow University skimboarders practice is a little different than typical wave skimboarding.

Skimboarding is a sport involving a wooden board thrown across a thin film of water. While the board is still moving the rider jumps on and skims across the water while performing tricks and spins.

“Once you land a trick that you have been practicing for a long time, you get this feeling that is so awesome you can’t even describe it,” said Sitar, electrical engineering junior. “You feel on top of the world.”

Sitar said he watched fellow skimboarder Nick Garcia, electrical

[Left] Adam Sitar, electrical engineering junior, skims March 7 on the Comite River. [Top right] Robert Oubre, biochemistry junior, braces himself for a jump. [Middle right] Sitar; Nick Garcia, electrical engineering senior; and Trenton Lancaster, engineering sophomore, wait their turn to skim on the water. [Bottom right] Sitar skims on a rail and prepares to complete a trick.

BOARDS, see page 11

PAGE 9

MY OPINION

photo courtesy of RYAN WILLIAMS

photo courtesy of RYAN WILLIAMS

photo courtesy of BERNARD GILLETTE

photo courtesy of BERNARD GILLETTE

Everyone can learn from ‘Tool Academy’ Since its inception, reality television has been nothing but a huge disappointment for me.

Whether it be “American Idol,” “Real World” or “Survivor,” reality TV shows are mostly garbage featuring trashy contestants and unbelievable situations.

For the most part, I don’t watch any reality TV shows.

They’re all rigged and were meant to destroy cable television.

But Jan. 11, Joshua Chenier 2009, marked an Entertainment important day in Writer the history of my young life. I found a reality TV show that finally made sense.

“Tool Academy” premiered on VH1 that day, and my life hasn’t been the same since.

The show featured nine horrible boyfriends, or “tools,” competing for a $100,000 prize at a relationship boot camp.

The tools thought they were participating in a competition for the title of Mr. Awesome. Unbeknownst to the tools, they were brought to the Tool Academy under false pretenses by their girlfriends with the hopes they will clean up their act to save their relationships.

With such an amazing concept for a show, it was only fitting the producers find the nine biggest tools in America to compete for the prize.

With nicknames such as Matsuflex, Celebrity and M.E.G.A., the show’s contestants were definitely TOOLS, see page 12

CUISINE

Seafood restaurants capitalize on Lenten habits Crawfish, po-boys gain popularity on Fridays

By Jack LeBlanc Entertainment Writer

With a struggling economy and less-than-normal crawfish production, restaurant owners around the state are trying their best to take advantage of the increase in seafood-seeking consumers during the Lenten season.

Lent is a 40-day period of fasting and prayer between Mardi Gras and Easter when Catholics and several Protestant denominations prepare themselves for the annual commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter.

Catholics aged 14 years and older are to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, all Fridays of Lent and Good Friday. To abstain from meat means refraining from eating beef, veal, pork or poultry. The consumption of fish, shellfish and reptiles is permitted, according to the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge Web site.

Meagan Blake, early childhood education junior and practicing Catholic, said she enjoys eating seafood at restaurants during Lent. Blake said her family typically orders fried seafood po-boys from small restaurants near her home.

And Blake has a lot of restaurants to choose from.

According to the Louisiana Restaurant Association, there are about 10,700 eating-and-drinking places in the state

with an annual economic impact of $9.9 billion.

With that much competition, restaurant owners are doing their best to capitalize on abstaining consumers by offering deals on seafood dishes and boiled crawfish.

Shantell Pearl, marketing director at Mike Anderson’s Seafood Restaurant, said the restaurant was busy on the first two Lenten Fridays. She said Thursday and Friday lunches are usually pretty busy anyway, so she wasn’t surprised or understaffed for the big Friday crowds.

“Usually people that come in on Fridays know what they want,” Pearl said. “They like our seafood lunch specials.”

LENT, see page 12

JACK LeBLANC / The Daily Reveille

Mark Rotolo, crawfish chef at Rotolo’s on Nicholson Drive, boils crawfish Thursday outside of the restaurant.

PAGE 10

THE DAILY REVEILLE

TELEVISION

monday, march 16, 2009

MOVIES

Chaos erupts at NYC ‘Witch Mountain’ in top spot ‘Top Model’ auditions Highly anticipated Four people injured, two hospitalized

By The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Three people were arrested and six others hurt Saturday after bedlam broke out while they waited to audition for “America’s Next Top Model,” police said.

Police didn’t know what prompted the chaos involving hundreds of people outside the Park Central New York hotel in Manhattan. The panic left the street outside the hotel littered with shoes and clothing, according to news reports.

“It was pretty scary,” Jessica Paravati told WNYW-TV. She said she was caught up in a stampede after waiting on line overnight, hoping for a shot at stardom on the reality show.

Two women and a man were arrested on disorderly conduct charges, police said. Authorities also shut down the audition, saying it wasn’t properly organized.

Four injured people declined treatment, while two others were taken to a hospital, the fire department said. Their conditions weren’t

immediately available.

The hotel’s phone rang unanswered. Representatives for The CW Network, which airs the show, released a statement saying it was working with authorities investigating the incident.

The model competition is hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks, who also serves as its executive producer. The current season began March 4.

Her agent and publicist didn’t immediately return telephone calls.

Banks has said she created the show to counter stereotypes about beauty, and Saturday’s auditions were open only to women no taller than 5-foot-7, which is shorter than the industry’s conventions.

Tryouts also were being held this month around the country, including in Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles.

At least one would-be contestant in the New York throng said the tumult wouldn’t stop her from trying again.

“This is my dream, so I’m not going to give up,” Gifty Asika told WNBC-TV. Contact The Daily Reveille’s entertainment staff at entertainment@lsureveille.com

‘Watchmen’ No. 2

By Derrik J. Land

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Disney’s “Race to Witch Mountain” raced to No. 1 at the weekend box office, bypassing expectations with $25 million in ticket sales.

The PG-rated sci-fi flick starring Dwayne Johnson as a cab driver with a pair of alien teenagers along for the ride topped the R-rated superhero epic “Watchmen,” which earned $18.1 million in its second week.

Mark Zoradi, president of Disney’s motion-picture group, said analysts had predicted that “Race to Witch Mountain,” director Andy Fickman’s re-imagination of the 1975 live-action film “Escape to Witch Mountain,” would fly away with $20 million or less. Now he expects this “Witch Mountain” to maintain a high orbit in theaters with kids on spring break.

“I think audiences this weekend were really drawn to the action adventure of ‘Race to Witch Mountain,’” said Zoradi. “There was also this element of parents over 30 who remembered the original and were drawn to this one, so I think that combination is what helped us exceed what folks in the industry thought

this movie was going to do.”

Ticket sales for “Watchmen” plummeted 67 percent from last weekend’s $55.2 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. executive vice president of distribution, said the studio anticipated the big dip for director Zack Snyder’s comic book adaptation about a team of subversive superheros.

Also opening this weekend in wide release was “The Last House on the Left,” the Universal horror remake, which turned up at No. 3 with $14.7 million in ticket sales, and “Miss March,” the Fox Atomic comedy in the No. 10 spot with $2.4 million. 20th Century Fox’s thriller “Taken” remained at No. 4 with $6.7 million in its seventh weekend in theaters.

Factoring in 2009’s higher admission prices, the weekend box

office total was down 16 percent compared with last year, making it the first down weekend in six weeks.

Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers, does not believe the shift signals the end of 2009’s otherwise stellar year at the box office.

“I don’t think this down weekend reflects any kind of lack of interest by the audience,” Dergarabedian said. “I think it has to do with ‘Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who’ opening a year ago with $45 million. That’s really a tough comparison. Not every weekend this year is going to be up when you have some strong openings like that from last year.”

Contact The Daily Reveille’s entertainment staff at entertainment@lsureveille.com

Pluckers wing bar $14.99 All You Can Eat Wings and $3 Pluckers Lemonade.

If you don’t like our wings, we’ll give you the bird.

Mellow Mushroom pizza Bakers $5 Domestic Pitchers $6 Abita Pitchers

Thanks for watching!

monday, march 16, 2009 BOARDS, from page 9

engineering senior, land such a trick last weekend.

“It wasn’t just exciting for him, it was awesome for me. It was picture perfect,” Sitar said. “It just makes you want to skim more.”

And that’s just what Sitar plans on doing. He is starting the first collegiate skimboarding club in the state and the third in the country.

Sitar has filed all the necessary paperwork with the Center for Student Leadership & Involvement and is waiting for approval.

Once in effect, LSU Skim will be an official University student organization.

Once a club, Sitar will be able to make LSU Skim T-shirts, openly recruit students on campus and participate in fundraisers to make money for the club.

Sitar will serve as the president of the organization and Robert Oubre, biochemistry junior, will serve as the vice president.

Wave skimboarding has been gaining popularity for the last 10 years. It takes place in the ocean and involves riders jumping over waves and performing tricks similar to those in surfing. Traditionally, flatland skimboarding has also taken place on the beach and consists of skimming over the few inches of water on the shore as the waves recede.

But as skimming has gained popularity, it has moved off the beach and made its way inland.

The newest form of skim is inlandflatland skim. It takes place in freshwater rivers, lakes and puddles, making it the perfect extreme sport for Louisiana.

The skimboarders perform tricks on jumps and rails made from household items like PVC pipes and milk crates.

“What’s good about skimboarding is we aren’t limited by the size of the boat or the expenses that come along with some other water sports like wakeboarding or waterskiing,” Oubre said. “You don’t have to be good enough to make the team. We welcome anyone who comes out.”

The idea to start skimming came when Sitar and some friends were swimming in the Amite River and noticed a flat piece of plywood floating in the water. After a few attempts at skimming over the water on the piece of plywood, Sitar was hooked.

He collaborated with his high school friend Stephen Crouch, who lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast before moving to Baton Rouge in high school. After graduation high school, Crouch and some friends in Mississippi developed Durty Water Skim, a skimboarding community near Gulfport, Miss.

Crouch and his fellow Durty Water Skim members held several competitions and posted videos and pictures of skimboarders

THE DAILY REVEILLE

performing tricks in the shallow water on the Mississippi beach.

The University group used the videos as inspiration, and now they are developing tricks of their own.

“After you land a trick you can hear everyone in the background slapping on their boards,” Oubre said. “You hear that, and you know everybody just saw you. It’s their way of clapping for you.”

There are 41 members of the LSU Skim Facebook group, and 12 members signed the paperwork with the University to become members. Sitar said more members will be added once the club becomes official.

The club meets nearly every weekend at the Comite River off Interstate 12 between the O’Neal

PAGE 11

Lane and Denham Springs exits.

The guys have also tried skimming around campus on the Parade Ground after heavy rains and in the University lakes.

Overall, Sitar and Oubre both agreed the best part of skimboarding is spending time with their friends and doing something they love.

“We’ve met a lot of awesome people through skimboarding,” Oubre said. “It’s all about just hanging out and having fun.”

photo courtesy of RYAN WILLIAMS

Contact Jack LeBlanc at aleblanc@lsureveille.com

Robbie Iles, geography sophomore, skims over a rail March 7 on the Comite River.

Flatwater skimboarding is becoming more popular in areas not near the ocean.

PAGE 12 LENT, from page 9

Mike Anderson’s offers several weekday lunch specials including fried catfish and shrimp and “Hot & Spicy Pasta Primavera”— shrimp, crawfish tails, purple onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and broccoli sautéed in olive oil and a blend of spices. The Friday special was “The Clarice,” a fresh fish filet deep fried and topped with shrimp étouffée.

Pearl said Mike Anderson’s does sell boiled crawfish, but it has not been very popular so far this year.

It has been a tough year for crawfish farmers, and restaurants and seafood markets are being forced to charge more for the Lenten staple. Crawfish are in lower quantities than past years

TOOLS, from page 9

worthy of the “tool” title.

Each week, the tools participated in several competitions geared towards making their relationships better.

Some tools failed the challenges miserably. One tool refused to help his girlfriend in the first challenge and thought it would be better to destroy a recliner instead.

Although they seemed highly stupid at the time, each challenge taught important lessons to the tools about relationships such as fidelity, humility and trust.

After watching the show religiously for the past few weeks, I’ve learned that not only have the tools been taught some lessons, but I too have learned some valuable lessons about life and people.

1. Any idea can be turned into a TV show, especially reality TV. I thought after “Flavor of Love” and any show with Bret Michaels that VH1 would never be able to make a decent reality show. They stepped up big time with “Tool Academy.” I will be a faithful viewer for as long as the show lasts. And with the concepts for reality show getting simpler and simpler, anyone can create a reality show hit, and anyone can star in one. Even high school dropout “Tiny Tool” found fame and success with VH1’s help.

2. Never take dating advice from relationship counselor Trina Dolenz.

I wasn’t sure of Dolenz’s role on the show at first, but I’m sure she had one major contribution. Dolenz helped fuel a lot of intense feelings.

She told Celebrity’s girlfriend Cameron to hate him while beating a punching bag and made Josh (Tiny Tool) scream as loud as his little lungs could when she pretended to be his father. Dolenz was solely on the show to start more drama. Not someone I want teaching me the lessons of romance and maturity.

3. It must be OK to be a horrible boyfriend, because your girlfriend will always take you back.

Of the nine contestants, only two tools had their girlfriends break up with them upon their elimination from the Academy. Even if you cheat on your girlfriend, lie to her and are generally a complete tool, it’s almost certain that upon your elimination your girlfriend will stay with you.

I’m sure Cameron and Krista, the two wise women who dumped their tool boyfriends, are much better off now.

4. Anyone with hair like Shawn

THE DAILY REVEILLE

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009

because of low rainfall totals and a rise in hurricane related saltwater in the freshwater crawfish fields.

Rotolo’s Pizzeria has not seen a shortage of people looking for boiled crawfish, despite the slightly higher prices this season.

Store manager Berg Bergeron said Rotolo’s management decided to serve boiled crawfish for the first time this Lent in an attempt to increase business and get some new faces in the restaurant.

Bergeron said Rotolo’s boils 10-15 sacks of crawfish each night from Thursday through Saturday starting at 5 p.m. and lasting until they run out, which is usually around 7:30.

Bergeron said Rotolo’s also sells more shrimp during Lent than they would normally.

“We make sure we have extra and Shrimp Carribe—seasoned cases of shrimp,” Bergeron said. Gulf shrimp dipped in beer batter “People want shrimp with every- and coated with coconut flakes. thing — pizzas, salads, calzones, Another well-known seafood sandwiches. Just staple is Acme lots of shrimp.”

Oyster House.

‘People want shrimp The oyster house, While Rotolo’s is making which recently with everything – an endeavor into opened its first pizzas, salads, the seafood indusBaton Rouge lotry, Copeland’s cation on Perkins of New Orleans calzones, sandwiches. Road near Acadihas been well enJust lots of shrimp.’ an Thruway, spetrenched in it for cializes in char25 years. grilled oysters Berg Bergeron Copeland’s, and fried seafood Rotolo’s store manager which has 12 lopoboys. cations throughMatthew out the state, is featuring several Butcher, assistant general manof its original seafood dishes for ager at the Acme Baton Rouge the Lenten season at discounted branch, said business has been prices. Dishes include Oyster great since opening the new locaArtichoke, BBQ Shrimp Orleans tion in September.

“We’ve been busy since day one,” Butcher said. “We didn’t see the big increase for the first Friday of Lent like we were expecting.”

Butcher said despite not having a big Lenten increase, the restaurant’s numbers are still where they want to be because they have been seeing so much volume anyway. Butcher said a typical wait for a table for two on Friday night is 30 to 40 minutes.

“Typically business builds week to week as Lent progresses,” Butcher said. “We’re just happy to have so many people coming in every night.”

should not be allowed on television.

If you’re going to wear something that looks like a chicken on your head, you probably shouldn’t be on television. Shawn was cast as the ultimate tool, who could manipulate and piss his fellow contestants off enough to somehow get them kicked off. He

kicked off his original girlfriend and brought Aida, his real girlfriend of six years. Shawn defied expectations by making it to the final three. I guess it just goes to show that no one knows what will happen on reality shows – except for the producers.

5. The guy who kicked off the tools had the best job ever.

following.

The lessons I learned from watching “Tool Academy” will serve me well. I’m just ready for the next season to see what VH1 producers will come up with next.

‘‘

“I’m sorry, you’re just a tool,” is probably my favorite line from television ever. I’m not sure who this guy was or how I can get his job, but he taught me that simplicity is an awesome thing.

The show ended with a grand finale. Josh won and got married to girlfriend Ashley immediately

Contact Jack LeBlanc at aleblanc@lsureveille.com

Contact Joshua Chenier at jchenier@lsureveille.com

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009 SHOOTING, from page 5 game or two.”

LSU entered the postseason facing questions about its defense, as the Tigers were outscored, 82-36, in the paint in losses to Vanderbilt and Auburn to end the regular season.

“When you lose, everybody has a tendency to get those microscopes out,” Johnson said. “But I always evaluate what’s going on from an effort standpoint, from an execution and from a team standpoint. I think you have to tip your hat to competition.”

LSU seemed to answer those questions in its Friday quarterfinal against Kentucky. The Tigers held first-team All-SEC forward Patrick Patterson to 8 points from the field while limiting the Wildcats’ Jodie Meeks to 8 points on the way to a 67-58 win.

“We played great defense against Kentucky. They only scored 50-something points,” said senior guard Garrett Temple.

Whatever progress the team made Friday seemed to evaporate in the Tigers’ Saturday semifinal against eventual champion Mississippi State. The Bulldogs capitalized on 24 points from the free throw line, and Mississippi State center Jarvis Varnado worked his way to 19 points, seven rebounds and seven blocks for a 67-57 win against the Tigers.

“Defensively we played pretty well,” Temple said. “Mississippi State was 20-of-30 from the field, and maybe we fouled them a little too much.”

‘‘

THE DAILY REVEILLE

‘It just so happens that a play here or there cost us a game or two.’

Trent Johnson

LSU men’s basketball coach

LSU’s shooting offense — one of the keys to the regular season SEC championship — didn’t improve in the tournament after

dropping off in the final games of the conference season.

The Tigers’ averaged 45 percent shooting from the field during the regular season but shot 36.2 and 32.1 percent in the losses to Vanderbilt and Auburn, respectively.

Their shooting woes continued in both tournament games.

LSU beat Kentucky while shooting 39 percent from the field.

The Tigers shot 31 percent — a season low — in the loss to Mississippi State while shooting 27 percent in the second half.

“Defense will take care of itself because defense wins championships,” said junior forward Tasmin Mitchell. “When we get our offense back it can add on to what we’re doing on defense.”

Mitchell and senior guard Marcus Thornton, the Tigers’ leading scorers, will play a big role in getting the offense back on track.

Thornton, the SEC Player of the Year, averaged 36 percent from the field during the SEC tournament after averaging 46.7 percent during the regular season. Thornton shot

PAGE 13 0-of-6 from 3-point range against Mississippi State and was 3-of-13 from long range in both games combined.

“Players aren’t trying to miss shots; they aren’t trying to miss free throws,” Johnson said. “We’re getting the right guys shooting the ball, and they’re shooting the ball with confidence. Sometimes it’s just unfortunate that they don’t go down.”

Contact David Helman at dhelman@lsureveille.com

THE DAILY REVEILLE

PAGE 14

VET SCHOOL

BIG DANCE, from page 1

Students receive $40,000 in aid Haynes started an initiative to add funding to these scholarships.

The school’s goal is to provide each endowed scholarship, which can actually support more than one student, with a $5,000 annual gift.

By Matthew Barnidge “As the price of vet school Contributing Writer goes up, the average indebtedness Despite pending budget cuts of students graduating from the and a decrease in revenue, the School of Veterinary Medicine is LSU School of Veterinary Medi- over $100,000,” said David Senior, cine found additional funds to help associate dean for Institutional its top students in Advancement and their educational Strategic Initiaendeavors. tives. “The dean Vet School has a vision to Dean Peter Haynes address this iswill give an addisue. [He] wishes tional $2,000 from to make a major the school’s Animpact on this in nual Fund to each a short amount of David Senior of the 20 endowed time.” associate dean for Institutional scholarships as The money in part of an initiative Advancement and Strategic Initiatives the Annual Fund to increase the bencomes from priefits of Vet School scholarships. vate donations from alumni and Endowed scholarships cannot friends of the school. The dean has expire — the school guarantees the discretionary power to use the funding for the recipients regard- money as he pleases. less of fiscal fluctuations. Funding “The dean is able to target for the scholarship comes from the specific areas where he feels it will interest the school earns from a make the most impact,” Senior centrally invested fund, or corpus. said. “‘Endowed’ means ‘in perpeThe school typically uses the tuity,’” said Judyth Wier, executive money from the Annual Fund for director of Institution Advance- scholarships, fellowships, research ment. “The initial gift cannot be grants and equipment. touched. What is used is the inter“The primary goal is to impact est earned from the corpus.” positively the student experience,”

Additional money from Annual Fund

‘‘

‘The impact is on the students. This will substantially offset indebtedness.’

Wier said.

The addition of $40,000 to the endowed scholarships will help the school’s top students finance their education and allow them to concentrate on their studies and research, Senior said.

“The impact is on the students,” he said. “This will substantially offset indebtedness.”

Haynes said the upcoming budget cuts will not affect the Annual Fund or the ability of the school to fund the endowed scholarships because the money comes from private donors and not from public sources. He said his school does not have a surplus of funds.

“There’s not extra money,” Haynes said. “Our school has a history of being chronically underfunded. We’re a very lean program that makes optimal use of our resources.”

Wier said Haynes has been with the Vet School almost since its founding, and he has an intimate grasp of how funding will affect various programs and areas of the school.

“He has an innate knowledge of how things work, how things evolve and the impact funds will have,” Wier said.

Contact Matthew Barnidge at mbarnidge@lsureveille.com

NCAA tournament.”

LSU (26-7, 14-4) received a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament Sunday after winning the Southeastern Conference regular season championship. The Tigers’ reward for their surprising turnaround from a 13-18 season is a date to dance Thursday with No. 9 seed and Horizon League regular season champion Butler.

“It’s difficult to scout a team like Butler even if you watch tape,” said senior guard Garrett Temple. “You don’t know their personnel, you don’t know who their floor general is — who is running the team.”

LSU joins Tennessee, a No. 9 seed, and SEC tournament champion Mississippi State, a No. 13 seed, as one of just three SEC teams to make the tournament.

“It shows that they don’t have a lot of respect for the SEC,” Temple said. “We’re going to have to get our minds right and go face a good Butler team.”

The SEC’s three bids are the lowest of any of the six power conferences and the fewest amount of teams the SEC has sent to the tournament since 1996.

“I would bet that, in this decade, if you took the six power conferences, there’s never been a situation until now where one of the best seedings was No. 8,” CBS basketball analyst Jim Nantz said in a teleconference.

The SEC sent four teams to the Sweet 16 during the 1996 tournament, and two of those teams advanced to the Final Four. Kentucky capped off that tournament by winning the national championship.

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009 The Tigers have some work ahead of them if they are to carry the SEC’s banner as effectively as the Wildcats did. LSU is heading to Greensboro, N.C., in the top half of the tournament’s South bracket.

If the Tigers can advance past the Bulldogs, LSU will likely have a second-round game against No. 1 seed North Carolina just one hour from the UNC campus in Chapel Hill.

But the Tigers aren’t willing to look that far down the road.

“You can’t ever look over a team like Butler,” said junior forward Tasmin Mitchell. “North Carolina can’t look over whoever they play either.

They’re a one seed so it’s likely they’ll win, but you never know in the NCAA tournament. That’s why everyone is excited at this time of year — the upsets.”

Johnson said it’s the Tigers’ “responsibility to go out and get something done” to help the SEC’s image.

And to get something done, the Tigers will be working on their dance moves for Butler.

“I can get nine [tapes] tonight — all on Butler, nothing else,” Johnson said. “You can join me. It’ll be one big party, but don’t ask me to smile.”

If you care to do the math, each of Johnson’s nine or so tapes will last one to two hours, leaving little time for anything besides basketball.

“Sleeping is overrated right now,” he said.

Contact David Helman at dhelman@lsureveille.com

monday, march 16, 2009 BUDGET, from page 1

by the Louisiana Board of Regents, the governing body of public colleges and universities in the state.

“The new funding formula will focus existing and new dollars on performance and be more connected to the missions of our colleges and universities,” Jindal said.

Martin said he wants to see the University rewarded for its high levels of performance. Martin said he is excited the new performancebased formula is being considered for the future distribution of state funds and advocates federal stimulus money being distributed based on performance as well.

In a broadcast e-mail sent Friday, Martin said taking a $45 million cut would be like the Flagship Agenda — the plan to make the University nationally competitive by 2010 — never happened. The University broke into the top tier of U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges list in August.

Martin said the ranking is a result of the Flagship Agenda and the Legislature funding LSU at the Southern Regional Education Board average during the past two years.

The cuts would return the University to its pre-Hurricane Katrina level of state funding, he said.

“LSU worked tirelessly to make the most of the funding it received during the past few years, and that funding was still below the national average,” Martin said in a news release. “LSU worked diligently to do a lot with a little. And now, when we are finally getting recognized nationally for academ-

THE DAILY REVEILLE

ics, we are going to be sent right back to where we were before the Flagship Agenda was created. It’s very disheartening.”

Former Chancellor Sean O’Keefe, who made significant strides in fundraising for the Flagship Agenda from 2005 to 2008, said the Flagship Agenda’s goal is for the University to be measured not just as the best university in the state but among the best universities in the region and country.

“If state support erodes and the Legislature fails to offset that reduction by permitting tuition to rise, that could compromise the total financial support relative to the peer competitors,” O’Keefe said.

LSU System President John Lombardi didn’t respond to an interview request but told administrators in an e-mail the System would request a 5 percent tuition increase to help cope with the large cuts.

“We understand the governor’s executive budget will include funding for the TOPS costs associated with the increase,” Lombardi said in the e-mail. While academic campuses in the System can rely on tuition as a revenue source, institutions like the LSU Agricultural Center — a separate entity from the University — cannot.

“We don’t have a single student paying tuition,” said Bill Richardson, AgCenter chancellor.

According to System documents, the AgCenter would face a $17 million reduction if the Legislature approves the governor’s budget as is. Richardson said he is working with faculty and administrators to prepare for the cuts. The AgCen-

ter’s discretionary state funds for the current fiscal year are about $83 million.

Although the System is planning to cut about 20 percent from each academic campus if the governor’s budget is approved, System spokesman Charles Zewe said the cuts are not “across the board.”

The System will implement a performance-based support fund composed of 1 percent of state funds from each System institution, according to the documents.

LSU’s main campus would receive about $350,000 to help subdue the massive $45.1 million reduction — which includes the now permanent $10.3 million mid-year cut.

“Once again, they’ve chosen to do across-the-board cuts,” said Student Government President Colorado Robertson. “LSU is the highest performing university in the state, and we need to be treated as such.”

While talk of consolidation and restructuring within the LSU System is rampant — state Sen. Mike Michot, R-Lafayette, recently said it could be time to save funds by reconsidering the 2001 change of LSU Alexandria from a two-year institution to a four-year institution — Zewe said the System is “absolutely” planning on maintaining all System campuses.

“The investment at LSU over the last 10 years has been far greater,” said Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope. “We should try to preserve what we have purchased.”

Cope said simply consolidating colleges and departments within one institution is not enough. He said consolidating LSU at Alexan-

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dria and LSU at Eunice is a realistic possibility that would save funds and needs to be discussed.

“Part of the problem is with the Board of Regents,” Cope said.

“They do not seem to be doing anything to encourage that kind of consolidation.”

Some — like State House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Terrytown — want to evaluate all higher education systems in Louisiana which he said may be spread too thin — an idea Zewe said the System is open to discussing.

The cuts to state funding for higher education are $219 million — or 15 percent — only after including nearly $219 million in federal “stimulus” money. Without the federal money, spending could’ve been cut by more than $400 million. But the funds are only good for about two years, meaning higher education’s budget situation may be significantly worse come 2012.

Jindal is not proposing the use of money from the state’s “rainy day” fund to supplement budget cuts.

“The optimist in me says [the cuts] are going to get better,” Richardson said. “But there is so much left to discuss.”

The Legislative session starts April 27, and the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget will meet Friday to discuss, in detail, the proposed cuts to higher education.

LSU System general counsel Ray Lamonica wrote a letter to the Department of Revenue in January questioning the Department’s position.

The Department said the University’s sale of campus meal plans to students constitutes the sale of “tangible personal property” at retail, and the University is a “dealer” — making the University liable to pay sales tax on the meal plans even though it didn’t collect them from students.

Lamonica argued a meal plan is not an article of “tangible personal property” in the letter.

“The meal plan purchased by students is only a right to later obtain meals from the University cafeterias,” he said. “The intangible right to obtain future meals cannot be ‘seen, weighed, measured, felt or touched,’ and is not ‘in any other manner perceptible to the senses.’”

Students may or may not obtain all the meals in a meal plan, he said, but students cannot obtain more than a specified number of meals during a semester.

“The right to purchase does not correlate with any particular amount of food or any specified meal,” Lamonica said.

Contact Kyle Bove at kbove@lsureveille.com

Contact Leslie Presnall at lpresnall@lsureveille.com

MEAL PLANS, from page 1

THE DAILY REVEILLE

Opinion

PAGE 16

OUR VIEW

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009

Board of Regents’ turn to push performance-based cuts There aren’t many positives that come with cutting $45.1 million of a university’s budget.

But some of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s remarks at his news conference Friday were somewhat encouraging.

When Jindal officially revealed the state’s budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year, he lobbied for universities to cut their budgets on a performanced-based formula.

During the past few weeks, we — probably along with many from this university — stated our cases for implementing the budget cuts on a performanced-based premise.

All this means is higher education systems — like the LSU System — would enforce the statemandated budget cuts based on how certain campuses are performing. Since LSU’s Baton Rouge campus is admittedly the strongest

one in the LSU System, its percentage of the cut would be less than other institutions in the system.

And that’s the way it should be, even though the LSU System’s budget cut proposal is more heavily focused on a flat-rate cut across the board. In the LSU System’s budget pitch, the cut at LSU Alexandria would be practically the same percentage as the cut on this campus.

Now the next step is for the Board of Regents to get on board with the performance-based methodology.

That higher education governing body has the ability to sway the LSU System into making the cuts performance based rather than across the board.

Like we’ve said previously, just because this campus has the largest budget of all the institutions

in the LSU System, that doesn’t mean this campus should take the hardest hit.

Performance-based cuts are the fairest way to weather this ugly financial situation.

Now it’s the Board of Regents’ turn to make the right decision.

Contact the Editorial Board at editor@lsureveille.com

NIETSZCHE IS DEAD

State elections are important despite horrible turnout

It’s a common lament among political activists that voter turnout in this country is appallingly low.

Modern voter turnout for presidential elections has long hovered barely above the 50 percent mark.

Although it’s tempting to view the 2008 election — which had a turnout of approximately 60 percent — as evidence this voting malaise is beginning to self-amend, there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

That historic election — set in dire financial times and with a candidate that stirred to action numerous demographics to unheard levels of participation — was set in historic circumstances that will not likely be duplicated in the foreseeable future.

Whatever your outlook on national election turnout is, it’s impossible to avoid a more obvious, if less discussed trend in our electoral

system — turnout for national elections is much greater than state or local elections.

Evidence for this trend is overwhelming. One need only look at the elections for the 16th Senatorial District, in Baton Rouge on March 7th.

Only 16,780 voters showed up for the polls in that election, according the Secretary of State’s Web site.

With 89,523 eligible to vote, that’s a 19 percent turnout.

That makes a 50 percent turnout look stellar.

What could possibly induce voters to be so much more enthusiastic about their higher offices?

The obvious reason is that national elections are perceived to be more important than local ones. The issues dealt with on the national stage are “bigger;” it’s on the national level that such seminal issues as abortion, national economy and war are

managed.

Although issues the state legislature deals with occur on a less grand ideological scale, they bear no less impact on voters’ daily lives.

State and local governments are responsible for mundane – but no less important — matters Matthew Albright including road maintenance, Columnist law enforcement and all the other tedium that makes life civilized.

Sure, national elections provide us with a way to vote our conscience on the great moral issues of our day.

Also, national elections feature the most spectacular confrontations of divided ideologies, as opposed to the last election, which had only

Republican candidates.

And to be fair, sometimes the effects of national leaders do have larger and further-reaching effects than their “lesser” counterparts.

But as much as we like to discuss the higher issues – as much more fun as it is to talk about abortion than it is to talk about garbage collection – citizens need to pay attention to local issues and races.

A common complaint, especially in Louisiana, is that there are too many elections — national elections conveniently happen only once or twice a year and are made in bulk.

There may be some validity to these claims, and it’s perfectly fair to ask that the system be streamlined.

However, is it really too much to ask of the voting public that they be aware enough and care enough about their local community to stay informed and involved and participate

in a few elections a year?

Perhaps the argument is irrelevant. Our government is rooted largely in federalism; our democracy is not direct, but representative. Perhaps a system with such low turnout is a way of separating the interested and educated voters from those who aren’t, thus ensuring rational decision-making.

Maybe a democracy with only 19 percent voter turnout isn’t a nondemocracy, but rather a better democracy.

Or maybe this argument is one made to rationalize a broken system.

Matthew Albright is a 20-year old political science sophomore from Baton Rouge.

Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@lsureveille.com

METAIRIE’S FINEST

University doesn’t provide healthy food options

We are living to die.

And the University is handing us a gun.

Louisiana ranked last in the country for overall health, according to a December 2008 Associated Press story. This is by no means a new trend: Louisiana is well-known for being behind the rest of the country.

Add in a mixture of unhealthy foods, humid (and thus lethargy-inducing) weather and an overly expensive and poor health care system, and it comes as no surprise.

The University — the pinnacle of higher public education in our state — has made it clear it has no interest in helping initiate any real measures to promote healthy dining.

“Nutrition instructor Judith Myhand said students gain weight because they no longer have parents fixing healthy meals on a daily

basis,” according to a Nov. 24 Daily Reveille article.

And while this is true, without a doubt, it is also true the University doesn’t exactly go the extra distance to create healthy options for students during the time when most students are probably hungry for dinner — 7 p.m. or later.

The University, which claims to support healthy choices, offers myriad choices of meals throughout the day. A student looking for a healthier option can choose healthy meals in the Student Union, including healthy options in both dining halls, apparently the only things open late on campus are Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, CC’s Coffee in Middleton and the Minimart.

The only place where a student can use a meal plan after 7 p.m. — yes, the very same meal plan the Uni-

THE DAILY REVEILLE Editorial Board

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

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

versity forced on freshmen living on campus — is either Pizza Hut or Taco Bell.

And, try as you might, there simply is nothing healthy about anything at either one of those establishments.

This is interesting, especially considering the plethora of reports showing healthy eating can raise grades.

And since the University is trying to remain a top-tier insti- Travis Andrews Columnist tution, while cutting a major portion of the budget — this seems strange.

To recap: The University would benefit from healthy student diets, but instead it forces students to spend

money on cards that only allow them to eat unhealthy food after 7 p.m.

Wow. And we wonder why the rest of the country often sees us as a backward institution caring about little more than football.

It sure seems like a simple fix, even amid budget cuts.

When I was a freshman three years ago, portions of our cafeterias were open much later than 7 p.m. A smoothie and a sandwich on wheat was always an option to students.

And considering there are more than a few classes that get out after 7 p.m., the logic of keeping the dining halls (and almost all other dining options) closed is pathetically and painfully flawed.

Of course, personal responsibility plays into healthy dining as well. If a student is passionate enough, these

things can be planned for. But the assumption that all students are going off campus for their dining needs — especially after having been forced to pay more than $1,000 to eat on campus — is blind.

The University has a responsibility, not just to its students but to the state, to help teach healthier eating habits.

And it creates for itself an even greater responsibility when it forces its on-campus freshman to eat on campus.

So why exactly is this responsibility being ignored?

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

Contact Travis Andrews at tandrews@lsureveille.com

EDITORIAL POLICIES & PROCEDURES

QUOTE OF THE DAY

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.

“As I see it, every day you do one of two things: build health or produce disease in yourself.”

Adelle Davis American nutritionist Feb. 25, 1904 - May 31, 1974

THE DAILY REVEILLE

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009

THE SILENT GHOST

Opinion

PAGE 17

JUXTAPOSED NOTIONS

DWI proposal a change for the better WITH J.J. ALCANTARA

Happy Anniversary! sary.

Today is my one-year anniver-

I’m not married or engaged. I don’t even have a girlfriend.

Today is the day I celebrate my year-long dry spell.

That’s right — I haven’t had sex since March 16, 2008.

It doesn’t seem like a large feat, but considering a past that involved some promiscuity, to me, it’s kind of a big deal.

My last encounter was on spring break in Gulf Shores, Ala. It involved a bottle of vodka, a bottle of triple sec and a house on the beach.

Since then, I’ve told myself to avoid having a drunken night of sexual debauchery. Plus, I’d rather not have guilt on my conscience about having inebriated sex.

Several of my friends have asked me what it’s like. Well, not so much asked — more or less made fun of me.

I mean, it doesn’t seem any different. I don’t drink any more than I used to — actually, I’m drinking less now — and my cigarette habit has stayed the same.

Others have told me at least it’s not as bad as going your entire life without sex. Although that may be true, most people who abstain do so by choice. It’s a respectable choice but not the one for me.

It’s not like the opportunity hasn’t presented itself. It has — on multiple occasions.

It just so happens those opportunities were with women who had a little too much to drink.

And I haven’t been single and alone from then to now. I’ve had a girlfriend, but it didn’t exactly work out — probably my fault.

But by all means, I’m not saying I won’t have sex with someone unless it’s in some fictional, long-term, loving relationship. I just want that person — and myself — to be able to remember what happened.

And as funny as “Knocked Up” was, I really don’t want to recreate my own version of it.

But alas, all of my excuses have yet to solve this drought I’m having.

Oh well.

I’m just going to keep about my business. If it happens, it happens.

If it doesn’t, then I guess my friends will continue to make fun of me.

Happy one-year anniversary to me.

J.J. Alcantara is 21-year-old communication studies senior from San Francisco.

Contact J.J. Alcantara at jalcantara@lsureveille.com

Gov. Bobby Jindal proposed strict legislation concerning drunk driving earlier this month.

Jindal wants to increase penalties for those driving with licenses suspended because of DWIs, streamline the DWI prosecution process and increase the penalty for refusing a breathalyzer test. The last proposal has generated the most controversy, because of the perceived Fifth Amendment infringement it embodies.

If it indeed violates our constitutional rights, then Louisiana has been breaching the Constitution for years.

Penalties for refusing a breathalyzer test are not new here, they have simply passed unnoticed because of their lax nature.

As the law stands, the first two times a driver refuses to submit to a breathalyzer, they are subjected to mediocre punishments including restricted licenses and limited license suspensions. Penalties increase for subsequent offenses.

Criminal penalties are not issued until the third refusal of the breathalyzer. When a driver refuses a third time, they are charged with the same penalties as a first offense DWI

conviction: a fine between $300 and $1000 and imprisonment from 10 days to six months.

The current law gives the driver incentive to refuse the breathalyzer the first two times, rather than submit to the test and face the fine. Consequently, the punishment is re- Linnie Leavines moved from the Columnist crime and does not punish drunk driving effectively.

A slap on the wrist is not enough of a deterrent.

“We must change the culture of acceptance in our state when it comes to drinking and driving,” said Louisiana State Police Col. Mike Edmonson in the governor’s press release earlier this month.

Edmonson’s view is justified, given nearly half of the people killed in car crashes in Louisiana in 2007 were victims of drunk driving.

Lowering incentive to refuse the breathalyzer — thereby encouraging drivers to take responsibility for their own sobriety — is the best way to

change Louisiana’s attitude toward drunk driving.

Jindal’s proposed legislation will lower incentive because it is very strict and pre-emptive by default. He plans to increase the penalty of the first refusal to match the penalty of the third refusal. Essentially, this means the penalty for refusing would be equal to the penalty of being convicted for a DWI. Champions of the Fifth Amendment are offended, charging that equating the penalty for refusal to the penalty for submitting would infringe upon the Constitution. They argue the new legislation would “force” the driver to provide selfincriminating evidence.

There are two problems with this argument. The first is a mere technicality. The driver still has a choice, in theory, though the punishments for either choice would be the same.

The second error is assumed absence of implied consent.

When you register for a driver’s license in Louisiana, you are giving your implied consent that you will submit to field sobriety testing at an officer’s request. Consequently, you

also agree to be punished if you refuse to submit.

This contract between the licensed driver and the state does not concern the Fifth Amendment. Both parties are bound in agreement to one another through signed contract, one designed to safe-keep state regulated public transit systems.

This is not about curbing liberties for the sake of being oppressive.

Jindal’s proposed legislation only aims to reduce casualties caused by irresponsible drunk drivers.

Nobody has the “right” to drive drunk and nobody has the “right” to exemption from the legal ramifications of driving drunk.

If anything, the residents of Louisiana have the right to expect a legal system that is unwavering and pre-emptive, and a streamlined method for dealing with violators of this system.

Linnie Leavines is an 18-year-old mass communication freshman from Central City.

Contact Linnie Leavines at lleavines@lsureveille.com

FREEMAN OF SPEECH

New tax creates Catch-22 triangle of death

All smokers, huddle up.

What in the world are we going to do April 1?

Do we give up for ourselves, or do we give up on ourselves?

These are the questions we need to ask ourselves before April Fool’s Day when — like some sick joke — a new tobacco tax goes into effect to finance the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP. In signing the Children’s Health Insurance Recovery Act into law Feb. 4, President Obama expanded SCHIP — already covering 7 million children — to provide coverage for another 4 million children who have working parents and don’t qualify for Medicaid but can’t make enough for private health insurance.

However, to pay for this nearly $33 billion expansion of coverage, the tax on a pack of cigarettes will increase 62 cents, single cigars go up 40 cents and — for those of you saving money by rolling your own Joes — loose tobacco receives a $23.53 a pound hike.

The resulting dilemma apparently eluded the president when he said, in his remarks before signing the bill, “In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to tradeoffs or negotiations, and health care for our children is one of those obligations.”

By forgetting how we come closer to a decent society, Obama neglected to address how this bill would be funded, but he did promise to “tackle smoking and obesity and helping people live longer, healthier lives.”

Since the bill was signed, however, a backlash has been felt in many different ways.

First of all, most smokers live at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line. This means the tax will adversely affect low-income families who statistically smoke and drink more often but still can’t afford medical coverage, according to the New England Journal of Eric Freeman Jr. Medicine.

S e c o n d l y, Columnist although unintentionally, many states are impeding the flow of money to children’s health insurance by not allowing smoking in many public places. Under former Gov. Kathleen Blanco, Louisiana passed such a law in June 2006, preventing smoking in restaurants and bars whose primary income is food sales.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, manufacturers are preparing for a drop off in smoking because of people quitting to save money.

Anyone purchasing a pack of smokes at any Baton Rouge Circle K knows this, as its cash registers currently feature a sign titled “DON’T BLAME US!!!” in explaining to consumers the changes in prices.

Companies including Altria Group, parent company of Philip Morris, as well as RJ Reynolds are increasing their prices in response to the tax.

“Cigarette sales have been de-

clining in recent years. We don’t think it makes a lot sense to fund an important government program with a revenue source that continues to deliver less money than the year before,” Bill Phelps, spokesman for Altria, said to Bloomberg on Monday.

So smokers, I leave you to your best judgments. You really only have three options: Stock up on as many cigarettes as you can before the federal tax goes up, which — coupled with manufacturer increases — will make cigarettes worth their weight in gold.

Quit smoking altogether and ruin the futures for millions of lowincome children.

Or make a difference in some special person’s life and keep infest-

ing yourselves with cancer.

After all, the garbage we’re spoon fed about how the children are the future — especially since real news is relegated to back page news whenever one of them goes missing — maybe we should act on it.

As California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger might say, “It’s not a tumah.”

It’s health coverage for millions.

Eric Freeman Jr. is a 22-year-old political science junior from New Orleans.

Contact Eric Freeman Jr. at efreeman@lsureveille.com

BEST AND WITTIEST

cartoon courtesy of KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

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PAGE 18

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With the potential to reach over 33,000 LSU students, faculty and staff, there is no better way to advertise. Not only do we print twice a week, but there is no additional charge to place your classified ad on the world wide web at www.lsureveille.com. Just click “classifieds,” where your ad can be viewed on our website, that averages up to 65,000 unique visitors a week. For more information, please call (225) 578-6090.

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Competitive salary. Located on Jefferson Hwy. off Highland Rd. E-mail resume to humanresources@compliance-sg.com or fax to (225) 754-0406.

R E C E P T I O N I S T NEEDED! FULL & PART TIME RECEPTIONIST NEEDED FOR BUSY SALON! TUESDAY-SATURDAY... SATURDAY’S ARE MANDATORY!!!

JOB DUTIES INCLUDE ANSWERING MULTIPLE PHONE LINES, ASSISTING & SCHEDULING CLIENTS, & EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS. PLEASE APPLY WITHIN 5172 CORPORATE BLVD. BATON ROUGE, LA 70808 225.928.7155 GET PAID CASH AND REWARDS for taking online surveys. www.

CashToSpend.com Y OUTH FUN-FITNESS INS T R U C T O R S Exerfit is looking for high energy, responsible instructors to run fitness/game oriented classes for youth. Spring/summer jobs available. Fax resume to (225) 706-1634.

PARKVIEW BAPTIS T PRESCHOOL Preschool Teachers needed flex days no degree required 293-9447 PARKVIEW BAPTIS T PRESCHOOL Preschool Teachers needed 3-6 p.m. flex days. no degree required 293-9447 S TROUBES CHOPHOUSE DOWNTOWN Now Taking Apllications for the following: Wait Staff, Bartenders, Exp Kitchen staff, and Host. Pleas pick applications at Capital City Grill 3535 S. Sherwood Forest blvd LIFEGUARDS Lifeguards needed at all (7) branch locations of the YMCA. Certification classes available. We will train you! Flex schedules & fun atmosphere. Be part of our Y family! Apply in person at any YMCA or contact Toni at (225) 924-3606.

SURVEY TAKERS NEEDED: Make $5$25 per survey. www.

GetPaidToThink.com IS NOW HIRING hosts, servers and bartenders to join our fast-growing team.

EXPERIENCED KITCHEN MANAGER ESPECIALLY NEEDED. Apply in person Mon.-Fri., 2-4PM. 15130 Market Street 5207 Essen Lane Baton Rouge www.timesgrill.com OUT OF CONTROL EATING? PBRC is recruiting participants (aged 21-65) for a study investigating genetic factors that may contribute to individuals’ eating behaviors and body weight. Call today 225.763.3080 225.763.3004.

TENNIS CENTER/ FRONT DESK P/ T front desk attendants for Pro Shop; customer service and computer skills; flex schedules - mornings, afternoons, & evenings. FREE membership. Apply in person to: Paula G. Manship YMCA, 8100 YMCA Plaza, BR, LA 70810 (225) 767-9622 and ask for Eric.

SUBWAY 4250 BURBANK Sandwich artists needed! No late nights. Day shifts available. Flexible scheduling. Next to

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009 Izzo’s. Eat Fresh!

FOR SALE

TIGER MANOR CONDOMINIUMS. U N I T S R E A D Y F O R S P R I N G & F ALL 2009!!

Brand new 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units f o r s a l e s t a r ting at $124,900. Ask about our Guaranteed Buy -Back Program!! 3000 July St. 225-346-5055 w w w . t i g e r m a n o r. c o m Location.

Location. Location... Star t Living.

99 NISS AN PATHFINDER Great condition! 115,000 miles $4500 Call 225.333.1469 3/3 CONDO INCOME PRODUCING Gated: 3/3 1700SF $206,000 Almost New. The Gates At Brightside. 1.5 from campus. Income producing while your student lives free. 407-353-0564 Susan

FOR RENT B U R G I N A PA R T M E N T S 1 BR/1 BA, $545/mo, $400 deposit.

W/S included, W/D on site. 175 Burgin Ave. Good neighborhood off Highland and Lee, convenient to LSU. 225.252.3163 APT FOR RENT 2 bedroom Apt in Tiger Plaza $455/person or best offer.

618.319.0054 FOR RENT- ARLINGTON TR ACE 1300 sq ft living area 2 bed, 2.5 bath Apprx. 3 Miles South of LSU Gated Community $1300.00 monthly 225.819.2616 SUMMER GROVE CONDOS Reserve your unit now for Summer/Fall ’09.

2bed/2 bath - $1,200 2bed/2.5 bath - $1,300

THE DAILY REVEILLE

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009 3bed/3.5 bath - $1,650 See our website for more details! www.deanflores.com Dean Flores Real Estate 9191 Siegen Lane Ste 4-B Baton Rouge, LA 70810 225.767.2227 CHATEAU DU COUR IN TIGERL AND Large 2 BR 1 B in gated complex..7722429 mckproperties.com TIGER MANOR CONDOMINIUMS. U N I T S R E A D Y F O R S P R I N G & F ALL 2009!

Brand new 1, 2, & 3 bedrooms avail a b l e . R e s e r v e y o u r u n i t t o d a y ! Wa l k t o class! 3000 July St. 225-346-5055. www.tigermanor.com Location. Location. Location... Star t Living.

WALK TO L SU 1 and 2 BR FLATS and TH, pool, laundry center. University View Apartments on West Parker. Call Hannah 767-2678. NO PETS. ROOMMATES F E M A L E R O O M M AT E Seeking to share nice 2 br apt near campus, w/other female. $375/mo.

225.892.8901 PERSONALS WHEN 2 OR MORE ARE G ATHERED...

Cute, young Christian woman seeking Christian man for a Godly relationship.

Must truly have a heart for the Lord.

Interested? Contact thisisthegirlnextdoor@ymail.com.

R AWR! Did you see star wars? Did you like Chewbacca? Did you appreciate his height, hairiness, and loyalty? If so, I may be your man! ABSOLUTELY NO YCHROMOSOMES! I can be reached at hairybenjamin@gmail.com L SU GUY Looking for love in all the wrong places.

Finally decided to put this up here. I’m 22 going to graduate next May. I need a sweet girl who is content being herself. I like movies, going out to dinner, traveling, and of course LSU Football.

Tigerlovin22@gmail.com GIRL NEEDED FOR girl needed for laundry and creation of tasty ice cream treats hungrymandirtylaundry@yahoo.com *TIRED OF BEING HEAR T BROKEN* Smart, shy, Independant LSU Junior girl looking to hang out with a nice, smart, sensible, cute guy for friendship or possibly dating. damselindistress86@gmail.com LF1M Gay gaming male seeks other gamer guy. Those that play together stay together! lsugaymer@gmail.com BOOT Y HUNTER Looking for a cute pirate to shiver me timbers. Ask me about my Midnight Madness. Find out at www.themidnightmadness.com SEEKING CHARITABLE, outdoor loving individual. Must love animals and the occasional hiking or camping trip. Drop me a message at HighpointingForAmerica.org *BE MY LOVE* Tall, Dark & Handsome, Brown, LSU Junior looking to hang out with and possibly date an outgoing, smart & independent girl. Join me over Coffee!

With Love! prince28charming@gmail.com GLUTEN-FREE Gluten-intolerant student seeking to meet other participants of

gluten-free lifestyle! celiad650@gmail.com I WANT TO BE YOUR DERIVATIVE so I can lie tangent to your curves. Nerdy ndn chick seeking an intelligent and attractive conversationalist. Ladies only, please—I’m tired of natural logs approaching the asymptote. sheenyinabottle@hotmail.com SEARCHING 4 SOULMATE 20yo Asian guy seeking masculine guy 18-23 to date. Races open. I’m a sweetheart! tigerboy1988@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS WANTED USED DESIGNER CLOTHES I buy all used designer clothes, accesories, and shoes for local consignment shop... Call 225-936-4370 TRAVEL *SPRING BREAK* South Padre Island, TX. Lg 2 bd close to beach & entertainment slps 6. Lots to offer for only $525.00 week. 956.624.2011

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monday, march 16, 2009